Athirappilly Waterfalls

I recently visited a most beautiful place where most of the film shootings are happening. Its Athirappilly Waterfalls comes under Thrissur District of Kerela. Athirappilly Falls is one of the best places to visit in Kerala.Athirappilly is famous among tourists. Another popular waterfall to visit is the Vazhachal Falls. The two picturesque and majestic waterfalls, Athirappilly and Vazhachal are located just five km apart, on the edge of the Sholayar forest ranges. The Athirappilly falls join the Chalakkudy river after plummeting down 80 ft. The cool spray that covers a large area near the falls makes Athirappilly a scenic location. The picturesque Vazhachal waterfall is close to dense green forests and is a part of the Chalakudy River.

Starting calmly from the high ranges, and crashing through gorges overhung with trees, this waterfall is one of the best places in India to re-capture a real sense of the classical idea of the "Picturesque"...not just calm and sweet, but something wild and natural. Perched high above in the the Sholayar forest ranges on the fringes of Kerala's famed rain forests, the waterfalls provides a restful escape for those wanting to leave the hurried pace of city life behind. The water plunges and joins to the Chalakudi River. The scenic attraction of Vazhachal, the other picnic spot is just a drive from Athirappilly . These scintillating waterfalls in thick green forest are a part of the Chalakudy river stream.

Other Attractions

Thumpurmuzhi Gardens:

In the midst of these two water theme parks is Thumpurmuzhi, an ideal stopover with its garden, scenic splendor and a classic waterfall.

Charpa Falls:

To the east of athirappilly is the enchanting but lesser known Charpa falls which plunges on to the road during monsoon. It is a sight to watch and enjoy.

Malakapara Tea Gardens:

A safari through the deep forest and high ranges (Western Ghats) complemented with lots of hairpin curves takes you to the fascinating sculptured beauty of Malakapara tea Gardens just 51 km from Athirappilly.

Peringalkuthu & Sholayar Dams:

Deep in the forest on the way to Valpara are the two dams that generate hydroelectric power to the state. Entry to the dam site is with special permission only.

Water Theme Parks:

For those who want a little extra recreation there are two water theme parks nearby with plenty of adventure games and water sports.

The Climate:

• Summer: (January - May ) 300 to 360C

• Monsoon: (June - October) 260 to 320C

WILDLIFE:

The riparian forests of the Chalakudy River have revealed the existence of a thick riparian vegetation of more than 10 metres width for a distance of 10.5 km downstream from Peringalkuth, covering an area of 58.5 hectares. Out of this, 26.4 hectares lie within the Vazachal area, including three large islands densely covered by riparian forests. The riparian forests of the area have been found to be characterised by the presence of typical riparian species of plants, in addition to evergreen and semi-evergreen species. Out of the 319 species of flowering plants identified from the study area, 24 are endemic species of the Western Ghats and 10 are rare and endangered. Moreover, the Chalakudy River is known for its diversity, as it contains 85 species of fresh water fishes out of the 152 species known from Kerala. Among these, 35 are endemic species of the Western Ghats and nine are considered to be endangered.

HOW TO GET THERE:

Distance from various spots to Athirappilly:

Kochi International Airport - 55 Km

Plantations Valley - 2 Km

Thumpurmuzhi Gardens - 13 Km

Malakapara Tea Garden - 50 Km

Chalakudy Railway station - 33 Km

Trichur - 63 Km

Vazhachal Waterfalls - 05 Km

Peringalkuthu Dam - 20 Km

Nearest railway stations:

Thrissur - 63 Km

Chalakudy -33 Km

Nearest airport:

Cochin International Airport - 55 Km

Bus services:

There are frequent buses to Athirappilly from Chalakudy or you can catch a cab (Taxi) from Chalakudy Railway Station.

Munnar

Munnar is located at the Idukki district of Kerala State in South India. Munnar's mesmerizing greenery, mountain scenery, calmness and cool refreshing air attracts honeymooners and tourists throughout the year. It is a weekend hideout location for domestic tourists during summer season. Foreign travelers likes watching the natural beauty of Kerala while the journey from Thekkady to Munnar.

The Neelakurinji, a blue flower which blooms only every twelve years, is found in this region. It bloomed last in December 2006. Munnar also has the highest peak in South India - Anamudi, 2695m.

The tea plantations and holiday facilities make this a popular hill station. Munnar, located at an altitude of 1,600 m, is one of the most beautiful hill stations of Kerala. Munnar has the highest peak in south India, Anamundi, which rises to a height of 2695 m. Munnar was the most favored summer destination of European settlers for centuries.

