Munnar Munnar (Malayalam: മൂന്നാര ്) is a town located in Kerala state in the southern Western

Ghats in South India. Munnar was a summer resort of British government in South India. It is 1600 m (5400 ft)

above sea level. It was a summer resort of British government in South India. It is pronounced “Moon-aar” meaning

“Three rivers” in Tamil and Malayalam. The name Munnar is believed to mean "three rivers", referring to its

location at the confluence of the Mudhirapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundaly rivers. Munnar town is situated on the

Kannan Devan Hills village in Devikulam taluk and is the largest panchayat in the Idukki district covering an area of

nearly 557 square kilometres

The neelakurinji, a blue flower which blooms only every twelve years, is found in this region. It bloomed last in Dec.

2006. Munnar also has the highest peak in South India, Anamudi, at 2695 m.

The tea plantations and holiday facilities make this a popular hill station in Kerala.

Altitude : 1600 Mts to 1800 Mts above sea level. Temperature : Min. 0c – Max. 25c. Clothing : Warm Clothes and

Rain Gear. Tourist Season : August to March

History: The entire area of Munnar , about 556.44 square kilometer of land really belonged to the royal family of Poonjar and

was given on lease for 99 years by the then King Kerala Varma in 1887.During the British rule of India, Munnar was developed

to cultivate tea plants. At that time, most of the people around the area were employed as laborers for plantations throughout the

area. In the early stages of development, only Tamilians and a small number of Malayalis inhabited Munnar. From the late 1890 s

till 1921, tea was transported down from Top Station by 24 inch railway and ropeway to Munnar for transhipment throughout

the World.

In Europe they call it rolling hills. But here are the "Rolling Tea Hills Of Munnar"

Enchanting Kundala Lake near Munnar

Climate : The region in and around Munnar varies in height from 1,600 meters (5,249 ft) to 1,800 meters

(5,906 ft) above mean sea level. Munnar enjoys a salubrious climate. The weather ranges between −5 ℃

(23 ℉) and 10 ℃ (50 ℉) in winter and 15 ℃ (59 ℉) and 25 ℃ (77 ℉) in summer. The tourist season is from

August to May. However, even the monsoons are lovely with many streams and rivulets in the area. See:map

Get in: Munnar is 140 km (about 4.5 hours) from Kochi. Remember to budget a good 6 hours if you are driving up or down,

since the road is blind in some places and there are a lot of trucks and buses that seem to drive as if they own the road. Al though,

the road is smooth (NH 49), it is narrow, twisty and curvy. Make sure you have a lite meal before you drive to Munnar on these

roads, otherwise the next thing you will see on your dash board will be your last meal! Kothamangalam is on the way and is 80

km away from Munnar. Between Kothamangalam and next town “Adimali”, you can experience a beautiful cool drive through a

natural forest. Alongside, you can see many refreshing waterfalls. Once you reach Adimali, Munnar is just 30 kilometers away –

but, it will take almost an hour to reach. Around 22 kilometers from Adimali, you can start seeing the tea plantations on both

sides of the road and a panoramic view of the western ghats. The view is extremely beautiful during the early mornings. Munnar

can also be reached from Kodai Road, Madurai, Udumalpet. The drive to Munnar involves about 3 hours on the ghat section.

There are 17 hair pin bends through beautiful hilly tea estates.

Here is Munnar Town

Scintillating beauty of Tea Estates and natural hilly terrain trekking.

Eravikulam (Rajamalai) National Park: It is a 45 mins drive from Munnar.It has some rare wildlife- Nilgiri Thar

(Hemitragas hylocres) – an endangered species of mountain goats, rolling grasslands and sholas , spread over 97 sq km in the

Rajamalai hills, rare flora and fauna, Atlas moth (largest in the world), lion-tailed macaque, leopards, tigers, The Kurichi or

Neelakurinji Flowers turn the hills of Rajamalai blue every 12 years. The next bloom will be in 2018. One can actually debate if

going to the high peak just to see some goats is worth all the effort or not. However, the walk along the park is very romantic and

has some breath taking view.

Anamudi Peak inside Eravikulam National Park: The highest peak (2695 m) south of the Himalayas, towers over the

sanctuary. The slopes of the hills abound in all kinds of rare flora and fauna. The Atlas moth, the largest of its kind in the world,

is a unique inhabitant of the park. Other rare species of fauna here are the Nilgiri Langur, the lion-tailed macaque, leopards,

tigers, etc. An ideal place for trekking, facilities are provided and tourists are allowed to go on foot up to Anamudi.

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary.

Albino gaur or Manjampatti white bison (rare breed of Bison). Photograph taken from Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary.

