Saputara, Dang, Gujarat

The ride from Gira Falls to Saputara is in my book the best and most exhilarating bike ride I’ve ever undertaken till date. Saputara means, Home of the Serpents. Although I cannot vouch for the authenticity of the statement in current times, the only thing serpentile enough here were the roads. The ride through Vansda National Park with their winding ghat roads is an experience that has to be experienced at least once in a lifetime. The road in this section is absolutely spot-on, which makes it a ride to remember. Saputara is Gujarat’s only hill station. However, standing at 900 odd-meters, Saputara hardly qualifies to be called a “Hill Station”. It is also aggressively promoted as a monsoon destination of Gujarat. The lush green forests of the Sahayadri ranges of Gujarat attract thousands of tourists not only from Gujarat but also from Maharashtra. Although it’s the monsoons that see people come here in the thousands, the dry and de-leafed autumn of Saputara is equally magical.

By the time we reached Saputara, the Sun was completely out and just about getting warmed up for a rough day in the office. As for us, we tucked into some lip smacking Aloo/Gobi Parathas and Poha. With a filled stomach and a content heart, we were ready to take on the menacing March Sun of Gujarat. We rode to the table-top of Saputara to admire the views. And the views that greeted us there were absolutely mind numbing. The entire panorama was so dry and yet so beautiful. We parked our bikes at one of the view points and decided to hike a hill, which probably was the highest peak in Saputara. Though it was a short hike, it dawned on us that we almost used-up all our drinking water reserve in the process. Yet we spent a little time at the peak soaking the sights.

There are a few adventure sports available here for the benefit of the adventure-minded tourists including parasailing and zorping. Although zorping is on my bucket-list of things to do, I gave it a pass. The zorping here was laid upon what looked like a cricket pitch - only slightly longer than 22 yards. And in no way exciting. We would have spent a little more time here, but there was one more place to cover before we headed back to Surat. And for that we had to cross-over to Maharashtra.

Getting-there: Surat->Navsari->Chikli->Vansda National Park->Saputara.

Must-Do: Get a bird’s eye view of the Saputara landscape. Carry adequate water if you are going there in the summer.
Must-Don’t: Littering and misadventure.

My Rating: 8/10

Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram), TN

Mamallapuram (or Mahabalipuram as it was previously called) offers the perfect day-trip option from the maddening crowds of Chennai. A visit to this erstwhile Pallava bastion can rejuvenate your spirits from an otherwise dampening stay in the crowded alleys of Chennai. The fact that the ruins stand right on the beach makes it all the more sweeter. M'puram is a short drive out of Chennai. It roughly takes about an hour and a half to reach this place from Thiruvanmiyur in a state bus. You could have reached sooner had the so-called "Toll Road" not been barricaded every 1 km till Kovalam. Once you cross Kovalam its a smooth ride till M'puram with the sea constantly keeping company. The traffic also clears up after Kovalam.

M'puram is a small tourism-centric town. The only other occupations practiced here are fishing, stone carving and of course begging (which is an off-shoot of tourism). Much like the ruins of Hampi, the monuments are spread out. But unlike the former, you don't really need a bicycle or a vehicle to wander about - if you don't mind exercising your body a bit. But of course the same might not apply on a hot-Tamil-Nadu-summer-afternoon. In such cases you can always opt for autorickshaws and even bicycles/scooters for hire.

There are plenty of sight-seeing options here - all that can be covered in a day and still have plenty of time to relax by the sea. The three major attractions here are Arjuna's penance, Five Rathas and the Shore Temple. Apart from this there are couple of cave temples near Arjuna's penance, Krishna's butterball, Tiger cave, a lighthouse and a few other rock carvings on the way. The rock carving on Arjuna's penance are nothing short of spectacular. The view from the Lighthouse is not to be missed. The Five Rathas are to be seen to be believed. And finally the Shore Temple is another masterpiece in stone.

There are plenty of shacks in the beach near the Shore Temple where you get food and accommodation. To enter the Shore Temple and the Five Rathas, you need take an entry ticket of Rs 10. This one ticket is valid for both these places. The lighthouse entry is Rs 10 for adult and Rs 20 for Camera. The remaining locations are on the roadside and hence free.

Getting there: Plenty of buses and taxis from CMBT (Koyembedu) and Thiruvanmiyur.

Must-Do: Make a list of all places you want to cover and go about it. Relax by the sea.

Must-Don't: Vandalism and Littering.

My Rating: 8/10

Kukke Subramanya Temple, Subramanya

The Kukke Subramanya Temple in Subramanya village of Dakshina Kannada is a temple of ironies. Devotees from across the country come here to get rid of their Sarpa Dosa (Serpeant Curse). And yet this temple can into existence because Vasuki, the King of Snakes, wanted to protect his ilk from the wrath of Garuda. Vasuki earnestly prayed to Lord Shiva who sent Subramanya to Vasuki as a reward for his penance. Subramanya has ever since been worshipped as the protector of snakes. And that’s not the only irony. The temple houses a silver Garuda tower which is believed to be erected to protect devotees from the poisonous fumes of Vasuki’s breath. Another interesting tidbit about this temple is that devotees enter the courtyard from the back and go round to east-facing entrance.