Munnar actually means the 'Three Rivers' and derives its name from the three-mountain stream Madurapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala. The confluence of these rivers is at the heart of the town and they fulfill all the water requirements of the town.

Munnar is an ideal destination for a peaceful vacation. It offers a variety to the visitors in terms of sight seeing as there are lots of tourist attractions including the lakes, dams, wild life sanctuaries and tea and spice plantations.

Munnar Attractions

• Chinnar: Situated on the Tamil Nadu - Kerala border, the wild life sanctuary is spread across 90.44 sq km. A thorny shrub jungle present no where else but here, makes this sanctuary unique with a wide range of animals and birds including elephants, porcupine, lion-tailed monkeys, jungle fowl, spotted dove, laughing thrush etc. The sanctuary is situated on either side of the Marayoor-Udumalpet road and is hence easily accessible by road.
• Eravikulam (Rajamalai) National Park: Eravikulam Wildlife Sanctuary is a sanctuary set up for the preservation of the endangered Nilgiri Tahr. The main inhabitant of the park is Nilgiri Tahr. Now the park has the largest known population of Tahr's existing in the world. The park also shelters Atlas Moth, Elephants, Sambhar's, Gaurs, Lion-tailed Macaque, Nilgiri, Langur, Tigers and Leopards.Spread across an area of 97 sq. kms, the park exhibits the breathtaking natural splendor of rolling grasslands and exotic flowers. Anamudi, the highest peak south of Himalayas, towers over the sanctuary in majestic pride. The Atlas Moth, largest of its kind in the world, is a unique possession of the park. Anamudi Peak inside Eravikulam National Park: The highest peak (2695 m) south of the Himalayas, towers over the sanctuary in majestic pride. The slopes of the hills abound in all kinds of rare flora and fauna. The Atlas moth, the largest of its kind in the world, is a unique inhabitant of the park. Other rare species of fauna found here are the Nilgiri Langur, the lion-tailed macaque, leopards, tigers, etc. An ideal place for trekking, facilities are provided here and tourists are allowed to go on foot up to Anamudi.
• Mattupetti Dam: Situated at a height of 1700 m , Mattupetty is famous for its highly specialized dairy farm, the Indo-Swiss live stock project. Over 100 varieties of high yielding cattle are reared here.Visitors are allowed into three of the eleven cattle sheds at the farmMattupetti Indo-Swiss Farm:Better known as Mattupetti (cattle village), Tamil migrant labourers had once upon a time reared cattle here. The cool climate and abundance of fodder made it the ideal location for the Indo-Swiss dairy farm. Established in 1961, the Kerala Livestock Development Board (KLDB) manages this highly specialised dairy farm. The dairy farm is a unique one of its kind with more than 100 varieties of high-yielding cattle being reared.
• Echo Point: 15km from Munnar, on the way to top station from Munnar is a small lake set amidst rolling hills. Every loud call made from a spot on the lake embankment is returned manifold by the echo from the surrounding hills. Young tourists throng to this place to listen to the echoes of their friendship calls.
• Top Station: 37km from Munnar on the Kerala and Tamil Nadu border, has great views of the Western Ghats. Regular buses go to Top Station (1 hr) from Munnar. A jeep costs Rs 400. The area is known for the Neelakurunji plant, which flowers only once every twelve years. The flower is violet.
• Salim Ali (Thattekkad) Bird Sanctuary:. There are woodpeckers, Malabar gray hornbills, Ceylon frogmouths, parakeets, and rose-billed rollers. This sanctuary is located 20km from Kothamangalam on the road between Ernakulam and Munnar. There are basic and mid-range hotels in Kothamangalam and an Inspection Bungalow in Boothathankettu. You can take a boat cruise from Boothathankettu to Thattekkad. Admission Foreigners/Indian Rs 40/10.
• Marayoor:- This is the only place in Kerala that has a natural growth of sandalwood trees. The sandalwood factory of the forest department, the caves with murals and relics from the new Stone Age civilization and the children's park spread across a hectare of land under the canopy of a single banyan tree are of great interest to tourists. Thoovanam waterfall and Rajiv Gandhi National Park are also nearby.
• Devikulam: It is 1800 meter above sea level and16 km. from Munnar Devikulam is a small and beautiful hill station. The Devi lake with its mineral water is a natural gift.7 kms from munnar, this hill station with its lawns, flora and fauna and the cool air is a experience. The sita devi lake with its mineral waters and its surroundings is a good picnic spot. The lake is also ideal for fishing.
• Pallivasal,:8 km from Munnar, is the venue of the first Hydro Electric Project in Kerala. The place is also famous for its immense scenic beauty.
• Chithirapuram:10 km from Munnar, reflects the colonial charm with the presence of the cottages, bungalows, old playgrounds and courts. One can see the Pallyvasal Hydel Power Project and the tea plantations.
• Attukal: 9 km from Munnar, must be visited for its charming sceneries, waterfalls and rolling hills. Attukal is located between Munnar and Pallivasal and is also for long treks.
• Nyayamakad: 10 km from Munnar, is placed between Munnar and Rajamala. The place is famous for several splendid waterfalls. The waters come down a hill from a height of almost 1600 m. The enchanting surroundings make an excellent picnic spot and trekking point.

