Trekking Makalidurga, a small hillock (1,117m above sea level) almost 87KM from my home in Bangalore was always on my wishlist.
The wish evaded me though for some time until my friend called me and asked whether I would be in for the night trek to Makalidurga. I pounced on that opportunity without any second thought and the journey materialized.
Soon, a group of 5 members in no time got involved and decided to travel by car. Started our trip at 02 AM in the morning as we had multiple stop-overs to pick each one up. (By now, I understand the real pain of Uber Pool drivers) By the time we had everyone in the car, it was already 03:45 AM in the morning.
Google Maps promptly put forward its consideration that we would reach the destination around 05 AM in the morning and usually, he’s spot on. Another brownie to this trek is that it is well documented and the routes are pretty clear.
We navigated to the Makalidurga Parking lot and followed the below route.
Electronic City -> HAL -> ShivajiNagar -> Mekri Circle -> Yelahanka (Take a left here) -> Doddaballapura -> Makalidurga Parking Spot.
As soon as you reach Makalipura Parking, you could see the railway line crossing. There was even a forest official at the base of the trail. You could pre-book the tickets online on the Myecotrip portal (which by the way is a Karnataka Forest Department Website).
Temple at the Base – Starting PointSpell-Bound with the breeze here!!!
Makalidurga Hill
We crossed the railway line and started our trek at Muthurayaswamy Temple around 05 AM in the morning. It was pitch dark with no visibility and torches were our only saviors. The forest officials cautioned us to follow the painted arrow lines along the route to reach the fort and the temple at the top.
The route is pretty rugged and secluded. The vegetation was scarce and notably, there are no signs of animals or birds or even reptiles for that matter.
It was pitch dark and we started climbing. Initially, the route appeared pretty normal with no real sign of danger but as it progressed, we could sense the danger as it was pretty steep and wild. As we were progressing, I could sense visible changes in my breathing pattern and it was getting difficult but not alarming.
Pics taken downhill – thanks to the sunlight!!
There was no real support to hold on to anything and it was steep, but at the same time, it was not unattainable. It was pretty reasonable but my mundane lifestyle backed by my desk job made it look difficult.
Heard from the forest officials that this trek route uphill is almost 4 KM and it would take up to 2-3 hours depending on our ability. The only good thing to rejoice is that we were marching aggressively and completed this trek in less than 90 minutes. One primary reason being, we don’t want to miss the sunrise.
Hyper- Emotional !!!!!!!!!!
The walk got interesting with sun-rays slowly penetrating and the backdrop being an artistic lake. The view along with the lake was completely surreal and we continued to march forward.
First View of the Ruined Fort WallsProbably the Entrance!!!
I was now able to see the first glimpse of the ruined fort walls and told to my myself that we are near. A couple of fort walls along with a temple at the top is all it was there, but the sunrise is impeccable.
Beauty is – The sunrays penetrates directly and falls straight into Lord ShivaSmall temple structure raised atop for Lord Shiva
Had a good time with my buddies and we started descending around 8 PM and reached the base at 09:00 AM. Finished the trip with a nice sumptuous Karnataka styled breakfast at one of the road-side restaurants and ended this trip in style.
Overall a beautiful half day trek ended at 11:30 AM and back to my classical sofa ways, idling my way out in the other half of the day.
Another trek was always on the cards, but was somehow getting postponed with no particular reason.
At last, the trip to Shivgange materialized. Me along with 4 of my colleagues (JJ, Man, Sharath and Param) jotted our plans and started our one day trip to Shivgange.
We hired zoom car from Bangalore and started our journey around 5 AM. We were a touch late to start as opposed to 4AM.JJ agreed to drive (with others just not as good as JJ) happily agreed to let him take charge with the car with me taking the official map guide (of course with my Google gps buddy along).
In spite of having GPS along, destination played some nasty tricks resulting in getting some friendly banter with my friends.
Somehow we managed to get to Nelamangala and the destination is just 16 KM from there.
We decided to have breakfast near the detour. We had some decent breakfast at some Upahar. The food was not that great, but had no intentions to complain as I guess that would be the best we would have got at that particular place.
We took the detour and The scenery changed from big highways to country roads, but still big for the size of the country road.
We are now able to see the mountain that we are going to scale. We made up our mind for a hot and sunny day as we were exposed to a bright sun as early as 7:30 AM.
First acquintance- Shivgange Hills
We reached to the base of the hill around 8 and started our ascent. Initially there were all apprehension on all our faces whether we can do it. We even joked to return instead of toiling hard as all the mountain tops would be the same and what is the fun going to the top knowing what’s in store for us.
