15 June 2007

Mind boggling Sirimane falls

Rajesh Naik referred to a pic in one of my old posts and thus reminded me of a wild experience that I went thru last year. Thanks, Rajesh!

Following is an account of this experience of mine.

Attempt: We were three, I was adamant about trekking to these falls, and my friends were not in line with me, since it was pouring like anything. So, I took up the task of enquiring at the auto wallahs if they could take us there. I was disappointed to hear a "NO", all of them I asked, replied the same. So, I resorted, but I hatched an agreement with my friends to accompany me till Kigga at least, we were in Sringeri, and this was on Aug14th, 2006.

The reason for these auto wallahs not falling in line with me was, bad roads and rains!!

Kigga: Disappointed, we took a bus to Kigga. Visited the Rishyashrungeshwara temple, had a good time walking on the lichen-infected temple complex. I was still thinking of a miracle, that would enable me to reach Sirimane.

The wet temple complex at Kigga

In the process, I made some friends with a few locals. I explained to them how I wish to travel to Sirimane falls in rain. They told me that it was dangerous to walk all the way without any guide, it would be just 6Kms though. But they told me that there was an auto driver, one and only one in that village, who could take us there in his auto.

Instantly my ears got straightened, I asked them to help me find him. The shopkeeper in front of the temple gave me his phone number, also called him from his shop itself, since our mobile phones were out of the coverage area. I requested the auto driver to take us to the waterfall, and he asked us to wait for 30 mins until he could reach Kigga.

I was jumping with joy but was still thinking of a rain walk all thru the 6KMs. That was not to be, with some moronic partners! I was finally contented that I got a chance to furnish my dream of bathing in a waterfall with rains blessing from above!!

We waited impatiently, and it was taking my breath away! I suggested that we be walking while the auto wallah could pick us on the way. All in the team rejected my offer. Sigh! 

Lo! The auto-rickshaw came..and we started our journey.

The Auto Journey: On the way, we saw a survey team doing something near a school building in a small village. We didn’t stop to enquire and continued. Rains started, this time heavily.

My friends started cribbing, "See...this journey is getting wilder and you wanted to walk all the way.." and then some abuse!!

A roller coaster Auto ride

The road was, in fact, it was not a road, just a path in the wild...was getting smaller as the time flew. Auto's wiper blade split into two pieces at one place where a branch from a dangling tree kissed it! We still had about 4 km of this joyful journey pending!

With the lash of rains and virtually no path bellow, the auto was traveling without even the glass wiped for the driver to see the road ahead. This one was a good chap, he had traveled on that road innumerable times; so he could drive it without having to see the road... And so he did!

At a point, he ordered us to get down and push the auto. We got down and did what our friend wanted us to do. It was a small boulder-like bump, which, he knew was impossible for an auto to climb. This small exercise made us get wet like anything..and again my friends started where they had left last time… for me asking them to walk all the way along these wild paths! Huh!

We started again… Our new friend told us how they spend time during the rainy season. By now, I had opened the window shield (in these parts, the auto drivers put some zinc shield on both sides to protect travelers from getting wet). It worsened the matter and our ‘waterproof’ jackets started showing their real colors.

Bearing all these things, he stopped at a place that had a small hut-like structure with “Sirimane”  written on it. It was not open, nor we could see anyone there. He told us that we needed to walk down the paved way from there to reach the waterfall. A small 200mts trek was in the offer, at last! 

I was anticipating a small waterfall with a sufficient enough place to bathe, from what I had read and known about the place.

Trek to the waterfall

The waterfall: Oh! But I was mesmerized at what I saw there! A waterfall, small, but roaring! We were almost 300 meters away from the actual rock from where water jumped. But that didn’t spare us from its gigantic spree!! Had I gone a step ahead, the gushing water would’ve washed me away! To add to it, the downpour started from the heavens. The moment flabbergasted us!

The water on a wild hunt

It was getting wild and thrilling! I found a sufficiently stronger stick to hold as a support to enter the water; I put it in, as soon, it was bundled into pieces, by the sheer energy of running water! I survived this jolt by a whisker. Huh!

The moment was simply mindblowing. I sat there, finding seemingly a rock, facing the waterfall. Sat there listening to the flush it made. Admiring nature’s ultimate drive, I thanked God for making it possible for me have to come there and visualize the spectacle thru my naked eyes!

Bewildering Waterfall

If I were a poet, I would’ve created 1000 verses on it; but wouldn’t have described it enough! The moment was such electrifying! A never-before kind of joy filled in my body, mind, and soul.

