In The High Ranges

Journey starts from EGRL office buidling

When I started the engine at 06.30 pm on March 27, 2015 from the Equatorial Geophysical Research Laboratory (EGRL), I was doubtful if I could do the 800 kilo meters in a 15 years old Hyundai Santro, Sujaii (meaning hero in my local dialect of Malayalam) - that is how I call him, with five men. Is Sujaii healthy enough so that it can carry five heavy asses through the High Ranges of Western Ghats? The car was old enough to stop working any time, especially on the steep curvy roads of the High Ranges. Before leaving, I took my Sujaii to Amir, a young car mechanic at Seydunganallur to have a formal check up. He told that the car is fit for the journey, but there is a minor oil leak, I will have to change an elbow pipe soon after coming back. I paid him 100 rupees for the check up.

Coffee/tea time en route Theni

The men were ready with bags, water filled can and bottles, some emergency medicines and a cotton roll, a few packets of snacks and fruits, cameras and songs. After about an hour, we reached Sankaran Kovil, passed Sri Villiputhur (sounds familiar? Yes, it is the town of the famous temple, 1000 years old. The temple tower of Sri Villiputhur is adopted to be the official symbol of Tamil Nadu government), Usilampatti and finally reached Theni where we got a dormitory for night stay. On the way, we had a nice cup of tea each, and more importantly a rejuvenating pissing too. The hotel was right at the main junction in the town of Theni. There was no parking place, so we had to park it on the road side, there was enough space there.

Theni town shot from the dormitory

The main worry was that one of its side window handle had been over rotated with lots of effort by a respected fellow traveler in the beginning of our journey and the glass drifted down over time even though we close it. This gentleman kindly added another nice color to our journey by breaking the handle catch of front left door the very next day while in Munnar. My Rihla was an old bloke who would work properly only if handled properly.

The night went quiet peacefully with a lots of cockroaches celebrating human occupation  in that dormitory after so many days, or may be even weeks. We just closed our eyes, ears and noses. It was not a very bad sleep. Mosquitoes got a feast after so many days of starvation. Yeah, but with just 750 rupees for five people, we couldn't expect more. In short, it was a terrible night for me.

At the eastern side of Western Ghat

Early morning 06.00 O'clock Sujaii headed west to see the Western Ghats from distance. The color of the surroundings shifted from pale yellow in the previous evening to green. Lots of cultivation, flowers and trees appeared. The Ghats was visible at a distance far away and the curvy roads motivated the driver in me but the steep roads reduced confidence on the performance of Sujaii. He was struggling to make the hairpin curves on the ghats. 'Dear Sujaii, I gave you this name with some hope, please don't spoil your name', I told Sujaii silently! This side of the Ghats was yellowish mostly, being in the rain shadow region. But the roads were recently tarred and narrow. It gave a unique driving experience. It was less crowded so the drive was with less strain. A few new cars and SUVs passed by. I didn't see any older cars climbing the ghats. May be Sujaii is the oldest car going up that day. Sujaii has already run 1.1+ lakhs of kilometers in the last fifteen years; mostly through the cities in the plains of East coast of South India.

Before the breakfast!

20 km more, we saw a small kitchen attached to a big hotel in the hillside surrounded by tea plantations. Had hot dosai and chappathi for our breakfast and a cup of hot tea.Those who wanted to do one and two did so and relaxed for some time. I read a Malayalam daily news paper there probably after several months.

We have already entered the tea estates of the High Ranges. Breathtakingly scenic locations, this is a perfect place for spending holidays with family, friends or even alone! Hundreds of years before, people started cultivation of tea in Munnar and surrounding hills. There was rope ways and railways for porting tea down to west coast and to the plains of Tamil Nadu. Kannan Devan Hills may be the largest producer of tea in Munnar, they are even running a tea museum two kilometers away from the town.

