Pazhassi Raja Tomb attracting tourist in Wayanad

Know some facts
Pazhassi Tomb-32 kms north east of Kalpetta. Pazhassi Raja, a scion of the Kottayam Royal family was one of the earliest to strike the banner of revolt against British overlordship in this part of India. He remained successful for a remarkably long period until finally the English brought in heavy reinforcements from Madras and Bombay.
The memorial of Veera Pazhassi Raja known as the Lion of Kerala- who organised guerilla warfare against British East India company is situated at Mananthavady. The Pulpally cave near by is where the Pazhassi took refuge until he was captured by the British. He was downed in a ferocious encounter that took place at Mavilanthode in the last days of 1805. Pazhassi's tomb marks the point where he was cremated. Pazhassi museum is located nearby where a sword, which is believed to be of Pazhassi's era is kept.

Pazhassi Raja  was a famous ruler, who had great command over the entire regime. In ancient days, during the freedom struggle, Pazhassi Raja initiated a guerrilla type of warfare against the British. In effect, he is still remembered for his valour. The Raja was cremated in the year 1805, after the warfare against British East India Company. In his remembrance, the Pazhassi Raja Tomb was built, where his mortal remains rest in peace. The tomb is situated at Mananthavady in the Wayanad district. Moreover, a park is also built here in the memory of Pazhassi Raja. This park is a popular picnic centre and houses a good aquarium. Apart from this, coin - operated toys for children and boating facilities for tourists are also available here.

History

The late 18th century was a time of wars for the British in India. In the south, Tipu Sultan of Mysore who also ruled over north Kerala was fighting a loosing battle against the British. It was at this time that Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja revolted against the British in Kerala. His revolt was not a freedom struggle, but was directed against the unpopular and unjust tax policies imposed by the British.
When Tipu ruled Kerala from Mysore, taxes were collected directly from the farmers bypassing the landlords. The British changed this and decided to collect taxes directly from the Kings. The amount fixed as tax by the British was unreasonable and people did not have the capacity to pay that much. Faced with revolts from the people, the kings were unable to collect the taxes.
The Revolt: Pazhassi Raja, who was loved by his people, stopped collecting taxes and this upset the British. The Raja further threatened to cut down all the black pepper vines in his kingdom if they persisted in revenue collection. Since the king was popular, they had to stop collecting tax for sometime. An unsuccessful effort was made by the British to capture the Raja in his own palace at Pazhassi but he had already escaped to the mountains of Wayanad.
The Raja waged a guerilla war from the mountains of Wayanad. The British strategy was to isolate the Raja from his supporters and they succeeded and he was left roaming in the forests with his wife and few supporters.
Very soon the British troops captured, surrounded and shot the Raja dead in an encounter. With the death of Pazhassi Raja, the resistance movement in north Kerala came to an end. His body was taken back with respect by the British and cremated.
Legend says that the hill seen from the windows of the main building of the resort was the place where Pazhassi Raja and his wife took shelter. This hill is popularly known as the Banasura hill. Those who accompanied the Raja and his wife during their sojourn in the forests were the tribes of Banasura Hill.
Places to Visit: The tribal hamlet at the foot of the Banasura Hill has been in existence for centuries. You can visit this tribal settlement, which is less than 5kms from the resort.
The Tomb of Pazhassi Raja is an important heritage site located in the heart of Mananthavady about 12kms from the resort. There is an underground museum there where articles belonging to the Raja and his times are displayed.
The tomb and the underground museum were conceived and designed by Eugene Pandala, the architect and a Board member of Banasura Hill Resort. Please contact Reception if you want a trip arranged to the Tomb of Pazhassi Raja.





A brief history of the Pazhassi Raja.
When the Pazhassi Raja finally decided to break with his English allies during the spring of 1797, it followed many years of conflict and encroachment into his and his family’s lands and entitlements by the East India Company.

Before about 1680, the Kolattiri family had controlled an area running inland from a point on the coast situated about twelve miles north of Cannanore [Kannur] and then in a line across heading in an easterly direction towards the base of the Ghats. Their inland territorial boundary had then run south along the base of the Ghats down to a point just north of the Kotta River, and from there along the northern bank back towards the coast.

Arab and Muslim traders had been visiting his ancestors coastal villages regularly for centuries, but these landings had tended to last for only a short duration whilst these overseas traders had bargained for pepper, cardoman and sandal wood.

The first European’s to arrive had been the Portuguese who were then followed by the Dutch. Although these traders had settled at Cannanore and had had posts at Calicut, they had not thought the Kottayam area important enough for carrying on these trades to have set up permanent trading posts or to have established permanent settlements in.

With the arrival of the French in the 1690’s this had all changed.

The Raja’s grandparents and great grandparents had been part of a divided family. Nominally headed by a matriarch, the real power was however wielded by the five senior men in the family. The Kolattiri had been the most senior, with the Tekkalankar (or southern regent) controlling the Mahe area, and the Vadakkalankur (the northern regent). These petty rajahs behaved like many modern day politicians constantly jockeying for power with their fellow rulers. They each had their own gangs of thugs and supporters, with whom they enforced their will on the local villagers.

To add strength to their cause during these power struggles, they had each individually begun to invoke the support of the powerful new arrivals along the coast. The Tekkalankar was one of first to do so, agreeing to a French request to be allowed to establish trading posts in his area.

The French built forts during the 1670 to 1685 period at Mahé, on Dharmapattanam Island, as well as a mud fort, sited on the beach located at a small fishing village that was later to become Tellicherry.

Due to lack of skilled staff, and because of its emphasis on building forts, they expended all of their trading capital, causing the French East India Company to be a poor trading partner. They had too high an overheads to be able to make a profit, and consequently the French company struggled to prosper and to extend its operations in India in the early years. Only the settlement at Mahé really succeeded to any great extent. This settlement was located in the Vadakkalankar’s territory, and he was the Tekkalankar biggest rival.

The English East India Company operated in a more commercial manner than the French in the early years, avoiding defended settlements with their expensive walls, whenever possible and garrisons that soon ate up any profits made.

The English had factories (warehouses linked to accommodation blocks) at Calicut, Cochin, and Anjengo, but faced with rapidly growing demand for pepper caused by the economic boom of the 1690’s to 1710 in northern Europe, they needed more and more supplies of pepper and spices, if they were to meet demand.

They could no longer afford to let the French gain unfettered control of the Kottayam pepper crop, and the valuable cardoman coming from the inland area of the Wyanad coming down the Periya Pass . Sandalwood from Mysore, was also reaching the coast from across the Wyanad.

The Tekkalankar had found the French poor allies, and needing a counter force to equal the Vadakkalankar’s French allies, he switched his allegiance to the English.

He reached agreement with the English and in about 1699 leased the site of the abandoned Tellicherry fort to the English. It was not however until about 1705 that the English started to built a fort on the site of the current fort.On the 20th of August 1708, the Tekkalankar formally made over the fort to the English.

Over the following years the demand for pepper and other goods grew exponentially.

