A Traitor's Tomb - Ghulam Ali's Tomb at Srirangapatna

(This article was published in Deccan Herald - Spectrum on 24-Dec-2013)

We literally asked as many people as possible in Srirangapatna for the tomb of Ghulam Ali. No one had heard of him and almost all pointed us towards either Gumbaz(the mausoleum of Tipu Sultan and his family) or Dariya Daulat Bagh(Summer Palace of Tipu Sultan). Tired and battered we rested for a nimbu-soda(aerated soda with lemon) outside the Gumbaz and asked the soda-wallah if he knew anything about the tomb. And what followed next was the spurt of knowledge from this road-side vendor from whom we least expected.

He claimed that Ghulam Ali or famously known as Langda or Gumchi, was a traitor and no one worshipped, let alone care for him. He was buried under a dome-like structure where pigeons flocked and littered the entire place with their excreta. The soda-wallah was careful enough to point that no pigeon drop would even a spoonful at Gumbaz whereas we would find buckets of excreta at the tomb of Ghulam Ali. He also told us that the place was cursed and no one, not even the muslims, visit there. Nevertheless he was pretty excited about the prospects of we visiting there and asked us to venture there with care. His directions to the tomb were carefully etched in our memories now and our adrenaline levels shot upto new levels, as we picturized the non-decrepit structure housing the remains of Ghulam Ali.

As we drove along the mud road, padded with paddy and sugarcane fields, we soon saw a structure overlooking the paddy fields on the right. The ruins were clearly visible and the large dome clearly demarcated the green fields from the blue skies.  As we drove along the road, laden with crushed grass and dried up sugarcane, we soon stumbled on a gate which was otherwise to be the entrance to the structure. A few dogs came running by and we were too scared to leave our car. The mystery surrounding this place increased as we saw the canines standing between us and our goal. Determined not to back out, we shoo-ed them away and shouted for someone to open the door. A watchman emerged with whom we had to haggle a lot to let us in.

View of the tomb from the kuccha-road

Entrance to the Tomb of Ghulam Ali, Srirangapatna

We were enthralled by the structure that was standing in front of us. Highly decrepited, and shrouded with foliage and an air of mystery, the dome looked imposing despite being in shambles. The structure was built in two levels and had beautiful crafted mini-minarets at the corners. The arches at both levels were classic of Islamic architecture.  It was disheartening to see the overgrowth all over the structure and we had to placate ourselves not entering it for the fear of getting bitten by a snake or some rodent or insect. Parts of structure seemed to have been vandalized or fallen down with the brick work being exposed in what looked like an otherwise very strong building. The dome has a stronger linear demarcation compared to the Gumbaz and also is bigger than the latter.

I was in for a larger surprise when I started doing the post-travel research to know more about Ghulam Ali and why he was called as a traitor and to know more about this tomb. Loads of research on the Internet and the experience of Prof.Karimuddin of Srirangapatna helped in crafting a story around this entire episode and his persona.

Ghulam Ali was the head vaqeel of Tipu Sultan and was also the home minister under his Kingdom of Mysore. He also is supposed to have led a delegation to Constantinople and also faced Viraraja of Coorg in the battle of 1789. He was also to travel to France, but did not end up going. Given all these, he definitely sounds a person of immense importance but what was interesting was the fact that he was called a ‘traitor’ by the locals. It is believed that Ghulam Ali stole many gifts from his travels which were supposed to be for Tipu and the Kingdom. Ghulam Ali was even jailed for it and was released later due to the magnanimity of Tipu. He was also given a substantial pension by the Britishers post their siege of Seringapatanam and hence it is very much possible that he had federated with the British. Locals call this pension as ‘namak-haram’ pension.

Ghulam Ali's Tomb

Next was to understand why he was called ‘langda’. The painting by Robert Home on “The reception of the Mysorean hostage princes by Marquis Cornwallis” depicts Ghulam Ali seated on a silver palanquin while all others are seen standing. Though there is a claim that he suffered from sciatica, Prof.Karimuddin points out that Ghulam Ali did not want to stand during the reception in the court when Tipu approached it, for he believed that Tipu was much younger to him and did not mandate the respect. He feigned a false limp and created an excuse in such a way that he did not have to stand when the King approached.

The Reception of the Mysorean Hostage Princes by Marquis Cornwallis, 26 February 1792 , by Robert Home
Source : BBC

Next quest was to understand the importance of the structure in itself which looked beautiful in this scenery. It is believed that Tipu had this constructed for his parents initially, but the experts pointed out that the architecture had some remnants of Shia style and hence was not suitable for a Sunni Muslim like Tipu. Also, the river Kaveri had almost flooded the structure once. Because of this, Tipu moved his plan for the tomb to the present day Gumbaz and later Ghulam Ali bought this from him.

Closeup of the structure

A note by John Thomas mentions that Ghulam Ali was a Senior Mysorean military commander and lived from 1758 to 1863 and died in 1863 at the age of 105 at Krishnagiri and is buried there. This claim seems to be put to rest by Prof.Karimuddin who did mention that Ghulam Ali did die somewhere else, but his body was interred under this present day decrepitated structure and not in Krishnagiri. Sunni muslims have a distinction between the tombs of male and females and here too destiny seems to have played its game, as the tomb of Ghulam Ali resembled that meant for a female. This theory puts the rest to the fact that the tomb was not constructed by Ghulam Ali for his wife (and hence no resemblance with the love story of the Taj Mahal). We also found three bodies buried in the same compound with no enclosing structure and with no epitaph and sans ornamentation of their tombs. These are the relatives of Ghulam Ali.

Tombs of relatives of Ghulam Ali

The quest for Ghulam Ali and the secret behind his tomb finally seemed to have found an end as the stories and the folklores around him started making sense. The structure still stands isolated from the tourist frenzy and away from any hussle-bussle in a private farm. With parts of it crumbling due to the travails of time and sheer neglect, this beautiful structure will soon be part of the earth.

