Kodachadri 2014

KODACHADRI 2014

Date: 05th July 2014 and 06th July 2014
Team Members: Vishwanath [Shimoga], Viraj, Umesh, Harish and SATEESH
Route :Bangalore - Tumkur - Arsikere - Shimoga - Hosanagara - Nagara - Nittur.
Vehicle : Bolero Storm

Team left Bangalore on 04thJuly 2014 at 6-30 pm, 

My friend Vishwanath who is working in Bank at Shimoga informed him that we are reaching Shimoga, by  10-30 pm, he  kind-heartedly  welcomed us and all  together had a  good dinner (Onion-Potato Sambar) at his residence

05th July 2014

Next day morning  we had planned to take some photographs of birds in and around shimoga and Viswanath took us for bird watching nearby place called Purdal Dam in shimoga

Purdal is a small village nearby Shimoga city which has beautiful scenic view. There is a water reservoir to store the water from the nearby steep areas. Purdal dam is also the major water supply for Lion safari and forest around Purdal. A very calm place which receives less crowd. Purdal is best suited for family outings nearby shimoga. Purdal can be reached by two ways - one is from Sagara road and another is from Anupinakatte road. There is huge parking space next to the dam and evening is the most opted time to visit the location. A popular television hosted a reality game show at purdal few years before which made purdal to come into the public notice. A beautiful road leading to prudal with semi-forest is treat to watch.

Purdal Temple

Purdal is a scenic beauty which is equally good for photography.
Small animals like chameleon, red squirrels and other animals and variety species of birds, flora and fauna are commonly seen.

ROBIN

SUN BIRD

LAPWING

Had Breakfast at Vishwa Residence, we had prepared Upma (Uppittu) and left  Shimoga by 12-30 pm. (From shimoga nittur is around 110kms) Vishwanath called Manjanna of Kalyani Nisarga Dhama that we are proceeding to your place, and requested to arrange the stay over there at Kalyani Nisarga Vihara Dhama, owned by Mr.Manjanna (fondly called) a eco friendly, South India Yoga Champion, Humanitarian, Trekker and a good hearted person.

enroute we visited Karanagiri SiddiVinayaka Temple had darshan of Vinayaka proceeded further, [the distance from Shivmoga it’s around one  a half hour drive towards a place called Hosanagar. From Hosanagar it’s around 7 Kms to Karana Giri]

We reached Nittur at 2:00 pm (117 Kms in one hour 30 minutes- Driver Harish Speed counts here)

Nittur is a village located in Hosanagara Taluk, Shimoga District, Karnataka, India. The village is located in dense forest, on Shimoga-Kollur state highway and Kodachadri peak falls within the jurisdiction of Nittur Grama Panchayat

Nittur is starting point of one of the trekking routes to Kodachadri peak, which is located at about 15 km from the village

Kalyani Chowka is about 2.5 kms to Nittur and to be frank its better you have a Jeep though in these roads to enter Nisarga Vihara Dhama is most suitable rather than other vehicles.

KALYANI NISARGA DHAMA 

KALYANI NISARGA DHAMA 

Inside the HUT, Kalyani Nisarga Dhama

Hosanagara – Kollur main road in between a small village called NITTUR (35 kms from hosanagara) Sharavathi River backwater a forest treat at Kalyani Chowka called Nisarga Viharadhama. 

Nisarga Vihara Dhama is a retreat built amidst forest consisting of log huts and tents (on request) to stay overnight. Run by Mr. Manjanna with an ambitious and thousands of colorful dreams of exploring Shimoga Dist Tourist places, he has setup this Nisarga Dhama in his own land with support by many people..  Government of Karnataka has recognized the activities here and sanctioned two boats for sight seeing in Sharavathi Backwaters.

  

Had a good lunch of Halasu (JackFruit) Palya, Nugge Soppina Chatni,Chapathi, Rice and Curd

After having Lunch  we started towards Hidlu Mane falls  to a point where the trail starts. The road is not all that good so always take a Jeep and never your car. It took about half an hour and some effort to reach the first stage of the fall 

Route 

Start from Hosanagar on state highway 26 towards Kollur and pass Nagara to reach Sampekatte and take left turn towards Kodachadri hills. Drive for 13 km to take right turn and trek for remaining distance to reach the waterfalls. Hidlumane falls also has one more route which is on trekking by Nagodi  village.

Hidlumane falls is about 6-7 kms from the main road and there are many forks on the road. It is nearly impossible to find your way here without the villagers'  help.

HIDLUMANE GURURAJ HOUSE

HIDLUMANE GURURAJ FIELDS

Hidlumane falls is a series of cascading falls with about 6 or 7 falls one after another. The beauty of these falls is that each of these falls are hidden from one another and they get better and better as you go up the cascade, culminating in a magnificent fall which is as secluded a waterfall as you can imagine! As we had gone in the monsoons, going up the cascade was anything but easy. The path was treacherously slippery with leeches feasting on you at every step. 

First boulder is quite easy.But the second one is giant boulder.During monsoon its very difficult to cross. Some how we managed to climb that, It is really strenuous.  The trek uphill on a scale of 1 to 10 is around 6 where 10 is the worst and most difficult finally we reached Hidlumane Falls.. amazing..!! no words to explain after seeing that falls.

As we reached the main falls, the excitement was palpable as we began indulging..Since the visibility on the peak wasnt too great, 

Jeep and 2 wheeler can go till that house, Cars may not. No food is available anywhere on the way or at the spot. So carry your food with you. Please don't throw any non-biodegradable substance (plastics, water bottles, plastic plates etc..) there. Enjoy and be one among the nature.

