First Summer Shower

Chennai had better/wonderful weather for last few days, thanks to the clouded sky, and surprisingly it downpour yesterday morning with just 3 inches left for the water to enter our home. I just woke up to a higher pitter-patter, which I thought was the guy (who used to wash our car regularly) is fetching water from the tap behind our bedroom window, but only realized when the sound extended.  I was surprised to reveal that it was rain. It’s been more that two month since we shifted to this house and this is the first rain I experience here and also being a summer showering I couldn't enjoy it quite unlike before because of the cause it created.

Being first on the row house and little lowly lay from the road, the rainwater easily run into our courtyard pools around the home and we couldn't ask  even just a little more as water rose close to our home level. Although we expected water to stay little while it rain, but the entry of street water and heavy downpour all the sudden and also lag in draining transformed the courtyard into little Venice for a while.  This really put off the excitement of rain, thinking what if monsoons arrive with constant downpour; there is an ample chance of water flooding the home like one of our neighbor warned from his past experience.

There are rainwater drainage's in our area, but they aren’t in good condition and need to be restored. Wish the authorities look after these before the northeast monsoon arrive in October.

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View towards the front gate, while it raining water rose to road level

Through the backdoor, the space we used to put cloths to dry

Water close to our door/foot step

Got a beautiful reflection of fresh green leaves, when water reduced after the rain

A (Asian) toad in bucket

Last year during this time we received a surprise guest (toad) in the bucket that left outside the home, in our earlier resident opposite to Sishya School. Seeing a toad or frog is not a surprise thing but the condition of the weather could make I guess. Summer in Chennai usually pick up in March, although it sense earlier this year, it was approximately same last year when we found a toad lonely floating in a bucked with least water left at the bottom.

I was in wonder where the toad would have come from since the weather was very hot and wasn’t wet anywhere near and though I guess it must be a great survivor to come to quench the thirst and couldn’t leap out because of less water at bottom. The toad was floating in the water, leisurely stretching all the limbs and eyelids kept closed and open causes a sense of sleepiness. The toad spotted in black has beautiful texture/traces in brownish and yellowish and nice black curves around eyelids.

The toad commonly called as Asian common toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus) and also known as black-spectacled, common Sunda and Javanese toad, is probably a complex of more than once toad species that is widely distributed in South and Southeast Asia.  The amphibian is a lethargic timid animal that moves about with deliberate hops from place to another, comes out after sunset and frequents mostly the human habitations (where it gather under street lamps) to feed on photopilic insects.

(source of info: wiki)

Marudhanadhi Dam (View)

Marudhanadhi Dam in the Dindugal district of Tamil Nadu is one of the main water resources to the surrounding villages of the same. The dam is situated between the Western Ghats valley of lower Palani Hills.

During my visit to Thandikudi, I come across an overlook on the dam while travel between Thandikudi and Pannaikadu on the half Kodaikanal hills. The view (from 1400 m) was truly wonderful although there was very less water in the dam since the southwest monsoon hadn't arrived yet then (June 2013).

Sunday Photo: Ice-cream vendor

Here’s a photo of an ice-cream vendor waiting for the customers at Marina Beach, Chennai. It was a common sight at beaches but viewing through the camera lens, I find something special with the light and darkness surrounding the ice-cream vendor.

Two weeks back and while coming back from my dad’s friend house in Chetput; we landed at Marina beach for sometime before head to home. Being Sunday it was crowded. But in front of the Vivekananda house, in Kamarajar Salai, where the rain water stagnant into the beach sand restricted people movement. Usually I used to check marina beach after rains to watch the fun happening with the stagnant water along the service road aside the beach sand. Vehicles wade thought the water make wonderful splashes and few times we too have made through it but never in a way of threatening others.

The darkness behind the ice-cream vendor is full of water, so I was glad to shoot the photo without any hindrance at background distracting the view. Though there were few kids playing in the water doesn't interfered in anyways. 

A falls near Coonoor

Driving down from Coonoor on the Mettupalaiyam road and at the Kattari Junction I find a small waterfall on the roadside after taking right at the junction towards Kundha. It is one of an important junction that led to the western sides of Nilgiri.

It seems like a small freshwater spring come falls, continue to flow as I read a board there warning not to wash vehicles there. Being midsummer month then water flow has been least.