Crater Lake at Lonar, Maharashtra

(This article was published in The Hindu's supplement Metro Plus on 14-Dec-2013)

A meteorite weighing 2 million tones and approximately 100 meters in diameter, travelling at a speed of 18 kilometers per second crashes onto Planet Earth. This impact, in the present day  village of Lonar in Buldhana District, Vidharbha region of  Maharashtra is believed to be equivalent to a 6 megaton bomb. Did this phenomenon obliterate life on Earth during the Jurassic era or was it just one of the many meteorites that crashed into our planet at regular intervals? Scientists claim that this was probably a Martian meteorite that crashed just 50,000 years ago. They classify this crater as a Hypervelocity Impact Crater that has been formed in Basalt rock, a one of its kind with the terrain resembling the Moon’s surface. A recent discovery of a particular bacteria (‘Bacillus Odysseyi’) from the crater site resembles or probably is the same as the bacteria reported by the Odyssey spacecraft on Mars’ surface.

Many theories have been proposed and dismissed regarding the origin of this crater, but agnostic of all, here I was standing at the rim of a crater, gaping at the breathtaking view in front of my eyes, on an overcast day. This should be one of the most important landmarks in the Geological Map of India. Water had collected at the base of the crater and had formed a lake. The greyness of the skies reflected in the water in the lake, and the lush green foliage all around were only the two colors that were visible today. I had managed to sneak past a broken fence and there lay an unobstructed view of this magnificent crater. 

Lonar Crater Lake

Earlier in the day, I had arrived at Aurangabad Main Bus Stand at 3am and took another bus to SIDCO bus stand from where buses operate in the Vidharbha region. Luck favoured me, and even before dawn had broken. Another connecting bus to Sultanpur and I finally arrive at Lonar at 9am after another short ride. I assumed that I would be one of the first visitors given the early arrival but soon was proved wrong as I stepped past the official entrance to the lake. A temple like structure with what looked like a perennial stream of water from a snout greeted me. Many pilgrims were already there taking a quick bath under the clear waters. My first view of the crater-lake was from here, at the Gomukh Temple, as I could see the lake ensconced from all sites by a tapered landmass with rich overgrowth.  Approximately 15 temples dot this crater-lake, near the base and also along the rim and at higher elevations. Looking for alternative higher vantage points I glanced upwards only to see people busy with their morning ablutions. 

Gomukh Temple. Check out the snout at the mid-bottom and the stream gushing out

I walked on the road surrounding the crater rim looking for a vantage point for a complete panoramic view of the lake and this is how I ended up at my interim resting spot. There was nothing else to be done from this point than just soak in it and savour the scenery. The chill breeze was the only companion that I had for the time being, before a herd of buffalos came by and sat under the shades of the bushes. The crater is supposed to be 1.8 kilometers in diameter, 7 kilometers in perimeter and 150 meters deep. It is not difficult to imagine the  whole act of the meteorite crash at this very place given the setting. 

I headed towards the village wherein I was told of a beautiful temple that also had a record of the cause of this crater. Opposite the village school, Daitya Sudan temple wore a non-descript look and stood guarded by a 2 feet wall and lots of foliage around it. Sitting on top of a pedestal, the architecture resembled that of a Hoysala temple, but the comparison ends there. The roof looks unfinished and there are no ornate pillars inside the temple. A weak wooden door separates the outer world from the inside of the temple. 

Daitya Sudan Temple

Interior of Daitya Sudan Temple

There are three chambers inside, with the first chamber having a naked ceiling with the brickwork visible supported by huge arched pillars devoid of any sculptures. Darkness pervades the sanctum sanctorum and only a torchlight is of help for now as there is no electricity to power the tubelights inside. The ceiling looks like a patchwork of bricks and the walls are devoid of any murals. A 4-foot tall idol of Lord Vishnu sits alone in the darkness inside the sanctum-sanctorum. There are no signs of any worship or rituals being performed to the idol. The entrance to the sanctum-sanctorum has some carving on the door frame made of stone. A small frieze on the top of the ceiling in the middle chamber shows a deity crushing an asura by his foot. And this purportedly was the origin of legends of why this place was called as Lonar. 

Lavanasur(In Sanskrit, Lavana means salt and Asura means demon), a demon, used to terrorize the people in this region. He had a special boon, which made his death to be unlike those of the ordinary. Lord Vishnu took on the responsibility of eliminating him after the requests from the people in the region. Lavanasur hid in a lake covered by a hill. Lord Vishnu kicked the hill away and twisted his toes by placing it on the demon’s navel and the oozed blood became the reason for the saltiness of the water. The crater symbolizes the demon’s navel while the shore is his body.

Though the temple looks extremely well preserved from a few meters away, on closer inspection, one sees that almost all the sculptures on the exterior walls are broken. Most of them have lost a limb or leg, and none of them are in complete shape.  Some of carved figures on the exterior walls are evocative of erotica showing couples in different sexual practices. There are also different deities, apsaras and humans in different forms on the walls, all of which are broken. It was extremely disheartening to see the state of the exterior walls.

Exterior Walls of the Daitya Sudan Temple

The crater-lake place has also been referenced as Panchapsar Sarovar, which was sage Mandakarni’s ashram in the Dandaka forest in Ramayana. The sage stayed in the waters of the lake for 10,000 years and consumed air alone.  Legend has it that Lord Indra, threatened by the sage’s devotion and ascesis, sent five of his apsaras to distract the sage and cause a hindrance in his prayers. The apsaras ended up being his wives and serving the sage. And hence the pond became known as Panchapsarotataka(‘Lake of Five Nymphs’).  

Many broken. Amorousity!

Slaying of the Lavanasur inside the temple - on one of the sides of the ceiling. Was lucky to spot this in the utter darkness inside.

The lake also finds mention Ain-i-Akbari. Ain-i-Akbari is the third part of Akbarnama and records Akbar’s empire, in the form of the modern day gazette, and mentions that Lonar lake with its brackish water was used for making glass and soaps yielding substantial revenue.

