Lovely Sky Watch I

During my recent travel to Thandikudi for vacation, I was fascinated by pretty skies once passed Villupuram on the national highways 45. As usual sitting from the front seat I kept clicking several photos on the move and on the sky but as we keep moving further the sky continued to enhance. Beyond Tiruchi the fluffy cumulus clouds turned the sky more wonderful, and in between there were few spells from the passing dark clouds. The sky continued to change its pattern as we kept moving, it was interesting to watch and I was dealing with the camera all the way taking photos. I took many photos, so I decided to share it by few posts and here are some photos shot around Perambalur. 

The above  two were shot around Ulundurpet

 

Linking this post with Skywatch Friday

A brief on my vacation

I’m back from the vacation two days before and it was indeed a wonderful trip/time except for couple of my cousins and aunt/uncle who couldn’t make up to the vacation. We spent 8 nights at my uncle’s woodhouse/cottage in the Kodai hills or half-kodai, what Thandikudi is called and it is one of the longest vacations I had in my life apart staying at our close relative’s house during school days. Unlike last year we planned this trip earlier due to one of my cousin’s college reopening but at last they postponed the opening, so we went along our family 3 days before my uncle/aunt (who owns the cottages) arrives.

A new woodhouse being build up by the uncle at the Serene Woods

As usual this time too (staying from my uncle’s woodhouse/cottages, the Serene Woods) I got to explore and experience some new place and routes to keep it interesting. By this travel I have covered all motor accessible roads to Kodaikanal, though it was a link road for about 35-40km, I felt  awesome taking  this road that take me through some pristine falls sight and  environment that many unaware about. I’m someone always look forward for something new and different even if the destinations were same to make my travel interesting. I explored couple of mountain villages taking a road less travelled, with scenic mountains and fascinating houses to view.

Winding though woods and forest

During my stay I visited the Berijam Lake, in the wildest part of Kodaikanal, after a gap of 8 years. I have been to the placid lake area couple of time in the past and I truly love the enriched natural environment of flora and fauna. We went through really a tough experience obtaining permission to visit the lake as it was in a protected area, though there wasn’t trouble in getting permission but we were a bit careless to become exhausted. Other day I was on my favourite road (Dindigul to Kumily) to visit a scenic village on the foot hills of Bodi aka Bodinayakanur and it was a popular shooting spot where the Tamil movies Kumki and Myna has been shot.

One of the scenic roads i traveled

I always prefer for a relaxed travel and plan according to it because I couldn’t over strain myself and I can’t check various places at a time. Thanks my uncle for building a woodhouse/cottage on the lap of mountains bestows me with abundance chances of exploring various places around the Kodaikanal, Dindigul and Theni regions. The woodhouse and cottages named as Serene Woods, is a fabulous place to stay and relax and enjoy nature at bay. Amid the woods I truly enjoyed having breakfast listening to the sound of birds unlike watching TV at home. It was blissful spending time with cousins at my favourite environment of woods and visiting places around. 

More on the vacation and travel later… 

Exploring Kodai-Kumbakkarai Route, the very first road to Kodaikanal

The Kodai-Kumbakkarai road was completely off at some places (click all photos for enlarge)

I love traveling and traveling on road-less travelled is my favourite. Wherever I go I look for places beyond the regular and I find it more exciting than what has been explored by many. Though many perhaps like taking such travels but don’t give much thought as it keeps them away from the comfort. But I am someone always like adventure and try to venture places that not many chose to travel or ready to lookout for. During my stay at Thandikudi, near Kodaikanal, I explored a route that was less travelled or abandoned since alternate and more comfort roads was developed. Though it was the first road to Kodaikanal many unknown about it.

More than a century old road looks good  at few places toward Adukkam

The road that slides before Perumal Malai on the main road to the Kodaikanal, leads to the mango city Periyakulam via Adukkam village and Kumbakkarai waterfalls at the foothills. From the time I know about this road, a short route to Kodaikanal when going by Periyakulam or Theni, I want to explore it and travel as much possible.  I learned the road up to Adukkam village (half on the mountain) was travelable though the road wasn’t good and worst beyond that, we tied our best and it was possible only because of our Scorpio (SUV). For the most part of the road was unpaved or washed away as it wasn’t relayed after it was originally laid by the British. And the road is narrow which means facing a vehicle would make either take reverse or adjust space for the opposite to pass.

