Even before the present day concern towards wildlife conservationism, the local villagers around Vedanthangal had been guardians of birds in the area given the benefits they recognised in having them flourish. These villagers seemed well aware of the ability of the birds to help control pests including insects and rodents, as well as the fertilising benefit provided to their corps with the help of the bird's droppings.
This is a bird sanctuary for migratory water birds. It is about 85 kms from Chennai.In the later part of the 18th century, the villagers successfully petitioned the Bristish District Collector to help prohibit the shooting of birds in the village by the British soldiers. This protection continued till 1936 when the lake was first recognised as a sanctuary. In 1962, it was accorded the status of a Forest Reserve and in 1972, it was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary.
Overview
Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary is spread over an area of approximately 72 acres of marshy land and largely dominated by a lake. Located in the Kanchipuram district in the state of Tamil Nadu this is the oldest bird sanctuary in India. In addition to the lake which is over 30 hectares, the sanctuary has 60 small pools and ponds dug out at various places which get filled in during the monsoons.
The name Vedanthangal taken from a nearby village means “the place of a hunter”. The sanctuary attracts a lot of birds and was therefore used as a hunting ground by the local landlords and British soldiers 300 years ago. Recognizing its importance in Ornithology and ornithological studies, the British government took steps to develop Vedanthangal as a bird sanctuary.
This natural Bird Sanctury has been protected by local villagers for well over 200 years.. the then British Administration officially recognized this sanctuary in the year 1858 and this timely action has proved to be a boon for bird and nature lovers of the state ever since.
The main attraction of-course is the bird sanctuary. But do not refrain yourself from exploring the villages and paddy fields around. You can also do a short trek to climb up a hill to visit a near-by temple.
The Vedanthangal lake bird sanctuary has a tradition of the people actively protecting birds coming to the area since time immemorial. The local people understood the relationship between birds and the productivity of their crops even before the concept of wildlife conservation came into vogue. They knew that the bird droppings in the water created guano which acted as fertilizer.
Towards the end of the 18th century local villagers complained to the collector of Chengalpet Lionel Palace, about the British soldiers shooting the birds. They demanded and obtained a 'Cowle' from the collector to protect the birds. In 1936 the collector officially recognized the lake as a sanctuary. In 1962 it was given the legal status of reserved forest under the Madras Forest Act.
Bird species
The sanctuary features thousands of birds coming from various countries, some of which can be easily identified. Some easily found bird species include Cormorants, Darter, Grebes, Large Egret, Little Egrets, Moorhen, Night Herons, Paddy Bird, Painted Stork, Pintails, Pond Heron, Sandpiper, Shovellers, Terns, White Ibis and many more..
The migratory birds include Garganey Teals Canada, Snake Bird Sri Lanka, Grey Pelican Australia, Grey Heron Bangladesh, Open-billed Stork Bangladesh, Glossy Ibis Sri Lanka, Painted Stork Siberia, Spoonbill Burma and Spot Bill Duck Canada.Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary is located near Vedanthangal Karikili in the district of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu.
How to Get There
By Air
Chennai is the nearest and most convenient airport, connected by daily Indian Airlines flights from Delhi (6:40, 10:15, 16:45 & 19:00), Mumbai (7:05, 9:20, 11:45, 18:10 & 20:30), Bangalore (8:30) and Kolkata (14:30 & 18:10).
By Rail
Chengalpattu is the nearest railhead. Delhi is conveniently connected through the Thirukkural Exp. (6:00, Sat) & T N Smprk Krnti (7:25, Tue, Thu) while Mumbai through the Madurai Exp. (00:15, Fri) & Nagarcoil Exp. (12:05, Tue, Sat). Daily trains running Chennai-Chengalpattu include the Nellai Exp. (21:00), Kanyakumari Exp. (17:30), Pandian Exp. (21:30), Pearl City Exp. (18:30), Anantapuri Exp. (19:30) & Rock Fort Exp. (22:30).
By Road
To travel by road from Chennai, take the national highway no. 45 to Chengalpattu and head south towards Padalam junction. A right turn here will lead to the sanctuary road. The sanctuary can also be accessed from other nearby towns of Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram, but the road is not very well maintained. State transport buses ply between Chennai and Chengalpattu, the best option however would be to travel in your own four wheeler or hire a taxi from Chennai.
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