A 19th-century engineering marvel

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Punalur, a town in Kollam, that lies on the foothills of the Western Ghats has been drawing tourists for the past few years. Aside from being a scenic spot, it is known for its architectural works. The one that stands out is a 19th-century marvel the Punalur suspension bridge the thookkupalam of Malayalis. 

With massive, towering stone arches, the 400-ft bridge is located in the centre of the bustling town. The structure, which allowed vehicular movement before, is now open only to pedestrians. “The heavy current in the Kallada river would not have supported an ordinary bridge. So the engineers executed the idea of a hanging one. It truly is an engineering wonder,” says Dr S Hemachandran, former director of the department of archaeology.

The 20-ft wide bridge, the first motorable suspension bridge in south India, was built in 1877. The history of the bridge goes back to the reign of King Ayilayam Thirunal Rama Varma. It was designed and supervised by the Scottish engineer Albert Henry.  

“Punalur was the main trade route connecting Sengottai and Kollam. The bridge was formed initially to meet the trade needs and also to prevent wild animals from trespassing as the other side of the bridge was a dense forest,” he says.

The platforms of the bridge were made of kambakam tree planks and the sides were crafted with metals. 
“Kambakam is a forest tree and its woods aren’t vulnerable to rain and sun,” adds Hemachandran. 
It took 2,212 days to build the bridge. “It is said that the engineer and his family went under the bridge on a boat while six elephants walked on the bridge to instll confidence among people,” he says. 

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