It was that time of the
year when I needed solace from the usual monotony of deadlines and exams. November is a month when the atmosphere is
quite pleasant in India. Therefore, my family and I chose this month as
suitable for our next exciting vacation. Last year we paid a visit to the
exhilarating sea coast of Ganpatipule, this year we decided to explore the
hills to enjoy the cold weather and experience yet another facet of India’s
diverse geography. We decided to go on a vacation to Coorg, a beautiful hill
station in Karnataka. We boarded a flight from Mumbai to Mangaluru, from where
Coorg is around 180 kilometers away. We reached Mumbai airport in the wee hours
of morning, yet it was crowded like any other hour of the day. Indeed Mumbai is
a city that never sleeps! As our flight took off from Mumbai, with a childlike
excitement I saw the tall buildings and slums of Mumbai appear like ants from
above. My busy city still looked beautiful despite the high density of population
she bears. As the flight was nearing Mangaluru, all that I saw from above was
greenery, contrary to Mumbai’s commercial view that I had seen. After reaching
Mangaluru, we commenced our road trip to Coorg which was 4.5 hours long. The
long roads surrounded by tall trees on both the sides were respite to the eyes.
I enjoyed the cool breeze which brushed my face. As we drove higher in the
mountains, the air became cooler thanks to the impenetrable greenery nestled in
the mountains. We were to stay in Cottabetta bungalow of Tata Coffee Estate in
Pollibetta. Thus, our wait was finally over and we reached our regal sojourn of
4 days. The heritage bungalow was 130 years old with its antiquity beautifully
preserved. Throughout the stay, we experienced the amicability and perfect
hospitality delivered by the people of Tata, which made us feel at home.
Next day onwards we
began with sightseeing. Our first destination was Dubare Elephant Camp. When we
reached the camp, some elephants were relaxing in the Cauvery River, enjoying
the bath. They let themselves get pampered as they lay lazily in the water as
their caretakers bathed them vigorously. I grew fond of one elephant calf which
was constantly around its mother, never letting her go out of its sight. After
its mother was done with her bath, this little one followed her out of the
river like an obedient child. Later we visited the elephant feeding area, where
they were fed dried grass and wheat. With amusement we saw how the caretakers
stuffed wheat inside the grass like a sandwich. The elephants using their
trunks skilfully, lifted their ‘sandwiches’ and enjoyed their breakfast after a
cool bath. But the little calf held my attention for long. It was tiny, its
ears were still not grown fully and tusks were yet to grow. It had its separate
baby food and after finishing the meal, it went to stand under its mother’s
trunk. It was a beautiful example of mother and child bonding. As I watched
these gargantuan animals walk, I looked at their sword-like white tusks. I
wondered how God has his own way of making his creations look adorable in a
unique way. At the same time I remembered that these intelligent animals are
killed in large numbers for ivory. I silently prayed for long life of these
wise beings whom we revere as Lord Ganesha. Elephant rides too were available.
Rather than riding on an elephant, we chose to simply watch and appreciate this
patient-looking animal’s easy behaviour.
Our next spot was
Cauvery Nisargdham, where we enjoyed the plush greenery around River Cauvery.
We strode in the park amidst the pleasant coolness provided by the trees
around. There was a deer park too and we saw two deer who were busy grazing. We
walked further to reach the great River Cauvery. The river looked pure and
pristine. It was surrounded by trees on all sides. The sound of the flowing
river was melodious. In a city like Mumbai where water is becoming a scarce
resource, I looked at this generous source of water which provided glut of
purity. It is up to humans to maintain and protect these sources which provide
man’s indispensable need for water.
In the afternoon we
visited Namdroling Monastery also called as Golden Temple, located in Bylakuppa
of Mysore district. It was built by Guru Rinpoche in 1963 to spread the message
of peace in the world. The monastery covered a huge area where there were
Buddhist viharas and places of residence for the monks. There were well
maintained gardens around the temple which added to the monastery’s beauty. We
visited Padmasambhava Buddhist Vihara temple which had golden statues of Guru
Padmasambhav, Gautam Buddha and Guru Amitayus. We sat there in silence and
looked at the statues as though they were staring at us. The temple had walls
with resplendent paintings of 25 disciples of Guru Padmasambhava. The temple
was an epitome of peace and serenity. One could attain complete rejuvenation of
mind. There were three more viharas in the monastery premises. It was the time
of prayer when we visited, and therefore all the monks sat in front of the
Buddha and paid their obeisance to the Lord by playing some kind of a musical
instrument. It was a ‘never-seen-before’ sight for me as it was the first time
I visited a monastery. I observed that the monks did not speak and only gesticulated
to communicate with each other. In our daily lives where we find a constant
need to talk and express ourselves, I was amazed how these monks had vowed to
simplicity in their lives. The monastery also housed a high school for the
young monks. I left the monastery carrying new found respect for Buddhism and
its teachings.
