Monday, November 30, 2009

Najangudu

Early morning very comfortable weather we started our journey from Mysore with my friend Car. Around 9 we reached this temple. It is a big temple complex which located in the town on the right bank of River Kapila & this ancient temple dedicated to Shiva - Nanjundeswara or Srikanteswara that is rich in legend, historical and artistic significance also it’s known as "Dakshina Kashi .The shrine, cosmic Linga representing Shiva is very ancient one. Earliest records are available from the reign of Gangas who ruled this region for more than seven hundred years (325 - 1000 C.E). The original temple is of early Ganga period. Innovations were made during the reign of Hoysala, Vijayanagara (1339-1565 C.E) and Wodeyars of Mysore. Tipu Sultan of Mysore was a patron of this temple. It is said that the sultan believed that his elephant was cured of diseases by the grace of the presiding deity of this temple and hence he made endowments to this temple.
Local legend says, this is the place of churning ocean by gods and demons to obtain nectar. Before obtaining nectar, deadliest poison gushed out, which would have destroyed the entire universe. Shiva the savior came to rescue and himself gulped down the venom, to save cosmos. Most of it got struck in his throat which turned green or blue. Hence he is also called Vishakantha (poison throated) or Neelakantha (blue-throated).
His consort Parvati prevented the poison from entering Shiva's system by hugging him and clinging to his throat which otherwise would have been disastrous.Hence he is also called Shreekantheswara (Shree = Goddess Parvati) and the town got the name as Nanjangud which means the place of his residence.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Melukote

On our last trip to mysore melkote was our final destination, my friends Ravi and Anirudh had planned everything very well, we reached the place by 5pm. Melukote(High or superior Fort) is a one of the principal sacred places in the state. The place is also known as Tirunarayanpura. It is built on rocky hills known as Yadavagiri or Yadugiri overlooking the Kaveri valley. This shrine is known for its long standing association with the spiritual leader Ramanujacharya. Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana who had become a follower of Ramanujacharya granted the fertile land as Ashta-Gramas on the banks of river Cauvery. Melkote has two distinct temples. First temple is situated on the top of the hill is an attractive temple dedicated to Lord Yoga Narasimha. After climbing 100 more steps we reached Narasimha Temple. It is believed that the image of Yoga Narasimha temple was installed by Prahlada. Krishnaraja Wodeyar III presented a gold crown to this temple.

After that we visit Kalyani(The temple houses a large pond called as Kalyani Theertha)The temple premises also houses the oldest Sanskrit college named Sri Veda Vedantha Bodhini Sanskrit Mahapathashala.This ancient Sanskrit college in India dates back to 1854. The institution continues to provide instruction in Sanskrit and Indian Philosophy.After that we visited one half constructed temples which is also one of the very famous place here. When we finish all this temples it was already late so we moved to the main temple which is a square building of large size but very plain is dedicated to Lord Cheluva Narayana Swamy. The temples of Melkote have made the town a popular tourist attraction.
My friend Ravi brings Puliyogare & some sweets from priest house everyone tasted it & returned back with nice memories of our ancient spiritual word.
Vairamudi Utsav or Vairamudi festivalthis temple of Melkote is popular for its Vairamudi Utsav, which is held in the month of March/April, the procession idol of Cheluvaraya Narayana Swamy is decorated with a diamond crown and taken out in procession. The Vairamudi utsav, which is the chief annual celebration, is witnessed by more than 4 lakh people.It is believed that the diamond crown is not to be viewed at when it is not worn by the utsav murthy (procession idol); hence every year, on the occasion, the officiating priest takes out the crown from its chest with his eyes blindfolded and then places it on the head of the idol of Sri Cheluvaraya Narayana Swamy.This Crown set known as Rajamudi was presented to the temple by Rajawodeyar of Mysore & Krishnaraja Wodeyar3 also presented a crown set with precious jewels known as Krishnaraja Mudi.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

OmbattuGudda

Ombattugudda was always eluding us though we planned to go this place many times we always ended up going else where or an incomplete climb, this time we decided again on our bikes, first we collected complete details from Rajesh Naik based on his guidelines we started on Saturday by 5 in the evening, we had rain as company through out finally we reached Moodgere by 11pm since it was very late we decided to stay at a temple near the town. We woke up to a bright fresh crisp morning very early and started our journey again after an hour we reached Lakshmi Estate; we parked our bikes and started walking from the estate office. Initially for some distance it's a jeep track and then it is dense forest, there are two routes to this place and without a proper map we tend to get lost.
Our early morning walk in the forest with cool breeze non stop banters from Kamath Sir was too good we were just enjoying nature wonderful walk and having plenty of fun, we had our breakfast in the moddle of forest rested for some time and continued our journey again after some time we reached an open place and the view from this place was amazing we never felt tired though after the hard bike ride and walking we could still go on with the same energy...
after another hour of walking in dense forest we came out of the forest and stepped on the first hill we had eight more to cover,The peak is so named because there are 9 prominent humps on top. When I reached the last peak I thought ‘Ombattuuidda was my dream but now I felt I am on the top of that dream land really I am luckky’.
Such a nice place it was, this place was fully surrounded by hills. On return we had bath in one beautiful hidden waterfall in Estate.

