| Never mind the insects, says Subha J Rao |
SILENCE AND SERENITY Navamalai, a monolithic rock
A huge monolithic rock face that thousands of bees have made their home and a mass of gently lapping water — that's Navamalai for you. Part of Electricity Board territory, this is the backyard of the Aliyar Dam.
The only company is that of strange looking red and black insects that travel in pairs and the odd chameleon. The scent of elephants is unmistakable in the background.
After climbing down a steep rock, my first stop is a cave temple dedicated to a local goddess, Aagaliamman. The speckled insects may scare away the faint-hearted but the temple is a sight to behold. The turmeric-smeared goddess and plump Vinayagar are protected by a rocky outcrop. Inside are a set of caves, one of which houses a broken ladder and terracotta idols of a goddess, horse and a headless figure, painted red, yellow and white.
The villagers who pay their obeisance here have left their mark on the temple in the form of whitewash. Earlier visitors have chiselled their names and left imprints of their feet on the rocky pathway.
A little above the hollow that makes for the temple are tens of circular crevices — the home of bees. The mammoth combs are said to yield very sweet honey. That explains the bamboo lattice frame that locals have hung against the rock. They make the dangerous descent down the rock using the frame, gather honey and gingerly make their way up again. En route, they gather ripe pods of the kazhudhabutta maram. A cotton-look alike, the kernels inside it are eaten after being roasted in an open fire.
Though just two kilometres from the much-visited Monkey Falls, this place receives very few visitors. The temple provides a vantage point to see the waters of the Aliyar. Absolute silence prevails, broken occasionally by the gentle lapping of water and the whistling of the wind. Walk down a little further and you'll reach the water body.
An apology for a road, which winds its way further down, leads into the water and disappears before resurfacing at the other end. This is the original road that was laid to the Navamalai power project. It is falling off in places, but is the best place to sit for a while and take in the view of the water, the sky and the bald peaks of nearby hills. Many years earlier, water reached up to the temple, submerging the rocks and the road. After half-an-hour of letting the gentle waves wash my feet, it is time to turn back.
How to go
Navamalai is 27 km from Pollachi. Take the road opposite Monkey Falls. Drive down about two km to reach the road leading to the temple. Walk down to the temple and the watery expanse.
Courtesy: http://www.hindu.com/mp/2005/06/11/stories/2005061101120100.htm
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