Travel

day goes till the evening. Then it is an-

A passage to Kumarakom,
chored on the shores for the night. The
journey starts again the next morning to
reach the destination. Boating is banned

a non-stop feast for eyes

between 6 pm to 6 am as the local fish-
ermen cast their net for fishing.
The captain of the house boat we trav-
elled in has been in this profession for
many years, Joseph Jacob, “There were
around 300 boats in the year 2000
but there are around 650 boats now,
that’s the kind of growth you can see in
this trade,” he says. He also adds that
tourists are all treated like kings. The
locals realise that they bring money in-
flow to this region. And there has not
been a single instant of crime incident
involving the tourists. The tourists can
totally relax.
We travelled with our Japanese friends
who were very excited to be in India.
They were totally in love with this coun-
try and its people.
For Saori, an aspiring student from

H
Tokyo, a cruise in the backwaters of
enough you can see some rare birds in Kerala is like a fantasy. He expressed
ouse Boats are one of the
action catching their prey or relaxing in his desire to come India often just to
major tourist attractions
the waters. relax in the scenic beauty of Kerala
in Kerala. All through the
and to watch sunrise and sunset in a
year we can see people
Kerala has over 900 km of intercon- natural ambience.
flocking from across the
nected waterways, rivers, lakes and in-
world to have a glimpse into the heart- For Takeshi, professional dancer and
lets that make up the Kerala backwaters.
land of Kerala. writer, a trip to Kerala is a rejuvenat-
The backwaters have a unique ecosys-
tem – freshwater from the rivers meets ing experience. He wishes to bring his
Our cruise started from Pallathuruthi at
the seawater from the Arabian Sea. In friends, to share his delight of strolling
Alleppey. We were provided with a wel-
certain areas – barrages have been built near the bewitching backwaters of Kera-
come drink as soon as we were on the
to prevent salt water from the sea to en- la. He never fails to get for himself an ay-
houseboat also known as Kettuvallams.
ter the rivers. We sailed via Vembanaadu urveda massage, everytime he comes.
The moment we set sail, it is a non stop
feast for our eyes. Lush green fields, lake, Meenapalli lake and Pamba river After the overnight stay, we started
coconut trees, shore side houses, kids before reaching Kumarakom. People use cruising around 8 am and in a cou-
waving, canoes, cranes, storks are some this water both for drinking and bathing, ple of hours we reached the famous
of the familiar sights. At some point it is also used for irrigation. Some family Kumarakom. There are innumerable
you will see only stretches of water with use small boats and canoes for reach- number of beach resorts which dot the
umpteen number of house boats. ing from one shore to the other. We can entire stretch.
even see woman paddling through the
The house boats are moving star hotels. Unwillingly we alighted from our
water channels.
We stayed in two well furnished air con- house boat at Kumarakom after the
ditioned bedrooms with attached show- Every house boat usually has a crew of tranquil voyage.
er and toilets. We were provided with 3 4 members. The captain is in charge of
A cruise through the backwaters of Ker-
wholesome meals and it had an authen- steers, engine supervisor, chef and a
ala is a must in the list for travel geeks.
tic Kerala taste. Any special delicacy also person for anchoring and errand jobs in-
can be ordered at extra rates depending side the house boat are the other mem-
on your choice of food. If you are lucky bers. A cruise on these boats starts mid Rajvee
40 ed matrix MAY 2008
TRAV E L

Nakula and Sahadeva). There are also

elephant and lion structures which stand
close to the Five Rathas. Rathas literally
mean chariots.
We headed to the most famous
monument of Mahabalipuram. Just close
to the shore of Bay of Bengal is the lone
survivor of the so called seven temples.
The shore temple is a structural temple
built out of granites dating back to 8th
century. The entire place is neatly fenced
and huge boulders have been put around
this place to avoid further erosion. It has
three shrines two for Shiva lingas and
one for a reclining Vishnu (the shrine for
Vishnu has been closed for administrative
reasons). When lit by moonlight it brings
out the poet in you, with so much of
charm and charisma.

