Mekedaatu

Sunday 6th September, 2009… a week after the Pondicherry or was it Gingee trip. (Check the previous post). I was still trying to shake off the jitters in my bones induced by the bus drivers. This time we had decided to knock off one item off the ‘Had gone but have to come back again’ list. Mekedaatu it was. Early morning chill could have easily kept me in bed till the Sun came directly above the head but by 7.30 we were ready to hit the road. Remembering the condition of the roads at various places I would love to hit the road with a sledge hammer; provided I can spot a piece of the road somewhere. Need I mention breakfast was at Adigas since we would be heading on the Kanakapura road?

For a little while, in comparison to the previous week’s experience, it felt like a ride on the clouds sailing by in the sky. THUD!!! Gddrrrrr… thud. Welcome back to reality. Yes, ditches.

Stopping for a cup of hot coffee another stark reality hit us. During the ride to Pondicherry we never had to drink coffee / tea from a thermos even once. But back in Karnataka we were now subjected to having to drink coffee / tea from thermos flasks. I wish these stalls and small hotels would revert to the old style of making coffee and tea.

Kanakapura came and the road (which doesn’t exist now) desperately tried to shake our bones out of our bodies. Successfully negotiating the dust bowl created by the road widening exercise probably is one of the prerequisites for applying for a job in a circus. Taking the left turn at Satanur we reached Doddaalahalli. Here one has to take a turn to go towards Mekedaatu. There are signboards and that is why we yet again took a wrong turn and had to turn back.

Zooming past the now familiar hills, trees, houses and lot of other things I realized there weren’t too many birds to bring my bike to a skidding halt like it usually happens. The overcast skies had sent the birds scurrying for cover I guess. Finally we did stop when calls of a few birds managed to reach our ears. Apart from the mynas, crows, sparrows, doves these were the first birds we saw. Wagtails, robins, sunbirds were all there. There was also this tiny black and white bird which did not give us a clear enough look for us to be able to identify. They were too jittery and scurried for cover the moment they sensed our presence. We also saw a mountain far away and dark clouds adorning the sky.

We reached Sangama and I saw that the place was not crowded as yet. There are coracles to take people to the other side so as to be able to reach Mekedaatu. Rs. 40 per head is the charge for the coracle ride. There were people wading through the water but we took the coracle. On reaching the other side we saw a bus waiting for passengers to take them to Mekedaatu which was 4-5 kms away. Looking at the condition of the bus a series of questions exploded. How old was this bus? Is it still in running condition? Don’t the parts fall off when the engine starts? How long had it been since the last wash and service?

Since it was only 4-5 kms we wanted to walk. All the while it had been very cloudy but just as we started our walk the Sun started beating down on us. Talk about being on the shorter side. It was a wise decision to walk though. It gave the opportunity to see and experience things which would not have been possible sitting in an about to disintegrate bus.

Along the way it was sad to see a board put up by the friends of a young man who had drowned taking unwanted risks in the water. It is well known that there are dangerous whirlpools and add to it the jagged rocks with sharp edges. Is it the exuberance of youth alone or utter disregard for the warning signboards? Whatever it be, it is sad that so many lives have been lost here at this place. The guy in the coracle told us that just last week two boys died. Their relatives coughed up 35 thousand rupees to have their bodies retrieved.

Sitting on the rocks by the side of the gently flowing Cauvery it is easy to be transported to a world of beauty, elegance and serenity. The calm waters, the green cover, mountains in the far background and the mist even at noon can captivate a soul a million times within a blink of an eye.

Continuing our walk towards Mekedaatu we also saw what looked like mini waterfalls. Here we saw the first glimpses of the ferocious nature of the waters here. Smashing against the rocks it broke up into a thousand pearls and flew into the air garlanding Mother Nature for her blessings.

My friend spotted a Crimson tip butterfly. Birds and butterflies have this unique capability to shave a few years off one’s age and make them young. They make you walk slowly and stealthily with bated breath and open your eyes wide in awe. If and when they sit slightest of the movements or sounds makes them fly away in a jiffy denying any possibility of capturing their beauty on camera.

There were two buses in fact and one did not even have a windshield. Such was the condition of the buses. Apart from these buses there is absolutely no other vehicle. Yet the bus drivers took joy in honking the horn all the time. One can never understand why. For my friend and me it was frustrating because the butterflies would fly away at this horrible sound of the horn.

Just then a tree caught our attention. At first it looked like gum of the tree had accumulated forming a lumpy mass. On closer inspection it was found to be fungus. It’s color and texture gave it a creepy feeling.

A man was selling buttermilk while another one was selling water bottles and soft drinks. A glass of buttermilk felt divine after having been subjected to Rahu’s heat onslaught for about an hour. Errr… I mean Sun, my friend called him Rahu for his mercilessness throughout the walk.

One has to climb down a few steps and tread across a small patch of sand before reaching the gorge. People were milling around enjoying the sights around in their own ways. Some were shouting, few were busy getting photographed and the others were eating and littering the place.

