KUDREMUKH NATIONAL PARK- BHAGAVATHI NATURE CAMP- DAY 2 TRIP TO SRINGERI

From Baghvathi Nature Camp, Sringeri is a very short distance, though it is a ghat section road. We decided to do it from here rather than from Chickmagaluru which was our next stop.

The distance is around 48 kms and it would take less than 1 1/2 hours if one were not to stop anywhere on the way. However this involves moving out of the forest area and returning once again through the Tanikodu Forest Check post at Sringeri.

So, we decided to leave immediately after our bath and breakfast next day morning. JLR has wooden stove boilers fixed individually for cottages which they call as "gujarati geyser". This is a long vertical cylinderical tube column with an opening at the bottom to insert the wood and set that on fire.

It takes around 45 minutes to an hour to have the hot water ready and one needs to tell JLR staff a day in advance as to when you intend to have bath.

Morning coffee or tea is available after 06:30AM. You can walk up to the Golghur to have your morning coffee/tea or request that it be served in your room. They oblige you if the resort is not fully occupied.

At this time of the year, the ground is littered with fallen leaves. I walked up frequently to watch this contraption being lit, went again to inspect that wood is still burning etc. Later on, I picked up my camera to shoot a few images in the foggy morning.

And when I returned, there was  bit of a commotion outside our cottage. They had found a Russell's viper which one of the residents who works with forest department had picked up expertly in a small stick and guided it to a small plant.

And I had been walking up and down this area with just my sandals on. JLR does not carry any antivenom in their resort. The nearest hospital that carries antivenom is at least 30 kms away.

Kudremukh is home to many poisonous snakes including the King Cobra. Any heap of fallen leaves are to be avoided as King Cobra lays its legs underneath such leaves and also visits regularly to incubate the eggs.

Later on, I learnt from internet that Russell's viper is the most frequent cause for deaths out of snakebites in India and SriLanka as it is aggressive, found near human habitated places and a very wide distribution across India.

This excitement lasted around half an hour when we took our photos and videos, after which, the person who had caught it expertly once again guided it back to the stick, carried it and tossed it into the woods. 

After this little bit of aderilin pumping, we got down to breakfast at Golghur. In Bhagavathi, as in other JLRs, serve a standard breakfast buffet that includes three or four varieties of vegetarian dishes, a sweet dish followed by coffee or tea.

Before you leave for any trip, if that trip involves crossing the forest check post, please remember to get the entry pass issued by the forest department signed by JLR for exiting. You need to submit this on your way out, every time, and take a fresh entry pass on return. So, carrying a copy of your reservation confirmation payment voucher of JLR in the vehicle is a must.

The journey before us appeared like this:

Total distance one way to Sringeri= 48 kms. The route is really uncomplicated. Once you leave JLR and reach the road, turn left away from Kalasa.You are on Kalasa Main road inside the forest. It is for most part, a two lane road, except at narrow bends like this.

You have a side bulge available in such cases to reverse back if you cannot cross the incoming large vehicle.

On this scenic road, you come across a beautiful Kadambi water falls at around 5 kms from the camp.

And another 2 km further down, you get Gangamoola view point. The access to Gangamoola which is the source of three major rivers- Tunga, Badra and Netravati- is barred to public by the forest department.

But, the lovely view point compensates to an extent this loss. Mercifully, there are spots where you can park your vehicle on the side and climb up to look at the panaroma in the front.

The road inside the forest area is absolutely amazing. If one considers that torrential downpour that it has to withstand every rainy season, it is amazingly good and of international quality.

Here are a few more snaps of the road side scenary inside the forest area.

The barrier gate you see on the left is the mud road that takes you to a trek to Kurinjal Peak- a trek of 7 kms that takes a total of around 4-5 hours. This gate is approximately a km from JLR. I had not planned to do that trek during this trip, though I was repeatedly assured that I am fit enough for it.
I just threw that into my bucket list for the time being.
Coming back to our trip to Sringeri, after travelling a total of around 15 kms you reach a T junction with the Kalasa main road cutting the national highway NH 169- Sholapur Managalore highway.

One may get confused as you had been travelling in a two lane state high way and when you enter this national highway it is a single lane narrow road.

