THE DUDHSAGAR TREK.... A SEXY DATE WITH THE MONSOON !!!!

I sorely miss those childhood days,when the clouds invited us with its roaring thunder and in a split second we were out in the open riding on a cycle with the head held high and the arms outstretched to feel the essence of the downpour,until the clouds had emptied its quota of rain drops and we were drenched like never before!!!To reconstruct these breezy images we decided to embark on this journey,a journey that was a blend of 18 fab people and a number of alluring destinations...

                                 



















DAY 1:  My clock read 5:10 pm when i was done with the final exam of the semester,I hurried back home before I could get bored to death with all the post exam-discussions..After packing all the essentials which included torch,umbrella,jacket,chapatis and chatnipudi to go with it, I was on my way to the Bengaluru Railway Station.My co-trekkers arrived well in time to catch the Rani Chenamma Express which hooted its way out of Namma chill-out Bengaluru at 09:15 pm. After the initial exchanges of pleasantries we set about making disparaging remarks at one another :D :D...

DAY 2: Fast forward-eight hours-------->As the train pulls out of Hubli,starts one of the most amazing stretches.The scene that unfolded along the way was beautiful as the rains danced along impressively and the train passed through a gallery of nature.!!! After a satisfying breakfast which comprised of Vada Pav,Idli -Vada at the LONDA JUNCTION    ( 60 odd kms away from DUDHSAGAR) we headed towards our first destination-Bhagawan Mahaveer National Sanctuary located in MOLLEM...

The ride was refreshing,all thanks to the smooth roads,gentle wind,drizzle and peppy music.The valleys,mist covered peaks and the cascading waterfalls compelled us to stop many a times for photo-shoots !!!!

   

                                                                           
                                               

The Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary (approx 50 kms away from Londa) is a home to the Wild buffalo and nurtures varieties of birds,butterflies,reptiles.The musical composition of the chirping,mating sound,cries of the birds lends the perfect tone for the hike through the park.The possibilities of getting awe-struck by the natural habitat that you find along the way are endless-might be a butterfly showcasing a combo of colours you may have never visualised or a snail that interests you with its pace or a frog with a strange glow-:) -:) !!!

"The best way to find yourself is to get lost in the deep secrets of mother nature " 

After the hike in highly humid conditions,we took a detour from our original plan and went in search of a beach. PANAJI- barely 60 kms away from Mollem and having a number of beaches,where the city goes to breathe was the ideal choice.The 2 hour ride from Mollem to Panaji was truly a fascinating one as mild rains were interspersed with sudden sunshine that paved the way for a clement weather. That is one of the aspects I love about Goa-there is always a promise of enjoyable rides which suppresses worries about how deep your pocket will be mined or what the destination has in store for you !!!

" ಚಾಚಿದ  ಕೈಗೆ ಆಕಾಶವೇ ತಾಗಿದೆ"  at Miramar Beach ,Panaji

 

DONA PAULA,Panaji where the Mandovi and Zuari rivers meet the Arabian Sea.

The night was still young when we returned to a guest house in Mollem which offered a pleasing menu,but the food lacked flavour. The rest of the night was marked by wholesome entertainment- the dance ( from Tapanguchi to Headbanging ) followed by a goodish quota of ghost stories by Sudindra and Mahesh,a recap of the supernatural episodes of Bhanamati by Praveen and a captivating discourse by Vinodh Sir :P :P .

DAY 3:The sun was up and another day had begun,the cool breeze took away with it,whatever fatigue we had caught up during the two days.After a lousy breakfast that comprised of pav and channa masala,the 11 km trek along the rails began from the Kulem Railway station at 8 in the morning!!We walked at a deliciously slow pace accompanied by a moist wind that blew with the promise of heavy rain and the greenery inviting us to embrace it.Two hours later,when we reached the first tunnel of the trek there was a moderate shower,on reaching Sonalium (3 kms away from Dudhsagar)it turned into a heavy downpour which continued until we met the exotic beauty-DUDHSAGAR!!

As we forged ahead,undeterred by the rains,the Dudhsagar falls began to show up fragment by fragment,each of these fragments providing a promo of the splendour that awaited us.An old bridge with a classic design,in front of the waterfalls adds to it's charm.

 When we finally made it to the smoking Dudhsagar,the deafening sound of the water falling on rocks and the mist formed due to the thrashing  made our hearts cry out in sheer ecstasy.Standing on the good old bridge was challenging as the water that bounced back from the rocks blinded us and the rains swept us from the back.This tourist magnet had attracted around 500 people that day and the weekends,during the monsoon had achieved a record 2 thousand visits,attributing to the success of the Kannada movie Mynaa(a major portion of which,was shot at locations in and around Dudhsagar).

 When the rain gods took a break and sunlight showed up,we proceeded towards the Dudhsagar Railway Station,a kilometer away from the waterfalls.Just as the sunlight began to warm us up,there was a heavy downpour assisted by a gusty wind,due to which a number of umbrellas were blown away,left us doused and every item inside our waterproof bags had met the same fate.At 5 in the evening we boarded the vsg-sbc link express-Pulled by 2 engines at the front and one more at the back,it reached Londa  in a couple of hours after which 3 coaches of this train were attached to the Rani Chennamma Express.

Day 4: Twelve hours later, I reached my home wearing the fragrance of the MONSOON :P :P !!!

                                The team, from the left (front)-Sachin,Akash,Karthik,Gowri Shankar,Kushel,Sanjay,
                                 Gagan,Shivu,Shashank,Praveen,Vinodh,Manjunath
                                Back-Chaitanya,Mahesh,HarshaVardhan,Deepak,Sudindra,Likith..


Expense: Re.1400

Contact Nos:
1.Station master (CASTLE ROCK): 08336234243
2:Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary(Mollem):0832-2612319

NOTE:
1.The Trains heading towards/away from Goa stop at the Dudhsagar Railway Station for 2 mins,even though there isn't an official stop
2.The Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary is truly a treat for people who have an eye for nature and not a typical sanctuary where wild animals are parked on the either side of the trail.

Routes:
1.Kulem to Dudhsagar:11 kms trek along the railway line .
2.Castle Rock to Dudhsagar: 14 kms trek along rails-more popular and scenic than route no 1
Both the routes are open during monsoon
3.By road-from Kulem to Dudhsagar : closed during monsoon.
4.Trek from Kuveshi village to Dudhsagar: not possible during monsoon.