Get mesmerized in the folds of green mountains of Munnar

by ADMINISTRATOR · Published May 7, 2013 · Updated February 22, 2014

I always prefer February for any trip, not because it is the month in which I was born but because of the lovely weather it has. Initially the camp was fixed to visit Munnar and Iravikulam national park for a three-day trekking not only for visiting the attractions of Munnar but also to identify with the nature much intensely. Till then I knew that it was a tourist spot of hillside greenery and surrounded by the country’s highest tea gardens and specially known for species such as Nilgiri Tahr and rare frogs and butterflies. The enthusiasm was all about the Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes Kunthiana) flowers, even though it flowered a few years back and I have to wait for a decade to see the mountains in blue. The more fascinating is the Rajamala hill and the shola forests. But the mood was entirely different after those three days, the trip taught me something very different than I expected. While interacting with the people living in the forest, forest guards and range officers, I was deeply perturbed by the thought of the urban destroying the nature.

On the first understanding, Munnar is a place of exploration; historically it is the land of colonialisation of nature and geographically it is a hill station situated in the midst of layers of mountains in the Idukki District of Kerala. It is a land of three rivers. The green hill station has a perfect foil in variety of attractions like placid lakes, misty mountain peaks, waterfalls and wild life sanctuaries. It is rich in water resources as Munnar, valleys and shola forests are the fundamental producers of water and I was humiliated at the moment when I realized that the tourism marketing of this place is damaging the eco system of this gift of nature.

Of late, the temperature level has increased over the years thanks to tourists who are the main contributors of pollution. The river in the heart of Munnar was filled with plastic covers and the water was grimy black in color with an awful smell and nobody believes that once this was the purest water of the earth which freshly originated from the mountains. With most of the land conquered by corporate for building multi facility hotels aiming at the tourist market, the land has become an easy prey to pollution. But none of them has facilities for waste disposals. Besides, small creatures like butterflies and insects may become endangered species if deforestation and pollution continues. Even exceptional flowers and the strange botanical structure is also threatened by the urban behavior who are not sensitized enough to conserve nature.

Munnar never disappoints a tourist, but every pleasure trip comes with a tag of responsibility. No doubt a get-away trip to Munnar will refresh your body and soul. Munnar is waiting for you with a bagful of surprises of nature. Revel in the nature’s beauty but be inspired at least to plant a tree in the nature’s paradise.

Mystic Munnar: