குற்றாலம் - Kutraalam – Courtallam – Coutrallam

The above names bring with them, freshness, energy, fun, spirituality, adventure and lots and lots of exciting meanings! One will have to land there to experience what it means.

Aani-Aadi [Jun 15 – Aug 15] is the peak season in Kutraalam, a foot hill spot in south Tamil Nadu known for its natural water falls.

For 16 years, I was a regular for the season. This year an excellent season has just come to an end and I have missed it, for the first time.

Kutralam is the foot hills of the podhigai mountains [an easterly extension of western ghats]. It, is abt 5 km from Tenkasi and Shencottah railway stations in Tirunelveli district of Tamilnadu. It is also very well connected with the rest of the state and bordering towns in Kerala.


MainFalls photo courtesy TamilnaduTourism

The very name of that place is enough to take people through the nostalgic expressway.
While travelling towards K, we can start feeling the temperature reducing, the breeze strengthening, the clouds gathering, the On and Off 5-minute-drizzling cycle, the green fields, the vaaikaals [irrigatation canals] like the one in the opening scene of Roja.[ btw, Sundarapandipuram is close to Kutralam], from abt 40 kms distance. All of them transporting us from the routine to a tryst-with-nature holiday, instantly.

Entering the town is marked by the distinct mundri oodu smell [cashew shell], used as the fuel in the mess and hotels around the town, and the shenbagam flower fragrance pleasing through every sq. inch of the town.

As any busy location, this place also has very good places to stay and equally lousy places. I remember when we sometime in 89/90, we took a buggy place [literally] and had vowed never to comeback to this town again.[But prasava vairagyam took us back next year]. Then after a couple of trials, we zeroed in on an excellent, friendly lodge. It is like a private guest house, lots of freedom.:)

Next thing after checking in at the lodge is to change to Kutralam Uniform. For men, it is either naalu muzham veshti/lungi with thundu, or shorts with thundu. Women stuff themselves all day into the nighties, and a thundu. [Aruvi Thundu is a towel, which is light and holds very less water. It is easy to squeeze and light to carry. These are sometimes referred as Kutralam Thundu].

When the season in Kutralam is good, there is always a drizzle and sometimes a heavy pour. The best part is that, apart from the locals, nobody cares about it. All of us who are on the leisurely stroll towards the Aruvi, enjoy getting drenched in the rain. The child inside pops out. The falling droplets remove the fatigue and strain from every muscle and bone of the body.

Steaming glass of filter coffee now, brings heaven on earth. That is what the co-operative milk stalls do. Co-Op milk societies from Rajapalayam, Shencottah, Srivilliputtur open their shops in all strategic locations and serve the best of filter coffees and hot milk for astonishingly cheap prices. Pick up a glass, stand in the drizzles wearing just a shorts and an aruvi thundu, have a sip. Sorry, this is where words end…

I will be mentioning lots of eateries and shops in this post. We had been regulars at these places for abt 15 years. Got close with them as friends, that we invite each other even for domestic functions. The Tirunelvei halwa shop Velu, gifted a big silver vilakku for my sister’s wedding.

On walking through the sannidhi theru [street] towards the main falls, lots of halwa shops line up both sides, and we stop by our Velu’s stall. He offers a complimentary welcome 50g for each of us. The hot sweet put in a piece of banana leaf floats in ghee more like a nazhuvara meen [slippery fish], always tending to run out of the palm on to the floor if not attended properly. The moment the first piece slides through the throat, would one realize how true is all the hype abt Tirunelveli halwa. Slurp Slurpp. Mind u all of these are happening while the semi naked body is basking in the drizzle.

Next destination is the Main falls. We have walked through this lots and lots of time. But the excitement is always on the raise. The thrill brought by the sound of water cracking on the rock tickles every nerve ending.

To be contd….