Thirunelli is an unbelievable destination where one can see nature at its wildest and wildlife from your place of stay.
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| Deer in Nagarhole forest |
It was a rainy day when we left Nagarhole Tiger Reserve in Karnataka to reach Thirunelli in Kerala. On our way, we managed to see herds of spotted deer, langurs, bonnet macaques, however, the drive itself was very heavenly with the unique forest aroma, sounds of birds reverberating in the dense jungle.
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| Deer in Nagarhole forest |
As we crossed the Nagarhole forest check post and entered Kerala, a rickety pathway led us to enter the other side of Brahmagiri hills. The first sight of Thirunelli was mesmerizing with the countryside soaked in dark green hill ranges amidst floating mist and the heavy scent of jungle life.
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| Scenic Monsoon drive |
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| Thirunelli Town |
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| A quaint school |
The entire Thirunelli town with its ancient Maha Vishnu Temple is nestled amidst the lush and sylvan Brahmagiri hills. The first sight of Thirunelli, led me to ponder that I would be prepared to do anything to see this nature’s spectacle and biodiversity again and again. Compared to other destination spots in Wayanad, Thirunelli is silent, sacred and untouched.
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| A view from the dining area |
Even as we drove for the next 20 kilometers to our accommodation in Thirunelli – the Jungle Retreat, light was fading and the weather was turning damp and cold.
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| The three musketeers |
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| Lotus pond next to the cottage |
Maya, I and Tharangini reached this beautiful retreat where we were welcomed by our host Manu and others. After a refreshing cup of tea, we settled in our picturesque cottage that was situated in front of a lily pond, a misty hill range and forest pathways leading to a watch tower. Since it was dark, we decided to drive quietly in the night around the forest area with its winding pathways.
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| Colorful agricultural field |
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| A stag seen from the cottage |
The Thirunelli township is located deep in the forests and so, one gets to see many wonders of nature be it the birds of the Western Ghats or the crisscrossing wildlife from Karnataka to Kerala and back.
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| Another elephant in the forest |
As we bundled up in the back of a jeep around 7.30 pm and drove ahead, the silence of the night, the cicada sounds and the hooting of owls were reverberating in the eerie darkness. Driving for about 10 minutes, we spotted elephants to our delight.
All of us sat in silence and even as our jeep crawled - we could clearly spot two female elephants and a calf in the middle. The elephant family were peacefully feeding on the grass in the dark night.
Since this road falls on the Thirunelli-Kudrakote Elephant Corridor, and Elephants have the Right of Way, we cannot obstruct them and have to drive very slowly and carefully.
In fact, we seemed to be following one group of elephants that were scattered here and there. As we traveled further, we managed to see more elephants -loners and females with calves.
Our host and guide Manu informed us that these elephants migrate from Karnataka during the summer months and now they were traversing back home to Nagarhole as the monsoons had started and there would be plenty of water and food available in their resident habitat.
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| Brown fish owl |
Going through the forest where we could hardly see any human presence or other vehicles, we did not get down anywhere as it is very dangerous and risky. As we were returning from our sojourn, we managed to see an Indian Gaur at very close quarters. It didn’t seem to be bothered by our presence and was grazing in solitude.
On our return journey to Jungle Retreat, we glimpsed the sight of a Brown Fish Owl that was sitting like a Buddha on the branch of a tree. Not just these, we spotted many herds of Chital that were hopping away merrily with their coats glistening in the darkness.
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| View of the elephant that came to Jungle Retreat in midnight |
The first night of our stay was very exciting as at 12.30 am, we could hear the sounds of an elephant trumpeting. To our amazement, we saw a huge tusker near the watchtower. Since it had decided to stay put, we too decided to have a peaceful night. So, one has to be very careful in the night in these surroundings as many wild animals visit Jungle Retreat often during the eerie hours.
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| The watchtower at Jungle Retreat |
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| View of the cottage from the watch tower |
The second day of our stay was a complete washout as it poured and poured non-stop till evening. But we enjoyed ourselves looking at the misty mountains and verdant surroundings and munching on sweets and savories. In fact, I and Maya were stuck in the Watch Tower for about two hours in the rain but I managed to get a few shots of birds.
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| A view of the hill ranges |
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| A rainy day at Thirunelli, Indian Gray Hornbill |
After a sumptuous meal and rest, we decided to visit the ancient Mahavishnu Temple amidst the rain. The drive to the hilltop temple was itself very peaceful and relaxing. Undergoing renovation, there is not much to see but the view of Thirunelli town from the hill is very scenic and beautiful.
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| Maha Vishnu Temple |
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| Maha Vishnu Temple |
The return journey to our homestay was pretty exciting as we managed to see the very famous elephant of Tholapetty forest range, the “Thirunelli Tusker” or Kannan as he is known in these parts. The magnificent was in fact, moving fast, saluted too and trumpeted in all its glory. Standing at 10-12 feet, the sight of this massive and peaceful tusker thrilled us to no end.
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| Kannan, the majestic tusker |
However, the second night was still more exciting and thrilling as at 11.30 pm, we suddenly saw Malabar Gliding Frog in the sitout of our cottage. The frog was literally hopping from one place to another and we were desperately running after it to photograph this unique amphibian that glides so smoothly. Further, we sighted this again during our breakfast as the frog was gliding from one end of the tree to another.
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| Malabar gliding frog |
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| Malabar gliding frog |
Thirunelli is a destination only for those people who are nature lovers and do not thrive on modern amenities and excitement. So, therefore, if you plan a visit to this mountainous town with its beautiful weather, go only if you are a nature or wildlife lover as there are no facilities or infrastructure like children’s play areas or glitzy malls or swimming pools or adventure and game activities.
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| Thirunelli hill ranges |
How To Reach?
Thirunelli in Wayanad district, Kerala is about 270 kilometers from Bengaluru and by road, it is very convenient to take the Bengaluru-Mysuru-Hunsur-Kutta-Nagarhole route. Once you reach Nagarhole Tiger Reserve and drive to Mananthavady, from here, it is about 20 kilometers only to Thirunelli. However, one has to cross the Nagarhole forest check post before evening hours as the forest entry and exit restrictions are there and one cannot drive between 6 pm to 6 am in Karnataka forests.
Location map:
