Silent Valley National Park

The uncanny silence, accentuated by the missing Cicadas that earned Silent Valley its name, may cause you to feel and hear things you never expected. Before people arrived in the Silent Valley a few millennia ago, this reserve of tropical rainforests lay undisturbed and tranquil, like a perfectly concealed jewel.

Silent Valley, located in the northeast portion of Palakkad district, was designated a National Park in 1984. It was named ‘Sairandhrivanam’ because it is claimed that Sairandhiri (the secret identity assumed by Panchali in the epic Mahabharata) hid here with her five husbands, the Pandavas, while fleeing their wicked cousins, the Kauravas. The Kunthippuzha River, which supplies water to the entire forest, was named after Kunthi, the Pandavas’ mother. The Nilgiri Plateau to the north and the Mannarkkad Plains to the south protect it. It is the showpiece of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, which is part of the Western Ghats and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012.

The vegetation and wildlife present here make one wonder if this ecosystem has been around since the dawn of time. The fauna ranges from tigers, leopards, elephants, snakes, Lion-Tailed Macaques, and Malabar Giant Squirrels to moths, beetles, and toads. Along with them, there are over 1,000 types of flowering plants and 110 species of orchids that captivate everyone who sees them. Over 400 moth species and 200 butterfly species have been catalogued here. The 128 beetle species deserve special note because ten of them were previously unknown to mankind.

Many people have gone through here since then, but none have been able to articulate or define the emotions elicited by the experience these woodlands have to offer. This ultimate gift of nature, with secrets that mankind has yet to really comprehend, must be witnessed firsthand.

How to reach silent valley national park?

Nearest railway station: Palakkad, about 69 km away
Nearest airport: Coimbatore International Airport, about 85 km | Calicut International Airport, about 110 km | Cochin International Airport, about 180 km