Getting There

By Rail : Ernakulam Railway Station ( 04 Hrs from Munnar )

By Air : Cochin International Airport ( 4 hours 30 minutes from Munnar)

By Road : The place is well connected by a well developed network of road transport.

Munnar is 140 km (about 4.5 hours) from Kochi. The road is smooth - NH 49. The place Kothamangalam is on the way and is 80 km down from Munnar. Between Kothamangalam and next town "Adimali", you can experience a cool drive through a natural forest. Alongside, you can see many refreshing waterfalls.
Once you reach Adimali, Munnar is just 30 kilometers away - but, will take almost an hour to reach there. Around 22 kilometers from Adimali, you can start seeing the tea plantations on both side of the road and a panaromic view of the western ghats. The view is extremely beautiful during the early mornings. Munnar can also be reached from Kodai Road, Madurai, Pollachi. The drive to Munnar involves about 2 hours on the ghat section. There are 17 hair pin bends and traversing them can make you feel nauseated. However if you eat light while travelling you can enjoy the scenery during the drive.

Munnar At a Glance

Monsoon: June, July, August
Season: September to May
Location: Idukki district on the high ranges of the Western Ghats
Altitude:5400 feet above sea level
Temperature:0oC - 280 C (Summer- 150C - 280C, Winter- 00C - 150C)

God's Own Country->>>>>Kerala

Sun blanched white seashore.

Endless beaches.

Incessant blue waves mostly calm but sometimes boisterous clamouring and vanishing among white splashes.

Green groves of coconuts just stop short and border the beaches with frills.

Lurking in the backdrop a network of lagoons and backwaters.

Boats and country crafts moving along.

Quite a lot of rivers and countless rivulets flowing through hills and paddy fields of the midland, emptying themselves into the backwaters.

And the far off dark blue mountains.

This is what the eyes meet about Kerala.

An excellent colour scheme and art work of Nature.

An occasional boats man rowing and singing with cargo or people. A tiller or a mower and women planting seedlings.

Women at work spinning coir.

Dense plantations further eastward. Kerala is all these and more.....

Better known as "God's Own Country", Kerala offers you a host of exciting holiday options. Spread out across the year are specially designed packages that highlight the State's attractions, and prove beyond doubt that the season never ends in this breath taking beautiful land.

Kerala is a narrow, fertile strip of land on the south - west coast of India, protected by natural barriers in the east. Kerala is immensely blessed by nature with beautiful beaches, rivers, hills, wildlife sanctuaries, forts and palaces, monuments and memorials, shrines and festivals; and a fascinating heritage of art and culture.

It is the land of spellbinding attraction like stations, beaches, backwaters, Ayurveda, forests, waterfalls, art forms, festivals,wildlife..... Where in the world will you find so stunning a landscape?

Silent Valley

The only remaining undisturbed tropical evergreen rainforest in peninsular India is in the Western Ghats, along the western corner of the Nilgiris, in Palakkad district of Kerala. It is called the Silent Valley, yet it throbs with the muted sounds of the forest. The soughing wind amidst thick, moss-laden tree trunks. The rustle of dead leaves as a rat snake hunts a toad. The slushy chomps of the giant Malabar squirrel as it shovels fruit into its jaws. The almost inaudible flapping of wings as a bunch of butterflies flutters out of the grass. The melody of a Malabar whistling thrush piercing through the roar of waterfalls, rain and the gurgling river.

The core of the Niligiri Biosphere Reserve, it probably is one of the magnificent gifts of nature to mankind. Silent Valley is a unique reserve of tropical rain forest in all its pristine glory with an almost unbroken ecological history. Above an altitude of 2000 meters with an area of 90 Sq. Km it has a fair representation of rare species of Flora and Fauna.

