Sasthamkotta Lake, Kollam

Sasthamkotta Lake, the largest fresh water lake in Kerala, is beautified by green valleys and chilly hills that surround from three sides. The lake located about 29-km away from Kollam, can be reached easily with an hour’s drive from Kollam town or one and a half hours from Thiruvananthapuram international airport. The lake, set in the midst of hills and valleys, is doubtlessly an awesome tourist destination in Kerala.

If Kerala is renowned as God’s own Land owing to its matchless beauty, Sasthamkotta Lake has all the rights to be called the ‘Queen of Lakes’. Tourists who visit Sasthamkotta Lake is excited to see the beauty and charm of the forests and the hills.

Containing lower or least amounts of salt, metals or minerals that are normally found in other lakes, Sasthamkotta Lake becomes an abode for a wide variety of fresh water fish. A boating on the lake would be sufficient enough for the tourists to see them.

While visiting Sasthamkotta Lake, the tourists fall in love with the lake’s beauty offered by the coconut palms that stand in line on the banks of the lake.

Sastha Temple

Rather than merely being a tourist site, Sasthamkotta is one of the top Hindu pilgrim centers in Kerala. The presence of an ancient temple called Sastha Temple from which the land received its name Shasthamkottta, is one of the major pilgrim-pullers here.

The Sastha Temple which is dedicated to two deities – Lord Ganesha (also spelled Lord Ganesh) and Lord Ayyappa, the surrounding forests and hills, monkeys, etc. are deeply related to Hindu beliefs and mythology.

Unlike normal monkeys, the monkeys at in Sasthamkotta forests are given a holy-image as they are believed to stand with the ruling deity the Dharmasastha as his close aides. Relying on mythology that hails the monkeys to be holy, the pilgrims who come to Shasthamkotta take special care in feeding the monkeys here.

Town:: If you want to come from Kottarakkara, take right turn from Kottarakkara pulamon jn. Puthoor - Bharanikav - Sasthamcotta. If you want to come from Adoor, Adoor - Manakkala - Kadampanad - Bharanikavu - Sasthamcotta is the best route.
Airport:: Nearest Airport - Thiruvananthapuram International Airport
Railway Station:: Nearest railway station - Sasthamkotta railway station.
District:: Kollam
Longitude:: 9.036574
Latitude:: 76.636945