Wild Flower- Siam Weed

Location: Areekode, Malappuram, Kerala, India

Common names include Siam Weed, Christmas Bush, and Common Floss Flower. It is sometimes grown as a medicinal and ornamental plant. It is used as a traditional medicine in Indonesia. The young leaves are crushed, and the resulting liquid can be used to treat skin wounds.Siam weed is considered one of the world's most invasive weeds.


Scientific name :Chromolaena odorata

A wildflower is a flower that grows wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted.The term "wildflower" has been made vague by commercial seedsmen who are interested in selling more flowers or seeds more expensively than when labeled with only its name and/or origin.

Kerala's climate is very suitable for growing flowering plant. There are many type of flowers found in Kerala. Some flowers grown in home gardens and some are grown only on forest areas.

many flowers are common and some are very rare. Almost all type of flowers in south India are found in Kerala. 

  

Mimosa Flower- Kerala

Location: Areekode, Malappuram, Kerala, India

Mimosa is a genus of about 400 species of herbs and shrubs, in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the legume family Fabaceae. Mimosa pudica also called Sensitive Plant and the touch-me-not, is a creeping annual or perennial herb often grown for its curiosity value: the compound leaves fold inward and droop when touched or shaken, re-opening minutes later.

A wildflower is a flower that grows wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted.The term "wildflower" has been made vague by commercial seedsmen who are interested in selling more flowers or seeds more expensively than when labeled with only its name and/or origin.

Kerala's climate is very suitable for growing flowering plant. There are many type of flowers found in Kerala. Some flowers grown in home gardens and some are grown only on forest areas.

many flowers are common and some are very rare. Almost all type of flowers in south India are found in Kerala. 

Chaliyar River ( Taken From Areekode Bridge)

Chaliyar River ( Taken from Areekode Bridge)

Chaliyar River:

   
Chaliyar is the fourth longest river in Kerala (169 km).  Nilambur,Edavanna, Areekode, Kizhuparamba, Cheruvadi, Mavoor, Peruvayal, Feroke and Beypore are some of the towns / Panchayaths  situated along the banks of Chaliyar.The river has two names -  Chaliyar and Beypore River. The river meets the Arabian Sea at the southern part of which is known as Chaliyam and northern part as Beypore. Thus the river gets the names Chaliyar and Beypore River.  The Chaliyar originates in the Western Ghats range at Elambalari Hills located near Cherambadi town in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu and flows through Malappuram District for most of its length and then for around 17 km it forms the boundary between Malappuram District and Kozhikode District before entering the city of Kozhikode for its final 10 km journey and finally empties into the Arabian Sea. Some of the Chaliyar's tributaries originate from Wayanad District .Near the origin of river are the Meenmutty Falls at coordinates. Chaliyar is one of the rivers which doesn't get dried up in the drought season.Many other rivers in Kerala get dried up during march and April.

Areekode: 

Areekode is a small town ( Panchayath) located on the banks of Chaliyar River in Eranad Taluk of Malappuram district,Kerala .  it is encircled by hills and hillocks capped in green.

Near places are Mukkam, Nilambur, Manjeri, Kondotty and Near Panchayaths are Keezhupramba, Urangattiry, Kavanoor.  Areekode boasts to have a vibrant history, refined culture and a highly educated population. It is a village of football players and football lovers.

Kotagiri tea estates ( Tamilnadu , India )

Kotagiri is a small hill station located in the Nilgiri Hills Tamilnadu. This photograph is taken from Gottakombai near Kotagiri (SH-15) Tamilnadu. Kotagiri is a panchayat  in The Nilgiris District in the state of Tamil Nadu. Kotagiri is situated at an elevation of around 1793 m above sea level and is one of the three popular hill stations located in the Nilgiris. This picturesque hill station is bounded by verdant green tea estates and offers a number of trekking options. Dodda Betta Range is 22 km away. Catherine Falls, Elk Falls, Rangaswami Pillar are the major attractions near this place and you can trek to these places. Kodanad View Point offers a spectacular view of the gentle sloping hills and blue hills. There is another jungle trekking trail that leads you to a small stream of water.