Alekan Waterfalls in Charmadi Ghat

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Huligemmandevi Kolla Waterfalls

After long tiring weeks of work we planned a trek to badami though i had visited this place this time it was with my cousins as planned we first went to Mhakuta where we visited goddess Mahakuteshwara temple later we went to Huligemmandevi kolla waterfalls, as like many falls which I have seen I had imagined it to be a very big fall after good rains,
but when we reached this place I was in for a big surprise though it was a Big waterfall with enough water it was falling from a glorious height water spraying from almost 300ft surrounded by red rocky mountains it was a different kind of pleasure watching this very different from any other falls seen till now, one more amazing thing was we could go behind the fall it was like a screen a sheet of water covering with a small temple and a large cave to be screened by pearls like a curtain an amazing splendid view!
Right time to visit this place is from august - November, a cool dip in this herbal water is an added pleasure, Later we visited Pattadakallu temple which contains a group of 10 major temples surrounded by minor shriners & plinths each depicting the architecture of the Chalukyas of Kalyani. Overall a pleasurable trip with a unique waterfall to add to our experience....

Jai Hanuman...

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Mahakuta

My first visit was to the famous Mahakuta temple which is surrounded by hills and cool atmosphere, located 14 kms away from Badami, in Bagalkot District.This place is famous for the Mahakuteshwara Temple, the temple dedicated to Shiva. It was built in the Dravidian style, In the courtyard, there are 15 small temples with intricate sculptures. The temples, built by Chalukyan dynasty, are dated to the 6th or 7th century. This place is often called Dakshina Kasi because of its religious importance.Mahakuta was once a great center of shaiva cult. Now only in one temple poojas are performed.Here,the principle temple is devoted to Shiva of Mahakuta, or Mahakuteshwara, and another to Mallikarjuna - another aspect of Shiva. There is also a natural spring pond called Vishnu Pushkarni near the Mahakuta temple. This restored temple complex of about two dozen Shrines dedicated to Shiva, is built around a large spring-fed tank which is within an enclosed wall. On the old gateway to the south-east, one can see figures of Bhairava and Chamunda.There is a Lingam in the sanctum, surmounted by a storeyed tower with an octagonal domed roof. The best carvings can be seen on the basement frieze, which has fine scrollwork and figures from the epics. In the wall niches one can see large figures of Shiva, including that of Shiva as Ardhanarisvara (half man and half woman).
On the other side of the tank one comes across the Mallikarjuna Temple which has a similar structure. It has fine specimen of carvings at the entrance and on the ceiling of the columned Mandap inside, depicting Hindu Gods and Goddesses and Mithuna Couples (couples in love). Inside the enclosure, there are various smaller shrines, with fine wall carvings of Shiva with Parvati, Brahma and flying couples with lotuses. This is a worth visiting place.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Belkal Teertha(Govinda Teertha)

It was raining and it was green & mist all over. The places like Kollur-Agumbe were heaven when it rains.. Numerous twisties for the pleasure of riding we reached this village. Belkal teertha is About 50 km from Udupi, located deep in the Western Ghats .
we had this 2 hour hard trekking we were in the heaven...the trek path has a dead end wherever find tall & green mountains all around.. ..And this lengthy white water making a spectacular fall piercing the green mountain, The splash of water particles all over your face, hmmm….didn’t feel like leaving that place.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Srirangapatna trip...

Nimishamba Temple is an ancient temple on the banks of river Cauvery. It is only 2 km from Srirangapatna town. This holy place enshrines the incarnation of Parvati. It is believed that the goddess here blesses her devotees every 'nimisha,' meaning 'every minute.'
Srirangapatna town is famous for a very ancient temple dedicated to Sri Ranganathaswamy, a form of Lord Vishnu. Other attractions include the Jumma Masjid (a Mosque) and the Daria Daulat Gardens.
The Mausoleum Of Tipu Sulthan...
Inside the Buruz...

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Varanga Trip...

Another wonderful trek this monsoon on my bike,sunday morning.I got call from my friend Sudheer Kumar & within a minute we planned this trip. I reached Varnga village by 9am & had my breakfast at a small Hotel.
Varang is little known for Jain Temples,It is a very beautiful place with lots and lots of greenery around it and more over there are three Jain Temples in that place. First we visited Neminath &Chandranath Basadi.
Neminath Basadi...
Neminath Basadi is 1000 years old. The bronze idols of 24 Tirthankaras in Kayotsarg posture is in the hall. The idol of Mulnayak Bhagwan Neminath [5 feet tall] is in the Garbhagriha. Chandranath Temple is dedicated to Mulnayak Bhagwan Chandrapath & the idol is made of Chandrashila and one could see the light across the idol.
Inside the temple...
Kerebasadi...
Kere Basadi is very religious always crowd with Jain’s devotes. Kere Basadi is the most beautiful and worth seeing place, this is a unique Shrine in the middle of the lake. On this tiny islet, you can feel the aura so typical of many Jaina holy places.
The Jain basadi in the lake has four sided idols in four directions facing North, South, East and West. The idols of 4 Tirthankaras are Bhagwan Parsvanatha, Bhagwan Neminath, Bhagwan Ananthanath, Bhagwan Shantinath.
In the year 1711 of Vikram era, Muni Shilvijaya came here on a pilgrimage....In the past, this was a rich and prosperous city at present hundreds of people come here to worship daily.
TheerthaKallu waterfalls...
Near KereBsadi one small beautiful Waterfall is there called TheerthaKallu, 1hour of simple trek from this temple we reached this beautiful place. This water very medisinic & purified. We enjoyed sometime in this place & saw some places around called Anekalu &Huliguhe.
Anekallu rock...
Next we had our lunch in Varanga & moved to Mundli here Suvarna River in rains has created one small waterfall. Here we really enjoyed the volume of water & peacefulness of nature.
Mundli
Durga Waterfalls

Next we visit one more waterfalls in Durga & finally on return we reached Parapadi. So one more weakened of waterfalls and bike riding completed the day with wonderful memories to carry.....

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

MadinHole Waterfalls...

