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Wild spirit of Wayanad

Gustasp and Jeroo Irani visit Wayanad, India’s only tropical rainforest that houses wraiths, ravines, tribes, chattering monkeys and lumbering elephants

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Pepper Trail at Wayanad in Kozhikode—Gustasp and Jeroo Irani
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Pepper grown in the hilly district of Wayanad in North East Kerala was a prized product in the 18th century. However, transporting it to the port city of Calicut (Kozhikode) was a major problem. It is said that a British trader then got a tribal chief to show him a shorter route through the forests of Wayanad. But he repaid his benefactor by killing him, so he alone knew the secret pathway and monopolised the trade.

But, locals say that soon the spirit of the tribal chief startled him on one such trip and he fell to his death down a ravine. The wraith continued to cause endless accidents till a sadhu chained it to a tree atop the ghats. 

When we visited India’s only tropical rain forest, we found the legendary tree-shrine still standing. So does the tribal race who work at the tea, coffee and pepper plantations that carpet their rugged ancestral land in a riot of green.

A few resorts even blend into nature’s canvas. Like Pepper Trail. Here, snuggled in a sprawling plantation, we spent nights in a tree house fitted with modern amenities. We heard monkeys and saw squirrels and exotically plumed birds at an arm’s length away.

We trekked upto the Edakkal Caves, an ancient tribal settlement dating back to 6,000 BC. The original settlers may have been primarily hunter-gatherers, but they also had artistic flair that found expression in engravings throughout the caves.

One morning, we trekked to Chembra Peak (Love Lake) to see Wayanad through the eyes of the early settlers before civilisation invaded their land. A light drizzle and low-lying clouds converted the moderate trek into a challenging one. But we soldiered on till we reached a mist-covered lake at the summit. Suddenly, the large boulders that dotted the far bank started to move. Elephants! 

We saw more behemoths on our safari to the neighbouring Mudumalai National Park. The highlight of the drive was a female elephant who stood protectively in front of her calf and trumpeted a warning not to get any closer.
Back at Pepper Trail, the wilderness stayed with us and filled the night with its forest lullaby.

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