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At the southern end of the Western Ghats in Kerala
lies a 26 kilometre stretch of sweet water known as Lake Periyar
which is home to a range variety of animals…
The Thekkady sanctuary is
one of the best in the country for watching and photographing wild
life.
Notable among the
denizens of Periyar are the majestic Asiatic wild elephants and the
distinctive Nilgiri langurs with an all black body and white face.
Other creatures include wild boar, wild dog, bison, sloth bear, gaur
deer, sambhar deer, porcupines, leopards and, even, I believe over a
score of tigers! Amongst the avifauna, the most profuse are herons,
egrets, darters, kingfishers, grackles and the great Malabar grey
hornbill.
Apart from leopards, I
have met al the above mentioned citizens of Periyar and very obliging
they are, too, to the tourists who come to see them unceasingly
throughout the year.
From the point of view of
transport, accommodation and other facilities for the traveller,
Periyar is best accessible from Thekkadi in the Idukki district.
Thekkadi is almost on the border with Tamil Nadu, in fact just 5
kilometres from the border town of Kumily which is very well
connected by bus to both Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Kumily is also a
good cheap place to stay for the budget traveller. The 5 kilometres
from Kumily to Thekkadi run through aperipheral forest but the area
is occupied by humans so the forest has made way for plantations of
cardamom, pepper, coffee, bananas and tapioca. Human habitation
notwithstanding, it is still a beautiful walk. If the cheap hotel is
not cheap enough, the local people are only too happy to put you up
for an inconsequential consideration. There are of course some high
class hotels and guest houses too. Aranya Niwas, on the edge of the
lake and the Lake Palace for example are comparable to the best
anywhere. On each occasion when I have traveled through these parts,
I have saved up time from other places, to spend a few days here and
go really deep into the bosom of Mother Nature, away from the
maddening pace of urban life.
A typical day in
Kumily/Thekkadi (the difference is hairline) begins with an early
morning walk along the lake. In the mist of the morning the forest
looks mysterious; not quite awake, still out of bounds for humans.
The sun comes later than in the plains with a big fanfare of birdsong
and whoops and shrieks of monkeys. With the sun, the mist clears up
and the colours of the forest, a myriad of greens and shades of
brown, come alive. On the lake al is quiet, except for the swish of
water as a darter swoops down upon some delicacy of the lake, or the
sound of a kingfisher whizzing past at great speed at the sight of
his breakfast.
The morning walk is
followed by a leisurely breakfast in a tiny restaurant presided over
by a gargantuan mama who cooks as if for her own family. Satiated
with appams, idlis and local
coffee, one has the option of either going to the forest to just lie
in some clearing with a book with music provided by an orchestra of
birds, bees and monkeys, or perhaps while away the morning chatting
with the local people in a coffee shop in the quaint surrounding of a
sleepy border town that only comes to life when a fresh bus load of
tourists arrive.
By way of physical
activity, one can swim in the lake or, if one is into angling,
permits are easily available from the Forest Officer in Thekkadi. If
the kingfisher is anything to go by, there must be a lot of fish in
the lake.
Meanwhile, it is time for
lunch which, like elsewhere in Kerala, is one of the most pleasurable
activities of the day. One can either go back to the gargantuan mama
or check out one of the many new restaurants (or hotels as they are
called) that have come up recently. After lunch the only thing one
can do is to take a siesta.
Late afternoon is just
right for another walk down the lakeside. The evening walk along the
lake is always tinged with forebodings of danger combined with
exhilaration at being in such a beautiful place. As the sun goes
down, the colourful forest of the day beings to look somewhat
menacing. Only the lake separates the area claimed by man from the
domain of the animals. The crickets and the cicadas set up an
unearthly roar and the ahppy chatter of the monkeys is replaced by
hoots of owls and the occasional squeak of a bat. In the distance, a
pack of wild dogs celebrate the killing of a sambar deer; at every
step there is slight fear of being attacked by some nocturnal
creature or perhaps a leopard or tiger that might have strayed from
his usual hunting grounds. The sanctuary is closed after sunset.
