WARNING: After reading my previous blogs we realized that they were not doing complete justice to our trips. In an attempt to keep it short I had left out quite a few things which were integral to our enjoying the trips tremendously. To keep it short or to write about all those wonderful little experiences was the choice we had to make. Finally we decided we will forget about keeping it short and write for those friends of ours who really love to read all about our experiences and interactions with nature. So friends, get your soft drinks bottles, popcorn packets and settle down in your chairs to go along on our trips……
Our trip to Chunchi and Sangama was, to say the least, wonderful. The number of birds we got to see, the lovely mountains, mesmerizing clouds, soothing lake et al. For the next weekend we decided to go to Ghati Subrahmanya. Late on Friday evening we realized the place would be crowded, so crowded that there wouldn’t be an inch of space to put our foot down on the ground. My friend was upset after having done all the planning and research. It looked like we would have to spend the weekend at home sulking for having not realized that Nagarapanchami was on the weekend.
After a lot of consoling and convincing I scurried off to the nearest cybercafé to search for alternatives. Half an hour later armed with a list of about 10 places I walked towards my friend even as my heart pounded away. Dilly dallying between the options, we discussed and argued about which place to choose. Finally… chun chun ke chuna humne Chunchankatte falls.
Saturday 25th July, 2009. Is it necessary to mention that our start time was much later than what we had decided? It was still early enough for us to be able to hit the Mysore road without getting stuck in a traffic jam. This inspite of having to take a circuitous route through JP nagar and Banashankari. Needless to say we lost our way, courtesy dug up roads. Tatte idlis in Bidadi beckoned us. I was not sure if it was my bike or our stomachs whose roaring and grumbling kept reaching my ears. On reaching Bidadi just as I was about to stop for idlis my friend informed me that the regular hotel where we have breakfast is still ahead. Within no time we realized we had missed our tatte idlis.
Kamat Lokaruchi it was for our breakfast then. We took our time enjoying our breakfast. Though the food is good the waiting at times gets on our nerves because of the huge weekend crowd. Come to think of it I enjoyed it so much that I don’t even remember what I had for breakfast. Having silenced the roaring in our stomachs we set off again.
On the highway we noticed some vendors selling fruits. They had arranged the musambis and pomegranates in an eye catching fashion.
Ponds, lakes, rivers and other water bodies have this strong control over us which is difficult to explain but easy to understand for those who love nature. It was a lake which compelled us to stop and spend some time there. The expanse of water, the blue skies garlanded by soft cotton like clouds, a few women sitting on the steps and washing clothes… we captured it on camera. Or should I say we tried capturing it on camera.
Just then my friend noticed a small plant with leaves still tender sprouting out of the stones. And then there were more such tiny tots swaying to the lilting music of the winds. The color of the tender leaves has always fascinated me and it was no different this time. For the next few minutes we took time to savor it’s beauty and capture it on camera.
Having reached Mysore we asked for directions to KR Nagar which is the short form of Krishna Raja Nagar. With the help of some people instead of just following the main road we ended up taking a circuitous route which took us past the Infosys campus. Finally however we did reach KR Nagar. It was close to noon and we stopped at a hotel to have a bite and coffee.
The circle in KR Nagar had a pillar right in the middle which was very tall, tall enough to be touching the clouds. (Well… atleast in the photograph)
We asked for directions and proceeded towards Chunchankatte. Along the way my friend suddenly asked me to stop the bike. With no clue as to what was so compelling I followed my friend. It was a tree which had been cut. Just the stump stood there. As we looked at it a question popped up. How does one count the rings to find the age of the tree? I tried but I lost my way while counting what I thought were rings.
A little further we found some villagers working in the fields. There was a lady who caught my friend’s attention and as her photograph was being taken we could hear her shout excitedly to her husband. She was so thrilled that her photograph was being taken that she asked her husband to pose for a photograph too. Wish we had been closer to them so that we could have gotten better pictures of them.
Continuing ahead we passed through a village. People walking around leisurely, kids playing, cows and hens were all there. We even saw red chillies spread out on the ground for drying.
Continuing our journey we passed some fields. There were plants which had pink flowers that caught our fancy. They looked beautiful. We tried in vain to identify these plants. As the curiosity got the better of me I walked upto a villager nearby and asked him. He said it is called hogegida. I wasn’t sure what it was and the perplexed look on my face prompted him to put his fingers to his lips in a fashion indicating smoking. It suddenly struck me, these were tobacco plants. My friend and I were both excited with this new discovery. Such beauty and to think that it’s leaves can kill.
Kingfishers sat on the electric cables and teased us. Just as we raised the camera they would fly away. We were like two kids running behind the kingfisher. A farmer working in the fields was quite amused at all this and he said why are you taking photos of only birds, take our photos also. He called his friends too and posed for a photograph and they were very thrilled to see themselves on the display of the camera. Ahhh!!! Not often do you get to see genuine smiles.
