Wayanad District (വയനാട്)) in the north-east of
KeralaKerala , is a state located in southwestern India. The state was created in 1956 on linguistc basis, bringing together those places where Malayalam formed the principal language...
,
IndiaIndia, 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, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
, was formed on November 1 1980 as the 12th district by carving out areas from
KozhikodeKozhikode District is a district of Kerala state, situated on the southwest coast of India. The city of Kozhikode, also known as Calicut, is the district headquarters. The district is 38.25% urbanised....
and
KannurKannur District கண்ணூர் is one of the 14 districts in the state of Kerala, India. The town of Kannur is the district headquarters, and gives the district its name. The old name Cannanore is the anglicised form of the Malayalam name Kannur. Kannur District is bounded by Kasaragod District to the...
districts. Kalpetta is the district headquarters as well as the only municipal town in the district. The region was known as Mayakshetra (Maya's land) in the earliest records. Mayakshetra evolved into Mayanad and finally to Wayanad. But the Folk etymology of the word says it is a combination of
Vayal (
paddyA paddy field is a flooded parcel of arable land used for growing rice and other semiaquatic crops. Rice can also be grown in dry-fields, but from the twentieth century paddy field agriculture became the dominant form of growing rice...
) and
Naad (land), making it 'The Land of Paddy Fields'. There are many indigenous
tribalA tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists hold that...
s in this area. It is set high on the majestic
Western GhatsThe Western Ghats also known as the Sahyadri Mountains, is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea...
with altitudes ranging from 700 to 2100 m.
History
According to archaeological evidence, the Wayanad forests were inhabited more than 3 millenniums. Kurumbranadu Royal Dynasty of
KannurKannur is a city and a municipality in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the district of Kannur. It is known as Land of Looms and Lores. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its Portuguese name of Cannanore which is still in...
held rights to the land in early 18th century. The Senior Raja of Kottyam Swarupam(Kurumbbranadu) was hereditary rulers of part of wayand and he got palaces and shrines ( Theyathal Bhagavathy Temple)in “Kazhakottam and mathagod near Kuppakode .
Each nadu was under Nayar Chieftains . 1, Muthornad –Raja’s direct control (Periya,Tavinjal,Edavaka areas) chieftains of these areas are Vazhuthatil Nair,Tavajal nair, Muliyakizil nair,Ayiravittle, Alattil, varayal nair and they known as “ Aaruvarambathu jenmimar”
2, Ellornad (Ilayavarnad- land of younger) was under the control of Elaya raja of western branch (
PazhassiRaja),this consist of Vemom and Tirunelli areas was under two chieftains , Edachana Nayar ( Pazhasi’s General Edachena Kunnkan Nair is from this family) and Vemom Nambiar.
Other places like Kuppathode(under Kuppathode Nair) Purakkad,Anjukunnu,Puthadi etc are under nair lords like tonder nair,pulpadi nair and chikkalur nair.
Another branch known as Porummanur Swarupam consist of nair lords like karingari, mangalasseri, vattathode cherakker nambiar etc, Kurumbala nadu was placed under Avinjat Nayar of Payyormala and Kurumbanadu was the son of Kottayam Senior Raja and got the title of Vazunor, two other nairs-Themmagathu and poyil nair were his general and one branch of Avinjatt swarupam also known as” Kuthali Vazhunoor”(ruler of kuthali ammsam).Kottapadi and Kalpatta and Vyathiri was under Kalpatta nair and kunthamangalathu nair,tonder nadu was under Nelliote Thirmulpadu,who granted it to his son Thonder Nambiar and his hereditary title was “Kovil” and hisresidence is known as “mel kotta”,muttil and pakkam were under pakkam (bhagiam) swarupam and veliyambam was under “Vazhunor of veliyambam .It briefly came under the rule of the
Kingdom of MysoreThe Kingdom of Mysore was a kingdom of southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. The kingdom, which was ruled by the Wodeyar family, initially served as a vassal state of the Vijayanagara Empire...
as it campaigned in the Malabar coast. Senior Raja of Kurumbranadu helped the British in their fight against
Tipu SultanSultan Fateh Ali Tipu November 1750, Devanahalli – 4 May 1799, Srirangapattana), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Islamic Kingdom of Mysore from 1782 until his own demise in 1799. He was the first son of Hyder Ali by his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-nissa...
