It is known as an elephant and tiger reserve. [9][10], The source of the Periyar lies high in the Western Ghats. [5] The Periyar is of utmost significance to the economy of Kerala. Our mountain biking tour, also known as The Cardamom Hills Cycling Trail, will take you through mountain roads with spectacularly beautiful cardamom forests and tea gardens. Pepper is known as the King and cardamom is known as the queen of spices, and the best of … Pepper is known as the King and cardamom is known as the queen of spices, and the best of … This area is believed to harbour about 2,000 elephants and is one of the potential landscapes for the long-term conservation of the species. The average drainage density of the basin is 2.46 km/ km2 with a total number of first order streams of 15,773. One of the most important Christian pilgrim centres in Kerala, this holy shrine attracts devotees in very large numbers not only from Kerala but also from the neighbouring states. The hills join the Aryankavu pass in the North, Agasthyamalai hills to the South, Palni Hills to the North-East and Anaimalai Hills … The state of Kerala has asserted during the hearings on the Mullaperiyar issue in the Supreme Court of India that the Periyar originates in Kerala, flows entirely through Kerala and joins the sea in the Kerala. Sprawling over an area of 925sq.km, Periyar National Park; also called Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, is nestled amidst the fascinating Cardamom Hills and Pandalam Hills of the great Western Ghats. Spices from Southern India was considered to have possessed world-class quality. [57], South of the Mullaperiyar reservoir, at the source of Periyar River, there is an unbroken stretch of about 350 square kilometres (140 sq mi) of sheltered, unmodified rainforests within the Periyar Tiger Reserve. In its early course, the river flows in a narrow north sloping valley starting from the Chokkampatti hills and extending north about 25 kilometres (16 mi), with a number of sharp lateral ridges running down to it from east and west. Its generators have a power output of 780 MW (6 × 130), and generate electricity through the underground facility at Moolamattam, built by an India-Canada joint venture. A thrilling tiger reserve, it encompasses almost 800 sq. To the south of this section is the Idukki sub-plateau and to the southeast, the Cardamom Hills. Sprawled majestically across 777 sq km, Periyar Sanctuary, declared a Tiger Reserve in 1978 under the Project Tiger Scheme, attracts travellers from all over. The famous Aluva Sivarathri festival is celebrated on the banks of the Periyar River in Aluva. The Idukki Subplateau is at an average elevation of 700 metres (2,300 ft). [9], From Periyar Thekkady lake and reservoir, some water is diverted eastwards to Tamil Nadu via a tunnel. If you are planning a trip to the South, then visiting this national park is a must. This region is also known for its rich biodiversity. East of Chakkupallom, a small part of the adjacent Vaigai basin protrudes from Tamil Nadu into Kerala in this section. Owing to its scenic location and evergreen ambience, it has become an ideal home to a large number of rare and endangered wildlife species. Periyar and Kumily are the most convenient points from which visitors can easily explore Kerala's beautiful Cardamom hills. Periyar National Park spanning over an area of 777 sq. • Approximately 100 km east of Kottayam, 110 km west of Madurai and 120 km southeast of Kochi 6. Its eastern border is the main Anamalai ridge. Its eastern boundary is a northwest to southeast ridge separating the Idukki reservoir from the Kallar/Perinjankutty tributary of Periyar which drains the main Cardamom Hills. The Mangalapuzha branch joins Chalakudy River and empties into the Lakshadweep Sea at Munambam, and the Marthandavarma branch flows southwards, again dividing into two near Kunjunnikkara island, going through the Udhyogamandal area and finally draining into the Cochin backwater system (part of Vembanad Lake) at Varappuzha. Most of the streams flow in deep gorges with steep valleys along the highlands of the basin. Clearly haven’t learnt from the disaster they had in 2009. The main Western Ghats watershed line forming the eastern border of the Cardamom Hills is highest to the southeast of the Kumily Gap. [22], The lower valleys of Idamalayar and Pooyamkutty Ar constitute the Lower Periyar Valleys. Cassells periyar tiger reserve homestay is sorrounded with misty hills and plantations in the idukki district which captures the essence of all that is wild and wonderful. All the northern slopes of the main Anamalai ridge