The Duchy of Kalhatty is an estate over 300 acres in size, in the land of an aromatic herb called tea. Kalhatty is a small region about 20 kilometres from Ooty, off the Bandipur-Mudumalai Highway. Easily accessible by road, it’s a beautiful drive to the estate. Herds of elephants, an occasional wandering bison and many monkeys kept us company along the way.
The Duchy of Kalhatty is an estate owned by Dr. Krishna Kumar Manikath Aiyar and his wife, Nuria, a Japanese lady who runs a non-profit organisation promoting racial and cultural integrity. The foundation is called ‘’International Children’s Village in Happy Valley” and is situated at Mathur, a small town 80 kilometres from Bangalore. That’s another story by itself.
Dr. Krishna Kumar belongs to the royal family, which ruled the region of Cochin before Independence. They live in true royal style in a castle on the hill leading an almost fairytale life. Cottages in the estate are rented out to guests for Rs.600 per person, per day, food included. It’s completely worth the money. Cars cannot reach the cottages, so you have the option of trekking up the last 1.5 kilometres or waiting for the jeep. Both options are exciting in their own way. You can also opt to stay at Dr. Krishna Kumar’s residence, which has rooms to let. These rooms are priced at Rs.4, 500/- and offer a variety of comforts including a spectacular view of the entire hilly range. It is best suited for couples and honeymooners.
Kalhatty gets real cold at night, so the bonfire feels good. You can also have a barbeque for Rs.500. The cook is very talented and the barbeque tastes heavenly. Sitting under starlit skies in the midst of a forest, looking out for dark figures that may be bison, elephants or even a Bengal tiger adds to the excitement.
City lights are only dim memories and the forest speaks to you in sounds that mesmerize and taunt. The smell of the wild intoxicates your mind and all you see is the beauty of the untamed forest. Mornings are beautiful, with millions of birds chirping all at once and bison grazing on a hill across the valley. A sightseeing safari will cost you Rs.1000, which includes boating in the Ooty Lake, a tour of the site where several films are shot, Pykara Falls, stunning tea estates and a couple of nice drives.
All the regular stuff apart, one of the most amazing things you can do is visit the king in his castle. The drive up to his place is an adventure. The hill is really steep and his jeep drives up at almost a 70-degree angle. Over dangerously narrow passages and slippery rocks we bounced along in a 4-wheel drive Gypsy driven by the king himself. It was an unforgettable ride. He drives real fast and knows the hill like the back of his hand. But for us rookies, it was an adrenalin filled adventure. More so because of a bison that blocked our path and insisted on leading the way for half an hour. Bison are very powerful creatures; the lone ones are most dangerous and can attack if you get too close.
The king, as we like to call him because he insists that he isn’t one, is a treasure house of knowledge. Talking to him is like watching a movie that shows you exciting glimpses of the entire world history. The Duchy of Kalhatty is his baby and he preserves its beauty as best as he can. Living amidst it is almost magical, like you’re transported to a different world; it’s truly a fairytale.
We didn’t want to leave Kalhatty and as we drove away from it a lone verse from Wordsworth’s poem began to play in our minds. “The woods were lovely dark and deep, but I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.”
General info: Kalhatty is 253 kilometres from Bangalore in the state of Tamil Nadu. From Mudumalai Forest, take a left onto Masangudi on Kalhatty Road. 18km from Masangudy is the Duchy of Kalhatty.
Buses are available from major cities to Ooty. Kalhatty is 20 kilometres from Ooty. Toy train to Ooty is available from Mettupalyam, 90 kilometres from Coimbatore. A beautiful ride, it has 156 bridges and numerous tunnels.
