[Fauji]

We wanted to experience rain. What else can be a better place than the Western ghats in South India to experience it? The nearest place is Sakleshpur. So we headed there chasing rain. The wait was worth every minute.....

We had been to Sakleshpur in August 2011 and it was a fabulous journey which is recounted here.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...akleshpur.html

But this trip was totally unplanned. The spark for this trip was lit during our visit to Sinnadorai Bungalow in Valparai in the state of Tamil Nadu in South India in March this year. (TL on this journey can be seen here http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...-valparai.html) I happened to see an excellent book on " The History of plantations in South India" which also listed old plantation bungalows built by British. One of them happened to be at Kadamane Estate in Sakleshpur in the state of Karnataka in South India.

When we came back from Valparai, i called up Mr Cariappa, the Manager of Kadamane estate. He said that the place was under renovation and would take couple of months before it is thrown open for guests. We let it pass. In May, i call up Cariappa to check the status of the place. Back comes his confirmation that the rooms are ready and we could come over.

So the plan is made.

To leave Bangalore on Saturday 26 May, stay for a night and come back the next day.

The drive from Bangalore is uneventful with the road being in fantastic condition throughout. I loved the stretch from Hassan to Sakleshpur which is virtually under the canopy of trees.

Sakleshpur is a small town in the state of Karnataka. The town and surroundings are known as plantation country with Coffee and Tea beng major crops apart from paddy fields and betelnut plantations. Sakleshpur is also known for thick forests, flowing streams, waterfalls and beautiful meadows stretching for miles. Sinnadorai's Bungalow at Kadamane is at a distance of 22 KMs form Sakaleshpur town and the road is pretty good. The last ten KMs is a beautiful cemented road.



We reach the gate of the estate around 12.30 PM having left Bangalore around 8.30 AM. The security guard opens the gate after checking our credentials. Kadamane estate is one of the largest estates in Sakleshpur with a holding of more than 10,000 hectares of land coverage. It is a big township with hospital, school and post office dedicated to the estate. Established in probably in 1920s by British, the estate is now part of EID Parry group, one of the largest industrial groups of South India.

We are now in green country. The drive from the gate to our cottage is through winding roads of the estate which is soothing to senses. It is miles and miles of greenery. Only 40% of the land is under tea cultivation and remaining is forest!! Thick evergreen forests and valleys of Western ghats mark the boundary of the estate.

Oldest tea bush in the estate - planted in 1929!! Look at the width of the bush!!



The green road....all the way



Green expanse all around. Notice the shola forests on the boundary



We reach "Sinnadorai Bungalow" and are received by Prabhu. Parry group wants to build a brand of Sinnadorai Baungalow and hence named it same here in Kadamane as well. The Bungalow is under renovation. It is a beautiful Victorian villa. I have to give it to British to select the place for their living which is generally the highest spot in the garden with excellent views. The bungalow is large and typically English with wide driveways, huge lawn and large verandas. It looks similar to the bungalow in Valparai but larger in size. The main bungalow will be ready by September says Prabhu as he leads us to our "Cottage". These two cottages are newly built. We check into the cottage which has two rooms. This can accommodate two families. There is another cottage few steps from us which has only one room. The location of cottages is lovely overlooking the green expanse of the garden. The rooms are spacious and nicely done.
The two room cottage. Notice the setting. Isn't it lovely?



The single room cottage. Excellent setting again.



The porche of the cottage with nice view of the valley



Freshened up, we sit out for sometime to savour the fresh air and soak in the greenery of the place.It is dead quiet out here. Clouds gather in the sky and we are hopeful to experience the rain. The location of the cottage overlooking the valley of Kadamane is a perfect place to enjoy the rain.

Prabhu calls us for lunch. We are served lunch in a makeshift dining hall inside the bungalow. The food - South Indian vegetarian - is good and tasty. Since it is early in the afternoon, we start planning our post lunch activity. The plan is to go to the famous temple of Kukke Subramanya and drive back via Bisle ghat, time permitting. Prabhu provides guidance on the route to Kukke and we hit the road after lunch.