Mahabalipuram Rocks!!
Then we went to Arjuna Penance, a 100
feet long monolithic structure with various

T
figures of humans and animals is the site
iger Caves – Don’t be startled (around 15) from just a single piece of of the annual mamalla dance festival.
by the name this is one of the rock. She was fascinated by some lone Legend has it that this represents the
travel spots just 5 kms before huge rocks and managed to climb atleast penance of Arjuna standing on one leg
Mahabalipuram, 60 km south a quarter of it. Eduard was doubly happy to receive a boon for fighting against
from the city of Chennai. There because he was impressed with the rock Kauravas in the Mahabharatha war. It is
ain’t any tigers in these caves; it gets its carvings and as the entry was free. He also filled with detailed carvings, including
name from one of the cave carved with kept asking why there is always charges a family of elephants and monkeys.
images of many tiger faces. Situated at There are also many chambers close
for everything that we try to do, entrance
Saluvankuppam, this place is well fenced to it filled with sculptures of human and
fees, parking, photography, even for
animal figures and in some case mix of
by the Archaeological Survey of India. using toilets (I don’t seem to have any
human and animals as well like body of a
There are small hillocks and huge rocks answer for it). lion and head of a human.
inside this campus that one can test their
climbing skills. Surrounded by lots of Then we entered the town to catch Close to this site is the much talked about
shady trees with good grasslands people some of the other exciting artworks. Krishna’s Butterball, a giant natural rock
can have a relaxed afternoon with their We came to the Five Rathas and here, perched on a hillside. There is also a
loved ones. A small rock cut cave temple Eduard and I got into an argument. The sculpture museum and a 1000 year old
with inscriptions attracts a good number entrance fee was Rs.10 for Indians and lighthouse. The view from the lighthouse
of visitors to Mahabalipuram. Rs.250 for foreigners which included is fabulous and the Dec 2004 tsunami has
entry for shore temples and Five Rathas. exposed some previously submerged
Two of my friends from Germany, Then I had to convince him by coming temples and sculptures.
Eleonore and Eduard wanted to see up with a rather stupid view atleast to
this place listed in the UNESCO world The whole town of Mahabalipuram
defend that we are right, “Indians pay 10 seems like an open air museum of art
heritage site and architectural marvel rupees but foreigners pay only 5 dollars
of the Pallavas. Mahabalipuram was a and architecture. There are whole lots
infact Indians pay more”. Nevermind the of resorts, shops, sculpting centres
7th century port city of the South Indian argument stopped once we entered the
dynasty of the Pallavas. It is believed to that dot the entire town. Of course you
7th century dated Five Rathas. will be constantly nagged by hawkers,
have been named after the Pallava king
Mamalla. They were pretty excited to see These are examples of monolithic structure gypsies and touts to buy their beads
the mammoth carvings and were so much (carved out of a single stone) during the and products. But trust me they are all
in awe. Eleonore was totally impressed reign of King Mahendravarman-I. The harmless nuisance. Together they spice
by the creative skills of the sculptors who Five Rathas take their name after the up this marvelous Mahaballipuram.
managed to carve so many tiger faces Pandavas (Arjuna, Bhima, Yudhishtra, Rajvee
40 ed matrix june 2008
TRA V E L

P
eople in the city are heading
towards hill stations to escape
the scorching summer. It’s either
ooty or kodaikanal that might
come to our mind to chill this
summer but there is another magnificent
hill station which does not feature in any
tourist itinerary. We were told that Valparai,
which is around 100 kms from Coimbatore
has a great weather all round the year.
I got hold of my friend Dhananjeyan who
works at the coconut research station in
Aliyar to help me explore Valparai. We
took the 40 hair pin bend long uphill road,
the only way to reach Valparai from aliyar.
Our first stop was at Aliyar Dam which is
at the beginning of the road to Valparai.
It has awesome view and boasts of a
well maintained park. I was told that a 8

