Dates: 15th and 16th August, 2009
Day One:
If I had been in Mumbai on 15th August I would have definitely been part of the annually held ‘Independence Day Trash Dash’ at Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Borivili, but that was not the case to be and I found myself searching for some other way to celebrate Independence.
I had planned to explore the Punalur-Shencottah Metre Gauge Section already and a night stay at Shencottah or thereabouts was inevitable. The famous Coutrallam falls are just 5 kilometres from Shencottah. There were some more waterfalls located near Shencottah which I came to know only when I searched online. These falls were Kundaru Falls, Manalar Falls and Kambaratty Falls.
I had thought of staying in the Railway dormitory at Tenkasi Railway Station. However the plan never materialized due to some unforeseen circumstances. I left the company hostel by 6:15 am, so as to reach the Kollam K.S.R.T.C Bus Station by 6:35 am. I found a Punalur bound Fast Passenger bus waiting for me. I got into the bus and made myself comfortable. The bus reached Kottarakara, a major halt just before Punalur by around 7:30 am. There are some nice scenic plantations along the route after Kottarakara and before Punalur at a place called Kunnicode. I reached Punalur Railway Station stop by 8 am. By 8:10 am I reached the Railway Station and purchased ticket for Shencottah. Had a hearty breakfast comprising of Vadai and Coconut chutney and boarded the second last compartment of the Punalur Shencottah Passenger. The coach was empty till the moment the train was about to start when a bunch of likely college going boys got into the compartment. My journey did begin however at 8:49 am only (some 5 minutes delay from the scheduled time of 8:45 am). The train moved along slowly with the restricted speed limit of 25km/hr (till Bhagavathipuram).
The train reached Edamann, the first station on this route by around 9:08 am and started in a minute’s time. In fact only Aryankavu station has a longer halt than other stations due to the crossing of the up and down trains. At around 9:22 am we came across the first tunnel in a total of five tunnels in this route. The next station Ottakal came soon at around 9:28 am. After this station we passed through another tunnel at 9:37 am. In three minutes time after passing through the tunnel the train reached Tenmalai Railway Station where the bunch of boys jumped out. The train was nearly empty now with the getting down of these youngsters. The tunnel after the Tenmalai station just happens to be important as this is followed by the 13 arched bridge which is a photographer’s delight. In three minutes time the train reached Kaluruthy Railway Station. Next stop was Edapalayam. It is difficult to make out if this is a station what with all the Teak plantations coming right up to the platform.
Next station was Aryankavu. The train I was traveling in reached at 10:15 am at the Aryankavu Railway Station. The train in the opposite direction came at 10:26 am only. However it was 10:31 am when my train did leave Aryankavu station. The last tunnel came around 10:36 am. There is a board mentioning that Kerala-Tamil Nadu border is exactly 572 metres from the Tunnel entrance. The train reached Bhagavathipuram by 10:51 am. This station is the first station in Tamil Nadu in this route. In a minutes time the train left Bhagavathipuram, bound for its last destination, Shencottah. In this entire stretch one can find many vendors selling mostly home cooked and prepared snacks like ‘choondal’, ‘murukku’, ‘roasted groundnuts’ etc. Besides many people transport firewood from the forest areas to their homes using the train as the medium. This train which runs four times in a day is very much convenient to them. The train reached Shencottah by around 11 am.
On the other platform the Chennai-Shencottah Puthigai Express was stationed on the broad gauge tracks. And as I made my way towards the platform housing the station master’s cabin, the Madurai-Shencottah Passenger came on to the very platform. I purchased a ticket for Tenkasi as it was the only station having a dormitory. I had planned to stay at the Railway dormitory itself. But fate had some other plans and quite fortunately too. My train was supposed to leave for Tenkasi by 12 pm. As I had exhausted my camera film roll, I decided to buy a new one in the time gap between now and the train’s departure. But this proved to be a serious miscalculation as the film roll was not easily available and by the time I returned after purchasing one roll the train had already left. I then left myself to fate and decided to seek a lodge in Shencottah. I found one near the Bus stand, which I thought was convenient enough if I had to go out to places like Coutrallam and Kundaru Falls which were very nearby and likely to be covered in a quick time.
I booked a room in ‘Annapurna’ Lodge. I arranged all necessary items for the time being and came out at the counter to enquire with the in-charge person about the possibility of my covering these places. Mr. Shekhar listened to me very attentively and suggested that I could not possibly cover the three less frequented falls and Coutrallam all in a day (and that to with less than half a day remaining). So I had to skip one of the falls. I opted for the three falls as I thought Coutrallam being more famous will be too crowded. Now to these three places viz, Kundara falls (7 kms from Shencottah), Manalar falls (31 kms from Shencottah) and Kumbaratty falls (32 kms from Shencottah), traveling by bus was out of question as there were little or no services running.
