View from Bakasura Malai on a clear day…

I had a chance to go to Bakasura Malai again, as I wanted to get a clear view from the top. On the day I went there last time, the entire place was covered by mist. You can check the blog post about it here with the pics. : Trekking to Bakasuramalai (Hullikal Drug) and Droog

This time, I was very lucky. As It is a high mountain top covered by deep valleys all the four sides, the view was absolutely stunning. Some places are dangerous edges and just one wrong foot can be fatal as the valley below is over 1900 metres deep. I took a lot of pics and some panoramas as well.

View of Coonoor – From Bakasura Malai

As you stand in the Bakasura Malai view point facing the ghat road, you can see Coonoor and the mountains on the west and north of Coonoor, dolphin nose, kothagiri and even the hairpin bends of the Mettupalayam-Coonoor ghat road. On the eastern edge of the mountains, you see the plains of Odanthurai, Mettupalayam, Further to the south, you see the entire Mettupalayam town, the curves of Bhavani river, Vana Badrakaliamman Kovil and more… You also see the BSNL tower which is in Bakasura Malai, the tower that you can see from the road.

Another amazing view that you can get from the mountain top is the view of Pilloor dam, which is in the eastern slopes of  Nilgiris in the middle of a reserved forest. If you walk through a jungle for a few metres from the view point, you can reach a rocky place from where you can get a better view of the Pilloor dam. Again, one has to be very careful here, as it is in a dangerous elevation and if you fall down, there is not even a tree branch to hold you. It is a deep valley, and you don’t stop until you hit the rocky bottom deep below.

View of Pilloor dam fro Bakasura Malai

The view of Mettupalayam, even though very far away, still surprises you as you can get a really clear view of the entire town. The Bhavani river glitters in the sunlight in the distance and you see the buildings and houses dotted all over the plains. One should be here at night to see the town lights as I can imagine how great it would be in the night.

View of Mettupalayam from Bakasura Malai

Even though Coonoor is not visible very clearly from the view point, you can get a nice look of Coonoor from a bus stop close to Nonsuch tea estate. Below is the picture I took from there:

View of Coonoor from Bakasura Malai

The lush tea gardens cover most of the area in Bakasura malai, Droog and Nonsuch.  There are about 80 bisons in the area which roam inside the tea gardens. They are used to see human beings and hence, people there told me that they don’t harm people. Here is another beautiful panorama of the tea gardens:

Tea gardens in Bakasura Malai

Near the Bakasura Malai village, there is a BSNL tower which is visible as you travel through the ghat road. The tower is another great viewpoint and you can have a much closer look at the ghat road from here. It is another dangerous edge, so one has to be very careful here.

Overall, Bakarusa Malai is a great place for an excellent picnic. You can pack your lunch, snacks, water, camera etc and spend a day there, watching the views change as the mist clears from the morning, the busy traffic in Mettupalayam to Coonoor ghat road, the long stretch of clouds that cover the distant mountains of Kothagiri and the towns west of Coonoor on the way to Ooty and all the other places around. It is a great place for photography and bird watching. This is a less known place very close to Coonoor which can give you an unforgettable trekking experience.

BSNL tower in Bakasura Malai

Near BSNL tower in Bakasura Malai

Droog fort

The mountain slopes near Mettupalayam

A huge rock facing the ghat road

Near the BSNL tower

Near the BSNL tower