In the modern world, the crater-lake has been a subject of immense interest to the geologists and scientists. NASA has conducted many experiments here. Despite being fed only from rains, the water is extremely salty. A plaque reads that the pH value of the water is 11 which is extremely high. But there are fears that the behavior of the water is changing due to the pollution from the village and the water seepage from the nearby farms. Water mixed with fertilizers and chemicals is changing the alkanity of the water, and also the gradual increase in the inlets to the crater-lake is causing the water level to rise, in the lake and changing the behavior even more; not to mention flooding the temples near the lake. The sides of the crater-lake are supposed to be extremely diverse with different birds and animals inhabiting it. Listing the crater at Lonar in a World Astronomical Monuments roster along the lines of World Heritage Sites would be extremely useful in safeguarding and furthering research at this beautiful geological structure.

V-Day Romantic Getaways

It’s that time of the year when most couples will try to spend some private moments with their significant other. Love is in the air. A quick getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city and connecting with your partner while relaxing in the lap of Mother Nature will offer a perfect blend of harmony and romance. Get ready to fall in love with these beautiful getaways and also with each-other...once again.

Andamans  
   Wake up to the sound of waves slowly crashing on the shore only to find the Bay of Bengal resemble a giant placid lake. This tropical paradise is perfect for those who want to immerse themselves in pristine beaches bordered by gorgeous flora and fauna. Adrenaline junkies can scuba dive or snorkel in the clear blue waters filled with corals. Watching the ocean shimmer in the moonlight from your love-shack while snuggling up with your loved one will be an unforgettable experience for sure. Havelock and Neil Island can be easily reached from Port Blair. Havelock has many cottages lined up along the ocean whereas Neil has a few basic ones.

Morning at Havelock beach, Andamans

   
Wayanad
    'Gods Own Country' figures in almost all ‘places-to-go’ lists for its unrivalled beauty and tranquility.  Wayanad has a good mix of tribal heritage, tea gardens, waterfalls and pre-historic caves to definitely woo you. A heart-shaped lake during the ascent to Chembra peak makes a pretty good spot for a perfect proposal. Pamper your body with ayurvedic massages or head down further south to Kumarakom and spend a quiet evening with a candle light dinner on the houseboat that guarantees privacy and luxury in the sparkling backwaters. A perfect combination of romance and relaxation, Kerala truly lets you unwind while giving you time to plan and prepare for that important moment in your life.

Heart shaped lake, Chembra Peak, Wayanad

Kumaon
   Sipping a hot cup of chai and just spending those precious moments looking at the breathtaking views of the snow capped mountains takes one to a totally different realm altogether. An overnight train to Kathgodam(one of the cleanest railways stations in India) from Delhi takes you to the heart of Kumaon, from where you can either head to the famous hill-station of Nainital or take a longer ride and hit Kausani or Chaukori. The sceneries will surely make your partner swoon while you immerse yourself into the lap of serenity and calmness. The Mall Road in Nainital, overlooking the lake, is dotted with many hotels catering to all wallet sizes while the KMVN lodge in Kausani and Chaukori will keep you warm in the freezing temperatures.

Lake at Nainital

Goa
    An evergreen honeymoon destination for many Indians and a perfect-spot for Europeans to escape the winter and get their tan, Goa offers an unique experience to all its visitors. Clubs, late night parties, discotheques are aplenty and so are the beautiful cathedrals and churches. Be it the array of shacks lined up along the shore offering a multitude of cuisines in Baga or the picturesque seascapes of Vagator and Anjuna or Palolem and Calangute for watersports or shopping, the magic of Goa will remain in your hearts even after you return to the madness of the city. The late night walks along some stunningly beautiful and secluded spots does offer a glimpse of Goa that many party-goers often miss. The sun-sand-surf-food-wine combination can sometimes become the perfect place to drop the M-bomb.
   
Kudremukh
    This holiday in the monsoon forests is truly for the adventurous couples. Climb up the Kudremukh peak to soak in the enchanting views of the rolling grasslands and lush green meadows. The occasional clouds passing by, probably makes the best ingredient for romance and also a perfect place to pop the question. Accommodation is basic and the options include tents, cottages and homestays lying at the foothills of the mountains. Watching the mist enveloped mountains while trying to count the different shades of green will be an indulging experience for sure. Walk hand-in-hand across the numerous aromatic coffee plantations followed up by an authentic malnad lunch in one of World's best biodiversity hotspots to be in harmony with nature.
   
(This story was published in The Hindu Metro Plus Dated 09-Feb-2013)

10 Places to go in 2013

(This article was published in The Hindu Metro Plus dated 5-Jan-2013)

Make your travel resolutions for the New Year with these Top 10 ideas

1 South Korea

Much friendlier and easier to access than its Northern counterpart, South Korea is one of the biggest international business hubs in the region. Visit the World's Newest City Songdo (Isle of Pines) along Incheon's waterfront, which has been built from scratch for a staggering $35 billion on an artificial island spread across 6 sq. km, reclaimed from barren mudflat. Cisco intends to bring its state-of-the-art technology to make Songdo one of the most technologically advanced, smart and connected communities in the world. Is Songdo the way to go for modern cities? You must visit this ambitious aerotropolis, still under construction, that aims to take cities like Dubai, New York and Hong Kong head on.

2 St Vincent and The Grenadines

A paradise laden with coral reefs, turquoise lagoons and idyllic beaches, SVG is the perfect place to spend that romantic moment with your partner. For the adventurous, there is plenty of eco activity involving volcanoes, waterfalls, whales, diving and snorkelling. Try the novel concept of a de-tech or digital detox holiday, which lets you get away from your digital gadgets and immerse yourselves in nature. Don’t fret if your tablets and phones are confiscated; unplug from the world and enjoy your break exploring the 32-odd islands and cays in this archipelago.

3 Singapore

Celebrating its 50th year of independence from the British Crown, this culturally bio-diverse nation state offers lots of festivals and fetes in 2013. A shopaholic's trusted destination, Singapore is among the most beautiful and clean cities in the world. If you want to grab a shopping holiday, there’s no place like Singapore. But rapid urbanisation has led to some heritage areas getting lost, so if you want explore places like the Sungei Road Thieves’ Market or the Bukit Brown cemetery you need to go now before they are lost in the urban madness.