Bird Watching in Neighborhood : White-breasted Water Hen

The White-breasted Water Hen had been a resident of my former neighborhood in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai, was stayed with its family. The open vegetation opposite to our then apartment provided shelter to the water hens along with other species of birds and reptiles, but I have seen only the adult hen (may be a female) which come flew or leap on our compound wall to feed on the gains left by us to the birds and go back quickly as possible hiding among the bushes. I was happy to capture the water hen couple of times while it came feeding on the compound wall and only my mom had seen her with juveniles since I can’t lookout the compound wall, about 5 feet height.

As we shifted houses, I don’t know what happened to the water-hens since the vegetation was cleared and an apartment on construct right now wanted me to think they immigrated somewhere. The White-breasted Water-hen is a water bird of the rail and crake family (Rallidae) that widely distributed across Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. It is a large and distinctive rail species with dark grey upper-parts and flanks and conspicuous white under parts, from which the species gains its common name. The beak of the bird is yellowish with a reddish base, which becomes more olive outside of the breeding season.

The water-hen has long legs, colored in yellowish with large feet and legs dangled in flight. The female birds are generally smaller than the male, with a somewhat duller beak, while juveniles have duller plumage with the white of the under parts tinged brown and a darker beak and legs. This species is described as being very noisy during the breeding season, producing a loud call consisting of various grunts, roars, quacks and chuckles, followed by a repeated kru-ak, kru-ak, kru-ak-a-wak-wak. The bird feed on the ground had varied diet including insects, worms, small fishes and grass seeds and roots and shoots of marsh plants. 

(Source of info net)

How daring?

It was about 12 degree Celsius in evening when we find something unusual come swimming towards us on the Kodaikanal Lake, during our last visit in late summer. The climate was quite make feel shivering when we spent some time on the lake bank sipping hot coffee and I was comfort sitting inside the car and watching the lake. There were few others along with us looking at the strange thing with no idea and I could only think of a turtle or river otter, going though the dark element.

Suddenly the element rises up to conclude our discussion and wonder what it was. A man stood from the cold water and another one followed him in distance! They both were coming from the other bank of the lake, swimming underwater and perhaps it could be a reason to keep away from the cops eyes... because it is prohibited to take bath or swim in the Kodaikanal Lake. Apart keeping it clean, the water is exposed to substances (esp. mercury emission) that are ill to health and due to siltation there’s risk of getting drown in water.

The lake is almost fenced already and during my recent visit, I find it fenced quite but the guys had entered the lake though a gap in fence and they seemed coming from our neighbor state Kerala. Everyone was quite awe looking at their daring act and how they survive through the freezing cold water… it wasn't sure they aware about the lake, but got heavy dose of strike from police, later on the bank.

We could have seen people entering ice water for challenges in extremely cold countries, but something like this facing in real was amazing! 

Pumped storage power plant and my blog

Professor of SASTRA University Thanjavur, Muralisachithanadam, wrote to me about his lecture on Pumped storage power plant posted in YouTube... on the notes taken from my blog. I was really happy when he mailed me more than couple of emails to let me watch the lecture… I was quite out of idea when I wrote about the Pumped storage power plant? But it seems I have been writing about it indirectly through my post on Kadamparai Dam in Valparai.

The professor narrates the subject simply to understand anyone in Tamil and I am so grateful for his note of thanks and picture on me at the end of his lecture (video below). Kadamparai power project is an engineering marvel and manmade wonder! The unique about this hydro power project was the power plant is situated deep inside the hill, travelling 6km into a tunnel that cut through a single mountain rock. I have nothing to say rather feeling wonder, how incredible our engineers are to make successful a project design that borrowed from Germany which failed at the level of execution and operation there.

 I visited the Kadamparai site in 2008, but we couldn’t get permission to go inside the tunnel to visit the power house which is 7 storeys inside the tunnel! I was happy at least getting chance to make visit to the site and learning its amazing process. The power generated here were in two modes: In the generation mode, the machines will be operated to cater the peak hour demand for full load, depending on the storage level of Kadamparai Dam and the Upper Aliyar Dam. In the Pump Mode, the machines will pump the water from Upper Aliyar Dam to Kadamparai Dam during night hours on grid frequency above 49.4 Hz and heavy under drawl of UI from central pool.

I really thank the professor for making an impression among students about the Pumped storage power plant and encouraging them to take notes from my blog. The Kadamparai pumped storage power plant is a marvelous project that not many know about its efficiency (even not many engineers aware of it) which is first of its kind in India. It is also one of the highly protected sites, surrounded by wildlife activities and tribal settlement and getting permission is toughest… even if not visited, leaning about this project is must.

