Arun n Rashmi's Travel Log

Valparai

2012-01-14T20:07:00.000-08:00

Valparai, a hill station in the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu, is located approximately 3,600 feet above sea level, in the Anaimalai Range of Western Ghats, about 65km from Pollachi. Unlike the other hill stations, Valparai is an Ocean of Tea Plantations, not very well known, however, has started attracting tourists of late for its peaceful, picture perfect, scenic, green oxygenated surroundings, with minimal human interaction!

We could not have asked for more, Valparai came as a blessing, approximately, 460km (8.5hours from Bangalore) away from the hustle and bustle of Bangalore life, a three day holiday, not to be wasted, for sure! We are thankful to our friend Sathiya Moorthy, the SUPER STAR of Valparai, without his help, our dream of discovering this tea paradise, could not have been accomplished. We started early in the morning by 4.30 and took the Hosur Road, NH 7 to reach Salem. The road is well maintained and is worth paying the toll (better to keep the exact change handy). We stopped at a Coffee Day on NH7 for a quick bite and continued towards our destination. On reaching Salem, we took to NH47 to reach Valparai, via Bhavani-Avinasi-Tiruppur-Pollachi.

We had to cross 40 hairpin bends to reach Valparai from Aliyar, which serves as the base, drove all along the reservoir of Aliyar Dam and captured the celestial view of the Dam and its surroundings from the 9^th hairpin bend, called, Loams View Point. The road was good with considerable vehicular traffic.

Our first peek was Monkey Falls on the way to Valparai, it was a small waterfall, infested with Monkeys! Could be one of the reasons for the nomenclature J Spending less than 20 mins at Monkey Falls, clicking a pic or two, we moved on… Driving through the dense rain forests and the tea plantations, we reached Waterfall Tea Estate and were greeted to a hot cup of freshly brewed tea, the divine taste of which, still lingers in our mouth! Refreshing ourselves with a hot cup of tea and stopping at Carver Marsh’s (The founder of Valparai) view point, admiring the spectacular tea gardens, we reached the Valparai town around 2.30 in the afternoon and headed towards Hotel Greenhill to crunch the pangs of hunger, feasting on yummy chapatis, veg fried rice and green peas curry.

Our day 1 had started well and with more than half a day spent in travelling, all we did was to look around the place as we had a major task ahead of us, to visit the Athirapilly and Vazhachal Falls the next day. We spent our evening at the tranquil Koolangal River, taking a few pictures and rejoicing the greenery around, we visited the Sri Siddhi Vinayakar Temple and were informed by the priest that the idol of Lord Ganapathi, was similar to the one at the Siddhi Vinayak Temple in Mumbai. Paying our obeisance to Ganapati Bappa, we retired to our home stay for some refueling and good sleep. The nights in Valparai, were cold, with the levels of mercury dipping to 8-10 deg C, while the mornings were comparatively warm and humid.

Our agenda for day 2 was to visit Kollywood’s famous hot spot, the Athirapilly Waterfalls and the Vazhachal falls, formed by the River Chalakudi, in the Thrissur district of God’s Own Country (Kerala). We left early that morning, around 6, enjoying the mild hues of sunrise and stopped at Senthil Hotel, Sholayar, for a lip smacking breakfast of steaming idlis, chutney and puli kolambu (some kind of sour red chutney), served with love by Mr. Senthil and his wife Murugessamma. After thanking them for sumptuous breakfast, we headed towards our much awaited destination, Athirapilly and Vazhachal Falls.

On our way back, we stopped at the Sholayar Dam, not to miss the sunset. Capturing the beauty of the Sun playing hide and seek with the clouds, through the lens and getting ourselves rejuvenated by the cool breeze and the lush green calm surroundings, after a long day’s adventure, we called it a day, hoping to explore more...

It was day 3 and 2 days had passed in a jiffy… We had explored most parts of Valparai and had started to feel like the natives of the place! Our first peek for the day was Lower Nirar Dam, a multipurpose dam built for the purpose of irrigation and production of Hydro electricity. We were told that there were a total of 7 dams in Valparai, however, we could visit only the Aliyar, Nirar and Sholayar dams. Our next stop was Nallamudi Poonjolai, also called the “Suicide Point”. The best part about the place was to walk in the midst of Tea estates. At this place we got a bird’s eye view of Valparai and the Kerala border, an amazing place for professional and amateur camera enthusiasts.

We found most places in Valparai within a radius of 10km from the main town. The Balaji Temple and Velankani Church are a must see, where, peace and tranquility personify these places of religious interest. We could not capture the Balaji Temple, as photography was prohibited in the Temple premises.