Fully loaded – not knowing what’s in store for us 🙂
The mountain looked huge and to top it the sun looked scary. We know we are going to get dehydrated soon and we loaded ourself with good amount of water bottles.
I had one bottle of water stocked for myself and in the spree of selfie clicks, I just forgot to take the bottle along, doomsday started.
The terrain is completely mixed. There are steps initially, followed by rocks cut in the form of steps, no steps, plain rocks and it goes keeping ourselves guessing.
I could feel the heat literally finding it’s ways through my head and i got dehydrated so easily at the very beginning of the trek.
Thanks to my cubicle job, I have lost all my stamina and climbing the mountain looked impossible. It was a wake up call for me as I thought I would climb this mountain like a piece of cake. All my previous climbing experience became a joke and seeing how demanding mountains can be,I understood how each mountains demands it’s respect.
But then I know, if I get set and see through the initial phase, I would be lot more comfortable. At some point, I let my friends go past me and I decided to climb at my own pace.
Initially the sun was vigorous but then I decided to leave my ego behind and respect the terrain.I was skeptical but I don’t want to give up. So are the others. We all decided that we are not going to back down.
We took rest in regular intervals and made progress. This trek though is not teasing as Skandagiri Hills. It is all one steep terrain and we can see from the bottom as how much more left to scale. Since it was steep from the very beginning, i believe there would a lot of cuss words from our gang flowing in the air forgetting that we are in the temple zone.
It is all steep climb all over and we have to be in decent shape to get to the top. There were some places we have to negotiate and it took us almost two hours to reach the top.
There are small shops along the way and one need not worry about the resources. Starting lime juice the range goes till red bull.
There are several spots on the way that makes this trek not boring. There is a small temple Midway, A rush spring (ganga like water which is considered holy) and some ruined walls and shades to rest.
There is a belief here that if you reach out your hand and you are able to touch the water, you are considered lucky and those who cannot reach the water have sins and have to surrender to the god to wash away their sins.
Forget about reaching the water table, We were not even able to see the water – you can all judge us (sinners of the sinners) and more logical persons like us will counter that with summer time.
Then there is a small detour that takes us to a small nandi hill. If you have no time, keep walking straight, in mid way you can find a Shiva statue with his better half. After taking some rest, we again resumed our walk. This place is a pointer for you to understand that you have already covered close to 70%.
From here the terrain changes completely. It is all steep with vertical rock. There are iron boulders on both sides for support with rocks cut for grip. Without these support, it is impossible to climb for ordinary people.
Bull atop . Now don’t ask me how it came here 🙂
Spiritualism is one driving force here in India that makes people do things which they would not not even considered possible. I see people with 70 and 80 years climbing this peak with only thing in their mind – faith. Had it not been devotion to Shiva, they would have possibly not even tried to climb a stair.
Different people, Different beliefs.. but i seriously don’t understand how that wrist band came there !!!!
Back to the place, There are monkeys all around and there were fair warnings from the shop keepers and those who descend to keep a stick with you and be careful with your belongings.
The monkeys here are very notorious and if provoked can be potentially dangerous. They return in groups and you know you now have to get into a gang war – which is the least thing you ever wanted.
I did not have the sticks with me and that prompted me to do the most stupidest thing in my life.
I crossed the boulders and then tried to reach to the branch of the tree to grab a stick. That’s when I noticed how far I came away with slippery rock with no support and down I see clear death if I do one small mistake.
People started shouting asking me to return and for one moment I was taken aback. I gathered courage, decided not to panic and hold on a bit longer. I somehow managed to come back to the grid and cursed myself to not repeat this stupidest act ever.
By now I am accustomed to the climb and I started to climb with ease. This was the most interesting phase of the climb.
We stopped at one shop and had a good snack. We were all hungry and munched whatever the shopkeeper offered and resumed our walk.
From here it is all one narrow path with steep climb. One Amusing thing is this place can get heavily crowded making you stranded for hours. Hence make sure you do not go to that place whenever there is festival.
We now see hope. We finally reached the much hyped big Nandi statue which stands at the top of the rock. There is no place to stand other than the nandi statue. It can max accommodate one more guy and that’s it.
Even with the safety boulders and steps , this place is shit scaring. I remember, we still have to be super careful, one small mistake here would be a ticket to heaven. It is amazing how one can carve a statue here. It still is a mystery.
Nandi (Bull) Statue
After taking turns visiting this nandi statue and still taking turns to shoo away monkeys, one taking responsibility of our belongings and to give away nothing to the monkeys and come out victorious, it was all both fun and extremely challenging.
