[bnzjon]

My Sojourn - Chennai to Wayanad via Mysore

‘All work and no play make Jack a dull boy’ is probably a saying which we have heard ever since we were in our teens. However the 21st century Jack is not the one to be a dull boy without play; for work is worship for him and the four corners of his office walls is equivalent to the Vatican Garden. But then the good old Compliance and Regulatory rules comes to his rescue and compels him to bid good bye to his office for a pleasant 10 days which we mortals refer to as Mandatory leave out of office premises.

I have just been to heaven and back on one such mandatory leave, and trust me I was accompanied by the most beautiful creations of FIAT – The Linea TJET. My journey to ‘God’s Own Country’ i.e. Kerala and ‘The Land of the Royals’ - Mysore was a complete 1400 Kilometers journey which went without a hitch. Time out from Work with family certainly acts as a rejuvenation that catapults you to action once you are back to the Mecca of your Work Place.

Wayanad in Kerala was my evident choice for a retreat as its flora and fauna attracts the nature lovers without fail. According to archaeological evidence, the Wayanad forests have been inhabited for more than three thousand years and the town was ruled by Vedar kings. After a stint in the lap of nature invigorating ourselves I drove down to attain royal bliss in the land of the Maharajas – Mysore; a historical town with prime importance during India’s Independence struggle. The beautiful city charmed us with its palaces et al.

Soon it was time for me to realize that ‘time’ actually was slipping out of my hands as my holiday was about to come to an end. Ten days of a family vacation did nothing but good to me and this ‘Jack’ certainly is back with a bang to fulfill his work obligations with same rigor as ever.

Date :
June first week
Wayanad : 4 full days
mysore : 2 full days

Stayed at :
Wayanad : Banasura Hill Resorts , Vellamunda, Wayanad Banasura Resort - Wayanad | Kerala Eco Hotel | Nature Resorts | India
Mysore : Ginger Hotels, Vasant Mahal Road Ginger Hotels

Route -
Chennai (NH4) - Sriperumbadur -Vellore - Vaniayambadi - Krishnagiri - Hosur - Bangalore Electronic City - Nice Road - Mandya (SH17) - Mysore - Nanjangudu - Gundlupet - Bandipur National park - Sulthan Bathery - Beenakshi - Panamaram - Wayanad

Total Distance (one way) :
Chennai - Mysore : approx 480 kms
Mysore - Wayanad : approx 120 kms

Weather
Wayanad : Monsoon. It was raining non-stop
Mysore : Pleasant with scattered rainfall but was sunny for major part of the day

Toll paid (Single entry) :
Sriperumbadur - Rs. 35
Channasamudaram - Rs. 25
Pallikonda : Rs. 60
Vaniyambadi : Rs. 60
Krishnagiri : Rs. 50
Attibele : Rs. 20
Hosur Road : Rs. 35

Holiday Package :

Wayanad : Banasura Hill Resort (3 star)
Package Rate : Rs. 23,500 (less 10 percent discount) for 4D/3N stay for a couple
included
> Welcome drink on arrival (herbal tea)
> Cookies & fruit basket in room on arrival day
> Guided visit to a tribal colony
> Guided plantation tour
> Kuruva Island or Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuary
> Banasura Dam
> Guided Trekking to Water falls

Room type : Earth room
Rammed earth architecture room had an area of close to 400 square feet with king-sized beds, large wooden wardrobes and luggage racks, cozy rattan chairs and attached toilets. Large windows facing the surrounding landscape.

Spa with ayurvedic treatment is excellent.

Mysore : Ginger Hotels (budget business hotel)
Rate : Rs. 2,999 for 3D/2N stay for a couple

Room type : Standard airconditioned room. Meals and other facilities on payable basis.
Breakfast @ Rs. 125; Lunch and Dinner buffet @ Rs. 525 per person
Inhouse Cafe Coffee Day

Some excerpts from the website of Banasura Hill resorts about the place



Bali was a very benevolent king and a devotee of Lord Vishnu. Bali had a hundred sons, of whom Banasura with his thousand arms was the eldest. Banasura was a devotee of Lord Siva, and when Siva performed his famous 'Tandav' dance, Banasura used his thousand arms to play the 'mridanga' in accompaniment. Pleased with his devotion, Lord Shiva asked Banasura to demand a boon. Banasura asked for Siva to be his protector just like Lord Vishnu was his father's protector. The boon was granted, and Banasura became invincible. Soon he became cruel and arrogant, so much so, even the gods were afraid of him.

