[rajeev k]

I had been following the travelogue section intensely for quite some time, even much before I got a prized membership to this coveted aotomobile community. Munnar was a place I lived for about three years, in fact, decades back during my high school days. I passed tenth standard from Munnar and subsequently the place and memory faded into oblivion in my mind only to be rekindled whenever I happen to read about the bewitching place. Though I had gone there twice more during my college days when my father was working there and never afterwards though I wished the other way. I had travelled the length and breadth of Keralam in Malayalam which is Kerala in English and Keral in Hindi, a trip to Munnar never materialized.
Till...,

Suddenly out of the blue, I stumbled on the first post of TBhpian Chevy Lover's trip to Munnar, in his words 'Mesmerizing Munnar', before it was moved to the Assembly Line by Mods. I waited and waited to see that travelogue's reappearance and was following that quite closely and brought me those nostalgic moments of my childhood out there in Munnar. The place, the school, my fiends, the tea estates, the birds, the Kongini flowers, all reappeared as a slideshow before my eyes.

Chevy Lover's fantastic photos were really a delight to my eyes to go down memory lane in a time capsule and reminisce the days spent at that bewitching tiny hamlet called Munnar wher I stayed with my parents before in fact, I became even a teen. I had a fairly good memory of the house in which we lived for more than three years and the serene surroundings.

I wanted to go to Munnar and see my house again. I was not knowing if that tin sheet roofed house existed at present. It was on one of the hills overlooking the Munnar town. You know all houses in Munnar were either with Tin or Asbestos sheets then.

And the right opportunity arose during the Onam holidays.

I was at my native place, Parur, on the AN of Thiru Onam day and planned for an outing the next day. Went to sleep and it was drizzling almost continuously.

[rajeev k]

We woke up the next day to an overcast sky. Lazily we all sat around the breakfast table and discussed on where to go to. Drive around Kochi, a movie at a multiplex, all came and went including Athirappally, vazhachal & Cherai beach. No takers, except the proposers. Someone said Munnar, I seconded as I wanted to see that place since reading the travelogue by Chevy-Lover. Unanimously there was consensus. Now how to go and where to stay?
I said let us drive up. No takers. My BiL who hates driving and only likes to be driven around said that no drivers are available due to the festival holidays.

Then everyone pulled up their cells and started to call friends and contacts for a vehicle that could accommodate eight in fair comfort. Time ticked along and no signs of getting a vehicle and weather condition was deteriorating.

[rajeev k]

Finally an Innova was located and confirmed that he would come in an hour. On that lazy morning all laziness evaporated and everyone was busy taking bath and packing bags. Rain clouds were getting darker and the threat of rain looming large. Then the old Munnar childhood memory stuck me and I told everyone throw white flowers eastward and pray Rain Rain Go Away Come again Another Day. God will definitely heed. All except my sis thought this nutty. We used to do it in the evenings and on holidays during rainy season to play in the open. Mind you there were no Computers or video games to play indoors in those days.

We were simply not bothered about a place to stay that night in Munnar. But all were positive that if there is no place to stay we return in the night and that would be more fun. But luck was with us. More about that later.

[rajeev k]

Start of the dash in an Innova. Time 1145 Hrs. Eight plus the driver. Delays before take off itself. Forgot the camera and waited till it was brought.
Started and the initial part of the drive was uneventful. It was not a sunny noon but sun and dark clouds were playing hide and seek with occasional drizzle..
First Alwaye and then Perumbavoor and on to Kothamangalam. To save on time, snacks were got stacked in the car and crunching and munching was done in-car. ICE (E for eating)
Drive up to thye foot hills of the high ranges, up to Neriamangalam was uneventful. Rain was also playing spoilsport.

As the ascent started the fun started and coupled with the continuous drizzling made it more merrier.
The first spot of attraction was the Cheeyyappara waterfalls very close to the road.


See the board again; this is plastic prone area. what does that mean? Funny.

See the crystal clear spring water through hose but the sorrounding area littered with plastics by tourists. Inspired by the board?

[rajeev k]

The trees around this area is home to many monkeys and they feed on grub thrown at and thrown around by flocks of travelers who stops by to catch a glimpse of the cascading waters.

[rajeev k]

Weather suddenly changed and there was fog, drizzle and chilling breeze and the drive further up till Old Munnar and the ambiance was fantastic.
Take a look at the foggy pics.

