Ponmudi Hill Station
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A mere one and a half hour’s road journey separates the beaches of
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) from Ponmudi Hills, one of the nest
Tourist Spots in Kerala.
The name Ponmudi, a hill station so close to the sea, in Malayalam means golden
crown. On the way to Ponmudi, the thick tropical forest greets one at the foot
of the Ponmudi hill range.
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The road passes under a canopy of thickly matted foliage. The forest recedes
gradually giving way to neatly clipped tea bushes. As one leaves the city
behind, one enters the region of plantations – rubber, pepper, cardamom and tea.
The change is abrupt. The tappers can be seen going about briskly gathering the
milky fluid from rubber trees collected in coconut shells.
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Coconut thatch mats cover almost one half of the road, over which women spread
black pepper for drying. One may come across a lone elephant ambling along
carrying his mahout atop and his breakfast of coconut thatch in his trunk. Tea
estates at Ponmudi are not as big as those in the Munnar hills. Large water
sprays shower the gardens. |
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The ‘mate’, a septuagenarian shading himself with an umbrella, can be
seen reading aloud the day’s news to the pickers. The pickers, in
response, either grunt indicating disapproval of the news item or
remain silent in agreement. Trekking to the north of Ponmudi Crest,
one passes along a mini zoo, primarily of barasinghas, on the edge of
the forest. Entering the forest, the verdant shades of green numb the
senses. As does the avian orchestra. |
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The brilliant red southern trongon dot the trees like flowers.
The air is full with the loud raucous chuckling of heavy billed
Malabar hornbills. The shrill notes of the blue-black Malabar
whistling thrush add to the cacophony. Even the rare long-tailed
paradise flycatchers flit gracefully from tree to tree. It is
like an open aviary. The climate is always pleasant, and the
stay here can be arranged by the General Administration
Department of Kerala. It is connected to Trivandrum city by a
narrow winding road which offers a very scenic view even on the
way to the Ponmudi. The tea-gardens here are also very famous.
The tourist resort is developed almost half a kilometer before
the actual peak, which is often called the Echo Point. Ponmudi
serves as a base for trekking and hiking. |
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