29 | September | 2015 | The Tea Cerebrations

Throughout my life, I have had special love for some birds; no, not the love birds, sparrows or doves – the birds of prey have been my favourites. Among them all, I was always interested in seeing an eagle flying in the sky. The standards and banners used by the Roman Empire and the later Byzantine Empire had my attention. I have loved the image of the double-headed eagle, and had the feeling that it was special. Then there were the ancient Eagle Warriors of Tenochtitlan, who were the elite infantry units of the Aztec Empire, seen in the game, Age of Empires II: The Conquerers.

Still part of the coats of arms of many cities and a few nations, eagle has always been the bird which inspired to rise and claim what we needed. It is the symbol of courage, will-power and strength, with its agility and superior vision, are used in connection with the greater gods, Zeus for Greeks, Jupiter for Romans and Odin for the Norse. There is the idea of flying high and free like the eagle. Then there was also this poem which I learned by-heart at school, but then I realized that I needn’t – a problem of leaving for CBSE from the state syllabus 😀

He clasps the crag with crooked hands;
Close to the sun in lonely lands,
Ring’d with the azure world, he stands.
The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;
He watches from his mountain walls,
And like a thunderbolt he falls.
— The Eagle by Lord Alfred Tennyson.

So, let the dark clouds leave and get to the destination I am talking about.

So, let the dark clouds leave and we get to the destination I am talking about.

That brings us to the Rock of the Eagle or Eagle’s Rock, called Parunthumpara. With “eagle” associated with the name, I was always willing to have a look there. Located around six kilometres from the nearest town Peermade, it is a beautiful and interesting viewpoint which can be accessed while traveling through the Kottayam Kumily road. If you are traveling from the Northern side of Kerala, you can follow the route which goes through Perumbavoor, Muvattupuzha, Thodupuzha, Vagamon and then get to this road. It is not exactly on the way, and you will have to turn right before reaching Peermade.

This is the kind of path which you follow. Also note my car for no reason 😛

It is a good place to visit if you are traveling to Kumily, Thekkady or Kattappana through the road mentioned. The view that the place provides is amazingly good, and there is lot of area around to park the vehicle. There are some small tea shops there and you will find some bigger ones on the way, with more options of tea packets and chocolates. The road is mostly good except for a small area which has a certain absence of road and it will test the ground clearance of your vehicle in the case of the smaller cars.

You drive through the roads on the top and wander through the grasslands.

The advantage of going through this smaller, but good road is the bliss which is available while seeing so much of greenery and the wind providing inspiration. With all the beauty around, it is good enough to challenge any other location around. There is a little plastic problem which has to be dealt with though. Otherwise, it is well-maintained. It is still not fully developed, and so may be we can see some interesting changes some day. The place has a lot of beauty and space, and so this one can stand of its own one day with the rock having somewhat the shape of the head of an eagle.

Here is the vision which you should have very often to make life feel better.

Meanwhile, Peermade is the place to stop and have some food, and if you are not hungry yet, you can stop at Vandiperiyar later. There are many tea plantations around where you can stop and have the selfie with tea. One of the interesting places around includes the Pattumala Church which is a nice structure which can be noticed from the main road itself as it is located at some good height. The building catches our attention and so does the flowers around the tea plantations which surround the church. You can add these with Parunthumpara during your journey to Thekkady.