Friday, April 27, 2012

Pack your bags



Pack your bags, not your worries
By Nikhil Raghavan
Nestled in the midst of the tranquil, green Nilgiri hills, of South India, at a height of about 7000 feet above MSL, is a tiny tea estate called Sans Souci. The words mean without a worry!
For years Sans Souci has been the place where the family that owns it, came away to rest, and shake the dust and worry of the city off themselves. It has always been a place where one is at peace with oneself and nature and where the worries of the world seem so far away that they become inconsequential. A place where you live without a worry!!
Sans Souci is an old property-one of the oldest in the Nilgiris. It was handed over to a Mr William Mullaly by the Right Honorable Secretary for State of India on the 9th of December 1871. Since then it has had rather a checkered history - from the original 30 acres or so, the property has been whittled down to a mere one and a half acres. It has passed through several hands - one being Mr Thomas Brown who willed it to a Miss Jackson and her infant daughter. “for grievous wrongs done to her”. It was used as a convalescent home for British soldiers during the 2nd World War, and during the Mysore wars, legend has it that Tipu Sultan buried the gold reserves of Seringapatnam on the property! A lovely fairytale, with not a shred of truth in it unfortunately. However what is true, is that the Nilgiris was a part of Tipu Sultan’s Revenue collection area, and that he had a fort within trekking distance of Sans Souci. This fort served as a lookout point, and a cannon fired from the Pakasuramalai fort, would warn the sentries at Seringapatinam of approaching enemies.
One of the owners of Sans Souci was Ernst Fritchi a celebrated Swiss botanist. He gave the property its name and is credited with turning it into a fabulous botanical garden. Unfortunately only a few of the trees he planted remain. One of these is a Giant Monkey Puzzle that is probably one of the tallest trees in the Nilgiris - it can be seen all the way from Coonoor town (8 kms away), and as you come up the ghat road from Mettupalayam.
The Catholic Bishop of Ootacamund sold the property to Mr V Srinivasan, the father of the current owner - Sunitha Srinivasan. The property is jointly managed by her and her husband Markus Pfefferer.
The Facilities:
The cottage at Sans Souci is simple and rustic. It harkens back to a time when luxurious living was not all that commonplace. It is essentially a one room living space divided by furniture into a bedroom that can accommodate a maximum of 4 persons, living cum dining room and a kitchenette.  At one end is the bathroom and toilet.
You can cook your own meals in the kitchenette or else order what you would like with the housekeeper.
Right outside the cottage is the famed Monkey puzzle tree, and in front of it is an old Victorian water tank, into which drops crystal, clear spring water from rock springs that are located on the property. In fact all the water used on Sans Souci is supplied by mountain springs.

The location:
8 kms from Coonoor town
60 kms from Coimbatore
300 kms from Bangalore
You can reach the property only by road. Pick up and drop can be provided from Coimbatore/Mettuplayam.
What you can do there:
Relax and read a book.
Visit Ooty, Coonoor and Kotagiri.
Go for long walks. There are some excellent routes around the property. If you are lucky you will get to see Bears, Bison, Peacocks and Hares. Some of the most picturesque treks in the vicinity of Sans Souci will lead you to:
     1. One of the largest expanses of Echo Rock in the region.
     2. A Toda Village
     3. Tipu Sultan's fort. The remains of a wall still exist.
Learn how to harvest Tea. Tea leaves are picked approximately once in 10 days, and if you are lucky to be on the property when they are harvesting, maybe you would like to learn how Tea is harvested.
Visit a Tea Factory.
The weather:
The best months are between February and September, when the temperature is between 18-22 degrees. October – December are rainy and cold, and the temperature has been known to touch zero degrees. No matter when you go, please carry some woolens and water proof clothing.
Essentially Sans Souci is an extremely welcoming home - a haven to soothe your soul and fill it with peace. Remember to pack some of that peace when you are leaving-it is what will help you face the long, hard days of city life.
For more information on Sans Souci do call Markus or Sunitha on +918041466793 / +919900590737 / +919900590713