On festivals like Surasamharam, Thaipoosam and every Karthigai, the crowds reach up the staggering 659 steps to the shrine, some of them carrying kavadis or with mouths locked, literally. Many worshippers pierce their cheeks with little metal locks in homage to Murugan. Lesser mortals take one of the three electic winches to the top. But it is not for worship alone that you to visit the Palani Hills, even if this is Tamil Nadu’s biggest temple.

Best time to visit Palani Hills – January to March, April to September is also good.

The Palani Hills were once covered with evergreen rainforest extending almost to the plains. The only wild mountain goat found in Southern India. The Palani hills are much more charming than their popular cousin, the Nilgiris, due to their densely wooded slopes and the lack of the run of the mill tourist in the area.

The valley below the lodge has a charming lake, and the hills that rise on the opposite bank are covered with thick shoal forests. Stroll down to the lake and watch the reflection of the hills and the setting sun glisten on the shimmering surface of the water. After you will see sambhar walk out of the forest on the opposite bank for a drink. The lake always has some grebes on it.

The Aurobindo Ashram forms the nucleus of many activities and trade in Pondicherry. It is a product of Sri Aurobindo’s inspirations and the Mother, Mirra Alfassa’s earnestness. The main Ashram on Rue de la Marine houses the buildings where Sri Aurobindo and Mirra Alfassa lived and died.

Auroville is an experiment in international living. It is a developing town 10 km from Pondicherry. The matri Mandir is a centre of meditation and an architectural marvel. It is best to hire a tourist taxi from the city to visit auroville, a 30 minute drive away.

The Pondicherry Marine Drive with a 1.5 km long promenade is the best place to stroll in on an evening.

The Pondicherry Museum is a treasure trove of antiques with a section on French India which is housed in rooms done up in typical French style. Archaeology, geology, sculpture, weapons, handicrafts and art are some of the other sections.

The narrow Muthorai Road leads out of Ooty to the villages of Palada, Ithalar and Emerald, all surrounded by acres of cabbage and carrot, and further to an area called Red Hill. Take this road out of the clamour of Ooty to put the magic back into jaded Nilgiri holidays. For here you’ll be transported back to the time of the British, with the landscape giving you enough evidence as to why the mandarins of Team Britannica so loved the Blue Mountains.

It is here in Red Hill that the forests are magnificent and vast, the foliage is dense and the air crisp and pure. Lush eye-soothing greenery covers whole areas right into the horizon. A great change from the clamour of Ooty, the wildness of Mudumalai an dlaidback Coonoor. Best of all, Red Hill offers a permanent guarantee of natural beauty, since no further development is possible under the low in the ecologically fragile area of the sensitive Upper Bhavani Sancuary nearby.

Rined by an almost neverending array of mountains clothed in green finery, Red Hill, so named by the British in remembrance of a similar area in England, is where tranquiliy meets calm to produce a scence that is smoothing and soul enriching.

Eight lakes from the finest beauty spots on he face of Red Hill. You can take a tour of these all within a 25 km raduys if Red Hills. A gentle walk along their shores, with a myriad birdsongs, as accompaniment is a great afternoon spent. You can also fish for carp and troute in the lakes while you relax and take in the scenery.

But the best thing to do in Red Hill is to take a long, unhurried amble through the wilderness along the pencil-hin pathways that go all around the valleys.

Lake District

The area is dottd by eight lakes, aquamarine in colour and disilled in purity emerals, Avalanche, Upper Lake 12 km, Porthimund 15 km and Western Catchments 1,2 and 3 40 km. From atop the lofty perches around Red Hill, they appear as impossibly odd-shaped mirrors feflecting the clouds. The occasional glint of the sun is magnified on their surface, as the waters break into fine ripples.

The area receives heavy rainfall every year 100 inches just between june and August that fills up the lakes.

Avalanche

About 13 km from Emerald 7 km from Red Hill by the metalled road to Ooty is the village of Avalanche where one of the oldest tribes of the Nilgiris, the Todas lives. Basically catle-rearers, they would barter ghee and butter for grains in the olden days. And while visiting them, if you happen to see an elderly man placing his foot ritualistically on the head of a woman, don’t be appalled. That is how Toda elders bless their young. Avalanche also has a trout hatchery that is over 100 years old.

