UNESCO IDENTIFIES 39 PLACES IN WESTERN GHATS OF INDIA AS WORLD HERITAGE SITE

The Western Ghats or the Sahiyadri constitute a mountain range along the western side of India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the eight hottest hotspots of biological diversity in the world. This range runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea.

The range starts near the border of Gujarat and Maharashtra, south of the Tapti river, and runs approximately 1,600 km (990 mi) through the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala ending at Kanyakumari, at the southern tip of India. the width of western ghats is near 100km(62mi).

These hills cover 160,000 sq. km (62,000 sq mi) and form the catchment area for complex riverine drainage systems that drain almost 40% of India. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan Plateau. The average elevation is around 1,200 m (3,900 ft).

The Western Ghats extend from the Satpura Range in the north, go south past Maharashtra, Goa, through Karnataka and into Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Major gaps in the range are the Goa Gap, between the Maharashtra and Karnataka sections, and the Palghat Gap on the Tamil Nadu and Kerala border between the Nilgiri Hills and the Anaimalai Hills.

Sahyandhris

The major hill range starting from the north is the Sahyadhri (the benevolent mountains) range. This range is home to many hill stations like Matheran, Lonavala-Khandala, Mahabaleshwar, Panchgani, Amboli Ghat, Kudremukh and Kodagu. The range is called Sahyadri in northern Maharashtra, Karnataka and Sahya Parvatam in Kerala.

 

Nilgiris
The Nilgiri Hills,also known as the Nilagiri malai, are in northwestern Tamil Nadu. The Nilgiri Hills are home to the hill station Ooty. The Bili giri rangana Betta southeast of Mysore in Karnataka, meet the Shevaroys (Servarayan range) and Tirumala range farther east, linking the Western Ghats to the Eastern Ghats. In the South, the range is or Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu.

Anaimalai Hills
South of the Palghat Gap are the Anaimalai Hills, in western Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Smaller ranges are further south, including the Cardamom Hills.

In the southern part of the range is Anamudi peak 2,695 metres (8,842 ft) in Kerala the highest peak in Western Ghats. Chembra Peak 2,100 metres (6,890 ft), Banasura Peak 2,073 metres (6,801 ft), Vellarimala 2,200 metres (7,218 ft) and Agasthya mala 1,868 metres (6,129 ft) are also in Kerala. Doddabetta in the Nilgiri Hills is 2,637 metres (8,652 ft). Mullayanagiri is the highest peak in Karnataka 1,950 metres (6,398 ft). The Western Ghats in Kerala and Tamil Nadu is home to many tea and coffee plantations.

Shola Grasslands and forests in the Kudremukh National Park, Western Ghats, Karnataka.

The northern portion of the narrow coastal plain between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea is known as the Konkan Coast or simply Konkan, the central portion is called Kanara and the southern portion is called Malabar region or the Malabar Coast. The foothill region east of the Ghats in Maharashtra is known as Desh, while the eastern foothills of the central Karnataka state is known as Malenadu.[6] The largest city within the mountains is the city of Pune (Poona), in the Desh region on the eastern edge of the range. The Biligirirangan Hills lies at the confluence of the Western and Eastern Ghats.

The mountains intercept the rain-bearing westerly monsoon winds, and are consequently an area of high rainfall, particularly on their western side. The dense forests also contribute to the precipitation of the area by acting as a substrate for condensation of moist rising orographic winds from the sea, and releasing much of the moisture back into the air via transpiration, allowing it to later condense and fall again as rain. 

The area is one of the world’s ten "Hottest biodiversity hotspots" and has over 5000 species of flowering plants, 139 mammal species, 508 bird species and 179 amphibian species; it is likely that many undiscovered species live in the Western Ghats. At least 325 globally threatened species occur in the Western Ghats.

UNESCO designated following 39 places in Western Ghats as World Heritage Sites:

Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve
Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary
Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary
Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary
Kulathupuzha Range
Palode Range
Periyar Tiger Reserve
Ranni Forest Division
Konni Forest Division
Achankovil Forest Division
Srivilliputtur Wildlife Sanctuary
Tirunelveli (North) Forest Division (part)
Eravikulam National Park (and proposed extension)
Grass Hills National Park
Karian Shola National Park
Karian Shola (part of Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary)
Mankulam Range
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary
Mannavan Shola
Silent Valley National Park
New Amarambalam Reserved Forest
Mukurthi National Park
Kalikavu Range
Attapadi Reserved Forest
Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary
Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary
Talacauvery Wildlife Sanctuary
Padinalknad Reserved Forest
Kerti Reserved Forest
Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary
Kudremukh National Park
Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary
Someshwara Reserved Forest
Agumbe Reserved Forest
Balahalli Reserved ForestKas Plateau
Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary
Chandoli National Park
Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary