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ROAD LESS TRAVELLED

Where silence is charming

If bliss is what you seek, says SOMA BASU

PHOTO: SOMA BASU

PONNANIAR Picture of tranquility

Ponnaniar is a place you should visit only when you have plenty of time on your hands and you are on the look out for a spot that offers tranquility.

After manoeuvring through the traffic on the 60-km stretch from Tiruchi on the Manapparai-Vayampatti Road, as I entered Ponnaniar, it truly felt like bliss. Negotiating half-a-dozen hairpin bends, I left behind the noise and bustle of the traffic, and was soon enveloped by serenity and silence. I passed by a small church and a children's park. By the time I reached my destination, the sun had begun to disappear behind the clouds. Vistas of green mountains in the background and the occasional wooded grove with the Ponnaniar basin in between, provided relief to fatigued eyes. The 810-ft long Ponnaniar dam was built in 1975. But it is the 310 acres around it that make the place attractive. Thankfully, not many picnickers come here and thus it has retained its beauty and charm.

Boat ride

But surprisingly, there is a boat available for a ride in the crystal blue waters. It is mostly used by the PWD staff and their family members for outings, I was told.

The peaks of the twin hillocks formed a dark blue backdrop to the grey clouds outlined by the setting sun's many-hued streaks. The still body of water forming a lake at the foothills completed the picture of tranquility.

I could not locate the boatman and hence missed the pleasure of a ride on the waters. But my communion with Nature was compensation enough. As darkness fell, the wind picked up. And so did the sound of nocturnal insects. Ponnaniar is ideal for lazing around as its almost spiritual silence overwhelms you. If you are a lover of nature it is best to avoid contributing to any kind of air and noise pollution here. The best thing to do in this arcadian bliss is to simply put your faculties of sight, smell and hearing to full use and feel the nature. I am not sure whether day time attracts any more number of visitors to the place. At least it did not have any tell-tale signs of people messing around in the place and leaving behind plastic and other waste. Or luckily I happened to be there at a time when the pleasure of the moment was absolutely unalloyed. Ponnaniar is definitely an interesting place to halt for a few hours.

Some hours later, as I left behind the spectacular sight and came down the road that was dotted with bushes, the only soul I encountered was a woman trudging along with a bundle of firewood on her head. Barely 15 minutes later, I was back again amid the cacophony of city life.

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