Bidding goodbye to our farmer friends we continued our journey. In one of the fields a few birds caught our attention. Along with a little egret was a bird which we had not seen too often. Yes, a black headed Ibis was happily having lunch in the fields. Our excitement had to be kept under control lest the birds get scared and fly away. Even as we were busy shooting the black headed Ibis another bird snatched our attention. Gosh! It was the black Ibis. It reminded me of the phrase jab bhi deta hai to chappar phadke deta hai (please don’t ask me who is the one who gives).
Finally we reached Chunchankatte. Even as we parked the bike I could hear the majestic roar of the falls. We walked past the temple and a small bridge led us to the falls. We lost track of time as we walked down the boulders and sat with our feet in water. The water cooled our souls and we just sat there allowing River Cauvery to take us into her beautiful arms. She caressed us with a fine spray of water.
It is said that Lord Rama along with Sita had accepted the hospitality of a local couple named Chuncha and Chunchi right here. Sita, who was tired, asked to take bath and Lord Rama directed Lakshmana to shoot an arrow into the rock. The water pouring out from where Lakshmana is supposed to have shot an arrow gushes out in three different shades. The three different shades being that of turmeric, shikakai (a fruit used as natural shampoo) and oil. Another interesting thing here is that the roar of the waterfalls can be heard except from the Sanctum sanctorum of the Kodandarama temple. It is believed that Lord Rama, tired of the constant complaining of Sita, cursed that the tongue of a woman should not be as sharp. Hence, Cauvery, considered to be female cannot be heard inside the sanctum sanctorum where Lord Rama resides.
Hopping from one place to another to enjoy the waterfalls we finally settled down very near to the falls. Looking towards the left we were bewildered. Cauvery was flowing silently and gracefully akin to a bride. Just before the falls she looked like a group of toddlers giggling. And then she transforms herself into a powerful falls, her roar ferocious enough to send shivers down the spine. It was amazing to see this transformation.
With heavy hearts we bade goodbye to Chunchankatte falls and headed towards Mysore. Our plan was to meet one of our friends who stays in Mysore and then go back to Bangalore. As luck would have it our friend was working and could get free only by evening. It was dilemma time once again, to stay or not to stay. A flip of the coin finally decided for us. We would stay back to meet our friend for dinner.
After a long search we found a place to stay which was very near to the palace. Once freshened up we ventured out and walked around only to be blessed with a power cut. The whole street went dark before the generators sprang to life to drive away the total darkness. The clock tower looked magnificent in the night light. Color lights beautified the place where the statue of the Wodeyar king stood majestically.
Finally our friend arrived and we went to a restaurant nearby for a lovely dinner. Dinner finished, it was time to retire for the night.
To see more pictures of day 1 Click Here
Our trip to Chunchi and Sangama was, to say the least, wonderful. The number of birds we got to see, the lovely mountains, mesmerizing clouds, soothing lake et al. For the next weekend we decided to go to Ghati Subrahmanya. Late on Friday evening we realized the place would be crowded, so crowded that there wouldn’t be an inch of space to put our foot down on the ground. My friend was upset after having done all the planning and research. It looked like we would have to spend the weekend at home sulking for having not realized that Nagarapanchami was on the weekend.
After a lot of consoling and convincing I scurried off to the nearest cybercafé to search for alternatives. Half an hour later armed with a list of about 10 places I walked towards my friend even as my heart pounded away. Dilly dallying between the options, we discussed and argued about which place to choose. Finally… chun chun ke chuna humne Chunchankatte falls.
Saturday 25th July, 2009. Is it necessary to mention that our start time was much later than what we had decided? It was still early enough for us to be able to hit the Mysore road without getting stuck in a traffic jam. This inspite of having to take a circuitous route through JP nagar and Banashankari. Needless to say we lost our way, courtesy dug up roads. Tatte idlis in Bidadi beckoned us. I was not sure if it was my bike or our stomachs whose roaring and grumbling kept reaching my ears. On reaching Bidadi just as I was about to stop for idlis my friend informed me that the regular hotel where we have breakfast is still ahead. Within no time we realized we had missed our tatte idlis.
Kamat Lokaruchi it was for our breakfast then. We took our time enjoying our breakfast. Though the food is good the waiting at times gets on our nerves because of the huge weekend crowd. Come to think of it I enjoyed it so much that I don’t even remember what I had for breakfast. Having silenced the roaring in our stomachs we set off again.
On the highway we noticed some vendors selling fruits. They had arranged the musambis and pomegranates in an eye catching fashion.
Ponds, lakes, rivers and other water bodies have this strong control over us which is difficult to explain but easy to understand for those who love nature. It was a lake which compelled us to stop and spend some time there. The expanse of water, the blue skies garlanded by soft cotton like clouds, a few women sitting on the steps and washing clothes… we captured it on camera. Or should I say we tried capturing it on camera.
