Munnar
- Munnar town is situated on the Kannan Devan Hills village in Devikulam taluk
- Munnar is a town and Hill station located in the Idukki district of the southwestern Indian state of Kerala. covering an area of nearly 557 square kilometres.
- Munnar is situated at around 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) above sea level, in the Western Ghats range of mountains
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The nearest major railway stations are at Ernakulam
The nearest major railway stations are at Ernakulam
and Aluva
The Nearest Functioning Railway station is at Udumalaipettai
The nearest airport is Cochin International Airport,
which is 105 kilometres away
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Munnar Tourist Places :
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* Mattupetty Dam :
Madupetty Dam is a storage Concrete Gravity dam built in the mountains of Kerala
It has been a vital source of power, yielding along with other such dams, huge revenue to the states. India to conserve water for hydroelectricity.
However salinity caused by irrigation and water-logging are of concern to environmentalists.
The reservoir is also known to be one of the visiting grounds of elephants in the region.
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* Mattupedi Dairy Farm
Mattupetty Indo Swiss Farm, spread over an area of 191 hectares, is famous for cattle farming. The farm was started in 1963 under a project originally called as the Indo-Swiss Project.
he project’s aim was to develop an exclusive cattle breed that can adapt to the local environment. At present, it is home to around 400 high quality cattle, including cows and breeding bulls.
For easy maintenance, the farm is divided into three main sections – Semen Bank, Animal Husbandry and Fodder. It also provides professional courses for veterinarians, para-veterinarians and technicians in the same field.
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* Kundala Lake
Kundala is an idyllic place in Munnar located on the way to Top Station or Top Slip. Surrounded by rolling hills and valleys of dense forests, Kundala is known for the Kundala Arch Dam or Sethuparvati Dam and Kundala Lake .
Tourists visiting Kundala Lake often go for a ride in Kashmiri – Shikara boats. Pedal boats are also available at Kundala Lake .
The Golf Course ground and Kundala Tea Plantations are also in the vicinity of Kundala Dam and Lake .
* Top Station
Top Station is tourist destination in the Kannan Devan hills of Tamil Nadu. It is part of Theni District in the state of Tamil Nadu. Top Station is notable as the historic transshippment location for Kannan Devan tea delivered up here from Munnar and Madupatty by railway and then down by ropeway to Kottagudi.
This area is popular for the rare Neelakurinji flowers. The Kurinjimala Sanctuary is nearby. Top Station is the western entrance to the planned Palani Hills National Park. A trekking path is connecting Top Station via Central Station Village with Kurangani in the south
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* Echo Point
This scenic place gets its name from the natural echo phenomenon here. Echo Point, situated on the way to Top Station from Munnar is a stop over for tourists visiting Top Station.
the highest point in Munnar and the rare Neelakurinji (Strobilanthus) blooms here.
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* Rajamalai
(Part of Eravikulam National Park)
Eravikulam National Park is a 97 km national park located along the Western Ghats in the Idukki district of Kerala in India, between 10º05'N – 10º20'N latitude and 77º0'E – 77º10'E longitude. See:map.It is the first national park in kerala.
Twenty six species of mammals have been recorded in the park including the largest surviving population of Nilgiri tahr, estimated at about 750 individuals. The other ungulates are gaur, Indian muntjac and sambar deer. Golden jackal, jungle cat, wild dog, dhole, leopard and tiger are the main predators. Some little-known animals such as Nilgiri langur, stripe-necked mongoose, Indian porcupine, Nilgiri marten, small clawed otter, ruddy mongoose, and dusky palm squirrel are also found. Elephants make seasonal visits.
132 species of birds have been recorded which include endemics like black-and-orange flycatcher, Nilgiri pipit, Nilgiri wood pigeon, white bellied shortwing, Nilgiri flycatcher and Kerala laughingthrush.
Endemic butterflies confined to the shola-grass land ecosystem like the red disk bushbrown and Palni four wing are among the 101 species in the park.
19 species of amphibians have been recorded in the park.