Kukke Subramanaya is a famous shrine dedicated to Lord Subramanya or Snake god. Nestled in the serene environs on the banks of Kumaradhara river in western ghats at the foot hills of Kumara Parvata - Hill of Kumaraswamy, another name for the lord (a favourite trekking destination in Karnataka) - this is a venerated place where hundreds of pilgrims gather to perform plethora of rituals to invoke blessings of Snake god. We do not want to do any ritual but have a quick "Darshan" and come out. We join the long queue and still make it within 45 minutes and head back to the car.

It is 4.15 PM as we come out of the town and see the signage to Bisle ghat. Going through Bisle means a detour of 50 KMs but a chance to drive through thick jungle and experience the amazing valley of Bisle. I know that the road is bad but this is the only chance for us to do the drive as it is impossible during rainy season due to landslides and tree falls blocking the road. Another worry was whether we would be able to make it to the view point before darkness set in. The whole effort would go waste otherwise. I ask Brinda and she gives a green signal and we hit the road. Before starting i ask the local villager on the road condition in Kannada - the local language. The guy says that first eight KMs is bad but our car being a SUV, should not bother much.

We are now on the ghat road. The signage says that distance to Bisle village as 16 KMs. I start driving and realise that there is virtually no road. It is more of a gravel path with potholes and craters. Having driven on worst of the roads in Madhya Pradesh in Central India, i am still comfortable. We are betting on the villager's guidance and hope that the bad patch last sonly 8 KMs. But the bad road continues beyond that. I am also worried as there is virtually no traffic on the road and we are driving through thick forest. Though we could not see much wild life, i am more worried if something happens to the vehicle and get stuck.

Suddenly, i see a car in the mirror. It is Marthi Omni driven by local driver. I am happy to let him overtake me and i start following him. Being a local guy, he will manoeuvre well and act like a pilot. The road is pathetic and we take one hour to cover 15 KMs. It is a backbreaking exercise and Brinda is not very happy either. We reach the view point and notice a TATA Sumo - a SUV - already parked. We could hear people speaking loudly. It seems like a all male gang having a party. We don't climb up but savor the views from the roadside. The valley view of Bisle ranges is breathtaking. I have never seen such a valley and huge expanse of virgin forests. It is mind-blowing.

The forest cover in Bisle valley is seen to be believed. It is so vast and green, we are fortunate that these spots still exists.









The road from the Bisle view point is in good condition and it is down hill now as we head back to Kadamane. It is cloudy but no rain. The lush green meadows we had seen in August last year is brown and waiting for showers to change colours.

We saw a tree full of egrets on the way



Brown meadows...waiting for rain



We reach Kadamane around 8 PM. The detour via Bisle makes us take longer time.

It is time for some bubbly after a hard drive. We sit in the porch and the silence is broken only by cicadas. We want rain gods to answer our prayers. But we are not fortunate as Prabhu calls us for dinner. After a nice dinner we return to sit in the porch of the cottage for sometime to immerse in the silence of the place. Still no signs of rain.

I wake up to the calls of birds in the morning. I look at the watch which tells me that it is only 6 AM. Being summer, the sun is already up. I open the door and come out. It is a lovely morning. Refreshing and soothing. There is a nip in the air and the sky is overcast. I walk around the cottage and see beautiful sights of clouds hugging the forest behind the cottage. I wake up Brinda and we go for a morning walk through the estate clicking some nice pictures. The vistas of Kadamane looks lovely in the morning.

Kadamane estate in full glory in early morning.







These two small hillocks with forest cover on the top but surrounded by tea garden resembles some one with a mushroom cut



The pathway between the cottages



The tennis court



Green, green everywhere....







The shades of green disturbed by the grey/white of the workers shed





Trying to experiment with photograhy.....Tagore and Tea!



Lovely orchids...



