On yet another weekend, we were off on yet another hiking expedition. This time, we went to a lesser-known trail on Hosur-Krishnagiri road. The initial plan was to hike to ‘Aiyur Sami Lake’, a day hike organized by the Eco-tourism wing of the Tamil-Nadu tourism department. However, their site was not accepting registrations due to unknown reasons, and hence, we decided to randomly pick a hill around the region on Google Maps and hike it up. That’s when we came across the Ankushagiri fort.
Following the route indicated on Google Maps, we arrived at the base of the start point of the ascent to Ankushagiri. There is a Perumal temple and, hence, a proper space for vehicle parking. Since we arrived on a Saturday morning in the winter months, some pilgrims had already arrived to worship the chief deity here. However, we skipped the temple visit and began our hike toward the fort that was located (once upon a time) on the hilltop.
The ruins of the ancient temple at the base of Ankushagiri Hike
At the beginning of the hike route, there is an ancient structure, now in a dilapidated condition. Today, the Sanctorum lay empty with wild bushes and creepers taking over what once must have been a grand temple. The motifs on the walls of the two adjacent temple structures indicated both Perumal and Shiva.
The ruins of the ancient temple at the base of Ankushagiri Hike
We went ahead from there and stopped after a brief walk. We were confused about the correct trail which seemed to split at a point from where either of them needed some more wear. We casually picked a path and continued to walk on the trail where the thorny bushes then opened to a rocky terrain. The rock looked interesting with varying patterns all over.
At the top, there were massive cacti plants dotting the area around an abandoned ancient temple structure. Only the pillars remained with the tall Garuda stambha lying down on the side and a stoneware that appeared to be an urn or a waterpot. Some previous visitors to this place had written ‘Someshwara Swamy Temple’ on the stoneware pot for our reference. We rested beside the temple on the large open rock bed overlooking the landscape. The gentle wind caressed our faces while we watched the hills appear one by one at a distance amid the clearing fog.
The ruins of Someshwara Swamy temple at the peak of Ankushagiri fort
After relaxing for a while and munching on some fruits and nuts that we had carried with us, we proceeded toward the next part of the hill. The trail was beautiful with a rocky gorge on one side and huge cacti lining the path on the other. There, we arrived at a single electric pole that stood in the middle of a heap of ruins of what appeared to be an old fort. Although a circular marking can still be seen to date, only a few large pillars, a few hero-stones like inscriptions, and a couple of kolam designs engraved on the floor were all that existed for us to decipher what might have been the real grandeur, expanse and the purpose of the structure there. Almost little to no history is available to us about who or how this place had served.
Ankushagiri Hike
Anyway, it was a very interesting outing for us to explore a place so lost in an area where we were the only humans in kilometers around us. We spent ample time there before descending back to the base. We photographed several other patterns on the rocks before arriving at the same bushy junction where we had chosen to take the random path for our ascent.
Upon our return, we paid a quick visit to the Perumal temple before heading back to the city.
Adi-Chunchanagiri mutt is the spiritual headquarters of the Natha Parampara and Jogi Cult of Hindus of Karnataka. My dad, who had earlier visited this place with his friends, happened to insist on going there again with his family. His intention was not to take us on the spiritual path but rather to introduce us to a hiking path which he found picturesque after having ascended.
One Saturday morning, our family set forth to enjoy this day trip towards Adi-Chunchanagiri. We drove towards Hassan, along an excellent highway until Bellur cross from where we had to take a deviation towards Adi-Chunchanagiri betta (hill) as indicated on google-maps. There on, we enjoyed our drive through the countryside, with traditional homes scattered between vegetable farms, coconut groves, and forest patches of brown boulders and green trees. Google is not always right and that’s why we deviated from the course a little more than necessary until we found the correct track again. But it was the deviation which we enjoyed. We realized that the region is declared as Adi-Chunchanagiri peacock sanctuary. It was no surprise that dozens of peacocks were grazing freely on every other farm, moving around at every turn of the road and everywhere else along our way right until we reached the parking lot at the base of the Adi-Chunchanagiri hill.
Top: The first glimpse of the Adichunchanagiri premises; Below: The entrance tower of the main temple
The initial approach towards the mutt premises starts with an ascent of about 100 steps leading to the welcome gate/ arch giving a visitor the first glimpse of the main temple. The large doors of the main temple opened into an ambience that felt divine and calm. It is entirely built with stones, and it gives a feeling of being in one of the ancient Dravidian temples though this one was built in modern times. The deities believed to be residing inside and revered highly by the pilgrims here are Sri Kalabhairaveshwara Swamy and Sri Stambhambika (Kambadamma).
