Wherever I go this place is very special. This is home ❤️
There are places that I enjoy but this is one place that enhances me. Enhances me in everything I think or do. Until a few years back, had someone said this to me I wouldn't have believed or laughed it off. But then I experienced it. The hill taught me every time I hiked. And I write this from an experience of hiking this hill over 100 times in the last 3 years. Meet Maruthuva Malai aka Maruthuva Malai aka Marunthuvazh Malai. மருந்துவாழ் மலை in Tamil. The literal English translation is 'Medicine Living Mountain' or 'The Medicinal Mountain'🙏
About 10 km north of the southernmost tip of India, in Kanyakumari lies the last hill of India. Just like how the Himalayan range borders us in the north, Marthuval Malai stands tall at the southernmost point. From the top of the hill, one can see the edge of the 'V-shape' of India, as we see on maps. The top of the hill offers a 360° view with 3 sides ocean and the start of the mighty WesterGhatsts on the fourth. According to tradition, the Maruthuva Malai is a fragment of the Sanjeevi Mountain, a piece of which fell here. Divine beings Sage Agastya, Athri Maharishi, and more recently Narayana Guru meditated in the cave up the hill.
Anyone who travels from Kanyakumari by road, train, or ocean cannot miss this giant hill standing tall. So, for me since childhood watching this hill and wondering what was on top of it was a childhood fascination. It has happened to me ever since I saw it, probably around the same time I started school. While traveling in the bus watching this hill, staring directly into the top of the hill, wondering who lived in the house that was in the middle of the mountain, and asking my grandmom the same questions about the hill every time we crossed it were fond memories, I had of the hill until 2020. But little did I know all my childhood dreams were about to come true.
During the first COVID lockdown, I shifted to Kanyakumari from ChGoingy going back home for a longer stay than 3 days after almost 16 years. I wasn't very excited but I knew something was going to happen. I got introduced to Nemesh by a very close friend from school. Nemesh had already hiked the hill for 41 days consecutively. The first time I heard him do this, I thought he was mad. On the other hand, why would anyone hike it every day? This guy must be jobless I thought. However, being the kind of person he is, Nemesh was kind enough to take me and a few others for our first hike of Maruthuval Malai. It was a late evening hike and we took about 90 minutes to get to the top. It was all dark up there so we descended early.
After a month, Nemesh and I hiked again during the day. This was the first time I got to see the 360 views from the top of the hill. We hiked again for the third time two weeks later and I got hooked. For, me and Nemesh, we still didn't know why we went up this hill. But we just kept going. All we know is that something happens to us every time we go here. So, we continued to hike. We casually hiked one Sunday evening after a stomach full of biryani and witnessed the best sunset of our lives from the top of the hill. Below is that video
The hill also gave me new friends. Friends who had magical experiences while and after visiting Maruthuva Malai. I still wonder how I got to meet a few of these people on the hill but I do know there is a reason. I continue to realize the purpose of being a mere tool for the divine. And I am forever grateful for allowing me this service 💗🙏
At some point, Nemesh got busy with his everyday chores and that only meant I hiked up all alone. One led to the other and in July of 2022, I hiked Maruthuval Malai consecutively for 41 days. Every day, morning or evening I went up the hill and walked down. What it was doing to me every time, I will never be able to explain in words. However, I attempt in this blog post - 41 days of hiking Marunthuvazh Malai.
If you want to hike the hill anytime and need company feel free to email me me@sabinv.com or reach out on Instagram DM here.
Do's at Marunthuvazh Malai trek:
- Carry your own water bottles. On the trekking path to the peak, you will not get drinking water. You can buy bottles from the shops in the base
- If you are used to barefoot. The terrain is apt for it.
- Make sure to visit the cave once you reach the top of the hill.
- Murugan anna sells buttermilk, mangos, and other fruits on the way on the trek. Feel free to sit and chat with him.
Don't at Marunthuvazh Malai trek
- Do not carry and drop anything plastic in the hill region
- Do not feed the monkeys from a close distance
- The hill is holy to many of us. Please avoid liquor or anything that you wouldn't do in a temple, church, or mosque
Frequently Asked Questions about Maruthuva Malai:
How long does it take to hike Marunthuval Malai?
Local boys can do it in 25 minutes. A person who works out every day can do it in 45 minutes. Everyone else anywhere between 45 minutes to 2 hours. FYI - Women mostly from Kerala, who are 70+ also casually hike this hill.
What is the height of Maruthuval Malai?
The height of Martuhuval Malai is about 800 feet. The distance of the trek is about 2.8 km up and down (1.4km one way).
When can I trek Maruthuva malai?
Any day between 6 am to 6 pm.
Are there wild animals in Maruthuva Malai?
No. Except for a few monkeys. very rarely few deers also come to the mountain.
Is there a natural fountain in Maruthuva Malai that flows through the year?
Yes. There are 3. Two are mostly never dry. But there is not enough water to flow like a stream or to shower. Water is usually good enough to be stored in a pit. You can drink from the pit and you will certainly feel the magic water💙