CleanupBot II: Removed empty portal template using script

2023-08-14T11:44:07Z

Removed empty portal template using script

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:14, 14 August 2023
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	==See also==		==See also==
	~~{{Portal\|India}}~~
	* [[Bisonvalley]]		* [[Bisonvalley]]
	* [[Kolukkumalai]]		* [[Kolukkumalai]]

CleanupBot: /* top */robot: remove incorrect protection templates

2022-01-30T11:10:29Z

top: robot: remove incorrect protection templates

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:40, 30 January 2022
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	{{About\|\|the 2009 film\|Munnar (film)}}		{{About\|\|the 2009 film\|Munnar (film)}}
	~~{{pp-semi-indef}}~~
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=July 2014}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=July 2014}}
	{{Infobox settlement		{{Infobox settlement

imported>Boschanot: Fixed wrong info

2021-08-16T17:22:53Z

Fixed wrong info

New page

{{About||the 2009 film|Munnar (film)}}
{{pp-semi-indef}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Munnar
| other_name =
| settlement_type = [[Hill station]]
| image_skyline = Munnar hillstation kerala.jpg
| image_alt =
| image_caption = A view of Munnar
| nickname =The Kashmir of South India
| map_alt =
| map_caption =
| pushpin_map = India Kerala#India
| pushpin_label_position = left
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption =
| coordinates = {{coord|10|05|21|N|77|03|35|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = India
| subdivision_type1 = [[States and territories of India|State]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Kerala]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[List of districts of India|District]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Idukki District|Idukki]]
| subdivision_type3 = [[Talukas of Kerala|Taluk]]
| subdivision_name3 = [[Devikulam taluk|Devikulam]]
| established_title = Established
| established_date =
| founder =
| named_for = Tea plantations, cool climate
| government_type = [[Gram Panchayat|Grama Panchayat]]
| governing_body = Munnar grama panchayath
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_footnotes =
| area_rank =
| area_total_km2 = 187
| elevation_footnotes = <ref>[http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/13/Munnar.html Munnar - Fallingrain]</ref>
| elevation_m = 1532
| population_total = 32,029
| population_as_of = 2011
| population_rank =
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_metro =
| population_metro_footnotes =
| population_demonym =
| population_footnotes =
| demographics_type1 = Languages
| demographics1_title1 = Official
| demographics1_info1 = [[Malayalam language|Malayalam]], English<ref>{{cite web |title=The Kerala Official Language (Legislation) Act, 1969 |url=http://www.lawsofindia.org/pdf/kerala/1969/1969KERALA7.pdf}}</ref>
| timezone1 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1 = +5:30

| postal_code_type = [[Postal Index Number|PIN]]
| postal_code = 685612
| area_code_type = Telephone code
| area_code = 04865
| registration_plate = [[List of RTO districts in India#KL—Kerala|KL]]-68, [[List of RTO districts in India#KL—Kerala|KL]]-06
| blank1_name_sec1 = [[Literacy]]
| blank1_info_sec1 = 84.9%
| website = {{URL|keralatourism.org/destination}}
| footnotes =
}}
{{Attractions near Munnar}}

'''Munnar''', {{IPA-ml|muːn̪ːɐːr|IPA}}, is a [[town]] and [[hill station]] on [[Western Ghats]] mountain ranges located in the [[Idukki district]] of the southwestern [[States and union territories of India|Indian state]] of [[Kerala]]. Munnar is situated at around {{convert|1600|m}} above [[mean sea level]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.keralatourism.org/destination/destination.php?id=306 |title=Munnar - the Hill Station of Kerala in Idukki {{!}} Kerala Tourism |access-date=21 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140118183559/http://www.keralatourism.org/destination/destination.php?id=306 |archive-date=18 January 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> in the [[Western Ghats]] mountain range. Munnar is also called the "[[Kashmir]] of South India" and is a popular [[honeymoon]] destination.