This caused huge tensions inside the existing Kolattiri family, as they fought amongst themselves over who should control the trade and the associated revenues.

The family’s retainers and attendant dependant castes were expected to adapt their cultivation to provide more and more cash crop pepper. This agrarian society with its strict caste system, and entrenched custom’s and practise based on subsidence farming, could not readily adapt to large scale agricultural practise required to meet demand. The trade and prosperity brought about by the protection of the English fort and ships increasingly attracted in large numbers of Muslim traders from the north.

The English East India Company officials received very low pay, and were expected to take part in their own country trade, to supplement their pay.

They were not allowed to ship directly to Europe, but the EIC did not mind them trading between different Indian and Asia ports.

Lacking the necessary capital and language skills to trade directly with Indian's, these officials allied themselves to Muslim’s from the north from Surat and Bombay.

In this way the Muslim’s benefited from English protection, as the Muslim merchants goods became “English”, thereby escaping many internal tolls.

The savings in tolls achieved were split with the English partner. In this way many EIC officials amassed a fortune far above their nominal salaries.

By about 1760, these Mopillas had become firmly established in Tellicherry as middlemen. They were establishing plantations and villages of their own.

They had discovered that there was an excellent way to force out the less well organised the Hindu farmers from their pepper gardens. These farmers would run short of cash for basic items like food in the run up to the pepper harvest.

The Mopilla merchants would lend these farmers cash based on the predicted forward price of the coming harvest’s pepper. If the money were not repaid, they would convert the outstanding amount into a mortgage on the Hindu’s land.

When that was in turn defaulted on, they would attempt to seize the lands.

In this way the Mopilla’s acquired more and more land beyond the boundary of the English settlement, and up towards the foothills of the Ghats.

The ousted destitute Hindu farmers would then appeal to their overlord or Rajah for support.

The Hindu’s lived in thinly scattered plantations, whilst the incoming Muslim’s built villages and especially Mosques.

These incoming Muslims were often aggressive and militant in their own right, and soon began to demand extra territorial rights.

This led to a series of wars, the overt ones between the Raja’s Nairs against the EIC, and a far more vicious low intensity conflict between the Moppilas and the Hindu Tiyars and Nairs in the villages in the fringes of the Jungles and plantations a few miles inland of the European settlements.

The Dutch, French, Ali Raja of Cannanore and Canarese all intervened in these conflicts, sometimes aiding one side and then another, and often trying to stop the wars because it meant that the pepper supplies often dried up.

In 1761 the Mysore Government also became involved in the dispute that had broken out between their co-regionists, and the Kolattiri Regent over a mosque built with a golden spire.

This golden roof was in contravention of a custom whereby only the Raja’s were allowed such roofs on pagodas. By 1766 the Kolattiri family’s possessions had been overrun.

Hyder Ali reduced them to vassals.

The European’s became involved in these wars, as first the Dutch, then the French and finally the English became intervened. In 1782 Tipu Sultan succeeded Hyder Ali.

Tipu was a very effective leader and a great reformer, and he intended to challenge the growing dominance of the English. He recognised that India had to reform many of its practises and industrial and agricultural methods if it were to develop to a point where it could beat off the European's.

As the French Revolutionary War’s commenced, the English were able to extinguish the other European powers factories one by one.

The Indian commodity producers now only had one customer, and this enabled the EIC to force the price paid to producers lower and lower in the confident knowledge that the farmer’s had no where else to sell their crops to.

Tipu understood the seriousness of the situation and aimed to break the EIC stranglehold on the Indian overseas trading routes.

Like Hyder Ali, he also understood that he needed to establish a viable route to the sea, and to do so he needed technical assistance, and alternative markets.

He first tried to force a route down to the Coromandel Coast, but in this he was unsuccessful, so he turned his attention towards the Malabar Coast and it's ports.

These routes had however to be captured from both the local Rajah's whose lands sat across the tracks down the Ghats to the coast, as well as from the European's who controlled the ports themselves.

A series of campaigns followed with attacks on Mangalore proving successful after a fierce siege.

Tipu needed support if he was to remain successful so he sent emissaries to the French at Isle De France, and to the Ottoman and Egyptian courts.

By doing this Tipu demonstrated to the British East Company that he represented a very real threat, and probably the only remaining credible threat to the EIC remaining in India.

This multinational company was expected by its shareholders to return a profit, but the constant wars were eating up any margin made on the trade.

The prices paid on pepper etc. had to be forced down if they were maintain a sufficient margin to be able to pay for these wars. Prices had to be maintained in Europe as well, and most pepper in Europe by now was travelling through London.

Competition had to be stifled if dividends were to be maintained.

The Director’s in London knew they had to destroy Tipu’s country before it became powerful enough to challenge their growing monopoly position.

It was the misfortune of the Pazhassi Raja that he and his subjects lived on the only alternative trade route from Tipu's Seringapatam to a coast.

When Tipu invaded the Wayanad and then the Malabar Coast, the English initially lacked the power to fight Tipu directly, and therefore sort to fight him asymmetrically by using local allies and by relying on the traditional defence of the peoples of the Malabar coast against the Mysorean’s and the other largely Muslim dominated inland people’s.

This defence was the forests of the Wyanad, and the Western Ghats. The monsoon and the rain shadow effect produced dense forests, ill suited to the cavalry dominated Muslim led armies. The Pazhassi Raja and his Hindu allies were ideally placed to fight a guerilla war of stockades, ambushes and forest warfare.

For previous generations, this had worked, for even if the armies of Hyder Ali had reached the coast, they could not remain there indefinitely due to their long supply chain, and the insurgent attacks on their posts and supply convoys in the rear.

Where Tipu differed from previous Muslim rulers was in his determination and ability to innovate. Learning lessons from the failure of his and Hyder Ali's previous campaign’s and learning from European advisers and deserters, he set out to build supply and gun roads across the forests, supported by a series of fortified posts like that at Sultan Battery. (The Sultan’s gun position).

By 1790 the situation for both the English and the local Malabar rulers had become critical. Tipu’s troops were raiding right up to the bounds of the settlements. Reinforcements were shipped down the coast and General Medows was appointed commander in chief.

Tipu’s rocketeers and cannon out gunned the Pazhassi Raja and the other Hindu’s.

Soon Tipu’s army, aided by intelligence from the indigenous and immigrant Moppila community was hanging Christian’s in Calicut, and slaughtering thousand’s of Hindu’s and brutally defiling many others. Hindu women were being gang raped and turned over as concubines to the Muslim troops.

On the April 25th 1790 the English moved columns out of Tellicherry with cannon insupport of 3,000 Kottayam and Chirakkal Nairs. This force almost certainly included the Pazhassi Raja. Their target was the recovery of the stockade at Katirur and the Kottayam Raja’s Palace.

This palace was liberated with the assistance of a hurriedly brought up 18 pounder cannon used to smash down the stockade, where the lighter guns had tried and failed.

Throughout the following months leading up to the monsoon, the local armies increasingly supported by the East India Company took back town after town.

