Masinagudi, Tamil Nadu

It had been a while since we went on a vacation. Son's board exams, admissions, uninterrupted semesters and so on and so forth, and we needed to retreat for at least a few days...somewhere, away from the traffic , congestion and pollution....and all fingers pointed to MASINAGUDI.

A short break into this wilderness began with a breath taking journey through highways, ghat roads and vast forest lands.

The Drive Through The Forest Area

The journey of 132km from Salem was unassuming, boring on the NH7 but quickly transformed to an entirely different one, of scenic ghats once we turned towards Satyamangalam. The trees on either sides of the roads, with their wide branches spread out, blocked the summer skies and made the drive a pleasant one.

As we crossed Chamaraj nagar the road, resembling a winding staircase with 36 hairpin bends takes us to an altitude of 950 metres and we hit a small hill town, Asanur. From here the  like a kaleidoscope we are in the midst of lush green meadows and dense forests, the entry to the forest area of Bandipur Reserves.

Herds of deer are commonly sighted all around on the greens, oblivious to the tourists stopping to take pictures of them. Curious monkeys peer into the cars expecting a small snack to be shared. Alighting from the vehicle or feeding animals is strictly prohibited on these roads. Adjacent to The Bandipur Reserves is The Mudumalai Sanctuary, from were one turns left and crosses an iron bridge to Masinagudi, a small town beholding numerous resorts varying from luxury cottages to budget stays.

Our stay was booked at Wild Woods Haven Resorts, which was extremely decent and comfortable with a large balcony overlooking the hills. The serene atmosphere, the breeze constantly blowing and the tiny birds flying with all their might with the wind are memories that linger on forever.

Wild Woods Haven Resort

Things To Do At Masinagudi

 Safaris:

The National Park,  Mudumalai organizes van safaris into the virgin lands of the sanctuary areas, (Timings: 6:30 – 8.30 a.m./3 to 6 p.m). Its a 45 minutes to an hours ride and spotting wild bison, spotted deer, bear, or a boar is common. Alternatively, one can tour the jungle on an elephant, on the off beaten tracks.

Elephant Camp:

A visit to the elephant camp is worth it if one wishes to see the elephants at close proximity. It houses around 29 elephants which are cared and trained. One can see these huge mammals being bathed and fed here.

Night Safari:

There are numerous vans at the town area which can be hired for a night safari. This is one of the best event at Masinagudi,- travelling in an open van into complete darkness to sight wild animals roaming freely in their, home lands. If ones adrenal can digest the thrill it is an adventure to experience.

Wild Bison

Sambar Deer

Treks:

The resorts organize treks around areas close to streams where the animals frequent in the evenings. On these treks one can sight colorful birds, and animals like langurs, deer, rabbits and boars. If one is lucky one may even sight an elephant, who is on its way to quench its thirst. And one is considered even luckier if he can  reach the resort safety back after seeing one.

The Peacock

Family of Langur

The Stag with Deer

The Nilgiri Langur

The Stag

A Brief Note On Mudumalai

 The Mudumalai Sanctuary is strategically situated within the protected areas of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. To the north of Mudumalai is the Bandipur National Park and Nagarhole National Park. Towards the west lies the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary and in the south the Mukurthi National Park and Silent Valley National Park. The east holds the Sigur Plateau, that connects the Sathyamangalam wildlife sanctuary and Biligirirangan Hills Wildlife Sanctuary. These sanctuaries and forests cover an area of 3,300 square kilometers of forest, and is the habitat of 1800–2300 elephants. It is estimated that there are around 48 tigers in the Nilgiri Reserve which roam freely. In April 2007, the Tamil Nadu  government declared Mudumalai as a Tiger Reserve and is taking all measures in preserving the wildlife in this area.

Note -The pictures are clicked by my son and are copyright.

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Mits Clicks (Click here to view the page)

Danish Fort , Tharangambadi (Travelogue)

Danish Fort or Tranquebar is 35 Kilometres north of Nagappattinam on the coast of Bay of Bengal situated in a small town of Tharamgambadi.  Tranquebar  means "place of the singing waves" in Danish and was a Danish colony from 1620 to 1845. The Danes landed at this place in 1620 AD and constructed fortifications on the coast at Tranquebar. It was a major trade center on the Coromandal coast for the danes till 1845 AD, and was later handed  to the English.  This fort was declared as a protected monument by the Department of Archaeology, Government of Tamilnadu in       1977 AD.

