Pathiramanal

Midnight sands- an evocative name with an interesting story behind it. Pathiramanal is an island in VembanadLake. The story goes that when a young Brahmin plunged in to the waters here for his evening ablutions, the waters parted and a verdant piece of land emerged from the lake; land that came to be called Pathiramanal or midnight sands. The raja of Travancore gave out the island on lease to the family of a man named Andrew Pereira (Portuguese naval officer) when the lease period was over in 1979, it was taken over by the Govt and then the island was hand over to the tourism Dept.

 Evenings spent on the island can be an unforgettable experience, as the watery landscape lies covered in dreamy torpor. Chinese fishing nets , sand  laden wooden boats and fisherman gliding  by in dugout canoes  in the backdrop of the shimmering greenery are the usual views . Since the island is covered completely in vegetation, a stroll along its many shady lanes or via the serrated banks will give you sightings of rare migratory birds that have made this island their temporary home. The ideal time to visit Pathiramanal is around dusk when it transforms it to a feeding ground for the inhabitants of nearby Kumarakom bird sanctuary.

A one hour boat ride from Alappuzha jetty takes you to the island. Private boat operators charge Rs 800, inclusive of return fare. Alternately, a 13km drive to Muhamma, then a further 2km to Kayipuram junction and you can hire small wooden boats to take to you to the island for Rs 100.