There is never ending excitement for monsoon treks every time there is something new happening and this time I chose Tombattu village know to have some real good waterfalls around, this place was very new to me I had heard that it to be quiet dangerous but that never dettered me from venturing there, I gathered information from Rajesh Naik who knew few things and with a local friend and few articles I was all set to start ..
So finally Sunday morning by 6.30 Me,Rohith,Ashok&Chandu started form Udupi & In between Sudheer, Mahesh& Mohan joined our team. Totally we are 7 with 4 bikes. Some places road was very bad and we struggled to drive, but it all part of this crazy adventure. After a long ride we reached this village & my friend’s relative joined to guide us
He told he would take us to MadinHole Waterfalls, so we started to at 10. After 5 minutes walk we entered dense forest, by then it started raining. We crossed 3 streams, faced so many vipers on the way. Finally after one hour tough walk we reached the spot. When we saw the waterfalls we were awed by its beauty, such a huge & a very different waterfall surrounded by dark woods and hilly region; dense vegetation on the pinnacle, hanging creepers, and dark overhanging rocky cliffs made the falls more amazing.
You can enjoy various small waterfalls here which are about 15-20 meters high and main falls around 100 meters high. MadinHole is really a wonderful place where you can enjoy the beauty of the nature. We climbed one big rock to see enjoy more. We romanced with cold water sprays. Everyone took bath & enjoyed some time in this place, a wonderful soul stirring experience under a waterfall ...

One more waterfalls near by this...

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Anadka waterfalls -Didupe

Trek during monsoon is really thrilling. Streams overflowing, rivers touching danger limits are a few common sights. To catch up any waterfall at this season is really challenging and also very risky. This time me & my friend Kamat sir (Ramesh kamath) planned to go to Anadka waterfalls, so we planned to go on Bike.
After a hard long Bike ride on affected road we reached Didupe village. There we parked our bike near one house. Anadka falls is about 2kms by walk from Didupe. Passing through few estates, habitation lessened and thick forest invited us. After 15minutes calm walk we reached the spot. Seeing the enchanting beauty of the waterfall our minds were elated. The water flowing through thick forests & diving into deep ravine was at its purest form. Though it was very cold, we were tempted by the water. We found a suitable place to take bath, enjoyed for some time. We had a great time spending time in such a beautiful place. So after that we planned to continue to our adventure, so Kamth sir insisted we go to Samse village through dense Yaeleneeru ghat. He collected some information about that route & also we enquired some local persons about our plan & got good news as to the route was open for public that day.Finally we started on my Bike. But really next 3hours journey was one of the most memorial adventure trips in my life time, there are no words to express. Nature is always beautiful enough to attract people but also enough to injure careless people. So with care if we do adventure really it would become memorable.
When I visited last time to Yelaneerufalls I heard that now that route was better compare to past. So finally 11pm we reached our home with tremendous experience, a song in the heart with complete joy.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Skandagiri

Come Independence Day I look forward for a holiday to run to nature and this time was no exception august 15th turned out to be a Saturday and had two days of holidays. I had planned to visit Waynad to see Meenmutti falls and an alternate plan of going to Chunchunkatte falls unfortunately both did not work as planned but that did not deter my spirits.Finally I contact my friend & she planed a night trek to Skandagiri.
Skandagiri is a place near Chickbalapura in Bangalore and is one of a kind where night trek is done its higher than Nandi hills and after the recent rains it was all green and beautiful so we decide to start from Bangalore on Saturday night around ten after a nice hot dinner we left Bangalore by ten.
My friend and a colleague from her office and me we three left in a car, drive was very smooth on the national high way but once we reached Chickbalapura we realized that to state of our country it's only the high way to an extent is good but be it village or inside city it's simply horrible, after an hour's drive on a deadly road with huge craters bigger than on the moon hundreds of poth holes we reached the Papagni temple and eleven thirty in the night we could hardly make out any thing of that place there were many guides who were eager to offer their services at an abnormal price finally after haggling about the price we agreed to pay 400rs to guide us to the peak.
Trek started with great vigor though we couldn’t make out a thing in the dark with stars and the guides torch light it was a different kind of feeling climbing a mountain like predators who prowl around in the dark, taking a few breaks enjoying the night vision listening to crickets and looking at city lights far away we scrambled groping in the dark
finally making it to the top at around two in the morning, chill wind had already started on the way but by the time we reached on top it was howling it was so very cold we were shivering, there were many people already all were huddled sitting scattered it looked like a lost world almost reminding us of remote African villages but civilization had found it's way till the top we could get hot tea along with Maggie and Omelets that was quiet amazing we had hot tea to still our stomach from trembling in that cold,
We found some kind of shelter in a very old ruined temple made of stone and we could shield ourselves from the chilling wind outside ,a tattered mat which could be found in any trash in city had found it's way up and the tea stall owner charged fifty rupees for that mat so even rags can make you a rich man on top of a mountain where humans are desperate to protect themselves from nature,
we were the first to settle in that old temple later we found fifty and more people in that place all trying to find a place inside from that chill wind after three hours of waiting talking about past trek and adventures listening to others speak about life and funny ways of handling it was time for sunrise which we were waiting for, though sun did rise all we could see was mist and more mist and shiver.
Finally we started our way back coming down was quiet quick we could reach in one and half hour on the way back we could see how beautiful the surrounding was full green and mist all around it was a very wonderful experience trekking in the night.
History of Skandagiri -During the time of Tippu Sultan, Skandagiri was under the command of a powerful PaLeyagara (name not known) who’d very effectively defended his fort and thwarted Tippu’s invasion attempts. This local ruler, along with his trusted men had built such a fortified and defensive cover around the fort that even seasoned commanders of Tippu’s army couldn’t find a way to break-in. Finally Tippu’s men managed to bribe some inside persons & took control of this place, but remains of the fort live on.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Timeless Treasures -4

