The Smoking Rocks – Part 1

Hogenakkal Falls, often known as the ‘Niagara Falls of India’, is a natural wonder hidden in a forest village. I spent a day out of the busy city life, enjoying the forest along the beautiful and peaceful Kaveri River. Visit to the Hogenakkal Falls in Dharmapuri District of Tamil Nadu was a totally new experience for me. The place can be reached from Kochi via Palakkad, Coimbatore, Avinashi, Erode, and Mettur. The distance is around 400 km and it is 50 km from Dharmapuri. I could reach the place with the help of Google. 

I didn’t have to ask anybody for helping me with the way. I reached Hogenakkal and suddenly, a lot of people surrounded my vehicle. All of them asked me the same question, whether I needed room to stay, massage, or homestay. Somehow, I managed to escape and parked the vehicle away from them. I reached Hogenakkal in the afternoon. So, my plan was to stay there and return the next day. I wanted to have some tea, so I went to a shop which looked like a hotel.

After drinking the tea, I stepped out and a child came and poked me begging for something. His face was pathetic. I felt I should give him something, but before that, I wanted to get some information about that place from him, so I took him near my vehicle. When others saw the boy walking with me, I felt like they did not like it. The lad showed me a hotel to stay, it looked like a decent one when compared to the other hotels there. I got a room in that hotel, took shower, dressed up, and went out. What I saw outside was ugly streets and shops.

I saw a mixture of gloom and anger in most of the faces. Majority of the people living here belong to the Meenavar and Vanniyar castes. Their faces reveal that they are living in pitiful conditions. The main problem is lack of education. The drawbacks of this can be seen throughout Hogenakkal. Actually, this is a forest village. This is a place visited by lot of tourists. However, the progress that should result from tourism is nowhere seen in this place.

I walked towards the waterfalls. When I looked around, I could see shops where freshwater fishes cut into pieces and marinated with chilli powder and masala were sold. The vendors fry the pieces which are selected by the buyers. Most of the shops are owned by people of Vanniyar caste and fishing and boating are done by Meenavar. Majority of the people depend on tourists for their livelihood. I bought a ticket for seeing the waterfalls. Winding its way through the rocks, water suddenly tumbled down to form the waterfalls. 

Here, the area where we can take bath is enclosed with fencing. The view from the bridge is enchanting. Even though it is a forest village, the wild beauty of the forest and the sploosh of the river have a soothing effect on our eyes and mind. The banks of the Kaveri River are Sathyamangalam Forest areas, a place which was once reigned over by Veerappan. One side of the river bank belongs to Karnataka and the other side to Tamil Nadu. I roamed around for a while and took some photos and enquired about coracle boat ride.

There are 2 types of coracle boat rides. One type costs Rs. 800 and it starts from where the vehicles are parked and goes round the waterfalls. The other ride costs Rs. 2000 and starts from Hogenakkal going 3 km into the forest and coming back by coracle boat through the river. In the Rs.2000 ride, 4 people can travel including the boatman. I could not take a decision, so I went back to my room. With all the branches of trees shining in the twilight and the dark shades of people moving in the yellow light of old lanterns lighted in the shops (there are tube lights in some shops), I felt like I have reached an imaginary world.

I went to have food in a hotel that seemed to be better than the others. I saw the boy that I had met earlier, sitting there. He smiled at me. The small amount that I gave him and the tip that he got from the lodge may be the reason for his smile. After having food, I called that boy and told him that I wanted to have a coracle boat ride. The boy told me that it is better to go a short distance in my car and come back by coracle boat. He also opined that it will be the most memorable ride in my life. He agreed to send the boatman to the hotel in the morning. I went to my room and set the alarm for 6.00 am and slept. The rest of my trip to Hogenakkal is narrated in the next part.