Taking A Bus From Udhagamandalam To Thalaikundha, Going to Kodappamund High Hill Tea, Train Ride To Coonoor

Taking A Bus From Udhagamandalam To Thalaikundha, Going To Kodappamund High Hill Tea, Train Ride To Coonoor 

As I reached Udhagamandalam on a Sunday, thoughts were all about preparations I had to undertake before I set on a South India Voyage which welcome visitors from as far distant as Hong Kong who have gained benefits of JC JoyAge.  The day I am supposed to leave for South (July One) seven days prior to that I had stopped taking milk to keep tummy in shape as one never knows from which quarter there would be trouble wave. Thousand issues criss-cross your mind while mapping out an itinerary as irresistible has been the invite from South since July 1995 when India in world theatre was quite loud. Once in Udhagamandalam, frenetic was the search for cyber cafe with the one going by the name Net City Internet run by Mr Naren functioning irrespective of rains. This time round I could not do even one story from their store, and herein Net City Technologies (Shop Number 5, 6, Kavitha Complex, Thendral Restaurant, Hobart Park Cross Road) had the legitimate roar.  Net City Technologies obliged me on occasions more than once to do stories which tried to reason out the South India queries. 

Ride To Thalaikundha

On a Monday with nothing much to do, I decided to board a bus with no stress.  As I took a bus to Thalaikundha, there were reminders on the need to keep city clean and green. Go past Govt Medical College The Nilgiris. Thoughts on snow capped Udhagamandalam if ever possible and would there be occasional sighting of polo bears, and this may come around if environment one cares. Having reached Thalaikundha and from here Masinagudi 68, Mudumalai 61 and Mysuru 152 kms. In Thalaikundha there is liquor bottle and plastic waste collection kiosk functioning dawn to dusk. Thalaikundha is known for greenery and rolling hills situated along the Nagapattinam-Coimbatore-Gundlupet Highway getting its share of visitors from Maharashtra's Mumbai. Mind you, the ride to Thalaikundha had less reservoir of support as the bus was cramped, and some visiting their camp. 

Ride From Thalaikundha To Udhagamandalam Central Bus Stand

The ride from Thalaikundha to Udhagamandalam Central Bus Stand was bumpy with reminders never overtake in curves, and as there is SBI Indunagar branch there are some wishing to hold out an olive branch. Go past Nest 'n' Mist Bakery. Go past Eucalyptus oil factory.  From here fuel station 3.6 kms. Some women from Muslim community in animated conversation with Hindu family in the bus knowing fully well strawberry shake can lend you the right guess. Go past The Cliff School. Go past Suji Suriya's Chocolate Factory. Go past Finger Post. Go past Snowfall Rooms and Cottages. Go past Long Wood Cottage. Reminder plastic straws would invite fine of Rs 1000 with some holding brief on Chinese manufacturer Suzhou Douson. Go past Woodside School. Go past State Bank Of India branch. Go past Holiday Home For Central Govt. Reach Udhagamandalam Central Bus Stand at 4.53 with no need to tie a lone man to a tree. This ride coming on a day when I had barely spent 24 hours in the city where rush hour tourist traffic noted in May- June make some croon.   

Going to Kodappamund high hill tea 

From Udhagamandalam bus stand there are buses with no bruises to Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, Madurai, Trichy, Kotagiri, Mettupalayam, Coonoor, Coimbatore, Sathy, Gobi, Masinagudi, Mysuru, Gudalur. The bus for Kodappamund leaves at 3.40. Ad of Repco bank offering 8.25 per cent interest for senior citizen. Go past Ettines road. Go past Sri Shanthi Vijay Girls Higher Secondary School, Ujjivan Small Finance Bank. Ujjivan Bank began operations in 2017. As of date, it has 777 branches.  At 3.55 there are directions to Kotagiri, Doddabetta. Once I get down at Kodappamund I have to trudge to reach High Hill Tea in Doddabetta Road.

With contact numbers 9843931200 9942723400, this store I have visited in the past offering 

- Nilgiri Tea

- Green Tea 

- White Tea

- Citronella Oil

- Heena Oil

- Aroma Fresh

- Essential Oils

- Nilgiri Spices

- Homemade Chocolates

- Herbal Products

- Perfumes

- Dry Fruits

- Nilgiri Honey

There is as well here High Hill Tea Garden.

