Palani mountains
| Palani mountains | ||
|---|---|---|
 Palani Mountains near Kodaikanal |
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| Highest peak | Vandaravu ( 2553 m ) | |
| location | Tamil Nadu | |
| part of | Western Ghats | |
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| Coordinates | 10 ° 17 ' N , 77 ° 31' E | |
| surface | 2,068 km² | |
The Palani Mountains ( English Palni Hills or Palani Hills , Tamil : பழனி மலை ) are a mountain range in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu . The Palani Mountains form an eastern branch of the Western Ghats . The name of the area is derived from the temple city of Palani , which lies north of the mountain range.
geography
The Palani Mountains are located in the west of Tamil Nadu and protrude from the main ridge of the Western Ghats to the east into the surrounding lowlands. To the north of the mountains lies the Kongu Nadu region , a flat plateau; in the south-west, the mountains break off quite steeply to the Kambam valley . The Anaimalai Mountains join in the west .
The Palani Mountains extend over 70 km in an east-west direction, from north to south it is approx. 23 km; the area is over 2000 km². The highest peak is the Vandaravu (2553 m). Like other mountain ranges in the southern part of the Western Ghats, the Palani Mountains consist of Precambrian gneisses , Charnockites and schists , making them one of the oldest mountains in India. The vegetation ranges from deciduous dry forests to damp, temperate zones.
Most of the Palani Mountains are part of the Dindigul District area . The largest city in the mountains is Kodaikanal .
ecology
For many years, the Palani Mountains were an area of great biodiversity and a refuge for many species due to their relatively poor accessibility . That has changed in the last few years. The vast grassland of the plateaus was replaced by monocultures and fast-growing tree species were introduced. Another big problem is the enormous number of tourists and the rubbish they generate, especially in the area around the main town of Kodaikanal. To counteract these processes, the Palni Hills Conservation Council was founded in 1985 . There is also a proposal to designate part of the Palali Mountains as a national park or nature reserve.