Electrified

The open grasslands and jade forests of Parson’s Valley Lake take the metalled road to the Parson’s Valley power house have an allure all their own. Cut off from the clamour of daily existence, you are bound to experience a rare freshness of spirit there. Then there are the hydroelectric power stations at Emerald and Avalanche built in the 1950s to visit.

Plain Tribes

If your heart tells you it’s time to find a soulmate, check your wallet. Even if you find just 200 rupees in it, if you are a Badaga, hen you’re on. For that is how much money you need to pay your bride’s family at the time of bringing her home. No matter how rich you are how exalted your status, and how vast your property holdings, all you need are two currency notes with Mahatma Gandhi’s monochrome photograph on them. And if the all-important compatibility does not come about in your marriage.  And as the bride, don’t forget to place the 200 rupees in the man’s hands before you retun to your parents place.

Loosen your purse strings until your purse sags earthwards, hire a helicopter, fasten your seat belts, take off into the blue yonder and savour the hypnotizing sights of the forest-clad Nilgiri mountains down below. Or, simply visit Silver Stones Estate at Bellikkal. Complete isolation at 5,500 ft, just 16km from Ooty enroute to the Kalhatti Ghats, whose curves can give the world’s best belly dancer a run for her money. The estate is perched like a lofty eagle edjoining the villages of Akuni and Hulhtti on the northern fringe of the smoky Nilgiri Hills. The 50 acres of absolute wilderness culminate at a point from where you can see nervetingling vistas. The forests of Mudumalai and Bandipur spread out down below, with their trees resembling the knotted wool of a million sheep grazing together in the distance. The Moyar River that slithers its way through a deep chasm leaves behind a trial of dense shrubbery in its wake that appears like closely worked embroidery. The dam across it looks much like a toy meant for the amusement of the gods.

From that height, the Siur Plateau unwraps itself like a fantabulous leaf stretching out in the open. And towards evening the light and shade effect brought about by the setting sun makes for a show that is purely in the realm of the divine.

Bellikkal is the place for long ambles along the ghats or a quiet afternoon by Bellikkal Lake. This is not the place to carry your tuxedo to. Pack some outdoorsy clothes that’ll blend in with the surroundings and some good walking shoes. This is an unsen and relatively unexplored section of the over-exploited Nilgiris. Go into the wilds here and you’ll literally have a different view of nature.

Walk down to Bison Valley which takes its name from the innumerable gaur Indian bison that roam around the Sigur area. If you have binocular vision to assist you, you’ll delight in the sight of herds moving around languorously, feeding in the lush undergrowth. The Kalhatti Falls shimmer and glint as they cascade down a valley. And from this height and range, the waters seem to come down dreamily in slow motion. The Nilgiri peaks at Bellikkal beckon the intrepid trekker. And if you climb one of them through a series of him trails passing through the foliage, you’ll be astounded by the splendour of the vast and varied landscape. Don’t be surprised if you feel on top of the world.

Bellikkal’s other attraction is the kurinji bush, covered with purplish blue flowers of delicate beauty. When in full bloom they lend a bluish haze to the area. But these bushes bloom only once in 12 years. The kurinji last bloomed four years ago.

To be in Bellikkal during the monsoon is an experience that will remain etched in memory. For when it rains, the whole area takes on a hazy magnificence. With umbrella in hand, make your way to the vantage point at the end of the estate and just gasp, gawk and droll at the sight in front of you. The mountains that gently wrap the verdant valleys in green gossamer look like hey are being showered with a billion tiny, speckled diamonds. And somewhere in the distance, up on a delicate branch, a babbler ruffles itself into a cute, brown ball and shakes itself dry.

Such dazzling sights of nature are not the only things here. The wildlife enthusiast will have no complaints, Imagine seeing a herd of elephants or gaur or sambhar or chital grazing in such complete solitude within the folds of the valleys below that they almost look unreal as if lodged like terracotta figures on a cardboard model of a forest painted green. Sloth bears and panthers abound too their droppings at numerous spots around the estate grounds point to their nocturnal permbulations.

