Coorg-Mysore

The Beautiful Coorg-Mysore Highway

Temple atop Chamundi Hills ,Mysore

Mysore Palace

Mysore Palace

Night life under the Blazing moon on the Coorg - Mysore Highway

Lake beside the Coorg-Mysore Highway

Tibetian Temple,Kushalnagar,Coorg

Tibetian Temple,Kushalnagar,Coorg

Lake in front of the resort,Kushalnagar

Huts at the Resort

At the Resort

Trip to Coorg and Mysore :

I was in two minds whether to go or not .The place in question was Coorg ,supposed to be the Switzerland of India.I was more keen on biking down to the place on my P220.But, heavy rainfall forced me to alter my plans.Finally, I settled for the bus journey from Hyderabad to Bangalore and from Bangalore to Coorg on bikes.

So, as per the plan I reached Bangalore on 1.10.2009. The idea was to have some rest in Bangalore before the trip.We were supposed to start at 5.00 am on 2.10.2009.But, because of rain we finally hit the highway around 9.00 am.The Bangalore Mysore Highway is a 4 laned piece of tarmac on which speeds rarely go below 100 km/hr.

Mysore at a distance of 150 kms from Bangalore, was reached around 1.00 pm after numerous breaks and snack stops.From there it is a 2 lane highway to Coorg.But, the beautiful scenery on both sides of this highway surpasses anything else. So, after another round of breaks and photo sessions we finally reached Kushalnagar,which is around 90 kms from Mysore.From Kushalnagar it is 40 kms of broken roads to Madikeri (the local name for Coorg).

So, we stopped at a resort some 5 kms from Kushalnagar.This place had a lake in front it which was nothing but the catchment area for the Haringi Dam.The view around the resort was breathtaking.We chilled out in the resort that night and the following day.

On 3.10.2009, we were on our way back to Mysore. On the way we stopped at the Tibetan Temple and Nisharga Dham.Both of which are situated in Kushal nagar.
Having reached Mysore at 8 PM, we had our dinner.Then we started for Chamundi Hills which is around 7 kms from Mysore.At night it was covered with clouds which provided a chilling experience. Then it was back to hotel and some much needed sleep.
Got up the next morning, to leave for Bangalore in time to catch my bus back to Hyderabad.

Trip to Harishankar, Orissa


Harishankar is a place of mythological and historical importance situated some 70 kms from Khariar town. Well, I knew this for a long time. But, it wasn’t until a chance phone call from my college friend Debananda that I actually thought of visiting the place.
So, on the morning of 22nd August, 2009, I set out for this place using a myriad of transport means; a Maruti Van, Hero Honda Glamour and finally the “Gyarah No. ki Bus”-my legs. My friend Debananda had an even more hectic journey-90 kms, 4 buses, and 6 hours. All these because of bad roads common in this part of the state.

But, finally when we reached Harishankar, all this pain was simply absorbed by the tranquil surroundings. Nestled at the foot of the famous Gandhamardhana Hills, it houses the temple of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. The Ramayana mentions that when Lord Rama and his brother Lakshmana were deeply injured in battle, Lord Hanuman, brought the Gandhamardhana hills from the Himalayan range as it was having lot of medicinal plants and herbs.However,he dropped it here on his way back.

We started with a darshan of the temple deities and continued on a small trek up the jungle path. On our way back from the mountain trek, we immersed ourselves at the slippery waterfall. The water was really cool and refreshing.
If one follows the jungle track, it is possible to reach Nrusinghanath on the other side of the mountain. Well, I definitely plan to trek the mountain from Harishankar to Nrusinghanath one day. But, that is for another day.

How to reach there?
Its about 70 kms from Bolangir Town which is 330 kms from Bhubaneswar.
Its about 70 kms from Khariar Town which is 180 kms from Raipur.

Nature shots

These Photos were taken near Muniguda,Orissa,India on the Raipur-Vizag train line.

The rainy season can create a real change of scene with cloud covered mountains, mist covered valleys and a sky covered with amazing patterns of clouds.

Srisailam Trip

The mountain criss-crossed with roads The small waterfalls
The river Krishna

The Harpin bend in the Ghats

The road snaking through the jungle

At the entrance to the Temple town

Trip to Srisailam :-
Srisailam-one of the 12 Jyotirlings of the country finally beckoned me, after spending some 1.5 years in Hyderabad.The wise say you don’t visit a holy place unless God calls you there. I have no idea on this, but I was there.

