Coorg(Madikeri) - A Pilgrimage (Part 1)

Travelled between : 24th Jan 2015 - 26th Jan 2015
Destination            : Madikeri/Mercara(headquarters of Coorg/Kodagu), Karnataka
Distance                : 249KM from Bengaluru
Route To Madikeri : Bengaluru - Srirangapattanam - Periyapattana - Kushalnagar - Madikeri
Return Journey      : Madikeri - Virajpet - Gonikoppal - Hunsur - Srirangapattanam - Bengaluru

Places Visited        :  Raja's Seat(sunset point), Fort, Omkareswara Temple - Day 1
                                Abbey falls, Mandalpatti, Bhagamandala, Thalacauvery - Day 2
                                Irpu falls - Final day

You will get to know why I called it a pilgrimage by the end of the story.

Before I share my experience about my trip to Coorg, I just want to give a brief account of how I planned for the journey. Honestly speaking, It is quite unplanned. Except for the route, I didn't even bother about the stay at Coorg.

When I decided to go to Coorg?
- I don't know. I started speaking with my colleagues and friends about travelling to Coorg. The discussions were so intense that they finally culminated in taking the decision unknowingly. Yes, I committed to the journey without my knowledge, that too travel alone.
  At first I thought of informing my friends about the solo-travel. But how to tell?? I felt it was a little weird that a person travelling to a famous visiting place alone!! So I started asking them to give company though I know that they would not come. All of them gave me the same answer which I was hoping for..."No". I was happy. It is not that I don't enjoy if others are there, but somehow, I wanted to enjoy this trip alone.

Coming to the details about the trip,
     On the day before(23rd), my colleague and friend, Abhijith R Shasthry, had given me a list of places to visit around Madikeri even before I decided whether to go or not. The only thing in my mind that encouraged me to go was 'not to waste the long weekend'. Finally after the discussion with Abhijith, I decided to go. I left the office early in the evening and filled petrol for Rs 600..that was around 8.42ltr. That was the moment I decided strongly as I already filled the fuel. After coming to the room, I stuffed my bag with the clothes, power bank, headset and mobile charger.

First Day of the Trip - 24th Jan 2015:
     Though I slept very late yesterday, I managed to wake up at 5am, got ready and started off at 6:02am. By then I was already one hour behind the schedule, as I thought of starting at 5am. I didn't check if I had the bike papers with me. I remembered it after reaching the toll booth on the nice road(Near Electronic City). I checked my bag and felt so relieved after noticing that I had them. Though I was travelling, there were so many things going on in my mind as I heard some bad reviews about my destination from the people who had already visited it. By the time I reached the toll booth at a place the Nice road meets Mysore road, I firmly decided.."I have to enjoy at-least the journey if not the destination, Coorg".

Just Before I started

         My immediate goal was to reach 'Ramanagara' by 7am. Yes!! I made it. By 7am, I already reached Ramanagara and was about to cross it. Later Chennapattana - the land of toys. I stopped at a hotel that had a board with no specific name but with the information that 'Davanagiri Benne Dosa' was available. I had breakfast and coffee there and asked the person at the cash counter, probably the owner, about the name of the place.. He told that it was 'Mudagere'. Though I travelled so many times in this route, I never observed that this place existed. Perhaps, I showed special interest this time as I wanted to log my journey.
     

Near Ramadevara Betta - Ramanagara

At breakfast point - Mudagere

       I crossed Maddur at 8.10am and Mandya at 8.30am. On the way to Mandya, I followed a mini-truck with a load of plants - probably for a plant nursery. I liked it so much that I took photograph of the mini-truck while riding my bike. I think, this is the only stupid thing I did in the entire journey.

The Mini-truck I followed

Srirangapatna Bypass - KRS Road:
       I crossed 'Sriranapatna' around 9am. Though I read some bad reviews about the 'Srirangapatna' bypass, that connects to the SH88, I wanted to take that route just to avoid entering Mysore city. I took a right turn on to the bypass, sorry for not mentioning it with its name - KRS Road, 2km after Srirangapatna and crossed a level-crossing. After that I saw some terraced farm fields and I wanted to take some snaps - and here is one..
   

Terraced Fields - they look much better than in this img :)

      Later I crossed Palahalli, Hosahalli and travelled for a few more kilometres, around 4-5km, to make my bike meet with SH88.

         Journey on the SH88 - it was a song of sheer ecstasy. I liked the entire stretch of the route I travelled. I crossed Ilvala around 9.50am and stopped at a bus stop and did some stretching exercises and hit the road again after 10mins. It is very essential when we are going for a long ride. I thought for a moment that my journey was going at a slow pace. By the way my aim was not to reach the destination fast. I wanted to feel everything I encounter, whatever, - colorful flowers, gusty trees, cast of shadows, pestering humps, flock of birds flying along, people I meet...and what not!!?? :) It was a beautiful experience...

At the bus-stop

     My next stop was at a place where I found a hoarding that had a piece of information useful for me..."Madikeri 70km". By then the time was around 10:40am. Then I thought I would reach Madikeri in another 2 to 3 hours with a couple of places yet to visit - 'Bylakuppe' and 'Nisargadhama'. At this place, I stayed almost for 20 to 25 minutes as the place was very good.  I went a little over 300-400 meters distance off-road. I found a flat(enough) rock, laid on my back for a few moments and spent time by looking at the passing clouds. At that point of time so many thoughts were going on in my mind. As usual I don't remember any of them.

Very colorful - @70km from Madikeri

My companions through out my journey..

Here we go.. This is the hoarding...