4 Mandvi, Gujarat

Tucked on the western-most part of India facing the Arabian Sea is one of the most beautiful and uncharted spots of the country, often missing from the tourist's map. This is the old ship-building town of Mandvi. Ship-building is still active, and you can see the silhouettes of abandoned ships and the ones of new ones being built on a beautiful moonlit night, lending a ghostly charm to the skyline. With its pristine white sand beaches, a beautiful palace (Vijay Vilas) and ornate Jain temples, along with sumptuous Gujarati thalis and dabelis, Mandvi is the perfect epitome of that beautiful town you always wanted to visit but did not know existed.

5 Amsterdam, Netherlands

There is more than one reason to visit Amsterdam in 2013. This beautiful and splendid city is celebrating a lot of festivals this year — from the 400th anniversary of the Amsterdam canals (Canal Ring is a UNESCO heritage site) and Vincent van Gogh’s 160th birthday to 175 years of the Artis Royal Zoo and the 125th anniversary of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Get ready to celebrate with the Dutch with concerts and events in this alpha world city. The town and visitors are also eagerly awaiting the re-opening in April of the Rijksmuseum (which houses masterpieces from Rembrandt and Van Gogh among others) after a 10-year renovation.

6 New Zealand

It happened during 2003 to 2006, when The Lord of the Rings was released and it will happen again with the release of The Hobbit. Tolkien Tourism is one of the most potent forces pulling visitors to Kiwi country, among the most beautiful and naturally diverse places in the world. The Kiwi landscape truly represents the magical setting of Middle Earth but there is more to New Zealand than just the Weta caves. Indulge in any of a dozen adventurous sports like bungee jumping, skydiving, whitewater rafting, hydro-zorbing, spelunking and more. No wonder they call this the adventure capital of the world.

7 New Fantasyland, Orlando

Just a few weeks old, with double the area (21 acres from 10 acres) of the old Disneyworld, your visit to the Magic Kingdom just got a whole lot better, with loads of new attractions and rides. This is the largest expansion in the Magic Kingdom’s history. Old rides like Snow White’s Scary Adventures have made way for new ones like Ariel's Grotto, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, The Barnstormer and others. Splitsville Luxury Lanes boasts of a 50,000 sq. ft bowling, billiards and entertainment zone. With the expanded space and two new themed areas, Enchanted Forest and Storybook Circus, and two highlights yet to open, neither kids nor adults are going to be bored soon. And do try to find the ‘hidden Mickeys’ tucked away all over the park.

8 Reunion Island

With beaches that morph into lava fields and mountains, what has been often hailed as mini-Hawaii is a French overseas territory neighbouring Mauritius and is off the coast of East Africa (Madagascar). This island nation has almost a thousand kilometres of hiking trails along with Piton de la Fournaise, one of world’s most active volcanoes, that has exploded more than 170 times since the mid-17th century. Reunion Island is a must-visit destination before tourists and mega-resorts crowd it.

9 Tokyo, Japan

If you are interested in exploring sub-cultures, then look no further than Japan. Tokyo, a Blade Runner-esque city, offers a subway culture that no other city in the world can boast of. You will see a riot of colours in the trains and tunnels, filled as they are with bizarrely dressed gyarus, lolitas and yankiis! You may even spot a favourite Manga character in one of the fashion shows held so often across the city. Japan offers a mixed platter of cross-pollinated culture where manga madness merges with the tea ceremony; and cherry blossom season competes with ultra-modern urban landscapes.

10 Space

The Spaceport terminal in New Mexico is going to see a lot of action in the next few years. SpaceX's reusable space rockets and Virgin Galactic’s 2.5-hour suborbital flight, which includes a six-minute interval of weightlessness, are on the verge of making space travel a reality. What was once every kid's dream is going to be on everyone's bucket list. With 530 bookings already made, at a ticket cost of $200,000, get ready to conquer the blackness of outer space. 2013 could be your year!

Cross Country biking - India

I happened to met Shree almost a year back in The Bangalore Trekkers Orkut group, and then we used to scrap each other occasionally , and then we met during Bangalore Barcamp 4 wherein he shared his gyaan on cycles and riding them and some kewl gadgets. I knew that he was a geek and a great appetite for whatever he was into ... he had already done Bangalore-Ahemedabad and Chennai-Kolkata on his cycle.

Now, he is on cross country - Arunachal Pradesh to Gujarat. As of this writing , i guess he should be in Assam-W.Bengal border - should have done around 1100 km in the last 12 days.

I wish him all the best and sincerely hope that he finishes it. His blog.

Another beautiful trek

It was an amazing weekend with one more beautiful trek. Had been to Bandaje falls and BelrayanDurga over the weekend. Came back today morning at 01:00 hrs.

an amazing trek over different kinds of terrains and different climatic conditions... an experience that will be remembered till the next best trek :)

experienced scorching heat, lashing rains, chilled breeze/wind, beautiful mist , dark clouds, clear night-sky with twinkling stars , ice-cold water (and also no-water) , pencil snakes, mongooses, bisons, ruined fort walls, scary view from the top of the falls, people with guns(who were mistaken for naxalites), pet dogs etc etc....

Am Back!

I am back from the trek/tour and am doing good ;)

What was intended to be a 7 day trek was cut short to a 2 day trek and 5 day sight-seeing/ travelling.

We could only manage to trek for around 8km(till Lamaydura) after which we had to abandon the trek owing to poor visibility and dropping temperatures. Though we were trekking at sub-zero temperatures , the further decline in temps led us to call it off and bow in front of Mother Nature.But it was beautiful one - the region had experienced the first snowfall after 1999.

After calling off the trek we went ahead to Darjeeling and Gangtok.

I havent yet blogged it (hope to do it by Monday).

