Sispara Pass

A historic pass through the western escarpment towards Malabar, now deep inside protected high country. It is not an independent day hike or an ordinary attraction: enter only on the route, date and guide authorised by the Wildlife Warden, and expect that no programme may be available.

Sispara Pass, Kundah
Practical guide

Plan Sispara Pass

Who's going?Tailor Sispara Pass to your trip
Typeheritage
Nearest baseKundah
DistrictThe Nilgiris
Best timeOctober to March is the cooler, drier…
Time neededAbout an hour
EntryFree
Places to visit6Listed businesses25

Sispara Pass is planned from Kundah, one of the travel bases in The Nilgiris district. Use Kundah for stays, food and local transport, then plan this place as a focused stop.

The story

A historic pass through the western escarpment towards Malabar, now deep inside protected high country. It is not an independent day hike or an ordinary attraction: enter only on the route, date and guide authorised by the Wildlife Warden, and expect that no programme may be available.

The story of Sispara Pass

At Sispara Pass near kundah, sispara Pass is best read in its The Nilgiris context. At Sispara Pass near kundah, walk only through areas open to visitors and distinguish the surviving historic fabric from later repairs, displays and present-day civic use.

At Sispara Pass near kundah, set aside enough time to examine Sispara Pass without blocking its everyday use. At Sispara Pass near kundah, current opening, maintenance and event arrangements should be confirmed in kundah on the day.

At Sispara Pass near kundah, sispara Pass makes most sense when its documented purpose is separated from legend and promotional superlatives. At Sispara Pass near kundah, read labels critically, ask before photographing people and leave restricted rooms undisturbed.

What to expect

Highlights

Getting there

How to visit

  • Base yourself in Kundah or nearby in The Nilgiris, then confirm the last-mile route locally before travel.
  • If access depends on temple, museum or seasonal rules, check on the day before you go.
Timing

Best time

October to March is the cooler, drier season in the Cauvery delta.

Weather in Sispara PassSeasonal guide

Live forecast loads in your browser.

Today at Sispara Pass
Sunrise6:13 am
Sunset6:06 pm
Golden hour best light5:06 pm–6:06 pm
Blue hour after sunset6:06 pm–6:31 pm
Sun sets toward compass bearingW · 261°
Moon tonight🌒 Waxing crescent · 25%

Sun and moon are calculated for this location and shown in IST. Photography windows are the hour around sunrise and sunset; the sunset bearing is degrees clockwise from true north. Moon phase is accurate to about half a day.

Stay · eat · do · rent · see · shop

Stays, food & things to do near Sispara Pass

Verified hotels, homestays, restaurants, experiences, sights, shops and rentals around Sispara Pass — commission-free, with direct contact. Filter by what you need.

25 places to stay near Sispara Pass

Top pick
Registered bed and breakfast
De Colonial Manor

Registered bed and breakfast at 7/238 Sreet One, Vpn Colony, Ithalar Road. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Top pick
Registered lodge and tourist home
Hotel Tejas Gateway

Registered lodge and tourist home at 384/3 Kundah Taluk Office Road,kotrakandy, Manjoor. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Top pick
Registered resort
H S B Hospitality Services

Registered resort at 6/202, Kathadimattam, Manjore Road, Balacola, The Nilgiris 643 203. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Top pick
Registered bed and breakfast
Reroot Crest

Registered bed and breakfast at No. 2/585 , Yellakandi , Ithalar Village, Kundah Taluk The Nilgiris. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Top pick
Registered bed and breakfast
Silverline Resort

Registered bed and breakfast at Silverline Resort, 2/259, Kathadimattam, Balacola Post,. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Bhuvanesh Cottage

Registered bed and breakfast at 3/125b4 Kundha Post Near Post Office Manjoor The Nilgiris Pin : 643219. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Little Heaven

Registered bed and breakfast at 2/512 Karikad Corner Ithalar. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Aimans Breezy Paradise

Registered bed and breakfast at 2/269, Kathadumattam Street, Balacola Village Panchayat, The Nilgiris. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Suejay's Aurora

