Kadalundi River, Kerala

The Malappuram district in Kerala is blessed with some rivers that contribute a lot to this place and there are almost 4 important rivers in this district. Of these four rivers, the Kadalundi River or Kadalundipuzha is considered to be the most important.

There are also three other rivers that are equally important to Malappuram district and they are:

• Chaliyar River
• Bharathappuzha River
• Tirur River

The Kadalundi river is basically a rain-fed river and has a length of 130 kilometers, making it one of the important rivers in Malappuram district. The Kadalundi river is basically formed by the merging of the Olipuzha River and the Veliyar River. The river starts at the western border of the Silent Valley in the Western Ghats and then it flows through Malappuram district.  The Oilpuzha river originates from the Cherakkombanmala, whereas the Veliyar River starts from the Erattakombanmala forest division area.

During its course, the river is able to drain an area of 1274 square kilometers with a length of 120 km. The river passes through the famous Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary, which is a group of islands at the place where the Kadalundi rivers get submerged into the Arabian Sea. At the Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary, you will be able to view around more than 50 species of migratory birds that visit this place regularly.

The Kadalundi river has a good number of tourist destinations near its banks and the Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary is the most important among them. The Kadalundi Bird sanctuary is situated in a group of islands that mainly consists of dense mangroves that makes it an ideal shelter for the migratory birds coming from different parts.

The Kadalundi island is the place where we can see the Kadalundi river merging with the Arabian sea and this is a sight something worth watching. The travelers and bird watchers from across the world come here to watch and learn about the rare species of local and migratory birds that are found over here.

You can also go for a boat ride on the Kadalundi river to explore more beauty of the surrounding villages and places. The boat trip also enables you to explore more of the mangrove islands at Kadalundi and also the migratory birds that visit the islands.