The Coimbatore that used to be...

The wild side of the city 

The Hindu April 20th 2011

 

I t was in the 1970s. Kanuvai Hills was just wilderness when it witnessed a fascinating phenomenon. “Thousands of painted grasshoppers thronged the hills,” says photo-naturalist and world-renowned macro photographer K. Jayaram. “Calotropis ( erukkan chedi), the common wild plant on either sides of the mountain range, served as food for grasshoppers. Now, we don't see the plants or the grasshoppers,” he says.

A beautiful waterfall near Mangarai, and forests with little streams and water bodies provided a haven for birds and butterflies. “Particularly in Anaikatty, we spotted butterflies such as blue bottles, peacock butterflies and lycanide butterflies commonly called as copper and blue butterflies, endemic to the region,” he recalls. Thousands of colourful butterflies migrated in October and September and “it was a sight to behold.” At Kovai Kutralam, from atop machans, he has photographed elephants while the tribals held aloft torches for him. He has spotted large winged birdwing butterflies, racket tailed drongos, fly catchers and damsel flies in large numbers. “The area was full of dense forests,” he recalls.

Rare distinction

Jayaram's award winning shot of a pentatomid bug laying eggs that won gold medal at Los Angeles County Fair and London Salon was shot here in Siruvani. “It was my paradise,” he says. Coimbatore provided him with many a subject matter that won him honours. When he was 21, Jayaram was honoured with ARPS (Association of The Royal Photographic Society), a rare distinction. “I submitted only insect pictures, about 24 of them, all shot in Coimbatore. Beetles, grasshopper, a bug feeding on a caterpillar, spider with a butterfly, and so on...”

Going into the forest those days was not an expensive business, recalls Jayaram. He would hitch rides with friendly timber truck drivers, or use trained elephants for transport. There were hardly any buses or taxis. He explored the wild forests of Satyamangalam, Thimbam and Mysore on his blue Lambretta too. Millions of fireflies swarmed the Palakkad Road during the pre-monsoon months and during the monsoons it would be dragon flies. “I have photographed a tusker at a distance of 10 feet, and a tiger at 15 feet. Yet, I never faced any problems with animals.” But it was a different story with the forest officials who often harassed him, he smiles.

Summers were short, says Jayaram. The chill in the air lasted from May to February. Till about 15 years ago, he remembers wearing a sweater while riding a two-wheeler in the winter months. There were open barren lands infested with wild plants that attracted insects and birds. He walked with his camera in these abandoned areas looking for his subjects.

His interest in photography led him to explore entomology, botany and taxonomy. His insect pictures are scientifically identified and catalogued. It was in 1969 that Jayaram first ventured into the colourful and small world of insects with a primitive camera. He crafted close-up lenses and lens reverse adaptors when long lenses were non-existent and the sun was the only source of light. Panikker Studios (now IAB) near the current flyover area sold chemicals for processing. So did Dasan Studios on Oppanakkara Street which is now Savithri Photo House. In the 80s colour films became freely available. Jayaram also became the joint secretary of the Photography Club set up by The Coimbatore Photographic Society.

Thadagam Road was a boulevard and the stretch from Lawley Road signal to Marudamalai was dotted with trees. “I have seen foxes ( panagaatu nari) on the Palm fields of Brooke Bond Road. Leopards and spotted deer used to be sighted at the foothills of Marudamalai in the 70s and 80s.”

People were friendly and hospitable. “In the villages of Satyamangalam, Mangarai, Boluvampatty and Aalandurai which I frequented for photography, people offered me food, tender coconut and tea.” Jayaram also fondly remembers watching English movies at Central and Rainbow theatres and eating vadai and coffee in the interval. The only big building in town Hall was Guru Hotel. Later Annapoorna hotels came up and their coffee became an instant hit, he says.

Jayaram's transition to the digital platform was smooth. But – he says regretfully – the aesthetics of photography, a sense of creativity, observation of colour and contrast, etc, is gone. “A photograph is made. You need to plan, anticipate and click at the right moment to produce an outstanding picture and not a mere snapshot,” he states.

Jayaram is also referred to as the frogman. For the last 15 years, he has been researching frogs along with Dr. S.D. Biju. “We have discovered about 200 types of frogs from Cape Comorin to Gujarat and in the Northeast too.” Biju has published 12 new discoveries in a single paper for the renowned magazine Nature. One of the species has been named after Jayaram. It is the Philautus jayarami, a beautiful bluish green frog of Western Ghats. “The dry land frogs of Coimbatore are exclusive too and they are called balloon frogs,” informs Jayaram. A jumping spider also carries his name — the Myrmarachne jayaramani.

Jayaram says that in the last 25 years, a lot of common insects are missing. “My last visit to Siruvani was in 1991. The place is ruined. Tourists litter the place. Stray dogs and crows have driven away the butterflies and birds. Multi-storeyed houses, are also not a good sign. Our water sources are limited to just Siruvani and Pilloor. When you get more cosmopolitan, you lose self discipline and ultimately social discipline too.”

“Those days we used to watch in awe whenever an Ambassador car passed by. We referred to the owner as lakhsathipathi. Now it is all about crorepatis.”

(As told to K. JESHI)

I REMEMBER

Visiting sanctuaries in Topslip, Anamalais and Parambikulam with BNS Deo, an erstwhile Maharaja in MP. Meeting a renowned photographer T.N.A. Perumal 45 years ago which led to an enduring friendship

K. Jayaram born in August 3, 1948, schooled in Assam and graduated in Psychology and Economics from Pachaiyappas College in Chennai. His interest in nature and photography got him a job with SBI. His photographs have been used in more than 400 journals including the BBC and National Geographic. He has exhibited them in many international salons. A pioneer of macro photography in India, he is an ARPS and EFIAP. Jayaram has co-authored Some South Indian Butterflies a forerunner of photographic guide book besides many books on natural history. The most recent is Jungle and Lodges Resort's Wild Vist as, a coffee table book on wild life. Observing Nature, he says disciplined his life. He is an avid art collector and has an extraordinary collection of country music, Hindustani and Carnatic (vocal and instrumental).