Tips My Travel

Place:                          Idukki District, Kerala
Nearest town:            Marayoor
Best time to visit:      October - March
Significance:              Rich in bio-diversity

Anamudi Shola National Park is a protected area located along the Western Ghats in Idukki District in Kerala state. It is composed of Idivara Shola Reserve, Pullardi Shola Reserve and Mannavan Shola Reserve. This park is 45 km from Munnar.

Covering a total area of around 7.5 km² this park was declared a protected area in Nov 21, 2003. The Park is located at the Elevation ranges from 2,152 meters.

A part of the Marayoor village in the Devikulam Taluk situated in the Idukki district, it is supervised by Kerala Wildlife and Forest department and Munnar Wildlife Division, along with other National Parks and Sanctuary like Erevikulam National Park, Mathikettan Shola National Park, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Pambadum Shola National Park and the Kurinjimala Sanctuary.

The Anamalai part including Eravikulam National Park is to be considered for making it a world heritage site by UNESCO.

The National Park is open all year round; however, the best season to enjoy this park is from October to march. The Average annual rainfall range between 2000 to 2500 mm.

One can see tea plantations very close to this park and inside the park there are huge variety of birds and animals. The national park consists of a large number of faunal and floral varieties. Zoologists also consider the reserved forests as very important for zoological and botanic discoveries. Everyone has noticed that the national park consists of some of the rarest types of plants and species which are not found anywhere else.

Tourists can find a number of attractive locations in the national park. Thoovanan waterfall is one such example which is very impressive. The river Pambar flows eastwards through the sanctuary and forms the waterfalls. The enormous waterfalls on the Chinnar River, with its breathtaking silvery cascade are an unforgettable experience to the visitor. This magnificent marvel attracts tourists with great delight. As a part of wildlife tourism, the Wildlife Department allows tourists to visit the falls. Guided trekking from Karimutti Forest Station will take to Thoovanam waterfalls. Trekking through the pristine scrub forest offers advantage of watching wild animals and rare flora from the path.

Tourists can also visit Pambadum Shola National park which is very near to the Anamudi Shola National Park. Tourists can reach the national park by road from Marayoor. Marayoor is approximately 40 kilometers away from Munnar region. Since this is a new national park, the facilities being offered in the park are constantly being improved by the concerned authorities.

Fauna

The forest is covered with West coast tropical evergreen, Southern Hilltop Tropical Vegetation found at higher altitudes. It has one of the largest shola forest ecosystem in the country with unique biodiversity and climate. 62 Species of trees, 174 species of herbs and shrubs, and 39 species of climbers are spotted from here

Flora

The Anamudi Shola National Park is home to a wide variety of wildlife. Mammals such as wild Elephant, Tiger, Panther, Indian Bison and Nilgiri tahr etc are found in this park. .Apart from these animals, the other common mammals found in this park includes Gaur, Spotted Deer, Sambar, the endangered Giant Grizzled Squirrel, Hanuman Langur,Sloth Bear, Flying Squirrels, jungle cat, wild boar, a variety of monkey species, Leopards, Wolves, Wild Dogs, Civet Cats etc.

Among fauna categories include 100 species of butterflies , 232 species of moths and 76 species of birds are found here.

How to Reach

Air : Kochi International Airport at Kochi (160 km) and Coimbatore Airport (150km) are nearest airports from the national park.

Rail : Nearest Railway Station is Pollachi Railway Station about 100 kms from the Park. One can hire taxi from here. The other nearest railway station is at Aluva Railway Station which is located about 150 km

Road : Munnar Bus Stand is the nearest bus stand which all major cities are connected through road. Marayoor Bus Stand is about 40km away.