Coimbatore :
Many people believed that Kodanad was a sleepy and isolated village overshadowed by Ooty till chief minister J Jayalalithaa made it as her second home. However, a two-part book titled ‘Blue Haven Ootty’ introduces it as the princes among hill stations as identified by Lord Erskine, then British governor of Madras presidency, about 80 years ago. To be released on Sunday, according to the authors, it would be the first and authentic travel guide on Nilgiris with detailed accounts about many hither to unknown facts about the hill station.
A product of years-long work by creative artist and writer DevarajRanganPorore and SuseelaDevaraj, the two parts book fills the void of a ready reference on the Blue Mountains and its past, present and future. “It is not just a description on places and buildings in the queen of hills. It talks about its people, their life styles, struggles, livelihood, culture and even environmental issues. There is a special section on tribes of the Nilgiris. It is not a conventional guide for routine tourists. Our aim was to give a comprehensive picture of the Nilgiris to the visitors,” said Devaraj.
What makes the book stand out is its display of more than 300 rare photographs reflecting the vibrancy of the Nilgiris. Birds, animals and even honey hunting and rock art have found place in the book. “It is a unique work. Those who write about tribes of the Nilgiris mention only the todas and badagas. The book contains information after an extensive research on the traditions of other tribes like kurumbas, kattunaikas and paniyas as well. There is a striking balance between nature, tourism and people’s struggle for survival,” said N Sadiq Ali, managing trustee of Ootty-based Wildlife and Nature Conservation Trust.
“The Nilgiris is much more than Ooty but writers and photographers focus exclusively on Ooty. Upper Bhavani, Kodanad, Kothagiri, Avelanche, Glenmorgan, Pykara, Gudalur etc are also promising a lot for the visitors. The book provides a glimpse of all these places as well. The Nilgiri’s world famous home made chocolates and even the Nilgiri tea are being detailed in it with historical background. It also contains a travel map detailing places to see and accommodations available. The book has also included a list of eateries serving unique Nilgiri food.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore / TNN / July 30th, 2013