In the 1990’s,  I preferred travelling by 3^rd AC  in the Blue Mountain express between Coimbatore and Chennai. Many film shootings used to  take place at Ooty & around Coimbatore. I would often bump into  a troupe of group dancers travelling in it. On 2 occasions my berth happened to be one among the 6 in which the other 5 were occupied by them. What a feeling. I was then discovering  how Vrindavan would have been with the numerous gopiar’s around. But the bouncers were a nuisance. Roses always  come with the thorns (RSK theorem proof No: 8756 )

Coimbatore was a place with its own culture, identity, version of tamil  & caste. Most houses – including all the bigger ones had large areas in their front yard smeared with cowdung and elaborate white kolams with the poosani flower in the center. A refreshing site in the mornings. Coimbatore was much cooler in those days. I was uncomfortable in the winter mornings there.

Inspite of its various industries, South India Viscose  (SIV) was the mainstay of the prosperity of Coimbatore those days. It used to be said that even a sweeper used to take princely salaries.  The best way to see, enjoy and get refreshed was to see the sign of prosperity in the women shoppers faces at Hotel Lakshmi ( Xcut road Ghandipuram)  – then the city’s only shopping mall with the famous Koval Annapurna restaurant in the ground floor. Just a 5 minute stroll in the shopping plaza, was enough to lift the spirits up. Face was the index of the peaceful mind ushered by SIV’s prosperity. Then suddenly fortunes turned upside down. Due to some nasty politics, SIV was shut citing environmental issues. It never opened again.  The faces & prosperity went missing for a few years.

Today my company Kirloskars have a full factory manufacturing pumps there run entirely by women right from the shop floor. I’m yet to visit there.

Kovai Annapoorna hotel was a place never to be missed then. Their speciality – Sambar – a taste so unique that it was a superbrand then.  Some diversifications, growth into areas that were not sustainable killed their fame – though the brand popularity still exists – No one else has recreated the taste. During our school picnic in 12^th to Malambuzha dam, we all had our lunch at this hotel but at a different location in Coimbatore. It was the time when India’s first 3D film My dear Kuttichathan had come;  I hated the studious lot among our mates  as they were discussing the physics behind the 3D view rather than enjoying the picnic.

 Black thunder resort was popular then & we celebrated one of our wedding anniversaries there.

Pollachi is an hours drive from here. Any direction you see from both these towns, you will find a spot /dam/ falls /field that has come in some movie or the other. Many names of places we have so often heard suddenly are very close by. There are lots to be seen and enjoyed.

From Coimbatore,  I used to go to Cherambadi where Nestle had a tea processing factory. Cherambadi houses many tea estates including Harrisons . Mys chool classmate Nandu once worked at Cherambadi. The entire stretch from Gudalur to Cherambadi had thick shola forests with giant trees. One could hear the streams flowing through it, though you cannot see from the road. Tomatoes were  sold by pieces and bananas by the kilo!!! 

Cherambadi was sheer virgin poetry after dusk. Long winding roads amidst the vast expanse of totally silent dark green tea gardens with neither traffic nor people. Just a window pane here and one far there – bathed with the yellow glow from Edisons bulb The moon shined with all the beauty of a new bride, slowly, hesitantly  and shyly pulling the veil of soft white fog over her face –like a bride awaiting the groom on her first night.  I enjoyed it during the long night walks from the site. On my return, in the morning, the dewdrops on the leaves gave a naughty hint of what might have happened during the night long romance. Possibly, this is why a tea is always refreshing. Romance Rejuvenates Best. ( RSK discovery no: 3042).

Cherambadi did not have a hotel and was never a tourist spot. That was her speciality.Things have changed now.