Kadambeswara temple - Rattehalli. Our tryst with the Hoysalas took us to interior Karnataka. It was not Belur and Halebeedu that beckoned us, but lesser known towns that had some beautiful temples. Our next destination was the Kadambeswara temple Rattehalli(Hirekerooru).
This temple was built by Hoysala King Veera Bhalla on 1174. It was late noon when we reached this hamlet and were greeted by silence. This Temple is sheer poetry on the walls as each sculpture is a masterpiece and stories come alive from every stone.
Sculptures on the outer walls come alive on these stones. This temple comes under Archeological department & also well maintained. Hoy Sala" (Strike Sala!) said the guru Sudatta Muni to his student, Sala who was in an armed combat with a tiger that had entered a temple. The student struck the animal in one blow, immortalizing himself and his victim. The guru was so pleased that he asked Sala to establish a kingdom and the Hoysala dynasty were established. The folklore became so popular that every temple of the Hoysalas has a carving of this story. Historians dismiss the myth, but stories like these have a certain fascination about them. Umamaheshwari Temple - Hosagunda.
Finally in the evening we reached this place Umamaheshwari Temple in Hosagunda village,Sagara taluk, The artistry of the Hoysalas in stone has been compared to the finesse of an ivory worker or a goldsmith.
The abundance of jewelry worn by the sculpted figures and the variety of hairstyles and headdresses depicted give a fair idea of the lifestyles of the Hoysala times.Here we can se numerous of erotica arts in its walls. Erotica was a subject the Hoysala artist handled with discretion. There is no exhibitionism in this, and erotic themes were carved into recesses and niches, generally miniature in form, making them inconspicuous. These erotic representations are associated with the Shakta practice.

This temple has been fully reconstructed by local villagers; at least the villagers take some Pride in Heritage India, though an exhaustive journey all The temples were amazing...
Once again I wish to thank Rajesh Naik Sir for this wonderful trek where I could get to see some really exotic old temples.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Timeless Treasures -3

Siddeswara temple-Haveri
Our next destination was Siddeswara temple.
Siddeshwara Temple in the town of Haveri city is considered as an ornate example of 12th century Western Chalukyan art & this is one of the rare temples of Haveri District that is well known for the loose sculptures of Hindu deities that exit.
However, inscriptional evidences suggest that the initial sanctification of the temple was in late 11th century. The temple is rather small and compact. But it is a beautiful representative of the style and the high culture of that time. An interesting aspect about this temple is that it faces west, instead of facing the rising sun in the east –a standard in Chalukyan constructions. Although it is currently used as a Shiva temple dedicated to God Shiva, historians are unsure by which faith or sect this temple was originally consecrated & to which deity. This ambiguity perhaps stems from the many loose sculptures of deities that exit & the dilapidation of primary wall images.
It has a shrine, a front hall and a four-pillared mandapa with a porch with entrances on three sides. The shrine on the side of the porch enshrines a simple linga as the main deity.
It also displays gods of the Trinity surrounded by Ganesh and Kartikeya. This temple features delicately carved marvelous pillars and the ceiling is ornate with floral designs.
Mukteswar Temple –Cowdayyadanapura-Ranibennur.
Our final visit was Mukteswar Temple –Cowdayyadanapura-Ranipennur. Cwdayyadanapura is famous for different type of fruits;Chaudayyadanapura is a small village in Ranebennur taluk of Haveri District; in this wonderful place one beautiful temple is situated on the bank of river Tungabadhra. This temple is fully filled by great exterior walls which are beautifully carved.
Mukteshvara Temple is a single cella temple in Jakkanachari style. Similar temples built under the patronage of Kalachuri or Seuna dynasties. This temple is a jewel of architecture of 11th-12th century. It was built during the heyday of the kingdom ruled by the Kalyani Chalukyas and the Seunas of Devagiri. It is dedicated to an Udbhava Linga (spontaneously born) Linga named Mukteshvara.
Tremendous wall designs.
Stunning stone roofs.


The history of Mukteshvara Temple at Chaudayyadanapura is known through 7 inscriptions in medieval Kannada, engraved on large steles. Provide informations on the local rulers, Kings of Guttala (Gupta ascendancy), on some constructions in the temple complex, on diverse donations to the deity.
Some Shasanas found in Chaudayyadanapura, reveal that Mallideva was Mandalika of 6th Vikramaditya of Chalukyas. Jatacholina, under the leadership of Mallideva built the Mukteshwar temple at Chaudayyadanapura.
The dome of the temple is hollow and is closed by the slabs of the stupi. Sikhara of the Mukteshwara temple is 2.20 M in its axis at the base. Stupi is made of 3 beautiful lotiform mouldings diminishing in size and a lotus bud with its base.
Eye-catching arts on the top.

Timeless Treasures ...Part-2

Ramalingeswara temple -Bedasgav
Getting up early to start our trek again took all our will power, we pulled ourselves and resumed our trek we reached a village called Bedasgav
first we visited Ramalingeswara temple, this temple was well maintained by the villagers, after spending some time at this place we went to another temple which was at a short distance from the place we were,
here we find 3 major temple though it's beautiful unfortunately these temples are not protected reflecting on our heritage. There is a need of immediate Conservation and Restoration for these temples.
Beautiful Statue
Sarweshwara temple
Next we went Hanagal Naregal temple which is situated in Haveri district. We parked our vehicle outside &moved in. This is a small Sarweshwara temple coming under Archeological department. This temple is protected by this Department.


