[raju_sls]

After a multitude of exams, and the scorching summer the monsoon brought some great relief to the monotonous, mechanical lifestyle.

So, the destination, rather its nature was decided.

Checked the weather forecast and it predicted rain in Madikeri and Sakleshpura on the 8th and 9th of June.
The destination was finalized after a friend suggested this homestay in Madikeri.

It would be eight of us going in two cars, my (read: dad’s) white i20 and uncle’s red sparky.

We wanted it to be a leisurely drive, so we neither had plans nor time limits.

[raju_sls]

Day 1: Saturday 8th June

It was decided that Sparky would join us at the nice-Mysore road intersection. We left our house at 6:00 and reached nice road intersection and waited for sparky to arrive.

At the intersection



Sparky arrives


After exchanging pleasantries, we proceeded towards Mysore.


An empty Mysore road


The fun taken away occasionally by such fools driving with the same speed!





We stopped at Adigas Maddur for breakfast.

Had sumptuous idly vada and carried on towards Srirangapatna.

Took a right turn onto the KRS road after Srirangapatna.
And almost immediately stopped at a railway crossing.



We snacked on some mangoes as the locomotive chugged past us.


As we proceeded towards Hunsur, we encountered about a km of no roads!


We then joined the Mysore-Madikeri highway.
It sure is a bliss to drive on such wide two lane highways.
So she too gets some clicks!






This one straight stretch had mango vendors at every 20m or so.
It was a really sweet sight!!


A word of caution: There are a lot of speed breakers on this stretch, so keep your eye on the sign boards on the left.

After a beautiful drive, we reached Byalkuppe at 11:30 am and took a left towards The Nyingmapa Monastery.

The first view of the monastery.


The weather was really overcast and began to drizzle as we entered the monastery.






Saw a few birds too.




Some more pics of the monastery.











Beautiful wall paintings!




The door leading to the main hall.


contd....

[raju_sls]

The door opened to a serene hall.
The inside was really quiet and peaceful.
One can sit here the entire day, and be lost in the intricate details!




Some more photos of the calm interiors.










The artwork on the wall.


A 3D art work.


The door handle. Beautiful!


We saw an old lady offering prayer.


A closer look at the incense sticks(?)


This looked out of the world!! The photograph doesn't do justice.


A replica of Palyul Monastery in Tibet.


Some trivia.


You can see very often in the settlement.


contd...

[raju_sls]

It was 1:00 pm when we stepped out of the monastery.
Our tummies shouting for food!!!
But the sound of rain overcame this clatter, and we set our mind to make a dash to Madikeri.
Just to drive the amazing twisties in the ever so slight drizzle.
And btw, our home stay was just after Kushalnagar.

Beautiful weather complementing the more beautiful roads.












As we approached Madikeri, the rains picked up.




As the rains unleashed it's full fury, we had lunch at Neel Sagar.


Madikeri fort, as seen from the restaurant.


The weather changed yet again; Now, Madikeri was engulfed in thick fog!





As the rain gods had taken a break, we chose to make a quick run to Abbi falls!!
The road to Abbi falls.


No sooner we reached Abbi falls, than the rain reappeared!!
So I wrapped my camera in about 3-4 plastic covers and gave it to my dad, who had an umbrella.
There were umbrellas available for rent, Rs.20 per umbrella, but I had different plans!!!
Enjoyed the rain without any protection!!
And boy, was it an amazing experience!!
The rains only escalated the beauty of the falls.




You can see the rain in this picture.


After a cuppa at the falls itself, we made our way back to Suntikoppa driving on those beautiful roads again!
The homestay is located about 3km from the highway.

It is called Kamavva Estate Stay.
http://kamavvaestatestay.com/

The last 100m was a bit slushy, and the incline only added to the trouble.
But men overpowered the horses under the hood, and we could reach the homestay without any hiccups.

The time was half past five.

We were warmly welcomed by the hosts Prof. M.P.Subbiah and Mrs.Bhanumathi, with a cuppa made from coffee grown in their very estate.

We opted for an early dinner, a delicious one indeed, and called it a day.

[raju_sls]

Day 2: Sunday- 9th June.

The view we woke up to!!


The cottage.


After a piping hot cuppa, we decided to walk around the estate.


This was the incline a was speaking about.


We saw mushrooms!


Some flowers shaped like bells!


And yes, coffee beans too!


A hibiscus flower drenched.


Dad checking out the fallen avocados.


These tiny chillies are only small in size, but really spicy!


The cottage again.


The machines happily parked!


A weird looking insect. No, its not a snail.


This huge tree caught our attention!
The passage to its right could easily accommodate a big car, gives you a comparo on its size.



She still looks fresh after the overnight rains!


Not here though!
This is what the slush had done.


She poses for some more!






One can just sit on the porch, get lost in the greenery, read a book, or better so do nothing.


The breakfast was a coorgi dish called 'Paaputtu'. Looks like idlis but taste different from them.

This was my first experience at a home stay. Enjoyed each and every moment to the fullest, being in the lap of nature. The hospitality of the hosts only escalated the joyous experience.

Lazed around till 10:30, and with an unwilling mind, checked out of the homestay.

We wanted to visit the Talacauvery temple.

contd...

[raju_sls]

Headed to Bhagamandala, which is at a distance of 35km from Madikeri.
The roads, not smooth, but good enough not to harm your car.

We reached Bhagamandala by 11:30 a.m, with dark clouds hovering over us.
She was really dirty after the drive through some puddles.


The Triveni Sangama: The confluence of three rivers, The Cauvery, Kannike and Sujyothi.


Wanna take a dip??!!


