Vellachi, the happy-go-lucky dog!
Following my previous post about the so called "dog menace", I can't help but write this blog after my recent visit to a place called Valparai, in Tamilnadu. This is a very typical small town, with a few small restaurants, boarding and lodging places, a main street and hills dotted with houses. The only difference is that, the weather is typical hill-station like, town is unspoilt by visitors, and it is very less commercialized.
We were told by the locals that there is not much to see. However, when we started exploring the place on bike, we soon found a clean little stream flowing between the tea plantations. It was breathtaking place. We spent quite some time here. We were also told that there is a waterfall named "Chinnakallar". The water falls are named after the place; but it is the dam that holds the significance. We parked our bikes, and enquired about the falls at a tea-shop on the way. We were told that water is less at this time of the year. Regardless, we carried on.
As we were walking, we noticed a dog accompanying us, it would suddenly run into the thick outgrowth and come back to lead us. Approximately after a couple of kilometers, we reached the falls. It is connected with a very rickety (old) cable-hung bridge, it was quite exciting to walk over it, as the wood planks were missing at many places. The place was totally deserted apart from the sole company of a dog. We reached the falls, admired it even though there was not much water. After spending some time here, we returned quite thirsty, back to the tea shop. All the while, the dog had been playing happily & chasing the leaves flowing in the water. Sure as the sun, the dog accompanied us all the way back.
We picked up a conversation with some guys at the tea shop and we were told that the dog accompanies all visitors to the falls and back. They claimed that the dog has warned many visitors of elephants and other dangers on the way to the falls. We were curious. It turned out that the dog rushes into the outgrowth to see if there are any wild animals. The dog didn't have any name, but the locals named it Vellachi. Incidentally, "Vellai" means white in Tamil. Learning more, we found that Vellachi only accepts Milk Biscuits as reward, and eats them only when fed with hands. It wouldn't eat biscuits thrown on the ground!! We were amazed. After feeding the dog, and having a cup of tea to quench our thirst, we set back to the town of Valparai. Vellachi escorted our bikes till the dam.
We were totally surprised with the difference between Vellachi, and the street / stray dogs in our cities. What can it be, that makes Vellachi so friendly, so helpful? Is it that, Vellachi has it's own space & it's own time? Is it because it doesn't have to deal with people who honk, throw stones, chase, kick it? Is it because there is no irritating noise of machinery, vehicles, people? We really need to think. Whose fault is it that we have to go through all this, and put other animals through it too?
I am sure there are thousands of Vellachis out there. A "Yes" to the above questions, and what you can have are "dogs" that we have in our cities. Vellachi! Where are you??
We were told by the locals that there is not much to see. However, when we started exploring the place on bike, we soon found a clean little stream flowing between the tea plantations. It was breathtaking place. We spent quite some time here. We were also told that there is a waterfall named "Chinnakallar". The water falls are named after the place; but it is the dam that holds the significance. We parked our bikes, and enquired about the falls at a tea-shop on the way. We were told that water is less at this time of the year. Regardless, we carried on.
As we were walking, we noticed a dog accompanying us, it would suddenly run into the thick outgrowth and come back to lead us. Approximately after a couple of kilometers, we reached the falls. It is connected with a very rickety (old) cable-hung bridge, it was quite exciting to walk over it, as the wood planks were missing at many places. The place was totally deserted apart from the sole company of a dog. We reached the falls, admired it even though there was not much water. After spending some time here, we returned quite thirsty, back to the tea shop. All the while, the dog had been playing happily & chasing the leaves flowing in the water. Sure as the sun, the dog accompanied us all the way back.
We picked up a conversation with some guys at the tea shop and we were told that the dog accompanies all visitors to the falls and back. They claimed that the dog has warned many visitors of elephants and other dangers on the way to the falls. We were curious. It turned out that the dog rushes into the outgrowth to see if there are any wild animals. The dog didn't have any name, but the locals named it Vellachi. Incidentally, "Vellai" means white in Tamil. Learning more, we found that Vellachi only accepts Milk Biscuits as reward, and eats them only when fed with hands. It wouldn't eat biscuits thrown on the ground!! We were amazed. After feeding the dog, and having a cup of tea to quench our thirst, we set back to the town of Valparai. Vellachi escorted our bikes till the dam.We were totally surprised with the difference between Vellachi, and the street / stray dogs in our cities. What can it be, that makes Vellachi so friendly, so helpful? Is it that, Vellachi has it's own space & it's own time? Is it because it doesn't have to deal with people who honk, throw stones, chase, kick it? Is it because there is no irritating noise of machinery, vehicles, people? We really need to think. Whose fault is it that we have to go through all this, and put other animals through it too?
I am sure there are thousands of Vellachis out there. A "Yes" to the above questions, and what you can have are "dogs" that we have in our cities. Vellachi! Where are you??
Comments