==Etymology==
The name Munnar is believed to mean "three rivers",<ref>[http://www.munnarweb.com/munnar-history.html Munnar History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205234035/http://www.munnarweb.com/munnar-history.html|date=5 February 2012}}</ref> referring to its location at the confluence of the [[Muthirapuzha River|Mudhirapuzha]], Nallathanni and [[Kundali River, Kerala |Kundali]] rivers.<ref>{{cite web|title=Munnar|url=http://www.keralatourism.org/destination/destination.php?id=306|access-date=21 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140118183559/http://www.keralatourism.org/destination/destination.php?id=306|archive-date=18 January 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Sunrise at Munnar,Kerala.jpg|left|thumbnail|Sunrise at Munnar]]
[[File:Munnar Top station.jpg|thumbnail|[[Tea]] plantation at Munnar]]
The region has been inhabited by hunter-gatherer tribals like the [[Malayarayan]] and [[Muthuvan]] for thousands of years.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=How the original inhabitants of Idukki were systematically displaced and deceived|url=https://www.onmanorama.com/districts/idukki/2018/02/28/original-inhabitants-idukki-displaced-deceived-tribals.html|access-date=2021-01-28|website=OnManorama}}</ref> Tradition states that Colonel Arthur Wellesley, later the Duke of Wellington, was the first British person to pass through Munnar during Tippu Sultan's campaign in Travancore, but this is unsubstantiated. The first survey of the terrain was undertaken by Benjamin Swayne Ward in 1816–1817, who followed the Periyar into the Western Ghats and established a camp at the confluence of three rivers, from which the name of Munnar is derived.<ref>{{Cite book|title=A Planting Century 1893-1993|last=S|first=Muthiah|publisher=-West Pvt Ltd., 62-A Ormes Road, Kilpauk, Madras-600010|year=1993|isbn=81-85938-04-0|location=Madras}}</ref>

It was to be nearly 50 years later that [[Sir Charles Trevelyan, 1st Baronet|Sir Charles Trevelyan]], Governor of Madras, instructed Col. Douglas Hamilton to explore the hill country in the western part of the Madras Presidency, requesting special advice on the feasibility of establishing sanatoria for the British in the South and of developing revenue- earning projects without endangering the environment, as had happened in Ceylon where coffee had destroyed not only the rain forest but also paddy cultivation in the north-central rice bowl of ancient Ceylon. Hamilton climbed throughout the Ghats in Munnar region. 15 years later, John Daniel Munro noted that much of Munnar's land was suitable for coffee plantations. Munro, Henry Turn and his half-brother AW Turner obtained ownership of the Cardamom Hills from the Raja of Travancore and began clearing forest around Devikulam in 1879. Soon many other Europeans began establishing tea plantations in the area throughout the 1880s. Early plantations had few facilities and were mainly huts of straw. Most labourers on the tea estates were Dalits from present-day Tamil Nadu.<ref name="Vignessh">{{Cite web|last=Vignessh|date=2020-08-13|title=The 'no land's men' in Munnar's tea estates|url=https://thefederal.com/news/the-no-lands-men-in-munnars-tea-estates-2/|access-date=2021-01-28|website=The Federal|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

Eventually roads were opened to the lowlands and in [[Bodinayakkanur]] in western Madras Presidency, planters got provisions from a local headman - Suppan Chetty. He and his son, Alaganan Chetty (later an MLA) would continue providing supplies to the tea estates in the region. By 1894, 26 estates were established in the hills but all were facing losses. In 1897, a separate company, Kannan Devan Hills Corporation (KDHC) was registered to operate the tea estates which was later taken over by the American Direct Tea Trading Company Ltd., who owned 26 estates, most with coffee and some with [[cinchona]], almost all in the area except for a few in the lower areas.

