KODACHADRI TREK...being one with NATURE!!!!

After being jaded with college and exams we decided to go on an outing for a couple of days.The trip included trekking Kodachadri,a visit to the Kollur Mookambika temple and the beautiful yet disturbed Marivanthe beach!!!!



DAY 1: The enthusiastic team of 9 members-Shivu,Likith,Gagan,Shashank,Manjunath, Kushel, Meghraj, Rahul met at the Bengaluru railway station and boarded the night train to Shivamogga.A few of them fell asleep into a deep slumber while the rest of us chatted all the way till the end of the ride.I have always found travelling by train to be comfortable and enticing-just a peep through the window offers us an insight into the different facets of  nature and human life.

DAY 2: Upon reaching Shivamogga we boarded a bus to Nittur @ 5 in the morning.We drove past vast stretches where hardly anyone lived,a house or two might pop up on the roadside only to vanish into a sea of trees.The early morning breeze,chirping of the birds and the serene surroundings induced a sense of calm and in a way re-energized us for the trek ahead.

We reached Nittur @ around 8 in the morning.Accompanied by the guide Manjunath-a passionate trekker we headed to a darshini and  threw voraciously on to the tasty  idly-vada and lemon rice.


After the rejuvenating meal we trekked for a couple of  kms along the jeep trail,after which we were free from civilization.The road snakes between the low foothills that sound the beginning of hills then descends steeply until it reaches a town surrounded by magnificent grasslands..From the start however,we had to be cautious about the Leeches that were waiting to cling on to our feet and suck our blood.


HIDLUMANE FALLS is a series of cascading waterfalls.We had to cross a number of these smaller waterfalls to reach the main waterfall.We could not even catch a glimpse of sunlight because of the tree cover  and  had to trek through a damp grassland adjacent to the waterfalls.With each advancing step the main waterfall looked more and more wonderful and the cameras were set into action to capture it's beauty.Standing under the gushing waterfall is an amazing experience in itself and imbibes a feeling of being one with nature..

We then sat by the side of the waterfall and had our lunch ( packed lemon rice from the Darshini) @ around 1 in the afternoon.Invigorated by the lunch we set off with enthusiasm on the climb.This part of the trek was much easier and the panaromic view of the entire Kodachadri was nothing less than a treat to the eyes."The WALK AMIDST THE CLOUDS " was enticing,allowing you to immerse yourself in the spirit of the place-The very place where the kannada movie "GAALIPATA " was shot.After a brief photoshoot we sat there admiring the view nature had to offer us,the scent of wilderness caressing our nostrils,the cool breeze swept us off our feet-expelling all our notions and worries,the gentle rays of the SUN illuminating our spirits....It will be a moment  I will treasure forever and ever!!!!



We then trekked along the jeep track,some weary hours later we reached the summit.To our disappointment we could not view the much hyped sunset(with the Arabian sea in the foreground)all  thanks to the overcast sky and the misty weather.We stopped for a while to check if the leeches had devoured on us,only  Shivu and Likith had generously donated blood to the leeches :) :)..After a session of cleaning and applying salt to the wounds we  payed a visit to the Sarvagna peeta of Shankaracharya and hired a jeep to descend the hill.The ride in the jeep with darkness closing in  was a different experience altogether.!!!!




Finally we reached Kollur @ 7 in the evening.After devouring the prasadam at the Kollur Mookambika temple on an auspicious day we searched for a suitable guest room,on finding one, we slept- DEAD TO THE WORLD. !!!!
The TEAM (from the left) RAHUL,MEGHRAJ,GAGAN,SHASHANK,DEEPAK,KUSHEL,MANJUNATH,LIKITH and SHIVU



DAY 3:We sought the blessings of Mookambika Devi and headed to Marivanthe Beach - An account of the   fun and frolics we had on this beach in my upcoming blog !!!!!.






Expenses:1200 bucks

Contact no of the guide-Manjunath(9480280529) 
Kodachadri PWD-08185221363

Accomodation: 
1.The  PWD guest house in Kodachadri  
2.Kollur (around 40 kms away from kodachadri )

Comments

  1. Malskiran25 March 2013 at 11:48

    Nice one Deepu:-). i have always wanted to visit kodachadri but have not been able to make it. u r post has rekindled that urge!.....keep penning your experiences boy....

    good job

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deepak N Kumar26 March 2013 at 02:24

      thanks...that means a lot to me.:) :)
      i'm really glad that this post revived your interest in visiting Kodachadri !!!!

      Delete
  2. Anonymous28 March 2013 at 20:42

    Good one Deepak. Waiting for the next one.

    ReplyDelete

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