We also got an opportunity to visit the Ryan Tea Factory, manufacturers of Tan Tea and are indebted and grateful to Mr. Freddy Paulstar, who took some time off and explained to us the entire process of tea manufacture. He took us around the plant and explained the process of tea manufacture from the raw material stage (tea leaves) to the finished product (tea dust). The crushed tea leaves, emitting green apple aroma, filled our nostrils and lungs. We drowned in the aroma filled atmosphere for close to 2 hours, got nostalgic for a while as the entire experience reminded us of Industry Visits in college! J

We were still left with 2 important places to explore – Top Slip and Grass Hills. We were told that we had to reach out to the forest department for permission, to visit Grass Hills. With not much time in our kitty, we had to compromise on it. We could not make it to the Vellamalai Tunnel either. We were told that it is an unending tunnel, good for adventure geeks! As it was almost evening, we did not want to take a chance of exploring it.

The 3 days spent in Valparai, would remain close to our hearts, with quality time spent in the bounties of Mother Nature. We would only say…“We Came”, “We Saw”, however, “Were Conquered” by the Picturesque and Vivacious Valparai, the Seventh Heaven indeed!

Lepakshi

2011-11-11T21:26:00.001-08:00

Lepakshi is a 16^th Century architectural splendor in the Ananthpur District of Andhra Pradesh, 15km from Hindupur and approximately 140 km from Bangalore. We headed towards Lepakshi on NH7, the Bangalore-Hyderabad highway (an awesome road we have ever driven so far!). On reaching the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border, we took an immediate left on crossing a check post, onto a country road and drove 10km on the bumpy country road to reach Lepakshi, surpassing the Veerapuram Village (Bird Sanctuary), where Painted Stork’s can be sighted between December and July.

Lepakshi, the storehouse of art and architecture in the Vijayanagara Style, is famous for the Veerabhadra Temple and its sculptures. The Lepakshi designs on sarees are popular amongst the women folk which are taken from here.

The huge monolithic Nandi (Bull) greeted us on our arrival at Lepakshi. The monolithic Bull/Basavanna, about 15 feet high and 27 feet in length, is a remarkable piece of work in stone. It faces the Naga Linga, where a seven headed cobra shades a Shiva Linga, which again is a monolithic piece. The priest at the temple took us around and enlightened us about the place and its significance. He said that the temple was over 500 years old and was built by Viranna and Virupana brothers, who were chieftains in the court of the Vijjayanagara King, Achutaraya. Of the three shrines dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Veerabhadra, the Veerabhadra temple draws all attention. We were also informed that Amarashilpi Jakkannachari played a key role in terms of the architecture of the temple.

We were presented with two interesting stories as to how the place got its name as “Lepakshi”. One of them dated back to Ramayana where the bird Jatayu died, fighting Ravana when he abducted Sita after narrating the details to Rama. At that point in time Rama says “Le Pakshi” to Jatayu (Le - meaning get up and Pakshi - meaning Bird in Telugu) and hence the name. The other version, is that Virupana wanted to build a temple for Lord Veerabhadra and made use of the treasury of the king Achutaraya, in his absence (as the king was away, waging war), without seeking permission. The king on his return found the treasury empty and ordered that Virupana should be blinded! Virupana, being a loyal subordinate of the king carried out the instructions of his master without dismay! Lepa – meaning Less and Akshi – meaning Eyes! We could see the marks on one of the walls, near the Kalyana Mantapa and were told by the priest that they were the blood stains of Virupana’s eyes!

The temple complex is divided into the outer Nithya/Mukha Mantapa, inner Artha Mantapa and the innermost Garbha Gudi, which is the sanctum sanctorum, where the idol of Lord Veerabhadra is placed. The temple complex harbors the idol of Lord Ganesha, a huge monolithic Nagalinga (where the Shivalinga is protected by a seven headed snake), the hanging pillar, the foot print of Sita Devi and numerous halls, supported by artistically carved pillars. The incomplete Kalyana Mantapa, without a roof, supported by 38 carved pillars is a major attraction and we were told that Shiva and Parvathi were married in the place where this Kalyana Mantapa stands. The walls of the temple are sculpted with the stories of Ramayana and Mahabharatha, while the ceiling is beautifully painted using natural dyes (The paintings look faded as they are not well maintained, however, the precision and the symmetry of the paintings can be highly appreciated).

With our mission accomplished at this treasure house of Art and Architectural splendor, we returned to Bangalore.

DudhSagar

2011-10-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

Dudhsagar Waterfalls

It was as if we woke up from a spectacular dream, when we reached Bangalore from the land of the “Sea of Milk” – Dudhsagar. The Dudhsagar waterfall is one amongst the most beautiful waterfalls in the world!

Formed by the River Mandovi, it is located in the Chorla Ghat region, Sanguem Taluk of South Goa, bordering Karnataka, at a distance of 60km from Panaji. Being a seasonal waterfall, the right time to visit would be the monsoons as they transform into a milky white spectacle, cascading from great heights (guess its around 310m).

Reaching the waterfall by train was an experience of its kind! We took the Chennai – Vasco Express on a Friday night at 10:55 from Bangalore. The train experience was amazing! We happen to meet a few foreigners, headed to Goa. They entertained us with Spanish songs/music and a group of people from Chennai sang the latest Tamil numbers :-) The entire compartment was filled in a musical bliss! Sleep took a back seat as we spent the entire night awaiting the glimpse of the Mighty Dudhsagar.