falling within Kerala drain into Idamalayar and Pooyamkutty Ar, both tributaries of Periyar. This is the southern extreme of the Periyar basin. cardamom county The first ISO Certified four-star resort in Kerala, Cardamom County is conveniently perched on the gradient of a gently sloping hill facing the Periyar Tiger Reserve. Each year, around half a million travelers make their way up into the Cardamom Hills, where the crisp, cool air is redolent with the scents of spices, and soaring mountains give way to tea plantations and dense jungle. At the turn of the 20th century, it was fully covered by evergreen forests. It is less than 20 kilometres (12 mi) wide and is about 40 kilometres (25 mi) long. We liked that the staff was very strict and ensured that everyone wore the Life-jackets and nobody was allowed to move around. Did you know that cardamom plantation was the Monopoly of the Travancore Kingdom that ruled over Southern Kerala for more than 400 years, yes along with the British towards the end.. Pepper is known as the King and cardamom is known as the queen of spices, and the best of … Although these facts have been admitted by Tamil Nadu,[15][16][78] it counters that the Periyar should be considered an inter-state river since a part of the catchment of the river lies in Tamil Nadu. Ride towards the famed Periyar Tiger Reserve on narrow winding roads leading through the famed cardamom hills. Spices from Southern India was considered to have possessed world-class quality. There are cardamom hills, there is cardamom hill reserve, there is the Western Ghats. Together with the nearby plantation town of Kumily, it forms a convenient base to explore the surrounding Cardamom hills. The Panniyar joins the Muthirapuzha, which drains the High Range Plateau section of the Periyar Basin in the north. The exceedingly violent impact of very heavy rainfall on a likely geologically unstable part of the Western Ghats where there is extensive faulting has caused accelerated weathering and erosion, carving out a complex of deep valleys on the western face of the High Range Plateau. The control and safety of the Mullaperiyar dam on the river and the validity and fairness of the corresponding lease agreement have been points of dispute between Kerala and Tamil Nadu states. It’s located in the Cardamom Hills section of the Western Ghats at an altitude of 900m-1800m. This 900-to-1,000-metre (3,000 to 3,300 ft) high western crestline separates the Periyar catchment from the Manimala, Meenachil and Moovattupuzha drainage basins. The Siva temple on the sand bank of Periyar River throngs with devotees every year on Mahasivarathri day. The Parvathimudi-Umayamala ridge forms the northeastern corner of the Lower Periyar Valleys. The landscape on the Periyar Plateau portion of Elephant Reserve 10 maintains the most intact elephant range in Southern India. A great opportunity to learn about the local spices and to see the process behind its cultivation. [42], The Periyar is an 8th order stream with considerable development of tributary network. [71][72] Several studies have pointed out that the riverbed has deposits of heavy metals like lead, cadmium, mercury, chromium, nickel, cobalt and zinc and the ecosystem of the river has many dead zones. [6][7] Due to these reasons, the river has been named the "Lifeline of Kerala". Pollution of the river and surrounding wetlands has almost wiped out traditional occupations, including fishing and farming. Its western border is the clearly demarcated scarp face of the Ghats descending to the plains of Thodupuzha. This tract is almost entirely forested and the forests extend northwest between Periyar and Chalakudy rivers along the plains almost up to Kalady. The most prestigious region on the high ranges of the Western Ghats, the Periyar Tiger Reserve is located on the Cardamom Hills of Thekkady. Where is the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary? [28] After flowing 48 kilometres (30 mi) from its origin and on reaching Mount Plateau at its eastern end, it is joined by the west-flowing Mullayar—an important tributary—at Mullakudy. [36] This area is drained by the tributary Nirar, which is diverted to Tamil Nadu as a part of inter-state Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP) agreement. Pandikuzhi is a cradled in picturesque landscape and, exotic flora … The Marthandavarma branch flows southwards, again dividing into two near Kunjunnikkara Island, and finally drains into the Vembanad backwaters at Varapuzha. While it met the demand for water on one hand, it led to the deterioration of water quality downstream of the river. Forests