Kempekarai, Man and Machine trip- part 7
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| A gorgeous tiger on prowl- photo by Jaison |
In that afternoon I planned to track my long dream place known as Kempaekare. It's a small village lying in between Manchi and Kodekare hills. Only one road leads there. KA describes this place numerous times in his stories. So many incidents related to this place. This place lies in a starting point of spider valley as per his descriptions. It was Byra's place of living.
I'm very much delighted to ride that route in full motorable and decently renovated road till the village. I am lucky to have an early bird offer of the smoothness of the road. Marvelous work is done by the government to make the forest road in such a condition. KA mentioned this route was very difficult to pass due to both crossings of river and a tour route intervening forest and helicopter plants.
As I said before, from the forking of two roads from Geratti we should go straight to Pennagram road as per Google map. Actually, this road is no longer preferred to go Pennagram. The other road through Natrampalayam, Biligundlu, Hogenakkal is in perfect condition now. Even it's a rounded route it had no major bridges or fords. I too recommend that route to reach Hogenakkal. Before starting, I got much advice and warning about roaming elephants in Kempaekare route when inquired about the proper route to the villagers.
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| The signboard at Geratti |
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| A rivulet on the way |
Our road bends down to the forest and crosses some rivulets and within 10 minutes I reached a major check post. From here we have to take a left turn and about 5 km more to travel to reach Kempaekare. The other straight road to leading to Pennagram. I wanted to stop and talk to the gatekeeper. But I thought, by doing this, I may be given several answers and may be prevented to go further. So I kept riding through a small opening besides the closed check post with a facial expression of a daily user. This strategy worked in all check posts which I passed through expect in Kerala border later. As I continued, Within half a minute I found evidence of the intensity of elephant infestation. The newly paved road is deliberately designed by elephant dung throughout some length. I remembered the road will be closed after 6pm and the entire place is their own to the playground. The road winds down through the forest to a bridge and till there I could find the dung dispersed. I stopped then only to take some snaps and a small rest. This bridge seems newly constructed as well as the approach roads.
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| Near the Checkpost |
By using some calculated guess I arrived in a conclusion that I have arrived the same river which runs through spider valley. It originates from the slopes of Manchi and Kodekare heights passes through Kempaekare and joins at Chinnar. KA described this river, in his story Ghooming in spider valley where he had some adventure with his friend. They met an elephant herd and a couple of tigers on that day. They encountered a rogue elephant which eventually crushed Byra's thigh bone. All this happened somewhere in the riverside. The riverbed seems itself some evidence of a flash flood in the manner of broken branches and debris of all kinds of forest plants and trees stuck over almost all rocks and trees in the flowing direction. I could imagine how much force being applied the stand-alone trees in the riverbed. The river must be swollen by the water of Monsoon. But as per now, the river carries little water.
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| Diversion to Kempekarai |
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| Kempekarai 5 km |
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| The river on the way to Kempekarai |
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| The exact place is difficult to trace. But we got some clues. |
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| A new bridge and new road |
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| Unicorn Having some rest in the middle of the forest |
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| Kempakarai- first page of The Marauder of Kempekerai |
Those who have read of The Novice of Manchi' The Marauder of
Kempekerai' will remember the valley KA have described in those
stories and which he called 'Spider Valley'. It is a deep and densely
forested valley extending southward for about twenty miles from Aiyur and
enclosed between two lofty mountain ranges. This valley is the bed of a
stream, and a narrow footpath accompanies the stream, crossing it every
now and then as the stream turns to the right and left in an attempt to
shorten the overall distance. The mountain ranges to west and east meet at the valley bottom, sometimes very
close. A forest village, Kodekarai, on the slopes of the Gutherayan peak,
and to the east of the valley, overlooks the scene as the stream and the
valley struggle onward to their ultimate junction ten miles away with the
Chinnar river, a tributary of the Kavery River.
He was Anderson's old friend in shikkar, Byra the Poojaree, of whom KA had told you in other stories. I asked some questions about Byra in the facebook group, and I got some clues from the members.
