The Anamala or Anaimalai, also known as the Elephant Mountains, are a range of mountains in the southern Western Ghats of central Kerala ( Idukki district, Ernakulam district,

Palakkad district Palakkad District () is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala. It was carved out from the southeastern region of the former Malabar District on 1 January 1957. It is located at the centre of Kerala. It is the largest district i ...

, Thrissur district) and span the border of western Tamil Nadu (

Coimbatore district Coimbatore district is one of the 38 districts in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. Coimbatore is the administrative headquarters of the district. It is one of the most industrialized districts and a major textile, industrial, commercial, educ ...

and Tiruppur district) in Southern India. The name ''anamala'' is derived from the Malayalam word ''aana and'' the

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nati ...

word ''aanai'', meaning elephant, or from tribal languages. ''Mala'' or ''Malai'' means 'hill', and thus 'Elephant hill'. Anamudi Peak (8,842 feet (2,695 metres)) lies at the southern end of the range and is the highest peak in southern India. The Palakkad Gap is the mountain pass which divides it from the Nilgiri Mountains. The northern slopes of the hills in Tamil Nadu now have coffee and tea plantations(especially around

Valparai Valparai (originally known as Poonachimalai) is a Taluk and hill station in the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu, India. It consists of Anamalai Tiger Reserve (earlier known as Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park (IGWLS&NP) and ...

), as well as teak plantations of high economic value. The rest are mostly forests, of mainly two ecoregions-the South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests (mainly in

and Idukki district of Kerala, as well as Tamil Nadu) and the South Western Ghats montane rain forests(mainly in Idukki district, Ernakulam district,

of Kerala,

of Tamil Nadu). The Western Ghats and Anaimalai Sub-Cluster, including the Anaimalai Hills, are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.UNESCO, World Heritage sites, Tentative lists, Western Ghats sub cluster, Niligiris. retrieved 4/20/200
World Heritage sites, Tentative lists
/ref>

Geography

The hills are located between 10° 13' and 10° 31' N. and 76° 52' and 77° 23' E with a central point of: . They are south of where the Western Ghats are broken by the Palakkad Gap, which in, turn is south of the Nilgiri Hills. They border on Kerala to the southwest and the Cardamom Hills to the southeast. To the west is the bamboo-rich Idamalayar- Pooyamkutty valley. The Palni Hills lies to the east, extending into Kerala as the

Pampadum Shola National Park Pampadum Shola National Park is the smallest national park in Idukki district of Kerala in India. It is on the border with Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu. The park is administered by the Kerala Department of Forests and Wildlife, Munnar ...

. They are spread largely over

, Thrissur district, Ernakulam district and Idukki district of Kerala(mainly Palakkad and Idukki), Tamil Nadu's

and Tiruppur district. Their geological formation is metamorphic gneiss, veined with feldspar and quartz, and interspersed with reddish porphyrite. Twelve major forest types are found in the area. The landscape is fragmented by many coffee and tea plantations on the lower slopes and teak plantations higher up. Monsoon rains are heavy. Annual rainfall varies from 2,000 mm to 5,000 mm in the area. Formed by fault-block movements in the Holocene Epoch (i.e., about the past 11,700 years), the Anaimalai Hills descend to form a series of terraces about 3,300 feet (1,000 metres) high.

Fauna

The Anamala/Anaimalai Hills are known for their abundant wildlife. Eravikulam National Park,

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary is located 18 km north of Marayoor on State Highway 17 in the Marayoor and Kanthalloor panchayats of Devikulam taluk in the Idukki district of Kerala state in South India. It is one of 18 wildlife sanctuaries a ...

, Idamalayar Reserve Forest, Mankulam Forest division Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, and

Anamalai Tiger Reserve Anaimalai Tiger Reserve, earlier known as Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park and as Anaimalai Wildlife Sanctuary, is a protected area in the Anaimalai Hills of Pollachi and Valparai taluks of Coimbatore District and Udumalaipetta ...

located among these hills are well known for

elephants Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae and ...

. The Idamalayar Dam area is a major wildlife spot, along with Pooyamkutty and

Aanakkulam Aanakkulam is a tourist place in Idukki district of Kerala state, India. Aanakkulam is in Mankulam Village, about 40 km away from Adimali. ''Aanakkulam'' means ''Pond of Elephants'' in local malayalam language. Elephants comes to this par ...

