This amazingly beautiful national park incredibly owes it’s natural existence to nature as well as mankind. Nestling in the western ghats of the Idukki district in the southern state of Kerala, the main lake that makes up a majority of the park came into being after the construction of a dam on the river Periyar, way back in 1895. The resulting reservoir measured an area of 55 square kilometers. Although the creation of this reservoir resulted in the submerging of some of the prime forest area in the region, it also brought with it many positive points, including one of the most visually refreshing national parks in the country.
The park is at it’s picturesque best in the winter months, with the branches of the submerged trees rising out of the cold morning haze. However, the best time for animal sightings are the warmer months of summer when the animals are more concentrated around the water bodies. The park is open to visitors from October to April. Although not one of the first eight parks to be slated under the “Project Tiger” in 1972, it is now one of the 18, which do fall under it’s umbrella. It has quite a healthy population of big cats but due to the topography, it’s only the lucky few, who manage to get a sighting of one. It is possible to view some of the best wildlife across the river even without venturing out into the main park. The park covers an area of 777 square kilometers. The lake is situated at a height of 914 meters above sea level and the surrounding hills go up to 1830 meters. The human population in the area still consists of a couple of tribal sects. These are the Manans and the Ooralis. These tribal folk are some of the best guides that can be hired in the area.
