| Nilgiri Mountains | |
|---|---|
 View of Nilgiri Mountains from the north | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Doddabetta, Tamil Nadu |
| Elevation | 2,637 m (8,652 ft) |
| Listing | Ultra List of Indian states and territories by highest point |
| Coordinates | 11°22′30″N76°45′30″E / 11.375°N 76.75833°E /11.375; 76.75833 |
| Naming | |
| English translation | Blue Mountains inKannada and manyIndian languages |
| Geography | |
 | |
| Location | Karnataka,Kerala,Tamil Nadu |
| Parent range | Western GhatsEastern Ghats |
| Geology | |
| Rock age(s) | Archean Eon, 3000 to 500mya |
| Mountain type | Fault[1] |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | NH 67 orNilgiri Mountain Railway |
TheNilgiri Mountains (Tamil:[n̪iːlɐɡiɾi],English:/ˈniːlgɪri/) form a part of theWestern Ghats in northwesternTamil Nadu, southernKarnataka and easternKerala inSouth India. They are located at the trijunction of the three states and connect the Western Ghats to theEastern Ghats. The range consists of at least 24 peaks above 2,000 m (6,600 ft), withDoddabetta being the highest at 2,637 m (8,652 ft).
The word Nilgiri is derived from theSanskrit wordsnīla (blue) andgiri (mountain).[2][3][4] It is thought that the bluish flowers ofkurinji shrubs gave rise to the name.[5]
A non-consensual identification of the Nilgiris with theIraniyamuttam mentioned inTamil literature exist[citation needed].
The Nilgiri Mountains are separated from theKarnataka Plateau to the north by theMoyar River.[6]
Three national parks border portions of the Nilgiri mountains.Mudumalai National Park lies in the northern part of the range where Kerala, Karnataka, andTamil Nadu meet, covering an area of 321 km2 (124 sq mi).Mukurthi National Park lies in the southwest part of the range, in Kerala, covering an area of 78.5 km2 (30.3 sq mi), which includes intact shola-grassland mosaic, habitat for the Nilgiri tahr.Silent Valley National Park lies just to the south and contiguous with those two parks, covering an area of 89.52 km2 (34.56 sq mi).[citation needed]
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The high steppes of the Nilgiri Hills have been inhabited sinceprehistoric times, as demonstrated by a large number of artifacts unearthed by excavators. A particularly important collection from the region can be seen in theBritish Museum, including those assembled bycolonial officersJames Wilkinson Breeks, Major M. J. Walhouse andSir Walter Elliot.[7]
The first recorded use of the wordNila applied to this region can be traced back to 1117 CE. In the report of a general ofVishnuvardhana, King ofHoysalas, who in reference to his enemies, claimed to have "frightened theTodas, driven the Kongas underground, slaughtered the Poluvas, put to death the Maleyalas, terrified Chieftain Kala Nirpala, and then proceeded to offer the peak of Nila Mountain.(presumably Doddabetta or Rangaswami peak of Peranganad in East Nilgiris) toLakshmi, Goddess of Wealth.
Ahero stone (Veeragallu) with a Kannada inscription at Vazhaithottam (Bale thota) in the Nilgiri District, dated to 10th century CE, has been discovered.[8] A Kannada inscription of Hoysala kingBallala III (or his subordinate Madhava Dannayaka's son) from the 14th century CE has been discovered at the Siva (or Vishnu) temple at Nilagiri Sadarana Kote (present-day Dannayakana Kote), near the junction of Moyar and Bhavani rivers, but the temple has since been submerged by theBhavani Sagar dam.[8][9]
In 1814, as part of theGreat Trigonometrical Survey, a sub-assistant named Keys and an apprentice named McMahon ascended the hills by the Danaynkeucottah (Dannayakana Kote) Pass, penetrated into the remotest parts, made plans, and sent in reports of their discoveries. As a result of these accounts, Messrs. Whish and Kindersley, two young Madras civilians, ventured up in pursuit of some criminals taking refuge in the mountains, and proceeded to observe the interior. They soon saw and felt enough favorable climate and terrain to excite their own curiosity, and that of others.[10]
After the early 1820s, the hills were developed rapidly under theBritish Raj, because most of the land was already privately owned by British citizens. It was a popular summer and weekend getaway for the British during the colonial days. In 1827,Ooty became the officialsanatorium and the summer capital of theMadras Presidency. Many winding hill roads were built. In 1899, theNilgiri Mountain Railway was completed by influential and enterprising British citizens, with venture capital from the Madras government.[11][12]
In the 19th century, when the BritishStraits Settlement shipped Chinese convicts to be jailed in India, the Chinese men settled in the Nilgiri mountains nearNaduvattam after their release and marriedTamilParaiyan women, having mixed Chinese-Tamil children with them. They were documented byEdgar Thurston.[13]
The highest point in the Nilgiris and the southern extent of the range isDoddabetta Peak (2,637 metres (8,652 ft)),[14] 4 km east southeast ofUdhagamandalam,11°24′10″N76°44′14″E / 11.40278°N 76.73722°E /11.40278; 76.73722 (Doddabetta Peak).
