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Jewel in the forest

Emerald, near Ooty, is a trekker's delight

We set off on the road to Avalanchi. A local trekking enthusiast told us about Emerald. We were instantly hooked to the name that evoked beautiful images. We left behind the noisy, crowded town — the hill-station of Ootacamund.The well-surfaced road winded around hills, at times steeply. But mostly lazily. Occasionally breaking into ruts and potholes. At all times, the scenery was breathtaking. There were stretches where the forest cover is unbroken for long minutes.

Suddenly we found ourselves atop a hill overlooking terrace gardens and tea estates. About 20 km from Ooty, we drove down a steep, single track. A few desultory huts and slow-moving cattle, we had arrived at Emerald.

A yellow board proudly announced that the road was constructed under the Prime Minister's Village Road Development Scheme. The road is but a dirt track!

Reality exceeded imagination. If ever a village was aptly named, it is this. The shades of green that the human eye discerns here cannot be listed in one lifetime.

Excited kids

We wanted to go into the wilderness. Who better to ask for directions than a group of village children with firewood on their heads? No, we did not want to cross the Emerald dam.

The children were excited that we did not want to "see the sights". They seemed impressed that we were willing to walk all the three kilometres that would lead us into "their" territory. The adult-like superiority suddenly gave way to a childish request to "take a photograph"! They clustered around us and giggled looking at themselves on the camera screen. "Will you send us a copy? I will send you my poems in return" - that seemed a fair bargain. So we took down their address. As we walked on, we were stunned by the reflection of the hills on the blue lake. Which was the hill and which the reflection? All along we found trees, the barks of which were covered with a brilliant saffron dye. Mushrooms of all sizes clung to fallen branches and the underside of rocks. Tiny star like plants covered the entire rock surface of the hill. The air was heavy with the perfume of pine and cedar. The silence was broken only by us. Sunlight shimmered on the lake and in spite of the mid-day hour, we felt the nip in the air. Through the thick forest cover not much of the warmth of the sun can penetrate.

We collected pinecones and moss grass. In the process, we disturbed the buried nest of a millipede. We hastily covered it, letting parent and babies return to its damp darkness.

As our half-a-day outing came to an end, we reluctantly returned to Ooty.

We thanked our young trekking enthusiast for our tryst with heaven. We requested that next time he recommends Emerald to someone, he should ask them to refrain from littering the forest. We had found a couple of discarded paper plates. He was horrified. Emerald is precious to him. And now, to us too.

SWATI PRASAD SIDDHARTH

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