Yercaud

This post is about Yercaud which we visited in August 2009. We spent 2 days here. We were 3 couples plus 1 kid taking a short break from work :) All of us were Club Mahindra members. So we tried booking the Lake Forest Resort in Yercaud through Club Mahindra and were lucky enough given that this was a last minute booking!

Journey

We started on a Sunday morning from our home at around 6 AM. We had decided to meet near Electronic City. However, due to some last minute delays (again!) we met up only around 8 AM. Nevertheless,the enthusiasm was evident :) Since the road was pretty empty, we cruised on the highway without any further delays. Had a quick breakfast at A2B near Hosur and were near Salem by 11.30! This highway is too good and one of our favorites. We have done quite a few drives here while going to Krishnagiri, Vellore and Dharmapuri. After crossing Salem,the climb up the hill started. There were plenty of hairpin bends to navigate. The feeling one gets in the hills cannot be matched anywhere else. I felt elated at the prospect of spending 2 days away from the crowded city. We reached the resort at around 1 PM in time for some pet pooja (lunch :)).

Lake Forest Resort

This resort is set amidst a coffee estate and has beautiful rooms whose interiors are done up in the Colonial British Raj style. Nagesh and me were very lucky to have got the only room which was part of the 200 year old original bungalow ‘Rosar’ belonging to the then estate owner Henrietta Charlotte Rosario. I felt as though I was transported back in time when I first entered our room. It was the perfect setting to sit back and read an Agatha Christie book. And I had one with me!! The four poster bed was so high that I had to climb a stool and get onto the bed :) This was my most favorite place to sit in the room for my reading. Not to be forgetting the other lovely furniture in the room which gave it that elegant yesteryear look.

Rishi, the four year kid was so excited that he was running around and very happy to play with the stuffed tiger that was kept on our bed. He couldn’t bear to part with it and took it along when it was time to go back to his room :) Relics from the raj era were strewn all over the resort. I’ll let the pics do more talking about this.

I felt the furniture just outside the room in the courtyard was so “Flintstone”ish and was perfect for us to while away some time lounging :)  We spent the evening walking around the resort and had some nice Arabietta Coffee :)

Dinner was followed by indoor games like Uno and Monopoly. Rishi was all excited and wanted me to go on playing Uno with him!! We go so busy playing Uno that even Nagesh forgot to capture pics of us playing ;) Finally we were all sleepy eyed but Rishi was all full energy and enthu!! It was some task to convince hime to stop for the night and let us all sleep :) To this day, Rishi supposedly tells everyone who comes home that the best time he’s ever had on a holiday was here as he played Uno :)

Yercaud and around

We woke up early next morning and went for a walk around the Yercaud lake which is very close to the resort. Saw an interesting signboard and we were left wondering if we were in some foreign country. Do have a look at the below pic and see for yourselves :)

Just in case you still haven’t realised what it says… That’s the “local” flavor of English and says that cycles are available for rent on a half-hourly (hofenour!) basis :) Hilarious!!

After a hearty breakfast we set forth to explore  Yercaud further. Our first destination was Pagoda point. This is a view point and the Shevaroy hills looked majestic from here. We spent some time gazing at the beauty of nature and proceeded towards the Shevaroy temple which was atop a hill. Though the temple was very small, the views from the top of this hill did not disappoint us at all.

On the way back we spotted an Orchidarium and stepped inside to have a peek. There were lots of plants here… but surprise surprise, orchids were not present :)

We went back to Yercaud lake to do some boating as Rishi wanted to go there. For the first time, Nagesh and me did boating :) Generally both of us tend to back out of any form of boating. But this time we had no choice but to follow. It was rather a case of “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” ;)

As the food in our resort was nothing special, we decided to eat somewhere outside. I remembered having read about the Sky Rocca resort which had a skyway. I had seen this place when we reached Yercaud the previous day. We went there for lunch around 3 PM and the food was delicious. I happily feasted on the mini Roasted Idlis with the Chutney Powder followed by a full fledged meal. We then walked on the skyway. Only glass separated us and the looooooooong drop down. That was some experience!

It was time for us to head back to Bangalore the next morning. We decided to have breakfast outside and set ahead to Grand Palace Hotel atop a hill near the lake. The views from this hill were also lovely. With heavy hearts we started on our return journey. At Salem, Rishi and his parents went along to Pondicherry for an extended vacation while the rest of us turned back towards Bangalore. The only highlight of the return journey for me was a 5 minute stop at a sunflower field near Hosur and my long time dream of a pic of myself in a Sunflower field came true :)

Map

View Larger Map

Kabini

This post is about a place where we started our wildlife journeys. Our first experience with Jungle Lodges (JLR)!  The Kabini River Lodge is their signature resort and has been rated by Tattler as one of the top five wildlife resorts of the world!! This one is on Kabini, a place where I can go again and again!  I had always heard of this place from my grand-aunt (Shanthi bapama that is you if you didn’t realize!) who loves this place so much that she always keeps going back here whenever she gets a chance. I used to wonder why this was the case.  My visit there changed my notion about this place. Believe me, its serene! You cannot wish for a better location to stay than JLR. This resort was the hunting lodge of the erstwhile Wodeyars (Kings of Mysore state). Situated about 90 kms from Mysore, this is an ideal getaway for all people who love nature. We stayed here for 3 days and 2 nights and had a very good time.