. Following Mysore's withdrawal the Pazhassi Raja( the head of western branch of the family) and the British parted their ways. And in 1799, after the fall of Tipu, the British took over Wayanad. Pazhassi Rajah engaged in a prolonged guerrilla war with the British until he was killed in 1805. When the state of Kerala came into being in 1956, Wayanad was a part of Kannur district; later in 1957 south Wayanad was added to
KozhikodeKozhikode , also known as Calicut, is a city in the southern Indian state of Kerala. It is the third largest city in Kerala and the headquarters of Kozhikode district....
district and north Wayanad remained with Kannur district. By
amalgamatingA merger or amalgamation in a political or administrative sense is the combination of two or more political or administrative entities such as municipalities , counties, districts, etc. into a single entity. This term is used when the process occurs within a sovereign entity...
the north Wayanad and south Wayanad, the present Wayanad district came into being on the 1st November 1980 comprising of three taluks; Vythiry, Mananthavady, and Sulthan Bathery.
Geography
Wayanad district stands on the southern top of the Deccan plateau and its chief glory is the majestic Western ghats with lofty ridges interspersed with dense forest, tangled jungles and deep valleys, the terrain is rugged. Quite a large area of the district is covered by
forestA forest is an area with a high density of trees. There are many definitions of a forest, based on the various criteria. These plant communities presently cover approximately 9.4% of the Earth's surface in many different regions and function as habitats for organisms, hydrologic flow modulators,...
but the continued and indiscriminate exploitation of the
natural resourceNatural resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity existent in various ecosystems.Natural resources are derived from the environment...
s point towards an imminent
environmentalThe natural environment, commonly referred to simply as the environment, is a term that encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof....
crisis.
Mountains
Chembra PeakChembra Peak is the highest peak in Wayanad, at 2100m above sea level.. Chembra is located near the town of Meppady and is 14 km west of Kalpetta. It is part of the Wayanad hill ranges in Western Ghats, adjoining the Nilgiri Hills in Tamilnadu and Vellarimala in Kozhikode district in Kerala.Chembra...
, Banasura peak ,
BrahmagiriBrahmagiri is a mountain range in the Western Ghats of south India. It is situated on the border between Wayanad District of Kerala state on the south and Kodagu district in Karnataka on the north side...
are some of the important mountains in the district.These mountains are also famously known as honeymoon site.
Rivers
The
Kabini RiverThe Kabini, also called Kabani and Kapila, is a river of southern India. It originates in Wayanad District of Kerala state, south India from the confluence of the Panamaram River and Mananthavady River, and flows eastward to join the Kaveri River at Tirumakudal Narasipur in Karnataka, which empties...
, one of the three east flowing rivers of Kerala, is an important
tributaryA tributary is a stream or river which flows into a main stem river. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea. Tributaries and the mainstem river serve to drain the surrounding drainage basin of its surface water and groundwater by leading the water out into an ocean or some other large body...
of the
Kaveri RiverThe Kaveri River , also spelled Cauvery in English, is one of the major rivers of India, which is considered sacred by Hindus...
. Almost the entire Wayanad district is drained by Kabini and its three tributaries, the
Panamaram Panamaram is a village in Wayanad district in the state of Kerala, India.-Demographics: India census, Panamaram had a population of 11651 with 5891 males and 5760 females.-Panamaram River:...
, Mananthavady, and Kalindy rivers. The
Banasura Sagar DamBanasura Sagar Dam, which impounds the Karamanathodu tributary of the Kabini River, is part of the Indian Banasurasagar Project consisting of a dam and a canal project started in 1979...
is built on one of tributaries of the Kabini River.
Climate
The distance from the mean sea level and forest cover creates a salubrious climate in the region. Generally the year is divided into four seasons; cold weather (December to February) hot weather (March to May) South West
monsoonA pennis is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by seasonal changes in precipitation, but now is used to describe seasonal changes atmospheric circulation and precipitation The major monsoon systems of the world consist of the African and Asia-Australian monsoons...
(June to September) and North East monsoon (October to November). During the hot weather the temperature goes up to a maximum of and during the cold weather the temperature goes down to . The more perceived temperature variation in the last 5–6 years is in the range of to . The average rainfall is per year.
