The boy who spent nights on a machan, on a tamarind tree.

30 years back…

A 20 something boy loved doing something very different than a boy of his age would normally like to. Thomas OC’s (the founder of Time Stops Here) favourite way to spend his vacation was to wander into the Sholayar forest.

The life in the jungle...

On his free days, he stayed with the indigenous tribe and learned their ways of survival in the jungle. He helped them build their mud houses. One fine day, he thought of building a small machaan on a Tamarind tree, facing the magnanimous Athirapally waterfalls, and the villagers, the folks of the Kadar Tribe helped him with all their heart.

When the sun went down…

He would climb up and spend time observing the movements of the animals in the night. The sounds, the cooing, the trumpeting, the rustles; making the forest his home for all the spare days he had. This gave him insight into animal behaviour and life in the wild

The wilderness woke up…

No electricity. No phones. And plenty of time in hand, let him observe plenty, and learn plenty. Stationed on the machaan he got to witness rare sights. Wild boars rustling through plantations, the night calls, sudden roars, and yelps.

And the nightlife, brewed…

Imagine Arrack brewers on the bank, across the stream. Small flames spread across like bright twinkling stars. And, quietly a herd inching towards them, all set to attack and loot. The Elephants used to be attracted to the sweet smell of jaggery, creating stampede and upheaval. And, Thomas witnessed this conflict of co-existence, first hand. What’s even amazing is the tribe would rebuild the mud houses within a couple of days, what better example of human resilience.

“In those days, there were no forest check posts, no barricades. So, post midnight, I would explore the deep ends of the jungle with a mini truck to spot wildlife and return
by dawn.”
- Thomas OC,  Founder