Chasing Monsoon/Trekking/Agumbe
Soak in the shower of infinite leelas of rain wet Agumbe
All through the villages in the forests, peacocks stand majestically, flaunting their rich plumage. Dark rain clouds suddenly appear out of the blue, blanketing the dimming sky. A deafening roar follows a flash of lightning. Rain drops pelter down heavily on the vehicle. And suddenly, the rain stops. The road stretches into one of the country's few surviving low altitude rain forests; into the dark dense Someswara forest reserve.
The forest stretch ends and the ascent up the Agumbe ghat begins. It begins to drizzle again. The drizzle spreads out into a shower and then grows into a roaring downpour, deluging the roads. Water streams surge through, in full spate, from the hairpin bends that entwine the hill. For a moment, I even fear that the car would be swept away.
A monotonous drone reverberates in the forests. It is raining in Agumbe, the rain in its cosmic form! Placed in the lap of the Sahyadris, Agumbe, the Cheerapunji of South India, receives the heaviest rainfall in South India.
The rain stops. The clouds drift by. On one of the hairpin bends, is the Agumbe viewpoint - the spot which gives a view of the sun setting over the Arabian Sea on a clear day. But now, only thick mists and rain clouds around!
At the foot of a far away mountain, amidst the misty forests, the sparkling white waters of the river Sita leaping joyously in the monsoon rains, catches the eye. The adventurous torrent rafters must have pitched their tents by now.
Bamboo forests appear as we cross the pass. In the drizzling rain, thick mists slowly creep in, hiding them from our view. The rain, the forests, the mists – the magic in the air is simply out of this world. Our driver cautions, 'There might be snakes here in these bamboo forests'. To which I reply, 'Not just any snake. The King Cobra!'. The driver turns speechless! Agumbe is the abode of the King Cobra. The renowned herpetologist, Romulus Whitaker called Agumbe the capital of the King Cobra. He founded the forest research station in Agumbe; the only such research centre in India. Agumbe is now gearing up to set up the world's first King Cobra sanctuary.
From the mists, a huge granite arch comes into view. Here, a sculpture of Saint Agastya holding medicines is seen. This is a part of the Medicinal Plants Conservation Area established in 1996. The road leading to it is flooded now. Around 182 species of medicinal plants grow in these dense forests, of which many are red listed as they face the threat of extinction.
The mist clears. The Agumbe market is here - the place that turned R.K.Narayanan's imaginary world of Malgudi, into a reality. I ask a shopkeeper whether he knew where the TV series of Malgudi Days' was shot. 'All of this is Malgudi. I only played the role of the Municipal Counselor, Sir', he replies smiling. All the people and houses of Agumbe are a part of Malgudi. Everyone you see here are actors. 'Can you see Revaka?', the shopkeeper says, pointing to a sari clad woman walking along the road. 'She is the one who plays the role of the gossipy milkmaid'. 'This road is the Malgudi road.' The Malgudi Days, directed by Sankarnag and telecast in Doordarshan, was a huge hit. Later, in 1985, Kavita Lankesh came to Agumbe again for shooting the new version of Malgudi Days.
It is noon. I ask for a change from the vegetarian diet followed in Southern Canara and a small hotel named Taj is shown to me. Tajjuddin is able to understand Malayalam, as he has worked in Mangalapuram. Along with steaming hot rice, Chicken Kurma and Mutton curry find their way to the table.
Policemen stand with lathis at the check post in the market. Naxalites pose a great threat to this region. Will the Naxals flee on swinging the lathis? The reply is a helpless grin, which implied, they might. The trek route to Narasimha parvat moves away from the main road. Rain falls heavily on Agumbe again, as if cautioning the thick mists that play hide-and-seek.
R L Harilal
Translation: Anuradha Ganesh
Photos: Madhuraj
Bamboo forests appear as we cross the pass. In the drizzling rain, thick mists slowly creep in, hiding them from our view. The rain, the forests, the mists – the magic in the air is simply out of this world. Our driver cautions, 'There might be snakes here in these bamboo forests'. To which I reply, 'Not just any snake. The King Cobra!'. The driver turns speechless! Agumbe is the abode of the King Cobra. The renowned herpetologist, Romulus Whitaker called Agumbe the capital of the King Cobra. He founded the forest research station in Agumbe; the only such research centre in India. Agumbe is now gearing up to set up the world's first King Cobra sanctuary.
