Marayur

Sandal Forest-Marayur

Marayur or Marayoor is a place in the Idukki District of Kerala state, South India. Marayur is the only place in Kerala that has natural sandalwood forests. Ancient dolmens and rock paintings in Marayur date back to the Stone Age. As of 1991 Marayur had a population of 9,590.

Marayur claims to be a part of a Stone Age civilization that is as old as 10,000 B.C. Its is also home to a later period of large-scale dolmen-building. The land and its unique dolmens, caves, rock edicts and engravings declare its rich heritage. People migrated from Tamil Nadu to this area when the Madurai king Thirumalainaicker was defeated by Tippu Sultan, in the eighteenth century CE. Migrated people created five villages which are Kanthalloor, Keezhanthur, Karayur, Marayur and Kottakudi. These villages were called as ‘Anju nadu, literally meaning “five lands”. However these place names are very old and aboriginal tribes still live in these villages, with their unique customs.

Sandal Wood-Marayur

Marayur has more than 1000 species of flowering plants and is a well known repository of medicinal plants. There are 114 endemic species and the sighting of Aibizia lathamii, a critically endangered tree, was recently reported from the dry forests. Chinnar - the wildlife sanctuary in Marayur - has recorded the largest number of reptilian species, including the mugger crocodile, in Kerala. With 225 recorded species of birds, it is one of the richest areas of south India in avian diversity. The forests in Marayur preserve a population of the endangered Grizzled Giant Squirrel. The rare white bison has been recently reported in Chinnar wildlife sanctuary. Other important mammals found are elephant, tiger, leopard, guar, sambar, spotted deer, Nilgiri thar, common langur, bonnet macaque etc. The phenomenon of butterfly migration occurs in between the monsoons.

Marayur

Maryoor contains a number of sandalwood forests, and is the only place in Kerala where natural sandalwood forest is present. Processing of sandalwood and its associated oil forms part of local economy, a depot near Marayur town supporting this industry. Sandal wood or Santalum album is a parasitic tree having fragrant and close-grained yellowish heartwood. Sandalwood oil, also known as ‘liquid gold,’ is extracted from the roots and wood of sandalwood. This oil is a costly item marketed at a few choosy outlets all over the state. A climate with low rainfall is suitable for the growth of choice sandalwood trees from which good quality oil can be extracted. The 93 km² Marayur reserve forest is believed to have about sixty thousand naturally grown sandalwood tress, of which nearly 2,000 trees had been allegedly plundered in just one year since January 2004, when the last survey was conducted. The auction rate for first quality Marayur sandal is quoted at Rs. 1100 per kg, according to forest department sources (2004).

Location: Located at a distance of 40km from Munnar.

Peermade

Peermade

    Peermade, also transliterated as Perumade, Peerumed, Peerumade or Peermede, is a hill station in the state of Kerala, India. It is high in the Western Ghats, 915 meters above sea level.

The landscape of Peermade includes spectacular waterfalls, open grass lands and pine forests.It was once the summer retreat of the Maharajas of Travancore.

Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, one of the largest wildlife reserves in India, is 43 km away. It has herds of elephants and other wildlife as well as lakes.The name is sometimes related to the Sufi saint, Peer Mohammed, or means "hill of the Peer".

Peermade

The area is very fertile and the area had until recently lush plantations of coffee, tea, cardamon, and coconutThe area, with a long history of spice growing, now concentrates on producing organic black pepper, white pepper, ginger and turmeric.At a recent show spice growers from Peermade displayed samples of organically grown spices like cardamom, black pepper, white pepper, nutmeg, mace, cloves, turmeric, ginger, vanilla beans, vanilla powder and herbs like oregano, sage, thyme and rosemary. Oils of thyme and rosemary were also displayed.

Location: Around 85 km east of Kottayam on the way to Thekkady.

Periyar Wild Life Sanctuary

Boating In the Sanctuary

                    Periyar is a protected area, and a nature reserve in the South Indian State of Kerala, set high in the mountains of the Western Ghats along the border with Tamil Nadu. It lies in the districts of Idukki and Pathanamthitta. The protected area covers an area of 925 km², out of which a 350 km² part of the core zone was made into the Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve, sometimes dubbed the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. The park is often called by the name thekkady also. Thekkady is located four km from Kumily, approximately 100 km east of Kottayam, 110 km west of Madurai and 120 km southeast from Kochi.

