Have I ever told you about Pathai, my village? It is an hour’s drive from Kanyakumari. A picturesque settlement, it is practically in Kerala being at the tail-end of the Western Ghats on the Tamil Nadu side. Mahendragiri is plainly visible from our village and it was from the neighbouring village, Kalakkad, that Thomas and William Daniell painted a view of the hill in the 18th century.

Kalakkad's Satyavageeswarar Temple, with Mahendragiri in the background, as seen from my terrace
Kalakkad’s Satyavageeswarar Temple, with Mahendragiri in the background, as seen from my terrace

I was at the village earlier this week, just in time to see the monsoon breaking over the hills. The rains have not reached the village as yet, but as Raju says in The Guide, it is raining in the hills.

The lowering skies
The lowering skies

My favourite is a mountain spring that comes to life every year during the monsoon and lasts till March. On silent nights, you can actually hear it from the terrace! You can see it as a thin sliver in this photo.

A mountain spring at the Thalayanai forest
A mountain spring at the Thalayanai forest

The sun put up a valiant fight but was chased away by the clouds.

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