Kattupalli Island : Empty Sands

Kattupalli Island: Leave only your footprints behind, says PRINCE FREDERICK

IT DOESN'T get more dangerous than this. Seven men on a Massey Ferguson that has seen better days and lurches violently as it negotiates the sandy track. I am on a journey from one end of Kattupalli Island to the other and hanging on precariously while I jot down notes for this RLT.

This island houses 12 sleepy hamlets, encircled by the sea on the east, the Ennore Creek on the south, the Pulicat lake and the Buckingham Canal on the north-west. Yet, there are vast stretches that are totally deserted. The villages seem somewhat empty too. Every day, there is an exodus of sorts, with the search for employment driving the island's inhabitants to the mainland.

The avian residents

However, other "residents" are impossible to miss. A swallow shrike streaks through the air, spiking any insect that comes its way. Elsewhere, two southern tree pies call out to each other and midway up a palm tree, a golden-backed woodpecker bores a hole. A crow pheasant hovers over a tree indecisively before choosing to fly away and a pelican glides majestically across the backwaters. Between these avian sightings, other creatures make an appearance, adding variety to the experience. An enormous but shy crab scuttles across the road. Seemingly lost in thought, a jackal stands by the roadside looking steadily and intently at something. Before I can whip out my camera and capture the jackal's gaze, the animal disappears into a thicket with a loping stride.

The island was said to have many more trees than it does now. Today, there are long bald stretches between the eucalyptus, casuarinas and cashew groves.

At Karingalli village, Kuppuswami, whose frail frame has been bent by age and malnutrition, officiates over the priestly duties at Chintamani Ishwarar Koil. The ancient temple received a facelift a few years ago; nearby there is a pile of rubble and forgotten stone, the leftovers of an old Zamindar house. A banyan tree that has woven its roots through a battered brick wall affords a good photo opportunity.

From sand I move to water. With the litter-free silver sands set off by the blue glitter of the sea, the Kattupalli beach presents an arresting picture. The beach is unspoilt because few tourists flock to it and, mercifully, leave only their footprints behind.

Puffing and coughing, the old tractor finally transports me to the last item on the agenda — kayaking on the lagoon. After brushing up on my rowing skills, I fit myself into a kayak. The inflatable boat belongs to a friend who runs an adventure company and takes tourists to the island on request. For another 30 minutes, wind and water (two Ws, if you like) are the only company.

As I return to land, the midday sun shoots arrows of light through the water, revealing a strange sight. That of dead fish floating on the water. It is a sober reminder that this southernmost island in the Pulicat lagoon — once renowned for its bird life and beauty — is plagued by a host of environmental problems.

Getting there

Catch a train to Pudunagar and find private vans which wait to whisk you away to this island, 40 km from Chennai. The route by road is way too long, for there are no buses from Chennai. You have to reach Ponneri to catch a bus to Kattupalli.

Stop Press

As we were going to press, we received this piece of information. Prakruthi is organising a two-day camp (September 25-26) at Kattupalli for children aged between 12 and 17. For details, call 31092698, 52151147.

Courtesy: http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/09/18/stories/2004091801070100.htm

Ramagiri : North Face

Puttur: four RLTs rolled into one, says PRINCE FREDERICK

GOING ON the whim that heading northwards out of Chennai would lead me to an RLT, I find myself in what is loosely called the Puttur range of hills, about 100 km away, rarely visited, hidden like a turtle in its shell. I stop at Ramagiri (75 km from Chennai), a small, run-of-the-mill village, and ask for directions to a peak that protrudes from the surroundings like a camel's hump.

The locals do not climb this odd but beautifully crested peak, except during November and December to bring up a religious flame. Now and then adventure-seekers from Chennai do attempt to reach the top. Apparently, the narrow serpentine pathway provides a challenging trek and the shady vegetation that lines the pathway encourages these tourists to undertake it.

I am tempted to play Tenzing and succumb without much ado. A good distance up the hill, my guide volunteers an unsettling piece of information — that bears and pythons are part of the wildlife here. I have half a mind to retrace my steps but decide to go on.

Uphill, the landscape takes on some of the qualities of a forest — thick vegetation and the whir of ubiquitous insects. However, a little over three hours later, I am forced to call off the assault of the peak for reasons of insufficient time.

What would I have been rewarded with had I gone the distance? The remains of a hilltop shrine and, of course, the high that one derives from completing a difficult undertaking.

Brooks, pools and falls

Promising myself that I will some day claim these rewards, I take the 18-km route to Konai falls, which is considered the best that the Puttur range has to offer. As waterfalls go, Konai doesn't exactly gush with the effusion one might expect, but the trick is to scour the surrounding hills, which are replete with murmuring brooks and plunge pools.

With the help of a local, I walk along streams that play hide-and-seek, losing my footing on crags that have been smoothened by the constant caress of water. Broken bottles strewn here and there provide sobering evidence that these hills are not as unexplored as I had imagined.

