Down hill, Mudumalai and Mysore

It was the plan of visiting some interior places in Nilgiris, but unfortunately the cold drives us 2 days before the actual plan and we drove towards Mysore by 6pm, what I was looking for early climbing down before the darkness surrounds as the road take us to Mysore is through Mudumalai wildlife sanctuary, so I can view wild animals, but almost it was already night then. I could tell it was ever I see the nature like that to view the clouds around like a cotton bedspread beside the valley from climbing down hill (last pic). Half our way hill was smooth road comforts for pleasure driving and on way glanced a black monkey (karung kurangu) crossing and climbing the tree such quick. Some distance away got the frog hill view, where we could find a hill similarly to a frog sitting (pic1). I never know it will take much time reaching Mudumalai, last time we were on the highly risk route through masinakudi reaching Mudumalai in short time, though I like traveling it was newly experience crossing a wildlife sanctuary at night.

I was keen to how come visible animals in dark, after a sip of coffee in a Gudalur we headed towards Mysore. In search of animals and few kilometers then sighted a group of 6 elephants with there calf’s very near to road in touchable distance, but our frighten members in vehicle want to move fast, so clipping missed. Then comes another dusky bulky elephant, no nice the night patrol interrupted getting slow, but somehow I manage to get a picture of a middle-size elephant on my side. It was our uncle in Mysore kept calling every half hour enquiring were we are, and it was his house we get to stay, and he was waited on a road junction to directly take us to home. He is staying in suburb area of Mysore near to Chamundy hill and to check the time it was near 11pm eating our dinner there. It was strange feel after long time, to stay at unfamiliar place and his children are never faced us then and don’t know whether there are some relation like us. Next dawn it all changes lighter and they began moving closer with us, thus reveals them to put off a day from schooling joining with us visiting places, along like a guide telling routs and to communicate in Kanada.

The kids before Nandi, middle 2 where those we met there

The three kids where lovely and so sweet in behaving, esp. the mid-one deepika was such adorable and soon she began fondling with our pet maya. The elder girl was very quite watching what’s happening and bears a beautiful smile always; the last boy was very smart, rarely talks, but tenacious until he gets something. Mysore is not new for me, I have been visiting here 11 years back and the same procedure continues this time too, following visiting ooty and Mysore. After breakfast, climbed the Chamundi hills and it was the elder kid shows us the right path after little confuse for herself. She talks fluently in Kanada and it was her help for me getting near to temple, speaking to the security persons to allow me. It’s indifferent everything to me, the ghat road, views from summit and the Nandhi except the parking facility. Next we headed to Mysore Palace; here I stayed in vehicle of inconvenience and my grandpa stayed with me for company as this place and palace is much familiar to him, thus he was a tourist diver then visiting Mysore often I get the opportunity to share his experience and information about the Palace! What I was looked forward soon the plan was to Mysore is... would continue in another post. Thanks you.

The Expansionist Meme

Was tagged by Vishesh. Something different.

Please thoughtfully consider the following, and choose one item for each of the categories below. (Be sure to describe your reasons for choosing)

* One religious work from a non-familiar tradition you’ll read:
I read whatever interest me and wanted to be. And there is no space for religious

*One music video-that you like-from your “least likely to listen to’ genre:
countless the list…. But the one in recent is Uyirile En Uyirile… from Vellitherai, I like to listen the melody but not the video.

* A book from a genre you almost never read, that you have read, or you will read (promise!):
I come across many books earlier and my introduction to books are very little. The one am looking forward to catch is the Progressive version in Art of Living.

* Somewhere you’d never thought to go on holiday/vacation, and why it might be fun to go there?
Brazil. For the amazing Amazon, Rio de Janeiro and carnival festival.

* A specific food you’ve never tried, but will because of this meme, honest!:
So much, except from familiar South Indian dishes. Have seen the paani puri stalls somewhere around, but never thought to taste, but should do one day.

* A sport or game you really hate, or haven’t tried yet, but are willing to give one more go:
I hate much hanging on the single most game Cricket. In my childhood I tried more games with friends, but still very touched is the Gilli danda. In our street back, we sight more elders to us play this game and have listen to mom saying her experience playing this game with her siblings.

* A style of dance you probably won’t try (we won’t make you promise on this one):
If I became a dancer I will answer.

* A career job you don’t feel you’re suited for, and why:
IT professional, I don’t like just fall into this ditch and I won’t because am not educated to it.. If am not abnormal, I would choose the agriculture is best.