The journey in the winding roads are like this. And there are a few places when the road bends, does a double and then a triple bend too!

The entire forest is Shola forest. There are times when one goes around the mountain where it is grassland and then descends down the road to thickets and then wind up again to the grassland and do that once again. On NH 169, one travels alongside the Tunga river which flows below on the left. And some times, the road descends down to the river level only to climb up once again.

We reached Sringeri and crossed it without realising as there are no English signboards on the road to tell us when to get off the National High Way. This is the issue in Karnataka in many places! Either the sign board will be missing at crucial junctions or written only in Kannada.
We had not used google map as there was no mobile reception in Kudremukh. But luckily i had kept watching the speedometer reading and sensed crossing Sringeri very quickly. And returned to take the correct diversion.
Traffic management in front of the temple is exemplary. There is a huge parking lot beside the temple and no one is allowed to park the vehicle except to drop or pick up pilgrims. Vehicles not obeying get their wheels locked up.
The front Gopuram appears to be recently renovated. The temple elephant greets every pilgrim by strategically placing itself right at the entrance.

Unlike Tamil Nadu, where the throng in any famous temple makes anyone uncomfortable, here in Sringeri, there was just a sprinkling of pilgrims though it was a "Thai" month and it was Friday.

The temple is right adjacent to Tunga river but runs deep down below. There is a bridge that takes any pilgrim to the other side where Shankaracharya's ashram is there.

As we made a pradhakshina of the temple, we found that the mahout had decided to do the same with the elephant to improve the offerings.😀 ( I have a fondness for this image. From the left side, the Poojari is rushing in. From the right front, the child carried by its father is reclining back gripping its dad as the elephant closes in. A couple on the extreme right, had stopped themselves on their tracks to watch the scene. And another dad, with folded dhoti, decides to slow down as he knows the mahout cannot run his elephant past the Poojari and hence he can lower his pace to catch up. Two school girls in uniform walking along carelessly. And the temple elephant itself, so decorated, looks more human than the rest of the real ones!)

As we were crossing the bridge, we were told that Shankaracharya who usually walks down that bridge every day had decided to come to the temple in his Mercedes. He was delayed by a special puja followed by some visitors who took unusually long time.
Hence there was no point in waiting for Him on the bridge!
So, we doubled back and rushed back to the main temple to find a line of queue waiting for Swamiji to arrive!

Like a true Indian, I decided to obey the Indian etiquette of queue formation and started another line in front of this queue.😁 (If you have a camera in your hand, you have a liberty to stand anywhere! People distinguish you as a photographer and make space.)

While all of us including the Mutt greeting committee stood patiently in the hot sun for over half an hour so, His Holiness gave once again a slip and had entered the temple from the side without notifying anyone.
We were told that He was already inside now doing Pooja. This created a bit of confusion to the devotees who did not know what to do next. The continued presence of Mutt reception committee added to the confusion as to why they are there still if the Swamiji is already in!
I thought that I will move on and cover the remaining temple complex while Vasu decided to stay put. And her patience was rewarded. When every one was looking in every other direction, Shankaracharya suddenly appeared from inside and started walking towards his Merc.
Vasu got two quick clicks before she was prevented by the silver lathi weilding Mutt official who admonished her mildly that taking photos of the Acharya is not permitted. He did so with a genial accomodating smile. By then, Vasu had lowered her camera and apologised!
However, here is a click that got permitted with a wink.

Like all true Holy men, Acharya carried an extremely peaceful presence, a divine appearance and completely unhurried. His darshan made the day for everyone who had waited all along patiently.

After that, we were allowed to enter the shrine. Sringeri temple is not huge by any standards. It is quite old and carries itself majestically. Each shrine is quite compact and isolated from another.
The original temple construction appear unique to us.
This is not Dravidian style while the front Gopuram is. And I have not noticed a similar structure in other Hoysala temple architecture. I think that I need to educate myself about this wonderful architectural style which is so unique and compact.

Though not huge like temples of Tamil Nadu, peace and serenity-that you find definitely in Sringeri. And for the lucky few, a darshan of His Holiness and taking His blessings is also possible.

