Places to Visit in Munnar
 

Who doesn’t love elephants? The mighty creatures with their giant tusks and flapping huge ears are indeed a sight. They play a great role in preserving the ecological balance and have been seen as the greatest symbol of power, memory and intelligence. From religion to tourism, elephants are an important part to the human race. One of the best parts of driving through the curvy roads of Munnar is elephant sightings.

The dense deep jungles of Munnar had a huge population of elephants. We were all amused with how the elephants started strolling through the roads all over Munnar, with the absence of humans during the lockdown. As a consequence of British rule, large parts of the forests were cut down for timber and elephants were hunted down for ivory and skin. Rest of these creatures who were deprived of their habitat started to bash into the newly built roads and disturbed human settlements. Though the government brought in initiatives to curt down destruction of forests and slaughter of these innocent beings, severe damage was already done. Now with the environmental conservation activities by the government, NGO’S and local people, the elephant population is falling into a steady rate. There are numerous spots in and near Munnar where you can enjoy the grandeur of these marvelous creatures. Mankulam, Mattupetty, Chinnar etc are well known routes for elephant sightings. If you are lucky enough, you may get a view of a herd of elephants grazing through the meadows in the lower plains. One thing to note is that elephants never attack humans without being provoked. So, even if you spot an elephant within the premises of your vehicle, never chase it, flash light to its eyes or make loud noises.

Elephants usually barge out of the woods during summer. In the months from March to May, when the scorching heat of the sun might have dried out the streams in the jungle, they come out in search of water. There is a pond called Anakulam near Munnar which is a spot where elephants drink water. You can see water bubbling up from the bottom amidst the clear pebbles .The mystery behind these phenomena has not been found out though it is guessed that some sort of streaming is taking place here. You can also spot elephants while going to Suryanelli from Munnar .If you are looking for more fun with elephants; you can visit the Carmelagiri elephant park in Munnar where you can enjoy elephant back rides. There is an elephant arrival spot, 18kilometers from Munnar on the way to Top station. As you proceed from Marayur to Udumapettu, there is a high chance for sighting elephants and other wild animals.

The biggest elephant to roam through Munnar, is referred by the locals as ‘Padayappa’, after superstar Rajnikanth. With mammothic tusks and a giant body Padayappa can be seen roaming through the streets of Munnar often. Padayappa , despite of his size, is known to be gentle .

There are only a few instances where he has destroyed human properties. Padayappa, who is very fond of fruits and cooked food is now petted by the locals here and fed.