Interesting tidbits and anecdotes and mythology aside, the Kukke Subramanya temple is a must-visit in the pilgrimage circuit of Karnataka and South India. The majestic Kumara Parvatha in the background, the pristine Kumara Dhara river flowing by the temple and quaint little temple town nestled in the Western Ghats is worth a visit. Subramanya is easily accessible from Bangalore, Mangalore and Hassan. Trekking enthusiasts and devotees arrive here in large numbers. Whether it’s trekking in nature’s lap in the most grueling way or getting rid of Sarpa Dosas from this life or the previous or just getting away from the monotonous city life to a relaxing weekend filled with devotion and nature’s abundant beauty, Kukke Subramanya is one of the ideal locations to fulfill your need.

Getting-there: Overnight buses are available from Bangalore to Subramanya town. There is also a railway station at Subramanya.

Must-Do: Take a dip in Kumara Dhara before entering the temple.

Must-Don't: Littering.

My Rating: 6/10

Kumara Parvatha Trek - Take 2

The last time I attempted to summit Kumara Parvatha and failed by a small margin, I swore to myself that I will never come back to this wretched place. In my previous attempt I got drenched in equal measures from the sweat and the rain. Every bone, muscle and tissue in my body hurt from the 14-km inclined trek. On the one hand where every item in my backpack felt like an extra burden apart from my own modest body weight, in the other, I was losing weight thanks to the depleting water levels in my body owing to dehydration and loss of blood to the leaches. But more than a year later, here I was standing in front of Kukke Subramanya temple with my backpack and staring at Sesha Parvatha in the background. Such is the lure of KP.

As daunting as it was, I was supremely confident of completing an unfinished task with KP. The ease and technique with which I conquered Chembra Peak a month ago had made me to believe that KP will fall. And fall it did, but not before all the travails of a hard trek. Thankfully the blood-sucking leaches were no longer in play, which also meant the Sun was out in full glory. And that really took a toll on us once we crossed the forest cover. This time on the way up we gave Bhattare Mane a miss since we had made it to forest office in good time. Having reached Bhattare Mane before lunch, we gave it a miss and instead camped at the forest office devour the lunch we had packed from home. A good lunch and short relaxing break later we headed to the near 90 degree climb. The Sun being merciless, we had to take multiple breaks to avoid dehydration and a possible sunstroke. But with hardly any trees in sight to provide shade, the brief stops were meaningless.

After we somehow dragged ourselves to the watering hole near the Mantapa, we rested there for half an hour. Some of us even managed a few winks. The final stretch to Sesha Parvatha is where you start questioning yourself if you have gone completely crazy to be doing something like this. As tired as we were, we still managed to pull ourselves atop SP by around 6PM. The progress we made from Bhattare Mane to SP has been slow. But considering the terrain and the Sun, it was a task well done. With light fading away soon, we did not stop to admire the view at SP, instead headed to the forest cover immediately after that to the place we could set up our tents and start a fire. All of us worked in tandem – while some of them put up the tent, some went to fetch water from the stream and the others went looking for firewood. In about an hour we were all set to settle down for the night. Out came all the MTR ready-to-eats and we devoured them all in no time. With an aching body and a full stomach we sat around the fire for a while chatting until we finally retired into the comfort of our tents to call it a day.
Next morning we woke up early but got up somewhat late – if you know what I mean. And right away we headed for KP. The view offered by KP is a tad disappointment. Add to that, the peak is very crowded with a lot of overnight campers. The place chosen by us was just right. We spent about an hour at the peak before we decided to head back to the tents in the forest area. Wrapping up our tents, we started on our way back. This time however, we spent time at SP doing what we do best – monkeying around and capturing them in pixels. The descent proved to be slower than expected with our tired bodies not cooperating with our heads. Finally at noon we were at Bhattare Mane - just in time for lunch. By now I was so hungry, I could eat an elephant. Well I did not eat an elephant but I ate rice portions that probably an elephant would eat. Never in my life have I eaten so much rice at one go. The steaming hot rice, sambar, pickle and majige is like manna from heaven. A good rest and some coffee later we started towards Kukke Subramanya, thanking Bhatta for his hospitality and his quirky small talk. A couple more hours later we were on ground zero, tired and exhausted. A cold water dip under fading lights in the Kumaradhara river brought back much of the life in us.

As always KP has been a bone-crunching and energy-sapping trek and puts your mind power rather than muscle power to test and this time we emerged victorious.

Getting-there: The trek starts from Kukke Subramanyam Temple.

