View of Aliyar Reservoir- From Valparai churam

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.

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, 65 km from Pollachi, 98 km frm Chalakkudy .There are 40 hairpin bends on the way to Valparai from Aliyar.

Some of the tourist attractions near the 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.

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 Chalakkudy-Pollachi route

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.

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.

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.

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

Kerala Monsoon Flood Picture - Chaliyar River ( Taken from Areekode Bridge)

Kerala Monsoon Rain Flood Picture - 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.

Monsoons in Kerala:

Monsoons bring to Kerala two rainy seasons-the southwest monsoon or the Edavappathi, bringing rains during June-September, and the north east monsoon or the Thulavarsham during October to December.The rainforest areas of the state have humid tropical wet climate while the extreme eastern fringes experience a drier tropical wet and dry climate .Kerala receives an average annual rainfall of 3107 mm. 

Southwest monsoon is the main rainy season in Kerala begins by the end of May or early June with the outset of the southwest monsoon winds

North East Monsoon in Kerala Also known as Thulaavarsham  hits Kerala during the return of the southwest monsoon winds. These rains are in the months of October and November.

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.

Kerala:

Kerala is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956.The state has an area of 38,863 km² (15,005 sq mi) and is bordered by Karnataka to the north and northeast, Tamil Nadu to the south and southeast, and the Arabian Sea on the west. The city of Thiruvananthapuram is the state capital. The city of Kochi and Kozhikode are other major cities.

Kerala (Keralam) the land of kera (coconut) is also known as God's own country. Beautiful beaches, kettuvallams over enchanting backwaters… monsoon showers, misty mountains of the Western Ghats, fairs and festivals.....

Kerala lies along the coastline, to the extreme south west of the Indian peninsula, flanked by the Arabian Sea on the west and the mountains of the Western Ghats on the east. The Western Ghats, bordering the eastern boundary of the State, form an almost continuous mountain wall, except near Palakkad where there is a natural mountain pass known as the Palakkad Gap.

There are 44 rivers in the state, of which 41 originate from the Western Ghats and flow towards west into the Arabian sea. Only three tributaries of the river Cauvery ( Kabani, Bhavani, Paampar ) originate in Kerala and flow east into the neighbouring States.

In the Midland Plains of central region, the hills are not very steep and the valleys are wide. The valleys have been developed as paddy fields and the elevated lands are converted into estates of rubber, fruit trees and other cash crops . Tea and coffee estates have cropped up in the high ranges.

The Coastal Belt strip is comparatively plain. Extensive paddy fields, thick groves of coconut trees and beautiful backwaters, interconnected with canals and rivers. Alappuzha an old sea port town of this region is known as the 'Venice of the East'. 

A Scene from Ooty ( Tamilnadu)

Photograph taken from Ooty ( Tamilnadu, India )

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

Kerala Monsoon Season picture

Location: Vengara, Malappuram , India

Monsoons bring to Kerala two rainy seasons-the southwest monsoon or the Edavappathi, bringing rains during June-September, and the north east monsoon or the Thulavarsham during October to December.The rainforest areas of the state have humid tropical wet climate while the extreme eastern fringes experience a drier tropical wet and dry climate .Kerala receives an average annual rainfall of 3107 mm. 

Southwest monsoon is the main rainy season in Kerala begins by the end of May or early June with the outset of the southwest monsoon winds

 

North East Monsoon in Kerala Also known as Thulaavarsham  hits Kerala during the return of the southwest monsoon winds. These rains are in the months of October and November.

 

About Kerala:

Kerala is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956.The state has an area of 38,863 km² (15,005 sq mi) and is bordered by Karnataka to the north and northeast, Tamil Nadu to the south and southeast, and the Arabian Sea on the west. The city of Thiruvananthapuram is the state capital. The city of Kochi and Kozhikode are other major cities.

Kerala (Keralam) the land of kera (coconut) is also known as God's own country. Beautiful beaches, kettuvallams over enchanting backwaters… monsoon showers, misty mountains of the Western Ghats, fairs and festivals.....

Kerala lies along the coastline, to the extreme south west of the Indian peninsula, flanked by the Arabian Sea on the west and the mountains of the Western Ghats on the east. The Western Ghats, bordering the eastern boundary of the State, form an almost continuous mountain wall, except near Palakkad where there is a natural mountain pass known as the Palakkad Gap.

There are 44 rivers in the state, of which 41 originate from the Western Ghats and flow towards west into the Arabian sea. Only three tributaries of the river Cauvery ( Kabani, Bhavani, Paampar ) originate in Kerala and flow east into the neighbouring States.

In the Midland Plains of central region, the hills are not very steep and the valleys are wide. The valleys have been developed as paddy fields and the elevated lands are converted into estates of rubber, fruit trees and other cash crops . Tea and coffee estates have cropped up in the high ranges.

The Coastal Belt strip is comparatively plain. Extensive paddy fields, thick groves of coconut trees and beautiful backwaters, interconnected with canals and rivers. Alappuzha an old sea port town of this region is known as the 'Venice of the East'.