Madikeri - Kushal nagar trip on day two.
After a hectic day one visiting Bhagamandala, Talakaveri, Iruppu falls and Nagarahole national park, the day two got even more hectic. On our second day, our schedule was to visit the Omkareshwara temple, Raja's seat, Madikeri fort, leave Madikeri and on the way to Hassan visit Dubare forest, Harangi dam, Kaveri Nisargadhama and finally the Tibetan monastery at Bylekoppa.
Omkareshwara temple
Built in 1820, this temple dedicated to Eshwara is interestingly built in a muslim style. It was built by king Lingarajendra, but why it was built in this style intrigues me. This temple is located within the city and one can visit by walk or an auto. For more information on this temple visit this link. We offered our prayers and left for Abbe fall.
Abbe fall
This fall has been labeled differently, which include Abbe, Abbey and Abbi. I am not sure which among these is authentic. We left the temple and drove to the fall situated 9 kms from the city. The descent to the bottom in the car was scary as well as thrilling for me as it was the first time I was driving through such an inclined road. Interestingly, the fall is located inside a private coffee plantation. The good thing is the fall is not a private property. One has to walk for 5-10 minutes to reach the fall. It is said that during monsoon one can hear the roar of the fall quite few kilometers away but on our visit, it was a modest fall. A hanging bridge was built across the river, but the path had given away at some places. Entry to the fall has been restricted and people are discouraged from bathing in it. I leant that few people had lost their lives trying to get underneath the fall. We enjoyed the scenic beauty of the fall and leftback. It was distraught to see how the visitors have littered the place with plastics, papers and snack packets.
Raja's seat
We drove back to the city and went straight to the Raja's seat. I was slightly disappointed with what I saw, maybe my expectations were high. It is an elegant and well maintained garden with a pavilion where the king used to sit and watch the grand sunset. The best time to be here is during sunset and since we were there at almost noon, we did not enjoy it much. There are few benches where one can sit and watch the sun go down across the vast valley.
On the way back to the hotel we decided to visit the Madikeri fort. It houses a temple, a chapel, the prison, and a small museum. Being a government holiday, it was closed for public and we could not see much expect the replica of Asian and African elephants. The fort now houses a jail and we could see the inmates from the top. That was it, we checked out of the hotel and left the Madikeri city and headed towards Hassan.
Harangi dam
Situated 34 kms from Madikeri is Harangi dam, which is located at Hudgur village in Somwarpet taluk of Coorg district. One has to take a left turn from the main road. It is supposed to be a good picnic spot, perhaps just after the monsoon. We had to pay a small fee to gain entry. There were hardly any trees, the grass were all dried and there was not water flowing through the dam. It was a waste of time, we shouldn't have gone there. Photography is prohibited but a guard whispered into my ears that I could shoot photos but I should make it quick and less obvious. Since there was no water flowing, there was no point clicking, yet I shot one photo. I did not go all over the dam as we had to leave early. The guard walked up to me and said he saw me clicking photo, when I looked at him in astonishment he asked me either erase the photo or pay him. There he was.. what a technique, they encourage you to click photo and then ask you to pay for it. I paid him 20 bucks and left the place.
Dubare Forest
We drove back to the main road and then took deviation towards right and reached Dubare forest. We covered 17 kms from Harangi dam to this place. The road is very narrow at some stretch and one hopes that no vehicle comes from the other side. This is mainly an elephant capturing and training camp of the Forest Department, at the edge of Dubare forest, on the bank of river Kaveri. The best time in the day to visit is 7 am or 7 pm when the tamed elephants come for bath. Lucky visitors can get a chance to ride elephants. It is a good picnic spot. I don't know how much water would be flowing after the monsoon, but during our visit it was just “right”. While we bought the services of a boat to cross the river, few waded through the river. Even though river was shallow at some points, it was very slippery. We had our lunch here. The disappointment we met at Harangi dam was wiped clear by this place. We spent 2 hours here and left for Kaveri Nisargadhama.