Tipu’s fort at Palghat was besieged by Colonel Stuart commencing on the 21st of September.

With only two days provisions and an empty military chest, Stuart and his army was in a desperate condition. However the Nairs and others in the Malabar community realising that Stuart represented their best hope of ridding themselves of Tipu’s by now hated army brought in so much food that Stuart was able to capture the fort, and to leave its new garrison supplied for six months.

Tipu’s army was over stretched, and the East India Company was mobilising its Madras based forces, to the east of Seringapatam. He had to withdraw.

In February 1791 Lord Cornwallis led his army out from Vellore to Seringapatam.

Tipu was on the point of being defeated, when the EIC armies supply chain failed.

Cornwallis had to retreat, destroying his guns as he went.

When however Cornwallis and the Madras Army made a further attempt on Seringapatam in February 1792. Tipu submitted, rather than face defeat; he agreed to sign a treaty.

At this point the Pazhassi Raja along with the other Malabar local rulers had assumed that the English would return to their coastal bases, and that the situation would return to it’s previous state. The Raja hoped as the dominant new leader would become the Kolattiri and reap the rewards of power.

What he had not understood was that the East India Company was a multinational company, albeit one with a powerful government shareholder. It had to yield a dividend, and it had just expended a huge sum on driving out Tipu.

The Raja was just one of many petty rulers whose territory they had liberated.

The treaty with Tipu had handed over many of these rights to the East India Company. The EIC did not see why they should abandon these rights and lands that they believed they were entitled to by right of conquest.

Like a modern day oil company, whose oilfields have been the scene of war, and had to get oil back flowing again, the EIC had to get the pepper crop going again in this devastated land as fast as possible if it was going to recoup its wartime expenditure.

Due to the structure of the Raja’s community’s society, and the rigid caste system, it was impossible for the Raja to restore and re-develop the pepper plantations sufficiently fast, to meet demand. Only part of this Hindu population would consent to farming, whilst most would refuse for fear of losing their caste.

The EIC had obtained the rights to large areas of land in the treaty with Tipu including the Rangatarra district. This area had been the home territory of the Vadakkalankur (the northern regent). The Kurumbrand Raja was the Kolattiri, or most senior Raja. The Pazhassi Raja was his nephew, and under the complex traditions of the family, the person who was most likely to inherit the Kurumbrand lands.

The Pazhassi Raja may well have been trying to supersede the Kurumbrand Raja, who appears to have been disposed to pass the land on to his own children, in contravention of the customary practise.

The Kurumbrand Raja on more than one occasion seems to have gone out of his way to create conflict between the Pazhassi Raja and the EIC. The East India Company determined to get production up and going again, decided that their Muslim partners, with their more egalitarian society, and greater available working population, and access to capital, should be the means of increasing production.

Soon traders like the Mousa family began to take on more and more of the farms. This caused the Rajah and his increasingly marginalised community to greatlyresent both the EIC and the Mopillas. Soon reprisals commenced.

The Rajah used increasingly brutal ways to try to collect taxes from the Moppillas, and many of the later took to the forests on the foothills of the Ghats operating as bandits.

Kerala Varma Raja was by April 1793, Raja of the Padinyaru Kovilakam (or western palace).This was located at Palassi.

During this month he pulled down a Mopilla mosque recently built in Kottayam bazaar, and in September 1793, he went on to refuse the Mopillas of Kodolli permission to build a mosque.

When they went ahead anyway, he sent men to arrest the leaders. A fight broke out in which several of the Raja’s men were killed. The Raja in turn ordered all of the Mopillas in Kodolli killed.

A Commission had been appointed by the East India Company to try to administer the newly occupied lands. At first it tolerated the Raja, probably because of the fear of alienating him and his community.

They were aware that Tipu was preparing for another round of fighting, and did not wish to alienate the Hindu’s. The Pazhassi Raja was also connected by marriage to the Wyanad families who controlled the best of the pepper production.

The Pazhassi Raja realised that his only viable means of resisting the English was by passive measures. He was worried that the English were trying to arrest him, and so he refused to go to Tellicherry for talks.

In November 1793 he threatened to cut down all of his pepper vines if the EIC officials persisted in trying to count them.

Because the Kurumbrand Raja was more tractable, than the Pazhassi Raja, the EIC entered into agreements with the Kurumbrand Raja and ignored the claims of the Pazhassi Raja.

This proved to be a mistake because the Pazhassi Raja was in fact the younger and more able of the two. He was the emerging leader. By 1795 the Raja was being increasingly supported by people like Narangoli, a Iruvalinad Nambiar of the priestly caste, whose men had killed three Mopillas is response to a killing by a Mopilla of one of his retainers.

In June 1795 the Raja caused two Mopillas who had robbed the house of a Chetty to be impaled alive in the village of Venkad. Later that month he also shot a Mopilla through the body as he left a meeting where he had given the Raja a gift.

The EIC Commissioners finally felt that they had to act, and in August 1795, they issued orders for the Pazhassi Raja to be tried for murder.

Guarded by 500 Wyanad warriors, the Raja was too difficult to arrest, and despite troops sent to Kottayam and Manattana, he could not be seized.

Meanwhile the revenues that the East India Company had expected to raise were not coming in. The Kurumbrand Raja who had undertaken to collect them in return for a percentage, was unable to do so.

Tipu’s original assessment, which was being used, had proved to be far too high. The collections themselves were further alienating important sections of the community like the warrior Nairs, who had not previously been expected to pay tax.

The Pazhassi Raja acted as a focus to this opposition.

On April the 11th 1796 a plan was formed to arrest the Raja.

On the 19th of April this was put into effect when 300 men from the 3rd Battalion of Native Infantry under Lieutenant James Gordon marched out from Tellicherry to arrest him. By chance, or possibly because he had been forewarned, the Raja had left for Manattana four days earlier.

The Raja no longer felt safe on the coastal plain so he moved into the fastness of the Wyanad.

Raja in movie ( Mammooty performing )

Raja Death in movie

Chain Tree - Wayanad

This place has a story behind it. A rather sad one: an Englishman had taken the help of Karinthandan, a tribal, in order to cross the mountain terrain into Wayanad. The Englishman killed the tribal once they had crossed and took credit for finding the route through the jungle. People believe that Karinthandan’s ghost had been haunting later travellers. It was calmed only after a priest chained the spirit to this tree.

The large Ficus tree here, with a huge chain that goes around it, stands to bear that story. The place is located 15km from Kalpetta.

MuddyBoots offer real Wayanad with new concept

Hiking & Biking Trails @ Wayanad
The MuddyBoots team hopes to usher in a new paradigm of vacationing in India where a hike or a bicycle ride becomes an automatic and essential part of every family’s vacation planning.
The founders Roby and Pradeep, spent 15yrs in the corporate world, working in top tier consulting and technology organisations like Accenture, Deloitte, Motorola and Kyocera in significant responsibilities. They have combined their love of the outdoors and the experience gained from travelling across the world with a deep focus on customer service to build an organization that guarantees that their guests will have an unforgettable experience.

