It’s 4-30 p.m., and I’m on the way from Thithimathi to Konankatte in Coorg. As I make my way to my maternal grandmother’s house, a smile spreads across my face while I reminisce about the endless childhood summers I spent there.

I miss my grandmother or ‘Bua’ as we fondly call her, though I know it’s only minutes before I see her, aged but beautiful in every way.  I miss those good old days, when along with my cousins, I eagerly waited for the end of March to pack our bags and head to Coorg.

We would spend a whole two months there, always dreading the thought of leaving the place. Those two months were undoubtedly the best months of our childhood. Waking up to steaming cups of milk, going for long walks through the inviting estates, breathing the cool misty morning breeze, and wandering like carefree souls all over the place, life as we knew it was simply splendid!

Flowers Adorning the Pathways at Coorg

It was beautiful, and was everything we could ever dream of. Bua was the centre of our childhood summers. Following her like little sheep as she supervised the workers on the estate, troubling her no end to tell us stories or ‘kathe’ (which she often made up), slyly robbing sweets or ‘modra’ from her cupboard and assisting her while she cooked us wonderful Coorg dishes like ‘pandhi curry’ and ‘thamboot’, we were never bored at Coorg.

Bua and I: Reminiscing About Coorg

Coorg in all its beauty only added to the pleasure of staying there. It’s one of those places you must visit at least once in your lifetime. If you don’t, you’re surely missing out on something. The ambience and surroundings dissolve all the worry and pain from your mind, and fills you with such positive energy that it calms and soothes your very being.

The instant connection you establish with Coorg will draw you back time and again. It’s a place like no other. It’s a true piece of heaven on earth. I know that I have been in love with Coorg ever since I was a little child, and the feeling only gets stronger with time. Though my life keeps me very pre-occupied, I try my best to go there whenever I find the time. I can’t stop loving Coorg!

Sanjana Achayya

Sanjana Achayya is a student at Clarence High School, Bangalore. Being born into a Kodava family gives her an insight into the hopes and ambitions of this beautiful district neatly tucked away near the Karnataka-Kerala border. An avid reader and writer, Sanjana is guided by her own experiences and interactions with relatives from Coorg.