KUDREMUKH NATIONAL PARK - BAGWATI NATURE CAMP- PART 1

We have been wanting to do a trip to Kudremukh National Park for quite some time. Visiting this place during rains can be really wonderful if you are willing to put up with the inconveniences associated with it plus the leeches. We were not sure of handling leeches and hence decided to push our trip further down.

We could finally find time to go in the first week of February. Kudremukh forest is predominantly a "Shola" forest- a unique type found in southern part of India in Western Ghats. Kudremukh forms perhaps the northern most fringe of this unique "Shola" forest- going down you find them in Nilgris, Anaimalai, Munnar, Palani hills, Meghamalai and Agasthiarmalai.

A typical "Shola forest" mountain looks like this.

You have an undulating montane grassland on top with wooded forest in the valleys sandwiched below. Between 1974 to 2014- during a period of 40 years, the shola forests have declined by over 75% in the southern Western ghats.

These "shola" forests are home to most of the rivers that originate in South. They soak up the rain water and release them slowly throughout the year through perennial springs that join up to form rivers.

And this shrinkage of natural water soaked reservoirs is one of the main reason for flooding in rainy seasons and complete dry river beds in summer for the many southern rivers.

When we were there in February, rainy season had ended three months back if not more. But water continues to flow down these springs. I could never get over this miracle as to how the mountains and forests soak up rain water and releases them slowly over months to the plains below.

Kudremukh is home to "Gangamoola"- around 6 kms from 'Bagavathi Nature Camp'. From Gangamoola, three major rivers originate- Tunga, Badra and Netravati. 

Tunga and Badra flow seperately after originating from a single source and combine to form Tunga Badra river at Koodli and later on join the Krishna further down in Telengana state.

Once we decided to do this trip, selection of where to stay was a foregone choice. JLR is the only property which is located inside this forest. It is named as "Bagawathi Nature Camp". It was earlier under the forest department who have now handed it over to JLR. 

There is no electricity except what is generated through solar power. No internet or mobile connnectivity either. They have tented cottages, wooden cottages and a dormitory.

We got fooled with the iamge shown as tented cottage in their website. In reality, though priced lower, it is equally if not better than the wooden cottage in terms of space as well as other comforts. These tented cottages have been upgraded very recently. They currently look like this.

Which is not very different from the wooded cottages which are a bit more expensive. But we opted for wooden cottages on the basis of photos in the website. In the website, tented accomodation definitely does not look appealing. It is high time JLR uploads their latest image.

The current tariff structure runs somewhat as follows. Rs 1,947 for dormitory, Rs2,183 for tented accomodation and Rs 2,419 for cottages. So, would recommend tented cottage over cottages any day. The tariff, like all other JLR properties is all inclusive and per person. But the safari ride is extra unlike many other JLR properties.

We started our journey early morning at 6:00AM from Whitefield, Bangalore.  The distance is around 358 kms by the shortest distance. But we prefer the electronic city, nice road route which makes this around 392 kms. Driving time is 8 hours.

Contacting the property to convey any message is really a "hit or miss". Currently the manager there is Devarajan. There is no landline nor mobile connectivity. He now and then goes to nearby town where connectivity exists and if you happen to call him up at those times, one can talk to him.

We requested him to keep the food though we may arrive a bit late. But he was noncommittal. Lunch closes at 02:30 in the afternoon and he mentioned that it is difficult for them to keep it open beyond then.

So, the choice we had was to ensure that we reach there by lunch time, or miss lunch. We decided to not to take risk and carried some sandwiches with us.

The route taken by us was Electronic city, Nice road up to Tumkur road exit, then turn left at Nelamangala junction, go up to Hassan and then take a turn to the right towards Belur, Mudigere, Kalasa and finally Kudremukh.

Road was excellent up to the property. The road between Nelamangala and Hassan was of course a four lane road. And there after it was a two lane road mostly. It becomes really scenic after Kalasa as you enter the forest.

We were lucky and did not face any traffic hastles when we exited Bangalore. You need to be watchful to exit by left from the main high way at Nelamangala. Konegal has a lot of vegetarian restaurants that can offer excellent breakfast and one can reach there by around 8:00AM easily.

We had our breakfast at Annapoorna. If one starts a bit early, they can reach even Hassan by around 9:00AM or so for a late brunch in the outskirts. There are many on the highway itself including Adyar Ananda Bhavan.

