The Nilgiris - Never Enough

I am not sure if it was the relentless summer heat or just that “mountain” part of me that pushed me to an impromptu trip to the Nilgiris.. but whatever the reason, it was a choice worth every mountain moment.

As we ascended from the scorching plains, I was apprehensive whether we would really let go of the tyrannic summer sun..But as we crossed over the last few hairpin bends, my doubts were quickly assayed and a burst of cool hilly breeze whittled away every suspicion! The clouds started looking whiter, the sky bluer and the pleasant comradery that I share with the hills was rekindled yet again..

Coonoor was our destination this time and a trip without checklists and no tourist spots unbottled a fluidic experience of the hills that had no start, no center and no end!Like a beautifully printed scarf, the valley and its experiences engulfed us  - a few curves of beauty from one side, and if you turn around – another set of brilliant views and above all a coziness that is so classic Nilgirilike!

A picturesque mountain rail journey from Conoor to Ooty was perhaps the only planned item on a non-existent itinerary and the hour-long journey was just right – an hour to go back in time, an hour to pause time and an hour to daze into the hills and pine forests and an hour to just experience a pace that we have long forgotten.

The entire trip was all about slowing down and pausing and appreciating the beauty called Nilgiris. We paused at bends that showed off dazzling mountain peaks, at curves that displayed symmetric tea gardens and at every balcony that uniformly had a colourful display of flowers… From the warm coffee family chit-chats at cafes, to freezing chocolate ice creams at heritage Moodys and mouth-watering cheese cakes indulgences on hill top restaurants – a fairytale experience embraced us..

Nilgiris strangely always unfurls a kite-like feeling within me and cuddles me like a childhood friend- I can always pick up from where I left off last time with no awkwardness or strangeness…the conversations and the warmth kept fervently alive despite the time or the distance…I let go of the stiffness of my employment, the burden of my responsibilities and turned slave to the sluggish pace of the valley..An otherworldly feeling of peace and calm seeping in as the clouds parted and whispered notes that equilibrated my mind into a lull that was long forgotten in the cacophony of the city life.