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Wild encounter
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Adventure Thengumarahada: Nature untouched, writes SUBHA J RAO
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STEALTHY VISITOR A tiger staring in Thengumarahada forest PHOTO: K. ANANTHAN
THE NAME Thengumarahada sounds innocuous. It means `a plain with coconut trees'. But, don't dismiss it as just another verdant village that can calm your frayed nerves.
The thrill lies in driving through 35-km of well-preserved forest to reach the sleepy village. It is a bone-crunching two-hour drive from Bhavani Sagar to Thengumarahada in Kotagiri Taluk.
What makes it tolerable is the possibility of sighting wild animals in the forest, which is home to various species of flora and fauna.
Except for birdsong, the rustle of the vembu, tamarind, soap nut and mathi trees and the crunch of pebbles beneath the tyres of our vehicle, there is little to break the silence.
In the stillness, you can sight a herd of fleeting chital or black buck.
But, make the slightest noise and they disappear into the forest in a flash. The birds are no different.You can sight many species of birds too, here,
as they flit from branch to branch; but before you train your eyes on them, they are off to carry on their twitter on a different tree. En route, you pass pebble-filled courses of the river Moyar (Maayar in Tamil, meaning an illusory river), which springs to life during the monsoon.
The Moyar is so called because the water level rises suddenly. One day, you can see the bed, the next, the water level could rise to an amazing 10 feet.
The photographer and I keep looking for elephants and bison, but in vain. So, we sit back to enjoy the sight of the Moyar, which winds its way along the rugged road. Soon, it is time to park the vehicle and cross the river. If you're driving a jeep or a land rover, it's easy to cross over. But, what's an RLT if you do the predictable? We decide to take a coracle to reach Thengumarahada. The ride takes a little over two minutes.
From there, it is a two-km walk to the village, where the Thengumarahada Cooperative Farmers' Society is located.
It was set up in 1952 to
help the locals earn a living. The 500 acres of forest land leased to them in the then village of Geddapatti (`village with fields' in Kannada) were lush with banana and coconut groves, jackfruit and mango trees.
The fruit trees even today are home to the Nilgiri langur, which relish the fruits before the locals can lay their hands on them.
The village, surrounded by blue-grey mountains, is a trekkers' paradise.
From here, you can trek up to Kodanad, a journey of about three
and a half hours. Or take the Sirur-Aanaikatti-Masinagudi route.
You can also visit the village of Hallimoyar, home to the Irula tribe, and
Kallampalayam. Nearby flows the river Kookulthurai, which irrigates the fields of Thengumarahada.
Interesting turn
On our way back, we cross the swirling waters of the Moyar and head to Bhavani Sagar. That's when the uneventful journey takes an interesting turn.
We see a dark shadow on the road. Mistaking it for a bear or a panther (creatures that are known to frequent the area), we stop. To our surprise, we discover that it is a majestic tiger out on a stroll at 2.30 in the afternoon.
For a minute, we are flummoxed. We hurriedly raise the windows of our car even as we enjoy the encounter.
What a photo op! A minute later, a bison walks past, followed by a herd of chital. You leave with the feeling that Nature is still unspoiled here.
How to get there
Drive down till Bhavani Sagar. Five km later, you reach Kaarachikarai. Take the road that forks to the left and keep driving. Thengumarahada is 30 km from there. November-December is the best time of year to visit. You can seek accommodation at the Forest Department trekking camp in the village. An overnight stay costs Rs. 25 per head.
Write to the District Forest Officer, Nilgiris North Division, Udhagamandalam, for permission or call them on 0423-2443968.
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
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Kochi
Madurai
Mangalore
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Thiruvananthapuram
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Visakhapatnam
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