The name Wayanad derived from ‘Wayalnadu’
means land of paddy fields. The picturesque plateau, having the largest concentration
of tribal population in the state, was once known as Africa in Kerala. Kalpetta,
the only municipal town in the district, is district headquarters.
Tourists were late to find this unsung paradise which is Kerala's answer to
Tamilnadu's Ootty or Karnataka's Madikeri. In many fronts, the hilly-district
stands unique. In monsoon days Wayanad is soaking wet. Colonial presence in
the district in the second half of the 19 the century has transformed the district,
then a vast reserve forest, into plantations of coffee and tea. Even then, the
district is credited with 78787 hector reserve forest, the largest forest tract
in a Kerala district. Wayanad is in fact cordoned off by six districts of Kerala,
Tamilnadu and Karnataka. Several microscopic communities such as Jains and Kurichiyars
are housed in the district. The district offers much for anthropologists and
archeologists. The Kurichiyars, now a decadent group, have a great martial tradition.
They constituted the army of Pazhassi Rajah who fought against the British forces
in this part of the country. They still excel in archery. The district is the
largest producer of pepper in the country.
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