Economy
Wayanad is 3.79% urbanised. Agriculture, is the main stay of the economy.
CoffeeCoffee is a brewed beverage prepared from roasted seeds, commonly called coffee beans, of the coffee plant. They are seeds of "coffee cherries" that grow on trees in over 70 countries. It has been said that green coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world behind crude oil. Due to its...
,
teaTea is the agricultural product of the leaves, leaf buds, and internodes of the Camellia sinensis plant, prepared and cured by various methods...
,
cocoaCocoa is the dried and fully fermented fatty seed of the cacao tree, from which chocolate is made. "Cocoa" can often also refer to the drink commonly known as hot chocolate; to cocoa powder, the dry powder made by grinding cocoa seeds and removing the cocoa butter from the dark, bitter cocoa...
,
pepperBlack 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 a small drupe approximately five millimetres in diameter, dark red when fully mature, containing a single...
,
plantainMusa paradisiaca, the plantain is a crop in the genus Musa and is generally used for cooking, in contrast to the soft, sweet banana ....
and
vanillaVanilla is a flavoring derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla native to Mexico. Etymologically, vanilla derives from the Spanish word "", little pod. Originally cultivated by Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican peoples, Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés is credited with introducing both the spice and...
are the main
cropCrop may refer to:* Crop, a plant grown and harvested for agricultural use* Crop , a plant cultivated and harvested on an annual basis considered as personal property as opposed to real property. This allows a tenant farmer return for harvesting purposes even after lease of land espires. Crop may...
s. Besides these cash crops, the most important crop in the district is
riceRice is the seed of a monocot plant Oryza sativa, of the grass family . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East, South, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and the West Indies...
.
DamA dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions...
s and
aqueductAn aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
s have been constructed to take water to the otherwise dry areas in the district.Price of land is going up even though Agrarian crisis.
Agrarian crisis
The district is prone to an agrarian crisis, due to the high dependence of the population on agricultural income. Between 1997 and 2005, more than 150,000 farmers across India have committed suicide, of which nearly 8% were from Kerala (11,516). 90% of this was in Wayanad and the reasons contributing to farmer suicide were mainly due to a crash in prices of locally-grown crops such as coffee, pepper, ginger, arecanut, etc. as well as plant epidemics. The NREGS (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) enacted by the current UPA government has helped and Wayanad and
PalakkadFor the district with the same name, see Palakkad District.Palakkad is a town and a municipality in the state of Kerala in southern India. It is the administrative headquarters of Palakkad District...
were the only districts selected to receive the benefits under this scheme, the need being most acute in these districts. The daily wage under NREGS at Rs. 125, regardless of gender, in Kerala is the highest among all the states. Work under NREGS includes building elephant trenches (crop-raiding by wild elephants is another problem in Wayanad), waterbodies, roads, etc. Due to a combination of the NREGS and measures undertaken by the state government, in 2007, the state reported 10 farmer suicides as opposed to 131 in 2004.
Demographics
No. of Taluks: 3 (
MananthavadyMananthavady is a small town on the banks of Mananthavady Puzha a tributary of the Kabini River in the Wayanad district of Kerala, India.This area was once ruled by the Pazhassi dynasty and the tomb of Pazhassi Raja is an important heritage site located in the heart of the town. This is also the...
,
Sulthan BatherySultan Battery is a mid-sized town in Wayanad district of Kerala, India. It derives its present name from Tipu Sultan of Mysore who captured the Jain temple here and used it as his battery here in the 18th century, hence the name Sultan's Battery. Later, came to be known as Sulthan Bathery, its...
, and Vythiri)
No. of state Assembly Legislators: 3 (North Wayanad, Sulthan Bathery, and
KalpettaKalpetta is a city and a municipality in Wayanad district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is a small town surrounded by dense coffee plantations and mountains, is the headquarters of Wayanad district. The town is a major hub to all the tourist destinations in Wayanad.It has standard hotel...
)
Lok SabhaThe Lok Sabha is the directly elected lower house of the Parliament of India. As of 2009 there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
Representation: 1 (Wayanad constituency).
District Headquarters: Kalpetta.
Other Important Towns: Sulthan Bathery and Mananthavady.
