Once when asked, ‘how do you make music’, A.R.Rehman answered, “I am not composing music, music just passes through me like those silent winds that passes through the silence of coconut leaves”. Some journeys are like so. When the gentle breeze of journey passes through the soul of the traveler he turns to a bamboo piece that gives a pleasant music and that journey becomes the best composition of that silent tune. If you assume God to be a natural painter no doubt, Silent Valley is one among his masterpieces. Located in Palakkad district of Kerala, it’s a blessed land with wide varieties of flora and fauna. It’s a part of Nilgiri hills. So, let me take you reader too, to an amazing silent journey to God’s own country blessed to be called, Kerala.
Light green, pale green, fluorescent green, lime green, olive green, dark green – how many shades do green have! Silent valley – nation’s own national park is vast spread in 237.52 square kilometer area. Leave boundaries of those busy cities to visit a day at rain forests, your mind will be filled with greenness for sure. Certain journeys are short, but sweet. A 5-hour journey that everyone loves to treasure forever – that’s the silent ‘green’ valley! Now it’s the best season of tourism – December to April.
Let us start from Palakkad
Mukkoli forest office is 60 km distant from Palakkad from where you need to start your silent journey to our destination, Silent valley. Specific time is also allotted there. You can enter the valley in the time 8 am to 1 pm. When you start from Palakkad in the early morning, it looks as if sunlight has given a sandal touch to the paths with its golden morning rays. You can take a few fruits for the journey. Since it’s a wild journey with the nature it’s better to avoid biscuits and fried items. Avoid plastic bags too! From Mannarkad junction of Attapadi route, it is just 20 kms away. If you are too early more chances are there to meet wild animals on the way.
Travelers’ vehicles are allowed till Mukkoli Forest Office only. From there you need to resume your journey in jeeps owned by Forest department or Eco development. It’s 750 rupees per head for 23 kms.
Bhavani river – one among those 44 beauties of Kerala
Kerala has 44 main rivers of which Bhavani is one among them which flows towards east direction. You can sit there for a while by the side of rocks to enjoy the wild beauty of Bhavani. She flows through the rocks at high speed enjoying her full freedom. Water touches thousands of medicinal plants of the green mountains before it reaches you. So, a single touch of its water drops can wash away all your ill-mood as well as depressions.
An introduction note on Silent valley
It took 5000 lakh years for the formation of Silent Valley. It equals Baro Colarado islands of Panorama Canal if the factor ‘biodiversity‘is considered. Yet people were there who proposed an electric project in this area during 70’s. If so, 8.3 square kilometer area would have been submerged in water forever killing many rare varieties of flora and fauna. Any how, it didn’t take off as it received protects from nature lovers and environment socialists that time. In 1983, the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi decided to abandon the project and the same year, it was declared a National Park by her. In 1985, the National park was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and mountains honoured the late Prime Minister by unveiling a memorial at Silent Valley. This was done by Rajiv Gandhi himself.
Total surface area is 237.5 km of which 89.54 is core area. No one is allowed to enter the core area. Silent valley is a part of the vast spread Western Ghats and is an abundant reservoir of many medicinal and rare plants. Also, it’s famous for the endangered species lion-tailed macaque. It’s a rain forest as well as an ever green forest with biological diversities. When you reach the entry point, you will be welcomed by the chillness of cool breeze. You need to give your name and address at check post before traveling forward.
Who is this Sairandhri?
Sairandhri is another name of Draupathi. When Pandavas were on exile in the 13th year, Draupathi assigned this name. It’s believed that in the journey of Pandavas from north to south during ‘vanavasa’ they dwelled here in the Western Ghats. For this reason this rain forest is also known as ‘Sairandhrivanam’. Thus Silent Valley is deeply rooted in Hindu epics too. There is a cave near the riverside and it’s believed to be the dwelling place of Pandavas during exile period.
Once you enter the forests
It takes 1.5 hours for the jeep ride to reach Sairandri. Special permission is given by forest department and it may not exceed 5 or 6 hours. Be careful while walking through forest paths, leeches may attack you sucking your impure blood a little. Also, walk through stone paths instead of marshy places and grass. Churuli is one such rare tree found in Silent valley which was once used by British Government to built railway sleepers. This tree has very hard wood and not easy to cut with normal axe.
Wherever you go you will be welcomed by free flowing waterfalls. It appears as if they are telling secret stories to green forests. You can find thousand varieties of medicinal plants here, most of them are very rare, almost reached the extinction door. Naruneendi (Indian sarsaparilla), narum chenda gooseberry, puliyarayaal (a type of banyan tree), kaanthal athi (a type of fig), aalam, white Frankinsence (kuntharikkam), Pashanbeda (kallorvanchi) etc are found in abundance in these deep valleys.
In addition to forest authorities, certain tribal people are also employed for the safety of the forests. Each person will be assigned a particular area. The head of a tribe is known as ‘mooppan’ in Malayalam. Mooppan along with his associates protects the forests as well as treat the guests with their wonderful food.
Water from the small streams and waterfall are so chilled and refreshing too. It’s highly medicinal too. If you find a little time to spend beside those streams it’s sure, you will be charged with some positive energy boosters for sure. A single day visit of 5 hours to this valley can give you enough energy for next one year throughout. Certain persons are among us are those who visit forests not for enjoying nature’s beauty, but for enjoyment and gathering with friends. Silent valley is surely not for such persons who can’t enjoy nature without glasses in hands!
