In the silence of a river, I found my voice ! At Neyyar dam, Kovalam, Kerala

 

We buckled ourselves up for a short trip from our resort(How I landed up here? Take a trip to my Curtain-raising blog -->), with lemon sodas and starchy foods to contain any gut-retching tendencies(we did not want motion sickness and vertigo to strike us at the wrong moment- Imagine feeling like a bat hanging upside down, and being made to witness the panorama of nature in fast forward or in shifting planes - not a spectacle to behold, right? ). Much to our dismay, the initial stretch of our trip involved battling through traffic chaos - on the arterial roads. Well, so much for trying to escape the madding crowd of the urban-scapes, Kovalam hustles like a city during holidays, thanks to the hordes of tourists, who proliferate like hyacinths on a crystal clear water body! But the clamour did not flank our trail for long. For, the signboard indicating Neyyar popped up , indicating a diversion to the left and we heaved a sigh of relief. 

And boy, was it a relief of sorts! This trail off the main road was only visible to half--a-mile, beyond which overhanging branches of the thickets, covered the route. A sharp swerve to the left, put us on the route to Neyyar. It was an uphill climb, dotted sparsely with shacks offering drinks and snacks. On one side of the narrow trail, were the thickets of indigenous clustered plants, enveloping the sunlight in its shades. The other side threw open to a not-so-deep valley, punctuated with river pools or vegetation or hill residents doing their laundry by the water streams. Offbeat and away from the town's hustle and bustle, the road to Neyyar did not showcase much of human habitation, but for a few cottages sprinkled here and there. Neither were there many vehicles plying on the road, or human clusters to be found but for a couple or more jaywalkers who passed by us.  

We stopped by on a bridge to inquire  about the directions to Neyyar, from a few youths who seemed engrossed in painting a denuded tree white(New Year celebs had rubbed off even on this remote location and on closer look, we found that the tree was actually pasted with cotton wool and also being decorated with lights). Their answer assured us that we were on the right path. Our drive culminated in one steep slope terminating at the parking slot of the Neyyar reservoir.

A booking booth for entry and boating, with no queue on New Year's eve, left us second-guessing our decision to come here. But one look down at the placid Neyyar river reassured us, that our journey to this place would be worth the while.

Escorted by one of the government staff, we headed down a mossy staircase to where our motor boat was anchored. Another family of 3, were to ride with us. Rickety and rusted, I boarded the boat with a fervent prayer on my lips, which rocked as if a burly "Mrs Walter Hudson" had set foot on its floor! The lady in the uniform, started the motor and the boat sputtered away into the expanse of 'Lake Placid" alias river Neyyar.

Beyond the mangroves and other thickets that populated the river banks, the mighty Western Ghats rose like an undulating fortress. Nestled in the midst of those was the legendary Agastya mountain(Agastyarkoodam). The legend behind the mountain was regaled to us in Malayalam mixed Tamil, by our boatwoman. She went on to narrate of how the great sage performed his yagnas there. The origin of the Neyyar river is also associated with this sage. A haven of austerities in the past, the present-day Agastyarkoodam is a favourite  for the adrenaline junkies, as it is a popular trekking trail 

The slow motion of our rickety boat seemed to bring excerpts from our ancient epics to life. The tales that unfolded during the river crossings  be it in Ramayana or Mahabharata, never efface so easily. When we had reached the deepest point in the river, I asked the boatwoman warily, in my cockney Malayalam "Crocodiles, irruka, inge?" . She was quick to respond in the negative, dispelling my fears. She also pointed to the Ayurveda mountain which is home to Kerala's ayurvedic herbs. While clicking away and capturing these moments with a camera, we exchanged casual talks with our fellow traveler.

But whatever noise emanated from our boat - be it the motor or our talks, the silence of the surroundings seemed to engulf it all. The mountains echoed with resilience, having witnessed the heroic and demonic tales from ages - when Gods and demons manifested on earth. The river, breathed in its zillion ripples, gently washing the feet of these mountains covered in swathes of wooded thickets.

The gentle splashing receded into the whispering in the woods, which held a secret allure beckoning many a traveler

 to take the unknown trail.  The overhanging greens which unraveled raw wilderness far and beyond, rustled every once awhile, piquing our curiosity. 

At that, we would turn our heads just in time to sight a langoor, leaping from one branch to the other. The rare sighting was complemented by a few rare birds, which had perched on a floating tree branch on the river. Our boatwoman, in mixed notes of pride and disappointment, enlightened us about the once wild inhabitants of the surrounding forestlands- the king of the jungle included. But many had dwindled in numbers, due to the depleting habitat and the scrounge for prey.

There was pregnant silence, as our boatwoman left us to soak in the surrounding natural beauty, unspoiled, with man's footprint still away from this remote wilderness. The motor was turned off, and the boat rocked gently with the deep currents of the river, tugging at it. Somewhere those currents tugged at my anchors too - of the past, of people and experiences, which leave you stuck in a mire of self-doubt. I wanted to let go of all that which dragged my feet backwards. The silent echoes which filled the air, enveloped me. I knew where my calling was. The wilderness beckoned yonder beyond the bounds of what we tie down ourselves with - society, systems and structures. The pulsating ripples of the river seemed resonant with my life energy eager to flow with the current, discover its course, embrace the wilderness all way along and dance with the spirit of life!