On 27th September 2009 we visited the Jayamangali (Maidenahalli) blackbuck sanctuary. I decided against writing a blog about this trip for the simple reason that not even a single blackbuck was seen. Call it bad timing or bad luck, the fact remains that to see the blackbucks another trip will have to be made. It was an eventful drive though considering the birds we spotted and the glorious sunset we saw. Add to that a fatal accident that claimed three lives on the spot on the Tumkur road forcing us to take a detour added some unwanted spice to our journey.
Click here for the photos.
We had waited for a long time for the long weekend of the first week of October. Meticulous planning and bookings had been done to visit the Ranebennur blackbuck sanctuary and Chitradurga fort. The floods in northern part of Karnataka and Andhra however forced us to alter our plans.
Certain people (including people in responsible positions) have attributed this disaster to the wrath of Gods and Goddesses. I am at loss for words to react to such comments and opinions. It is indeed depressing to see the situation we have put ourselves into. Avarice in the name of progress and development is making us pay a heavy price. If this continues, before long the wrath of Mother Nature is going to usurp and destroy all that exists.
Enough of my ramblings, now back to Shivanasamudra. Err… we haven’t even started have we? Well, on 2nd October with the disappointment of not being able to stick to our plans of going to Ranebennur Blackbuck Sanctuary and Chitradurga weighing heavily in our hearts we set off to Shivanasamudra. Kanakpura road it was yet again.
Stopping for birds and butterflies again without worrying about the time felt good. At a small hillock where we went chasing birds we were denied an opportunity to capture them on camera but we were happy to be given an opportunity to click this little guy sitting smugly on a leaf.
As we continued our journey we were treated to a wonderful soothing sight of green fields along the way. There were a few people working in the fields and it was a nice sight to watch.
As expected a huge crowd was thronging the Gaganachukki waterfalls. Threading our way through the crowd we descended the steps to the viewpoint. Above the din of the crowd the sounds of the falls reached us effortlessly. That sure is an indicator to the amount of water in the falls. It was nice to see so much water especially after getting to see only the rocks during a couple of visits in the past. As the water rushed over the edge, inspite of the force, it reminded me of a shy maiden trying to cover her face with a beautiful white veil.
Having spent some time we decided to skip going to the other side where the Dargah is. So off we went to Bharachukki. There is a bridge across the river along the way to Bharachukki. A few birds caught our attention and we stopped. As we walked along the bridge it was a little scary to feel the vibrations every time a vehicle went by. It felt as if the bridge would just collapse any minute. The birds were far away and we could not get a good enough look at them. Walking back to our bike I noticed something on a plant leaf. At first I thought it was dead only to realize that this bug came with it’s own shield.
The number of vehicles parked was an indicator to the number of people at Bharachukki. While walking down the steps it we could see the garbage strewn around by the visitors. The sight was enough to deter us from going all the way down to the water. The sight of the waterfalls was at it’s enticing best though.
A small detour took us to a different part of the falls where it was secluded and relatively peaceful and quiet. Just as we reached the edge of the water a man was getting ready to leave. As if in answer to my question what this man was doing I saw fishes in the throes of death wiggling futilely on the rocks. Once he left we sat down to enjoy the waterfalls for some time.
A raucous group of youngsters who appeared on the other side soon forced us to wade our way back through the crowd. Pretty soon we were on our way back to Bangalore and I was happy to hear my friend exclaim that it was a good outing. The Shivanasamudra falls washed away the disappointment of our original plan being shelved to an extent.
For photos Click Here
Click here for the photos.
We had waited for a long time for the long weekend of the first week of October. Meticulous planning and bookings had been done to visit the Ranebennur blackbuck sanctuary and Chitradurga fort. The floods in northern part of Karnataka and Andhra however forced us to alter our plans.
Certain people (including people in responsible positions) have attributed this disaster to the wrath of Gods and Goddesses. I am at loss for words to react to such comments and opinions. It is indeed depressing to see the situation we have put ourselves into. Avarice in the name of progress and development is making us pay a heavy price. If this continues, before long the wrath of Mother Nature is going to usurp and destroy all that exists.
Enough of my ramblings, now back to Shivanasamudra. Err… we haven’t even started have we? Well, on 2nd October with the disappointment of not being able to stick to our plans of going to Ranebennur Blackbuck Sanctuary and Chitradurga weighing heavily in our hearts we set off to Shivanasamudra. Kanakpura road it was yet again.
Stopping for birds and butterflies again without worrying about the time felt good. At a small hillock where we went chasing birds we were denied an opportunity to capture them on camera but we were happy to be given an opportunity to click this little guy sitting smugly on a leaf.
As we continued our journey we were treated to a wonderful soothing sight of green fields along the way. There were a few people working in the fields and it was a nice sight to watch.
As expected a huge crowd was thronging the Gaganachukki waterfalls. Threading our way through the crowd we descended the steps to the viewpoint. Above the din of the crowd the sounds of the falls reached us effortlessly. That sure is an indicator to the amount of water in the falls. It was nice to see so much water especially after getting to see only the rocks during a couple of visits in the past. As the water rushed over the edge, inspite of the force, it reminded me of a shy maiden trying to cover her face with a beautiful white veil.
Having spent some time we decided to skip going to the other side where the Dargah is. So off we went to Bharachukki. There is a bridge across the river along the way to Bharachukki. A few birds caught our attention and we stopped. As we walked along the bridge it was a little scary to feel the vibrations every time a vehicle went by. It felt as if the bridge would just collapse any minute. The birds were far away and we could not get a good enough look at them. Walking back to our bike I noticed something on a plant leaf. At first I thought it was dead only to realize that this bug came with it’s own shield.
The number of vehicles parked was an indicator to the number of people at Bharachukki. While walking down the steps it we could see the garbage strewn around by the visitors. The sight was enough to deter us from going all the way down to the water. The sight of the waterfalls was at it’s enticing best though.
A small detour took us to a different part of the falls where it was secluded and relatively peaceful and quiet. Just as we reached the edge of the water a man was getting ready to leave. As if in answer to my question what this man was doing I saw fishes in the throes of death wiggling futilely on the rocks. Once he left we sat down to enjoy the waterfalls for some time.
A raucous group of youngsters who appeared on the other side soon forced us to wade our way back through the crowd. Pretty soon we were on our way back to Bangalore and I was happy to hear my friend exclaim that it was a good outing. The Shivanasamudra falls washed away the disappointment of our original plan being shelved to an extent.
For photos Click Here
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