In the homeland of Lion-tailed Macaque
Now we can travel a little distance more as the allotted time of 5 hours are so precious. Unseen plants and birds are a part of Silent Valley biosphere. Here and there we can see wild squirrels jumping through the branches of trees. As we go forward through the road, it appears as if dense forests on both sides are in romantic mood trying to embrace his lover in the opposite side of the road, so much dense forest. If you see pieces of bamboo leaves and stems, you can confirm that you are in the hometown of Lion-tailed Macaque – an endangered species, but found abundant in this part of Nilgiri Hills. When the dam was proposed during 1970’s the highlighted factor was the existence of this rarest variety of monkeys. If dam was built that time, perhaps this lovely creature would have been erased from the surface of earth forever.
If you see the chewed parts of bamboo leaves, it’s sure this special person is there in some tree nearby. If so, you need to slow a little bit to get the glimpse of this lovely and rarest creation. Perhaps he may be accompanied by a group of 10 or 15. Don’t talk. It’s better to keep your mouth shut and jeep engine off if you want to see them for a little while. Then closely examine the branches of trees to see them. Lion-tailed Macaque has a few differences comparing normal monkeys. They never jump while traveling as ordinary monkeys. Even if they need to reach high branches they prefer to walk with 4 legs. We may be surprised seeing the easiness of lion-tailed Macaque while they walk through thin branches of trees. Also they are more comfortable to walk in the air through leaves and branches than traveling through floor. They have an amazing combination of grey and black colours and the beauty of silver beard like a lion make them ‘a special group’ monkey among all. Their body balance while traveling through tender branches is really amazing and it’s a spectacular scene to watch.
Throughout the journey a wide variety of birds and butterflies may show their beautiful faces to give you a glimpse of their wide beauty. Another special variety is green doves – the true asset of Silent Valleys!
Kunthi river – the mesmerizing beauty
Your jeep journey towards the top of Sairandri ends in a plateau. An iron watch tower of 30 meter height is found there. Though the watch tower is a total mismatch with nature’s unparallel beauty the sight from its top is really amazing. The scenes that you see climbing its steps will never fade from your mind till the end of your life journey.
When you stand in the top of the watch tower it appears as if you are in the top of world conquering everything. Magical atmosphere of dawn dwelling in the mist gives you a mesmerizing and magical appeal. It’s sure the magic feel from the top places your mind in the top of every mountain with deep valleys beneath. The closeness with nature and clouds, the traveling of clouds and mists from one mountain to another, total silence and peace of mind as if you have just practised Yoga in the early morning to begin a fresh day morning – what else does a human need in this world!
When clouds pass from one mountain to another, it draws new sketches of green varying every moment giving a fresh look to its viewer. Those magical green sketches are so rare and can’t be obtained by combining another other colour variants. It’s the curiosity of every man to take photos of mountain top from tower top. But the most exciting sight is ‘Kunthipuzha’ (Kunthi river). If you are willing to travel 3kms through forest paths from Sairindri, you can reach near her. From the Sairindri gallery of the hill top you can get sufficient information about plants and animals belonging to Sairindri. You can see kids viewing pictures of those rare animals, plants and birds with curiosity from the gallery.
A rare and surprising fact about Silent valley – though the forests is every nature lover’s hot favourite for its biodiversity a few common animals and birds are not found here. The king of the jungle – lion, peacocks and spotted deer (chital) are those three common varieties not available in this forest. Quite surprising! Except them, all the animals including foxes, jacquards, Jaguar, tiger and elephants are the local residents of this silent valley.
Now let us come back to our Kunthi. Journey to Kunthi’s floral banks is an adventurous one. If you are an adventurous person, you can start a 3 km trekking from here to touch that wild beauty. On the path you will surely see a wide variety of plants and flowers hiding behind rocks, including a lot of wide orchids. When they show their heads out in a smile while playing hide and seek with you, you will forget everything seeing their rare and colourful varieties.
A simple tip for your adventurous trekking – Never touch or smell unknown plants or trees in the forest seeing their beauty. A few of them are hidden dangers enough to give you itching, swelling and allergies. Let me give you a few danger names in local language – Cheru, Aaanviratty and Koduthuva. Aanaviratty also known as aanamayakki in local language looks similar to mosanda flowers, size also same; but even elephant keeps distance from it. ‘Aana’ means elephant and ‘mayakki’ means giving sedation. ‘Viratty’ means to drive away. Local people say that if you touch this plant, fever and itching are sure to come. So keep distance from ‘aanaviratty’ even if you see him on the way, your guide will surely assist you to identify such allergic plants in the forests.
When you reach Kunthi river, the distinct and mesmerizing fragrance that follows you from the entry point of Silent Valley intensifies further. There is a hanging bridge across the river. But you may be a little desperate to know that visitors are not allowed to touch the bridge. Thus 25 kms of Silent Valley flow before human eyes untouched! An untouched flower till now – we can address her so. She is a virgin still waiting for that special person to come near her – poets sing so about Kunthi river. It just flows through the mountain ranges jerking its silver bangles and anklets as if dancing in a happy mood. When you return, from Eco-development Committee store you can buy natural honey, asparagus pickle and frankinsence. Those items are collected by Eco department from the local tribe. At that time, your mind will be in a chanting mood, but eyes fixed on the untouched wild beauty – Kunthi!
Travel info
From Palakkad, it’s 60km to Mukkoli. Jeeps of forest department are available at Mukkoli Forest office. 8 am to 1 pm – you can enter the forests only during these hours. 750 rupees per head and 200 rupees for free guide. Entry fee is 35 rupees and if you are student, you will get 10 rupees discount. If it is minibus, 175 rupees will be taken for each person. Private vehicles are not allowed after Mukkoli forest office. As it’s too early in the morning to start journey, it’s better to arrange stay before you come here, so that you never miss the chance even by a moment. Take those 5 hours as gift to get everything you can. Best season for tourists is December to April. So, now it’s the best time to visit the Silent Valleys. Hoping you will surely feel to visit the paradise once before the season ends. Warm welcome to God’s own country!