Valparai

Valparai
—  hill station  —
View of a Club Ground in Valparai
Valparai Location of Valparai in Tamil Nadu and India
Coordinates	10°22′N 76°58′E / 10.37°N 76.97°E / 10.37; 76.97Coordinates: 10°22′N 76°58′E / 10.37°N 76.97°E / 10.37; 76.97
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District(s)	Coimbatore
Municipal Chairman
Population	94,962 (2001[update])
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	• 1,193 metres (3,914 ft)
Codes • Pincode • 642127 • Telephone • +04253 • Vehicle • TN 41

Valparai (Tamil: வால்பாறை) is a hill station in Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu,India. It is located 3,500 feet above sea level on the Anaimalai Hills range of the Western Ghats, at a distance of 100 km from Coimbatore and 65 km from Pollachi.There are 40 hairpin bends on the way to Valparai from Azhiyar. While major portions of the land is owned by private tea companies, large forest areas continue to be out of bounds.^[1] The Government of Tamil Nadu in collaboration with ITDC initiated Tourism promotion through infrastructure development including Resort hotels and Amusement parks to attract tourists.^[2]

Geography

Valparai is located at 10°22′N 76°58′E / 10.37°N 76.97°E / 10.37; 76.97. It has an average elevation of 1193 metres (3914 feet).^[3]

Demography

According to the Census of India 2001, the population of Valparai is about 94,962. Males making up 49% of the population and females 51%. Valparai has an average literacy rate of 72%, higher than the national average of 59.5%.^[4]

History

Earliest records of this area are from the year 1846 when Ramasamy Mudaliyar started coffee plantation here. In 1864 Karnatic Coffee Company began their coffee plantation here. But they could not make it profitable. Hence they sold some part of their land. In 1875, the roads and guest houses were built by soldiers for the visit of England’s Prince of Wales, the future Edward VII. Soldiers were posted here and horses and Elephants were used for this purpose. However, the visit was eventually cancelled. In 1890 W Wintil and Nordan bought a huge portion of land in Valparai from Madras State Government under the British Raj. Wintil deforested the area and planted tea and coffee. He was assisted by Carwer Marsh, an experienced planter for a salary of 250 rupees. Carwer Marsh was hardworking and built a close relationship with the local people. He was later known as The Father of Anamalais. A statue of Carwer Marsh has been erected Kavarkal Estate.^[5]

Economy

Winding ghat roads at Valparai

The economy of Valparai depends on plantation crops. Valparai has a high concentration of tea and coffee estates. Most of the people living here work in these estates. Some of the major Plantation Companies are :^[6][7]

• Tamil Nadu Tea Plantation Corporation (TNTPC)
• The Bombay Burma Trading Corporation (MUDIS Group)
• Tata Tea Estates Ltd (Tata Tea)
• Tea Estates India Ltd (TEIL)
• Woodbriar Ltd (Stanmoore Group)
• Parry Agro Ltd
• N.E.P.C Tea Ltd
• Jayshree Tea Industries Ltd (Birla Group)
• Periya Karamalai Tea Estates Ltd
• Puthuthottam Tea Estate Ltd
• Watersfalls Tea Estate Ltd

Famous Vishnu Temple

Tourism

Valparai lacks Tourism Industry infrastructure. Most of the land is used for plantations and the space for new construction is limited. Some of the tourist attractions near the town are:

Azhiyar Park

aliyar dam

This Park is situated on the banks of Azhiyar Dam and surrounded by western ghats in three sides. Near to this is Siddashram.

Monkey Falls

This waterfall is situated just after the Siddashram on the way to Valparai from Azhiyar Dam. This is also known as Chinna Kuttralam. Thousands of people visits this place every year.

Sholayar dam

This is a very deep dam located at a distance of 20 km, from Valparai.It is also the 2nd longest dam in Asia.The Ravi Lodge is a nice place to stay along the dam.

Chinnakallar

This is the second highest rain fall area in India. This area always lies greenish, misty and wet. A waterfall which sounds like a Roaring Lion also located at Chinnakallar.

Nirar dam

Dam is situated in a wonderful location covered by a dense forest. This dam is built for multipurpose project such as irrigation, Hydro electricity production. There is a waterfalls near the dam which resembles the Cascade.^[8]

Valparai General Info

When you plan your trip to Valparai do not expect it to be similar to any other hill station that you might have previously visited. Keep in mind that it is a small hill station with very little man made tourist attractions. Without any major attractions why do people flock to this destination all year around? Well the answer is simple, Nature at its Best. It’s because they are looking for something more realistic, a place with very less human interference. There are still wild streams running across this place where one can stop by and quench their thirst without the fear of any contamination. Go for a morning walk around the estates and you will instantly notice how refreshing the air can be. Experience the spiritual part of Valparai where one can visit some of the most scenic places of worship found nowhere else in the state. Drive through the rain forest and the Tea estates that have made Valparai what it is. This makes it a perfect place for people who enjoy being surrounded by nature, for wild life photographers and wild life enthusiasts, for families who are looking for a quite get away to a less populated hill station.

Wildlife

Great Hornbill on Mesua tree at Valparai

Gaur at Valparai

Valparai is a mid-elevation hill station (Ootacamund is considerably higher). The tea plantations are surrounded by evergreen forest. The region is also a rich elephant tract and is known to have many leopards.^[9]

The scenic drive to the town from Pollachi passes through the Indira Gandhi Wild Life Sanctuary noted for elephants, boars, lion-tailed macaques, gaur, spotted deer, sambar, and Giant Squirrels. The area is also rich in birds, including the great hornbill. Water bodies at Monkey falls and Aliyar Dam are also seen en route. A famous place of worship, Balaji Temple also attracts pilgrims. Valparai receives among the highest rainfall in the region during the monsoons (around June).

The Valparai range is also habitat the Nilgiri Tahr, an endemic wild goat. These mountain goats inhabit the high ranges and prefer open terrain, cliffs and grass-covered hills, a habitat largely confined to altitudes from 1200 to 2600m in the southern Western Ghats. Their territory extended far and wide all along these hills in the past, but, because of hunting and large-scale habitat destruction, they now exist only in a few isolated sites like the Anaimalai Hills.^[10]

The human-elephant conflict here is a delicate issue. The tea plantations are a hindrance to the movement of wildlife, particularly elephants who walk large distances to reach water bodies and feeding areas.^[11]

Politics

Valparai assembly constituency is a Scheduled Caste constituency and forms part of Pollachi Lok Sabha constituency.^[12]

References

1. ^ The Hindu MetroPlus dated 11 Dec'2004
2. ^ Govt of Tamil Nadu Order
3. ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Valparai
4. ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999. Retrieved 2008-11-01. 
5. ^ Valparai Heavenly Hill Station
6. ^ Valparaiinfo.com
7. ^ Valparai
8. ^ ValparaiTourism
9. ^ Dept of Forests, Govt of TN
10. ^ The Hindu:Magazine Feb 26 2006
11. ^ The Hindu:MetroPlus Aug 07 2006
12. ^ "List of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies". Tamil Nadu. Election Commission of India. http://archive.eci.gov.in/se2001/background/S22/TN_ACPC.pdf. Retrieved 2008-10-11. 

External links

• A travelogue to Valparai
• Tamil Nadu Tourism