Must-Do: Do this trek between October to December. Watch the sunset and sunrise if you are lucky.
Must-Don't: Littering

My Rating: 8/10

Cheluvanarayana Temple, Melukote

Melukote has been on my travel bucket for long. But as luck would have it, while I finally made it to Melukote, it wasn’t a totally fruitful trip. This was the longest road trip for our 11-month old and as it turns out – the most difficult. It was extremely difficult to keep leash on our hyper-active and restless little angel. She can be quite a handful in such occasions and that takes a toll on her mother too who was all but drained-out by the time we reached Melukote. My mother-in-law is another person who can’t undertake long road trips even if the end result is visiting a famous temple. As a result when we reached Melukote, we visited the Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple and returned back to Bangalore. The idea of climbing some 200-odd flight of stairs uphill to visit the Yoga Narasimha Temple did not find appealing enough for my wife and mother-in-law after such a long journey.

The Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple is built on the foothills of Yadugiri and is situated about 145 kms from Bangalore and about 50 kms from Mysore. The temple is dedicated to Thirunarayana or Cheluva Narayana. On the top of the hill there is a temple for Yoga Narasimha. There is also a beautiful stepped tank at the base of the hill. It believed that the famous Srivaishnava Saint Ramanujacharya resided here for about 12 years in the 12^th Century, thus making it a prominent place for Srivaishnava Sect and also home to the Academy of Sanskrit Research.

The exact year of construction of the temple is not known. But it is believed to have existed even before Ramanujacharya retrieved the lost metallic image of the presiding deity. It is also believed that Ramanujacharya using his influence and stature was instrumental in rebuilding and renovating the temple. Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana who was a follower of Ramanujacharya had taken refuge here for a brief period during the Muslim invasion of Dwarasamudra. Glimpses of Hoysala art are also very evident here. But it is not nearly as magnificent as any of the full-fledged Hoysala temples in the area.

For those who enjoy long drives, this is a good place to drive down to. The final stretch of 32 kms after exiting the Bangalore-Mysore road is also pretty good for most part. There are some winding stretches of well-carpeted roads when you can glide at 100 kmph. The village atmosphere, green paddy fields and the fresh air make the drive even more pleasurable.

Getting-there: Take right after Mandya town and follow the road for some 30-odd kilometers.

Must-Do: Visit both temples (Cheluvanarayana and Yoga Narasimha) and the Stepped Tanks

Must-Don't: Littering and Vandalism.

My Rating: 5/10

Chembra Trek, Wayanad

The key to conquering any peak is not to look up for what is left, but to look back to see how much you have already covered.

The prospect of conquering any peak is always enticing enough to make me and my like-minded friends to put on our travel gear and head out to some place exciting. The Chembra Trek required no additional effort in appeasing the group to undertake this trek. A simple with a single picture did the trick and pulled-in the quorum for a trip. The single picture and the USP of the Chembra Trek was that of a natural heart-shaped lake half-way through the climb. This natural and perfectly heart-shaped lake with water throughout the year stimulated and intrigued many in the group. Although there were the last-minute drop-outs, we still managed to total six. This proved a good number to take our own car rather than depend on a rented one vis-a-vis cut costs for the trip.

 

If the heart-shaped lake is an asset of the Chembra Trek, then the guide who MUST accompany you along the trek is the liability. For every group that wants to climb Chembra, the forest department provides a Guide (whose fee is covered in the entry tickets). It is not like you need a guide to find your way around, but the forest officials insist that you must carry one with you. The ill-effects of carrying a guide in such a trek is that, the moment you tell him you want to climb all the way to the final peak and not go back after reaching the heart lake (as many do), he starts trying to de-motivate you about how arduous the trek is and blah blah blah. But then we are not the ones to be cowed down so easily. And despite a very slow mover in our group we succeeded in conquering Chembra Peak with reasonable ease. And this was the crowning glory of our last trip of 2012.

 

The trek begins with a stroll through a private tea garden until you reach a watch tower. From here starts the real deal. In the first 500mts my breathing got heavy. At the end of the 1^stkilometer, my hands were on my hips. By the 2^nd km I was dragging my feet. By the third I feel numb to all the pain, exhaustion and the heavy breathing. And in comes the heart-shaped lake like a breath of fresh air. Though I’ve seen the picture of this lake a hundred times, it was still unbelievably heart-shaped in real life. It takes me about half an hour to take the perfect picture of the lake without the tourists occupying the frame. And that’s good time to recover my strength and my breath. With that I set forth to conquer the peak. The distant elusive peak is an arduous climb, but not impossible.

 

After the disappointment in KP this time round my determination was strong. I had to finish this trek and would like to do it with considerable ease. My strategy was to not stop and rest but keep walking - no matter how tired my body was. When I couldn’t take it anymore I took short breaks of 3 minutes each. In those 3 minutes I practiced my Yoga techniques of taking deep breaths. Three short breaks of 3 minutes each and a half hour break at Chembra lake got me to the peak of Chembra. At 6900 feet I was standing at the highest point in Wayanad (or so the forest officials claim). It is obvious to any trekker or tourist that the peak that they claim to be the tallest here is definitely not true as there are more taller peaks adjacent to the one you are standing on. But why the forest officials claim that this is the tallest is beyond our imagination. Maybe it’s because there’s a threat of wild animals there, maybe they don’t want to entertain trekkers and tourists in these areas. But that doesn’t take away anything from the feeling of standing on a peak and breathing the fresh air of mother nature. Its not just air but pride that fills my chest when I take deep breaths at the peak.

