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ROAD LESS TRAVELLED
Where animals make a splash!
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Nature's orchestra at work, writes Subha J Rao
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PHOTO: K. ANANTHAN
SILENT SPECTATORS The rock pool at Madhukatta
In hindsight, this has to be one of our best Nature trails ever. Our destination, a rock pool in Madhukatta, is just a 15-minute trek into the dense jungle. That's some relief for city slickers who are not in great shape.
What makes it all the more appealing is the location — the heart of the forest. So, you get to experience the best of both worlds.
This place is the favourite of Nature-loving tourists staying in the resorts that pepper Masinagudi.
Our guide, David, is a child of the jungle and chooses the most interesting paths to walk on. We pass by two pits still carrying traces of salt — an elephant researcher has been at work to study his subjects.
Bamboo paradise
This is bamboo paradise. Also, its graveyard. The pachyderms, in their quest for the tender shoot, have uprooted the older ones with impunity, littering their remains on the jungle floor.
Suddenly, David brakes. He sniffs the air and pauses before pronouncing all's clear. "Smelt like a bison," he says. Mercifully, it is not.
Two minutes later, we are at a clearing in the forest. David does a quick recce before asking us to follow him, down a steep slope. He glides like a pro in his slippers; the photographer and I, trekking shoes and all, grab on to even a sturdy looking reed to break a possible fall.
Finally, it is there. A copse of trees first filters into view. A boulder and a tree frame a murmuring waterfall. And, the stone seats beckon.
The pool interests us because of the unique formation of nearly a 100 rocks in the area. The rounded, smooth rocks, shaped by years of erosion, surround a waterfall emptying into a placid lake. From a distance, the rocks look like spectators enjoying the waterfall's act.
Curative properties
Water for the fall comes in from Sholur. And, when the river is in full flow, the water partly submerges the rocks. It is said to have curative properties. From the boulders, you can see an unending stretch of forest and even more boulders, over which the jungle stream flows. A woodpecker is out looking for its breakfast and the call of monkeys rents the air.
The clear waters at the pool are home to plump tadpoles that frisk about, impatient to grow. Since the pool is deep inside a clearing, it somehow seems cut off from the jungle. It is just Nature and you. A private waterfall?
The rock pool at Madhukatta is a waterhole for animals. Locals have seen elephants and leopards play in the pool. David has a faraway look in his eyes as he recalls the sights and sounds of the jungle.
Though mostly free of human interference, some people still manage to leave their mark in the forest. Near the boulders, a couple of soot-layered rocks are reminder of an irresponsible tourist at work.
Words of caution. This is virgin forest; respect the rights of animals. Walk silently and quietly. Always take a guide with you. And, don't wear any kind of perfume. It disturbs animals.
How to go
Masinagudi is approximately 35 km from Ooty and a 45-minute drive. From there, drive to the Bokkapuram temple, about 4 km away. The rock pool is a 15-minute trek from the temple. For guides, contact the resorts in the area. Most of them have in-house guides.
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