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| Agathiyar Malai | |
|---|---|
 A view of Agastyaarkoodam from the base | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,869 m (6,132 ft) |
| Prominence | 1,510 m (4,950 ft)[1] |
| Listing | Ultra, Ribu |
| Coordinates | 8°36′58.64″N77°14′44.62″E / 8.6162889°N 77.2457278°E /8.6162889; 77.2457278 |
| Geography | |
  Agathiyar Malai Tamilnadu, India | |
| Parent range | Western Ghats |
Agasthya Mala (orAgasthiyarkoodam) is one of the peaks of theAgathiyarmalai Biosphere Reserve in theWestern Ghats that lies between the districts ofTirunelveli District ofTamilnadu andThiruvananthapuram District district ofKerala,India.[2] This peak is specifically located in theThiruvananthapuram district ofKerala, near the Tamil Nadu border. It is 1,868-metres (6,129 ft) tall.[citation needed]. The perennialThamirabarani River originates from the eastern side of the range and flows into the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. The rivers flowing westwards through the district ofThiruvananthapuram inKerala are theKaramana River and theNeyyar river.
Agastyaarkoodam is a major trekking spot in the southern end of theWestern Ghats. It is also considered as a pilgrimage spot for devotees of the Hindu sageAgastya, who is considered to be one of the sevenrishis (Saptarishi) ofHinduPuranas. In Tamil traditions, Agastya is considered as the father of theTamil language and the compiler of the first Tamil grammar calledAgattiyam or Akattiyam.[3] There is a small stone statue of Agathiyar at the top of the peak where one can offer flowers as offerings to the mystical sage considered as a “Chiranjeevi” which meansimmortal.
AgasthyamalaBiosphere Reserve is among 20 new sites added byUNESCO to itsWorld Network of Biosphere Reserves in March 2016. The International Co-ordinating Council added the new sites during a two-day meeting on 19 March 2016 in Lima, bringing the total number of biosphere reserves to 669 sites in 120 countries, including 16 transboundary sites. Thebiosphere reserve includes close to 300 rare bird species and more than 200 medicinal plants endemic to this region.[4]
Named after the sageAgastya, the official Survey of India name for the mountain isAgastya Mala (Malayalam: അഗസ്ത്യ മല, lit.Mount Agastya).
The mountain is also known asAgastyarkoodam (Malayalam: അഗസ്ത്യകൂടം, lit.the abode of Agastya) andAgastya Malai (Tamil: அகத்தியமலை, lit.Agastya Hill).
Agasthya malai is 32 km fromNeyyar Dam and 22 km fromBonacaud, nearVithura & Ponmudi. The major city and airport nearest to Agastyaarkoodam isThiruvananthapuram and itsThiruvananthapuram International Airport, around 61 km away. The nearest railway stations are Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala andAmbasamudram,Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu. The trekking path, nearly 22 km, is fromBonacaud.[citation needed]
Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve is part of theAgastyaarkoodam range. Part of the peak can be seen from the Upper Kodayar region.
Other major rivers which originate from the mountain are theKaramana River, which flows through theThiruvananthapuram district and is the major source of drinking water to the city, and theNeyyar River (also in the Thiruvananthapuram district).[citation needed]
The peak of Agastyaarkoodam[5] can be reached only by trekking up to it. Trekking[6] is allowed based on strict guidelines and is open to pilgrims during January to mid-March. Trekking passes are issued byKerala Forest Department from the district office atTrivandrum.[7][8] The trekking route starts fromBonacaud. The route "Neyyar-Agasthyakoodam" is not open to the public.
Vehicles reach only tillBonacaud which is around 50 km fromThiruvananthapuram. The trek to the peak is 20 km long fromBonacaud and requires two days. The first part of the trek can be started from the base stationBonacaud in the early morning and is 14 km through the forest to the camp. Elephants and wild bulls are in abundance in this part, especially in the evenings. The final part i.e. the 6 km long trek can be done from the camp and crossing the border entersTamil Nadu to reach the top of Agathyakoodam mountain on the second day.
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The lower elevations of this peak are known for their abundance of rare herbs and medicinal plants. Around 2,000 medicinal plants used inAyurvedic treatments are found here. Europeans, particularly those fromEngland, were the first to establish tea gardens around the base stations of the mountain atBrimore,Bonacaud, andPonmudi.
TheAgasthyamala Biosphere Reserve harbours rare flora and fauna. Tourists are permitted to the area only with permission from the forest department ofKerala. Annual trekking passes to the peak are issued from the forest department during January–February only.
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Between elevations ranging from 1000 to 1500 metres, the Manjolai area is set deep within the Western Ghats within the Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in the Tirunelveli District. Located on top of the Manimuthar Dam and the Manimuthar Water Falls, the Manjolai area has tea plantations, small settlements around the tea plantations, Upper Kodaiyar Dam, and a windy view point called Kuthiravetti.
The tea plantations and the whole of Manjolai Estates are operated by the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation Ltd on forest lands leased by the singampatti zamin. There are three tea estates in the Manjolai area — Manjolai Estate, Manimutharu Estate, and Oothu Estate. The estates are on elevations ranging between 2,300 and 4,200 feet (701 and 1,280 m). The estates, road, and the settlements in the Manjolai area are managed by the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation Ltd.
Prior to November 2018, women were forbidden to climb Agastyaarkoodam by the localKani tribe. After a court ruling which removed the prohibition, a woman, Dhanya Sanal — anIndian Information Service officer — reached the peak in 2019, becoming the first woman known to make the climb. Since the change in the law, more than 100 other women have registered for a license to make the climb.[9]