In the evening, we went
on a Plantation Safari of Tata Coffee Estate for which a typical safari jeep
was arranged for us. A naturalist accompanied us on this visit and showed us
the Arabica and Robusta coffee plantations. Initially we mistook them to wild
berries. It came as a surprise to us when the naturalist told us that they were
coffee plants. Our urban minds knew coffee beans which were brown in colour.
The naturalist explained that these seeds become brown once they are plucked
and roasted for further processing. At Tata coffee estate, pepper is also
cultivated whose fruits bear its strong smell. As we drove deeper into the
plantations, we realized the huge quantum of coffee that the estate produced
and exported. In its vast estate we saw a medical clinic provided by Tata for
its workers, houses for them as well as shelters for the physically
handicapped. Thus, Tata proves to be an exemplar of doing business with dignity
while providing utmost care for its employees. All these years I had read about
Tata’s fair business practices and I believe that its concern for employees has
led Tata today to reach the pinnacle of success. I truly understood why people
who join Tata retire from Tata only at the end of their careers. Working for
such an organization must be bliss for its employees. Besides, by employing
locals Tata was serving the society and our nation, by providing them
livelihood. I found this to be a perfect way of Corporate Social Responsibility
which Tata was successfully carrying out.
Next morning we walked
in the deep jungle surrounding the coffee estate. It seemed adventurous to walk
in knee deep grasses and making way through the rocky path. It was indeed a
strenuous morning exercise! After relishing delicious breakfast of Paputtu and
coconut chutney, we headed to visit Tata tea estate. We were awestruck to see
the huge green mountains of tea plantations as we walked along. We proceeded
further to reach Irupu Waterfalls. A forest trail leads to this breathtaking
waterfall. The gushing sound of the snow-white water was a treat to eyes as
well as ears. This was again the myriad aspect of nature’s boundless beauty. As
I am a keen lover of wildlife, we decided to visit Nagarhole National Park
which is home to tigers, leopards, deer, monkeys and wild pigs. We rode in a
crowded safari bus with an anticipation to spot a leopard or a tiger. Alas, our
hopes were belied when we could not spot a single leopard or a tiger. We could
see only large numbers of spotted deer who had abundant vegetation in the
forest. The dense forests provided a perfect home for these endangered species.
For a Mumbaikar who sees only concrete buildings around, I was captivated by
these pure natural surroundings.
Next day was our last
one for sightseeing. Our first spot for the day was Abbey Waterfalls in
Madikeri. This waterfall was easy to reach unlike Irupu waterfalls. The
cascading waterfalls looked exactly how I had seen waterfalls in pictures or
paintings. The falls looked pleasant, pure and calm. The sun shone brightly
over the Abbey waterfalls making it appear picturesque. After bidding goodbye
to this magnificent being, we went shopping. We bought what Coorg is well known
for: Spices. We could see a plethora of spices and chocolates in the shop. The tantalizing
aromas represented India’s ‘absolute advantage’ in spices in the entire world. After
buying these specialties of Coorg, we drove to visit our last spot in Coorg,
Raja’s Seat. Raja’s seat is a spot where kings came to get the view of sunrise
or sunset. One can see the entire greenery of Coorg in various shades of green.
This sunrise and sunset point is adorned by beautiful gardens.
We returned to our
bungalow carrying nature’s virgin beauty in our minds. As we had our last
sumptuous meal, my heart became heavy with the thought of leaving the next day.
The excitement and longing for this vacation was coming to an end. I expressed
my ‘melancholy’ to my sister and my parents. My father lifting up my spirits
said, “It shows that you enjoyed here to your heart’s content and therefore are
morose to leave this place. But won’t you forever cherish these memories and
nature’s wealth when we get back to Mumbai? The sight of these wonderful
creations of God will forever be treasured in our minds.” The next day on our
flight to Mumbai, I bade goodbye to the greenery of Mangaluru to again welcome the
tall buildings and busy lifestyle of Mumbai. We had got our much needed
relaxation and rejuvenation in the lap of Mother Nature.
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