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Friday, October 14, 2011

Thekkady - Periyar National Park


Thekkady (Idukki district) is the location of the Periyar National Park, which is an important tourist attraction in the Kerala state of India.

Situated in Kerala, close to the Kerala - Tamil Nadu border town - Kumily, it is located about 257 km (160 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 forests and savanna grass lands. It is home to herds of elephantssambartigersgaurlion-tailed Macaques and Nilgiri Langurs.

Thekkady in Kerala State has India 's largest wildlife sanctuary is a dream destination for any tourist visiting India . The 120 years old 'Surki' dam built across Peryiar, Poorna in Vedic parlance, is a major tourist attraction. This sanctuary is spread over an area of 777 Sq.Kms, surrounded by an artificial lake over an area of 25 Sq.Kms.


Thekkady, with its bountiful treasures of tropical flora and fauna is the ultimate reservoir of many an endangered species and a rich tribal culture. Thekkady is a pleasant heaven on earth for those who love nature in its wild manifestations.

Thekkady is famous for the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the best places for viewing wild animals. The best time to visit animals is during the months of March, April and May. Thekkady offers facilities for Trekking, elephant riding and boating. Boating through the Placid Lake provides a rare opportunity to watch wild animals at close quarters.


The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is spread across 777 km2 (300 sq mi), of which 360 km2 (140 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 Damacross 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 spices such as black peppercardamomcinnamon and clove

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.[1]


Nearest airports :  Cochin International Airport, about 190 km.

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