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 western Tamil Nadu (Coimbatore district and Tiruppur district) in Southern India. The name anamala is derived from the Malayalam word aana and the Tamil language word yaanai, meaning elephant, or from tribal languages. Mala or Malai means 'mountain', and thus literally translatable as 'Elephant mountain'.[Fabricius, Johann Philipp. (1972) J. P. Fabricius's Tamil and English dictionary, 4th ed., rev. and enl. Tranquebar: Evangelical Lutheran Mission Pub. House, retrieved 6/18/2007 anai (āṉai), an elephant ]
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 bean and (especially around Valparai), as well as teak plantations of high economic value.
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 4/20/2007 World Heritage sites, Tentative lists]
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. They are spread largely over Palakkad district, Thrissur district, Ernakulam district and
Idukki district of
Kerala(mainly Palakkad and Idukki),
Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore district and Tiruppur district.
Their geological formation is metamorphic gneiss, veined with feldspar and quartz, and interspersed with reddish porphyrite.[Sajeev T.K. et al., Management of Forests in India for Biological Diversity and Forest Productivity- A New Perspective, WII-USDA Forest Service Collaborative Project Grant No. FG-In-780 (In-FS-120), Volume III (ACA) Anaimalai Conservation 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, Idamalayar Reserve Forest, Mankulam Forest division Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, and Anamalai Tiger Reserve located among these hills are well known for
Indian elephant. The
Idamalayar Dam area is a major wildlife spot, along with
Pooyamkutty and
Aanakkulam. This area includes various tribal villages and is protected. Numerous wildlife species can be seen including elephants,
gaur, water buffaloes,
Bengal tiger,
leopard,
,
, black-headed orioles,
mugger crocodile, green pigeons,
civet,
dhole,
sambar deer,
black buck, and 31 groups of endangered lion-tailed macaques.
Birds seen include the Pied hornbill, Red whiskered bulbul and Drongo.
Recently, a new frog species, Beddomixalus bijui, 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. Most of these rivers originate in the
, 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
Idamalayar, 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
Udumalaipettai and
Munnar, SH-21 passes from
Chalakudy to
Malakkappara. 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 are the nearest railway stations.
Further reading
-
Anaimalais, the 'elephant mountains' Chapter One, Field Days: A Naturalist's Journey Through South and Southeast Asia By A. J. T. Johnsingh Contributor A. J. T. Johnsingh Published by Orient Blackswan, 2006 , , 339 pages
-
British Library, India Office WD567, Douglas Hamilton (1818–1892); Album of 17 drawings of views in the Anaimalai Hills (Cochin and Madras), pen-and-ink, 1863, European school| British school
-
British Library, India Office WD568, Hamilton, Douglas (1818–1892); Album of 15 drawings of views in the Anaimalai Hills (Cochin and Madras), pen-and-ink, 1863, European school| British school
External links