Straight opposite to nandi statue is the Shiva temple. You have to come down from this single rock and climb another rock in parallel to reach the temple. That technically is the summit.
Temple which is not so brilliant, but still worth visiting 🙂
Shiv Temple 🙂
There is a small temple with one shop at the top. Not to take away, the entire monkey population was there like a boss. I could have easily seen close to 150 monkeys not shying away and waiting for easy targets. We took close to 2 hours to reach the top.
We were there at the top for some 40 minutes. It was hot but the breeze made it manageable and comfortable. The view was absolutely stunning. It is a dry area and the vegetation is pretty scant.
However you can get a good lake view from the top. It was more of a completion of this trek that bring us joy. There is a small cave in the top. The temperatures change at a second we enter these caves. We relaxed there for a while.
Lake in the form of hearts…hmm that’s interesting 😉
This is my place and stay away!Stone Boulders
Technically summited 🙂
Then we started our descent around 11:30. The descent was however pretty easy but as I said we have to very careful with our steps. The sun was at it’s best and we saw people starting their trek. I assume they are either strong willed or entirely crazy to start at 12.
It took 1 hour to descent and we raced to the bottom. On the way back, we got a chance to look around more carefully and guess what we spotted an abandoned Temple with only ruins left behind.
Temple Entrance
Beautiful Ganesha 🙂
The temple was guarded by no one other than monkeys and we went inside and took some rest inside.
One more interesting piece of art 🙂
We almost reached the base from there and we signed off the trek with some really exhausted but fulfilled faces. We were back to Bangalore by 3 PM.
Until next tour, see you guys, cheers from all of us 🙂
Trek Details –
Height – 1330m above MSL.
Place – Near Tumkur, Karnataka, India.
Distance from Bangalore – 60KM.
How to Reach – Easily accessible from Bangalore. Government Buses available from Bangalore Majestic Bus Stand to Shivgange but I would advise you to rent a car from Bangalore or Tumkur.
Trek Distance – 2 to 3 KM
Difficulty Level – Moderate.
Things to Carry – Water Bottle, Sunglasses, Energy Bars, Towel.
Temperature – Min and Max. Mostly hot and humid at times.
Clothing – Wear light dress preferably cotton ,but remember to wear appropriate clothes as it is a temple and it may invite some unwanted looks.
Note – Please keep your bag sealed and do not carry any eateries in your hand. Have your backpack safe from the monkeys and carry a stick with you.
For many of us, our Dad is our first hero. What if a man decides to follow his dad’s steps ? For a man, whose dad re-wrote the history books by capturing almost half of South Asia and built an engineering wonder, Is it possible for his son to match his charisma, yet add a personal signature to it, is that not a tough ask ? Even if he constructed such marvel, will it stand defying time ? This structure is a living testament to the rich legacies of a forgotten Chozha dynasty and about an Indian king called Rajendra Chozha 1 (1012 AD-1044 AD), son of Raja Raja Chozha who replicated the temple his father constructed in Tanjore.
Well, everyone who had travelled to the southern part of India called Tanjore, knows about 1000-year-old big temple called Brihadeeswarar Temple, but how many of us know that there is an exact replica of this temple situated very close to Tanjore. Yes, i am talking about a temple called Gangai Konda Chozhapuram. This temple along with its counterparts (Tanjore Big Temple and Darasuram Airavateswarar Temple) comes under the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as “Great Living Chola Temples”.
Myself along with my brother decided to go to some place to just kill away the time. He had completed his engineering and we went to his college for his convocation (Yes, my brother is no exception, he comes from India and doing an Engineering is an absolute compulsion – You throw a stone randomly in India and the chances are that it hits an engineer 9 out of 10 times). After the boring convocations, we both decided to travel to some random place we haven’t been to. We just took a local bus and moved along centers. We took a bus from Tanjore to Kumbakonam and from there took a local cab to reach Gangai Konda Chozhapuram.
The replica of the Tanjore Big Temple is now standing tall for almost close to 1000 years exactly like its peer and has an even more special history attached to it.
Chozhapuram Temple Premises – UNESCO World Heritage SiteGangai Konda Chozhapuram Temple
Chozhas in their golden time had controlled many parts in and around south India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, parts of Malaysia, now parts of Singapore,Cambodia and parts of Thailand (even today the Thai kings are crowned with hymns of Thevaram (a Tamil devotional song to Lord Shiva).
