If I had not made a plan to visit the Anamalai Tiger reserve in the State of Tamil Nadu in the month of November 2018, on the request of my colleague Ranjan Routray Chief Commissioner of Customs Trichy, certainly I would have missed to see a Heavenly place in India, in my lifetime.
What is so great about this place you may ask?
It is a plateau at a height of 3500 feet surrounded by 4 protected wildlife areas namely Indira Gandhi Wildlife sanctuary (Anamalai Tiger Reserve ), Chinar Wildlife Sanctuary, Eravikulam National Park and Parambikulam Tiger Reserve. Except the first all 3 are in Kerala.
It is the place known for the Tea Gardens on both sides of the road. It has a dam known as Sholyar and while going from Pollachi to Valparai one can not miss to see the Adiyar dam on your left. The 40 hair pin bends would keep you live and alert as each has some beauty. You may observe the Nilgiri Tahr, the endemic mountain goat on the hills near the 9th hair pin bend. If you are lucky you may see the Lion Tailed Macaque at the Puduthottam Annexe on route. I got a chance to see and shoot through camera, the Malabar Giant Squirrel on the trees on the road side.