The Trial of the Tusker - Periyar Part 2

See previous post here

KUMILY - MUNNAR - PALAKKAD
This post should actually come at the end of this series but since I returned through a completely different  route (which I regretted partially) I thought for the this is the logical sequence.

I had thought in my mind that I would do the return trip through a different route for two reasons. One was that a trip to Idukki district would be incomplete without visiting the Idukki arch dam and the other reason was that we were returning home so time was not an issue. The problem was that I had two choices.

After Idukki I could go to Kothamangalm and thereon to Angamaly where I could get onto the NH-47 to Palakkad. This I wanted to avoid because the NH-47 is a nightmare for people who enjoy driving. The other option was to go to Adimali from Idukki, get on the NH-49 to reach Munnar. I could then drive through the Chinnar WLS to Udumalapet and Pollachi.

The evening before we left we had some spare time in our hands and decided to explore around Kumily. This took us to Chellarkoil view point, where there was nothing much to view in cloudy weather except beer bottles and cigarette butts thrown by careless picnickers. There was this gentleman there who knew the area well and he suggested that we take the Kumily - Munnar road which according to him was very picturesque. It was then that I realized two days was too less to explore Idukki. Here kilometers were mere numbers. We had to ask distances in time! 


16th July, 2012. We were out of the resort at 8.20 after an early breakfast. Kumily was just waking up to a languid Monday morning. Off season, according to the Kashmiri merchant we met on our walk down the streets. 

The Munnar road is the one going off up a slope after the bus stand and immediately after the post office (or before these places if you are coming from the Thekkady side of town.

This part of the world is famous for its spices and every other shop in town has a spice counter! The demand for spices is so much that all along the Kumily - Munnar road you have spice shops attached to houses along the road side.

Some 13 kms out of Kumily is Anakara. The Chellarkoil view point is a 5 kms deviation to the right, which I personally didn't find worth a detour. You pass through Vandanmedu (23 kms) to reach Puliyanmala (29 kms). This is where the road to Kattapana splits off to the left. The road is now more narrow and winding as you pass through acres of cardamom that slows the pace considerably.

Kattapana (35kms) is a busy town with many narrow twisting lanes that can confuse. Ask the friendly policeman or auto driver for directions as there are many one ways here. The road widens a bit after Kattapana since it is the highway connecting this town to Kothamangalam. You cross the Idukki arch dam before reaching Cheruthoni. There is a tourist information center & dam view point under construction. It is expected to be ready by the 5th of August. The view of the dam is not really the best from there. 

To compensate for the poor view you get some excellent, freshly brewed lemon tea from Khadeeja's little shop opposite this visitors center. She also gives you information about the place as well as divulges her secret of making lemon tea. If the jack-fruit chips are still there, don't forget to try it. It is home made!

Cheruthoni (61 kms) is just a turn on the road. The main highway appears to turn right after the bridge but in realty you have to keep driving up the slope in front of you past long line of autorickshaws.

After about 5 kms you will reach a junction where the highway turns to the right. Bang in the center opposite the divider on the road is a blue signboard that says "Hill View Park" (68kms). The arrow points left but is so faded that it might be missed. 

You have to take the left from here to reach the above mentioned park from where you have a view of the reservoir and the two dams. Here also there is a lot of construction work going on for this spot to be readied before the Onam vacation, the time when the dam is accessible to the public. .

 

The Cheruthoni dam is barely visible but we did not climb all the way to the top of the view point because of all the construction material lying around and the inclement weather.

A better view of the arch dam is from a low bridge just before Kadeeja's tea shop (when you come from Kattapana) but the best view would be from a hairpin bend at the level of the dam, near one of its approach roads. Unfortunately that bend has a number of tea & refreshment shops perched on the edge. If you park your vehicle, you'll be held responsible for causing a traffic jam. Maybe a trip that way early in the morning will be good option.

 As I looked through the view finder I was struck by the resemblance of the 'unstained' part of the dam to something familiar. My son took one look and said. "Papa, it looks like my underpants!" I thought it looked like string bikini though. 

If you take your eyes off the dam and look around you will see it straddles two hillocks, the Kuravanmala & Kurathimala. The height of the dam is a little over 550 feet making it one of Asias tallest arch dams. Legend has it that Lord Rama got angry with the tribal couple because they were watching Sita bathing. He cursed them to be turned to stone but when they pleaded with him that they had never be separated in their lives he took pity on them and said they would be united forever. The dam, it appears is the result of Sree Rama's blessing! 

We were getting late so we decided to move. I had to reach Puliyanmala again before getting onto the Kumily-Munnar Highway. We were back on the highway at Puliyanmala but this detour to the dam was 73 kms and took nearly three hours including stoppage time.

