Mandapam on the banks of the Karamana River

Swathi Thirunal seams to have had a special fascination for the Karamana River. This beautiful river rises on the ridge to the north of Agasthiar peak and an outlying spur terminating in the Sasthankotta rock. It flows over partially narrow rocky bed confined by high banks, through a comparatively wild woody and uneven country.

Its direction is first west, then south and finally south west and it flows into the sea 3 miles near Poonthura at the foot of the headland Kovalam, after a course of 41 miles. During the wet weather which commences from June and lasts till November, Karamana river even today is filled from bank to bank with a large volume of waster rolling in a strong current to the sea. The flood diminishes as the monsoon draws to a close, the river slowly subsiding into shallow and Panguid streams.

The bunglow used by Swathi to do nadopasana in the top of the tiny hill near Mudavanmugal, Poojapura, overlooks the Karamana river. There are steps leading down to the river. Swathi initiated the construction of the bridge over the Karamana river, laying the foundation stone himself (though he didn’t live to see its completion).

He used to visit the banks of the river to see the strong gushing currents of the overflowing river and even built a Mandapam for this purpose. Which can be seen from the Karamana bridge on the National Highway from Thiruvananthapuram to Nagercoil. Karamana river continues flows today, occasionally rising to full along in the monsoon, touching the stone pillars of the mandapam where its lover used to turn up.