A mountain pass can be termed as a small break/gap that connects two or more townships which are separated by the mountain range. Mountain passes are locally known as "Churams." These mountain passes act as the corridor of economic activity in these mountainous regions by cutting the large distances and providing fast transportation.
List of Mountain Passes in Kerala
| Name | Connects |
|---|---|
| Palakkad Gap | Palakkad & Coimbatore |
| Thamarassery Pass | Kozhikode & Wayanad |
| Kamban Pass | Thodupuzha & Kambam |
| Bodinaykannur Pass | Madurai & Idukki |
| Arambadi Pass (Aruvamozhi) | Trivandrum, Kanyakumari & Thirunelveli |
| Perambadi Pass | Kannur & Coorg |
| Periya | Wayanad & Mysore |
| Aryankavu Pass | Punalur & Shenkottai |
| Nadukani Pass | Malappuram & Ooty |
Palakkad Gap
- Largest Pass in the Western Ghats.
- Location: between the Nilgiri Hills to the north and Anaimalai Hills to the south.
- Connects: Palakkad & Coimbatore.
- Width: 30 - 40 Km.
- National Highway: NH 544.
- Coimbatore-Shoranur railway line joining Kerala to Tamil Nadu.
- River Bharathapuzha originates from the Palakkad gap.
Thamarassery Churam
- Connects: Kozhikode & Wayanad.
- also known as Wayanad Churam.
- Location: Kozhikode.
- Gateway to the Wayanad.
- National Highway: NH 766.
- Historically used by the British to transport spices from Beypore Port, Kozhikode to Wayanad discovered with the help of a tribal leader from the Paniya tribe.
Aryankavu Pass
- Connects: Punalur (Kollam) & Shenkottai.
- National Highway: NH 744.
- Punalur-Shenkottai railway line.
Bodi Naickanur Churam
- Connects: Madurai & Idukki.
- Also known as Churam.
- National Highway: NH 85.
Perambadi Pass
- Connects: Kerala & Coorg.
- Bandipur National Park.
Arambadi Pass (Aruvamozhi)
- Southern most mountain pass in Kerala.
- Connects: Trivandrum, Kanyakumari & Thirunelveli .
- Also known as Aruvamozhi / Aralvaimozhi (Tamil).
Paalchuram
- Connects: Mananthavady (Wayanad) & Kottiyoor (Kannur).
📝 SideNotes:
- Study of Mountains – Orology. (Previous Year PSC Question: High School Assistant-natural Science (Malayalam Medium), Education, 2016)
- Gateway to Kerala – Palakkad.
- No. of passes in the Western Ghats – 16.
- Cardamom Capital of India – Bodi Naickanur
- Who called Bodi Naickanur town as 'South Kashmir'? Jawaharlal Nehru.
- Which Pass in the Western Ghat connects Madurai district in Tamil Nadu with the High Ranges in Idukki district– Bodinayakannur Pass. (Previous Year PSC Question: Assistant Professor in Nuclear Medicine 2018)
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