 

On an average it takes 4 hours to reach the peak and 2 hrs to descend. A wonderful one-day trek with the everlasting image of the heart-shaped lake as a souvenir that will be etched in your mind.

 

Getting-there: Kalpetta->Meppady->Chembra Estate

 

Must-Do: Trek to the heart-shaped lake and beyond till you reach the peak.

Must-Don’t: Littering and camping overnight(not allowed)

 

My Rating: 8/10

Eddakal Caves, Wayanad

Wayanad is one of the perfect weekend destinations from Bangalore. For one, it is a mere 300 kms from Bangalore and with good roads, it makes for an easy drive. For another, there are so many destinations in a 50 km radius around Kalpetta that you can plan multiple weekend getaways to this sleepy town nestled in the great wide Western Ghats. Not surprisingly, this is my second visit here. The first time round I covered Pookode Lake, Soochipura Falls and Kuruwa Dweep Islands. Needless to say, this time round I had other destinations in mind.

 

Unlike last time when we booked a TT, this time we opted to take our own car and that meant a lot of driving shared between 2 of the 6 passengers. Thankfully the well carpeted asphalt lasted all the way till Kerala border. But there ends the good fortune. The moment you step foot on God’s Own Country, it is as if you set foot on Hell! There are no potholes on this road – only craters! Once you cross Sulthan Bathery the craters disappear, only to give you a feeling as if you just landed on Mars. The so-called highway is being re-carpeted and from the looks of it the work has been going on forever. There are no visible signs of any work being done. After gobbling on some Masala Dosas and Puris from Sulthan Battery we headed towards Meenangadi, where we had booked ourselves into RI Residency. To our dismay we found the road to be blocked and traffic not allowed to pass through. Upon enquiry we found that there has been a tiger-spotting here a while ago and the forest officials were trying to capture or drive-away the tiger from the (so-called) human habitation. Apparently the tiger also killed 2 goats and a cow the night before which has the local population angered. And Kerala being Kerala which calls for a hartal at the drop of a hat has started agitation for the capture of the wild beast.

That meant we had to take a detour back to Sulthan Battery and follow a different route to Meenangadi. This detour cost us at least an hour. We checked into our dormitory accommodation at the spanking new RI Residency which to our surprise was very neat and comfortable. And at Rs 150 per head we could not be any happier! A quick bath later we headed to Edakkal Caves.

For the uninitiated, the Edakkal Caves are famous for its prehistoric carvings. Some of these carvings date back to 5000 BC which is attributed to the Neolithic man. These Stone Age carvings are the only one of its kind in South India and points to existence of a pre-historic civilization. Not all carvings are believed to be from the same era. That implies that people from different times have inhabited these caves and left their mark. The oldest of the carvings are believed to be 8000 years old. The existence of Tamil script only adds to the intrigue of the place and the history of this Dravidian language.

Until a few years ago going by the blogs of that time, getting to the caves used to be an arduous trek. All that has changed now with the so-called tourism development. Crass commercialization, well-paved roads, steel staircases, different entry and exit routes has changed the experience for the worst! The hordes and hordes of picnic goers don’t make the situation any better. Coming to the carvings themselves, thankfully they are well-maintained. The guard on duty and the ASI officer ensure that these engravings aren’t vandalized. For a small fee they even explain the history of the place including deciphering some of the markings on display. With that dose of pre-historic life we decided to head to our next destination.

Getting-there: About 25kms from Kalpetta and 13kms from Meenangadi.

Must-Do: Gobble delicious Pineapples on your way back to recharge yourself.

Must-Don't: Vandalism and Littering.

My Rating: 5/10

Yana, Sirsi

Bhairaveshwar Shikara

It pays to have good friends, more so when these people are random guys you met in blogosphere. So, on Day1 of our Sirsi trip when we had given up hope on finding a room (all rooms in all hotels occupied, thanks to Dassera) in Sirsi, this blogger friend of a fellow traveler turns out to be our knight-in-shining-armor. All it took was one phone call and within minutes the six of us were given two of the best rooms in a hotel which belonged to a relative of our blogger friend. As if that magnanimity wasn’t enough, the hotel refused to take a single penny from us for our one-night-stay! A hot water bath and a good night’s sleep ensured all of us were all charged-up for the next day. A sumptuous breakfast later we were headed towards Yana.

Bhairaveshwar Shikara with Shiva temple

Yana is famous for two massive rock formations. Essentially, these rock formations are black crystalline limestone. The entire village of Yana is known for these rock formations. But there are 2 such formations that are of mythological significance, namely, Bhairaveshwar Shikara and Mohini Shikara. Yana is as much a geologist’s delight as it is for a pilgrim. The Bhairaveshwar Shikara is popular for a Swayambhu (self-manifested) linga. Add to that water drips on to this linga from the rocks thereby making the alliteration that it is holy Ganga flowing. However, the scientific reason for the formation of the swayambhu is attributed to phenomenon of stalactites and stalagmites.

