Janaki Forest

Janaki Forest, also known as Janakikadu, is a protected forest patch located at Maruthonkara near Kuttiady in Kozhikode district, Kerala. Spread over about 27 acres, it is maintained as an eco-tourism and conservation site by the Kerala Forest Department with community participation. Notable for its rich biodiversity, dense evergreen vegetation and sacred grove tradition, it offers a quiet natural setting for nature walks and environmental education.

Visitors can expect a small, dense forest area with natural trails winding through evergreen trees, shrubs and undergrowth. The setting is tranquil and shaded, with opportunities to observe native flora, birds and butterflies. There are simple walking paths and open areas for sightseeing and photography. The site is managed for conservation and eco-tourism, with basic visitor orientation and a natural, undisturbed forest environment rather than developed recreational infrastructure.

Janaki Forest has been preserved as a sacred grove (kavu) through traditional community protection and later brought under joint conservation management by the Kerala Forest Department, representing Kerala's long-standing practice of conserving forest patches for ecological and cultural reasons.

The forest is regarded as a sacred grove by local communities, reflecting the kavu tradition of Kerala where forest patches are protected for cultural reverence and biodiversity conservation, and is used for environmental education and eco-tourism.