Ancient Dolmens of the Mount of the Spirit

The hills of High Ranges have been occupied by human beings from very long back. Ancient graveyards called Dolmens of Marayoor (about 40 km away from Munnar), dated back to 1500 B. C., are still seen spread through out the place. A few of them could be spotted at the Mount of the Spirits in Marayoor. Moreover, paintings as old as 6500 B. C. and even more have been discovered by archaeologists. Marayoor is also famous for its invaluable sandalwood forests. For one who has no interest in this archaeology business, its a waste of time and money to go to Marayoor. As there is nothing much more than in any forest. Also, climate there is not so pleasant.

En route Marayoor, we stopped Sujaii for lunch near a small road side hotel run by a Tamil couple. There was a stream flowing behind it. We went there and had an excellent bathe. Then we had a hygenic lunch there with mouth watering fried fishes for very less prices. The hotel man gave contacts of a young man for arranging our night stay in Munnar. Except petrol, everything in Munnar seemed cheap, which is not expected in a tourist place. May be because we were there just before the season starts. Petrol was costlier than any other part of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Where we got the night stay in Munnar

Before the sun sets we came back to the hotel man and met the young chap introduced by him who had already arranged a well-furnished and newly built house adjacent to the tea estates ready for us. It was a few kilometers away from the Munnar town. 1000 rupees was a really nice rate for the facilities he gave to us. He gave hot water for drinking and bathing. In the night we took a walk through the road, the energizing fragrance of tea that emanated from a tea factory filled the air. We purchased lots of tea packets and a few other spices from a nearby factory outlet. That was a really nice night with a deep sound sleep. Morning 06.00; we left the house happily. Set out our journey to Munnar town very slowly. Driving through the curvy roads of tea estates early morning through the mist-filled High Ranges, all the window glasses open, with light music in the car; its a magical experience one should experience for himself.

The Kannan Devan Hills plantation company's tea museum is our next place to visit. It will be opened only at 09.30 am.  So we headed to Munnar town and had our grand breakfast. We reached the museum exactly on time. It is a must visit place for someone going there. There won't be many who don't have at least a cup of tea in a day. The museum is a place of immense first hand information and knowledge on tea, its history and the science and emotions attached with it. The company itself have a lot of stories to tell us.

There are so many other places, view points, dams and waterfalls in Munnar and surrounding places. Those are beautiful but not very special to have a mention here. Time runs very fast when we are with someone special or when we are engaged in something thrilling. We have to reach back to work next day morning. 400 km is not any less a distance to travel through the hills.

Sujaii started its race down hill afternoon after lunch! Sun set before reaching Pooppara town itself. Some hours of driving we reached down the plateau at Bodinayakanur. Then to Usilampatti, Tirumangalam and then through the national highway NH 7 Sujaii crossed 100 kmph. It was early morning 02.00 O'clock when we reached the institute. In the journey through hills, we had two encounters with the Kerala Police; one immediately after fueling Sujaii, I was caught for not wearing a seat belt and had to pay Rs. 100 for it. Next while returning back through the narrow hill roads, a police jeep was coming with only one head lamp on.  Sujaii proceeded its usual way thinking it was a motorcycle. But realized it was not a two wheeler after getting a heavy abuse in Malayalam. They had to go out of the road and while passing them I saw POLICE written on the jeep. Luckily there was no place for them to turn jeep. Sujaii dashed in the maximum possible speed so that even if the police manage to follow us, we could cross the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. Somewhere in the plains of Tamil Nadu, we had our dinner before finally reaching Aaraichi Mayyam, the research center!

Route Map of the Journey

Memoir Of A Monsoon

The following is a note that was originally written sitting in the research scholars room at EGRL, Tirunelveli on a rainy day in 2012. Rain was a rare phenomenon there, it happened only 10-20 days in a year. But Vittalapuram village is very beautiful when it rains! The grey surface turns into lush green. Rabbits, peacocks, snakes and a hundred varieties of birds, both local and migratory, looks delightful. Numerous ponds both in and around the campus fills with fresh water. But for the rest of the year, there was only hot bright sunlight and dust and in some months additional strong winds. When the monsoon starts again this year, I am sitting in the portico of research scholars hostel at IIG, Navi Mumbai. I am reposting the post from my previous blog which I don't update now a days.

