Into the Nilgiris 🌱

Tripoto
29th Nov 2024
Photo of Into the Nilgiris 🌱 by Kshiti Jhala

A while ago, if anyone would have asked me about my happy place, I would have, in a jiffy, responded - “The land of Himalayas”. Everytime, in all these years, whenever I have closed my eyes to escape the blasting surroundings, I have found myself revisiting the exact location that had taken my heart away in less than a second and I replay the feeling I had in that very moment, while laying down at the banks of river Beas, listening to its gushing melody, staring at the vast Brown & White Mountain Range, soaking in the sun as and when the clouds permitted. The wind blows, the birds chirp and nature chimes. There is not a mammal in sight, just me, lying down in the laps of my beautiful Himalayas. 🏔️

But now, after my recent visit to the opposite side of the Himalayan Mountain Range, I have found myself in a mix. The Land of Himalayas has found itself a competitor - The land of Nilgiri.⛰️

Although the Nilgiri, like my mighty Himalayas, is spread across various districts and states, the competition for my happy place lies within a specific hill town, the land of tea estates and
waterfalls - Coonoor!🌱

I would be lying if I suggested that I fell in love with this quaint little station from the very moment of my arrival. I didn’t. I fell for it slowly, little by little and then, as popularly said, - All at once! I would like to think this had something to do with the climate and everything to do with our place of stay. Whatever be the reason, it found a place in my  heart and has held its ground strong in front of my great Himalayas!❄️

So now, if anyone asks me about my happy place I tell them about my dilemma, my internal battle and the very next obvious question that pops up is - “Why Coonoor?” Hence to save myself the time and also partly, to conclude the race within, I take the help of my favourite companions - Paper and Ink!✒️

We begin our journey to the town of estates from the queen of hills with the help of a ‘must have experience’ transport - The Toy Train!! I have my opinions on the ‘must-have’ tag, but that is a story for some other time. Our final destination was a tiny station with few people and many cars. We hopped in one of the quickest available cabs after showcasing our pathetic bargaining skills and embarked our journey. There were several times during our 4.6kms drive when I was sure that leaving a luxurious stay-cation for this town was a bad decision, but I decided to stay put and hope for the best. And the best did come!! Just not as
quickly as I expected! 🎒

Our vehicular arrangement took a couple of turns and entered a completely empty and silent road enveloped by a canopy of trees and absolutely nil sunlight! My head did not go to the right places! Even after we reached our stay safely (as I had otherwise assumed), I was not ready to accept (what I now refer as PARADISE) the place of our abode. It was nestled between hundreds of acres of tea estate, overlooking a part of Nilgiri Hills and covered with the brightest flora I have seen till now! The silence of the road continued but with tiny breaks from my chirpy feather friends. It was all dreamy but I was yet to sleep!🌸

The uninhabited nature of this accommodation only refueled my head to think about things that didn't seem very positive and it was then when I stated my fears loudly in the ears of my dear companion. The cat was out of the bag as we settled into the room! It took only a loveable warm hand and a bunch of assurance to navigate me to the brighter side of our stay! I was finally ready to sleep! 😴

It was exactly 5pm when we were up and above from a refreshing nap, ready to go for a walk amongst the tea plantation. It was a guided tour through a part of the estate, which began from the gates of our hotel. We climbed around 100 mtrs uphill before we discovered that about 5 different varieties of tea can be made from a single plant, depending on what and how many parts of the plant you use! I quickly made a note of it and continued to one of the most peaceful walks of my life. 🚶🏻‍♂️

A little later we reached a turning and oh what turning it was!! I was amazed by its sheer existence. On my left was a lush green pasture of land containing a few silver oaks here and there, bordered by an even lushier hill, the foot of which was covered with the rising fog. The birds played in the arena like children in their playground and the trees swayed as the wind blew past them. On my right was the muddy path we had just left, overlooking our accommodation, filled with slopes of tea plants. Behind me were the uphill slopes we did not venture to, too filled with tea plants, creating an effect of a never ending territory with blue, cloudless sky adding to the mirage! And finally, in front of me lay the beautiful Nilgiri Hill, curtained by fluffy white clouds bordered by hints of sunset orange, a stream gushing through the rocks at the foothills and the depth of a wide blue sky! ☁️