Registered bed and breakfast at 2/571, Suejay's Aurora,yellagndi, Ithalar Post, Kundah Taluk, The Nilgiris. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Vihani's Western Clouds

Registered bed and breakfast at 2/542, Ithalar, Ithalar Panchayat, The Nilgiris - 643004. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Mark Holidays

Registered bed and breakfast at 7/408, Thulithalai, Ithalar. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Misty Meadows

Registered bed and breakfast at 1/274/A, Balacola Street, Kundah Taluk, The Nilgiris - 643203. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Bab's Cloud Resorts

Registered bed and breakfast at 1/444a, Koliyatti, Mel Kundha, The Nilgiris - 643219. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Viewsvilla

Registered bed and breakfast at Viewsvilla, No.1/302-D19, Mullimalai Kandimattam,kilkundah Village, Kundah Taluk, The Nilgiris - 643219. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
7 Stars Retreat Center Cottage

Registered bed and breakfast at 2/499 Ithalar. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
House Of Joy

Registered bed and breakfast at 1/282, Mahalingam Nagar, Balacola Village, Kundah Taluk. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Joshvee

Registered bed and breakfast at Joshvee,2/511. Winter Lake Ithalar, Avalanche Main Road, Ooty, The Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu 643004 India". The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered homestay
Rishlila Villa

Registered homestay at 2/554 Karikad Corner, Ithalar, Nilgiris District, Tamilnadu 643004. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Casa De Amor

Registered bed and breakfast at 2/555, Ithalar Village, The Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu - 643004. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Royal Rose Home Stay

Registered bed and breakfast at 2/570 Ithalar. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Camellia Crest

Registered bed and breakfast at 2/589, Ithalar Street, Ithalar Village Panchayat, The Nilgiris - 643004. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Cindola Gate

Registered bed and breakfast at 2-259, Cindola Gate Ooty, Kathadimattam, Manjoor Road, Kundah Taluk,. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered homestay
Rishlila Villa Private Limited

Registered homestay at 2/472, Ithalar, Karikad Corner, The Nilgiris. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Registered bed and breakfast
Kings Bed And Breakfast

Registered bed and breakfast at Door No. 6-672, Old Sy. No. 3-1a2, New Sy No: 1239, Sub Dividion No: 12398, Kundah Ooty Road Part Of Ithalar Village, Kunda Taluk, Nilgiris District. Pin Code : 643004. The government register supplies a direct telephone number, while room details, rates and access arrangements must be confirmed with the property.

Directions Commission-freeView details

Book with the place itself. India’s cyber-crime coordination centre warned in April 2025 that convincing copies of hotel and pilgrimage booking sites are being pushed through sponsored search and social ads, taking payment for rooms the property never hears about. Every listing here links to the business’s own contact details and its own Google or Bing profile — we take no commission and sit in nobody’s payment path. If a booking page reached you through an ad, check the address bar against the property’s own site before you pay. Fraud can be reported on cybercrime.gov.in or on 1930.

Ranked guides

Top experiences around Kundah

5 more places around Kundah. Open a guide to plan the visit and onward journey.

wildlifeMukurthi National Park

8.1 km · ~14 min by cab

A high-altitude park in the western Nilgiris protecting shola-grassland ecosystems and the endangered Nilgiri tahr, part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. There is no public road into it; entry is on permit from the Kundah side, and Sispara Pass and Bangitappal lie within its western reach.

heritageBangitappal

9.4 km · ~16 min by cab

A remote grassland basin behind Sispara where streams meet and a trekking shed stands. The shed and track do not make it public: Bangitappal belongs only inside a specifically permitted, guided Mukurthi itinerary.

heritageUpper Bhavani Reservoir

20.0 km · ~33 min by cab

A high working reservoir in protected shola-grassland at the headwaters of the Bhavani. The approach crosses controlled forest and inspection roads; confirm permission before leaving, stop at every barrier, and do not treat the shore as a picnic or boating area.

heritageParsons Valley Reservoir

20.6 km · ~34 min by cab

A protected drinking-water catchment in dense shola west of Ooty. There are no ordinary visitor hours or shore facilities, and a route drawn over a water-board or forest road is not permission to follow it.

heritagePorthimund Dam

15.0 km · ~25 min by cab

A working reservoir in the Kundah hydro-electric system, surrounded by controlled forest and departmental roads. See it only from a safe public-road point when the approach is open; do not pass a power or forest barrier or approach the water.