The Inviting Valparai

km long tunnel has been drilled through
the mountains for the water to reach from
Neerar to Aliyar Dam. Our next stop was at
Monkey Falls, going by the name it sports dam. He warned us not to venture deep
there are monkeys hanging in and around because a man-eating leopard was on the
the site of the falls almost all the time. They Man-eating-leopard-on-
prowl which killed a five-year -old girl baby
are harmless but we were cautioned not to the-prowl was constantly a couple of days earlier. That did startle us
leave any thing unattended. It’s a small in the back of our mind but a little but we were keen to see the eight-
waterfall which is a boon for the locals kilometer-long tunnel bored through the
and tourists alike. A nominal entrance still our thirst to see the mountains. The reservoir side of the dam
fee is charged for the maintenance and tunnel had the advantage. has got an awesome view too. From there
upkeep of this place. It’s a perfect spot to we went on foot for a couple of kilometers
get a natural water massage. I enjoyed a to see the water canal drilled through the
good head and body massage under the Unlike other tourist destinations, Valparai mountains. Man-eating-leopard-on-the-
constant flow of water. My friend asked me doesn’t have any specific tourist spot as prowl was constantly in the back of our
to drink the water so as to avoid headache. such. We were told that there is a great mind but still our thirst to see the tunnel
It’s a general belief that one should drink view point near Nallamudy village which had the advantage.
or taste the water before he/she bathes in is known as suicide point. After a point
these waters. And I readily obliged. we have to go on foot to reach this suicide From a distance we spotted a small cave
point. And it was worth the effort because shaped structure with iron barricades like
Then for the next two hours it was an uphill structure to control the flow of water. The
we saw one of the most picturesque places
journey on the winding roads which gives canal is so big that even an elephant can
where we saw clouds passing beneath us.
some breathtaking view of the places in and go and inside and there were instances of
It was a gorgeous valley decked by a couple
around Valparai. We were lucky enough to elephants entering into these canals.
of waterfalls. I wish I had a glider to take a
spot some lion-tailed macaques, dragon
bird’s eye view of the entire surrounding. We wanted to go inside the canal but after
lizards and birds on the way to Valparai. The
We chilled at this place for sometime taking a few steps of walking in the canal , the
only sign shown that we reached valparai some snaps from various angles to capture
was the vast stretches of tea estates. Even darkness, silence and the instances of
the depth of its beauty.
though it looks emerald green and clean, animals getting into these canals forced
environmentalists say these are biological Then we headed towards Neerar Dam us to retreat. This is a perfect example of
deserts. Decades of spraying pesticides where we wanted to go and find out the the architectural skills of our engineers built
and insecticides had made sure not even a scenic beauty and the great mountain way back in 1962. It can last for another
frog croaks on a rainy night here. Plenty of tunnel. After a long arduous journey through couple of centuries.
forest areas have been replaced by these the forest and tea plantations we reached
Finally, it was time to say goodbye and
mushrooming tea estates. Anyway life just Neerar Dam. We were told that this dam
we took the same road to go where we
goes on for these people who are happy is used for irrigation and production of
came from.
plucking and pruning with their typical hydro electricity. We met a PWD contractor
backbag of tea leaves. who was inspecting minor repairs on the Rajvee
40 ed matrix july 2008
TRA V E L

