Mal: തേക്കടി tēkkaṭi
‘Teak Forest’ Town, Kerala
From Mal: tēkku, ‘teak’ [Tectona grandis]; and kāṭu, ‘forest’, ‘jungle’.
Teak is a wood valued for its toughness and water resistance.
Thekkady is near Periyar National Park, a wildlife sanctuary with dense forest and grasslands covering nearly 800 sq. km . It hosts elephants, sambar deer, tigers, Indian bison (gaur), lion-tailed macaques and langurs.
Thekkady is a region with a rich supply of spices: nutmeg, pepper, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom.
