A Journey to Ooty and Munnar : In Search of Peace, Purpose and Meaning

Introduction

There was a boy named Alex. He was from a small tea garden village in Alipurduar district of North Bengal. From childhood, he grew up surrounded by forests, rivers, mountains, and tea gardens. At a very young age, he worked as a charwaha (cowherd) alongside his studies. Every day, he used to take his family's cows into the forest for grazing, which helped support his family's livelihood. While grazing the cows, he spent most of his time in the forest. He quietly observed nature around him. He watched birds flying in the sky, different kinds of trees and flowers, insects, butterflies, and wild animals. These experiences gave him a deep love and respect for nature.

While staying in Pune, he had a small dream to visit Ooty and Munnar. Pune is one of India's major IT cities. At that time, he was doing the Gandhi Fellowship, one of India's prestigious fellowship programmes. He was managing his life with a small monthly stipend, while Pune was an expensive city to live in. Even with limited money, he never gave up on his small dream and started planning for every detail of the journey carefully. He calculated the total cost of the trip, looked for affordable places to stay, searched for bike rental options, estimated the petrol expenses, and decided how many days he could afford to travel. (This is where my story truly begins. From here onward, instead of using my name, Alex, I will use "I" to make the story more personal and meaningful.)

I chose to travel alone because I wanted to spend time with myself and understand myself better, who I truly am. I wanted to experience the beauty of nature peacefully. I wanted peace, not the peace that comes from escaping life, but the peace that comes from understanding it. Apart from this, I wanted to understand different communities, especially tea garden workers. I wanted to learn about their beliefs, culture, food, livelihood, living conditions, and how nature influences their daily lives. As I come from a tea garden community myself, I was curious to understand how their lives were similar to or different from mine.

On 28th May 2026 at 10:00 PM, my journey began as I left Pune for Ooty with my small travel bag. I reached Pune Railway Station very early and waited until 2:30 AM for my train. But I did not waste my time there. Instead, I observed the people around the station. There was a huge crowd. All types of people, from poor to rich, were waiting for their trains. Some were sleeping on the ground without even a mat, especially poor people and beggars. Some were with their families, some were standing, some were sitting, and some were running to catch their trains. I felt sympathy for those poor people who did not have good clothes and were sleeping anywhere on the dirty ground. On the other hand, many of us have a family, a house, food, and almost everything we need. Yet, we are still not satisfied with our lives. We keep overthinking and often feel unhappy. At that moment, I started thinking about my own life. Seeing those people reminded me to be grateful for what I already have. After spending some time observing all these things, I started reading the book "The Art of Being Alone," written by Renuka Gavrani. What a beautiful, insightful, and meaningful book it is. I enjoyed reading it even in such a crowded place.

On 29th May 2026, I reached Coimbatore at around 5:00 AM. Then I went to the scooter rental shop that I had already decided to rent the scooter from. I walked about 3 km to reach the scooter rental shop. When I reached the rental shop, I saw many scooters and bikes. I was interested in renting a Royal Enfield bike, but I could not afford it. Finally, after a little negotiation, I rented a Honda Activa scooter for 4 days for the Ooty journey.

From Coimbatore, I started my journey to Ooty on my rented scooter. The distance from Coimbatore to Ooty is around 90 km, and it took me almost 4 to 5 hours to reach due to winding mountain roads, including short breaks for rest. The journey was very beautiful and memorable. It was surrounded by mountains, forests, waterfalls, tea gardens, Kattery Park and winding roads. I enjoyed riding on the winding roads.

Ooty

On the first day in Ooty, I woke up at 6:00 AM to see the beauty of Ooty. First, I went to the Tea Park. The park had just opened, so there were only a few people inside. I really enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere. It was surrounded by beautiful flowers of different kinds, green grass, and tea gardens. It was a perfect place to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature in the early morning.

From there, I went to the Tea and Chocolate Factory. In the tea factory, every visitor is offered a free cup of tea. I also got to see the process of how tea is made. Since I come from a tea garden community, I already knew the basic process of tea making.