This grandeur temple is constructed by Rajendra Chozha at 1020-1025 AD and it took him 9 years to complete this architecture marvel. The stones and water are believed to be brought from Ganges basin and they built this temple as a symbolic gesture of their victory over the northern parts of India. Hence it got its name, Gangai Konda Chozhapuram (Triumph over Ganga by the Chozhas)
Notice the huge granite ball at the apex of this structure.Another View. The sunlight slowly evades us transforming itself to a wonderful night effect.
It is said that the granites all the way from North of India was brought to the South Of India through Elephants, Horses, and Donkeys. The majority of the constructions materials were shifted and moved by these animals as there were no transportations at that time.
Carvings made out of a Granite Block. Shows the intricate designs and the artistic skills
Situated at 10 km outside Jayamkondan town, lies this temple quite and untouched.It is quite hard to believe that this exact place thousand years ago was the epitome of trade,prosperity and was the capital city for Chozhas for more than 250 years.
Archaeological Society of India (ASI) record that there was a major catastrophe that hit this area several years ago brought down the civilization which led to the downfall of this region. This place was the capital of Chozhas at Rajendra Chozha’s time. The archaeological society of India has unearthed many sites around this temple town and villages surrounding Ariyalur. Recent excavations reveal major palaces leftovers and ruins that belong to the Chozha dynasty. Yet this great temple stood against nature and time. Only the outer gopuram (temple tower) has been destroyed and only the base of the structure remains now. The ruined stones were later sent to build the Anaicut nearby (which is a small check dam) across River Cauvery.
As soon as we enter, we can see the semi-destroyed temple tower. One can only imagine, how perfect it would have been if the tower has held good. Nevertheless, you can see the perfect line from outside. From outside, straight inside the temple gate, you can see the inner temple tower along with the Bull Statue followed by the main God (all in one straight line).
Main Entrance Temple TowerObserve the Straight Line – Pardon my lousy photography and disregard the crowd 😀
The main attraction is the huge Nandi Statue (Bull) and is made up of one single granite. I will give the size of this temple and leave it to your imagination. The temple is made by placing 153 blocks of granites (adjacent to each other) and is 175 feet high and 95 feet width.
Bull Statue – One single Granite rock.
Another View – Bull Statue
Similar to Brihadeeswara Temple, there is a huge granite monolith (which weighs several tonnes). It is said that the huge granite was moved atop by raising a slope and then moved to the top of the tower with the help of the elephants.
After the Bull Statue, at the entrance of the main sanctum, we can see a sculpture called as Dura Baragar who are the soldiers guarding the main deity. This statue is also made up of a single rock.
Sculptures in the Main Temple TowerAmazing Details shows their expertise
You can see a lot of Tamil and Brahmi inscription in the walls of the temple, but there is an interesting fact attached to it. The inscriptions display their valour, war strength, their culture, their generosity and other hero stones. It is also said in the inscription that there will not be any consecration for this temple and until today, it still holds good. It is said in the inscriptions that there would be re-incarnation of a Chozha king and once he is reincarnated, only then the consecration takes place.
Temple Blocks allocated for Hindu Gods.
It was getting dark and my phone was not good enough. So spare my photos 😀
To the north of the temple lies a huge Lion monolith called as Simhakeni (Lion Well). According to the history, this is a well and it is believed that Rajendra after the victory of the Ganges, brought water from Ganga and poured into this well to sanctify it. While some others say that this is also a subway to escape if there is a war. This subway is believed to be connected to the Big Temple in Tanjore and other routes to the coast in order to escape via sea.
Lion Faced Well. Some argue there is both a well and a subway. No Not the kind of “Subway” you are looking out for 😀
Chozhas were great patrons of art and architecture which is quite visible. The trademark Nataraja statue shows their skill, the Tanjore Arts and Museum justifies it, this temple acts as a testimony to it. It feels like I have travelled back time with some time machine and could very well understand how our ancestors would have once lived a rich life.
Dedicated Temple Blocks to each GodAnother ViewTemple Tower
The ancient civilizations still amaze me on how developed we were and how we had lost our uniqueness and ethos by trying to mimic the West.
Travel Tips –
By Location- about 10 KM from Jayamkondan village. 40 KM from Kumbakonam and 80 KM from Tanjore, Tamil Nadu, India.
Nearest Railway Station – Kumbakonam. There are cabs available outside Kumbakonam Railway Station and Bus Stand to Gangai Konda Chozhapuram.
Nearest Airport – Trichy International Airport. 110 KM to Gangai Konda Chozhapuram.
Nearest Metropolitan City – Chennai, formerly known as Madras is the capital of Tamil Nadu and is 255 KM far from Gangai Konda Chozhapuram.