The view of narrow winding road from the Adukkam village towards Kumbakkarai falls, which we didn't take.

The road wasn’t narrow but also potholed for large that any car would get bottom hurt unless it was an SUV or height ground clearance vehicle. The people from one of the vehicles (Hyundai Santro) that was coming up from Periyakulam warned us not to go further or beyond Adukkam as the road was in bad shape but still we managed up to Adukkam and turned back thinking it was our limit. Though few jeep drivers encouraged that we can go all the way to Kumbakkarai, as the villagers have cleared the road lately, we didn’t mind to go beyond and since it was late afternoon we don’t want to take risk and turned away with the view of winding lane down the hills.

The pristine mountains and valleys... you could see a lone house (in white color) at a distance 

Awesome view of mountains and  ridges across the valley

This road beholds views that are pristine and most part of the valley and mountains seem untouched by many. Being an initial and pretty old road to Kodaikanal, which seems to be laid in late 1800s or early 1900s, continue to hold the charm as most part of the route was undamaged by the tourism cottages or buildings. But I got to see few beautiful farm houses and bungalows and a stretch of coffee and orange plantations en route to the Adukkam, from there till the foothill is quite wild forest. Adukkam isn’t a big village and it comes to view few kms before on road resembling a small nest on the laps of mountains.

Here's a view on the Adukkam village nestled in the valley and below is a close up on  the same

The village is surrounded by hill banana plantation

I heard bullock carts were the first vehicles to take this road and we could see the roadside stone barriers and milestones still exists along with good patch of tar road at some places truly exhibits the quality of roads laid then. The day was sunny when we venture this route in early summer, though the weather doesn’t bother much as we continue to stay on mountains I couldn’t take more photos due to sun glares and reflection of windows many went dark images. Interestingly we met an old woman, when we stopped to take photos on the red coffee beans, scold us not to take photos on her coffee plants. She told her plants weren’t flourishing well already and you taking photos may get evil eye! lol 

The red coffee beans, what the old woman said no to capture!

Brazilian Plume @ Thandikudi

During my stay at Serene Woods in Thandikudi, near Kodai, I come across this unique blossom of flowers, a large cluster of vivid pink flowers called Justicia Carnea bloomed at the house next to my uncle’s property. Widely known as Pink Jacobinia, Brazilian Plume and Flamingo Flower is an amazing perennial shrub that grow in sun or shade and blooms in the warmer parts of its range .

A bit taller to three to seven feet wide, many tubular with unusual pods holding flared flowers, curving outward from the center is bloomed throughout the summer in colors ranging from pink to purples and oranges. The leaves about 8” long are prominently veined, rich in green and pointed on the end. The branches of the plants are delicate as the other features of the same and are fragile to traffic or wind.

Native to tropical and subtropics of Brazil and South America, the Brazilian Plume flower is a member of the Acanthus family and prefers to grows well in partial to full shade. Belong to shade plant variety, about half a day of sun will witness the best display of flowers. It is cultivated as a decorative plant and is planted as a feature plant in warm temperate and subtropical climate.

Linking this post with Floral Friday Foto 

Chocolate Soldier warms up!

The chocolate pansy or chocolate soldier warming up at the early hours of sunlight, at SereneWoods woodhouse, Thandikudi.

I had any photos on a butterfly before, because they never posed to be easily or I unable to chase them to shoot away. I remember capture a butterfly earlier but it was a lifeless one hit by a rotating fan. I was really glad capture this chocolate soldier butterfly when it came sitting, spotting the sunny area and basking the wings in the morning sunlight on the woodhouse ramp. This is my first butterfly shot with more detail, thanks to its tendency to exist close to the ground level and I’m surprised to learn the common butterfly is attracted to sunlight and is often bask in the sun.

The chocolate soldier is mainly found in degraded and disturbed habitats including palm plantation, small clearings and along roadsides and riverbanks at elevations between sea level and at least 1200 meters.  When the butterfly sits on the ground it might easily mistake for a small dry leaf! With a wingspan of about 5-6cm both sexes of this species is very similar in appearance, but the females have slightly broader and rounded wings. The butterfly is found commonly from Sri Lanka and India to China, through Malaysia to Bali and the lesser Sunda isles. 

Linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS

Awesome Vacation @ Serene Woods

I had an awesome vacation last week (July 23^rd - 29^th) at my uncle’s woodhouse, aka Serene Woods, in Thandikudi, near Kodaikanal. It was my second vacation for the first time in less than 3 months times. Because only in the 2^nd week of May I visited the same and stayed for a week with my family including two cousins and grandma, but this time it was a kind of get-together with couple of my aunt/uncle families, it was a celebration sort of moment. Last time I haven’t spent enough time at the woodhouse but was at much leisure exploring some nook and corners of the Kodaikanal Hills by staying there. This time I went quite blank to enjoy what comes my way and we spent most of the days at the wood-house/cottage, eating, sleeping, taking photos and chatting except a day drive to Poombarai.

Last year my uncle organised a ceremony formally informing the built of the woodhouse and cottage but for some unspecific reason no one from our side (maternal aunt) could attend the event. And from then on, they are planning to bring us all there to compensate the event (even if they haven’t built woodhouse we would be somewhere together) or give treat to share their happiness. But before they could come up with a plan we landed there on our own and experienced the woodhouse and cottage that built amid the coffee, pepper and orange plantations. This was my 4^th time visit to Thandikudi and second time stay at the woodhouse. Our journey started too late this time and reaching out the suburb (Chennai) took more than 2 hours – due to some traffic jams and detours – it was almost dark when reached the Serene Woods.

Oranges grew in the vicinity of Serene Woods

The first day was spent quite at the woodhouse and cottage. It is a two story building with the ground and underground goes down the road and the woodhouse comes atop. But only woodhouse has ramp facility to allow me to stay there with much ease. The woodhouse contains a big hall and spacious two bedrooms with a king-size bed and a single cot on each room with attached bathrooms. And it has a wonderful wide balcony overlooking the woods and wild vegetation on the backyard. The cottage on the ground beneath has a similar partition with a veranda and open staircase come steps gallery to sit, chat and retreat along a bonfire pit in the courtyard.  The underground holds the kitchen and room for the caretaker and the cook. The cottage has a parking facility and space to park two big SUVs.

Interior of the wood-house (hall and bedroom)

We were 14 people in two cars (Innova and Scorpio) took charge the woodhouse/cottage for 6 nights and 5 days was blissful. Except day one we experienced rain daily. Though it rained almost every evening, the weather was wonderful throughout with bright sunshine in mornings and chirping of birds (in different notes) at the dawn and dusk become my favorite moments. It was cheerful being together with cousins, uncles and aunties and cooking ourselves what we like, despite have a cook, and it was indeed enjoyable sharing the moments at nature’s lap. Just for a day I was brought down to the ground floor cottage, as I haven’t been there, and we had a small bonfire celebration at night. It was refreshing to watch showing around the woods from the balconies of the wood-house kept enchanting.

The last day was spent at the premises of the Thandikudi Murugan Temple; since it was a special day at the temple, leaving our parents there we (cousins) went on and off the area and had the lunch at the temple itself. Being to Thandikudi for forth time, the landscape becomes familiar to me but still hold breath with the transformation happening through the mist wrapping the peaks and mountains. First time experienced mist outside the woodhouse and at night the effect seems fabulous in the presence of night lamps, illuminates the cottage around. Since it was the beginning of Orange season, I could see the orange trees in the vicinity thrives in green and yellow. The Serene Woods is facilitate with the facilities of a home, including free Wi-Fi, television and power generators to make feel comfort and connected! But overall I enjoyed the natural environment and being together with dear ones.

A group photo before leaving the  Serene Woods

P.s. If  you are in facebook do check the page i created (here) promoting the woodhouse/cottage

A brief note on my travel to Kodai

I would like to say it was a great escape from the scorching heat of Chennai (but the weather is pleasant now due to summer rain) for less than a week... but it was quite terrific until reaching the foothills of Kodaikanal and way back to home. Yes, I had a fabulous vacation come travel last week to the princess of hills, Kodakanal. The destination isn’t new for me and I love being there and times no matter, but this time it was really different, wonderful and exciting only because of the things done, routes traveled and the place of stay. Every time I visit Kodai I try to explore something new and make sure leisurely the drive. As planned we headed to Kodaikanal first through the Palani Ghat section which I really wanted to do for very long time. I have been more than 6 times to Kodai and first time I got to explore this route and I really need to say it is very natural and scenic than the prime route (via Batlagundu) to Kodaikanal.

