Munnar
The Beautiful Mountains of Southern India

Essay Writing Competition 2026
Category: 12 - 15 years
- Commendation -

Senior category: Commendation

"Munnar - The Beautiful Mountains of Southern India" - Essay by Aadilakshmi Sunil Kumar

Munnar - The Beautiful Mountains of Southern India

I remember my parents surprising me with a trip to Munnar. My sister and I were excited that we were jumping from joy. We were enjoying the beautiful scenery on the way to Munnar. We could hear birds chirping outside while my dad was driving. I was with my family and that moment felt so special because we were talking about what we were going to do there.

Munnar is located at about 1,600 metres (5,200 feet) above sea level. Munnar means three rivers; "munn" means three, and "ar" means river. The three rivers it represents are Muthirapuzha, Nallathani and Kundala. There is a rare flower called Neelakurinji that grows around some parts of Munnar near the Western Ghats. It blooms once every 12 years. After researching, I found out that when Neelakurinji blooms, the hills can look as if purple flowers rained from the sky. It would look like a magical sight to witness.

While I was walking through the hills, my little sister said she could smell the wonderful aroma of freshly grown tea wafting through the air; I could also hear people chatting nearby about the amazing view. It felt so peaceful, like my brain was waiting for this exact moment of peace. The tea hills looked like green scenery straight out of an exquisite painting. I also felt cold as the misty air swooshed past me. I remember the whisper of the wind and birds chirping nearby. It felt peaceful because of the sounds from nature like the cold wind brushing past me.

We started to feel hungry as we could smell the delicious aroma of food nearby, so we wandered the streets of Munnar, following the scent, and we reached the nearby restaurant. After we finished ordering the food, we could hear people chatting nearby. When we finally got our food, we started taking pictures of the food. The friendly atmosphere felt so calm as we talked while we were eating. We started discussing the food and how much fun we had throughout the day. After we finished eating, we started to explore the tourist attractions near us, and three of them were listed on the brochure, which are Eravikulam National Park, Anamudi Peak, and Mattupetty Dam.

In Eravikulam National Park, we saw many animals there including the wild Nilgiri tahrs and the adorable Nilgiri martens. The wild Nilgiri tahrs are majestic mountain goats with curved horns and brown fur. Martens look very much like weasels and stoats, with black fur on their back and with dark yellow fur on their stomach. My mom couldn’t even tell the difference! My little sister was charmed by their adorable appearance. She told me to resist the urge to take them home. Then, we decided to go to our next destination which is Echo Point which has a lot of amazing images so we decided to go check it out. When we reached Echo Point, my family and I shouted "Hello" and we listened to our voices. After our voices came back, we all started laughing because our voices sounded so funny.

The beautiful scenery caught our eye because of the stunning greenery including the tall trees and lovely wildlife. I felt flabbergasted because of the beautiful view and I felt happy to have visited this place in the first place. I was feeling excited to tell all of my friends about the wonderful adventures that I experienced throughout the day. This trip stayed in my memory because I also felt an overwhelming sense of peace and clarity, after living through those memories once more. I felt very grateful to my family because of the great memories I shared with them.

This place was so impressive because of the view, the delicious food and the astonishing wildlife. Now that I live in New Zealand, remembering Munnar connects me in a way that reminds me about the natural beauty of Kerala. I want the reader to experience the beauty of this place through my writing.

Congratulations on your insightful essay, Aadilakshmi! Your personal memories share your love for your birth state in Southern India. Indeed, through your writing, we can imagine your journey and experience the beauty of this natural wonder. Well done! Thank you for your lovely essay!

Aadilakshmi, 13 years, attends Mission Heights Junior College in New Zealand. English and Malayalam as home languages.