Pichavaram Mangrove Forest - "Thillai Vana"

Located in Cuddalore district, an hour drive from Chidambaram, Pichavaram mangrove forests are quite hidden for the tourist eyes yet. Surprisingly, it is one of the world's largest mangrove jungles in the world. The mangroves and Killai backwaters emerge from the Vellar-Kollidam estuarine. It is spread over 1200 hectares and joins the Bay of Bengal, where it is separated by a lengthy sand bank. These mangroves are considered among the healthiest mangrove occurrences in the world. It consists of a number of islands clubbed with countless bushes and trees everywhere. Study shows that around 8 tonnes of organic plant detritus per hectare is produced by the withered mangrove leaves per year. These leaves are decomposed by the microorganisms which in turn are consumed by protozoans.

They develop the life cycle forming the source of food for several animals like crabs, worms, shrimps, small fishes which in turn form prey to more than 60 spices of larger fish living here. Apparently, the forest has more than 50 islands and countless canals of various sizes. The island is prosperous with birds like pelicans, spoonbills, herons, cormorants and snipes etc live here. September to April is considered as the best time to witness birds due to the arrival of true migrants from India and abroad. The trees here are rooted up to 10 feet in some of the places. The coastal regions along this mangrove forest experienced a mild fury of the destructive Tsunami that happened in 2004, because of these wetlands. The conditions are quite hostile, as the sea tides bring salt water in and out twice a day, changing the salinity. Hence, the trees have unique root systems to contain this fluctuation.

For the tourists, both row boats and motor boats operated by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation, take passengers through the mangrove forest daily from 9 AM to 6 PM. However, it can get very hot in the middle of the day, so it is better going in the morning or late afternoon. A trip of at least 2 hours is recommended to get the glimpse of the region. Motor boats are advisable to get the outer view of the jungle and make sure to take a rowboat if your interest is to drive into smaller canals. The nearest town for the overnight accommodation will be Chidambaram / Pondicherry. These forests are environmentally sensitive to approach and safeguard for the life line of the entire living community.