Select few pics from my recent trek+tour :
http://picasaweb. google.com/venkat83/Sandakphu
http://picasaweb. google.com/venkat83/Sikkim
http://picasaweb. google.com/venkat83/Darjeeling

Destination : Sandakphu

Me going on a 7 day trek in Eastern Himalayas - to a place called Sandakhpu. This borders Nepal and offers best views of the four of the world's five highest peaks - Everest, Kanchenjunga, Makalu and Lhotse in a continuous snow-clad arc; and also Kancendzunga.

We will be trekking at an altitude of 10,000-12,000feet.

We will be following the route as mentioned in this map : http://www.geocities.com/bhuniahoo/sandak_map.ppt (Check out the views in this ppt).

We will try to stick to this route , but if the weather changes, then we might have to reconsider this. More details w.r.t Sandakphu can be found here and here.

Hope the weather god co-operates and we have a clear sky and an amazing trek.

Will be leaving on 16 Feb,2007 and back to Bangalore on 28 Feb , 2007.

Ombattu Gudde - A very fine trek

"If things have to get screwed, then they will - but its the determination and the will that will fight against the odds and conquer the impossible"

Am back from a 2 day trek to Ombattu Gudde.

Starring : Myself, Reem, Shantanu, Roti
Start Time : 23:00 hours,22nd December 2006, Friday
End Time : 15:30 hours,24th December 2006, Sunday
Trek distance : Approx 30kms

Watch out this space for the Trek details and pics.

{ BLOG IN PROGRESS }

It was a long weekend of Christmas and a group of trekkers decided to summit OG. After the initial hiccups in getting the tickets for Gundiya CheckPost, yours truly finally managed to get tickets for all 4 in a private bus.[What would otherwise cost 150INR/head costed us 250INR/head..and hence clearly overshooting our shoe-string budget]

Reached Gundiya CheckPost at around 6:30am. We did not have any breakfast/tea at the CheckPost, as we had enough ration for 2-3 days and had decided that we would break for brunch at around 9-10am near Sangama (the first river to be crossed).We took the right turn near the bridge and continued ; halted near the river for 15mins to brush our teeth and had a dose of chocolates(that Reem had got for us from Dubai).

We continued from there, crossing minor streamlets. Leeches continued to torment us. We continued and reached Sangama at 10am. Took a long break of around 1hour 15mins - relaxed in the clear water and finished the morning chores , had a light breakfast and continued our trek.After around 12 pm, the terrain was dry and there were hardly any signs of leeches.

To be included:
-- the continuous 4 hrs ascent
-- camping on the hill-by the side of OG
-- the 1 hour ascent to the tallest peak of OG
-- water!!

Costs:
Bangalore to Gundiya CheckPost = 250 INR
Hosekere to Mudigere = 14 INR
Mudigere to Hassan = 35 INR
{ / BLOG IN PROGRESS }

Savandurga

Starring : Myself, Harshad, Ganesh, Rahul and Jagadish
Start Time : 7am , 9th September, 2006
EndTime : 8 pm , 9th September, 2006
Climbing Time : 2 Hours (though myself and Harshad took around 5 hours - as we tried a different route)


Had been on a 1 day trek to Savanadurga - the rocky mountain at the outskirts of Bangalore.IT was one of the finest rock-clmibing that i have done till date.

Though the actual route to the summit is an easy one(any 5 year old can do it) - but myself and Harshad took a different route and had some great fun.....

Back from Kabbala Durga

[ there seems to be some problem w.r.t images getting uploaded, because of which this post was/is in WIP]


Starring : Myself, Harshad, Ganesh, Rahul, Ashutosh, Rohit, Harish, Manish, Vikas, Venkatesh, Guru
Start Time : Saturday 8th July 2006, 8:00 am
End Time : Sunday 9th July 2006, 12:00 am
Total Distance Travelled on Bike : 180+kms
Distance Trekked on foot : 5kms


The plan was to finish the trek to the top of Kabbala Durga by around 12:00hrs or 13:00 hrs. Ganesh had estimated that it would take approx 2-3 hours to reach the top and came back to the base.Then, we had plans of going to Bheemeshwari and to Chunchi falls. Myself and Harshad had decided in advance that we would drop off from the rest of the group after Day-1. The rest of the group had some other plans for day-2.

Day - 1 ( Saturday , 8th July 2006 )

All were asked to assemble at Banashankari Bus Stand by 7am.But, as always, junta started coming one by one and we all were ready to hit the roads at 8:00am.We were 11 of us and had 10 bikes. There were Pulsar, Scorpio, Avenger, Victor, Spelndor and CT-100.I was the lone pillion rider. I was a bit sceptical as to whether the ride would be enjoyable by me or not - but anyways, i left my scpeticisms behind and was all set for my first ever bike trek. After initial round of introductions , we decided to start. Myself and Ashutosh had a cup of tea in a local tea-shop and we started.

Rohit and Rahul kept racing all throughout the trek - driving at around 90+kmph. However, my chauffeur - Ashutosh maintained a steady 70kmph which was very pleasant and enjoyable. Ashutosh happens to be an amatuer Ornithologist and he used to tell me the names of some of the birds that we could sight in the lakes that were on either of the road - this was interesting, as I was never exposed to bird-watching before [ No pun intended :) ].

[[ THE ACTUAL TREK TO KABBALA DURGA - 2 hours of ROCKY MOUNTAIN CLIMBING - WATCH OUT THIS SPACE - WIP ]]

We were told that the food at Kabbala Durga was not good enough and we could probably try out at Sathanur.The plan was to have lunch at Sathanur , which was 6kms from Kabbala Durga base and then decide on the future course of journey for the day. We had lunch in a road-side hotel - this was a very small hotel and the meals that they served were no better. Since, i was hungry i did not care about the hygiene and had the chappatti and the rice(along with sambhar) fast.Venkatesh dropped off from the trek and reured back to Bangalore.We all decided to reach Bheemeshwari, which was around 40kms from Sathanur.