In 1900, a ropeway was built and eventually monorails were installed for easier transport of goods to the plains. In 1901, P. R. Buchanan took over as General Manager and began the most extensive clearing of jungles for plantations. In 1908, construction started on a new railway which opened in 1909. By 1911, around 16,000 acres of the region was under cultivation.

In 1924, a flood swept through Munnar, damaged the road and destroyed the rail track. In its place it was decided to create a ropeway to transport tea. In 1930, this in turn was replaced by a modern road that made transport much easier. By 1952, almost 28,000 acres of land was under cultivation. After Independence, Indian planters took over. In 1964, the KDHC which owned most tea estates was acquired by [[Tata Group|Tata]] and Finlay who started the first instant tea factory in the country. In 1971, the Kerala government wanted to reforest all land in the hills not used for plantations. However negotiations that followed resulted in Tata keeping most of the land, leaving it with 57,000 acres.

To this day, most tea estate labourers are landless. In the early 2000s, the [[Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi]], a Dalit outfit from Tamil Nadu, started demanding land for the labourers, started making inroads into Kerala. In 2009, [[V. S. Achuthanandan|VS Achuthanandan]] promised his support for providing land to the mainly Tamil Dalit estate labourers. However, the process became very slow and as of 2018, most families still hand no land.<ref name="Vignessh"/>

The former Kunda Valley Railway in Munnar was destroyed by a flood in 1924, but tourism officials are considering reconstructing the railway line to attract tourists.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/munnar-may-soon-get-train-service-nearly-a-century-after-the-great-flood-of-99-washed-away-kerala-s-first-railway-line-369776.html|title=Munnar May Soon Get Train Service, Nearly A Century After The 'Great Flood Of 99' Destroyed It|date=2019-06-24|website=indiatimes.com|language=en|access-date=2019-06-24}}</ref>

==Location==
Geographic coordinates of Munnar is [[Geographic coordinate system|10°05′21″N 77°03′35″E]]. Munnar town is situated on the Kannan Devan Hills village in [[Devikulam]] taluk and is the largest panchayat in the Idukki district covering an area of nearly {{convert|557|km2}}.{{citation needed|date=July 2012}}

===Road===
[[File:Munnar K.S.R.T.C Stand - മൂന്നാർ കെ.എസ്.ആർ.ടി.സി ബസ് സ്റ്റാൻഡ് 02.JPG|thumb|Munnar KSRTC bus stand]]
Munnar is well connected by both National highways, state highways and rural roads. The town lies in the [[Kochi]] - [[Dhanushkodi]] National highway (N.H 49), about {{cvt|130|km|mi}} from Cochin, {{cvt|31|km|mi}} from [[Adimali]], {{cvt|85|km|mi}} from Udumalpettu in [[Tamil Nadu]] and {{cvt|60|km|mi}} from [[Neriyamangalam]].

Distance from major cities
* from Kochi - Ernakulam - 150 km

===Railway===
The nearest major railway stations are at [[Ernakulam]] and [[Aluva]] (approximately {{convert|140|km|mi}} by road). The Nearest Functioning Railway station is at [[Udumalaipettai]].

===Airport===
The nearest airport is [[Cochin International Airport]], which is {{convert|110|km|mi}} away. The [[Coimbatore]] and [[Madurai]] airports is {{nowrap|{{convert|165|km}}}} from Munnar.

==Administration==
The panchayath of Munnar formed in 1961 January 24 is divided into 21 wards for administrative convenience. [[Coimbatore]] district lies in the north, Pallivasal in south, [[Devikulam]] and [[Marayoor]] in east and [[Mankulam (Kerala)|Mankulam]], [[Kuttampuzha]] panchayaths in the west.