It was not only because of its musical voice that I lost myself completely in the magic of monsoon rain. If it were so, I would have just listened to the rain sitting inside my room happily. The sharp wet touch of rain on my bare skin and its gently piercing sound for me is something of an emotional feel rather than a meteorological phenomenon. I forget about tides, convection, gravity waves and doppler radars when the rain feather touch my heart.

Oh, another monsoon came and soaked my country in its water pebbles. When I miss it, sitting in a dry remote village, far away in Tamil Nadu, what else can I do other than recollecting the memories of my past romance with it?

I loved and still love rain as well as its season. Monsoon, The most beautiful and romantic season my country is blessed with! If you fall in love with rain, it gives you the love back always and forever; more greenish more deep and more intense!

The notorious stream - road parallels!

It was during a monsoon, I still remember, I was hit by a lorry in the muddy country road going side by side with a big stream of fresh water. After playing football with my friends in the nearby water filled paddy fields, we all were going to the stream for a bathe. Suddenly I met the accident.

I still remember, the labourers in the lorry jumped out and took me to a hospital in the same lorry. I was in the general ward in the top most floor of Koya's Hospital roofed with asbestos. Heavy rain knocked over the asbestos sheets the whole night as if she needed to hit me hard. I badly wanted to meet her in the dark shade of the night; but I could not even wake up from my bed.

The day when I came out discharged from the hospital, I saw my rain was starting showering as if she is welcoming me back! I waved my hands to her sitting in the porch. I watched her sitting in the dashing car. She called me crying, knocking and touching over the window glass. But I could not go out to embrace her. I tried to touch her on the glass from inside. We desperately thirsted for each other, but circumstance did not allow us to unite.

Football in rain still attracts people in Kerala. But everyone
must not be lucky enough to have a country road nearby
and meet a lorry accident to feel the love of rain peacefully.

Every experience of love is filled pain. But try loving the rain, it is different! Once you are in love with her, you will never want to miss her! The more you are away from her, the more passionately you love her! She will love you back with all the forms of emotions and  expressions a lover can have! What ever you think that you will get from a lover, she will give you. Solace, comfort, touch, pain, care, parting, melancholy, romance, relief; you tell what are all the things you think you will get from your lover. You will get them all from the rain.

The car reached home. Rain was silent. The shower was over. Like blood dissolved tears of rain, muddy water was flowing below the car. Sitting inside the clouds, rain desperately tried to tell me something. Before she can utter anything, my Umma took me into my home. In ultimate pain, rain stormed down all the night.

Looking Back From Top: A Summer View of Navi Mumbai

New Panvel as viewed from Nevali hill

This is not a post on philosophy nor this is a retrospection as the title may suggest. It is about an interesting but short trekking we had made few days back. Morning was really early: at 3.30 am, around Brahma Muhurtham according to ancient Indian culture! Me, Sunil, Dupinder, Sukanta and Sreeraj all the five packed and walked straight to the top of the hill we used to see every day and night from our institute. The hill is east to the institute and stand like a protecting fort to the city of Navi Mumbai. Panvel area, where our institute is located, is the eastern most part of Navi Mumbai.

Khanda Colony

At 3.40 we checked out at the institute gate and walked through the quiet streets of Khanda Colony. CIDCO has constructed the city beautifully in rectangular plots and sectors. Crossing the railway line and moved ahead, again crossed the Mumbai - Pune express high way. This well admired Mumbai - Pune express highway acts like a border between the city and rest of Maharashtra. We have to move a little more, say 1.5 kilometer, to reach the village of Nevali, at the foot of our destination: the Nevali Hill.