When we reached Kalasa, the traffic was suspended due to "Rath Yatra" that day for around an hour or two. We reached there at 1:00 PM and were very happy that we can reach Kudremukh comfortably before 2:00PM. This road blockage delayed us there by an hour.

As you enter the Kudremukh forest, you are expected to take permission from the check post. Unless you are staying in JLR, you are given permission to only drive through the park with very restricted time for transit.

While the journey between Kalasa and Kudremukh was picturesque, we did not stop in as many places as we would have liked. And finally we reached the Nature Camp a little beyond 02:30. We were the only guests that day and while on one side, Devarajan did not promise us, he had kept the buffet on the other side with his staff.

The property is amazing. Our cottage was just adjacent to the river. They do not allow the vehicle all the way inside. You are required to park it in the parking lot.

Golghar restaurant is bang opposite the parking area and hence convenient to go directly for breakfast or lunch after reaching the resort after any outing.

Since we had driven over 8 hours, we decided to just crash and take rest till evening.

A SHORT TRIP TO NAGERHOLE NATIONAL PARK AND WYANAD

My wife and myself decided to take a short trip to Nagerhole National Park. Last time we stayed at King's Sanctuary situated at the Hunsur side. This time we thought that we will stay in the Kutta side and do JLR safari from there. 

After looking at various resorts, we finally zeroed in on "Bison Manor" managed by Stay Simple. We got a special offer through Make My Trip.At around Rs 2600 per night for a couple including breakfast and dinner, the offer looked terribly attractive. (JLR charges Rs 1,500 per person for a two hour safari. Even if we count 2 safaris and lunch expenses, it still works out to just Rs 10,000 for a couple per day compared to more than Rs 20,000 in JLR.)

We started from our home at Whitefield, Bangalore at 06:30 in the morning. Otherwise, being a working day, we would be caught in the unpredictable Bangalore City Traffic. And it had been also raining intermittently in Bangalore with more rains predicted.

We kept a leisurely pace in our car and stopped for breakfast after Mandya. There are plenty of road side restaurants on the way to choose from. We picked "Kadambam"- an Iyengar style south Indian eatery. They have a very limited breakfast menu; but the dishes are tasty and they serve quickly.

Then we continued on to Mysore Outer Ring road and took the road to Hunsur. After Hunsur you have to take the road to Kutta. The road is getting widened as we you come near the forest gate. (Once  completed, the entire stretch would become  two lane up to the forest gate.)

The advantage in staying at the other end is that you are allowed to drive inside the forest for around  35 kms. Due to many instances of people misusing this stretch for picnic/ drinking etc, now, when you enter the park gate, they note down the car details plus the number of passengers including your mobile number in their computer and this is relayed to the other side of the gate. You are also given a receipt. You need to preserve this and produce it when you exit at the other end.

So if you had loitered and taken a long time to reach the other end, you can get questioned.

I let my wife, who had taken the wheel after Mysore, to continue driving inside the forest and kept my camera at hand for any lucky encounter. You are not allowed to park the vehicle unless your way is obstructed by animals crossing or standing on or very close to the road.

We were lucky to spot a bison pair grazing leisurely on the roadside. But as we neared they moved inside. We saw plenty of cheetal as well as langur monkeys. No other excitement till we reached the other gate. It was past noon.

We could book the evening jeep safari with JLR then and there. Manjunath, who handles these bookings in that gate, is quite friendly. He just took my mobile number and did not even insist on any advance amount. He just told us to be there by 3:00 PM as the evening safari starts by 3:30PM. He gave another reminder call at around 2:00PM to double check whether we will do the evening safari,

JLR has only one vehicle for safari. This is a 10 seater. 

From the forest gate, Bison Manor is just half an hour drive. It is around 2.5 kms from the Kutta bus stand junction and any passer by will direct you the way. Road up to this junction was extremely good except for the patch where road widening was going on. Even the road inside the forest was quite good excepting the speed humps. But this last stretch of 2.5 kms to the resort road was bad. The last 1.5 kms is a mud and stone road.

We checked our odometer. We had clocked exactly 300 Kms from our house to the resort. And we did it in around 6.5 hours despite two breaks on the way plus a crawling speed for the last 40-45 kms. 

