Sacred mountain · Tamil Nadu / Karnataka / Kerala tri-junction (Western Ghats)
Nilgiri Hills
नीलगिरि
Significance
Mentioned in the Ramayana as the abode where Hanuman searched for the Sanjivani herb. Home to the Toda tribe whose Mund temples preserve pre-Vedic pastoral religion. UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1986.
Pilgrim route
No formal parikrama. Sacred sites circuit: Mukurthi Peak (Toda afterlife passage) → Doddabetta → Elk Hill Murugan → Karikkiyoor rock-art (3,000 BCE).
Best season: October–May; Kurinji flowering once every 12 years (next 2030) draws lakhs
Legend
When Hanuman flew to fetch Sanjivani for Lakshmana, he could not identify the herb and lifted the entire Dronagiri peak — pieces are said to have fallen across the Nilgiris, accounting for its rare medicinal flora.
Modern access
Vehicle accessible (road / bus / cable-car)
Nearby tirthas
- mukurthi-peak
- doddabetta
- karikkiyoor-rock-art
See deep guides at /tirth.