Check the professor’s interview on Pumped storage power plant below in Tamil :

Listen to noise of rock - Irachal Parai Falls, Valparai

Perfectly titled for a waterfall that makes noise of rock, called Irachal Parai (an adaptation of two Tamil words meant noise and rock) is one of natural paradise of Valparai, in Coimbatore District of Tamil Nadu. 7km from Valparai town, Irachal Parai Falls lies very close to the popular Balaji Temple in Valparai on the base of Akkamalai (Grass Hills).

The water to the falls is originates from the springs in the Grass Hills (which is called the green carpet of Tamil Nadu) is source to perennial Nadumalai River, which flows through Valparai and also quench thirst the town people. The waterfall lies inside the Pachamalai Tea Estate and on the edge of dense forest, is allowed to visit on the permission of the tea estate management. The estate’s tea factory is where one could get permission, which is also on the left-hand side of the road that leads to falls.

Thanks to our relative who guided us there and also a resident of Valparai, had hesitated first in contacting the manager but glad he did it for us, if not we couldn’t have got a delightful opportunity getting our eyes treated in green and snow-white waterfall. Throughout the way was almost pretty shimmering in green and once crossed the check dam (that stores the water and sent it through the pipe for drinking purpose of town); the waterfall get into our sight amid lush green tea plantation and oak trees.

The road was narrow and partially tarred, took us windingly to a newly constructed bridge across the creek where we stopped the car and enjoyed the sights of waterfall. The place was quite silent except for the noise of rock, even the quantity of water was less makes a nice fall. It is not advice to visit this place alone because of its frequent visit by wild animals from the nearby Shola forest. An old man we met there said, even a week early to our visit, a herd of elephant had broke down the estate’s bus shelter there.

The climate was cool and water was pristine to make visible underwater creek, I enjoy the view from the bridge while others get down wetting their foot in cold creek. The most excited was our pet (Maya), who shows curious drinking water from creek. Generally, she holds affair for getting wet in water rather hate taking bath at home, was eager to enjoy in water but only we didn't allow her to do so. After sometime we find four boys come down the other side, showing their bare body was evident of their relish showered from fresh waterfalls.

Maya drinking water in creek and mom holding her from getting into water; grandfather watching them from behind.

It seems one really needs daring to take bath in this waterfall with sliding rocks around and during its full fledge its highly dangerous… this waterfall and river is prohibited from taking bath because of its drinking water purpose of the town. The water flow as stream here, make lovely pools near the check dam and mound of tea plantations around create scenic pictures. Down from the check-dam, the Karumalai Church got my attention.  The pretty white church stands between tea plantations, on the hill other side wasn't clearly visible for photos and to get there we really need to make way through steps (will post few picture of the church later).

Rain and Chennai - from my personal note

Pic by Jeevan

Chennai has become a cool paradise over the last few days of constant rain, due to low pressure in Bay of Bengal. It was quite pleasing these days and was inspiring a lot, despite feeling lazy to do something in sleepiest mood which remind me my school days, where I used to feel sluggish during the early hours of morning at any rainy day.  And once the fans are switched on, I used to feel like sleeping infinitely at the desk. After long time I feeling the coldness of rain, perhaps due to sand and soil environment surrounded this house unlike our early apartment which has cement floors around that keeps away the wetness and cold.

Here I could experience rain on all sides of the house rather only the southern side get wet in our early house in apartment, so it won't be cooler whether it rains or winter dews. My grandmother used to say it’s very cool at their house, but coming to our house they would experience warm in winter. Because of the position of the house, the sunlight used to fall on the walls of our house throughout the day keeps it warmth the whole night. It was an awesome benefit we lose utmost by shifting our house; the summers were never like that before, which I used to say to my cousin that how much, you pay, you could not buy this caressing wind.

We gain and lose certain aspects that used to be our favor, but doesn’t life based on balance? We experience pleasure in rain, as well it become pressure in case crosses the limit. Coming to Chennai, showering is very special as we left with brief season of monsoon and many a time rain becomes a mirage, showing its grey face but fail showering grace. At same time, moderate showering could leave the city congested with lack of proper drainage facilities and uncontrolled vehicle population always make rain fall prey down. With no space for water to drain, no use blaming the rain!  

Footnote:

Photo shot at our street light while it rains one evening. 

ஒற்றுமையில் இந்தியா / India in solidarity

இந்தியா விரிசல்கள் நிறைந்த நாடு

மாநிலங்களாக பிளந்து கிடக்குது.