Why then is this kingdom of varying decibels called the Silent Valley? One popular explanation traces the origin of the name to the absence of cicadas—insects with large transparent wings held rooflike over the back, whose males make a loud, shrill, chirping sound at night, a sound characteristically associated with a tropical forest. But that explanation, if it was ever true, is no longer valid, for today the cold nights in the Silent Valley are frequently wrapped in a blanket of cicada sounds.
A more plausible explanation is that the term is a result of the Anglicisation of ‘Sairandhri’, the local name for the forest, also synonymous with Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas. Another etymology leads to the lion-tailed macaque, a medium-sized monkey with a long face and cheek pouches, scientifically named Macaca silenus. In Greek mythology, Silenus is an aged woodland deity with horse-ears, similar to the satyr.

Whatever the origins of its name, the Silent Valley is an explorer’s delight and a trekker’s challenge. In recorded history, no human has ever made the Silent Valley his or her home. The topographic isolation of the plateau—cut off on all sides by steep ridges and escarpments—has prevented human habitation. The forests here remained undisturbed until the middle of the 19th century. That isolation has also allowed it to endure as an ecological island, preserving the fauna and flora over the 50 million years that is said to be its evolutionary age.

A roughly rectangular tableland extending over almost 90 sq km, the Silent Valley slopes towards the 25-km long river Kuntipuzha, the origin of which is at an elevation of 2,400 m in the outer northern ridges of the Nilgiris at the confluence of three tributaries. From that height it drops rapidly to 1,150 m on the northern edge of the plateau, and then flows in a north-south direction for about 15 km to the Mannarkkad plains.

All along the river is a catchment area with around 70 sq km of minimally modified ‘climax’ forest. Ecologists define climax as the ultimate stage in the evolution of plant communities in equilibrium with the climate and other environmental factors, developed in the absence of human interference. As a result, the Silent Valley boasts a wealth of biological and genetic heritage, a rare biodiversity. Most of the forests in the Silent Valley are classified as typical tropical wet evergreen and riparian forests. Other vegetation types include moist deciduous forests and subtropical temperate forests (sholas).
The World Conservation Union (IUCN), has labelled the Western Ghats as a biodiversity ‘hotspot’—a prime candidate for conservation, intensive studies and long-term monitoring. Both of the Silent Valley’s best-known primates—the Nilgiri langur and the lion-tailed macaque—are listed in IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Animals.
The Silent Valley’s virginity and biogeographic isolation, and the pristine uniqueness of its flora and fauna, unsullied by human activity, lay at the root of the movement to save it from a hydroelectric project of the Kerala State Electricity Board. After over a decade (1977-1988) of environmental campaigning, media advocacy and assessments by expert committees, the state government was forced to declare the area a National Park.

Getting There:
Silent Valley is situated in the northeastern part of Palakkad district, Kerala. The nearest town is Mannarkkad (66Km). Bus transport is available to Mukkali(23 Km). You can hire a private jeep from Mukkali to Sairandhiri or trek right up. Jeep takes 1 hour while a trek uphill takes between 4-5 hours. Visitors are few as the place is totally non-commercialised. Forest officials are helpful and dedicated.
Entry fee per visitor is Rs 20/-. Private jeeps from Mukkali to Silent valley and back cost Rs 450/-. You can also take your own vehicle with permission from forest officials (Vehicle entrance fee-Rs 100/-). On the way uphill you see the Karivara farm inhabited by the Mudukar tribes of the Attapadi forest reserve.
The forest guest house at Mukkali has dormitories and 3 rooms. The inspection Bungalow at Sairandhiri has 4 rooms with solar powered electricity. Room rent for a couple at both places is Rs 400/- and rooms are quite basic. There is no other private lodging facility available anywhere nearby. Hence it is best to book your accommodation in advance.

TRAVEL INFORMATION

Nearest town: Mannarkkad-66 Km
Nearest Airport: Coimbatore (68 Km)
Nearest Railhead: Coimbatore (68 Km), Palakkad(106 Km)
Best time to visit: September to March
Contacts: Wildlife Warden, Silent Valley National Park, Mannarkkad, Palakkad, Kerala, Pin-628582 (Tel: 04924-222056) Email- wlwsvnpmkd@sancharnet.in
Assistant Wildlife Warden, Silent Valley National Park, Mukkali P.O, Palakkad, Kerala, Pin-678582 (Tel: 04924-253225). Email- awlwsvnpmkd@sancharnet.in