The area bears a large variety of flora and fauna. Four species of primates are found at Periyar - the rare lion-tailed macaque, the Nilgiri Langur, the common langur, and the Bonnet Macaque.  Other mammals found here include gaur,Bison, sambar (horse deer), barking deer, mouse deer, Dholes (Indian wild dogs), mongoose, foxes and leopards. Also inhabiting the park, though rarely seen, are the elusive Nilgiri tahr.

Periyar Lake

The Periyar protected area lies in the middle of a mountainous area of the Cardamom Hills. In the north and the east it is bounded by mountain ridges of over 1700 metres altitude and toward the west it expands into a 1200 meter high plateau. From this level the altitude drops steeply to the deepest point of the reserve, the 100 meter valley of the Pamba River. The highest peak is the 2019 meter high Kottamalai.

The sanctuary surrounds picturesque 26 km² Periyar lake, formed by the building of Mullaperiyar Dam in 1895. This reservoir and the Periyar River meander around the contours of the wooded hills, providing a permanent source of water for the local wildlife.

Periyar Wild Life Sanctuary

The temperature varies depending upon the altitude and it ranges between 15° Celsius in December and January and 31° Celsius in April and May. The annual amount of precipitation lies between 2000 and 3000 mm. About two thirds of the precipitation occurs during the southwest monsoon between June to September. A smaller amount of precipitation occurs during the northeast monsoon between October and December.

Location: It is located 4km from Kumily, approximately 100 km east of Kottayam, 110 km west of Madurai and 120 km southeast from Kochi.

Thekkady

Thekkady

Thekkady is probably the best place in Kerala to observe wildlife and hence nature.From the mighty Indian elephant to the Great Indian tiger, this place has it all.Elephants, deers, boars, bisons and lion tailed macaques are a common sight in the reservoir area.

With some luck, other animals like tiger and leopard can be observed.The tourism department offers trekking right into the heart of the forest either on foot or atop elephants.The resort located in an island in the centre of the lake is the ideal place to observe animals.If you are more adventurous ,you can take the road from Moozhiyar to Thekkadi via Gavi winding through the thickest forests of Kerala.Elephants are a common sight on this path.Boating through the lake is a very pleasant experience and you can observe many waterbirds at close range.This place is ideal for wildlife photography.The best time to visit is between September and March.

Lying close to the plantations, in the rich jungles of Periyar in Thekkady is one of the world's most fascinating natural wildlife reserves - the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. Spread across 777 sq. km, of which 360 sq. km is thick evergreen forest, the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary was declared a Tiger Reserve in 1978. Noted for its geo-morphological diversity of wildlife and scenic beauty, the Reserve attracts visitors from all over the world. The splendid artificial lake formed by the Mullaperiyar Dam across the Periyar river adds to the charm of the park. 

This is the only sanctuary in India where you can have the unique experience of viewing wildlife at close quarters from the safety of a boat on the lake. The greatest attraction of Periyar remains the large herds of wild elephants that come down to the lake's edge.

Location: Nearest airport to Thekkady is Madurai, which is located at distance of 136 km away from Thekkady. Madurai is air connected to Chennai and Coimbatore. Nearest major international airport is Nedumbassery airport in Kochi, at a distance of 190 km way.

Munnar Hill Station

Munnar Hill Station

 Munnar is one of the best tourist places in India. the region is cold and greeenish. The name Munnar is believed to be derived from the Malayalam/Tamil words Munu (three) and aaru (river), referring to the town's strategic location at the confluence of the Muthirappuzha, Nallathanni and Kundaly rivers.

The region in and around Munnar varies in height from 2,000 meters (6,562 ft) to 2,600 meters (8,530 ft) above mean sea level. Munnar enjoys a salubrious climate. The temperature ranges between 10 °C (50 °F) and 0 °C (32 °F) in winter and 8 °C (46.4 °F) and 16 °C (60.8 °F) in summer. The tourist season in Munnar is from August to May. However, even the monsoons are lovely with many streams and rivulets in the area and post drizzle the dew drenched tea gardens looking majestic and heavenly enshrouded in light mist.

