Postcards from Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Thekkady

Want to experience an up, close and personal affair with wild life? Well, Thekkady is the place you gotta be. We went for a 2 day trip (+ of course the commute to & fro) in the first week of March; just when the exam fever was at its peak. This meant the place was relatively uncluttered. All we spotted was a bevy of newly married couples busy locking eyes with each other. They sure need to come back again to enjoy the sanctary :P :D
Thekkady is the home to a sprawling wild life sanctuary named after the Periyar river. This perennial river has its source in this sanctuary and hence the name to the sanctuary. The sanctuary is a rich repository of flora life and is abounded by evergreen and moist deciduous forests and grass lands. Herds of elephants, sambar deer, gaurs, nilgiri langurs, Indian giant squirrels, sloth bears among others grace this forest and cavort with ease in this natural habitat. Besides many winged beauties including Cormorants, sun birds, kingfishers, thrush, mynas go about their life with a chirrup & flourish. Spread over Patthanamithra and Idukkki, the sanctuary along the western ghats is nature at its very best. A massive portion of the sanctuary had been converted in to a national park since 1982 and hence visiting tourist can enjoy wild life at close quarters.

The sanctuary was declared a tiger reserve in 1978. But it is a matter of sheer luck if you happen to spot the striped majestic beast as they generally don't appear during the day. However sighting other animals keeps us enthralled.

We stayed in Aranya Nivas, a  Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) property . A lovely resort situated inside the wild life sanctuary, the hotel offers a variety of eco tourism programmes like wildlife boat crusies on the periyar lake, nature walk, hiking and rafting, Jungle safari, elephant ride and plantation tours so that the visiting tourists can go back satiated and soul happy. Except for the rafting and plantation tour, we managed to explore quite a bit of the options. However the 2 day trip was just not enough and left us completely hungry for more.

Boating on the Periyar lake gave us a peek into the wildlife. The tickets were arranged by the hotel on our intimation to them saving us from standing in a mile long queue.

We saw herds of bison, sambar and elephants leisurely trotting along the banks of the lake.

 Besides, the boat ride gave us a glimpse of many birds happily perched on the tree stumps. It was a pleasure clicking these birds and my hard disk is full of the various nuances of these birds.

Just before we left for the boating the monkeys on the pavement leading towards the lake had us mightily amused.

While in the sanctuary, we also explored Gavi Ecotourism..... Gavi as the pamphlet let us on is situated along the fringes of the tiger reserve.We went by a jeep arranged by the hotel after getting the permit a day before. The 20 km or so ride through the jungle early in the morning was a refreshing journey.

Gavi simply did not warrant a few hours stay. With its lush grass lands and dense forest, the place spells P.R.O.M.I.S.E to keep us enchanted. But we contented in staying on just to enjoy a boat ride and a nature walk. 

We were accompanied by a guide, a local fella named Kasinath. He was a treasure trove of information. The nature walk accompanied by him saw us climbing highs and lows of the forest. He so expertly guided us and also showed us the cardamom plantations explaining us how it sustains the livelihood of localites

The highlight of the 2 day trip in Thekkady was a mommy & baby elephant that had come down to play in the lake and after having a thoroughly refreshing bath went ahead and has all the fun in the sand.

All in all a trip etched with tranquil and sweet memories....

How to reach :-

Cochin International Airport - 5 hrs
Madurai International- 3 1/2 hrs
Nearest Rail Terminal - Kottayam
Drive down from Trichy/Madurai - Around 4 hours.

While the park is open throughout the year, the best time to visit would be after september till march. However nothing to stop you from packing your bags right now and go wild-life seeing!

Mangroves of Pichavaram

If you are in or near Chidambaram (Cuddalore District, Tamilnadu) and have a day to while away - think no further and head to Pichavaram. The mangrove forest in Pichavaram is one of the healthiest mangroves in the world covering over 1000 hectares. It is the perfect getaway from the concrete jungle we are living in. Covering over a number of islands, the forest houses such rich species of flora and fauna that in turn form an amazing ecosystem.

The mangroves can be explored by hiring boats (motorboats/rowboats) run by Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation.

