Mesmerizing Munnar

Published in Deccan Chronicle


Mesmerizing Munnar


The air is intoxicatingly fresh as we move out of Coimbatore and begin the hilly sojourn through winding and picturesque roads to Munnar, roughly 165 km from this Tamil Nadu city of Kovai. My colleague Bharati and I are happy to be away from the bustle and cacophony of our hectic office life and the drive is rejuvenating. We are transported to a world where abundant nature envelops us in its bounteous beauty. Yes, we witness nature in all its hues as we traverse the Western ghats through dense forests, endless flora and fauna. We coast past fertile Kerala’s untamed mountain ranges, soothed by their beauty and the salubrious sounds of gushing waterfalls emerging from them at several spots en route.

We stop for a steaming cup of ginger tea at Marayoor, 40 km from Munnar. We learn that it is home to India’s only surviving adult sandal wood forest. In fact, its Forest Officer tells us that Marayoor is Asia’s or perhaps, even the world’s only adult sandalwood forest region. Even as we are narrated some tales on the struggles to preserve this precious species of trees, we are bewitched by the beauty of Marayoor that is expansive and green beyond compare! Marayoor, meaning “hidden land” in the Idukki District, is a picturesque, hilly region where tourism meets adventure to provide an exhilarating experience to every visitor. Marayoor, it is believed was once inhabited by the Pandavas of the epic Mahabharat during their exile. However, even today it is home to a few of the Maravars a tribal community that lived here during the turn of the Christian era.

We climb through cobbled mud and stone paths to witness the beauty of “faint” rock paintings and ancient dolmens that narrate tales of a muted history dating back to the Stone Age. We are a trifle disappointed at seeing just a couple of these, very much in faded form. However, the kilometer trudge does a lot for our egos and cardiac status since we feel comforted that our hearts must be in robust shape for the climb to the top, is indeed steep!Marayoor is green with rainforests, deciduous and riparian forests, paddy fields, sholas, grasslands and evergreen forests.

Twilight is approaching as we leave Marayoor and head straight for Sterling Resorts at Munnar where we are booked for a week. We begin our explorative journey of Munnar and its surrounds, early next morning, having rested ourselves sufficiently at night in the cozy comfort of the resort cottage.

We roll down the windows of our rented Indica and feel mesmerized by the whisper of the wind through verdant forests. Munnar, meaning “three rivers”, is situated at the confluence of three mountain streams, Muthirapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala and is ensconced amidst pristine mountains and luxuriant tea gardens. Often referred to as Kashmir of the South and Honeymooners’ Paradise, Munnar, situated 5000 feet above sea level, was the summer capital of the British imperialists in South India.

The air is redolent with the aroma of unspoiled nature and the area around the Resort is wrapped in mist and fog even as the clouds swirl at our feet. Pushparaj, our young but seasoned chauffer, manouvres the Indica deftly through clouds, mist and mountains, stopping at several vantage points for us to capture the mystery and mystique of nature on our lenses.

The hill station and its surrounds boast expansive paddy fields that seem to merge with the horizon, dense rainforests in sparkling shades of green, and an assortment of fragrant blossoms and vibrant wildlife. The several dams, little streams, rivulets, lakes and towering waterfalls, in and around Munnar, holds us spellbound with their idyllic charm. I rue I’m not a poet as I feel myself groping for words to describe the beauty of the gently rolling slopes of the tea gardens, or the dense clump of tall evergreens, firs and other deciduous trees that hide in their midst the mellow rays of the morning sun, or the alternating azure and cerulean waters of the numerous water bodies, or the frothy white rapids that hurtle down the mountains.

During our weeklong stay at Munnar, we visit Pothamedu, 8km from Munnar, to view some of the richest tea plantations, the hydro-electric projects at Pallivasal, Top Station, Attukal, Nyayamakad, Anamudi, Eravikulam, Matttupetty Dam and Lake, and Lock Heart Gap for some stunning and scintillating trekking and driving experience.

We bask in nature’s bounty amidst high mountains, rolling grasslands at Rajamalai’s Eravikulam National Park. Here we come across dozens of Nilgiri Tahr, a much endangered species, and enjoy a brilliant and breathtaking view of Anamudi, the highest peak in South India, towering 2500 metres above sea level. We have here the last remnants of a unique ecosystem that was once prevalent in the upper reaches of the Western Ghats in the vast grasslands interspersed with patches of stunted evergreen forests. Anamudi, we hear, is home to several creatures from the wild including the lion-tailed macaque, tiger, leopards and langur. Potheamedu with its rolling hills and abundant cardamom, tea and coffee plantations, Devikulam with its classy, emerald lawns and crystal blue waters of its Sita Devi Lake, Nyayamakad, a land of bewitching cascading waterfalls, the Mattupetty Lake and Dam providing stunning landscape.

As we wend our way through the hilly inclines, we are treated to a rare sight – that of a wild pachyderm, romping amidst the tea gardens between Devikulam and Munnar. We stop on the road, as do several other tourists, to see this giant wild creature come on to the road, which he does after almost an hour’s patient wait, kicking up dust and indulging in some buffoonery along the way. He seems unperturbed by the clicking away of several digital devices. However, we make sure to park our vehicle a safe distance from him, for we are told that these jumbos are truly wild and can turn violent with the least provocation!

Thoovam Waterfalls promises another fun-filled site of visit. We enjoy the jet sprays from the cascading waters, fed by the Chinnar River deep within the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary. The Sanctuary, sprawled over 90,422 sqkm is located in the rain shadow area of the Western Ghats, and is home to the Giant Grizzled Squirrel, an endangered species. A unique feature of the region is that it gets rainfall only for 48 days in a year. No wonder then, its vegetation chiefly comprises dry deciduous forests, wet grasslands and high shoals, roaming in the midst of which one can sight wild elephants, the chital (spotted deer) and sambhar deer.

No visit to a place is ever complete without food, drinks and its people. And we have these in ample measure throughout the hillside. We especially enjoy the steaming cups of masala, cardamom and ginger tea served by most hospitable people from little kiosks that dot the region. Kerala and Munnar, in particular, it is true as someone has said, is veritably God’s Own Land with its enchanting beauty and clean environs, alluring every kind of traveler with its unique, irresistible charm.


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