Valparai facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Valparai
Town
Valparai
Valparai Location in Tamil Nadu
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District	Coimbatore
Government
• Type	Municipality
• Body	Valparai Municipality
Elevation	1,059 m (3,474 ft)
Population  (2011)
• Total	70,589
Languages
• Official	Tamil
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	642127
Telephone code	04253
Vehicle registration	TN 41

Valparai (also known as Poonachimalai) is a cool hill station in Tamil Nadu, India. It is located in the Coimbatore district. This town is part of the Anaimalai Hills in the Western Ghats. Valparai is about 3,474 feet (1,059 meters) above sea level. It is home to the Anamalai Tiger Reserve.

Valparai has 56 large estates, mostly for growing tea and coffee. Football is a very popular sport here. State-level competitions are held every year. The journey to Valparai from the foothills starts at Monkey Falls. This waterfall is about 38 kilometers (24 miles) away. The road to Valparai has 40 sharp turns, called hairpin bends. The town of Malakkappara in Kerala state is 27 kilometers (17 miles) from Valparai. Most of the land in Valparai is owned by private tea companies. However, large forest areas are protected and cannot be entered.

History of Valparai

The first records of this area are from 1846. That year, K. Ramasamy Mudaliyar started a coffee farm here. In 1864, the Karnatic Coffee Company also began growing coffee. But they could not make money, so they sold some of their land.

In 1875, roads and guest houses were built for a visit by England's Prince of Wales. He later became King Edward VII. Soldiers were sent to help with this, using horses and elephants. However, the visit did not happen in the end.

In 1890, two men, W. Wintil and Nordan, bought a large piece of land in Valparai. They bought it from the Madras State Government, which was under British Raj rule. Wintil cleared the forest and planted tea and coffee. Carver Marsh, an experienced planter, helped him. Valparai gets rain all year. The temperature is usually between 15°C and 25°C. In winter, it can drop to 10°C.

Geography and Climate

Valparai is located at 10°22′N 76°58′E / 10.37°N 76.97°E / 10.37; 76.97. It is a mid-level hill station. This means it is not as high as places like Ootacamund. Its average height is about 3,914 feet (1,193 meters). It is close to the border of the Kerala state.

Valparai's Weather

Valparai has a mild tropical monsoon climate. This means it has a short dry season and a long rainy season. It is one of the wettest places in Tamil Nadu.

People of Valparai

In 2011, Valparai had 70,859 people. There were 1,013 females for every 1,000 males. This is higher than India's average. About 5,007 children were under six years old. Most people in Valparai are Hindus (82.84%). There are also Christians (13.51%) and Muslims (3.47%). The town's average literacy rate was 78.47%. This means many people can read and write.

Valparai's Economy

Valparai's economy mostly relies on plantation crops. There are many tea and coffee estates here. Most people in Valparai work in these estates. The government is building hotels and parks to attract tourists.

Valparai is surrounded by many dams and power plants. The Aliyar Dam is at the foot of these mountains. The Upper Aliyar dam is near the road to Kadampaarai. In Kadampaarai, there is the Kadamparai Dam. Below this mountain is a special underground power station. Water from the dam flows down to spin turbines. Then, powerful motors pump the water back up to the dam.

Other dams include Lower Neeraar Dam and Upper Neeraar Vier. These are located near the Kerala border. The Tamil Nadu Government has a Chinchona estate and factory here. Chinchona is used to make medicine for malaria. Sholayaar Dam is on the western side, near the Kerala border. It has two power houses. Water from this dam flows into the Parambikulam Dam in Kerala. This water is then brought back to Tamil Nadu through a tunnel.

Getting Around Valparai

The Ghat Road from Pollachi

Winding roads in Valparai

Valparai is 64 kilometers (40 miles) from Pollachi. It is 110 kilometers (68 miles) from Coimbatore. The road from Pollachi to Valparai has 40 hairpin bends. It takes about two hours to drive from Pollachi on State Highway 78.

Local buses run from Valparai to Pollachi, Salem, and Coimbatore. They also go to Tiruppur, Udumalaipettai, Dharapuram, and Palani. Valparai is connected by road to Athirappilly Falls. This is 107 kilometers (66 miles) from Valparai to Chalakudi.

Wildlife in Valparai

Aliyar Dam Reservoir seen from the 14th hairpin bend

Valparai gets a lot of rain during the monsoon season, which is around June. During this time, you might see wild boar, gaurs (Indian bison), and lion-tailed macaques. The plantations in Valparai are surrounded by green forests. This area is a path for elephants and has many leopards.

The drive to Valparai from Pollachi goes through the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary. This sanctuary is home to many animals. You can find Bengal tigers, elephants, boars, lion-tailed macaques, gaur, spotted deer, sambar, and giant squirrels. The area also has many birds, like the great hornbill. You can also see seasonal birds like the grey wagtail.

The Valparai area is home to the Nilgiri tahr. This is a wild goat found only in this region. These mountain goats live in high areas. They like open land, cliffs, and grassy hills. Their home is usually between 1,200 and 2,600 meters (3,900 to 8,500 feet) high. In the past, they lived all over these hills. But because of hunting and loss of their homes, they now live in only a few places, like the Anaimalai Hills.

Elephants often move through the tea plantations. This can cause problems between humans and elephants. The plantations make it harder for elephants to reach water and food areas.

Fun Places to Visit

• Monkey Falls
• Sholayar Dam

Valparai plans to open two new places for visitors by January 2021. These will be a botanical garden and a house boat.

See also

In Spanish: Valparai para niños