Short Solo Trip (Thirumoorthy Falls and Aliyar Dam)

It was 26th Feb 2020 Wednesday. After attending my friend's marriage at Dharapuram, I was looking for a short solo trip, as one of my friend who came with me decided to return Chennai immediately. The marriage function was awesome as it was fully in Tamil way where all wishes and chants were performed in Tamil. Also the breakfast was wonderful. After a heavy breakfast and spending sometime with friends I started roaming to the near by places. One of my friend dropped me at Gudimangalam around 11.11 AM. I got a bus to Udumalpet from there in few minutes. I reached Udumalpet around 12.00 PM. Before  starting my travel to Thirumoorthy waterfalls, I thought of meeting a friend who works at one of the public bank at Madathukulam. We had quick coffee in the midst of my friend's busy cashier work. Post the quick nice meeting with my friend I was back at Udumalpet and waiting eagerly for the arrival of bus number 11  which goes to Thirumoorthy falls. It was 1'o clock noon in my phone and sun was bright and smiling at the centre sky, and my bus came.With a quick run I was able to get a window seat easily and I got a ticket worth of Rs.15 to the last stop and settled well on my seat to listen  wonderful songs played in the bus with  the scenery view as company through the window.

I reached Thirumoorthy falls at around 2.05 PM and in 5 minutes walk I reached the lord siva temple(Amanalingeswarar temple) located at the entrance. Got a ticket for Rs.5 and walked further for ten more minutes deep inside the hills and reached the falls around 2.20 PM. The climate was little challenging. However it was faded away by the wonderful falls. The crowd was less. There was a big group of village people came to get theertham for their village temple. I took some photos and videos and observed overall place once. There were few monkeys also roaming around. I found a small hole on a side wall of the falls where I kept my bag safely and took a happy shower for about 15 minutes. 

The force was perfect enough to stand under the falls gently. It gave me a great joy. Post my bath, I got ready and gave few minutes to my eyes to have visual treat. I started back by 2.50 PM and reached the temple at 3.00 PM. There was a group of people providing free food for devotees and one of them asked me to share the food. Since there was very less crowd, they were asking everyone pass by. I shared a light meal with them. 

The temple is next to the falls while coming down at the starting point of the hills. Followed by temple there was a Dam (Thirumoorthy Dam) and I went to take a closer look it was surrounded by the hills. It is not a big one. However you can find a breath taking view there. I witnessed the small waves touching the banks. 

After spending few minutes there I was back to bus stop and waiting for a bus to reach Dhally. The plan was to reach Dhally first and then get a bus to Sungam and from there reach Aliyar as suggested by local residents. After few minutes of waiting, I boarded a bus at 3.35 PM which dropped me at Dhally in 20 minutes. Dhally is a small wonderful village with less bus connectivity. The people at Dhally kindly helped me a lot with finding location where I need to board a bus to Sungam at a perfect timing. One thing that you have to familiarize with is the direction, they won't use left and right words much to show the route. Even for me, they asked me to go further more north by walk(vadaka konja thooram poganum kannu) for which I had to look at the Sun to ensure that, I am heading towards right direction. I boarded a bus around 4.05 PM and took a ticket for Sungam worth Rs.20. When I reach Sungam it was 5.05 PM and a signboard placed there says the distance for Aliyar is 11 Km from there.

I was not sure about the timing and I thought I would miss a view at Aliyar Dam. Somehow my gut feeling was telling me that they will allow till 6.00 PM.I had been there once while I was in college years ago. After waiting for 5 minutes I got a bus and finally reached Aliyar Dam by 5.40 PM and my travel didn't go in vain as the visitors are allowed till 6.00 PM. Thanks to my gut feelings. I took an entry ticket for Rs.5 and went inside. I directly went little inside and climbed up the steps which took me to top of the Dam. The sun was trying to hide west at the other side of the hills. It was a perfect evening to place our eyes frozen on the big mountains at one side and the land  full of coconut trees to the distance till the eye sight can reach at the other side. It was a spectacular view in the lovely evening. I spent sometime with capturing that splendid view through my eyes and phone. Followed  by that I spend few minutes in the park at the entrance. 

It was around 7.00 PM and I was waiting outside the Aliyar Dam for a bus to reach Coimbatore. I didn't want to proceed further.(Valparai is up on those huge aanaimalai hills and Athirappilly falls in further more distance). However my plan was to reach Comibatore and travel to Chennai from there. I got a bus at 7.05 PM which took me through Pollachi and dropped me in Kovai(Ukkadam) at 9.15 PM. Got a town bus to Gandhipuram and had a superb dinner(oru nalla mess la nalla sapadu) around 9.40 PM. It took sometime for me to find SETC bus stop and finally reached by 10.15 PM. There I got a non-ac semi sleeper waiting to start around 11.00 PM. I boarded  and bought a ticket to Perungalathur(Chennai) for Rs.520. The bus reached Perungalathur  at 7.45 AM next day morning.

 Incase if you make a plan, Thirumoorthy waterfalls is open from 8.00 AM to 5.00 PM and Aliyar Dam is open from 8.00 AM to 6.00 PM.  Also please note the Dam view in the evening was awesome.

Overall my partial solo trip was excellent. I was able to touch a new place(Thirumoorthy waterfalls). A special thanks to my friend who was giving me a virtual company through the phone by listening to me in texts, calls at times and sharing the joy with snaps and videos which multiplied my delight twice.