On 8th March,2009, me and my cousin set out on my beast (Pulsar 220) at 2.30 PM.The odd time was due to my brother having to attend office and then join me.Negotiating the city ie Charminar and Chandrayaanguta itself took 45 minutes and we were finally on the Srisailam road.The entire 225 km stretch is a decent piece of tarmac but peppered with pot holes here and there.One can maintain healthy 70-90 Km/Hr speeds.After some 120 odd kms, and 4 turns from the main highway, we finally hit the Ghats( The Nallamalai Hills).From then onwards ,it was all scenic beauty and a pleasant drive through the jungle road.The hairpin bends, the blind turns and the dense foliage on both sides will simply blow you away.One word of caution though; turn on your headlights and keep honking at each turn.

We finally reached the temple town at 7.30 PM after crossing the magnificient dam over river Krishna.Checked into a hotel, freshened up and finally had a darshan of the presiding deities(Lord Mallikarjuna Swami and Goddess Bhramaramba Devi). The unique feature of this kshetram is the combination of Jyothirlingam and Mahasakthi in one campus, which is very rare and only one of its kind.Had a good night’s sleep.

We started on our way back at 11 AM.Thats when trouble started.The ghat roads were even more beautiful in the daytime.So, carried away by the sheer driving pleasure we were getting, we missed a crucial turn and drove all of 45 kms extra.Asked the locals and they told us we were on our way to Nagarjunasagar, but, forgot to tell us the distance ahead.
So, finally after 140 kms and 3 hours of detour, we were back at Srisailam dam.Had lunch at a road side dhaba and were on our way back.But, the deadly sun took a toll of our bodies.Finally, reached Hyderabad at 7 PM.The entire trip took 590 kms including 360 kms and 8 hours of continuous driving on day 2.

Nighoj near Ahmednagar

Trip To Nighoj Near Ahmednagar:

On 13th November, 2007,me and my friend Sahaji set out on my bike to Nighoj.Well, looks like 13th was my lucky day.The previous day,we saw this amazing formations of rocks in a Marathi news paper clipping.So, we decided to see it for ourselves.

So, we started from Ahmednagar on my Hero Honda Ambition on the State Highway number 27 towards Pune.After crossing Supe village and 5 kms before Sirur town,we took a right turn towards Parmer village.After crossing Parmer ,we reached a sleepy village called Malganga.From there, after following some dirt trails, we reached this place called Nighoj.

There, we saw a majestic sight.The river Ghod, over the centuries, has created some beautiful formations on the rocks. There are lot of small caves which has been formed in the rocks.In short; a nice place to spend some quiet time.Summer is the right time to visit this place as you can see the potholes quite clearly.There is also a temple of Goddess Malaganga on the river bank.

After some 2 hours of sightseeing, we had our lunch and ganne ka juice at the road side dhaba.Then,we were on our way back to Ahmednagar.

Vizag Trip

View of Vizag from the ropeway

View from Kailasgiri

R. K Beach

Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati atop Kailasgiri

Tide waves at R.K. Beach

The Vizag Trip:

On the night of 16th November,2008,I boarded the NZB-VSK express from Secundrabad.Slept nicely on my 3rd AC berth after some general chatting with co-passengers.After finishing my morning ablutions,enquired about ‘places to visit’ from my co-passengers.Finally armed with lot of information, got down at the station and deposited my luggage at the cloak room.I had 5 hours to go before my next train.So, I decided, I might as well see something of the place.
Took the city bus and got down at the Famous Ramakrishna Beach (R.K Beach for the commoners).One can also take the autos.However, bargaining is mandatory if you want to get a decent deal.
R.K is a decent stretch of sand along the marine drive of Vizag.It is flanked by the dockyard and the Kailasgiri on either sides.You have a lighthouse,a submarine museum and various marine articles on the stretch.A personal vehicle will be a great idea to have a detailed view.
Owing to paucity of time, took some hurried photographs of the place and jumped onto a shared auto to Kailasgiri.
There are three ways to kailasgiri from the base point:the ropeway,the steps and the roads.I took the faster ropeway.Kailasgiri situated on a hill top offers a bird’s eye view of the city.It has two big idols of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, besides having numerous parks,eating joints,vantage viewing points and hold your breath, a Rail ride.

As soon as I reached the top,it started raining heavily.Suddenly, the entire area was covered with mist.It dashed my hopes of seeing any spectacular view of the city.But, I did manage to capture some mist covered views.Then I took the ropeway ride to the base point.Dashed to the station on an auto, in time to catch my next train.
I hope to back in Vizag sometime next year on my Pulsar 220 to have a detailed stay.

Tourist places -Orissa -Nuapada District

check out the bright sun and the tiny moon .Photo taken at 12 noon

Cloud action at Mahulkot Village near Khariar town

The picture above is of Kotamal village near Khariar in Nuapada District.

The focus here is tourist places in Nuapara and Kalahandi District.

Nearest Airport-Raipur.

Nearest Rail Head-Kantabanji.

A/C rooms available at Khariar or Kantabanji.(These places are 180 kms from Raipur)