ALL ABOUT ATTAPPADY - HISTORY, GEOGRAPHICAL, FOREST, RIVER, BIRDS AND ANIMALS Etc.

Attappady situated in the Palakkad district of Kerala is bordered by Nilgiri district and Coimbatore of Tamiladu on its North and east respectively and Malappuram district of Kerala on the west. On its south is the Mannarkkadu taluk of Palakkad district.

Attappady is an area classified as the first Integrated Tribal Development Block of Kerala and forms part of Mannarkkad Taluk of Palakkad District. It is situated north of Palakkad town, close to the Tamil Nadu border . This undulating hilly tract is drained by the river Bhavani and its main tributary Siruvani. It has a total area of 745sq km. spread over three Panchayats namely Agali, Pudur and Sholayur.

HISTORY

Before Independence, Attappady remained in the Madras presidency. Earlier it had been underthe domain of the Calicut Zamorin. The entire area was......view more

GEOGRAPHICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Attappady is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The Nilgiris form a complex topography, which is isolated from after high ranges. The mountains in this range are some of the oldest geological formations in South Western India.

FOREST
About 80 percent of the area of Attappady is under forest, (mostly denuded) as against 27percent in the State. About 210 sq. km are covered by revenue forests. Bamboo is a very common plant in the area. Many medicinal plants grow wild in the forest. Trees such as Teak,Rose wood, Chadachi also grow well here. BOUNDARIES: (With name of Districts around) North: Nilgiris (TN) South: Palakkad East: Coimbatore (TN) West: Malappuram Distric CULTIVATION The western slopes are under denser vegetation. Indiscriminate denudation and practice of shifting cultivation once prevalent in this tract had created patches of land sometimes under cultivation especially in the embankment of rivers and rivulets. These patches are under paddy, coconut, areacanut, tapioca, banana, ginger, turmeric, vegetables, etc. Plantation crops like coffee, cardamom, clove etc. are cultivated on the southern and western slopes. The eastern slopes are predominantly under dry land agricultural crops, which include chamai, sorghum, ragi, groundnut, sunflower etc. Both in the eastern and western slopes, wherever irrigation facilities are available, sugarcane, cotton etc. are cultivated. The western slopes carry a wide variety of forest species commonly found in other parts of Western Ghats. But the eastern slopes carry scanty vegetation, predominantly deciduous and thorny in nature.

RIVERS
Attappady's main rivers are Bhavani and Kunthi.Shiruvani, varagar and kodugarapallam are the main tributaries of Bhavani river which flows to Tamilnadu then converging with Kaveri river. Kunthi is one of the major tributaries of Bharathapuzha originating from Angindamudy of Silentvally national park.

BIRDS AND ANIMALS
Many birds and animals are living in this area. Mainly Salient valley forest area and all of this western ghats are more suitable places for its. Every year researchers identify new species of plants and birds in this untamed wilderness.

some species of birds Great Indian Hornbill,Nilgiri Wood-pigeon, Malabar Parakeet,Grey-headed Bulbul, Broad-tailed Grassbird, Rufous Babbler, White-bellied Shortwing,Long-legged Buzzard,Sispara,Red winged crested cuckoo, Malabar Pied Hornbill,Pale harrier,Wynaad Laughing Thrush, Nilgiri Laughing Thrush Black-and-orange Flycatcher, Black bulbul.

HOW TO REACH ATTAPPADY

Road  
1. Palakkad - Mannarkkad -Attappady
2. Kozhikode - Mannarkkad - Attappady
3. Coimbatore - Anakkatty - Attappady (main centre is Agali and Goolikkadavu )

Train  
Palakkad railway station is about 40 km from Mannarkkad.
Coimbatore railway station - Anakkatty - Attappady

By Air       
Coimbatore in neighboring State of Tamilnadu about 55 km from Palakkad