After sitting there for some time, we began our ascent towards the peak of the hill. Just after coming out of the main temple, there is a large Ganesha idol sculpted out of the rocky wall of the surrounding. We continued our climb by passing by some smaller temples with a look around offering beautiful views of the green cover.
The temples and shrines at the Adichunchanagiri hill
Scores of people were seen climbing up and down for pilgrimage purposes. The climb to the hilltop is done to see the Panchalingas comprising Gangadhareshwara, Malleshwara, Katthale Someshwara, Gavisiddeshwara and Chandramouleshwara, whose temples or shrines are scattered along the trail leading to the summit. But we were there to hike that hill as a recreational activity for the weekend. We climbed up the steep stairs right up to the top with the trail splitting at random places. My family ended up getting lost from each other’s’ sight and then picked whatever trail lied ahead of us and met each other again at the top. Well, not the peak exactly, but just beneath it.
That’s where I gave up any further climb. The peak point of the hillock is known as Akasha Bhairava. It can be reached by climbing the last bit of the rocky hill which had no stairs but only with the aid of a big, suspended metal chain. It was a straight climb (almost 90 deg. gradient) which included a small jump from one rock to an another. I doubted my ability to descend safely even if I were able to reach the peak. My brother, on the other hand, climbed it up and down with so much ease (and grace) demonstrating that he still possessed his ancestors’ (apes) strongest traits.
The view from the top where I was standing beneath the last rock which leads to the peak
After he returned, we all came down towards the main temple where we were guided towards the dining hall. We devoured the delicious temple food before heading back towards Bangalore.
We started back just after lunch to avoid the weekend traffic at Bangalore. But, if you are interested to cover more places in this day, you can google for some of the Hoysala temples along your way and add it into your itinerary.
This story is from quite some time ago. My friend was tracking the arrival season of the flamingoes at Pulicat lake. He had an acquaintance of a Mr. Illaiyaraja, a fisherman who lived in Pulicat village. Through him, we got regular updates on the arrival of these seasonal beauties (flamingoes) who flocked to the brackish lake during their migration period. Meanwhile, our family was planning a drive to Sriharikota, to watch the launch of Chandrayaan 2. That’s another story altogether, you can read it here.
A week prior to our road trip, Mr. Illaiyaraja telephoned my friend and told him, “Anna, flamingoes vandichi.” loosely translating to “Brother, the flamingoes have arrived”, in Tamil. So, a drive to Lake Pulicat became a part of our road trip as well. Our family took our old reliable friend (Our Tata Indica) out on the road and prepped it for the long road trip. It was as if time was bringing all things together in our favor. The flamingoes had arrived, the rocket was set for its launch and the roads were calling us.
Pulicat village gets its name from Lake Pulicat, the second largest brackish water lagoon in India on whose banks is this tiny fishing hamlet. The lake itself is so vast that it is spans across Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. We approached Pulicat from the Tamil Nadu side. After exploring all the places enroute, we parked our car at the entrance of the village and walked by following google maps to the location where we were supposed to meet Mr. Illaiyaraja. With a can of diesel in his hand, he led us to his wooden boat anchored at the jetty. We boarded the boat with him and set off on an unforgettable experience of sailing on a sea-like vast lake, to see.
The birds at Lake Pulicat
Aquatic birds and shore birds that had migrated down from far across the globe birds to the Pulicat lake birds’ sanctuary. Pelicans, painted storks, kingfishers, herons, spoonbills, egrets, ducks, terns, gulls and several other species hovered on and off around us. But the peace within us came when the sound of the motorized boat came to a mute and there was an endless visual of the lake merging with the sky in a shade of ‘pink’. The greater flamingoes nesting peacefully in an unexplainable size of the flock. We spent quality time just watching them for a good hour or so before the sun started to turn the sky in hues of red.
We returned to the bank and continued to drive in the direction of Sriharikota. While we were exiting from the village and were at a traffic signal waiting to enter the highway, my eyes fell on an interesting but ignored piece of construction by the roadside. I decided to go near and noticed that the entry gates were locked. The architecture style was different than anything I had seen before in the region and some strange alphabets were engraved on its entrance arches. Although interesting, it still seemed eerie and gave me some sense of it being an old, abandoned site of a graveyard. Since it was locked, I clicked a few pictures of the place from outside and returned to the car and continued our drive to Sriharikota.