The journey was for 12 hours and we got to travel via most districts of North Karnataka. The view outside the train was lush green and thanks to the monsoons.

The moment we left the Dharwad Station, there was a drastic transformation in the weather, with cloudy skies and a considerable dip in mercury levels. At Castle Rock, the weather had transformed to a misty spectacle! Our journey from Castle Rock to the Dudhsagar Station was an amazing experience as we had to cross small tunnels of approximately 200m long. We could see deep valleys and small waterfalls on either side and the entire journey was in the midst of the magnificent Western Ghats!

We reached the Dudhsagar Station at 10:15AM the next day (Saturday), where the train stopped only for 2mins (as it’s a small station, doesn’t have a platform either!). We quickly got off the train and had to walk 200m through a tunnel on the railway tracks to reach the Dudhsagar Waterfall. The tunnels were dark and gave a spooky feeling. However, It was great adventure as there were trains plying and we had to stand by the side of the tracks until the trains passed and then proceed with our trek :-) A couple of feet, once we crossed a tunnel, we were wonderstruck to see the awe inspiring site of the mighty waterfalls cascading from great heights. We felt completely defeated looking at the magnanimity of the waterfall and realized, man can never beat nature. We felt like ants in front of a Mammoth! The waterfall was so dynamic that we felt it changed its shape every second and never realized that we had spent more than an hour and half, just admiring the waterfall and the surroundings.

We met a few college students from Hubli, who gave us company until it was time for all of us to leave at 5.30PM. We walked back to the Dudhsagar Station to board our train back to Londa Junction (we reached Londa Junction at 6.30PM) and from there the Rani Chennamma Express, back to Bangalore. Again a 12 hour journey, we reached Bangalore on Sunday at 7.30AM. Hailing from Bangalore (Concrete Jungle), where we hardly get to see green, we felt so refreshed and rejuvenated in the green oxygenated surroundings of Dudhsagar, that we fall short of words to explain about this Masterpiece carved by Mother Nature…Hats off!!!

Wayanad

2011-06-07T18:32:00.001-07:00

Tuesday, 7 June 2011

Wayanad District, located northeast of Kerala is headquartered at Kalpetta and includes three taluks - Mananthavady, Sulthan Bathery and Vythiri. Carving a niche for itself in the mighty Western Ghats and anchoring itself at an altitude ranging between 700m to 2100m above Mean Sea Level, Wayanad derives its name from two words, Vayal (paddy) and Naad (land) meaning “The Land of Paddy fields”. The place has drastically emerged as a popular tourist destination in the recent past.

Thanks to Google! It helped us to an encyclopedia of information about the place. On seeing the photographs posted on the net we were all set to venture Wayanad and make our presence felt in God’s Own Country! We took the Bangalore – Mysore – Gundlupet – Sulthan Bathery route, straight on NH 212 (around 226 km) on a cold February morning. We had planned our tour for 3 days, 2 nights and had prepared a long list of tourist attractions to be covered during our short tour, without missing any. Our journey to Wayanad began at 4.00am. We drove to Mysore for breakfast and once done with it, headed straight to Wayanad, without any pit stops. At Gundlupet, we took a deviation to reach Sulthan Bathery via Bandipur. On reaching the Karnataka – Kerala Border at 9am, we received a warm welcome from the gentle rays of the Sun and unpolluted air which left us rejuvenated the entire day.

Waynad Internal Route Map

Our first visit was to the Sri Rama temple, on the way to Sultan Bathery. The priest at the temple, adding a mythological flavor, explained that the water in a natural pond near the temple was the result of Sita’s tears! The complex also housed the temples of Sri Sita, Sri Lakshmana and Sri Hanuman. Paying our obeisance to all four, we continued our journey towards Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary. Located very close to Karnataka Border, is an abode of wild animals. The Forest Department has made facilities to tourists for Safari and elephant rides (usually early mornings and late afternoons). We could make it to neither as it was quarter to 10 when we reached Muthanga.

Our next station was the Jain Temple at Sultan Bathery. The Jain Temple dates its association back to Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. No Gods were housed in the sanctum sanctorum, however, were told that the place was used as a storehouse of weapons (referred to as Battery) by Tipu Sultan. Hence the place also gets its name as Sultan (referring to Tipu Sultan) Bathery (from Battery)!!

It was close to 12 noon when we realized we had not covered many places on our list. We enquired from the care taker of the temple about the number of places we could cover the same day. Wasting no time, as per his directions we set out to discover our next destination – The Wayanad Heritage Museum, where we found the collection of various articles used by the tribes, the stone sculptures and the rock edicts on display.

On the way to the Heritage Museum, we saw a board which read Phantom Rock. On enquiring about it with the natives, they said it was a rock, shaped like the cartoon character Phantom! Not paying much heed to it, as we were behind schedule, did not want to miss Edakkal caves (25 km from Kalpetta). Getting help with directions, we reached Edakkal caves with high expectations of seeing the mesmerizing caves captured to perfection by the late Kannada legendry director Puttanna Kanagal in his movie “Edakkallu Gudda Da Mele” (Starring: Abinavasharade Jayanthi). Our expectations came crashing down in a jiffy when we read on a big white board, which said in red paint “Edakkal Caves Closed for Restoration”. Tough Luck!!

