Venkulathu Vethalam, Kavalathu Kani, Chudalakunnu, Kattathippaara – hey, these are not some esoteric beings out of a book on witchcraft, but characters and places from a book on the Western Ghats.
But how do you confine the mighty Western Ghats to a book? Herculean it maybe, but former Chief Conservator of Forests C K Karunakaran has done precisely that in the book titled ‘Sahyaparvathanirakaliloode’.
“This book is a journey through the peaks of Sahyan starting from Agasthyarkoodam to Chandragiri, going across Ponmudi, Thenmala, Sabarimala, Anamudi, Karimalagopuram, Silent Valley, and Anjinda, all having their own interesting history to tell,’’ said Karunakaran.
Even though Karunakaran likes to call his work a travelogue, the book goes much beyond with little little tales about the nature there, quaint myths, anecdotes, queer practices of the tribals, descriptions of rivers, streams and waterfalls gurgling across the hills, wild animals, environmental issues, descriptions of hydel projects associated with the rivers originating in the Western Ghats and other developments in the area.
The book, with 32 pages of colour photographs, took the author one-and-a-half years to write. Starting from the story on storage of gold in the 14 hillocks in Ponmudi to the one on the reserve forest in Pulpally which interestingly has no leach population, the book is a treasure house of interesting facts, whether you are a biologist, geologist, sociologist, historian or simply someone who loves the wild.
Particularly refreshing is this description of the three hills in Wagamon – Thangalmala, Muruganmala and Kurishumala. The Kurishumala has a Christian ashram with a unique cross. Made in wood, the cross, Karunakaran says, has ‘Om’ inscribed right in the centre!
Rich in mythological stories, the book also gives unique information to the traveller. Not many would know about the beautiful Vayuvanthol Falls, just about 2.5 km from Thodayar check post. What is even more interesting is the fact that you even get adivasi guides to accompany you till the falls.
The taming of the elephants, right from the time they fall into man-made pits till they are pacified by the domesticated elephants, is a good read for both the old and the young. Before 1977, this was a routine affair in Konni, where at least 10 wild elephants were caught and tamed in a year!
While the book is a beautiful blend of myths, folk tales and facts, it also tells you about the origins of the primitive yet poetic names of streams, hillocks and mountains.
Karunakaran’s intimate association with the majestic mountain range ever since he entered service in 1956, has stood him in good stead while writing this major work.
“I used to make small notes of the places I was posted to, with descriptions about the tribal settlements, their culture and livelihood patterns, their myths and also about the flora and fauna of the region. Over the years and over the decades the collection became quite huge and I thought I should write it all down and publish it as a book,’’ said Karunakaran.
‘Sahyaparvathanirakaliloode’ has been published by the Kerala Bhasha Institute, Thiruvananthapuram.
Karunakaran had earlier published quite a number of books on the tribals living in the forests of Kerala.
reema_narendran@expressbuzz.com