After a long interval of my regular expeditions, I had planned another daring trip to the highest cliff in the city that stands majestically in the heart of the metropolis. Located about 25 km from the city of Coimbatore, the hill stands as the perfect epitome of its mix. Local people call it as a “blind hill” (Kurudi malai). With my friend, I started the trip at sunrise on a good weekend. As the place is located in a remote area, we barely waited almost an hour for the minibus to pick us up at that historic temple. I dropped onto a ridge of a one-way road that barely allowed a mini taxi to travel. The path was guarded by dense 12 foot tall bushes. As we passed along the road, we saw power lines stretched out on both sides. This implicitly warned us that the place is a favorite place for wild beasts. The clouds began to gather intensity as we advanced. The nimbus cloud warned us to prepare for the downpour. I had nothing in my hands except my camera. I couldn’t see anything around me except the gigantic hills. It was like a huge cricket stadium surrounded by hills around it. We walked almost 3 km and finally reached the foot of the hills. We saw an old man guarding some vehicles parked in the shade of the trees. I asked him about how often devotees visited that place. To our surprise, he told me that people used to come by the thousands on special occasions.

A few meters from the parking lot we saw the impressive entrance of the beautiful temple. Adorned on both sides by lush croutons and shrubs, we really admired the remote temple maintenance. The place was neat and clean. We climbed a few hundred steps and finally reached the top of the temple. As each temple has its own history, this one is no exception. The main deity of this temple is commonly called as “Ponnuthu mari ammam”. The idol has been finely placed inside a cave. Inside the gloomy cave, the idol was bathed by springs whose source is said to be from the remote forest. What’s interesting about this spring is that it never dries up in the middle of the drought and regardless of the monsoons. This is the specialty of this temple. Also, the water is said to be precious as it is said to originate from the foot of the ‘amman’. Local people treat water like an elixir.

Next to the cave, we saw steep pebbles and rocks eroded by the breakneck speed of the waterfalls. Unfortunately we couldn’t enjoy the scenery as it dried up. We walked a few meters inside. The place was placid. We started to climb the huge rock that was next to the waterfall. The place was really great. The panoramic view of the hill was a visual treat for the eyes. I took some nice snapshots, the view of the temple from the upper cliff was fantastic. It was a good place to sit and relax on the natural grass. Dawn began to fade. The cold shower added sparkle to the majestic hills. We enjoyed the drizzle. I saw some people trying to climb the path of betrayal barefoot. The path was a bit difficult, but we also tried to climb a bit. But the local priest warned us to return before dark as the place was frequented by wild animals. Then we began to descend the hill. The place was a suitable place for photography enthusiasts. The spectacular view of the triangular hill will catch everyone’s eye from a remote distance.

The hill is 1 mile from Narasimma Naicken Palayam on Coimbatore – Mettupalayam Main Road. Although bus facilities were limited to this destination, you can take a taxi or a two-wheeler. If you really want to enjoy an expedition without a road, here is a good opportunity.