Alert – this is a LONG post with LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of images.

Tip – Please hold or hover the mouse pointer over any image to figure out what the image is about. Especially helpful to identify the various birds and animals I mention about and then later down the line have posted a pic of.

Map

View Larger Map

Day – 1

We started our journey from Mysore at around 10 in the morning and reached JLR, Kabini at around 12.30 in the afternoon. We had booked a tented cottage in JLR. The tent was lovely. The chirping of birds in the trees outside our cottage was very pleasant and a welcome change from the humdrum of city life. After having a sumptuous lunch at Gol Ghar (the dining area of JLR resort) we took a small nap and were ready by 3.30 for our first safari to the Nagarahole Wildlife Sanctuary of the trip. We went past the village near the resort which offered us a peek into the rural life.  The surrounding was very scenic. The naturalist accompanying us was very knowledgeable about the fauna found here.

What we spotted

• Peacock
• Langurs
• Sambar deer
• Jungle fowl
• Elephant (This was a lonely juvenile tusker)
• Serpent Eagle
• Black Ibis
• Streak Throated Woodpecker
• Crocodile (This one was basking in the sun with its jaws wide open…What a sight!)
• Indian Gaur (Commonly referred to as Bison mistakenly as explained by the Naturalist)

We came back to the resort around 6 in the evening to see the riot of colors in the sky after sunset. After resting in the room for a while, we went to watch a documentary on Dhole (Wild dogs) being aired in the resort.

Day-2

We were woken up by 6 in the morning by the resort staff for a cup of coffee/tea accompanied by biscuits. We had to get ready by 6.30 for the morning safari. We were to go to the boat safari this time. The reservoir looked so serene early in the morning and the play of light was breathtaking.

What we spotted

• Wild boar
• Musk deer
• Barking deer
• Cormorant
• River Tern
• Wire tailed Swallow
• Osprey ( What a majestic bird!)
• Grey Heron
• Painted Stork
• Common Hoopoe ( The state bird of Punjab. This beautiful bird has been used in the plot of Salman Rushdie’s Haroun and the Sea of stories :) )

After the safari, we had a hearty breakfast and followed it up with a nature walk around the resort with the naturalist. He was very enthusiastic in showing us various birds as he understood that was what we were after :)

At one end of the resort there is a small shrine surrounded by a huge fruit tree. This is the abode of plenty of birds. Bird lovers can easily spend hours under this tree listening to the chirping of various birds :)

What we spotted

• Golden Oriole
• Female Asian Koel
• Greater Flameback Woodpecker
• Drongo
• Many butterflies
• Wasp nest
• Purple Sunbirds

After lunch, we went on the boat safari again late in the afternoon.

What we spotted

• Common kingfisher
• Snake bird
• Herd of Elephants (Finally!!!)
• Pond Heron
• Peregrine Falcon

On our way back to the resort, we enjoyed a beautiful sunset amidst the backwaters of Kabini! The sights were lovely with the sky displaying a riot of colors. We watched a documentary about wildlife in western ghats in the resort followed by a lovely dinner.

Day 3

This was our last day in the resort. We woke up early in the morning to go for the jeep safari. We went on the boat for a while. Did a wild goose chase in vain to watch a pack of Wild dogs which had been spotted by people in another safari jeep that passed by where we were.

What we spotted

• Black-rumped flameback woodpecker
• Oriental Magpie Robin
• Wild Mongoose
• Malabar Squirrel
• Rufous Shrike

The Resort

The Jungle Lodges resort at Kabini used to be the hunting lodge of the Maharaja of Mysore. The resort is also, understandably, the marquee resort for Jungle Lodges and as mentioned above has been rated by Tattler as one of the top five wildlife resorts of the world!! Which really is extremely justified from what we could see in our brief stay there.

• Accommodation – we stayed in the “Tented cottage”. As is visible from the below pic, a tented cottage is a very well built hunting tent suitable for a king! :)
• The resort itself is a large property and the main building is a regal period bungalow which I am sure many a Maharaja has graced!
• The service in the resort was impeccable and we have no complaints whatsoever on this front. The Jungle Lodges staff was extremely helpful! Special mention to the lovely naturalist who accompanied us on Day 2.
• The safaris and activities at Jungle Lodges happen based on a preset timetable which is made known to one when one checks in. It is reasonably packed but still leaves one with enough time to oneself to enjoy the resort and its surrounds. Naturally, given such a schedule, the folks at Jungle Lodges expect the residents to maintain time. Unfortunately there are enough people who turn up here and don’t necessarily maintain this. Despite this, the folks at Jungle Lodges go a long distance in keeping even such customers happy. May be that does work like a double edged sword sometimes…

The big cats had eluded us all throughout this trip. Anyway the birds had made up for all the disappointments. With heavy hearts and lovely memories tucked away, we set forth back to Mysore at around 11 which is the checkout time at all the JLR resorts. This was the beginning of our wildlife experience. Since then we have been to two other JLR resorts which have been great experiences for us. I will be writing about them soon.