I stood there for what must have been only a few seconds but the utter purity of this enchanting landscape made a deep imprint in my heart that shall never fade for the years to come! By the time we moved further, I most certainly went in trance and the rest of the walk was only an addition to my already high dopamine. As we neared our hotel, I paused for the umpteenth time to engulf myself in the freshness of this scenic display of nature and
as if I was on pilot mode, my eyes shut itself down and my hands opened itself up, I heard the stream rushing into the evening, the sounds of birds returning to their home, the sinking of the setting sun and the silence of the mountains. I took it all in, and that is when I knew, I am always going to relive this very moment, for the rest of my life! 🌬️

The evening passed as we sat on the cemented bench in the hotel's porch and saw the sun take its final breath for the day. It was time for dinner and though my heart was full my stomach wasn’t so I ate with all the passion that had been there earlier in the evening whil staring at the most beautiful turning of my life and went back to bed only to replay the dreamy walk with my eyes closed. 🌄

Now, Patience is a virtue, I know, I do not possess, but like every other being I too believed that I am capable of change, so the very next day at 7AM in the morning, we were wide awake and ready to embark on the most persevering task known to the human race - Bird Watching! 📸

With binoculars in our hands and hope in our hearts we walked through the roads of the estate, the ones leading towards the silent forest that yesterday made my heart pound! We walked and walked and walked, but not a feather in sight! I was ready to declare myself Patience-Free, when the guide shushed all of us down, asked us to put our binoculars on and look at the area where his fingers were pointed at. It was right there, sitting on a branch above a water puddle, surrounded by dense trees, turning his head right and left. I adjusted
my lens and traced its features in my mind; small iridescent body, orange chest & neck, black face and blue feathers - An Indian Blue Robin. I stared at it like a mind reader would stare at you, reading all the movements and postures, figuring out its way of being until it flew away sensing the presence of our eye-sights into his (perhaps) ‘happy place’. The walk after that seemed to be more relaxed than before. 🐦

We saw a couple of more birds, Indian Malabar Squirrels (both male and female) and even got our hands on a tender black pepper plant! We then returned to our nest, right in time for our breakfast and later took a day tour of Coonoor Sightseeings. There were some places that were worth the hype and some that weren’t (according to us) but that too is a story of another time so I shall jump directly to our last day at the Nature-Heaven!🐿️

When the time for our checkout neared, I began to feel distant from everything that surrounded me and this feeling took me right back in time, five years ago, when I was leaving behind my majestic Himalayas, the Land of Himalayas and returning to my natural habitat. I have been to several places after that, but none, before this day, made a mark on me, so strong that I would weep in my heart at the time of waving goodbye. 🗻

But before the final greetings, me and my lovely companion took a walk around a part of the estate, sat on a roadside stone bench and inhaled every bit of the beautiful vista that lay before our eyes.👫

It’s been a month since the trip but I am still asleep, watching this beautiful dream, where on my left lies the gorgeous Himalayas and on my right lies the serene Nilgiri, above me is the bright blue sky and below it I lie! The sun is setting and the clouds look orange, the fog is rising and the air seems crisp, the birds are singing, the stream is flowing, the trees are
dancing and I am breathing!🪻

I am at my happy place! 🏞️

The silent road

Photo of Coonoor by Kshiti Jhala

The open arms

Photo of Coonoor by Kshiti Jhala

The fog at the Turning

Photo of Coonoor by Kshiti Jhala

The Tea Estate

Photo of Coonoor by Kshiti Jhala

The Tea Estate

Photo of Coonoor by Kshiti Jhala

The Tea Estate

Photo of Coonoor by Kshiti Jhala

The uphill trek

Photo of Coonoor by Kshiti Jhala

The bird-watching

Photo of Coonoor by Kshiti Jhala

The Sunset by the Bench

Photo of Coonoor by Kshiti Jhala

The Silver Oak

Photo of Coonoor by Kshiti Jhala