Top: Lake Pulicat enroute to SHAR in winter; Lake in Summer
When I looked it up on the internet, I found some interesting information about that old site I had just visited. There are about five main settlements dating back to the Dutch era across India namely at Gujarat (Surat), Kerala (Cochin), Andhra Pradesh (Machilipatnam), Tamil Nadu (Pulicat) and West Bengal (Hooghly) where forts or cemeteries can be found. This day, I had visited a Dutch cemetery which used to be a part of Fort Geldria or Fort Geldaria at Pulicat. Pulicat was the seat of the Dutch Republic’s first settlement in India, and the capital of Dutch Coromandel. This fort was the only fortification in the Indian empire whereas all other positions of the Dutch Company were trading posts. today, this cemetery houses about 76 tombstones, mostly carved in the Netherlands.
The Dutch cemetery at Pulicat
It is interesting how I came across a random site that holds so much historical importance in India’s history of colonization and it is also unfortunate that how inaccessible or neglected are these sites that holds stories of an era bygone. Thus, the sun had set on Pulicat ending our quick visit to this lakeside settlement.
Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi (GPM) is one of the youngest districts of Chhattisgarh and I recently had an opportunity to explore this region along with a friend. It has a deep-rooted connection with mythological stories and hence, several local tourists come here for pilgrimage. Otherwise, GPM is least explored on a typical tourist circuit and remains to be a hidden gem in the jungle, quite literally. Hence, through my trip to GPM, I wanted to explore, learn and document the adventure and cultural aspects of GPM district. On this journey, we had the guidance of GPM-tourism in arranging our accommodation and getting local experiences in some of the most exquisite places.
Day 1: Exploring Gaurela region.
We started from Bilaspur that morning in a taxi to arrive at our first destination- Gaurela. My first encounter of a new religious practice was of the kavadis. Of course, Kavadi itself is not new to me. It is observed in different forms across different regions of South India. But Kavadi of Chhattisgarh was new to me. During the Shravan month, the pilgrims leave their respective houses on a barefooted march all dressed in saffron dhotis, carrying the Kavadi on their shoulders and chanting bhajans and praises for Lord Shiva. Along their way, they are joined by others whose houses fall enroute and the march progresses. The group is large towards the end of their feat when they all arrive at the Amreshwar temple.
Anyway, after passing this large group of pilgrims, we continued our drive through a very beautiful stretch of Sal forests and paddy fields. Our pre-ordered lunch was ready by the time we arrived at our first destination- Jhojha waterfalls. This region is presided over by the people of the Pando tribal community, whose culture we were unaware of until then. A tiny canteen run by a couple belonging to this community provided us with food cooked fresh and served in the most sustainable way possible. All the fresh and locally grown ingredients (organic veggies) cooked with firewood and served with handmade plates and bowls of Sal leaves. The simplest, yet a sumptuous meal was relished by us before heading out on our short hike into the woods.
As the rain gods had taken over the skies briefly, we wore our raincoats and tamed our legs towards the trail. There is a biking trail for the biker-heads and then there is the hiking trail for people like me. It is a trail of about 4 kms with moderate difficulty for beginners. As we approached the Jhojha waterfall, believe me as I say that I hadn’t heard or imagined the existence of such an offbeat and majestic waterfall in this part of Chhattisgarh before arriving here. It was beautiful. On a day otherwise, one can go closer to the waterfall or get into the water. But I refrained from it since the monsoon fury wasn’t a safe idea.
Jogi Gufa was a place close by where we had originally planned to visit the cave and a waterfall. Ghaghra dam is frequented by locals for watersports and Son-kund and Kariam Ashram are popular places of local pilgrimage. All located at a drivable distance from Basti / Jhojha. By the time we returned to the base after the hike, the other members of the Pando community had joined in. Hence, we decided to spend the remaining time at Jhojha itself. It was a good decision as the evening was filled with song and fun giving us a better acquaintance with the tribal culture of the Pando community.
Mahua liquor is an essential part of Chhattisgarhi culture in general. There are several folk songs and stories composed around Mahua’s significance in the tribal life. The folk who had joined us for the night sang these songs and narrated undocumented stories that had been passed on through generations. Later, we had the supper cooked by the same family and retired at the little mud-cottage / homestay run by them next to the canteen. One of the most serene and silent locations I had ever imagined retiring.
Day 2: Exploring Pendra region
We started our day by having breakfast at a local restaurant at Pendra road (Town area). for someone whose taste palette is used to idly, dosa, roti etc., for breakfast, the samosas and jalebis were quite unusual to be consumed as a meal. But that’s how the rest of our day turned out to be- Sweet and Surprising. The untouched landscapes and the unaccounted number of mythological references make a great combination for hodophiles to explore Pendra. As soon as we moved away from the town area, the weather and the landscape took a dramatic change. crowded streets turned green and dry sunny skies began to cry rain.