Temperature can become very hot and sultry in the summer and hence wear light cotton clothing and keep yourself hydrated.
Travel with locals and experience the hospitality and don’t miss the traditional Tamil food served in a big plantain leaf.
You can collect souvenirs if you have a chance to visit Tanjore. Tanjore paintings and Tanjore Dolls and Tanjore Silk Sarees are quite famous. It is quite expensive as well and gives a run for its money. One local doll called Tanjore Thala Aati Bommai (dancing doll that moves its head the same way as a Bharatanatyam dancer) is a unique showpiece you can get and gift your friends back home.
Tanjore hosts a variety of places and you can combine your visit to nearby Tanjore and Kumbakonam. There are close to 100 big temples in and around this place. Tanjore also has the Asia’s oldest library,palaces,museum and art gallery. So head out and have a wonderful historical journey which is waiting for you.
Happy to be posting yet another trip on my spiritual journey. This time, i am moving towards the most famous temple in Karnataka,India. These temples are considered sacred and powerful among Hindus and how can i miss a chance to not visit these beautiful temples?
The history of this temple dates back to 800 years and this temple was built for Lord Shiva. Shiva is referred here as Manjunatha and that explains the temple’s name. Dharmasthala in Karnataka attracts more than 10,000 to 12,000 pilgrims on a normal day and more staggering numbers on festivals.
Sri Manjunatha Swamy Temple, Dharmasthala
This temple is different from the Dravidian architecture and has more of a Kerala type structures. This temple town is blessed with nature and is in the western ghats of India (which is one of the eight hot bio-diversities in the world by UNESCO). Netravati River adds to its charm and lure travellers like me and captivates us to visit more often.
I guess, you can sense the crowd here 😀OMG moment!!! Wonderful Kolam (drawing patterns in a rice flour) by an artist outside the temple.
Visiting Dharmasthala is not new for me and has now become quite a part of my life. Whenever i get a chance or an invitation from anyone, i never shy away from it.
It is an 5 hour journey from the IT capital of India (if you are wondering what is the IT capital, God save you :P). The drive is more pleasant with scenic mountains passing by. We need to be vigilant on roads as there are many blind curves and the roads are not that wide. I guess these roads are designed keeping in mind that the non-followers would soon become theist before reaching the temple (I must say, job well done !!!)
Much Hyped route that i was talking about!!!
Once you reach Dharmasthala, it is said to have a holy dip in Netravati before heading to the temple. I would advise otherwise.The water is cold and crystal clear but the river banks where we are allowed to bath are usually crowded and untidy. If you care about hygiene,skip this place and head straight to the temple.
One more highpoint for a foodie like me is the availability of free food within the temple round the clock (No,Not kidding). All you hear is “Oota ki banri..Oota ki banri” which is roughly translated as “Come and have your food”. I have been here for more than a time and at odd timings and i never had any problems with the food.
Dharmasthala is a living example of cultural harmony in India, which is sacred to both Hindus and Jains. There is Babubali Betta in Dharmasthala which is sacred to Jains and you could get to see a huge monolith of Gomateshwara.
Bahubali Betta (Holy Shrine for Jains)
There is also a museum and an aquarium in Dharmasthala which you could visit if you have the luxury of time.
Once Dharmasthala is done, you can head to Kukke Subramanya Swamy temple. Once you had visited the father and had his blessings, it’s time to visit his son and please him too. (Otherwise you know what happens)… Kukke Subramanya temple is 60 km from Dharmasthala which is a temple dedicated to Lord Subramanya (son of Lord Shiva).
Real Beauty of Western Ghats. It’s Green and green all the way 🙂
This temple overlooks Kumara Parvata mountain (a famous mountain for treks) and forms a picture perfect backdrop for this temple. This temple is nestled amongst deep forest and many say that it houses some of the dangerous cobras. It is also believed that there are some who have sighted the famous 5-headed cobras around this area, but we cannot verify its authenticity. Interestingly this temple is dedicated to the Lord Subramanya (who is the head of the serpents and is called as a god of serpents).
Temple View with Chariot,Kukke Subramanya Temple
Nature reveals herself in all her transparent beauty in the form of rivers, forests and mountains which these temples are surrounded by. Kumaradhara River offers a spectacular view and raw nature that it offers stays with your memories.
Western Ghats in India is one of the most important hotspots of biological diversity in this world and are home to at least 325 globally threatened flora, fauna, bird, amphibian, reptile and fish species. These are lush green tropical forests with the most romantic weather throughout the year. Since it is lapped with nature, request all the devotees and nature lovers to not litter and be mindful of your footprints.
