Meesapulimala is an Indian peak, the next south of the second highest peak (Manna Malai ) of the Western Ghats on the border of Idukki district,

Kerala state 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 Cana ...

. Its peak is above sea level. The name derives from its appearance from the southwest of a leopard with prominent whiskers (''meesa'' - moustache; ''puli'' - leopard; ''mala'' - hill/mountain). It is located in between the

Anaimalai Hills 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, Thrissur district) and span the border of wes ...

and Palani Hills near

Suryanelli Suryanelli is a resort settlement in the Chinnakanal village in Idukki district, Kerala, bordering Tamil Nadu, India. Situated 40 km South East of the popular tourist location of Munnar. It is surrounded by tea plantations and many resor ...

around 20 km away from

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 ...

. The

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 ...

tea estate,

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 ...

and Tipadamala (2135 m) is also nearby. Treks to the peak via Rhodo Valley (favourable for rhododendron flowers) can be organized through the Kerala Forest Development Corporation in Munnar. The trekking path from Kolukkumalai to Meesapulimala is highly restricted. Wildlife including the

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 Tami ...

sambar deer The sambar (''Rusa unicolor'') is a large deer native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that is listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List since 2008. Populations have declined substantially due to severe hunting, local ins ...

, wild

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 ...

, wild dogs and even the

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 ...

Citations

External links

Meesapulimala Trekking Package Tour details
{{commons category, position=left, Meesapulimala Mountains of Tamil Nadu Mountains of Kerala Mountains of the Western Ghats Geography of Idukki district Two-thousanders of Asia