Exploring unexplored - Chikkamagaluru 4 day trip

 "All we expect is some kindness and a smile on the face"

A parting statement told by our homestay owner in Chikkamagaluru struck my heart so deeply that I kept pondering all the way driving to Bengaluru.

A relaxed unplanned trip was sought to commemorate our 9th marriage anniversary, so all we did was book a homestay as suggested by one of our friends and drive there without planning for the nearby attractions. As we covered quite a few scenic well-known and less-known places, created a list for the benefit of all if anyone plans for a trip. Wish you a happy vacation.

Day 1:

• Drive from Bangalore to Chikkamagaluru. Took 1.5 hrs to cross city limits, so better to start before 8 to escape the traffic.
• Visited Belur Chenna Keshava Temple
• Water sports in Yagachi dam (5 km from the temple) and had a pleasant time in Yagachi Park too.
• Reached Smarika Farms Homestay amid Coffee and Pepper plantations.

Day 2: 

• Baba Budhangiri & Datta peeta temple in the same cave. A unique place where Hindu Temple and Dargha share the same roof.
• Attigundi Peak - Less famous in Google Maps, but one of the favourite viewpoints on the trip. Like an SBI symbol, taking us to the centre of a circle through a line and leaving us to view the 360-degree)
• Jhari Falls - 3-step waterfalls that can't be reached by usual vehicles. Special jeeps are kept to ply and let you enjoy the heavy off-roading experience.
• Mullayyana Giri Peak - 500 step climb will land you at the highest peak of Karnataka, marked by a Shiva temple. Hot maggie quenching the hunger while cold clouds hit your face is a mesmerizing experience.
• Sitalayyana Giri Temple 

Day 3:

• Annapoorneshwari Temple (Horanadu) - Age-old privately managed temple consecrated by Adi Shankaracharya. It is customary for men to remove upper garments on the premises. And the best part is the free tasty food provided as prasad to all the devotees, by using efficiently and traditionally managed 2 halls to support the huge inflow of people
• Kaleshware Swami Temple (Dakshina Kashi) Kalasa
• Soormane Falls (Very less known place but has a beautiful waterfall creating a curtain of water, apt for photo lovers. The water is so clear that fishes and stones are crystal clear. Even the water taste super sweet)

Day 4:

• Bonda Soup at Atithdi - Hot soup with vada refreshed with the taste and warmth during the chilled weather
• Devarmane (Trans: God's house) View Point & Temple
• Can be covered - Shettihalli Church (Underwater in the rainy season, visible otherwise)

A few reflections I had after the trip was that all that is green in Google Maps or area filled with trees is not the forest. Most of the area on the mountains is broken into patches and sold to someone to grow commercial crops either by the Britishers or the Indian Govt. 

Fertile land brings good and quality agricultural produce, bringing more money to people, and helping people to think about the finer details of life, and leading to better spiritual maturity in the location. Horanadu is 5 times richer in fertility than nearby areas, so no wonder many great spiritual centres like Dharmasthala, Sringeri, Annapoorneshwari temples are established there.

Traffic on the highway on the weekend will not let you miss the busy roads of Bangalore traffic. It is better to leave before lunch to beat the traffic, or else you will be the traffic. 

Western ghats are one of the underrated tourist spots which deserves much more credit and attention than it has now. One way it is good that it is less disturbed by humans now. 

Many mountains and hills have reddish stones and soil, which made me remember the Noamundi mines; upon confirming with the localities, it is actually iron ore, but govt didn't give permission so far. But definitely, one day, all the beauty would be ripped apart for the so-called resource for the human development of creating infrastructure. It is like wreaking havoc on nature to create cars, laptops and metal chairs to describe how beautiful nature is (was).