Kunnoor!!!!

Kunnoor or Kunoor (Hari or AVS may correct me…) in Tamil Nadu reminds me of many things. The foremost stays with me symbolically on my forehead as a scar!

Well, we were on a trip to Ooty, from the Medical school. The year was 1987. It was our class’s first long trip after the short, earlier dry run to Mahabalipuram.

The detour from Chennai lasted 3nights and 4 days. This was during when I; smoked my first beedi, a cigarette and possibly sat very closely next to few a girls, including few other things!!

Yes, our batch girls were there with us and bravest few of them yet accompanied us for the subsequent Kodai tour, however none to our final one, to KASHMIR!!!

Don’t ask me why.

The Ooty trip was an eventful one and livid with vivid memories still brewing in my memory cup!!

Sesh trying to pull off few birds and in the process ending up as a sulking Devadoss!!!A tall beauty's escapade with a Malaysian medical student! My first beedi, cigarette, and few other minor vices!

The ghastly cut wound appeared on my forehead, whilst, I was trying to get a seat in that infamous Ooty train at the Kunoor railway station. Needless to say, I accidentally (!) bumped into the window glass pane, which not only knocked me off, but also in the process our team leader, who fainted and had to be CPRed, watching the ghastly appearance of Lord Siva’s third eye on my beautiful forehead!!

The second important event was my subsequent stay at Hari’s then residence in that famous hill station, during the summer of 1988. Hari’s appa was the Chief Medical Officer of Kunoor district hospital then and the invitation was accepted even before it was offered!!!

The Bungalow looked majestic besides the Hospital and it was a sight for me. With very tall, scary trees, providing an ideal backdrop, the Bungalow was a purpose built, British structure with multiple rooms, lounges, and a veranda in front and also a tiny space for Hari’s amma to grow her own turnips and carrots.

I realised, was in a palace!!!

Tasty cuisines from Amma’s kitchen providing warm and hot curries, mugs of coffees, served by ever giggly and chirpy Hari’s sisters, I was in heaven!!

The fun got better with the arrival of his elder sister and his Baava, who then lived in Bangalore. Also arrived with them one of Hari’s many cousins, a wonderful bloke!

We travelled every nook and corner of Kunoor and the carnival got better with AVS and his entourage joining us. AVS is from Kunoor too and had invited good God, Akka Suresh, and PG Ramesh.

AVS was born and brought up in Kunoor. He could, therefore easily show us in and around some interesting places including a cinema, where we watched a 60’s stuff and the brothel area, where we watched some but did nothing!!!

We trekked every day for miles and even covered Kodai Nadu from Kunoor on feet, losing few kilos in the process.

This stream or a rivulet, which is just few hundred yards from our abode in Cheadle, Manchester, has lovely wooden bridges, laced all along the way. You may even walk all the way along the bank of the river to hit Bramhall Park, which is bliss!

Then, there is, this particular bridge, which I adore, because of the serene vibrations, especially on the bridge, and the scenic niceties, which constantly remind me of my eventful trips to Kunoor!!!!

The scar is on my forehead yet!!