Travelogue: Sharavathi Valley Backwaters

There are some amazingly awesome places in Karnataka which need the right guidance and facilities to attract tourists. One step forward in achieving this is made by Mr. Sampath who is responsible for the revival of tourists flowing into the Sharavathi Valley Backwaters. All you need to do is inform Mr. Sampath a week in advance, the number of people in your group and rest is taken care by him.

About the place: Sharavathi Valley backwaters is formed as a result of Linganamakki Dam constructed across the river Sharavathi which later flows down the hill and results in Asia’s highest waterfalls, the Jog. Due to the sudden rise in water levels because of the construction of the dam, many low lying areas around the path of Sharavathi are submerged resulting in formations of a number of islands. The slow flowing water provides the perfect platform for swimming, boating, kayaking and other water sports. A small hill of moderate trekking difficulty gives the aerial view of the wonderful backwaters.

Getting there: At a distance of about 300km from Bangalore, Sharavathi valley is a minimum of 2 days trip. Take a bus to Sagara and then hire a local taxi guy who takes you GubbaGodu, 20km from Sagara. Make sure you reach GubbaGodu well within 8 30am in-order to make the rest of the day enjoyable. Since our bus reached Sagara by 6 30am, we decided to view the Jog and proceed towards GubbaGodu. Heavy rains played spoilsport at the Jog and much to our disappointment, none of the gates of the Dam were opened.

Things to carry: Here is a list of accessories you *must* carry in-order to help yourselves during your stay in Sharavathi Valley.

1. A proper BackPack. (A bag which can be put on our back and other kinds of bags wont do).
2. A plate with a spoon for eating food. (Must)
3. One cup for drinking water, tea etc. (Must)
4. One light & thin bed sheet, Foam sleeping Mat will be arranged by them.
5. A small hand torche. (Must)
6. A 1 ltr. water bottle.
7. Well worn in sports/canvas shoes/sandals.
8. Toilet kit (toothbrush, toothpaste, comb)
9. Sun cap and Sun lotion.

Please carry only items mentioned here. Carrying extra stuff might just discomfort you.

Day 1: GubbaGodu – Mr. Sampath’s men were waiting for us with Hot steaming Idlis with Chatni and Khashaya. The experience of sipping hot Khashaya on the river banks is bliss. One thing needs a mention here. There are no basic facilities for freshening up in these islands. Be mentally and physically prepared to get yourself up and going amidst the woods. Atleast you can tolerate that to see nature’s heart. Boats were kept ready for us and we proceeded towards another island. Everything here is environment friendly and that means you should not expect motor boats. Rowing your way all through these islands is the only means. For the first half hour you would enjoy the rowing, but afterwards you need the villagers to take you through. I tell you rowing against the current is not an easy task. Half way through some of us dared to swim across the river and repented heavily for it. The distance what you see is actually way too much less than what it is, and we ended up swimming half the distance. By the time we reached the shore, there was nothing left in us. We could barely walk. Sampath’s men then setup tents for us and we took some time off to rest from travel fatigue and swimming disaster. In sometime Sampath’s men prepared lunch and for the rest of the noon we spent time admiring nature.

By 4pm we set out to another island which is said to have a wonderful sunset point. Again rowing ourselves through a rather calm Sharavathi we reached the place which is another treat to the eye. As the sun went down behind the hill we felt the much needed relief from city life. Took some amazing photographs and headed back to the camp island. To our surprise Mr. Sampath’s men had readied the campfire. Now you are in the an island lit by just the moonlight, pitch silence, campfire and surrounded 360 degrees by water admist a forest. This is pure awesomeness. Hospitality of the best of its kind when we served Hot tea and Mirchi(Chilli Bhajji) at the campfire site. Could not ask for more. Sung, danced and screamed like no one was hearing or seeing us and not to forget the heated argument on Rahul Dravid vs Adam Gilchrist. We were then served dinner and the tents were setup with mats for out sleep. Most of us just roamed around till midnight and just passed off.

