Silent Valley National Park

Silent Valley, which is situated in the northeastern portion of the Palakkad district, was only designated a national park in 1984. It was given the name "Sairandhrivanam" because legend has it that Sairandhiri, Panchali's secret identity in the Mahabharata epic, and her five husbands, the Pandavas, took refuge here while evading the Kauravas, their evil cousins. It serves as the focal point of the Western Ghats' Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, which UNESCO designated as a World Heritage Site in 2012.

The richness of the fauna is astounding, ranging from tigers, leopards, elephants, snakes, lion-tailed macaques, and Malabar giant squirrels to moths, bugs, and toads. Additionally, there are 110 species of orchids that enchant everyone who sees them, along with more than 1,000 species of flowering plants. Here, 200 species of butterflies and more than 400 species of moths have been listed. Given that 10 of the 128 species of beetles were previously unknown to mankind, they merit special attention.

Location: Mannarkkad, Kerala, India