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Anakulam - The Stream That Knows No Conflict
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Jeep Trails, Jungle Tales, and Jokes That Stuck
Criss-crossing the Periyar, we passed Mankulam, Kuwait City, and reached Anakulam. With this ride, we entered the Idukki district—the high ranges of Kerala. Kulam means pond, and Ana means elephant. The place got its name from the wild elephants that come to the stream to drink water, which is believed to contain special minerals accessible only to elephants. They wait patiently in the middle of the waterbody, submerging their trunks deep inside to access the mineral-rich water.
The stay, about a kilometre from Anakulam town, was not very welcoming. It was musty, not very clean, and could’ve been better maintained for guests.
I had heard about the herd of wild elephants visiting the stream, but what I witnessed was mind-boggling—a herd of 18 to 20 elephants, with a baby elephant submerged in water most of the time. It was amazing to see how elephants maintained their boundary, and humans theirs. There appears to be no conflict as of now; I hope it remains so in the future.
Pic courtesy: Oswin Varghese
As dawn broke, the jeep pulled in right on time—6:30 a.m., marking the start of our exhilarating off-road journey through the forest. Valparai and Anakulam are very close to each other via the forest route. Starting from the check-dam, we visited Perumbankuthu waterfalls, where we had the lip-smacking Kandhari Egg (Kandhari is a very hot chilli from Kerala) at a tea stall run by an elderly lady.
Charged with the protein intake, we went to the hanging bridge at the 6th Mile and finally to the spectacular 33 Waterfalls. On the way back, we stopped at Shaiju’s (our jeep driver’s) home to collect our breakfast, prepared by his wife. After a quick meal, it was time to saddle up and head to the next destination in Idukki.