The progress over the next one and a half hours was fast. Nedumkandam (46 kms), Udumbanchola (49 kms), Santhanpara (64 kms)&  Poopara (77 kms) come in quick succession.  (The distances mentioned hereon are from Kumily, excluding the 73 kms detour to the dam site). It is more of plantations all the way. The only interesting thing is this beautiful church to Velankanni matha (Mary & Infant Jesus) where you can stop for a blessing like I did. Don't forget to make a contribution if you stop by. There are a lot of sign boards that point to 'view point' but those were not the standard DTPC boards and looked like they were put up by private home stay owners to attarct interest. I wasn't too keen on going off roading in my little Punto.

The highway to Bodinayakannur and Theni turns right at Poopara and you can easily get misled. The road to Munnar goes straight up but it narrows considerably as tea plantations start making their appearance.

Munnar is only 32 kilometers from Poopara but the narrow twisting road makes driving a slow affair. Enjoy the scenery as you pass by. Look at the cardamom plants, see their roots and learn where this exotic spice comes from.

The other obstacle as you reach Munnar is the fog, which I hadn't accounted for during my research on the route! Once you cross Periakanal, about 20 kms before Munnar the fog rolls in, irrespective of the season. It was nearly 2.00 PM and our tummies were growling. I was getting a bit snappy since the last edible thing I had was Khadeeja's home made jack fruit chips almost 4 hours before. Munnar was still a 45 minute drive away and the fog wasn't making things easy. I was worried that lunch would be closed by the time I got there. Then, through the lifting mist I saw a sight across the valley. Nestled on the side of a rocky outcrop was the Club Mahindra's Lake View resort. 

Snappiness was replaced by joy as we reached Chinnkanal, the location of the resort. What a buffet it was? I even managed to smile at the chap who was ringing a bell and walking around with a sign that read "Buffet will close in 10 minutes". He probably wanted us to pack up and leave and we were glad to. 

It was a lucky lunch stop because the rest of the 18 kilometers to Munnar was a hide and seek game in the fog. The road would disappear into the fog..........

...............only to appear around the next corner.

Then it would disappear again till you get completely disoriented!

In times like that it is nice to just park your car, get out,close your eyes and enjoy the ghostly veil surrounding you. 

After all, there is no fixed agenda. Getting home can wait when you are in bliss!

Munnar (111 kms) is always busy and we had nothing to stop for so we just drove through. After that it is a series of endless neat acres of tea estates shrouded in mist.

Marayoor  (152 kms) is the last major stop in the high ranges and famous for its sandal wood forests. It is not unusual to see some friendly gaur cropping grass within the fencing.

5.30 PM we bid goodbye to the beautiful Idukki district as we started our final descent through the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary. 

The Thoovanam falls were in full flow despite a bad monsoon. I have long overdue trek to its base still pending. 

 It is one scene that never fails to enthrall. Darkness fell as we crossed Udumalpet and Pollachi.
Our long day ended at home in Palakkad (276 kms) at 9.30PM. This route was actually some 20 kilometers shorter than the route I had taken to reach Thekkady, but I had been on the road six hours longer!

Ask me if I was tired, I'll answer with an emphatic 'NO'. I enjoy my driving and I hope to keep at it for many more years to come. 

The Trial of the Tusker - Periyar Part 1

As I had mentioned in my last post the trip to Periyar tiger reserve, better known as Thekkady was long overdue. I had been trying to find the the easiest (but not necessarily the shortest) route from Palakkad. The route through Tamilnadu was the best option in front of me but I was determined to return through a different route if time permitted, and that was what I did.

14th July, 2012. Starting fifteen minutes later than planned was not worrisome as most of the route was over flat terrain. The road from Palakkad to Pollachi is excellent till the border at Gopalapuram. The entry point into Tamilnadu makes you think that you are going to shift from a two lane highway to a four lane one but that thought lasts only for a few 100 meters. The road then breaks up into potholes all the way till you reach Pollachi. I guess that is a deliberate ploy to slow down drivers trying to evade taxes!

The first stop was for breakfast at Pollachi (48kms). There are a few good hotels in the town and on the Udumalapet road that serve good South Indian menu so there is no need to take a packed breafast and eat it cold. From Pollachi the road (NH 209) is good for cruising, passing through Udumalapet (78kms), Palani (119kms) and Ottanchtram (145kms).

About 6 kilometers outside Ottanchatram at the Puduchatram junction (151kms) the road to Theni peels off to the right. It is a fairly straight road that I was told, was under repair. The repairs were probably over and the only reason to slow down were the rather frequent speed breakers on either side of every little village (nearly 20 in the 25 kilometers!), most of which had a name ending with "...patti". This road meets the NH 183 at Sembatti (176kms) where you have to turn right for Theni.


After you get on the highway it becomes an almost arrow straight road except in the towns or large villages. The only problem is that this stretch is undergoing widening works all the way up to the Kerala border and that makes driving an effort. To my credit I managed to cover the entire 125 kilometers without once scraping the nose of my Punto, a habit the car has due to it's rather long overhanging snout! 