Anderson stated that Byra lived in this village, in the stories; Ghooming in night and Novice of Manchi. He also describes Byra's son in law (Mara) was killed by Marauder of Kempakare. In another story, KA states that Byra lived in banks of Chinnar. I don't know the time gap between these stories, but surely he is connected to Kempakare somehow. Making dismay, the village people have given no clues, on my inquiries about Byra and Mara. Even Poojarees are few there, they can't recollect.
KA writes about Kempakerai as being a poojaree village. The Mettur dam is completed in 1934 and by then the displaced people had already spread over villages like Hogenakkal, Oottamalai, and Biligundlu, etc. Today Kempakerai is composed almost entirely of displaced people from Mecheri. Poojarees are reduced to small settlements in Kodekarai, Manchi and other parts of Jawalagiri, etc.
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| Add caption |
And also got the information that Byra died some times in the 1950s. KA described that for the greater part of the year this man lived with his wife and children almost stark naked in a burrow called gavies excavated in the steep banks of the Chinnar River. When the rains came and the Chinnar rose and the earth of the gawies turned too soft and was liable to collapse and close the burrow in which they lived, the whole family took service as cattle-grazers under some rich agriculturist, who sent his herd of cattle into the reserved forests to graze upon the long grass that spring up after the rains.
The hamlet of Kempekerai was nothing more than a multiple cattle Patti, accommodating not only Byra and his family but a number of other families as well, all of them engaged in looking after different herds of cattle belonging to different owners. As a result, the animals actually in residence at any of this multiple pattis exceeded. But these are old stories. Now Kempekerai seems a calm agricultural village.
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| Old cart track is now a fantastic road. |
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| The area in google map |
Again I scanned the road and the riverbed for any clues of wildlife. Nothing notable for my inexperienced eyes. The road again bends up from the ravine. Flock s of goats and other domestic animals can be seen telling that my destination is near. I felt proud to ride alone in a newly paved jungle road without any vehicles for a company. Probably I am one of the first and lucky fellows to ride in this road which has been neglected for so many years. This must be the same cart road mentioned by KA in his stories.
Slowly moving in that greenery with full of musical cries of various birds from either side made the trip a memorable one. Suddenly the forest transformed into a wide space of cultivating field after a small gate. Then only I could see the beauty of the plane of Kempaekare which seems sandwiched between two mammoth hills. I assumed on my right is Kodekare and on left Manchi malai. I knew I was approaching the hamlet of Kempekerai it was here that KA shot the tiger called the 'Novice of Manchi.
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| First view of the clearing of Kempekarai |
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| On the left of the road Manchi Malai |
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| On the right side, Kodekarai |
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| The Stream and village |
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| The first part of the village |
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| The Temple situated in the center of the village |
Kempaekare
Kempaekare is a small village exactly as per the descriptions and village resemble a rectangular shape in the Google map midst of the forest. First 200 meters of the road inside the village is straight and bordered with fields. Then a place which has a school, health center and community gathering area can be seen. Under Evergreen tall trees. If you go forward the Kempaekare temple can be seen. This point is a dead end of the road. The temple situated in the middle and centre if road which runs around the temple and resembles a traffic Circle. Houses of modern kind as well as old fashioned situated all the other sides of the roundabout. From here a mud road running towards the stream and probably then serves as a cart road or forest pathway to Manchi. This junction has no shops of any kind except alone teashop like structure.
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| Around the temple, houses are packed |
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| Main gathering place |
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| Second victim was taken from the village itself |
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| This mud road runs into the stream and then to Manchi |
I made a quick glance by taking a round on the roads of the village before I stopped the bike near the temple. Again some people answered my humble inquiries about the forest and their livelihood. Villagers living here in a happy mood but they are well worried about the proposed plans to make the entire area under wildlife sanctuary. No other villagers can buy a piece of land here. When I changed my subject to wildlife and then to Byra, I noticed a serious but familiar expression on their face. I could read it that some other city-dwelling men already came here and enquired about the so-called Byra. So I assumed maybe our friends from Bangalore did good research and the outcome is anticipated. They told me no one knows Byra and Mara and the Poojarees are very few in the village now. All they knew is people from Bangalore, or from other cities, visiting this village in cars and inquiring about Byra. I had limitations on language and time, so could not explore more.