Most of the pictures you find of the two shikaras on internet do no justice compared to the real deal. These are massive rock formations, standing as tall as 120 metres (Bhairaveshwar Shikara) and 90 metres (Mohini Shikara). These rocks are not without its share of mythological stories and prominence, as the names suggest. As per the mythological stories, the demon king Asura through persistent penance obtained a boon from Lord Shiva whereby on whomsoever’s head Asura places his hand, would turn to ashes (hence the name Bhasmasura). But Asura turns a Frankenstein’s monster and wants to test his strength on Lord Shiva Himself. After being chased by Asura, Shiva seeks refuge and advice from Lord Vishnu. Vishnu takes the form of damsel Mohini and entices Bhasmasura with her beauty and dance. An infatuated Bhasmasura agrees to a dance competition between the two. In one of the mudras (dance pose) Mohini places her hand on her head which an unsuspecting (and blindly in love) Asura copies, only to be turned into ashes by his own foolishness. The resulting combustion was believed to be so intense that it blackened the limestone formations of entire Yana. The Bhairaveshwar Shikara (Shiva’s Hill) and Mohini Shikara (Mohini’s Hill) thus got their respective names and temples (Mohini Shikara houses a Parvathi temple).

Mohini Shikara

Just like in Banavasi, the priest of the Shiva temple here gives all the devotees a briefing on the mythology of this temple. The pradikshina of the temple here is probably the longest and toughest of them all as it involves walking around and between these rock formations on barefoot. Once you are done with Bhairaveshwar Shikara, there are steps downhill that takes you to Mohini Shikara and the Parvathi temple.

This area once used to be a dense Sahayadri forest. And it took a trek of nearly 17kms from civilization to just reach these rocks. But crass commercialization and road-laying has done away with all this. And now visitors need to walk just half a kilometer from where they can park their vehicles. The day is not far behind where you can drive right up to the base of these hills. There’s a popular saying in these parts of the world - Sokkidhavanu Yanakke hogutaane, rokkiddhavanu Gokarna ke hoguthane, meaning, the one with tremendous guts and determination goes to Yana and the one with money bags goes to Gokarna. Unfortunately that is no longer true in these times of rapid and unbridled development.

Getting-there: Around 40kms from Sirsi town.

Must-Do: Check out the rock formations and the Swayambhu.

Must-Don’t: Littering and Vandalism. 

My Rating: 8/10

Information Courtesy: Wikipedia, OurKarnataka

Kalil Temple, Methala, Perumbavoor, Kerala

Kalil Temple was originally a 9th Century Jain Temple situated in Methala near Perumbavoor. The temple sits on a hill under a huge rock. A rocky terrain and a final flight of about fifty steps brings you to this mysterious temple. I say mysterious because, surprisingly only one portion of the huge rock touches the ground and there is no support whatsoever. Although on the other side of the suspending rock are the temple walls, it has to be noted that the walls were a later addition. Hence the mystery of the suspending rock lingers, which draws devotees to this cave temple. On top of the cave temple is a carving on the rock. There is some confusion over who that image belongs to. Some claim it to be Brahma while others claim it to be Mahaveer Jain.

The erstwhile Jain place of worship is now a Hindu temple with Bhagavathy Devi sitting pretty as the main deity here, which brings us to the second mystery of the temple. It is clearly obvious to any devotee that the idol of Bhagvathy Devi does not sit in the centre of the Sanctum Santorum (in the doorway) but visibly to the right. Meaning, to see the idol the devotees have to go the left of the doorway. Apparently this was not the case many years ago. The popular belief is that the idol is moving on its own without any human intervention. There is a third mystery attributed to this temple. Apparently a few years ago, on one of the rocks there, people have started observing the markings of what looks like Lord Shiva. And as the years pass by the carving is becoming more and more visible. Nobody knows how the markings are becoming more distinct and legible. Currently the face and upper body can be clearly ascertained.

Up until recently the temple would close by noon after the poojas and not open in the evenings (a rare occurrence in temples of kerala). This can be attributed to the belief of existence of evil spirits in the dense forest there. But since a year ago, the temple is thrown open in the evenings and poojas performed. All the mysteries attributed to the temple gives a special aura to the temple.

Getting-there: About 10 kms from Perumbavoor town in Aluva en route Muvatupuzha.

Must-Do: Check out the suspending rock, displaced Bhagvathy idol and the self appearing rock carving.

Must-Don’t: Clicking pictures inside the temple.

My Rating: 8/10

Revanna Siddeshwara Betta, Ramnagara

Sometimes when the big fat plans flop, smaller ones take their place and grow so big (in the experience) that they dwarf their predecessors. When the much-awaited Sirsi Waterfalls-hopping trip flopped because of a significant number of last-minute dropouts, three of us decided to go for a short drive nearer to home. Unlike in the past, we chose to go in a car rather than biking.


