Periyar National Park

Periyar National Park is situated in the hills of the Western Ghats in the state of Kerala in SW India. The centre piece of Periyar National park is the 5,500-hectare Periyar lake formed by the construction of a dam on the Periyar river in 1895.The dam submerged low-lying forest whose dead tree trunks still jut out of the waters. Along the fringes of the lake are marshy areas with tall grasslands. This is one of the richest habitats of large mammals, as it provides both excellent cover and nourishment in the form of succulent shoots and grasses. Here it is possible to see large herds of Indian Elephant with relative ease as well as Nilgiri Langur near Aranya Niwas and the Liontail Macaque in higher areas.
The sanctuary is spread on the undulating hills of the western ghats surrounding this lake. Sighting of wildlife is done here from boats gliding slowly through the serene lake. Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is often called by the name of Thekkady also. Though it is a Tiger Reserve, tourists come here to view the elephants in the act of ablution and playfulness by the lake. In the lap of the mountains, the sanctuary's environ is like a canvas of many shades. The fresh air of the moist deciduous forest gives one a chance to experience the peace and serenity. The Periyar protected area lies in middle of a mountainous area of the Cardamom Hills. In western park, it is expanded in a 1200 meter high plateau, where as in north and east front it is bounded by mountain ridges over 1700 meter altitude. In year 1991, Periyar by brought under Project Elephant and later in year 2001 it was reorganized as Periyar East and Periyar West.