The next major town on the route is Vattalakundu (195kms). This is place where the travelers to Kodaikanal take the deviation to this scenic hill station. For those coming from the Palani side there is a direct route from that town. It can be a bit confusing here but just keep going straight (and don't hesitate to ask for directions) till you cross a small bridge to reach this junction. The temple is the landmark for the right turn to Theni through a rather congested  main street.

Once you cross Vattalakundu the road broadens out and you can make up for lost time.

Occasionally you get reminded that the work isn't complete when you get caught in a traffic jam caused by road building equipment trying to squeeze through bottle necks!

The next town is Periyakulam (221kms) where you need to take a right turn followed by a left immediately afterwards. It's all very straight forward if you can read Tamil otherwise, stop & ask!!

Theni follows (235kms), not long afterwards, and it is a straight drive through the town unless you want to stop for food. You get onto the NH 220 from here so road signs are more 'readable'.

The rest of the journey is though the fertile Cumbum valley and you pass through plantations of banana & coconut, with an occasional Ganesha benignly guarding them.  Cumbum (276kms) is also a straight drive through.

The last major town on the Tamilnadu side is Gudalur (not the town in Nilgiris by the same name!). The road till the border is still being worked on.

Lower Camp marks the Kerala-Tamilnadu border. Kumliy is separated by 6 kilometers of ghats. Midway up the ghats you can see the 4 Penstock pipes carriying the water from the Periyar reservoir to the Lower Camp Power House.

As Kumily nears you are greeted by the familiar sight of bonnet macaques waiting to be fed, a bad habit, but one that refuses to go away.

 2.20PM as we reached the resort in Kumily (299kms) for a well late lunch and a long wait for our room to be readied.


Watch this space....

A Prologue for Periyar

612 full moons have passed since  I came into this world. Some 200 of them passed by me when I was in school in various places in Tamilnadu and about 140 during my college days in Manipal, Karnataka. The rest, as you can guess was during my life in Kerala. 

Now what has the Moon got to do with Periyar, you may wonder. I'm not sure if I should be ashamed to admit, or proud that I'm setting right a wrong, at least now. You see; despite my obsession with the wilderness, I have never been to Periyar Tiger Reserve any time when those moons passed by me. Periyar (or Thekkady as it is more popularly called) is Kerala's premier wildlife park but I haven't found time to go there till now, though I keep planning. The vaguest memories of the area was a visit with my family to Idukki when the dam was being built. That is the first hurdle.

Pic courtesy: HD Wallpapers

   

There is no easy way to see Idukki except by road and considering the chaos on our highways it is a risk to be taken with a lot of planning. Besides, two days of driving, one up and other down is a little too much of wasted time. I love driving but not in some parts of Kerala. NH 47 is now a nightmare!

I got back from Nagarahole on 27th May and on the next day a mail popped up in my inbox from someone who works for a time share company. She had read my blogs and found it interesting, and her company wanted to give me a holiday in one of their resorts so that I could appreciate their products on offer, blog about it (and perhaps purchase a time share too). After all, there is no such thing as  a free lunch!

After weighing my options carefully I decided on Thekkady. School season is not the perfect time for a holiday and I had to coordinate the dates so it did not clash with some important classes or exams. All that was in vain because I was told that the 'free lunch' would be only for 'the blogger'. It was not a family package even if the family included only a 10 year old, budding assistant photographer, my son. That was disappointing.

Anyway the seed of a holiday had been planted in my mind and I had never thought of a Monsoon Holiday so far. I decided I'd go to Thekkady with my son, free lunch or not. You see, I had an ace up my sleeve. I was a member of the same time share company, which I guess the lady did not know, but had taken only 4 holidays since becoming a member in 1998! I thought it was a chance to utilize my accumulated holidays. 

I had stopped taking holidays because, like all time share companies they had a whole load of irritating executives in their resorts. It didn't matter to them that a family was on a holiday. They'd lure the children with some games and attractions, then pounce on the unwary parents trying to get them to either upgrade their season or divulge 10 names, addresses & telephone numbers of potential customers.

When I had set pre-conditions that if they wanted me to blog for them I should not be disturbed by pesky executives, all communication stopped! I guess they were trying to bait a 'bhakra' but they had not reckoned that this old goat was a seasoned one!

So I'm off to Thekkady this weekend and hope to celebrate my birthday with the elephants of Periyar. After a lot of research I've decided the best option would be to drive through Pollachi - Palani - Oddanchatram - Theni - Cumbum & Kumily. That is, assuming that Mullaperiyar won't raise its head like a cobra when I'm half way there! Whatever it is, I'm not going to let the monsoons, marketing executives or Mullaperiyar spoil an unexpected holiday.....

.....and my OM-D needs a real wet holiday too!! I'll be back with the stories of my experience shortly. 


Keep an eye on this page.....