The primary idea was to go to Revanna Siddeshwara Betta in Ramnagara, taking off from the Ramadevara Betta from a couple of weeks back. The plan then reworked itself to a "high" by including a wine-tasting experience in Chennapatna, a reward unto ourselves for still making it a weekend out of the disappointment from the cancellation. And eventually, a proverbial last-minute-inclusion involved a visit to Ambegalu Krishna Temple in Doddamallur, Chennapatna.

Revanna Siddeshwara Betta is dedicated to Jagadguru Sri Renukacharya founder of Veerashaiva Siddantha (Shaiva dharma). Renukacharya was ordered to re-incarnate on Earth by Lord Shiva to stem the dwindling of Bhakti of the earthlings. Renukacharya went about his business spreading bhakti and installing Lingas (about 3 crores) wherever he went - even as far as Lanka. Renukacharya now became Revannasiddeshwara and during one of his missions, lived in a hill called Averahalli, which is today's Revannasiddeshwara Betta in Ramnagara.

A 60-odd km ride from Bangalore sets you on the foothills of Revannasiddeshwara betta. There are three temples on this betta vying for attention. At the foothills is the Sri Renukamba temple and in the middle of the hill is the Bheemeshwara Temple and at the summit is the Revannasiddeshwara Temple with a few ponds sprinkled around here and there. To keep the humans in check and keeping company to the Gods are thousand-odd monkeys. There is a motorable road from the foothills to the Bheemeshwara temple. And from there it’s a walk through intervals of flat ground and rock-carved steps. At certain points the gradient is a little steep but nothing as nearly intimidating as the ones in Shivagange or Ramadevara betta. At the topmost point of the hill are two mantapas dedicated to Rudra Muneshwara and Sidda Rameshwara. A few more steps down to the other side of the hill and you reach the Revannasiddeshwara Temple.

A quick visit to the temples and it’s time to admire nature from the summit of the hill. The cool breeze, the oh-so-familiar Ramnagara landscape, a little water catchment and the azure sky relaxes the mind and rejuvenates the body. The camera stops clicking, the friends go into silent-mode and the mind retreats into a cocoon. The only conversation is between man and nature. Time flies with your mind at such an enlighted state. It’s time to head to our next destination, although we would have loved to spend a few more leisurely hours here. But Alas! It’s not to be so. We head back to Bangalore-Mysore Road. Next stop Ambegalu Krishna Temple.

Getting-there: Bangalore-Mysore Road. Left deviation after Ramnagara town and before Kamat Lokaruchi. Follow the yellow signboards.

Must-Do: Enjoy the breeze and the sights from the summit.
Must-Don't: Carry plastic bags (sure way of getting attacked by the monkeys). Littering.

My Rating: 5/10

Information Courtesy: Here and here

Chamundi Hill, Mysore

With an open window of 3 hours in the city of Palaces - Mysuru - I had to think fast and clever. An SOS call later I had made up my mind. A third visit to Chamundi Hills seemed to be the most viable plan - with a twist. The idea was to climb the 1008 steps to the top and probably come back down in a bus. But as it turned out, the tables were turned and I had to do the opposite. Apparently the city buses do not go to the foot of the hill where the steps begin. That meant I was dropped at the top of the hill on the doorstep of Sri Chamundeshwari and a thousand hawkers. Since I was, ritually-speaking, not allowed to enter the temple - because of a death in the family - I wandered around the temple taking pictures and gobbling tender coconut water. Curiously, this is the third time I've been to Chamundi Hills but couldn't get into the temple. Now that’s a travel jinx that might take long to break, going by past experiences.

Apart from the Temple there’s also a statue of Demon King Mahishasura. If you are wondering what a demon king is doing in a place like this, then let me enlighten you that this demon was the ruler of Mysuru who was killed by Godess Chamundeshwari for wrecking havoc on people’s life. This is also why Goddess Chamundeshwari earned the title "Mahishasuramardhini" - Slayer of Mahishasura. Other attractions include a huge Nandi Statue and the Rajendra Vilas Palace (which I completely forgot to check-out).

With time running out for a personal appointment in Srirangapatnam, I started hurtling down the steps at a feverish pace – only to have suffer from aches the next day. By the time I reach ground zero, needless to say I was out of breath and energy. This feat of running down the steps can be achieved in less than 15 minutes. Surprisingly I saw quite a few people walking up the steps – some pilgrims, some morning walkers. So whether you are high on devotion or a fitness freak, climbing the steps of Chamundi Hills is what you should be doing in Mysuru on a bright and sunny Sunday morning.

Getting-there: City Volvo buses available from Mysore City stand to the peak of Chamundi Hills.

Must-Do: Try to go-up or come-down the 1008 steps. Gobble king-sized tender cocounts. Shopping at the hawker's market.


Must-Don't: Overdo the walking of steps. wandering in the hills after-dark (leapords have been spotted here in the past). Littering.