At present, the area is still occupied by tribal populations who still practice age-old customs and rituals and live a nomadic life. Some of the tribal populations include
PaniyaPaniya is one of the languages of India. It is a language of the scheduled tribes with a majority of its speakers in the state of Kerala. It is also called as Pania, Paniyan and Panyah. It belongs to the Dravidian family of languages. According to the 1981 Census, there were 63,827 speakers of...
s, Adiyas,
KattunayakanKattunayakan is a primitive tribal group of the southern states of India. They live mainly in the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. This community is believed to be the modern representatives of the ancient Pallavas....
and
KurichiyaThe Kurichiya are one of the earliest inhabitanats of the Wyanad forest areas in the Indian state of Kerala-Etymolgy:They apply "Kuri", a sandalwood paste on their foreheads and chests, and it is possible the name Kurichiya is derived from this custom....
ns. It is the district with the highest share in the
adivasiĀdivāsīs is an umbrella term for a heterogeneous set of ethnic and tribal groups believed to be the aboriginal population of India...
population (about 36%) of Kerala. Wayanad also has a large settler population. The
JainsJainism is an ancient dharmic religion from India that prescribes a path of non-violence for all forms of living beings in this world. Its philosophy and practice relies mainly on self-effort in progressing the soul on the spiritual ladder to divine consciousness...
from Karnataka came in the 13th century. The
HinduA Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism, a set of religious, philosophical and cultural systems that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The vast body of Hindu scriptures, divided into Śruti and Smriti , lay the foundation of Hindu beliefs which primarily include dhárma, kárma, ahimsa and saṃsāra...
Nairs from Kottayam-Kurumbranadu, in Kannur district, made an entry in the 14th century and established their feudal system. They were followed by Muslims. There was large scale migrations from southern Kerala in the early 1940s. Their hard work helped them to build prosperous lives.Christians who came in the 1950s from Travancore, were well established as plantation owners until the crash in the price of plantation crops. On the other hand, the last few decades have seen the complete marginalisation of the indigenous people. Alienated from their land, exploited by the settlers and neglected by the state, their struggle for rights to the land has so far been unsuccessful.
Politics
All the three legislative constituencies in Wayanad Distinct (Kalpetta, Sulthan Bathery and Mananthavady)are part of the newly constituted Wayanad parliamentary constituency. The erstwhile North Wayanad constituency is now renamed as Mananthavady.
Access
The Kozhikode - Mysore
National Highway 212National Highway 212 is a National Highway in Southern India. NH 212 connects Kozhikode in Kerala with Kollegal in Karnataka via Mysore. Of the total distance of 250 km, 90 km is in Kerala and 160 is in Karnataka. THe highway passes through dense forests...
(NH 212) passes through Wayanad district. The nearest railway station is at
KozhikodeKozhikode , also known as Calicut, is a city in the southern Indian state of Kerala. It is the third largest city in Kerala and the headquarters of Kozhikode district....
, 75 km from
KalpettaKalpetta is a city and a municipality in Wayanad district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is a small town surrounded by dense coffee plantations and mountains, is the headquarters of Wayanad district. The town is a major hub to all the tourist destinations in Wayanad.It has standard hotel...
.
Kozhikode airportCalicut International Airport , also known as Karipur Airport, is located at Karipur in the Malappuram district, near Kozhikode , Kerala, India....
at Karipur is the nearest airport. Wayanad is well connected by road to various parts of Kerala and other neighbouring states. Buses go frequently between important centres. While travelling from Mysore on NH 212, at a place called
GundlupetGundlupet is a town in Chamarajanagar district in the Indian state of Karnataka. This small town is about 56 km from the Mysore-Ooty / Mysore-Calicut road and about 200 km from Bangalore. The road from Gundlupet to Bandipur is in a very bad shape but it will be renovated soon...
the road forks, one goes to Ooty and the other goes to Sultan Batheri, which is a prominent town of Wayanad.
NH 212 passes through
Bandipur National ParkBandipur National Park is one of India's best known protected areas and is an important Project Tiger reserve. It is located in the Chamarajanagar district of southern Karnataka in South India, and is contiguous with the Mudumalai National Park in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu, the Wynad...
and then through the
Muthanga Wildlife SanctuaryWayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is an animal sanctuary in Wayanad, Kerala, south India. It is on the way from Mysore to Sultan Battery. Wild animals such as Indian Bison, elephant, deer and tiger has been spotted...
which is the Kerala state border. The roads are good except for some sections inside the Bandipur Forest.