Beautiful lake...
To be continue…

Timeless Treasures ...

Last January wonderful two day trip was planned by Rajesh Naik it was a mixture of temples ,beaches, forests and lot of trekking which was involved in this action packed two day schedule, a car was already booked for this trek ,we reached Kumta early in the morning after freshening up having an early breakfast we first went to our local beach near Karwar, but early morning visit to beaches are not lucrative it's being used as public toilet and almost drove us out,

Our next place was Sadashivghad a hill fort 5km north of Karwar and a small village across the Kali River , once a known trade centre, ruled by the erstwhile kings of Kadambas & the Marathas; & later by the Portuguese & the British.
An abandoned fort, assumed to be built in the 1698 by Raja Sonde, on a hill top of 200ft high, which affords an eyeful of nature’s beauty. The long running hill ranges, the confluence of the sea & the river Kali; the fishing boats & all other gifts of nature.
After crossing Kadra Dam, the entire region was excellent with dense semi evergreen & evergreen forests, beauty of Kali backwater & also many small waterfalls & streams. The drive on the smooth road on this lush Ghat unfolds the beauty of the Western Ghats .

We reached Kalache Rock at mid-noon; it is an 80 ft single rock structure and has religious significance. It reminds me of ‘ Yana ’ but it was totally different & hidden,
Kalache Kallu
later in the afternoon we trekked to Baskipatar & Girgirpatar viewpoints, though trough a tedious trek and walking we couldn't reach that place, we halted at Yellapur and stayed at a nice hotel for the night.
SahasraLinga

To be continue…

Monday, July 20, 2009

Kallarbi Waterfalls

Monsoon trek - 2
Rainy season has it's own charm and trekking in rain has no words to explain, one such trek was organized by youth hostel Mangalore unit it was a one day trek to Kallarbi falls near Charmadi, we started early in the morning with nonstop rain but nature was so green and clean every tree looked so happy getting soaked in rain, this time we were quiet a big crowd with many participants who were eagerly waiting to embrace nature,We had our breakfast at a temple on the way ,hot coffee and buns were right combination to get us going in full spirit, after a short trek we reached a roaring river and a bridge which was built in 1963 it was a pleasure to watch the river flowing in full glory, we had to take permission from Banjrumale estate to reach the fall.
Going through the estate was so very beautiful even the deadly leeches feasting on our blood could not deter us from looking around ,many small waterfalls made the place look like a magical land with rain beating on us in full force leeches attacking us from all quarters we could do nothing but surrender ourselves to nature completely.
Kallarbi Waterfalls-
We crossed a small bamboo bridge over a stream felt like we were in stone age for a moment ,then we trekked for what looked like ages completely soaked to the bones we slipped many times sliding down a mountain to reach the fall ,once we saw the fall none of us could speak the tough trek those monster leeches were forgotten it was worth everything i thanked god being alive to see one of his wonderful creation the thundering waterfall was mesmerizing getting cool showers from the fall all our tiredness vanished .
We felt so good watching the falls it was like gallons of milk pouring down the hill time stood still everything around was mute except for the sound of the waterfall with great reluctance we pulled ourselves away from the beautiful sight headed back the same way we had come to reach ugirae though very exhausted our minds still residing with nature we reached our places looking forward and planning for another weekend trek again Kallarabi was one of a kind another magical place to dwell on.....

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Monsoon walks ….


Parapady Waterfalls
This trip was planed suddenly. Saturday evening I planed to go somewhere with my bike in this monsoon, in the mean time I got the call from friend Sudheer. So finally a small discussion we planed to go Perapady waterfalls.

Parapady Waterfalls
Both we don’t know much about this palace & also maximum we can spend one hour in this place, so our free time we plan to go somewhere near by this. So I contact Ramesh Kamth sir, he suggest to go JoyisaraGundi.
So finally Sunday morning we started with five (Ramesh Kamath,Sudheer,Ashok,Sandesh & me), but our plan was slightly change, because of heavy rain & small group we go with Kamth sir’s car.
We finished our breakfast in middle & reached Pettarkatte bus stop at 9am. After 2 km’s drive we reached Kamblakodu village finally 5 minutes calm walk we reached this beautiful place. Shambhavi River here drops from 10 feet height in beautifully, this is a very wide waterfalls & the fall is in its full glory during monsoon. After spending some time in this place we returned back & moved to our next destiny place.
DanaGundi -1st step
Next one hour journey we reached Mala village & take some required information about place from locally & move to ahead. First we planed to go DanaGundi & PanchaArbi falls which is situated in the lush green forests of Kudremukh National Park.
DanaGundi -Main Stage
After 2 kilometers mud road drive we reached the Hebbar house, this road also end with here. Finally we entered to wild jungle, after 15 minutes walk we reached first step. Here stream would split & falls 2 different positions. This is very beautiful with its virginity.

After 1st step no proper paths to main falls. Even rain season we can’t cross stream also. From morning these reason non-stop rain, but also we love adventure in wild. So we started to going one side of the stream in thick forest. So finally a tough walk we reached main fall the place where the waterfalls are located is surrounded by lush greenery & the foliage around the spot is attractive. One more step in upstairs of this but because of heavy rain we can’t reach & we canceled to go Pancarbi, we returned back Mala & had lunch in one small village hotel.
JoyisaraGundi
Our next plan is to go JoyisaraGundi. We reached Parashuram temple which 2 km’s away from Mala. After 2 km walk we reached Upstairs of this fall. Because of heavy rain the volume of the water also big, this falls seems like Abbi falls of Coorg. This is the most beautiful fall on the day we see. We walk down few minutes down & reach one more step in down side.