Roampedia is commission-free — own or know a stay, eatery, guide or shop near Sispara Pass? List it and it appears here once verified.

Add a nearby business
Before you go

Sispara Pass — at a glance

TimingsOnly on the dates and route stated by the Wildlife Warden
Best timeSet by the Forest Department; never during a closure or heavy monsoon

Entry: No walk-up entry. Written Forest Department permission and an authorised guide are required; permission may be unavailable.

Getting here

How to reach Sispara Pass

A remote historic pass on the western escarpment beyond Bangitappal. There is no public motor road to the pass and no lawful independent approach.

Getting around Sispara Pass

If you need step-free access, contact the site before travelling. Ask about a level entrance, steps along the route, the nearest drop-off point, seating and accessible toilets.

If you need help at Sispara Pass
112All emergencies (police · fire · medical)The single number to call in any emergency (ERSS).

Emergency numbers are verified against official government and state tourism sources. 112 works anywhere in India.

Nearby

What’s near Sispara Pass

wildlifeMukurthi National Park

A high-altitude park in the western Nilgiris protecting shola-grassland ecosystems and the endangered Nilgiri tahr, part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. There is no public road into it; entry is on permit from the Kundah side, and Sispara Pass and Bangitappal lie within its western reach.

8.1 km · ~14 min by cab · straight line
heritageBangitappal

A remote grassland basin behind Sispara where streams meet and a trekking shed stands. The shed and track do not make it public: Bangitappal belongs only inside a specifically permitted, guided Mukurthi itinerary.

9.4 km · ~16 min by cab · straight line
heritagePorthimund Dam

A working reservoir in the Kundah hydro-electric system, surrounded by controlled forest and departmental roads. See it only from a safe public-road point when the approach is open; do not pass a power or forest barrier or approach the water.

15.0 km · ~25 min by cab · straight line
heritageUpper Bhavani Reservoir

A high working reservoir in protected shola-grassland at the headwaters of the Bhavani. The approach crosses controlled forest and inspection roads; confirm permission before leaving, stop at every barrier, and do not treat the shore as a picnic or boating area.

20.0 km · ~33 min by cab · straight line
heritageParsons Valley Reservoir

A protected drinking-water catchment in dense shola west of Ooty. There are no ordinary visitor hours or shore facilities, and a route drawn over a water-board or forest road is not permission to follow it.

20.6 km · ~34 min by cab · straight line
damAvalanche Lake

A reservoir among sholas and grassland on the road toward Upper Bhavani, 22.5 km from the Ooty bus stand by routed road — the district and the municipality both publish it as 28 km. It sits inside a protected forest zone where access is controlled, so check before setting out.

22.9 km · ~38 min by cab · straight line
damEmerald Lake, Ooty

A quiet reservoir near Avalanche in the upper Nilgiris, surrounded by tea plantations and sholas, less visited than Ooty Lake.

24.0 km · ~40 min by cab · straight line
N
Nadugani Ghat
Place
heritageNadugani Ghat

The pass that carries NH-181 off the Nilgiris and down into Kerala, 12.1 km south-west of Gudalur — the road to Nilambur, 49.5 km on, and to Kozhikode at 109.5 km. It is the western door of the district, and the reason a Tamil Nadu town at the top of it does most of its trade in Malayalam. The descent runs through the reserved forest of the Nilambur slope, elephants cross it, and the two routing engines we check agree on its length to within 200 metres, which is not true of any road out of here heading north. The marker sits on Nadugani village itself, on the map as node/402240869; the ghat is the road below it, not a point.