Some Quick Travel Info –
Dharmasthala is in the Dakshin Kannada district of Karnataka and is near to major airports like Mangalore and Bangalore.
By Road – Dharmasthala is well connected from Bangalore and Mangalore. Many Government buses and private tourist bus ply from Bangalore till the temple. Many Tourist Packages are available from the rest of the country.
By Rail – Dharmasthala is not connected by rail, whereas Kukke Subramanya has a station. The service is limited but many autos and cabs are available from the station to the temple.
Climate – Moderate cold. It is advisable to carry jackets and windcheaters as it would be cold and sudden downpours.
There are some decent accommodation in both Dharmasthala and Kukke Subramanya but it is better to check the facilities before booking one.
Happy travel and see you guys in my next post. Until then, have a great day and stay safe 🙂
After a long time, I get to travel again.This time though, the spiritual mind took over me and we headed straight to Kotilingeshwara Temple (Temple with 10 million Shiv Lingas – Yes you read that right!!! don’t mistake me for a typo :P).
So I am going to start a new section from here on the mystic and unknown temples around India. India is a land of mysteries and cultures, hence we will discover these hidden treasures and try preserving its culture.
On a bright Saturday morning, i was on top of my voice asking people to get ready.This is just a one day trip from Bangalore and there are quite few places to cover nearby. The roads were in good shape (thanks to the Karnataka Govt.). The journey is two hours from Bangalore and slowly as the journey progresses, monotonous mornings and city madness steps out and peace and tranquility steps in.
Kolar or the “land of gold” famous for its gold fields holds a special place and a melting pot of cultures as it lies cross roads between three states. It is affectionately called as land of “silk,milk and gold”. I get to know many things about the gold fields and how locals still collect it from my cab driver. The Gold fields are now closed due to excessive mining. But the interesting part for me is when it rains, It rains gold for the locals. They use a special desilt technique to collect gold every time it rains and it is handy sum for their daily chores 🙂
Some temples worth mentioning here are Kolaramma Temple, Someshwara Temple, Kotilingeshwara Temple and Bangaru Tirupati.
We headed straight to Kotilingeshwara Temple. It was pretty amazing to witness the beauty in such a huge scale and I didn’t bother to count to authenticate the temple’s claim of 10 million (Kidding!!can never do that :P). It was so huge that I was awestruck and continued glancing one by one, finally stopped to see one huge monolith of Lord Shiva.
Huge ShivLinga Monolith 🙂Amazing Bull StatueWith my Sis,Mom and little champ 🙂Beautiful Landscape 🙂
Once Kotilingeshwara is done, we headed to ChikkaTirupati near Malur. From Kotilingeshwara we took the route of Tekal and then Malur and reached the destination.
The route was amazing, roads covered with lush green trees with sparse housing and lazy quaint villages. The clock seemed to slow down mercilessly on these villages and things seemed eternal.
Main Entrance, Chikkatirupati
Chikka in local language means small and this temple is a look alike the famous cash rich Tirupati. The surroundings were serene welcomed us with birds chirping along with some cool breeze. We visited this temple around noon ,but had a sizable crowd being a Saturday. This place had that rustic charm and the quiet villages around made this place even more intriguing 🙂
Chikka Tirupati, Malur, Karnataka
We headed home from there via Sarjapur. Good darshan and an awesome day to finish.
I feel like writing another post and this time again, let me post some of the untouched and offbeat mountains in South of India. This time I was going crazy with all the mundane stuff happening around and I badly wanted to escape the city life. Okay, the voice in my mind was crying “Come on… pack you bags to Kolli Hills, Tamil Nadu, India”.
This time I had to be extra careful and plan everything in advance. (I was travelling with my wife and I don’t want any embarrassments :P). We took a car and started from Erode, Tamil Nadu and then headed straight to Kolli hills, which is in the Namakkal District of Tamil Nadu.
It was a straight 2 hour journey. The roads were beautiful and to be very frank , I never expected the roads to be good, and as always I was pleasantly proven wrong. It was hot and humid throughout our journey till the base and I was very much skeptical whether I chose the right time to visit.
En Route Kolli 🙂
As soon as I came to the base of the hills, the entire scene changed. This is the best thing I like about the mountains. The scenario and the climate changes dramatically every second that we would be in total awe, how unpredictable the weather is. It became cold by every passing minute and yes the calm and soothing wind offered me bliss and the much needed therapy.
Amidst nature 🙂
The untouched mountains, serene atmosphere and the chirping of the birds makes this place an ideal spot. It was cold and windy and we could hear every bit of the wild. All these animals were secretly asking us (more of threatening us) on how on earth could you possibly enter our limits.
