Neriamangalam
Situated along the banks of the Periyar River on the border of the Ernakulam and Idukki districts, Neriamangalam is universally celebrated as the “Gateway to the High Ranges.” If you are driving up to Munnar from Cochin or the plains of Ernakulam via National Highway 85, this is the exact geographic threshold where the flat terrain transforms into winding mountain roads, and the air noticeably begins to cool.
Historical Context
Neriamangalam’s modern history is a story of human resilience, royal engineering, and a vital lifeline built out of a massive natural disaster.
- The Catastrophe of the ’99 Floods’ (1924): In July 1924 (the year 1099 in the Malayalam calendar), Kerala was hit by a historic deluge known as the “Great Flood of 99.” The torrential rain completely wiped out the existing British-built railway, ropeway, and mountainous trade routes that connected the tea estates of Munnar and the spice-rich high ranges to the coastal ports of Kochi. The entire high-range economy ground to a halt.
- The Birth of Asia’s First Class-A Arch Bridge: To restore trade and connectivity, the Regent Maharani of Travancore, Sethu Lakshmi Bayi, ordered the construction of a new all-weather road from Aluva to Munnar and a grand bridge spanning the Periyar River at Neriamangalam. Construction began in 1924. To commemorate the launch, the Queen installed a monumental stone monument known as the Ranikallu (The Queen’s Stone), which still stands near the site today.
- The Royal Inauguration (1935): Designed by British engineer Arthur Thomas Gill, the iconic Neriamangalam Bridge was officially opened to the public on March 2, 1935, by the last Maharaja of Travancore, Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma. It was a legendary engineering feat—celebrated as the first Class-A concrete-and-granite arch bridge in Asia.
- The Secret Traditional Recipe: To ensure it could withstand the fierce, unpredictable currents of the Periyar River during monsoon seasons, engineers built the bridge’s five arches using traditional Surkhi mortar—a meticulous compound of lime, granite, burnt clay, and a sticky organic binder made from jaggery (molasses). This ancient compound gave the bridge unparalleled elasticity and strength. It has effortlessly survived the devastating state-wide floods of both 1961 and 2018 without requiring any major structural repairs.