Armed with drinking water we set off for a 2 hour blissful boat ride in a rowboat under the SCORCHING sun. We must be MAD. The boatman regaled us with such wonderful information about the mangrove. His love for the forest was very much visible. He stated, as a matter of fact, that it was the forest that saved a lot of villages from being demolished by the Tsunami that wreaked havoc in 2004.

This mangrove is nestled in the backwaters of 2 estuaries (Vellar and Coleroon). These trees grow in the salty coastal area. They are abundant and dense because of the frequency that the seeds of the trees fall off in the same area and become plants all over again. Pichavaram literally translated means gift from the sea. The boatman talked about the medicinal properties of a lot of plants that grow in this area. He also said that research was being carried on to bring its usefulness to the outside world.

The boatman shared a very unique fact about these mangrove plants. They breathe through the vertical roots rising  above the water and the pores of the roots  take in only fresh water. Any salt that creeps in is shed by the leaves. 

The boatman effortlessly manoeuvred in and out of the few naturally formed canals He told us there were around 4000 such canals and many of them were in uncharted territories. 

When we asked him how deep was the water was the boatman simply laughed and got down off his boat to show that the water was only up to his hip. The water was not more than 3-4 feet deep but he did tell us that one had to be careful of the muddy slush in the water. We took in with silent amazement at the wonders of nature in its primitive habitat. Scurrying little crabs, snails and shoal's of fish caught our attention throughout the ride.

Talking about the birds, the forest is home to many species of native and migratory birds. 

We spotted cranes, egrets , herons, mynas, kingfishers, parrots and a few others.

As we wound our way back to the starting point, there was a strange sense of pang. Such beauty ensconced in a peaceful environment warranted being there for more than 2 hours. But there's always a next time.   

How to reach :-

We drove down from Trichy (nearest Airport) to Chidambaram. It was approximately a 2 1/2 hour drive. Stayed overnight in a hotel and made a few temple visits. The next day we drove to Pichavaram, which is about 16 kms from Chidambaram. If you are driving down from Chennai it must be around a 4 hour drive. The place is also well connected by bus from Pondicherry and Chennai.

Google Maps to the rescue for the route options.

Make sure to visit this wonderful world !

Travel Trails - The Golden Temple (Namdroling Buddhist Monastery)

I love being bitten by the wander bug and as often as possible - For what is life without travel ? Enriching us of many experiences and also giving fresh insights and perspectives, travelling is a way of escaping the monotony and indulging in many magical happy moments.

{Source:Google Images}


And living to the hilt by this maxim, we set off to Mysore and Coorg (Karnataka,India) last week and got lost in nature's beauty. It is during our stay in Coorg that we came to know about a   Tibetan settlement and a wonderful monastery.The monastery is popularly called as NAMDROLING and is located in Bylakuppe, which is 14 kms from Kushal Nagar, Mysore District, Karnataka. Bylakuppe incidentally houses the second largest settlement  of Tibetans in India.In 1960 the Government of Mysore allotted about 3000+ acres of their lands to the Tibetan refugees seeking asylum in India and thus came in to existence Bylakuppe.

Also called as Little Tibet, the roads of Bylakuppe are dotted with Buddhist prayer flags on every building/house or wire or lamp post.

Buddhist teachings are upheld in this monastery as Namdroling is a thriving settlement to over 6000 + monks and lamas. The architecture is typical Tibetan and spells ORNATE all over..

The beautiful campus in which lies the spectacular temple is dotted with eye catching flora and a few guinea fowls around.

Established by HIS Holiness Pema Norbu Rimpoche and consecrated by His Holiness Dalai Lama, the Temple houses 3 large golden plated statues of Buddha Shakyamuni ,Buddha Padmasambhava, Buddha Amitayus of about 60 ft each.

The inside of the temple takes your breath away as it literally is like stepping in to another realm. 

Buddha's life history---

The walls are colorfully painted with beautiful frescoes of the god and goddess of Tibetan Mythology.

Next to the golden temple is a small temple of sorts were we saw many monks deep in prayer. Chanting and spinning their prayer wheels, the boom from the drums and the calls of their horns had us enthralled.

Besides the temple, the campus is also home to a retreat center and there are a few Tibetan shops housing a lot of souvenirs we can take back home. 

The monastery draws huge international and national visitors besides a large number of students seeking knowledge on Tibetan way of living. A must visit place if you are travelling to Mysore/Coorg