Silent Valley National Park

Silent Valley National Park is a protected tropical evergreen rainforest in Palakkad District, Kerala, with entry at Mukkali near Mannarkkad. Part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and Western Ghats World Heritage Site, it covers about 89.52 sq km. Notable for its undisturbed primary forest, endemic biodiversity including lion-tailed macaque, and its conservation history linked to the Save Silent Valley Movement.

Visitors enter only via authorized forest department jeeps from Mukkali with a guide. The visit involves a jeep safari through forest roads to Sairandhri Visitor Centre and watchtower, with views of dense evergreen forest, Kunthi River valley and surrounding hills. Visitors can see interpretation exhibits, short nature trails, bird and wildlife watching opportunities, and pristine rainforest landscape. No private vehicles are allowed beyond Mukkali and trekking is only on permitted guided routes.

Located in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, the area was proposed for a hydroelectric project in the 1970s which led to the Save Silent Valley Movement for conservation. The forest was declared a National Park on 15 November 1984 and protects one of the last remaining undisturbed tropical evergreen forests in India, later included in the Western Ghats UNESCO World Heritage Site cluster.

The forest is traditionally associated with the name Sairandhri and is home to indigenous communities including Mudugar, Irula and Kurumbar who live in buffer areas. The park is significant for ecological education, biodiversity research and conservation culture in Kerala.