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| The peak seen in the background is Gutherayan |
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| Kodekarai village situated on the top of the hill |
I always seek permission to take pictures of people and their villages, especially to some elders. This gives some confidence in a strange place. I preferred to walk own the street one round and came back to the parked bike. Kempaekare is seemed sleeping as I couldn't find so many people along the street. A simple village with some giant trees on both sides of the road enough shadow made the scenery even beautiful.
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| The Main road cuts through the village into two equal halves |
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| My guess of the spots described. in the story. |
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| A new building |
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| Jungle and village is so close |
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| old houses are also seen |
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| The descriptions matching to the geography and topography of this area |
Those who have forgotten the story and who have not read the story, this may helpful-
The Marauder of Kempekerai: The essence of the story.
Kempakare is a small village situated in between two hills named Kodekare and Manchi. It was so quiet until a man-eating tiger gives them sleepless nights. Anderson's friend Byra along with his son in law Mara lived in this village when the incidence took place. There were only three killings reported from the village and the last one was Mara. The others were a lone traveler to Muttur and a woman who went for fetch water from the community well in a night. Both never came back. Villagers were in terrible fear and shut their door always, But Mara went to answer the nature's call every night daring the man-eating tiger and had to give its price.
Hearing what happened to his son in law, Byra went to meet Anderson to Bangalore with Ranga to invite to take revenge. Upon arrival, KA tethered two bullocks around the village and KA himself acted as human bait. He sat on the side of the well in a full night to attract the man-eating tiger. Next morning Byra and Ranga discovered that one of the bullocks has been killed which was white in color. Anderson sat on the bait at that night and the man-eater suddenly appeared down at his machan. The Tiger tried to climb the tree and before Anderson could react, it mauled slightly in his buttocks and disappeared in seconds. KA abandoned that night shikar and returned to Kempakare to get first aids to his injuries. Next day the team planned an indigenous idea to attract a tiger with a dummy. They placed it the riverbank and opposite side on the sand they made a big hole enough to accommodate Anderson in lying position. They covered the hole with a cartwheel after Anderson was in and sealed with boulders. At night the tiger came but Anderson's shot was not from a good posture and only hurt the tiger. Then strong rain came and he escaped from the flooding hole by digging sand on one side. He returned at night with searching team and stayed 3 more days in the village without any further developments. Then some traveler s from Sopathy noticed fresh pug Marks of tiger and Anderson and team went there to Chinnar River. He sat on top of a long rock in the middle of the dried up riverbed. He used Ranga's turban to disguise and their vigil was not futile.
The man-eater leaped to the live bait but he couldn't climb the rock may be because of old wounds. Anderson's bullets sealed its fate. On examination, the tiger had embedded bullets in his paws, which made him a man-eater.
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| Kempakare is empty |
I made a quick return to the forest and road in order to proceed to Pennagram. Whilst riding through the same route I decided to move forward through the abandoned route to Pennagram which was the only cart track to connect the village Gerhatti and Pennagram. This route running through the midst of spider valley. KA described hand-sized spiders are abundant at his time in this area and hence he called this name. The valley between the two hills named Kodekare and Manchi produce the river and it running towards the south and join to Chinnar River at a place called Sopathy. The road running parallel to the stream crosses and recrosses several times. I have mentioned the route is not recommended for cars in spite of good road. The reason is the numerous bridges which were made perfectly strong but will meet its fate in next rainy season to be washed out by strong currents. I remembered that This was the valley of helicopter plants too.
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| The route to Kemprkare from Pennagram which Anderson was trudging is marked. |
I reached again the check post and turned left. The entrance itself to this road is little eerie as there is no other vehicle on the dark road. The road seems empty and narrow which has overhanging tree branches on both sides? I waited for some time anticipating a company such as a bike or a car. But I was pretty sure that nobody will come in this way, so I passed through the tunnel-like entry. I got some info that be care full about route up to Chinnar river as there is a chance to meet elephants on the way. It was clearly evident indeed our friends were on the road. Several places I saw elephant dung especially in the first half of my journey.
