A Road Trip to Kotagiri, Tamil Nadu, India: A Descriptive Narration

The following brief account was not only written but also read by me in school on the National Road Trip Day - 24th May 2024. Here, I reminisce my delightful experience of a road trip to Kotagiri, a lesser known hill station to those who always picture Shimla or Darjeeling as 'the' hill stations of India (not to say they aren't worthy the hype!). The writing here, is a narration capturing the feelings I experience while road-travelling, that are typically ignored. It's unfortunate that we mostly chase the destination and ignore the joy of travel. This writing is a short attempt at holding on to those butterflies of emotion that flutter away, when we reach the coveted destination, because we ignore them.

From adventurous rides along the hairpin bends of mountains, to the tortoise-paced crawling rides in the city traffic, road trips can be extremely diverse. They might get boring at times or might make you go crazy if you challenge the speed limits. Road trips can be challenging too, and so I thought "Why not share with you the tale of a refreshing road trip?". And so today, I, Gaurav shares with you the experience of a rejuvenating road trip that I was a part of, to a place in Tamil Nadu. This summer I had been to Kotagiri, a hilly region blanketed with green carpets of tea plantations. Major checkpoints on the route to Kotagiri were Mysore, Bandipur, and Ooty. I found the first quarter of our journey quite ordinary because we drove across the new Mysore highway. Well, the smooth and polished roads have their own charm but I am an urban dweller just like most of you are, and so very accustomed to the tar and the cement. I longed to spot something new and not those dull billboards on highways and concrete jungles. I longed to be... to be in the wilderness.

As I peered outside the window of my car, I observed the grey landscapes of the metropolis pass by. It took me a while to realise that we were approaching the forests of Bandipur. As the monotony, and gloom of the city began to wither away, there was a gradual upsurge in the count of trees. We were now traversing our way to Kotagiri, a natural retreat, to restore the long-forgotten bonds with mother nature. I rolled down the windows to breathe in life. The forests of Bandipur were less greener than usual because of the scorching heat but that didn't disappoint me for I knew every season came with its own splendour. Before crossing Bandipur, I had managed to spot two elephants, a few peahens, and many deer. To also mention, it was a delight to lend my ears to the chirping of birds that resonated in the forest. I could observe the intangible camaraderie shared by the non-human foresters. We were now approaching the notorious stretch of thirty-six hairpin bends to reach Ooty. Surprisingly, we had managed to wind our way across the roads easily. As expected, the temperature began to drop till it reached 19 degrees Celsius.

We were now covering the last bit of our drive to reach the destination, which proved to be the most eye-appealing. Enthralled by the beauty of the steep rocky walls on one side, and the valley below on the other, I decided to record some portion of the route. The valley down below was bubbling with life, for I could capture people farming, while others walking back to their cottages shouldering wooden baskets. We also halted at many roadside stalls to munch on eatables to further indulge in viewing the surreal charm of nature. There was a uniqueness to the taste of the carrots, and the raw mangoes there. My taste buds took a while to savour the earthy taste they bore.

Although it hadn't rained, the earth smelled of petrichor, the enlivening earthen scent that emanates when clouds shudder and it pours. Just as we were a few metres away from our area of stay, the forests grew denser, and the only species of trees that could be found was the eucalyptus. The car rode on a muddy inclined trail, while I along with my family continued to admire Mother Nature's perfect painting on a canvas.

Gaurav Chandra Tuli