Nenmeni : Enjoy the breeze and birdsong

Trek to a reservoir, visit a temple and do some bird-watching, says SOMA BASU

PHOTOS: SOMA BASU

QUIET FLOWS THE RIVER People crossing the shallow waters of the Vaipparu

When they saw the disappointment on my face, the two young lads I met at Kullur Sandhai suggested that I visit Nenmeni. Not that Kullur Sandhai was a bad choice, but it was not quite as picturesque as an RLT is meant to be.

So I extended my drive by 45 minutes through Virudhunagar District to my new destination - Nenmeni.

A new dam under construction on the River Vaipparu, which also has a PWD irrigation tank, attracts birds in the winter months. Barely a km from the Nenmeni dam site, stands a temple in Irukkankudi, almost floating at the confluence of two rivers - the Arjuna and the Vaipparu.

Nine km east of Sattur, it is not difficult to find your way to the banks of the Vaipparu. The road is narrow and bumpy, but the green paddy fields alongside are a soothing sight.

Later, I learnt that Nenmeni is actually a corruption of the Tamil word `Nelmani' meaning `paddy yield'. I left behind rows of kuccha-pucca houses in the villages en route and drove on till the road became a long, narrow track culminating in a dead end.

There was construction work ahead, and the detour I took was a muddy, path on which vehicles of all sizes tried to squeeze through. I picked my way out of the muddle and finally reached the dam site. I was surprised to find the area dry, despite torrential rain elsewhere in the State.

The Vaipparu flowed quietly, but did not brim with water. The dam, though a modern construction in grey stone, resembled a castle. The grey dam, blue sky, the greenery around and the silver water below made an interesting contrast.

Avian visitors

The dam under construction.

The irrigation tank on one side, I learnt got filled by December and attracted a fairly large number of avian visitors. Many seasonal and migratory birds apparently made this place a stop-over. However, I did not get to see any.

So I decided to visit the 200-year-old Mariamman Temple. I walked along the bund for a kilometre.

The surrounding area was as flat as a pancake, with the hills far away in the horizon. A few coconut trees swayed in the foreground, standing tall amid other species.

As I neared the temple, I spotted the confluence of two separate streams - the Arjuna and the Vaipparu. The water flowed languidly, almost grey-brown in colour.

What was actually a waterway seemed like a busy thoroughfare with people and even vehicles going across it. There are two such shallow areas - one, almost half a km away from the temple site where two and four-wheelers cross and, the other, right in front of the temple, mostly used by pilgrims.

Two-century-old temple

My first glimpse of the shrine was disappointing for there was too much litter strewn around, some of it even floating in the water. I waded through knee-deep water to reach the temple gate. The sun-soaked exterior of this two-century-old temple gave way to a cool interior.

Legend has it that a young girl who was gathering cow dung, happened to place her basket on the ground, but later found that she could not remove it.

She had a vision that a temple should be built on the spot. The temple priests claim they have inherited the temple and all other rituals and customs from their forefathers.

Temple not really being on my agenda, I wondered what made Nenmeni an appropriate RLT destination.

Undoubtedly, the reservoir and the birds. The best time to visit is between December and February.

For the religiously inclined, the Irukkankudi Mariamman Temple is a bonus.

But there's more to Nenmeni and Irukkankudi than the dam and the temple.

The walk from the dam to the temple is fun for trekkers. It's more enjoyable in wet weather because it's cooler and the whole place comes alive with birdsong.

Courtesy: http://www.hindu.com/mp/2006/11/25/stories/2006112500020300.htm

Kullur Sandhai : A forgotten destination

Once a favoured spot of bird lovers and children, it is now waiting for care and attention

WATER WATER EVERYWHERE The dam site

Not sure whether this place will make for an RLT, I still head for it. So far all RLTs have been about exotic beaches, cascading waterfalls, beautiful valleys, eerie jungles, adventure treks and so on. But never a one with a "once upon a time" tag. This week's RLT is about a place that was once a beautiful spot. But neglect has rendered it, literally, a road less travelled. There was a time when anybody who fancied a date with birds thronged this place, which also reverberated with the cacophonic sounds of children having fun in the adjacent park. Now, all that remains of the park is a name board, a broken slide and a swing. The piece of land is crowded with overgrown trees. One hears that the district administration has decided to revive the place.

Barely six km from Virudhunagar town in a sleepy village called Kullur Sandhai is what was once known as Tourism Department's District Excursion Centre. It made a nice picnic spot with PWD's reservoir scheme and play equipment for children. Despite Kullur Sandhai's forgotten status, it still makes for an outing if you overcome the initial shock. Hardened by all my previous RLT treks and (mis)adventures, I reach the village centre and take a narrow muddy path full of slush now. It curves and bends through bramble and other shrubs. The familiar, yellow whitewashed wall of a PWD building or construction is visible in the background as I watch my step during the less than 30-minutes walk. The blazing sun, I left behind in Madurai. Now, I could see black clouds on the horizon. The sky threatening to burst any time and a gentle breeze refreshes me despite the not-so-inspiring surroundings. Nothing to write about in superlative terms, I tell myself. A flight of rocky steps elevates me to the dam level and what shows up is a vast watery expanse. Miniscule islands of green grass float in the placid waters that fill up the PWD's reservoir that covers almost 300 acres. With the mercy of the rain gods, the reservoir is brimming. It is `water water everywhere' but no awesome sight to behold. But a strange silence befalls.

I spot two young boys by the side of the bund, carrying books and, surprisingly, a pair of binoculars. They are preparing for their mid-term exams in a place, which they feel offers them tranquillity. There are too many disturbances in the home, they tell me, half smiling. And binocs? Well, when they get bored, they do a bit of bird watching. There was a time when tourists used to come in dribs and drabs as post-rainy season also brought flocks of pond herons, open-billed storks, cormorants and babblers. The boys tell me many terrestrial and aquatic birds visit the reservoir between November and March. Though the surrounding vegetation has now thinned, the avian population has not forgotten Kullur Sandhai. Whiling away time by the dam site, these two friends got interested in birds. They saved money and bought a pair of good binoculars. But there was nobody to guide them. So whenever they meet any amateur or professional ornithologist at the site, they take quick lessons on the avian visitors.

The place can be restored to its earlier glory with some care and attention. Like the two boys, others in Kullur Sandhai are waiting for people to return to the park and the dam site.

Courtesy: http://www.hindu.com/mp/2006/11/13/stories/2006111300130300.htm

Kodiveri Dam : WaterWorld

Kodiveri Where you can just be, writes SUBHA J RAO

Hold your breath! It's the Kodiveri dam. Photo: K. Ananthan

The entrance to the anicut at Kodiveri is a study in stunning contrast. On one side of the bridge, water flows without as much as a ripple. The other side, it gushes with bottled fury. Walk a little further to reach a vast expanse of water, and see it force itself through a layered surface hewn out of a rock face, taking on the shape of two frothy mini waterfalls (thanks to the 4.6 metre drop down stream). Waiting bathers shout with joy under the spray. Onlookers cannot help get wet too, the misty spray enveloping you in chillness.

Time has almost stood still in the breathtaking anicut, built in the 17th Century by a Mysore king who harnessed the strength of his prisoners and elephants to carve through a 20-foot mass of cyclopean stones. The stones have been interlocked with iron-bars and clamps and mortared with lead, none of which you can see when water is in full flow during the monsoons. The anicut was intended to channel the water from the Bhavani Sagar Dam into two canals and irrigate fields. During British rule, some improvements were carried out without tampering the original design. Water from the dam is let into the anicut in the summer months, when the depth can reach as much as 10 feet. During the rest of the year, rainwater feeds it.

It is only recently that people seem to have woken up to the temptations of Kodiveri. Once it was regarded as little more than a great place to eat fresh fried fish and possibly lounge about with friends. Now, it seems pregnant with possibilities. Bobbing in the water on a coracle is one option, though the rate for a ride will depend on your capacity to bargain. The lake is 150 metres long and you can sit back enjoying the grass scented breeze. A nungu-laden palm tree that has decided to make the water its retirement home is an interesting sight and flying fish shoot up as if to sneak a look at the land ever so often.

Coax the boatman into taking you a little farther and you can catch fisherfolk in action, laying nets for the next morning's catch. Go near Akkarai Kodiveri (or the other bank) and you'll be tempted to snap off delicious looking green mangoes that hang tantalisingly close. The fear of an upturned coracle or the possibility of provoking an angry farmer keeps me honest.

How to go there?

Kodiveri Dam is about 10 km from Gobichettipalayam and 55 km from Erode. If driving down from Coimbatore, go up to Sathyamangalam and take the Gobi Road.

Thirteen kilometres later, Kodiveri greets you.

Courtesy: http://www.hindu.com/mp/2005/04/16/stories/2005041601570100.htm

Kalrayan Hills : Destination Cool

Kalrayan Hills: if you have an open mind and can set your own pace, says PRINCE FREDERICK

As I take the lonely steps that lead towards the Gomukhi Dam, the dim silhouette of the Kalrayan hills is visible against an inky black sky. The rippling waters are lit only by a thin crescent moon and a couple of winking stars. I am not really sure why I chose to visit the dam site at dead of night. RLTs after all are for day-trippers. But the effect the stillness of the dark has on me is puzzling — an enigmatic mix of calm and fear.

I take the bus to Kallakuruchi, a bustling town that lies 20 km from the dam and do what I should perhaps have done in the first place — find a lodge to spend the night.

Another bus to Vellimalai the next morning on a road that runs uphill like a coiled cable. On someone's advice, I check out the Periyar Falls first, which lies just short of the village. But all there is, is a disappointing trickle of water; apparently, this becomes a veritable flood during the monsoon season. The assurance that walking another few kilometres would take me to the Pudur Megan Falls and make up for this non-show keep my spirits up. But the narrow 4-km pathway and warnings that it would be foolish to venture alone dissuade me from making the journey.

At an altitude that ranges from 315 metres to 1190 metres, the Kalrayan hills roll out like an uneven carpet across Villupuram and Salem districts. Covering an area of 600 sq. km, these hills provide an expansive space for wandering about. However, there are not many places of tourist interest in this area, the few hamlets being far from appealing. This leaves any tourist who wants to come to these parts with only one option — exploring the area with an open mind and at his or her own pace. There are forested patches here which are unspoilt and good for trekking, the weather is invariably pleasant and there are a great many dormant waterfalls that spring to life in the monsoon months.

How to get there From Chennai, you may take a direct bus to Kallakurichi or via Villupuram. From Kallakurichi, there are buses that will take you all over the hills but these are infrequent. Hiring a cab from Kallakurichi is a better option, though the best bet would be to set out in your own conveyance from Chennai.

Courtesy: http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/08/28/stories/2004082800310100.htm