The trek takes you through a tropical rainforest, the unique Shola forests and grasslands, providing glorious moments in a biodiversity-rich wilderness alive with wild animals, unique avifaunal species and intense botanical beauty.
The Brahmagiri hill range in the enchanting environs of Kerala’s Wayanad region is steeped in myths and local folk lore. The hills take their name from Brahma, the creator from Hindu mythology. The Lord himself, it is believed laid the foundation stone for the range. Located here too is the beautiful Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctaury, home to some of the most impressive animals of an Indian jungle such as elephants, tigers, leopards and wild buffalo (gaur). It offers a unique opportunity to pay your respects at the powerful “Kashi of the South” or the Thirunelli Temple. Bali Tharpanam, is performed here; this ritual by the family ensures that the souls of the ancestors are liberated from this earthly world. Kashi, you may not be aware, is the ancient name of Varanasi, the oldest continuously inhabited place in the world. Located in Eastern India, Kashi/ Varanasi the earthly home of Lord Shiva, is the highly revered pilgrimage point for Hindus as it gives us release from the recurring cycle of birth and death.
This is a pretty hard 8-hr trek so you need to be quite fit as parts of it will certainly challenge your endurance. But that in itself is half the fun for diehard trekking buffs!
You must start early for this hardest of Wayanad adventures. Get to the trailhead at sun-up to avoid returning at dusk through the forest which is the time when the wild animals in the deep forest start getting very active. This trek is not available during the monsoons.
The winding trail kicks off in a section of dense forestland, which mantles all these mountainous slopes. You’ll be following the steep trail which summits at a ridge with a watchtower. Here, fill your lungs with the unpolluted air and feast your eyes on the rich verdure laid out before you by Mother Nature.
The trail then crosses a picturesque canvas of grassy hilltops and wooded valleys, gradually rising to a wide grassy plateau near the top of the mountain. Following the natural curves of the land it skirts along vast swathes of beauteous mountain tracts before bringing you to your destination the lofty Brahmagiri peak, standing tall at 5,276 feet. Before you hit the last leg of the trek to the summit, do take a pause as its pretty demanding; you’ll need all your energy to arrive there with a big smile on your face, instead of losing that joyful moment in your ascent, collapsing from fatigue and just huffing and puffing.
You’ll spend some time at the summit itself, enjoying the grand panoramas and a delicious mountain- top packed picnic lunch
Your return should be timed to be out of the forested section of the trail before evening to avoid any unexpected encounters with wildlife. The trail ends at the Thirunelli Temple. Dedicated to dedicated to Lord Vishnu, it is known for its beautiful architecture.
Note: As of Nov 2015, the Kerala Forest Department has restricted access to the caves. We will therefore do most of the trek, and summit Brahmagiri Peak, but there’s no visit to the caves. The route is largely the same and deviates only at the end.