[rajeev k]

More and more fog and the drive was really thrilling and all cleared before old Munnar.

[rajeev k]

In Old Munnar the school where my sis studied was a great sight. The building was like what it was decades back. No metamorphosis. That government school stood there in all its princely charm depicting the Munnar of yore.
First view of the School from inside the vehicle


The we stepped into the school premises.

Sis clicked by her son. Reminiscences of the past.

[rajeev k]

We checked into a small resort where we could manage three rooms with the help of a contact.
Clicked these pictures before proceeding to the town in search of a hotel for the delayed lunch, at around 0530 in the evening.
Notice the natural spring stream that provides water to the joint.

[rajeev k]

It started raining when we stepped out from the home stay style resort (sans food) and the rain soon became so heavy. We could locate the Saravana Bhavan Hotel where a vegetarian hotel named Lakshmi bhavan run by a swami existed decades back.

After the "lunch" which ultimately turned out as the dinner also, we walked in the town braving the rains.

Then it stuck me to venture into the place where I stayed decades backnotwithstanding the darkness and the rain.

I guided the Innova driver through a narrow stretch recollecting every junction and the turns from my memory.

And Presto we are right in front of i. I stood there shell shocked watching the house exactly as in the long past where myself, my father, mother and sister lived for three long years. The place where we lived, studied, played and enjoyed the initial teenage.A long gone era got unfurled.

All those wonderful years passed through my mind and memory like through a view-master slide show.

[rajeev k]

With the childhood memories cascading in my mind I retired for the day, secure in the knowledge that tomorrow will dawn for venturing Munnar which my mind was craving for, for long.
And after a cold night,dawn it did on that rainy day. To start afresh.
After the tea served by the caretaker, when everyone was only coming out of their early morning blues, I stepped out on to my own Munnar. To see, to reminisce and to step into a time machine to relive the old memories and the old Munnar charm.

Munnar means the land of three rivers; Munnu means three and aaru means reiver. in both Malayalam and Tamil. The land shares a strong cultural link with Tamilnadu. The three rivers behind Munnar are the Madhurapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundaly river.
Three places of worship are also coexisting in very close proximity, in this Gods own Retreat in Gods own Country.

[bblost]

Thread moved from Assembly Line.

Thanks for sharing.

[rajeev k]

The town was only waking up when I stepped out and walked past the Nallathanni bridge, behind the Church and through another causeway to the road leading to the Temple and on the left is the Mosque. A narrow road from the Temple leads to the place where the old house I stayed stood. Took some pics and returned to the town.
Once upon a time there stood a suspension bridge for pedestrians named Churchill Bridge and was a landmark of Munnar. There was another one at Old Munnar and I remember reading in the newspapers that there was a mishap when it collapsed some time back.
The Churchill bridge at the heart of Munnar is not suspended any more but an RCC one and is only for pedestrians. The vintages frame at both edges are still intact abd stands in its glory. Saw some construction activities there as it is being rebuilt. Whether it would be suspending one is not clear.

There was a street at the heart of Munnar and on its sides were shops all numbered in serial order. These shops sold groceries to textiles. I remembered the shop number 27 of Mr Dasan Nadar from where my father used to purchase provisions. The street appeared narrow though it felt like a highway in that day's standards.

There was a super market styled shop of Marikar & Company, which sold stationery and toys too. I saw with emotion that shop from where< I remember vividly, that my father had bought me a scale model of a VW Beetle and a Mercedes forward control truck both very valued possessions which I lost during the later decades when I shifted jobs and places.

Let the pictures do the talking.

[mayankjha1806]

Excellent nostalgic TL. I can understand, going to places you have stayed in childhood is always nostalgic and brings back memories of the gone past. I did something similar last year when we went to Korba.

The fog is beautiful, please post more pictures.

One thing that struck me was the TL was started on 17 Nov 2011 and was completed and went public on 15 July 2012. Six months in drafting the complete TL has got to be a record of sorts . BTW when was this trip taken?

[rajeev k]

Many Thanks indeed, Mayan.
Answers first, the trip was undertaken in last year Onam festive season and was a totally unplanned one, conceived during the dinner on Onam day and was a very short trip.
Im infactm I worked in the Assembly Line for quite some time and then could not proceed further due to some commitments both on the official as well as on the personal front. Further reducing the pictures to acceptable bytes level also took some time.
I would definitely post more pictures.