Kalikesam

காளிகேசம்

A forest river and Kali temple inside the sanctuary

Move across the photo, or drag it on a phone, to look around.

You arrive

You stop at the check post near Keeriparai police station for your entry ticket, and then the road goes on into the trees. Kalikesam lies inside the Kanniyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary, and the feeling changes as the canopy closes above you. The road narrows, so you go slowly. When you get out, the first thing you notice is water moving somewhere over rocks and the green shade that seems to cover everything.

Kalikesam temple · Photo: Sujithshivam511 · CC BY-SA 4.0

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The Kali temple

You walk first to the Kali temple that gives the place its name. It sits with the forest pressing in around it. Stop and take off your footwear if you are going closer. There is a sense of being at the edge of something here, a small human shrine on the border of a tiger habitat. Keep your voice down, as you would anywhere in a forest.

Kalikesam · Photo: Balurbala · CC BY-SA 4.0

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The stream and the forest

You go on toward the water. The district describes Kalikesam as a place combining land and aquatic ecosystems, and you can see that in the way the stream runs through the trees. Stay on the established path. The Kani people, an indigenous tribe known for traditional medicine and food, live in the forests around here, so remember that this is someone's home and not a park.

Kalikesam temple · Photo: Sujithshivam511 · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Leaving the trees

You head back toward the road. There is only one small shop here for tea and biscuits, so whatever else you need should have come with you. Experienced trekkers go further from this point, on guided routes toward Balamore or Maramalai. For most visitors this is far enough. You drive out slowly, watching the roadside, with the forest behind you going quiet again.

Being here

You see

Deep green shade and water moving over rock.

You hear

Running water and forest birds and insects.

You smell

Wet leaves, moss and damp earth.

You feel

Cool, humid air beneath the canopy.

Look around

The story

Kalikesam lies inside the Kanniyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary, about 35 km from Nagercoil, in forest that Tamil Nadu Tourism associates with the Veerapuli Reserved Forest and the indigenous Kani tribe, known for their traditional medicine and cuisine. A Kali temple stands here. The area was once reputed for illegal drinking, and a check post was introduced to stop this. Buses numbered 4 and 4A run from Nagercoil and bus 330 from Marthandam, but they are infrequent, with extra services at festival times such as full moon days.

Sources: Wikipedia: Kalikesam · Tamil Nadu Tourism: Kanyakumari district · Kanniyakumari district: Tourist Spots