Wayanad lies between north latitude 110 27’ and 150 58’ and east longitude 750 47’ and 700 27’. It is bounded on the east by Nilgiris and Mysore districts of Tamilnadu and Karnataka respectively, on the north by Coorg district of Karnataka, on the south by Malappuram district and on the west by Kozhikode and Kannur districts.
Placed on the southern tip of the Deccan plateau, its prime glory is the majestic. Western Ghats with lofty ridges interspersed with magnificent forests, tangled jungles and deep valleys. In the centre of the district, hills are lower in height, while the northern area has high hills and they give a wild and mountaneous appearance. Some of the major peaks are Vellarimala, Banasura, Brahmagiri, Chembra, and etc. ranging from 1,500mts. to 2,100 mts. height.
The eastern area is flat and open. Due to the peculiar terrain, there are east flowing and west flowing rivers. The low hills are full of plantations like tea, coffee, pepper and cardamom while the valleys have a predominance of paddy fields.
The altitude of Wayanad varies from 700 to 2,100 metres from sea level. Thehill ranges of Vythiri taluk, through which the road from Kozhikode ascends the Wayanad plateau over mind –boggling bends and ridges, are the heighest locations. From the heighest altitude of the Western Ghats on the western boarder of the district, the plateau of the Wayanad gradually slopes down eastward. Further from Mananthavady, it becomes a common plain of paddy fields with the swift flowing Kabani coursing through it.
Elsewhere, Wayanad offers a panorama of undulating hills and dales, which are converted into paddy fields. The hills, which might have been thick forests once, are now plantations of coffee, tea or cardamom. There is a lushy luxuriant green all round. On a clear day from the river bed of Kabani, Wayanad will seem to be a fairy land with the deep blue mountains juxtaposed with the less blue sky and white vagrant wads of cotton wool like clouds amidst them.
The soil of Wayanad district is mainly of the forest type. It promotes a lushy luxuriant growth of vegitation, which makes Wayanad clothed in uniform greenery. This district has 787 ha. under forests.
Quotable Quotes:
“Pride comes before a fall.” –