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 š
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
***The images used in this blog post were taken by me on Samsung Galaxy A5.
TeNy
Great post. I love hawks.
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Thanks š š
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great post there! The pictures are amazing and so is your love for eagles!Oh I also love the fact that they fly over the clouds when it rains,it kinda has it’s own rules!proud and strong!
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Thank you š With those abilities, they make us wish for the skills š
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Oh yes they do,they insipre us!
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Nice post. Just a question how did you get that Earth is calling badge ? I just noticed and thus asked.
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Thanks š It is in “My Badges” – You didn’t see?
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After the love of Vampires, it had to be eagles’ times. After all, both of them have the killer-instincts š
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Yes, and there will always be new additions š
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I love your blog name!!! and a nice blog post too!! http://www.exploreitmyway.com
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Thank you so much š š
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Loved the lines by Lord Tennyson. Eagle head rock, grasslands, tea plantations, must be making it a tourist’s haven.
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Yes, it is one, and sometimes we wonder if we should stay somewhere around there forever! š
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That is a great trip! Drive around these scenic roads must be a great experience!
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Yes, these roads deserve to be on the camera all the time š
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Gosh! Teny you are so opposite to Mr. Bruce Wayne š Well, I have been to Thekkady and really the spot is indeed mesmerizing. Lovely captures too! So what about Vampire Eagle… does that even exist??
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I don’t see why eagles can’t be vampires š
Opposite to Bruce Wayne because I have no money? š š
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so its eagles now?? š
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Eagles are always there to inspire us na š
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yes ofcourse… š
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Like the defenders of the upper realms š
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Enjoyed the transformation from vampires to eagles! They are amazing birds …watch this video https://youtu.be/J65MycJKwgw
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I have heard something about this somewhere, but this is a nice detailed video š
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Interesting post.And some great snaps.
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Thanks š
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