The three popular trekking trails are Kotagiri - Kodanad; Kotagiri - St. Catherine Falls and Kotagiri - Longwood Shola. The Kotagiri - Kodanad trail leads you through splendid views of lush-green tea estates and the magnificent Moyar river. One has to cross through meadows to reach Kodanad. 

Tourist Attraction in Ooty and around Ooty

Ooty is a town, a municipality and the district capital of the Nilgiris district in the state of Tamil Nadu. Ooty ( Ootacamund ) is a popular hill station located in the Nilgiri Hills and Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

Ooty is Located in the Blue Mountains of the Western Ghats, Ooty attracts a large number of tourists every year.   lakes, blue mountains, grasslands, dense forests, eucalyptus trees and miles of tea gardens  greet the visitors en route to Ooty. The hill station itself is a land of picturesque picnic spots. It is situated at an altitude of 2,286 meters above sea level. It used to be popular summer and weekend getaway for the British during the colonial days, later it was made into a summer administrative town. 

Ooty Botanical Gardens

 Ooty Botanical Gardens ( 22-acre)  was laid out in 1847 and is maintained by the Government of Tamil Nadu.  A flower show along with an exhibition of rare plant species is held every May. The Gardens have around a thousand species, both exotic and indigenous of plants, trees, herbal, shrubs, ferns, and bonsai plants.The garden has a 20-million-year-old fossilized tree.

Ooty Lake

Ooty lake covers an area of 65 acres.The Boat house  offers boating facilities to tourists, is a major tourist attraction in Ooty. It was constructed in 1824 by John Sullivan, the first collector of Ooty. The lake was formed by damming the mountain streams flowing down Ooty valley.The lake is set among groves of Eucalyptus trees with a railway line line running along one bank.

Rose Garden

The Government rose garden  (Jayalalithaa Rose Garden, Centerary Rose Park and Nootrandu Roja Poonga) is the largest rose garden in India. It is situated on the slopes of the Elk Hill in Vijayanagaram of Ooty town in Tamil Nadu . Today this garden has one of the largest collection of roses in the country with more than 20,000 varieties of roses of 2,800 cultivars.

Ooty Mountain Railway

The Nilgiri Mountain Railway was built by the British in 1908, and was initially operated by the Madras Railway Company. The railway still relies on its fleet of steam locomotives. In July 2005, UNESCO added the Nilgiri Mountain Railway as an extension to the World Heritage Site of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the site then became known as "Mountain Railways of India.". For the past several years diesel locomotives have taken over from steam on the section between Coonoor and Udhagamandalam ( Ooty).

Stone House

Stone House is the first bungalow constructed in Ooty. It was built by John Sullivan and was called as Kal Bangala by the tribals (Kal means stone in Tamil).  Today, it is the official residence for the principal of the Government Arts College, Ooty.

Toda huts

There are a few Toda huts on the hills above Botanical Garden, where Todas still dwell. There are other Toda settlements in the area, notably Kandal Mund near Old Ooty.

St. Stephen's Church

St. Stephen's Church is located on the road to Mysore in Ooty, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the oldest churches in the Nilgiris district.

Ooty Golf Course

Ooty Golf Course is located in Ooty town. The golf course is set at an altitude of 7600 feet. It is owned by the Gymkhana club in Ooty. 

Tribal Museum

The Tribal Museum is part of the campus of Tribal Research Centre which is in Muthorai Palada (10 km from Ooty town). The Tribal Museum  displays houses belongs to Toda, Kota, Paniya, Kurumba and Kanikaran. It is home to rare artifacts and photographs of tribal groups of Tamil Nadu as well as Andaman and Nicobar Islands and anthropological and archaeological primitive human culture and heritage. 

Wax World, Ooty

A wax museum that houses life-size look-alike wax statues of personalities of Indian history, culture and heritage housed in a 142-year-old bungalow.

Pykara 

Pykara is a river located 19 km from Ooty.  A boat house by the Pykara falls and Dam is added attractions to the tourists.Pykara boasts of well protected fenced Sholas, Toda settlements, undistributed grassy meadows and also a good wildlife habitat. The Pykara river rises at Mukurthi peak. It passes through hilly tract, generally keeping to North and turns to West after reaching the Plateau's edge. The river has a dam and power plant. The river flows through a series of cascades; and the last two falls of 55 meters and 61 meters are known as Pykara falls. The falls are approximately 6 km from the bridge on the main road.  The Pykara Dam, Pykara falls and the reservoir attracts many tourists.

