The Bungalow (thankfully) looks in good shape, though a dorm seems to have also been added. The rate seems to be Rs 500 per head per bead for "fooding and lodging"!
In these days of vanishing forests, good to hear that the forest still continues to exist and flourish. Mamandur is not a mammal/cat kind of place, but more a birding and nice-quiet-place-to-enjoy-nature type place. From all accounts that continues to be the best description.
The undisturbed huge anthills
Iora I think
Rat snake!This group seems to have had several snake encounters, which we didn't! This rat snake was in a stagnant pool of water in the dry riverbed, and was after frogs.
Here's Sripad's description:
Then for a second I thought I had seen a head come out of the water I looked through my camera got a shot and immediately zoomed in to have a look, it was a Rat Snake!!! There was a Rat Snake in the small pond filled with Toads……after I alerted everyone about my find we waited for everyone to give their comments the snake by this time interrupted by our load voices and ugly faces went into the water and came out only after a ten minute wait. When we waited for the snake to come out the second time we watched the ecosystem around the pond there were Damsel flies and butterflies sucking up minerals from the wet soil around. As we waited for the snake to show its head we watched the pond for entertainment and we got to see nice toads with lots of character.
When we thought the snake won't show up again the snake resurfaced and as though watching an alien from another planet all of us watched the snake with awe and me being a great fan of the snake clicked away like crazy. I did manage to get a few nice shots of the snake.
Damsel butterflies
Never heard of a Rat Snake before!
ReplyDeleteI was just re-reading master storyteller Kenneth Anderson's description of the forest bungalow in his fabulous story, The Mamandur Man-Eater. Thanks for the contemporary info. I'm in the USA now, but dream of Mamandur!
ReplyDeleteI was reading Kenneth Anderson too and thought to google this bungalow. The book's photo plates would have helped recognition but sadly no pics of it on this blog. For the folks who have been there, are the radial roads from the house and the stone's throw railway line still easily notable features? heard it's now a library as well.. hope the caretaker still serves masala chai in the mornings and bacon and eggs for breakfast for birding photo-shikaris :)
ReplyDeletewildmannered, there are some pictures of the bungalow in my original mamandur post:
ReplyDeletehttp://madraswanderer.blogspot.com/2008/03/mamandur-bungalow-on-hill.html.
No bacon eggs in 2008 when we went - sumptious south Indian fare!
Does this place also features Rudra Vaaleswarar kal mandapam. I read it in some literature that its been built by Mahendravarma Pallava...
ReplyDeleteI am sorry Vijay Anand, I have no clue about the temple!
ReplyDelete