The backwaters hummed along the pitch of our voices as the ripples on the waters reminisced us of the typical sea waves. The wind was refreshing as it strove to cleanse us from the ever increasingly polluted city weather. The evening was beautiful but the setting sun decided to hide among the scattered clouds which denied us the perfect sunset. The neatly laid stone floor beneath our feet was a testament to the skill of the artisans and this temple was known to be submerged and subsequently restored slab by slab. We were at the
Venugopal Swamy Temple on the banks of KRS backwaters, Mysore. Having a large built-up area and also being a very photogenic spot, we indulged in some creative photography. With the sun setting and this being only an intermediate destination, we resumed our journey towards Wayanad.
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| The KRS backwaters in the far background. |
The Scorpio whistled through the dark highways with no stop-overs in between barring for dinner and as we crossed into Kerala few people had warned us about running into wild elephants on the stretch of Tholpetty wildlife sanctuary. We finally reached our guest house at around the stroke of midnight which worked out to be incredibly economical thanks to our friend Karthik.
The following morning was a very pleasant one and and we decided to head towards Chembra
Peak which is renowned for a lake at the top with the shape of a heart. Yes literally and this being the
Monsoon season we were in for an enriching experience. Having haggled with the jeep fellows to take us to the starting point of the trek, we had to pay the trekking charges (Rs.750/-) per head including the guide charges. We started the ascent against a cloudy backdrop but we backed ourselves to get back down before it started to pour. The trek was a real stroll in the park for us having trekked on far arduous routes but being at a height of nearly around 2050 metres and also being the tallest peak in Wayanad district we enjoyed the climb.
The monsoon had draped the Western Ghats in carpets of green and the sight of clouds kissing the far away mountains, exponentially multiplied the grandeur of nature. The tiny trek was not the one for someone seeking a arduous and an adrenaline seeking one. It was not about the trek but the opportunity to interact with nature at its own background. It is believed that water in the heart shaped lake at the Chembra peak never dries up. Set amidst the green mountains, the pictures below indicates my description of the same. The rain clouds looked threatening but we had an ideal descent. The next significant place was the Iruppu Falls where we experienced a torrential monsoon downpour which was a leech heaven as well. The Iruppu being a cascading waterfall was all in its glory and made a classic wallpaper picture. With its thundering sound in the peak of monsoon all elements of nature were in play as we soaked in the refreshing environment of monsoon in the Western Ghats. #SaveWesternGhats