Banasura had a pretty daughter by the name of Usha. Many suitors came asking for her hand, but Banasura refused them all and had her shut in a fortress called 'Agnigarh' along with her friends. In her sleep Usha saw a handsome young man and fell in love with him. Chithralekha was a close friend of Usha and a great artist. She drew a picture of the young man based on Usha's descriptions. When the drawing was completed, they both knew the young man was Anirudh, the grandson of Lord Krishna. Using her magical powers Chithralekha flew to Dwaraka and brought Anirudh to Usha's side, and they lived together.

In course of time Banasura learned about this and flew into a rage. He bound Anirudh with snakes and had him imprisoned. When Lord Krishna heard about this he came with a mighty army to rescue Anirudh. A great battle ensued. Lord Siva joined the fray, fighting on behalf of Banasura. But even after prolonged fighting Lord Siva was not able to defeat Lord Krishna, and eventually sued for peace, begging Lord Krishna to spare the life of his devotee Banasura. Lord Krishna agreed and granted immortality to Banasura, but cut off all but four of his thousand arms. He brought Anirudh and Usha to Dwaraka amidst much rejoicing and jubilation. Banasura retired into the Himalayas to spend the remainder of his life in the service of Lord Siva.

The above picture shows the hill in Wayanad district of Kerala named after Banasura, at the foot of which the Banasura Hill Resort is located.

The windows of the main building of the resort open out to magnificent views of the Banasura Hill. The Banasura Sagar Dam close by, is the largest earthen dam in India, and the second largest in Asia.



The late 18th century was a time of wars for the British in India. In the south, Tipu Sultan of Mysore who also ruled over north Kerala was fighting a loosing battle against the British. It was at this time that Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja revolted against the British in Kerala. His revolt was not a freedom struggle, but was directed against the unpopular and unjust tax policies imposed by the British.

When Tipu ruled Kerala from Mysore, taxes were collected directly from the farmers bypassing the landlords. The British changed this and decided to collect taxes directly from the Kings. The amount fixed as tax by the British was unreasonable and people did not have the capacity to pay that much. Faced with revolts from the people, the kings were unable to collect the taxes.

The Revolt:Pazhassi Raja, who was loved by his people, stopped collecting taxes and this upset the British. The Raja further threatened to cut down all the black pepper vines in his kingdom if they persisted in revenue collection. Since the king was popular, they had to stop collecting tax for sometime. An unsuccessful effort was made by the British to capture the Raja in his own palace at Pazhassi but he had already escaped to the mountains of Wayanad.

The Raja waged a guerilla war from the mountains of Wayanad. The British strategy was to isolate the Raja from his supporters and they succeeded and he was left roaming in the forests with his wife and few supporters.

Very soon the British troops captured, surrounded and shot the Raja dead in an encounter. With the death of Pazhassi Raja, the resistance movement in north Kerala came to an end. His body was taken back with respect by the British and cremated.

Legend says that the hill seen from the windows of the main building of the resort was the place where Pazhassi Raja and his wife took shelter. This hill is popularly known as the Banasura hill. Those who accompanied the Raja and his wife during their sojourn in the forests were the tribes of Banasura Hill.

No more dialogues. Some pictures from my Nokia N8

Disclaimer : the picture quality will be average as i irresponsibly dropped my camera and had to capture the beauty of the place with my Nokia N8.

My ride



Pictures of Banasura Hill Resort - Asia's largest 'Earth' Resort.

[bnzjon]

Parts of Wayanad
(Disclaimer : the picture quality will be average as i irresponsibly dropped my camera and had to capture the beauty of the place with my Nokia N8)





On way to the water falls and stream.




















Pookat lake -Natural fresh water lake surronded by mountains on all sides









On way to the dam. You need to walk a distance of about a km to reach the top of the dam.


