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In search of the Nilgiri Langur
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Where you can enjoy a date with Nature, says SUDHISH KAMATH
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PHOTOS: SUDHISH KAMATH
VERDANT LANDSCAPE The temple near Korakundah
"Huge fellows," the local says enthusiastically. "One of them was five feet tall and she chased us in the middle of the night because someone ran over her baby. She went mad. She was completely crazy... chased us for two km." Maybe he is exaggerating about the Nilgiri Langur, especially about its height.
The Nilgiri Langurs, which grow usually a little over two feet tall, are shiny black monkeys with a golden-brown coat, also identified by the distinct shrill in their voice. They are an endangered species and also among the most shy primates. Maybe he isn't talking about the Nilgiri Langur in the first place. But he swears.
"They are found only in the green virgin rainforests. Forests so thick you won't be able to see beyond two feet. But, it is at the end of the world. There are elephants too. Huge elephants," he starts again, going on to narrate another encounter when his driver stopped for a break and mistook the elephants for rocks, before fleeing for his life. I don't remember details of that story because he says something about "the end of the world."
Just dense forest
"Korakundah. It's near the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border. There is a beautiful viewing point from the top of the hills where you can see the Silent Valley, Kerala on the one side, and the sholas of Tamil Nadu, on the other. Not many people go all the way there because it's just dense forest and more forest. It will be a good Road Less Travelled."
I have just arrived in Coonoor on the day of a State-sponsored bandh, after a brief struggle for transport at the Mettupalayam station. The next day is April 1, All Fools Day. Am I going to celebrate it on the road to nowhere with psychotic monkeys and musth-hit elephants for company? Sounds like an adventure all right. So, we decide to make that 69 km long trip to the forests of Korakundah. Anybody who knows the hills also knows that kilometres on winding roads with hairpin bends can be so misleading. On the plains, the distance would take maybe an hour. Here, not less than three.
A view of the hills.
It's April 1. We're well on our way, passing through Ooty. A little later, I toy with the idea of messaging the boss. "Doing Ooty for Road Less Travelled. Hope it's not done before." No such luck, there is no signal on the phone. We reach this little village called Kaisolai, maybe about 20 km from Coonoor and 10 km before Kundha. And we see a group of farmers harvesting luscious looking carrots, fresh and bright orange under the sunlight. Tempting. So we stop. Thirty rupees for two kg. We bite the bait. It has never tasted better before.
A few km later, we pass through the Chamraj Estate, one of the most popular premium tea brands in the region. There is this quaint-looking café that teases us to stop. They have bottled ice-tea. We pick up Orange Pecko and Green Mango flavours. The best tea served in a bottle ever. It's a pity we don't get these in the city. We also pick up souvenirs. Tea packets.
We've just got back on the road and we soon spot this beautiful temple with modern architecture. We learn that it is run by the Chamraj group. My local guide insists on stopping. The puja hours are closed but the priest promises to do the archana for my friend during his evening shift, before asking us for a lift.
We've reached only halfway in our search for the Nilgiri Langurs. But hey! The best road trips are more about the journey than the destination.
The route: Coonoor — Ooty — Kaisolai — Chamraj (28 km).
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