We saw these lovely parakeets with yellow tail. looked brilliant wehn we saw through the bino. We missed higher zooms.



The garden bordered by forests. The contrast is great.



We return and Prabhu is ready with freshly brewed tea. We sit in the porch and sip the tea and watch the lovely surroundings. Cariappa who has finished his morning rounds join us and we start chatting. A young and energetic guy, Cariappa says that we should not miss visiting "5 Acres" a beautiful view point which is at a distance of 2 KMs from the bungalow. He confirms that i can take my Scorpio. We are game and plan to see this place after breakfast. He also talks about a trekking trail to a nearby falls which would take around three hours. We tell him that has to wait for next trip as we had to return to Bangalore by afternoon.

[Fauji]

After an excellent breakfast, Prabhu joins us to guide us to "5 acres". It is a short drive and Scorpio does a good job as we reach the summit. It is a "WOW" experience as we get down from the car. This is an experience only a trekker can get when he reaches the summit. We are now on top of the hill!! A river flows in the middle which is now dried into a small stream. This must be a specatcular place when it is raining.

Take a look at the pictures - all pics taken by wifey, who is the official photographer on our trips - and you will agree why i say so.

Five acres is just mindblowingly beautiful. All these pictures were taken @ the view point of Five acres. The place is so lovely, word can not explain nature's beauty. You have to experience it yourself.











































Fields of lemon grass growing wild



A video footage of the valley shot by us

Five Acres - Kadamane Estate, Sakleshpur - YouTube

Radhika - Cariappa's wife - who is the Managing "Sinnadorai Baungalow" meet us and we settle the bill, say good bye to "Kadamane".

An awesome place,we are sure to return to explore further when it is pouring. We missed the rain in Kadamane - a reason for us to get back in Monsoons. But we had an experience of our life when we went up to "5 Acres".

Once the renovation of the Bungalow is complete, the place will have nine rooms inside the bungalow and two cottages outside of it. Once done, I have no doubt that it will be a charming addition to list of places one should visit from Bangalore.

Returning back is quick as usual. We stop over on the highway near Solur to pick up fresh mangoes and jack fruit. We are back at home by 5 PM after a weekend spent amidst greenery.

Activities @ Kadamane

• Go for small hikes in forests
• Do a day trip to cover spectacular 57 feet monolithic statue of Bahubali atop a hill in Shravanabelagola, UNESCO Heritage temples at Belur and Halebid.
• Drive up Bisle ghat for specatcular views of Western ghats. The road from Hethur side till view point can be done in sedans. The road from Subramanya side is only for SUVs.
• Picnic on lush meadows
• Visit historic Manjarabad fort
• Visit famous temple of Kukke Subramanya
• Mountain biking
• Angling
• Off roading
• Treks to many waterfalls in the region
• Just pick up a book and savor the clean, cool atmosphere!
• Do nothing!

One can comfortably combine Sakleshpur with Coorg as the road from
Sakleshpur to Coorg has lovely landscapes and road condition is good.

Post Script - The estate will be closed for visitors due to renovation and monsoons and will open in end August/first week of September. You may contact Ms Radhika Cariappa @ 94819 25930 for bookings.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Travelogues Section. Thanks for sharing!

[shankar.balan]

Lovely. I ve been to Kadamane a few years ago as a friend of mine used the be the boss man there.

'Sinnadorai' - actually this is a slightly corrupted form of 'Chinna Dorai' meaning young boss/ young owner or boss's son or younger Assistant Manager/ owner or even The next generation of the ' Yajaman' who is the land owner.

My Dad was the boss man of several estates during his 40 year tenure in Tea and Coffee Planting and as a kid I used to be called by this title by our staff, attendants, butler etc. Quite the Colonial hangover it was I can tell you.