Yercaud is easily India’s cheapest hill station destination. Make that least expensive for so rich is Yercaud in its natural charm and dits potential for bountiful discovery that to label it cheap would be truly insulting. It’s sometimes referred to as the poor man’s Ooty, but smart man’s Ooty would be nearer the mark.

Yercaud is how the Brits got around the tongue twister Yercaud, tamil for lake forest. This little hill station lies in the Shevaroy Hills, part of the Eastern Ghats. Unlike the more lush Western Ghats, the Eastern Ghats are generally dry and feature short and rocky hills, and Yercaud is thus a wonderful aberration.

Spread over just 383 sq km, Yercaud is small enough not to tire you, and yet spread out in mysterious little ways to give you a sense of serenity. Less crowded than Ooty or Kodaikanal, Yercaud is where you go when you simply wish to apply salve to your soul. Or simply to recollect, alon with the poet, emotions in tranquility amidst sunflowers, dahlias and roses.

The 31 km uphill drive from the town of Salem takes about an hour. You will have to negotiate 20 fairly smooth harpin bends. As you approach Yercaud, you can’t miss the coffee plantations and orange groves. Check into your hotel, slip into your sneakers and set our to explore this quiet homage to lake and forest.

Big Lage, Small Boat

The main attraction is the Big Lake where much of the action takes place. But this being laid back Yercaud, the action is decidedly low-key and restful such as boating. You can hire 2 or 4 seater pedal boats and 4 seater row-boats. Near the lake is Anna Park, which a well-groomed garden. It’s crowded in ?May, when a week-long summer festival takes place. But if you or your kid’s fancy flower shows, dog shows, boating races and fairs, that’s a good time to go. Also check out the Small Lake, fed by seven wells, situated close to town.

Shevaroy Temple and Bear’s Cave

Situated atop Servaroyan Hill, the Shevaroy Temple is the highest point in Yercaud, 5,326 ft above sea level. The temple is dedicated to the local deity Servaran and his consort Kaveriamma. Local tribals celebrate their annual festival here each May. On the way to the temple, near the Norton Bungalow one of the oldest in Yercaud is Bear’s Cave believed to have been the entrance to an escape tunnel of a long gone raja. Today the cave is covered over with vegetation an drocks. Though it is on private properly the public an still visit it.

Killiyur Falls

This 300 ft-high waterfall is situated amidst picturesque surroundings. The water comes via a stream from Big Lake.

Botanical Garden

The Botanical garden is home to hundreds of plants, including rarities like the pitcher plant. You will also find specimens of the famous kurinji flower, which blooms once in 12 years. The garden has an orchidarium, reputed to be india’s third largest, after the ones in Kolkata and Shillong. It houses over a hundred species of orchids, of which about 30 are exclusive. In fact it has an orchid or three found nowhere else in the word. Plant lovers mustn’t give this a miss.

Route: NH7 to Omalur via Hosur, Krishnagiri and Dharmapur; Shevaroy Hills to Yercaud.

A little distance past Bandipur in the direction of Ooty, you’ll reach the Ari Gouder Bridge with its arched beams to the sides. Cross it and there is a check post. Pass it and you’re inside the Mudumalai National Park. Wich effectively means the contiguous forests just assume a different name beyond the bridge.

But Mudumalai has two features that its neighbour doesn’t the Moyar River and proximity to the imposing Nilgiri mountain ranges. Mudumalai is also one of the most happening sanctuaries in south India, with a large number of jungle resorts on the outskirts of the forest.

Mudumalai Sanctuary is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Evergreen forests grasslands, swamps and a wide variety of wildlife, including one of the largest pachyderm settlements in India gaur, tigers and panthers to deer, wild boar and monitor lizards can be found here. If the tiger can be a hard cat to spot, the sanctuary abounds with civets, antelopes, langurs and macaques and a lot of birds.

So how wild is Mudumalai Consider this between 1943 and 1947 this area served a a jungle warfare training camp for soldiers off to war in the jungles of Burma. Nowadays, they train elephants. Theppakadu (theppam means pond, kadu is forest), the gatway to the mudumalai wildlife sanctuary is home to an Elephant Training Camp. It’s believed that more elephants have been born here in captivity than anywhere else in the world.

