13 July 2007

Madikeri diary

Jinx could not be undone!

Yes, I was unable to bring to you any new write-ups, be it “The English Teacher” or any other story. It has been quiet long since I could manage to pen down some thoughts. But this idea stuck me when I went thru an old diary that I wrote long back, in 2001, when I was a student.

The diary made me go back to a distinct land of Kodavas, colourful crescent of the oranges, the homeland of Kaveri. Madikeri is a pleasant place that relishes one with its soft bizarre memorabilia. I present you back the diary content as it is. Jinx is still undone, and I could only manage to type in what I had penned on that far back in time.

Here goes it, the story. Read and enzzzzzzoy.

Also, Pictures posted here are from the recent trips to the same place, doesn’t much tell you the original story. Please adjust madkoLi.

Oct 8 2001

11:30 PM
Talakaveri is a sacred place, a place worth of its name. No wonder it is here that female is born, who gives life to crores of people all over the south further. My respects towards her grew two folds as I felt the sacredness at her birth and birth place.

We trekked Brahmabetta, a sacred hill where, it is said that here Saptharishis had performed meditation. This is standing amidst the lush green hills and wonderfully mangled mountains. As I enjoyed the cool breeze on top of this hill, a feeling of “Gods must be roaming here” erupted in me. I was touched by the calmness of the place.

Kaveri is a special daughter of Karnataka of whom the whole state is proud of, and this place tells you why she’s so precious!!

Atop the hill, which is around 6500ft above the ground level, we were having the time of our lives. We were being kissed by the clouds then. Few cows were also there, mazing, making the place look more sacred. I saw them as Dev-dooths(Prophets) at that moment.

I ascended an antenna which was standing alone atop the hills.

Then suddenly started, the downpour. We were there, only two, on top the hills, clouds covered the whole place. It was soon getting to be dark. We could not see any thing, There was no shelter also. We started walking downwards. It was difficult for me to see the way, ‘coz clouds were there everywhere. We couldn’t distinguish the cliff, the mountain, the valley, the path. Somehow we managed to reach the steps from where we could take a guess on the next one to descend the mountain. Came down, had darshan of Mother Kaveri yet again and came out.

Hats off to you Talakaveri. Your holiness is untouched. God must be so intelligent to have kept you there, in the midst of worldly beauty and above that, putting on your head, the crown of un-worldly holiness.

1:30 PM
And we waited for bus in the rains.

4:15 PM
We reached Madikeri and instantly decided to trek to Abby falls down the road. It was a wonderful decision, according to us, but the people there thought us to be fools. We damned them and left for a wild experience of our lives.

We were un-aware of the route to be taken to reach the falls. And started walking towards Kushalanagar, where, after a few kilo meters, we remembered seeing a board directing towards Abby falls. This would be around 12 KMs to Abby, where Kaveri runs amock in search of the sea. Ask whoever, he said, “Are you mad to be walking till Abby?” “Why are you going to Abby now?”…..

One uncle dropped us till some point by his jeep, making short our journey by 2Kms, I suppose. He too asked us not to take risk at that time, “OK”, we told him. But since we had already made our minds to venture further, we went onn.

On both the sides of our walk, we were amazed to see varieties of trees, ever green forest, heard deadly voices from within…and there was coffee estate all over.

At one point of time, from an estate, there came out a gang of dogs barking on us. I couldn’t count how many were there, there must be at least six of them. We some how managed to escape from them, with the help of a stick from forest I was holding in my hands. This is just an example of the frightful atmosphere we were exposed to that evening. There might be snakes and other deadly insects, we found none, fortunately.

Then suddenly there came the dead end of the road, where many vehicles were standing. It was dusk already. Checked the signs over there, and found that it was the place that we were searching all along. We felt sad for having made it at a time when one was supposed to get out of. For having made it till there, and going back to Madikeri without witnessing it would be disappointing, we felt and rushed down towards the water fall. Every one, waling up, asked us whether we were searching for some one. We replied that we were there to see and enjoy the place. Waited for no response from them and madly rushed towards the fall.

We were amazed at the beauty of it. It was 6:30, my watch showed me. I was hysteric at the site of this nature’s beauty spot. Water was flowing, rather, rushing down like a mad drunkard, in no particular direction. A green pitch was standing there on the rock, segregating the flow into two parts, left one wider than the right portion.

We played in the water for about 20-25 mins, I was saddened by the fact that I was unable to bathe in the flowing river water, for it was already dark and it would be risky to stay and play in water at that hour of the day. But the joy of trekking all the way, for such a long distance, in the twilight, made for it. Sadly, the snaps taken here couldn’t come neat as it was as dark as it could be. We walked back to Madikeri, taking the smallest route of over 5Kms this time. Both of us were tired with our 15 KMs trek in this Kodava land.

Thus ended one memorable day.

P.S. Here, We = me + my friend Bapi. Only two of us!!

7 comments:

mouna said...

talk about talakaveri and it's beauty, awesome!! a true 'walk in the clouds'. aha!!

and a mad drunkard running towards abbey falls.. lols. i acted like one when we visited irupu falls ;)

Anonymous said...

hmm I too have sweet memories in coorg. I been to raja seat right at 5 in the morning. that was like heaven

Anonymous said...

Yes Coorg has its own charm,its beauty and calm atmosphere( we stayed with a Kodava family in their homestay)has to be experienced to be enjoyed

mouna said...

the picture at the head is super!! did u capture it or, easy, flicked it from somewhere? :D

Srik said...

I clicked it during our Meghane trek. This was captured en-route to Godanagundi falls.

Trip log of the same can be found here : http://srikslib.blogspot.com/2007/02/meghane-trek-log-vi.html

reborn said...

Nice pictures... looks like I m the only one who s not been to Coorg !

Anonymous said...

Hey, I was there 3 months back...but no heriocs.

Raja seat is good. One can get lost just looking at the clouds - no wonder the kings sat there!

The clouds and rain weave magic on human beings!!!