Fill your life with adventures, not things. Have stories to tell not stuff to show
Hey Friends here I am going to share my experience that I had in Mundanthurai (Papanasam) with my Friend Velmurugan, he is the local of this spot.
Papanasam, nestled in the Ambasamudram Taluk of Tirunelveli district, is a town where nature, mythology, and history beautifully intertwine. Located about 60 kilometers from Tirunelveli, this scenic destination draws visitors with its timeless charm and spiritual resonance.
Framed by the Western Ghats and nourished by the sacred Thamirabarani River, Papanasam is home to several notable landmarks—the tranquil Papanasam Dam, the cascading Agasthiyar Falls, the revered Siva Temple, and the region’s Hydroelectric Power Plant, which hums quietly as a symbol of progress within this age-old landscape. Whether you come seeking nature, faith, or a moment of stillness, Papanasam offers a journey worth remembering.
Servalar Dam
Beyond the known trails and listed attractions, Papanasam holds secrets—hidden corners of the wild that few travelers ever stumble upon. But for those with curiosity in their hearts and a willingness to wander, the landscape reveals its deeper beauty.
At 5:30 AM, I began my journey. With my Unicorn bike, a backpack, DSLR, safety gear, and a few essentials, I set out from home. The distance was roughly 70 kilometers, and I reached Papanasam by 7:10 AM. I called Velmurugan to let him know I had arrived and was waiting at a local café. He joined me by 7:35 AM, and as always, we rode double on a single bike—our usual style, simple and efficient for the terrain.
With proper permission and following local regulations, our first destination was the Servalar Dam. Nestled about 15 kilometers from Mundanthurai, Servalar offered us a tranquil viewpoint that opened up to the mist-covered waters and dense forest beyond. I captured dozens of landscape shots, unable to resist the temptation of documenting the serene majesty around us.
The Servalar region isn’t just about dams and power—it’s a gateway to the wild. Home to a hydroelectric power station, the area is surrounded by riverbanks, thick jungle, and a rich spread of wildlife. If you’re lucky and quiet enough, you might spot leopards, Indian gaurs, elephants, sloth bears, or sambar deer slipping through the trees, reminders that this is their domain, and we are merely passing through.
This excursion occurred on month of may so its excessively hot there, we meander into the forested areas and delighted in the rush and trek. This time I took 3 liters of water with so there is no plausibility of parched. It’s around 11.30 pm amidst the forested areas there is enormous banyan tree and close by one blackberry tree too. I realize that bear like berry without a doubt, so I round the tree to perceive any follows are there and came to know ya as of now they visited here fact that the paw print on the tress and their pooh… smidgen terrifying there, so we back to the Banyan tree, and we thought our self and utilized the banyan pull for playing as swing saw and resting our self under the tree all of a sudden the peacock and monkeys making a few clamors.
Velmurugan suddenly froze and whispered, “Something’s coming our way.” His voice was low, urgent. Instinctively, he turned to run—but I stopped him. “Wait,” I said, trying to stay calm. “Running may not help. Let’s stay still and listen. If it’s something serious, climbing a tree might be safer.”
He hesitated. “But what if it’s just something small? Why climb?”
“True,” I replied, “but what if it’s an elephant? Then running is the last thing we should do.”
We looked at each other for a moment, uncertain but determined. Whatever it was, we would face it. With that, we began to climb the nearest tree, careful and silent, gripping the bark with our fingers as adrenaline surged through us.
Silence wrapped itself around the forest, so thick and absolute I could hear my heartbeat echoing outside my body. Ten minutes passed like an eternity. Then, from the undergrowth, came the unmistakable crunch of dry leaves—slow, deliberate steps approaching from the shadows.
We held our breath, eyes scanning the dense foliage below, waiting for the forest to reveal what it had hidden from us.
Oh no It’s a black bear straightly heading to black berry tree. The tree was around 30 m of distance. We sit up in the tree with numerous ants moving through our body. He extended the body and making a major yarn at that point looking through the natural products on the ground. I took my DSLR from my sack and took one snap, that snap sound cause his ear to turn, and he look through what the sound like that, so I off my camera. For 20 mints bear adjusting there and went into the grass still we are perched on the tree in light of dread After 30 minutes around 1.15 pm we gradually down from the tree and kept running towards bike.
Divine beings elegance we got away and with the bliss of taking huge bear we came back to papanasam and drop velmurugan close where his bike parked. And I complete my Servalar trek experience to drop by home around 5pm.