It is customary to go for
a boat ride on the lake. Motor launches are available throughout the
day from 6 am to 4 pm. The cruise lasts about two hours and covers a
substantial part of the lake. The best times are the first cruise in
the morning or the last at 4 pm. One can at times view small herds
of elephants and often a lone bull. Monkeys and wild boar are not in
the least tourist shy and come to be viewed in great numbers. If one
is lucky one might see some wild dogs or a herd of bison having a
drink. In all the cruises I have made, I never saw any of the big
cats. Even if one does not meet very many of the forest denizens,
the cruise is still worth taking for the sheer view of the pristine
forest untouched by man for most parts.
Before moving on, one
must take a guided trip into the forest on the foot or on elephant
back, both of which are available at very reasonable rates. It is a
rare pleasure to be in the midst of a primeval forest open to all
elements of Motehr Nature. There is also an exhilarating trek
through the forest to the temple of Mangla Devi which stands on what
must be the highest point in the area. One needs prior permission
from the Forest Officer to go there. It takes half a day of hard
walking to get to the top but only about two hours to come down.
There is a clearly defined track all the way so a guide is not
necessary. What is necessary, however, is food and water, none of
which is available anywhere en route. The ancient temple is now
devoid of the deity and is in fact completely covered with vines. I
spent a night in the temple waiting for dawn which is something
really special. From the roof of the temple, one has a clear,
unobstructed view of Lake Periyar, the surrounding hills on one side
and the plains of Tamil Nadu on the other side. On that morning I
watched the setting moon on the plains and the rising sun on the
hills. Words fail me. One has to see it to believe it.
OTHER SANCTUARIES
Silent Valley National
Park
Location: The park
stretches from the Nilgiri plateau of Tamil Nadu to the plains of
Kerala.
Wildlife: Elephant,
tiger, wild dog, flying squirrel and lion-tailed macaque.
Getting there: Palghat is
the nearest railhead 75 kilometres away from where motor transport is
available.
Information: The
Divisional Forest Officer, Palghat.
Thattekkad Bird
Sanctuary
Area: 25 square
kilometres on peninsular land.
Wildlife: rivers are
teeming with fish. The Avifauna includes both nesting indigenous
birds and migratory water-side birds. The most notable of the
indigenous birds are Malabar grey hornbill, Great Indian hornbill and
grey jungle fowl.
Getting there: Thattekkad
is 20 kilometres from Kothamangalam which is on the Ernakulam-Munnar
road.
Information: The
Divisional Forest Officer, Kodanad Post.
Eravikulam National
Park
Location: Munnar Forest
Division
Area: 97 square
kilometres
Wildlife: Tahrs (largest
known population in the world), elephants, sambar, gaur, lion-tailed
macaque, Nilgiri langur.
Other attractions:
Anamudi, the highest peak in South India scaling 2694 metres.
Getting there: There is a
motorable road up to Rajamally. Further travel is on foot.
Accommodation: Boarding
facilities are available at Munnar.
Information: The
Divisional Forest Officer, Deevicolam Post, Munnar.
Or
The Assistant Wild Life
Preservation Officer
Eravikulam National Park,
Munnar,
Munnar Post.
Neyyar Wildlife
Sanctuary
Area: 9.06 square
kilometres.
Wildlife: Main feature is
the elephant. Other animals are gaur, sloth bear, Nilgiri tahr,
jungle cat, wild dog, wild boar, lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri langur,
rich bird life and crocodiles.
Getting there: Nearest
railway station and airport is in Thiruvananthapuram which is 32
kilometres away. Motor transport is available from
Thiruvananthapuram to Neyyar.
Accommodation: Inspection
bungalow and Irrigation department dormitory at Neyyar.
Information: The Wild
Life Warden,
Forest Headquarters
Thiruvananthapuram –
14.
Peechi Vazhani
Wildlife Sanctuary
Location: Thrissur
district.
Area: 125 square
kilometres
Wildlife: Numerous ground
birds, pea fowl and jungle fowl.
Getting there: The
Sanctuary is 15 kilometres by road from Thrissur which is the nearest
railhead.
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