This region is predominantly resided by the Baiga tribes and hence, meeting folks from this community and documenting their stories were my focus on this visit. We drove past the mountainous road and flat paddy fields to arrive at our first stop. It was an under-construction nature camp run by the GPM-tourism and managed by a local family of the Baiga tribes. Traditional tribal cottages flanked a serene waterbody and together overlooked by a canopy of trees. Apart from a group of local boys who occasionally dropped by for a game of fishing, it was a paradise in seclusion. The only thought that I had while there was, if I ever felt the urge to run away from the city hustle to a non-Himalayan place filled with silence and solitude, where no known person would find me, it would be this. To simply put- I fell in love with this location. We visited the home of a local Baiga family, took leisurely stroll in their village and farms and shared warm conversations and laughter with their little kids, all even as the rain gods continued to show no mercy on us.
Traditional jewelry of Baiga tribes in Pendra, Chattisgarh.
A few kilometers away from there is a pilgrimage site, Mai ki Mandap’. It falls on the way for people visiting Amarkantak. Mythology has it that river Narmada was all dressed in her bridal attire, awaiting the arrival of Son Bhadra, the groom and his party but was cheated by her friend. Since then, Narmada has been hiding inside a cave here where an eternal flame has been burning for ages. The river Amravathi ganga cascades down the valley here forming a multi-tiered waterfall, which needs to be crossed by foot to get to the temple dedicated to Narmada. Since it was monsoon time, the currents were quite strong and the river crossing was an adventure.
This region is dotted with several pilgrimage sites that are inter-connected with each other through mythological stories. Although we drove past most of them, we decided to skip a ‘stop and visit’ to them. Some of them were Durga Dhara waterfalls, Amreshwar temple, and Jaaleshwar Mahadev temple. Achanakmar tiger reserve, Kabir Chabutara and Malaniya dam are few other local hang-out spots in Pendra region which we decided to skip due to lack of time.
The highlight of this entire trip to GPM was the drive to Rajmergarh hilltop and the best ending for this short stay that I could have asked for. The adventurous people hike up this hill over a couple of days’ time, but we were not in luxury of so many days. Lines of Sal trees and herds of cows grazing on the tabletop grasslands were a treat for the eyes. The drizzly rains and the gusty winds not only caressed my hair and cheeks but also my mind and soul, as I stood on the edge of the green grasslands. We were lucky to get a glimpse of the setting sun even on a cloudy evening. The locals informed us that this hilltop is a favorite haunt of adventure seekers who usually hike up to pitch their camps and wake up for the sunrise over these hills. Such a beautiful place feels wasted without good amenities for the tourists. Outdoor lovers can get their own tents and pitch their own tents here, basic meals and tea can be availed with prior information to the caretaker of this place. But I highly recommend a day visit to this place, especially during the monsoon if you are looking for something more offbeat, less crowded and yet beautiful. The night’s stay was arranged at Gagnai nature camp, a property run by the government.
Day 3: Exploring Marwahi region.
The luxury of an additional day’s time would have allowed us to explore the Marwahi region, thus circling around the entire GPM district. ‘Beni Bai’ is an important and rare Jain pilgrimage site which I personally wanted to visit but couldn’t. A full day’s trip could include AdiShakti Mandir, Tara Khara waterfall, Pareva path, Chunha Dai, Shiv ghat, Samundalai kund and Lakhan ghat to complete a circuit before you head back to Bilaspur.
However, in our case, we started before sunrise because we had an afternoon flight to take from Raipur to Bangalore. Thus ended an offbeat trip to the heart of India, Chhattisgarh!
Long ago, I watched a visual documentary about the farmers of Kashmir who woke up early on freezing cold mornings to gather fresh flowers from their fields. They all rose with the sun to harvest saffron, the most expensive spice in the world. Ever since, these romanticized visuals had me imagining myself walking on those farms someday.
For close to a year, I had been trying to reach out to people to know when the exact time of the year was to witness these inflorescences. I got in touch with a local person from Srinagar who would take me around the farms. I learnt that the flowers would bloom around late October when autumn sets in. As the season approached, I was getting too anxious to not miss the season. Thus, booked a last-minute flight ticket from Bengaluru, for a long weekend at Srinagar. After a missed connecting flight and spending almost an entire day at the Delhi airport, I had finally arrived at Srinagar on a late Friday evening.
‘Be ready early in the morning, we will be heading towards Pampore’, my local guide said to me before dropping me off at a homestay in the city.
On the following morning, the Chinar leaves of autumn had started to paint my entire journey in gold. The sun rising over the overlooking mountains that surrounded us all around only enhanced my excitement to reach my destination. The saffron grown in the Jammu and Kashmir region has gained a GI tag in the year 2020 with Pulwama, Budgam and Kishtwar districts being key saffron producing areas.