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* Tea Museum
Munnar is perhaps the choicest of places to preserve and showcase some of the exquisite and interesting aspects on the genesis and growth of tea plantations in Kerala's high ranges. With special emphasis to Munnar, and to the delight of tea lovers and tourists, Tata Tea recently opened a Tea Museum which houses curious, photographs and machineries, each depicting a turning point that contributed to a flourishing tea industry, as seen today in the region.
The museum set up at the Nallathanni Estate of Tata Tea in Munnar is a fitting tribute to the toils and rigours of its pioneers, who showed utmost determination and were resolute in their efforts to transform Munnar into a major plantation centre of Kerala.
The Tata Tea Museum diligently portrays the growth of Munnar tea estates, veritably conveyed through some of the displays like the rudimentary tea roller to the modern fully automated tea factory. Visitors to the museum can satiate their curiosity on various stages of tea processing, and also learn a thing or two about the production of black tea.
The Tea Museum by Tata Tea would soon become yet another reason for travelers to visit the enchanting hills of Munnar, which has already become one of the prime tourist destinations in Kerala.
Timings: 0900 to 1600 hrs. The museum is closed on Monday. Good Friday is also a holiday for museum.
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* Marayoor Sandalwood Forests
Marayoor is a town in Idukki district of Kerala, India. It is located 42 kilometers north of Munnar on SH 17 connecting Munnar withUdumalpet, Tamil Nadu. Marayur is the only place in Kerala that has natural sandalwood forests.
Sandalwood, the famous aromatic wood is yielded by the family of trees belonging to the genus Santalum. This particular wood which is heavy, fine-grained and yellow in color, retains its fragrance for decades. The sandalwood fragrance is very distinctive and is used in countless applications including utility and decoration. Sandalwood has been valued and treasured for many years for its fragrance, carving, medicinal and religious qualities.Sandalwood paste is integral to rituals and ceremonies, to mark religious utensils and to decorate the icons of the deities worshipped. It is also distributed thereafter to devotees, who apply it to the forehead or the neck and chest. Preparation of the paste is considered a duty fit only for the pure, and is therefore entrusted in temples and during ceremonies only to priests.
The paste is prepared by grinding pieces of the wood by hand upon granite slabs shaped for the purpose. With slow addition of water a thick paste results, which is mixed with saffron or other such pigments to make the aromatic ‘chandan’. Sandal is also used in perfumes and to coat incense sticks. In medicine, sandalwood essential oil, which is very expensive in its pure form, is used primarily for ayurvedic purposes and treating anxiety. Sandalwood curios and fancy décor items are also available in the market.
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* Attukad Waterfalls
Attukad waterfalls, Munnar
A panorama of waterfalls and rolling hills, Attukad, located between Munnar and Pallivasal
in Idukki district, is a feast for the eyes. The place is also ideal for long treks.
The waterfall is surrounded by dark jungles and rolling terrains and is reachable only through wooden bridge. Monsoon is the best season to enjoy the pleasing beauty of waterfall.
The place is also famous for its scenic beauty and trekking through the green forests. Tourists also take a stopover at this place as a picnic spot during their visit at Munnar. It is open all days from 10:00am to 6:00pm. The nearest airport to this place is Cochin International airport, 101km away and the nearest railway station is Aluva, 102km away.
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* Blossom Park
Blossom park set in one of the beautiful locales in the country. A lot of activities are offered here including boating, roller skating, cycling etc. And if you wish a calm visit, admire the trees and a wide variety of beautiful flowers in the park.
Situated around 3 km from the picturesque Munnar town, Blossom International Parkis close to Pallivasal Hydro Electric Project.
The 16 acres of beautiful parkland is surely a worth visit spot in Munnar. The park is
The 16 acres of beautiful parkland is surely a worth visit spot in Munnar. The park is
situated near the Pallivasal hydro-electric project. It is about 3 km away from Munnar town.
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* Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary is a unique protected area located in the rain shadow region in the eastern slope of Western Ghats, adjoining Tamilnadu.