So Ideally I had to go by auto rickshaw or other private vehicle. He said I could also consult with the owner of ‘Dwaraka’ Hotel when I go for lunch there. I was hungry and I decided to accept his advice as that looked sound. So I went to the hotel and had a hearty lunch, which was served in plantain leaf. I asked the person serving as to where the owner was. When he asked why I was enquiring about the owner I told him about my plans. He briefed me about himself and even introduced me to a rickshaw driver, Ganesh who could take me to all these places at the amount quoted by him. Although the amount was nowhere near the budget travel I mostly go with I could not possibly return back without seeing anything. So I agreed to the idea of first visiting Kannapullimeedu Dam or Kundara Dam, Manalar falls, Kumbaratty falls and a new place Achenkovil (Achenkovil was not in my plans from scratch) at a mammoth 500 bucks !!!
I had had my lunch by then and Ganesh was just starting his lunch. He told me to go back to the lodge and pack necessary items for the trip and wait at the lodge entrance. I quickly went to my lodge room and put in a towel, scribble pad, camera, water bottle and trousers inside a plastic cover and was ready by the time Ganesh came with his auto. We started at around 2:10 pm for Kundaru Dam. The road leading to this Dam offers a pleasant view of the fields and mountains in this area, which looks very much like the fields in Northern India. I took snaps while making Ganesh wait for some time. We reached the Dam site by 2:25 p.m covering a distance of 7 kilometres. The rush at the falls was too much for a loneliness loving person like me and I skipped the falls and walked along the dam. It was crowded too but I managed to get snaps in such a way that it seemed that I had been there with not a soul near. I strode the whole length of the Dam and returned back. We then returned back to Shencottah Junction, our starting point by 2:40 pm.
I got down and enquired with the person at the hotel and met the hotel owner. I introduced myself to the hotel owner, told him about my plans to see around Shencottah. After having met the Hotel owner we were on our way to Manalar. We made a halt near the level crossing for tea. The tea tasted out of the world and for two rupees and fifty paise only it tasted heavenly. More over the setup of old chimney and every other utensil made the tea more special in my memoirs. Tea break done we moved towards our first destination Manalar waterfalls by around 3 pm. We reached Manalar waterfalls by around 4 pm after traversing 31 kilometres. Here the main attraction is a huge rock which forms a perfect setup for the water falls. I took a bath here very quickly and joined our rickshaw wallah for the further course of Kumbaratty water falls which is very nearby too. Kumbaratty water falls are to be covered by walking at a leisurely pace. The river drops at a very unique angle and if one stands underneath it is just like standing under a shower. I stood under this natural shower and swam in knee deep water. It had been long since I swam and just swam for the sake of it. After spending time in the waters I returned back to the main road. We moved on further to the road leading to Achenkovil and reached Achenkovil temple, 6 kilometres, from the falls at around 5:15 pm. This is a pretty old temple and less frequented as such. The setting is very nice and I intend to make another trip over here soon. After taking darshan we left for Shencottah which we reached by 7 pm.
I told the lodge in charge about the trip and he enquired if I was not going to see Coutrallam. I was not so keen on seeing Coutrallam but the lodge in charge said that it was hardly some 5 kms and there were frequent bus services between Coutrallam and Shencottah. The lodge in charge’s persistence was very well indeed as I realized much later in twenty five minutes time I had relieved myself of some luggage and with just the scribble pad and my money bag I went to the bus stand for going to old Coutrallam falls. I caught a bus bound for Tenkasi at 7:25 am and reached Coutrallam bus stop by 7:40 pm. I followed the lodge in charge’s instructions and followed the arch way. Here there were many stores lined up selling a variety of items. ‘Chilli Bhaji’ is very famous here. There are also many banana chips selling stores which are hot items as well. While making my way towards the falls I saw a temple just before the water falls and decided to pay it a visit after seeing the waterfalls. Although it was night time there was a huge crowd gathered there for a bath under the Coutrallam falls. Some were using a soap for a cleaner bath (I don’t like this concept though. Why does one need soap?). The falls looked very beautiful even in the night. I stood there watching for some time. Here there is a provision for locker for keeping clothes etc. I came back to the temple entrance and leaving my footwear outside entered the sanctum. What greeted me inside will remain etched in my memories forever. The temple is nearly 2000 year old and the carvings and sculptures are so out of this world. I had darshan of the main deity here, Lord Shiva and then Parvathi.
There was a red carpet spread out and people were standing away from the carpet I later came to know from Maheeshwaran, a trustee of Sivakasi temple that the carpet was serving as a welcoming medium for the lord and his better half so that they could see each other and together retire for the day. Maheeshwaran also mentioned that the next day was a very important day as it was an annual function. I enquired with Maheeshwaran if he had the contact numbers of the staff at Coutrallam temple so that I could enquire about the programme date in the next year. He told me to wait till the time the pooja got over and briefed me about the antiqueness of the temple. This was Sage Agasthya’s visualization of a Siva Parvathi marriage as he was unable to attend their marriage in Kailas. Maheeshwaran later introduced me to the temple trustee, Paramashivan. Paramashivan gave me his contact number and told me that I could get all the information I wanted. I thanked Maheeshwaran for this gesture and left the temple. I reached the lodge and rested for the day.
