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Road Less Travelled
Chance encounter
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A lesser-known avian sanctuary, writes SOMA BASU
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Photos: Soma Basu
BIRDWATCHING There are plenty to look at
Imagine getting stranded in the middle of nowhere. My car breaks down on a long narrow potholed road that winds its way through acres and acres of paddy fields. The mobile too loses its signal. Hours roll by and not a soul in sight. Grey clouds thre
aten to burst. They do sooner than I want them to. With no option left I get into the car. I curse my luck and send a silent prayer. A man drenched to the skin appears on a cycle. He quickly offers to take the driver to the nearest village. Finally the car is towed away to the garage. But here’s the exciting bit.
The good Samaritan, before leaving, suggests that I take a walk when the rain stops to catch sight of some birds.
Apprehensively, I begin the walk. After about a kilometre, a rusted board of the Forest department with faded paintings of birds takes me by surprise. The place is Theroor, known for wetland and fresh water lake where winged visitors come regularly. Varieties of storks, cormorants, water hens, cranes flock to this place leading to a demand from environmentalists to declare it a sanctuary in lowland plains.
After a few bends, the road leads to a row of kuccha-pucca houses, an old hospital and small roadside kiosks. Soon, lakes appear on either side of the road that cuts through the village and connects Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli. Coots float on the small waves like keyed up toys. At one side of the lake floating clay licks form an island which give refuge to and work as a resting place for black cormorants, darters, white cattle egrets, painted storks, common sandpipers, cotton teals, black winged stilts and many more birds.
A few steps ahead are paddy fields and coconut and plantain groves. Here I see egrets and the black beaked Oriental white ibis flocking to the fields. They look a busy lot searching for food perhaps.
Theroor is the birthplace of Tamil poet Kavimani. Legend has it that Lord Indra landed here in his chariot. Hence the name ‘Ther’ meaning chariot. Theroor lake is the biggest in Kanyakumari district catering to one-fourth of the town’s needs.
Heading to Theroor? Pack your pair of binoculars.
How to get there:
Theroor falls in between Nagercoil and Kanyakumari. It’s about 17 km from Nagercoil. If coming from Kanyakumari, take a turn from the Highway into the bypass to Tirunelveli.
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Mangalore
Puducherry
Tiruchirapalli
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
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