[[ WHAT HAPPENED IN THE EVENING AND NIGHT -- MUST READ :) - WATCH OUT THIS SPACE - WIP ]]

Day - 2 ( Sunday , 9th July 2006 )

I got up at 5am and went to see the burning tree - alas! the canopy had broken and had fallen off ; but both the canopy and the trunk were burning. Everyone woke up by 6 and freshened themselves - along the banks of the river.We started at 06:25hrs.We decided to break at Mathhethi for Tea.Rohit and Rahul zipped away fast. Myself(& Ashutosh) and Harshad went at a steady speed enjoying the ride.

Ashutosh was also running on reserve and we had to fill in fuel.When we were 6kms away from Sathanur, Guru's back tyre got punctured. Ashutosh unscrewed the tyre out from the bike and we tried to contact Rohit - luckily Rohit responded and he was asked to wait in Sathanur. Myself and Harshad slept in the shade of the lone tree in the highway (with all the junta passing by staring at us ), while Ashutosh took Guru along with him to get the typre repaired.I had a nice nap along the along the highway - with the vehicles zipping past me. Ashutosh/Guru/Rahul and Rohit returned back in another 40mins.Ashutosh screwed the tyre back in ,while myself and Harshad had the Masala Dosa that these folks had got from Sathanur. We again started towards Bangalore - this was the last time that i saw Rahul and Rohit - they raced away to Blore.

We reached Sathanur and then continued to procceed towards bangalore.We had a brief stop after that - around 15kms from Bangalore - had fresh coocnout water :) After that , Ashutosh dropped me at Kormangala and we went back.This was a very good trek - i must say , it was one of the finest short treks that i have ever been to in the recent past; and am expecting some other trek to beat this one up hands-down.

[ Well, as I am penning down this, i am thinking about the rafting @ Sitanadi and the trekking at Koodlu Theertha and Kodachari that I will be doing this weekend ]

Trek to Tadiandamol

Starring : Myself, BLD, Harshad, X & Y.
Start Time : 9:45 pm , Friday 23rd June , 2006
End Time : 6:30 am , Sunday 24rd June , 2006
Total trek : 15 kms (approx)

Background :
Tadiandamol happens to be the highest peak in Kodugo (Coorg) District. It reaches an elevation of 5729 feet(1748 m).The Nalaknad palace at the foothills is an important historical landmark. The peak has some beautiful Shola Forests that are characteritic of Southern Western Ghats.

The idea was to reach the summit of Tadiandamol by noon on Saturday and start for Soma-male from there and finish the trek by Sunday evening.

Description:

Harshad came down to my place and we started from Koramangala at 9:45pm on Friday 23rd June, 2006. Before his arrival, i had tried my hands unpacking the tent and found that it was rather cumbersome to fold and place it back into the bag.We had a quick dinner and took an auto and reached Majestic at around 10:10pm. BLD and her pals X and Y also arrived in another 15-20 minutes.The bus to Napoklu was full and hence we had to take a bus to Virajpet; the same bus was later extended till Madikkeri. We got down at Madikkeri.

X and Y decided to drop out of the trek. Myself, BLD and Harshad continued. We had a quick breakfast in a hotel at the Madikkeri bus stand and took a bus to Napoklu. We again took one more bus to reach Kakkabbe. The trek was 'officially' started at 9:30 am, June 24th 2006. We took occasional breaks and kept enquiring the localites whether we were on the right track to Tadiandamol.There is a tar road for around 5-6 kms after which there is a jeep trail for around 1-2km and the rest of the trail (till the summit) has a foot-trail.

There were leeches all around. Every 5-10 minutes we had to check our socks and shoes for leeches(these slimy things.....phewwwww!!!).

At around 12:45 we decided to have lunch and took a particular trail that led us to a small waterfall. I ran towards the waterfall, as it was looking beautiful and thought that this will be the ideal place to break for lunch. But, as we were standing on one of the rocks near the waterfall, we saw that our shoes were covered with leeches - almost 5-6 leeches on each of our legs. We ran out of that place and had to remove all the leeches using the snuff powder. We had to look out for a 'safer-haven' for lunch.There was a big rock on the way, on top of which there were some trekkers who had also come for Tadiandamol. We also had to decide on the future course of the journey;as, we had plans of going to Soma-male, we had to take a call & decide fast as the visibility was dropping. Harshad opined that it was worthless going to the summit, as its going to be only mist (whiteness everywhere) and we cannot have a view from the top; we concurred.

We had 3 options in front of us:
(1) Go back to Bangalore
(2) Finish Tadiandamol and start for Soma-male
(3) Try some tourist spot in Coorg

(2) was not feasible due to monsoon, leeches and poor visibility. (3) was not feasible due to the money factor and also due to the luggage that we were carrying ( and BLD did not have any clothes to change ). Hence (1) was the solution.

After initial scepticisms, we decided to pitch our tent near the rock. It was a fun-time pitching the tent - almost took 45mins , after lots of acrobatics. I must say that pitiching a tent in such a rainy and windy whether was a great team-activity and needs equally great co-ordination among the members. We had our lunch inside the tent. Menu included Bread, Palak Paneer , and Bhindi masala. After lunch, we tried to pack the tent back into the bag - this was another helluva acitivity. The tent had become double heavy (due to water) ; we had to carry this all the way back home. I carried this 20kg tent almost till the base of Tadiandamol and Harshad was kind enough to carry it from there.[ BLD obliged us by not carrying the tent :-) ]

We continues our descent and reached the base. We had a break for around 30mins here; had some biscuits and chocolates and dried our socks and jerkins. We continued from there and reach Nalknad Palace. This was a small 2 storyed house that had no impressions of a Palace - but was good to look at. The door was locked , but Harshad and BLD managed to opened it. We went in and took a stroll. The 'inner' doors of the palace were locked and hence we couldnt go in.