We reached Masila Falls by morning and had a nice bath over there. The water was so refreshing and was loaded with herbals. It is said that this hill is home to some of the very rare herbal and medicinal plants which are used as Siddha medicines.
yeah, I broke loose 😀
We reached Semmedu and 2 km from there and bang we could see the beautiful temple for Lord Shiva. Shiva is called as Arapaleeshwarar (here with his local name). I am no historian in any case, but still with my little sense of mind, I dated this temple could very easily be centuries old. As I searched some history, I understood that this temple was built in the 1st century A.D by a king named Valvin Ori. The Valvil Ori festival and the spring festivals are also known to draw huge crowds to the temple.
Arapaleeshwarar Temple (Source – Internet)
We offered some prayers and continued our journey to Agaya Gangai waterfalls. We need to trek downhill for some 2 km to reach this falls. There are steps nearby this temple which leads us to Agaya Gangai Waterfalls. We started our steep and treacherous journey and with 20-30 minutes of walking, we reached this beautiful spot.
I mean, I could have never really believed that there could be such a beautiful spot, until I reached here. The view itself was breath taking and i was really gasping for my breath. I had a nice good bath , but the force of the water was very high. The rails were put for a reason and i clanged onto that so tightly like an terrified monkey waiting to fall from a tree.
Hell Noo,I won’t leave that boulder
Then lies the bigger task – the most dreaded “uphill trek”, at least for my better half. She was like constantly asking each 100 steps, as how much more.. She would have obviously sweared a lot that day and even wondered how nice it would be if an auto ride would somehow magically take us above.
Alas and at last, we made it 😛
We reached the town that evening and we started shopping. There were flee markets all around Semmedu. We could see fresh jackfruits, pineapples, black pepper, spices and i gleefully loaded my bag with all of these. Being tired having travelled that entire day, we spent our night at a cozy resort and we decided to head back to the city the next day.
The entire trip was very fulfilling with unexpected surprises and loaded with happiness. I made a point that i will be back to this place very soon.
this is how I look after successfully completing my journey 😛
Some Useful Info –
Location – Kolli Hills, Namakkal District of Tamil Nadu, India.
Things to buy – Jackfruit, Honey, Pineapple, Black Pepper and Spices.
Temperature – Cold. (Max – 27 deg C and Min – 12 deg C)
Altitude – 1370 meter above sea level.
Places to Visit – Arapaleeshwarar Temple, Agaya Gangai Waterfalls, Seekupaarai View Point, Selur Nadu View Point, Masilla Aruvi, Boat House.
How to reach Kolli Hills – Kolli Hills is well connected by roads and rails. It is 360 kilometers from the metropolis of Chennai and 260 kilometers from the IT city of Bangalore. The nearest city is Salem.
Best Time to Visit– November to February.
See you all folks next time with my other blog, until then its me signing off. Bye and have a wonderful day.
We were all excited to regroup for yet another trip (almost after a year) – this time to Valparai, Top Slip and Parambikulam Tiger Sanctuary.All of them started from Chennai, me being the odd exception started my journey from Bangalore.We wanted to utilize this long weekend to the fullest (thanks to Gandhi Jayanti). As I was quite expecting the mad rush, I literally squeezed my way to get a seat to Hosur. I was all in the mood to travel with some nice rucksack.By 22:20 IST I saw my train coming (taking its own sweet time ). I think this has to do with its name 😛 Garib rath which in Hindi literally translates to poor man’s Chariot. I reached the Manchester of South India(Coimbatore) the following day 04:45 IST. From there I took a state bus to Udumalpet and it took a solid 90 minutes journey.
Day 1 – Namma Tamil Nadu, India
While my friends train was late by another two hours , I had no way but to wait for them at the station. The waiting turned sweet as I was interacting with all possible locals there and was killing my idle time.
I had a nice and a lip smacking breakfast at one of the nearby Kongu mess. We then hired a local cab and headed out to our destination. En route Valparai, we visited Aazhiyar dam. The weather was not pleasant and the sun was literally beating us. I thought we are at the wrong time of the year, but once we started climbing uphill, the beauty of Valparai and its cool climate welcomed us with open arms. I suddenly got a realization that i am in a wonderful place and it will give me great satisfaction and joy when i return back.
Perfect Lighting – Western GhatsValparai – Can’t explain the beauty..
We then visited Monkey Falls, and had a good nice bath for an hour. The water was absolutely fantastic and i never had the mind to come out of that falls. it was brilliant, but at the same time it was getting late and i had to return to my guest house and we departed reluctantly.
