India’s Agasthyamala Among UNESCO Sites…Finally!

 
For a long time, India has been campaigning for the recognition of the Agasthyamala among UNESCO sites. Now, their campaigning of fifteen years has paid off.

The Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve is an important piece of 3,500 square kilometre land, situated along the Western Ghats, having parts both in Tamilnadu and Kerala. The whole reserve is named after Agastya Mala, the peak of the mountain located in Trivandrum.
The recommendation to make the area a biosphere reserve came in 2001 from the former Union Minister for Environment and Forest, T. R. Balu. His plan was quite popular, since the The Agasthyamala area is well known as a sanctuary for a vast array of flora and fauna. For example, one fourth of India’s plants can be found in these forests, with many plants being endangered, rare and medicinal. One can also find spices here, like cardamom, nutmeg and plantain.

Measures were taken to preserve the area and protect it as much as possible; there are a limited number of tourists who can enter and see the beautiful waterfalls, and trekking to the Agastya Mala peak, 1,868 meters high above sea level, is only allowed in the months of January and February.
The area is so large, that it gives home to three wildlife reserves at the same time: Shendurney, Peppara, and Neyyar, with a recent addition of the Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve. The Neyyar sanctuary boasts a large Crocodile Park opened back in 1977.

Now that the recognition of India’s Agasthyamala among UNESCO’s list of sites is complete, the area can further be protected to preserve its beauty. Fun Fact: the first reserve in India to ever make it to the UNESCO Heritage Site list, was Tamilnadu’s Nilgiri Reserve. There are many more UNESCO Heritage Sites in India that deserve a mention due to their astounding beauty… something definitely worth seeing while you’re cruising around in your rickshaw!