INTRODUCTION: | The Eravikulam National Park was established to protect the Nilgiri Tahr, an endangered specie of the wild goat and the only one to be found south of the Himalayas. Rich in forest and grasses, this park is relatively new as it was in 1978 that the area was notified as a park. The park lies along the high ranges of the western coast in the Munnar Forest Division of Idukki district in Kerala. It is situated on the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the north where it is extends as the Annamalai National Park.
HISTORY :
During the British Raj, the North Travancore Land Planting Society owned the region of Rajamalai and Eravikulam, but they later handed over the area to the Kannan Deven Hill Produce Corporation. The Corporation turned the region into a private hunting area, as it was found unsuitable of tea plantation. The region of Rajamalai was declared a wildlife sanctuary way back in 1936, but the present sanctuary was established only in 1975. In 1978, the status of the sanctuary was upgraded to the level of a national park. |  | |  | Flora:
Three major types of plant communities are found in the Park - grasslands, shrublands and forests. The terrain above 2000m is covered primarily by grasslands. However, there are numerous small patches of forests in hollows and gullies in these areas. The deeper valleys are extensively forested. Shrublands predominate along the bases of the cliffs and interspersed in rocky slab areas. The antibacterial Eupatorium glandulosum is found here.The flora is mainly grasslands, shrubs and forests. The antibacterial Eupatorium glandulosum is found here.
Anamudi (2,695 m) the highest peak in south India and located within the park area. You can actually go trekking up the peak. But the thrills are definitely for the faint-hearted. | |
LOCATION:
Eravikulam is situated in the south Indian state of Kerala in the higher altitudes of the Western Ghats. The park extends from the latitude 9°40' in the North to the longitude 77°20" in the East. A part of the Idukki district, Eravikulam is very near to the scenic hill station of Munnar. | FACTS & FIGURES
| Area | 97 sq km | | Maximum Temperature | 23°C | | Minimum Temperature | 8°C | | Altitude | 1400 metre to 2695 metre above sea level | | Language | Malayalam, English | | Best time to visit | November to April | | STD Code | 04865 (Devikolan) | |  | | | | | | |
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