Between Konai Falls and Ramagiri lies Pichatur. My decision to stop here has been shaped by a colleague's description of this town as the site for a water-filled dam that is ringed by hills. The hills are there at a distance, but where is the water? Except for two small patches, the Araniar reservoir, which has put Pichatur on the map, is dry as a bone. If you remove the Ramagiri Hills which forms the backdrop, the picture is quite dreary.

Different purposes

The adventure for the day is not over. At Periyapalayam, I swerve and swish down the Vengal-Seethangeri Road, which runs parallel to the Puttur Road. Although Vengal and Seethangeri come under the care of the Forest Department, they serve different purposes. Vengal, dotted with rosewood and eucalyptus trees, is a means of revenue generation. Seethangeri is a thick jungle that has been left alone for the creatures of the air to roost and nest.

I bivouac beside the peaceful arbours of Vengal and hoof around Seethangeri, filling my scribble-pad with the names of birds.

On my way back, I cannot help thinking of Newton's words: "A great guess can

lead to a great discovery." And mine has led me to not just one, but four.

All in a single day.

How to get there: All Puttur-bound and most Tirupati-bound buses will take you to these destinations. However, driving your own vehicle is a better alternative.

Courtesy: http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/10/09/stories/2004100900280100.htm

Pulicat Sanctuary

This is the time to visit Pulicat, and participate in the Flamingo Festival on till February 5, organised by the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department. Established in September 1976, the country's second largest brackish water lagoon is famous for its birds, particularly the flamingos. About 15,000 of these pink birds visit the sanctuary every year.

Located on the coast of the Bay of Bengal, the lake is on the border of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, with two-thirds of it in Andhra Pradesh. Pulicat is fed by three rivers (Swarnamukhi, Kalangi and Araniar) and several canals. It is surrounded by the southern tropical dry evergreen forest, and most of the inhabitants of the adjoining areas and the 16 islands depend on the lake for their livelihood. The lake and the Buckingham Canal are popular picnic spots, and offer catamaran rides.

Also visit: Church of Our Lady of Glory believed to have been founded by the Portuguese who landed here in 1510 A.D. The Dutch cemeteries dating back to 1606 to 1690 A.D at Ambedkar Nagar, and the Dutch cemetery and mausoleums closer to the market place that are under the purview of the Archaeological Survey of India.

Area: 500 sq. km. in Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh or Thiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu

Birds: Flamingo, pelican, teal, painted stork, tern, gull, wader, open billed stork, grey heron, cormorant, white ibis, spoon bill, egret, reef heron, spot billed duck, shoe veller, pintail, sand piper, gill and river tern

Also find: 65 different species of fish like Sable Fish, Sargin Fish, white, black and silver pomfret. And reptiles like monitor lizard, cobra and Russell's viper.

How to get there

Road: Chennai (60 km)

Rail: Sulurpet

Air: Chennai (60 km)

Best time to visit: October to March

Where to stay: Inspection bungalows at Sulurpet and Tada

Birthplace of the famous Saivite saint Sekkizhar

Sri Thiru-Uraga perumal with Thiruvirundhavalli Thayar at the Kundrathur temple.

FOR A settlement of its size, Kundrathur (28 km from Chennai) has a cluster of seven temples. The temple for Lord Muruga is of course the most famous among them.

The settlement referred to as Kundrapuri in inscriptions was the birthplace of the famous Saivite saint Sekkizhar and has a temple dedicated to him as well as one built by him.

Our early morning travel let us visit only one of the temples dedicated to Thiruvirundhavalli Thayar and Thiru-Uraga Perumal.

The second temple on the road leading to the Murugan temple on the hill, the half completed gopuram drew our attention immediately.

We went past the gopuram, pausing to admire the fine Dasavataram panel in the ceiling inside the temple. The temple complex is a small and simple one. The main deity is seven feet tall and was well decorated. There were subsidiary shrines probably consecrated during the last renovation in the year 2000.

The remains of a pillared mandapam spoke of a grand edifice built probably during Kulotunga or Karikala Chozhan's period.

When will the incomplete gopuram get attention?

The temple was also well patronised during the reign of the Vijayanagar dynasty. An inscription records the gift of lamps by dancing girls of a nearby temple.

Additions seemed to have also been made during the Governorship of Kudal Nayanar, a vassal of the Nayaks. A very recent inscription was interesting. It recorded verses on the deity that had appeared in the dreams of a local Tamil teacher which when recited gave the area copious rain!

We were told that they were going to be recited soon in summer and hoped that the hymn would work again.

We paused for a while to admire the small but fantastically carved wooden ceiling of a small movable mandapam that was carried around during the utsavam.

Unfortunately the pillars were not there and going by the delicate carving of the birds, it must have been a beautiful sight.

Courtesy: http://www.hindu.com/fr/2005/03/25/stories/2005032500120300.htm

Additional Links: http://indhiya-suttrum-vaaliban.blogspot.com/2008/01/temples-in-chennai-2-sekkizhar-kovil.html