The day the clouds called me
“Once many people lived in a pretty valley with an even prettier lake. One day a comet emerged in the blue sky.Oh ! It seemed to come down faster and faster coming straight towards them. People built a huge net of ropes to stop the comet. But suddenly a white big cloud drifted by.Parts of comet broke off and went into the cloud the valley was saved. The cloud had a silver lining. It is ice cream cone.”
Yes,Kodaikanal is a fragrant ice cream cone for visItiors. As the road to Kodaikkanal climbs, you notice the Palani hills far away with magnificent splendour. If you look back, you see dark blue silent lake, name unknown.
The road winds through green trails of Kodaikkanal until eucalyptus trees welcome you.
Coakers walk
Nearly tiled mountain edged passage. We walk along through fog and mist catching glimpses of mysterious distant hills as if it could have no ending . There is a relaxing steady gentle pace to all. We walk in beauty. Its cold and fog that turns soft pettiness into the haunting beauty of Kodaikanaal.
We feel that we are walking to some mystical point of origin. ………… There are monkeys waiting to snatch biscuit packets and run under the fog……
Heaps of bright orange coloured carrots……..
Smell of coasted peanuts…….
As the mist clears we have the panoramic view of Dolphin’s nose, Pambar River and bird’s eye view of Madurai city. Kurinji Andavar temple is named after kurinji flower. That blooms once in twelve years. What do we experience in temple? They are riotous mixture of divine sights, sounds and smell.
The observatory stands on the highest point in the area and houses a small museum.
Pillar rocks
We reach pillar rocks. Mist rolls up from the dark deep ravine and curls up winding the pillar rocks the three boulders naturally arranged to resemble three majestic pillars that looks as if it remains as a central bolt that sticks Kodaikanal on earth. The frothy fog is reflected in new bloomed bluish Hydranchias we get gerbera bouquets coloured yellowish over lasting flowers from woollen cap clad local people. The ladies with big nose studs and rolls of jasmine garland roam around selling peanuts and toys. The fog mist and clouds disembody the pillars that may reach heaven. The devils kitchen is the base of pillar rocks and it is fenced to tourists.
Guna Caves
We walked to Guna caves watching the crowds catching the glimpses of mist shrouded trees we could see fluorescent moss stuck rocks that add an archaic look and the cliff that a offers free fall into the eternal abyss. The fence place has been fenced with barb wire ever since twelve boys decided to go to deep into the caves and never returned.
Suicide Point
The suicide perhaps solely reserved for keralites, suicide loving people! Through the barbed wire we could see transparent source drifting along white clouds seeking their eternal union. The majestic mountains, its wind and the thronging visitors declare that: “life is beautiful” and the whisper soft mist echoes that.
The Lake
When there are rain clouds lake reflect them. It is charming to watch people sculling; being in a boat in Kodai Lake is a heavenly experience….
The lake filled with blindening fog, we sail in beauty…..
The thwack of oars in their locks, the splash of water, the sun coming out of fog, the lake enchants us with a private world that was cherished in our fantasies.
Wandering along the streets around the lake we could see foodstalls, mini curio shops, T-shirt vendors. If you feel cool shabby tea shops offer you frothy ginger tea. We walk along the streets munching crispy ginger biscuits.
In the kodaikanal, it was entrancing as if time had rushed past; time was evaporating in the vapours’ flowing around over a huge pile of space.