Things were fine until reaching Kodai, but we couldn’t stay over there due to some unsuitable lodging. We have a friend there who used to book cottages for us every time and this time he slightly went ahead with sloped terrain which supposed  to be very difficult  and the couple of cottages we checked hold great views but where tilted either up or down.  So with no other option and time to search (as it was about 8pm) we decided to move to Thandikudi to stay at my uncle’s newly built woodhouse come cottage. We actually planned to stay at woodhouse but I wanted to explore an interior area, which could be easily accessible from Kodai so I liked staying there for couple of days before move to Thandikudi. It was 10pm when we reached the woodhouse and past Kodai it started to shower heavily and all the bags tied to the car top were drenched.

Winding wet ghat road

The next day turned out to be the most exciting part of my vacation, an off-road ride in Jeep to a waterfall near Thandikudi. It was indeed an unexpected ride and I didn’t believe I could seat inside a Jeep but it all happened only because of my brother. It is a complete off-road ride I ever had and we crossed a small river and had fun all together. The other day I took a long drive on the mountains leading all the way to Kilavarai, the last public accessible destination in Kodaikanal hills, where the famous Escape Road (a trail road that connect Kodai-Munnar) begins. It was entirely a very scenic pass, with rolling grasslands and terrace framing taking place on either side, the cold breeze continue to caress from the tall pine and eucalyptus trees. It took my entire day taking plenty of photos including birds and wild flowers.

Had a exciting jeep ride - inside me

Uncle’s woodhouse (in Thandikudi) is a very pleasant abode for nature lovers and it has a wonderful balcony to bird watch at the backyard. Though the woodhouse is built close to the road, it sense amazing to listen to birds chirping from all sides and felt serene almost to name as Serene Woods. My recommend to Thandikudi would be mainly for bird watching and the pristine natural environment exits among the coffee, pepper and orange plantations aside canopy of tall trees of different species. Staying there, I also visited Parappalaru Dam. About 45 km from there, the travel to the dam was through vast coffee plantations, beautiful villages and forest region with a pristine lake among the dense. By this travel I covered almost nooks of the Kodaikanal Hills but still feel there’s more to experience and explore at leisure. Hope to share more my experience in future/further post. 

My uncle's woodhouse

Bird Watching @ Thandikudi: Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher

I have been to Thandikudi (on the lower Palani hills of Kodaikanal,) couple of time, and with a plan to go ahead tomorrow, I like to share one of the lovely birds I captured over there. Thandikudi is a wonderful place to enjoy bird watching and it is open to cute little birds alike the Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher.

Tickell's Blue Flycatcher is a small passerine bird in the flycatcher family and it is an insectivorous species which breeds in tropical Asia, from the Indian Subcontinent eastwards to Southeast Asia. Its range stretches across all the countries from India to Indonesia and they are found in dense scrub to forest habitats.

Measured about 11-12 cm in long, the bird has blue upper parts and the throat and breast are orange and the rest of the under parts are white. The bird sings in metallic tone includes a series of clicks followed by five or six notes that end abruptly. It is a wary bird and not always easily observed and it a forest-loving species which is found in thick cover and shade, and particularly haunts the banks of wooded streams.

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Bird watching @ Thandikudi: Asian Brown Flycatcher

Thandikudi is a wonderful place to enjoy bird watching and it’s a paradise for birds.  When i was staying amid the coffee plantations and canopy of trees, in the Narumana Kudil (fragrant huts) maintained by the village council there, I got to watch many birds and listen to distinct voices of same and one of it was the cute little Asian Brown Flycatcher.

The Asian Brown Flycatcher is a small passerine bird in the family of flycatcher – Muscicapidae, and it is an insectivorous species which breeds in Japan, Eastern Siberia and the Himalayas. It is migratory and winters in tropical southern Asia from southern India and Sri Lanka east to Indonesia.

doesn't this look cute?

