ROAD LESS TAKEN

An adventurous trekking to Ubbalamagadu falls:  Living in Chennai, often, I find it hard to be in a place absence of noise and pollution. To get a temporary relief and break the dull routine, my friend and I planned to visit Ubbalamangadu (aka) Thada falls located in Chithoor district of Andra Pradesh and Pulicat (aka) Pazhaverkadu in Tamil Nadu. Riding through an early foggy morning along Kolkata highways sent chills through my body. On our way, exotic countryside life unfolded before us with vistas of ducks and goats marching on the road, farmers dutifully working their day at the paddy field, children joyously playing on the streets and women clad in colourful sarees actively involved in their household work. Water reservoir at the foot of the hill-  Photo Credit Lingaraja Sivanaiah  Photo Credit Lingaraja Sivanaiah Running stream in the valley -   Photo Credit Lingaraja Sivanaiah As we reached the entrance to the forest, we collected parking tickets and proceed

Fast moving life, menacing sounds of the vehicles, polluted environment, sultry weather, junk food and skyscraper buildings are the common terms anyone might come across by living in the city. On the contrary, I live in a house surrounded with lush green trees on a sloppy mountain of St. Thomas Mount. The entire vicinity reverberates with the sounds of the birds since dawn to dusk. I enjoy watching the squirrels digging at the ripen jack fruit, cuckoo birds singing in its mellow voice, the mongoose roaming around for its prey and the leaves effortlessly falling from the trees. A Sapodilla left by a bird With all the little creatures, in the green environment, my life here moves swiftly and I gradually built a bond with these plants, trees, birds and animals. After a few months, I began keeping some food and grains on the terrace for the birds and animals. The squirrels, crows and cats come rushing and fight with each other for the food. It became a routine for me and following

Statue of St.Thomas at the entrance Welcoming with the historical arch built by Armenians, St. Thomas Shrine is above the hill top, which is also the martyrdom place of St. Thomas, the disciple of Jesus Christ. Snaking its way up through the zigzag steps, the entire mountain is dotted with numerous neem trees. As we climb up, we pass through Stations of the Cross until reaching the top of the hill. The monumental church built by Europeans, during the 15 th century stood as the converging point for all the Europeans during the colonial era. The chapel consists of invaluable paintings of each disciple of Jesus Christ, which also describes the execution of each of them in a different fashion. With possession of various relics, the centre of the altar is adorned with a stone cross chiselled by St. Luke. Right behind the church, we can witness an age old banyan tree, with several branches penetrated into the ground.  Several religious orders, convents and an orphanage func