Last week end I visited K R Nagar to attend a function and later I planned to visit this Holy & scenic place. As per plans I caught the regular KSRTC bus it was a short journey but it took almost one hour on our superbly maintained roads, getting down in Chunchanakatte village after a few minutes’ walk I reached this magnificent waterfall.
Here Cauvery flows into Chunchankatte roaring thunderously forming a 60 feet height and approximately 300 to 400 feet wide waterfalls. The river falls in two small cascades before joining again to flow as one. It is also said that when Sita Mata was tired and weary and wanted to have a bath, Lord Ram directed Lakshman to fire an arrow at a rock, once Lakshmana fired the arrow, water in 3 different shades started pouring out, one with turmeric, one with oil and one with shigekai (fruit for hair - natural shampoo).
These shades are visible even today when there is huge amount of water flowing in the falls. These shades are visible even today when there is considerable amount of water flowing in the falls. Before the power plant was established, this place was like paradise on earth with nature at its best.
There is an ancient temple built here dedicated to Lord Kodandarama. The uniqueness of the idol installed here is that Sita is standing to the right side of Sri Rama instead of the usual left. Legend describes that Lord Rama during his tenure in the forests stayed in this place on the behest of the tribal couple Chuncha and Chunchi.
It seems during that time there was not a drop of water here, and when Rama’s wife Sita wanted to have a bath, Rama instructed his brother Lakmana to facilitate Sita Devi’s wish. Lakmana shot an arrow on the rocks and water started gushing out in plenty and Sita Devi could take her bath.
Also in this forest Lord Rama met Agnatha Rishi (Unknown Sage) and was impressed by his devotion to lord Narayana, so Rama asked the Rishi to ask for a boon and the Rishi asked Lord Rama that he desired to see Lord Rama with Sita on his right side. The boon was granted and so was the idol installed in the same manner. There are two Hanuman temples, one at the entrance to the temple and the other after the temple near the river.
The most astonishing feature of this temple is that even though the falls beside the temple makes a deafening noise, inside the Garbhagudi (Sanctum Santorum) nothing of the roar can be heard. It is as though the falls does not exist. The legend narrated for this phenomenon goes like this – it seems Lord Rama was tired of Sita Devi’s constant complaining so he cursed that women should not talk unnecessarily and add to the noise pollution.
Even though women till now do not seem to have been touched by the curse, river Cauvery’s (who is considered a woman) roar at least is not heard in the Garbhagudi of the temple.
Every time I visit temples I return back with a different energy, feeling transported to the eras which those temples were built and the masters who constructed that wonderful piece of art deserve to be honored.......
The ancient Arakeshwara temple is one of the Panchalingas. This temple is said to have been built by the Ganga Rulers & situated on the banks of river Kaveri, K.R.Nagar Mysore district. It stands out strikingly against the background of the river and the lush greenery to make a perfect poster.
The chirping of the birds and the gurgling of the river are soothing to the ears. The greenery surrounding the riverbanks is breathtaking. All these put together was the picture perfect. The sanctum has a small Linga and one can feel the powerful vibrations from the lord.
The temple is a host to many Shivalingas and to Goddess Parvathi. Poojas (rituals) are conducted every day at the temple. On the auspicious Rathasapthami day the first rays of the Sun directly falls on the Deity this shows the perfection of the architectural designers of those times.
First I went to the river the water level was quite high because of Monsoon. Here one can have a quick bath or just splash around. Swimming in this area is not advisable due to the strong under currents.
This temple is mainly built of stone. As soon as I went inside the main entrance, two virtues of this place caught our attention, cleanliness and calmness of the place. This place is amazingly clean and tidy. The wide corridors were welcoming us as if with open arms.
The square pillars stood as a proof of the donations and contributions of well wishers made to the temple. All the details of contributions and names of the generous were inscribed on them in Kannada.
The celestial bull or the ‘Nandi’ stood guard at the entrance, as is the case in all the ‘shivalayas’. We then entered the main temple. Inside the sanctum sanctorum is the one foot tall lingam. This is said to be an ‘udhbava lingam’ meaning lingam which was naturally formed (and not manmade).
After that I went around in ‘pradakshina’. In the surrounding corridor are 41 small ‘shivalingas’ was depicting various forms of Lord Shiva. In the center is the main temple and to the right side of the Lord is a temple dedicated to Goddess Parvathi. The stucco images decorated the upper portion of the temple.
Suryanaraya & Kalideva
A few steps lead you into the temple with stone pillars and beautiful clean stone courtyard where you can walk and peacefully experience the calmness of the temple, which has stood witness to mankind for a century.
Every season has its own way of wooing nature and nature has its own way of reciprocating and monsoon is one where everything in nature is soaked clean fresh and gives a soothing feeling, seeing rain in a city or a village on a sea shore or forest is different at each of these places but on top of a mountain its ultimate heavenly feeling, it's only the mountains and rain and the person on top of it, a complete blend.
Though it's completely insane and not at all advisable to climb a mountain during rains it's a different kind of madness when we started towards Ambaragudda, all the mountains hills completely covered with a green blanket so very fresh and inviting which nature enthusiast would ignore or not be tempted to climb those hills.
YHA Mangalore finalized ambaragudda trek and we started, i had visited this place many other times but not in monsoon, we parked our van and leading the team started our climb in heavy rain, there was cool breeze very thick fog and raining continuously.
Few years back this place also faced the threat of depletion of forest and other natural resources owing to mining operations but now this place is safe & also Karnataka Bio-Divercify board recently announced as Heritage Site, in order to prevent the landscape from soil erosion, protects the Shola forest and the corridor for wild animals and watershed value of the region. Few places affected by mining still we can see few places affected by big mass of Manganese mining.
After a few minutes climb we reached the top but we could not get a clear view due to thick fog, normally we can see 2 sharps humps in the top of the ‘Ambaragudda’ so we stepped towards to the next hump in chilly breeze. We can’t spend much time on the top of the mountain because of heavy rain & strong winds. 
On return we saw some local estates slowly acquiring the land of Ambaragudda step by step. Whatever happens hope the beauty of the Ambaragudda would remain the same. Though completely soaked in the end it was worth all the strain and attack of the leeches a wonderful monsoon climb made us feel light and fresh.....