There is as well Hills Queen Tea Doddabetta Road.  All kinds of tea, coffee, homemade chocolates, Ooty spices, oils, honey, nuts available. Contact Number 9095556661

While on the way to bus stand there is Sunset Valley Holiday Inn, 222 B Mel Kodappamund Udhagamandalam. From here one can gain panoramic view with enough clue. 

Taking A Train Ride To Coonoor

While waiting for my turn at ticket counter in Udhagamandalam Station there are:

- booking office

- retiring room

- purified water machine

- restaurant

- station manager

- reserved lounge

- station master

- heritage museum

- upper class waiting hall

- cloak room

- nature product sales stall

- catering stall

- selfie point.

Train no 56139 

Leaving at 9.15 AM Udhagamandalam To Coonoor

Train no 56142

Leaving at 12.15  PM Udhagamandalam To Coonoor

Train No 56137 

Leaving at 2 PM Udhagamandalam To Mettupalayam 

Train No 56140

Leaving at 5.30 PM Udhagamandalam To Coonoor

Meet Mr John. Retired Train Ticket Examiner (TTE) on Madras-Coimbatore, Madras-Udhagamandalam section. He is drawing a pension of Rs 42660 from month to month. I was in the city in the first and second week of July and rains have been there for the past six days and before that there were none. Meet Mohammad Ibrahim working in UAE. From Mangalore he came to Coonoor, from Coonoor to Wayanad, and from Wayanad to Udhagamandalam. Knows Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi. There were network issues some faced whole booking unreserved train ticket. No special quota. Only single queue. As majority face career blues. When my turn came to take ticket, I insisted on having a window seat as with that opening one can greet. 

Train To Coonoor Leaves

The train for Coonoor leaves at 12.18 PM. First tunnel 12.23. Here Green Colour Home may hold future lessons. Second tunnel at 12.28. At 12.30 Lovedale comes.Thoughts on Lord Murugan, GODDESS Mariamman temples in Udhagamandalam. Third tunnel after 12.37. Thoughts on how Delhi traffic would be after 15 years from now when contacts would be rare with Kalimpong. Ketti comes at 12.43. Expansive green cover after 12.46. Thoughts on Karnataka Express, Bengaluru Rajdhani trains from Delhi to Bengaluru carrying passengers even from Churu. Train comes to a screeching halt at 12.55. At 1 comes Aravankadu. Thoughts on Mangalore and fruits from there which on occasions may turn out to be rare. At 1.26 Wellington. At 1.33 reach Coonoor. ATM of Ujjivan bank in functional mode vis-a-vis South Indian Bank, Indian Bank which have shut doors. Take meals from Hotel Sri Lakshmi Pure Veg in DVD complex TDK Pillai road Coonoor 9443017237 / 0423 2238889. A word of praise for gastronomic delight with prospects of this eating joint looking to be bright. 

Return Ride From Coonoor To Udhagamandalam

Meet Mr Murthy from Coonoor who knew the city inside out and the season when inflation is the reigning bout. Take bus from Iyengar Bakery at 3 PM. Welcome to Wellington Cantonment Board. Go past Tea Board India Coonoor. Go past Boy's Company which at random sees visits of the rank attorney. Go past Ave Maria CHURCH. Reach Aravankadu at 3.10. Few moments later Sharon Prayer House. Few moments later Green Hill Guest House, Nilgiris Matriculation School where students invariably drool. Go past Yellanalli. Milky Mist Van passes by. Board of Go Green. Throughout Retain Sheen. Greenery Holiday Inn (Rs 999) breakfast included notably recorded in a city where some firms have to subject themselves to audit. From here Mysuru 128 kms. Few minutes later Ettines road. And finally, we are in Udhagamandalam where if ever snow peaks there would be beating of drum. These visits to Thalaikundha, Kodappamund High Hill Tea and Coonoor were on separate days amidst luncheon meet with guys which kept up the pace. 

Temperatures And AQI Keeping It In Steady Trait 

With temperatures in Udhagamandalam between 19 and 23 degrees celsius and AQI between 20 and 48, it illustrates this region has strong traits. Those owning tea gardens and those wishing to own the same may be in for a good game. Let us raise a outlook that for seasons together Udhagai (Udhagamandalam) would have a weather that won't keep one in a spot of bother. Let us hail the sentiments that guide Udhagai which for centuries to come would fly. Let the word come out that Udhagai and Kotagiri undercurrents other regions ape irrespective of their configuration and shape. 

YEDU KONDALWADA VENKATRAMNA GOVINDA GOVINDA