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Along the whole length of the western part, at a distance of
80 to 160-km from the sea runs the great mountain wall of the Western
Ghats, a rugged chain of mountains rising from 1,220 meters at the minimum
to 2,500 meters. The 'wall' breaks for a 25-km stretch at Palghat.
From
the southern edge of this gap onwards, the hills are called "Anamalai"
(Elephant Hills). The heavily forested slopes of this range are the
sources of the Kaveri, Vaigai and Thamirabarani Rivers. The 760-kms long
Kaveri River is the lengthiest.
Anamalai
Wildlife Sanctuary
Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park (also called Anamalai
Wildlife Sanctuary) is a full-fledged visitor's centre at Top slip, at an
altitude of 740 mean sea levels having all the amenities needed for a
naturalist.
Top Slip is a picturesque locale in the Anamalai Hills with many trekking
spots and waterfalls, about 37-km from Pollachi, which is a small town
with open forest and wild life around. The grassland is thoroughly
sheltered with bamboo forest. Top Slip has an elephant farm that stands to
be the main tourist attraction of the place.
Some of the places to be visited: Monkey Falls, Aliyar, the Crocodile
Breeding Centre at Amaravati, Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and
National Park, Attakatti, Mirar, Kullipatti, Manompally, Chinnar,
Varagaliar, Manjampatty, etc.
Air: To reach Top Slip, the nearest airport is at
Coimbatore.
Rail: The nearest railway station is at Pollachi from where there
are trains to Coimbatore and
Dindigul.
Road: There are regular buses from Coimbatore
and Palani to Pollachi, which is
the nearest big town. To reach Topslip by road tourists can catch a bus or
hire a taxi from Pollachi. Divide the text into air, rail and road.
Accommodation is available at the lodges in Topslip, which must be to be booked in advance at the Wildlife Warden Office, 178 Meenkarai Road, in Pollachi. Accommodation is usually limited to only one night. Ambuli Illam at Top Slip, 2-km from the reception center, is the best place to stay and it also has a restaurant. There are several other places to stay at Pollachi also.