As we crossed the highway through below the Mumbai - Pune Express Highway, it appeared as if we are entering a different country. In a few meters, everything changed. Roads became a series of potholes. Surroundings empty as against the sky scrapper forest that we just left behind. We were entering a village from city. The most important lesson that I learn from my country is that, good facilities in life are meant for a different class of people. Villagers and city dwellers have different duties: villagers are there to produce food for city dwellers and city dwellers are there to decide the financial and industrial fate of the country. The benefits of what villagers do always go to the city dwellers but the benefits of what city dwellers do never go to villagers very often! In general, the flow of the fruits of development is unidirectional in India, according to me. People may differ to me. Gandhi might have told that the soul of India is in its villages. If that is true, the soul of this nation is not very healthy, it is ill.

As we continued to walk forward, a cement mixing transport truck stopped and asked us if we want to go with them. We nodded no and they left us. We continued and reached the village Nevali at foot of the hill at around 4.40 am. It was still dark. We needed a cup of tea, but tea shops had not been opened yet. Dogs barked all the way from the time we entered the village. We started climbing up the steep rocks. I have never climbed such a steep hill before. Dogs, did not stop barking. But Sukanta, Sunil and Dupinder had already came here last monsoon. Activating its water falls and blanketing in green, the hill and village are very beautiful during monsoon. Few miles away from our institute, we could see the silver line water falls in the hills during monsoon. But sadly, in this summer, the hill was dry. We reached at the top of the hill after one hour, exactly at 5.40 am. Sun had not risen up. We removed our shirts and fell down to relax at the top of the hill! It was quiet a tiring ascend through the steep slopes of Nevali! The city was looking great. The express highway was still busy. We tried to spot IIG but could not do so as it was still dark. Dupinder was busy with video graphing and photographing. As time passed, we saw that light was spreading slowly and Sun appeared behind us. From the top, the city looked like a port where so many cargo boxes have been kept one above another. Then there was the mighty Panvel creek, the mighty wetland of Navi Mumbai that interspersed the mainland.

At that table-top hill, there was a small village too. There were cattle and chicken and a few trees. Then we saw women fetching water to their houses, they were carrying 3 - 4 pots one above another carrying water! We could spot a tiny dam where these people fetched water and washed their clothes. There were small patches of vegetable cultivation too. After eating some bread and banana, we wanted to go back. We entered the village and asked if any road was there. They showed us a muddy road leading down to the village. The hill was being eaten up by quarry miners! So many tipper lorries are already in queue and granite crusher have already started working. We could feel how the city was growing and the village decaying!

At 9.00 am we reached Nijo hotel at Khanda Colony by an auto that we got from down hill the village. Hotel is on the other side of the railway track where the autowallah dropped us. There was the huge pipe line that supplied water to the city. Water was gushing out through a crack that some one created with immense effort. A tea shop was there close to the pipe and the shop woman is getting water through a small hose inserted into the crack! We crossed the railway track and had our grand breakfast at Nijo hotel. Our legs were paining and we all were tired. Our clothes became dirty in the early morning itself! After an hour, we reached back at hostel and fell into bed and sank into deep sleep.

With Love From Antarctica

Last week, I got a call in the morning from some Gopal! Deep in sleep I could not realize that the only Gopal I know would call me at that time, because he was living in the southern most continent of the globe! At the volleyball ground a fat man appeared in the evening, and it was Gopal to my surprise, my friend and a technical person at EGRL, Tirunelveli. He is back from Antarctica after spending more than a year there. I was keen to listen to him to know how the life at the most harshest continents of the globe was! He gave me a huge volume of photographs and videos. I would like to share some of them here so that my friends can get a glimpse of the nature of life and activities at the icy land.

