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Dharmalingam Veugopal

The unexpected rains during summer brought an extra dash of green to the `Blue Mountains'. Just perfect for three days of vigorous trekking.

The Nilgiris was never greener than this in recent memory. The unexpected rains this May rejuvenated every blade of grass and leaf on the hills. It was sheer nostalgia to see overhanging rocks dripping wet and every other stream gushing forth. This made the eco-awareness trek organised by the Save Nilgiris Campaign all the more memorable.

The trek stretched over three days, going from a sacred peak to a pre-historic valley on the north-eastern boundary of this hill district. The surface of the Nilgiris, like the Deccan plateau on which it sits, is tilted towards the east. Thus, from the central high mountain ranges of Doddabetta, the country falls away rapidly towards the east.

Pretty clusters of Badaga villages dot the verdant landscape, which is also a leading tea-growing area in the district. However, as one approaches the eastern edges, the country becomes wild and hard but with a beauty of its own. The steep slopes are truly unspoiled jungle country and, in pockets, shola forests flourish in virgin beauty. Except for an occasional Kurumba or Irula settlement, the area is sparsely populated. Elephants, gaurs and bears are prolific and herds of cheetal and black buck are a common sight.

Starting from Kotagiri, a smaller hill-station 20 km east of Ooty, the group drove 10 km by van to Solurmotta, where the trek began. After passing 5 km through lush tea gardens, the trek veered into a patch of shola forest at Karkodmotta. A small but steep climb later we had our first glimpse of the Rangasamy peak, which the Nilgiri Gazetteer of 1908 described as `the holiest hill on the plateau'.

The Rangasamy peak (1,788 m), lying 14.5 km north-east of Kotagiri, is venerated by the Irula and Badaga tribes. Despite the flight of steps, laid by devotees recently, the climb to the top is quite arduous.

The Rangasamy peak overlooks the spot at which the eastern ghats converge with the Nilgiri mountains, situated in the western ghats. To the east, in between the two ghats, lies the historic Moyar valley through which the Moyar river flows ribbon-like. In the background the Talemale ranges (brigand Veerappan's country) loom large and long. From the west flow the glittering waters of River Bhavani. The two empty themselves into the massive Bhavani Sagar, which is said to be the world's largest earthen dam. Waters from the dam not only supply drinking water to several districts and irrigate several thousand acres of land, they also feed the Cauvery. As if to share our delight at the panoramic view, a lone Kestral hung in mid-air for a long spell before diving smartly for a prey.

After lunch and with much reluctance the trekkers started the descent by late afternoon, so as to reach Arcod before nightfall. The trek now passed through old coffee plantations and moist evergreen forest. Jackfruit was in season and hung in bunches from every tree. The bears, evidently, were having a gala time judging by the number of half-eaten fruits strewn all over the path.

The Irula village of Arcod (which means `rock boundary') is of historical importance to the Nilgiris. The first European explorer on the hills, Francis Buchanan, came up to this point in 1800. Subsequently, John Sullivan, who discovered Ooty in 1819, passed through Arcod.

A night's stay at Arcod is incomplete without a campfire and a bout of dancing to the haunting music of the Irulas.

From Arcod the land falls away steeply to the Moyar valley, some 2,000 ft below. The track to Thengumarahada, the destination for day two, is very steep and goes through scrub forest and rocks. We made our descent at Kotakal, a sheet of rocks at the head of the slope, and headed for Kallampalayam at the foothills.

Earlier, we had had a fine climb from Arcod through Garkiyur on an isolated metalled road. We passed legions of colourful butterflies on their migratory route. The descent through tall elephant grass was difficult, but the possibility of elephants lurking behind us added to the excitement. A sudden drizzle had made the track slippery and we were desperate for a cup of tea by the time we reached Kallampalayam at dusk. Strangely, though, the settlement of about 3,000 people did not have a single tea shop!

We travelled 15 km from Kallampalayam to Thengumarahada in a tempo lorry - the only transport available. The rocky and rough landscape is quite different from the plateau. Thengumarhada (flatland of coconut trees) was originally an Irula hamlet but, after Independence, some Badagas also settled there. They formed a very successful co-operative, raising paddy and coconut. It now has a population of about 5,000. A path-breaking Tamil movie, Annakili was wholly shot in the area in the 1970s. The forest department's rest house is a haven for trekkers.

The Moyar valley, extending eastwards from Masinagudi, is full of history. Gajalatti (elephant village) pass at the north-eastern corner, which separates the Coimbatore and Nilgiris districts, was used by Tipu Sultan as a short-cut to the Carnatic plains during the Mysore Wars at the end of the 18th century. Earlier evidence shows that in the third and fourth centuries, the valley was under the sway of a dynasty called Rattas. The hundreds of stone-studded cemeteries in the valley are probably the remains of this population. A devastating epidemic is said to have wiped out these habitations.

The ground in the Moyar river valley is flat and the paths alongside the river go through fine riverine forests. But away from the rivers, the vegetation consists of dense, short shrub. Our plan for the third day was to trek up to Mangalapatti at the northern end of the valley along the Moyar river. But, for want of time, we cut short the trek at the foothills of Allirani Kottal, a ruined fort mentioned in Kota, Kurumba and Tipu legends. Nonetheless, we had to cross the swollen Moyar at three places.

The drive from Thengumarahada to Bhavani Sagar in a tempo lorry was equally thrilling. The sturdy truck jolted, jostled and jumped its way through 28 km of incredible jungle path, unmindful of the soggy roads, running streams, dry river beds, loose boulders and what not. The sight of cheetal and black buck, peacock and wild boar on either side of the path made the trip memorable. An enchanting end to three days of backbreaking trek.

Picture by Sebin George

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