Wayanad is a rural district in Kerala India Wyanad is famous for its large amount of camping and trekking trails, breathtaking waterfalls, caves, bird watching sites, flora, fauna and an overall plethora of magnificent sights. This area has been a tourist favourite over the years. a beautiful hill station but situated at a much lower altitude than Munnar. Wayanad scores over Munnar for people who love adventure activities. The name ‘Wayanad’ is derived from ‘Vayal Naadu’ (Malayalam) which translates to ‘the land of paddy fields’ in English.
A beautiful mountainous district in the Malabar region of Kerala located on the western ghats. It is sparsely populated and rural, with most of the land area covered with forests. Wayanad is unique in that it is situated in an elevated picturesque mountainous plateau in the Western Ghats on the southern tip of the Deccan plateau with Chembra Peak 2,100m as the highest peak. The vast stretches of mist – capped mountains, green meadows of valleys, white water springs, blue water lakes and wild forests express the splendid natural beauty of Wayanad.
The district was formed on 1 November 1980 as the 12th district in Kerala by carving out areas from Kozhikode and Kannur districts. Wayanad district is bordered by Karnataka to north and north-east, TamilNadu to the south-east, Malappuram to south, Kozhikode to the south-west and Kannur to the north-west.. In the east, the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is a lush, forested region with areas of high altitude, home to animals including Asiatic elephants, tigers, leopards and egrets. In the Ambukuthi Hills to the south, Edakkal Caves contain ancient petroglyphs, some dating back to the Neolithic age.
The edicts and caves of Ambukuthi Mala and another evidence state that the place is as old as the beginning of the New Age Civilisation. The Edakkal Caves has 6000-year-old rock engravings from the Neolithic age. The recorded history of this district is available only from the 18th century. In ancient times, this land was ruled by the Rajas of the Veda tribe. Wayanad is famous for the unparalleled freedom fight against the British and martyrdom of Pazhasshi Raja with the help of the Kurichya sect of the tribal community in association with Hindus and Muslims of the Malabar region.
Kaniyambetta and Muttil Panchayaths are the centrally located Panchayaths having the best access from all corners of Wayanad when Tavinjal Panchayath is on the northeast border with Kannur district. Wayanad have the largest tribal population in Kerala with 8 scheduled tribes including Adiyan, Paniyan, Mullukkurman, Kurichyan, Vettakkuruman, Wayanad Kadar, Kattuniakkan and Thachaanadan Mooppan. Agriculture is the backbone of the economy of the district. Most of the lands in the district are use for agricultural purposes.
More than half of its population are engaged in agriculture in order to earn their livelihood is well connected by rail, road and air through Bangalore and Kozhikode. Tourism is centered around numerous places that are worth visiting including Thirunelli Temple, Puliyarmala Jain Temple, Anantnath Swami Temple, Kayakkunn Ancient Stone Temple and Kolagappara rock.
The forest of the Wayanbad are home wide variety of animals such as elephants, deer, tigers, boars, and leopards as well as a diverse population of birds, making it a birdwatchers paradise. As an area known for its pristine natural surroundings there are places like Bandipur National Park, Begur Wildlife Sanctuary, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Banasura Sagar Dam, Soochipara WaterFalls, Karalad Lake , meenmutty waterfalls , Kanthanpara WaterFalls , Kurumbalakotta hill, Chembra Peak, Neelimala View Point , and Sunrise Valley ,all these places are ideally suited for boating trekking, jeep safari, hiking, bicycle rides and more.
Tourist interested in history can visit Philately and Numismatics Museum, Wayanad Heritage Museum, and Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Museum and Library/. There are numerous resorts, hotels, and lodges that provide luxurious, mid range and budget accommodation. Generally Kerala cuisione available in restaurants is the most spicy in the state.. Visitors can shop for variety of products in shops across the district including handicraft,artfacts spices, sweets and chocolates and more. Best time to visit Wayanad is from March to September.
