Wayanad churam or Mountain Pass is commonly known as Thamarassery churam. This mountain pass connects the districts named Calicut and Wayanad. It is a path splendid with vertical turns, bends and some waterfalls along with some of the most spectacular visuals in Kerala. The length of this mountain pass is about 14 KM. This starts from Adivaram to Lakkidi. It is situated around 800 meters above sea level on National Highway 766. This Mountain pass has 9 hairpin bends.  

      Do you guys know about the story behind the foundation of this mountain pass? In earlier times there were no routes to reach Wayanad. The British rulers were captivated by the natural beauty of Wayanad and the abundance of spices accessible there. But reaching there was difficult. There were no roads. Various attempts were made to cut roads through the rough mountain paths but there was no use. 
British people found this route through the mountains with the help of a tribal man named Karinthandan,  who was the real founder of this mountain pass. Karinthandan is the one who showed that way to the British. He acted as a guide when they planned to construct a road on this route. He was a tribal leader who knew every part of the place. After receiving help from this man the British Army brutally killed him. They killed this man to get the reward and fame. There are still confusions about how they killed Karinthandan. Some people says that they hanged him and others said that he was shot to death. 
   After opening the road for people, there was a series of deadly accidents. There was a rumour raised that it was the spirit of Karinthandan who haunted the passengers. A Hindu priest identified that it was the spirit of Karinthandan that caused the accidents. After many attempts, the priest summoned the spirit and shackled it in the Banyan Tree.  The fatal accident series also stopped after that. 
    This tree is known as "Changala Maram"(Chain Tree). It is believed that the chain keeps growing with the tree.  It was a small chain at that time. This tree can be seen on the way to Wayanad. It is situated near the Lakkidi viewpoint. Even now  Drivers who travel long distances, especially truck drivers pray here to help them reach their destination without any difficulties. There is a belief that if they seek help from karinthandan, they wouldn't face any obstacles in their journey.