Pichavaram Mangroves 2nd Largest in India

Everyone goes to Puducherry (old name Pondicherry) from Chennai. 

But very few go another 70 kms south to Pichavaram. Pichavaram? Never heard of it?

Pichavaram (also spelt as Pitchavaram) is a tiny fishing village in Tamil Nadu located between the Vellar estuary in the north and Coleroon estuary in the south. It is famous for the Mangrove Forest which is the second largest in India after Sundarbans. 

India is home to seven percent of world's mangroves spread over the Indian peninsula. See the maps below courtesy respective websites. 

How to Reach Pichavaram

Pichavaram is accessible by road from Puducherry. See the maps below. Nearest rail head is Chidambaram.

Importance of Mangroves

Mangroves prevent soil erosion, provide breeding ground for fish and other marine animals and absorb the impact of sudden surge in the water levels like cyclones and tsunami. Mangroves are important for our survival. Pichavaram mangroves are a designated Ramsar Site vide serial number 2482. See the visuals below for the importance of the mangroves.

How to Visit the Mangroves

Row boats and motor boats along with life jackets are available for visitors. For professional videography, extra fees is to be paid. However, cell phone cameras are allowed free of charge. The forest department charges a token fee of Rs 10/- per visitor.

Our Visit

We visited the mangroves at Pichavaram on 18th May 2024. Sharing below few pictures and videos of the mangroves and its surroundings taken from a moving motor boat at high noon.

The reader may get a feel of the boat ride through the mangroves in the YouTube video shot by Ghumakkad. Please bear with the engine noise as the video has not been re-processed.

You may click on the 3-min YouTube video below shot by Ghumakkad. It takes you through the narrow waterways of Pichavaram mangroves.

A short one-min YouTube video below shows you how the canopy of the boat is folded and re-erected while moving!

A short video below shows how narrow the waterways are through the mangroves. Once again, the engine noise may please ne ignored.

Pichavaram is primarily a fishing harbour. 

Sea Food at Pichavaram

Pichavaram is a haven for sea food lovers like our son Ankush. There are numerous restaurants along the road leading to the boat house. Few pictures.

Enroute to Pichavaram

We crossed Cuddalore on the way to Pichavaram. During the Tsunami, the coastal town was devastated and more than 800 people lost their lives. The old clock tower withstood the tsunami. See the picture below.

The drive from Puducherry to Pichavaram goes through many villages and railway crossings. It was fun reliving the childhood excitement of counting the rail wagons while waiting at a level crossing. See a video and few pictures.

Mangroves - Other Stories

You may browse the following stories for pictures of other mangroves in India visited by Ghumakkad:

Mangroves at Havelock Island in Andamans - The story shows how few grandparents splashed around the Havelock Island in Andamans against the backdrop of healthy mangroves. See the tall mangroves in the background in the picture below.

Walking Mangroves at Kalapathar Beach Andamans - Kalapathar beach is where you rediscover yourself. Browse the picture story which includes the 'walking mangroves' of Kalapathar in Havelock island Andamans.

Mangroves and Corals - This story shows the co-existence of mangroves and corals around the world. See the picture below where Punam Taneja a botany teacher, explains the importance of Mangroves in maintaining the ecological balance.

Hope you enjoyed the story on Mangroves which are so important for sustaining the ecological balance on our planet. Do share your feedback even if a few words!

Special thanks to our son Ankush for organising the trip and being the local foodie guide.

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/ Secunderabad/ 24th June 2024

Postscript:

24th June: From Commodore TMJ Champion. "You have brought back a flood of memories of my time at Annamalai University where I did my BE. Pichavaram is a few km from my university and I been there last in 1968."

24th June: From Capt NR Ravi. "Thanks Harsh. Lakshmi and I spent our honeymoon there in 1986. Beautiful place. We spent a lot of time studying the tide based creatures we had read about in Discovery."

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