Water lillies always fascinated me – It could be because of my childhood memories associated with the pond at our ancestral nalukettu at Pazhayannur amidst a cocount farm . It used to be resplendent with the lillies in bloom – a treat to the eyes !
A weekend Getway to Kolli hills – a small hill station tucked in the eastern ghats at an elevation of 1100 MSL.
Enroute Chennai from Karoor, the off beat trail to Kolli hills was beckoning and we decided to take it up. The journey uphill negotiating 70 hairpin bends was pretty scenic and the mountain air exhilarating!�
We reached the top in an hour and a half and after lunch, were all eager to explore the hills.
The hills were quite vast and the vegetation was a mix of pine, eucalyptus, terraced rice fields , pepper and plantains. I was amazed on how this place was so neatly tucked away by the evergreen forests – raw , pristine and untouched by commercialization indeed !!
After a quick visit to the mini waterfalls and arpaleeshwhara temple .we decided to take up the trek downhill to agayagangai falls.
It is a must see – the locals say that these falls are synonymous with Kolli hills.
It was an 850 step climb down through the thickets ,and we went down, despite shivering knees , keeping a brave face and not letting the thought of the arduous task of the climb back bog us down.
The sight of the milky falls as we turned the last bend of our path , took our breath away and left us literally spellbound.
The roar of the falls , the water spray ,the wet rocks, trees and the gurgling stream were picture perfect that all went berserk !
After spending some time in the premises savoring the sights and sound of the jungles – we were all calmed and recharged to take the return path.
The next stop over was the view point by dusk- the sky had a myriad hues with the moon up there too- it offered a magical view of the misty valley.
We couldn’t make it to the lake as time ran out and darkness had set in . A dinner around the campfire called for an end to a wonderful day .
To wrap it up ,Kolli was a pleasant surprise and an ideal getaway – soothing to the soul !