JoyisaraGundi - Upper view
JoyisaraGundi
JoyisaraGundi
JoyisaraGundi - Upper view
In this reason so many other hidden places are there to see which as Hulugudda Waterfall,Galipade,Manchkallu & Hullugudda.Rain also supported along the journey to be success this monsoon trip.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Somanathpur..(Gr8 Heritages-part-8)

The fabulous temple of Somanathpur was always eluding me when ever I used to planned to visit the wonderful place some how I could not make it this time before going to Kotagiri from Bangalore I decided to visit this place since we had planned to leave on Friday night I landed in Mysore on Friday morning after freshening up having breakfast I took a bus from Mysore to Somnathpur there are lot of local buses plying from Mysore, I reached the place by 9am the glorious heritage was reflected in the magnificent temple it's architecture took me to many hundred years in time I was lost thinking how beautiful and precise things were though the technology was not as advanced as it is now one has to agree its man's super brain be it any time or advancement nothing compared to human wonder and this temple was a classic example,
spending considerate amount of time looking from every angle basking in its grand splendor I had my heart's content of ancient wonder art cheers to all the architects and wonderful people who put in so much of dedication into this wonderful piece of art.









For the inscription on the stone slab, it becomes fairly evident that the magnificent temple was completed and consecrated in 1268 A.D. The shrine stands in the middle of a walled compound, around which runs an open verandah with 64 cells. The temple itself, stellar in shape, has three profusely carved pinnacles with a common Navranga and stands on a raised platform. The three sanctums once housed beautifully carved idols of Kesava, Janardhana and Venugopala.


Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Kotagiri

After lot of searching browsing through net we finally zeroed on a place Kotagiri which is a very old hill station known from the time of British but unknown to many a supposedly quiet place, a lot of planning went into this trek we were looking forward for this monsoon trek since it was quiet some time we had gone out during rains.We started from Bangalore we had to reach Kotagiri from Ooty though we had booked the tickets we were in for a big surprise as to our boarding place was not from majestic but some other place getting to know about this in the last minute we ran pillar to post trying to catch the bus at the next stop finally we made it after lot of running around finally seated we started our journey( little did we know that more surprises were in store). After crossing Madhumalai forest 50km before Ooty our bus had stopped people were fast asleep to even realize we were in middle of nowhere and bus had a breakdown finally waking up to a cold morning and a slight drizzle all of us had to wait for an hour to get another bus, finally we reached Ooty around 9.00 from there we got a bus to Kotagiri another 40km from Ooty old rickety bus.
Rain smell of eucalyptus was very pleasant though after a very tiring bus journey ,green mountains ,tea plantations never ending small streams wild flowers was enough to make anybody a poet, reaching Kotagiri a small place with a church a school and some few shops with a few tea factories Kotagiri was a sleepy town people were in their own time.

Having bread for breakfast with fresh tea which Kotagiri is famous for we looked around the place by noon we planned to see the Catherine fall with non stop rain and windy climate rows and rows of Nilgiri mountain completely covered in mist was breathtaking, though the fall was a little disappointing with very little water the place around was simply superb we felt we were riding on the clouds, more and more of mountains and mist and greenery we filled our heart's content monsoon trek was not that bad nature was at it's best giving her complete self Nillgiri hills was paradise,
making our trip back we were still in those mountains completely lost didn't want to face the city life again forcing ourselves planning our next trip gave us little comfort , on the way back through Madhumalai forest and Bandipur park we were treated to herd of many wild elephants( looked like they too had planned Sunday outing with family many baby elephants with their mothers were happily posing for photos) enjoying themselves in the rain got to see few wild boars and many spotted deer’s,

finally we reached Bangalore at 8.00pm ,though lot of adventure it was a superb monsoon trek hope to make some more before the rain ends.......

Friday, June 26, 2009

BeteBare & Siddargundi waterfalls

Siddargundi waterfalls-1
Unknown places are more challenging for a trekker we had heard of this place called Bavadi falls which is situated in the Mookambika range apart from this we had absolutely no clue as to where it exactly comes and how to go about reaching it, but this did not deter our spirits,after a roller coaster ride in the jeep we reached Megani village
Siddargundi waterfalls-2
-from here we had to take the help of a local guide since every thing was new to us,we were five of us altogether and three were between ages of 50-65 we asked a local guide to accompany us, and one look at our group he had already judged that we just cant move our bodies leave trekking,but who could guess our team consisted of seasoned trekkers and age was never a criteria, finally after convincing him that looks don't matter he agreed to come with us,he altered our plans telling he would take us to more interesting places in the suroundings,this brightened us and we started moving with vigour.
First he took us to SiddaraGundi water falls it was a small trek into the forest a thirty minute walk brought us to a beautiful water fall,it was like a scene taken right from the fairy tales where one could imagine all angels bathing in that clear pool of water with water flowing in a magical way on the rocks we were so engrossed in it's beauty we didn't want to leave the place but the guide told us there is another water fall short distance from where we were where many small water falls join to make a splendid falls called Tirthabare falls.
Teerthabare Waterfalls
we were spell bound seeing the fall nature had just cast her magical spell on us,every place in nature makes us wonder how can it be so beautiful and praise the creator,
Our guide seeing our enthusiasm and joy told us he would take us to another place more beautiful called BeteBare (may be he was still not convinced till then if we could really make it finally he must have decided we could and took the interest to show us another place) BetekalluAfter another hour's walk the forest became more dense and suddenly there was a clearing and open place with just a rock jutting out and a dead end the jutting rock and a small clearing there we were looking into paradise we could see kodachadri in all its splendour we could'n stand as wind was very strong and the rock was congested but being crazy it did stand and felt was one with nature with endless valley of green thick forest. While returning we took another different route and within half an hour we were back on the jeep track,all we could think was valleys water falls and forest none of us could speak for nature had cast us a spell.

