Swifted : Bisle, Belur, Halebid, Chikmagalur, Kemmangundi

[ravibhat]

Interesting trip, I left from Mullayana giri (Kemmangundi) area on 17th morning around 10AM to reach Bangalore by 4PM. Perfect time to visit that area except for very bad roads in few places. Looking into road work I feel in couple of years If same governement stays in Karnataka expect road will be better.

20 months back When I took my Innova to Kemmangundi area I felt bad about roads and this time its even worse! But we enjoyed it this time.

Please give update about Chikamagalur - Muthodi - Chikamagalur and duration taken to complete this and what all you explored there? Did you take Bhadra jungle Safari?

How is Gorur dam ? and road from it towards Besle. I understand Bisle ghat road is not good.

How is road condition from Sakaleshpur to Belur ? I guess you have taken inside direct route. There is one more via Mudigere which is good as well I heard.

Ravi.

[laluks]

Interesting trip, I left Kemmangundi on 17th morning to reach Bangalore by 4PM. Perfect time to visit that area except for very bad roads in few places. Looking into road work I feel in couple of years If same governement stays in Karnataka expect road will be better.

From Kemmangundi I took the road via Lingdahalli, back to Chikmagalur. This took me 1.5 hours to be back in Chickmagalur.
I reached kemmangundi via the normal road near Budhangiri hills and the Bhadra natural reserve forest. This was bad roads.

Please give update about Chikamagalur - Muthodi - Chikamagalur and duration taken to complete this and what all you explored there? Did you take Bhadra jungle Safari?

Chickmagalur Muthodi was 32 Km and 45 minutes. The last 2km was too bad till the camp. Safari i did not take, this was to see what the place had to offer. But I did drive through till the end of the reserve forest, could have gone further up all the way to Kemmangundi - but the roads do not exist, but still you can drive

How is Gorur dam ? and road from it towards Besle. I understand Bisle ghat road is not good.

Gorur dam was full. 1 more feet to spill over.
Gorur to Bisle via Kodlipet - forget it, unless you like to see the regions.

How is road condition from Sakaleshpur to Belur ? I guess you have taken inside direct route. There is one more via Mudigere which is good as well I heard.

Sakleshpur to Belur is again Horror.
Better would be drive till Hassan and the beautiful take Hassan Belur road, would be even faster to reach


BTW, congrats for your Safari. 4x4?

[ravibhat]

Thanks for fast response, You did right thing in travelling! Good choice of routes.

Sakaleshpur to chikamagalur better route is via hassan (best one) or via mudigere too then. I wanted to reach Sakeleshpur on oct. 16th from sirsi - teertahalli-koppa-mudigere and explore bisle ghat area and return back to Bangalore via madikeri by oct. 18th. But I changed my plan and came via shimoga-kemmangundi-chikamagalur to Bangalore this time. there is always next time. Muttodi i wanted to visit from last 6 years. I guess next year I would cover this. I heard there is jungle safari. by the way did you spot any animals there ? My true feeling is spotting animals is not easy in this region like Dandeli etc...

I guess Safari deal is almost done still ball is in my court, I think 99% i made up my mind to own it. It is 4X4 one but I am not interested to use it in 4X4 mode unless it really needed (thanks to my poor driving skills) and I don't want my drivers to enjoy it LOL

Ravi.

PS Coming week end is long one I think or let me convert it to long week end!!

[laluks]

Originally Posted by ravibhat

Muttodi i wanted to visit from last 6 years. I guess next year I would cover this. I heard there is jungle safari. by the way did you spot any animals there ? My true feeling is spotting animals is not easy in this region like Dandeli etc...

Saw the usual deer, and some monkeys
The safari is by morning and evening for some hours. They take you further inside the forest on some mud trails. I did not want to spent time as I can see more than that in Bannerghatta zoo.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by laluks

Chickmagalur Muthodi was 32 Km and 45 minutes. The last 2km was too bad till the camp. Safari i did not take, this was to see what the place had to offer. But I did drive through till the end of the reserve forest, could have gone further up all the way to Kemmangundi - but the roads do not exist, but still you can drive

Lalu, do you mean you could drive through the Muthodi WLS? No check post restrictions?
What is the exact route that you took to Muthodi?

[laluks]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Lalu, do you mean you could drive through the Muthodi WLS? No check post restrictions?
What is the exact route that you took to Muthodi?

Well it seemed like that. From IG road in Chikmagalur, I took left to Muthodi and 30KM later there was a checkpost. Nobody asked anything there in the next 2Km I reached the nature camp. This two kilometeres and further was horrible roads. Nobody stopped me there also. I kept driving further in the broken road another 10Km when I saw a board saying WLS limit ends. Further on the road did not look promising, but still went ahead a bit more and turned back. This road if you continue will reach kemmangundi according to a local, he was surprised to see a swift though!

On return the checkpost asked me to enter the details of the vehicle in their register. I was there 10Am - 11AM. probably night they won't allow. But I did not check that.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by laluks

Well it seemed like that. From IG road in Chikmagalur, I took left to Muthodi and 30KM later there was a checkpost. Nobody asked anything there in the next 2Km I reached the nature camp. This two kilometeres and further was horrible roads. Nobody stopped me there also. I kept driving further in the broken road another 10Km when I saw a board saying WLS limit ends. Further on the road did not look promising, but still went ahead a bit more and turned back. This road if you continue will reach kemmangundi according to a local, he was surprised to see a swift though!

