Musafir

Continued from the previous post….

As i come to the end of my first of the places, i remember some things that i can never forget of my Coorg Trips.

The way we prepared for the trip for the first time is quite memorable. Everything was bought in Bangalore including alcohol and we had actually taken the bottles to office and placed in the office reception. There were people peeping inside the bags and asking us if we were going to Coorg just for boozing.

There is this guy, one of my ex - colleague who is a chain smoker. I mentioned that we boozed a lot. I was scared to see him that day. He smoked somewhere around 70 cigarettes during the one night we were there in Coorg. I cant forget this guy.

My writing about Coorg will not be complete without thanking my colleague Anil and his Parents for the hospitality shown when we visited Coorg for the second time. Anil booked us the accommodation near Kushalnagar, took to his home where his  mother prepared delicious breakfast and snacks in the evening. Anil is currently abroad on an official trip. Thanks Anil, Aunty and Uncle….

There are many other places near Coorg that you can visit if you have time. Coorg is a place pleasant all through the year, but best enjoyed during peak winter. Its a trekkers’ delight. Anyway, the following are the other places nearby.

Irupu Falls :

Originating from the Brahmagiri Range, the river Lakshmana Theertha plunges down from a height of 170 ft. forming the Iruppu Water falls. It creates a ceaseless thunder amidst the silence of the thick wood in two stages. It is located 50kms from the Nagarahole National Park and about 50kms from Madikeri, South Karnataka about 300kms for Bangalore. The other places of interest nearby are Brahmagiri peak, a place called pakshi-patala (Brahmagiri Wild life Sanctuary)

Nagarhole National Park :

Nagarhole National Park also known as 'Rajiv Gandhi National Park,' is located 94 km from Mysore. It is spread between Kodagu and Mysore districts. Located to the northwest of Bandipur National Park, Kabini reservoir separates the two. There were exclusive hunting reserve of the former rulers of Mysore, the park has rich forest cover, small streams, valleys, and waterfalls. Its area stretched to 575 km².

Omkareswara Temple :

There is another lure for the tourists who are religious by heart and it is the Omkareshwara Temple. It was built in commemoration of both Shiva and Vishnu and is almost 200 years old. The stunning feature of this temple is that it is an amazing blend of Islamic and Gothic styles of architecture.

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Continued from the Previous Post…

We were all tired from the hectic climb to the Bramhagiri hill where Talacauvery is located. We had lunch and immediately set off to Abbi Falls.

Abbi means “Waterfalls” in Kannada. This area was a British Colony once upon a time and the British used to called it as the Jessey waterfall in memory of Jessey, the daughter of Madikere’s first Chaplain.

The water falls from a height of almost 300 feet over a huge pile of rocks and into a stream, thereby creating white water. Going to the Abbi Falls in the evening gives a pleasure with water particles falling on your face. A wooden bridge is constructed over the stream at a good height to have a good view of the falls. There were many school children who had come for a trip. In Karnataka wherever i had been, the one common sight i had seen is loads of school children.

We stayed there for half an hour and set off to Madikere Fort.

Mercara, the headquarters of Coorg or Kodagu district, was founded by a prince Mudduraja of Haleri Dynasty in 1681 A.D and was named after him as “Muddurajanakeri” which turned into “Muddukayray” and later “Madikere” by locals. The British called it “Mercara”. Mudduraja built a mud fort and a palace inside in the last quarter of the 17^th century. This fort was later re – built in granite masonry. It was captured by Tipu Sultan who named it “Jaffarabad”. In 1790, Doddaveer Rajendra took possession and later in 1834, the British took over.

Madikere Fort Complex today, houses the Local Administrative Offices(palace renovated by Lingarajendra Wodeyar – II, built in 1812–1814) and a Church (built in 1855). The building which houses the administrative office is old and with good architecture having statues of horses at the entrance. There are statues of Black Elephants which are very good. Part of the Madikere Fort holds the local prison and it is not accessible to outsiders.

The fort has an elevated wall with holes big enough to insert a gun through it. There are enclosures to keep a watch on the outside. There are six circular bastions at the angles. The entrance at the east is intricate and circuitous and guarded by three successive gates. After Madikere Fort we set off to the final destination that day, the Raja’s seat.

If you have not visited Raja’s Seat while in Coorg, you are missing something. Raja’s seat is an elevated platform on which the Raja of Madikere used to Sit and watch the Sunset.

There is a good musical fountain setup here and the show runs for half an hour from 7.00 PM. I found this far better than the one in Brindavan Gardens, Mysore. Its one good thing to watch. After the show we spent in the garden for some time and set off to our stay.

Its not over yet.

We returned to our stay and took bath in hot water. We were too tired and so, the hot water was a relief. The weather outside was dead chilling and the boozing program started. We started boozing sometime at 8.30 PM. That was the time when i boozed the most quantity ever in my life. The housekeepers setup a bonfire and that was amazing boozing sitting all round the fire. It was 3.30 AM in the morning until everyone was asleep. So we were boozing for 7 hours talking and talking and talking.

We got up at around 8.00 AM the next morning. Due to the heavy boozing the previous night, many could not get up on time. By the time we were ready to leave, it was 11.00 AM. Again we had nice breakfast with local cuisine. Before breakfast many of us boozed again a bit. We bid the coffee estate and the housekeepers goodbye, thanked them for the hospitality and set off to our destination, Dubare Forest which was a 2 hour drive from Madikere.

To be continued…..

Coorg was my first trip after i shifted to Bangalore from Hyderabad. Its one of the places where nature can be seen at its best. The trip to Coorg district not only encompasses a view of the nature at its best, but also takes you to the life of rural Karnataka.

Even though travelled to Coorg twice, i still remember the first time and the memories still linger. It was the first trip of mine and also it was with my colleagues. We were 12 of us.....

Our plan was to start at 11.00 PM and reach Madikere by 5.30 AM. We got together, went to a bar and boozed , probably to feel what's in store ahead.

As planned, we started at 11.00 PM… You actually do not feel the winter cold in Bangalore, but once you leave the city then the chill starts. That's what happened that day… It was chilling winter and we stopped on the way to have some more drinks just to lessen the cold.We reached Madikere by 5.30 the next day. The house that we stayed in was inside a Coffee Estate and you need to travel at least 10 kilometres to buy even a chocolate.

Man! It was a chilly morning….. We changed and started off to explore the estate.. It was coffee everywhere. Had a good morning walk… We returned after an hour and bathed.. Some dared to bathe in the nearby stream… The water should have been so cold that even me, who was standing beside felt the chill….

Here i must mention the location of the house. We stayed on an elevated area and there were big paddy fields down the hill… It was one of the most beautiful locations and we had an opportunity to watch the sun rise over the nearby hills… It was wonderful….

After bath, we were served breakfast with local cuisine… Rice Balls….with Chicken(not my stuff) and Chutney. Very delicious….

After breakfast, we started off to our first destination, Bhagamandala.

To be continued…….