Tea Estate-Munnar

A drive from Udumalpet to Munnar gives one unforgettable views of the Western Ghats. Chinnar is 25 km from Udumalpet and is home to the Indra Gandhi wildlife sanctuary which is famous for known for the elephants that inhabit the area. Chinnar is also the border between Tamil Nadu and Kerala. As you cross the Tamil Nadu border and enter Kerala, you can see a distinct change in the vegetation. While the Tamil Nadu areas have vegetation dominated by shrubs and thorny trees, the vegetation in Kerala is lush green with tall trees. Marayur is 20 km from Chinnar, famous for its sandalwood forests which often fall prey to poachers.

As you drive past Marayur towards Munnar, you can see Anamudi, the highest mountain peak in south part of India to your right. This area also houses the Eravikulam National Park famous for its population of the Nilgiri Tahr, a mountain goat. This area offers abundant scope for mountain trekking. On the trekking route to the Anamudi peak, you can see a Trout farm. The rest of the drive towards Munnar is through neatly manicured tea estates owned by Tata Tea Ltd and Waterfall Estate. The landscape is also dotted by tea factories and labour lines.

Location: The nearest major railway stations are at Ernakulam and Aluva (approximately 110 km by road). The nearest airport is Cochin International Airport, which is 105 km away.

Mattupetty

Mattupetty

Matupetty Dam Reservoir

Mattupetty River

Mattupetty is a major place of interest, located about 13 km from Munnar Town. Lying at a height of 1700 m above sea level, Mattupetty is known for its storage masonry dam and the lake, which offers boat rides, enabling one to enjoy the surrounding hills and landscape.Mattupetty with its lush green tea plantations, rolling grasslands and the Shola forests is also ideal for trekking and is home to a variety of birds.

Mattupetty offers many fascinating sights to relish. Besides the lush green tea plantations, and the rolling grasslands, the Shola forests in and around Mattupetty are ideal for trekking and are habitat to a variety of birds. Rivulets and cascades crisscross the terrain here, which again adds more attraction to the place.

One of the main attractions in Mattupetty is the beautiful lake, and the Mattupetty Dam, which are ideal picnic spots. The District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC), Idukki provides boating facilities in the Mattupetty Dam. Speed launch, slow speedboat and motorboats are available on hire. Other nearby places of interest includes the picturesque Kundala tea plantations and the Kundala Lake.

Of all the main attractions at Mattupetty is the dairy farm, run by the Indo-Swiss Livestock Project. The dairy farm is a unique one of its kind with several varieties of high-yielding cattle being reared.

Location: By road: Mattupetty is just a 13 kms drive from Munnar.
Nearest railway station: Ernakulam, about 130 km from Munnar.
Nearest airport: Cochin International Airport, about 110 km from Munnar.

Anamudi Peak

Anamudi Peak

Anamudi is the highest peak in the Western Ghats in India, having an elevation of 2,695 metres (8,842 ft. Anamudi is also the highest point in South India, and also the highest point in India outside the Himalaya-Karakoram mountain range. This gives Anamudi its relatively large topographic prominence of 2,479 metres (8,133 ft), the associated key saddle being 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) away at  28°35′20″N 76°27′59″E / 28.58889°N 76.46639°E.

 The peak is not exceptionally dramatic in terms of steepness or local relief and is a Fault-block mountain. It is located in the southern region of Eravikulam National Park at the junction of the Cardamom Hills, the Anamala Hills and the Palni Hills. The nearest town is Munnar, 13 kilometres (8.1 mi). The easiest route to the summit of Anamudi is a technically easy hike on grass slopes, starting from a rolling hill plateau with a base elevation of about 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). The north and south slopes are gentle, while the east and west slopes are steeper, with more difficult rock faces. The heavy evergreen forests are present with bamboos, black-wood (Dalbergia latifolia), and teak growing in abundance. The heavy forest with which the range is clothed is the source of the most valuable of the rivers which traverse the drier country to the east, namely the Vaigai, and Thamirabarani ; and the waters of the Periyar, which flows into the Arabian Sea.

 Anamudi and the Eravikulam National Park surrounding it is home to the largest surviving population of Asian Elephants, Gaur, Bengal tigers, and the Nilgiri tahr, which not found elsewhere in India. The summit of the Anamudi is vegetated with patches of stunted Arundinaria densifolia and Gaultheria fragrantissima (wintergreen), Anaphalis sp., Impatiens and some species of Eriocaulon. 

Location: It is located at a distance of 15 km from Munnar.

