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Nature’s own portrait

Just right for a day out, writes K. Jeshi

PHOTOS: K. JESHI

Tribal attractions The Kodanad View Point; the Panchapandava temple; and a Toda woman.

At an altitude of over 1950 mt, it was Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams that replayed in my mind. The short-film Crows in particular, where an art student finds himself inside the vibrant world of Van Gogh’s p ainting.

With rows and rows of folded mountains stretching endlessly like perfectly composed portraits, and the chilling breeze brushing your face, it was only natural to think this was a magical world.

An impromptu trip to Kodanad viewpoint, exactly 18 km from Kotagiri, with a couple of like-minded friends, turned out to be an action-packed one. Thank God we decided to halt at the Nilgiris

Adivasi Welfare Association (NAWA) in Kotagiri. “You can go on a two-km trek inside a jungle near Kodanad, and halt at Kodutheni Mund, the dwelling place of the Todas, one of the ancient tribal communities of the Nilgiris,” a NAWA volunteer said, and we jumped at the idea.

A formal inauguration of an in-patient hospital for tribal communities was in progress at NAWA, and it was hard to resist the act of scribbling on the notepad. A little bit of reporting, breathtaking views, chilly weather, trekking, good food, and a slice of history… that sums up the outing in the hill. “Kodanad is an excellent viewpoint to study geographical boundaries,” a well-known naturalist had mentioned, and we did manage to get a peek at geography.

The view from the rim of the Nilgiris plateau goes thus: the majestic Moyar gorge (through which the river Moyar flows), located between the Deccan plateau and the Nilgiris plateau, joins the river Bhavani spread out like a genie from Aladdin’s magic lamp. The spectacular view of Ranganathar peak, a monolithic rock popped up from the ground resembling a Shivalinga, is an added bonanza.

Zoom in, and you wonder what those match-box sized structures and perfect green-brown squares are. “That is Thengumarahada village, where Annakili was filmed. Those are the houses, and the squares are fields,” says our

well-informed driver, and we immediately break into a discussion on the triangular love story of Annakili and the melodious debut of maestro Ilaiyaraaja. The lunch at Kodanad was as exciting as our trip. Hot parathas and succulent mushrooms for the vegetarian lover and roasted chicken for my non-vegetarian friends. It is time to explore the jungle now.

We gossip and giggle and trek our way along the silent forest. It is a cakewalk. A couple of semi-circular structures announce the arrival of the Toda mund (the dwelling place of Todas is referred to as a mund).

Everyone here seems to be content with life. The semi-circular hut with a narrow entrance (one has to literally squeeze oneself into it) keeps them warm and protects them from wild animals too.

As we get friendly with Pottu Kanni to learn Toda embroidery, coffee is served. It is sugary sweet, yet has a distinct taste. Maybe, they added a dollop of butter! Todas include a lot butter and buttermilk in their diet. They still drink buffalo milk without boiling it.

The Toda women enlighten us on their embroidery. Handloom cotton is the base, and the woollen thread is in red and black, their traditional colours. As they count the threads with the needle, mind-boggling designs take shape, straight from their heart.

Rich in history is the Panchapandava temple, which resembles a Toda hut. The highlight is the inscription on the temple wall. A boulder abandoned near the temple, is steeped in folklore. “In the olden days, a prospective groom was considered worthy based on his might, and he had to prove it by lifting this boulder above his shoulder,” locals say.

Probably, filmmaker Bharathirajaa drew his inspiration from here. Remember the famous scene in Mudhal Mariyathai of Sivaji Ganesan lifting a boulder to win the love of a petite Radha?

Three of us drape ourselves in the Poothukuli shawl (the traditional Toda attire) in turns, click photographs and bid goodbye, all re-charged. The icing on the cake was the unannounced downpour.

Kodutheni Mund is 16 km from Kotagiri, and three km from Kodanad View Point. You can stay at the forest guesthouse near the Mund, which can accommodate five people. For details, call NAWA at 0426-6271596.

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