Area: 777 sq. km.
Core: 350 sq. km.
Buffer: 427 sq. km

Established : 1950 as a sanctuary, 1978 as a tiger reserve.

About Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary:

Periyar National Park is situated in the hills of the Western Ghats in the state of Kerala in SW India. The centre piece of Periyar National park is the 5,500-hectare Periyar lake formed by the construction of a dam on the Periyar river in 1895.The dam submerged low-lying forest whose dead tree trunks still jut out of the waters. Along the fringes of the lake are marshy areas with tall grasslands. This is one of the richest habitats of large mammals, as it provides both excellent cover and nourishment in the form of succulent shoots and grasses. Here it is possible to see large herds of Indian Elephant with relative ease as well as Nilgiri Langur near Aranya Niwas and the Liontail Macaque in higher areas.

The forests are tropical, a mixture of deciduous, semi-evergreen, and evergreen 'sholas', the last occurring in the moist valleys and characterised by tall trees and a closed canopy. The forests alternate with extensive patches of grasslands. Periyar's rich bird life includes the Giant Hornbill, Cormorant, Darter, Osprey and Racket-tailed Drongo. The Indian Python and King Cobra are among the reptilian fauna. Periyar has a few Nilgiri Tahr, good numbers of which may also be seen on a day excursion to nearby Eravikulam National Park near Munnar.

Main flora found in Periyar:

Periyar Widllife Sanctuary boasts a quite rich and diverse flora. The flora in Periyar National Park chiefly comprises of Tropical Evergreen forests (30,500ha) and Semi-evergreen forests (27,500ha) around the reservoir, and Moist-deciduous forests and Woody grasslands in the central part of the park.

The major flora in the park include the Teak, Rosewood, Terminalia, Eucalyptus, Sandalwood, Jacaranda (a hardwood timber tree with purple flowers), Mango, Jamun, Tamarind, Banyan, Pipal, Plumeria, Gulmohar and Bamboo among many others. The thick vegetation of the Periyar wildlife sanctuary provides both excellent cover and nourishment in the form of succulent shoots and grasses.

Other General Information on Periyar Sanctuary

Longitude: 76°57' and 77°25' E
Latitude: 9°16' and 9°36' N
Altitude: 100m. to 2016 m. above msl.
Rainfall: 2500 mm.
Temperature: Minimum: 15°C, Maximum: 31°C

Season(Periyar National Park)

Monsoon: Southwest and Northeast monsoon with maximum rainfall in July and minimum in January.
Summer: April-May
Winter: December-January

Access (Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary):

Fly to Cochin and drive to Periyar (200 km). The nearest railway station is Kottayam (114 km).

Eravikulam National Park Tour Packages-1

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Eravikulam National Park Tour Packages-2

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Location : The National Park is 97 kms. Along the western Ghat in the Idukki district of Kerala in India, between 10º05'N - 10º20'N latitude and 77º0'E - 77º10'E longitude.
Place : Idukki District, Kerala
Nearest town : Munnar (15km)
Time to visit : October to March
Area : 97 Sq Kms.
Park visiting hours : 7:00 am to 6:00 pm.

How to Reach

By Air : Cochin International Airport (143 km) is the nearest airport from Eravikulam and connected to many places in India by regular flights. The airport is also connected to places in the Middle East by regular flights.
By Rail : Nearest Railway Station is Aluva in Ernakulam district, 115 km from Munnar. Other railway stations are Kottayam about 142 km from Munnar and Ernakulam, about 130 km from Munnar.
By Road : A motorable road is there up to Rajamalai, the park headquarter. From Rajamalai, one need to travel on foot for around 18 km. Rajamalai is at a distance of around 15 km from the Munnar town connected to many places in Kerala and Tamilnadu.