Blue Mountains of India (Expat Living)
The Nilgiris in the south of India have not always been so close to my heart. A Delhi girl, I loved the Himalayas growing up. Shimla, Mussoorie, Khajiaar...these were the hill stations that we would spend our summers in. But as time passed, and the country's relentless abuse of the mighty mountains in the north continued, these destinations slowly transformed into something almost grotesque. Over-built, highly commercial, concrete transformers (just barely) hanging off the slopes of these young mountains. And what was once a lush landscape, gradually started bearing 50 shades of brown. And thus, I went to other parts of our vast country, searching for solace. I found it first in the Western Ghats, but only during the monsoon months. And eventually, I stumbled upon the Nilgiris. This stunning, still relatively untouched utopia evoked a sense of belonging, as it does till date. And this is the part of India I now relate most to. The part that I visit most often, and the part that I w