We had no choice left, but to proceed further. A few passersby told us about the Karaphuza Dam. When we reached the dam, to our dismay, there was no water! A flight of 60-70 stairs, lead us to a tranquil reservoir, dotted in the background by a chain of hills covered by lush green foliage. Taking a few pictures at Karaphuza dam, we left to Vythiri, where we had lunch at Hotel Woodlands. The menu was predominantly non-vegetarian, however, we managed to get a vegetarian meal served with thick boiled rice and sambar, seasoned with coconut oil! Our platter was also filled with various other side dishes, the names of which we are unaware. Not too good for a Bangalorean tastebud!! We found infinite bakeries along the length of the road, where we purchased biscuits and a few pieces of cake, they tasted awesome and just melted in the mouth. Looked like we had made our choices when it came to food J

Lakkidi View Point our next peek, 5km South of Vythiri, is one of the highest locations in Wayanad, at an elevation of 700m above MSL. The scenic view presents mountain ranges amidst dense forests, deep valleys and winding roads which lead to Kozhikode…a fascinating sight indeed. A few kilometers down Lakkidi View Point were the Chain Tree and Phookote Lake. Chain Tree was on the way to Phookote Lake and was clearly noticed with a huge chain around it (a lock as well J). The person, who narrated the story behind it, said that the spirit of an Englishman is chained inside the tree!! Pretty spooky!! It did not take us much time to forget the stories of the Englishman and the Chain Tree, with the thought of Phookote Lake crossing our minds. A couple of kilometers down Chain Tree was Phookote Lake, a natural fresh water lake (smaller to the one in Ooty) and the most sought after tourist destination in Wayanad. The statue of a Fish Goddess guided us to an aquarium with different species of colourful fish. Boating (both pedal and row boats) is another attraction here.

It was almost half past five in the evening and the sky had started to turn crimson. We felt a sense of accomplishment that we managed to cover most of the places on the first day and at the same time were thoroughly exhausted. Without stopping anywhere else, we started driving towards Meppadi to each our home stay in Ripon (off Meppadi) before it got dark. Our drive to Ripon was amazing, amidst endless tea estates flanked on either side of the road.

We had made arrangements for our stay at

Valley View Avenue

, 2km from Kanthanpara Falls. Our hosts Jinoy and Jobi were very hospitable and made sure we were comfortable. We were catered to the best choice of food, served steaming hot in an open dining area! The water was coloured and usually served hot. We were told that they boiled water with a mixture of herbs called “Karingali”, which gave it a characteristic colour. We were also told that this ayurvedic concoction would prevent any chance of stomach upset.

Much accomplished and more to go… Day two started with a visit to the Kanthanpara (Para – Rock in Malayalam) Falls. Set in the midst of lush green pleasant surroundings, less frequented by people, Kanthanpara was all ours for close to 2 hours. The crystal clear water, so soft, soothed our mind, body and soul.

Soochipara Falls, our next agenda for the day was relatively bigger than Kanthanpara and attracts a sea of tourists. We had to walk quite a distance, close to 2-3km, to take a look at the splendour. Our bags were checked at the entrance and no plastics were allowed, except the waterbottles. The good thing about Wayanad is that it is a “plasctic free zone”. There are well laid steps to reach the waterfall. Soochipara Falls, we were told had three levels and the one we visited was level1. It was a spectacular feeling to be under the waterfall balancing on the moist slippery rocks. J

On completion of the balancing act, we realized, the appams we had for breakfast, were completely digested and our stomachs craved for more. We stopped at Meppadi for lunch. It was boiled rice, sambar and a couple of side dishes again. With the bakery option still open, we had included fresh orange juice in the menu this time!

Meenmutty Falls was the next in line and we had to literally trek 2.5km down the hill, with the help of ropes, to take a look at this magnificent creation! This vertical descent was the best adventure we ever had in Wayanad. Quite risky but worth the effort! There were jeeps which took us to the point, 2km from the main road, from where we had to start the down hill trek. We walked half a kilometer in the midst of tea and coffee plantations before we began the actual adventure with the help of our guide. The mindblowing Meenmutty Falls proved us the might of nature! Our day two was thrilling, with most of our time in degrees of comparison! (Kanthanpara – Good, Soochipara – Better and Meenmutty – Best).

Soon it was day 3 and our list still looked big, we had opted out of the Chembra Peak trek which would take almost one full day. Chembra Peak, near Meppadi Town is the highest peak in Wayanad and is visible as a distinct triangle from most parts of the district. Our target for the day was the Banasura Sagar Dam, India’s largest Earth Dam and Asia’s second largest. A huge reservoir bordered with a park on one side and the Banasura hill on the other, is a scenic delight. The best part of this place was the speed boat ride. We had to shell out quite a few bucks, considerably expensive, for 20 mins or less.