* An item that’s “thinking out of the box’ for this meme that hadn’t been included:
A bright shining star, what world see it in wonder.

a question: what will you do if we send you to the place you wanted and tell you to play?
I play until I get bored or tired.

* If there’s one thing in life you wanted to do, and will do because of this meme, what will it be?
Farming! It’s becoming the sinner part of our lives and it reflects dim faces on us and what is behind price rise.

People interested can do the tag on there own pleasure. Thank you.

Tribes of Kotagiri

I wonder how uniform these houses are (above pic),’ just thought to be the residence of those work in nearby tea estates of Kodanad in Kotagiri, but in search I found those residence huts are known as Kokkal colony with a score of 78 household with population of 300+. This is a colony constructed by the govt. to the Kota tribes which has a uniform style of houses built with bricks, cement and red clay tiles roofs, and each holding a set of rooms. It has a steep path in separating the residences and adjutant to it is the mud road climbing up and a temple top. Just further from there gives a whole of green tea gardens view, taking away our breath and bearing the cold wind on face. This post may go through the Kota tribe life, history, culture and some more…

Kotagiri have a salubrious climate throughout year, comforts to say it’s the second most wonderful climate in world. It’s the name that refers from the dwelling peoples of this region, the Kota tribes hence those are similarly and closely related to the famous Toda of Nilgiris. Kota is the name derives from the word ‘Ko’ means the cow and it believed that their ancestor where living in cows and thus the place they survive called Kokkal, the resting place of cows. The connecting of Kota-giri comes in mean of ‘mountain of Kotas’. Though they are pre-historic living in slopes of Nilgiris, some study find they are migrating from several other places like northeastern countries and somewhere near Sudan. The journey of the Kota tribes began in the early years of eighteenth century and after more than a century back they came encountered with Europeans.

The Kotas are developed in traditions of artisans who are experts in art of pottery making and terracotta baking. And they have this very different culture of painting blue color on the faces of teens. This is what they believe in ghost, thus the child must die to become a man and the blue color is refers to death of their childhood. The costumes and dresses of these tribal add beauty and glamour with their dread color of blue paints on there face. This is a common belief in almost tribe communities and like offering wild beasts. In the modern day society and getting their children the education these sacrifices turns in offering money and gift, instead of wild animals. And they are the tribes whom reluctant and reclusively to meet or mix with any other outsiders. Thus they are currently counting thousand and getting least fast.

The Kota is the community develops their own system and every village has a leader acquired on the basis of their relations. He bears a role of arbiter with his political duties and responsibility; he is also the supervisor of religious rites and rituals. Their house is one I pictured in my travel, is an unusual view in huts. The bark house! These houses are similar to Todas dwell, is elliptical in shape, little beneath earth with either sides of wall enclosed. To get into deep, the hut has a tiny entrance (like a mouse hole to me) with 3 feet wide and tall. The entrance is mean to be small to be protected from wild animals and the front wall is shaded in strange black design and bamboo sticks to bend the roof. To know these are the houses still exist rarely in Nilgiris and among the most are shifted to huts and concrete roof houses.

Kodanad, en-route Kotagiri

Pleasant views

Thus it does happened to be the last day in Nilgiris, where the majority increases in our families against unbearable cold, that was the amount of clouds and rain lasted before night and make all grasping while on shopping, but am wished one more day to stay. And no arguments, I can’t go against none and agreed getting down by eventide. Before, we had much time and moved ahead to Kodanad which is 15 km from Kotagiri, that some 40+km from Ooty. I have heard about this place and the pleasant weather almost throughout the years and very calm comparing Ooty. As my cousin studied in St. Jutes Public School, Kotagiri, for a year then, so I get to know every time he describes the place and his wish that I come there before he leaves, but unfortunately he left the school when I was visiting there. By 10am we left the hostel and reach Kotagiri through some sharp curves and turns, along more green and tea estates, with clouds flew sending shades on slopes and the dark Blue Mountains...

My cousin’s school & Blue Mountains

The 15km drive from Kotagiri reaching Kodanad is full of green tea estates, somewhere people picking leaves and villages with factories besides beneath sending smokes mixes with mist and the rust lands yet to cultivate. And what more, the rain yet to come circumstance and dark clouds covering peaks are just amazing and pleasant ever. The road finally end at the Kodanad view point, where the road keeps on stretching, I am searing and still kept going around the green estates…. And thus I seek, hence I can’t visible the Kodanad estate big-house belongs to the former CM of our State and the time she was staying there when we were.

