KANTHALOOR An attractive basket of fruits and vegetables, says SOMA BASU
PHOTO: SOMA BASU
Lush locale Kanthaloor’s green cover
It took me long to get convinced about this place as a probable RLT. I tried “Kanthalloor” on friends and colleagues and nobody seemed to have heard about it. Poring over a handful of road maps did not help either. If that was one reason
to set off for this place in Idukki district in Kerala, very close to Tamil Nadu border, the other was the element exotica — Kanthalloor at an elevation of 5000 feet above sea level is a veritable basket of fruits and vegetables.
Knowing fully well that RLTs are all about mountains, beaches and forests, I decide to go it different this time. The best part about this place is its congenial weather throughout the year which helps in cultivation of superior quality apples besides several other fruits and vegetables. And also some exotic flowers which have a good potential for commerce and export market too.
Once I cross Munnar, I also leave behind visible groups of tourists and tea estates. Roughly 50-odd km down on the Kottayam Road, a different shade of green replaces the landscape. The ascending narrow road tucked in the slopes of the Nilgiri Hills soon takes me atop this little hill in less than 30 minutes. The sight from the top is awesome.
Tranquil setting
The lush wilderness is enveloped in silence and stroked by a cool breeze. Only my car makes some gruelling noise while pulling up the hilly road and invites curious onlookers. And soon I have a bunch of young and old villagers eager to show me their fields or talk about the place. I barely need to walk a few metres to reach the highest point on the hill. In all directions, there is a lyrical amalgamation of undulating hill ranges and endless green fields which drape the Blue Mountains in step-like folds. Accompanied by a few enthusiastic farmers, I start walking through acres and acres of this highly cultivable land full of ripe apples, apricots, plums, oranges, pomegranate, guava, gooseberry, peach and passion fruit. The variety of vegetables grown here with minimum use of chemical fertilisers is impressive too, from carrots and beans, to cauliflower, cabbage, potato, beetroot, garlic...surely I may have missed out a few other names. I sense the pulse of village life as I walk around for hours with men, women and children who are the caretakers of the natural resources here. “Our apples have a slightly thick skin, but they are very tasty,” says Jegadees. “Please write about to it so that people come to Kanthalloor for apples instead of going to Ooty or Kashmir,” he pleads. “We also grow some exotic vegetables such as broccoli, red cabbage and lettuce,” says Kalyani proudly.
Rejuvenating walk
The impromptu walk on this green carpet turns out to be quite invigorating and informative. There are hardly any visitors to the area as nobody ever thinks of vegetable or fruit gardens as an exciting travel option. But surely students can benefit from an excursion here. The idea may not be attractive to tourists given the lack of accommodation. While on a trip to Munnar, if time permits, check it out. The locals don’t forget to remind me to halt on my way back in front of a huge boulder. It is called the Honey Rock. Like modern structures vying for space in cities, this rock has hundreds of beehives of different sizes. All good things come to a sweet end.
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