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During April 2001, the Assembly elections were held in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, West Bengal, Assam and the Union territory of Pondicherry. I was posted for election duty in Idukki District of Kerala, at Peermade Assembly Constituency. Iddukki is the most beautiful district in Kerala. Like everyone, I had heard of the beautiful tea country of Munnar and the Periyar wildlife sanctuary at Tekkadi, in Iddukki District but I had never heard of Peermade till I arrived there as an election observer. Peermade, a tiny little hill resort, is situated 74 km. from Iddukki and 45 km. from Periyar. In fact anyone coming to Periyar wildlife sanctuary from Munnar, Kottayyam, Cochin or Iddukki can have a halt for a day or two at Peermade and enjoy the natural surroundings. Existence of Peermade came to me as a complete surprise as I was not mentally prepared to encounter another little heaven on earth tucked away in a small wayside town. The town is nothing but a cluster of easily climbable hills surrounded by the natural tropical forest.
Even though hidden from the common man the beauty of Peermade was not missed by the Maharajas of Travancore. The summer palace of the erstwhile Maharajas is located on one of the picturesque hills. The palace had been in existence for several hundred years and was donated by the last Maharaja to a godman for religious purpose. However, the godman has recently sold it to a private group who might convert it into a hotel. Hopefully, Peermade will have a heritage hotel shortly. On top of the adjacent hill stands the Government Guest House where I stayed for a couple of days. This is also a beautiful building at a vantage point from where you can have the best view of the slopes and forests. In fact, a guesthouse was built and used by the erstwhile Maharajas.
At the slope of the same hill KTDC (the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation) has recently built a hotel as tourist traffic to Peermade is on the increase. Peermade has also acquired its first private resort called 'Trishanku Haven'. In fact, it is promoted as heaven on earth. I had the privilege of staying in this resort for over a week and I enjoyed it immensely. I found that the cooks were very good who not only served me typical Kerala cuisine, but also some Chinese and continental delicacies. I found the staff to be very affectionate which made my stay very comfortable and homely. Some of the boys even accompanied me in my morning and evening walks. The resort is located about two km. from Peermade hills on top of the Trishanku Hills, the most delightful hill in the region. All through the year fresh breeze blows and the climate is cool and pleasant. The special feature of Peermade and Trishanku hills is the pure mist, which keeps engulfing the hilltops in the mornings and evenings. The feeling of walking through the mist is ethereal for most of us.
Famous for its trekking routes, one can walk from hilltop to hilltop, and wander into forests and ferns, without having to come down. For me it was a heavenly experience to wade through the mist for hours on a mountain range. As I passed through the hilltops I not only meandered through the meadows and the forests but also picked bags full of wild guavas to eat. Lo and behold, on one of my walks, I saw a huge rainbow arched across two hills. I almost walked through it trying to hold the colours in my hand and was disappointed when my hands did not become pink. In front of Trishanku resort there is another hill that is actually known as the Peermade hill. The Musoleum of a Peer (a Muslim Sufi saint) is located on top of this hill. Actually the town of Peermade (meaning the hill of a Peer) gets its name from this hill. The Musoleum of the Peer faces the Royal palace. It is believed that Royalty had come under the influence of this Sufi saint and hence the Maharaja made his retreat in Peermade to be close to the saint. After the passing away of the Saint the hill was dedicated to him and the mother of the last Maharaja repaired his grave (mazar). The people of all religions visit the hill of the Peer and pray for the fulfillment of their wishes. When I visited the hill of the Peer I found that a group of Muslim women, lead by a matriarch, had come from a neighbouring village to offer prayers to the Sufi Saint. After prayers they made the offerings of fresh coconut and jaggery to the saint that was later given to all of us to eat. One of the memorable moments of my life has been to sit and relax in the cool breeze and mist on top of the hill, while eating coconut with jaggery.
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