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| • | Periyar National Park | • | Periyar Tiger Trail | • | Nature Walk | • | Bamboo Rafting | ||||
| • | Border Hiking | • | Mangala Devi Temple | • | Boat Cruise | • | Mountain Trekking | ||||
Periyar National Park |
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 Periyar National Park, is the main attraction of Thekkady. This famous wildlife sanctuary is located in the banks of artificial Periyar lake. Periyar National park is fully covered by dense forests and green grass lands. Thus, this has become the perfect locations for wildlife such as the great Indian tigers, elephants, lion tailed macaques, gaurs, deer, sambars. Thekkady offers cruise rides on lake and elephant rides as well. Trekking programs are conducted for the ancient Mangala Devi temple located in the midst of a thick forest. The total area of Periyar National Park is 777 sq out of which 360 sq km is covered by dark thick evergreen forests. |
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Periyar Tiger Trail |
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 Periyar Tiger Trail, is a unique program launched by the forest department to provide a unique opportunity for visitors to explore the wildlife deep into the forest. This program is conducted by the erstwhile poachers who are reformed themselves as saviors of forests. These people possess exceptional knowledge about the terrain and wildlife. The team comprises of 5 tourists, 5 guides and 2 forest department officials. There are two types of programs offered, such as 1 night and 2 days or 2 nights and 3 days covering a distance of around 35 km. Team members trek along the forest during the day time and stay inside the tents at nights. Food is cooked in the forest using vegetables and fruits available in the jungle. This program provides great opportunity to encounter wild animals such as giant suirrels, elephants, sambars, sometimes even tigers. |
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Nature Walk |
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 Nature Walk Thekkady offers immense potential to various adventurous activities. Nature walking programmers are arranged regularly covering various trekking routes around 4 to 5 km. Nature walk provides excellent opportunity to explore the nature in its own turf. Normally, nature walk routes pass through forests and grasslands providing unique experience of watching rare birds and other small wildlife. Nature walk programs are conducted by forest department between 7.30 to 11 am and 2.30 to 3.30 pm usually, a batch consisting of maximum five people with a well trained guide go into jungles for nature walk. As the guide is always a local inhabitant of forests, they are well versed with the jungle routes and wildlife behavior. |
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Bamboo Rafting |
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 Bamboo Rafting, is a unique program available in Thekkady. This eco friendly program takes the tourists to the thick forests on trek and then to the catchments area of the Periyar Tiger Reserve on a bamboo raft. The bamboo rafting team consists of maximum 10 tourists, 5 guides and one armed guard for protection from the wild animals. During this program the tourists have a panoramic view of the lake and forests and also are provided a rare opportunity of encountering wild animals and birds. Bamboo rafting program normally starts at 8 and ends by 5 in the evening. Lunch and tea are served during the day. |
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Border Hiking |
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 Border Hiking, is a trekking program conducted on the high terrains of the forests ranging to heights of 1000 to 1200 meters. A group of 13 people comprising of 10 tourists, 2 guides and 1 armed guard begin trekking in the morning at 8. During trekking, the guides that are reformed ex-poachers narrate their fascinating stories regarding encounter of wild lives. Their exceptional knowledge about the terrain, flora and fauna of the jungles will help the tourists to know much about the forest and wild life. In a day, maximum two border hiking groups are taken into the forest. Only people between the age of 16 and 65 are allowed to participate in border hiking. |
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Mangala Devi Temple |
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 Mangala Devi Temple,
The ancient Mangala Devi temple is perched atop a thickly wooded hill and affords a panoramic view of the scenic surroundings. The temple is located 15 km from Thekkady.
Built in the Pandian style of Kerala architecture, this quaint temple stands in the dense forest at the top of a peak 1337 m above sea level and is on the fringe of the Tamil Nadu-Kerala boundary. The 2000 year old temple is dedicated to the brave Mangaladevi or Kannagi, the protagonist of the Tamil epic Sillapadhikaram. A distraught Kannagi is said to have burnt down Madurai after her husband was wrongly accused of being a thief and killed. Prayers are conducted in this temple only once in a year on Chithra Purnima, the full moon day in the month of April-May. On this holy day, the temple hums with activity as devotees flock here in large numbers. |
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Boat Cruise |
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 Boat Cruise, facilities in the Periyar Lake are available for tourists coming to Thekkady. The Department of tourism, government of Kerala offers boating facilities in the Periyar Lake. Many hotels and resorts in Thekkady also offer boat cruise for their guests. Many of the hotels and resorts in Kerala offer holiday packages with boat cruise in the Periyar Lake also included as part of the holiday package. The ticket charges for the boat cruise in the Periyar Lake are generally rupees fifty for the lower deck and rupees hundred for the upper deck.Elephant Rides in Thekkady Many of the hotels and resorts in Thekkady make arrangements for elephant rides for guests. Elephant rides along the forests of Thekkady are a favorite with tourists and these elephant rides also form part of the holiday packages offered to guests. The forest department also offers facilities for elephant rides in Thekkady. The charges for elephant rides in Thekkady are on average rupees thirty per person for thirty minutes. |
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Mountain Trekking |
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 Mountain Trekking, Thekkady offers ample scope for mountain trekking as it is located in the high ranges and is full of mountains and valleys. Many of the famous tourist places near Thekkady are ideal for mountain trekking and many of the tourists coming to Thekkady also take part in mountain trekking. Hotels and resorts near Thekkady also offer mountain trekking facilities for the guests and these are also included in the holiday package offered to the guests. |
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