Pookode lake:Blue waters, chilling evergreen forests and misty mountains of Wayanad

Up the ghat pass of Wayanad at the very gateway of this ancient elevated paddy land or Wayal Nadu at around 700m lies this tropical blue lake skirted by vernal wet green forests and grass land tops.  The Pookode lake is a natural freshwater spring lake having  great ecological, geographical and cultural antiquity.

Going up the 9 hairpin bends of Wayanad ghat pass

This refreshing waterbody is so close to the highway (Calicut-Kalpeta) and travelers are wooed to its chilling charms.  Temperatures are much lower around the lake and it is a great getaway from the heat of Calicut.  I was drawn to this ancient beauty while attending the National Theatre Festival of Kerala 2011 at Kozhikode.

Forests and mountains encircling Pookode lake

Plenty of KSRTC buses are available from Calicut to this place.  It takes under two hours to reach the lake from the city.  The blue lake also has mesmerizing lilac waterlilies in its bosom.  Reeds, bamboos, flowering riperian shrubs and trees lull the lake from all sides.  The walk around the lake along the winding path is amazing and spectacular. It opens up a new view of lake at every curve and turning.

Canopied with bowers: The green walkway around Pookode lake

Plenty of tourists from other states are also here to enjoy the chill and charms of this forest fairy.  boating and canoeing provisions are available.  Plenty of monkeys are also here.  There are also a few fish ponds near the lake.  It is a plastic-free zone and rural handicrafts are available in eco-shops with mud walls and bamboo thatches.

Grey Pansy butterfly near Pookode lake

The ancient Banyan and a small shrine of Pookode Amma the mother goddess of Pookode prove that this was an ancient sacred lake and shrine like Devikulam near Munnar located well above 1600m in Iduki district towards the south.  It is interesting to note that this sacred lake is so close to the Jain ruins of Sulthan Bathery and Mananthavady in Wayanadu.  Wayanadu itself is known for its Jain antiquity that still shelters Jain people in its natural bounty though reduced to a few in hegemonic invasions in history.

Rich reeds and bamboos skirting Pookode lake

Wayanadu with its geographical proximity with the Deccan plateau and Kodagu, Hassan and South Kannada districts of Karnataka was a cradle of Jainism from BC era itself.  Its closeness to Sravanabelgola is remarkable. Pookode Amma could be Pathmavady Devi or Khusmandini Devi or any other sacred fairies of Jainism with a local tint.

Cozy and cool cruise in Pookode lake

Now she is worshiped locally in the Hinduized form of Wana Durga or Bhagavathy.  I remember V V K Valath the renowned scholar and researcher in Kerala culture and history who opened up the mystery of Wana Durgas in Kerala by researching and disseminating the knowledge on their Sramana past.  He is the major organic intellectual in Kerala to expose the spatial and renaming strategies of Brahmanism with which it changed the whole cultural terrain in south India in a few centuries.

People enjoying the riperian beauty and soothing breeze of Pookode lake

Unfortunately he could not complete his mega project of writing about place names and local histories in Kerala.  Anyway Malayalees are gifted with his few volumes on a couple of disctricts like Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Palakkad, Ernakulam etc. published by the Kerala Sahitya Akademi.

Banyan and shrine of Pookode Amma the mother goddess of Pookode on the south bank of the lake

Anyway today the azure blue waters of this virgin spring is still medicinal and contains healing powers for the local people and the tribals of Wayanadu who were its original owners.  This is one of the coolest summer locations in Kerala where you can beat the heat and rising temperatures in the planes and relax in the lap of mother nature for a while and regain your human qualities and creativity which you can utilize for the conservation of nature and culture in an inclusive and democratic way.

Lilac waterlilies in Pookode lake

Related posts:

1. Kodagu: Blue Mountains Beyond Malabar
2. Wagtails of Devikulam
3. Chandragiri Fort: A Landmark on the Kasaragod Coast

Grassland Sholas and Evergreen Forests of Kodagu near Bhagamandala

Kodagu or Coorg as it was re-christened by the British in the nineteenth century is a highland well up in the Western Ghats just to the east of Malabar in Kerala.  This southern district of Karnataka is inextricably linked to Malabar in terms of culture and ecology.

Beginning the long ride at dawn: Jaime near a tributary of Payaswini on the Bovikanam - Kanathur road. Flowering bamboos in horizon.

