Adventure in the valley of Western Ghats (Kundaru Dam Tenkasi)

-

A Precarious and Adventurous Journey at Kannupulimettu - Shencottai

Kundaru Dam
My cousin and I were on a trip to a waterfall in Kannupulimettu, a place near my home town. The place is surrounded with lush green mountains, numerous waterfalls across the rivers and a dam (Kundaru Dam) that collects the water from the hills. We have been visiting this place for the past four years, and to make this trip extraordinary we set out to look for a new waterfall in the region.

Journey Through the Valley
We began to climb up the streaming valley. The journey was treacherous as the path was filled with huge rocks and skewed waterways.  After passing through a kilometre, we were stopped by the barbed wire, erected across the valley. It seemed to have built to keep the perpetrators away. We stood there for a moment and starred at each other whether to cross over or return to the falls which is easily accessible down below.
 
We spotted a passage beside the barbed wire which encouraged us to go forward. With renewed strength, we crossed the hurdles and continued walking. All of a sudden, my cousin cried in panic on seeing a skull in the bushes. I examined the skull closely, and it was an animal skull. We crossed several gigantic rocks and waded through stream of water, yet the sight of the falls was not appearing.

Waterfall owned by a Local Politician
After climbing on a huge rock, my heart soared high on seeing a beautiful waterfall in front of me. It was a calm and tranquil place where nature bestows its gift to mankind. We took off our shirts and threw ourselves into the cool and clean water.

After a few minutes, out of nowhere, a stranger came running towards us with a sickle. He was well built with a piercing eyes filled with anger.  We started trembling at the sight of the sudden stranger. He screamed at us in abusive words. He claimed that it is a private waterfall and strangers are not allowed to come here.  As he was in possession of a weapon, we could not argue and set out to leave the place.

After a while, another man came, who seemed to be the caretaker of the place. He inquired about us and how we entered here. I narrated the whole journey and apologized to him for breaching the border.  He seemed to be kind and allowed us to enjoy the shower for a while. We were overwhelmed by his kind gesture and spent some more time in the waterfall and left the place.

As we came down, I inquired to a local man about the waterfall. He said that it belongs to a local politician. I was wondering, how come rivers and mountains can be owned by someone, especially the ones we choose to serve us.

Location: Tenkasi, Tamil Nadu, India

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A climb to meet the God: Trekking-cum-Pilgrimage in Velliangiri Hills, Coimbatore

-
Image
The temperature was soaring to 39 degree Celsius in Chennai and I never expected that I would be soon in a place shivering uncontrollably in the cold weather. My friend and I decided to travel to Velliangiri Hills to escape the scorching sun this summer. Located 30 km away from Coimbatore city, Velliangiri is mainly a pilgrimage center that involves the arduous climbing of seven kilometers over the mountains. The journey commences from Poondi temple, and every devotee purchases a bamboo stick, which proves to be an immense help for the ascent. Barefooted, we ascended through steps made up of stones. The first three mountains have similar passageways with steps laid down by human hands. Every stride has to be careful and focused, as one might lose balance on the rugged terrain. The occasional cry of the insects and birds was music to our ears along the way. The odor of herbals growing in the mountains filled our nostrils, giving a serene feeling. Steps made up of stones Trav...
Read more

When the Trekking Presents Hair-raising Adventure in Parvathamalai Hills

-
Image
An arduous climb at Paravathamalai Hills Every one of my trips is always filled with elements of surprise and excitement, and this one is too. Climbing up the mountain of 3500 feet along different tough terrains, including mounting an iron ladder placed vertically upon a huge rock, was a spine-chilling experience. Parvathamalai, the abode of Lord Shiva, is located in Tiruvannamalai district at 15km distance from Polur, the nearest town. It was an early morning as we alighted at Thenmathimangalam, a village, from where we commence our journey on foot. The dawn filled with cool breeze, women dutifully cleaning up their courtyard before the sun breaks up, men indulging in a casual chat at tea shops before embarking on their routine job, the roosters loudly announcing the new day, are the vivid memories as we set foot at the village. Exhilarating countryside along the way Geographical map of the hillock and the distance to be covered in different terrains A kilometer wa...
Read more

A One Day Trip to Unwind With Your Family at Swamimalai (Yelagiri Hills)

-
Image
Worried about your fitness? Fed up of maintaining diet to size up your figure? Bored up of visiting malls, movie theatres on weekends? Tired of starring at your computer monitor at the workplace? A simple, easy trek can rejuvenate your spirit and give an alternate experience of life. Many are afraid to go on a trekking due to the challenges it presents on the journey: fear of wild jungle, fear of bodily strength, fear of getting stranded in an unknown place etc. But I assure you, this trek could change all your assumptions, and this can even be your first step to begin your adventure. Swamimalai, a small hill, lies on the mountains of Yelagiri close to the scenic village ‘Mangalam’. We left from Chennai by bus around 1 am in the early morning and reached Jolarpettai at dawn. A bus from there took us to Yelagiri in an hour. As the vehicle ascended through precarious bends, it gave goosebumps at every turn. Beaten by the cold spell, we yearned for the sun to show its full glor...
Read more