Kaveri Nisargadhama
We drove another 13 kms towards Kushal nagar, finding this place is not difficult as it is located by the main road. It is a forest Department run rest house. The Kaveri river winds and slows down here and formed a small island (or so I think). One has to go through a hanging bridge. This is a wonderful place for picnic if one has sufficient time. There is a restaurant, a children park, elephant ride, boat ride, wooden huts atop bamboo posts. Beware of monkeys here, as they don't hesitate to snatch snack from women and children. If you intend to take a boat ride you have to buy a ticket before you enter the park. We could spent only an hour and half here and then we left for Tibetan monastery at Bylekoppa.
Namdroling Monastery
Also known as the golden temple, it is a Buddhist monastery built by the Tibetans located at Bylekoppa. It is located 7.5 kms from Nisargadhama. As one enters this place, one feels like visiting another country. There is a sudden change in the culture and one gets mesmerized by the view. This place should not be missed by anyone visiting Kushal nagar. There is a large hostel for the monks, a shopping complex and 2 temple complexes. A beautiful and well maintained garden surrounds the temple. The people here are very well behaved and gentle, it is only the visitors who don't display sufficient respect. As the temple's door is opened, one gets stunned by the magnificent view. The sight can not be described in words, a huge hall, huge Buddhist idols, intricate and colourful paintings, plenty of golden colours... The best part is, there is no restriction on photography, something that Hindu temples at many places do not allow. It was 6 pm when we finished adoring this place and there was no possibility of driving all way back to Davangere the same day. We drove to Hassan via Kushal nagar covering a distance of 80 kms and halted in a lodge.
I recommend visitors to this blog on Kushal Nagar.
Flash animation of photos
Distance chart:
Madikeri to Abbe falls: 9 Kms
Madikeri to Harangi dam: 34 Kms
Harangi dam to Dubare: 17 Kms
Dubare to Kaveri Nisargadhama: 13 Kms
Kaveri Nisargadhama to Bylakoppa: 7.5 Kms
Bylakoppa to Kushalnagar: 5 Kms
Kushalnagar to Hassan: 80 Kms
After a hectic day one visiting Bhagamandala, Talakaveri, Iruppu falls and Nagarahole national park, the day two got even more hectic. On our second day, our schedule was to visit the Omkareshwara temple, Raja's seat, Madikeri fort, leave Madikeri and on the way to Hassan visit Dubare forest, Harangi dam, Kaveri Nisargadhama and finally the Tibetan monastery at Bylekoppa.
Omkareshwara temple
Built in 1820, this temple dedicated to Eshwara is interestingly built in a muslim style. It was built by king Lingarajendra, but why it was built in this style intrigues me. This temple is located within the city and one can visit by walk or an auto. For more information on this temple visit this link. We offered our prayers and left for Abbe fall.
Abbe fall
This fall has been labeled differently, which include Abbe, Abbey and Abbi. I am not sure which among these is authentic. We left the temple and drove to the fall situated 9 kms from the city. The descent to the bottom in the car was scary as well as thrilling for me as it was the first time I was driving through such an inclined road. Interestingly, the fall is located inside a private coffee plantation. The good thing is the fall is not a private property. One has to walk for 5-10 minutes to reach the fall. It is said that during monsoon one can hear the roar of the fall quite few kilometers away but on our visit, it was a modest fall. A hanging bridge was built across the river, but the path had given away at some places. Entry to the fall has been restricted and people are discouraged from bathing in it. I leant that few people had lost their lives trying to get underneath the fall. We enjoyed the scenic beauty of the fall and leftback. It was distraught to see how the visitors have littered the place with plastics, papers and snack packets.
Raja's seat
We drove back to the city and went straight to the Raja's seat. I was slightly disappointed with what I saw, maybe my expectations were high. It is an elegant and well maintained garden with a pavilion where the king used to sit and watch the grand sunset. The best time to be here is during sunset and since we were there at almost noon, we did not enjoy it much. There are few benches where one can sit and watch the sun go down across the vast valley.