So many years later when our staff came across for my wedding too, they kept referring to me as Chinna Dorai and it was a bit embarrassing in this new democratic world. Personally though I have nothing but great affection for all those who looked after us as kids and I shall ever be grateful to them for their patience, companionship and teachings of jungle lore and so on. The 'estate' people Re always very very endearing and will always have a special place in my heart. All my life through places like Anamallais/ Valparai, Munnar, Nilgiris, Coorg and Chikmagalur, these people are really the salt of the earth!

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Fauji

The estate will be closed for visitors due to renovation and monsoons and will open in end August/first week of September. You may contact Ms Radhika Cariappa @ 94819 25930 for bookings.

Awesome place @Fauji. I always wanted to go to some place very close to Hassan where one can enjoy the monsoon and estates.
So it also has a two room cottage? Does that mean 2 families can stay in a cottage?


Will surely head out some time. Thanks Again.

[rakirank]

As always, it was great reading your travelogue & viewing the mesmerising photos.

Wonderful to see a place similar to Valparai so much closer to Bangalore. The 4 hours drive is a lot more doable than the 9 hrs to Valpari when on a short vacation.

How is the wildlife here? Did you have an opportunity to spot any wild animals?
Also, how would you compare the culinary skills of the cook at Sakleshpur with that of Valparai?
The food at Valparai was just awesome.

[VindyWheels]

Captain and wife on the sprowl again! Loved the snap of you and the Scorpio with the hills behind. Why is that hill-top called 5 acres?

Have the same question as RakiRank above - since there are junngles around any chance of wildlife sightings or even sounds (apart from the brids)?
Do they also serve non-veg food?

I liked the post by Shankar - one lucky man to have experienced the actual estate life in all those wonderful places. Would love hear more from you, maybe you could share one anecdote each time a travelogue on any of those places is posted

Cheers

Vindy

[NPV]

Ah, Poorna Sir, this was the travelogue I was looking forward to from you.
Awesome pictures, the place is beauiful and serene, should plan to visit sometime. You seem to be showing us the path by visiting and writing about these lovely places, Thanks for sharing
Few questions for you:
1. Is the 22Km from Sakleshpur to Kadamane estate doable in a sedan ?
2. Would be great if you could help with directions for Bisle ghat from Sakleshpur, if driving a sedan.
3. Is the "five acres" route doable in a sedan (pardon me if I'm asking a silly question).

[skandyhere]

NPV, your questions remind me of how some of the most beautiful places in India can only be reached via some of the most difficult of roadways! Probably a good thing actually, since easy access would spell doom by way of too much attention, but I am digressing.

Roads around that region ask for enormous patience to drive low GC vehicles (and I mean anything lower than that of typical SUVs), with a constant, nagging concern about when and where you're going to hear that terrible grating sound from the bottom of your car. I'd say that it roundly takes the joy out of driving and brings in driving fatigue much sooner than otherwise.

[shankar.balan]

We were lucky indeed to grow up in surroundings such as those.

Where we didn't have to spend big bucks for free range chicken and free range eggs, since we had our own chicken run. Where milk didn't come out of a sachet or a box, but from our own cows - lovely big Jerseys and Holstein Friesians.Where one didn't need to travel to a sanctuary or preserve to see wildlife, but where they came to drink at cooling streams and walk about the jungles which were literally at one's own doorstep.

We have seen all sorts of animals - barking deer and chital grazing on our lawn, elephant coming to drink at a stream and make a mess of the coffee and eat jackfruit. We have seen leopard, panther, bear, bison, wild boar and even tiger. To see the Jacaranda trees in Bloom in April in the Nilgiris and the Gulmohar Tree covered with Red Flowers in May/June against the backdrop of different shades of green tea-field swathed hills, is a truly uplifting sight.

Amazing life indeed, for a person who loves nature and outdoors.

It was a life where one didn't have to go to some special event organized by some auto company, in order to put a 4WD vehicle through its paces. In our daily working lives, there were plenty of opportunities to get stuck in mud and slush if one so wished.

Without wishing to be impolite, I would say this is one reason why I guess I view the 'erudite' sounding 4WD and Off road threads as well as those articles on SUV's which appear in the "informed Auto Mags" written by the so-called "4WD experts", with a faint smile, having actually been taught how to drive in situations like those by some real "daily drive - use case experts" like my Dad.

