The Rock Garden Palakkad

The Rock Garden at Malampuzha, the second such garden in the country, is in a dilapidated condition owing to poor maintenance.
Malampuzha has a scenic setting with forest-clad hills of the Western Ghats forming the backdrop, making it one of the most popular recreation centres in the State.

The Water Resources Department which controls the entire tourism complex and the Malampuzha Reservoir has failed to maintain the Rock Garden, opened in 1996, and take up the second phase of its development in a 3-acre land kept for the purpose.

The concept of a rock garden in Malampuzha emerged from the master creator Nek Chand Saini, who created the first rock garden of the country in Chandigarh.

The uniqueness of the Malampuzha Rock Garden is that it was made from waste materials. It has a gallery of statues made of waste materials and wall decorations put up with industrial and domestic non-perishable waste, besides artificial mountains, waterfalls, caves, etc.

The first phase of the garden came up in a 2-acre plot. Care was taken to retain the landscape during the first phase.

A number of small rain shelters, huts, caves and natural living habitats for birds have been provided in the garden. Broken pieces of bangles, ceramic items and rock pieces have been extensively used to erect beautiful statues representing the cultural and geographic diversity of the country.

The art and cultural forms of Kerala find a prominent place in the settings. Scenes recreated from Kathakali, Theyyam, Kalaripayattu, Thiruvathirakali, the Mahabali legend, a royal procession of kings in a palanquin, and a scene of a boat race are the main attractions.

Due to the peculiarity of the components, the maintenance cost of the garden is very less. Soon after the completion of the first phase, there was a proposal to take up the second phase in the remaining three acres of the five-acre plot. But the State Government and the Water Resources Department did not take steps in this direction.