Sparrow!!! Invisible in Bangy!!


The temple.


Truly mystical views from the temple!!






After the temple darshana, began the 8km climb to Talacauvery.
We stopped at a clearing to savour some magnificent views.






As Talacauvery neared, dense fog came down upon us!!!
Visibility was reduced to bare minimum.




So, we parked the car at a safe place and decided to walk about half a km to the temple.

The entrance to the temple.


We also climbed to the top hoping to catch a glimpse of the Brahmagiri mountains.
But the fog was so dense that we could hardly see our faces!

Any idea why these are arranged like this?
Saw plenty of them.


Enjoyed the fog with light drizzle and made our way back.
Left Talacauvery at about 2p.m only to stop at a view point a couple of kilometers down the road.


And yes, we could see the Brahmagiri hills!




Bhagamandala too was visible from here!


After this we drove back to Madikeri in the ever beautiful light drizzle.
Filled our tummies there and visited the Raja's Seat.

The Raja's Seat


Not this one! Inquisitively built though!


Beautiful views.


These flowers added another dimension to the beauty of this place!!



After a short stay at the Raja's Seat, it was time to head back to Bangy.
Left Madikeri at around 5:30 and drove yet again on those fun filled twisties!!

Reached Bangy safe and sound at 11:15 pm after a stop over for lunch at Adiga's.

Trip Statistics:
Total distance driven: 659km
F.E: 15kmpl approx.
One way distance to Madikeri: 245km

The ODO stood at 9683.

So the first rains experienced in a blissful way in The Scotland Of India, Madikeri.

That's All Folks!!

P.S: This is my first travelogue.
Any suggestions on improvements welcome.

Thanks for reading.

[mobike008]

Note from Mod : Thread moved to Travelogues section. Thanks for sharing it with us

[Indian Ranger]

Lovely Trip there Raju. Visiting Coorg in monsoons is a wonderful experience. The greenery, rain, clouds, Coffee, food make the trip a memorable one. All these are very aptly captured in the frame by you.

Thanks for sharing!

[madhav14]

Seems like the climate was simply superb and you must have enjoyed every km of the drive.

Those beautiful twisty roads combined with that overcast weather is simply a treat for long drive lovers.

Two things I liked the most in your travelogue.

1. Waterfalls - that too in that weather. One should only experience it.

2. The Cottage - It is overflowing with greenery and I would definitely like to own such a place.

[kannan666]

Lovely travelogue Raju with excellent pictures to go with it, thanks for sharing !

[carzone]

Again, a travelogue on Madikeri and all my memories get refreshed.
This is one of the many places that I have traveled, has been etched in the memory. The atmosphere, the weather, the greenery, all is just awesome.

Does Talacauvery always have such dense fog? Last year, during September, I remember, it was denser than this. Rains made driving all the more difficult in the mountains there. We had an experienced driver who knew the road well, or would have been difficult for the novices like me.

Abbey falls, in September, was full of water. Great place to be at while it rains.

Thank You for bringing those memories alive again.

[sandeep3in]

Originally Posted by raju_sls

These tiny chillies are only small in size, but really spicy!

These Tiny chillies are called "Kanthari Mulagu in malayalam , It is very popular in Kerala and used as a side dish with Tapioca .It is also used in making pickles (brine solution).It is found in madikerri where there are lot of migrants from kerala.It is very spicy and is used an alternative to Regular chilli .

more details from wiki
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird%27s_eye_chili

[Ddrive]

First travelogue on TBHP, yet very precise and with clear pictures.
Thanks for sharing & Keep them coming.

[raju_sls]

Originally Posted by Indian Ranger

Lovely Trip there Raju. Visiting Coorg in monsoons is a wonderful experience. The greenery, rain, clouds, Coffee, food make the trip a memorable one. All these are very aptly captured in the frame by you.

Thanks for sharing!

Thanks Indian Ranger. A memorable trip indeed. That's the beauty of Coorg, its lovely weather!

Originally Posted by madhav14

Two things I liked the most in your travelogue.

1. Waterfalls - that too in that weather. One should only experience it.

2. The Cottage - It is overflowing with greenery and I would definitely like to own such a place.

Thanks Madhav. Abbi falls, I must say, was at its best. Although it has a lot more water post monsoon, I somehow feel the muddy waters take away its beauty.

And about owning coffee estates, sure is my dream too.

Originally Posted by kannan666

Lovely travelogue Raju with excellent pictures to go with it, thanks for sharing !

Thank you Kannan.

Originally Posted by carzone

Does Talacauvery always have such dense fog? Last year, during September, I remember, it was denser than this. Rains made driving all the more difficult in the mountains there. We had an experienced driver who knew the road well, or would have been difficult for the novices like me.

Thank you carzone.
I have been to Talacauvery twice and on both occasions it was this foggy!!
The visibility dropped to a minimum only for about half a km just before the temple. So wasn't a real problem.

Originally Posted by sandeep3in

These Tiny chillies are called "Kanthari Mulagu in malayalam , It is very popular in Kerala and used as a side dish with Tapioca .It is also used in making pickles (brine solution).It is found in madikerri where there are lot of migrants from kerala.It is very spicy and is used an alternative to Regular chilli .

more details from wiki
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird%27s_eye_chili

Thanks Sandeep. Nice info there about the bird's eye chilli. These are probably the spiciest I have seen. My uncle had smoke billowing out of his ears when he volunteered and tasted one!!!
He called it an adventure though!!

[nitrosarit]

Madikeri has always been a great attraction during the monsoons the weather just being so brilliant. The locations pictured are awesome and attractive hope to visit soon.