One more unknown waterfall

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Megani -Galigudda- Devakunda(Udupi YHA unit State Level Trek-2008)

Devakunda & Galigudda
This trek was organized by YHAI Udupi unit in Udupi Dist, Karnataka in November 2008. One needs to get permission from forest department to trek in this area.
The trek route is as follows: Day 1: Mavinkar (Reporting place) – Bavudi - Thearthabare Falls - Megani (base camp). (15 km)Day 2: Megani – Galigudda – Devakunda - Haddubare - Megani. (10 km)Day 3: Megani - Hullukudike (6 km).
Some part of places in first day was little steep, but manageable we reached a wonderful falls (Teeerthabarae) having our lunch relaxing to the sound of falls we continued, after a big adventure lot of puffing and panting and not willing to give up we reached our Base camp which was beautifully located at a serene spot surrounded by mountains all around it was like in middle of a deep bowl in the jungle Megani village late in the evening.
Devakunda & Galigudda
The whole trek was made easy by the fact that the trek route was through thick forest and hence devoid of harsh sun rays and also abundance of water. These jungles seemed to be fairly untouched by commercial activities or even by trekkers. YHA Udupi volunteers had already reached the place ahead of us gave all of us a warm welcome they had arranged everything and the pitched tents was a sight to behold after settling down with stars to guide us around we had our dinner and slipped into our sleeping bags looking forward for a big adventure. Selection of trek route was excellent & also management of arrangement was simply superb by YHAI.
Next day morning we woke up to the calls of the jungle we were so excited though we had trekked the whole day previously, we were looking forward for the next day's adventure sounds of nature and excitement woke us up early and fresh, breakfast was a delicacy a tastefully prepared dish under the guidance of our expert Mr.Adiga known for his culinary expertise which was cooked at the camp the fresh aroma was mouthwatering. After a sumptuous breakfast we started our trek deep into the jungles our second day journey into the wilderness began with lot of enthusiasm.
Our second day trek was with many memorable experiences we passed through typical grassland-shoals, eco-systems which are prevalent all over the Western Ghats, the moist deciduous, semi-evergreen & evergreen forest paths untouched by any human was very beautiful the raw nature pure clean air is all a human needs to blend with.
After an hour's walk we reached an open place here we saw some large group of Indian Gaurs (type of bison) on the other side of the peak, though at a distance those animals could sense humans and within minutes they disappeared,
Devakunda
-after a long trek in the wild climbing many small mountains we reached a place called Galigudda (which means windy mountain) by the locals and like the name it was a place where wind energy could be conserved it was so windy we literally had to lie down because of the force of wind it was simply amazing at a height where we climbed many mountains we never felt wind this strong but at this place it was simply superb, every one of us were trying to be a bird trying to glide it was very tempting to soar in the air after trying to be birds we turned to Devakunda one of the big mountain in that range.
We had our lunch between these two mountains near a steam called Muguthi holae, a very tasty lunch was packed at our base camp and like little school children we enjoyed lunch in the forest, after a wild trek we returned to our base camp completely exhausted we had refreshing bath at the river flowing near the camp completely relaxed and after a wonderful camp fire teasing each other with multitude of talented people we wound up our second day.
Haddubare
Third day of our camp started very slow and every one were feeling very dull none of us wanted to go back to city life after two days of splendid life with nature with reluctance and force we drove ourselves out of nature it was only pure walking and walking down the hill a rather tedious and boring thing, though every one were practically out of energy sighting many vipers and snakes kept us on vigil to sight more,
Hullukudike
Reay to attack-
finally we reached Hullukudikae a small temple where we had to disperse after snacks and a small certificate distribution ceremony.
Really hats off to our Udupi YHAI for a wonderful trekking camp, an experience which could not be captured on pictures nor be described in words, a thrilling memorable adventure in the mountains, looking forward to many more such camps.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Taste of Mansoon Showers...

Welcome to Monsoon...
I've always appreciated rainy days ; the world is still, its good naptime, there’s a nice fresh smell afterwards... Yet, having rain everyday is offering me the opportunity to make peace with rain in a different way…. I can go madly in Rainy season....Inside my house eating hot Bhajji during rainy season was amzing. I love rainy season ...

Monday, June 1, 2009

Alanga(Kutloor) waterfalls & Kodanje kallu

Last October a pleasent weekend trekking bug bit us again we wanted to go back to nature six ardent trek freaks started on our bikes and all from different places,our first place was" Konaje Kallu"it's one of the big rock mountain situated near Moodabidri ,this mountain has two peaks . Few minutes of walk we reached one Jain's cave temple its a wonderful place to see weather was playing its own prank on us that's being in nature totally unpredictable after some time in the cave temple we decided to turn back there was sudden rain the rocks were very slippery we had to climb steep rocks after a real balancing act on our part with nature we reached the bottom ,rain slippery rocks did'nt let us reach the peak,but we were not the ones to give up too...
Gaint Spider
We tried reaching the peak from a different anglesome of us slipped a brave strong foot Sudheer climb half the way,it was one of a kind experience competing with nature ... This did not deter our spirits we still did not want to give up though an incomplete Konajekallu could'nt stop us from visiting Alanga waterfall this is situated in edge of the Kudremukh National Park . We parked our bike in a safe place & started to walk on mud road,Kamath sir as usual was there to lead the team with all his never ending banters:)since he had already visited the fall before.
A few minutes walk in the forest the thick forest becomes more dense the silent surroundings kept us mesmerised even the view from the top even before we could reach the fall was breathtaking.
It is a great scene to watch any waterfall in its full glory and this was a average one. From this point to the base of the waterfalls was even tougher to go and it was almost like getting down a huge steep rock. Thankfully it did not rain for it would have been near to impossible to trek down in rain.
It’s easier to trek when the shoes are not wet as one gets the grip on the rocks. I did venture to get close to the falls and feel the freshness of the water sprayed from it. Ooh don’t I miss that!!! The climb up was tougher but quicker than expected. As the sunlight faded away the forests became more and more dark. Totally it was a memorable trek a pleasent memory to carry back with a refreshing mind, looking forward to many more very soon......