The area is diverse in eco systems and rich in ethnic cultural heritage. It is a well known repository of medicinal plants and supports a healthy population of grizzled giant squirrel, star tortoise, tufted grey langur, gaur, spotted deer, slender loris, wild elephant, crocodile, tiger, leopard and many a birds, insects and plants. There is an Interpretation Centre at Karimutty, two eco shops, one each at Chinnar check post and Aalampetty, an amenity centre, inspection bunglow, dormitory and cafeteria/at Chinnar check post to cater to the needs of visitors.
There are 965 species of flowering plants in the sanctuary Ecoregions of the sanctuary comprise mostly grassland and wet grasslands vegetation and some South Western
Ghats montane rain forests and high shola at the higher western elevations. South
Western Ghats moist deciduous forests at mid elevations give way to dry deciduous
forests and thorny scrub forests in the lower dryer eastern edges of the valley… The Marayoor Sandalwood forest is located here. 34 species of Mammals live here,
including many Panthers and Spotted deer, 50 -60 Indian Elephants, Gaur, Tigers,
Sambar Deer, Common langur, Bonnet Macaque, Hanuman monkey, threatened
Nilgiri Tahr, vulnerable Rusty-spotted Cats and about 240 of the only vulnerable Grizzled Giant Squirrels in Kerala. 245 species of birds including Yellow-throated Bulbuls.
52 species of reptiles including 29 species of snakes, Indian Star Tortoise and the largest population of vulnerable Mugger Crocodiles in Kerala live in the Sanctuary. Most
common of the 42 species of fishes observed in the Chinnar and Pambar rivers are
Garra mullya minnows, River-carp baril,Giant Danio and the endangered hill stream
game fish Deccan Mahseer. 22 amphibian species live in the Sanctuary. There are 156 species of butterflies.
Ghats montane rain forests and high shola at the higher western elevations. South
Western Ghats moist deciduous forests at mid elevations give way to dry deciduous
forests and thorny scrub forests in the lower dryer eastern edges of the valley… The Marayoor Sandalwood forest is located here. 34 species of Mammals live here,
including many Panthers and Spotted deer, 50 -60 Indian Elephants, Gaur, Tigers,
Sambar Deer, Common langur, Bonnet Macaque, Hanuman monkey, threatened
Nilgiri Tahr, vulnerable Rusty-spotted Cats and about 240 of the only vulnerable Grizzled Giant Squirrels in Kerala. 245 species of birds including Yellow-throated Bulbuls.
52 species of reptiles including 29 species of snakes, Indian Star Tortoise and the largest population of vulnerable Mugger Crocodiles in Kerala live in the Sanctuary. Most
common of the 42 species of fishes observed in the Chinnar and Pambar rivers are
Garra mullya minnows, River-carp baril,Giant Danio and the endangered hill stream
game fish Deccan Mahseer. 22 amphibian species live in the Sanctuary. There are 156 species of butterflies.
There are dolmens in Kerala, South India, about 7 km from Marayoor near the small village of Pius Nagar, also known as Alinchuvad. These dolmens are set in clusters of two to five dolmens obviously for the burial of a family. There are hundreds of such dolmen clusters in the area.
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* Tea Plantations
Tea or Chai is the most widely drunk beverage in the whole world. The tea plant, Camellia Sansis, is a cultivated variety of a tree that has its origins in an area between India and China. There are three main varieties of the tea plant China, Assam, and Cambodia and a number of hybrids between the varieties. The China variety grows as high as nine feet (2.75 metres). It is a hardy plant able to withstand cold winters and has an economic life of at least 100 years.
Regular pruning keeps its height to a more manageable 4 to 5 feet tall. It has an economic life of 40 years with regular pruning and plucking. When grown at an altitude near that of Darjeeling (Assam) or Munnar (Kerala), it produces tea with fascinating flavours , sought after around the globe. The Cambodia variety, a singlestem tree growing to about 16 feet (five metres) in height, is not cultivated but has been naturally crossed with other varieties.
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* Lakkom Water Falls
Lakkom Water Falls is tourist attraction located on the way from Munnar to Udumalaipettai.This falls is part of the Eravikulam stream, which is a part
of Eravikulam National Park, Wild Life Division of Munnar.
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of Eravikulam National Park, Wild Life Division of Munnar.
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