Silent Valley National Park, Palakkad District, Kerala – Probably one of the most magnificent gifts of nature, a precious gem of this world!
Silent Valley is a unique preserve of tropical rain forests in all its pristine glory with an almost unbroken ecological history of 4 billion years! It’s one of a kind.
Locally known as ‘Sairandhrivanam’ after Sairandhri (Panchali), the forest is said to have been an abode of Pandavas during their exile.
Core area of the national park measuring ~ 90 Sq Kms is fairly rectangular spanning 12 Km from north to south and 7 Km from east to west. The river Kunthi (named after the mother of Pandavas) that dissects the park north-south, descends from the Nilgiri Hills (located north / north-east of the Park) from an altitude of 2000 meters and traverses the entire length of the valley.
Silent Valley is closed on all the sides by high, continuous hill ridges and steep escarpments, shielding the valley from the external world and influences – creating a micro climate unique for the region that is bestowed with rich flora and fauna.
Silent Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Silent Valley is a treasure-trove – The flora of the valley includes ~1000 species of flowering plants, 107 species of orchids, 100 types of ferns, 200 liverworts, 75 lichens and 200 types of algae. The fauna includes 34 species of mammals, 292 species of birds, 31 species of reptiles, 22 species of amphibians, 13 species of fish, 500 species of butterflies and moths, numerous types of beetles, grasshoppers, insects and a multitude of lower forms of animal life, many of them yet to be documented!
Lion-tailed Monkey is unique to this Park – we sighted a few of them. Also we witnessed pug-marks of a fully grown tiger.
From Mukkali Forest range office, Kerala Forest Dept organises guided tour to Silent Valley up to the Sairandhri view point (23 Kms) and a guided trek to the hanging bridge across river Kunthi – every day between 08 am and 01 pm.
Silent Valley – a treasure-trove indeed! Makes one wonder in awe!
Wow! What a place!
Location: https://goo.gl/maps/py1oqZnUzVKtbKgt7
#drive #nature #heritage
