Pullu Paadam North

About this place

Pullu Paadam North is the northern stretch of Pullu’s paddy fields, on the Manakkody side of Thrissur district in Kerala. The fields run out on both sides of a country road, and the horizon stays wide and low. People stop here for an evening drive, a sunset and photographs in a working rice landscape that still feels completely rural.

The fields belong to the Kole wetlands, the low-lying rice tract that grows a large share of Kerala’s paddy and holds monsoon water for the villages around it. The land stays flooded for several months, and rice is planted after the water recedes. Jyoti and Uma are among the rice varieties grown around Pullu. While the fields are full, farmers also raise fish, including catla, rohu and prawn. Rice in one season and fish in the next puts nutrients back into the soil. The change is easy to see. Around June the plain can look like a shallow lake. In the growing months it turns deep green. Later, cattle graze on the open ground. Lotus and sunflower patches come up in season and are a favourite reason to time a visit.

Pullu’s paddy is often described as about 350 acres, and the northern fields show how wide that wetland is. Four neighbouring field groups meet around the Perumbuzha canal: Anthikkadu, Vilakkemadam, Pullu and Manakkody. Pullu Paadam North looks across the northern edge, the Vadakkan Pullu, or Northern Pullu, side. The southern fields are known separately as Thekkan Pullu.

Birds are as much a part of the visit as the crop. The Kole wetlands lie on the Central Asian Flyway, the route used by migratory birds, and they are listed as an Important Bird Area. Spot-billed pelicans, oriental darters, black-headed ibis, painted storks and flocks of ducks are among the birds people look for over the water. Early morning and the hour before sunset are the best times, for the birds and for the light. Most people park by the road, walk a short way along the bund and wait for the sky to change.

Evening is the hour many visitors like best. The sun drops onto the paddy and the plain turns gold. Small thattukadas on the approach sell tea, snacks and local meals, so a stop often includes food as well as the view. Anyone who wants to be on the water can use the canal operators nearby. Around the Perumbuzha canal, short coracle rides, pedal boats and kayaks are available. A coracle is a small round boat. A trip often lasts about twenty minutes, with room for a few people, and sunset is the popular time. Families take the ride for a slow look at the fields from the water, and many visitors hire a boat for photographs. Ask at the landing for the current price, the start point and a life jacket.

The approach roads are narrow, and by evening cars line the verge. Parking facing Manakkody makes the drive back simpler. Morning, before 8, is the quieter time. After 4 is the time to come for the sunset. In heavy rain, sections of the Pullu–Manakkody road can flood, so leave the trip for another day if water is over the road. The fields are open farmland, so the visit is planned around the view, the bund path and the nearby food stalls.

Pullu Paadam North suits a relaxed half day from Thrissur for green fields, wetland birds, a Kerala sunset and a close look at Kole farming. It is the place named in searches for Pullu Padam, Vadakkan Pullu, Kole wetland sunsets, birdwatching near Thrissur and lotus fields around Manakkody.

🚆 Railway Thrissur Railway Station (~12 km)

✈️ Airport Cochin International Airport (~55 km)

🚌 Bus Manakkody bus stop (Vadanappally route from Sakthan Stand), or Kundoorikkadavu on the Palakkal–Ammadam–Triprayar route, then an auto to the fields

🏨 Stay Mud Castle Homestay, Arimbur / Joys Palace, Thrissur / Hyatt Regency Thrissur

✅ Notes Pullu Paadam North is a highly rated open viewpoint over the northern Kole paddy fields near Manakkody, known for sunset views, seasonal lotus and sunflower patches, wetland birds and nearby coracle rides.