|
WILDLIFE
The Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary
It is located in the Nilgiri Hills, at a point where the Western Ghats meet the Eastern Ghats. The 321 sq km area of the sanctuary encompasses a National Park measuring 103 sq kms. The Mysore-Ooty highway runs through the Park, following the course of the Mayyar River, which separates Mudumalai from the Bandipur sanctuary.
Fauna includes Elephant, Tiger, Gaur, Bonnet, Macaque, Common langur, Leopard, Chital, Panther, Sloth Bear, Python, Barking deer, Four Horned Antelope, Otter, Crocodile, Giant flying squirrel, Sambhar, Hyena, Wild Dog, Wild Boar, Mouse Deer, Spotted Deer etc.
The birds listed in this sanctuary are the peacock, grey jungle fowl, Malabar whistling thrush, large racquet-tailed dronge, magpie-robin, spotted babbler, small green barbet, green pigeons, little brown dove, Malabar grey hornbill, bulbuls and mynahs. Among the birds of prey, eagles, hawks, buzzards, harriers, falcons and king vulture are predominant. There are some migratory water birds too.
Indira Gandhi National Sanctuary
Spread over 958 sq km, this sanctuary can be reached from Top Slip in the Anamalai Hills in the Western Ghats. An ecological paradise, this sanctuary is a National Park with an area covering 108 sq km. About 800 species out of 2000 South Indian flora and fauna are distributed here.
Fauna: elephant, gaur, tiger, panther, sloth bear, wild boar, wild dog, Nilgiri langur, lion tailed macaque, sambhar, four horned antelope, chital, etc. and a host of birds, notably the pied horn bill and several species of eagles.
Other Sanctuaries:
Kalakkadu Wild Life Sanctuary
Mudanthurai Wild Life Sanctuary
Point Calimere Wild Life Sanctuary
Srivilliputhur Grizzled Squirrel Wild Life Sanctuary
Vallanadu Black Buck Wild Life Sanctuary
Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary
Viralimalai Wild Life Sanctuary
Parks:
Anna Zoologial Park
Crocodile bank
Guindy National Park
Gulf of Manner Marine National Park
Mukkurthi National Park
BEACHES
Tamil Nadu is known especially for its blue beaches and sunny skies. Some of south Indias best beaches dot Chennais long seafront.
Marina Beach is located on the eastern side of Chennai, adjoining the Bay of Bengal. Watching the sunset and sunrise from the beach is an enthralling experience. Bathing and swimming can be dangerous as the undercurrent is very strong. In the evenings the beach is virtually a fair ground with various kinds of entertainment and food stalls lining the beach
Elliot Beach- This beach is located in Besant Nagar. Formerly a popular bathing beach, it is today the favourite rendezvous of the younger generation.
Kovalam Beach- Kovalam (not to be confused with the beach in Kerala) or Covelong as it was known earlier is a small fishing village located 40 km from Chennai on the way to Mahabalipuram. Now it is a luxury beach resort. This beach has a fort built by the Nawab of Carnatic Saadat Ali.
Mamallapuram, 58 km south of Chennai, has a beautiful beach spanning a distance of over 20 km. An erstwhile port of the Pallava dynasty the place abounds with stone carvings, caves and rock cut temples. A crocodile farm, snake venom extracting centre, schools of art and sculpture and a wide choice of resorts along the beach draw holiday seekers all round the year.
Kanyakumari Beach- At the southern most tip of India, where the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal meet, lies Kanyakumari, an important pilgrim center. Kanyakumari is famous for its spectacular sunrises and sunsets, especially on full moon days and its beautiful beach.
There is a lighthouse from where one can get a panoramic view. The Government museum offers a good collection of sculptural art crafts of Tamil Nadu.
CHETTINAD
Chettinad is the homeland of the Nattukottai Chettiars called the Nagarathars, a prosperous banking and business community. The palatial mansions make Chettinad a place of rare charm and a must visit destination.
Chettinad is well known for its houses embellished with marble and Burma teak. The houses have wide inner courtyards and spacious rooms. The Chettinad region is also famous for its arts and crafts and spicy, delicious cuisine.