From there, I went towards Hunger Ford Tea Garden and visited a nearby village. The tea garden was hidden, peaceful, and surrounded by beautiful green hills. I loved the beauty of the tea garden very much. Near the tea garden, there was a small village. I gathered the courage to go there because I did not know the Tamil language. I was not sure whether I would be able to talk to the villagers. But without thinking too much, I went there and started talking to one woman. After talking for a few minutes, I came to know that they were originally from Jharkhand. I felt overjoyed and curious. I started asking them friendly about their living conditions, facilities, wages, work, and life in the tea gardens. While we were talking, another woman came carrying a small child and also joined our conversation. They were happy to talk with me because we belonged to the same tribal community. Earlier, my grandparents were also from Jharkhand.

What a memorable day it was! I never imagined that people from Jharkhand and Assam, especially Adivasi communities, also worked in the tea gardens of Tamil Nadu. Sometimes, happiness comes more than we ever expect. That's the God's plan. I have always been interested in talking to tea garden workers because I myself am from the tea garden place and my parents work in the tea garden as labour. During my university studies, I did a one-month research study on tea garden workers in Lakhimpur district, Assam. Talking with them reminded me of my own research and helped me understand their lives from a different perspective.

Then, after spending some time there, I left for Gudalur Gateway. The road was surrounded by dense forests, hills, dangerous curves, and winding roads. The ride was peaceful and refreshing. I loved every moment of the journey because the road passed through beautiful forests and hilly landscapes. While passing through the forest, I saw elephants, which made me even happier.

Throughout the day, I had only one boiled corn and a few cups of tea while visiting so many places and riding around 136 km. At the end of the day, I finally had my dinner. I was not rushing from one place to another. Instead, I spent time at every place, observing the surroundings and experiencing the beauty of nature. My purpose was not just to visit the places, but to experience them, feel the atmosphere, and understand the reality of each place.

Ooty to Coimbatore: A Road Journey (Tamil Nadu-Kerala Border Road)

I left Ooty around 1:00 PM and started my road journey to Coimbatore. From Coimbatore Junction, I had to catch my train to Kochi. I also had to return my rented scooter before 9:00 PM, so I planned my journey carefully. I had to ride around 90 km to reach Coimbatore. I chose a different route through the Tamil Nadu-Kerala Border Road (Manjoor-Mulli Road) to see and feel the scenic beauty. It is a dangerous road with 43 hairpin bends and passes through a dense forest and wildlife area. It was a very risky road (Life and Death Road) because if something happens there, help is not easily available. Only a few vehicles use this road every day, and the Forest Department has a check gate.

The best part was that the road was surrounded by greenery, different kinds of trees, flowers, beautiful scenery, and cool weather. The road was newly built and reached an altitude of about 1,860 metres (6,102 feet) above sea level. The weather was cool, and it was raining lightly. I wore my raincoat and helmet properly before continuing the ride.

While riding, I saw many signboards saying, "Go Slow. Animal Zone." I also saw elephant dung at several places on the road. Sometimes, I felt afraid because there were no houses, no people, no mobile network, and only dense forest all around. But I gathered the courage to continue, believing that God was with me and would protect me.

It became one of the most dangerous, beautiful, and memorable journeys of my life. I had never experienced such a road alone before. During the journey, I experienced every emotion: fear, joy, peace, excitement, and gratitude. I kept stopping at different places to enjoy the beauty of nature because the road itself was surrounded by forests and silence. There was no network, no noise, only the peaceful sounds of nature. I enjoyed the journey before reaching the destination because every moment of the journey is precious. We never know what the destination will be like. So, we need to enjoy the journey before reaching the destination. I truly experienced the meaning of this during this ride. I will never forget this journey and the memories it gave me. I stayed 3 days in Ooty.

Kochi

At Kochi, first I went to see the Chinese Fishing Nets and watched the fishermen catching fish with their nets. We often enjoy eating fish, but we rarely think about the hard work and struggle of the fishermen who catch it. We often try to bargain for a lower price, but we do not realise how much effort the fishermen put into catching them. I spent a long time watching them work. They walked deep into the sea, sometimes up to their waist or chest, and threw their nets again and again. Many times, they caught nothing and had to keep trying. Only after throwing the nets three or four times were they able to catch some fish. Their hard work, patience, and persistence deeply inspired me. I spent more time there because I wanted to understand the reality behind their work, not just to see the fish and the process of catching fish.