Jungle Safari

While there are those who swear that the early morning ride is the best there are others who claim to have seen the best sights towards evening. The vehicles of the forest department unfortunately are quite rickety and rattle a great deal. They don’t excessively unnerve the wild animals as much as ittitate the passengers inside.

While inside the forests, observe carefully the flitting butterflies near the waterholes, the herds of elephants and spotted deer, the golden brown giant malabar squirrel, the sambhar doe, the langur high up in the branches and the ever-present, riotously coloured birds.

Theppakadu Elephant Camp

Situated right across a small iron bride on the Moyar, at the junction of the roads leading to Masinagudi, Ooty and Mysore, this is one of the biggest camps in south India. As many as 27 elephants are tended at Theppakadu. Kept here for timber logging and other such forestry chores, these elephants are brought to the camp twice a day from the forest, once in the morning and once in the evening. At about 6 pm a small pantotmime takes place. Two elephants from the camp invariably the younger ones, are led to a small Vinayaka Temple in the Vicinity. They circumambulate the shrine ringing a small bell in obeisance to the almighty.

Elephant Ride

If bus rides make you queasy, if you have spondylitis or have just had lunch, better give this activity a miss. That said the elephant is the safest and quietest way to explore the wild. The mahout manoeuvres the elephant using a subtle combination of pushes and prods. It’s any day better than the noisy van ride and much more intimate. The elephant’s ability to penetrate dense thickets is another advantage. While most elephant rides turn out fruitless in terms of spotting tigers, a sighting of chital or the flying squirrel is almost guaranteed. Ride fees Rs 122 for 4 people Timings 7 am and 3.30 pm.

Around Mudumalai

Bandipur 14 km

Take another safari through neighbouring Bandiput National Park in Karnataka. Animals roam around in pretty large numbers. Elephants, gaur, wild boar and packs of wild dogs are all spottable. Also check out the Nature Interpretation Centre.

Top Slip is one of the most important tourist places surrounded by the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary. The name Topslip comes from the carried out in 19th century.

Topslip is a picturesque locale in the Anamalai Hills. It is about 37 kms from Pollachi. Pollachi is 40 kms from Coimbatore. This small town with open forest with wild life around is an ideal picnic spot. The grassland is thoroughly sheltered with bamboo forest. Top Slip has an elephant farm that stands to be the main tourist attraction of the place.

Transportation:

Distances from Coimbatore to Pollachi is 40 km, 1.5 hrs and Pollachi to Top Slip 35 km, 1 hr. nearest Airport and Railhead is Coimbatore 90 km. twice a day Bus from Pollachi to Top Slip at 10.30 am and 3 pm. There are two buses a day from Pollachi to the park at 6 am and 3 pm. The bus returns to Pollachi at 8 am and 6 pm. Hired cars, taxis are also available at Pollachi.

Private vehicles can drive in the park. Top Slip is best enjoyed if a car is hand at all times. It is possible to walk around the park. You must have a Park Guide with you and you are allowed to walk in the park for a maximum of four hours for Rs. 70 per person. There is provision for a conducted bus ride from the Park Reception Office and riding elephants may also be available.

Timings:

You are visiting the park for the day you can go directly to Top Slip (Entrance Fee Rs 50). The Sethumadai checkpost is the entry point to Indira Gandhi National Park. In case you plan to stay at Top Slip, accommodation must be booked in advance.

Park entry time is between 6.30 am and 6 pm open Monday to Friday between 9 am to 5 pm. wildlife warden offices, 178 Meenkarai Road, in Pollachi. Tel: 04259 222-5356.

Geography:

Lognitude 76°00′ – 77°56′ E Latitude 10°12′ – 11°07′ N. Temperature range: Min 2°C Winter, Max 25°C Summer. The best season to visit is between May to June and October to February.

The complete peace and quiet in cool climes is your idea of a perfect weekend, Yelagiri would fit the bill perfectly. It’s a half-horse town dignified by one main road, which has three teashops fine liquor shops and a couple of fancy stores. That’s it. There’s precious little to do and therein lies yelagiri’s charm.

