The Anaimalai Hills is a range of mountains in the Western Ghats

Western Ghats

The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...

 in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...

 and Kerala

Kerala

or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 states of South India

South India

South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...

. The name "Anaimalai" derives from the Tamil

Tamil language

Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...

 word 'Ana' meaning elephant and 'Mala' meaning hill, thus Elephant Hill. The highest peak of the Anaimalai Hills is Anamudi

Anamudi

Anamudi is located in the Indian state Kerala. It is the highest peak in the Western Ghats and South India, at an elevation of , and a topographic prominence of...

, (2695 metres (8,841.9 ft)), located in the Idukki district

Idukki district

Idukki district is one among the 14 districts of Kerala state, India. The district headquarters is located at in Painavu.It is the second least populous district in Kerala, after Wayanad .-Etymology:...

 of Kerala. It is the highest peak in India, south of the Himalayas. To the north, Palghat Gap divides the Western Ghats. The lower slopes of hills now have coffee and tea plantations as well as teak

Teak

Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products. Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the...

 forests of great economic value.

The Western Ghats, Anamalai Sub-Cluster, including the Anaimalai Hills, is under consideration by the UNESCO

UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

 World Heritage Committee for selection as a World Heritage Site

World Heritage Site

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...

.

Geography

These hills are located between 10° 13' and 10° 31' N. and 76° 52' and 77° 23' E., central point: 10°22′N 77°07.5′E. They form a southern portion of the Western Ghats. Anamalai Hills are south of where the Western Ghats are broken by the Palghat Gap, which in turn is south of the Nilgiri Hills. They border the state of Kerala

Kerala

or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 on the Southwest and the Cardamom Hills

Cardamom Hills

Not to be confused with Cardamom Mountains in Cambodia. For other uses, see Cardamom The Cardamom Hills are part of the southern Western Ghats located in southeast Kerala and southwest Tamil Nadu in South India. Their name comes from the cardamom spice grown in much of the hill's cool elevation,...

 to the southeast. To the east are the Palni Hills

Palni Hills

The Palni Hills are a mountain range in Tamil Nadu state of South India. The Palni Hills are an eastward extension of the Western Ghats ranges, which run parallel to the west coast of India. The Palni Hills adjoin the high Anamalai range on the west, and extend east into the plains of Tamil Nadu,...

.

Their geological formation is metamorphic gneiss

Gneiss

Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...

, veined with felspar and quartz

Quartz

Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...

, and interspersed with reddish porphyrite

Porphyry (geology)

Porphyry is a variety of igneous rock consisting of large-grained crystals, such as feldspar or quartz, dispersed in a fine-grained feldspathic matrix or groundmass. The larger crystals are called phenocrysts...

. Twelve Major forest types are found in the area which are now fragmented by many coffee and tea plantations on the lower slopes and teak plantations higher up. Monsoon

Monsoon

Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...

 rains are heavy. Annual rainfall varies from 2,000 mm to 5,000 mm in the area.

Fauna

Anaimalai hills are known for their abundant wildlife. Eravikulam National Park

Eravikulam National Park

Eravikulam National Park is a 97 km² national park located along the Western Ghats in the Idukki district of Kerala in India, between 10º05'N - 10º20'N latitude and 77º0'E - 77º10'E longitude...

, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, , is located 18 km north of Marayoor on SH 17 in the Marayoor and Kanthalloor Panchayats of Devikulam Taluk in the Idukki district of Kerala state in South India. It is one of twelve Wildlife Sanctuaries among the Protected areas of Kerala.It is under the...

, Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary

Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary

Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary is a 285 km² Protected area in Chittur taluk in Palakkad district of Kerala state, South India. Established in 1973, it is in the Sungam range of hills between the Anaimalai Hills and Nelliampathy Hills.,, The Western Ghats, Anamalai Sub-Cluster, including all...

, Anamalais Tiger Reserve and the adjacentThe Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park

Indira Gandhi National Park

Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park is a protected area named after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who visited the park on October 7, 1961. It is often called "Topslip", a village in the northeast corner of the park which is the main visitor center. This name is derived from the local...

 in these hills are well known for elephants

Indian Elephant

The Indian Elephant is one of three recognized subspecies of the Asian elephant, and native to mainland Asia. Since 1986, Elephas maximus has been listed as endangered by IUCN as the population has declined by at least 50% over the last three generations, estimated to be 60–75 years...

. Numerous wildlife species can be seen including elephants, gaur

Gaur

The gaur , also called Indian bison, is a large bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. The species is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986 as the population decline in parts of the species' range is likely to be well over 70% over the last three generations...

, water buffalo

Wild Asian Water Buffalo

The wild water buffalo also called Asian buffalo and Asiatic buffalo is a large bovine native to Southeast Asia...

es, tigers

Bengal Tiger

The Bengal tiger is a tiger subspecies native to the Indian subcontinent that in 2010 has been classified as endangered by IUCN...

