Kochi: The release of Nitesh Tiwari's ‘Ramayana: Part 1’ has brought the legendary battle between Ravana and Jatayu back into the spotlight. While audiences discuss the film's visuals, social media in South India has found another reason to join the conversation: memes and jokes about the many places associated with Jatayu's story.
If all this chatter has left you curious about the bird beyond the big screen, there is a rather enormous reason to head to Chadayamangalam in Kerala's Kollam district.
Welcome to the Jatayu Earth's Center, where the bird from the ‘Ramayana’ has made a giant impression.
Perched on a rocky hillock, the centre is home to what is recognised as the world's largest bird sculpture. Designed by sculptor and filmmaker Rajiv Anchal, it measures 200 feet long, 150 feet wide and 70 feet high. The project took around 10 years to complete.
The sculpture depicts Jatayu after his battle with Ravana, wounded and waiting for Rama to arrive. It commemorates the bird's courage and sacrifice and is also intended as a symbol of women's safety and honour.
Visitors can reach the hilltop by cable car or take a walkway with 826 steps, built using around 60,000 chiselled stones. Either way, the journey offers a closer look at a sculpture that is difficult to miss.
In the ‘Ramayana’, Jatayu confronts Ravana as he abducts Sita and carries her towards Lanka. Though Ravana severs his wings, the wounded bird survives long enough to tell Rama what happened. The sculpture captures the bird in those final moments, turning an episode from the epic into a striking landmark.
Chadayamangalam is not the only place in South India associated with Jatayu's fall. Across the region, local traditions have connected the bird's story to temples, landmarks, and even the names of villages.
Lepakshi in Andhra Pradesh is one such location. The village's name is popularly linked to the Telugu words 'Le Pakshi', meaning 'Rise, bird' — believed to be what Rama said when he found the wounded Jatayu. The village is also home to a Jatayu Park with a sculpture dedicated to the bird.
In Thiruputkuli, near Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu, the Vijayaraghava Perumal Temple is associated with the belief that Rama performed Jatayu's final rites there. The presiding deity is depicted holding the wounded bird, and a temple tank known as Jatayu Pushkarini is also linked to the legend.
Further south, Jatayu Theertham near Rameswaram, along the route to Dhanushkodi, is another site associated with the belief that the bird fell there after his fight with Ravana.
These places reflect how the ‘Ramayana’ has become part of the cultural and religious landscape of different parts of South India. The online jokes may have brought Jatayu back into the conversation, but in Kollam, his story has a particularly striking landmark — one that takes a giant bird's-eye view to appreciate.