Just then my friend noticed a small plant with leaves still tender sprouting out of the stones. And then there were more such tiny tots swaying to the lilting music of the winds. The color of the tender leaves has always fascinated me and it was no different this time. For the next few minutes we took time to savor it’s beauty and capture it on camera.
Having reached Mysore we asked for directions to KR Nagar which is the short form of Krishna Raja Nagar. With the help of some people instead of just following the main road we ended up taking a circuitous route which took us past the Infosys campus. Finally however we did reach KR Nagar. It was close to noon and we stopped at a hotel to have a bite and coffee.
The circle in KR Nagar had a pillar right in the middle which was very tall, tall enough to be touching the clouds. (Well… atleast in the photograph)
We asked for directions and proceeded towards Chunchankatte. Along the way my friend suddenly asked me to stop the bike. With no clue as to what was so compelling I followed my friend. It was a tree which had been cut. Just the stump stood there. As we looked at it a question popped up. How does one count the rings to find the age of the tree? I tried but I lost my way while counting what I thought were rings.
A little further we found some villagers working in the fields. There was a lady who caught my friend’s attention and as her photograph was being taken we could hear her shout excitedly to her husband. She was so thrilled that her photograph was being taken that she asked her husband to pose for a photograph too. Wish we had been closer to them so that we could have gotten better pictures of them.
Continuing ahead we passed through a village. People walking around leisurely, kids playing, cows and hens were all there. We even saw red chillies spread out on the ground for drying.
Continuing our journey we passed some fields. There were plants which had pink flowers that caught our fancy. They looked beautiful. We tried in vain to identify these plants. As the curiosity got the better of me I walked upto a villager nearby and asked him. He said it is called hogegida. I wasn’t sure what it was and the perplexed look on my face prompted him to put his fingers to his lips in a fashion indicating smoking. It suddenly struck me, these were tobacco plants. My friend and I were both excited with this new discovery. Such beauty and to think that it’s leaves can kill.
Kingfishers sat on the electric cables and teased us. Just as we raised the camera they would fly away. We were like two kids running behind the kingfisher. A farmer working in the fields was quite amused at all this and he said why are you taking photos of only birds, take our photos also. He called his friends too and posed for a photograph and they were very thrilled to see themselves on the display of the camera. Ahhh!!! Not often do you get to see genuine smiles.
Bidding goodbye to our farmer friends we continued our journey. In one of the fields a few birds caught our attention. Along with a little egret was a bird which we had not seen too often. Yes, a black headed Ibis was happily having lunch in the fields. Our excitement had to be kept under control lest the birds get scared and fly away. Even as we were busy shooting the black headed Ibis another bird snatched our attention. Gosh! It was the black Ibis. It reminded me of the phrase jab bhi deta hai to chappar phadke deta hai (please don’t ask me who is the one who gives).
Finally we reached Chunchankatte. Even as we parked the bike I could hear the majestic roar of the falls. We walked past the temple and a small bridge led us to the falls. We lost track of time as we walked down the boulders and sat with our feet in water. The water cooled our souls and we just sat there allowing River Cauvery to take us into her beautiful arms. She caressed us with a fine spray of water.
It is said that Lord Rama along with Sita had accepted the hospitality of a local couple named Chuncha and Chunchi right here. Sita, who was tired, asked to take bath and Lord Rama directed Lakshmana to shoot an arrow into the rock. The water pouring out from where Lakshmana is supposed to have shot an arrow gushes out in three different shades. The three different shades being that of turmeric, shikakai (a fruit used as natural shampoo) and oil. Another interesting thing here is that the roar of the waterfalls can be heard except from the Sanctum sanctorum of the Kodandarama temple. It is believed that Lord Rama, tired of the constant complaining of Sita, cursed that the tongue of a woman should not be as sharp. Hence, Cauvery, considered to be female cannot be heard inside the sanctum sanctorum where Lord Rama resides.
Hopping from one place to another to enjoy the waterfalls we finally settled down very near to the falls. Looking towards the left we were bewildered. Cauvery was flowing silently and gracefully akin to a bride. Just before the falls she looked like a group of toddlers giggling. And then she transforms herself into a powerful falls, her roar ferocious enough to send shivers down the spine. It was amazing to see this transformation.
With heavy hearts we bade goodbye to Chunchankatte falls and headed towards Mysore. Our plan was to meet one of our friends who stays in Mysore and then go back to Bangalore. As luck would have it our friend was working and could get free only by evening. It was dilemma time once again, to stay or not to stay. A flip of the coin finally decided for us. We would stay back to meet our friend for dinner.
After a long search we found a place to stay which was very near to the palace. Once freshened up we ventured out and walked around only to be blessed with a power cut. The whole street went dark before the generators sprang to life to drive away the total darkness. The clock tower looked magnificent in the night light. Color lights beautified the place where the statue of the Wodeyar king stood majestically.
Finally our friend arrived and we went to a restaurant nearby for a lovely dinner. Dinner finished, it was time to retire for the night.
To see more pictures of day 1 Click Here
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