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Agastyarkoodam | |
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Highest point | |
Elevation | 1,868 m (6,129 ft) |
Prominence | 1,497 m (4,911 ft) |
Coordinates | 8°36′58.64″N77°14′44.62″E / 8.6162889°N 77.2457278°E |
Geography | |
Thiruvanathapuram District, Kerala, India | |
Parent range | Western Ghats |
Agastyaarkoodam is one of the peaks in the Western Ghats of Thiruvananthapuram District of Kerala, near to the border of Tamilnadu, India. [1] This peak is a part of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve which lies on the border between the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Tirunelveli district and Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram district. The perennial Thamirabarani River originates from the eastern side of the range and flows into the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. It is 1,868-metres (6,129 ft) tall.
Agastyaarkoodam is a pilgrimage centre for devotees of the Hindu sage Agastya, who is considered to be one of the seven rishis (Saptarishi) of Hindu Puranas. In Tamil traditions, Agastya is considered as the father of the Tamil language and the compiler of the first Tamil grammar called Agattiyam or Akattiyam. [2] There is a small stone statue of Agathiyar at the top of the peak and the devotees can offer pujas.
Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve is among 20 new sites added by UNESCO to its World Network of Biosphere Reserves in March 2016. The International Co-ordinating Council added the new sites during a two-day meeting on 19 March 2016 in Lima, bringing the total number of biosphere reserves to 669 sites in 120 countries, including 16 transboundary sites. The biosphere reserve includes close to 300 rare bird species and more than 200 medicinal plants endemic to this region. [3]
Agastyaarkoodam is 32 km from Neyyar Dam and 22 km from Bonacaud, near VITHURA & PONMUDIThe major city and airport nearest to Agastyaarkoodam is Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) and its Trivandrum International Airport, around 61 km away. The nearest railway stations are Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala and Ambasamudram, Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu. The trekking path, nearly 22 km, is from Bonacaud.
Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve is part of the Agastyaarkoodam range. Part of the peak can be seen from the Upper Kodayar region.
Other major rivers which originate from the mountain are the Karamana River, which flows through the Thiruvananthapuram district and is the major source of drinking water to the city, and the Neyyar River (also in the Thiruvananthapuram district).
The peak of Agastyaarkoodam [4] can be reached only by trekking up to it. Trekking [5] is allowed based on strict guidelines and is open to pilgrims during January to mid-March. Trekking passes are issued by Kerala Forest Department from the district office at Trivandrum. [6] [7] The trekking route starts from Bonacaud. The route "Neyyar-Agasthyakoodam" is not open to the public.
Vehicles reach only till Bonacaud which is around 50 km from Thiruvananthapuram. The trek to the peak is 20 km long from Bonacaud and requires two days. The first part of the trek can be started from the base station Bonacaud in the early morning and is 14 km through the forest to the camp. Elephants and wild bulls are in abundance in this part, especially in the evenings. The final part i.e. the 6 km long trek can be done from the camp and crossing the border enters Tamil Nadu to reach the top of Agathyakoodam mountain on the second day.
The lower elevations of this peak are known for their abundance of rare herbs and medicinal plants. Around 2,000 medicinal plants used in Ayurvedic treatments are found here. Europeans, particularly those from England, were the first to establish tea gardens around the base stations of the mountain at Brimore, Bonacaud, and Ponmudi.
The Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve harbours rare flora and fauna. Tourists are permitted to the area only with permission from the forest department of Kerala. Annual trekking passes to the peak are issued from the forest department during January–February only.
Between elevations ranging from 1000 to 1500 metres, the Manjolai area is set deep within the Western Ghats within the Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in the Tirunelveli District. Located on top of the Manimuthar Dam and the Manimuthar Water Falls, the Manjolai area has tea plantations, small settlements around the tea plantations, Upper Kodaiyar Dam, and a windy view point called Kuthiravetti.
The tea plantations and the whole of Manjolai Estates are operated by the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation Ltd on forest lands leased by the singampatti zamin. There are three tea estates in the Manjolai area — Manjolai Estate, Manimutharu Estate, and Oothu Estate. The estates are on elevations ranging between 2,300 and 4,200 feet (701 and 1,280 m). The estates, road, and the settlements in the Manjolai area are managed by the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation Ltd.
Prior to November 2018, women were forbidden to climb Agastyaarkoodam. After a court ruling which removed the prohibition, a woman, Dhanya Sanal, an Indian Information Service officer, reached the peak in 2019, becoming the first woman known to make the climb. Since the change in the law, more than 100 other women have registered for a license to make the climb. [8]
The South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests is an ecoregion in the Western Ghats of southern India with tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. This biome covers the Nilgiri Hills between elevation of 250 and 1,000 m in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states.