We bid adieu to Banasura Sagar and took the Mananthavady route to reach Bangalore, via Kabini. It was all over so soon, with so much more to see… We missed on Pakshipathalam and Thirnelli Temple (at Thirnelli), Pazhassi Raja Tomb (at Mananthavady) and Kuruva Dweep/Island (East of Mananthavady), due to lack of time. Probably, with an extra day to our kitty, we could have made it. Nevertheless, our experience of Wayanad was truly Exciting, Enchanting and Exhilarating!

MM Hills and Gundal Reservoir

2011-06-07T18:31:00.002-07:00

Male Mahadeshwara Betta aka MM Hills is 210km from Bangalore (80km from Kollegal). Situated in the Chamarajanagar District of Karnataka, it harbours a temple of Lord Mahadeshwara, believed to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva. The miracles performed by this deity are glorified in songs sung by villagers (Kuruba tribes) by dancing to its tunes in folk style, described as “Kamsale” (Ughe Ughe Maadeva!!). Interestingly, MM Hills was the home of the then Forest Brigand Veerappan. The Kannada movie Jogi, popularized the place as various sequences were shot here.

Route Map to MM Hills and BR Hills

The road to MM Hills was average, with numerous pot holes. We had to cross 27 hair pin bends to reach the Lord Mahadeshwara temple. Initially, it was an up hill drive, however, we had to finally descend the hill to reach the temple. We traversed through moderately dense forests without much wildlife spotting to do. There are petty shops at the base of the hill which serve hot masala vadas and tea which are ultimately delicious and help in tucking a few calories! We were treated to this heavenly delight by Mr Srinivas in his kiosk.

The Malehahadeshwara Temple complex is housed in the midst of seven hills - Anumale, Jenumale, Nagamale(here one of the rocks is shaped in the form of a snake and a Shiva linga) , Kanumale, Pachchemale, Pavalamale, Ponnachimale and Kongumale. We were informed that all these hills together form MM Hills and trekkking these hills would take close to two days! There was nothing much to see at MM Hills other than the temple. Seeking the blessings of Lord Mahadeshwara and almost getting burnt in the hot sun, we bid goodbye to MM Hills and started our journey towards BR Hills, racing against time. We hoped, prayed and kept our fingers crossed, to reach BR Hills before 6pm (as the check post gates would close and the entry to BR Hills is restricted between 6pm to 6am by the forest department).

Gundal Reservoir:

On the way to MM Hills we came across Gundal Reservoir (However, mentioned on sign boards as Gundal Dam), about 18 km from Kollegal. Constructed between MM Hills and BR Hills, it is a picturesque location, hardly frequented by people. The Reservoir is surrounded by a chain of hills and we were told that the rain water which flows down the hills gets collected here. We spent quality time at this awesome location. The tribes at Gundal told us that the hills seen at a distance in the background, were the BR Hills. We did not get much information about the place, however, just managed a few pictures.

BR Hills

2011-06-07T18:31:00.000-07:00

After an enchanting Yelagiri trip, we had nothing much to do for a week or two, it was hectic at work with client visits, fast approaching project deadlines and last moment targets to meet. We were just waiting for a long weekend to unwind and relax. Luck By Chance!! As we can put it, we were off on Saturday, Sunday and Monday during the last week of May!! All we wanted to do was to stay away from the mechanical Bangalore lifestyle and enjoy the peace and tranquility of any place close to Bangalore. Thanks to one of our friends who introduced us to BR Hills.

Saturday morning, around 0530 hrs, our bags, all packed were loaded to the boot of our car, we drove straight to Maddur and took a pit stop at Maddur Tiffanys to gobble hot idlis and steaming coffee/tea. With the job well accomplished, back into the car, we drove further, and took a left onto the road which leads to Malavalli and following the directions promptly we headed towards Kollegal. Kollegal can be reached through the Kanakapura route as well, however, we preferred the Mysore Road route for two reasons – better road conditions and good restaurants! On reaching Kollegal we got to know from the natives that a 30km drive from there would take us to BR Hills without touching Yelandur. Till then we were under the impression that we had to reach BR Hills via Yelandur (as per the map). It was a welcoming suggestion indeed, we saved on fuel, distance (close to 15km) and most importantly time!

Route Map to MM Hills and BR Hills

Stepping our feet on BR Hills, we realized, we had made the best choice. With a couple of showers, the entire place looked a “Green Heaven”. Biligiri Rangana Betta, popularly known as BR Hills is located on the Eastern side of Western Ghats in the state of Karnataka, 30km from Kollegal Taluk of Chamarajanagar District. B R Hills attracts people from far and wide to the temple of Lord Ranganatha (another name for Lord Venkateshwara) which stands on top of a white cliff (Bili – White and Betta – Cliff in Kannada) and hence the name.

