Western Ghats of India, India
As of July 1st, 2015, the Western Ghats of India has been dubbed as a UNESCO Heritage Site that enables it to receive international support for conservation. These mountainous ranges boast an incredible array of biodiversity coupled with a clean environment that provides a refreshing escape for tourists.
Said to be way older than the Himalayas, the Western Ghats came into being when the Deccan Plateau edges faulted and corroded over 150 million years ago. As of today, the Ghats spread out over to an area of more than 1600 km. Starting from the border of Gujarat, the mountainous range passes over to the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. At Kerala, it finally ends at the city of Kanyakumari, India’s last point of destination.
The Western Ghats is a highly special mountain range. For they have extensive biodiversity consisting of varying species of 5000 plants, 139 mammals, 508 birds, and 179 amphibians. Additionally, these mountains are also known to house over 325 species of globally threatened and rare animals, that include the likes of the lion-tailed macaque, Malabar large spotted civet, Asian elephants, tiger, Asian elephants, leopards, Black Panther, Wroughton’s free-tailed bat and the great Indian hornbill. When you become aware of such extensive biodiversity, it doesn’t come as a surprise that the Western Ghats have been termed as a biological hotspot.
As magnanimous as they are, the flora and fauna aren’t the only aspects that attract tourists from all across the country. The countless hill stations, cities, waterfalls, and lakes present across the length and breadth of the ranges play a massive role, too, in mesmerizing the tourists. The peaceful and loving atmosphere of Ooty, Matheran, Mahabaleshwar, Panchganiand Amboli Ghat, Lonavala, Khandala, Coonoor Coorg, Idukki, Munnar, Ponmudi, Wayanad bestow the Western Ghats in the form of a charming escapade to the tourists.