Anaimudi
Anamudi is a mountain located in Ernakulam district and Idukki district of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the highest peak in the Western Ghats and in South India, at an elevation of and a topographic prominence of . The name Anamudi literally translates to "elephant's head" a reference to the resemblance of the mountain to an elephant's head. Anamudi is the highest mountain in peninsular India as well as the largest mountain in Kerala. Meanwhile, the highest independent mountain (free-standing mountain) in Kerala is the Cheriyam mountain in Malappuram district. Cheriyam mountain is located at an elevation of 613 m (2,011 ft) above sea level. The first recorded ascent of Anamudi was by General Douglas Hamilton of the Madras Army on 4 May 1862, but it is likely that there had been earlier ascents by local people. Anamudi peak is one of only three ultra prominent peaks in South India. It is also the peak with the greatest topographic isolation within India. It is ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Canara, and Thiruvithamkoor. Spread over , Kerala is the 21st largest Indian state by area. It is bordered by Karnataka to the north and northeast, Tamil Nadu to the east and south, and the Lakshadweep Sea to the west. With 33 million inhabitants as per the 2011 census, Kerala is the 13th-largest Indian state by population. It is divided into 14 districts with the capital being Thiruvananthapuram. Malayalam is the most widely spoken language and is also the official language of the state. The Chera dynasty was the first prominent kingdom based in Kerala. The Ay kingdom in the deep south and the Ezhimala kingdom in the north formed the other kingdoms in the early years of the Common Era (CE). The region had been a prominent spic ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Kothamangalam
Kothamangalam, , is a municipality in Ernakulam district of Kerala, India. The town is in the foothills of the Western Ghats, and is a part of the Idukki Lok Sabha constituency. The town serves as the headquarters of a taluk and a municipality of the same name. Geography Kothamangalam is situated in the eastern part of the Ernakulam district. According to the division of the geographical regions of Kerala, Kothamangalam is in a mid-land region. The general topography is hilly. The Periyar, the largest river in Kerala, flows through the taluk. There are dams built across the Periyar at Edamalayar, Lower Periyar, and Bhoothathankettu for hydroelectricity generation and irrigation purposes. The current Kothamangalam region was historically known as Malakhachira (). Kothamangalamar, a small river which flows through the town joins Kaliyar and Thodupuzhayar to form the Muvattupuzhayar, which is the second largest river in Ernakulam. Demographics According to the 2011 Census ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Malappuram District
Malappuram (), is one of the List of districts of Kerala, 14 districts in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala, with a coastline of . It is the most populous district of Kerala, which is home to around 13% of the total population of the state. The district was formed on 16 June 1969, spanning an area of about . It is the third-largest district of Kerala by area, as well as the largest district in the state, bounded by Western Ghats and Arabian Sea to either side. The district is divided into seven Tehsil, Taluks: Eranad Taluk, Eranad, Kondotty Taluk, Kondotty, Nilambur#Nilambur Taluk, Nilambur, Perinthalmanna taluk, Perinthalmanna, Ponnani taluk, Ponnani, Tirur Taluk, Tirur, and Tirurangadi Taluk Office, Tirurangadi. Malayalam is the most spoken language. The district has witnessed significant emigration, especially to the Arab states of the Persian Gulf during the Kerala Gulf diaspora#The Gulf Boom, Gulf Boom of the 1970s and early 1980s, and its ec ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Bengal Tiger
The Bengal tiger is a population of the ''Panthera tigris tigris'' subspecies. It ranks among the biggest wild cats alive today. It is considered to belong to the world's charismatic megafauna. The tiger is estimated to have been present in the Indian subcontinent since the Late Pleistocene, for about 12,000 to 16,500 years. Today, it is threatened by poaching, Habitat loss, loss and Habitat fragmentation, fragmentation of habitat, and was estimated at comprising fewer than 2,500 wild individuals by 2011. None of the ''Tiger Conservation Landscapes'' within its range is considered large enough to support an effective population of more than 250 adult individuals. The Bengal tiger's historical range covered the Indus River valley until the early 19th century, almost all of India, Pakistan, southern Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and southwestern China. Today, it inhabits India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and southwestern China. India's tiger population was estimated at 2,603–3,346 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Gaur
The gaur (''Bos gaurus''; ), also known as the Indian bison, is a bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia, and has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986. The global population was estimated at a maximum of 21,000 mature individuals in 2016, with the majority of those existing in India. It has declined by more than 70% during the last three generations, and is extirpated from Sri Lanka and most likely Bangladesh. Populations in well-protected areas are stable and increasing. It is the largest species among the wild cattle and the Bovidae. The domesticated form of the gaur is called ''gayal'' (''Bos frontalis'') or ''mithun''. Taxonomy ''Bison gaurus'' was the scientific name proposed by Charles Hamilton Smith in 1827. Later authors subordinated the species under either ''Bos'' or ''Bibos''. To date, three gaur subspecies have been recognized: * ''B. g. gaurus'' ranges in India, Nepal and Bhutan; * ''B. g. readei'' described by Richard Lydekk ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Asian Elephant
The Asian elephant (''Elephas maximus''), also known as the Asiatic elephant, is the only living species of the genus ''Elephas'' and is distributed throughout the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India in the west, Nepal in the north, Sumatra in the south, and to Borneo in the east. Three subspecies are recognised—'' E. m. maximus'' from Sri Lanka, ''E. m. indicus'' from mainland Asia and '' E. m. sumatranus'' from the island of Sumatra. Formerly, there was also the Syrian elephant or Western Asiatic elephant (''Elephas maximus asurus'') which was the westernmost population of the Asian elephant (''Elephas maximus''). This subspecies became extinct in ancient times. Skeletal remains of ''E. m. asurus'' have been recorded from the Middle East: Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey from periods dating between at least 1800 BC and likely 700 BC. It is one of only three living species of elephants or elephantids anywhere in the world, the others being the African bus ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Nilgiritragus Hylocrius