One of the many rocky waterfalls within the Wildlife sanctuary

Kumarakom – KTDC Thatched Hut Resorts of POTHAMEDU VIEWPOINT

Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary

Mattupetti Dam – 10km from Munnar, this popular picnic spot activities like boating and horse riding and is a great place to

spend the day especially if visiting with children. You could take the speed boat ride which is fantastic. It costs 300 INR if you

have to hire a boat for you alone. The ride is for 15 minutes. The maximum capacity is 5 persons and you could save some money

if you are a group of 4 to 5.

Munnar Lake Photo

Mattupetti Indo-Swiss Farm – Better known as Mattupetti (cattle village), Tamil migrant labourers had once upon a time reared cattle here. The cool climate and abundance of fodder made it the ideal location for the Indo-

Swiss dairy farm. Established in 1961, the Kerala Livestock Development Board (KLDB) manages this highly specialised dairy farm. The dairy farm is a unique one of its kind with more than 100 varieties of high-yielding

cattle being reared.

Echo Point – 15km from Munnar, on the way to top station from Munnar is a small lake set amidst rolling hills. Every loud

call made from a spot on the lake embankment is returned manifold by the echo from the surrounding hills. Young tourists

throng to this place to listen to the echoes of their friendship calls.

Boating at the Mattupetty Dam Lake.

Top Station 37km from Munnar on the Kerala and Tamil Nadu border, has great views of the Western Ghats. Top

station is the “top”-tourist attraction. This place gives a real ‘above the clouds’ experience. Regular buses go to Top

Station (1 hr) from Munnar. A jeep costs Rs 400. The area is known for the Neelakurunji plant, which flowers only

once every twelve years. The flower is violet.

Here are the rare blooming Neelakurinji Flowers. ( Next blooms are expected in 2018)

Kundala Lake – This lake is very beautiful amidst lush jungles. Hiring a pedal boat and exploring the lake and its surroundings is an awesome experience. Except at the place you hired the boat, don’t expect to find humans

around the lake as it is surrounded by scenic jungles and hills.

Atukkad Waterfalls – A scenic waterfalls amidst hills and jungles. You can find a road leading to Atukkad on Kochi road

(just about 5 km from Munnar). This road is very narrow. This place is located between Munnar and Pallivasal, and a beautiful sight of waterfalls and rolling hills can be seen here. Attukal is also ideal for long treks.

Salim Ali (Thattekkad) Bird Sanctuary, There are woodpeckers, Malabar gray hornbills, Ceylon frogmouths, parakeets, and rose-billed rollers. This sanctuary is located 20km from Kothamangalam on the road between

Ernakulam and Munnar. You can take a boat cruise from Boothathankettu to Thattekkad.

Winged beauties of the Thattekadu Bird Sanctuary.

Marayoor – Around 40km from Munnar. It is the only place in Kerala with natural growth of sandalwood trees, natural caves

with murals, and relics from Later Stone Age civilisation. There is a sandalwood factory of the Forest Department of Kerala and

a children’s park extending across one hectare of land under the canopy of a single Banyan tree, all of which attract tourists in

large numbers.

Road through the Marayoor Sandalwood Forest

Ramakkalmedu, Pooppara, at Marayoor.

Kolukkumalai Tea Estate – At a height of about 7130 ft, this orthodox tea estate lays claim to being one of the highest in the world. The view of the Western Ghats is absolutely enchanting.

Blossom Garden – This garden houses many different varieties of flowers. Tourists will definitely take

away good memories from this place.

Water falls – Check out several natural waterfalls on the way to Munnar. These waterfall carry fresh rain

water. They provide an excellent place for all tourists to have photo shootout.

WOW - The Beauty Of Devikulam Lake, Munnar

Here are more scenic photographs of Munnar

Dreamcatcher Plantation Treehouse Resort

Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

(This is Aranyaka Resorts)

AYURVEDIC RESORTS OF MUNNAR

This is a lakeside resort of Kumarakkom near Kottayam

The beauty of Munnar’s Devikulam Lake

SOME OF THE UNIQUE ADVENTURE RESORTS OF MUNNAR

Chandy’s Windy Woods Hotel Resort amidst forest hills

High in the Western Ghats, a few kilometres from the Periyar wildlife sanctuary, stands a memorial to the Scottish engineer Col. John Pennycuick who constructed the Mullaperiyar Dam and transformed the life of generations in the arid plains that stretch to the east from the base of the mountain. This a also a highlight spot of Munnar.

Another famous large dam is the “Idukki Arch Dam”.

A SPECIAL COMPILATION BY TONY CHACKO

tonychacko2000@gmail.com