Another weekend and another offbeat destination. This time, we found a temple on a small hillock in Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu. In my earlier post about Hogeynakal waterfalls, I have elaborated on how river Kaveri marks the boundary between the two states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. This post is somewhat related to the same connection. Because the history of the temple that we were planning to visit this weekend is rooted on the other side of the river, on the fertile plains of Karnataka.
The original Ranganatha swamy temple dating to the Cholas or the Vijayanagara era (as described by the locals) was on the Karnataka side. The stone structure of the temple is present even today (we hope to visit the structure on another weekend trip). The idol of the deity was destroyed by the British (which needs fact checking) and then, a new idol was reinstated on the Tamil Nadu side of the land where it stands today. The Ranganatha Swamy temple that we were heading to is in Biligundlu village and hence the name. The idol of the deity is carved out of a rock which is part of the hill overlooking the river.
On a summer day, when the water levels in the river are low, one can walk across to the other bank. Whereas, when the river is flowing full, the roads leading to both the old and the new temples are long ones. The old location is reachable via MM. hills in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka, and the new temple is reachable via Anchetty forests in Dharmapuri district in Tamil Nadu.
Anyway, coming back to this weekend, we started early on a weekend morning along the Anchetty forest leading to Hogeynakal waterfalls. We skipped the highway restaurants and stopped by a small local restaurant in Anchetty town for breakfast. It was a good decision as the experience was good with local food and the local atmosphere.
A few kilometers after the Biligundlu cemetery and few kilometers before Hogeynakal waterfalls, we stopped by at a location where river Kaveri flowed onto our right and a tiny structure of brick and mortar was built onto our left… We parked our vehicle there and started our short hike up from there. A properly laid stone path is there all the way to the hilltop which took us around half an hour to hike. The views of the river and hills around were just amazing all the way.
First, we were greeted by an idol of Ganesha sitting under the tree at the peak. This spot gave a splendid view of the river and the hills beyond. We sought Ganesha’s blessings and proceeded to the Ranganatha temple located below, connected by a short flight of stairs. The temple was closed by the time we arrived. However, we could see the idol through the meshed gate. After offering our prayers, we found a spot adjacent to the temple wall and sat there to soak in the beauty of the place. The view of river Kaveri flowing with a backdrop of green rolling hills looked amazing even as the winds caressed our faces. It was a beautiful place, indeed!
We headed back after a while and decided to take a dip in the shallow waters of the river to beat the summer sun. A word of caution if you plan to get into the river, that there will be a sudden drop in the depth at many spots and it is believed to have whirlpools as well. We stayed by the shores before calling it a day after a while.
Other nearby places to visit:
- Hogeynakal waterfalls is 3 kilometers ahead from here.
- Biligundlu boating point is nearby from where you can take a coracle ride.
- Anchetty forest drive was good.