This species is 13 cm long, including the cocked tail. It is similar in shape to the larger spotted flycatcher, but is relatively longer-tailed and the adult has grey-brown upper-parts, which become grayer as the plumage ages, and whitish under parts with brown-tinged flanks. Young birds have scaly brown upper-parts, head and breast. (source of info: wiki)

Linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS

RGB Monday (doors and frames)

Red door frame of a Christian shrine in Mamallapuram.

Green door and window of a house in village near Thandikudi, on the lower Palani hills (Kodai hills)

Bluely painted door and windows of an incomplete home in Valparai... though unfinished I find the sight very pretty to photo shoot. The house was neatly arranged with flowerbed on both sides of the blue frame.

A brief on my early vacation come travel to Thandikudi and Cloud Mountain!

Usually we go for vacation in midsummer to keep ourselves away from hot weather and chill sometime in pretty cool mountains/hill stations while visiting places in and around the destination. Although I have visited almost hill stations/mountains within the state of Tamil Nadu, I still believe there is a lot to be explored and experienced. Each time I plan to visit mountains or any other place, I look forward to go beyond tourism and take roads that less traveled and places explored at least.  This time too, though, went to the places that I have been already, I tried to explore things that missed last time and observing more the nature and environment and experience things leisurely.

After a gap of two years, I visited the mountains of Kodaikanal and stayed at Thandikudi followed by Cloud Mountain’s – which are a part of Western Ghats, from March 20-25. I was looking forward for a break/change from regular life since it’s been nearly a year I had vacation (in Ooty-Valparai) or traveled long, I decided to be earlier mainly to prevent the season’s crowd and easy accommodation at less fare/tariff. Being a month ahead to midsummer, it’s already terrific hot here and as we began the journey the sun was almost up in the sky shimmering bright, which is one of unusual with this travel as we always begin our journey early morning so that could easily get out of the city before it get congested and lesser heat.

One of the cottage we stayed at Thandikudi

Our drive from home till the foothill of Thandikudi/Kodaikanal was under scorching sun, which we felt heavily on the national highways in lack of trees and the A/C in the car also went frozen to block the blowers. The heat was able to make feel even driving upon the mountains and being unseasoned to rain there wasn't a piece of cloud to hold umbrella. The coldness on the mountains was also not so high and bearable with plain blankets at night and only in the morning the chillness is felt. We had booked rooms in the Panchayat Union’s Narumana Kudil (fragrant hut/cottage), which we early stayed and it is one of the very few accommodates available at Thandikudi apart couple of high fee resorts.

And it is a wonderful place to stay and watch birds alongside. But this time it wasn't fair enough to allow me to wander its premises, encompassed by coffee plantations and canopy of trees, because of lack of maintenance and unclean of fallen leaves gives a strange look across to move around. Moreover I didn't get the room I was looking for, which would ease my access through wheelchair so that I could come in and out of the room without much difficult. While booking in, itself we stressed for that particular room but those communicated hadn't conveyed it clearly to the management who had rented the room to some other. So I had to be transferred to a chair before getting in and out of the room to overcome a huge step and then back to wheelchair/car to move around.

The beauty of Kodaikanal Lake, illuminates in eventide sunlight

I expected to spent much time outside the room looking for birds i.e. it is a bird paradise in itself with many distinct bird species, even though I listen to their chirrups in various tones, I find only few birds with capable to shoot while others were tiny ones which treats me with sweet tweets.  We stayed there for three nights and two days, which was spent mostly on drive and discovering new places/routes that I wanted to do for some time – will write more about it in detail later. I hope my future visits/stay at Thandikudi would be fine due to my uncle’s (mom’s sister husband) construction of guesthouse there, beside the coffee and orange plantations he bought two years back.

During my stay, I visited Kodaikanal only for a brief moment and took a leisure ride around the lake while capturing some photos and having a cup of coffee, we head back to room by late evening after purchasing some homemade chocolates. We haven’t planned to visit Kodaikanal that day as we are intended to stay there later; it was our car that forced us to check the princess of hills as it refused to start suddenly we are either to go to Vathalagundu (at the foothill) or Kodaikanal to rectify, we chose Kodai so that we don’t need to get down the hills. While the day went like that and the other spent on exploring some Ghats sections, the real excitement of the entire vacation was the chance to visit Cloud Mountain aka Megamalai!

