IDUKKI (ERAVIKULAM) WILDLIFE SANCTUARY Location: Idukki Also Known As: 40 Km from Thodupuzha, 155 km NE of Kochi, 148 km S of Coimbatore Main Attraction: Eravikulam Wildlife Sanctuary Best Time To Visit: Nilgiri Tahr(Wild-Goat)

Idukki (Eravikulam) National Park - The Silence of The Tahrs

Nilgiri Tahr Kid at Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary

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"A voice so shrilling ne'er was heard
In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,
I listen'd, motionless and still;
And, as I mounted up the hill,
The music in my heart I bore,
Long after it was heard no more"

--- William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

Take up Kerala tourisn to visit the Idukki wildlife sanctuary in Kerala. The first time when you will drive through the narrow, muddy and slippery paths of the Nilgiris, you will be swiftly ferried - over the wild flowers abundant on South Indian hilltops - to another world of fantasy, altogether. It is a completely different experience to look at the waves of grassy hillocks, lay like an unbroken sheet of green, stretching in every direction one can imagine. Crisscrossing these grasslands are many white streams, bubbling in perpetuity like an infatuated coryphée, eager to embrace the melody of love. Said to be the apogee of evolution - reached the perfect state of harmony possible - the Eravikulam National Park in Kerala is a magnificent board to dart your holiday vacations.

Where The Grass Goes Green

Once a hunting preserve of British planters, the forest tract of Eravikulam today epitomizes wildlife conservation in Southern India. The main attraction is the Nilgiri Tahr (locally called as varai-aadu), a highly endangered species of the wild goat, which was all but poached into extinction in the 1950s, until the deep greens were declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1975, and in 1978 a national park. Thanks to total absence of poaching over the years, the vulnerable specimens can now be seen in handsome numbers, and are said to be so habituated to human presence that now, they often have to shooed off the roads to allow vehicles to pass! Look at the ease with which these mammals negotiate the slippery, rocky drives, and the speed with which they run, would make anyone wonder if they have somehow bypassed the laws of gravity.

Outpost of Wilderness

Idukki Dam near Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary

The famous wildlife attractions in Idukki national park is colassal. From the main road, a smaller estate road leads you 5 km to the Rajamallay Checkpost, gateway to the Eravikulam National Park. After getting an entry ticket, one can walk along the road, keeping an eye open for the famous Tahr. The whole route is bedecked with wild flowers and green creepers, that provide a grand vista to the beholder. At one time, the tahr would be baited in the reserve with salt, but fortunately, they have now became so ubiquitous that their fearlessness has become a cause of concern for the forest department. The mere sight of terrestial orchids by the road and a couple of green imperial pigeon and emarald doves playing with them, is enough to transform a weary soul into an alcove of imagination. You might have to murmer "Paadasparsham kshsmaswa may" (forgive me for stepping on you) which is even better than to be attacked by blood-thirsty leeches that infest the dark and deep patches of the forest. Don't forget to visit the Interpretation Centre, which houses a small collection of wildlife exhibits, hundreds of photos and books of wild animals and plants. Take up Eravikulam National Park safari to see the most popular wildlife attractions of Kerala.

The Nilgiri Retreat

While on wildlife tours to Kerla, enjoy the popular Idukki wildlife sanctuary in Kerala India. Unfortunately, there are no dwelling facilities amid the greens at the Eravikulam-Rajamallay sanctuary. However visitors can find options to suit every budget at Munnar. One of the finest staying options is provided by Kerala Tourism at the Tea Country, located a kilometre from the city centre. It offers excellent four-star facilities including a health club and an ayurvedic massage centre. One can fly up to Kochi (155 km) and can get a taxi from the airport to reach Munnar. One can even drive Chinnar to Munnar (uphill) and enjoy the picturesque landscapes carpeted around. A motorable road is there up to Rajamallay, the park headquarter from where one needs to travel on foot for around 18 kms to reach the park gate. Rajamallay is at a distance of around 17 kms from Munnar town connected to many places in Kerala and Tamil Nadu by regular bus services. Otherwise, tourists can also ride a bus, which depart on every 15 mins from Thodupuzha's KSRTC bus stand. Do remember that picnicking is discouraged inside the reserve due to fear of pollution and consequent threat to wildlife. Littering, particularly of plastic articles, is strictly forbidden. For more tourist related information, visit their own website eravikulam.org.