Walking on the rocks we ventured as close to the edge as possible. The rocks were smooth as a baby’s skin at many places owing to the water splashing it for centuries. Interesting shapes had been carved out into the rocks by the gentle looking yet ferocious Cauvery. Gaping holes and arches caught our eyes all around.

We sat on the rocks and spent some time enjoying the water flowing below us. The crowd had started building up and we decided it was time to return.

Seeing the two of us walk a group of boys decided that they will walk too. I heard one of them say "when those older people can walk why not us". Hmmm age does catch up pretty fast. All the more reason to live life and do things that the heart desires. The walk back yet again proved fruitful for the number of butterflies and other insects we saw. Just before we reached Sangama I saw a path and decided to take it. A huge meadow and a lot of birds greeted us.

Chasing the birds proved futile as they all flew away the moment they saw me approaching. But flowers and insects were more accomodative and allowed me to take a few photographs.

We crossed over to the other bank in the coracle and realized that the crowd size had increased considerably. We started our ride back to Bangalore. Intermittent showers meant that our ride was interrupted a couple of times. We reached home safely and pretty early too. End of another weekend.

To see all the photos from this trip Click Here

Pondicherry - or was it Gingee trip?

Pre-requisites for applying for a bus drivers’ job:
1. Should have been an inmate of a mental asylum for at least 6 months
2. Should drive above 60 kmph no matter what the road conditions
3. Should drive only on the right side of the road
4. Should always overtake every possible vehicle on the road, doesn’t matter from which side
5. Should give heart attacks to at least 25 drivers of the oncoming vehicles
6. Should force the drivers of the oncoming vehicles off the road

A biker in his blog had written that one can find everything on the road that is not supposed to be there and I did not believe it until I myself experienced it. The roads were good except in patches but the driving experience was far from enjoyable and relaxing. The scorching heat to add to it made matters worse. Having to push my bike for almost 2 kms in this scorching heat… well… you can imagine.

Pondicherry was the destination for 29th and 30th August weekend. Leaving at 5.00 am in the morning brought with it the expectation of not finding much traffic. A few lorries and tankers had other ideas. A stunning Sunrise gave rise to hopes of a wonderful day ahead.

The turn towards Pondicherry was soon after taking a left after Krishnagiri. A few bird calls reached our ears while cruising along this road. On inspection we saw a few babblers. The call was not that of babblers though. Quietly tip toeing into the thickets brought into view a few small green billed Malkohas. What a sight it was. Unfortunately could not get a shot of it though the camera was ready in the hands. Another unidentified bird has given a few sleepless nights.

Breakfast at Chengam gave the much required energy to continue the journey towards Tiruvannamalai. The hill and the temple were visible from a distance. After a pleasant experience in the temple in Lepakshi it was time for some reality. The priests demanding money as dakshina destroyed whatever little feelings of devotion existed. The long wait in the queue and the pushing and jostling to get darshan of Lord Arunachaleshwar is what remains in memory. Instead it should have been the huge premises of the temple, the towering towers, the innumerable number of pillars inside, the vast spaces inside the temple compound and the Shivling itself. It takes all kinds to make this world they say.

From the cool climes of Bangalore to the scorching heat was not expected. Being monsoon time some amount of rain was expected but it was not to be. Water, tender coconuts and soft drinks were to become our saviors for two days.

Gingee soon beckoned. There are three forts on three hills; the Rajagiri fort (the King’s fort), Krishnagiri fort (the Queen’s fort) and Chandragiri fort (the Cobbler’s fort). We turned right from the main road having decided to climb Rajagiri fort first. The Kalyana Mahal, it’s white and height caught the eyes. It was used as a stable. It has a series of cells.


Proceeding towards the fort I parked my bike under a tree where a person collected money and issued a parking ticket. The entrance ticket costs Rs.5 per person. As in most places the rates for Indians and foreigners is different. Somehow this concept has never held water for me. Just because a person is from another country why do these people charge them 10 times the amount or some times even 20 times the amount they charge for Indians?

As soon as one enters the main gate a view of an almost non existent palace greets the visitors. A stone platform with a stone pillow is the only reminder of the palace. The sprawling space does compel one to try and imagine what must have been.

A gymnasium, magazine (a place where the arms and ammunitions were stored), granary have withstood the test of time though. Walking into the granary one will begin to wonder how much grains must have been stored here. It also begs one to ask questions how those people managed it. A circular hole in the roof cast a circle of light on the floor. It is difficult to explain the nice feeling of awe it evoked.

The Sun beating down mercilessly raised doubts about being able to reach the top of the fort. Soldiering on bravely we were glad we did not give up. We were treated to some magnificent views. The Kalyana Mahal, Krishnagiri fort, a temple, a mosque partly hidden, green fields, the roads and hills all around energize the climbers.


A baby monkey clinging on to its mother as it sat with another monkey was a lovely sight. The look of peace and contentment on the face of the baby monkey with its eyes closed is better seen than explained with words.

