A Walk to the Island of Pathiramanal
Pathiramanal, literally ‘Sands of Night’ (Pathira in Malayalam means ‘midnight’ and manal sand) is an exquisite island situated in the famed *Vembanad Lake. It’s one of our favourite pit stops during our houseboat cruise — one that you will cherish in particular. About 1.5 km from Muhamma Boat Jetty and about 13 km from Alappuzha, this small island, spread over 80 acres of sylvan forest, is a haven for thousands of rare migratory birds, some of whom make their annual pilgrimage all the way from Africa. Pathiramanal is accessible only by boat.
Conservationists estimate that the island has over 90 local species of birds and close to 50 migratory species. For the avid avian connoisseur, it’s a rare fortune. So there are Cormorants, Little Cormorant, Common Teal, Whiskered Tern, Indian Shag, Whistling Duck, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Indian Pond Heron, Night Heron, Purple Heron, Bronze-winged Jacanas, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Pintail Ducks, Darter, and Cotton Pygmy-Goose for a spectacular avian kaleidoscopic view.
*Vembanad Lake, also known as Punnamada Kayal (lake), is the longest lake in India and is the largest of its kind in Kerala. Spread across an area of 2033 sq km with a length of 96.5 km, it is the second-largest Ramsar site in India after the Sunderbans in West Bengal.