Biking Trails
Triathlon On The Kabini–Bike through forests and walk across paddy fields to reach an explorer’s paradise in the islands of adventure.
The Robusta and Arabica Ride–Ride through pretty coffee plantations and towns and across rivers to an enchanted valley of flowers.
Green Hills To Blue Waters-Bike through tea and coffee country to a speed boat ride between islands and then hike to a mountain stream.
The Two Leaf And Bud Ride–Ride over smooth roads cutting across state boundaries through spectacular tea gardens and plantation towns.
The Tales and Tails Trail–Bike the scenic trails through a river valley and forest to visit an ancient temple and then ride out to a wildlife safari.
Foothills On Wheels—Bike through tea country, climb through a beautiful plantation to dense forests, and dive into a clear pool.

Hiking Trails
Like A Shadow In The Woods-Climb through ancient rainforest to a peak overlooking wilderness, and descend along a stream and grasslands Hike | Moderate | Winter, Summer Rainforest, Grasslands, Wildlife, Birdlife, Mountain Stream, Spice & Tea Plantations Drive from the idyllic town of Vythiri through desolate back roads to a valley hidden in the folds of verdant mountains.

Secrets Of Demon Mountain-Climb up the spine of a mountain looming over a lake and descent down a deep valley along a mountain stream Hike | Moderate | All year Grassland, Shola forest, Stream, Rare birds, Rare plants, Waterfall, Reservoir Drive along a spectacular lake to reach the trail head. Head up the steep trail through tall trees.

To The Caves Of Nirvana-Journey through dense forests and grass lands to an ancient cave system inhabited by birds and ancient souls Hike | Tough | All year except Monsoon Sholaforest, Grassland, Plateau, Cave System, Wildlife, Birds, Temple, History You must start early for this hardest of Wayanad adventures.

The Mowgli Trail–Trek the buffer zone inside one of the richest wildlife habitats in the world, with armed forest guard for safety Hike | Tough | All year except mid-Summer and Monsoon Deep Forest, Elephant, Buffalo, Carnivores, Birds The Tholpetti Wild Life Sanctuary, contiguous on the Kerala side to the Nagarhole National Park is a premier destination.

Trail Of No Return–Boat to a desolate plantation and hike back to civilization along wildlife corridors Hike;Water | Moderate | All year except Monsoon Speed Boat, Cross-Terrain Hike, Forest, Grassland, Lake, Islands, Stream The action for the day pivots on a spectacular reservoir. You will spend the day along the scenic trail that winds along the reservoir.

Ascend To Heaven Lake—Climb to a most scenic lake and go beyond to the mist shrouded peak overlooking deep wilderness Hike | Tough | All year Ridge Climb, Grass Lands, Shola Forest, Panaromic Views, Birdlife You will test your mettle against the unforgiving slopes of a mountain today.

Walk In The Tea Country—Hike this cross country trail over hills, grass land, fields, tea garden and forest to enjoy spectacular views all along Hike;Camp | Moderate | All year except Monsoon Hills, Tea Garden, Rainforest, Settlements, Vista Points The day starts with a drive to the beautiful old tea country of North-West Wayanad.

Guardian Of The Eastern Dark—Hike through picturesque plantations and grasslands to reach a river and a waterfall hidden deep in the rainforest Hike | Moderate | All year except Monsoon Cardamom Forest, Evergreen Forest, Grasslands, River, Waterfall, Birdlife Pack your day bag and drive along the foothills of a mountain and cross quaint spice towns towards a remote settlement.

A travelogue for Bangalore - Wayanad trip

I decided to spend the last weekend of March at my favorite Bandipur National Park. The intended plan was to visit the Kabini dam, thereafter go to Karapura Jungle Lodges and Resorts, and then go through Kerala, returning to Masinagudi for the night, and spend Sunday at Mudumalai and Bandipur, returning to Bangalore by night. But it turned out to be a different experience altogether.

I left Bangalore at 7.45 am; the weather was pleasant, and the ride was a sheer thrill. After breakfasting at Ramanagaram, I reached Mysore in around two and half hours. Instead of taking the usual route via HD Kote to Kabini, I decided to take the longer but familiar Ooty road upto Begur, and turn right for Kabini. The ride up to Begur was a breeze. However, the roads worsened after turning right. An hour or so later, I reached the Nugu reservoir. This small dam is built across the Nugu River, which joins the Kabini, a tributary of Cauvery. Contrary to my expectation of dense forests, the area was well-populated with villages scattering the landscape. After lunch at Sargur town, the road finally joined the Mysore - Mannanthavaadi road. This junction is called Handpost, and had a few shops and a petrol pump. Cursing the bad roads, I turned left, and continued on my way.

Some 25km later, I reached the dam. Kabini reservoir was impressively large. The water level was low as water was being let out to Tamil Nadu. There was a family picnicking at the park nearby. I spent a good hour atop the dam, for the wind was pleasant, and the view was great. Far away, across the waters, the jungles stretched out Bidding adieu to the watchman with whom I was chatting, I left the dam, and soon reached the fork. Took the left turn, and continued on my way towards Karapura jungles. Passing the village of Antharasanthe, the road enters the eastern part of Rajiv Gandhi National Park, more popularly known as Nagarhole. At Karapura, I visited the somewhat expensive but ideally located JLR resort. This resort is popular for sighting of large mammals. Continuing on my way, I joined the main road, and proceeded further south.

Sometime later, I passed a forest check post and a few tribal huts. A couple of kilometers later, the back wheel went flat! It was a remote place, Antharasanthe being 20 km behind me, and the next village - Bavali - 16 km ahead. I decided to remove the wheel, and wait for some vehicle to pass by. Contrary to my expectations, no vehicle came by for some time.

A few monkeys settled next to me, watching. I had managed to remove the wheel after a struggle. I sat on the road, listening to the jungle sounds and keeping an eye out for elephants. Chital appeared from the thickets onto the road, and surprised by my presence, bolted away. I started wondering about having to spend the night here when the welcome sound of a vehicle greeted me. A mobile medical van approached from the opposite direction. The driver was kind enough to take me in. At the checkpost, we requested a few tribal boys to stay with the bike, while I got the puncture sealed at Antharasanthe and returned. To my horror, we realized that two of the rubber pads in the wheel hub had fallen into the van that had just dropped me off. Without these pads, the wheel cannot be fitted back! How careless I had been.

I called up the medical van's hospital number, which mercifully he had given me before leaving. The guy there connected to the van through wireless; the driver informed us that he would leave the rubber pads at a petrol pump at Handpost. I immediately boarded a jeep shuttling between Handpost and Antharasanthe, and after an hour, returned with the rubber pads. The boy had fixed the wheel by then. It was past 7, and dark. I began to wonder if the tribals would still remain with the bike, as I waited for some passing vehicle. But no vehicle went beyond Antharasanthe.