Almost all the rivers of Malabar originate from the misty blue mountains and evergreen forests and lemon green grassland sholas of Kodagu.  Most of the people in Malabar have their legends and myths about the Kodagu connection in their folklore and ritual practices like the Theyyam.  So Kodagu has a vital significance in the cultural and environmental paradigms of Kerala and Malabar in particular as Wayanadu, the Nilgiris or Iduki in relation to the mid and southern parts of Kerala.

Brief but bright colors of spring: A Vernal Hanging Parrot dangling from a flower bunch near Panathur

I toured some parts of this hill station with Jaime Chithra on bike as a getaway from the scorching heat of Kasaragod where I am working at present.  We began our journey on the morning of Saturday 19 March, 2011 and came back on the evening of the 20th.  We stayed at Kushalnagar on Saturday night.

Rich with honey and hues: Low-lying semi-evergreen forests at the foothills of Kodagu near Panathur

We went up the Western Ghat to Kodagu en-route Cherkala – Bovikanam – Kanathur – Kuttikol – Panathur – Bhagamandala and returned via Sullya and Jalsur.  While crossing the Panathoor bridge we got a wonderful view of the inviting cool mountains in the horizon and entered straight into the green shelter of the foothills.  Thanks to the greenery of Kodagu there is water in the streams down in Malabar.  But how long will it last; is an uncomfortable question that we really need to address.

A green damselfly in Talakavery wildlife santuary

The foothills and low-lying forests are vivid with a variety of hues at the onset of summer.  The transient spell of spring has caressed the green canopies with dexterous strokes of impressionistic colors and textures.  The forests are full of honey, bees and butterflies.  Albatrosses flutter around with Great Orange Tips and tiny Blues.

Wet even in summer: Evergreen forests of Talakavery sanctuary

As we ride up the sloppy mountain road to Bhagamandala the chill of the evergreen and wet forest is so soothing in the hot summer.  Some cascades and rivulets still have water enough to be poetic.  The green and tender foliage of wild trees, giant ferns and lichen are supple, serene and refreshing.

A Butterfly in Talakavery sanctuary, Bhagamandala

As we go up in elevation the forest pattern also changes from dry deciduous to semi evergreen to wet evergreen and finally to shola and grass lands.  It is a direct but gradual ascend of around 1000m.  We hardly notice the distance as we are immersed in the sea of green, yellow, orange and the chill of the wet forest.

Black-shouldered Kite in Bylakupe, Kushalnagar, Kodagu.

It is a sensational ride for bikers and small vehicles as the road is narrow but well aligned.  It becomes wider as we go up further towards Karnataka.  The forests of this western slope of the Western Ghat are part of Talacauvery Wildlife Sanctuary of Karnataka forest department.

A view of Kottanchery and Ranipuram ranges from Talakavery road, Bhagamandala

After sipping Coorg Coffee from Bhagamandala we visted Talakavery (Talacauvery) which is only 8km from there towards west.  The road is wide and well maintained and plenty of home-stays and honey and spice shops are on the way.

High altitude shola forests and blue mountains of Talakavery, Kodagu

At Talakavery or literally the head of river Kaveri (Cauvery), the grassland shola from which it springs up and flows down at around 1500m we had a great panoramic view of Kodagu topography.  All the high peaks of Kodagu are visible from here.

On the way to Talakavery: Jaime at 3700 MSL in Coorg. Bhagamandala and Madikeri in backdrop

It is also supposed to be one seat of Agasthya  in the south as Agasthya Kootam down south in the lower end of Western Ghat in Trivandrum district of Kerala.  It could be seen that Agasthya the Aryan sage who is said to be the author of Akathiam the first grammar text in Tamil (?)came and established his first power centre at Talakavery and then proceeded down to Agasthya Kootam which was the southern seat of Avalokiteswara in the Buddhist imagination of space and terrain in the peninsula.

Talakavery shrine from atop the spring peak

There is also a saying that Mayuravarman the Kadamba king brought Brahmans and their servant Sudras from Ahikshetram or Ahichatram north of the Ganges in the 4th or 5th century to Tulunadu and settled them down in Shivalli.  These Shivalli Brahmans of Tulunadu are still the priests of Talakavery temple.

