Trip to Kodaikanal - Kodai Lake Top View

Hey friends.........I know i better be sorry for all this time that i took for my next blog.....but i promise, i will not be late anymore and start off with the next place which i had visited, Kodaikanal....

Kodaikanal is a place in Tamilnadu at a distance of 480 kms from Bangalore and 500 kms from Chennai. If you want to fly to this place, the nearest point is Coimbatore, which is 180 kms from Bangalore or to Madurai, which is 120 kms. From here, you can either take a train or bus to reach Kodai.

Top Veiw Kodai Lake

The city of Kodaikanal, with its serene hills and its incredibly captivating cool weather is a place worth visiting. Kodai is located at 21.45 sqkm above the sea level, amidst Pali hills with wooded slopes, most beautiful waterfalls and the most famous Kodai lake at the heart of the city providing a rather cooling effect for the dwellers. There are a number of nice resorts where one can book in advance.

Trip to Kodaikanal - Kodai Lake .....

Kodaikanal, previously kodai, is situated in the dindugal district of Tamilnadu at 2100meters above sea level, with the nearest airport located at Madurai. When I reached the place, it was early morning and the resort where I was to stay was facing the famous star-shaped lake giving a picturesque view of the lake and the fog that was just drifting away gallantly as if the lake was blanketed by it and since it was morning the lake had to remove its blanket and wake upJ. The best time to visit Kodai is all through the year, but it is suggestible to avoid monsoon.

Top View of Kodai Lake

The actual kodaikanal town is situated around this lake and all the houses have woods for their backyards. This hill resort was discovered way back when the British ruled our country, hence amounting for various places named in British style. The weather was so breath holding that I was transfixed at where I was standing, enjoying the cheerful lake and the chirping of the birds among the trees in the resort. The climate in this hill station varies from moderate to cold and I noticed that as the day proceeded, it became a little humid.

One can spend some time walking around the place just feeling the favoritism that God had when he created such an awesome place. The lake is spread over 60 acres and is surrounded by a tarred road allowing people to walk around or go biking around the lake and satisfy the greed of their eyes. One can take pictures in this place and can decorate their walls proudly. Boating facility is also available in this lake. The whole town is a labyrinth of advertisements of home-made chocolates, churches and hotels. The buildings with gabled roof dot the skyline. Next to the lake is the famous Bryant Park, which hosts horticultural shows every year. As soon as one enters the park, its mammoth collection of various flowers makes one feel that one is entering into a whole new world, a world full of colors. Cut flowers are exported from here. Kodai is also famous for its dry flowers which can boost the beauty of every home for more than 2 years.

Running away from the hot and rusty road to a serene and cool hill station and driving along those snake-like roads is a pleasure and an ease from all the hues of urban life. The lights of the town shone like stars in the sky as if competing with the light in the sky, welcome everyone into the town’s exquisite view for an outsider.

Trip to Coorg - Raja Seat, Omkareshwara Temple, Abbey falls and The Museum...

Hey there....Hope everyone of you have been keeping up your spirits and doing good with your lives ;). Lemme now finish about Coorg as it has been too long that i have been prolonging :)

My next trip on the following day was to the Raja Seat which as its name suggests served as a relaxation and recreation park for many years for the then kings spent their evenings.This park also serves as a sunset view point, which every romantic heart aches to get a glimpse of. Raja seat also has a musical fountain which starts at 6.30 - 7 PM and provides nice entertainment, mainly to the kids.The Raja's tomb which stands tall in the amidst of this park was built in 1820 in memory of "Veerarajendra".Another attraction in this park for children is the toy train doing rounds in the park and thus providing one singular entertainment for kids.

After spending a relishing time in this Raja Seat, my next trip was to the temple that is inside the town of kodagu, the Omkareshwara temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva.This temple's construction is a blend of Islamic and Gothic style. Infront of the temple is the pond which gives shelter to many a fish. one can offer food to these fish, as no one is allowed to enter into this pond, which is a step taken to protect the fish. This temple was built by Lingarajendra II in 1820, with a dome on the top.

From here, i headed to the next tourist spot, Abbey falls, located at 9km from the Madikeri town. Amidst private coffee plantations, abbey falls provides a spectacular sight of cascading water., making it a picnic destination.one can hear the roaring sound of water from a distance. There is a hanging bridge here from upon which one can have a clear view of the waterfalls, as no one is allowed to go near the water.

