The towering gates at Panchalimedu mark the entrance of the hill station. As with other destinations in Idukki, the cool weather makes it appealing all year round. What wins people over at Panchalimedu apart from the ambience is the tourist-friendly design. With walkways, benches, ramps for the specially-challenged, rain shelters, restrooms and solar lighting, visitors of all ages are sure to feel welcome here.
Panchalimedu derives its name from a myth around the Pandavas, the five sibling princes who form one of the lead groups in the Mahabharata. It is said that they, along with their wife Panchali, stayed at Panchalimedu for a brief while during their exile. A cave here bears the marks of what is believed to be Bhima’s footprints while Panchali bathed at a small pond close by, now called Panchali Kulam.