The place where we stayed in backdrop of Highwavys dam at Cloud Mountain

I have been to this part of Western Ghats Mountains in 2009, but I haven’t done a post or write a piece on the pristine mountains that guard the Cumbum Valley from the east. It is one of the few places where nature exists at its best/pristine stage and human intervention is at least. I avoided writing about this place and posting pictures then to do a bit on preserving and preventing exposure as I never want it to be seen as another spoiled hill station. I think it is a place not for tourist activities but to admire and experience nature. At about 1500 meter, the cloud mountain is dedicated to tea plantations and it comes under the High Wavy Township which is one among the three major tea estates who leased the land for 99 years.

Getting there is not an easy task and one really needs a high ground clearance vehicle to venture the road that almost an off-road journey. One can drive up to High Wavy (there is also bus service) somehow, but trying to go beyond is painful. We haven’t planned to visit Cloud Mountain but it came as an offer from my cousin brother, whom we sought for booking rooms in Kodaikanal, and upon our willingness he booked rooms for us in the High Ways IB (inspection bungalow). I was telling to my dad, very lately, that we should go to Cloud Mountain once again, a place I visited as a day travel in 2009, I couldn't say no when someone offered such an opportunity. I was quite delighted to spend two days stood between dense forest, tea gardens and dams/lake in front and rear.

More for later... 

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).

Balamurugan Temple, Thandikudi (Fairly equivalent to Palani)

Situated atop a hill, shouldering with mountains overlooking the village, the Balamurugan Temple in Thandikudi is devoted to Lord Murugan and it is believed that only from here that Lord Muruga cross jumped to reach Palani, while he was anger with his parents over the contest between the siblings, to who own the Gnanapalam (wisdom fruit) by coming around the world. It is also believed that Lord Muruga stayed at this hill for some time, defeated the monster Idumban to convert him as his devotee before make Palani (one of the two hillocks which Idumban carried as Kavadi from Kailash) as one of his abode.

Sri Balamurugan Temple

The Balamurugan Temple is said to be 2,000 years old, but the temple that exists today is built on the belief that Lord Muruga appeared in the dreams of Sri La Sri Pandrimalai Swamigal (a Siddhar or saint) and ordered him to build a temple for him on the Thandikudi hill, from where he cross jump to Palani.  He is also believed to show the exact place – where the temple is built – by lighting some torch on the hill, and the people who went there were surprise to see a footprint (which is believed to be Lord Muruga’s) on the rock and image of peacock gripping a snake on the adjacent.  Thus believed that Lord Muruga has went to Palani only from Thandikudi and the benefit of visiting Palani is said to be fulfilled only if they appear at Balamurugan Temple.

Quite tranquil environs of the temple

The road to the temple, that begins at the Regional Coffee Research Station passes through coffee and cardamom plantations. The temple situated at a height of 500 feet above the Thandikudi village, has pretty good road to reach by car or take a leisure walk. The slightly showered weather was refreshing while we drew on the newly tar road. It was also exciting to know that we passed a prehistoric site where megaliths were found, which we actually unaware until someone explained at the village. But later at home checking the photos, I find that we have shot some pictures on the site that lay beside the road, without knowing what it was.

Fabulous view from the temple

The Balamurugan temple is also a wonderful panoramic viewpoint that overlooks the village of Thandikudi and surrounding mountains. The drizzling weather put me at hesitate, initially, whether to climb down or not the car to explore the place, but glad I did so and went around the pretty green and quite calm environment,  despite the voices of boys playing cricket outside the temple premises. There’s a small Ganesha shrine in front of the temple and it is a four pillared hall with idol enclosed in gate. The prime temple is also a hall based structure which was extended by curved sheet roofing and a small temple tower adorn with colorful idols and Kalasam (bass pot).

Enclosed Ganesha shrining

The hilltop provides amazing photo opportunity to capture the village and cloud passing mounting from the side of temple, where the torch is believed to drag the attention of people to build the temple there. They have also built a room for the torch, which seems to light on special occasions and to give company to events, the temple has a gold coated chariot for procession. The rocks beside the temple said to have ever flowing natural spring, which revered as scared water. And sand found at a height of 75 feet from the temple is offered as Prasad to devotees. Just like Palani, devotees to Balamurugan temple also carry Kavadies during the festival of Panguni Uthiram.