The Malayali guy at the bakery where I had purchased water earlier in the day saw me and came to my rescue. Though no vehicles went beyond the village, we found a Malayali pickup truck driver bound for Kerala. A slow and silent ride dropped me to where the tribal boys, had lit a fire and were still guarding the bike. The pick-up guy refused the money I offered. A man of limited means and few words, earning his living shuttling within the forest, he will remain in my memory. Time and again I have met a fellow-traveller who acted as a savior before disappearing. Once a lonely black dog accompanied me through a 20 km solo trek through jungles.

I was glad the tribals hadn't abandoned the bike. In fact, weighing a good 140 kg, without a back wheel, and a locked handlebar, they had carried it some 2 kilometers to be close to their huts. After 20 minutes, the bike was set right and I proceeded on my way towards Bavali. More bad roads and another slow ride. A wild hare and some chital crossed my path. Sometime later, passing Bavali, the road entered Kerala. Mannanthavaady was a sleepy town which I reached at 11 pm.

The next day, I checked out at around 7 am. The route was through NH212, passing through Kalpetta, Sultan Bathery and Gundlupet. Riding through the countryside of Kerala was very pleasant. The roads were reasonably good, allowing a decent 60 kmph. They were also well marked. I passed Kalpetta and Bathery before passing through the Wayanad wildlife sanctuary: evergreen forests, open grasslands, bamboo thickets, that were enervating, indeed. The road then passed through Muthanga Sanctuary and entered Karnataka. The region falls under the Bandipur Park limits. Entering the park, the road worsened, and progress became slower. The traffic was also thin. This side of the park was greener than the southern parts adjoining the Mysore - Ooty highway.

A sambar here, some chital there, a langur hurriedly crossed my path; the forest was filled with animal life. Eventually, the road came out of the woods, and went on to Gundlupet. I took a right turn towards Bandipur's main entrance. Bandipur National Park, one of the first tiger reserves of the country, established in 1974, is today home to some 85 tigers. Thankfully, the weather was extremely pleasant. After spending sometime at Bandipur, I went onto Mysore before I finally proceeded to polluted Bangalore.

Travelogue references : http://indiatravelogue.com/trav/trav70.html 

Tholpetty .. new trails in Wayanad tour

In Kochi we had booked a stay at the Pachyderm Palace (sounds promising, doesn’t it?) Actually, it was the most expensive night so far, 1750 rupees compared to the usual 400, but it was full board and we had practically no alternative. Still, it was much cheaper than the better-known Nagarhole National Park, where the lodges really cost a fortune. In fact, Tholpetty is adjacent to the Nagarhole National Park, situated at its southeastern borders. We decided to travel there by our own means, a bit more complicated but much cheaper than arrangements by the Tourist Board. We did the distance in two parts, it might have been possible in one.

First we took a bus to Khozikode (former Calicut, the place where Vasco da Gama landed). The city is of hardly any touristy interest, we just spent the night there. Next day, we headed towards Mananthavady, the biggest place close to Tholpetty, changed bus there to go into the direction of Kutta. The bus-ride was very scenic and got us into the right mood for Tholpetty. We had entered the Western Ghats, a chain of hills (that is how the Indians call it, although some of the “hills” reach
Spoted deer
Who is watshing whom? These two magnificient males seem to be fascinated by our presence2000m). The road snaked its way up through densely wooded area and sharp curves providing breath-taking views downhill. At the end, we came to a plateau, where coffee- and tea-plantations are interspersed with frequent patches of water, juicy looking rice-fields and banana plantations. The scenery was fantastic. In addition to the beautiful flora, we saw two elephants from the bus, the second one even quite close! What a promising beginning!

We reached Tholpetty without any problems at around 2:00 p.m. and were immediately served lunch by Venu, the cook, housekeeper and guide of Pachyderm Palace. The evening safari was scheduled for 5:00 p.m., and as we had spent another awful night in the company of mosquitoes, we had a little nap in our huge room. Due to the altitude, temperatures were a bit lower than the weeks before and we enjoyed the refreshment (when we think of all our friends in Europe freezing in the snow, we have the impression they are on another planet).

At 5:00 o’clock, the jeep was ready, and we were joined by two Czech men, Lukas and Paul, they had to take another jeep because there was not enough place in ours. The
Grazing deer
Aren't they cute? They usually leave in groups, while the males normally lead a solitary lifejeep was open to all sides, but had metal bars on top, not to protect us but more to provide something to hold on to during a very bumpy ride. Besides the driver and us, there were Venu and another wildlife guide. We were so excited! Then the two-hour adventure trip began. It did not last long until we stood up to get an even better overview. We definitely did not want to miss anything!

The first animal we spotted was the samba deer, very beautiful with its red brown fur and shiny white spots. The male animals displayed impressive antlers. Later on followed many groups of monkeys, the common langur. It was wonderful to watch them climbing the trees or jumping from one branch to the next, making gracious use of their long tail for keeping the balance. Several small herds of bison crossed our path, but like the deer they were quite shy and quickly hid between the trees. But due to their size, we could still spot and observe them easily. And of course, the three Indian men on board were of big help. Elephants we did not see many, and if, they were moving in
Langur
This is a long-tailed monkey with a distinctive black face, hands and feetgreat distance. Thanks God, we had binoculars with us, without them we would have missed a lot. We were driving through wonderful woods, full of unknown plants, giant trees and huge patches of bamboo. The driver turned the engine off as often as possible and simply let the jeep roll downhill in order not to chase the animals away. Myriads of birds were singing in the trees or fluttering around but it was impossible to take pictures, and we could not name them anyway.

We were quietly moving towards the end of the trip, when suddenly we spotted a big shadow crossing the road. Before we realised what was going on, the Indians shouted “Tiger, tiger!” The driver stepped on the gas and drove as quickly as the jeep would drive, but of course the tiger had already disappeared in the thick undergrowth. The locals were extremely excited and also our hearts were beating faster. Yes, we had caught a glimpse of India’s mythical big cat, unbelievable but true! We have to concede that it was not basking in the sun waiting for us to take pictures, so unfortunately we cannot provide any proof, you have to believe us.
Indian bison or gaur

This animal can be up to 2m a the shoulder, both sexes carry curved hornsVenu kept repeating how lucky we were and that he himself had only seen tigers three times in all the years he was there. After our encounter with the tiger we did not see many animals, but who cares. Venu prepared nice dinner for us and although we should have gone to bed early - the morning safari would start at 6:45 a.m. - we were too excited to fall asleep easily.

The next morning was hazy and cool (well, 15 degrees, not like in Europe) and for a big part of the safari, visibility was quite limited. Still, we spotted huge amounts of deer, much closer than last evening, heard and saw even more birds and caught sight of a giant flying squirrel and a huge wild boar. In the morning the woods were almost serene, as if waking up slowly. Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuary is a wonderful place, practically unspoilt with creeks running through densely grown areas. Whenever you are near or planning to see an Indian National Park, we strongly advise you to go there, it is a unique experience of wildlife.

After the morning safari, we continued our trip towards Mysore. This time, we were
Bison portrait
This one was just waiting to be photographed. Thanks for the cooperationnot so lucky and had to wait long for a bus, but the trip turned out to be very scenic, crossing Nagarhole National Park. We also crossed the border into the state of Karnataka.

