Valparai

The Telugu movie "Meghalu Cheppina Prema Katha" (2025) was filmed in Valparai.

Valparai is hill station in the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu.

Location & Geography:

  • Located at 3,474 feet (1,059 m) above sea level on the Anaimalai Hills of the Western Ghats in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu
  • Originally known as Poonachimalai
  • Close to the border with Thrissur district of Kerala state

Climate - The Wettest Place:

  • Valparai is one of the wettest places in Tamil Nadu
  • Has a mild tropical monsoon climate with a short dry season and long rainy season
  • Receives rainfall throughout the year with average annual rainfall of 3,537.9 mm (139.29 inches)
  • Receives among the highest rainfall in the region during monsoons around June

Access - The Challenging Route:

  • The route from Pollachi to Valparai consists of 40 hairpin bends
  • Takes about 2 hours to reach Valparai from Pollachi on State Highway 78
  • Located 64 km from Pollachi, 110 km from Coimbatore, and 154 km from Munnar

History:

  • Earliest records are from 1846 when K. Ramasamy Mudaliyar started a coffee plantation
  • In 1875, roads and guest houses were built by soldiers for a visit by England's Prince of Wales (the future Edward VII), but the visit was eventually cancelled
  • In 1890, W. Wintil and Nordan deforested the area and planted tea and coffee with help from planter Carver Marsh

Economy:

  • Economy largely depends on plantation crops with high concentration of tea and coffee estates
  • There are a total of 56 estates in Valparai
  • Most people living here work in these estates

Wildlife & Biodiversity:

  • Contains the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (earlier known as Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park)
  • Region is home to Bengal tigers, elephants, wild boars, lion-tailed macaques, gaur, spotted deer, sambar, giant squirrels, and great hornbills
  • Habitat for the Nilgiri tahr (endemic wild ungulate), now existing only in isolated sites due to hunting and habitat destruction
  • No animals wander around during monsoon period (June); mostly wild boar, gaurs, and lion-tail macaques can be noticed

Human-Elephant Conflict:

  • Tea plantations are a hindrance to wildlife movement, particularly elephants who walk large distances to reach water bodies and feeding areas

Infrastructure:

  • Surrounded by many dams and hydro-electric power plants including Aliyar Dam, Upper Aliyar Dam, Kadamparai Dam, Sholayar Dam, and others
  • Major attractions include Monkey Falls and Sholayar Dam

Sports & Culture:

  • The game of football is very popular in Valparai with state-level competitions held every year