Doddabetta Peak

It is the highest peak (2,623 m) in the Nilgiris, about 10 km from Ooty. It lies at the junction of the Western and Eastern Ghats and offers beautiful vistas of the Nilgiri Hill ranges. It is surrounded by dense sholas. One can have a panoramic view of the landscape through the TTDC telescope.

Pine forest

Pine forest Situated between Ooty and Thalakunda. It is a small downhill region where pine trees are arranged in an orderly fashion.

Kamaraj Sagar Dam (also known as Sandynalla reservoir)

Kamaraj Sagar Dam is located at a distance of 10 km from the Ooty .It is a picnic spot and a film shooting spot on the slopes of the Wenlock Downs. 

Mudumalai National Park

Muthumalai National Park ( Tiger Reserve)  lies on the northwestern side of the Nilgiri Hills (Blue Mountains), in Nilgiri District.Mudumalai, which means 'first hills’, is one of the first wildlife sanctuaries established in India.The sanctuary is divided into 5 ranges - Masinagudi, Thepakadu, Mudumalai, Kargudi and Nellakota. Here one can often spot herds of  Indian elephants, vulnerable Gaur, and Chital. The Western Ghats, Nilgiri Sub-Cluster (6,000 km² (2,300 sq mi)), including all of Mudumalai National Park, is under consideration by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for selection as a World Heritage Site. The sanctuary is a haven for  Indian Leopards  and Bengal Tigers and other threatened species.There are at least 266 species of birds in the sanctuary, including critically endangered species like the Indian White-rumped Vulture and the long-billed vulture. 

Needle Rock hill viewpoint 

Needle Rock View pont is situated between Goodalore and Pykara. Needle Point Rock View Point is 8 Kms far from Gudalur in Gudalur Ooty road and the view point gives you a 360 degree view. A panoramic view of Mudumalai Wild Life Sanctuary and Gudalur town far below is a visual treat from this view point. 

Emerald Lake

This lake is near the town of the Emarald. There is a viewpoint near the dam. The rest of the area is mainly in a reserved forest and is largely off-limits to visitors.

Shooting Medu

Shooting medu is green & very Beautiful shooting spot. This place is called as "Shooting Medu". This place is Very calm and very interesting for picnics

Island in Aliyar Reservoir, Dam in background (Tamil Nadu,India)

Island in Aliyar Reservoir, Dam in background (Tamil Nadu,India)

Aliyar Reservoir is a 6.48 km to located near Pollachi town in Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu, India. The dam is located in the foothills of Valparai, in the Anamalai Hills of the Western Ghats. It is about 65 km from Coimbatore.

The Aliyar Dam was constructed during 1959-1969 across the Aliyar river, mainly for irrigation purposes. The project was commissioned in September 2002 to generate Hydro Electric Power.The dam offers some ideal getaways including a park, garden, aquarium, play area and a mini Theme-Park maintained by Tamil Nadu Fisheries Corporation for visitors enjoyment. The scenery is beautiful, with mountains surrounding three quarters of the reservoir. Boating is also available.

Some of the tourist attractions near the Pollachi town are:

Aliyar Park

This Park is situated on the banks of Azhiyar Dam and surrounded by western ghats in three sides. Near to this is Siddashram.

Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary

Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary is about 90 km from Coimbatore city and is situated at in the Western Ghats near Pollachi. The area of the sanctuary is 958 km². An ecological paradise, this sanctuary encompasses a National Park. It has recently been renamed as Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park.

TopSlip

TopSlip is a point located at an altitude of about 800 feet in the Anamalai mountain range.It is a picturesque location in the Anamalai Hills. It is about 37 kms from Pollachi. This small town is an ideal picnic spot.  It is famous for its elephant camp and its wildlife at Kollikamuthi.