Our Guest House stay amidst the tea estatesParle Agro Tea EstatesBeware Humans!!! (Leeches mind voice)
You could spot Nilhiri Tahrs, an endangered goat species which can almost climb vertically uphill. You can find these animals here at ease. These gifted species are found only in the Nilgiris Ghat sections in and around Tamil Nadu and Kerala. One should witness their climbs to identify its uniqueness and will put our humans climbing abilities to shame. It took me a while to realize that i had failed to capture them in my lens. Nevertheless that particular shot has been captured to perfection in my mind.
Nilgiri Tahr – Source (Internet)
One thing about Valparai is there are many cases of man/animal conflict and we have to return to the camp early, otherwise we face the risk of getting exposed to the big cats. There are several cases of leopards entering these small hamlets (we can’t blame them after all we are the occupiers of their land) and its advised not to venture out in the dark. Wild elephants, Boars, Bison are a common sight here and not to mention (those notorious leeches). Valparai is also blessed with constant rainfall, and is called as Cheerapunji of the south for a reason. It was raining that whole night voraciously and deep in our house we were busy drafting our plans to visit Athirampalli Falls the following day.
Day 2 – Enda Keralam
As the alarm yelled and finished its business, we started our journey early as we have to go a long way to the falls. En route , we visited Sholayar Dam. From there, it will take a solid 3-4 hour journey to Athirampalli and all we could see are the lush green cover and forests. There were no shops available this route and it is better to take your own snacks. As its a reserved forest, tourists are not allowed to carry any plastics around and there is a checkpost which monitors the plastic usage. you also need to enter the vehicle registration number and once the mandatory checks are done, you are allowed to enter into the forest.
Sholayar DamFerry Ride…Worth every penny of it 🙂
As i was told, this particular falls was the backdrop for many Indian movies. It boasts of being called as the Niagara Of India. You need to sacrifice your blood if you plan to visit here. There are many leeches around this area. Its better to carry salt with you (as salt will kill leeches). The only good thing with these tiny creatures is they release an anesthetic when they bite, and that is the exact reason that their bite is usually not felt 😛
The falls was indeed amazing and there is a place where we can bathe. This is not exactly a falls but rather a river kind of place where the speed of the water is minimal and its safe for people. The force of the water was quite high when we went (believe me!! – at least that is what i heard from the locals) and once we were satisfied with our crow bath, we headed to our guest house back to Valparai.
To me, the visit to this falls was indeed beautiful, but if you are on a time crunch, it is better to skip this place as it takes an entire day to visit and get back to your camp. If you love raw nature at its best, it is a must go place on your itinerary. There are 3 major falls here , but the tourists are not allowed to bath , except the one i mentioned above.
Day 3 – Top Slip, Pollachi, Tamil Nadu
We needed to start early by 5:00 am if we wanted to reach Parambikulam Tiger Sanctuary. The guide told us that it will be very crowded and its advised to go as early as possible to book a safari. The safari starts by 07:30 and offers rich floras and faunas. We started by 06:00 from our guest house, but everyone in our gang was down with nausea and we had to halt the car inbetween many a times and the safari was already closed when we arrived. There are indeed a long queue waiting for the safari and we decided to go to Top Slip, which is just kilometers away from Parambikulam.
Top Slip was maintained by Tamil Nadu Tourism and there is a similar safari which is arranged by them. The cost of the Safari was around Rs 120 per head (but we need 22 people to accompany us and we had to wait till we get those required people). We can also hire the van for Rs 3000 and start our journey.
Top Slip, Pollachi
I suggest you better avoid this safari as it was a huge disappointment. The driver/guide should better be a F1 driver. Seriously he was whizzing past with that van, the result we couldn’t even spot a single animal. Forget tigers/mammals, we couldn’t even spot a single bird 😦
With happy moments and a filling heart throughout this journey, we left top slip and reached Coimbatore. While i was bidding adieu to those peaceful and enthralling mountains , another monotonous week was eagerly anticipating my return. All the best i can do from here is keep cherishing this wonderful trip and i had already started planning about my next trip.
One of those many crazy poses 😛The Entire Crew 🙂
I strongly believe that these mystic mountains are calling and i am obliged to go. There mountains offer me solitude and teaches me many things in my life and i must be mad to ignore these teachings.
We then visited Monkey Falls, and had a good nice bath for an hour. The water was absolutely fantastic and i never had the mind to come out of that falls. it was brilliant, but at the same time it was getting late and i had to return to my guest house and we departed reluctantly.
Whispering Mountains... 