The Western Ghats are some of the most important landforms of the Indian subcontinent. They are a mountain range which covers an area of nearly 160 thousand square kilometer and runs in a parallel line with the western coast of the Indian peninsula. The Western Ghats also known as Sahyadri runs across the states of Kerala, Tamilnadu, Goa, Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The Western Ghat have been declared UNESCO World Heritage site. It happens to be one of the eight popular zones of biological diversity in the world. This region is also referred to as the great escarpment of India. The region has a highly diverse flora and fauna amongst which certain species are to be found in India only. As per the records of the UNESCO the Western Ghats happens to be older than the Himalayas. It has a huge geographical influence on the Indian peninsula as they have a major influence on the monsoons of the region. The Western Ghats separates the Deccan Plateau from the narrow coastal area also referred to as Konkan. The Western Ghats are rich in Wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and reserve forest and world heritage sites.
Western Ghats Facts
The eroded or the faulted edges of the Deccan Plateau have turned out to be the mountainous regions of the Western Ghats. Certain geologic evidences have suggested that the Western Ghats appeared at the breakup of the super continent of Gondwana which happened about 150 million years ago. Evidences from geophysical tents have suggested that the Western coast of the Indian subcontinent came into existence around 100 to 80 mya after it had broken away from the Madagascar. Soon after the break up the Western coast of the subcontinent must have looked like a really abrupt cliff with an elevation of 1000. Basalt happens to be the most commonly found Rock in the region which is to be found in excess in the hilly areas. You can them with a thickness of about three kilometers. You can also find other types of rocks in the area such as granite, charnockites, khondalites, crystalline limestone, iron ore etc.
Best time to visit western ghats
The Western Ghats in India can offer you green and uninterrupted beauty. These coastal regions of the Indian peninsula can offer you unprecedented lush natural greenery and a very close rendezvous with Mother Nature. As mentioned in the opening of the discussion the area is lined with several Reserve Forest, national park and wildlife sanctuaries. Hence the best time to visit the place is during the daylight hours. The time between mornings 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the evening is when you have broad daylight and you can enjoy the scenic beauty of the place to the fullest. The sunlit hours are the best time then you can enjoy the pristine beauty of the area.
Information about western ghats
The Western Ghats covers over a large area. It covers the Satpura Range in the north and then stretches up to Tamilnadu in the south covering Gujarat in the centre. It passes through the states of Goa, Maharashtra, Kerala and Karnataka. There are some major gaps in the range like the Goa gap. This gap exists between the Karnataka and the Maharashtra sections. Once again there is the Palghat gap that exists on the Kerala and tamilnadu border. The Palghat gap is to be seen between the anaimalai Hills and the Nilgiri Hills. The rain bearing monsoon wind from the west comes and collides with the Western Ghat Rises. This is exactly why the foothills of the Western Ghats receive a high rainfall especially on the Western side. This is the region where you can find lush green dense forest which is the place of receiving the orographic wind from the Arabian Sea. To the north of the Western Ghats lies the Konkan region. The foothill region of the Ghats in the state of Maharashtra is known as Desh while the foothills in the Karnataka region is known as Malenadu. In Karnataka and Maharashtra the ranges also referred to as Sahyadri. At the Nilgiri Mountains the Western Ghats made the Eastern Ghats in the north-western in of Tamilnadu.
How to Reach western ghats location
It has been mentioned that the Western Ghat covers huge an area on the Western side of the Indian peninsula. The Ghat crosses the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Kerala. This really means that you can access the desired spot from all these different states. All these different states have major cities with airports and railway stations. All you need to do is select a particular place you would want to visit in the Western Ghats and then select the airport or the Railway Station nearest to the spot. The road and highway system in this part of the nation is really quite smooth and easy. This means that you can easily reach your desired destination through private cars and higher cabs.
When we are talking about the Western Ghats it will mean a combination of several places where you can witness natural beauty and unhindered lush greenery along with several National Parks, wildlife reserves and wildlife sanctuary. For the former that is the places of sightseeing and natural beauty there are no entrance fee required for any kind of tourist. Whether you are an Indian tourist or a foreigner you can visit these places for free and can enjoy the pristine beauty of the mountainous region for no money at all. However when you are planning to visit the wildlife sanctuaries, the National Forest Reserve there will always be an entry fee or charge that will be required to enter the strictly protected areas.
Western Ghats Biodiversity
The Western Ghats as mentioned earlier stretches across the entire Western edge of the Deccan Plateau. It starts with the borders of Gujarat and ends with the last tip of Kanyakumari. This mountainous region contains as many as 39 destinations worth visiting which includes places like reserve forest, national parks, Wildlife sanctuaries, world heritage sites, several hill stations, Lakes, cities and so many other types of popular tourist destinations. The Nilgiris, the Anaimalai hill the cardamom Hills are some of the peaks and Ranges you should visit in the Western Ghats. Talking about the hill station you must visit places like Panchgani, Mahabaleshwar, Matheran, Amboli Ghat, Cocoonor, Wayanad, Coorg and Munnar. The Western Ghats are a sheer paradise for all nature lovers. It is one of the hot shot biodiversity regions of the world which contains a huge plethora of flora and fauna. Back in the year 1988 the Western Ghats ere declared as ecologically sensitive area. The mountain ranges are home to more than 139 species of mammals, five thousand pieces of plants, 508 species of birds and 179 species of amphibian.
The Western Ghats attractive and welcoming all round the year. The summer season during April to may end will offer you less comfortable weather. However if you visit the place during the month of October to February the weather will be at its best. The misty hills will surely offer you a different experience altogether. However do not plan to visit the area during the months of monsoon. The foothills and even the upper hill area often experiences quite heavy downpours and showers as a result of which you’re entire out in plan could get wasted.
Western Ghats Facts
From the earliest times in history the Western Ghats were covered in dense lush green forest these forests have provided wilderness and food for all native tribal people full stop the place happens to be naturally quite in accessible as a result of which the people from the urban plane were unable to use the land for cultivation and building up Civilization settlement. However the scenario changed consecutively after the arrival of the British soon after the beginning of the colonial Era large areas of the territory were cleared up for agricultural plantation and procurement of timber. From this time onwards the forest and the ecological balance of the Western Ghats have been quite adversely affected due to the aggressive human activities. Plantation of tea coffee and teak further intensified the process. The period between 1860 and 1950 saw some serious depletion of the natural resources and reserves of the area. It not only affect the last green forest but also the species of the animals that live in this forest.
Attractions nearby western ghats
Since the Western Ghats have passed through several states on the western borders of the Indian peninsula the number of attractions nearby to the Western Ghats happens to be quite innumerable. Attractions like popular cities of Ahmadabad, vadodara, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kerala can attract a huge volume of tourist. You can also check out other regional attractions like Shirdi Sai Baba Mandir, the Somnath Temple in Gujarat, the Ajanta and Ellora Caves, places like Khandala and Lonavala near Mumbai. No matter what places you decide to cover always assign at least two nights for every destination you select. This is how you will be able to explore the place better and have a comfortable vacation.