Really, it is a terrible thing to live in a city after having seen so much beauty around one. But economic considerations and so on, dictate terms these days. The nearest one can get to re-living those great days is to own a nice AWD SUV and go away quietly now and then to the hills - which is what I try to do.

To re-live that life, the closest one can get nowadays is at one of the older, better maintained, less crass "Clubs" - thankfully not all of them have diluted their standards like most of the city Clubs have.

But on with life and enough of Nostalgia - I think a quick trip to Ooty or Coorg is in order now!

Originally Posted by VindyWheels

Captain and wife on the sprowl again! Loved the snap of you and the Scorpio with the hills behind. Why is that hill-top called 5 acres?

Have the same question as RakiRank above - since there are junngles around any chance of wildlife sightings or even sounds (apart from the brids)?
Do they also serve non-veg food?

I liked the post by Shankar - one lucky man to have experienced the actual estate life in all those wonderful places. Would love hear more from you, maybe you could share one anecdote each time a travelogue on any of those places is posted

Cheers

Vindy

[mayankjha1806]

Excellent TL Poorna, the pictures and mountains look serene. Thanks for posting all the contact details on the thread.

I see your Scorpio going through a rough roads, are the roads like that all over (especially near the bungalow), or its just you testing the steed's off-roading manners

[Fauji]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Lovely. I ve been to Kadamane a few years ago as a friend of mine used the be the boss man there.

'Sinnadorai' - actually this is a slightly corrupted form of 'Chinna Dorai' meaning young boss/ young owner or boss's son or younger Assistant Manager/ owner or even The next generation of the ' Yajaman' who is the land owner.

My Dad was the boss man of several estates during his 40 year tenure in Tea and Coffee Planting and as a kid I used to be called by this title by our staff, attendants, butler etc. Quite the Colonial hangover it was I can tell you.

So many years later when our staff came across for my wedding too, they kept referring to me as Chinna Dorai and it was a bit embarrassing in this new democratic world. Personally though I have nothing but great affection for all those who looked after us as kids and I shall ever be grateful to them for their patience, companionship and teachings of jungle lore and so on. The 'estate' people Re always very very endearing and will always have a special place in my heart. All my life through places like Anamallais/ Valparai, Munnar, Nilgiris, Coorg and Chikmagalur, these people are really the salt of the earth!

Thanks Shankar. You are absolutely right on the charms of living a tea estate life. One live the life fullest. You work hard and play hard. Live in pristine environs and loved by your people. You have time for everything. The life in estate almost similar to one in armed forces - except for going on military operations - which gives you exposure to good life. That is also one of the reasons why army guys and tea guys generally bond well. Some of the best moments of my army life was in Assam where i had some good freinds in estate who actually taught me preparing and drinking good tea!!

BTW, though it is spelt as "Chinna Dorai" it is pronounced as "Sinna Dorai", isn't it? This may be the reason for naming it as "Sinna Dorai". There may be another reason - Anglicised version of "Chinna Dorai" making it easier for Brits to pronounce!!

Originally Posted by ampere

Awesome place @Fauji. I always wanted to go to some place very close to Hassan where one can enjoy the monsoon and estates.
So it also has a two room cottage? Does that mean 2 families can stay in a cottage?


Will surely head out some time. Thanks Again.

Thanks Jayaram. Yes, the cottage where we stayed has two independent rooms and two families can comfortably stay.

Originally Posted by rakirank

As always, it was great reading your travelogue & viewing the mesmerising photos.

Wonderful to see a place similar to Valparai so much closer to Bangalore. The 4 hours drive is a lot more doable than the 9 hrs to Valpari when on a short vacation.

How is the wildlife here? Did you have an opportunity to spot any wild animals?
Also, how would you compare the culinary skills of the cook at Sakleshpur with that of Valparai?
The food at Valparai was just awesome.