Bharati: India's station at Antarctica

Maitri: India's station at Antarctica

View of Moon from Antarctica

National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), Goa, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt. of India is the responsible agency of Indian Antarctic programs. India has three stations at the continent: Dakshin Gangothri (1983), Maitri (1989) and Bharati.
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A Bit of History:

The first Indian to set his foot on Antarctic continent was Lieutenant Ram Charan, a meteorologist in the Indian Navy, who joined an Australian expedition in 1960. Indian interests in Antarctic research goes back to 1970's. As a result of some Indo - Russian agreement Indian scientists could join Russian team to Antarctica during those period. The research activities of India's polar studies got momentum when the first Indian expedition to Antarctica in 1981 was conducted under the leadership of Prof. Syed Zahoor Qasim.

The team landed in Antarctica on 9th January 1982 and hoisted Indian flag on the icy continent. India's first station at Antarctica, Dakshin Gangotri, was set up after two years of the first expedition. Later the station got buried under ice. It was restored and is being protected as a historic site. Another name in the history of Antarctic program of India, as a student, is Dr. Dinabandhu Sahoo. He was the first Indian student to reach Antarctica, who joined the seventh of Indian Antarctic expedition. India's third station Bharati is at a distance of 3000 kilo meter from the second station, Maitri! People who want to go to Bharati from Maitri sail to Cape town in South Africa and then to Bharati (if not in a helicopter or air craft)! How vast is Antarctica!

Courtesy: The Hindu

Having established the scientific capabilities of India at the Southern most continent, the first Indian team set out to visit the South 'Pole' which was still thousands of kilo meters away from Indian station Maitri! The team was led by 62 year old Dr. Rasik Ravindra! Mr. Ajay Dhar, a technical officer in the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism was lucky to be part of the team in the year 2010.

A Journey Through The Banks Of Brahmaputra

At Dibrugarh bus stand Venki. Jeni, Me and Deva.

Finally we, Sukanta, Jeni, Venki and Deva boarded the bus 'Rudranee' of Assam State Transport Corporation at around 8.00 O' clock that evening. It was a long debate and confusion among more than ten research scholars whether to go to Kaziranga or not. Finally we decided that some can go Kaziranga and others will tour around nearby places. Rimpy had spent a full day with me seeking a safe and comfortable transport to Kaziranga National Park. We must have gave her immense depression but she didn't show any irritation. That is the nobility of an Assamee.

The National Space Science Symposium venue @DU

During the days of symposium at Dibrugarh University, we had experienced the warmth of politeness of the University staff and students. But it was equally worrying that Assam is a land of revolutionaries too. Every day we heard about encounters, cross-fires and killings. The morning we reached Tinsukia, a place in Assam one hour before reaching Dibrugarh, we saw military posts. We knew there is chaos in the state. The day we landed in Dibrugarh railway station, we heard the news of a cross fire in which an Inspector General was killed along with others. Next day we heard some North Indian was killed. Another day we heard of a killing in the Arunachal boarder. Another day there was a news from Delhi in which one north-east student was killed by North Indians, we thought that a long travel through Assam would be as if risking your life. But of course there is immense charm in taking some risks too!

Truck to Kaziranga

National Space Science Symposium got over. Our return train to Mumbai was booked for after three more days. We were determined to go and needed to save as much money as possible. No train was available. With great help from Rimpy, my friend and research scholar at Dibrugarh, we managed to book five tickets to Nagaon in the Guwahati bus.

The bus was spacious with only three seats in a row as against four and five in Kerala state buses. All other passengers were Assamese and they stared at us politely. We felt comfortable with them. All the worries and discomfort vanished at the end of the journey. North-East of India have one of the best people of the nation and our media is wrongly projecting them as bad.

When day light appeared!

