Thekkady
Encyclopedia
Thekkady is the location of the Periyar National Park
, which is an important tourist attraction in the Kerala
state
of India
.
, it is located about 257 km (159.7 mi) from Trivandrum
, 114 km from Madurai Airport
, 185 km from Cochin International Airport
and 114 km from Kottayam
railway station. The sanctuary is famous for its dense evergreen
, semi-evergreen, moist deciduous
forest
s and savanna
grass lands. It is home to herd
s of elephant
s, sambar
, tiger
s, gaur
, lion-tailed Macaque
s and Nilgiri Langur
s.
The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is spread across 777 km² (300 sq mi), of which 360 km² (139 sq mi) is thick evergreen forest. The Wild Life Sanctuary was declared a Tiger Reserve in 1978. The splendid artificial lake formed by the Mullaiperiyar Dam across the Periyar River
adds to the charm of the park. The greatest attraction of Periyar are the herds of wild elephants that come down to play in the lake.
Thekkady is considered a heaven for natural spice
s such as black pepper
, cardamom
, cinnamon
and clove
.
The Periyar National Park
is spread over an area of about 777 km² and comprises a thick evergreen forest with exotic wild life. The sanctuary was declared a tiger reserve sometime in 1978. It has an artificial lake formed by the Mullaperiyar Dam
, built in 1895 across the Periyar river.
Murikkady
This place consists of spice and coffee plantations. It is about 5 km from Thekkady.
Chellar Kovil
This is located about 15 km from Kumily and leads to the Theni district
of Tamil Nadu. This place has a lot of waterfalls and cascades. It is very beautiful and extremely serene
Anakkara
Located at about 13 km from Kumily on the Kumily-Munnar road, Anakkara
is an upcoming spice tourism destination in the state. There is also a new airport proposed at Anakkara
and is under review by the Airports Authority of India.
Mangala Devi Temple
It is situated about 15 km from Thekkady and sits at an altitude of 1337 m above sea level. It is surrounded by lush greenery and is closed throughout the year except during the Chitra Pournami festival. At other times tourists can still view it by getting a special letter from the forest ranger. The view from the temple premises is spectacular and one can see part of eastern ghats and some villages from adjacent state of Tamil Nadu.
Periyar National Park
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...
, which is an important tourist attraction in the Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Overview
Situated in Kerala, close to the Kerala - Tamil Nadu border town - KumilyKumily
Kumily is a town in the Cardamom Hills near Thekkady and the Periyar Tiger Reserve, in the Idukki District of Kerala State in South India. It is a major tourist destination and a spices trading center....
, it is located about 257 km (159.7 mi) from Trivandrum
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
, 114 km from Madurai Airport
Madurai Airport
Madurai Airport is fourth largest airport in Tamil Nadu and serves Madurai, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The airport is located about from the Madurai railway station. The airport was established in 1957. -Airport specifications:...
, 185 km from Cochin International Airport
Cochin International Airport
Cochin International Airport is an international airport located in Nedumbassery, a suburb on the outskirts of the city of Kochi about northeast of downtown Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. It is the busiest and largest airport in the state of Kerala...
and 114 km from Kottayam
Kottayam
Kottayam is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative capital of the Kottayam district. Kottayam Kottayam (Malayalam: കോട്ടയം) is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative...
railway station. The sanctuary is famous for its dense evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
, semi-evergreen, moist deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s and savanna
Savanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
grass lands. It is home to herd
Herd
Herd refers to a social grouping of certain animals of the same species, either wild or domestic, and also to the form of collective animal behavior associated with this or as a verb, to herd, to its control by another species such as humans or dogs.The term herd is generally applied to mammals,...
s of elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
s, sambar
Sambar Deer
The Sambar ' is a large deer native to southern and southeast Asia. Although it primarily refers to R. unicolor, the name "Sambar" is also sometimes used to refer to the Philippine Deer and the Rusa Deer...
, tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
s, gaur
Gaur
The gaur , also called Indian bison, is a large bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. The species is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986 as the population decline in parts of the species' range is likely to be well over 70% over the last three generations...