Driving down the valley (the road leads from the temple

Note on info:

Balamurugan Temple is situated at a height of 1500 meter in the Western Ghats of Palani Hills. Thandikudi is 40 km from Kodaikanal and Vathalagundu is 45 km and Palani about 92 km. The temple is open to public from morning to evening.  ( click location below for Google map on the place)

Thandikudi – A place where I felt quite tranquil!

Nestle amid the mountains of Palani Hills, at a range of about 1500m on the Western Ghats; Thandikudi is a pretty small village encompassed by coffee plantations, dense forest and mountain peaks keep it always cool and comfort weather to stay forever. I was so glad exploring this place last summer in June (2013) and the most fascinating thing I find there was bird watching. Though, Thandikudi is famous for Murugan Temple, coffee plantations and archaeological significant site, where Pre-Iron age burials are found. The pleasant weather and quite calm environment (where melodies of birds resonate) was something I never used before and deserves peace at best.

Panoramic view on the Thandikudi village

Thandikudi is about 45 km northeast of Vathalagundu in the lower Palani Hills in Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu. The village is on half the mountains of Kodakanal, hence named as half Kodai, was reached partially driving on the Kodaikanal Ghat Rd and then take right near Ooothu and drive past Pannaikadu. Thandikudi is about 10 km from there. Though there are also alternate routes via Palani and Oddanchatram, apart Pattiveeranpatti which I preferred during my course of travel, since I sought for a change, this road comes as an isolate, fresh and traffic free unlike Kodaikanal Rd. It’s a pleasure on its own driving past dense forest and coffee plantations with few mountain villages making mild voices amid the chirping of birds.

Close-up on the village residence 

We reached Thandikudi in the evening, since began to climb the hill between 4-5pm driving all the way from Chennai. It started to drizzle slightly as soon we are on the narrow mountain road, and looking down the plains was then a sight of active rainstorms playing on the ground. Past Dindigul, the weather has been stormy making it only more exciting. We made a leisure drive across the winding ghats, just being cautious at the occasional opponents since the road is sufficient only for a vehicle to pass at a moment. The slightly wet condition then made pretty cool as the elevation rises slowly, we stop at the Mangalamkombu, a small village near Thandikudi, to pick a person who booked rooms for us at the Panchayat Kudils (concrete huts) for accommodation. 

Mountains of Palani

Derived from the belief of people here that during the fight with monster Idumban, Lord Muruga jumped over the hill to reach Palani and thus obtained the name “Thandikudi”, which is a two, conjoined Tamil words meaning “cross-jump”. According to an archaeological survey, there’s one more reason to call it Thandikudi. The Kulasekhara Pandya inscription issued during the 12^th regnal year (1280 AD) records this village as Tanrikudi. Where “Tanri” is a variety of tree (termenalia bellarica) famous for its medicinal value and found in abundance in this region and “Kudi” means a clan based settlement. The archaeological survey also suggests that the site lies in a perfect ecological background, which helped to occupy continuously for more than 3,500 years.

Coffee beans at Thandikudi

Thandikudi is a coffee hub, where the famous Leo Coffee brought their base there. The central government has also established a Regional Coffee Research Station (the sole kind across the state) there in aim of evolving suitable practices for the cultivation of coffee, since this areas come under the North-East monsoon influence with low rainfall and hence require set of package for cultivation. The Panchayat run cottages or huts (made of concrete) had also built their premises among the coffee plantations and canopy of trees provides quiet environment and enrich with birds sighting. Black pepper, orange and jack-fruits where also among the plantations thrive aside coffee in Thandikudi, the silver oaks too rooted strong base abundantly across the mountains.

A screen of silver oaks

Thought Thandikudi is not a tourist destination, it too has places at receiving end. Except for the Balamurugan temple and certain view points (that come along roadsides) which we covered during our sightseeing, most of the places are pedestrian based or hiking. Although we managed to cover the area within a day, I still believe there’s much to experience and enjoy through personal exist. The Thandikudi chapter doesn't end here, but there will be more come into the blog through some other pretty posts.