Saturday, June 26, 2010

Munnar- A paradise

Before anything I say, I would like to declare that one cannot describe the beauty of Munnar in a word or even in a sentence! Some call it 'Gateway to hills', some describe it as a heaven of peace and tranquility. But one thing is for sure that no one will regret going there and in any season for consideration.
One of the most popular hill stations in India, Munnar is situated at the confluence of three mountain streams - Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala. Located at 1600 Mts above sea level, this was once the summer resort of the British Raj. One can still find the essence of British royality if you enter good restrurants or hotels in Munnar.

Munnar is the place of tea plantation and most of its beauty is flourish with well maintained tea gardens. Most of the tea gardens are owned by TATA tea. Apart from TATA tea there are also small tea companies which operate in this area.
The visitor is greeted with miles and miles of unending tea plantations on entry into Munnar. Among the exotic flora found in the forests and grasslands here is the Neelakurinji a flower which bathes the hills in blue colour once in twelve years. The Neelakurinji, will bloom next in year 2018 AD. Munnar also has the highest peak in South India - Anamudi - which towers over 2695 Mts and is an ideal spot for campers who like to do some trekking.
Local Attractions:

1. Mattupetty:
Situted 1700m above sea level, it is famous for its highly specialised dairy farm, the Indo-swiss live stock project. Over 100 varietes of high yielding cattle are reared here.Visitors are allowed into three of the eleven cattle sheds at the farm.
The Mattupetty lake and dam , just a short distance from the farm, is a very beautiful picnic spot.

2. Eco Point:
Echo Point has a natural echo phenomenon and offers panoramic views.

3.
Rajamala: Rajamala is the natural habitat of Nilgiri Tahr. Half the world population of this rare mountain goat is found here, which is fast becoming extinct.

My personal Experience and Clicks