Construction of Fort dates back to 1620. Most parts of the fort have been reconstructed several times. The rampart wall is a fairly large four sided structure, with bastions at each cardinal point. A single storied building was constructed along three inner sides of the rampart, with barracks, warehouse, kitchen and jail. The rooms on the southern side remain in good condition, but the rooms on the western and northern sides have been substantially damaged. On the eastern side of the fort, there was a two storied building facing the sea. It was the main building of the fort.  The sea on the eastern and western side protects the fort. The fort was protected by a moat which has been completely destroyed over the years.

A visit to this place from Karaikal, made us awe at its architectural skills which existed during the earlier years and has stood many erosion and the major devastation, like that of December 2004 Tsunami.

Still standing like a rock, the Danish fort escaped the tsunami fury on December 26. Although the waves had reached the main road and washed away several coastal hamlets in Tranquebar for about a kilometre, killing about 700 people, the nearly four-century-old fort, which is just 100 metres away from the seashore, was not at affected, due to its huge wall built around.

The view of the Fort from the seashore

Along  the seashore lies a temple , which is crumbling due to the sea ingress. Maravarama Sundarapandian, a later Pandya King, constructed this temple called the Masilamani Natha temple in    1305 AD.

The Masilamani Temple 

At the vicinity from the seashore is the Zion Church on King’s Street, which was sanctified in 1701 and is the oldest Protestant church in India.  Its intricate ornamentation is reminiscent of the architecture of European churches.

View of the Church

Darjeeling ; Champagne Of Tea

Darjeeling is renowned for its high-quality tea, with the altitude, rainfall, and climate of the region contributing to the exceptional taste. Situated in the Himalayan range, Darjeeling possesses all the necessary factors for producing premium tea.

During our tenure as Station Commander in Kurseong, West Bengal, we visited Makaibari Tea Estates as part of an adventure camp organized for children under the Eastern Air Command (EAC). The tour provided us with valuable insights into the traditional 'Orthodox' processing of Darjeeling tea leaves.

Tea Leaves

Tea plucking

The tea leaves are carefully plucked by local women using bamboo baskets known as "Doko" and then weighed at the factory. The process of 'Orthodox Production' begins with withering, where moisture is slowly removed from the leaves over a period of 14-16 hours.

Following withering, the leaves undergo rolling to maintain their style and prevent overheating. Fermentation then takes place to develop the unique flavor and aroma of Darjeeling tea. The final step involves drying the leaves to produce black tea, which is then sorted, graded, and packed for sale.

Stages of Manufacture:

Withering: During this process, the green leaves are evenly spread on troughs, through which hot & cold air are blown in a regulated manner. This withering trough is normally 4 to 5 feet wide and 50 to 70 feet long. The object is to remove moisture in the leaf slowly over a period of 14 - 16 hours and in this process approximately 65% of the moisture is removed from the green leaf.

Withering Process

Rolling: The withered leaves are loaded into rollers where they are twisted by a mechanical action. The process is carefully monitored so that the style of the leaf is maintained and overheating does not occur as the delicate leaves will loose its aroma and taste. In this process the green colour of the leaf is replaced by brown coppery colour as the process of rolling under pressure twists the leaf, ruptures the cells and releases the natural juices, promoting oxidation and acceleration of pigmentation.

Fermentation: After Rolling, the leaf is spread in a cool and humid room in very thin layers. The process lasts between 2- 4 hours, depending on the temperature, humidity and leaf quality. During this process the tea develops a unique flavour and aroma. The flavour of the tea can be affected by a minutes delay in adjusting the correct fermenting period. In this stage the flavanols combine with oxygen in the air, which develops the unique flavour of Darjeeling Tea.

Drying ( Firing):The fermented leaf is taken to a dryer, where it is subjected to regulated varying temperature of 200 to 240 c for a period of 20 - 30 min. The result is the black tea whose moisture is now completely lost.

Sorting & Packing:This is the final stage, where the tea is graded according to the size of the tea granules and is packed in specially designed foil lined packages for sale.


A short note about Makaibari Tea Estates

Visit To Makaibari Tea Estates

Makaibari Tea Estates, established in 1859, is the world's first tea factory and follows sustainable practices such as permaculture. The estate retains 70% of its area under forest cover, creating a biotope for various animal species to thrive. Makaibari is known for producing the most expensive tea brand, Silver Tips Imperial, which is plucked under the full moon and highlights the essence of Darjeeling terroir.