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| Road to Pennagram |
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| Spider valley views |
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| Intermittent tall trees and shrubs. |
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| If some wild mammals in my way, there is no sufficient place on the road to escape. |
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| One of the river bed shows debris of trees and the strength of water |
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| Road and river meet regular intervals. |
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| The river is dried up now |
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| A road cum check dam |
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| Lush forest cover on either side |
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| Read the board |
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| An approach road to the stream |
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| most of the bridges are in this condition |
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| RIDING THROUGH A RIVERBED |
Anderson wrote about this area a very densely forested area and abounded in those days with elephant, bison, tiger, panther, and bear. Sambar and jungle-sheep, rather than spotted deer, were plentiful because of the hilly terrain and adjacent mountain ranges- Rock snakes, commonly termed pythons, were said to be present in numbers,
and smaller animal life was abundant. The tall, waving bamboos and the damp undergrowth was the home of millions of fireflies as well as of a luminescent beetle and three varieties of glow-worm'. He also described that this was the only area in Salem district where, by virtue of the dampness of the evergreen jungle, a king cobra might be encountered.
After negotiating some hairpin bends down the hill, I reached some thickly wooded area. This means I am near to the riverside and shortly I met a bridge. The condition of the road is fantastic but the bridge is broken by the strong flows. I saw several bridges in this road is in bad condition except one. Sometimes we have to ride to the riverbed to reach the other side. And each bank was normally steep.
Negotiating some kilometers I reached a place with full of vegetation on both sides of the road. The road is almost blocked by outgrown wait- a -bit threw and looks like a tunnel. I don't want to stop and take a few clicks. Because I knew this will be a dangerous place for a lone biker. If some wild animals on the way ahead, there is no space to pass them on the two-meter wide road It looked fearful for some unknown reasons. The road giving a message to the traveler of an impression that he is in a leafy tunnel.
There were intermittent bridges and uprooted trees everywhere. I increased my speed when I reached a place seems safe. On the way, I passed a small temple-like structure with a stone engraved depicting two men and a tiger. The stonework is half finished and used ancient tools to engraving. It resembles Vijayanagara stone arts and I think for centuries this stone stood here and worshiped in this part of the jungle. Now it is lying on the earth, some elephant or a passing vehicle tucked it down.
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| Road became narrower here. |
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| This bridge is in good shape |
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| But not this one. I have to do some real offroading |
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| Unicorn stuck in sand a riverbed |
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| I had to get down and push the bike. together with first gear, it moved nicely |
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| Another clearing were seen on a crossing of the river |
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| The road is blocked with this tree and I had to off-road in the forest again |
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| Anaibiddahalla |
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| The temple along the way in the midst of the forest |
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| The road is like a tunnel, gave a good experience. |
At Sopathy, I wanted to go to the big rock which Anderson described in the story. It lies exactly in the middle of the river according to google map. But thick bushes and forest obstruct my views to the area. I decided that it will be good before exploring more, first to check somebody in the watchtower. This is my precaution to avoid any unwanted incidents from official side. I would like to take some rest at the premises of the forest anti-poaching tower. Nobody was there on duty.
The rest of road to Pennagram has ordinary in the style which runs mostly uphill. throw bushes and short trees growing all over the hills. From the top of such a hillside, I saw the distance I covered and it clearly marked with green tall trees on the bank of Chinnar and Morapore valleys. I negotiated the last check post and there was narrow a gap which I never have seen anywhere else. Only a bike can barely sweep through between the permanent metal rod of check post and a large stone. The man in charge raised no query. Within 10 minutes reached Pennagram with a lot of plain farming lands on both sides. By this time temperature was too high and my bare arms literally baked in sun.
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| Anti-poaching tower, at Sopathy |
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| Google image of the chinnar river crossing. the rock in blue circle mentioned in the story. The red circle is the Anti-poaching tower |
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| The area was totally empty |
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| View of the Morappur valley I just covered |
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| Vegetation and condition of the road changed |
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| But nobody can be seen along these roads |
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| Last look, the spider valley |
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| Reached the destination. |