'
Places of importance
There are various places of touristic, ecological, religious, and historic importance in the district.
- Thirunelli Temple
Thirunelli Temple is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu on the side of Brahmagiri hill in Kerala. Inscriptions in this temple date back to the period of Bhaskara Ravi Varma I . Thirunelli temple located in what is now the Wayanad district of Kerala, near the Papanasini River...
is a very old temple on the foothills of BrahmagiriBrahmagiri is a mountain range in the Western Ghats of south India. It is situated on the border between Wayanad District of Kerala state on the south and Kodagu district in Karnataka on the north side...
.
- Edakkal Caves
Edakkal Caves are two natural caves located 1000 metres high on Ambukutty Mala 25 km from Kalpetta in the Wayanad district of Kerala in India's Western Ghats. They lie on an ancient trade route connecting the high mountains of Mysore to the Malabar coast ports...
, 32 km from Kalpetta near Ambalavayal Ambalavayal is a village in Wayanad district in the state of Kerala, India.-Demographics: India census, Ambalavayal had a population of 16363 with 8264 males and 8099 females....
, is famous for its pre-historic carvings and paintings. Muthanga is a wildlife sanctuary. It is on the way from Mysore to Sulthan Bathery. Wild animals such as bisonMembers of the genus Bison are large even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant species and four extinct species are recognized...
, elephantElephants are large land mammals in two genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta. Three species of elephant are living today: the African Bush Elephant, the African Forest Elephant and the Asian Elephant...
, deerDeer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. They include for example Moose, Red Deer, Reindeer, Roe and Chital. Animals from related families within the order Artiodactyla are often also considered to be deer – these include muntjac and water deer...
, and tigerThe tiger is a member of the Felidae family; the largest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera. Native to much of eastern and southern Asia, the tiger is an apex predator and an obligate carnivore...
has been spotted. There are also quite a few wild birds in the sanctuary. The Jain Temple near Koottamunda and the Ananthanatha Swami Temple.
- Valliyoorkav
Valliyoorkav is a Hindu Temple in Wayanad district of Kerala state in south India. This Temple is only 3 km from Mananthavady town. Valliyoorkav Temple is dedicated to Mother Goddess and is worshipped in three principal forms of Vana Durga, Bhadrakali and Jala Durga...
is a temple of historic and social significance. Pallikunnu ChurchPallikkunnu Church is a famous pilgrim centre of North Kerala. This is a Latin Catholic church in the name of 'Our Lady of Lourdes'. The festival is on February 2nd to 18th. Main days are 10th and 11th....
, 14 km from Kalpetta is a famous Pilgrim centre in north Kerala. Varambatta Mosque is one of the oldest mosque in wayanad and it's famous for varambata nercha. MazhuvannurGeographical co ordinates : 11°43'53.07"N 75°59'16.29"E : Temperatures : 06:00 AM : 15 Degree C 11:00 AM : 20 Degree C 02:00 PM : 25 Degree C 07:00 PM : 20 Degree C...
Siva Temple is an ancient Shiva temple near TharuvanaTharuvana is a small town in Vellamunda Panchayath of Wayanad district, Kerala, India.The place is a junction en route to Mananthavady.The word "tharuvana" is derived from malayalam words "tharu" and "ana" . The combined word "Tharuvana" means Please give Cash. Earlier this place was a tax...
. Karat Siva Temple is a very old temple near Kommayad. Sulthan Bathery is famous for its fort, which was built by Tipu Sultan. The tomb of the chieftain Pazhassi Raja, who fought the British with the help of Kurichiya warriors, is in Mananthavady.
- Lakkidi
Lakkidi is the gateway of Wayanad district of Kerala state, south India. It gets the second highest degree of rainfall in the world. Lakkidi is one of the highest locations in Wayanad. It is situated 700 m above mean sea level, atop Thamarassery ghat pass. Vythiri is the nearest town, just 5 km...
, the entry-point to Wayanad on the road from Kozhikode, receives one of the highest rainfalls in India.
- Pookode lake
Pookode Lake is a scenic lake in Wayanad district, Kerala, South India. The lake is surrounded by forests, and boating is allowed. Recent commercial modernisations have removed some of its wilderness charms.-External links:*...
is a famous tourist centre near Lakkidi. For the adventurous the Chembra peak and Banasura, both over 2000 m high, provide tough challenges.
