Kerala – Kumili - Periyar National Park !

On 14th morning we ventured for Periyar National Park. I was looking eagerly forward to it as exploring the deep wood always fascinated me.  However, I decided not to take boat sight-seeing trips in the Mullaperiyar reservoir in Idukki because we were too tired and getting ticket was a big issue. Therefore, we decided to come back to hotel and rest. The tour operator surprised us with a treat on the same day. Evening many of our group gone to watch Kathakali dance drama but we decided to go to bed.

 Periyar river

Periyar river is a river that flows in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, India. It is one of the few perennial rivers in the region and provides drinking water for several major towns.

The Mullaperiyar Dam

The Mullaperiyar Dam is a masonry gravity dam on the Periyar River in the Indian state of Kerala

Periyar National Park

Periyar National Park lies in the middle of a mountainous area of the Cardamom Hills. The Periyar and Pamba Rivers originate in the forests of the reserve. The sanctuary surrounds Periyar Lake, a reservoir which was formed when the Mullaperiyar Dam was erected in 1895. The reservoir and the Periyar River meander around the contours of the wooded hills, providing a permanent source of water for the local wildlife.

Flora and Fauna

The park is made up of tropical evergreen and moist deciduous forests, grasslands, stands of eucalyptus, and lake and river ecosystems. There are many hundreds of flowering plant taxa, including about 171 species of grass and 140 species of orchids. The forests contain teak, rosewoods, sandalwoods and many more types of trees. The medicinal gloriosa lily grows in the park. There are 35 species of mammals recorded in the park, including many threatened species. It is an important tiger and elephant reserve. A total of 24 Bengal tigers were counted across the park in 2008. Some other mammals are the elephants, the gaur, sambar etc. About 265 species of birds can be seen in the park, including migrants. Apart from these other occupants are reptiles, fishes, butterfly and the Travancore loach.

!!!Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living. – Miriam Beard!!!