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[Sivan Krishnan]

PARASURAMA KSHETHRA YATHRA  - NANGNALUR  J K. SIVAN

17.4.26 to 22.4.2026.

NATURE'S  BOUNTY.

On 21.4.26 from the time I got up early in the morning till  8.30 pm. I have travelled a long distance, stood and walked at many temples and my frame needed, the well earned res and availed it , thanks to both Mrs Shobhana  & Mr. Viswanathan,  at their  Kottapuram 6th floor  flat. 

For dinner we had tasty home made dosas along with  cut pieces of sweet mangoes.  I went to bed after listening to some  live and recorded songs of Viswanathan.  

22nd April 2026.   I got up early in the morning preparing myself for the  day long journey back to Chennai by car.  
At 6.15 am  had a dose of  tasty  excellent coffee prepared by Mr Viswanathan and both my wie and I took leave of the couple .
We stopped for a while in front of the  Kottapuram Vijayagar temple prayed and and commenced our  journey. The four days of divine feelings and experience had certainly  left an indelible impression in my mind about the Kerala temples. 

The driver assured me that our return journey would be different as he would be taking us through mountains and hilly forests to enjoy beautiful natural scenery and it was quite welcome.  Nature is HIS gift to mankind.  

Our young  driver Hafeez  is always full of enthusiasm and   is  a born nature lover. He was happy to select our return passage through  mountainous forests of western ghats, presenting every inch of land filled to brim with scenic beauty,.  He was aware that we have to travel  a long distance of  about 600-700 km. and opted to follow the route from Punkunnam (Thrissur) to Pollachi  through the dense Aliyar,Sholayar dams, riverfed forests, tea estates, and several valleys and waterfalls.. He knew that there is not going to be anymore halt for temple visit from then on,  and so the  route  was Punkunnam > Chalakudy > Athirappilly > Vazhachal > Malakkappara > Sholayar Dam > Valparai > Aliyar Dam > Pollachi.> Palani>Dindigul> Trichy>Perambalur>chennai....

We were running through to reach home before it became too dark, and stopped for tea, lunch and coffee only at select places till reaching home.
in the morning  we switched off AC,   downed he car window glasses, on the route we followed from Thrissur, till Pollachi .  It was all through  hilly, with chill air, shady trees and I could not see the summer sun, despite it being almost  11 am, with no heat, that too in the hot summer month of  April.

If you travel through such beautiful forest area  with green mountain ranges and  green hills and valleys,  you will find  the scenic beauty as a spiritual companion and that Nature is the best energiser.   Through the windows, with glass downed, as the car was ascending or descending the hills, nature  ushered in fresh cold air and it  gives eternal joy and heals the human mind.  Its silence is the best speech soothing the disturbed mind.  It made me think of HIM, His gentle, nurturing care and kindness, and i experienced the   inexplicable comfort in His unseen company.

As we were moving  along the hilly path, at varying heights, there were many placards and Caution  boards warning us of  more than 40 hairpin bends,  elephant crossings, wild bison, boars, monkey menace,  etc., The hairpin bends were efficiently manouevred by our young driver and sometimes it made me sweat in spite of the cool environment when I viewed the plains far below.

I was reminded of the beautiful words of William Wordsworth...  “I wandered lonely as a cloud , That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils…”  The famous English  poet has a knack of presenting nature in a platter, as a good and trustwordhy guide and healer of human soul.. It is cent percent true.

We were going  ahead  with controlled speed though the  road was free but interrupted by sudden hairpin bends remembering the warning and cautions. Names of manuy  forest villages appeared in green boards, such as  Kadamkode, Kannikulangara,Thumboormuzhi .Vettilappara (small waterfalls area), Pariyaram (on/near the route region), Athirappilly  and they, with their residents were totally unconnected with me in my worldly life. 

I saw many big and small beautiful silvery water falls, lakes and rivers down below  from the fast moving  car..

When we stopped somewhere to enjoy the natural scenery, the cars coming fom opposite direction or folowing us also stopped and asked us ''is there  any elephant on the  way...? Many have the fear of encountering huge wild elephant singly or in group on the way without notice at any time at any point.

Another  beautiful line of verse which passed through my memory;  ..

.“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm,but to add colour to my sunset sky.” I was enjoying the meaning and chewing the cud.....

At most places I enjoyed seeing tea plantations, in the mountain slopes.

 

An old woman was selling  a big Tea manufacturing company's  branded  tea dust packets at Chalakudi and we bought  some packets of good ,  freshly packed  tea for presentation to friends and relatives.

Nature has always been a profound source of inspiration for poets across ages, this being confined not only to the Western poets but to many in our own country as well. Who can afford not to think of Tagore, Bharati, Kambar, Elango, Kalidasa and so many others and their monumental immortal literary gifts?.  Of course it is all not in English language as the poets excelled in their creations beautified in their mother tongue.

I strongly feel that  physical landscape  is a a powerful force that shapes human emotions, thoughts, and spirituality as I hv already stated before. Our jubilant  young driver pointed out some  scenic, beautiful, natural and wonderful spots  and reminded us of the names of the films, in which  they were shot and  filmed.

i was thrilled to see the Aliyar, Sholayar dams, the reservoire, and the clean water therein.  

At one stage the descending  started and the driver was cautious to control speed and use the natural gravitational downward  movement. 

I saw an elephant and a calf drinking water at one spot where there was a river  flowing amid forests. They appeared small from the height I viewed them.

The heat began telling  when we were nearing the plains  leaving  behind the hills and forest area.

Pollachi  is  right at the foot of dense forest mountains  and  is rich with nature's bounty  exhibiting quite a picruresque view. Everywhere there were coconut groves and green paddy fields.

I remembered once visiting   the saint Vedhadhri Maharshi at  Valparai, many decades ago,  when I  spent a  full day with him at the ashram. The sage taught beautiful  thought provoking  ideas of universal love, simplicity in life and charitable mind, which are needed by every one of us.

I thank you my friends, for having joined me in the week long  holy pigrimage.