, lion-tailed Macaque
Lion-tailed Macaque
The lion-tailed macaque is an Old World monkey that is endemic to the Western Ghats of South India.-Physical Characteristics:...
s and Nilgiri Langur
Nilgiri Langur
The Nilgiri langur is a lutung found in the Nilgiri Hills of the Western Ghats in South India. Its range also includes Kodagu in Karnataka,Kodayar Hills in Tamil Nadu and many other hilly areas in Kerala and Tamil nadu. This primate has glossy black fur on its body and golden brown fur on its head...
s.
The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is spread across 777 km² (300 sq mi), of which 360 km² (139 sq mi) is thick evergreen forest. The Wild Life Sanctuary was declared a Tiger Reserve in 1978. The splendid artificial lake formed by the Mullaiperiyar Dam across the Periyar River
Periyar River
Periyar is the longest river in the state of Kerala, India, with a length of 244 km. The Periyar is known as the lifeline of Kerala; it is one of the few perennial rivers in the region and provides drinking water for several major towns...
adds to the charm of the park. The greatest attraction of Periyar are the herds of wild elephants that come down to play in the lake.
Thekkady is considered a heaven for natural spice
Spice
A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for flavor, color, or as a preservative that kills harmful bacteria or prevents their growth. It may be used to flavour a dish or to hide other flavours...
s such as black pepper
Black pepper
Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed...
, cardamom
Cardamom
Cardamom refers to several plants of the genera Elettaria and Amomum in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to India and Bhutan; they are recognised by their small seed pod, triangular in cross-section and spindle-shaped, with a thin papery outer shell and small black seeds...
, cinnamon
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that is used in both sweet and savoury foods...
and clove
Clove
Cloves are the aromatic dried flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae. Cloves are native to the Maluku islands in Indonesia and used as a spice in cuisines all over the world...
.
Tourism
Periyar National ParkThe Periyar National Park
Periyar National Park
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...
is spread over an area of about 777 km² and comprises a thick evergreen forest with exotic wild life. The sanctuary was declared a tiger reserve sometime in 1978. It has an artificial lake formed by the Mullaperiyar Dam
Mullaperiyar Dam
Mullaiperiyaru Dam is a gravity dam made with lime stone and surkhi and the cunstruction technologies of 19th century on the Periyar River. It is located above mean sea level on the Cardamom Hills of Western Ghats in Thekkadi, Idukki District of Kerala, India...
, built in 1895 across the Periyar river.
Murikkady
This place consists of spice and coffee plantations. It is about 5 km from Thekkady.
Chellar Kovil
This is located about 15 km from Kumily and leads to the Theni district
Theni District
Theni District is a district of Tamil Nadu state in South India. The city of Theni is the district headquarters. The district is divided into two natural divisions: The hilly areas constituted by parts of the three taluks Periyakulam, Uthamapalayam and Andipatti with thick vegetation and...
of Tamil Nadu. This place has a lot of waterfalls and cascades. It is very beautiful and extremely serene
Anakkara
Anakkara Idukki
Anakkara is a geographic area of around 50 Square Kilometers that spans across Vandanmettu, Chakkupallam Village Panchayats in the Udumbanchola Thaluk of Idukki District. Anakkara is the administrative capital of Chakkupallam Gram Panchayat and Anakkara Revenue Village...
Located at about 13 km from Kumily on the Kumily-Munnar road, Anakkara
Anakkara Idukki
Anakkara is a geographic area of around 50 Square Kilometers that spans across Vandanmettu, Chakkupallam Village Panchayats in the Udumbanchola Thaluk of Idukki District. Anakkara is the administrative capital of Chakkupallam Gram Panchayat and Anakkara Revenue Village...
is an upcoming spice tourism destination in the state. There is also a new airport proposed at Anakkara
Anakkara Idukki
Anakkara is a geographic area of around 50 Square Kilometers that spans across Vandanmettu, Chakkupallam Village Panchayats in the Udumbanchola Thaluk of Idukki District. Anakkara is the administrative capital of Chakkupallam Gram Panchayat and Anakkara Revenue Village...
and is under review by the Airports Authority of India.
Mangala Devi Temple
It is situated about 15 km from Thekkady and sits at an altitude of 1337 m above sea level. It is surrounded by lush greenery and is closed throughout the year except during the Chitra Pournami festival. At other times tourists can still view it by getting a special letter from the forest ranger. The view from the temple premises is spectacular and one can see part of eastern ghats and some villages from adjacent state of Tamil Nadu.