We continued towards the road that would lead us to a bus-stand from where we could catch a bus back home. After halting in a bus-stand for around 15 minutes, we decided that we would go towards Kakkebbe and catch a bus to Virajpet from there. But luckily, we got a bus to Virajpet on the way and we reached there by around 7:30pm. We had dinner at a hotel nearby. Menu included steaming ghee rice, parotta and chappatti along with lemon tea.On reaching the bus stand, we came to know the that the next bus to Blore was only at 10:30 and had to wait till then. The bus finally came in at around 10pm and we all boarded the same and reached Blore at 4:45am.Myself and Harshad bid adieu to BLD and returned back to Koramangala.

I would rate this trek as a typical monsoon trek (2 out of 5) ; a pretty easy one and not quite amusing and would in no way will have lasting memories(except for the leech attack and the tent experience)

Probably, its the leeches that make Monsoon treks what they are. Mist laden mountains and dense forests with constant downpour make the trek interesting.But sometimes, the whiteness of the mists is too boring and can bother any anxious traveller who is constantly on the lookout for something interesting happening around and to find out some beautiful valleys and ridges.

[ No Photos available from this trek; 2 reasons : (i) Constant downpour that would in no way allow us to take our camera out and take snaps and (ii) No camera-batteries]

Travel Expenses :
Bangalore to Virajpet - 173INR
Virajpet to Madikkeri - 22 INR
Madikkeri to Napoklu - 15 INR
Napoklu to Kakkabbe- 15 INR
Kakkabbeto Virajpet - 15 INR

Monsoon Forest Trek - Sakleshpur to Hongadahalla et al.

Introducing : Your Truly and Manish
Starring : Harshad, Ganesh, Vishnu, Laksmhi, Meeliya, Vathsan, Rahul
Start Time : June 3rd , 2006, 10:00 p.m
End Time : June 5rd , 2006, 2:30 a.m

Day 1: 15-17 Kms
Day 2: 7-9 Kms

The starcast was asked to assemble at Platform#3,KSRTC Bus Stand,Majestic at 10pm on June 3. We boarded a bus to Sakleshpur at 11:00pm.The bus was pretty decent and almost everyone was asleep by around 1am. We reached Sakleshpur by 4:30am and were told that there were no direct buses to Bisle and would have to go to Kodu-Raste and continue to look out for options from there.The Bus to Kodu-Raste was supposed to be at 7:00am. In the meantime, myself, Rahul, Manish and Harshad went around the Sakleshpur Bus Stand. Manish enlightened us with his entrepreneurial experiences and the chat mainly centered around the possible entrepreneurial ideas and experiences. Though it was pretty heavy topic to discuss at around 4 in the morning, but it was quite enlightening.Meeliya had a nice sleep till the bus arrived, while Laksmi & Vathsan were having a fun-time with a puppy in the bus-stand.


Finally the bus came at around 7:30am and we proceeded to Kodu-Raste.The bus was a typical red-color(match-box) bus.Though the seats were straight and hard, we managed to sleep for an hour and reached Kodu-Raste at around 8:30am.Then we freshened ourselves and had steaming kodugu , dosas and chappati at a local hotel.Kodugu is a special kind of a dish(similar to Idli) that is made out of rice powder.The owner of the hotel had a sweet little cute toddler(Megha) which winked at everyone whoever said 'kannu-nodu'(blink your eyes). The owner kept referring to Lakshmi as 'young lady' which was quite amusing (was it an 'oxymoron' ??).The sun rose a little up ; the slight drizzle along with the Sun's rays bisecting these water droplets was a treat to watch.


The owner offered to drop us at Haddaluguddu(obviously for Rs.200!!), from where we could actually start our trek. He had a small auto(truck) which is used for transporting goods in this part of the country. 7 of us managed to sit(packed) at the back , whereas Ganesh and Vathsan sat along with the driver. It was a forty minutes drive along sinuous curves and bends; with greenery everywhere - it was a neat-jumpy drive.


We reached Hoddaluguddu at around 10:30am and started the trek after taking a few snaps/snacks here.Ganesh was busy feeding a couple of stray dogs.[ During the entire course of the trek, Ganesh was kind enough to feed all the stray dogs].Lakshmi was the first victim to the leeches. A leech was feeding on her right leg whereas another one had already had its adventure on her left leg and abandoned the place.Ganesh's snuff box came to use and the leech collapsed after he sprinkled some snuff powder on it. We proceeded with the trek after everyone checked their shoes.We continued and climbed up a hillock and had some snacks on the open scrub.In the meantime Harshad ran and climbed up an adjacent hillock , he stood on top of the hillock and waved his hands .I sprinted towards the top and was there in 2 minutes. It was great to see the other 'junta' sitting on top of other hill a few hundred feet away.

From here we had to decide on which path to take to reach the next destination. There were 2 options -
(1) to cut across a forest , climb the hill and reach the other end or
(2) to follow the foot-trail which was already present.

We resorted to the former.We had to wade through dense bushes and plants , and this was the most arduous path of the entire journey.Finally we reached the hill top after almost an hour. As we were about to relax a bit, it started to pour heavily. Myself, Vishnu, Manish,Rahul , Ganesh and Lakshmi went ahead to stand next to a tree whereas Harshad,Vathsan and Meeliya didnt follow us. Rain was pouring heavily and visibility was droppin badly.The cold wind coupled with heavy downpour drenched all of us.The water-resistant bags and wind cheaters were of no use. But, Vishnu found out an ingenious way to light a bidi(country form of a cigarette) and smoke it. Rahul and Ganesh accompanied him.We stood in this heavy downpour for almost 40 minutes. Then we decided that it was of no use to continue standing there and we better move forward, as we had to reach the next destination before dark. Vishnu went back to call the other 3. He went and returned back after 5 minutes to tell us that those 3 were sitting under the tarpaulin and were having panner-butter-masala(we all turned green!!!). Vishnu also happened to see that middle-finger of a guy(Vathsan, of course!!) emerging from the tarpaulin. After sometime Vishnu and Lakshmi went back and snatched the tarpaulin from the top of the guys. Having no options left, the three had to follow us and we continued again.