Yelagiri is actually a cluster of small villages spread over a couple of hill. There’s little or no sightseeing no shopping, no touts and no souvenir-hunting. And no sign of the hordes of tourists who have managed to ruin hill stations like ooty. Ofcourse there are the typical things, some of dubious value which the government has put in place for tourists. The lake is beautiful enough and the desultory boating fits right in with the mood. And there’s the mandatory children’s park.

Yelagiri’s charm lies in its moderation the hills around the gentle, the lake is just lartge enough to stroll around. A typical day here would go something like this good breakfast a gentle walk. Lots of rest then lundh. More rest another gentle walk. Dinner lots more rest. Blissful day.

Punganoor Lake

Tourism in Yelagiri revolves around this smallish, artificial lake. You can take a serene ride on the lake by row-boat or pedal boat. Having done that you could stroll across to the other side of the lake, where there’s a hanging view point a platform on top of a tree from where you get a bird’s eye view of the lake. There’s a garden around the lake, with slides and other games for the smaller kids.

Velevan Temple

This is a temple dedicated to Lord Murugan atop the hillock with a gigantic statue of Gadothgajan in front. Local festivals are conducted here during the Tamil month of Adi (July-August).

Swamimalai Hills

Perhaps the most strenuous activity here would be a trek up the Swamimalai at 4,338 ft, the highest point in Yelagiri. This could be a climb of a goodish two hours, interspersed with breaks to catch your breath. The climb may be taxing but tis worth it because your get a breathtaking view of the valley from the top. This hill has some good trekking routs through dense reserved forests.

Around Yelagiri

Jalagamparai Waterfalls (44 km)

The Attaru River flows through the Yelagiri Hills resulting in a loverly waterfall about an hour’s trek from yelagiri. It’s a very popular spot with locals and with romancing twosomes. Adjacent to these falls is a Murugan temple in a building that has been constructed in the shape of a lingam. You can drie to jalagamparai via Jolarpettai and Trupattur. At Tirupattur take the road opposite Sacred Heart College for the falls. This last stretch is 10 km. You can also drive to Mangalam, park your car and trek 4 km one way to the falls. Hotels can arrange guides for the trek for approx Rs 100. The best time to do this would be post-monsoon when the falls are at their best. The worst time is in summer between April and June.

Route: NH7 o Krishnagiri va Hosur, NH46 almost until Vaniyambadi via Bargur state road to Yelagiri Hills via Ponnari.

Queen of the Nilgiris mist-wrapped Coonoor in season when the emerald green of the tea bushes is sharply offset by blood-red poinsettia, purple morning glory and golden sunflowers is truly a regal sight. This really is a charming orr (hamlet in Tamil. Legend has it that it used to be home to the coon tribe, but I suspect the last of the coons were seen a good while ago. The other legend concerns the blue kurinji flower, which is said to bloom once every 12 years giving the Blue Mountains its colour and moniker.

Hill Station years ago but touches of the Raj remain all over Coonoor in honeysuckle fronted cottages named The Gables and Gorse view which ist pretty on the sid eof winding pine-hedge lanes in areas called Bedford and elk hill.

Once you are in upper Coonoor it is easy to chill out take leisurely trips to the near by tourist gawk-spots, trek to your heart’s content in and around the shoals the gallery forests of the Blue Mountains and of course down endless cups of Nilgiri-grown tea or coffee.

Quite the best thing Coonoor has to offer is the beautiful Sims’ Park, laid out in 1874 in a deep ravine with winding footpaths, pergolas, gazebos a lily pond and dense shoal skirting it. Its marvelous trees as many a 1,000 species including the Burma teak, Rudraksh, mahogany, birch and Spanish cherry were brought from as far away as Australia the canary Island, Chile, Patagonia, the Cape of Good Hope, China and Venezuela. In season the rose garden is quite something to look at. An annual Fruit and Vegetable Show is held in Sim’s Park in May.

Wellington

One side of Coonoor lies the cantonment of Wellington, home to the prestigious Defence Services Staff Coollege. The Wellington Golf Course nearby is hugely popular with film crews who periodically descend to shoot their song sequences. Just beyond the golf course lies the Hidden Valley a great trek route. Another Raj relic nearby is St George’s Church.

