Pichavaram is a hamlet in Parangipettai, near Chidambaram, in Tamil Nadu's Cuddalore District. It is between the Vellar estuary in the north and the Coleroon estuary in the south. The Killai backwater is formed by the Vellar-Coleroon estuary complex, as are the mangroves, which are permanently rooted in a few feet of water. It is approximately 243 kilometres from Chennai and 15 km from Chidambaram..

Pichavaram is made up of several islands interspersed with a large stretch of sea covered with mangrove vegetation. The Pichavaram Mangrove Forest is one of India's largest mangrove forests, comprising around 45 km2 (as of 2019. It's isolated from the Bay of Bengal by a sandbar. The biotope contains species such as Avicennia and Rhizophora. It also promotes the survival of rare species of commercially significant shellfish and fish.

The mangroves also attract migrant and local birds such as snipes, cormorants, egrets, storks, herons, spoonbills, and pelicans. A total of 177 bird species from 15 orders and 41 families have been reported. The large bird population may be witnessed from November to January due to the abundance of prey and the timing of the arrival of real migrants from other nations and local migrants from their nesting areas throughout India. Channels, creeks, gullies, mudflats, and sand flats, as well as the neighboring coastline, provide suitable habitats for a variety of bird and animal species.

In addition to providing backwater and waterscape tours, the Pichavaram forest is home to a very unique sight: mangrove forest trees that are firmly rooted in a few feet of water. More than 400 waterways are accessible for boating..

ideal time to go to the mangrove forest of Pichavaram? The winter months of November through February are the greatest times to visit Pichavaram because of the beautiful weather that's perfect for exploring the mangroves.

In Pichavaram, an area of backwater, mangrove plants are abundant. We were informed that the water is just around three feet deep. However, there is a lot of land covered, and there are particularly thick areas with plenty of trees.,,Because it can survive in both freshwater and saltwater, the mangrove forest is also known as tidal forest.

The mangrove forest of Pichavarm, formerly called Thillai Vana, is an important part of the region's history. It is said that Lord Shiva appeared as a dapper but modest trader and made his way into the jungle, home to a community of rishis (sages) who performed magic.

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