TEMPLES
Tamil Nadu is a land of thousands of temples. The temples at Kanchipuram, the land of a 1000 temples, Madurai famous for the Meenakshi temple, Rameswaram, Thiruchirapalli and Thanjavur are most famous.
MADURAI
The Meenakshi Temple- The Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple (twin temples) is one of the biggest temples in India. The original temple built by Kulasekara Pandyan was in ruins. The plan for the current temple structure was laid by Viswanath Naikar and was completed by Tirumalai Nayakar.
There are 12 massive gopurams in the temple, the four tallest gopurams are at the outer walls. The golden lotus pond (Potraamarai Kulam) is located to the left of the Meenakshi shrine. Sundareswarar gives darshan in the form of a linga.
The thousand pillared hall (Aayirangaal Mandapam) is an architectural and engineering marvel built in the 16th century. There are musical granite pillars here which when struck yield different musical notes.
Koodal Alagar Temple- It is a Vishnu temple located 2 km from the city that has three altars, one on top of the other, in which Lord Vishnu is in three different poses: sitting, standing and reclining.
There are intricate woodcarvings here, including one of Lord Ramas coronation. This is one of the 108 Divya Desam temples. There is a Navagraha (nine planets) enclosure in this temple.
Thiruparangundram- At a distance of 8 km south of Madurai is Tirupparankundram with the Pandyan rock cut shrines dating back to the 8th century and the later Nayaka Hindu temple.
Alagarkoil- This is an important Vishnu temple about 18 km northeast of Madurai at Alagar Hill. This is one of the most ancient temples in India and round the temple are ruins of an ancient fortified town. The recently renovated gopurams of this temple look resplendent.
The Mahabharata says that this temple was visited by both Yudhisthira and Arjuna. It is said that Koorattalwar the chief disciple of Ramanuja regained his eyesight by worshipping the deity here. Dont miss the 2000 year old Sudarsana chakra in this temple.
Solai Amman Temple- This is one of the six of the holiest of Murugan shrines refered to as the Aarupadai Veedugal. It is located in the outskirts of Madurai, a fortified temple complex revered as one of the 108 abodes of Vishnu glorified by the hymns of the Alwars.
Mariamman Theppakulam
KANCHIPURAM
Kailashnatha Temple- The Kailashnatha temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is the oldest temple of Kanchi. Constructed in the late 7th century AD, it reflects the freshness and simplicity of the early Dravidian style of temple architecture.
Sri Ekambaranathar Temple- The Sri Ekambaranathar temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is one of the largest temples in Kanchipuram and sprawls an area of 12 hectares. The origin of this temple goes back to the time of the Pallavas and the Chola rulers extended it later.
The great ruler of the Vijaynagar empire Krishnadevaraya built its 59 meter high Gopuram or gateway and massive outer walls in the early 16th century. The highlight of this temple is its thousand pillared mandapam (hall).
Devarajaswami Temple- The huge Devarajaswami temple built by the rulers of the Vijayanagar kingdom is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The temple has an exquisitely sculpted pillared hall. It also has a similar marriage hall. One of the interesting features of this temple is that it has a huge chain carved out from a single piece of stone.
The large tank of water within the precincts of the temple also contains a 10 meter high immersed statue of Lord Vishnu. The water of this tank is drained out every 40 years so that the statue may be viewed.
Vaikuntha Perumal Temple- The Vaikuntha Perumal temple is also dedicated to Lord Vishnu and was built shortly after the construction of the Kailashnatha temple. The covered passages inside the outer walls of this temple are supported by lion pillars representative of the first phase in the architectural evolution of the grand thousand pillared mandaps built later within numerous south Indian temples.
THANJAVUR
Historically speaking, these temples are not as ancient as the 274 odd Saivite temples and the 108 Vaishnavite shrines sung by the Nayanmars and Alwars of the 7th through the 9th centuries, however they stand out as towering monuments proclaiming the glory of the Chola regime and its committment to the arts and culture.
The districts of Thanjavur, Kumbhakonam and Nagappattinam (constituting the erstwhile Thanjauvur district) boast of hundreds of ancient temples. The town of Thanjavur was the seat of the glorious Chola Empire and was later the seat of the Nayaks and the Marathas.
Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur: The temple stands within a fort whose walls were built later in the 16th century. The towering vimanam is about 200 feet in height and is referred to as Dakshina Meru. The octogonal Shikharam rests on a single block of granite weighing 81 tons.
It is believed that this block was carried up a specially built ramp built from a site 6 km from here. The grandeur of the architecture and the sculptural finesse speaks volumes of the skills of the Imperial Cholas.
THIRUCHIRAPALLI
Rockfort Pillayar Temple- The fort was built in 1660. At the main entrance there was a big dais suppoted by a 1000 pillars which was demolished in an explosion in 1772.
Rockfort Pillayar temple is a landmark in Trichy city, and Trichy is called Rock City. Rockfort is approximately 300 ft high and the main deity is the Lord Ganesh ("Uchchi Pillayar").
Srirangam Ranganathasamy Temple- This temple has the tallest temple tower in the world- the Rajagopuram of this temple is 236 ft tall.
Samayapuram Mariamman Temple- Sri Samayapuram, a few kilometres from Trichy lodges the idol of Sri Mari Amman, Sri Ganesh and Sri Karupanna Swamy.
HILL STATIONS
KODAIKANAL
The charm of Kodaikanal lies in its wooded slopes and gigantic trees. The mighty rocks, bowers, creeks and slopes captivate the visitors. The meadows and the long stretches of forests delight onlookers.
Places of Interest
The Lake-
The 24 hectare artifical lake skirted by a 5 km long black tar road, is the focal point in Kodai. The lake has boating facilities.
Bryants Park-
This park is situated on the eastern side of the lake. It is noted for its flowers, both hybrids and grafts. Cut flowers are exported from here. A Flower Show is conducted here annually in May.
Solar Physical Observatory-
It is situated 32 km from the lake at an elevation of 2343 m. This observatory is the highest point in Kodai and visitors can observe the stars and the planets.
Coakers Walk-
About a kilometre from the lake, Coakers Walk runs along a steep slope on the southern side of Kodai. It offers some of the best views of the plains.
Telescope House at Coakers Walk was constructed to enable visitors to have a panoramic view of the valley and nearby towns.
Kurinji Andavar Temple-
Situated 3 km from the lake is a famous shrine dedicated to Lord Muruga. This temple is associated with the kurinji flowers that bloom once in 12 years.
Green Valley View(Suicide point)-
It is about 5.5 km from the lake and very near the Golf Club. This point commands a beautiful view of the entire Vaigai Dam. As the valley here is very deep, this place was once known as Suicide Point.
The Pillar Rocks-
Three boulders stand here shoulder to shoulder, vertically measuring 122 m and providing a majestic sight. Pillar rocks are located 7.4 km from the lake. It has a garden with lovely flowers.
Moer Point
Moer Point provides a lovely view of the valley. It is 3 km from the Pillar rocks.
Silent Valley View
Located near Pillar Rock and the Berijam Lake Road it provides a breathtaking view of Silent Valley.
Berijam Lake View-
This place provides a panoramic landscape view of Berijam Lake. This viewpoint is 19 km from Kodaikanal Lake.
Silver Cascade-
8 km from Kodai Lake, the overflow of the lake descends as a 180 foot high waterfalls.
OOTY (UDHAGAMANDALAM)
Called the Queen of Hill Stations, picturesque Udhagamandalam better known as Ooty is the most popular hill station in the South. Located in the Western Ghats at a height of 2240 m, Udhagamandalam is the headquarters of the Nilgiris district.
Nature has been generous with this region, which is by far the most beautiful in the state. Apart from coffee and tea plantations, trees like conifers, eucalyptus, pine and wattle dot the hillside in Udhagamandalam and its environs.
Ooty along with the smaller hill stations of Coonoor (19 km from Ooty) and Kothagiri (1 km) are the other hill stations of this district. Nilgiri is Indias first biosphere. It has been declared as one of the 14 hotspots of the world because of its unique biodiversity.
