New Year on Chakkippara

Chakkippara as seen from in front of my school

A better perspective of the landscape

Chakkippara is a cliff that is just a couple of kilometres from the school where I teach. Whenever I am on invigilation duty in the auditorium [3^rd floor] of my school I enjoy the sight of that huge rock which juts out of the landscape rather coquettishly. Many of my students have visited the place which has become a sort of tourist place though it is not easily accessible. The approach road is quite narrow and it stops a good kilometre away from the cliff. You have to walk up the steep concrete path for a while and then do some trekking over the rugged mountain path made by visitors.

When Tony, a former student of mine, suggested a visit yesterday evening I thought that would be a memorable way to end the year 2022. He picked me up from home by his car. Our original plan was to reach Chakkippara in time to see the sunset. But some family matter kept Tony busy and the sun was already setting when we left my home. We managed to reach the cliff before it was dark – just in time to take a few snaps of the breath-taking panorama before us.

You get a full view of the villages around. My school and many other public institutions like the parish church and its colleges are all clearly visible. There is a cool breeze that blows ceaselessly there with a soothing tang. I would have loved to spend time there. But the descending darkness made us hurry back. The mountain trail would be difficult to navigate in darkness.

As we were walking down the concrete path, we met the family of another student of mine from whom I came to know that the local people wouldn’t be quite pleased to have too many tourists arriving there. A lot of students come in the morning in school or college uniforms and spend the day in the forest nearby, I was told. The hint that their activities were not what a civil society would find acceptable was not lost on me.

It's better the place remains difficult to reach, I thought. Let its pristine charm remain unsullied for as long as possible. The place has left a unique impression on my soul and the warmth of the affection that the student’s family exuded will stay with me for a long while. Something really great to begin a New Year with.

Below are some scenes from top of the cliff.