We were asked to reach BR Hills before 6pm, as the check post gates would close and the entry to BR Hills is restricted between 6pm to 6am by the forest department. Stay here is a hassle, however, we were lucky to get accommodated at one of our friend’s ancestral home. The road to BR Hills was fantastic , with dense lush green forests on either side. BR Hills aka Biligiriranga Swamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary(BRT Wildlife Sanctuary)is a reserve forest , formed by the confluence of the Eastern and Western Ghats. This region serves as a home for the Soliga tribes and Dr Sudarshan(Padmashree award Winner) is a well known personality here, who has contributed immensely towards tribal welfare and development.

We were told that there were two options to reach the temple – one was to take a flight of 250 steps (still under construction) and the other was to drive for a certain distance on road and then take a flight of 35-40 steps. As expected, we preferred the latter. A pathway through the temple lead us to the view point where we saw endless ranges of hills, covered with dense forests in shades of green, it was an awesome sight. We enjoyed the cool breeze which soothed our senses, however, missed a glimpse of the sunset as it was cloudy that evening.

We were exhausted by the time we reached BR Hills and wanted to feast on a good meal. The one and only hotel/mess we came across in BR Hills is Hotel Giridarshini. Every single person here suggests Giridarshini. We were told that this hotel has survived the test of time and has been catering to the taste buds of the tourists since ages. With limited menu options, nominal cost and excellent hospitality, we feasted on a good spread and felt at home.

It was a long day for us as we had left Bangalore early that morning and on our way to BR Hills, we had managed to cover MM Hills and Gundal dam. We were very tired and just wanted to sleep to set out all fresh to K Gudi (Wildlife Sanctuary) the next day. K Gudi is 30km drive from BR Hills and is a wildlife reserve. The forest department here has made arrangements for a wildlife safari, costing Rs. 400 per person per trip. Our drive to K Gudi was an unforgettable one. We spotted a few spotted deer, a barking deer and thousands of varieties of birds in different hues. We could also hear the calls of the peacock and various other birds, which filled the surroundings in a musical bliss! Our excitement reached its zenith when we spotted a Leopard! By the time we could capture him in our camera, he had camouflaged with the wild.

Wow!! What a weekend spent amidst the lush green foliage, the chirping of the birds which sounds like a sonnet, the endless ranges of hills, the fresh air, the cool breeze, the dynamic wildlife, the humble cuisine and hospitality, truly an experience we love to cherish. Given an option we would like to spend a lifetime in this Paradise Personified!!

Yelagiri

2011-06-07T18:30:00.000-07:00

Yelagiri is a hill station in Tamil Nadu, about 150km from Bangalore. The place is not very well known, however, has started attracting tourists of late. Located at an altitude of 1,140m above Mean Sea Level is a picturesque locale situated on the Vaniyambadi-Tirupattur route, 19km from Jolarpet.

We heard about Yelagiri from my dad, when he went on a one day trip with his colleagues. Yelagiri can be either reached by private transport or by train to Jolarpet, form where local buses shuttle tourists to the top of the hill.

On getting positive feedback about the place, we did not want to wait long and headed to Yelagiri on a Saturday morning. We took the Hosur Road, NH 7 and reached Krishnagiri. Its an amazing road, we literally flew over the entire stretch. Its worth paying the toll (better to keep the exact change handy and pay two way). Food was not a concern as we came across Kamat Upachar and Adyar Anand Bhavan. At Krishnagiri, we were asked to take the service road, under the second flyover and then a left towards Chennai, onto NH 46. We were advised by the locals to drive for a few minutes further till we saw the building of a Higher Secondary School, the name of which is off my memory now!! Guess Vani…not sure though. We drove and drove and drove…in circles, finally got help from someone, on his TVS 50 (our Saviour), whom we followed to reach the sign board which read “Yelagiri Hills, Tamil Nadu Tourism Department welcomes You”.Wow! what a releif…

We had to cross 14 hairpin bends to reach the top of the hill and trust me it was lovely weather with a light drizzle, the greyish black clouds hovering the sky and the lovely smell emitted by the action of actinomycetes in soil, created magic…By the time we reached the peak, it was a downpour. We managed to reach a restaurant and feasted on hot rotis with steaming vegetable curry, felt like heaven. What more could we have asked for…

In the meantime, the Rain God showed mercy and cleared the sky for us. We marched straight to the park which harbours an artificial lake called Punganoor Lake, the most famous tourist spot here. A Boat Club is housed here with pedaling and rowing boats, costing Rs.75 per trip. We took a stroll around the lake as the weather was awesome and captured a few glimpses. The lake is surrounded by a childerns park, a zoo and a garden. We just settled down on one of the benches bordering the lake, it was so peaceful, how we wished the clock stopped ticking!