==Demographics==
As of 2011 Indian [[census]], Munnar Grama Panchayat had total population of 32,039 where 16,061 are males and 15,968 are females with 7,968 families residing in it. Population of children in age group of 0-6 was 2,916 (9.1% of total population) which constitutes 1,478 males and 1,438 females. Munnar panchayat had overall literacy of 84.85% lower compared to Kerala state average of 94.00%. Male literacy stands at 91.05% and Female literacy was 78.64%.<ref>https://censusindia.gov.in › 3...PDF
Web results
Idukki - DISTRICT CENSUS HANDBOOK(ref page nos:92,93)</ref>

==Flora and fauna==
[[File:The slopes of nature.jpg|thumb|Tea plantations at Munnar]]
Most of the native flora and fauna of Munnar have disappeared due to severe [[habitat fragmentation]] resultant from the creation of the plantations. However, some species continue to survive and thrive in several [[Protected areas of Kerala|protected areas]] nearby, including the new [[Kurinjimala Sanctuary]] to the east, the [[Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Manjampatti Valley]] and the Amaravati reserve forest of [[Indira Gandhi National Park|Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary]] to the north east, the [[Eravikulam National Park]] and [[Anamudi Shola National Park]] to the north, the [[Pampadum Shola National Park]] to the south and the proposed [[Palani Hills National Park]] to the east.

==Endemic species==
[[File:Varayadu.JPG|thumb|A [[Nilgiri tahr]] at Rajamalai near Munnar]]
These protected areas are especially known for several [[threatened]] and [[Endemism|endemic]] species including [[Nilgiri Thar]], the [[grizzled giant squirrel]], the [[Nilgiri wood-pigeon]], [[Indian elephant|elephant]], the [[gaur]], the [[Nilgiri langur]], the [[Sambar (deer)|sambar]], and the [[neelakurinji]] (that blossoms only once in twelve years).
<ref>{{cite news |title=Government of Kerala, Forest and Wildlife Department, Notification No. 36/2006 F&WLD |date=6 October 2006 |access-date=2007-12-05 |url=http://kurinji.in/sro.html |work=Kerala Gazette |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071230112312/http://kurinji.in/sro.html |archive-date=30 December 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Mathew |last=Roy |date=25 September 2006 |title=Proposal for Kurinjimala sanctuary awaits Cabinet nod |access-date=2007-12-05 |url=http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/25/stories/2006092510910400.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001045106/http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/25/stories/2006092510910400.htm|url-status=dead|work=[[The Hindu]] |archive-date=1 October 2007}}</ref>

==Land ownership==
There has been action to address the problems of property takeovers by the [[land mafia]] that have, according to successive governments, plagued the area. In 2011, the government estimated that 20,000 hectares of land had been illegally appropriated and launched a campaign of evictions that had first been mooted in 2007.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.tehelka.com/story_main50.asp?filename=WS120711kerala.asp |date=12 July 2011 |title=Kerala government launches eviction drive in Munnar |first=Jeemon |last=Jacob |access-date=2014-07-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120827093815/http://www.tehelka.com/story_main50.asp?filename=WS120711kerala.asp |archive-date=27 August 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Geography and climate==
The region in and around Munnar varies in height from {{convert|1450|m|ft|sp=us}} to {{convert|2695|m|ft|sp=us}} above [[mean sea level]]. The temperature ranges between {{convert|5|°C|°F}} and {{convert|25|°C|°F}} in winter and {{convert|15|°C|°F}} and {{convert|25|°C|°F}} in summer.<ref>{{cite web|title=Eravikulam National Park, Munnar, Kerala, India, the home of Nilgiri Tahr|url=http://eravikulam.org/managementplan.htm Eravikulam|publisher=Eravikulam National Park|access-date=2013-08-28|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060512070354/http://www.eravikulam.org/managementplan.htm|archive-date=12 May 2006|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Temperatures as low as {{convert|-4|°C|°F}} have been recorded in the Sevenmallay region of Munnar.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20040313020140/http://www.hindu.com/2003/12/17/stories/2003121707061600.htm Frost hits plantations in Munnar]{{failed verification|date=August 2013}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=August 2013}}

