Coorg district

So it’s been a long time since I had been to a pleasure trip. Hectic work pressure and lots of customer calls, I was very tired. We had a thought of going for a small weekend budget trip. I am currently in Bangalore so had a plan to go with in the same radius, i.e. in and around Bangalore and Mysore. After a long discussion with my wife, we concluded either to go to Chickmangalur or Coorg. Heard from the local people that Coorg would be the nice place to go now and rather than Chickmangalur. From August to November it’s a season time in coorg because the great monsoons flourished the river kaveri with lots and lots of water. Most of the south Indians knew that coorg is the origin of river kaveri. So we had started with the itinerary plan, hearing from lot of travel agency we had concluded with trip details of 2 Nights and 3 days plan. The trip was planned to start from Bangalore via Mysore to Madikeri. Every one was very familiar with Coorg, so what is Madikeri?

Madikeri is the district headquarters for Coorg and it is with the elevation of about 1500mts above the sea level. So it the coolest place compared to Bangalore but more temperature compared to Ooty or Kodaikanal. The place is about 260Kms from Bangalore and 122Kms from Mysore. We had booked a tata indiaca from Bangalore to Madikeri. On the way we had a plan to visit Kusal nagar, Tibetians Golden temple and Nisargadhama. Kusal Nagar is on the way to Madikeri, Kusal nagar has lot of Tibeatian settlers and maintains the complete city in a unique way. This place even you can call as Indian Tibet because lots and lots of Tibetian people. I was first surprise to see the people there and later get to know from our cab driver that Tibetian live there in Huge numbers. The entire kushal nagar is so liverly as well as so calm and the wonderful Tibetian architecture is seen around. The Tibetean Golden temple is the place where the Great discover of peace is living, and that is no one else but the Buddha. He is the Great scientist, who had discovered peace and still remains in all our hearts.

Later we had visited to Nisargadhama, a forest resort where you could find only deer’s and lots of bamboo trees around.

Nice place to sit and relax for some time as the Journey was long from Bangalore.

We thought that was enough for the day, so we had reached the Madikeri with lots of tiredness. But once after seeing the place we could able to refresh ourselves with enjoyment. Since we had a little baby with us, we had taken accommodation in a Home stay with a great view of the mountains. The advantage of taking this type of Home stay is to have a home food prepared in a traditional way and been served to us. The place where we stayed was so good and I would thank for the food which was provided for us. The complete hospitality of these people was so extra-ordinary. We had a small nap and then pulled our seat belt in the evening to visit around the city. There is a place called Raja seat in Madikeri, was a very pleasant park with a great scenic 360 degree view of the Nature.

The blowing wind and the small train safari is very nice in this raja seat. We had to missed the opportunity of going in the rain as we were late that day but could able to site and enjoy the great pleasure, we also had some hot Gobi Manjurian on the road side.

Day 2, we had a plan to visit Thala kaveri and Abbey falls. The thala kaveri was around 45Kms from Madikei. This is the great Naadhimula(Origin of River - sanskrit) of kaveri starts almost in 2sqfeet space.

The water stream starts from here and ends in Bay Bengal via Tamil Nadu. This is an implausible thing, how a great river could origin in such a small place like this. This was a wonderful experience; the thala kaveri was a Holy place rather than a tourist spot. There comes lots of people who just workship the river and they call it as kaveri matha(Mother). This river starts from Bramagiri hills of kodagu district. There is a belief that the river was outpoured from the kamadala of the great rishi Aagastiya. So in Thala kaveri you could find the pojas are done for Aagasthiya and Siva. There was a very small temple built there for them and the pujas are happening on daily basis. Above this is a great view of three borders of kerala, tamil nadu and Karnataka, but the sadest thing is that you have to climb a vertial mountain through the flight of steps.

Then we have to return to Abbey falls, which is 7kms from Madikeri. This is a falls which you could view by standing on the bridge. We are done for day.

Day 3, we had a plan to visit Dubare and Harangi dam. This was our return trip from Madikeri to Bangalore. We had visited the Dubara elephant raining camp, the awesome experience to see lots of elephant family.