My Rating: 5/10

Ramadevara Betta, Ramnagara

Kitne Aadmi the? Teen Sarkar. Aur Bikes? Do Sarkar. Phir bhi Ramgad mein ghus aaye?


Ok you guessed it right. That’s the after-effects of a short trip to Gabbar Singh's Ramgarh. Having missed out on an earlier trip to Kunti Betta, I was keen to venture-out of Bangalore. My itchy feet refused to relent until I was revving on Mysore Road on a chilly Bangalore Saturday morning.

With a single pit stop at Bidadi for a sumptuous breakfast of Thatte Idly and Wada we reached Ramnagara in a little over an hour. The 60 km ride to Ramnagara was a breeze, thanks to Mysore Road. The first thing we planned to do before entering the temple was to go birding in the Vulture Sanctuary. Unfortunately, we could see neither a vulture nor a sanctuary. Irritatingly enough, there's a private property coming up in the vicinity of the sanctuary. I hope the vultures make a meal out of this property owner. After meandering in the foothills of "Sholay Hills" we headed towards the temple - Ramadevara Betta. As the name suggests the temple is dedicated to Lord Rama who stayed here for a short period during his Vanavasa. This hill has a lot of mythological significance according to the priest of the Hanuman temple with whom we struck a conversation.

He tells us that one day Kakasura - son of Ravanna - intentionally disturbs the peace of Sita Devi and even attacks her causing her to bleed. A livid Rama sets out to kill Kakasura for his foolhardiness. Using a small blade of grass he lets go a Brahma Astra from somewhere in modern day Doddballapur. The arrow chases Kakasura all the way till the present day Ramadevara Betta, wherein Kakasura begs for forgiveness from Rama. He promises that neither he nor his clan (crows) will ever visit this area ever again. Rama is ready to oblige, but a Brahma Astra once released cannot be taken back. Hearing this Kakasura offers one of his eyes as the target for the deadly trajectory. The priest also adds that for some time now they have been observing a few crows in the vicinity. This he attributes to the advent of Kalyuga.

With our feet rejuvenated and minds refreshed with the stories of Ramayana, we climb the remaining flight of stairs to reach the Shiva temple and Rama Temple. The Rama Temple is believed to be 1000 years old and built by Chieftain Kempe Gowda. After absorbing the atmosphere here for a while, we decided to climb the remainder of the hill. The final climb is a dangerous-looking rock with a steep gradient and steps carved into the rock. Thankfully there are iron rods erected for support. As long as you don’t look back, it should be a smooth climb. But the panoramic view on offer once you have scaled this rock is simply magnificent. The green cover in the monsoons is quite a contrast from the dusty red of Sholay during the summer. The breeze is strong enough to prevent you from any acts of bravery like standing close to the edge of the cliff.

The dark clouds in the distance constantly reminded us about an impending blast of showers which prompted us to bade goodbye to Gabbar's Ramgad. On the ride back as we were approaching pornsite err... Bidadi Nityananda Ashram… I had a sudden and strong urge to relieve myself - for no apparent reason. Not wanting to go against the laws of nature, I complied. And that was my moment of finding Inner Peace. :D

Getting-there: 60 kms from Bangalore. Take the right deviation on Mysore Road after Ghousia College. Follow the road for 2 kms.

Must-Do: Go the top of the hill for a panoramic view
Must-Don't: Littering and anti-social activities.

My Rating: 5/10

Dudh Sagar Falls Trek, Karnataka - Goa

The ever-persistent chirping sound of crickets, the lazy croaking of the frogs, the early rising birds on the look-out for food and the steady sound of flowing water streams. It is not every day you wake up to such an assorted collection of sounds. I unzip the opening of the tent and calmly crawl my way out, to avoid waking the others. The sea of green and the milky water stream greet my eyes... and my senses. How I wish I could get a hot cuppa coffee now. Just as I try to evade thoughts of greed from my head my attention is diverted to a troop of monkeys who are making their way towards our camp. They look for food for themselves and their little ones. While the elders are busy raiding all the plastic covers and trash left behind by some mindless tourists, the young ones entertain themselves by flinging from one tree to another and playing rat-and-mouse game. Once the elders are satisfied there are no more food to be hoarded, the troop continue to their next destination.

Just as I begin to convince myself that I’m indeed in heaven, along chugs a 126 tonne, 4000 hp turbocharged, V16 cylinder mean machine to shatter the morning calm. This WDG4 diesel-electric engineering marvel with a top speed of 120kmph pours cold water (or must I say hot steam) on my morning musings. A total of 5 WDG4 engines are required to take the nearly 100-odd goods bogies through Braganza Ghat section. The blaring noise and the heat generated from the train passing barely couple of meters from our tents hardly woke anyone. This could be attributed to fact that most of the troop members were by now immune to the noise by now. The extensive physical activity of walking on the uneven surface of the Railway line was another cause for this lethargy.

