WAYANAD

GENERAL INFORMATION

District Area	2,131 sq. km.
District Population	672,128
Altitude	700-2100 m. above sea level
Climate	Tropical monsoon. Seasonally excessive rainfall. Hot summer.
Temperature	Mean min. - 20 deg. C Mean max.-  35 deg. C
Rainfall	250 cm (annual)
Clothing	Tropical Cottons
Tourist season	August to May

The name Wayanad is derived from  ‘Wayanadu,’ which means the land of paddy fields. Wayanad offers the climate of a hill station, similar to that of Oottacamand. It offers a panorama of undulating hills and dales. The hills, which might have been thick forests once, are now plantations of coffee, tea and cardamom. There is luxuriant green all around. On a clear day, from the river border of Kabini, Wayanad will seem to be a fairy land with the deep blue mountains juxtaposed with the less blue sky and white clouds amidst them. The most characteristic aspect about Wayanad is the large tribal population. Wayanad has a small Jain Community consisting of the Gounders who have come from Karnataka. They have built beautiful temples all over the district. The Kurichiyar of Wayanad has a great martial tradition. They constituted the army of Pazhazzi Veera Kerala Varma Rajah who fought against the British forces in several battles. The descendants of those warriors are still expert archers.

Wayanad with its peculiar and unique geographical position is blessed with mist-clad mountains and sylvan valleys. It is situated at a height of 700 to 1200 metres above sea level, bounded on the East by the Nilgiris and Mysore districts of Tamilnadu and Karnataka respectively, on the North by Coorg district of Karnataka, on the South by Malappuram district and on the West by Calicut and Cannanore districts. Wayanad’s climate and  geography is ideal for the cultivation of coffee, tea, cardamom, pepper and rubber. The soil of Wayanad district is mainly of the forest type. It promotes a lush growth of vegetation, which makes Wayanad clothed in uniform greenery. The fast flowing rivers of Wayanad are in striking contrast to the various river systems of the rest of Kerala. The Panamaram river originating from Lakkidi, and Mananthavady river originating from Thondeumudi peak joins together at six kilometres north of Panamaram town and after the confluence the river is known as Kabini. The Kabini river system of Wayanad is the perennial source of water to Cauvery.

HOW TO GET THERE:

Air	The nearest airport is Calicut.
Road	Wayanad’s Headquarters, Kalpetta is linked by road to other towns in Kerala and there are frequent buses to Calicut.

PLACES OF INTEREST:

Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary

About 12 km from Sultan's Battery, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as the Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary, is another tourist spot. Here you can see elephants, spotted deer, guar, sambar or sloth bear. The wildlife sanctuary covers over 344 sq. km. and forms part of the area of Mudumalai Sanctuary in Tamilnadu and the Bandipur Sanctuary in Karnataka.

Glass Temple of Kottamunda

20 km from Kalpetta and on the slope of Vellarimala, this temple is  dedicated to Parswanatha Swami, third Thirthankara of the Jain faith. The mirrors inside the temple walls reflect, in thousands of beautiful image patterns,  the icons in the temple sanctum sanctorum. Other places of interest in Kalpetta are Chembra Peak, Banasura Sagar Dam near Padinjarathara and Meenmutty Waterfalls, about 40 km. from Kalpetta.

Kalpetta

This is the headquarters of Wayanad district. The famous Ananthaswami Jain Temple is situated at Puliyarmala near Kalpetta. This district is said to have been a stronghold of the Jains in the past.

Lakkadi A place of great scenic beauty with picturesque hills, streams and luxuriant vegetation, Lakkadi is one of the highest locations in Wayanad. This place registers the second highest amount of rainfall in the world. 3 km from the Pookote Lake, the natural fresh water lake, very wide and deep, is one of the rare reservoirs of water in Wayanad, surrounded on all sides by meadows and hills. It has become a favourite picnic spot.

Mananthavady On the Western Ghats of Kerala, Mananthavady is to the South East of Cannanore, at a height of about 500 m. It is historically important as the last resting-place of Pazhassi Raja. He was cremated here with full military honours. The tomb of Pazhassi Raja and the park, in his memory, are reminders of this great ruler.

Nagarhole Wildlife Sanctuary

It is 40 km. from Mananthavady. There are no bus services to Nagarhole from Mananthavady. Only jeeps and trucks are available. Mananthavady has a PWD Rest House, a Forest Rest House and a Forest Inspection Bungalow. Reservation authorities are the District Collector, Wayanad and the DFO, Mananthavady. There are also mid range hotels and an Indian Coffee House here. From Cannanore, Tellicherry and Calicut there are frequent buses to Mananthavady.

Pookode Lake The natural fresh water lake is very wide and deep and is one of the rare reservoirs of water in Wayanad. Surrounded on all sides with meadows and trees, this place is a centre of solitude for profound travellers.

Sultan’s Battery
(Pronounced in Malayalam as Sul-than-Ba-the-ry) (Pronounced in Malayalam as Sul-than-Ba-the-ry)

About 98 km from Calicut and in the high ranges, is Sultan's Battery, very  near  to the borders of Karnataka. It was formerly known as Ganapathivattom. The place derives its present name from Tipu Sultan of Mysore who built a Fort here in the 18 century. The remnants of the historic Pazhassi Raja Fort can be seen at Panamaram, 29 kms. from Sultan's Battery. At Pulpally, is a cave in which Pazhassi Raja took refuge until his capture. The Mariamman Kovil is believed to have been gifted by the Raja to the local tribes as a reward for their help in his fight against the British invaders.

The  scenic beauty of the place has made it a centre of tourist attraction. The beautiful backdrop of Brahmagiri hills provides an idyllic charm to the nature around. The Vishnu Temple at Thirunelly, touched and soothed by the streams of Papanasini, provides eternal bliss to the visiting traveller. The Thirunelly Temple, sometimes called the ‘Kasi of the South’ is 32 km from Mananthavady. Believers say that the idol of the Vishnu was installed here by Brahma himself. Near the temple is the 'Papanasini river'. It is believed that this mystic river water would wash a devotees sins away.

Thirunelly