Eravikulam National Park

Eravikulm National Park

It is an ideal place for seeing the biodiversity of high elevation shola-grassland ecosystem. Visitors are taken to Rajamalai in forest dept vehicles and given an opportunity to see all this. Private vehicles are not allowed here. The National Park is usually closed at the time of calving of Nilgiri Tahr which is usually during the early months of every year.

A sanctuary for the endangered mountain goat of South India, the Nilgiri Tahr (Hemitragus hylocrious), the Eravikulam National Park stands out for the stark beauty of its rolling grasslands and sholas, spread over 97 sq km in the Kannan devan hills.

Anamudi, the highest peak (2695 m) south of Himalayas, stands majestically in the core area of the national park. The slopes of the hills abound in many kinds of rare flora which include rare terrestrial and epiphytic orchids, and beautiful wild balsams. Important fauna here are the Nilgiri Tahr, Nilgiri Langur, leopard, tiger, Indian bison, etc.

Nilgiri Tahr

Rajamalai is the tourism zone of the National Park, where the visitors are taken in forest dept vehicles and introduced to the shola - grassland eco system unique to this region. There is a very informative interpretation centre at Rajamalai.

A protected area, the sanctuary is divided into three regions - the core area, the buffer area and the tourism area. Visitors are allowed only to the tourism area - Rajamalai - the region lying beyond the road entry into Eravikulam. Here one can observe the Nilgiri Tahr at close quarters.

Don't make this your destination during the early months of the year, the park may be closed for visitors because it is calving time of the Tahr.

Loaction: Only 15 km from Munnar.

Details: Visiting hours from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Nearest railway station: Kottayam, about 142 km from Munnar; Ernakulam, about 130 km from Munnar. 

Nearest airport: Madurai (Tamilnadu) about 142 km; Cochin International Airport, about 150 km.

Tea Museum

                                                                              A Tea Museum opened by Tata Tea appropriately at Munnar, the veritable tea country, is the latest attraction of the region. The museum house curios, photographs and machineries highlighting the path tea industry in the region have taken over the years. Set up at the Nallathanni Estate of Tata Tea, the museum is a tribute to the efforts of Munnar’s early residents who toiled hard to transform Munnar into a major plantation centre of Kerala.

The museum shows the growth of Munnar tea estates through displays like the rudimentary tea roller to the modern fully automated tea factory. A sundial, placed on a granite block, which was made in 1913 by the Art Industrial School at Nazareth, Tamil Nadu, greets the visitor to the museum. A burial urn from the second century BC found near Periakanal estate lends a sense of antiquity.

Other attention grabbers include the original tea roller, the 'Rotor vane,' dating back to 1905, used for CTC type tea processing; the 'Pelton Wheel' used in the power generation plant that existed in the Kanniamallay estate in the 1920s; a rail engine wheel of the Kundale Valley Light Railway that shuttled men and material between Munnar and Top Station during the first half of the last century.

Tea Museum

A section of the museum also houses classic bungalow furniture, typewriters, wooden bathtub, magneto phone, iron oven, manual calculators and EPABX of the1909 telephone system.

Deatils: 

Timing: Open 7 days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 05:00 p.m.
Entry Fee: Adults: Rs.50, Children below 12 years: Rs.10                        
Address: Tata Tea Museum Nalluthanni Estate Munnar, Idukki District.   

The Idukki Dam

Idukki Arch Dam

                 The Idukki Dam, located in Kerala, India, is currently the 14th largest arch dam in Asia, at 555 feet in height. The dam stands between the two mountains - Kuravanmala (839 feet) and Kurathimala (925 feet). It was constructed and is owned by the Kerala State Electricity Board.

It is built on the Periyar River, in the ravine between the Kuravan and Kurathi Hills in Kerala, India. At 167.68 meters, it is one of the highest arch dams in Asia. It started generating power on 4 October 1975. Technically, the dam type is a concrete double, curvature parabolic, thin arc dam.

Idukki Arch Dam

This dam was constructed along with two other dams at Cheruthony and Kulamavu. Together, the three dams have created an artificial lake that is 60 km² wide. The stored water is used to produce electricity at the Moolamattom Power house, which is located inside nearby rocky caves. The Government of Canada aided in the building of the dam with long term loans and grants.

Location: The Idukki Dam is 43 kms away from Moolamattom.