Banasura Hill
| Banasura Hill ബാണാസുര മല | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,073 m (6,801 ft)[1] |
| Coordinates | 11°41′39″N75°54′29″E/ 11.69417°N 75.90806°E |
| Geography | |
  Banasura Hill ബാണാസുര മല | |
| Parent range | Western Ghats |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hike |
Banasura Hillis situated inPadinjaratharaand it isone of the tallest mountains in the Western Ghats of theWayanad district,Kerala,India.The hill is named afterBanasura,a mythical character of Indian legends. It is one of the highest peaks exceeding 2,000m betweenNilgirisandHimalayasafterChembra Peak.
Geography
[edit]Banasura Hill has an altitude of 2,073 metres (6,801 ft) and is a part of theWestern Ghats.It is the northernmost peak higher than 2,000 metres (6,562 ft) south of the Gangetic plains in India. It lies off the state highway fromKuttiadytoMananthavady.Mananthavadywhich lies 25 km away is the closest town and the closest state transport depot. The closest National Highway isNH 766that passes throughKalpettawhich is about 37 km away.[citation needed]
Trekking routes and visitor information
[edit]One has to take a deviation at Vellamunda village and go via Pulinjal to reach the peak. About 1.5 km from Pulinjal you pass byBanasura Hill Resort,unique for its rammed-earth architecture.[2]About 500 meters beyond the resort begins a treacherous but adventurous track. Along the way there is a thunderous waterfall that locals call "Meenmutty".It is a good three-hour climb to the top of the hill. The view from there is spectacular.[citation needed]Permission from the North Wayanad Forest Division office located atMananthavadyhas to be obtained for trekking up Banasura Hill. At the foot of the hill is theBanasura Sagar Dam,the largest earth dam in India. The dam is another point from where one can start the trek up Banasura Hill.
Flora and fauna
[edit]The narrow trail that leads up to the top of the hill winds through thick tropical vegetation. Thefloraincludes some rare medicinal plants. Thefaunafound en route consist ofmonkeys,wild boars,deerandwild elephants.
Tribes and local history
[edit]There are four tribal settlements at the foot of the Banasura Hill belonging largely to theKurichiyatribe. TheKurichiyashave a martial tradition, and are experts with the bow and arrow. WhenKerala Varma Pazhassi Rajarevolted against theBritishfor imposing exorbitant tax on agricultural products, and fled to the forests of Wayanad to fight a long-drawn guerilla war against them, it was to theseKurichiyatribesmen that thePazhassi Rajaturned for support. ThePazhassi Rajaused their knowledge of the topography of the area to inflict defeats on theBritishforces. The rugged and thickly forested terrain around Banasura Hill with numerous caves, streams and watercourses formed an ideal hiding place for thePazhassi Raja.In modern days, the higher elevations are inhabited by descendants of thePazhassi Rajawho have set up an intricate system of Ziplines and swinging ropes to traverse the network of tree houses they've constructed.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"Proceedings of the Chairman, District Disaster Management Authority and the District Magistrate, Wayanad"(PDF).Collectorate, Wayanad. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 17 July 2016.Retrieved16 January2017.
- ^"Banasura.com site".
External links
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