Silent Valley

The Silent Valley National Park

Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary is without any doubt the green lungs of the metro city of Cochin!

It is an incrediblybeautiful spot with a lot of greenery and fresh air! Mangalavanam is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, especially birds!Remember that such an eco-system is present amidst a bustling metro city! Hard ready to believe right? So plan your visit to Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary – the heaven of Cochin situated near the High Court of Kerala.

As mentioned earlier, Mangalavanam is famously known as the 'green lungs of Kochi' and so is its role in keeping the climate of Kochi to lower levels.The Sanctuary spreads over 2.75 hectares and has a good collection of the Mangrove Growth which in turn caters for a wide variety of migratory birds.

It is primarily a bird sanctuary focused to protect and provide refuge to birds that became homeless in the process of urbanization of Cochin!

With the fine care given by the authorities, the eco-system of Mangalavanam flourished, inviting more migratory birds and catering for more rare plants! The sanctuary today is a perfect spot for bird watchers. A survey in the year of 2006 showed that Mangalavanam had around 194 birds falling into 32 different species.

Mangalavanam also has around 17 species of butterflies – some of the only found in Kerala.

While inside the sanctuary, even during a hot summer day, one can stay cool – thanks to thepresence of variety of trees and plants that helps the sanctuary maintain a pleasant temperature.

The place has a thick growth of Mangroves of Rhizophora, Acanthus, Avicennia and many other types, Teak and many other local varieties of Forest Trees.

Of the Mangrove growths in Mangalavanam,according to the IUCN, the Acanthus Mangroves is considered to be endangered and Rhizophora Mangroves are considered as a vulnerable species.

The green lung of Cochin is also home to half-a-dozen species of Mammals. The major mammals found in Mangalavanam are the Painted Bat, House Rats, Indian flying-fox, Eurasian Otter and also the three-striped palm squirrel. There are also a couple of species of Amphibians in the marshy regions of the sanctuary joined with the Cochin Backwaters. A dozen varieties of fishes and aquatic life are also present in the life at the Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary!

The authorities of the sanctuary have managed to construct a watch tower in a spectacular spot of the sanctuary. The watch tower overlooksto a splendid sight of the sanctuary - it is a must do thing inside the sanctuary for tourists. In special days, the authorities in association with the Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department also organizes a free nature camp in Mangalavanam to attract tourists and nature lovers from all over the world!

Mangalavanam is best to be visited during the early summer months from the mid-January to early-March.The bird sanctuary is open from morning 9a.m. to evening 6 p.m. It

A place filled with huge collection of lush green forests and beautiful sights of the abundant flora and fauna – one cannot forget the memories of this magical place called the ‘Silent Valley’.

Silent Valley is often regarded as the only remaining rain forest of Kerala. Silent Valley is seen as it is today, as a paradise of wildlife, due to immense protest and actions taken by nature lovers in yesteryears. The Silent Valley was declared open in 1984 and initially had an area of only 89.52 sq.km. area under the park. Later, in 2007, an additional area of 148 sq.kmwas attached to the core of the National Park as a special buffer zone.

Silent Valley National Park is ideally located in the north eastern corner of the beautiful land of Palakkad. In the days before it was declared as a National Park, it was called as the ‘Sairanthri Vanam or Sairanthri Forest. It was considered to be the place where the Pandavas hid in the tale of Mahabharata. The place is marked as a Heritage Site by UNESCO. Silent Valley is in fact a popular spot for both nature and wildlife lovers all across the world. Centuries ago, in the ages when men didn’t reach the valley, the land of Silent Valleywith its abundant trove of tropical rainforests had an undisturbed and tranquil existence in the lap of Mother Nature.

The park has a mesmerizing silence that caters for its name. The park owes the credit for its name to the missing Cicadas.

The park is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. Some species found in the place are so rare and may have evolved many centuries before the evolution of human beings itself. It speaks that the forest might have been in existence since the beginning of the continent.

There are animals like the majestic tigers, elephants, lion-tailed macaques, leopards, snakes and even the Malabar giant squirrels to moths, bugs and toads all making the diversity of the park breath-taking.

The vegetation of the park has a magical touch of the tropical evergreen rainforests. There are more than a 1000 species of flowering plants and over100 species of orchids in Silent Valley. Many varieties of birds, butterflies, insects and moths can be found in the park.

A visit to the park will leave just about anybody speechless and they will never be able to put their feelings into appropriate words or emotions.The experience of Silent Valley is indeed something that has to be experienced with your eyes, with your ears, with your sense of smell and with all the feelings you have!

A tourist visiting to the park will find it difficult to bid bye to the place and move on. The Majestic hills, pristine rivers and beautiful valleys with its abundant flora and fauna stays like a classic painting or a dream so beautiful inside just about any human beings heart!

The heartlands of the beautiful National Park of Silent Valley has yet another peculiarity. It is a particular natured forest which changes with the change of season. That is, in Silent Valley, it is not what you see and experience in the Monsoons that you will be experiencing in the summers. It will all be changed! So, other traveller must be prepared both mentally and physically to witness the change in the sights. Summers can get a bit dry in some parts of the park as well.

The best time to visit the place from December to April, though Silent Valley can be visited year-round. But, during December to April, the weather is soothing and there are chances to witness more of the wildlife and scenic spots!

So, don’t wait next time when it’s December! Go exploring the jungles of Silent Valley! Experience the Wildlife Trekking! Get immersed in the peace of the wilderness!

The National Park is open from 8:00 a.m. till 1:00 p.m. every day and also houses various accommodation facilities inside the tiger reserve for the tourists and wildlife enthusiasts. is about 40 k.m. drive from the Cochin International Airport.