Thanks for the kind words of appreciation.

My specific responses

1. Agree that this place is closer compared to Valparai

2. Cariappa (the manager) mentioned that we do have elephant and leopard sightings in the estate. However, there are excellent opportunities of sighting wild animals when we trek within the estate/near by forest areas. Please note that there is an abundance of "winged" birds we can spot

3. The culinary skills of the chef is good...he is now getting trained by the guys from valparai

Would advise that you take some time off and visit this place with your fly(family)

Originally Posted by VindyWheels

Captain and wife on the sprowl again! Loved the snap of you and the Scorpio with the hills behind. Why is that hill-top called 5 acres?

Have the same question as RakiRank above - since there are junngles around any chance of wildlife sightings or even sounds (apart from the brids)?
Do they also serve non-veg food?

I liked the post by Shankar - one lucky man to have experienced the actual estate life in all those wonderful places. Would love hear more from you, maybe you could share one anecdote each time a travelogue on any of those places is posted

Cheers

Vindy

Thanks Vinod. Yes, they do serve Non - Veg food. Regarding wild life, look at my answers above.

Originally Posted by NPV

Ah, Poorna Sir, this was the travelogue I was looking forward to from you.
Awesome pictures, the place is beauiful and serene, should plan to visit sometime. You seem to be showing us the path by visiting and writing about these lovely places, Thanks for sharing
Few questions for you:
1. Is the 22Km from Sakleshpur to Kadamane estate doable in a sedan ?
2. Would be great if you could help with directions for Bisle ghat from Sakleshpur, if driving a sedan.
3. Is the "five acres" route doable in a sedan (pardon me if I'm asking a silly question).

Thanks Narayan. Yes, the distance from Sakleshpur to Kadamane can be comfortably done in Sedan. Regarding Bisle ghat, i would recommend going from Sakleshpur via Hethur and Koodu Raste as the road condition is good and there is no need to do it from Subramanya side. This stretch can be done comfortably in Sedan but not beyond view point towards Subramanya which requires a SUV.

Five acres can be done in Sedan but not immediately after rains which requires a SUV. Cariappa can arrange a jeep to take you there for a small fee. I would strongly recommend walking to the place - except during rains - as the distance is only two KMs and is a comfortable walk.

Originally Posted by skandyhere

NPV, your questions remind me of how some of the most beautiful places in India can only be reached via some of the most difficult of roadways! Probably a good thing actually, since easy access would spell doom by way of too much attention, but I am digressing.

Roads around that region ask for enormous patience to drive low GC vehicles (and I mean anything lower than that of typical SUVs), with a constant, nagging concern about when and where you're going to hear that terrible grating sound from the bottom of your car. I'd say that it roundly takes the joy out of driving and brings in driving fatigue much sooner than otherwise.

Agreed Skandy. I dont advise anyone having a sedan to try Bisle Ghat - Subramanya stretch unless they don't love their car!!

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

We were lucky indeed to grow up in surroundings such as those.

Where we didn't have to spend big bucks for free range chicken and free range eggs, since we had our own chicken run. Where milk didn't come out of a sachet or a box, but from our own cows - lovely big Jerseys and Holstein Friesians.Where one didn't need to travel to a sanctuary or preserve to see wildlife, but where they came to drink at cooling streams and walk about the jungles which were literally at one's own doorstep.

We have seen all sorts of animals - barking deer and chital grazing on our lawn, elephant coming to drink at a stream and make a mess of the coffee and eat jackfruit. We have seen leopard, panther, bear, bison, wild boar and even tiger. To see the Jacaranda trees in Bloom in April in the Nilgiris and the Gulmohar Tree covered with Red Flowers in May/June against the backdrop of different shades of green tea-field swathed hills, is a truly uplifting sight.

Amazing life indeed, for a person who loves nature and outdoors.

It was a life where one didn't have to go to some special event organized by some auto company, in order to put a 4WD vehicle through its paces. In our daily working lives, there were plenty of opportunities to get stuck in mud and slush if one so wished.