View from the Banasura Sagar Dam - It is the largest 'earthen' dam in India and the second largest in Asia
The Dam is 21 kms from Kalpetta town. The dam has speed boating rides as well. It was suspended due to the monsoons.



Cocoa Seed


Jackfruit - June is the end of season for this fruit


Mallu (kerala) Food - Papaddam, Avial, Fish Curry, Moru Curry, Vegetable curry, Thoran (cabbage), Chicken fry and Kerala rice.



Due to the monsoon, Kuruva Island and the Tholpetty wildlife sanctuary was closed.
Spend a full day in the spa and enjoyed the ayurveda massages and treatment.

[bnzjon]

Mysore
On our way back from Wayanad, we halted at the city of palaces and gardens - Mysuru.

(Disclaimer : the picture quality will be average as i irresponsibly dropped my camera and had to capture the beauty of the place with my Nokia N8)

Chamundeshwari Temple atop Chamundi Hills - The temple is dedicated to Sri Chamundeshwari, the titular deity of the Mysore Royal Family also described as ‘Mahishasura Mardini’ for having killed the buffalo headed demon Mahishasura. The temple has a very beautiful idol of the goddess wearing a garland of skulls. Goddess Chamundeshwari, also spelled Chamundeswari is an incarnation of Goddess Durga, Goddess Kali is also referred to as the Goddess Chamundi.








St Philiomena Church -is one of the oldest churches in India. It is over 200 years old. When the capital of Mysore state was moved from Srirangapatnam to Mysore city in 1799, many British officers and soldiers came and settled down in Mysore. The Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar III realized the need for a Christian church for these people. So the Maharaja gave them a small plot of land on the Mysore-Bangalore Road and a little church came up there. As the city expanded and the Christian population of the city increased there was a need for a larger church. So plans for made to build a larger church and thus came into existence the famous St. Philomena Church of Mysore. Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV laid the foundation of the new church on October 28th, 1933 that was to be built in the place of the small church built by his grandfather.



Tipu Sultan's statue outside the Mysore Palace



Mysore Palace at dawn - The Amba Vilasa Palace as the Mysore Palace is known, is an excellent combination of Dravidian, Indo-Saracenic, Oriental and Roman styles of architecture.





One of the most unforgettable images of the palace is the image of the illuminated Mysore Palace against the dark black sky. I was informed that it takes ninety seven thousand light bulbs to produce this enchanting image of the Palace.



There are twelve temples inside the Mysore Palace complex dating from the fourteenth to the twentieth centuries and have varying architectural styles.



Mysore Zoo - Giraffe was the main attraction of the zoo.











Our own desi Wax Musuem - called Melody World Wax Musuem



Tipu Sultan's summer palace (Dariya Daulat Bagh)
Hydar Ali started the construction of this palace, which was completed by his son Tipu Sultan in 1791. This palace was exclusively built to run the durbar, which would deal with the happenings in the territory. This unique structure was completely built of wood so commonly known as Wooden Palace. Everything used to construct palace, right from its delicately carved pillars, its beams and ceiling is in wood.



Tipu Sultan's Tomb (Gol Gumbaaz)
Tipu Sultan, his father Hyder Ali and his Mom are buried in this place





Sangam - It is the place of religious importance where the river LokPavani meets Cauvery . We could see the two shiva lingas at the junction of the rivers

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Travelogues forum. Thanks for sharing!

[Fauji]

bnzjon,

Nice to read your TL.

How is Banasura Hill resort? Have they improved their food deparatment? We were there in May and it was really bad. Wayanad like other parts of Western Ghats look heavenly in Monsoon. We had recounted our experince in this TL

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ad-malnad.html

[bnzjon]

Originally Posted by Fauji

bnzjon,

Nice to read your TL.

How is Banasura Hill resort? Have they improved their food deparatment? We were there in May and it was really bad. Wayanad like other parts of Western Ghats look heavenly in Monsoon. We had recounted our experince in this TL

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ad-malnad.html

Thanks Fauji.

I have gone through your TL and should say, its very impressive.

The food i would say improved from what we had on day 1.
The MD was in the resort when i expressed my disappointment with the food and i should say, the food improved quite a lot in the next 2 days.