- Kuruva Dweep (10 km from Mananthavady) is a unique and fragile delta
A delta is a landform that is created at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river...
system on the Kabini RiverThe Kabini, also called Kabani and Kapila, is a river of southern India. It originates in Wayanad District of Kerala state, south India from the confluence of the Panamaram River and Mananthavady River, and flows eastward to join the Kaveri River at Tirumakudal Narasipur in Karnataka, which empties...
. An important and unusual pilgrim centre for sociologists and educationists is KanavuKanavu is an alternative school/commune in Cheengode in Nadavayal village, Wayanad district, Kerala, India, set up by writer, activist and film director K. J. Baby. The school's activities include performances of traditional plays and music, as well as martial arts training...
a centre for alternative education which help the adivasis (tribals) to adapt to the challenges without losing their cultural moorings. *Ananthanatha Swami Temple, (also known as ParswanathaSwamy Jain Temple at Puliyarmala) is a beautiful Jain temple located at Puliyarmala, 6 km from Kalpetta. Pakshipathalam is a very popular trekking spot on the Kerala-Karnataka border.
- Soochipara, Kanthapara, and Meenmutty
Meenmutty Falls is located 29 km from Kalpetta in Wayanad District in the state of Kerala, India. It is a three-tiered waterfall with a height of 300 metres. Meenmutty Falls, the largest and most spectacular waterfall in the Wayanad District, is a 2 km hike though the jungle from the main Ooty...
are waterfalls in the Meppadi-Ambalavayal Ambalavayal is a village in Wayanad district in the state of Kerala, India.-Demographics: India census, Ambalavayal had a population of 16363 with 8264 males and 8099 females....
region.
- Thovarimala ezhuthupara
Thovarimala Ezhuthupara is a remotely located cave in the Wayanad district of Kerala in India.The rare historic treasure at Thovarimala near here,throwing light into human habitation.Pre-historic stone age pictorial writings dating from around 8,000 BC and after had been discovered here at a height...
is 5 km from Sulthan Bathery have 400M trekking to reach Thovarimal Ezhuthupara we can see stone age pictorial writing on a rock
Flora and fauna
The flora of Wayanad are characteristic of the Western Ghats and the plantation crops grown in the cool climate. A major portion of the district is covered by coffee. Trees of the wild type like rose-wood, anjili (Artocarpus), mullumurikku (Erthrina), several species of caussia and many other non-descrip varieties are still preserved here and there, to give shade to the coffee plants. These trees give a dembalance of wilderness to the landscape of Wayanad. In a majority of coffee plantations, the age-old species are replaced by the silver-oak which is suited to the cold climate. This tree grows quickly and its cultivation is widespread among coffee plantations for shade and for giving support to pepper. It is used for the plywood industry and thus is economical to the farmers. Eucalyptus grandis, a shorter variety of eucalyptus, whose fragrant smell suffuses the very air around it, is cultivated on a large scale in centain parts of the district. Eucalyptus oil is extracted on commercial basis from its leaves. Of the 20,864 hectares of reserve forest, the major portion is teak plantation. Arecanut palms and jack trees are also grown here. Tea is grown as an industry in large estates. The soil and climate of Wayanad are suitable for horiculture on commercial basis. For promoting the cultivation of vegetables and raising of orchards, the Kerala Agricultural University is running a Regional Agricultural Research Station at Ambalavayal. With the clearing of forests, the diverse and buzzling animal life, characteristic of the forests of Western Ghats, has vanished from Wayanad. One can still see the bonnet monkeys, loris, mongooses, jungle cats, squirrels, jackals, hares, etc, in the limited forest areas. The World's longest venomous snake, King Cobra is also found here. Elephant, bear and other wild animals from the neighbouring wild life sanctuaries of Karnadaka and Tamil Nadu, stray into the Begur forest range and the forests around Muthanga, which is 20 kilometres away from the town of Sulthan Bathery.
Education
The Kerala government says: The recently established professional colleges like The
Government Engineering College in Mananthavady and
Veterinary College in Pookode is set to change the traditional way of life of Wayanad in the professional education sector. That has been a reality today.
External links