Day 2: Awesome breakfast which included Ragi Dosa and Akki Rotti with hot Khashaya. We had boats ready for kayaking. Put on our life jackets and entered the water — fun unlimited. Half the day was already over when we were done with the water sports. Had awesome Pulav for lunch and left for the main Island near GubbaGodu. No sooner we reached there, we set off on another mission — trek the hill which gives a breathtaking aerial view of the backwaters with islands. With heavy backpacks we had to walk nearly 45 minutes nonstop to reach the base of the hill. After recollecting some energy we started the trek which takes not less than another 45 minutes to reach the top. I promise you every step is worth its weight in gold. The scene from the top is just not expressible. With some final photography with the lowest of batteries left after two full days of life with no electricity.

We literally ran our way down the hill to catch the last bus to Sagara and then headed back to Bangalore from there on. To say the least the effort of Mr. Sampath is just remarkable. The price he charges is very nominal. You actually feel that you really got more than what you actually paid for. Here are his contact details -

• Mr. Sampath Kumar
• prapancha@gmail.com
• facebook.com/prapanchas
• sharavathi.blogspot.com

For the complete photoset click here.

Travelogue: Pelling

Suggested reading – Travelogue: Darjeeling (which made up for the first 2 days of our trip)

We started our journey towards Pelling after some wonderful time at the Tiger Hills earlier in the day. We could not find any other passengers who could share the Jeep as it was offseason. We had to book the whole Jeep for ourselves which cost us Rs. 2000. It was a tiring 4 hr journey via Jorethang and Legship. We had a 15 min break in Legship and we decided to visit the Temple crossing across the river Rangit. There is a suspension bridge constucted over the river. You can find 108 Shiva Lingas and a huge statue of Lord hanuman. The Rangit Power Station can also be viewed from the top. Finally we reached Pelling by 1 30pm and damn ou fate – its totally cloudy.

Photos – Click here

Pelling is Nature’s Paradise. The greenary you find here is breathtaking and the landscapes are just unbelievable. Pelling is nearest to Kanchendzonga and the famous Sunrise can be seen from any hotel you stay in here. There are about 8 sight seeing places in Pelling but we could cover only 4 due to time constraints. It was heartening to see Sikkim Govt. taking the initiative to construct terrain roads and attract tourists.

Singshore Suspension Bridge

This is the second highest suspension bridge in Asia and surely an Engineering marvel. This bridge connects two hills of the Himalayan Range and also leads to the no-mans-land of the Indo-Nepal border. There is a huge valley that runs right under the bridge at a depth of 600 ft. The scenic beauty cannot be explained in words.  Since it was the offseason,  it was only we three on the whole bridge This is one such place everyone should visit and experience the 500 m long suspension. At some random time in the year bungee jumping is organised.

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Dantam Valley

Pelling has some of the amazing landscapes you would ever see in your lifetime. One such place is Dantam Valley. The hill uncarves itself as the Indian map from the ariel view. You can also find a suspension bridge constructed here over the Rangit River. Dantam valley is rich with cardamom cultivations. The aroma can be felt as you travel.

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Changey Falls

All waterfalls in the North East are caused by glacairs. Therefore the falls wouldbe in full flow during summer when the ice melts. Changey falls from a height of about 300m and is a treat to watch when there is bright sunshine. The water is ice cold and extremely pure. You can feel the water flowing down your foodpipe as you drink it. Awesomeness.

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Pemayangtse Monastery

Pemayangtse Gompa of India boasts of a splendid collection of ancient Buddhist antique idols, scriptures as well as sculptures. Magnificent sculptures and gracefully decorated paintings adorn the first floor of the monastery. One of the major attractions of the Pemayangtse Monastery is a seven-tiered painted wooden structure. It is the oldest monastery of Sikkim. At an altitude of more than 6000 ft, life becomes more interesting, and for the mind, it becomes more spiritual than on the sea levels.

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All in all Pelling is pure natural beauty, but do not go there in offseason. Bye Bye Pelling. Off to Gangtok. End of Day 4.