My mind couldn't but wander to the previous day. But after much dilly-dallying there were 9 of us who set off from Bangalore to a larger-than-life image of the majestic Dudh Sagar Falls. Timing, logistics, planning and execution for this trip were crucial and thankfully for us, it was spot-on. Train booking at the eleventh hour, buying an extra tent, buying and distributing ready-to-cook MTR packets, eatables and water bottles were all planned and executed exactly as planned. After getting off Rani Chennamma at Hubli Junction we first booked tickets to Castle Rock station in the Unreserved compartment. With one more hour before we can catch our next train (Chennai-Vasco) we had a sumptuous breakfast at the Railway canteen. As expected we made an experience out of travelling in a General compartment after all these years - for couple of them it was their virgin train journey!

After getting down at Castle Rock Station we re-packed our bags by distributing the MTR Read-to-cooks, so that the weight each of us carried was not skewed. After a customary photo at the station we started off along the tracks on our 14km long trek. This was our first Railway trek and it posed its own little challenges. Now even though the surface is not uphill, it can still be a minor inconvenience considering all the gravel and of course human waste. It takes a a while to get used to walking on the planks especially since you have to take short steps all the while avoiding gravel and human waste. Initially you forget to watch the landscapes as you are busy watching the track, but as you make progress the visuals on offer are too hard to resist. Your feet start to strike the right rhythm and your eyes start to wander. The thick vegetation mostly covers the views that Braganza Ghat has to offer. But when it reveals itself, it’s a sight to behold. Even the 9 year old lion-heart in our group takes a minute or two appreciating nature, before he gets going leaving the others behind.

And then there are the tunnels. One after the other and one bigger and darker than the other, with the longest being half a kilometer. And if you get caught in a tunnel with the train passing, that’s an experience of a lifetime. Not only is it a good photo-op but also a hair-raising experience - literally. The heat and noise generated by the engines is so high, it can send shivers down your spine. By the time the train passes you, you would have turned two shades darker and suffer from momentary deafness.
After a lot walking which included a long haul at a mini waterfall, we finally reached the halfway mark - Caranzol Station. Always a group to start a conversation with the locals, we found out from the station master that there would be a Goods train arriving anytime now and heading towards Dudhsagar. The good station master advised us to take the goods train to Dudhsagar and spend some quality time at the Falls rather than walking on the tracks. Apparently they find nothing amusing about walking on the tracks. After a quick group huddle we decided to take the goods train after all, which later turned out as a blessing in disguise. Within no time the goods train arrived at Caranzol and with the station master having a word with the Guard in the train, we bundled ourselves into the Guard's compartment. And thus started the group's first Goods train ride of our lives. With no ticket counters at any of these stations, we got ourselves a free ride to Dudhsagar after cleverly wriggling out of paying the Guard. The waterfalls is another 1km walk from the station. As always, even before we could see the falls, we could hear it. And this always heightens the excitement. We made a dash to the final stretch and Voila! Nothing much has changed about Dudhsagar in the last 18 years since I last saw it in a school trip. Since it wasn't monsoons yet, there wasn't much water - but just enough to have a great time at the base of the falls.

The walk to the base of the falls is very challenging. The rough and uneven terrain can squeeze every ounce of your strength. But the result is much more rewarding that the effort put-in. The view from the base of the Falls is wholly different sight. It looks majestic to say the least. Even the little oasis formed at the point where the water finally reaches ground zero looks straight out of a movie scene. No sooner than we set our first tent, did a forest official come and informed us that we cannot camp here for the night as there will be an inspection by some senior officials. Disappointed by this we had to go back up to the railway track where there is a provision to camp for the night. After the demanding climb back, we immediately set up our tents there and started a campfire and cooked our MTRs. And then one by one crawled into our respective tents and sleeping bags for a good night's sleep.

I was woken out of my reverie by a second troop of monkeys who came looking for food. This batch was much more daring and adventurous than the earlier troop. By this time everyone was up and we had a hard time keeping the monkeys away from getting to our belongings. But they too eventually left and we cooked some soup packets for breakfast. We then lazed around all morning and headed back to Dudhsagar station around noon. And then another first in our lives. After much pleading with the drivers we got a once in a lifetime opportunity to ride in a WDG4 diesel electric engine. The train took us till Castle Rock after which we took another goods train to Londa in the Guard's room.

With time to kill we filled our stomachs with Vada Pavs and hearts with talks that ranged a variety of topics. With friends like these there's never a dull moment. By the time Rani Chennama rolled out of Londa we were already starting to dread the hectic life of Bangalore - the only comforting factor being that we will be re-united with our loved ones. Thank God for such little happiness....

Getting-there: From Bangalore, trains are the best option. Hubli or Londa are the major stations near to Braganza Ghat Section. If you wish to trek, Castle Rock is where you start. It’s a 14 km trek to Dudhsagar.

Must-Do: Railway Trekking is fun and different. Get to the base of the falls if there isn't much water. Camp near the falls.

Must-Don't: Littering and troubling the monkeys (remember we are intruding their territory)

Other Attractions - Ancient Thambi Surla Temple and Tambi Surla Falls (From Dudhsagar go to Kullem and then to Mullem)

My Rating: 7/10