page_title: Idukki district
section_title: Thekkady
hierarchical_section_title: Idukki district / Tourist Spots / Thekkady
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Lac Periyar, Parc national de Periyar, Kerala, Inde English: Periyar lake, Periyar National Park, Kerala, India
context_page_description: Idukki is a district in the Indian state of Kerala. It was constituted on 26 January 1972, by splitting the district of Kottayam into two parts. Its division was earlier headquartered at Kottayam city, but moved to Painavu in June 1976. Idukki district lies amid the Western Ghats of Kerala. Though it is regarded as the second-largest district in the region, it has the lowest population density among the districts of Kerala, the urban population being higher than the rural. Idukki is rich in forests and also known as the "Spice Garden of Kerala".
context_section_description: Thekkady is located close to the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, about 257 km (160 mi) from Trivandrum, 140 km from Madurai City and Madurai Airport, 145 km from Cochin International Airport, and 114 km from Kottayam railway station. The sanctuary at Thekkady is known for its dense evergreen and semi-evergreen, moist deciduous forests and savanna grass lands. It is home to herds of elephants, sambar, tigers, gaur, lion-tailed macaques and Nilgiri langurs.
  The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is spread across 777 km² (300 sq mi), of which 360 km² (140 sq mi) is thick evergreen forest. The wildlife sanctuary was declared a tiger reserve in 1978. The splendid artificial lake formed by the Mullaperiyar Dam across the Periyar River adds to the charm of the park. The greatest attractions of Periyar are the herds of wild elephants, deer, and bison that come down to drink in the lake. The sanctuary can be accessed through a trekking route, boating, or jeep safari. Thekkady is considered a haven for natural spices such as black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, nutmace, ginger, and clove.
caption: Submerged trees in Periyar National Park
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