Kurangani is a hill station atop the Western Ghats accessed from

Bodinayakkanur Bodinayakanur (also shortened to Bodi) is a Town and a municipality in Theni district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Etymology In early days, it was called by the name Thenkasiyampathi (Tamil: தென்காசியம்பதி). ...

in the Indian state of

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

. Kurangani literally means " The place which wears monkeys as its jewels" in Tamil.

Economy

It has estates that grow coconut,

mangoe A mango is an edible drupe, stone fruit produced by the tropical tree ''Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in ...

s, all

spices A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices are ...

, and

coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. Seeds of ...

. Trekking in the hills also substantially contributes to the economy of Kurangani. The forest resource of this region was completely burnt in the 2018 fire.

Geography

A mountain stream passes between Kurangani mountains in the east and

Kolukkumalai Kolukkumalai is a small village/hamlet in Bodinayakanur Taluk in the Theni district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is home to the highest tea plantations in the world with the tea grown here possessing a special flavour and freshness beca ...

in the west. The hills are characterized by frequently-changing weather, low-hanging clouds, chilly atmosphere and strong winds, and are home to a wide range of flora and fauna including Indian

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 m ...

barking deer Barking may refer to: Places * Barking, London, a town in East London, England ** London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, a local government district covering the town of Barking ** Municipal Borough of Barking, a historical local government dist ...

langur The Colobinae or leaf-eating monkeys are a subfamily of the Old World monkey family that includes 61 species in 11 genera, including the black-and-white colobus, the large-nosed proboscis monkey, and the gray langurs. Some classifications sp ...

wild cat Felidae () is the family of mammals in the order Carnivora colloquially referred to as cats, and constitutes a clade. A member of this family is also called a felid (). The term "cat" refers both to felids in general and specifically to the dom ...

s, leopards and

tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on ...

s. Kurangani has more than 6 small streams. All join together into the Kottakudi River, where they then flow into

Vaigai Dam The Vaigai Dam is built across the Vaigai River near Andipatti, in the Theni district of Tamil Nadu, southern India. Near the dam, the Government of Tamil Nadu has constructed an Agricultural Research Station for researching the growing of ...

Attractions

The Kurangani Hills near

in Theni district are suitable for trekking and nature walks, including the 12 km walk from Kurangani village to

Top Station A top station or upper stationFor example, se''Chairlift Blausee (upper station)''at www.outdooractive.com. Retrieved 15 May 2019. is usually the highest station of an aerial lift, a funicular, a T-bar lift or a rack railway. The lowest station is ...

through the central village. Those who visit

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 Indi ...

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 ...

can also enter the trekking route by walking down the dense woods and plain grasslands. It takes four to five hours to complete the trek from Kurangani village, the foothills of the Hills, to reach Top station, while two-and-a-half hours is enough for the return trip. Hikes begin 35 km from

and reach Top Station Theni district. Kollukumali - panoramio

The nearby Munnar Hills and

Hills are the world's highest

tea plantation Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of ''Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and norther ...

at an altitude close to {{Convert, 8,000, ft. The films ''Alagar Samiyin Kuthurai'', ''Myna'' and ''Kumki'' were shot there. The best months to explore the Hills are from August to December. Samabalaru falls is the source of Kottakudi river which serves the drinking water needs of

Bodinayakanur Bodinayakanur (also shortened to Bodi) is a Town and a municipality in Theni district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Etymology In early days, it was called by the name Thenkasiyampathi (Tamil: தென்காசியம்பதி). ...

. The central village has a population of 200 people and 50 houses. Lodging is available in Top Station, Bodinayakanur and Munnar. along with two cottages in the central village.

Access

*BY AIR: Nearest airport is at Madurai, 101 km from Kurangani. *BY ROAD: From Madurai or any other close by town or city, taxi and bus services are available for Kurangani. The 16-km uphill drive from Bodinayakanur to Kurangani *BY TRAIN: Bodinayakkanur is the nearest station, 16 km from Kurangani (construction in process). * 15 km road connecting Kurangani and Bodinayakanur * Buses, jeeps and autos available from Bodinayakanur

References

Hills of Tamil Nadu