Ambukuthi mala historic trekking in Wayanad

Ambukuthi mala is a mountain in the Wayanad district of Kerala, India. It is 12 km from Sulthan Batheryand near Ambalavayal.


Edakkal Caves in Wayanad are magnificent formations of nature. The word 'Edakkal' itself means 'a stone in between'. The structure of these caves is truly extraordinary as a big boulder balances itself on two relatively smaller boulders, thus forming the truly fascinating Edakkal Caves of Kerala. These caves are a very popular tourist attraction of Wayanad. The cave has two levels inside that can be entered through an entrance that is merely 5 feet in height.

The lower chamber is around 18 feet long and 10 feet high. A small passage from there leads to the upper chamber that is around 95 feet long and 18 feet high. This truly magnificent structure is a storehouse of pre-historic art forms. This attracts historians and archaeologists from all over the world. The Edakkal Caves have been the cradle of human civilization at different stages in history.


Three pre-historic caves (Edakkal Caves) are located at a height of 1,000 metres on Ambukuthi mala. You have to get down at Edakkal and walk 1 km to reach these caves.This Edakkal cave is said to be formed as a result of earthquake and the name is derived from the rock that is supported in between other larger rocks. One can see the new stone age pictorial writings on the walls of these natural caves.The cave drawings are as old as 8000 years, and depict pictures of ancient tribal chieftains, elephants, queens and tools. A slightly less ancient script from the 3rd or 4th century BC is also seen in the caves which, thankfully, is impeccably maintained.


Caution: Sometimes, trek to ambukuthimala is not allowed by the authorities due to various reasons. Do check early before you plan your trip

Chembra - best trekking experiences in Wayanad tour

rek to Chembra in January 2005 was one of the most memorable - it was here that I first trekked in Kerala, it was here that I first attempted a drive-to-trek in Western ghats and it was here that I first saw Vavul Mala, the quest to scale which lead me to Anakkampoyil 3 years later. So, when Sunil suggested doing a trek, Chembra was the easiest choice for a repeat. Chembra is the tallest peak in Wayanad district of Kerala at 2100m as per the records of forest department. The peak is near the Meppadi (Meppady) town and in close proximity to the Vellarimala hill ranges partially in Kozhikode district. The peak offers a good view of the entire Wayanad district as well as some of the hill ranges outside Wayanad. Some of the taller peaks in Vellarimala ranges (notably Vavul Mala and Masthakappara, both in Kozhikode district) is taller than Chembra. I have seen many Internet articles about the 'Real Chembra'[1] being further away in the jungle and a conspiracy by forest dept to cover this up. I had also felt a tinge of disappointment after scaling Chembra, at noticing taller hills on the other side of a valley. I also asked the same 'which is that peak, if Chembra is the tallest in Wayanad?' question and later believed that they are part of the Velalrimala hills. The trek to Chembra peak is very straight forward and is always upwards in a grass land. So, I did have a hard time believing the conspiracy theory. But, this time I wanted to check it out and make sure! The other two options in Wayanad was the trek to Vellarimala via Chooralmala and the one to Banasura peak. I was denied permissions to Banasura peak last year by the RFO, expected the status to stay same and did not try again. Instead, I tried to get permissions to trek to Vellarimala hills via Chooralmala, but was not allowed. So, I finally settled down for Chembra. Sunil had gone to Chembra only a couple of months before, but he also agreed that it is a good place to go again. The plan was to travel on a friday evening and stay over-night at some lodge near Gundlupet / Nanjangud. The trek to Chembra was scheduled for early morning on sunday. On saturday we could visit Soochipara and Meenmutty falls. Also, I wanted to see if we can get to the top of Neelimala and get a view of Meenmutty from the top. Though, many people signed up to come in the beginning, it came down to just Sunil and Amit on the day that mattered. We reached Nanjangud by midnight and stopped at a lodge next to the railway crossing - where a 3-bedroom was quoted at Rs. 600! I was sure that the rates are high only because the stretch of NH212 and NH67 going via Bandipur sanctuary was closed in the night and people who travel in the night will have to stop at Nanjangud or Gundlupet. But, there was no guarantee that things could be better at Gundlupet. Infact, it could be worse there and we decided to call it a day here. Next day started quite early and we reached the Bandipur checkpost by 6.30. We spotted a few peacocks on our way and stopped for some shots to finally make it to Sulthan Bathery by 8. After breakfast at 'Jubilee hotel' we reached Kalpetta - Meppadi road before 9.30 and Meppadi in another 10 minutes. The Chembra peak is visible all through this area and has a majestic presence with its high altitude, lush green grass top and clouds hovering around! At Meppadi we took the road to Soochipara which is also the way towards Kalladi and Chooralmala villages. I could spot a hill range southwards of Chembra, which appeared more prominent as we moved away from Meppadi. I could not be sure, if it is the Vellarimala - Vavul Mala hills but the shape looked quite familiar[2]. We quickly reached Kalladi and passed a bridge flowing across a stream. Immediately after the bridge, I noticed a jeep track going to the right side with a milestone marked with distances to Anakkampoyil - this was the road which will lead us to Anakkampoyil via Swargakunnu[3]. I chatted with a villager to check this out while Amit picked up his photography gear and started chasing a group of butterflies. Can u see the hills at the horizon? We spent a while there as I joined Amit with my gear :) and time went by. I was woken up when I saw a line of 4 tourist buses, apparently carrying school children to Soochipara falls. It would be a disastor to be there along with such a huge crowd and I lamented spending too much time here. We started quickly and caught up with the buses, but was still behind them when they took a left turn from the main road in to a small road leading to the falls. The road was just wide enough for a bus and we had no option but to follow the cavalcade. When I got a chance in a corner, I managed to overtake two of the buses, but we spend quite a long time waiting for the buses in front to finish taking their turns! After a frustrating drive sandwitched between four huge tourist buses we reached the parking lot for Soochipara falls. Without wasting further time, we got ready, picked up the entry tickets (total Rs. 130 - Rs. 20 / head for entry, Rs. 25 / camera and Rs. 20 for parking) and headed towards the falls beating the long line of school children who were already moving in a cue! Soochipara is one of the most popular picnic spots in Wayanad and in spite of having visited Wayanad many times, it was