Feeling drained and burned out we sat down on a few steps only to realize there is a temple just ahead. There was another temple along the way. What catches the eyes here are two Ganesha idols on either side of the entrance. Three tridents (Thrishuls) stood just behind a huge circular stone resting on a square stone platform. Sadly there was no one to explain the significance of these.

The view of the green fields and the trees certainly helps one to climb on such a sweltering hot day. A treasury mantapam can be seen after reaching the top. All that remains is an almost dilapidated structure of stone pillars with a roof on it. Closing my eyes I tried to imagine the treasurer sitting somewhere in this structure and distributing money. Hmmm… money

Having spent some time sitting here we decided to start climbing down. Our bodies were screaming for some cold fluids. In spite of that it was just not possible to not stop at a canon that stood proudly. How many times must it have fired? How many times had it saved this fort and how many times had it failed to protect the inhabitants of this fort?

Intriguingly shaped rocky hill instigates one to conjure up images while passing by. I could see human faces and wondered what else one can imagine by looking at these shapes.

Finally the torturous, energy zapping, fluid sapping climb came to an end. We ran as fast as we could… well make that crawled as fast as we could…. towards a man selling cold drinks. His name was Selvaraj. Sipping on the cold drink I tried conversing with this man in my broken tamil. (I can assure you it is as broken as it can get). This man, from a neighboring village, was afflicted by polio and yet here he was selling cold drinks. He gave us information about the forts and talked to us generally. His smiling demeanor and his zeal to live life fully warmed the cockles of my heart.

As if the arduous climb in the scorching Sun was not enough a disaster awaited us. The rear wheel of my bike was punctured. How it happened was a mystery. The person guarding the vehicles informed me there was a puncture shop on the main road just a little ahead. Left with no choice but to push the 140+ Kgs of metal I began my slow walk towards the puncture shop. An autorickshaw driver asked me what happened. On being told that the tyre was punctured he asked if I had been to the Gingee fort. To my affirmative answer he said that it was the people at the two wheeler stand who must have done it. Completely drained and limbs screaming from the strenuous work out they were getting, I could only muster up a mild rage. After coming back to Bangalore another friend told me that it was a common practice which he thought had stopped. What could have been a good experience was now pretty close to being a nightmare.

The just a little ahead was close to 2 kms. I could hardly stand as the boy set about the task of patching the puncture in the tyre. Plopping down in a chair I was literally gasping for breath. When my friend brought a cold bottle of water and a cold pepsi I could only manage a few gulps. Anybody who wants to visit Gingee fort on their bikes, please don’t park near the Rajagiri fort entrance.

The delay at Tiruvannamalai temple, the climb to the top of the Rajagiri fort in the scorching heat and then the puncture upset our schedule completely. According to the original plan we should have reached Pondicherry latest by 4.00 pm. I can hardly remember anything other than the scary bus drivers and the dustbowl roads for the rest of the journey towards Pondicherry. It was past 7.30 pm when we finally reached Pondicherry. It was a sinking feeling to realize that the YHAI hostel where I had booked a room was another 16 kms away. Having had lunch as late as 5.00 pm and the completely draining experiences left just enough energy for a bath and crashing onto the bed for the night.

An early morning visit to the beach was planned. Alas…it was not to be. Tiredness induced sleep kept me in bed till late. Cuddalore beach was abou t 4 kms from the youth hostel. So we decided to have breakfast and see the beach before heading back to Pondicherrry. It was a nice breakfast at Ananda Bhavan. We reached the beach after asking around for directions.

A lovely sight greeted us. A family of four was at the beach enjoying the sea waves. The father was encouraging the son and daughter to fall down on the sand to allow the waves to take them to the shore. Mother stood on the beach watching her children play. They kept throwing the beach ball into the water and would run to get it. It was wonderful to see what was happening.

Having spent some time on the beach we decided to head back to Pondicherry. The question was now to whether visit the beach or the Ashram. We also wanted to visit Auroville. We also knew that we didn’t have time for all of it. Only one was possible. Finally we decided to visit Auroville. On Sundays the place is closed for visitors in the afternoon. Barely half an hour was available when we reached the Visitor’s centre. Having collected the pass we hurried towards the Matrimandir. It is a truly magnificent sight, the Matrimandir.

We sat down for some time under the more than 100 years old banyan tree and watched people from all part of the world. Within a few minutes the place was almost empty and we knew we had to start our journey back to Bangalore.

On our onward journey we had been unable to take photos of the hill behind the Arunachaleshwar temple. So we stopped and took photos. Just as we left the town of Tiruvannamalai Rain Goddess decided we had had too much of Sun and she came pouring down. Within a couple of minutes the downpour was so heavy that the road, just a few feet away, was not even visible. Sitting inside the small roadside hotel we waited patiently.

After almost an hour the rain abated and we started back knowing fully well that we would have to drive in total darkness. As if to compensate for the delay and the troubles we had during the trip we were treated to a very B-E-A-utiful Sunset.

Finally Bangalore greeted us and we stopped at the Anekal cross for a late dinner. We finally reached home bringing the curtains down on yet another weekend of adventure.

To view all the photos from this trip Click Here