Sirumalai Hills

A lesser-known hill station in the Eastern Ghats, 90 km from Madurai and set at 1,600 metres above sea level, Sirumalai spreads across 60,000 acres of tropical dry deciduous and semi-evergreen forest. The 18-hairpin drive up the hill is a draw in itself. Spotted deer, sloth bears, and leopards inhabit the forest, while trekking trails wind through coffee and medicinal herb plantations. The famous Sirumalai Hill Banana, used as temple prasadam at Palani, is cultivated here.