Here are many elephants, each has different names. Some lives more than 60 years. There is a river which we had to cross with the motor boat to go to this training camp. You could have lot of fun like seeing the Elephant taking bath in the river, Elephant ride and the way they feed the elephants.

Later we have visited Harangi dam and then at last we have reached Bangalore on one fine Sunday evening.

NOTE: You can get some coffee powder and some spices in Madikeri.

Kerala - Gods own city

Kerala – Munar – Alleppey – Kumorokom - Cochin

My next trip was planned for my honeymoon, me and my wife had a plan to visit to Kerala (Gods own country). Though we could not cover all the places, but then we want to go to Munar, Alleppey, Kumorokom and Cochin. This is truly an exciting trip for us; we had to go to Munar from Chennai. So the travel was prepared from Chennai to Coimbatore through Nilagiri express. Then we got down at Coimbatore, from there we had booked a cab to Munar.

Commutation from Coimbatore:

Munar is around 150 KMS from Coimbatore, this route is very scenic and enjoyable one.  You may have to go via Pollachi, Udumalaipet and then you will reach Munar. It is advisable to take an early morning trip because you can reach Munar early in the day and also you would be energetic to enjoy the complete trip. You can add morning fuel in Udumalaipet, good hotels are there. We had a great trip, as well as we could see a lot of sceneries like hills covered with clouds, lot of wind mills keeps generating current, lot of coconut trees and we could see some movie shooting happening. 

Once you are about to reach the border of udumalaipet, you have to cross two security gate. One is from Tamilnadu government and the other is from Kerala government.

 

Now the trip moves over and over the mountain to reach Munar, this was an awesome experience. The great pleasure is that you would completely surrender yourself to the Nature, you can see lot of deer on the way and sometimes Elephants even.

As well as you could see lot of water stream running in the mountain, the beauty of the entire scene is unexplained. You go there you would realize a great pleasure and complete peace in mind. 

 

Now, already the mountains started, you could see lot of clouds touching you when you move on. The real chillness you would feel here.  May be you can have a very nice tea some where on the way would help you to enjoy the trip further. 

Rather than I explain you could see the snaps which would help in better understanding of the trip.

The very excitement trip which I had ever had would be this. The tea estates, clouds and a little sunlight over the view would grab your entire mind blowing experience.

We had taken accommodation in Cloud9 resort in Munar (May be 5 Kms from Munar). The beauty of the resort covers the entire view of the tea estates as well the mountain beauty in 360 degree view. This would give a great peace to your mind. Mostly in the night, Cloud9 will treat you with entertainment stuff like limo dance which are performed by the experts and also elephant rides.

 

More to share ....... 

Thiruvannamalai

This is about Thiruvannamalai, Arunachaleswarar temple in Tamil Nadu. My first visit to this temple is when I was 7 or 8 years old. I had not felt the great pleasure in that temple in that visit. But later I visited the temple when I was 24; the real beauty of the temple was an unexplained pleasure. The whole temple is like a great entrance of a beautiful solid rock mountain. When you immediately enter in to the temple you would find a great view of the temple along with the mountain behind. Any body enter the temple, would first have a great question how this beauty was made, such an unexplained divine experience. Words just cannot define the beauty of the temple. 

The architecture in and around the temple is excellent, you would find it very different from other temples with in Tamilnadu. 

Girivalam:

Girivalam is the unique feature of this temple. In general, Hindu’s worship the mountain in this place. The term Girivalam means (“Giri-Mountain” “Valam – Going around”) going around the big mountain. This has so many beliefs, like people those who don’t have a child would get baby soon and also people go around the mountain would get lot of good fortunes. People have to go by walking around the mountain which is around 14 Kms, also it is auspicious to go around the mountain on a full moon day.

When you go around this mountain you get an opportunity to see eight different lingams (form of lord shiva).

Indra Lingam, Agni Lingam, Yama Lingam, Niruthilingam, Varunalingam, Vayulingam, Kupera Lingam and Easanya Lingam. 

If you have a chance to visit this place, please do visit and let us know your comments..

Hi Friends, 

This blog is mainly to share you with my travel experience with in India. I will share with you lots of stuff with in south India and soon will discover so many places throughout India. I would like to welcome lot of comments and reviews about my trip and also if you find any similiar places, please post your comments. 

I Luv India.