மனதில் நிலைகொண்ட நடுக்கம்

இனவாரியாக பிரித்து வைத்திருக்கிறது.

உதட்டளவிலே இந்தியன் !

கொடி ஏற்றும்போது உள்ள ஒற்றுமை

தண்ணீர் என்றால் தள்ளி விடுகிறது.

மழை ஒன்றுதான் வழி என்ற நிலையில்.. 

India is a country full of cracks
had split into states.
The tremors in the state of mind
had separated by ethnic.

Only on lip level, Indian!

The unity when hoisting the flag
pulled down when it comes to water.
Rain the only state of route. 

Footnote:  

India celebrates its 66^th independence day tomorrow.  Thinking how united we are inspired to write something.

Mettur Dam at brim!

The largest water basin of TamilNadu, the Mettur Dam has crossed the full reservoir level of 120 feet on Sunday night has widespread smile across everyone face. Just like a newborn baby, the over inflow of water in Cauvery River creates a celebration mindset across the state esp. the districts of delta which were left to drought for the last two years. The dam was last seen touching its maximum level of 121 feet in 2005 has took 8 years to behold a certain look, thanks to the southwest monsoon and heavy rainfall in the catchment of Cauvery lifting the water level that had gone down up to 15 feet in June.

The dam crossed 100 ft last week after two years gap, following Krishnarajasagar and Kabini dams releasing surplus water of 90,000, the outflow had reached over 1,00,000 cusecs. Also with the increase in discharge, the power generation by the Mettur Hydro power station has reached the maximum of 250 MW. Meanwhile people were issued warning through beating of drums in interior villages and people living along the water catchment area to move to safer place. It is just the monsoon and heavy rainfall in Karnataka that made possible filling up the Mettur Dam rather receiving the share of water in Cauvery.

In its 79 years of history, this was the 38^th time the dam has touched the full reservoir level. The Mettur Dam is one of the largest and oldest dams in India and it is constructed in a gorge, where the Cauvery River enters the plains.

I have crossed the Mettur Dam less than half a dozen times and explored it once after its Platinum Jubilee celebrating in 2010. The first image was captured from a view point, on the hillock adjacent to the Mettur Dam which supports the dam at one end and the other one was shot from the opposite side, overlooking Ellis Park across the Mettur Dam and less amount of water released through upper shutters. The water level was about 75 feet then! I have number of photos on the Mettur Dam and things to share which I will do later soon.

Flamingos in Chennai

I guess this is the first time flamingos visiting Chennai’s water body or for me to get know first. But once I come to see the pictures of flamingos standing on Pallikaranai Marsh in Flickr (last month), I was quite surprised and couldn't wait checking the wetland other day to see them alive. I have seen a flamingo during my boat ride on Pulicat Lake but it was just a glance and it fly past quickly across the sky.

Flamingos migrate usual to Pulicat Lake on the border of Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh and PointCalimere in Nagapattinam District, that too only during winter seasons. But it was amazing to see flamingos brushing their nose in large numbers, amid extreme summer heat of Chennai! Thought man itself finding tough to complete the summer phase, I wonder how they manage the summer heat.

The pictures here are captured by my cousin who accompanied me during the Pallikaranai marsh visit and we drive past the Solinganallur-Pallavaram stretch checking a flock of flamingos standing amid the freshwater swamp. The birds where almost white in color with pale pink feathers on wings, to tall grasses and emerging buildings background. I really missed the opportunity to check them closer through binocular which I forget to bring along with me, but I got content images through my Canon Powershot and also view at closer.  

Glossy Ibis... i guess

கடல் அம்மா / Marine Mom

Pic by Jeevan (cick to enlarge)

ஏ கடல் அம்மா

உன்  சிறுபிள்ளை  நங்கள்
மடியில் தவழும் பிள்ளைக்கு
நீ  கள்ளிப்பால்  ஊட்டலாமா?    

தாலாட்டு பாடிய அலைகள்
ஓசையின்றி  ஒப்பாரிவைகலாமா?
கதைகள் கற்பிக்காத பிம்பம்
கண்ணிமைக்குள் மூழ்கியதே 

தான் விரித்த வலைக்கு
தானே இரையான கோரம் 

வாழ்வளிக்கும்  வள்ளல் நீயே 

உயிர்  பசி ஏனோ?