My next and the last destination in Coorg was the Government Museum, which was established in 1971 to preserve the relics of the cultural heritage. The museum is open to the public from 10 AM to 5.30 PM and it is free of charge. Ancient collections like the pillars of Jain Theertankaras, bronze statues, stone pillars of Hindu culture, swords of Veerarajendra period, guns of past century, Folk bronze statues ans stone inscriptions and also some personal belongings of Field Marshal Cariappa. The architecture of this building is of 150 years old Roman Gothic style.

So, with that amusing museum visit, we come to the end of the trip to Madikeri, Coorg. Wait up for the next blog of another trip to a place called Kodaikanal in Tamilnadu. Untill then, do take care of yourselves and......

Saonara :)

Trip to Coorg - Dubare, Nisargadhama and Namdroling Monastry ...

Hi Friends, From temples, let me just drift to the wonders of nature. The next day I was all set to travel and explore what I can in this beautiful picturesque place. The place to where I was heading called, Dubare, the elephant camp. The elephants for the Mysore Dussehra festival are trained here. The camp is situated between a very awesome scenic waters flowing around. To reach the camp, one has to travel in a boat. One can not only see the training, but also can play around and offer some food to the elephants. While returning from the camp, one can actually walk on the rocks where water is flowing and it is not very deep, in the months of march, april and may. It is fun walking around on the rocks while the water is playing around on your feet J. People interested in rafting can have one helluva experience here.

Carrying all these wonderful experiences to reminiscent for a life time, I headed to the next wonder of the nature called Nisargadhama, a forest resort, situated at 2km from kushal nagara and at a distance of 28km from Madikeri. This resort is a beautiful 64-acre island on the river Cauvery. This resort is blessed with green foliage as background and river Cauvery flowing by. The attractions here are boating and this place gives shelter to many animals. There are some medicinal plants that are grown inside the resort. There are elephant rides that facilitate the forest exploration. I had gone for boating and trust me; it was one unexplainable experience in the flowing waters of Cauvery with the trees bending into the waters as if to relax by the cooling effect that the river provides. There is a small stall put up just as you come up after a relaxing boating experience, where you can do a little shopping and there is a small restaurant if you are hungry :).

With all these memoirs, I proceeded my trip further to Bylakuppe, which is located 40km from Madikeri. In the exodus from Tibet that followed the 1959 Chinese invasion, thousands of Tibetan refugees settled here in Bylakuppe. This is an area where Tibetan arts and crafts are practiced. Here in Bylakuppe lies the Namdroling Monastry, a home to 500 Tibetan monks and upholds the teachings of Buddha till date. The Monastry belongs to Sangha community and preserves the Buddha preachings. Visiting the Golden temple here is just like visiting Tibet. Namdroling Monastry is the largest teaching centre of Nyingmapa; a lineage of Tibetan Buddhism in the world. The shiny Namdroling Monastry has gigantic gold plated statues of Tibetan deities, Guru Padmasambhava, Buddha Shakyamuni and Amitayus which reflect the rich cultural heritage of Tibetans. The whole place is echoed with soulful acoustics, visual brilliance and a simple way of leading life. Visiting Namdroling Monastry was worth watching. Near to Monastry there is shopping complex so do get some Tibetan things for your home.

Oops!!! I forgot to tell you about few more places…… Wait for next blog…. .till then, take care and SAONARA J

Trip to Coorg - Thalacauvery Temple and Brahamagiri hills view

Hi friends, lets continue with more of coorg's attractions… I hope and wish that all your minds have been under the lingering effect of the "Scotland of India", Madikeri, lying at 1525 ft above the sea level ……..

The same day I had been to Thalacauvery, the birth place of "Cauvery" river and the most significant pilgrimage center mesmerizing many of the tourists with its unprecedented view of the valley. This place is at a distance of 48km from Madikeri and 8 km from Bhagandeshwara Temple. The Cauvery River is one of the seven sacred rivers for Hindus in India. The Thalacauvery settles its way up in the Brahmagiri hills flanked and guarded by forests and hills on all sides. The original place of birth of the river Cauvery is a pit like formation known as "Brahma-Kundike". Tourists and pilgrims are not allowed to touch the water in order to maintain its piousness.

This place is about 4,500ft above the sea level. According to a mythical legend, Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh gave darshan to the great sage Agastya under the holy Ashwatha tree. This tree is well preserved and open for tourists display. Hence Talacauvery is not is famous as a source of holy Cauvery but has an integral part in the religious beliefs of the Hindus.

On their trip to Talacauvery, tourists can visit the Brahmagiri peak. It is said that the peak was the site of the special yagna performed by the seven sages or the "Sapta Maharishis". This place provides breathtaking views of the Brahamagiri hills. After a tiring (call it tiring because it was a really hot day) day, I called it a day. The view from the hill top was astonishing. I'll leave you with some of snaps from the hill top.

