Meghamalai, Mountain range in Theni District, Tamil Nadu, India
Meghamalai is a mountain range in Theni District, Tamil Nadu, extending through the Western Ghats. Dense forests alternate with tea plantations that sit in stepped terraces along the slopes and show bright green during the rainy season.
British settlers brought tea plants to the region in the 19th century and transformed parts of the natural forest into plantation areas. Workers came from different parts of South India, and their descendants still live in small settlements along the mountain slopes today.
Local people call it Meghamalai, meaning Cloud Mountain, because mist often wraps the slopes and valleys. Several nearby villages follow traditional ways of life that adapt to the rhythm of the monsoon season and the work in the tea gardens.
Two main routes lead here: one from Theni via Chinnamanur and another from Andipatti through Kandamanayakkanur, both passing through narrow mountain roads. Some basic accommodation is available near the tea plantations, and roads can be slippery during the monsoon season.
Six dams lie scattered across this range, including Suruli Theertham, which collects water from several smaller streams. The Vaigai River begins here in Vellimalai at an elevation of roughly 1650 meters and then flows eastward across the plain.
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