‘Welcome to the Saffron town of India’, a board stood at the entrance of Pampore in Pulwama. The wide stretch of land on both sides of the highway looked bare and dry, without sight of a single flower or even plants of saffron that I had come to see from 2000 kilometers away. I looked at the person accompanying me, enough for him to understand the meaning of the perplexing look on my face. “Haven’t the farmers cultivated saffron this year?”, I asked him.
He walked me down to one of the farms on the roadside and explained to me that even yield ready plants aren’t prominently visible, with barely one or two grass-like looking leaves emerging from each root (bulb). Only the flowers come out from the root that are extremely sensitive to the environmental temperature. “This stretch of the farms has no shade and the heat due to the highway traffic delays the blossom. We will go to the interior villages of Pampore which have more shade because of orchards like apples, almonds, apricots, etc. The blossom season begins in the shaded-cooler areas and ends with the open-warmer areas”, he said giving me some relief.
We then met a farmer at Pulwama town who then drove us through the interior village of Pulwama, which is otherwise untouched by tourists. Finding our way through the misty morning while being greeted by endless orchards on either side, my guide on the steering stopped at a point. “Madam, here you go!”, he said.
The purple flowers of saffron in Kashmir
I ran out of the car and watched the sight in awe. It seemed like a faint purple carpet of flowers had been laid on a hazy morning, with the apple orchards writing testimony to my presence and the snowy mountains standing guard against this beautiful view. I had a tear rolling down my cheek, which I am still unsure if was because of sheer joy or in disbelief that I had made it there. I spent hours that morning walking between the purple blossoms, caressing the tender, dewy and moist flowers of saffron, taking pictures of the flowers while enjoying the crisp autumn air. The people accompanying me for sure must have thought that I was a psychopath wandering and meandering all alone, who had travelled from so far just to see these flowers. A few flowers made it to my books, pressed carefully between the pages and getting to go home with me.
Saffron flowers in Kashmir farms
He picked the tender flowers and rested a bunch on my hands while pulling out the saffron strands from one, for me to eat. My tongue had turned yellow upon consumption which he explained was an indication of the authenticity of the spice. I was then invited to his work area where his family had gathered around a table and were separating the different parts of the flowers that would be used for different purposes. He explained the entire process of separation of the saffron strands (the stigma or the female part of the flower), the drying and the packaging. Sipping on hot brew of Kahwa served with the same strands of the saffron that I was holding a few moments ago was overwhelming.
Saffron flowers Separation
Of course, my visit would have been incomplete without picking up stashes of saffron from their shop as souvenirs for friends and family. In this short visit to the land of saffron, I had witnessed the world’s richest spice travel from farm to market. Sigh, it was a dream come true, to experience these fully blown saffron fields!
Fact file:
It is recommended to get in touch with proper sources and book taxis in advance who could take you on such guided tours of the saffron fields.
Pampore and Budgam can be reached on day trips from Srinagar. J&K tourism runs guests houses in Kishtwar as well, which can be reached via taxis hired from Jammu city.
My first thoughts about visiting a national park used to be safaris, birdwatching and game sighting. But my trip to Kanger valley national park in Chhattisgarh helped me change that perspective by letting me understand that a trip to a forest can be beyond wildlife. Even without having any major landmarks to visit, a trip can be complete by simply traveling slow, being present and immersive in the energies of the moment.
A walk tour around Jagadalpur set a good preamble by introducing me to the culture and history of the tribal communities and the royal family of Bastar. Jagadalpur is where most rituals of the Bastar Dussehra center around. Bastar Dussehra, the longest festival in the world is celebrated for seventy-five days thereby attracting tourists from across the globe to witness the congregation and unique rituals of Adivasis inhabiting the region.
The Royal Palace at Jagdalpur
We then drove towards Kanger valley National Park, the only national park in India where human settlements is allowed within the heart of the forest that is thriving around the Kanger River. A sumptuous lunch served on patravalis was followed by a walk to see the beautiful Thirathgarh waterfalls and the serene Sita Kund, important sites of pilgrimage in the local culture. After spending some time there, I went on a guided trek to Shivaganga, an untouched gem. ‘The seclusion of the waterfall, reachable by a flight of bamboo stairs laid out through the thickets would be best complimented by an overnight camping and the dance of the fireflies’ as described by the guide.
Sita Kund at Thirathgarh waterfalls
That night’s accommodation was at an Adivasi homestay. A traditional greeting was followed by warm conversation with the host family, accompanied by homebrewed Mahua liquor and red-ant chutney around a bon-fire, in the courtyard overlooked by a huge Mahua tree. The night’s sky there is certainly a delight for astrophotography enthusiasts. I woke up for sunrise and joined my host on his walk along the riverbank to collect ferns for a perfectly organic meal to start our day. With the mud and bamboo houses, wooden fences, dining on cow-dung smeared floors, slow-cooked food in claypot and on firewood with locally available ingredients, my stay was an incomprehensible experience of sustainable living.
Among three magnificent limestone caves located within the national park, we explored the stalactites and stalagmites of Dandak caves. A fifteen-minute session of meditation inside the dark and silent chamber of the cave was transcending. A Gypsy ride to Kanger Dhara waterfall was followed by bamboo rafting on the pristine and calm waters at Kailash Jheel. Since, our campsite was at a walkable distance from a tribal hamlet, I sneaked out and spent time at the local fair there. Tribal folk had congregated from all neighboring hamlets to watch the ‘Naat’, a theater form where excerpts from epics are adapted into local stories and performed all night.
The next morning started early with an inspiring birding session along the river trail as I was accompanied by a ‘Myna Mitra’, the friend of the Myna birds. This is an initiative by the forest department toward conservation of the Hill-myna, the state bird of Chhattisgarh by getting the local forest dwelling tribal youth involved to track the daily activities of these birds. We got lucky to spot a pair of these birds, the highlight for a typical wildlife trip.
Gumadpal temple, Bastar
After a quick meal, we headed towards Gumadpal to see a 14th century Shiva temple. Historians haven’t yet found the reason for its unique three-tiered Linga. That day happened to be the weekly market or haat, as locally called. A walk around the haat was another opportunity to get a closer understanding of the local way of life. Haats do not just provide for trade but also for worshipping local deities, entertainment, socialization and even matchmaking. A few women were singing and dancing to the local songs and asked us to join in as well. It was surprising to know that barter still exists here. I tasted local food like tubers, mahua, tendu, and a variety of local brews and wines. Jewelry and home-décor items in dhokra, a GI tagged craft made by a method believed to be practiced since over 4000 years were being sold among several other unique crafts of the region. I witnessed an energy packed session of cockfighting as well.
Dokra art at various stages of metal casting
Having travelled to Chhattisgarh and not seeing the poster boy of its tourism advertisements, did not seem fair. River Indravati plummets down with all her might in a horseshoe shape, making Chitrakote waterfalls the widest in India. I checked into the government run luxury resort to spend my last evening, where every cottage offered a view of the setting sun over the waterfall. A ride in a country boat right into India’s Niagara waterfalls was just the prefect way to say good bye.
Chitrakote waterfalls during summer season
From waterfalls and caves to tribal hamlets and local markets, from history and folklore to art and craft, from food and wine to mud-houses and palaces, from dance and music to culture and architecture, my experience at Kanger valley national park was replete, wholesome and truly full of surprises!
Fact file:
Transport: Jagadalpur is connected by daily flights, rail route and by buses. Self-drive cars or taxis can be availed for travelling within Bastar.
Stay: Several tribal homestays are available within the national park. Nature camps and resorts run by Chhattisgarh tourism board and heritage stays in palaces are managed by the erstwhile royal family of Bastar. Good hotels of all budgets are available at Jagadalpur.
Food: Bastar cuisine mostly comprises of locally grown rice and vegetables.
This travel was part of the ‘Dekho Bastar- Season 1’ event organised by India Tourism Board and Bastar District administration in collaboration with Kanger Valley National Park. The article appeared in ‘Apr~May’23’ edition of ‘Bastar Bhoomi’ magazine.
Initially, when a friend mentioned the destination for an impromptu drive on a Saturday morning, I hoped to correct him by telling it was ‘Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Betta’. “No, it is Bili-Kal’, he specified. ‘Bili’ translates to ‘white’ in Kannada. ‘Giri’ means ‘hill’. ‘Kallu’ means ’stone/ rock’. In this context, we were both talking about two different destinations. Although the presiding deity at the temples located atop both these hills are common, Biligiri is more popular than its counterpart at Bilikal. While Biligiri forms the core of Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Temple (BRT) tiger reserve, Bilikal is in the heart of a reserve forest that comes under Kodihalli wildlife division of Bannerghatta National Park. So, this time, we were heading to ‘Bilikal Ranganathaswamy Betta’, the closest of the two to Bangalore city limits, reachable through Kanakapura road.
We stopped by Halagur town for breakfast which has several old and popular eateries that serve unique types and authentic recipes of idlis for breakfast. (Comment below if you need hotel recommendations). Post this break, we followed google maps to reach our destination.
There is a forest check post enroute where one needs to make an entry to continue the journey ahead. The temple hill can be summited via two routes, one is a trek route with stairs, and another is through an unpaved road that is clearly marked till the end. Although four-wheel drive is not mandatory for those opting to drive up, it is recommended to have a vehicle with good ground clearance.