We had heard about the Swami Malai (The highest Peak in Yelagiri) trek, however, as time was not on our side we had to hurry to Jalagamparai Waterfalls and spend some time there before it got dark. On our journey down hill, we visited the Telescope point, our expectations about the place was dashed to see a dilapidated building at a certain elevation. The good thing about this place was the cool breeze…Oh boy! It was awesome…

Jalagamparai Waterfalls, formed by the River Attaru, is a 5km downhill trek from Yelagiri. We decided to drive to Jalagamparai and drove through a couple of villages (the country side as it can be put). It was an awe inspiring sight – with the narrow winding roads, sandwiched between the endless lush green ragi fields, served us a bumpy treat. On reaching Jalagamparai, we had to approximately climb 70-100 steps to reach the waterfall. The waterfall looked very subtle at a distance, more like a shower. We felt its force only when we stood beneath it! For sure, took us to a frenzy!! A Muruga Temple (Vel Murugan Temple) is another attraction in the same complex.

We had spent close to an hour and half in the waterfall and realised it was time to leave only when hinted by a passerby, that the clock ticked 5pm! As the dark clouds started to gather and we had to bid good. Its a better idea to trek Swami Malai after the rainy season and spend atleast two days in the enchanting Yelagiri…

Mekedatu

2011-06-07T18:25:00.001-07:00

Mekedatu, located in the Kanakapura Taluk of Karnataka, is one of the options for a weekend getaway close to Bangalore, approximately 100km away. On a bright Saturday morning, we took off from Bangalore around 10.30 AM and hit the Kanakpura Road. Needless to mention about the traffic on Kanakpura Road, flooded with reckless bus and lorry drivers, we somehow managed a smooth drive and reached our destination at 1.00 PM. The heat drained us and we wanted a quick bite and a cool drink before proceeding further. To our dismay, there were no hotels, there was just a petty shop which sold water bottles, luckily!!

We lodged our car at Sangama (the place where River Arkavati merges with River Kaveri, hence the name) and from there had to cross the river by walk to reach the other side of the bank to proceed to Mekedatu. This was an amazing experience as we had to walk against the water current! The water level was comparatively low due to the onset of dry season. We were told that during or after rains, the water level would increase considerably and small boats, shuttle people from one bank to the other at a nominal charge. Once we crossed the river, we had two options to reach Mekedatu - either walk 4 km, along the length of the river, in the midst of a protected forest or take a mini-bus, (which is in bad shape) by paying Rs. 40/- per head (to-and-fro). The heat not permitting us for a walk, we decided to go for the bus, climbed on the top of it and enjoyed a roller coaster ride. Trust me, it was one amazing experience of its kind J

There is a mythological significance associated with Mekedatu. The villagers say that Lord Shiva disguised as a goat leapt from one side of the river to the other, around 10 meters wide, when being chased by a tiger and hence the name Mekedatu. (in Kannada, Meke – Goat, datu – leap).

It is an awesome sight to see the hard granite rocks eroded by the force of the water current, creating huge hollows. The rocks are pretty smooth and slippery. We were amazed to see artistry of the River Kaveri. The place to some extent resembles the Hoganikal Falls, however, much cleaner than the later.

On our way to Mekedatu, we decided to check Chunchi falls, which is a seasonal waterfall. Once we took a left to Mekedatu from Kanakpura we saw a sign board for Chunchi falls, which directed us to take left again. However sure we were, we still confirmed it with the villagers, as we felt that was the best bet. The road was narrow as we passed through a couple of small villages.

On reaching Chunchi falls, we had to make our own way to site of the waterfall.

We walked 15 minutes on the heated rocks and as expected there was no water, however, we got to see a thin stream of water flowing amidst huge rocks. A good pair of shoes with thick rubber sole would be recommended to trek this stretch.

Soon it was evening and on our way back to Bangalore, the beautiful sight of sunset, soothed our senses. Overall, it was great fun with not much of travelling involved.

Planning for Mekedatu and Chunchi Falls… ensure to pack enough food and water, just in case you do not want to spend on packaged drinking water!! And… don’t miss the busJ

Coorg

2011-05-15T06:40:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the land of Kaveri, where lush green coffee plantations creamed with thick white clouds, welcome you for a scenic treat. Situated in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, known as the Scotland of India, Coorg (aka Kodagu) is an awesome place to relax, unwind and enjoy. The best time to visit is between September and February.

Our trip to Coorg was planned for three days and two nights. Day 1, we started from Bangalore around 4:00 AM on Friday and reached Srirangapattna by 6.10 AM. Instead of touching Mysore, we took a deviation near Srirangapattana to connect Hunsur Road which saved us a good 20 kms! The road till Srirangapattna is fine, however, Hunsur Road is pretty narrow and is an awful 30 minutes drive. Once you are done with this 30 minute stretch, the road gets better. With a pit stop at one of the Cafe Coffee Day outlets, we headed straight to Bylakuppe. The Golden Temple there was our first peek. You literally feel you have reached The Roof of The World (TIBET), where the refugee Tibetans have settled after Chinese took over Tibet and it is locally called Tibet Camp or Tibetan Colony.

After seeking the blessings of Lord Buddha, our next destination was Nisargadhama. An island with a hanging bridge at the entrance, makes you feel the essence of nature. It was fun to walk on the bridge as you can feel the bridge swing (very little though). It was a pleasant and silent walk through the bamboo trees. The deer park and a couple of tree houses are an attraction, not to forget a part of the River Kaveri, flows through this place, where we drenched our feet and relaxed a bit before heading towards Harangi Dam.