, panther

Leopard

The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...

s, sloth bear

Sloth Bear

The sloth bear , also known as the labiated bear, is a nocturnal insectivorous species of bear found wild within the Indian subcontinent. The sloth bear evolved from ancestral brown bears during the Pleistocene and shares features found in insect-eating mammals through convergent evolution...

s, pangolin

Pangolin

A pangolin , also scaly anteater or Trenggiling, is a mammal of the order Pholidota. There is only one extant family and one genus of pangolins, comprising eight species. There are also a number of extinct taxa. Pangolins have large keratin scales covering their skin and are the only mammals with...

s, Black-headed Oriole

Black-headed Oriole

The Black-headed Oriole is an African passerine.It has a very striking appearance with a bright yellow body, contrasting black head and flesh-coloured beak....

s, crocodile

Mugger Crocodile

The mugger crocodile , also called the Indian, Indus, Persian, or marsh crocodile, is found throughout the Indian subcontinent and the surrounding countries...

s, Green Pigeons

Pompadour Green Pigeon

The Pompadour Green Pigeon is a pigeon in the genus Treron. It is widespread in forests of southern and southeast Asia...

, civet cats

Civet

The family Viverridae is made up of around 30 species of medium-sized mammal, including all of the genets, the binturong, most of the civets, and the two African linsangs....

, Dhole

Dhole

The dhole is a species of canid native to South and Southeast Asia. It is the only extant member of the genus Cuon, which differs from Canis by the reduced number of molars and greater number of teats...

, Sambar

Sambar Deer

The Sambar ' is a large deer native to southern and southeast Asia. Although it primarily refers to R. unicolor, the name "Sambar" is also sometimes used to refer to the Philippine Deer and the Rusa Deer...

 and 31 groups of endangered lion-tailed macaque

Lion-tailed Macaque

The lion-tailed macaque is an Old World monkey that is endemic to the Western Ghats of South India.-Physical Characteristics:...

s.,
Birds seen include Pied hornbill, Red Whiskered Bulbul and Drongo.

Hydrology

There are several rivers in the area including: the Aliayar river, Apambar River, Chinnar River

Chinnar River

The Chinnar River originates in the Annaimalai Hills below a grassy pass between the hills Kumarikal Malai and Kaladekatti Malai In Idukki District, Kerala state South India...

, Kaddambarrai river, the Neerar river, Mannambhally, Pambar River

Pambar River

The Pambar River originates in the Anaimudi Hills in Idukki District of Kerala state in South India.-Route:It traverses Turner’s Valley in Eravikulam National Park and flows into the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary through the Taliar Valley between Kanthalloor and Marayoor Villages and eastwards through...

 and Parambikulam River

Parambikulam River

Parambikulam River, one of four tributaries of the Chalakkudi River, originates in the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu, India.The Parambikulam Dam has been constructed across the river at Anamalai, located in the Western Ghats of Kerala. This dam ranks number one in India as well as in the top...

.
There are several large dams are in the area including: Aliayar Dam, Amaravathi Dam

Amaravathi Dam

Amaravathi Dam at Amaravathinagar, 25 km south on NH 17 from Udumalpet, is located in Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, India. The 9.31 km², 33.53 m deep Amaravathi Reservoir was created by this steep dam. It was built primarily for irrigation and flood...

, Kaddambarrai dam, Neerar Dam, Sholayar Dam (one of the biggest of its kind in Asia), Mannambhally Dam, and the largest capacity dam in India, the Parambikulam Dam

Parambikulam Dam

Parambikulam Dam is an embankment dam on the Parambikulam River,Parambikulam located in the Palakkad district in the Western Ghats of Kerala, India, ranks number one in India as well as in the top ten embankment dams in the world in volume capacity in the year 2000.Per the agreement with Tamil...

.

Visitor information

The Anaimalai hills are a trekking destination in the Western Ghats. The best time to visit this place is during November to mid May. SH-17 passes through the Anaimalai Hills, between Udumalapet

Udumalaipettai

Udumalai also known as Udumalpet is a town and a municipality in Tirupur district, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Poor Man's Ooty, as it is called, the Udumalpet town is one of the famous summer resorts of Tamil Nadu, surrounded by Mountains on three sides.Its name in the ancient days was "UDUMALAI"...

 and Munnar

Munnar

Munnar is one of the most popular hill station in Kerala and in southern India. Munnar is located on the Western Ghats, situated in the Idukki district....

. The nearest railway station is in the nearest town, Udumalapet. The nearest International Airport is in Coimbatore

Coimbatore

Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....

.

Further reading

1. Anamalais, the 'elephant mountains' Chapter One, Field Days: A Naturalist's Journey Through South and Southeast Asia By A. J. T. Johnsingh Contributor A. J. T. Johnsingh Published by Orient Blackswan, 2006 ISBN 81-7371-552-1, 9788173715525 339 pages
2. British Library, India Office WD567, Hamilton, Douglas
   Douglas Hamilton
   General Douglas Hamilton was a British Indian Army officer, gazetted to the 21st Regiment of the Madras Native Infantry from 1837 to 1871. He was a well known surveyor of the early British hill stations in South India and a famous sportsman, shikari, big-game hunter and trophy collector. He was an...
   
   (1818–1892); Album of 17 drawings of views in the Anaimalai Hills (Cochin and Madras), pen-and-ink, 1863, European school| British school
3. British Library, India Office WD568, Hamilton, Douglas (1818–1892); Album of 15 drawings of views in the Anaimalai Hills (Cochin and Madras), pen-and-ink, 1863, European school| British school