Incredible Shivamogga -2

I can choose either to be a victim of the world or an adventurer in search of treasure. It’s all a question of how I view my life. - Paulo Coelho

Many of the times I go solo because I will keep on walking, keep on thinking, keep on exploring. I want to be with myself. A few times I run with my companions. Likely those outings I can't go solo.

I have almost become an introvert but there are few friends with them I am still the same. After nature, they are my best buddies.

Having spent most of my time in western ghats, I have been very much influenced by the surroundings, folk literature, Yakshagaana and the diverse culture here. There were times I have been to Jog falls and continue observing how the water tumbles from that stature. At whatever point I visit Kundadri, I simply close my eyes and tune in to the moment subtleties of the encompassing. I have been to Kuppalli on different occasions however it never disillusioned me even in the fantasies. Here I will take you to some of the beautiful places of incredible Shivamogga.

Kundadri :

There was the time we used to wait near the Agumbe sunset point. But when we became more acquainted with the better sunset point, we had visited Kundadri, every time we were around Agumbe. Last time when I visited this place, I was totally involved with the silence of this place. This place has a Jain temple which adds more beauty to this place. But the government has not done anything to improve the tourism here. It could have been nurtured as one of the finest places to visit around Shivamogga. The dawn is increasingly excellent here. The best time to visit here is during summer to have reasonable dawn and dusk.

The sunrise and sunset have a different story in different places. One should not miss such beautiful stories.

When we reached the Kundadri gate, the gate was closed. We wanted to witness the sunrise and we waited till 6 AM and then jumped the gate and started trekking to the Kundadri viewpoint. From the gate entrance, it's 30 - 60 minutes trek.

You could also visit my previous post about Kundadri here

Mandagadde

This beautiful bird sanctuary has been the house for many birds. When the rain starts, you could find many migratory birds visiting this place. You could find different species of birds like Median Egret, Darter, Cormorants. This picture was taken during the offseason. still, there were many birds attached to the tree.

Sakkare Bylu

The most difficult thing to see as a part of tourism is animals tied to a chain. The forest department has tamed some of the elephants and they are protecting those elephants in Sakkare Bylu. But I could not see the logic of tying the elephants with a chain. The elephant tourism has taken an ugly turn in many countries like Thailand. The Mahout in the name of taming elephants will hit them very hard. The elephant and man conflict is a difficult thing to deal with. But building a big elephant sanctuary would have made it more meaningful.

Jog Falls

The mother of all the experience is here. Just 18 km from my home, it is the most wonderful spot for me. This is the second highest plunge waterfall dropping from a height of 253 m. There is a song in Kannada which says one must visit this waterfall at least once in a lifetime. The waterfall is formed by Sharavati river which is one of the major source of hydroelectric plant and also a source of water for drinking and agriculture purpose. The hydroelectric plant is a result of visionary Sir M Vishveshwarayya's farsightedness. Near Jog falls there are many small waterfalls which are paradise for trekkers.

I have spent many days looking at the waterfall. I visit this place to write some poems. But every time I visit here, I end up staring at the waterfall.

“A waterfall cannot be silent, just as the wisdom! When they speak, the voice of power speaks!” - Mehmet Murat Ildan

These lines are very much powerful lines. I have spent many years trying to understand the waterfall. But I have failed to understand the words they speak. Instead, I always had my own interpretation of what they teach.

Whenever we fail, we think that it is the end of our life. Like the waterfall's destiny is to fall from a height and join the sea, our life is also having a destiny. When we fail, we have to rethink and work towards our goal. Every failure leads to our destiny.

That's why I love the waterfall. Even today I stare at this waterfall whenever I visit and try to understand. And the story continues...