Harangi Dam, 8 kilometers away from Nisargadhama is the place where few movie sequences were shot. We were advised by the locals it’s not worth a visit as the entry is restricted, however, we just wanted to have a look and there we were in a few minutes, capturing a glimse through the lense.

Dubare Elephant Camp, our next stop, where, the forest department tames and trains the wild elephants. Here you have an option to go trekking, river rafting and fishing by shelling out a nominal fee. It is also believed that wild animals and birds are to be spotted, however, we did not spot any! The best part in Dubare was to cross the river by walk, balancing on the slippery rocks, great fun!! It was close to 2.30 PM by then and our bellies churned for some good food. We barged into Dubare Inn and had a sumptuous meal, deciding on our next detination during the course of it.

We decided to visit Raja Seat, as we did not want to miss the Sunset and musical fountain which starts at 7:30 PM. The road we took from Dubare to reach Raja Seat was very scenic. We passed through aromatic coffee plantations, dotted with prestine white coffee flowers, as it was the flowering season. The road was narrow with lot of curves.

On the way to Raja Seat we visited The Omkareshwara (Lord Shiva) Temple, built by Lingarajendra. The history dates back to 1820. It is believed that the King Lingarajendra killed a Brahmin as he refused for the marriage of his daughter with the King. The spirit of the Brahmin (later Brahmarakshasa) started to torture the King. To overcome his mistake, King Lingarajendra was advised to build a temple and install a Linga from Kashi. There is a pond in front of this temple with Catila fish, which helps to keep the water clean.

Raja Seat is a well maintained park, with the panaromic view of the valleys and mountains and a recently added musical fountain attarction. You feel like the King of the World, watching the beautiful sunset. With the onset of dusk, the musical fountain attracts the crowd to enjoy the sprinkle.

Only after the musical fountain ended, reality struck and we realised we had to head towards the resort to get some good food and sleep to be fit for Day 2. It was a long day, as we covered six places. Worth IT!!

Day 2 started by about 8.30 AM, with a nice akki rotti breakfast, later headed towards Talacauvery and covered Bhagamandala on the way. Initially, the road was bad but got better towards Talacauvery. At Bhagamandala is the Triveni Sangama. People perform last rites of their family members and take a holy dip. Wasting no time, we left for Talacauvery. With a couple of hairpin curves, the view of the valley is amazing and will make you stop for a click or two...

Talacauvery, which means head of Cauvery is the birth place of the scared river Cauvery. People take a holy dip here and visit the temples of Lord Shiva and Ganesha to offer prayers. From Talacauvery, a flight of approximately 410 steps leads to Brahmagiri, a peak where seven sages called the Sapta Maharishis performed a special yagna. A spectacular view of the valleys awaits you here.

The descent from Brahmagiri, lead us straight to one of the tiny shops in the Talacauvery campus for a cool drink and some water. Quenching our thirst, we started towards Abbi falls (pronounced in style by our city folks as Abbey :-) UK influence). About 9 km from Madikeri town, daring the narrow zig zag curves, we reached Abbi falls by 1.30 PM. On reaching the gate, its a 10 minute walk amidst the coffee plantations to get a glimse of the waterfall . The best time to visit this place would be during/after monsoons. A hanging bridge serves as viewer's gallery and it is prohibited to go near the falls. Being adventorous like the majority who had come, we let the prohibitions sink at the back of our minds and followed them under the bridge to get a closer view. Letting our minds free, we played in water, took a few pics and enjoyed the gentle roaring of the waterfall.

With Saturday almost gone by and having covered most of the places of our holiday destination by day 2, it was time to relax and venture the place where we stayed...Club Mahindra Holidays (Resort). After a late lunch at Athiti, a local vegetarian restaurant in Madikeri town, we reached the resort. Taking a quick power nap, we set out for a stroll in the evening and involved ourselves in the fun activities of the resort. Soon it was Dinner time and we realised, we had to pack our bags to leave to Bangalore the next day.

The below mentioned details will be handy, for the Holiday Destination - COORG.

On our way back, we decided to take the Nagarahole (means Snake River) National Park (aka Rajiv Gandhi National Park) route, which is located northwest of Bandipur National Park and the Kabini reservoir separates the two. We had no plans for a safari ride though, however, wanted to pass through the National Park. We drove through Virajpet, Ponnampet and a couple of other small towns to Nagarahole. The condition of the road from Ponnampet to Nargarhole is pathetic and could not drive more than 20 kmph, most of the time in second or first gear! Reaching Nagarahole gateway was a relief. To pass through the forest was exciting, with huge Teak trees on either side. We sighted a mongoose and a few deer for our luck!

Two days passed in a jiffy. We enjoyed every moment and had some more places to cover. Realising the fact, it is always a NO NO when it comes to leaves at work, especially on a Monday, we were forced to say bye to the Kodava Land with a promise to come back...