[[Köppen-Geiger climate classification system]] classifies it as [[subtropical highland climate|subtropical highland]] (Cwb).<ref name="Climate-Data.org">{{cite web|title=Climate: Munnar — Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table|url=http://en.climate-data.org/location/34154/|publisher=Climate-Data.org|access-date=2013-08-28}}</ref>

{{Weather box
|location= Munnar
|metric first= yes
|single line= yes

|Jan high C=22.4
|Feb high C=23.7
|Mar high C=25.3
|Apr high C=25.6
|May high C=25.6
|Jun high C=23.7
|Jul high C=22.4
|Aug high C=22.8
|Sep high C=23.2
|Oct high C=22.7
|Nov high C=21.8
|Dec high C=21.9

|Jan mean C=17.6
|Feb mean C=18.7
|Mar mean C=20.2
|Apr mean C=21
|May mean C=21.4
|Jun mean C=20.3
|Jul mean C=19.3
|Aug mean C=19.5
|Sep mean C=19.6
|Oct mean C=19.2
|Nov mean C=18.3
|Dec mean C=17.7

|Jan low C=12.9
|Feb low C=13.7
|Mar low C=15.1
|Apr low C=16.5
|May low C=17.3
|Jun low C=16.9
|Jul low C=16.3
|Aug low C=16.3
|Sep low C=16
|Oct low C=15.7
|Nov low C=14.8
|Dec low C=13.5

|precipitation colour=green
|Jan precipitation mm=18
|Feb precipitation mm=29
|Mar precipitation mm=47
|Apr precipitation mm=129
|May precipitation mm=189
|Jun precipitation mm=420
|Jul precipitation mm=583
|Aug precipitation mm=364
|Sep precipitation mm=210
|Oct precipitation mm=253
|Nov precipitation mm=164
|Dec precipitation mm=64

|Jan rain days= 2
|Feb rain days= 2
|Mar rain days= 3
|Apr rain days= 6
|May rain days= 8
|Jun rain days= 9
|Jul rain days= 10
|Aug rain days= 9
|Sep rain days= 10
|Oct rain days= 12
|Nov rain days= 8
|Dec rain days= 5


|Jan sun= 248
|Feb sun= 232
|Mar sun= 248
|Apr sun= 240
|May sun= 217
|Jun sun= 120
|Jul sun= 124
|Aug sun= 124
|Sep sun= 150
|Oct sun= 155
|Nov sun= 180
|Dec sun= 217

|source 1 = ''Climate-Data.org'', altitude: 1461m<ref name="Climate-Data.org"/>


|source 2 = ''Weather2Travel'' for sunshine and rainy days<ref>{{cite web|title=Munnar Climate and Weather Averages, Kerala|url=http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/india/kerala/munnar.php|publisher=Weather2Travel|access-date=2013-08-28}}</ref>

|date=January 2015}}
[[File:Hills around the tea plantations, Munnar.JPG|thumb|1150px|center|Hills around the tea plantations, Munnar]]

==See also==
{{Portal|India}}
* [[Bisonvalley]]
* [[Kolukkumalai]]
* [[Kunchithanny]]
* [[Marayur]]
* [[Mattupetty Dam]]
* [[Munnar Tea Museum]]
* [[Pallivasal]]
* [[Rajakkad]]
* [[Wayanad]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Munnar}}
{{Wikivoyage-inline}}
* [https://www.keralatourism.org/destination/munnar/202 Kerala Tourism]

{{Authority control}}
{{Tourism in Kerala}}

[[Category:Munnar| ]]
[[Category:Hill stations in Kerala]]
[[Category:Populated places in the Western Ghats]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in Idukki district]]
[[Category:Tourism in Kerala]]
[[Category:Tourism in Idukki district]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Idukki district]]

Munnar - Revision history

CleanupBot II: Removed empty portal template using script

CleanupBot: /* top */robot: remove incorrect protection templates

imported>Boschanot: Fixed wrong info