Now it was my turn to return the words to my friends. I told them that their cribs were all washed away in the rush of water… the risk we took, and we should’ve taken was and would’ve been really worth them. They seemed agreeable to my point about it. Finally!

We spent some time in that wet condition and reluctantly returned to the waiting auto rickshaw. The auto driver had given us an ultimatum of 30 mins, but we took over an hour to be back. He did not complain though!

Given a chance, I’d, any day, wish to rush back here, and spare myself of all the deadlines, conference calls, multiplexes and all.

I can hear that roar of water, even now…sitting here. It’s etched there, in my mind, forever.





The return Journey: Our return journey to Kigga was as eventful as the forward journey. As we were reaching Kigga, there was a police inquiry that we had to go through. The police inspector was about to scream out at us for having traveled there without prior permission from them! He also suspected us of being associates of Naxal militants, whose activities were discovered in those forests recently! Our local friend offered some help and dealt with the matter proficiently. Also, we learned that the surveyors we found on our forward journey were actually the police fighting the Naxal militants!

We thus returned, to safe lands, with bundles of memories and spellbound joy.

Appreciation: Just have a look at the pictures- we dared take out the camera in rains, tried all the circus items to keep it dry failing miserably at it. However, the good camera turned out to be strong too for it sustained all the hardship we offered it!

14 comments:

ರಾಜೇಶ್ ನಾಯ್ಕ said...

Good to know that you managed to visit the falls on that day despite all the negatives around you. your experience made it a good read.

It is a stunning picture. Though I had guessed it to be Sirimane, I still had doubts,,because the amount of water in that pic was too much. I had been there during August 2003 and water level was less compared to your picture. My picture can be seen at the following link.

http://karnataka.fotopic.net/p13384071.html

Anonymous said...

Oorella sutthadta iddira anni...
Channagide :-)

mouna said...

u ask us to appreciate, can we not do that? ;)

it must have been exhilarating, a visit to a waterfall during the rains! aha! what pleasure..

Kalyan Panja said...

Some nice shots & it was interesting reading your experience.

Anonymous said...

A journey on Vasco-Londa rail route during the monsoons about 3 years ago...
The water from Dudhsaagar falls ...
There was a huge spray into the compartment..
Unforgettable....

reborn said...

Good experience !! LOL

It s very close to my grany s place ...but have nt been there..Must go next time .pictures look very good .

Anonymous said...

Man, You have done some of the greatest treks and living to tell those tales... I shudder at the tought of spending a couple of nights in police hostpitality!!

Anonymous said...

An experience to remember...looks like you had a blast while travelling and at the falls.. nice pics...

Anonymous said...

I guess that must be an amazing trek..
I jst love to watch these waterfalls :-)

Neha

Prasanna L.M said...

nice place and nice article.. keep rocking..

Anonymous said...

sirikanth, sirimane falls chitra nodi naavoo sirivantharadevu! :D

great pics and narrative. may u trek more wonderful places in the future!

Prashanth M said...

super adventure Srik. Nice photos...
Added to the list of 'to be visited palces'

And about Doodhsagar falls, heard that thats also a beautiful one...

Srik said...

Rajesh,
You reminded me of that wonderful experience by enquiring about the picture.
Thanks a ton for making me document it.

Vani,
These stories are just a part of the joy that we experience. To derive maximum pleasure, you must make some time to visit there. You will be bewildered too.

Bach,
It takes nothing more than a 10hour journey to reach there, from here. It must be closer to Mangalore.

mouna,
Yes, awesome! I wish I be a part of such thrillers every now and then!!

Kalyan,
Thank you! Your stories from Kolkata are as good.

neela,
wow! Let me try this Konkan rail experience this monsoon.

reborn,
Its must a visit place for all the waterfall lovers. Sad thing, you know. Naxals have haunted this place now :(

M O H A N,
Uh! Police hospitality! yenthaa haraike(bayake) saar nimdu! Touch wood.

priya,
yes...in deed it was a super day.

Neha,
I too love waterfalls, watching in pictures and in real.

Prasanna,
welcome back! And thanks.

bellur,
nimma sirivanthikeyannu namagoo swalpa hanchi saar ;)

prashanth,
Dude, when are we going there? ;)

prasca said...

Unknowingly i went to sirimane falls in 2004. 1 of my most favorite falls. Thanx srik for wonderful writing