So….will meet u all in the next blog….till then, take care and SAONARA J

Trip to Coorg - Bhagandeshwara Temple and Triveni Sangam

Hi friends, I am back with another trip to a place in Karnataka, called coorg. The age old name of coorg is "Kodagu", which along with the time changed to coorg.

Madikere (as the place is called), is a place in Coorg , a district in Karnataka, famous for its marvelous scenic beauty and its paradigm waterfalls. The place has been receiving laudatory response from the tourists from ages. The place is also famous for its replete coffee plantations.

I had been there on nascent hot weather announcing the early summer. But still when I landed there, the place was relieving cool. The pristine hills inhabited by people, small ponds and lakes here and there between the houses made picture perfect scenery. The natives are proud of the copious supply of pure natural honey that they get from the nearby forest.

I was left with a choice of visiting first the temples or the forest or the waterfalls. I was like Huckleberry Finn wrestling with a dilemma. After much deliberation, I decided to visit the temples first. The first temple that I visited is Bhagandeshwara temple which is on the bank of Sangam, a place of high religious importance to Hindus, where three rivers, Kaveri , Kannika and the subterranean river Sujyothi meet. It is located at a distance of 40km from Madikere. As it was an approaching summer day, the water was not much to my expectations but it was worth visiting. All the three rivers were traversing through the temple into the faraway woods and one could hear the clamor made by the dashing waters. A 100 meters walk from the Sangam took me to the Bhagandeshwara temple , the most enticing structure of kodagu, built by the kings of Chola Dynasty in unmatched Kerala architecture. As the legend goes, Sage Bhagamangala placed a Shiva linga inside the temple and worshipped. The temple encompasses shrines of Lord Ganesha, Mahavishnu and Subrahmanya. The best time to catch a glimpse of this temple is during the "Hutari" festival, which marks the celebration of new grains. Legends also has it that every year on Tulasankramana day (approximately on 17th October) Goddess Parvati appears in the Kundike as the sacred teerthodbhava. This occasion is marked by the sudden upsurge of water in the kundike and is considered very auspicious.

Check out the snaps friends and trust me, this place is one worth visiting. This is going to take more than one blog to describe piously about Coorg. So, keep reading my blog and keep blogging and be in the reverie of coorg.

Shravs signing off….Take care…Saonara….. J

Trip to pearl valley....

Hi Guys,

I know its actually been a little longer than anticipated but anyways, back with the blog.....

Today, I am going to write about one of the nearest picnic spots to Bangalore...Pearl Valley....called as Muthyala Maduvu in local language.....

There is a natural waterfall among the hills in the valley. There are naturally formed pools of water in the valley, but to reach these pools one needs to trek a little...one needs to step down more than 350 steps to reach this waterfall.....

I had been there on a hot summer day and trust me, one should never visit this place around march as the waterfall doenst have much water......

Its human psycology to think that going by the name, Pearl valley, one might find pearls in this valley :) but the truth is that the name pearl valley is by the pearl-like water drops falling from the water fall...

This place is approximately 40kms from bangalore city.....The temperature ranges from 35 to 20 degrees in summers. The best time to visit this place would be the rainy season when the waterfall is full of water and the pools are also are at their best. The only restaurant upon the valley is quite decent and the food is also quite good.

Being the popular picnic spot, the pearl valley has a darker side to it. It has lot of litter everywhere near the waterfall. I would advise people to go in groups, just to be on the safer side.

To reach pearl valley, drive away from bannerghatta till you reach a small place called anekal and take a right turn and then a 10 min drive will take you there. The roads are also quite good.

So, if you have a day to spare and want to get of he city hues, pearl valley is a nice and enjoyable picnic spot....check out the pics...

And...wait for more from me...meet you all in th next blog......till then

Take care and ....SAONARA...

Introduction....

Hey there....This is Sravanthi, interested in writing, dance and music.

Like everyone else who is born in India, I too love India and in my opinion, there is a lot to be explored here, be it places, be it the history of India, be it the mystic charm that has been alluring the explorers all over the world to come here again and again to unveil the mysteries....but still there are only few people succeeding in only revealing few of the mysteries....Everything about my country charms and amuses me to the extent that I am most of the time, awestruck.

The scenic beauty that is seen in India is also something which is very often compared to heaven on earth...I love travelling to all the places known, little known and unknown to the world and to the people living in India.So, i thought of sharing my ideas and opinions and few snaps showcasing the incomprehensible beauty of the places i have visited...till now....

I would start with the city I live in, Bangalore, the green city, the garden city.

So, keep reading my blog and keep blogging