சுனாமி என்னும் அரக்கனை அனுப்பி
வதம் செய்வதேனோ ?
கண்ணீர் சிந்த யாருமின்றி 

கொன்றுகுவித்து விட்டானே .

A marine mom
we are your child,
how could u feed venom
to a kid crawling on the lap?

The lullaby sung waves
how become quiet threnody?
The stories untaught simulacrum
submerged into the eyelids.

To the expanded web
to become a victim of horror
being a brought up philanthropist
why hunger for life?

Sent a monster tsunami
why you slew?
To no one to shed tears
he killed everyone to hump.

P.S. A tribute to tsunami victims, wrote from a fishermen’s perspective. 

A cargo goes aground

The Neelam Cyclone that stroke the Mamallapuram, a day before day, also produced an effect on the coast towards Chennai and beyond developing a number of tree falls and sand erosions on seashores. As I mentioned in my early post, the Marina Beach of Chennai – the second longest beach worldwide – is the gateway for any effort by sea or rain on Chennai and it stands at the first place for anyone to check the status of the city.

Pool ride by a biker in marina

I visited the Marina Beach yesterday evening to reveal the effects of Neelam cyclone and found the rain and seawater stagnant on the marina beach abundantly like ever and the inner road was flooded with water for more than 3 feet high. Even the SUV like cars find it difficult to cross the inner roads and we didn't take the venture into the water which was inviting for a swim but had fun watching boys playing in water and some bikes and autos splashing and creating great ripples. I really enjoy visiting marina beach after rain to check the stagnant water and joy of splashing without disturbing others!

Later we moved to check the cargo ship that went aground near Foreshore estate, the adjacent area of marina, where the Neelam cyclone dragged the ship that was standing somewhere off shore into go aground. The road leads from marina through Nochikuppam was blocked and we had to go around the Santhome to reach the foreshore estate and ship was standing very close to shore and waves were so ferocious, crashing on the ship to reach unusual high.

The ‘Prathibha Cauvery’ is a Mumbai based oil-tanker anchored near the Chennai Port with 37 crew members on board, among which 32 are rescued through helicopters but the five who clambered into a lifeboat as soon the ship goes aground were missing, after the boat capsized due to rough waves. (According to news in evening, 4 of them were found dead ashore today). I guess it was the ship that I saw couple of months back visiting the marina beach and I also captured in photo.

The ship which goes aground near Elliot Beach, was moved into the foreshore estate yesterday and the place had tuned into a new tourist spot now for people who keep on visiting the shore to see the ship. When the news of ship gone aground spread like the force of storm, there were many gathered at the seafront to see the ship even dismissing the meteorologic warning to stay inside the house till cyclone landfall completely.

My Canon SX220 does a great job capturing the ship, enduring the strong wind even at maximum zoom!

There wasn't much crowd at marina, but the foreshore estate is flooded with human heads and people were keep on arriving and leaving as families checking the ship. The time we visited, a helicopter of the coast guards were lifting the crews or officials who come to check the ship and dropping at the shore. People were so excited to see the operation that they don’t get to see easily except if a Navy show seldom take place at Marina beach and the last time I check a ship very close was during one of the shows. 

If u look carefully, a coast guard helicopter is lifting a crew on the  photo.

Northeast monsoon

Picture by Jeevan

Drops stick to array of ferns

as festoon across the doorstep
sprinkles rain water, instead of rose
like a traditional way of reception

through the perch of bird.

The light and dark green leaves
go evergreen forever in rain,
the tree soak to deep brown shade
reproduces new leash of leaves
against the fall season.

The croakers singing chorus
for millipedes to march-past,
the slow pace snails creeps
climbs on the algae walls, overall
develops into a small rain-forest.

The northeast monsoon, shower
like a trailer of Diwali release
spreading everywhere the festival fire,
even it causes drawbacks
enhances the lives of farmers behind.

Kumbakkarai Falls

Kumbakkarai Waterfalls is 9km from Periyakulam on the foot of Kodaikanal Hills and its one of a tourist attraction of Tamil Nadu and the water is consider as mineral and herbal rich. I have visited this place twice, but I couldn’t get near the waterfalls since it has a series of steps leading down from the road and I could only see a stream of water at a distance.

The water falls at two stages; the first stage collects water in huge rock recesses   which are named each after wild animals like tiger, elephant… and the second stage is the main waterfall which flows as Pambar River. Kumbakkarai serves as a base camp for the trekkers who venture in the hills of Kodaikanal, which is 12km from here through a walking trail… created by British in early 1800s when they discovered Kodaikanal to escape from the heat on plains. But I’m not sure about the Ghats road that some said about its laid lately.