One delightful treat is a train ride from Coonoor to Ooty and back that takes up the better part of an hour. The toy train winds its way on a track cut out of the side of the hills and offers up endless vistas.

Around Coonoor

Kotagiri (19km)

The west of Wellington is the Nilgiris oldest hill station, kotagiri (6,503 ft) now your typical tea territory with gently sloping hills. Kotagiri is partially in the shade of the Dodda Betta Range on one side. The Rangaswami Rock and Pillar, St Catherine Falls and Elk Falls are worth seeing here. But the most popular draw is the Kodanad Viewpoint for views of the plains the blue hills the Moyar River snaking down below and of course the ubiquitous mist rising this is heaven indeed. Stay near Kotagiri at the lovely Misty Heights.

Ketty (15 km)

Route from Ooty to Coonoor the road winds high above a lush valley where yellow gorse and lavender flowers bloom in season. This is Ketty. It has remained unspoiled though there are those who remember seeing Shah Rukh Khan atop a train singing Chaiyya from dilse pass the pretty little station here.

Route: SH17 to Mysore, NH212 to Gundlupet, state highway to coonoor via bandiput, Fudalur, Ooty, Aravandadu and Wellington.

Lose your inhibitions and possibly your lungis at this congregation of waterfalls. If ever a place can qualify as the largest collective shower for humans, this must be it, as you take in the sight of assorted shapes of flesh being pounded by high-pressure water plummeting down from a height of 1,200 ft.

But don’t entertain naughty thoughts of sirens in bikinis and jocks in thongs cavorting in the water. This is South India, where everyone has fun with all their clothes on except those hairy gents getting their paunches massaged by toughened hands temporarily softened by coconut oil.

So now you know why Courtallam sometimes spelt kuttalam, closer to its Tamil pronunciation is referred to as the spa of the South. A small village located halfway between the towns of shencottai and Tenkasi in Tamil Nadu, it attracts hordes of people, mostly families from Tamil Nadu and Kerala who bathe under the falls during the peak season from june to September.

The whole point of coming to Courtallam is to get splashed to experience the stinging power of the falls. There are separate bathing spots for men and women, though there are no public changing rooms. So you’ll have to be at your contortionist best if you want to change into swimwear unless you’re uninhibited enough to let it all hang out. Most visitors just head for the water in lungis or saris or salwar kameezes.

Waterfalls at Chittar River.

Though there are six waterfalls at Courtallam , spread out over an area of less than 10sq km, most people head for what is called the Main Falls, formed by the Chiitear River thundering down over three huge steps of the vertical rock face on which are carved shivlings. About 2 km up the Chittar River is the Shenbagadevi Falls, where a small temple and a cave dedicated to the sage Agasthya draws numerous pilgrims on full-moon days. If you trek uphill to Shenbagadevi stop at the pint where the chittar River drops to the plains for a great aerial view of courtallam and the green plains of Shencottai. If it’s sunset time you can be sure of a delightful spectacle to the backdrop of the music of the whistling thrush.

After the Mail Falls the other popular spot if Five Falls about 5km away. As the name suggests these falls are made up of five distinct streams cascading down close to the Aravankadu Pass. Some people have likened the cascade to a five headed cobra and so the spot is also venerated.

Approximately 7km along the road to Tenkasi is Old Falls, so called because it is rarely visited and resembles an abandoned quarry bare and with no trees to provide shade. But some people do bathe at old falls at night when the ambience can be surreal huge, bare rocks off which the moonlight appears to bounce into the open sky. If you’d rather avoid the crowds at the main falls, you might want to stay here. Ask around for the small resort and restaurant run by an ayurveda doctor near the Old Falls.

About 2km from Old Falls is Tiger Falls a small waterfall with a Sastha Temple and a bathing ghat for pilgrims. Nearby is a palace with sprawling gardens and park benches. Unfortunately it’s private property and you’ll have to be content with looking in from the outside.

Papanasam Dam.

The Papanasam Dam built during the British era at the height of World War II.

Route from Bangalore NH7 to Tirumangalam via Hosur, Salem, Dindigul and Madurai, NH208 to Tenkasi via Srivilliputtur, Rajapalayam and Sivagiri, state road to Courtallam.