. This area includes various tribal villages and is protected. Numerous wildlife species can be seen including elephants, gaur, water buffaloes, tigers, panthers,

sloth bear The sloth bear (''Melursus ursinus'') is a myrmecophagous bear species native to the Indian subcontinent. It feeds on fruits, ants and termites. It is listed as Vulnerable species, vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, mainly because of habitat loss ...

pangolin Pangolins, sometimes known as scaly anteaters, are mammals of the order Pholidota (, from Ancient Greek ϕολιδωτός – "clad in scales"). The one extant family, the Manidae, has three genera: '' Manis'', '' Phataginus'', and '' Smut ...

black-headed oriole The black-headed oriole (''Oriolus larvatus'') is a species of bird in the family Oriolidae. It is found in Africa and has a very striking appearance with a bright yellow body, contrasting black head and flesh-coloured beak. Taxonomy and sys ...

crocodile Crocodiles (family (biology), family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term crocodile is sometimes used even more loosely to inclu ...

s, green pigeons, civet cats, dhole, sambar, black buck, and 31 groups of endangered

lion-tailed macaque The lion-tailed macaque (''Macaca silenus''), also known as the wanderoo, is an Old World monkey endemic to the Western Ghats of South India. Characteristics Lion-tailed macaques are covered in black fur, and have a striking gray or silver ...

s. Birds seen include the Pied hornbill, Red whiskered bulbul and Drongo. Recently, a new frog species, ''

Beddomixalus bijui ''Beddomixalus'' is a monotypic genus of frogs in the family Rhacophoridae. The only described species, ''Beddomixalus bijui'', is endemic to the Western Ghats, India. Its name is derived from a combination of the cognomen of Richard Henry Bed ...

'', was found within the forest.Two novel genera and one new species of treefrog (Anura: Rhacophoridae) highlight cryptic diversity in the Western Ghats of India.
Zootaxa 3640 (2): 177–189.

Hydrology

There are several rivers in the area including the Chalakkudipuzha, Aliayar, Apambar, Chinnar , Kaddambarrai , Neerar, Mannambhally, Pambar River, and the

Idamalayar Edamalayar or Idamalayar is one of the major tributaries of the Periyar (river), Periyar river, the longest river in Kerala state south India. Idamalayar Dam is situated in this river. It originates in the Anamalais of Kerala's Ernakulam distri ...

. Most of these rivers originate in the sholas of Kerala's Ernakulam and Idukki districts, flowing mostly west towards the Arabian Sea, with a few exceptions, such as the Amaravathi and Pambar, which flow into Tamil Nadu, the Amaravathi being a tributary of the Kaveri. There are several large reservoirs in the area, including the Aliayar Dam, Amaravathi Dam, Kaddambarrai Dam, Neerar Dam, Sholayar Dam (one of the largest of its kind in Asia), Mannambhally Dam, the Idamalayar Dam and the Parambikkulam Dam. There is a water dispute between Kerala and Tamil Nadu about the Idamalayar Dam due to the construction of the Neerar Dam by Tamil Nadu on the Neerar, a tributary of the

, and thereby, visitors are now prohibited from entering the Idamalayar Dam area. Vadattupara is the last destination that one is allowed to reach on the Bhoothathankettu- Idamalayar Dam Road. The area is also ecologically very sensitive.

Tourism

The Anaimalai Hills are a popular trekking destination in the Western Ghats. Due to heavy rains during the wet season, the ideal time for tourism is between the months of November and May. SH-17 passes through the Anaimalai Hills, between Udumalapet and Munnar, SH-21 passes from Chalakudy to

Malakkappara Malakkappara or Malakhappara is a small hill station in Thrissur district, in Thrissur district of the state of Kerala, India. This place is situated on the border between Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Etymology The place gets its name from the Mala ...

. The nearest towns are Munnar, Pooyamkutty, Mankulam, and Kothamangalam. The nearest international airports are Cochin International Airport and Coimbatore International Airport. Aluva railway station and

Pollachi Junction railway station Pollachi Junction (station code: POY) is a historical railway junction serving the town of Pollachi, Tamil Nadu. This station is a part of the Palakkad railway division of Southern Railway Zone. After the division of Madurai division into 2, n ...

are the nearest railway stations.

References

External links

{{Kerala topics Mountains of the Western Ghats Hills of Kerala Hills of Tamil Nadu Geography of Coimbatore Geography of Idukki district Tourist attractions in Idukki district