occupy nearly 1,500 square kilometres (580 sq mi) (28%) of the basin area whereas cardamom and settlement with mixed tree crops occupy an area of 322 square kilometres (124 sq mi) and 2,176 square kilometres (840 sq mi) respectively. Greenpeace India describes the lower Periyar as "a cesspool of toxins, which have alarming levels of deadly poisons like DDT, endosulfan, hexa and trivalent chromium, lead, cyanide, BHC". It was so much revenue for the Kingdom, they could not have ever diluted it. The Cardamom Hills get their name from the spices that are cultivated in these mountains of the Western Ghats in Kerala. Reach Periyar. See my pictures for, We went for a Jungle Trek through the wildlife sanctuary . Cardamom Hills and Periyar wildlife sanctuary, Kerala, India. There are cardamom hills, there is cardamom hill reserve, there is the Western Ghats. This valley of Periyar at its source and the valley of Kunthi River in the Silent Valley are the only two forested higher valleys in the Western Ghats left intact even now. [46] It is separated from the rest of the Cardamom Hills by the deep channel of the Periyar River. [61], Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, one of the important bird sanctuaries of India, is an evergreen low-land forest located between the branches of Periyar River. The Idamala and Pooyamkutty rivers drain most of this section while its southern edge drains into the main Periyar. The Church has a life-size statue of St. Thomas and the imprint of the feet of the Apostle on a rock. It has a rich and varied birdlife. The High Range portion is essentially the south and west draining slopes of the main Anamalai ridge with the Cardamom Hills located to its south. Periyar (meaning: big river) is the longest river and the river with the largest discharge potential in the Indian state of Kerala. This section of western slope of the Western Ghats is deeply dissected and has geographical as well as ecological characteristics found nowhere in the Western Ghats. [46], The High Range Plateau is located around Munnar and Devikulam. More than 60 species of mammals are found here; including the Asiatic elephant, Bengal tiger, Indian bison, sambar deer, Indian wild dog, leopard and barking deer. [22] The Idamala gorge separates the Sholayar forests in the Nelliyampathies towards the north from the southern Anamudi Reserved Forest and High Range Plateau. It has an average elevation of about 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) and drains to the south through Muthirapuzha into Periyar. Vembanad Kol Wetland was included in the list of wetlands of international importance, as defined by the Ramsar Convention for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. The tradition holds that the mosque, built in 629 AD by Mālik bin Dīnār, is the oldest mosque in India and the second oldest mosque in the world to offer Jumu'ah prayers. There are cardamom hills, there is cardamom hill reserve, there is the Western Ghats. [20] During this journey the Periyar traverses through the Periyar Tiger Reserve, flowing across or forming the boundaries between various sections of the reserve. [22], Towards north, the Lower Periyar Valleys and the Periyar Basin extend up to the Idamala gorge cut by Periyar’s northernmost tributary – Idamalayar. A spur ridge starting from the main Anamalai ridge, going south immediately to the west of Munnar and continuing on to Parvathi Mala forms the western boundary of the High Range Plateau. The photo was taken from a high vantage point near the small town of Kumily in Kerala, south India. No tigers of course, we were on a walking tour and they are notoriously hard to find, even much, Hotels near Green Park Ayurvedic & Spices Plantation, Hotels near Deepa World Spice and Ayurvedic Garden, Hotels near Periyar Spice & Ayurvedic Garden, Kadathanadan Kalari & Navarasa Kathakali, Zipline & Aerial Adventure Parks in Thekkady, Points of Interest & Landmarks in Thekkady, Green Park Ayurvedic & Spices Plantation: Tickets & Tours‎, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary: Tickets & Tours‎, Deepa World Spice and Ayurvedic Garden: Tickets & Tours‎, Angadipetty -Kerala Ayurveda Museum: Tickets & Tours‎, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary Tours and Tickets, From snorkel to surfing—no expertise necessary, All ashore for easy trips straight from port, Flexible itineraries and personal experiences. It generates a significant proportion of Kerala's electrical power via the Idukki Dam and flows along a region of industrial and commercial activity. 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