Munnar

After spending around 5 hours in Kochi, I left for Munnar, which is around 132 km away. The road journey from Kochi to Munnar was stunning. The road was surrounded by mountains, winding roads, waterfalls, tea gardens, and beautiful houses. The weather was cool, and it rained lightly at many places, so I wore my raincoat throughout the journey. As I got closer to Munnar, the beauty became even more breathtaking. Everywhere I looked, there was greenery, hilly mountains, and endless tea gardens.

I loved the weather in Munnar. It was cool, foggy, and rainy. Even when it was raining, I never stopped visiting the places that I had planned. Every day, I woke up early at 6:00 AM, took a bath, and first went to the church to pray. After that, I started my journey and returned in the evening after exploring throughout the day. It became my daily routine. No matter how the weather was, heavy rain, cold, or fog, I wore my raincoat and continued my journey. While most people were still sleeping at 6:00 AM, I was already up, with the passion and determination to visit every place I had planned. I stayed 3 days in Munnar.

Last day in Munnar. My purpose in visiting Munnar was fulfilled, which was the best, most memorable, and joyous day of my journey. I had never imagined that my purpose would be fulfilled in such a beautiful way.

After waking up early in the morning, I left for Manele village to meet Adivasi tea garden workers who were from Jharkhand. To reach the village, I had to pass through Door of Heaven, which is famous for its beautiful views of tea plantations covered with mist, mountains, and clouds. But when I reached there, the weather was very rainy and foggy. The clouds were changing every moment, which gave the place a different feeling. The dark clouds, fog, fresh air, cold weather, and greenery made the view even more beautiful.

From there I went towards Manele village. I did not even know the exact name of the person I needed to meet. I had only heard that some tea garden workers from Jharkhand lived and worked in this village. When I reached the village, I met some Tamil workers, and it was difficult to communicate with them because I did not know Tamil. I only knew one word, "Vanakkam," which means Namaste. Still, I tried to communicate with them, and the Tamil workers helped me find the Jharkhand workers. One Tamil man did not understand what I was saying, so he took me to a house where someone knew Hindi. Then we continued talking. I really liked their kindness and support.

The village was very quiet because most of the workers had already gone to work in the tea garden. So, I went towards the tea garden where the workers were plucking tea leaves. While I was going towards the tea garden, it started raining heavily. Fortunately, I had already worn my raincoat, so I continued walking. When I reached the tea garden, I was standing on the top of a hill, while the tea workers were working below. Even though it was raining continuously, I kept walking deeper into the tea garden towards the workers. To reach the Jharkhand workers, I had to pass through three groups of Tamil tea garden workers. And finally, I reached the place and met the Jharkhand tea garden workers.

What a moment it was! They welcomed me with kindness and warmth. We talked about many things: their life stories, their work in the Munnar tea gardens, their hometowns, and their experiences. The supervisor also spoke to me very nicely and allowed me to take photos and videos of the tea garden workers. I also saw that the tea leaves were being cut using machines. There were two different types of machines, hand operated tea scissors and a motorized/battery operated tea harvesting machine. This was a new experience for me because in our tea garden area, workers usually pluck tea leaves by hand. They even gave me the opportunity to use the machine, and I cut some tea leaves myself for a while. It was a completely new experience for me.

One thing I learned was that their daily wage was around Rs. 550, which I found good compared to the wages in my area. In North Bengal and Assam, tea garden workers often earn around Rs. 250 per day. Cutting tea leaves on the top of the hills is very risky and difficult. The workers also have to carry around 25 to 27 kg of tea leaves on their backs and shoulders and climb up and down the hills to reach the main road.

I left the tea garden with many memories and a new experience that I will never forget. I felt that my purpose of coming to Munnar had truly been fulfilled. After spending time with the workers, I returned to my homestay with a happy and peaceful mind.

About the Author

Alex Kujur loves solo travelling and enjoys exploring new places, especially mountains, forests, rivers, and peaceful places. He also likes writing about his own experiences and sharing what he learns from them. He loves reading books in his free time, mainly fiction books that teach life lessons and touch the heart.

He enjoys spending time by himself and values solitude. Sometimes, he relaxes by listening to music. He also loves playing football and cricket, going for morning runs, and exercising. He has won several medals and received certificates in running, long jump, and high jump.

He can be reached at: alexkujur069@gmail.com

Travel Journal completed on: 09 August 2026