The photos of the falls where taken during our first visit in 2006 and it was almost dry when visiting again the falls in 2009. The place is surrounded by thick forest and wild animals’ esp. elephants are most encountered here and on our second visit we find the place is protected by electric fencing. During monsoon and rainy the falls receives much water which also exposed to risk of skidding rocks and stroked by flashflood.

Sothuparai Dam - Periyakulam

Sothuparai Dam is 9km from Periyakulam on the foot of Kodaikanal hills or the Western Ghats of Palani Range; helps enrich the entire area of Periyakulam and beyond by run  as a perennial river Varaganathi. The catchment of the dam is a combine of rain and small streams of Kodaikanal hills and the release of water from Berijam Lake, Kodaikanal.

Grand vista of the dam and misty Kodaikanal hills at rear

The Dam at its full storage capacity of 2.831.m.cum might be a wonder and thriller to watch it overflow via the high spillway, but I could only image the scene since the monsoon got postponed that year of 2009, left the reservoir at its base.  The road to the dam is enchant by the groves of mango on both sides leaving mangoes hang out of fence, at a height of hand’s touching and could pluck even from the moving car.

Front view of the dam taken from floor bridge

We first reached the top of the dam by the road on the hill beside and got a refreshing view of vast green on the mango groves and a patch of concrete at a distance which is obviously the Periyakulam town. The road extends beyond the check post – near the gateway above the dam, and along the reservoir the road leads to a small hamlet on the hills called Agamalai, which is restricted for private vehicles to enter.

Rear view on the dam from a distance elevation

But the guard at the check post somewhat allowed us to drive on road along the reservoir, knowing our interest on forest and though we couldn’t find any animals as it was dry everywhere we got a great sight of the  dam rear and views beyond. The guard told us the road exists only for a few km on Ghats and after that it’s only on horseback one could reach the hamlets on the hills.

Close to bottom of the dam

The name Sothuparai is a combine to two Tamil words meaning ‘food and rock, and it is said to derive from the habit of people here who once used to take food on the rock boulders along the flow of river Varaganathi. The water released from the dam through an irrigation canal runs like a stream among the rocks and boulders during our visit since there isn’t enough water in dam… the water runs like a stream is distillated for drinking purpose of Periyakulam on its way.

Water flows from the dam via irrigation canal

Sothuparai is the second highest dam in Tamil Nadu, following the Sholayar  Dam of Valparai which comes first, and for more details on the dam check the photo below I captured on the board of information kept there. The dam has a small tunnel and irrigation canal and only during the heavy inflow the shutter seems to open large… and interestingly the care takers of the dam has left a  fishing hook above the canal to catch fish.

The dam is isolated from tourist or the general public; it has a small simple garden with beautiful lampposts and a floor bridge to cross the dam, to get a complete front view of the dam. The time we checked the dam, a log had took refrain on top of the spillway, which is supposed to be washed away during the flood and it decided to stay there. It may need another overflowing season to come down.

A small garden in front of the dam

Periyakulam – the mango city

Two years back I visited this picturesque municipal town in the Theni district of Tamil Nadu, India and at an elevation of 282 meter; the place offers a wonderful weather overall the year. Located at the foothills of Kodaikanal, the Western Ghats offer a splendid wall to the city and at night its a delightful sight to check the lights on Kodaikanal hills.

An unknown peak of Western Ghats captured from the room.

Periyakulam is also known as ‘Mango City’ and it’s a major supply of mangoes throughout the state and its greater support was the perennial river ‘Varaganathi’, which runs in east-west direction dividing the town into equal half namely Vadakarai and Thenkarai – north and south bank. The river start at the foot of the Kodaikanal hills and joints with the Vaigai River is known for its sweet water which flow from the Berijam Lake in Kodaikanal.

The Mango groves near Periyakulam

The name Periyakulam is referred to two Tamil words equivalent to Big Tank of this town. The former Chief Minister and present Finance Minster of Tamil Nadu, Mr. O. Paneerselvam hails from this town... which has 100 years of municipal history and its one of the oldest town in Tamil Nadu.

One of a Horse cart on the Periyakulam main road

It’s been sometime I want to write a post on Periyakulam and I spent two days visiting around its places and I share here few picture captured then and it is a town where still horse carts exists for transportation. There are few interesting and popular places around this town... and let see more on it further down in posts.