 |
| Cauvery waters at Biligundlu PC: Kalirajan Subramanian |
04 Aug 2019 5:30 am. Just few days ago, the delayed
scant monsoon had set in and around Bengaluru. But rains had already been
lashing other parts of Karnataka and Cauvery was in spate. The news of her reaching Biligundlu, the neighboring Karnataka-Tamilnadu
border was the trigger. She was calling, we had to go. So, off we took to Melagiri, Biligundlu and
Hogenakkal, a belt that is also cherished as one of the glorious trails of Kenneth Anderson.
We
took the Sarjapur-Attibele road to TVS Factory in Hosur and subsequently
Hosur-Denkanikottai Road. The route is picturesque from Hosur and by 6:45 am
we were at a small hillock few Kilometers before the starting point of Melagiri Hills.
The hillock named Kundukottai surrounded by scenic farms, offers great views of
the Eastern and Western Ghats flanking us on either side. The climb is quite
easy as there are steps. The mesmerizing breeze, serene sunrise, surrounding
Ghats and the quite charm of a frozen-in-time village offered a great start to
the trip. Thoughtfully built, there were washrooms atop the hillock, much to
the relief of the visitors. After spending some time soaking in the views, we
descended and drove on.
 |
| One hillock from another @Kundukottai PC: Kalirajan Subramanian |
 |
| Nandi, the bull demigod en-route the hilltop PC: Kalirajan Subramanian |
 |
| Spectacular views from the Kundukottai hillock PC: Kalirajan Subramanian |
 |
| Spectacular views from the Kundukottai hillock PC: Kalirajan Subramanian |
|
 |
| Spectacular views from the Kundukottai hillock PC: Kalirajan Subramanian |
|
 |
| Spectacular views from the Kundukottai hillock PC: Kalirajan Subramanian |
|
 |
| Ghats and Farms @ Kundukottai PC: Kalirajan Subramanian |
Located right after Kundukottai is the check post of Kaveri
North Wildlife Sanctuary. Visitors are asked to make an entry here and move on
with some basic instructions, though in vain, about speed, honking and littering.
The beautiful Melagiri Hill range starts from here. The Eastern Ghats starting
from Odisha spreads discontinuously across Andhra Pradesh, few parts of
Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The Western Ghats on the other hand spread
all the way from Kerala to Gujarat. Melagiri is the region where these two
mountain ranges meet, a confluence of the two grandiose Ghats of peninsular India.
PS: For those familiar with NH44 (the highway-stretch between
Bengaluru and South Tamilnadu), the hills seen around Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri,
Salem and Dindigul (Sirumalai RF) are sections of the Eastern Ghats. Whereas, few hundred Kilometers away the hill ranges in which Coorg, Bandipur, Ooty, Kodaikanal,
Megamalai are located fall in the Western Ghats.
 |
| Drive across Melagiri Hills |
 |
| Rain clouds hovering over the hills |
 |
| Spectacular views all along the drive |
The Melagiri hills consist of the tropical dry deciduous forests and semi evergreen forests much adapted to the varying rainfall patterns on either side of the hills. Flanked by Bannerghatta National Park, Cauvery wildlife sanctuary, BR Hills, Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve all the way up to Nilgiris Biosphere, Melagiri is home to two important elephant corridors. It was inexplicably amazing to be in such a geographically unique locale. Every turn and bend were so scenic, it was tough to choose one spot to halt. A swoop of Swifts came to our aid and where they perched, we stopped to observe them.
 |
| Black headed cuckoo shrike female PC: Kalirajan Subramanian |
 |
| Indian Robin PC: Kalirajan Subramanian |
 |
| A Red vented bulbul seriously introspecting PC: Kalirajan Subramanian |
 |
| Red vented bulbul with the eyes of a Zen guru PC: Kalirajan Subramanian |
 |
| A Rufous tree pie prepares to take-off PC: Kalirajan Subramanian |
 |
| Rufous tree pie PC: Kalirajan Subramanian |
 |
| Crested tree swift PC: Kalirajan Subramanian |
| Crested tree swift PC: Kalirajan Subramanian |
 |
| A Crested tree swift - tree PC: Kalirajan Subramanian |
Much similar to all other ecologically sensitive places, Melagiri
is also plagued by speeding, unnecessarily loud honking and reckless littering
at few spots. Fortunately most of the range is still pristine and spared from
commercialization. By now we were crossing
Anchetty, the Kenneth Anderson country, which has repeated mention in many of
his writings. Words really fall short here, KA readers would concur. One has to
experience to understand.
