In a scene from the movie Charlie, Dulquer Salmaan asks the girl who is about to commit suicide: “Have you seen the mist falling on Meesappulimala? Have you seen magic mushrooms? What is the point in leaving this world without seeing it?” Well, for me, the bucket list of things to do had simpler elements, like watching the neelakurinji blossom on the hills of Idukki. All the hype that was created over the last few months on the culmination of the 12-year wait was almost swept away by the heavy rain and landslides that lashed Kerala in August. Then, opportunity presented itself in the form of an outbound training programme at Suryanelli, for the first-year students in our college, and I grabbed it. Neelakkurinji in full bloom | Photo Credit: Madhava C Kurup As soon as I reached our destination, Kalypso Adventure Camp, I asked the manager, Ravi, about the possibility of seeing the blossoms. He replied that while the bridge at Rajamala had been repaired, it was a good 40 kilometres away, making it impossible to travel and be back in time for our return to Thiruvananthapuram. I was about to call it another ‘So near, yet so far’ case, when Ravi came back with good news: the flowers were in bloom at Kolukkumalai, about an hour’s travel from the camp. He also helped in securing the services of Raja, a local jeep driver to take me there. Raja turned up at 5 am, and we made the first stop near the entrance to Harrisons Malayalam Tea Estate. Alarmed by the number of tourists who were storming the place, the authorities have restricted access to Kolukkumalai, only through ‘authorised’ jeep drivers. There is an entry fee to be paid at the gate. Rough ride The first 10 minutes of the ride were smooth, with tall trees flanking the road. But my joy was short-lived, as soon as we passed the quarters of the estate workers. The entire climb was through a rocky and boulder-strewn path, with deep gorges that were formed due to the recent rain. I was tossed from side to side, while Raja negotiated the road with utmost caution. The most interesting aspect of the journey was that except for a couple of hares which were caught in the headlights and made a startled dash to the nearby bushes, we didn’t encounter a single living being on the way. We made it to the top of Kolukkumalai, just in time to catch the sunrise. This one was very special — one moment there was a tiny red spot over the adjoining hill, and within a few minutes, the sun came up in all its glory, lighting up the entire valley. It was a breath-taking sight to see clouds caressing the top of the hills way below and forming a milky white carpet across the horizon. There was a large gate across the path at the top and Raja told me that was the ‘border’ separating Kerala and Tamil Nadu. We crossed over and continued our journey towards the Kolukkumalai tea factory. Avian life had become quite active by that time and we were greeted by a Malabar Whistling Thrush stationed in the middle of the road, casting a suspicious glance at the intruders. As we were about to start the climb towards the hill, which had the kurinji blossoms, we met Azhagu, a tea estate worker who volunteered to take us to the exact spot. After a short ride up the hill, we stepped out of the jeep and started the ascent on foot. Azhagu gave me a broken branch to use as a makeshift staff to help climb through a terrain full of loose stones. We reached the summit after about 15 minutes and were almost immediately rewarded with the breathtaking sight of the entire valley laden with blossoms. The flowers were mostly white with a tinge of purplish-blue at the tip, but when seen from the top of hill, it was like a pale blue carpet laid across the hillside. Azhagu pointed to the ledge below and suggested that we walk down to watch the flowers in front of us — I had one look at the steep path and concluded that it was beyond me. Luckily, there was an alternate path with a few short trees on either side to hold on to. I made slow but steady progress with the help of Azhagu and Raja. The kurinji blossoms were right there, on either side of us — at a smelling, touching distance! The flowers had attracted bees and wasps and there were quite a few big ones flying precariously close. But then, none of that bothered me, as I just stood transfixed, soaking in the spectacular sight that was in front of me, till Raja gently reminded me about taking pictures. And soon, I was clicking away with the dew-laden flowers swaying in the gentle wind, filling in each frame with a bouquet of freshness. The silence, the blossoms, the hills in the distance and the lighting worked together to create a backdrop reminiscent of a surrealistic painting, as I could literally feel my heart swell — it was one of those magical moments where you just stand in awe at Mother Nature! We climbed back to the top and as we started the slow descent towards the jeep, Raja noticed me taking pictures of the mountains all around, and pointing to the one right in front, he said: “Sir, that is Meesappulimala.” It was the perfect ending to a memorable trip — the elegant, stately hill symbolising the serene and subtle beauty that will make you return again and again! The author is a faculty member at Asian School of Business, Thiruvananthapuram

Stay updated with all the Latest Thiruvananthapuram headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.