Day Two: 16th August 2009
I woke up around 4:30 am the next day anticipating the possibility of a rush at the ticket counter at the Shencottah Railway Station of people bound for Punalur. Packed all the items back into my travel bag and was all set by 5:30 am and after settling the dues at the lodge counter I casually asked if there would be rush for the Punalur Passenger. The lodge in charge remarked that the first train leaving Shencottah is always crowded and I should rush for the Railway station so as to get a seat comfortably. I guess if I had told him that I was not looking for a seat to rest myself but rather a place for keeping my bag on it would have sounded illogical to him. So I refrained from telling him that I was going to travel by the foot board. Just before reaching the station I once again had tea at the place near the level crossing.
I reached the Railway station by around 6 am. Purchased a ticket to Aryankavu and got into the second last compartment of the train. The train began its journey at 6:19 am some 4 minutes behind schedule. It reached Bhagavathipuram by 6:30 am and after a halt for 5 minutes it left the last of the stations in Tamil Nadu. The train reached Aryankavu at around 6:50 am where I got down. At around 7 am I entered the Aryankavu temple. While going inside the temple I saw a man selling gooseberry mixed with chilli powder. I enquired if it was an offering to God or something like that to which he said that it was not an offering but a snack for devotees visiting the temple. He told me to have darshan and come back to purchase it for five rupees a pack. I had darshan of this pretty old temple and came back to the person selling this delightful snack and purchased two packs (In fact he had started making a combination of mango and chilli powder and another one of jackfruit and chilli powder). The snack was an absolute delight. I have never tasted gooseberry or Mango and chilli powder combination like the one I tasted that day. I made my way towards the Palaruvi water fall which was nearby. I was very much disappointed on seeing the huge crowd over there and returned back to the Railway Station. En route I saw three pea-hens and two peacocks on top the roof of an empty school. I reached the station and went to see Mr. Mutiah, station master of Aryankavu Station. I asked if he could give me the complaint or suggestion book so that I could state my suggestion of keeping the metre gauge section untouched.
He thought I meant otherwise and told me to write to the Kerala State Railway Minister to finish the gauge conversion soon. He had been working in this section for nearly 25 years and said that the train travel was very cumbersome as passengers had to change trains many a times as there was no rail connection between Punalur and Kollam(It existed earlier but now has been replaced by broad gauge). Similarly metre gauge from Punalur runs till Shencottah, from where passengers have to by other trains through the Broad Gauge route to their respective destinations. So according to him it would be better if the section from Kollam to Shencottah became a broad gauge one. I gave up arguing my point and took leave of him. I sat on a bench at the platform. There was still a lot of time till the train was to arrive. In fact even the ticket counter would open only half an hour before the train arrived. I finished my delightful snack of mango and chilli powder and some biscuits. I ventured around a bit and took some snaps of the station premises. The train from Punalur arrived first at around 10: 15 am. I went and purchased tickets from the ticket counter. I had to wait for ten minutes more for my train to come. I had missed taking a snap of the key system of the railways (The exchange of key like structures which ensures that the line ahead is all clear). I stationed myself at a pretty good position to catch the right moment. The snap taken, I rushed to get into the compartment. My next halt was Tenmalai, last of my destinations. Just after the train left the Kaluruthy station I waited at the door with my fingers anxiously near the camera button to take the snap of the curve over the bridge which I mentioned earlier as photographer’s delight. I was on my knees at the foot board and took a near perfect snap of the curve. The train reached Tenmalai by 10:56 am. I got down enquired which way the dam site was and started walking in that direction. I reached the dam site entrance by 11:20 am. I was on top of the dam at around 11:35 am. The scenery on the left of the dam is breathtaking. Photography however, is not permitted here. The complete setting will remain etched in my memories for years to come. I returned along a different route while descending the Dam site and was back at the Tenmalai Railway station at around 12:10 am. The train came around 12:54 am. After an unexpected delay between Ottakal and Edamann the train finally reached Punalur at 1:53 pm. I reached my hostel at around 4:30 pm. As my hostel mates were all at their homes I slept peacefully that night remembering all those memorable moments.
Getting there:
Bus from Kollam to Punalur: Rs 25 per head
Train to Shencottah Rs 8 per head
Bus up to Coutrallam Rs 4 per head
Return up to Shencottah Rs 4 per head
Train up to Aryankavu Rs 3 per head
Train up to Tenmalai Rs 3 per head
Train up to Punalur Rs 5 per head
Entry fee at Tenmalai Rs 10 per head
Bus up to Kollam Rs 25 per head
