Dhimbam : Journey into the heart of the jungle

Get hypnotised by the calm, says PANKAJA SRINIVASAN

PHOTOS: K. ANANTHAN

WATCH THEM IN THE WILD Spotted deer.

Some wise guy on the Travel and Living Channel said, "It is not the destination, but the journey there that matters." This RLT was something like that. The destination was "Tiger Farm", a spot tigers frequented once upon a time. With ridiculously improbable visions of cats roaming, romping and slumbering in the sun, we depart for Thalamalai, somewhere in the Sathyamangalam forests.

But first things first and breakfast is at Sri Ramavilas at Sathyamangalam. Hot pongal and vadai followed by coffee and a friendly conversation with R. Venkatraman, the owner, who says R. K. Narayan has eaten here. Then, safe in the belief that Bannari Amman is watching over us, (we visit her temple in the foothills), we set off.

The fun begins when we start the climb — 27 hairpin bends. We stop to watch a huge container struggling to make the turn. "Ever forward, never backward" says a pithy message emblazoned on the lorry. No wonder, all that trouble to reverse! I turn my attention to the other side of the road where a terse "Sound Okay Horn," is all the luxury of words that truck owner will allow himself.

Soon, we reach Dhimbam. There, we take a left turn and drive into thick forests. Surprisingly, the road is great. And, oh the silence... there are just a few birds exchanging notes, only occasionally. Suddenly, a streak of orange as a pack of furry creatures crosses our paths. Sennaai (wild dogs) says our driver. Before we can aim and shoot, they are gone, but not before flashing us looks of dislike.

I actually feel like the paparazzi — rude, insensitive and intrusive. Take the Grey Wagtail, in the rock pool where we have pulled up. It is minding its own business — absorbed in some complex preening ritual and we stare at its every move as it flits from rock to rock, looks at itself in the water, takes a sip or two and does a little happy jig. I wonder, if it really doesn't know we are there ogling at it. Or, may be it does. Watching the bird and sitting amidst mind numbing silence, I actually doze off for a few minutes!

A Brahminy kite at Thalamalai.

That is the greatest thing about this RLT. It is all about breathing in clean, sweet air and being hypnotised by the utter silence. It is a lovely, dreamy feeling. And, it is an ornithologist's heaven. Some spotted deer complete the feeling of euphoria.

But, we still have to see the gambolling tigers! And, of course, we don't. Tiger Farm is just an old bungalow built by a white man, near a pool where tigers once met over a drink. The yellow-washed bungalow looks intriguing. But, it belongs to someone and the caretaker is unwilling to let us in. So, we look at it from outside, and move on even as a Brahminy kite makes a repast of a short-lived reptile.

Permission: It is a protected area so contact the DFO's Office at 04295-220312 before you set off.

How to get there: From Coimbatore drive up to Sathyamangalam from where Dhimbam is approximately 25 km. At Dhimbam, turn left. The forest drive begins almost immediately.

Courtesy: http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/01/20/stories/2007012001270400.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