Travels and Trails of Sangeetha

Kotagiri is a beautiful Hills Station located in the Nilgiris Hills . About 33 km southeast of Ooty. It is a Town Panchayat city in The Nilgiris District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Kotagiri is situated at an elevation of around 1,793 m (5,883 ft) above sea level. The Kothas, are the natival tribal group of people who live in seven settlements, generally known as Kotagiri or Kokkal.  They are village artisans, who are good in carpentry, black smithy and pottery.  Only a few families are engaged in these skills as a means of living today. Most others are engaged in cultivation. Today, many of them are working in the Government and many run their own profitable private factories. St. Catherine's Falls Also known as St. Catherine's Falls, it is situated  near Aravenu,  about 12 km from Kotagiri.  It is the second highest ( about 250 ft ) in the Nilgiri mountains formed by the drop of the upper stream of the Kallar river.   It is named after Catherine, the

Drive to the Kadambarai Hydro-electric power-generation site after taking due permissions to enter the area. It is a restricted site. Location: 10°24'41.2"N 77°02'35.8"E   Drive to the Mavadaippu tribal settlement guided by a resident from that community. Or else you may not be able to navigate beyond the rugged rocky road that ends in a forest. Location 10°25'39.5"N 77°03'19.9"E The rock art site has been a treasured secret of the elders and only if they wish to they escort you by foot through a 2km trek through thorn-trees-laden forest which also includes a medium climb to reach the facet of the rock art site. Enjoy the magnificent view enroute and when you return, enjoy the hospitality of the tribal groups. I was fortunate to be fed with a traditional ball of millet porridge and a gravy made with the local variety of wild beans.  It is a wonderful experience to ascend up the single bamboo stalk ladder and

Drive past from Tamil Nadu into Kerala via the Amaravathi Dam route and you reach a village called Marayoor.  Marayur or Marayoor is a town in Idukki district of Kerala, India. It is located 42 kilometers north of Munnar on SH 17 connecting Munnar with Udumalpet, Tamil Nadu. Marayur is the only place in Kerala that has natural sandalwood forests. Ancient dolmens and rock paintings in Marayur date back to the Stone Age. Location: 10°17'03.3"N 77°09'57.3"E People migrated from Tamil Nadu to this area when the Madurai king Thirumalainaicker was defeated by Tippu Sultan, in the eighteenth century CE. The migrants created five villages, being Kanthalloor, Keezhanthur, Karayur, Marayur and Kottakudi. These villages were called the "Anju nadu", literally meaning “five lands”. Dolmens of Iron Age  Also called Muniyaras, these dolmens belong to the Iron Age. These dolmenoids were burial chambers made of four stones placed on edge and covered