my first time here. Soochipara translates to ('Soochi means needle and 'Para' means rock in Malayalam) Needle Rock, which is also a name used to refer to these falls. The place was well organized and looks like huge crowd is expected here during weekends. The place was managed by the local 'Vana Samrakshana Samithi' / VSS (meaning 'organization for protection of forests' in Malayalam) and they strictly enforced a ban on plastic, smoking and alcohol within the waterfall premises - a welcome enforcement and a need in many more places. The initial portion of the (about 1km) trail to the water falls was beautiful with well laid out steps and seats for people to take a break. Surroundings were beautiful with the early morning mist. At one point, we could catch a glimpse of the pointed rock next to the water falls - the Needle Rock - from which the falls derived its name. From this point onwards, the descend starts - first gradually on steps. Later the steps disappeared and the trail became steeper and narrower. Water at the Needle Rock Soon, we reached the waterfalls - not a big one by any means, but the power of the water thundering down was tremendous. I was told that it is a 3-tiered falls and the visitors get to see only one of the tiers. In spite of that, just standing next to the falls with tiny water drops getting sprayed on the face, listening to the thunderous sound of the falls was amazing. There was already a small gang of people taking bath in the pool near the falls and after taking some shots, I wanted to be there too. In no time, all three of us were in the falls. The water was very cold and I was glad I postponed my bath for this moment! Amit, the shooter! At about 11.30, after having a good time at the pool, we started back and had a slow leisurely walk, with Amit taking time to shoot all the small flowers and water droplets and me giving him company :) I stopped when I discovered that my battery was going down. I had a backup battery for the trek, but wanted to preserve it for the next day. It started drizzling soon and we ran back to the parking lot, changed our cloths and headed back towards Meppadi. After lunch at the 'New Paris' hotel at Meppadi, we also booked a room there to avoid any last minute hazzles. The next stop was the Meppadi Range Forest Office, where I wanted to enquire about a few things. I could not meet the RFO, but figured out that permission to trek from Chooral Mala to Vellarimala may be difficult atleast for now. But, the good news was that the Banasura peak and Kurichyar Mala is now open for trekkers! Also, camping is allowed near the Chembra peak. But, we decided to stick to our current plan of doing the trek on sunday and coming back the same day. Camping could always be done on some other day! All this took a lot of time and by the time we headed towards Vaduvanchal, it was almost 2.30. I called up Thomas Chettan (who was the guide during my firstvisit to Meenmutty falls and also for the Vaduvanchal - Nilambur trek via Meenmutty) and he reminded me that we should be there before 4PM to be allowed entry at the ticket counter. He suggested that we could visit the falls first and then go up Neelimala as that would not require any permissions. So, we hit the Meppadi - Vaduvanchal - Pandalur - Gudalur road and reached Vaduvanchal in about half an hour. To reach Meenmutty, we had to go further from Vaduvanchal towards Pandalur and take a jeep track going to the right side. Thomas Chettan's house was also on this route and we stopped at his place only to be told by his wife that he is at the ticket counter. In any case, we parked the car there, got ready and headed towards the ticket counter, where Thomas Chettan was waiting for us. The entry fees at this counter was Rs. 300 (for a group of size less than 10), which also covers guide fees. Once again, the place was managed by the local VSS and they ensured that plastic, smoking and drinks was not allowed. We went in with Thomas Chettan and passed through some coffee estates before the descend became steeper. Apparently, the trail was made a one-way to manage the huge weekend crowd. People could go first to the lower tier of the water falls, then climb up to get to the upper tier and then come back to the entrance via another trail. During the descend, I also noticed that the trail is enforced with ropes and bamboo poles for support so that people find it easier to descend. Even though, this amounted to commercializaton, it was heartening to see that all the right measures were taken to control the rogue crowd. The poles and ropes would surely help the not-so-adventurous visitors as the trail is indeed very steep. Upper tier is prettier! By this time, the mist was getting thicker and Neelimala was almost fully covered in mist, making it futile to go up Neelimala. It was also getting late, in case we wanted to go. So, I almost made up my mind to spend some good time at the falls instead of worrying about Neelimala. The water fall was almost full in the middle of monsoon and we had to stay within the barricades. But, at the upper tier we were able to get closer to the falls and get some good shots. Sunil, the model! Meenmutty is far more voluminous than Soochipara, but the negative was that, especially during monsoon, getting close to the water falls was not possible. During my first visit to Meenmutty, Thomas Chettan had taken us to two more tiers - one above and one below these two tiers. Also, since that visit was in March, we could get close to the water falls. In spite of these limitations, Meenmutty falls is indeed a pretty sight! The return from the water falls is a tough ascend and most of us were taking heavy breaths by the time we reached back. So, we stopped at a shop (run by Thomas Chettan) which sells butter milk and a had a few gulps. The mist had covered the Neelimala by now and so we cancelled the plan to visit Neelimala and walked back to Thomas Chettan's house. On the way, Amit spotted a few spiders and headed to take some shots. This time, I could not join him as my camera battery was now fully out of charge! Soon, we bid adieu to Thomas Chettan and headed back to Meppadi. We had dinner at the same 'New Paris' hotel and hit the bed before 10, so that we can have an early start next day for our trek to Chembra. The hotel guys told that they will be open as early as 6.30 and we can have breakfast as well as lunch parcels for the trek. I had checked at the Meppadi Range Forest Office, who told that the VSS office at Chembra estate opens by 7.30 and we can start the trek quickly. So, we planned to get up by 5 and reach the foot hills as early as we can. Standing tall! In the morning, there was the usual delay, both from our end as well as at the restaurant, making it about 7.30 by the time we left Meppadi. The breakfast was a bit too oily for Amit - who could not handle coconut oil - and he opted to buy a pack of bread and jam for his lunch. We took the road to Chembra estates, which meanders through endless stretches of tea estates. The sky was clean and blue with a few white clouds adding to its charm. On one side, the Chembra peak stood tall rising above everything else.

