Ooty On my Mind!

Chennai, Dec 2011

Bollywood movies and television serials have made Ooty a familiar hillock for Nepalese as well. So, when opportunity came to visit this 'virtually' familiar place I jumped to the idea.   

 

But, less said the better about my night bus ride from Chennai to Ooty. Twelve hours of motion sickness that started as soon as I got on bus left me totally drained of energy. So, when I got off the bus at Ooty station I was literally swaying and had to hold my friend Bincy to steady myself. However, after a minute or two, the chill in the air did its magic. Few more deep breaths and I immediately felt alive, comfortable, and almost at home. 

Continuous rain for a week, which had stopped the previous day, had left Ooty picture perfect for us. The weather was partly cloudy, through which sun rays were trying to escape and kiss the foggy forests. Morning dew drops were fragilely balanced on shrubs, flowers and a variety of vegetables in the fields. Hills surrounding Ooty market looked like some fairy castles in the clouds as they were protruding out of thick misty layers formed round them. With the muddy, murky and cool air, Ooty had a winterish monsoon feel in November. Something I could relate to Nepal during the months of July and August.

We just had a day to explore Ooty, so we didn't spare a moment. As soon as we left our luggage in the guesthouse Tamijhagam, Udhagamandalam, we headed for Pykara Lake. Our guide/driver Ishwor, who has been in this profession for more than a decade, gave us Ooty's historical background on our way. Driving down a long winding road through eucalyptus and pine forests gave us a sense of romance and made me think of Bollywood movies like Kayamat Se Kayamat Tak, Dil, Akele Hum Akele Tum and Raja Hindustani, whose songs were shot in here. However, the feelings faltered as Ishwor said those plants were planted by colonists uprooting the local vegetation. "It changed the whole forest ecology, with many adverse effects in nature," he added.    

It could be because of the “too perfect and monotonous” look of the pine forest I saw when I took a walk; I didn't feel a sense of awe, mystery or wilderness which I usually got in forests back home. The forest started looking tame with some unwanted artificial touch. Yet, I must say, local women returning home carrying baskets filled with eucalyptus leaves, birds chirping and playful monkeys enjoying their errands made it lively and enjoyable. 

Any complains I had earlier vanished when we entered the Pykara Lake forest area. Protected by the Forest Department, the area is calm, at the same time giving a sense of wildness. Different varieties of trees and vegetations left unmanicured gave a fresh, damp and green-grassy smell to forest. It was all natural, even the machine-boats on the lake felt like they belonged there.    

Situated about 21 km from Ooty on the Ooty-Mysore Road, Pykara Lake was calm, clean and beautiful. It was crowded with mostly domestic tourists who were busy boating, taking pictures and enjoying local food items in the restaurants. But the pristine beauty of the lake overshadowed the crowd, their chattering, even warning signs that said ”beware of monkeys". I felt at peace. 

Pykara Lake made me think of the Fewa Lake at Pokhara. Though it's smaller than Fewa and doesn't have a reflection of the mountains, it gave an aura similar to mystifying greatnesses and beauty. It was reflecting the different shapes and forms of clouds in sky; it looked flawless. I gave up on the idea of boating.

With newfound calmness and happiness, we headed for Pykara falls next. By the road side, there were tea vendors which also sold steamed corns. The milky, young corn's sweetness spiced with red chili and salt was simply mouthwatering. The taste lingered on my tongue all the way to Pykara fall, which was not what I had imagined it would be. When I think of a waterfall, I am thinking of huge masses of white water falling from a hilltop, which usually has me pulling my head back and widening my eyes to look up at its origin. Instead, when I saw a rivulet I was a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong, it is a very beautiful place. Clean water flows through small rock cliffs and the sound of running water is soothing. There was a picturesque view that will stick will remain with you forever: small pasture hillocks with some pine forests at the top, old English-styled cottages, vegetable fields and a tea plantation surrounding the settlement, and a pond just below it. This view brought back memories of Dhorpatan, Nepal, through which I had trekked for three days on my way home from Kathmandu. 

Ooty's hills, pasture lands, grassy meadows, pine and eucalyptus forests, vast agricultural fields, small colourful houses and its misty weather reminded me of home. Yet, there was some sense of detachment as well. Different vegetation, protein-producing factories and modern sheep rearing practices were new to me. Going from one shop to another, buying homemade chocolates, made me feel like a tourist. It also felt abnormal when I went to a hillock and there were no snow-capped mountains in sight. 

Then, seeing the sun set behind the hills was something special. Ever since I returned to Chennai, I have been seeing a sun meld into the horizon, a setting that left me feeling like an alien. A sunset in Ooty, on the other hand, made me feel closer to home. So, the Ooty visit, in the end, was like visiting a maternal uncle's home: not exactly at home but near it.