Without wishing to be impolite, I would say this is one reason why I guess I view the 'erudite' sounding 4WD and Off road threads as well as those articles on SUV's which appear in the "informed Auto Mags" written by the so-called "4WD experts", with a faint smile, having actually been taught how to drive in situations like those by some real "daily drive - use case experts" like my Dad.

Really, it is a terrible thing to live in a city after having seen so much beauty around one. But economic considerations and so on, dictate terms these days. The nearest one can get to re-living those great days is to own a nice AWD SUV and go away quietly now and then to the hills - which is what I try to do.

To re-live that life, the closest one can get nowadays is at one of the older, better maintained, less crass "Clubs" - thankfully not all of them have diluted their standards like most of the city Clubs have.

But on with life and enough of Nostalgia - I think a quick trip to Ooty or Coorg is in order now!

Thanks for the lovely post and bringing back my memories of Army which was so similar.

Originally Posted by mayankjha1806

Excellent TL Poorna, the pictures and mountains look serene. Thanks for posting all the contact details on the thread.

I see your Scorpio going through a rough roads, are the roads like that all over (especially near the bungalow), or its just you testing the steed's off-roading manners

Thanks Mayank. The road till Bungalow is in excellent condition. Only when you go to "Five acres" you need a SUV.

[shankar.balan]

The word can be pronounced as Chinna or Sinna - depending on who is speaking. Some dialectic uses cause it to be pronounced as Sinna and some, Chinna. Either is ok and both are perfectly correct.

We guys were really lucky to grow up amidst all these lovely things in the 70's, 80's and even '90's. Those were less complicated times when simpler things made one happy. A pleasant drive along the hill roads to the local town to buy the monthly groceries etc. Long walks in the Estate with the Doggies in tow.
Fresh, clean air. Entertainment in the form of Doordarshan TV with its occasional English programs which one waited for with bated breath. The occasional movie at the local Cinema Hall. Or watching a nice old Second World War Movie with the parents on the old VCR with a warm Fire with glowing logs burning in the room. Outside the wind would be whistling and it would be cold. Even the Doggies would be curled up in front of the fire and would not want to go out.
I see a lot in those dying embers of the fire each time I pop up to Ooty and ask the Club chaps to light a fire in my room.
Maybe I m getting old or sentimental or both.
Whatever it is, I know I am blessed to have seen that quality of life. I lament that the majority of children nowadays don't even know what they have missed - nor do their parents in fact.

Now, it is a crass, commercial world which I frankly do not like so much.

Originally Posted by Fauji

BTW, though it is spelt as "Chinna Dorai" it is pronounced as "Sinna Dorai", isn't it? This may be the reason for namiming it as "Sinna Dorai". There may be another reason - Agnlicised version of "Chinna Dorai"!!

Thanks for the lovely post and bringing back my memories of Army which was so similar.

[Ketan]

Wonderful to read this trip log. Thank you Fauji for introducing such a great place and those pictures are really awesome! I've experienced similar vistas/gorges during some of my trekking events, e.g. twice when I went for Kumar Parvatha which is in this same area, and once at Kodachadri (western ghats again). I can only dream how beautiful it is to be around the nature.



Shankar sir, your experience is something like out of some old classic movies I watch, those from the by-gone era. I'm sure it would have been great royal feeling.

I had plans to visit Agumbe (in-fact the program started from today) for about 4 days, enjoy the monsoon, trekking, photographing and overall enjoying the place during the pouring rains. Had to cancel and want to plan again in the 3rd week of August, lets see how that goes.

Its great to read thru your travel experiences, they are with so much of information and knowledge those wonderful pictures are as worthy too. Thanks for sharing.

[samarjitdhar]

Poorna sir ji. Right on time, your next travelogue . At this rate and the wonderful pictures and beautiful description, I wonder if I ever need to visit every nook and corner to experience the wonders that South India offers to us.