On the way back to the hotel we decided to visit the Madikeri fort. It houses a temple, a chapel, the prison, and a small museum. Being a government holiday, it was closed for public and we could not see much expect the replica of Asian and African elephants. The fort now houses a jail and we could see the inmates from the top. That was it, we checked out of the hotel and left the Madikeri city and headed towards Hassan.
Harangi dam
Situated 34 kms from Madikeri is Harangi dam, which is located at Hudgur village in Somwarpet taluk of Coorg district. One has to take a left turn from the main road. It is supposed to be a good picnic spot, perhaps just after the monsoon. We had to pay a small fee to gain entry. There were hardly any trees, the grass were all dried and there was not water flowing through the dam. It was a waste of time, we shouldn't have gone there. Photography is prohibited but a guard whispered into my ears that I could shoot photos but I should make it quick and less obvious. Since there was no water flowing, there was no point clicking, yet I shot one photo. I did not go all over the dam as we had to leave early. The guard walked up to me and said he saw me clicking photo, when I looked at him in astonishment he asked me either erase the photo or pay him. There he was.. what a technique, they encourage you to click photo and then ask you to pay for it. I paid him 20 bucks and left the place.
Dubare Forest
We drove back to the main road and then took deviation towards right and reached Dubare forest. We covered 17 kms from Harangi dam to this place. The road is very narrow at some stretch and one hopes that no vehicle comes from the other side. This is mainly an elephant capturing and training camp of the Forest Department, at the edge of Dubare forest, on the bank of river Kaveri. The best time in the day to visit is 7 am or 7 pm when the tamed elephants come for bath. Lucky visitors can get a chance to ride elephants. It is a good picnic spot. I don't know how much water would be flowing after the monsoon, but during our visit it was just “right”. While we bought the services of a boat to cross the river, few waded through the river. Even though river was shallow at some points, it was very slippery. We had our lunch here. The disappointment we met at Harangi dam was wiped clear by this place. We spent 2 hours here and left for Kaveri Nisargadhama.
Kaveri Nisargadhama
We drove another 13 kms towards Kushal nagar, finding this place is not difficult as it is located by the main road. It is a forest Department run rest house. The Kaveri river winds and slows down here and formed a small island (or so I think). One has to go through a hanging bridge. This is a wonderful place for picnic if one has sufficient time. There is a restaurant, a children park, elephant ride, boat ride, wooden huts atop bamboo posts. Beware of monkeys here, as they don't hesitate to snatch snack from women and children. If you intend to take a boat ride you have to buy a ticket before you enter the park. We could spent only an hour and half here and then we left for Tibetan monastery at Bylekoppa.
Namdroling Monastery
Also known as the golden temple, it is a Buddhist monastery built by the Tibetans located at Bylekoppa. It is located 7.5 kms from Nisargadhama. As one enters this place, one feels like visiting another country. There is a sudden change in the culture and one gets mesmerized by the view. This place should not be missed by anyone visiting Kushal nagar. There is a large hostel for the monks, a shopping complex and 2 temple complexes. A beautiful and well maintained garden surrounds the temple. The people here are very well behaved and gentle, it is only the visitors who don't display sufficient respect. As the temple's door is opened, one gets stunned by the magnificent view. The sight can not be described in words, a huge hall, huge Buddhist idols, intricate and colourful paintings, plenty of golden colours... The best part is, there is no restriction on photography, something that Hindu temples at many places do not allow. It was 6 pm when we finished adoring this place and there was no possibility of driving all way back to Davangere the same day. We drove to Hassan via Kushal nagar covering a distance of 80 kms and halted in a lodge.
I recommend visitors to this blog on Kushal Nagar.
Flash animation of photos
Distance chart:
Madikeri to Abbe falls: 9 Kms
Madikeri to Harangi dam: 34 Kms
Harangi dam to Dubare: 17 Kms
Dubare to Kaveri Nisargadhama: 13 Kms
Kaveri Nisargadhama to Bylakoppa: 7.5 Kms
Bylakoppa to Kushalnagar: 5 Kms
Kushalnagar to Hassan: 80 Kms