Chembra tea estates Soon we spotted the VSS office and went in to take permissions. Here, the entry fee for the day trek (up to the peak and back on the same day) was Rs. 500 for group sizes up to 10. There were no guides at the office, but the person there told us that we can find one at the entry point. So, we continued towards the foothills, parked the car near the checkpost and walked up to the watch tower about 10 minutes from the check post. During my last trek to Chembra, I had started the ascend near the checkpost only and skipped the watch tower. But, this time, we headed towards the watch tower. I also wanted to use the toilet and clear some doubts before starting the trek :) The toilet was clean and well maintained and all doubts were cleared quickly ;-) When I came back, there was a guide waiting for us with two foreign nationals and we were asked to go with them. Sunil wondered if we can keep up with the speed of these foreigners and the guide told that we can come slow, if they are going too fast. Ofcourse, we were in no hurry and agreed. Besides, the trail was very straight forward and there was no fear of getting lost. Finally, the trek started exactly at 9 and as expected the foreigners pulled away from us in no time. The initial portion of the trek was the most testing. In the first 10 minutes we climbed up a good distance and started breathing heavily. The ascend to Chembra starts very quickly, without offering any time to warm up. I just told myself that I would be alright as soon as I warm up and continued to push myself for some distance. Soon, we saw the trail from the check post joining ours, watch tower looked far and small now, then there was some level ground and finally we were in the grass land. Trail along the grass land here had many water sources and most of them offered crystal clear and cool water. I sipped some and it tasted heavenly, better than any mineral water in the market and drove away all exhaustion. Water should not be a problem for a Chembra trek as it was available in good quality and quantity, atleast till summer. Infact, some portion of the trail here was also water logged as it was seeping down from the nearby shola forests. Lake trapped in the hills The settings were so beautiful - lush green grass covering every piece of land, bright blue sky, hills on the horizon and spotless white cloud hovering all around. The trek up to Chembra now had seven stages / hills. In about half an hour, we climbed the first hill to reach the first lake. The place was now breathtaking and both Amit and myself got lost trying to capture the beauty of the place. I could spot Pookode Lake, Karapuzha Dam cachement and the Banasura Dam cachement, apart from many hills around us, including the Ambukuthi Mala (where Edakkal caves is located). One of the hills in a group along the direction of Mananthavady stood out and I felt it could be the Banasura peak. There was another nearer peak to its south (towards Vythiri) which stood among the clouds, which I could not identify. Sunil, was getting bored waiting for us and started moving ahead of us. We followed, wondering what is in store for us in this beautiful place! By about 10, we reached the 2nd hill, which hosted the famous heart shaped lake (called 'Hridaya Saras' in Malayalam, 'Saras' being lake and 'Hridayam' meaning heart). 'Hridaya Saras' is one of its kind and finds mention in many legends. It is also believed to have not dried ever - not even at peak summer season. As we were walking towards the lake, our foreign buddies and the guide was heading towards the peak. We wished them an enjoyable trek and promised to meet them on their way back! The trail ahead We did spend a while near the lake trying to capture it and the surroundings in our cameras. The Chembra peak stood tall on the other side, partially covered in mist and we could see it getting reflected in the lake. From here, the climb looked very straight forward, always in the grass land, tricking anyone to believing that it could be completed in less than hour, but the truth was far from it! The awesome Lake Sunil was already bored with the two us, as we spent too much time with camera. He also used to do aerobics everyday and was very fit. So, he started moving ahead, while Amit and I proceeded very slowly. We were shooting at almost every scenery, flowers and insects, while I was also wondering about the identity of the hills around us. Finally, at some point, we realized that the peak is still too far away and we are only at the third hill or so. We tried to speed up from here and targeted to reach the peak by atleast 12. Lost in the cloud! We counted the number of hills we were passing and spotted the foreigners at the peak soon. At about 11.30, Sunil also was at the top and I was getting worried as the mist started surrounding us. It would be heartbreaking to be covered in the mist, when we are up there! Between the fifth and sixth hill, we met the foreigners and the guide on their way back. The guide mentioned that he did not have any food as they were not carrying any food. I offered him food as we were carrying food for four people and Amit had taken bread and jam for himself. But, he preferred to reach back quickly and take off for the rest of the day as he had spent the night at the forest office. We also had a chat with the foreigners who introduced themselves as James and Tom. They were students from England and one of them had trekked Kilimanjaro. They both looked happy with the place and the trek. I scaled Chembra! The model strikes again! At the top of Chembra A little later, we reached the peak and it was exactly 12. So, we concluded that even a leisurely trek to Chembra would take only 3 hours. There was still some mist around us, but I could clearly see the peaks on the other side as and when the mist got cleared. These peaks were not visible while we climbed as it was blocked by the one we climbed. Vellarimala hill ranges? The direction and shape of these hills looked very similar to that of the Vellarimala hill ranges, but to make sure that this is the case, I picked up a few shots, which could be compared with my earlier shots as well as the pictures from Google Earth. We also met two guys who were doing their PhD in Calicut University. Their subject was Botany and their search for a specific medicinal plant species had taken them here. Both were 'Prasad' and one of the Prasad's is from Wayand itself and very knowledgable about the places. He showed us where most of the towns are and identified the peak near Vythiri with clouds hovering around it as Kurichyar Mala. After spending almost an hour at the peak, we decided to head back. The descend was quicker as always. By 1.40 we were at the lake and decided to have lunch. Since, the Prasads were not carrying any lunch we offered to share the food and they accepted. Their professor was waiting at the lake for them to come down and he also joined us. While we emptied 'Appam' and 'Puttu' with 'Kadala' curry discussion was on about various peaks, out of which Agastyakoodam stood out. The professor suggested that if the permissions are difficult to obtain from the Kerala side, there is always an option to climb this peak from the Tamil Nadu side. As I got up after lunch, I felt my thigh muscles getting pulled badly. But, the pain went away as I took a few minutes rest. We continued the descend after 2 and quickly reached the water sources. I was feeling thirsty by then and took a few gulps. Soon, we spotted the trail splitting in to two, one leading towards the checkpost and the other one leading to the watch tower and opted to go towards the watch tower. At about 2.45 we reached the watch tower, said good bye to the forest guards and headed towards the checkpost. As, the Prasads and their Professor did not have any vehicle, we offered to drop them back at Meppadi and they accepted. It was already very hot by then and I jumped in to the car to escape from the hot sun. Soon, we bid adieu to our friends, took a bath at the hotel, checked out and headed back to the highway. It was a nice drive back home, with only a few short breaks, the last one near Gundlupet for an early dinner. We were in Mysore before 9 and reached Bangalore city limits before 11. After dropping Sunil and Amit, I was home by midnight. The next few days were spent comparing the various photographs - old and new - with the images from Google Earth and I was in for a shock. It is very obvious from the Google Earth images that the peak we climbed was about 1800m and there was another peak further away which was about 2100m. I matched the pictures I took with images from Google Earth and it became quite obvious that the Chembra we climbed was not 2100m. May be the Chembra as known to the local forest department official and others from Wayanad is what we have climbed - but that is surely not a 2100m peak[2]! What Google Earth says! In the image taken from Google Earth, I have marked the peak we climbed and the trail, as it comes from the heart shaped lake. The 2100m in the picture (which I marked as Chembra Peak) is further away and the trail goes through thick forest region. But, our trek to Chembra was straight forward and always through open grass lands. Also, the hills visible from the peak we climbed looked connected, while there is a deep valley between the 2100m peak and the Vellarimala hills. Vavul Mala and real Chembra? Most probably the 2100m peak is the one marked on the right side in the above picture as the side by side comparison of Google Earth images with my picture shows. The silhouette of the hills behind this main peak (not so clearly visible in this picture), marked on the left side is Vellarimala. The portion of Vellarimala we can see from the 1800 peak is towards Wayanad and must be the one accessible via Chooralmala. During the Vavul Mala trek, I had mistakenly thought that this hill is part of Niligiris! Vavul Mala and Masthakappara is hidden behind the left flank of the 2100m peak. After checking my old pics from Mukurthi, I also felt that the hills visible from the top of Mukurthi may indeed have been Chembra (the 2100m peak) and Vellarimala[2]. Now the plot got thicker - it may be next to impossible to convince the forest department that the peak where people are taken is not the 2100m, touted as the tallest peak in Wayanad. It may also be possible that the officials already know about this. In any of the above circumstances, it will be impossible to get permissions to scale the tallest peak in Wayanad! Instead, I should go back to Vavul Mala once more to spot the 2100m and Mukurthi peak. And maybe climb Mukurthi again to spot the 2100m peak and Vellarimala! Also, it is important to climb Vellarimala from the Chooralmala village. God ... I have so many excuses to do many more treks and I should now start working on getting the required permissions!