Bilikal ranganathaswamy temple, Rear view of the Monolithic rock
Upon reaching the peak, it was a large open area which came as quite a surprise. While one side of the hill had the temple pond dug into the edge of the rocky hill, the main temple of Ranganathaswamy is located on another side of the hill, overseeing a magnificent view of the surrounding hills. The main deity is carved out of a large monolithic rocky outcrop on the hill, which makes this place unique among all that I had visited thus far. There is a small sculpture on this rock which we were told is the original figurine of worship until it was damaged many years ago. Since then, an alternate idol has been carved out of the larger rock and a simple temple has been built outside leading into the prayer chamber within the monolithic rock.
Next to the temple rock, is another old and small room like stone structure. A few localites who were present there told us that it was the house of an old lady Kamalamma, who lived there and had dedicated her life in the service of Lord Ranganatha. Amid the wilderness of the thick jungle, she lived all alone in the belief that Ranga was her caretaker. She was accompanied by a few cattle that lived there whose milk was used to distribute buttermilk to pilgrims who arrived there every Saturday after a tiring ascent by foot (before the drivable route was laid out). She is no more, and her tomb is now housed inside the structure where she lived.
Bilikal ranganathaswamy temple, front view of the rock temple
A short climb from this structure is another viewpoint, where one can sit on the rocky outcrop under the shade of the surrounding trees and take in some good views of the valley around. We returned after spending some time there. Overall, this was a pleasant and an offbeat outing from the city.
Things to note:
The temple and the forest check-post are open for public access only on Saturdays. Only one Pooja is offered to the deity, once per week.
The annual temple fair is held here in January when a wooden temple car is assembled and taken around the rock-temple.
All along our way, we observed a lot of fresh elephant dung. Hence, we are certain that the trail is frequented by elephants and other wild animals at all times of the day. As both the routes pass through dense forest, it is recommended to comply with all guidelines laid by the forest department.
Other nearby places that you can combine your visit with:
Shri Govinakallu Anjaneya swami temple (an offroad drive in the same forest limits)
Suvarnamukhi is located inside the reserved forest area within the boundaries of Bannerghatta National Park which can be accessed through a main road till its base. This was one of the unplanned and random destinations that my family had arrived at, a couple of years ago, which I believe needed to be documented.
It was a brief hike through the forest terrain which was rough and interspersed with bushes and rocks that lead us to an ancient temple. Along the way, we observed pebbles and stones arranged in circular and a maze-like pattern depicting various complex themes. We were told that it dates to the pre-historic era and represents some kind of tribal worship or dolmens.
Hike trail to Suvarnamukhi temple, Bannerghatta
Walking past, we arrived at the AmbaBhavani and SriBhavani temple which was closed at the time. There is a pushkarini / Temple tank in front of this temple whose water is believed to be able to heal skin ailments. I was told that the tank is emptied once a year, to worship a Hanuman sculpture that lays at the bottom of this tank.
Ambabhavani temple at Suvarnamukhi, Bannerghatta
A short walk away from here is the Champaka swamy temple, an important site of local worship. Alternatively, people arriving by own transport can park their vehicles at the Champaka swamy temple before starting their hike towards Suvarnamukhi. The relevance of these temples and the pond in Indian mythology attracts people in large numbers on special occasions to visit this place.
A few meters away from the temple is the Vahnigiri peak, which gives an unhindered view of Bangalore’s expanding skyline. I remember spending some time sitting atop the rocky hill as the wind continued to waft past us before walking back down through the forest.
Things to note:
The entire hike trail passes through thick forest area that will be frequented by wild animals including elephants. This visit of ours was a few years ago when we needed no forest permits. It is recommended to check the latest rules with the authorities for any relevant permits before venturing out all by yourself.
We all know that the widest waterfall in the world is the Niagara, and it is in America! So, we take it for convenience to use Niagara as a synonym to refer to every other wide waterfall in our region. But how many of us have really seen the widest waterfall in India? Or for that matter, how many of us have seen the widest waterfall of our own states within India? Irony is we surely know Niagara, but we might have not even heard of the one in our own backyard.
So, here’s my attempt at listing some of the widest waterfalls in the Indian states that we love to call the Niagara of our country! (Note: These are by width of the waterfalls and not by their height)
1. Chitrakote waterfalls, Chhattisgarh:
The WIDEST waterfall in India is this, where river Indravati plummets down a horse-shoe shaped gorge. A beauty to behold in all true senses, a ride in a country boat to right under the waterfall is a spell-binding experience.