Thursday, May 28, 2009

NARASIMAHA GADA –(Gadaikallu)

This was my second visit to this place & this time also this trip was led by one of my trekking partner Ramesh Kamath. We reached the base of the hill where we have to pay a minimum amount of Rs 30/- to the forest dept who are maintaining the fort. The trek is more of climbing steps than a serious climb.The total number of steps is around 1800, but you won’t realize all the steps you just think its ruins or its just rock and then we slowly start climbing steeper and steeper domains. We see a rock face after some time; we get a nice view of the Kudremukh mountain range from this open rock face. We took some rest there & moved ahead.
These steps are not difficult to climb,but once you reach the top it's a top of the world feeling offering an excellent view of the beautiful landscape. This may be the reason why Tippu must have built his fort at such a beautiful locale,wher on one side you see the Western Ghats and on the other you see the vast plains of South Canara . It’s a very panoramic view.
The fort is more than 500 meter height, and its circumference at the bottom is about 4 to 5 kilometers. It is one of the most challenging trek in Rainy & Summer season. Inside the citadel, at the top there are two unclean sweet water tanks (not well maintained). One of the bastions has a dismantled iron canon. Ruins of walls and parapets can be seen. A small construction of Tippu's time is the only shelter. The wall of this construction is about one meter in width that to it is of solid rock. The most surprising thing is that the fort has a plateau of about 4 to 5 acres right at the top.
Kudremukha
After spending some time looking around sinking into the breath taking beauty of the surroundings we had our lunch, being peak of summer and the sun beating down mericlessly we started our way back the unhindering enthusiasm of a trek takes us to places being it any season ...though completely exhausted and not a word from the whole team every one trying to face the heat in their own way we finally climbed down and reached our places,it was a a summer experience by itself a nice outing adding to all other ventures of mine.
Fort History :
Narasimaha Ghad fort, located near Beltangady town is 1788 ft above sea level & it is also referred to locally as ‘Jamalagadda’. The fort was built by Tippu Sultan in 1794 and named after his mother, Jamalbee.
The nearly 1876 steps to the fort are cut out of this granite hill (probably with the help of French Engineers) and lead all the way to the top through the fort to the summit. The fort was captured by the British in 1799 during the 4th Mysore war. Legend has it that those out of favor with Tippu were hurled down this fort to their death.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Memorable 'Yana' Trip...

After a lot of thinking as to which place to go to finally I planned to go to Yana , so I started from Udupi on my bike. One of my friend also joined me in Kumata. After a long bike ride, first we reached Vibhooti waterfalls, it was a wonderful place it's calm prisitine beauty was mesmerising after the long tiring bike ride bath under the waterfall was very refreshing, after relaxing lazying on the rocks munching on snacks and fruits we moved to Yana .

Yana is situated in the lush evergreen forests of the Sahyadri range of mountains. Yana is popular amongst the adventure lovers with a passion to trek. Yana ’s major attraction is a pair of tall, pointed rock formations. The Bhairaveshwara Shikhara (120Mts) & Mohini Shikhara (90Mts) are two mighty limestone peaks. Mohini Shikhara definitely looks more pretty compared to the more rugged Bhairava Shikhara. Yana is religiously known as the place where Lord Shiva killed Bhasmasura the monster who tormented the world during his time.

I parked my bike near Bhairaveshwara Shikhara. The surrounding of the temple can used to refresh your self with snacks & liquids. After having coffee we started to walk to Bhairaveshwara main Cave. There was also a route surrounding the giant rock, amidst a cave like structure infested with bats a very strong stench greets the visitiors it's a dingy damp place but again the rock formation diverts your attention from the stinking smell of bats.
We had a walk around Bhairava Shikhara and came back. It was an enjoyable walk. After that we got a grace of Lord Shiva (Bhairaveswar) inside the Bhairava Shikhara.This is a small historic cave temple &Water from the limestone caves constantly fall on the idol of Shiva forming a stream & later it joins the river Aganashini.

After watching this we reached the Goddess Parvati Temple in Mohini Shikhara. There are many caves here and are inhabited by bats. The limestone formations in side the caves are as unique as they are ancient. Some of these formations are believed to be millions of years old. Yana’s these two gigantic limestone rock formations and numerous smaller ones stand like silent sentinels amidst the dense forest. The sight is truly stunning. More than hundreds of different types of hidden rock mountains are situated in these surrounded stretchy forests. A lot of commercialization has taken place here slowly robbing the natural beauty of this place. But again if you are a real nature lover you can see so many untouched places which can be explored with short treks.
After a wonderful stay in yana for the night in the wild listening to the cry of wild animals hoot of the owls and other nocturnal animals with a pleasent memories we started our journey back ,on the way hidden again in the wild a beautiful fall Bennaehollae tempted us to its beauty we again took a deviation after a rough ride reached the place though there was little water the rocks made us go back to yana once again after having lunch on those smooth giant rocks spending some time in the water we proceeded back to the tumultous noise of the city looking forward for a weekend again to be in the lap of nature.

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