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<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n\u201cMy roots are from Sri Lanka and I was there until the age of 10\u201d, our guide Despite the summer being at it\u2019s peak, once we crossed the As we drove through the lush greenery, mobile networks slowly gave away, and without a cue, Gavi Reservoir showed up, signalling our Laced with water bodies, plantations and distant hills, Gavi is After a delicious lunch at the restaurant with expansive <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n On the way back the frames changed, as mist slowly rolled in, the drizzles got <\/span><\/p>\n Woke up to the hoot of an owl early in the morning, and pretty pink skies over the misty lake welcomed us. Soon boarded a bus and went on a morning safari through the winding roads of Gavi. There were a couple of pits stops which offered beautiful morning frames of green hills with birds chirping in the background. The forests of Gavi are home to wildlife such as sambar, gaurs, peacocks, wild boar, Malabar giant squirrel and a plethora of birds. Wildlife sighting is pure luck and all that we could spot were a couple of playful Malabar giant squirrels perched atop a tree. However, the chillness of the dawn and panoramic views of the landscape made for a beautiful forest drive.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n With frames of beautiful landscapes, nature\u2019s play with How to reach Gavi:<\/b> Pathanamthitta is the nearest Food and Accommodation:<\/b> Green Mansion run by Kerala Forest
\nchuckled as he rowed our boat. That turned all our attention towards him from the
\npretty surroundings that we were enjoying until then. He delved further into
\nthe history of Gavi, which has a large percentage of residents with Sri Lankan
\nlineage. His forefathers were Sri Lankan Tamilians who were repatriated to the
\nforests of Gavi in the 1970s as part of the agreement between the two
\ncountries. While some left for other places in Tamil Nadu, many stayed back,
\nand they have since then been a part of Gavi and worked in the forest
\ndepartments and cardamom plantations of this land.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n
\nforest entry check post at Vallakadavu, it was gentle breeze and lush greenery
\nwith gorgeous views of distant hills along the windy narrow road that led us to
\nGavi. Very few vehicles crossed our paths, and that was probably because of the
\nrestriction in the number of entries allowed to Gavi in a day. The tall trees
\ngave way to open landscape views intermittently only to show up again with
\nclear blue skies in the background. <\/a><\/span><\/div>\n
\narrival at this tucked away hill station in Pathanamthitta district, which has
\nbeen attracting numerous visitors over the last few years. Green Mansion run by
\nthe Kerala Forest department is a nice stay option located opposite the Gaviyar
\nDam, and Arun was the designated guide during our 2-day stay at this pretty
\nhill station.<\/i><\/span>\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
\nwhere one can laze around, enjoy the rolling mists cover you up, get
\ndrenched in the unpredictable rains, and soak up the beauty of nature, while
\nstaying disconnected from the outside modern world of networking, doom
\nscrolling and socialising.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n
\nviews of the reservoir for company, we kicked off our exploration with a boat ride across
\nthe Gaviyar reservoir. Dark clouds loomed overhead as Arun rowed his way on the
\nplacid waters with stories from his childhood flowing in a heavy Tamil accented
\nMalayalam. The talks slowly drifted to Gavi (which loosely translates to escarpment),
\nits dams, the hydro electric projects run here, and the very popular pilgrimage,
\nSabarimala, which is not too far away. There are five dams in this vicinity-
\nKullar, Anathode, Kakki, Kochu Pamba and Meenar, which provide water for the
\nhydroelectric project.\u00a0 <\/span>Gavi constitutes
\nof 3 villages- Gavi, Meenar and Pamba, and 90% of the residents are Tamilians.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
We rowed past the dam and went further ahead to the other bank of the
\nreservoir, which has a waterfall. A short trail along the fringes of the waterbody took us to the falls, and being summers, the water levels were quite low as
\nexpected. We still went ahead and had a cold shower under those waters, while balancing precariously over slippery rocks.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nheavier and the clouds looked darker. Anticipating a heavy downpour, Arun rowed swiftly
\nand took us back. Soon it rained and the expansive reservoir looked prettier
\nwith mist engulfing the trees and the hills in the backdrop; a picturesque
\nsight that I gazed at for long. The night ended with a dinner, and we slept
\naway to the sounds of crickets, but not before sighting a couple of leeches,
\nthe omnipresent souls of the Western Ghats during the monsoons.\u00a0 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nmist and rain, and the Sri Lankan stories, which was a revelation, we drove
\nback from Gavi with a bucketful of lovely memories.
\nmajor town, 100 kms away, while Kochi is about 170 kms away from Gavi. The
\nclosest major rail head is at Pathanamthitta, and Cochin airport is 170 kms
\naway. There are buses available from Pathanamthitta and other towns to Gavi,
\nbut they aren\u2019t frequent. It is recommended to visit Gavi in a private vehicle.
\ndepartment has nice rooms and the food is good. Details of the same can be
\nfound here- https:\/\/kfdcecotourism.com\/home<\/a><\/i><\/span>