I wouldn't say the food (taste) was world class but they were average. I desperately wanted perfect mallu food but they messed it up. The reason given was that they get people from TN and Bangalore, so they need to take care of everyone's taste bud. In the end, the food was neither mallu nor bangalorean. It was a mix of all South Indian flavour . We could manage without much fuss.

The resort, place and the surroundings were so beautiful and heavenly which made us forget these shortcomings.

[vinucv]

Excellent travelogue. Thanks for sharing! I am planning for an overnight stay in Mysore on my way to calicut. What do you think the must visit places as i may be able to spare a day there.

[bnzjon]

Originally Posted by vinucv

Excellent travelogue. Thanks for sharing! I am planning for an overnight stay in Mysore on my way to calicut. What do you think the must visit places as i may be able to spare a day there.

In a day you can cover the following :

Chamundeshwari Temple atop Chamundi Hills - The temple is dedicated to Sri Chamundeshwari, the titular deity of the Mysore Royal Family also described as ‘Mahishasura Mardini’ for having killed the buffalo headed demon Mahishasura. The temple has a very beautiful idol of the goddess wearing a garland of skulls. Goddess Chamundeshwari, also spelled Chamundeswari is an incarnation of Goddess Durga, Goddess Kali is also referred to as the Goddess Chamundi.

St Philiomena Church -is one of the oldest churches in India. It is over 200 years old. When the capital of Mysore state was moved from Srirangapatnam to Mysore city in 1799, many British officers and soldiers came and settled down in Mysore. The Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar III realized the need for a Christian church for these people. So the Maharaja gave them a small plot of land on the Mysore-Bangalore Road and a little church came up there. As the city expanded and the Christian population of the city increased there was a need for a larger church. So plans for made to build a larger church and thus came into existence the famous St. Philomena Church of Mysore. Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV laid the foundation of the new church on October 28th, 1933 that was to be built in the place of the small church built by his grandfather.

Mysore Palace - The Amba Vilasa Palace as the Mysore Palace is known, is an excellent combination of Dravidian, Indo-Saracenic, Oriental and Roman styles of architecture.
Must see during the evenings when the Palace is lit.

Mysore Zoo - you will enjoy the sighting of Giraffe, Lions and tigers

Tipu Sultan's summer palace (Dariya Daulat Bagh)
Hydar Ali started the construction of this palace, which was completed by his son Tipu Sultan in 1791. This palace was exclusively built to run the durbar, which would deal with the happenings in the territory. This unique structure was completely built of wood so commonly known as Wooden Palace. Everything used to construct palace, right from its delicately carved pillars, its beams and ceiling is in wood.

[joe1980]

All those greenery in the picture above are splendid. Was that the resort where you stayed in Waynad? What a beautiful place.

Could you also post the cost for the resort?

[airguitar]

The rates at ginger, 2999, surely was for one night? 2999 for 3D/2N sounds too good to be true?

[bnzjon]

Originally Posted by joe1980

All those greenery in the picture above are splendid. Was that the resort where you stayed in Waynad? What a beautiful place.

Could you also post the cost for the resort?

See post no. 1 for the rates. I am reproducing the same below :

Quote :
Wayanad : Banasura Hill Resort (3 star)
Package Rate : Rs. 23,500 (less 10 percent discount) for 4D/3N stay for a couple
included
> Welcome drink on arrival (herbal tea)
> Cookies & fruit basket in room on arrival day
> Guided visit to a tribal colony
> Guided plantation tour
> Kuruva Island or Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuary
> Banasura Dam
> Guided Trekking to Water falls

Room type : Earth room
Rammed earth architecture room had an area of close to 400 square feet with king-sized beds, large wooden wardrobes and luggage racks, cozy rattan chairs and attached toilets. Large windows facing the surrounding landscape.

Unquote :

Originally Posted by airguitar

The rates at ginger, 2999, surely was for one night? 2999 for 3D/2N sounds too good to be true?

That was for 3 days and 2 Nights

[airguitar]

That was for 3 days and 2 Nights

Really ? A deal or something ? But very good!

[bnzjon]

Originally Posted by airguitar

Really ? A deal or something ? But very good!

The rate was last minute deal through internet booking in the Ginger site. The stay was booked just one day prior and it was a last minute deal.