We reached Mainur at 12:30pm. It was a small village with half-a-dozen huts. We enquired about the route ahead to a couple of localites. One lady said that the route ahead is filled with leeches. We trekked further along paddy fields and land-slidden countours.We had to cross a small-river which was flooding badly and we were looking out for options. There was a burma-bridge(constructed with the locally available bamboo sticks/ropes and coconut tree bark). It was great fun to cross this bridge. Occasionaly, someone would find a leech in his shoe, and Ganesh would be there with his snuff box to lay the leech to rest. :-)

And we finally reached Hongadahalla via Jadagatta at around 6pm(June 3).We had tea and hot upma(with chatni) in the local hotel(Rs.110 for 9) and spent some time there. In the meantime Vishnu and Ganesh hunted for a suitable place to stay during the night.We checked-into the kalyana-mandapa(marriage hall) at around 8:15pm.We spent the night here. The kalayana-mandapa was under-construction. It had a clay floor and an asbestos roof, opened at one end and closed at the other three.The 2 walls on either sides had openings for the windows to be fitted. We spreaded the newspapers and feasted(dinner). Menu included paneer-makhni , Chana-Masala, Cheese-Spreads and slices, Breads, Bisi-Bela-bath and Palak-Paneer (all these were packaged foods that we had brought from Bangalore). Meeliya, Ganesh and Manish had sleeping bags and settled themselves inside it, whereas others had to satisfy themselves with Newspapers. My jeans and t-shirts were wet and heavy. The cold air hitting against me and my clothes were tormenting me and i was shivering badly.I could not sleep for the entire night ; I could hear Rahul(who was sleeping next to me) and Manish snoring to their fullest.

I decided that I would rather opt out and return to Bangalore than continuing with the Day-2 of the trek. I was unsure whether the wet clothes would help me with the trek.

At almost 3.00 am , I found a semi-wet jacket lying on the tarpaulin and tried my luck . I pulled it over myself and slept for around 1 hour 30 mins before someone's voice woke me up. Vishnu lighted the used newspapers outside the kalyana-mandapa. I sat next to the fire and dried myself. For the first time I was feeling 'dry'. My jeans were now crispy dry and my hands were warm.In short, this feeling was far better than the cold night that made my teeth go tittering.All of us vacated the mandapa and went to the hotel and had tea/breakfast(Rs.120 for 9).Ganesh fed 3-4 stray dogs with all the bread packets that we had.

Vishnu, Harshad, Ganesh and Vathsan were planning on the possible routes to trek on Day2. I was still sceptical of whether I should continue or return back to Bangalore.We were told that the bus to Bangalore was at 9:30am. Finally the bus came at around 10:15am and all of us boarded the bus.Meeliya, Manish and Rahul opted out and went back to Bangalore whereas the others(incl me) got down at Kodu-raste and prepared for Day-2 trek. Harshad wanted to go to a 17m water fall that was on the map , but none of the localites knew about the same.We also asked about the KumaraDhara Waterfalls and we were told that it was near KumaraParvatha, which was pretty far from Kodu-raste.We decided to trek to the 17m waterfall.We started at 12:30pm from Kodu-raste in search of the 17m water fall.We walked for around 3 hours before we reached a place

We halted near a streamlet and had lunch.Menu included Paneer-Butter-Masala, Pongal, Masal- Upma, Cheese Slices, Bread and Jam. Rain started as we were in the process of satisfying our apetite , but we continued our rendezvous with the food, as were drop dead hungry.


We continued to trace back the route to reach the bus-stand ; but took a minor diversion to have a view from the top of a hillock. The view from this hillock awestruck me.These were the Western Ghats with the densest forests I have ever seen. We could spot KumaraParvatha and Doddhebeddha. The summit of KumaraParvatha was covered with clouds and mist.The valley was looking beautiful, with hills on either sides. We sat here for around 20 minutes and continued our trek. { Sorry, i dont have words to describe this scenic beauty }

We reached the bus-stand , wherein the bus to Sakleshpur would arrive at around 5pm. [Hence, we did not retrace back the route till Kodu-raste.]We had some biscuits and chikki. The idea of maggie stuck me and i thought about the option of getting hot-water from the local hut. Vathsan had a couple of bites of raw-noodles and in the meantime Ganesh got the hot water(in exchange for a MTR Pongal packet). I mixed the noodles along with the spices in the hot-water (guess this is the easiest recipe that i can prepare !!). All of us had hot semi-cooked maggie. Harshad filtered the spicy-water from the maggie.Just as we were waiting for the bus, myself , Vishnu , Harshad and Vathsan resorted to some 'intellectual' discussions on cross-breeding. We were exploring the possibility of cross-breeding a hen with a dog ; and Vishnu baptised this 'possible' creation as 'Den'. All during the course of this discussiom, Vathsan gave a puzzled look and a question mark hovering over his face (guess all this was above his wavelength!!). The dicussion progressed to a yet another possiblity of cross-breed between 'our-creation' Den and an elephant. We finally abandoned this topic as it was getting highl y scientific and us mere mortals werent aware of the Laws-of-Science and Evolution.


The bus finally arrived at 5:30pm and we reached Sakleshpur by 7:30pm. We were informed that the Bus to Bangalore was rare, and it is better to leave for Hassan and catch a bus to Bangalore from there.We had tea and waited for the bus to either Hassan or Bangalore.Just as we finished our tea a bus to Bangalore arrived and we happily got inside. The bus halted for dinner on a highway stall and we had hot rotis with tea. We reached Bangalore finally at around 2.00 am and officially ended the trek by having a hot-watery-yucky tea in the KSRTC Bus Stand.Myself and Harshad were all game to trek back to Koramangla from Majestic; however, we(incl ganesh) finally hired an auto(at double the cost) and came back home.

As I look back at this trip, I must say without any qualms that this trek was a beautiful trek to start with during the monsoon season. The nature's pristine beauty coupled with a neat clean air gave no room for any kind of cold/fever to affect us.As I pen down this experience, i must say that the trek-group was awesome and I am looking forward to more treks in the coming months with them.