30.0 km · ~50 min by cab · straight line
T
Tribal Research Centre Museum, Ooty
Place
heritageTribal Research Centre Museum, Ooty

Part of the Tribal Research Centre campus at Muthorai near Ooty. It preserves ornaments, tools, weapons, pottery and artwork documenting dozens of ethnic communities of Tamil Nadu, including the Toda, Kota, Kurumba and Irula tribes of the Nilgiris. It is listed on the official Nilgiris district tourism site.

30.5 km · ~51 min by cab · straight line
D
Devala
Place
heritageDevala

A village 16.6 km west of Gudalur that was, for about a decade, the centre of a gold rush. Mining in this country is documented from the 1830s, but it was an Australian named Withers who founded the Alfa Gold Mine in 1874 — the first company to mine gold in the Wynaad — and bought close to a thousand acres near Devala. When an Australian expert's report was published in 1879 at least fifty British and Indian companies poured into the Pandalur–Devala hills, and the rush that followed ruined the district's coffee industry without ever paying for itself. What is left is tunnelling: adits through these hills run anywhere from 500 to 3,000 metres. They are unlit, unmaintained and on private estate land, so this is a place to read about on the way through rather than to go looking for a way into.

30.8 km · ~51 min by cab · straight line
N
Naduvattam
Place
heritageNaduvattam

The village 15.9 km up the Ooty road from Gudalur where quinine came from. On 30 August 1862 the Governor of Madras, Sir William Denison, planted out the first cinchona permanently established in the Nilgiris here, and the government factory that grew up around it was run by W. G. McIvor, the gardener who had brought the seedlings on. The plantations were worked by convicts, and at McIvor's own request five hundred Chinese prisoners were sent up to Naduvattam to do it — a piece of the hills' history that gets far less telling than the tea does. The cinchona estates are still there on the slopes above the highway, and the first hairpin below the village is the Frog Hill lay-by.

32.9 km · ~55 min by cab · straight line
damPykara Lake

The reservoir on the Pykara river 22.2 km from the Ooty bus stand by routed road, with a boathouse running motorboat trips over water ringed by pine, shola and grassland; gaur graze the banks. The river above it is held sacred by the Toda, and the falls two kilometres downstream are part of the same site.

33.0 km · ~55 min by cab · straight line

All 6 places to visit in Kundah →

On the map

Where Sispara Pass is

Good to know

Sispara Pass — frequently asked

How should I plan time at Sispara Pass?

Allow about an hour at Sispara Pass, then add any worship, security, institutional or festival wait found on the day.

What must I confirm before visiting Sispara Pass?

Check the current entrance, opening session and any permission requirement. For Sispara Pass, an old photograph or map listing is not evidence that every area is open now.

When is the best time to visit Sispara Pass?

October to March is the cooler, drier season in the Cauvery delta.

What are the entry fee and timings at Sispara Pass?

Entry: No walk-up entry. Written Forest Department permission and an authorised guide are required; permission may be unavailable. Timings: Only on the dates and route stated by the Wildlife Warden.

How do I reach Sispara Pass?

Base yourself in Kundah or nearby in The Nilgiris, then confirm the last-mile route locally before travel. If access depends on temple, museum or seasonal rules, check on the day before you go.

How much time do I need for Sispara Pass?

About an hour.

What else is near Sispara Pass?

Nearby you can pair Mukurthi National Park (8.1 km), Bangitappal (9.4 km), Porthimund Dam (15.0 km), Upper Bhavani Reservoir (20.0 km).

Read before you go

Sispara Pass guides, stories & itineraries

Stories & history of Sispara Pass

Written about Sispara Pass itself — its history, its legends and the arguments about them.

Around Kundah

These guides explore Kundah and the surrounding area. Choose a visit that fits your interests, allowing separately for travel between stops.

Tamil Nadu-wide guides & itineraries

Route-level itineraries and practical guides for the rest of Tamil Nadu.

See all 49 The Nilgiris guides & stories →

Image credits

Photographs: Captain Stephen Ponsonby Peacocke, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain). Wikimedia Commons.