Chinnakallar

Chinnakallar is renowned for receiving the highest rainfall in Tamil Nadu.There is a waterfall in Chinnakallar

Parambikulam National Park

The Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary is a reservoir of calm greenery ensconced in a valley between the Anaimalai Hills range of Tamil Nadu and the Nelliampathi Hills range of Kerala. The areas hilly and rocky, drained by several rivers, including the Parambikulam, the Sholayar and the Thekkady. Parambikulam was once home to some of south India's finest stands of teak. Little remains of the original teak forests, other than the famous Kannimari teak tree, the largest in Asia as most of these have now been replaced by teak plantations.

Monkey Falls

This waterfall is situated  on the way to Valparai from Aliyar Dam. Thousands of people visits this place every year.

Sholayar dam

This is a very deep dam located at a distance of 20 km, from Valparai.It is also the 2nd dam in Asia.

Chinnakallar

This is the second highest rain fall area in India. This area always lies greenish, misty and wet. A waterfall which sounds like a Roaring Lion also located at Chinnakallar.

Nirar dam

Dam is situated in a wonderful location covered by a dense forest. This dam is built for multipurpose project such as irrigation, Hydro electricity production. There is a waterfalls near the dam.

Wildlife in Valparai

Valparai is a mid-elevation hill station . The tea plantations are surrounded by evergreen forest. The region is also a rich elephant tract and is known to have many leopards.

The scenic drive to the town from Pollachi passes through the Indira Gandhi Wild Life Sanctuary noted for elephants, boars, lion-tailed macaques, gaur,etc. The area is also rich in birds like the great hornbill. Water bodies at Monkey falls and Aliyar Dam are also seen en route.Valparai receives among the highest rainfall in the region during the monsoons (around June).

The Valparai range is also habitat the Nilgiri Tahr, an endemic wild goat. they now exist only in a few isolated sites like the Anaimalai Hills.

Interesting Things to visit Pollachi - Chalakkudy route

Valparai

Valparai  is a hill station  in Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. This is located 3,500 feet above sea level on the Anaimalai Hills range of the Western Ghats, at a distance of 95 km from Coimbatore and 55 km from Pollachi. There are 42 hairpin bends on the way to Valparai from Azhiyar.

Malakkapara tea gardens

Located in 51 km from Athirappilly waterfalls on Chalakkudi- Valparai rout. This tea garden has picturesque surrounding and sometimes one can spot wild life here.

Charpa Waterfalls

The Charpa Waterfalls is located on the way from Athirappilly to Valparai, is located just 5 km away from Athirappilly waterfalls. This seasonal waterfalls in Chalakkudy river in between Athirappilly and Vaazhchal falls.

Athirappalli Waterfalls

Athirappally Waterfalls are often referred to as the Niagra falls of India. They come crashing down from a hight of 80 feet.

Vazhachal Waterfalls

The vaazhchal waterfalls are located very close to the Athirappilly Waterfalls in Chalakkudy river.

Places to visit- Chalakkudi to Pollachi rout and Approximate distance from Chalakkudi in km

Dreamworld Watertheme park -10

Athirappilly- 28 

Lower Sholayar riservoir -58

Malakkapara- 73

Sholayar Saddle Dam -77

Valparai town -98

Aliyar Dam -143

Pollachi -167

A view from Attapadi ( Palakkad , Kerala )

Attappadi Reserve Forest is a protected area comprising 249 km² of land covering the westernmost part of the 745 km² Attappadi block of Mannarkkad Taluk in Palakkad district of Kerala. Attappati is an extensive mountain valley at the headwaters of the Bhavani River nestled below the Nilgiri Hills of the Western Ghats. It is bordered to the east by Coimbatore district in Tamilnadu, on the north by the Nilgiris, south by the Palghat taluk and on the west by Karimba, Pottassery and Mannarghat revenue villages of Mannarghat taluk of the Palghat District and Ernad taluk of the Malappuram district. Attappadi Reserve Forest is an informal buffer zone bordering the Silent Valley National Park to the West. The elevation of Attappati valley ranges from 750 meters (2,460 ft) to the Malleswaram peak at. The Bhavani River flows from the Northwest around the mountain in a tight bend past Attappaddi village and continues to the Tamilnadu.