Rangasamy Peak & Milky falls

Little far that sights the Rangasamy Peak, from the view point, that seems like a holy hill for the people on this region and it’s like the peak refers to a divine. It conforms through wiki, ‘this is a shrine visited by thousands off pilgrims from kongu region and other places yearly.’ Just right below glanced a quite beautiful falls, flows like milk poured and far away through blurred mist, visible a squirm path that thinks to the Bavani River what my cousin told. More than the peak and valley, it’s the green tea gardens surrounding the places simply fresh the views and clean air and weather situation feels awesome… want to be there again sometimes later, just sitting on the monkey’s seat, ‘the defense stones on ghat roads, where monkeys sit often’, and enjoy my stay quite alone just like that.

Kodanad valley & Tea plant cultivation

It was nearly 4pm we get back to hostel in ooty, ate our lunch and get packed things climbing down the other side. The majority of those wish is to visit Mysore and it was delayed by 6pm in evening climbing down in dusk. The southwest monsoon is in rush, seeing the dark clouds to saying ‘if u stay here I will hit u back’. It’s another fun and thrill to write on traveling on this stretch towards Mysore, clearly its night going on the forest ride. I just want to extend the writing on this elevation, so it may continue in other post. Thank you.

Green tea garden

My view on Dasavatharam

Actually I was thinking it must be some usual film with hero impersonate in different getups. But no, I am almost wrong in guessing the film and felt surprise at each and not even to think it’s a universal actor behind those easily sighted odd figures. I sense here, where in any place can’t feel the other person is same. Only to think, I wonder at this great fantasist film in his sight changing. Have seen more films under this category, where each character would have some similarity and to be easily identified, but Kamal Haasan has done a great job in Dasavatharam taking away most important character as him and aside proving there needs an actor not the face.

Taking inches of a blue tube spreading virus, Kamal staged all sorts of entertainment and actions. To mention importantly the chasing scenes which are more powerful and grand alike comes in Arnold and Bond films. The flying helicopter in chasing and gun shooting action sequences are like Hollywood quality, which is something new for Tamil. For nearly half-hour there was the confusion state of what is happening and the disturbance of US language and unclear subtitles after the rare piece from the history. Further it slowly gets into the track and surprise at each characters affiliation into the story. Especially the Balram Naidu the one in his voice and body language expressions stands still in mind, the way he makes laugh as investigating officer and in chasing scene was well funny. And the second most liked character is the 95-year-old women. She not alone makes fun and also touches with the innocent inside her. This must be difficult one, well kamal shows how talented he was in bending to the figure and expressing to the nervous vibration to give a real effort. A great attempt!

Back to the 12th century of empire period, we get to see a strong and bravo Kamal as Rangaraja Nambi who tries to stop the Chola King destroying his believable Vishnu Idol from the temple. It was such a grand venture with pictorial excellence merges in real and graphical along with the music to tell wow fantastic! The bad ex-CIA officer Fletcher nearly comes equally to main character and it stands on screen for more than the character on the perfect makeup one could challenge. As up to a point I can’t identify it is also an avatar of Kamal! The Japanese character and President Bush, visible the mask fixed on face though it was nice and I see those are just to add the avatar. And the naughty monkey’s end in the lab and in climax same happens for the ex-CIA is something aversion.
First time watching the songs, what exist in mind thinking past comes down little. The song Oh... Ho... Sanam presents the effort its courage and excellent dance moments and the beautiful pair Jayaprada and kamal. Mukundha Mukundha is the all time comforts in mind. The pictorial was enjoyable. I feel, without Asin (heroin) it won’t be at all nice and her innocent anger and get on saving her perumal idol she feels lovable….. None other than her can be imagined filling the character of Andal, loving Perumal.

‘One, who is unaware of this film and Indian cinema would really get wondered by this film and our actor,’ is what am tell to dad while returning from drive-in. Oh, it started to pour heavily after by interval to put us inside car to watch in mute for sometimes where it incompletes the dalit social worker enters in stiff dark face and eyes. Kamal shows a very different voice here! If one misses the end song is missing the worth of the whole creative and hard work at every characters difference. I wonder why some people tell this film is waste and Shivaji is best, but for me it’s excellence in feeding advance and showcase talent. What gives disappoint is the disappearance of the very early 12th century and left untouched then. I can’t understand what relates this to the narration and what the idol exist in last tells. And what not, he brings a bunch of actors across and used as per adding sugar. The tsunami was a real fantasy more than the only few scene remains then which is one mainly expected. For every question of the character they answered in end. Little disagree may comes on expect, but just comes by gives great amazement which I get watched.