7 Big Ideas For Small Places
Munnar is a town and hill station located in the Idukki district of the southwestern Indian state of Kerala. Munnar is situated at around 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) above mean sea level in the Western Ghats mountain range. Munnar is also called the “Kashmir of South India” and is a favorite destination for honeymoon. Munnar is famous hill station on the Western Ghats in Kerala State, South India. The word is derived from the local language ‘Malayalam’ to mean “three rivers”, referring to the town’s strategic location at the confluence of the rivers; Madhurapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundaly.
The stunning and world famous hill station in Idukki district, offers magnificent views of the misty mountains and luscious green rolling carpet-like tea estates. The best thing about Munnar is that it is located only 136 kilometers from Kochi, making it easily accessible from Cochin International Airport. People are attracted to this destination all year through and you can see a heavy influx of tourists during the November to March season. They come here to see the forest and its greenery, the mesmerizing waterfalls, enticing hills and to get up, close and personal with nature.
Munnar is thus a dream destination that has evolved to be the perfect spot for people who enjoy trekking, hiking, wildlife, silence, peace and greenery. Munnar and its iconic greenery will always remain attractive to people who keep coming here again and again. Munnar always enjoys a heavy throng of visitors most of the time, but there are various places in the hill station where you can enjoy absolute peace and be one with nature. It is one of the top attractions/nature beauty spot that contributed to Kerala’s popularity as a travel destination.
The panchayath of Munnar formed in 1961 January 24 is divided into 21 wards for administrative convenience. Coimbatore district lies in the north, Pallivasal in south, Devikulam and Marayoor in east and Mankulam, Kuttampuzha panchayaths in the west. Most of the native flora and fauna of Munnar have disappeared due to severe habitat fragmentation resultant from the creation of the plantations. However, some species continue to survive and thrive in several protected areas nearby, including the new Kurinjimala Sanctuary to the east, the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Manjampatti Valley and the Amaravati reserve forest of Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary to the north east, the Eravikulam National Park and Anamudi Shola National Park to the north, the Pampadum Shola National Park to the south and the proposed Palani Hills National Park to the east.
One of the main attractions near Munnar is the Eravikulam National Park. Located about 15 km from Munnar, this park is famous for its endangered inhabitant – the Nilgiri Tahr. This park is also home to several species of rare butterflies, animals and birds. A Nilgiri tahr (scientific name: Nilgiritragus hylocrius) at Rajamalai near Munnar These protected areas are especially known for several threatened and endemic species including Nilgiri Thar, the grizzled giant squirrel, the Nilgiri wood-pigeon, elephant, the gaur, the Nilgiri langur, the sambar, and the neelakurinji (that blossoms only once in twelve years). A great place for trekking and the park Located inside the Eravikulam National Park is the Anamudi Peak. This is the highest peak in south India standing at a height of over 2700 m.
Munnar maintains a pleasant climate all year round. The winter months are the coldest months, of course and the temperatures can even reach as low as −4 °C. Even during the summer, the weather is pleasant and cool. You will have to be careful during the rainy months because even though the climate is cool enough, you will have to be wary of leeches. The region in and around Munnar varies in height from 1,450 meters (4,760 ft) to 2,695 meters (8,842 ft) above mean sea level. The temperature ranges between 5 °C (41 °F) and 25 °C (77 °F) in winter and 15 °C (59 °F) and 25 °C (77 °F) in summer. Temperatures as low as −4 °C (25 °F) have been recorded in the Sevenmallay region of Munnar.
The Munnar once used to be the summer resort of the erstwhile British administration in south India. This hill station is marked by vast expanses of tea plantations, colonial bungalows, waterfalls and cool weather. Munnar has a legacy of its own when it comes to the origins and evolution of tea plantations Once known as the High Range of Travancore, today Munnar is the commercial centre of some of the world’s highest tea-growing estates. The majority of the plantations are operated by corporate giant Tata, with some in the hands of local cooperative Kannan Devan Hills Plantation Company (KDHP). It offers a magnificent view of the tea plantations and also the rolling hills caressed by blankets of mists. It is also an ideal destination for trekking and mountain biking.
Another place of interest, located about 13 km from Munnar Town, is Mattupetty. Situated at a height of 1700 m above sea level, Mattupetty is known for its storage masonry dam and the beautiful lake, which offers pleasurable boat rides, enabling one to enjoy the surrounding hills and landscape. Mattupetty’s fame is also attributed to the dairy farm run by the Indo-Swiss Livestock Project.
