Shivanasamudram-Talakad trip

Highly frustrated in office work, we as a team wanted to go to Belur, Halebedu, Shravanbelagola. The day has been decided as Feb 13th. We all were excited to go and enjoy there. One of my team mates told that we may not be having fun in visiting temples. Hence we were planning for a greenery. Listed all places around Bangalore- Yelagiri, Mekadattu, Hogenakkal, Gopalswamybetta. For some or the other reason we rejected all and finally decided Shivanasamudram and Talakad on the previous day evening.

Everyone has taken some activity like packing food for breakfast and lunch, snacks, fruits, water, games, cab booking, recording songs. Next day morning the cab started by 6am and picked our 9 member team at their pick up points. We left Bangalore by 8.30 am and the road has taken us towards Shivanasamudram. In the cab we started playing songs in tamil, telugu, hindi, kannada-all peppy numbers. Around 9.30 we stopped near ramanagaram and had breakfast. Back in cab we were playing anthakshari and had fun by dancing, playing dumb shereds, pulling everyone's legs.

By 12 we reached Shivanasamudram where cauvery river splits into Barachukki and Gaganachukki falls. Gaganachukki falls is very deep and we did not reach there. We just saw that, took photos, had sweet tender coconut which was only Rs.7 then moved towards Barachukki. It was a rocky area and we had to trek to reach the place. I couldnot manage to walk down the steps and fell down and got hurt badly:). Very much excited to see water- lovely to see the place and it gave a kind of happy feel when we touched water. Took so many fotos in the rock around giving funny poses. It was adventurous to walk in the pricky stones and with risk we have reached the other end. From there we took a coracle to reach the falls. It was full of moss and difficult to balance. Everyone holded each other and we managed to sit in a place where water fell like beating us with great force. Playing in water is always fun forgetting the world around us. Being there for an hour by 2 we started from there. Again we had to climb to reach the cab. Since it was very hot we were very thirsty and had cold drinks. In 1 day we finished 6 litres of sprite, thumbs up and fanta.

On the way to Talakad we stopped and had lunch under mango tree. Only we were there and enjoyed food due to hunger. In another 20 minutes we reached Talakad and could see sand everywhere. Waited for the sun to set and in the mean time we played cricket, discus throw. After sometime we got into water and played using a small rubber ball. Then we came out of water changed dresses where separate rooms were available. Had evening tea, took snaps around and went to the temple.

Interesting stories are there with the temple. There are 5 lingas which are believed to be the 5 faces of Lord Shiva. They are Pathaleshwara, Maruleshwara, Arkeshwara, Vaidyanatheshwara and Mallikarjuna. A lady named Alamelamma has given a curse that made the place become sand. There are a lot more info available in wiki. It was amazing to see sand all around in the mid of forest kind of area. We walked for 1 km to see all those temples. We visited the temples and we did not return in the same route, it was like taking a round to reach the place where we started. The day has ended there and by 7.30 we started towards Bangalore. On the way again we started singing dancing without feeling the tiredness. The highlight was everyone danced and enjoyed the trip. We all reached home with a feel that we have achieved something. For sure this trip is a memorable one.
Note: Place cursor over the image to see what it is.

Gift of Nature

5 days work, 2 days rest by getting rid of mails, meetings, bugs, fixes…. Wanna have a break. So we family n friends had been to places around Shimoga, a 6-hour journey from Bangalore. A week before the trip only we were anxious about it. On a Thursday night, in horrible Bangalore traffic we somehow traveled 15 km from our place and reached the station in 3 hrs. By 12 at midnight we started for Shimoga and reached at 6 next morning.

When we came out of the station cool breeze touched us that made us feel fresh. A decent room of reasonable rent was arranged, we refreshed, got into the vehicle by around 9am. The vehicle started moving away, the greenish surroundings remained me of Kerala. On the way chatting, munching snacks, singing songs in almost all Indian languages brought us to the enjoyment mood. At a 100 km, our first visit was to Kuempu, the great kannada poet’s home. The surrounding was entirely different with huge rock like stones with which his samathi was built. Anxious friends fell down many times in the slippery hill coz of all time rain. A narrow road led to the poet’s home, wow beautiful lawn, benches in stone, entirely surrounded with trees.
We dint miss to capture in our camera a cute butterfly on an orange flower. It was amazing to view the home, which is being maintained, as a museum. The home is filled with memories of his life in a 45-member family, materials used by them. Sitting in a room he might have written poetry by admiring nature through the windows. It was astonishing to see a library with most of the books written by him, his doctorates from a number of universities. After roaming around we came down the hill and had ok kind of lunch we generally experience in all tourist spots.

The next spot was Sirimane falls in an hour travel. The vehicle stopped after climbing a particular point and from there we walked up for 2 km crossing leech which sticked with most of us. That was amazing fast falling water with banging sound. Being wet we returned back to see sharadamba temple at sringeri. This famous temple is at 20 km from the falls towards shimoga. Had dharshan at this quite a big temple, roamed around the place for few minutes. Then came back to the room to rest ourselves, the whole day enjoyment made us tired physically.

The next day plan was to visit jog falls and a forest on the way. Started by 9am, reached a forest near Sagar at 30 km from Shimoga. We were put in a vehicle to have Lion n Tiger safari. It was a bit different experience to see 7-8 tiger and lion, deer with n without dots, bear. That was a 15 min safari. Other animals and birds as in zoos and sanctuaries were also there. Suddenly one of us was shouting ‘come fast…’, we reached immediately. It was a scene of a dancing peacock with its pair nearby, such a rare scene that anyone would get to see. Dots allover the feather in blue and green, seeing God’s extra ordinary designing made our tiredness vanish in a second. At least 100s of flashes lighted in all our cameras.

Having finished our lunch, the next move was towards the most awaited Jog falls. The whole day rain, added extra spice to our journey. Roads were with little curves, bents and greenish on both sides. The happiness we felt at this moment with the beautiful weather cant be expressed in words. This waterfall, 70 km away from Shimoga was falling with great speed, need to go 2 km down the hill to take bath. The hill was soon surrounded with mist and a group photo session was conducted with lots of fun, a memorable picture forever. We went on the other side of the fall where we can stand under a shed to view the hill on one side and fall on the other. When it started raining heavily it was time for us to leave the spot. Again we enjoyed all through the journey and returned to room, packed our things and reached station. That night we started for Bangalore, 2 days enjoyment came to an end. But it was worth an exciting journey and above all good companions made it great.