Toy train station at Coorg

It is evident that the place is a critical spacial arena in the southward migration of Brahmans.  The Achar family of priests and the mere 2oo years of history of their associations with the Lingayat kings of Coorg and the legend behind the construction of Omkareswara temple (that of Brahma Rakshas) prove the infiltration strategies of Brahmanism in Kodagu.

The spring source of Kavery dried up in summer at 1500m.

It is clear that the invasion of Aryan Brahmanism through such conquering and converting god-men began well before Sankara who recolonized the North up to Kashmir in the 9th century by erasing the challenge of Jainism and Buddhism for ever by establishing pedagogic Brahmanic Maths across the peninsula.

Flowering trees and giant palms in zen garden, Golden Temple, Kodagu

Enlightened ones inside the Tibetan Buddhist temple complex, Kodagu.

This religious invasion was done with the royal patronage of kings and queens who were lured by the desire elements of Brahmanic Hinduism and its erotic and powerful semiotics and narrative textuality that were developed under knowledge/power monopolies of thousands of years after the devastation of the Dravidian civilizations of Indus valley around 1500 BC.  The erotica of Belur and Halebeedu in Hassan district are typical examples of colonizing the minds through sex and phallic cults and images.

A panoramic view of Kodagu peaks and forests from Talakavery zenith

It is also interesting to note that the place still has a spring and the ancient springs of South India were originally Jain or Buddhist places of worship up to the 8th or 9th century.  Any way it is reasonable to say that Kodagu as any other part of the peninsula was a Sramana territory at least for one thousand years.  The architectural and sculptural evidences of Jain images and iconography in the Government Museum at Madikeri prove this peaceful and ethical past of Kodagu.

Raja's Seat: A vantage and public park in Kodagu city

From Talakavery we came back to Bhagamandala and had our lunch at the Mayura restaurant of Karnataka tourism corporation.  They also have budget rooms for domestic tourists and even dormitories for lone travelers .  After resting there in the lap of shola forests for a few hours we began our ride to Madikeri or Mercara the capital of Coorg  district through beautiful shady roads amidst rolling plantations of coffee and pepper.

City of Coorg on rolling hills above 1500m.

The fragrance of coffee flowers and Parijatha blossoms, used as green fence at the edge of plantations fill the air and intoxicate even the insensitive traveler.  Blue winged parakeets are also fairly common in the coffee and pepper plantations.  There are also paddy fields and cardamom in Kodagu.

Paddy fields, Arracka and coffee/pepper plantations in the lap of shola grasslands in Kodagu

In the long 40km stretch we stopped midway at a small roadside eco-shop to savor honey lime to beat the slight heat of the slanting afternoon sun that turns biting in Coorg.  The city of Coorg is visible from miles away on a hill top as we approach it from west in the evening.  We spent a few hours in the garden at Raja’s Seat from where we got a splendid view of Kodagu and even parts of Kerala to the west.  We also found some enjoyment in the miniature narrow-gauge train near the garden.

Toy train experience in Kodagu near Raja's Seat

After taking a round in the city on the motorcycle we went straight to Kushalnagar some 30km east of Madikeri.  The road is excellent and wide and it passes through shola forests, evergreen and deciduous patches of forests and finally reaches semi-deciduous forests of Nisargadhama wild life santuary which is actually an archepelago in river Kavery with a lot of bamboo forests and real wildlife including spotted deer, wild boar, Gaur and elephant.

Bamboo blossoms in Kodagu

The bamboo forests are in bloom all over Kudagu and the Western Ghats.  It is a delight to the eye and tongue of the local population of living beings.  The bamboo rice is a medicinal and nutritious delicacy fed even to infants.

A wild elephant in the Nisargadhama jungle, close to the Madikeri - Mysore highway

On the way we could see a few wild elephants and a calf in the Nisargadhama wild life sanctuary some 20m close to the highway.  It was getting dark so I managed to click a few snaps in the dying light in a hurry and Jaime never allowed me to close in.

British cathedral now housing the Govt. Museum inside the fort, Kodagu

We stayed at Kushalnagar a small town having plenty of private lodges even run by Malayalis and in the early morning visited the Buddhist Golden Temple at Bylakupe just 7km from there which is the sole sacred space of the Tibetan Buddhist community in exile in South India.

Beauty of Tibetan architecture: A Buddhist temple in the Golden temple complex, Bylakupe, Kodagu

After spending a lot of time inside the temples that excel in Tibetan Buddhist architecture and outside in the beautifully and eco-spiritually designed zen gardens full of lawns, palms and flowering plants we came back to the hotel and packed for Madikeri again.

