His Colour Palette. Review on Munnar

'Beauty lies in the eyes of the Beholder.' -Keats

The concept of beauty is entirely abstract in the sense that a person need not quantify the parameters associated with it to cherish the visual delight. It takes the inherent sensitivity to respond to the charm abounded that makes any soul happy and relaxed. But, nature is so generous in it's countless incarnations to unleash the pleasure element that we tend to hold our breath while admiring the deft artisanship of the Greatest Artist of All... The Almighty. Munnar is a true symbol of his picturesque artefact and if there exists something regarded as PARADISE in reality, it's one of the few places that come irrepressibly closer.

Although I have scouted the entire northern part of our beautiful INDIA that ranges from the snowy milieu of Kulu/Manali to the ivory fragments of Nainital and Darjeeling with many a Garhwal, Kalimpong waving the frigid smacks, I was unfortunate to miss out on the equally scenic landscapes of the South for a longer period. But, as destined I was to have a sumptuous celebration of the serene grandeur extended by none other than the God's Own Country KERALA. More than a couple of years back, I had arrived in Trivandrum to undergo training as a Software Engineer in the lush interiors of TechnoPark which housed the IT giant Tata Consultancy Services(TCS). The trainees were required to stay in the TCS Executive Hostel that lied buried inside the dense foliage of innumerable coconut trees adorning the nearby coastal countryside. One fine weekend we arrived upon a consensus to visit Munnar situated in the northern part of Kerala.

As the indulgent dusk was saluting the setting sun, we embarked upon the much awaited journey to the alluring hill station in a mini canter which could accomodate a platoon of 20 odd individuals, guys and gals all alike, in a colourful medley of dresses. It was the last week of february and the fading chill of the winter could be felt. For those who haven't visited Kerala, let me present a climatic report. Trivandrum is present along the southern most coast of the Arabian Sea while Munnar lies in the north eastern part close to the Kerala-TN border. During the winter season, the place becomes very chilly owing to it's altitude and sometimes it rains heavily across the route on account of the impact of the retreating monsoon. Otherwise the temperature fluctuates between 23 degrees Celsius at one extreme and 37 degrees Celsius at the other. The Best period to visit Munnar would be August-March. It's advisable to carry Woollens and Raingear even if one is planning for a summer visit, since, Kerala being extremely close to the tropics, inclement weather and heavy downpours cannot be ruled out. Also, It tends to retain the chilliness even during the summer uprising strictly because of the height factor. The journey proceeds via a topsy-turvy road which passes through some of the important towns in Kerala like Kottayam etc.

As the bevy of dancing beauties started swaying to the latest Chartbusters, I quietly involved myself with the greenery that was racing away from me, to keep off the commotion inside the bus. It was pitch dark outside and had started drizzling which inadvertently made me asleep. By the time I got up in the morning It was 5AM and the bus was busy negotiating a steep curvaceous incline. Munnar was not far away as I could literally feel the clouds. All along the route small hutments and a few well managed dwellings could be seen. In fact,the road is dotted with numerous Tea Gardens and one could see the TATA TEA cut outs with a good number of Tea Factories standing high. The TATA Group has obtained a sizeable area in this area for the cultivation of Tea. You can actually manage to buy a good quantity of original Tea Leaves and Tea Powder for a meagre amount. Then, the Anglican Influence in this region can be ascertained by the sighting of countless Churches of varying architecture. Most of the local christian population belongs either to the Orthodox Syrian convent or the famous Church of South India (CSI) association. Finally, our journey came to a screeching halt as we alighted in front of the Local Guest House inside the Munnar Town.

Munnar is a sleepy little town with about a thousand odd individuals employed in either the Tea Gardens or the Tourism industry. Located at about 1600 m above the sea level, this picturebook town presents some of the marvels of mother nature. It sits on the confluence of three mountain streams namely, Mudrapuzha, Nallathani and Kundala. Anamudi, the highest mountain peak of the south india soaring over 2695 m finds rest here. Incidentally, the name Munnar derives it's name from the Malayalam word meaning 'Three Rivers'. There are a good number of tourist hotels littered around, some of the famous ones being Hotel Munnar, Rainbow, Kerala Munnar etc. After finishing the daily chores, which involved a hearty breakfast, including some Kerala varieties like Aviyal and of course continental & chinese fare, we decided to visit Mattupetty, which stations the Indo-Swiss Dairy Project. The route proceeds alongside the stunning locales of the Idukki Reservoir. Idukki is a 780 MW hydro electric project based on the Periyar River. There are three dams, namely, the Arch Dam, Kulamavu Dam and the Cheruthony Dam, of which the Doubly arched sibling is a treat for the eyes of the Civil Engineers and follows the Bhakra-Nangal Dam in the list of the highest Dams in India. We halted at a nearby reservoir of the Idukki to undertake speed boat racing which was one of the highpoints of the journey. One can avail of the joyous Speed boat ride through the Rain forest like interiors of the Reservoir for a paltry 35 rupees a head. The reservoir portrays a navy green look as to the watery surroundings thanks to mammoth shelter of Tropical Trees that seem to be in abundance all around.

Our Next stop was the Dairy farm, which also boasted of an excellently preserved Botanical Garden with some of the most elusive species of fauna & flora in full bloom. I promptly got myself pictured holding a Rafflesia. The cattle exuded a fine disposition and one should savour a beaker full of pure cow milk in order to perpetualize the teachings of Nutrition. It was a sultry noon by the time we got dispatched to the hilly precincts of Rajamalai sanctuary which his a visual delight for all Trekkers. The Near Extinct species of the Golden Deer variety relish their freedom in this heavily guarded province. The journey to the above destination presented neat looking locations on the way that can make any Sholay or Mackenna's Gold or any Western Cowboy movie hunter salivate. Exotic hills, deep gorges, and over all a grey look galore in this region. No sooner had we arrived at the foot of the great Rajamalai hills, we were gheraoed by the Wildlife Security Team on the look out for all tourist vehicles. Only after we were given a clean chit by the Checking Team that we were allowed to trek up the detour. It was one of the best trekking experiences I have ever had. One can see the entire landscape that surrounds from the top of the mountain.

Due to the paucity of time we could not plan a visit to Thekeddi (Remember the Muskil Bada Yeh Pyar Hai Song from Gupt!!), where Trees grow inside a reservoir, much like a Mangrove, the difference being the presence of only the Trunks and not the usual branches & leaves. We could also not capture the scenery of the calm and serene Periyar Sanctuary. As were returning back, I could see the golden beams of the setting sun painting the tea gardens in hues of royal yellow.

My Salute to the Greatest Artist whose colour palette is undoubtedly Munnar.