Travelogue: Darjeeling

Last week we planned a vacation trip to North East India and it was the ‘bestest’ trip I ever had. I have had been to Kerala, Goa, Pondi and Ooty in South India but North East India is heaven. Special thanks to India Travel forum for all the info so that I could plan the trip wisely and economically. I would be writing a detailed blogpost on every major place we visited. Keep reading

Note: All photos are hosted in Flickr. Click on the fullscreen button on the right bottom corner to enjoy a better and bigger view.

Day 1. Started off from the Bengaluru International Airport to Kolkata. Caught a connecting flight to Bagdogra. Our driver Jyoti Gaureng picked us up and we left to Darjeeling. The road was horrible till Kuersong and we connected to the Main Highway. The narrow guage railway track runs parallel along the road which is just amazing. The rails cross the road often and you find the famous Himalayan Railway plying there. Just as we were about to reach Darjeeling dense fog started to form. Visibility was nearly zero. Its amazes me as to how these drivers are able to cruise through with such ease. Airport to Darjeeling is 95kms. We then got accomodation at the Canara Bank Holiday Home in Darjeeling. A transition from 30 degree C to 2 degree C in 12 hours made our Day 1. Awesome beginning

Day 2. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

We had tickets booked in the All famous 100 year old Darjeeling Himalayan Railway from Darjeeling upto Ghum. We reached in the Railway Station and found our wagons parked there. The Engines were being prepared for the ride. It takes about 10 personnel to get the engine up and running. Mind you these engines are environment friendly steam engines and literally needs a *lot* of manpower. The train journey started and I had a lots of expectation from it, but this was a real dissapointment. The train travels at a speed of 15kmph and covers 14kms in 3 hours with a 30 min break. Now, thats what we call *speed* The train runs parallel to the road and there is nothing much you can see. Its the same natural scenic beauty which is seen from the roads. For all those people who say Darjeeling train is a must, you must be mad. My sincere request to all of you – when in Darjeeling skip the train ride and you will save a lot of money. The ticket for 14kms is a whopping Rs. 240 and the booking agent takes Rs. 100 commission per ticket. So, its Rs. 340 which is a complete waste. There is nothing more you can get other than the credit that you travelled in a century old train which might be discontinued anytime. There is another train that plies from New Jalpaiguri (NJP) to Darjeeling which takes 8 hrs for 80kms. This journey can get as uncomfortable as you can imagine. For those who are coming by rail – NJP is the nearest Railway Station, air – Bhagdora is the nearest Airport and road – Siliguri has the best connectivity to Kolkata. I repeat do *not* go in the toy train. If you are still interested, go to the Darjeeling railway station at 10 30 am and take a few snaps along side it. Disgusted with the train journey we called our driver to come be car to Ghum and pick us up.

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Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park

Next in list was the all famous Darjeeling Zoo which is the home for rare wildlife found only in this region. Expect to see the Siberian tigers (the only ones in India), red pandas, Himalayan black bears and the Tibetan wolves. This zoo also has a Snow Leopard Breeding Centre. Himalayan Mountaineerin Institute is situated above the zoo which is worth a visit. Rare collections of the mountaineering gear used by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary to climb the Mount Everest can be found. Its just ashtonishing as to how they managed to carry a load of 25kgs on their backs in such extreme conditions and climb. All mountaineers – take a bow. Newer mountaineering gear is also displayed which are of lighter weight. Take a guide alongside who would explain the animals’ details. Since he would be knowing where each species would be it would save a lot of time for you. Without him, the HMI would seem vague.

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Tenzing Rock Climbing

Rock climbing has been setup nearby where you can experience the thrill in the chill. its a small rock and a helper would instruct you. Its a nice little scary experience. Try once.

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Tea Garden

Darjeeling Tea is supposed to be the world’s finest tea. There is a view point from where miles and miles of tea estates can be seen. A treat to the eyes. Sip a cup of tea alongside and make some Tea Leaves shopping. You can also view a football stadium constructed on the slope which is a great achievement. Afterall North East Indians love football

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Peace Pagoda

An old monastery where you can find very good idols on Lord Buddha and also have a superb scenic view. It gets really cold at this place – thanks to the winds that blow. Monasteries symbolize peace and you feel the power of God at these places. Nice place to spend some time.

