Pakshipatala, 15th Nov 2009

Thirunelli, being my Mother’s native and the place where I spent a lot of my childhood is situated in thick woods. It is within Wayanad wildlife sanctuary and is now also identified as an Elephant corridor.
View Thirunelli in a larger map

Elephants have amazing memories and they trace a particular path every year in search of food and water. This information gets passed on from generation to generation. Preserving such paths essentially means preserving a healthy population of elephants. I have seen in the past 15 years that elephant sightings in Thirunelli has continuously increased. This time, we watched about 10-12 elephants, from a distance however.

Even in these heights where only animals rule the land, it is strange how men like to draw borders; it can be seen in this image as 2 parallel lines running on the top of the hills. On the left lies Karnataka and on the right lies Kerala.

These are moments when you wish that time could stand still. However, time stands still only in photographs.

Category: Trek

8 Responses to “Pakshipatala, 15th Nov 2009”

  1. iqbal
    November 17th, 2009 at 11:20 PM

    Maga… the view is breathtaking… its different from the time we had been there.. and we did not see any elephants too… :(

  2. G V Krishnan
    November 18th, 2009 at 6:20 AM

    Maybe, we should hold MBP bloggers meet there, sometime.
  3. ashwin
    November 18th, 2009 at 8:31 AM

    @Iqbal: Yes maga, the view was completely different this time. Kind of a rough weather. While coming back, it rained too for a 1 km stretch. And there are so many elephants these days, the forest officials are very scared to let us go without a guide. In fact, at one place, we could smell the elephants nearby. In another place, we could hear an elephant make a high pitch sound.
  4. ashwin
    November 18th, 2009 at 8:37 AM

    @GVK: Sure sir, we can have a meet there. Its just 3 hours away from Mysore.
  5. Sunita
    November 18th, 2009 at 5:07 PM

    What an absolutely incredible place! I hope it continues to be as unspoilt as it is now.
    Those 2 border-lines have to be one of the most foolish things that I’ve seen governments, or rather, those who think they represent them, do. Doesn’t the rain ever wash it away into oblivion?
  6. CPN
    November 20th, 2009 at 5:16 PM

    How Do I get there ?. I have my 3 year old son – will want to trek but dont want to exhaust him . pls provide details.
    thanks
  7. CPN
    November 20th, 2009 at 5:19 PM

    sorry ashwin – More than the paths – it is important that poachers dont kill the lead elephant. the lead learns from the predecessor and is expected to pass it to the next generation.

    So , if the lead is lost /electrocuted – The complete herd will be lost.
  8. ashwin
    November 21st, 2009 at 6:36 AM

    The place is just 3.5 hours away from Mysore. If you are travelling in your car, then you could take either of the following roads:

    Mysore – Hunsur – Nagarhole – Kutta – Tholpatty – Thetroad – Thirunelli
    Mysore – HD Kote – Bavali – Kattikulam – Thetroad – Thirunelli
    Mysore – Hunsur – Gonikoppa – Srimangala – Kutta – Tholpatty – Thetroad – Thirunelli

    The former 2 roads are open only between 6AM and 6PM. Also, I must warn that all 3 roads are not in good condition as of date.
    About the trekking: You could trek till Pakshipatala which is 10km (3km steep + 7km moderate) distant from Thirunelli temple. Otherwise, you could trek just 3 kms (steep) to the top of forest tower. Even if you are not trekking, Thirunelli being in the midst of a forest and surrounded by hills on all 4 sides is a scenic place to visit. Trekking requires forest permission which can be obtained fairly easily. Thirunelli has a lodge, 2-3 small resorts and a few houses which provide accomodation too.

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