Annamalai Hills – It Has Largest Sanctuary In Tamil Nadu And Is Populated By Wild Tribe

ANNAMALAI HILLS

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Annamalai Hills is located in the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu State of India.This quiet and beautiful hill has the largest  sanctuary in Tamilnadu and is inhabited by wild tribes. 

A place to visit  if you are a nature lover longing to see rare animals and birds and breathe in those air laden with freshness and herbal aura. If you are a shutterbug, this is the place to be.  Make sure to bathe in the gentle monkey falls, a natural and refreshing waterfalls, along the valparai ghat road.

It is also called as Elephant Hills. It is a range of mountains in the Coimbatore District of Tamil Nadu, located along the Western Ghats, lying between 10° 13' and 10° 31' N. and 76° 52' and 77° 23' E. It is also the tallest of the hills in South India that rises up to 8850 ft. 

The geological formation is of metamorphic gneiss, veined with feldspars and quartz, and interspersed with reddish porphyrites. The Lower slopes yield valuable teak and other timber. In some areas, coffee plantations are a common sight. The area was notified as Anaimalai Wildlife Sanctuary in 1974 and established in 1976. anamalai

There is a 30 Km wide gap [big break in the Western Ghat mountain range] between the Nilgiri Hills to the north and the Anamalai Hills to the South that straddles the Kerala and Tamil Nadu border and serves as a major communication route between them. Highways and Rail Transport connect Palghat with Coimbatore and Pollachi. This huge gap is called as Palghat Gap. 

Attractions of Anamalai Hills : Monkey falls, Aliyar, the Crocodile Breeding Centre at Amaravati, Indira Gandhi Wild Life Sanctuary and National Park, Attakarai, Kulipatti, Manompally, Chinnar, Varagaliar, Manjampatty are some places the tourist can afford to miss.

The Anamalais rise from foothills at the height of 300 m to Topslip-Parambikulam Plateau at 800m and to the Valparai Plateau, between 1000 and 1250 m. The elevation range includes an array of habitats ranging from dry thorn forests in the low foothills to semi-evergreen stretches to grass hills and evergreen shoals in Valparai. 

The floral diversity has been estimated to be over 2000 species, of which about 400 species are of medicinal importance. The Karian Shola NP has been identified and designated as a Medicinal Plant Conservation Area (MPCA) due to its medicinal plant diversity.

By Air 

Nearest airport is situated in Coimbatore which is 96 km away from Anaimalai. The air port is connected by domestic flight to Chennai and other major cities of India. - 

By Train

Nearest Railway Junction is POLLACHI and connections are available to Coimbatore and Dindugal from there. 

By Bus

Regular bus services are available from Coimbatore and Palani to Pollachi and from Pollachi to Top Slip. Taxi Services are also available at a nominal fare.

Marudhamalai Temple – It Is Somewhat Equal To The Six Abodes Of Murugan (Arupadai Veedu)

MARUDHAMALAI TEMPLE

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Marudhamalai Arulmighu Subramanyaswamy Temple is situated at a height of about 500 feet in a plateau on the Western Ghats, fifteen kilometers north west of Coimbatore.

Lord Subramaiyaswami as presiding deity, Maruthmalai is comparatively equal to the Arupadai Veedu. Myth says the temple belonged 12th Centuary A.D. As per the myths, an exhausted and thirsty sage was in repose under shadows of Marutham tree prayed Murgan for water. In response water surged from the tree's roots and the delighted sage called Muruga as Lord of Marutham and Jalam, whichlater turned Maruthachalpathi.

This temple is considered as the seventh abode of Lord Murugan. It was patronized by an ardent devotee of Coimbatore named Chinnapa Thevar.A rajagopuram was built recently and the kumbabhishekam was grandly performed by the temple devasthanam.

In Sanskrit, "Achalam" means "Mountain". As the mountain here are surrounded by Marudham trees, the place is known as "Marudhachalam" and "Marudhamalai" in Tamil.

The holy shrine of Marudhamalai is believed to remove both physical and mental afflictions and attachments as the hill abounds in Medicinal herbs.

The Pambatti Siddhar Cave is another shrine drawing our attention. It is located on the slopes towards the east and can be approached by a narrow path, protected by a stone hedge or parapet.

