Periyar extends around the banks of a huge artificial lake that was created by the damming of the Periyar River in 1895. It has 780 square kilometers (485 square miles) of dense hilly forest, with 350 square kilometers (220 square miles) of this being core park land.
Periyar is one of the most popular national parks in southern India, but these days this is more for its tranquil feel than sightings of wildlife, which many people complain can be few and far between at times.