Getaways - Feel Good Factors

T
ake a break – this is one simple A very steep rock welcomes us but undaunted are excellent. It is fairly safe, watch out for the
way to rejuvenate your body and I decided to climb only to slip. Prakash, a occasional truck that changes lanes abruptly.
mind. A perfect weekend can localite, well-versed with the topography of
There are 11 hairpin bends on the ghat road
get you charged for the next five this region asked me politely to remove my
from Ponneri to Yelagiri and the road is pretty
days or more. This week we will shoes. Also we could not enter the temple
narrow so you can’t actually park a car to
be exploring a beautiful hill station close to with footwear. Anyway I heeded to his words
enjoy the view except at some of the wider
Chennai. and he helped me cross the first hurdle. There
hairpin bends. Bikes won’t have this problem
Yellagiri, also known as poor man’s Ooty, is is again an iron ladder with about 30 steps
though.
a great place to unwind yourself. Situated without any support to take us to the temple.
Winds are strong enough to push you off your Please note there are no petrol stations
at a height of 920 metres above sea level it
feet and looking at the steep ladder ahead in Yellagiri, so it’s always better that fill up
has a pleasant climate and can be a perfect
I was a little hesitant. But then the world your tanks in the city. Except for a few tyre
getaway for weekends anytime of the year.
belongs to those who dare and so I ventured. changers there
There are 11 hairpin bends on the way to
Yellagiri and every bend has been named The sight was indeed rewarding. We can
after poets such as Kambar and Valluvar. It see the whole of Yellagiri, its surroundings,
Swami Malai , Jalagamparai falls and the
takes approximately an hour by bus to go
nearby Jawadi hills. As JC pointed out, this
You need to see a
uphill. The view from the top is overwhelming
especially in the nights. We were lucky to place was indeed a suicide point as there forest, mountain
was a steep gorge very close to the temple. A
have a glimpse of the town Jolarpet from the
small slip can prove to be fatal.
and a river once in
top, looking like stars scattered down below.
your lifetime.
Yellagiri comprises of 12 villages and
Athanavoor is the biggest of them all.
My friend Jeyachandran alias JC a local
of Yellagiri, who is also the only General
Physician in the mountain hamlets, was
kind enough to show me some of the best
spots not featured in any guide books or
maps. There are three major attractions in
Yellagiri. There is the artificial lake known as
the Ponganur lake, where boating is popular.
Then there is Swami Malai, near Mangalam,
a hamlet at the foot of the hill . It’s an easy
climb taking about an hour with infrequent
breaks (about a 1000 foot climb). Smaller
peaks with quaint names like the Jawadi
Hills, Palamathi Hills and others are also This place also has its mythological tales. It is
worth climbing. The Jalagamparai Waterfall said that a girl got trapped when she came to
is a five km trek from Yellagiri downhill. It’s pray who was later considered as a goddess. By train
a tough trek, but the view of the valley from People come to worship here on special
the sides of the mountain is truly rewarding. By train, you will have to alight at the Jolarpet
occasions. Junction from where both public and private
It’s not the mountains alone which are special
but the quiet villages, thatched houses, the Driving from Chennai transport can take you to the hills. The
fields and its farmers, sunrise and sunset frequency is very less so watch out.
Yellagiri is about 250 km from Chennai.
draws you close to this beautiful hill station.
The Poonamalee High Road out of the city Sight Seeing
JC, my doctor-friend promised to take me to leading to the Bangalore highway towards Swami Malai, Jalagamparai Waterfalls, Vainu
a place which does not feature in any guide Vellore via Sriperumbudur, Walajapet and Bappu Solar Observatory, one of the largest
books or maps. We headed to a mountain Katpadi. Vellore would be ideal for a break, solar observatories is in Kavalur (Jawadhi
near Nilavoor. We had to cross a stone quarry there are a lot of eating places right on the Hills). And if you are lover of temples there is
which is not open to the public because of the highway. From Vellore continue on to Ambur one in almost every village here.
dynamites used to break these mountains. and then towards Vaniyambadi. Take a left
After clarifying if we could go ahead we at Vaniyambadi and another left at Ponneri Food and Lodging
started to climb. It takes about ten minutes towards Yellagiri- watch out for this one as it is There are number of eateries and lodges
to reach the first base camp but from here easy to miss. The roads are well punctuated available. Tariff ranges from Rs 300 to
only those who dare can reach the temple on with signboards in English, and the roads Rs 3000.
top of the hill. expecially the Chennai-Vaniyambadi stretch Rajvee
40 ed matrix august 2008