Periyar National Park

Periyar National Park is located in the Idukki district and is one of the best tourist attractions of the backwaters. This park was initiated in 1950.

The backdrop of this park is the magnificent Western Ghats and is surrounded by a wide range of twenty six kilometers of the Mullaperiyar Dam and the Periyar Lake. The eastern side is bordered by the hills and the Pamba stream flows through the wildlife sanctuary.

Nature lovers are always attracted towards Periyar National Park and the sanctuary brings in multitudes of visitors every year.

This is also known as Tekkadi Wildlife sanctuary and is an apposite place for the animals to live in natural habitats.

The ideal season to visit the Periyar National Park is the months between October and June and the boat services at this park facilitate the visitors in visiting and watching around the lake. The Periyar sanctuary covers an area of 777 Sq. kms of the Western Ghats.

The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is inclined into the lake at the pedestal of the hill and this lake is the waterhole for all the animals such as gaur, sambar, elephants and tigers. Few other attractions found in this sanctuary are Bison, leopards, spotted deer, stripe necked mongoose and Malabar flying squirrels.

The Periyar sanctuary covers more than 260 species of rare and local birds.

This assortment includes blue-winged Parakeets, Nilgiri Wood Pigeons, White bellied Tree Pies, Fly Catchers and laughing Thrushes.

The pleasant climate is a significant reason for the reserve to be well maintained. The winters are normally 15 degree Celsius and the summers reach maximum to 31 degree Celsius.

The Periyar sanctuary has a treasure of luxuriant flora and rare fauna. The tourists will get captivated in the verdant splendor of this sanctuary.

The rain forests, the orchids, teakwood, eucalyptus, ferns, bamboo, rosewood, grass vegetation and more than three hundred and fifty species of plants nurtured in this sanctuary have exceptional healing properties. Periyar wildlife sanctuary gives its visitors very rare opportunity to spot a tiger at close distance. Visitors can satiate their eagerness by watching a sambar or a chital. You can also watch monkeys on tree tops. This sanctuary is indeed a haven for the passionate tourists who are enticed by watching birds such as hornbills, stork, kingfisher and darters.

This also is a shelter for various reptiles and the voluminous python, cobra. Fish is also found in abundance. The Madurai as well as the Kochi airports is adjacent to Periyar Park. Besides this the rail route is accessible from the Kottayam rail station. Traveling by road is also very comfortable.