Kaivara

Kaivara is a small town of historical and mythological importance in Chikkaballapur district and is about 60-65 kms from Bangalore. I first heard about this place when my cousin who is studying medicine had to go there for a medical camp for a few days. She sounded very enthusiastic about the place and the ashram where she had stayed. Then I read about this place on wiki and we decided to go there one afternoon on a weekend.

We started from Bangalore around 1.30 PM and reached Kaivara around 3. Since we had not yet had lunch we decided to head to the next bigger town Chintamani. One of the shopkeepers in Chintamani directed us to Hotel Shanti Sagar (a small place) where we had one of the best Masala Dosas :p Free with the masala dosa was a discourse by the owner of the hotel on how to get the batter just right for a masala dosa with a special variety of rice :)

With our stomachs full we headed back to Kaivara. This town is known primarily because of the saint popularly called Kaivara Thatayya! He was a poet and a great devotee of Lord Amara Narayanaswamy (an incarnation of Lord Vishnu). The main attractions of Kaivara are the Amaranarayana Temple and the Narayanappa Mutt dedicated to Thatayya which are located next to each other. Another nice place in Kaivara is  the Yoganarasimha Swamy temple on the small hillock called ‘Vaikunta’

This is a picture of the “vimana” of the Amaranarayana temple.

The Narayanappa Mutt is itself exquisite white in color!

There is a hillock opposite the temple where Bhima is supposed to have killed Bakasura. An arch has been constructed with the idols of the Pandavas at the entrance of the road leading to the hill.

We headed to the next destination which was the Yoganarasimha Swamy temple. This houses the cave where Thatayya meditated as well.

There is a beautiful yoga and meditation hall which has been constructed newly here.

On our way out of the temple, we saw a few aggressive monkeys baring their teeth at each other!

Ah! Another thing…. I nearly forgot. You get lovely views of the surroundings from the Yoganarasimha Swamy temple courtyard.

There are so many more other attractions in and around Kaivara that we could not take in during this trip. The Ambaji Durga cave temple which is around 7km from Kaivara, the Aranyarama temple, the Bheemeswara temple. And unfortunately, we missed having the local delicacy – the Masala Chakli – which as I have heard from my cousin, who has had the fortune of staying a few days in Kaivara, is a delight in itself to be experienced!! All these clearly demand of us that we go back again. When we do that, you will hear again from me on this place :)

Map

View Larger Map

Omkar Hills, Bangalore

There are many places in and around Bangalore of which not many are aware. This post is about one such place in south Bangalore near Raja Rajeshwari Nagar called Omkar hills. This place is said to be the highest point in Bangalore.

I had read up about this place and decided to go there on a weekend.This was 2 years ago. It was hard to find out the route to this place as there was no map/directions! We tried to approach this place from Rajarajeshwari Nagar. Alas any road that we took was leading to a dead end. With the frustration level mounting, we almost gave up and decided to drive back home. This was not to be so :) We found an easy route thanks to some gentleman!

When driving on Mysore Road from Bangalore,take the left at Uttarahalli Main Road,drive past the BGS Apollo hospital and then take the right next to JSS College. This road goes to the top of Omkar Hills. You will find a detailed map and link to Google maps at the bottom of this post.

Omkar Hills has a temple and Ashram which was founded by Shri Shivapuri Mahaswamiji. More details can be seen here.

One of the main attractions of this place is the huge clock tower built by HMT at the entrance which is claimed to be the second biggest in the world. It is also said to be bigger than the Big Ben. The clock was supposed to chime the sound of a conch being blown followed by the om sound five times at the striking of every hour.  Sadly the clock has stopped working now.

The swamiji’s samadhi is also housed – opposite the clock in a little enclosure. There are a beautiful set of steps leading up. These steps are laden with beautiful flowering trees and plants. When you look up those steps you sort of feel that they are leading you to the edge of the earth into another world!

Upon climbing a few steps one can see an old banyan tree surrounded by statues representating various faiths/religions. Ramanujacharya, Shankaracharya, Madhwacharya, Jesus, Koran, Buddha, Mahaveera and the Guru Granth Sahib as far as I recollect.

The view of the city outskirts from the top is nice. A new temple was being constructed in the premises opposite to the banyan tree.

And finally leaving you with one final look of the whole place!

Map

View Larger Map