Sacred palmgrove in Golden temple complex, Bylakupe, Kodagu

Elephant calf close to the highway in Nisargadhama wildlife sanctuary, Kushalnagar

We reached Madikeri around noon and visited the 200 year old Omkareswara temple built by Lingaraja II of the Lingayat dynasty of Coorg.  It is built in Isalmic architectural style with domes and minarets.  It is interesting to note that the Lingayat people were originally Jains before the tenth century and their ancient heritage of inclusion and tolerance still survives.

A temple in Islamic architecture: Omkareswara temple at Coorg,1820.

Then we visited the historic fort originally built by the Lingayat rulers as a rammed mud citadel and later strengthened with stone by Tipu Sultan in the late 18th century and then governed by the British after the Srirangapatanam treaty of 1772.  The cathedral built by the British after the take over now houses the state museum.

Heroine stones featuring women warriors of Kodagu in state museum

It has a representative collection of ancient hero/heroine stones from various parts of Kodagu.  It is remarkable that most of them feature women warriors of Kodagu.  All the sculptures and idols up to 12 or 13th century are Jain and later articles are Saivite or Vaishnavite Hindu in religious affiliation.  This again proves the Jain and Sramana antiquity of ancient Kodagu.

Golden Temple: Tibetan Buddhism's second home in Bylakupe, Kodagu

After resting inside the cool cathedral which is more than 200 years old we started the return journey through Madikeri – Mangalore state highway via Sullya and Jalsoor.  Though some parts are under construction bikes and light vehicles could still pass through.

Yellow flowers in the Buddhist zen garden, Kodagu

Malabar Crested Lark in Bylakupe, Kodagu

In an hour we reached the lower range and rested by the side of river Payaswini originating from Kodagu with a view of the grass land sholas in the upper reaches and continued our journey along the banks of the river down to Sullya, Jalsoor, Adhur, Mulleriya and Bovikanam.  It was almost 8pm when we reached back to the heat of Vidyanagar in Kasaragod.  Thanks to my Kawasaki Avenger the 330km ride of two days was smooth and trouble free.

Before the gate of Golden Temple, Bylakupe, Kushalnagar, Kodagu.

A sparrow converting the fountain before the Golden Temple to a birdbath

Amusing and moving: The old engine of the toy train in Coorg

A goose in the zen garden of Buddhist temple, Bylakupe, Kodagu.

Architectural detail from Golden temple, Bylakupe, Kodagu

Garden birds in the lawn of Golden Temple

Flowering trees, shrubs and palms of the zen garden, GT, Kodagu

Cormorants nesting inside the Golden Temple, Kodagu

little buddhas at the Golden Temple, Kodagu

A Rose in the garden of GT, Kodagu

A mural inside the Golden Temple, Kodagu

The decorative door of GT, Kodagu

Related posts:

1. Pookode: A Cool Lake at the Gateway of Wayanad
2. Chandragiri Fort: A Landmark on the Kasaragod Coast
3. Kerala and Karnataka: Historical and Cultural Linkages

Last Wednesday (28 October 2009)I began my most awaited journey to Kolukku Malai the highest tea garden in South India well above 2100 Meters in the Western Ghats. It is a Kerala frontier in the Anamalais and borders with Theni district in Tamil Nadu. I started the trip on bike from Rajakumary in the early afternoon and reached Santhanpara a few minutes later, from where my friend Mr V P Raveendran joined. Hill Mynas and Blue-winged Parakeets were heralding our sunny expedition in the cardamom plantations nearby.

Through Poopara, Anayirankal, Periyakanal and Chinnakkanal we reached Sooryanelli in the east of the Elephant Lake after riding for around forty Kilo Meters. Then we began our ascend to Upper Sooryanelli to Naga Malai and finally to Kolukku Malai – a difficult stretch of around 12-15 KMs. we entered the age old tea estate roads laid more than a century ago by the British pioneer planters. We were welcomed by a few Indian Robins here playing and picking up worms on the stone poles and hedges.

The old world colonial Bungalows and beautiful Pines and Oaks dote the mystic landscape. We enjoyed the richly flavoured hot Tamil tea and Vadai from the roadside shop. According to local people in the earlier times pesticides and fertilizers were not used in Naga Malai and Kolukku Malai and once it was the highest tea garden in the whole world. But later the British themselves planted tea in Darjeeling and other Himalayan foothills.

