Legend says Karinthandan, a Paniya chieftain who lived in the second half of the 18th Century, helped the British find a pathway from Malabar to Mysore across the thick Waynad forest. Though overjoyed, the wily British wanted to keep the jungle track a secret, so they executed him soon after the discovery.
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In the 1980s, I used to travel from Kozhikode to Bangalore in a rickety KSRTC bus climbing up the narrow Ghat road. The drivers who took pride in their expertise to negotiate the hairpin bends would show high respect to fellow motorists and wait patiently on the wider patches for an oncoming vehicle to pass.
