- Entering the Nilgiri plateau above 2000 MSL through Mukurthi and Manjur by the eve of 29 Sept 2012. The land of Kota, Toda and Paniya. Also an ancient Jain centre called Ootakalmand now turned Udakamandalam.
A brilliant icon of the sun and the enlightened one: A golden-yellow rose in the Govt Rose Garden at Ooty on the morn of 30 Sept 2012 
Misty morning in Ooty. One of the ancient mountains in the world, much older than the Himalayas. Ootakalmand town from Fern Hills. 
Wild blossoms by the Ooty lake. 30 Sept 2012 
Fresh organic vegetables for the whole south India: Carrot, cabbage, cauliflower cultivation in the Nilgiris 
Awaiting travelers: Autos and horsemen in Ooty 
A Sambhar Deer by the lake in Ooty 
Endemic pansies in Ooty Govt Botanical Garden 
A lonely visitor in the Ooty Botanical Garden. 30 Sept 2012 
Burial urns in Ooty Govt Museum. More than 2000 years old, recovered from the Nilgiris. They show that The tribal peoples reached Ootakalmund in the Sangham age itself before the beginning of the common era. 
A White-eye seeking honey at Ooty 
Cottages in the Zen garden at Narayana Gurukulam, Fern Hill, Ooty 
An enlightening presence: A Buddha head in the zen garden at Narayana Gurukulam, Fern Hill, Ooty. 30 Sept 2012 
Film activist Nisar Asoka near the pagoda in Narayana Gurukulam, Ooty 
Brother Viju Varghese the current in-charge of Narayana Gurukulam, Ooty 
Statue of Narayana Guru in the zen garden at Narayana Gurukulam, Ooty. 30 Sept 2012. Photo: Nisar Asoka 
A fading music: A chirping sparrow in the buddha garden at Narayana Gurukulam, Ooty On the return ride I took the Masinagudi-Gudalur-Nilambur route. It was butterflies raining in Masinagudi and Mudumalai Tiger reserve. Blue Tigers and Common Crows were having some local migration. I saw Gaurs and elephants grazing all along the road. My battery was empty and could not take any snaps. Reached Kutipuram by 10pm on 30th Sept 2012. Thanks to my Kawasaki-bajaj Avenger the 400 km ride was a great educating and illuminating voyage to the Blue Mountains, the queen among hill stations in South India. Lack of rain is crucially affecting all these ecologically fragile biodiversity hotspots, especially the rain shadow regions towards the eastern slopes of the Ghats the Malakudam or Malayaparvatam.