Nilgiri Hills

The Nilgiri Mountains form part of the Western Ghats in western Tamil Nadu of Southern India. At least 24 of the Nilgiri Mountains' peaks are above 2,000 metres (6,600 ft), the highest peak being Doddabetta, at 2,637 metres (8,652 ft).

The word Nilgiri, coming from Sanskrit neelam (blue) + giri (mountain), has been in use since at least 1117 CE. It is thought that the bluish flowers of kurinji shrubs gave rise to the name.

The Nilgiri Hills are separated from the Karnataka Plateau to the north by the Noyar River. Three national parks border portions of the Nilgiri mountains.

Mudumalai National Park lies in the northern part of the range where Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu meet, covering an area of 321 km². Mukurthi National Park lies in the southwest part of the range, in Kerala, covering an area of 78.5 km², which includes intact shola-grassland mosaic, habitat for the Nilgiri tahr. 

Silent Valley National Park lies just to the south and contiguous with those two parks, covering an area of 89.52 km². The Nilgiri Hills are part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (itself part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves.), and form a part of the protected bio-reserves in India.