On return the checkpost asked me to enter the details of the vehicle in their register. I was there 10Am - 11AM. probably night they won't allow. But I did not check that.

I suppose it is the Chickmagalur-Jakkanahalli-Malandur-Muthodi WLS road that you took. If that is, I have stayed in a homestay (planter's ex-bungalow) called Woodway Estate off Jakanahalli, exactly 17 kms from Chickmagalur.

[laluks]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

I suppose it is the Chickmagalur-Jakkanahalli-Malandur-Muthodi WLS road that you took. If that is, I have stayed in a homestay (planter's ex-bungalow) called Woodway Estate off Jakanahalli, exactly 17 kms from Chickmagalur.

Malandur, yes I remember having passed that.
The log book is at office. I'll confirm tomorrow.

[laluks]

Day 1, 17th October 2009

Bangalore - Shravenbelagola - Gorur Dam - Bisle Ghats - Subramanya - Shiradi Ghats - Sakleshpur -Belur -Chikmagalur

We left home at 04:30AM in our Red Riding Hood. We had taken the NICE road for a change. We got into NH48 and did some comfortable driving. By 07:30AM we had 30Km more to Shravenbelagola.


Around 07:45AM we took the left turn from NH48 to Shravenbelagola. Some views on that road.





We reached Shravenbelagola by 08:00AM. Had breakfast and started to climb the steps by 08:30AM.

Shravenbelagola is famous for its 17.5m(57feet) high statue of Gomateshwara, a Jain deity. Shravenbelagola ( which means Monk of the white pond) is nestled by Vindhyagiri and Chandragiri hills.



The naked statue of Gomateshwara is on the Vindhyagiri hill. It can be reached by a climb of around 620 rock cut steps. Thoug the climb is steep, the steps are not very steep steps and one can climb slowly and comfortably up.

The steps to the top



A view down on the other hill.


Foot prints


A temple atop the hill.


The deities inside the temple.




Odegal Basti





Scripts on the stone





Tyagada Kamba







continued...

[laluks]

Day 1, 17th October 2009 Continued.

Shravenbelagola

Some beautiful sculptures.





Akhanda Bhagilu




Some more scripts


My younger daughter is overwhelmed by the beauty and thinking- why everywhere they made these sculptures??


Some more beautiful sculptures.













continued...

[laluks]

Day 1, 17th October 2009 Continued

Shravenbelagola

Bahubali renounced all his material wealth and meditated in the forest. He stood still until he got enlightenment. You can see an anthill at his feet, and vines around his legs. Every 12 years, next one in 2018, Mahamastabhishekha ceremony will happen.





The dvarapala image (guardian deity) to the left of Bahubali


The dvarapala image (guardian deity) to the right of Bahubali


There are many small statues of Jain Thirthankaras in the corridors behind the statue.





In the courtyard


Kushmandini Devi


My younger one posing around



My elder one too! posing at the entrance to the temple of Bahubali



Chennana Basti







The main entrance to all the temples on hilltop


The pond below and the other hill


The steps going down.


The main entrance to the Hill. We were back here by 10:15AM



We finished Shravenbelagola and decided to go to Belur. So we are back again on NH48 and continued onward. Who knew plans will change soon




continued...

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Lalu, do you mean you could drive through the Muthodi WLS? No check post restrictions?
What is the exact route that you took to Muthodi?

Yes, there is no restriction. I have driven past this place on different occasions. Once even did a Jeep Safari in my Jeep inside the forest with a guide on the back.

I have driven here from both sides:

From Balehonnur side: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-e...-otr-meet.html

I also found the the route from Kemmanugundi: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/1117952-post28.html

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Yes, there is no restriction. I have driven past this place on different occasions. Once even did a Jeep Safari in my Jeep inside the forest with a guide on the back.

I have driven here from both sides:

From Balehonnur side: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-e...-otr-meet.html

I also found the the route from Kemmanugundi: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/1117952-post28.html

Thanks, Samurai, the links were very useful - an exciting route to be taken for the future!

I can now see 3 roads converging on Muthodi - (1) the direct road from Chickmagalur via Malandur, (2) the road from Kadabegere/Balehonnur, and (3) the onward road to Kemmanangundi

By any chance, do you also have the GPS points for the route?

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

I can now see 3 roads converging on Muthodi - (1) the direct road from Chickmagalur via Malandur, (2) the road from Kadabegere/Balehonnur, and (3) the onward road to Kemmanangundi

The road from Chikmagalur to Malandur, is that the same road that goes to Mullaingiri, Babubudangiri hills and Datta Peeta via Kaimara?

Originally Posted by hvkumar

By any chance, do you also have the GPS points for the route?

I was not GPS aware then, but I am now. All these places are within 4 hours from my place, I should be able to map them one of these weekends.

[Roameo]

Excellent coverage of Shravanabelgola , Beautiful picture and the photos of the Information boards is really useful.

I have been there when I was about 6 years of age. Now I have another weekend destination on my list.