Kalrayan Hills
Encyclopedia
The Kalrayan Hills are a major range of hills situated in the Eastern Ghats
of the southern India
n state of Tamil Nadu
. Along with the Pachaimalai
, Javadi
, and Shevaroy
hills, they separate the Kaveri River
basin to the south from the Palar River
basin to the north. The hills range in height from 2000 feet to 3000 feet and extend over an area of 1095 square kilometres.
The hills straddle a number of Tamil Nadu districts, extending northeast from the Salem District
. The range serves as a boundary between the Salem and Villupuram districts. The Kalrayans are divided into two sections — the northern section, referred to as the Chinna ("little") Kalrayans, and the southern section, called the Periya ("big") Kalrayans. The Chinna Kalrayans average 2700 feet in height, while the Periya Kalrayans average 4000 feet.
The range as a whole is fairly smooth, with soil well-suited for plant growth. Scrub jungles reach up to 400 metres in altitude, while deciduous forests can be found between above 800 metres. Shola
s, a type of high-altitude stunted evergreen forest, can be found growing on isolated plateaus. Though the forest stand is growing, due to "habitat uniqueness, human impacts and cultural tradition," conservation efforts are needed.
Eastern Ghats
The Eastern Ghats or Eastern Ghauts are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats run from West Bengal state in the north, through Orissa and Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south passing some parts of Karnataka. They are eroded and cut through by the...
of the southern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state of 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...
. Along with the Pachaimalai
Pachaimalai Hills
Pachaimalai, also known as the Pachais, are hills which are part of Eastern Ghats in Tamil Nadu in Trichy district. Located near . Pachai in Tamil means green. They are much greener than some of the other hills in the vicinity. VeeraRamar Dam is located in these hills on Kallar.Rivers include...
, Javadi
Javadi Hills
The Javadi Hills are a range of hills, one of the largest in the Eastern Ghats, in Vellore District, in the northern part of the state of Tamil Nadu in southeastern India. About 50 miles wide and 20 miles long, they are bisected into eastern and western sections by the Cheyyar and Agaram rivers,...
, and Shevaroy
Shevaroy Hills
Shevaroys is the anglicised name for the Servarayan which lie near the town of Salem in Tamil Nadu, India. It is a detached hill range, covering an area of 50 sq. m., with plateaus from 4000 to 5000 ft. above sea-level. They include the sanatorium and several old coffee plantations...
hills, they separate the Kaveri River
Kaveri River
The Kaveri , also spelled Cauvery in English, is a large Indian river. The origin of the river is traditionally placed at Talakaveri, Kodagu in the Western Ghats in Karnataka, flows generally south and east through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and across the southern Deccan plateau through the...
basin to the south from the Palar River
Palar River
Palar is a river of southern India. It rises in Nandi Hills, India in Kolar district of Karnataka state, and flows 93 km in Karnataka, 33 km in Andhra Pradesh and 222 km in Tamil Nadu before its confluence into the Bay of Bengal at Vayalur about 100 km south of Chennai...
basin to the north. The hills range in height from 2000 feet to 3000 feet and extend over an area of 1095 square kilometres.
The hills straddle a number of Tamil Nadu districts, extending northeast from the Salem District
Salem District
Salem District is a district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The city of Salem is the district headquarters. Other major towns in the district are Mettur, Omalur and Attur...
. The range serves as a boundary between the Salem and Villupuram districts. The Kalrayans are divided into two sections — the northern section, referred to as the Chinna ("little") Kalrayans, and the southern section, called the Periya ("big") Kalrayans. The Chinna Kalrayans average 2700 feet in height, while the Periya Kalrayans average 4000 feet.
The range as a whole is fairly smooth, with soil well-suited for plant growth. Scrub jungles reach up to 400 metres in altitude, while deciduous forests can be found between above 800 metres. Shola
Shola
Sholas are patches of stunted evergreen tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest found in valleys amid rolling grassland in the higher montane regions of South India. These patches of shola forest are found mainly in the valleys and are usually separated from one another by undulating...
s, a type of high-altitude stunted evergreen forest, can be found growing on isolated plateaus. Though the forest stand is growing, due to "habitat uniqueness, human impacts and cultural tradition," conservation efforts are needed.