The
name Munnar is believed to mean “three rivers”, referring to the
town’s strategic location at the confluence of the Madhurapuzha,
Nallathanni and Kundaly rivers.
The
town has shared a strong cultural link with Tamil Nadu and over 70% of
the population of the town being Tamils. The Munnar town is in
Kannan Devan Hills ( KDH ) Village in Devikulam taluk and is the
largest panchayat in the Idukki district having an area measuring
nearly 557 km².
The nearest major
railway stations are at Ernakulam and Aluva (approximately 120 km by
road). The nearest airport is Cochin International Airport, which is
140 km away.
Geography and climate
The
region in and around Munnar varies in height from 1,450 meters (4,760
ft) to 2,695 meters (8,842 ft) above mean sea level. Munnar enjoys a
salubrious climate.
The temperature ranges between 5 °C (41 °F) and 25 °C (77 °F) in winter and 15 °C (59 °F) and 25 °C (77 °F) in summer.
Temperatures
as low as −4 °C (25 °F) have been recorded in the Sevenmallay region
of Munnar.The mean maximum daily temperature is at its lowest during
the monsoon months with the highest temperature being 19 C.
Flora and fauna
Most
of the native flora and fauna of Munnar have disappeared due to severe
habitat fragmentation resultant from the creation of the plantations.
However,
some species continue to survive and thrive in several protected areas
nearby, including the new Kurinjimala Sanctuary to the east, the
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Manjampatti Valley and the Amaravati
reserve forest of Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary to the north east,
the Eravikulam National Park and Anamudi Shola National Park to the
north, the Pampadum Shola National Park to the south and the proposed
Palani Hills National Park to the east.
These
protected areas are especially known for several threatened and
endemic species including Nilgiri Thar, the Grizzled Giant Squirrel,
the Nilgiri Wood-pigeon, Elephant, the Gaur, the Nilgiri langur, the
Sambar, and the Neelakurinji.
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