It was getting colder and colder and we watched the mysterious formations of meandering mist and clouds on the hills and dales around us as we went up. On a Silver Oak my companion spotted a small raptor savoring flesh. But before we could identify the bird, it just slipped down and vanished into the misty ether…

As we passed the winding ghat road from Naga Malai to the summit we saw some Bush chats in flight. The cold was unbearable and it was the onset of north eastern monsoon. We were drenched by a sudden sweep of rain and we took refuge under a Grand old Oak by the road. The roads are also bad as we go up here and stray dogs are also a problem at times. But a few four-wheel drive jeeps are operating here for advanced explorers. Pillion riding on the bike is a bit risky here.

Nagamalai and Kolukkumalai seen above the clouds

Near the Echo Point in Kolukku Malai we had the unique sight of our trip. It was like a flash or lightning. A huge dark raptor struck our eyes like a bolt from the blue! After a few rounds of soaring it merged into the craggy shola beneath. A few seconds later we again had a glimpse of the huge bird of prey. This time in better light and angle we clearly saw the lucid yellow nostril patch and claws against its jet black plumage. Yes, it was a Black Eagle in its sheer power and glory!

The bird, a mighty cousin of the Aquilas, sunk down into the canopies again and never appeared after wards. It really was an awesome and transcending sight!! That glorious glimpse is still unbelievable, and is unforgettable too.

And then we visited the View Point from where we had a breathtaking panoramic view of Theni and Madurai districts in Tamil Nadu lying down under at ground zero. There is a historic vintage tea factory here built by the English that still manufactures the renowned Kolukku Malai tea. We can go up to the check post and beyond it we have only the old horse trodden path down to Bodhi Nayakanur. Both the horizons were getting blushed as we began our retreat.

Related posts:

1. Wagtails of Devikulam
2. Nilgiri Wood Pegions of Pambadum Shola
3. Pookode: A Cool Lake at the Gateway of Wayanad

Yesterday I visited Old Devikulam and the surrounding valleys. I had the rare opportunity to spend some time on the banks of the Devi Lake from which the place derives its name.

This ancient natural lake is one of the oldest freshwater resources high up in the Western Ghats and forms a unique ecosystem, though the English enhanced its capacity and area with minimum intervention at the beginning of the twentieth century.

It is known throughout South India for its mineral richness and medicinal powers from the early Tamil Sangham age onwards. It has also been a sacred Dravidian lake-shrine in the ancient Tamil country. It is also unique for its endemic flora and fauna. The moths and insects here are even unknown to the experts. Unfortunately it is now decaying in private hands.

The Britishers made this ethereal banks their second home and planted plenty of English trees around it. It is a trekker’s paradise! Pines, Eucalyptus and Oaks adorn the hills and dales. the seductive lush green meadows are mowed consistently by the perpetually grazing cattle. Common Swallows fly around in lower notes! Some small raptors are also seen around, picking up the odd green lizards.

According to the native Tamil people the exotic Trout, introduced by the British colonial masters as a game fish more than a century ago still thrives in the Devi Lake; though I could not see any. This important habitat is in the hands of Tata Tea Ltd. and we need their prior written permission to visit and fish in the Lake. Their Office is situated in Munnar town.

The Old Boat House and Angler’s Hut built by the British still survive without much damage. The Lake is surrounded by thick vegetation. I saw the mating of plenty of green frogs in the shallows. Till date I have not seen this species anywhere else. I could see a few Cattle Egrets and Jungle and Hill Mynas near.

But the real sight was that of two types of wagtails. Grey wagtails are plenty here. This place is well above 2200 mts. in elevation. I also saw a White-browed or Large Pied Wagtail sitting pretty on a weed in the lake. Its call was resonating in the quiet and serene Lake-scape as the last sigh of a fading eco-cultural location.

This place is around four kms. north east of the new Devikulam town and six kms east of Munnar town. We need to reclaim this unique habitat from private plantation interests and rehabilitate it into its past glory, by preserving and enriching the ecosystem.

Related posts:

1. Pookode: A Cool Lake at the Gateway of Wayanad
2. The Black Eagle of Kolukku Malai
3. Honey Buzzard of Bison Valley