I had another experience with a local, once I missed the van to my hotel from the symposium venue. I waited there for several hours and the organizers arranged one vehicle and they left me in the middle of the city thinking that I am staying in some hotel there. Actually they confused with the names of the hotels. They showed one road and told me the hotel is that way! But they were wrong, my hotel was not inside the city, it was 4-5 kilo meter away from where they dropped me. By the time I could realize that, their vehicle had left me! I started walking alone carrying my bag through the streets, shops were closed already. Only some stray dogs were there barking and shouting.Fear started filling my mind slowly and I started singing some Hindi songs, immediately I remembered the incidence of killing of a north Indian, then I started singing a Malayalam song. I thought they will not do anything to a South Indian, as a lot of Assamese work in my state. Suddenly one young man on a bicycle stopped in front of me and asked where I am going I told the name of my hotel and he asked me to sit on the carrier of the cycle. I looked at his cycle, only the most essential parts were there: two tyres - back tyre didn't have sufficient air in it, handle was there but no bell nor brake, he used his legs to stop the bicycle! I thanked the young man and told to leave me and that I will walk. "No, the hotel is very far you cannot walk alone that distance in this late night" - he told me. Finally I hopped onto the carrier and he started pedaling the old cycle through the damaged road. On the way he asked about me, he was surprised that I am from Kerala. he told our people go to Kerala why are you coming here?! I explained him why I was there. The cycle stopped in front of hotel Keteke. We talked standing there for some more time. He left me and pedaled back to where his home is. I looked at that young man with great gratefulness and prayed for him. I think I should acknowledge that young man who work all through the day and until late in the night for a living. Some where in the suburbs he may be living with his own peace of mind and worries.

Deva and Sukanta half in the frame!

By the way, the bus stopped in front of a highway dhabha. We all got down and had tea and snacks. Had one and two done and relaxed for some time. It was so chilling cool in Assam in that January. At around 3.00am the bus reached Nagaon bus stand. It was against what Rimpy had told us, she had suggested to get down either at Bokakhat or at Kohara and the rides were actually available at Kohara. But we asked the bus crew again about how to go to Kaziranga. They told us to get down at Nagaon which was more than 100 km away from the Kaziranga National Park. Problem of planning a journey suddenly! There were a lot of people in the Nagaon bus stand at that time! We did not know Kaziranga is still several hours away from there. We had already left behind Bokakhat and Kohora several hours before itself! Actually there are many places to get down in Kaziranga national park. Also somebody suggested not to get down at Kohora or Bokakhat at such an early morning because they are small towns and we may face some difficulty as we are new there! At Nagaon we tried to get some vehicles for dropping us at Kaziranga. at that time one small goods carrier came. It was a newspaper vehicle. Apart from news papers, there were some local people going to villages, there were some paint boxes and some baggages too. We got into the carrier of the mini lorry and tried to settle down. But it was difficult, as it is meant to carry goods not people. Two men were sleeping on the paint boxes. It was terribly cool too! We were already wrapped ourselves with what ever clothes we had with us. Still it was so cool, I have never been to such cool difficulty before!

The route map, thanks to Google

The TATA-407 started with a mild rough sound and started running. We already had our price fixed for the trip: hundred rupees per head. The locals were smoking beedi continuously inside until they got down at different places in between. Now we are the only remaining passengers in the vehicle, the driver sped up the vehicle. We desperately wanted to sleep. Me and Deva found a nice bedding on the paint barrels, even though we were thrown up and down frequently! There were few more stops for delivering the newspaper bunches and short tea breaks. We were hopping up and down inside the vehicle as it ran over gutters and humps indiscriminately. The vehicle had entered the forest already. At around 7.00 am, just before we reached the destination, the driver stopped his warhorse and showed us the most awaited Rhino far away in the Kazhiranga forest. And in half an hour, we were at the Elephant ride centre in the Kaziranga national park.

It is the journey that nourishes the heart, not the destination.

When the TATA - 407 left us at the Kaziranga

An elephant ride through the Kaziranga National Park. The photo of Rhino was nicely captured by Sukanta.

Later in the afternoon we got a bus to Guwahati and joined our friends in the Dibrugarh - New Delhi Rajadhani Express.