Dhirdham temple

Situated right below the Darjeeling railway Station this temple was built on the lines of the Pashupathi temple of Nepal. Lord Shiva and Godess Durga are worshipped here. Constant chanting of mantras make the mood devotional. There is a tree at the rear of this temple which has absolutely no leaves but is blooming with flowers.

Ava Art Gallery

About 2km from the town enroute to Ghoom, houses the unique art and embroidery works of Mrs. Ava Devi. I tell you, they are really good. After the demise of Ava Devi sale of the painting has been stopped.

Finally with some market roaming, we ended Day 2. The days end very quickly in these areas. By 5 pm all shops are closed and by 7 pm everyone is asleep. Something which cannot be thought of in city life.

Tiger Hills

Extremely beautiful scenes of Kanchendzonga can be seen from this view point. We got up early by around 4 am and reached Tiger Hill base by 5 am. The wind was blowing at about 60kmph and the chill was nearly unbareable. Within minutes a huge tourist crowd accumulated and we all sat waiting for the sunrise. Fate was not on our side that day. It was extremely cloudy and not even a glimpse of Kanchendzonga could be seen. Nevertheless we enjoyed sunrise and returned. Oct-Nov is the best time to expect the dangerously beautiful view. 4 out of 10 people are lucky enough they say.

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Ghoom Monastery

Very popular Monastery in the small town of Ghum also known as Sampten Choling Monastery. The monastery follows the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism. There is a 15-feet high statue of “Coming Buddha” (Maitreya Buddha) in the monastery. This can be covered while returning from Tiger Hills.

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Thats it in Darjeeling. Off to Pelling.

Travelogue: Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta

Location: Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta, is a hill (betta in Kannada) located in the state of Karnataka,India and is extensively wooded. It is also the highest peak in the Bandipur National Park.

Getting there: It is approximately 220 km from Bangalore and 75 km from Mysore. From Mysore take the Ooty route via Nanjangud and Gundlupet(60 km from Mysore). The road gets worse from now on for another 15 km till you reach a small village called Hangala. Slow down here and watch out for a sign board that says take right to the Hill. There is a motorable road all the way to the top of the hill. Entry fee is collected at the forest depeartment checkpost at foot of the hill. Its a 7 km ghat section with awesome scenic view points. The checkpost does not open until 7am and closes after 5pm. So, make it a point to reach at the foot of the hill at exactly 7am for the best experience.

Accomodation: There is a forest department guest house at the top of the hill, which can be reserved in advance through the forest office in Mysore or Bandipur. The guest house provides basic accommodation, food and other essentials should be brought along by visitors.

History: This temple was built by the King Chola Ballala during AD 1315. Later the Wodeyars of Mysore who were ardent devotees of Lord Venugopala displayed keen interest in maintaining the hill temple. The temple is dedicated to Gopalaswamy, which is one of the names of the Hindu God Krishna. The gopuram of the temple is single-tiered and rests on the compound wall of the enclosure. There is a shikhara tower over the garbha griha (sanctum sanctorum).

Specialities: Water/Ice always keeps dropping on the head of the Lord 24×7, 365 days. Dense fog predominates and covers the hills round the year and thus gets the prefix Himavad. Feel the chill instantly once you reach the hill top. Play with the clouds and enjoy your moments at the place.

Tips: Its a one day trip, no need to have huge luggage. Reach the base by 7am. By 9 30 it becomes just another hill. Be careful, elephants are spotted frequently here. Take your vehicle, there is no Govt. Bus service to this place. Visit Nanjangud temple on the way back.

Total Journey: Bangalore-Mysore-Gundlupet-Hangala-Himavad Gopalaswami betta-Hangala-Gundlupet-Mysore-Bangalore is 430 km. Time from Bangalore to hill non-stop is 4 hrs.

Find the complete Photo Set here.

Happy journey