Pambatti Siddhar used this cave as his abode for meditation on Lord Muruga and attained salvation here. One can notice a natural image of a snake on the rock.

There are several festivals celebrated glorifying Lord Marudhachalapathy like Kârttikai, Âdi Pathinettu, Padivizha, Tamil New year’s Day, English New Year’s Day, Kârttikai Deepam, Thaipoosam – Brahmotsavam, Panguni Uttiram etc. The Thaipoosam Car Festival is a festival, most splendid and spectacular, attracting a large number of devotees.

There are plenty of town buses from all over Coimbatore city to this Marudamalai Murugan temple. Apart from the steps a road is also available to drive up the hill to reach the temple. Devasthanam mini buses are available for the pilgrims to travel to and fro and this ride is enjoyable.

By Air

Nearest Airport - Coimbatore.

By Train

Nearest Railway Station - Coimbatore.

By Bus

Lots of buses run from Coimbatore bus stand to Marudhamalai. The Devasthanam has aslo provided buses from the foothill to reach the temple on top.

Topslip Hill Station - It Is An Especially Good Holiday Hill Station In India

TOPSLIP HILL STATION 

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Topslip is very good tourist place near Pollachi. The World Tourism  Organization defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places  outside their usual environment for more than 24 hours and not more  than  one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not  related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place  visited”. In these occasions Topslip is a very good vacation place in India,  Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore.

At a distance of 76 km from Coimbatore, 30 km from Pollachi and 550 km from Chennai, Topslip is a popular place located in the Annamalai mountain range in the Western Ghats in Coimbatore district of Tamilnadu.

It lies at an altitude of 2554 feet and is famous for its wildlife sanctuary and national park that are in proximity.Topslip is the Tiger Reserve Forest in small part of Annamalai Tiger Reserve, which is separated from the Nilgiri Hills by Palghat Gap in north.

It got its name during British era, as lots of its timber sliped down to the plains below. Being a medical plant conservation area, it is famous for the elephant camp, wildlife safaris, pleasant weather and beautiful views of Annamalai Hills.

It is the best gateway for wonderful wildlife experience of the Indira Gandhi WLS. The unique teak forests, Bamboo forests, rich exotic species of plants and wild animals are the major attractions of Topslip. It is also a wonderful destination for bird watching.

MT Stuart block is another attraction which is located 3 km from Topslip. It has an ancient forest bungalow along with the grave of Hugo Wood, a British officer with an environmental conscience who emphasized that a sapling must be planted for every tree that is chopped off.

Forest Department organizes elephant safaris and jeep rides into the sanctuary. A four hours trek around the forest along with a guide is also available here. Private vehicles are not allowed for the safaris.

 The Tourism Department has also identified several trekking routes starting at Top Slip and conducts guided trekking tours. Kolambumalai - 10 km, Ambuli watchtower - 6 km, Kozhikammuthy-12 km and Karian Shola - 4 km are the some of the trekking routes available here. All visitors to Topslip need a permit issued by the Wildlife Warden office of the Forest Department at Pollachi.

Sethumadai (5 km) is a good base station for Top Slip with better accommodation facilities. Basic Accommodation is available at Forest Rest House which has to be booked at Wildlife Warden Office in Pollachi.

Topslip is the only entry point to Parambikulam Wildlife Reserve Forest which comes under the state of Kerala. The nearest access point to Topslip would be Pollachi in Tamilnadu. There are only two buses from Pollachi to Topslip every day at 6 AM and 3 PM. The same bus returns to Pollachi at 8 AM and 6 PM. 

Best time to visit Top Slip is from November to April.

National Park Timings: 6 AM to 6 PM.

Topslip Entry Fee: Rs.20 per person, Rs.50 for Camera, Rs.200 for Video Cam, Rs. 50 for light vehicle and Rs.100 for Heavy vehicle.

Jeep Safari Timings: 7 AM - 10 AM and 3 PM - 5 PM.
Jeep Safari Cost: Rs.120 per person for 45 min.

Elephant Safari Timings: 11 AM - 2 PM.
Elephant Safari Cost: Rs. 200 per person for 45 min.

Trek Timings: 7 AM - 2 PM.
Trek Cost: Rs.200 per person for 4 Hours.