 |
| Anchetty milestone triggers Kenneth Anderson nostalgia |
"By this time it was also evident that the wounded animal
was heading for a large
hill that lay about half a mile behind
a hamlet named Kundukottai. This village was situated between the 7th and 8th milestones on the Denkanikotta-Anchetty road which we had just crossed. The top
of the hill
was known to hold many caves, both large and small, and what
was worse, the arched roofs of some of the larger caves had
been chosen by the big jungle rock-bees as safe and ideal places
in which to construct their hives. I had often seen these hives
as I had motored along
the road to Anchetty on previous
occasions." – Kenneth Anderson, Black Panther of Sivanipalli.
 |
| Man-eater of Jowlagiri, Crossed Tusker of Gerhetti, Strange case of Gerhetti leopard - KA country |
8:30 am: For travelers unaccustomed to these
locations, better breakfast options are available in Hosur or packed breakfast
may be preferable. For those familiar and open to explore, a small vegetarian
joint in Anchetty called Male Madheswara Veg Hotel, offers refreshingly tasty
Masala Dosas and Chutneys. We saw quite a few travelers stopping by and
followed suit. What ensued was a nice hot breakfast. Note: This hotel doesn’t serve coffee/tea. There was another seemingly
bigger restaurant called Kurinji Malar Hotel nearby but it was closed. Alternately,
Hogenakkal is just about 45 mins away and has many restaurants.
 |
| Male Madheswara Hotel Anchetty |
Crossing Keratti, another Kenneth Anderson haunt which he
mentions as Gerhetti in his stories (The Strange Case of the Gerhetti Leopard, The
Crossed-Tusker of Gerhetti, The man-eater of Jowlagiri), we reached Biligundlu. All these names are visible on the milestones or on the turns and bends. The
turn at Biligundlu also has a signboard for Coracle rides and from a distance
one can get the first glimpse of the dazzling blue waters of Cauvery, quietly
meandering through the hills. That sight, did make our hearts flutter. Born and
brought up on a river side, there is something meditative about watching a river
gushing over rocks and pebbles. Moments of sheer ecstasy to hear the waters,
wind and the bird-calls…all original sounds of music.
“Here in the jungle you will find truth, you
will find peace, bliss and happiness; you will find life itself. There is no
room, no time at all for hypocrisy, for make-believe, for that-which is
artificial and false. You are face to face with the primitive, with that which
is real, with that which is most wonderful- which is God.” – Kenneth Anderson, Black Panther
of Sivanipalli.
At Ootamalai, the road runs
parallel to Cauvery. We stopped at a convenient spot and stood by the banks to
gaze. Devoid of crowd, it was heavenly to spend some time in solitude and enjoy
just the company of the fresh waters. There after, we were in Hogenakkal.
 |
| Cauvery gushing through the woods PC: Kalirajan Subramanian |
 |
| A Cormorant merrily flies above the waters PC: Kalirajan Subramanian |
 |
| Moments of solitude in the woods with the hills, river and the clouds for company |
It was coincidentally the 18th day of the
regional month of Aadi/Aashada. An auspicious day when the locals gather around water bodies
to pay their respects to the River Goddess and remember their ancestors.
So Hogenakkal was chock a block with tourists and choking with their refuse.
Nevertheless, the waterfalls and the coracle rides make for a spectacular
experience on off-season days. The vibrant hues of the market gave us the right ambiance to indulge in some street photography.
 |
| Colors of the carnival- Hogenakkal market PC: Kalirajan Subramanian |
 |
| Colors of the carnival- Hogenakkal market PC: Kalirajan Subramanian |
Comments