Closely linked peaks in the west of Doddabetta range and nearby Udhagamandalam include:[citation needed]
Snowdon (height: (2,530 metres (8,301 ft))11°26′N76°46′E / 11.433°N 76.767°E /11.433; 76.767 (Snowdon) is the northern extent of the range. Club Hill (2,448 metres (8,031 ft))11°25′18.255″N76°41′51.9374″E / 11.42173750°N 76.697760389°E /11.42173750; 76.697760389 (Club Hill)[15] and Elk Hill (2,466 metres (8,091 ft))11°23′55″N76°42′39″E / 11.39861°N 76.71083°E /11.39861; 76.71083 (Elk Hill) are significant elevations in this range. Four peaks of the Doddabetta range in a semi-circle form the eastern side of the impressive Ooty (Udhagamandalam) Valley. From north clockwise to south, these are Club Hill, Snowdon, Doddabetta and Elk Hill.
Devashola (height: 2,261 metres (7,418 ft)), notable for itsblue gum trees, is in the south of Doddabetta range.
Kulakombai (1,707 metres (5,600 ft)) is east of the Devashola. The Bhavani Valley and the Lambton's peak range ofCoimbatore district stretch from here.
Muttunadu Betta (height: 2,323 metres (7,621 ft))11°27′N76°43′E / 11.450°N 76.717°E /11.450; 76.717 (Muttunadu Betta) is about 5 km, north northwest of Udhagamandalam. Tamrabetta (Coppery Hill) (height: 2,120 metres (6,955 ft))11°22′N76°48′E / 11.367°N 76.800°E /11.367; 76.800 (Tamrabetta) is about 8 km southeast of Udhagamandalam. Vellangiri (Silvery Hill) (2,120 metres (6,955 ft)) is 16 km west-northwest of Udhagamandalam.[16]
The highest waterfall, Kullakamby Fall, north of Kolakambai hill, has an unbroken fall of 400 ft (120 m). Nearby is the 150 ft (46 m) Halashana falls. The second highest isCatherine Falls, nearKotagiri, with a 250 ft (76 m) fall, named after the wife ofM.D. Cockburn, believed to have introduced coffee plantations to the Nilgiri Hills. The Upper and LowerPykara falls have falls of 180 ft (55 m), and 200 ft (61 m), respectively. The 170 ft (52 m)Kalhatti Falls is off the Segur Peak. The Karteri Fall, nearAruvankadu had the first power station which supplied the original Cordite Factory with electricity. Law's Fall, nearCoonoor, is interesting due to its association with the engineer Major G. C. Law who supervised building of theCoonoor Ghat road.[17]
Over 2,800 species of flowering plants, 160 species offern and fern allies, countless types of flowerless plants, mosses, fungi, algae, and land lichens are found in thesholas of the Nilgiris. No otherhill station has as many species.[18] It is also home to mammals like theBengal tiger,Indian elephant,Indian leopard,chital deer,gaur,sambar deer,dhole,golden jackal,Indian boar,Nilgiri tahr,Indian spotted chevrotain,black buck,Asian palm civet,sloth bear,four-horned antelope,Nilgiri marten,Indian crested porcupine,Malabar giant squirrel,honey badger,Indian grey mongoose,Indian pangolin,Indian fox,smooth coated otter, andpainted bat. TheIndian python,king cobra,common krait,Indian cobra,Malabar pit viper,Nilgiri keelback,Oriental garden lizard,Eryx whitakeri andmugger crocodile are reptiles found here. Primates include thelion tailed macaque,Nilgiri langur,gray langur andbonnet macaque. The birds found here areIndian peacock,Nilgiri laughing thrush,Nilgiri flycatcher,grey junglefowl,Malabar pied hornbill,Malabar parakeet,great hornbill,Nilgiri wood pigeon,Indian vulture,black-hooded oriole,grey-headed bulbul andMalabar grey hornbill. Amphibians on the list are thepurple frog, Silent valley brush frog,Malabar gliding frog,Beddomixalus and many more. It is the only place in South India to have thewhite tiger.
The dominant type of habitat istropical rainforest.Montane forests andtropical moist forests are also found here. Much of the forest habitats have been much disturbed or destroyed by extensive tea plantations, easy motor-vehicle access, extensive commercial planting and harvesting of non-nativeeucalyptus andwattle (Acacia dealbata,Acacia mearnsii) plantations, and cattle grazing.[19] The area also features one large and several smallerhydro-electric impoundments.[20]Scotch broom has become an ecologically damaginginvasive species.[21]
Threatened plants of the Nilgiris include:
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)d: Tamil-Chinese Crosses in the Nilgiris, Madras. S. S. Sarkar* (Received on 21 September 1959) During May 1959, while working on the blood groups of the Kotas of the Nilgiri Hills in the village of Kokal in Gudalur, inquiries were made regarding the present position of the Tamil-Chinese cross described by Thurston (1909). It may be recalled here that Thurston reported the above cross resulting from the union of some Chinese convicts, deported from the Straits Settlement, and local Tamil Paraiyan
Media related toNilgiri Mountains at Wikimedia CommonsTourism inThe Nilgiris | ||
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Lake and waterfalls | ||
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