Koottickal is a village

Village

A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...

 at the base of Western Ghats

Western Ghats

The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...

 mountain ranges in Kottayam District

Kottayam district

Kottayam is one of the 14 districts in the state of Kerala, India. The district has its headquarters at Kottayam town, located at 9.36° N and 76.17° E. According to the 1991 census, it is the first district to achieve highest literacy rate in the whole of India...

, Kerala

Kerala

or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

. It is 2000 feet (609.6 m) above sea level and is situated 0n the eastern border of Kottayam District, 60 km from Kottayam

Kottayam

Kottayam is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative capital of the Kottayam district. Kottayam Kottayam (Malayalam: കോട്ടയം) is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative...

, and around 6 km away from Mundakayam

Mundakayam

Mundakayam is a small town in Kottayam District of Kerala state, South India. It is the gateway to the high ranges of Kerala, and is at the border of Kottayam and Idukki districts. It is here that the high ranges of south Kerala start. It is one of the most developed towns in Kerala, with rubber...

 on the NH 220 (Kottayam

Kottayam

Kottayam is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative capital of the Kottayam district. Kottayam Kottayam (Malayalam: കോട്ടയം) is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative...

-Kumily

Kumily

Kumily is a town in the Cardamom Hills near Thekkady and the Periyar Tiger Reserve, in the Idukki District of Kerala State in South India. It is a major tourist destination and a spices trading center....

 Road). There are streams and waterfalls in the surrounding places. The Muthukora Hills (2500 ft above MSL) are nearby. Urban centres in Kottayam and Ernakulam

Ernakulam

Ernakulam refers to the downtown area or the western part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala and is a main nerve of business in...

 districts can be viewed from the top of Muthukora Hills.

This village is situated on the banks of Manimala river

Manimala River

Manimala River has its origin on the Muthavara Hills on the Western Ghats, in Idukki district of Kerala. The river passes through the districts of Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and finally joins the Pamba River at Muttar near Tiruvalla in Alappuzha district...

. Kuttikkanam

Kuttikkanam

Kuttikkanam, is a village in Idukki district, Kerala, southern India. It is above sea level and surrounded by lush green tea plantations. It is within the territory of Peermade-History:...

, Peermade

Peermade

Peermade, also transliterated as Perumade, Peerumed, Peerumade or Peermede, is a hill station in the state of Kerala, India...

 and Thekkady

Thekkady

Thekkady is the location of the Periyar National Park, which is an important tourist attraction in the Kerala state of India.- Overview :...

 Forest Reserve are close by. St. George's High School is one of the oldest high schools in Kottayam District.

Rubber

Rubber

Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...

 is a prime crop in Koottickal, one of the first places in India where it was cultivated. The Irish planter, John Joseph Murphy nurtured his rubber plantations here. The tomb of Murphy is situated atop the nearby hillock in Yendayaar. The old-world charm of British plantations is still around, with purity of village life. It is one of the most beautiful places in Kottayam district.

Koottickal can be reached from Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...

 International Airports via Kottayam. All the buses to Elamkadu

Elamkadu

Elamkadu is a village in Kottayam, Kerala, India.The nearest city is Mundakayam which lies 14 km to the south of Elamkadu. The closest transport links are the railway station in Kottayam and the airport in Kochin....

 and Yendayar

Yendayar

Yendayar is a village in Kottayam district, Kerala, India that is totally surrounded by hills. According to local tradition, Mr. J.J. Murphy named the place, which was to be his home until death in 1957, after his mother and the local river. Yendayar is a combination of ‘yen’ ‘thai’ and ‘ar’...

pass through Koottickal. Kootickal is home to several prominent families, such Pottumkumalm, Kollamparambil, Madikangal, Kanniakonil, Pallivathukkal, etc...