The Western Ghats is the region where you can find each and every natural wonder within its boundaries. Forests, hill stations, lakes, parks, sanctuaries, gardens, farm fields, waterfalls, rivers, trekking trails, grasslands and everything a nature lover would wish for, you can savor here. The Western Ghats comprise of the mountain range running parallel to Western Coast of India along the Deccan Plateau. It starts from Gujarat through Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
Following are the major facts about the Western Ghats that will leave you awed and compel you to explore its deep corners.
#1
The Western Ghats are the range of mountains which run along the west coast of India. They cover almost four major states of India and are the second-most highest mountain ranges of India after the Himalayas and 1.25 times the length of the Alps range in Europe.
#2
The Western Ghats is a mountain range that runs along the western side of India. These Ghats are in fact older than the Himalayas.
#3
It is one of the eight hottest hotspots of biological diversity in the world.
#4
It originates near the border of Gujarat and Maharashtra, and runs through the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, finally ending at Kanyakumari.
#5
These hills cover a total area of 160,000 square km. The average elevation is about 1,200 m (3,900ft).
#6
The region is home to over 5000 species of flowering plants, 139 mammal species, 508 bird species, and 179 amphibian species. It is also reported that the Western Ghats is home to at least 84 amphibian species, 16 bird species, seven mammals, and 1,600 flowering plants which are not found elsewhere in the world.
#7
The Silent Valley National Park in Kerala, which forms part of these Ghats, is one among the last tracts of virgin tropical evergreen forest in India.
#8
In August 2011, the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) designated the entire Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA). The panel also assigned three levels of ecological sensitivity to its different regions.
#9
Strobilanthes kunthianus is locally known as Kurinji or Neelakurinji. Its flowers bloom only once in 12 years. Only the shrub is known to grow in the Shola Forests of the Western Ghats. It is light purplish blue in color. Many such species of these flowers are known to bloom in cycles of 1 to 16 years.
#10
Nurture Rare Species Like Purple Frog, Malabar civet, bronze back vine snake, and lion-tailed macaque can be found in forests of the Western Ghats.
#11
The range is known as Sahyadri in Maharashtra and Karnataka. Anaimudi (2695 m), is the highest peak of the Western Ghats, which is situated in Eravikulam National Park, Kerala. Mullayyanagiri (1,950 m) is the highest peak in Karnataka. Doddabetta (2637 m), is the highest peak of Tamil Nadu.
#12
In 2012, thirty-nine places in the Western Ghats region have been declared as World Heritage Sites by the UNESCO.
The Western Ghats is a mountain range which is mainly characterized by pleasant weather throughout the year and the presence of lush greenery that you cannot find elsewhere in South India. It starts near the town of Songadh in Gujarat to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. Hence, it is perfectly fine to call it God’s garden. It is rightly said that if you are looking to witness the magic of heavenly nature, then the Western Ghats is the destination you should visit.
Happy Exploring, Cheers!!
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