We were pleased with what we saw in Bison Manor. After booking, we were a bit apprehensive. It is a old colonial style bungalow amidst coffee plantation. Manager's name is Narayan and he is an extremely cooperative person.

Rooms are really huge with a dressing side and a very large bathroom. The bathroom fittings were new. Towels were fresh. Furniture is almost entirely period furniture and adds to the antique look. Bed sheets were clean. Huge common areas; covered varandah. We could park our car and walk straight into our room through the side entrance.  Both of us fell in love with that place at first sight.

He had kept the food hot and ready; so did not waste time after reaching. I asked for a transportation to the safari gate as I was worried about this mud track in the last stretch.

An auto charges Rs 400 for a drop plus pick up after the safari and a car charges Rs 750 and a jeep Rs 1000. We took a jeep for the first day and a regular car next day. (We need not have worried; our own Corolla could have negotiated easily. But we did not want to have any puncture or stone hit as during our last visit, we had a tyre bulge due to stone hit.)

During our first safari, the ten seater was full; but luckily I managed to get the seat next to the driver. I had two cameras. Nikon 350S which was fitted with 500 mm prime with 1.4TC and Nikon 700 fitted with sigma 150-500 mm. Though the driver was quite helpful in keeping Nikon 700 in his lap through out the journey and handing it when needed, I felt quite cramped in the narrow space to operate.

We saw this tusker feeding peacefully at a far distance in a valley.  We saw another one during the later part of the ride. We saw a small bison group grazing peacefully quite long off. However Nikon with TC and prime lens helped to capture some nice images.

Our driver tried many water holes towards the later part of the evening to see whether we can spot any of the big cats. 

However we were not lucky.  Duration of park rides in Nagerhole is quite short. They should at least keep it for 2.5 hours instead of 2 and the timings should be changed between seasons. At 2 hours, with the vehicle losing a total of 1/2 hour to reach the interior forest, and the light fading in the evening we hardly get a decent duration.

When we had almost given up for the evening, we saw this bison family near the water hole. They had come to drink water and were about to return to the interiors of the forest. Luckily the lighting was good and they were right on front and being in the front seat, I could comfortably lean and hold the lens on the windshield and take shots!

Thus ended the safari for the first day.

Next day morning we decided to visit the Tirunelli temple. It is approximately 20 kms from Kutta and the road as well as the scenery is beautiful. The temple is of Maha Vishnu and considered one of the oldest in India. Though very popular, retains the old charm, hardly crowded and you get to be with the deity for any amount of time you want to.

After returning to the resort, we found that we had plenty of time to make a trip to nearby Iruppu water falls that is just 10 kms away from Kutta. So we decided to do that as well. The road to Iruppu falls is also in good condition and a saloon car can easily negotiate that.

So we were able to return to the resort after doing both the Tirunelli temple and Iruppu falls for lunch. After half an hour of rest, we went for the second safari.

Unfortunately the lighting was bad with plenty of clouds and the sightings was also very poor. We were just 4 of us in the 10 seater jeep.

I was cursing my luck that when the lighting was good, the jeep was crowded and when the lighting was bad, i had huge space to maneuver my cumbersome camera kit!

Government school children are given a picnic every  

month and that day they were taken in the forest department bus during noon time. And what a luck they had! They sighted a tiger. When we started the safari we went to the same spot and found that the tiger had moved away and the undergrowth was quite thick. 

Towards the close of safari ride, we heard lot of alarm calls from langur as well as cheetal. We waited in vain; but could not see the tiger.

And when we returned to the gate through the main road, we found a tree uprooted and lying on the side of the road. The forest guard who is a tribal stopped our vehicle and told us that the tusker is just inside the forest. We found it feeding peacefully. On seeing us it moved away inside. Had we reached this spot a little earlier, we could have witnessed the whole tamasha of elephant bringing down a fully grown tree!

It rained heavily that night and next morning we woke up to a misty and sunny mixed morning which is always glorious in any plantation.

Looking at such a sunrise, you wonder whether you should extend your stay by one more day! But then, we decided that we will return here after a month or so and took a reluctant leave of Nagerhole National Park!