Chitrakote waterfalls during summer season
2. Athirappilly waterfalls, Kerala:
Chalakudy river cascades down a rocky gorge forming this spectacular waterfall is something that one would not want to miss on their next haunt to Kerala to explore its backwaters and canals.
Athirapilly waterfalls, Thrissur district Kerala
3. Gokak waterfalls, Karnataka:
Formed by the Ghataprabha river, Gokak falls is Karnataka’s best kept secret. A walk on the hanging-bridge laid right across the waterfall when it is flowing full, is an experience worth considering.
Above: The front view of Gokak falls from the Volkart rock view point; Below: A view from the Hanging bridge.
The breathtaking view of the Hogeynakal waterfalls from the watch tower
5. Bogatha waterfalls, Telangana:
An unexplored beauty, the Cheekupally stream cascades down forming this waterfall that has still been off the radar of mass-tourism.
6. Panimur waterfalls, Assam:
Assam is mainly a low-land / plain area with Dima Hasao district being its only hill-station. The high altitude of the region holds some of the best waterfalls of the state as well, among which Panimur waterfalls formed by the Kopili river is its best-kept secret.
Panimur waterfalls at Dima Hasao district, Assam
7. Bahuti waterfalls, Madhya Pradesh:
Some may revere it to be the highest in Madhya Pradesh state, but I couldn’t find an equivalent in width to match this place of natural beauty which is formed by Sellar river in Rewa district.
8. Seven sister waterfalls, Meghalaya:
Thanks to its year-round rainfall, Meghalaya is a land of waterfalls, each being spectacular on its own. Talking about wide waterfalls, this set of seven-segmented waterfalls drops down a limestone cliff at Cherrapunjee which looks spectacularly wide when it is full during the monsoon-season.
9. Gira waterfalls, Gujarat:
Formed by the river Ambika, a jeep ride through a nice green landscape to reach this waterfall is what the locals recommend to enjoy this visit better.
This is my humble attempt to enlist some of the widest waterfalls, picking one from each state in India. Let me know what is the widest waterfall at where you are?
As a high school student, I was intrigued by the terminologies called ‘Stalactites’ and ‘Stalagmites’ in my Geography curriculum. ‘These were formations of calcium deposits formed by continuous flowing of water over several years, below the Earth’s crust’, it read.
“These structures are beautiful to see. I had the opportunity to visit one of these underground caverns during my visit to France. We walked down a flight of stairs and then were taken on a boat, to see stalactites and stalagmites, underground”, my geography teacher said. Her voice echoes in my ears even today, because back then my jaws had dropped in awe wondering how beautiful the landscape and topography of the countries outside India were. I wished to see the stalactites and stalagmites someday.
Cut to today, I am so glad that time has been kind on me with so many opportunities to explore my own country, India. These opportunities have opened my senses to realize that “India is a world”. From snow to deserts, mountains to beaches, plains to rainforests, the landscape comprises of EVERY type from across the world! Based on my travels, I have seen some amazing cave systems in India. Without including the caves that have been part of India’s ‘art and architectural heritage’, here are five best places in India where you can explore caves in their natural form.
1. Meghalaya:
Top on the list, there are hundreds of caves that are open to explorers, hundreds being discovered every day and maybe thousands that are still unknown to people yet. ‘Krem Liat Prah’, India’s longest cave system is in Meghalaya.
2. Andhra Pradesh:
‘Borra caves’ in Andhra is the largest cave in India. A heritage railway line passes just above this limestone cave. Having such a big cave system is proof and motivation enough to know that several other caves are available in this region waiting to be explored by adventurers and tourists alike.
Inside the Belum caves
3. Chhattisgarh:
The state sitting within the mythologically important forests called ‘Dandakaranya,’ these forests are home to several limestone cave systems that are yet untouched by mass-tourism. Only about 57 caves are known to people as of now, and there is immense scope for exploring new caves. The remoteness of the places adds to the joy of the explorer while caving in Chhattisgarh. The video of exploring a cave at Bastar, Chhattisgarh is shared below.
Cave exploration at Madarkonta caves
4. Andaman & Nicobar Islands:
This archipelago and Union territory of India is one of the best kept secrets of nature enthusiasts who want to go caving. In fact, this is where I saw a stalactite and stalagmite for the first time in my life. The connectivity of these remote caves located on different islands through a channel of interconnected mangrove forests passing through pristine blue sea water makes it a memorable experience.
5. Karnataka:
While all the above cave systems I have enlisted above are limestone caves, Karnataka is home to some of the beautiful sandstone caves which are scattered across the middle and northern region of the state. Unlike underground, the caves in Karnataka are formed above the earth’s surface and give a completely distinct perspective of exploring this state, which is my home-state as well!
The Lost Lander 