This picture was clicked at Munnar, Kerala (India). As a married couple, this was the first hill station we had traveled together embarking on the first of many travel journeys that followed suit. Driving down from Mysore, it took us eleven hours to reach this beautiful town in Kerala yet the scenic beauty was enough to rejuvenate our soul. The field in this picture was the grazing ground for the animals but during the tiffin break, it also served as the play ground for the school kids on the opposite side of the road. The field was surrounded by houses, schools, offices and a research laboratory beyond which started the hills. We stood mesmerized by the rare and peaceful co-existence of nature and civilization.
An alumnus of Presidency College (Kolkata), Delhi University, and XIME (Bangalore), Sonia Chatterjee holds two post-graduate degrees in Chemistry and Management and an MFA in creative writing from Writer's Village University. With eight years of experience in the banking sector as a Branch Head, she took a sabbatical from the corporate world to start her blog soniasmusings.com. Her blog consistently featured in the Top Indian Blogs list from 2019 to 2024.
Her articles have been published on various digital platforms such as Women's Web, Youth Ki Awaaz, Tuck's Magazine, and Period Magazine. She was invited as a speaker at the Breaking Barriers, Kolkata 2018 event by the Women's Web, at the Women Writer’s Fest, Kolkata, 2020, and the Crime Writers Festival, Kolkata,2025.
Sonia has written two detective thrillers titled ‘Deal of Death – Introducing Raya Ray’ (2019) and ‘Diary, Deceit, and Death – A Raya Ray Adventure’ (Vishwakarma Publications, 2024) and a non-fiction book on true crime titled ‘The Sanyasi Who Became a King’ (Sristhi Publishers, 2025). Her book ‘Diary, Deceit, and Death’ was shortlisted for the PVLF Awards 2024-25 in the Best Fiction Category.
Sonia lives in Kolkata with her doctor husband and nine-and-a-half-year-old son.
View all posts by Sonia Chatterjee
23 thoughts on “The field that connected nature with civilization”
Nice post. When you put a story to a picture, one can relate better and appreciate the beauty of the place more.
Wishful thinking. I am truly trying to achieve that state through my farm…Fingers crossed that I will be able to set the right balance between my urban self and a rural setting through my urban farming dream.
Surreal and enchanting. Like a fairy tale and so glad you made the story wordy by sharing the back story.
Thank you so much for linking up with us on #WW
If you had not mentioned the name of the place, I would have thought of it as some location from Europe! Such a beauty! Wonderful click and narration. You transported me to Ruskin Bond’s story setting and I presumed that a tale will follow the initial background build up!!!
soniasmusings 
Nice post. When you put a story to a picture, one can relate better and appreciate the beauty of the place more.
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You have summed up the reason very nicely. This is precisely why I ensure to write a few lines whenever I post any pic.
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Good idea, Sonia!
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Beautiful. Its so rare to see such lovely co-existence anymore. How I wish we could have more of these…
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Thank you Kalpana. You are so right. Wish this kind of Co-existence was sustainable by the civilization. Thank you for reading.
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Wishful thinking. I am truly trying to achieve that state through my farm…Fingers crossed that I will be able to set the right balance between my urban self and a rural setting through my urban farming dream.
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All the best to you. I know you are going to make a difference.
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Thank you so much and loads of love to you for those kind and generous words. You made my day Sonia. Wishing you great things too.
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Surreal and enchanting. Like a fairy tale and so glad you made the story wordy by sharing the back story.
Thank you so much for linking up with us on #WW
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Thank you Natasha. Every time I put a pic, I feel I should add a few lines to the background of this click. There’s always a story to every snap.
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Appears to be so peaceful and calm! Just perfect to lose ourselves there! 🙂
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Thank you Shilpa.
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Munnar is awesome, a place designed by the God in the God’s own country. For Munnar tour itineraries you may try
http://www.tripsmakers.com
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Thank you for reading. Will check your site.
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Not only did you capture it so well with the camera but your observations about the field are bang in too and bring in the detail so well.
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Thank you for reading and sharing.
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Such beauty. Every time I visit a hill station, I want to settle down in one. However, I realize life is not so easy there for us city bred folks!
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Munnar is the least commercial of all Hill station in India and it is quite beautiful. Thanks for reminding me about my visit to this place, Sonia
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Thank you for reading Arv. I so agree with you that Munnar was not a commercial Hill station though I doubt if it is the same now.
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I have no clue, Sonia. I visited this place many years ago. 🙂
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If you had not mentioned the name of the place, I would have thought of it as some location from Europe! Such a beauty! Wonderful click and narration. You transported me to Ruskin Bond’s story setting and I presumed that a tale will follow the initial background build up!!!
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Thank you for the kind words Anagha. The beauty of Munnar is indeed comparable to any foreign location.
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