The Nilgiri tahr (''Nilgiritragus hylocrius'') is an ungulate that is Endemism, endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and the southern portion of the Western Ghats, Western and Eastern Ghats in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in southern India. It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu.Prater, S. H. 1948, 1971. ''The book of Indian Animals'', Bombay Natural History Society and Oxford University Press, India. 324 pages. . Despite its local name, it is more closely related to the sheep of the genus ''Ovis'' than the ibex and wild goats of the genus ''Capra (genus), Capra''. It is the monotypic taxon, only species in the genus ''Nilgiritragus''. Etymology In Tamil language, Tamil, the Nilgiri tahr is called வரையாடு (''varaiaadu''). The word ''varaiaadu'' is derived from the Tamil words ''wurrai'' meaning "precipice" and ''aadu'' meaning "goat". The word in ancient Tamil was வருடை (''varudai''). In Malayalam, the word is :ml:വരയാട്, വരയാട് ('' ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Nilgiri Tahr
The Nilgiri tahr (''Nilgiritragus hylocrius'') is an ungulate that is endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and the southern portion of the Western and Eastern Ghats in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in southern India. It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu.Prater, S. H. 1948, 1971. ''The book of Indian Animals'', Bombay Natural History Society and Oxford University Press, India. 324 pages. . Despite its local name, it is more closely related to the sheep of the genus ''Ovis'' than the ibex and wild goats of the genus ''Capra''. It is the only species in the genus ''Nilgiritragus''. Etymology In Tamil, the Nilgiri tahr is called வரையாடு (''varaiaadu''). The word ''varaiaadu'' is derived from the Tamil words ''wurrai'' meaning "precipice" and ''aadu'' meaning "goat". The word in ancient Tamil was வருடை (''varudai''). In Malayalam, the word is വരയാട് (''varyaadu''). The Nilgiri tahr was described as ''Capra warryato'' by Gray. The genus name ''Ni ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Munnar
Munnar () is a town and hill station in the Idukki district of the southwestern Indian state of Kerala. Munnar is situated at around above mean sea level, in the Western Ghats mountain range. Munnar is also called the "Kashmir of South India" and is a popular honeymoon destination. Etymology The name Munnar is believed to mean "three rivers", referring to its location at the confluence of the Mudhirapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundali rivers. History The region has been inhabited by hunter-gatherer tribals like the Malayarayan and Muthuvan for thousands of years. Tradition states that Colonel Arthur Wellesley, later the Duke of Wellington, was the first British person to pass through Munnar during Tippu Sultan's campaign in Travancore, but this is unsubstantiated. The first survey of the terrain was undertaken by Benjamin Swayne Ward in 1816–1817, who followed the Periyar into the Western Ghats and established a camp at the confluence of three rivers, from which the name ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Palani Hills
The Palani Hills are a mountain range in the southern Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The Palani Hills are an eastward extension of the Western Ghats ranges, which run parallel to the west coast of India. The Palani Hills adjoin the high Anamalai range (Kerala) on the west, and extend east into the plains of Tamil Nadu, covering an area of . The highest part of the range is in the southwest, and reaches 1,800-2,500 metres (5,906-8,202 feet) elevation; the eastern extension of the range is made up of hills 1,000-1,500 m (3,281-4,921 ft) high. It is also home to the main temple of Lord Muruga, who is worshipped as the primary god in Tamil Nadu. Geography Vandaravu peak is the highest peak in the Palani hills. The range lies between the Cumbum Valley on the south, which is drained by the Vaigai River and its upper tributaries, and the Kongunadu region to the north. The northern slopes are drained by the Shanmukha River, Nanganji River, and Kodavanar River, which a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Cardamom Hills
The Cardamom Hills or Yela Mala are mountain range of southern India and part of the southern Western Ghats located in Idukki district, Kerala, India. Their name comes from the cardamom spice grown in much of the hills' cool elevation, which also supports pepper and coffee. The Western Ghats and Periyar Sub-Cluster including the Cardamom Hills are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.UNESCO Retrieved 20 April 2007. Geography The Cardamom Hills central point is about . They cover about 2,800 km2 of mountainous terrain with deep valleys, and includes the drainages of the west flowing Periyar River, Periyar, Mullayar and Pamba rivers. It includes Idukki Dam and Mullaperiyar Dam. They conjoin the Anaimalai Hills to the northwest, the Palani Hills to the northeast and the Pothigai to the south as far as the Aryankavu pass (at c. 9° N). The crest of the hills form the boundary between Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Anamudi (8,842 ft (2695 m)) in Eravikulam National Park, is the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Eravikulam National Park
Eravikulam National Park is a 97 km2 national park located along the Western Ghats in the Idukki and Ernakulam districts of Kerala in India. Situated between 10º05'N and 10º20' north, and 77º0' and 77º10' east, (Semap) it is the first national park in Kerala. Eravikulam National Park is administered by the Kerala Department of Forests and Wildlife, Munnar Wildlife Division, which also runs the nearby Mathikettan Shola National Park, Anamudi Shola National Park, Pambadum Shola National Park, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary and the Kurinjimala Sanctuary. Geography The main body of the park consists of a high rolling hill plateau with a base elevation of about 2,000 m. The terrain consists of high altitude grasslands interspersed with sholas. Anamudi, 2,695 meters, the highest peak in South India is inside this park. Many perennial streams criss-cross the park. They merge to form tributaries of the Periyar river in the west and of the Cauvery River in the east. The Nati ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |