I was quite intrigued when I read about Silent Valley, a place in Kerala. I know it sounds like a place where one would engage in meditation. It is one of India's National Parks and is a place worth a visit. I would be going there during my trip to India
It became famous after a hyderoelectric project that was supposed to be built there was called off. This was in 1980 and since then the park was developed and projected as a toursit spot. It is a very nice and beautiful place.
I looked up some information about the place after reading your thread and found it very interesting. Bring an environmentalist I am interested to go there as well because it is an evergreen forest and seems to be quite undisturbed.
I agree. Silent Valley is one of the most beautiful places on earth. The climate is very pleasant throughout the year with the highest being about 73 degrees Fahrenheit and lowest about 64 degrees. I have been there twice and loved it each time.
I have been to Kerala, but not to Silent Valley. Actually when I was in Kerala, nobody told me about this place. After I was back from Kerala, a friend asked whether I wan in Silent Valley? After hearing about the place, I was very sad that I did not visit Silent Valley.
What is there to see in Silent Valley? Is it forest or is there an animal reserve that people can visit? Do people live there in villages?
This sounds really interesting, although I guess that the more people hear about it and travel there, the less peaceful and silent it might be! Joking aside, it does us good to get away to a place without cars for a while, to just soak up some of the nature vibes. I don't know much about trees and plants and animals, but there's nothing more relaxing than the chirp of insects and singing of birds. Also I suppose that as it's a big area, the chances of running into other tourists is probably fairly minimal.
I hadn't heard of Silent Valley before, so I just looked it up online - and it looks simply amazing! Just from the pictures, I felt like it would be such a calm and tranquil place. I also read that Silent Valley has the largest population of a particular type of endangered macaque, so it sounds like it's a great place for wildlife, too. I feel like it would be the perfect place to visit if you really needed to relax and recharge your batteries on vacation, since it just seems so peaceful.
Looking at pictures of Silent Valley National Park nearly made my jaws drop. What a breathtaking sight. If you're into nature trekking, Silent Valley would be the perfect place for that. I might also sit along the spring and write a story one of these days.
Hello there! Silent Valley is also known as Silent Valley National Park. It is located in the Nilgiri Hills of Mannarkkad within the Palakkad District of Kerala. It is also the core of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. It covers an area of about 234.67 acres. Locals refer to the Silent Valley as the Sairandhrivanam which means Sairandhri's Forest. In the epic Mahabharata, Sairandhri is the disguised Draupadi, serving as the maid of a queen named Sudeshna. Draupadi is the wife of the Pandavas and during her exile, that's when she disguised as Sairandhri. The Pandavas wandered into the south of Kerala until they found this valley where everything was harmonious and beautiful. This is where they stayed, at a cave near the river. Historically, it was Robert Wight who discovered the valley in 1857. The area was named as the Silent Valley because of the absence of noisy cicadas in the area. There were plans to build a hydroelectric project in the valley but many people protested against it as it can threaten the biodiversity of the region. So that project was halted and the valley was saved. There's lots to see in the national park as it's rich in flora and fauna. About 16 species of birds here are threatened, these are the following: Nilgiri wood pigeon Malabar parakeet Malabar grey hornbill White-bellied tripe Grey-headed bulbul Broad-tailed grass bird Rufous babbler Wynaad laughing thrush Nilgiri laughing thrush Nilgiri blue robin Black and rufous flycatcher Nilgiri flycatcher White-bellied blue flycatcher Crimson-backed sunbird Nilgiri pipit With mammals, there are about 34 species of them here. Some of the most famous ones are: Lion-tailed macaque Nilgiri langur Malabar giant squirrel Nilgiri tahr Tiger Leopard Indian pangolin Also, there are about 730 identified insects in the park. For the plants, about 1,000 species have been found here and about 500 species of earthworms and leeches also reside in the park. It is both actually. There's an entrance fee of Rs. 50 per head here. You can also rent a jeep or bring your car in for a fee. It's just like any other national park. Inside, you get to see dense forests and grasslands as well. The Mudugar and the Irula tribes are indigenous in the region. They live in the adjacent Attappady Reserve Forest. You can also find the Kurumbar tribes residing nearest to the park. In fact, many people from these tribes have started working for the park as forest rangers, porters and guides. I hope this helps!