Season - April to June and September to November
Places of Interest
Government Botanical Garden, Ooty
This garden was laid out in 1847 and is spread over 22 heactares ascending the slopes on the hill at an elevation of 2400 - 2500 m. The garden is divided into six different specialised sections.
Lush green lawns, rare tree species (like the cork tree which is probably the only such tree in India, the paper bark tree and the monkey puzzle tree - monkeys cannot climb this tree), a 20 million year old fossilized tree, an Italian style garden, fern house with vast range of ferns and orchids are some of the many highlights of this garden. A flower show is held here annually in May.
Rose Garden
To commemorate the Centenary Flower festival, the Rose Park was established on Elk Hill with an area of 4 hectares in five terraces.
The rose varieties planted in this park were assembled from different sources. There are about 20,000 rose plants of 2241 varieties.
Ooty Lake-
The Ooty Lake was once the pride of the Blue Hills. John Sullivan, then Collector of Coimbatore, formed this artificial lake in the year 1824. Earlier the lake was used for fishing. Now boating, a mini train ride and amusement rides are possible on the premises.A Deer Park has come up on the fringes of the lake.
Lake Park
The Lake Park is situated on the banks of the Ooty lake built on area reclaimed from the lake in 1977.
Lalithkala Academy Art Gallery
It is situated about 2 km from Ooty on the main Mysore road. It has various collections of contemporary paintings and sculptures from all over India.
Places Around Ooty
Doddabetta:
It is the highest peak (2634 m) in the Nilgiris and is about 10 km from Ooty bus stand. The name Doddabetta literally means big mountain. It lies at the junction of Western & Eastern Ghats and offers beautiful vistas of the Nilgiri Hill ranges.
It is surrounded by dense sholas. One can have a magnificent panoramic view of the landscape and the whole of the district and even beyond from the Telescope House at the summit.
Pykara Lake And Water Falls-
It is situated about 21 km on the Ooty - Mysore road.
Wenlock Downs-
This vast expanse of undulating landscape has the Gymkana Club, the Government Sheep Farm and the Hindustan Photo Films Company and provides great pleasure for a long stroll on quiet roads.
Western Catchment-
It is about 20 km from Parsons Valley. It contains rolling grassy downs interspersed with temperate sholas occupying depressions and valleys.
Glen Morgan-
17 km from Ooty, it is an ecologically rich forest spot. A winch carries employees of the Electricity Board from Glen Morgan Viewpoint to the powerhouse at Singara. The entire 4 km of the winch track passes through undisturbed sholas and wildlife habitat.
Upper Bhavani-
It is about 10 km from Korakundah and about 20 km from Avalanche. This is a naturalists paradise. Some of the best sholas lie enroute. The area is a rich and undisturbed wildlife habitat. From Bangithapal via Sispara one can trek to the Silent Valley. Permission from the Forest Department is necessary.
Avalanche-
Located at a distance of 28 km from Ooty. A beautiful lake surrounded by a thick shola, it is a nature lovers paradise.
The Mukurthi Peak & Mukurthi National Park-
The Mukurthi National Park is located on the southeastern corner of the Nilgiris mountains about 40 km from Ooty. The area contains a viable population of Nilgiri Tahr. The Silent Valley is located on the western side of these ranges. A fascinating feature of the Mukurthi Sanctuary is the variety and similarities that compare well to the flora and fauna of the Himalayan ranges.
Trekking : There are excellent opportunities for trekking in the Nilgiris- a country rising from 300 m in the North and South to 2600 m in the West. It is possible to enjoy some of the most magnificent sceneries in the world, observe wildlife in its many forms in a wide range of favourable climatic conditions.
Coonoor-
Situated at an altitude of 2000 ft, 17 km from Udhagamandalam, this is the first of the hill stations. Coonoor is a small town with an equable climate that has made it popular as a hill resort in its own right.
The main attraction is the Sims Park, which is a small well maintained botanical garden that has several varieties of plants not to be found in the other hill stations.
View points and picnic spots around Coonoor include Lambs Rock, Lady Cannings Seat, Dolphins Nose, St Catherine Falls, Laws Falls, Ralliah Dam and Droog.
|