Ponmudi is a hill station in the Peringamala gramapanchayath of Trivandrum District of Kerala in India. It is located 22km west of Vithura town, 53 km north-east of Trivandrum City, 78 km south-east of Varkala town and 69 km north-east of Kovalam Beach at an altitude of 1,100 m (3,600 ft). Ponmudi (Varayadumotta) peak is a part of the Western Ghats mountain range that runs parallel to the Arabian Sea. Ponmudi is a popular honeymoon destination in South India. The normal temperature of Ponmudi is between 18 and 25 °C.
Kallidaikurichi or Kalladaikurichi is a town on the right bank of the Thamiraparani river in Ambasamudram Taluk of Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu, a southern state of India.
The Thamirabarani or Tamraparni or Porunai is a perennial river that originates from the Agastyarkoodam peak of Pothigai hills of the Western Ghats, above Papanasam in the Ambasamudram taluk. It flows through Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts of the Tamil Nadu state of southern India into the Gulf of Mannar. It was called the Tamraparni River in the pre-classical period, a name it lent to the island of Sri Lanka. The old Tamil name of the river is Porunai. From the source to sea, the river is about 128 kilometres (80 mi) long and is the only perennial river in Tamil Nadu. This river flows towards north direction initially. However, it changes to east direction later.
Tirunelveli district is one of the 38 districts of Tamil Nadu state in India. It is the largest district in terms of area with Tirunelveli as its headquarters. The district was formed on 1 September 1790 by the British East India Company, and comprised the present Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi, Tenkasi and parts of Virudhunagar and Ramanathapuram district. As of 2011, the undivided district had a population of 3,077,233.
Ambasamudram is the principal town of the Ambasamudram taluk in Tirunelveli district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The entire taluk had a population of 392,226 as of 2001, with 42.5% classified as rural. The town of Ambasamudram had a population 35,645 as of 2011.
Kalakad is a Municipality in Tirunelveli district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Kalakad is one of the 3 Municipalities of Tirunelveli District, and is one of the fastest-growing towns in the district.
Manimutharu is a panchayat town in Tirunelveli district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Vickramasingapuram or V.K.Puram is a Municipal town in Tirunelveli District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It falls under the Ambasamudram Taluk. As of 2011, the town had a population of 47,241.
Manimuthar River originates on the eastern slopes of Western Ghats in Tirunelveli District of the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India. It is a major tributary of the Thamirabarani River.
Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) located in the South Western Ghats montane rain forests in Tirunelveli district and Kanyakumari district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is the second-largest protected area in Tamil Nadu. It is part of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve.
The Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve is a biosphere reserve in India established in 2001, located in the southernmost end of the Western Ghats and includes 3,500.36 km2 (1,351.50 sq mi) of which 1828 km2 is in Kerala and 1672.36 km2 is in Tamil Nadu. It encompasses the following wildlife sanctuaries: Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary, Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, and Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve.
Bonacaud is the base station of the famous peak, Agasthyarkoodam in the Agasthya hills. The Agasthya hill range is famous for its abundance of rare herbs and medicinal plants.
Aryankavu is a village located in the Kollam district of the Indian state of Kerala. It lies close to the border between Kerala and Tamil Nadu near Thenmala. It is also one of the famous pilgrimage sites associated with the legend of Sabarimala. The village is located beside Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary.
The Pothigai Hills, also known as Agasthiyar Mountain is a 1,866-metre (6,122 ft)-tall peak in the southern part of the Western Ghats of South India. The peak lies in Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu near the border of Kerala.
Papanasam also spelt as Pavanasam is a famous picnic spot in Tirunelveli district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It falls under the Ambasamudram Taluk. It is situated 60 kilometres (37 mi) from Tirunelveli. The site features tourist attractions like Thamirabarani River, Agasthiyar Falls, Siva Temple, and Papanasam dam and hydroelectric power plant.
Agasthyavanam Biological Park is a protected area in the Western Ghats in Kerala State, India. The park is located within Vazhichal Panchiyat and lies between the Neyyar and Peppara Wildlife Sanctuaries which covers an area of about 31 square kilometres (12 sq mi).
Singampatti. This palaiyam headed 24 of 72 palaiyams was located in present day Ambasamudram taluk, two miles from the spurs of the Western Ghats, in Tirunelveli district.
The Department of Environment and Forests is one of the departments of Government of Tamil Nadu. The department was created in 1995 and is responsible for environmental management and forests in the state.