Flora and Fauna in Manjanna Residence

More Information :

Transport

There is bus facility from Hosanagara which has stop at nearby villages. Buses from Sagara, Nagara, Shimoga has stop at Kodachadri. Most of the tourist come in hire vehicles as trekking till the peak is time consuming. Private jeeps are also available at the nearby village which charge according to the season.

Lodging and Hotel

There are hotels in Nagodi and Nittur village serves Malenadu style of food. There are few home stays available nearby Kodachadri hills and also there is an IB at the top of the hill and Priest's house nearby temple also have accommodation. 

Kalyani Nisarga Vihara Dhama
Nittur, Hoasanagara Taluk,
Shimoga Distt, Pin 577452

Manjunath (Populary known as Manjanna)

Main Highlights:

Beautiful Bamboo Hut, Plastic Tent houses varying according to your need and number of people
Delicious Meals, Breakfast of Malenadu taste
Caring staff  never let u down
Well constructed and maintained toilets
Natural dining tables ( Told he found these wooden logs deserted in forest and thought utilizing to sit and have food)
Arrangement for nearby tourist places, Backwater riding, trekking.
Near by places are mentioned on a big bill board.
Bird Watching, Water Sports, Fire Camp, Cultural programs 

What to look for

Visit nearby Kodachadri hills for its natural beauty of sunset and nature. 

Trekking experience to Hidlumane is memorable along with family and friends. 

Nearest health camp : Nittur,Kattinahole,Sampekatte.
Approach : 

There are 2 trekking trails are there to reach koadachadri.
1)From karakatte gate and santosh hotel.this is the easy trek route. It will take around 2.5-3 hrs to trek.
2)From nittur via hidlumane falls.this is the toughest trekking trail. It will take around 4-5 hrs to trek.During monsoon season it is not advisable.

Contact persons : Nittur Rajendra(9449145540)
Best time to visit : During Monsoon u can see nature at its best.
sep-jan is best time to hang around there.

Kodachadri - (12 km)

Kodachadri is a miniature of Heaven on Earth. It’s a mountain peak (altitude - 1343 m above sea level) in the Western Ghats in South India (Karnataka State). The name comes from native word "Kodacha" or "Kodashi" which means hill and "Adri" a Sanskrit word, both combined together coined the word Kodachadri. It is also called "Kutachadri" and "Kodashi Parvatha". Kodachadri forms a picturesque background to the famous temple of Mookambika in Kollur. Situated in the middle of the Mookambika National Park, it is home to several endemic and endangered species of flora and fauna. The shola forest and rain forests loom in a perpetual layer of mist around the peak.

The peak is barren due to strong winds and as such, the forest covered nature is visible all around and also several smaller peaks and hills full of greenery makes a very good sight. The important animal life include Malabar Langur, King Cobra, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Great Pied Hornbill, and many more of which several are endangered. Its 115 kms away from shimoga

Kodachadri is home to many endemic and endangered species of flora and fauna. 

Kodachadri is famous for its wonderful sunrise and   sunset

It is declared as natural heritage site by Government Karnataka

 

The main attraction of Kodachadri is "Sarvajna Peetha" which is on the hilltop. It is believed that  philosopher "Adi Shankaracharya" performed meditation at this place. The closest base to Kodachadri  hills is Kollur which is at a distance of 20 kilometers. Kodachadri hills form a scenic backdrop of the famous Mookambika temple in Kollur.We decided to visit   the famous Kodachadri sunrise. Also since we were told that the path to Arsinagundi falls will be really tricky because of the rains, we headed straight back to Nittur 

Kodachadri Tea Owner's Mobile

In and around KODACHADRI

SARVAJNA PEETHA : 
There is small a temple near the peak where 'Shankaracharya' did meditationand ancient Sarvajna Peetha (built out of rock) at the top. There is road upto temple where a Travellers bungallow is also situated and from there there is a small track to the top. The view from the top is enchanting, to say the least.Moola Mookambika temple at Kodachadri village is believed to be the moola sthana (the origin) of Sri Mookambika Devi

Ganesha Guha
Ganesha Guha is near the trekking path to Sarvajna peetha

Iron Pillar
One iron pillar of about 40 feet length is planted erect in front of Moola Mookambika Temple near peak of Kodachadri and it is compared with massive similar historic iron pillars located at Dhar, Mount Abu etc.Devotees believe that this is the trishula used by goddess Mookambika to slay a demon called Mookasura as per local tradition. Indian scientists from IGCAR Kalpakkam and KREC(Now NITK), Suratkal conducted a test on the Iron pillar and found that it was made from traditional Indian metallurgical skills and not from modern casting methods. It is found made of pure iron. It is also found to be less affected by corrosion, despite of humid conditions prevailing there due to heavy rains. This iron pillar is considered as testimony of ancient Indian iron craftmanship.

Belakallu theertha
One more waterfalls called Belakallu theertha is located near Mudur, Jadkal (and 15 km from Kollur) and at the bottom of Kodachadri on southern side and involves easy trekking to reach.

Nagara fort
Nagara Fort is around 25 km from Kodachadri where an old fort built during 18th Century is located and the landscape created out of backwaters of Linganamakki Dam on Sharavathi River surrounds Nagara town.

Sunset

The sunset watched from Kodachadri peak on a clear day is an enchanting experience. The Arabian Sea is visible from the peak on a cloudless day and sun literally goes down into the sea and due to the proximity to sea, the shape of golden sun changes every minute. At the beginning it looks like an inverted pot, then like a vessel, a hat, a ring with double edges and so many shapes are visible which is an interesting sight. The sunrise is also seen from another hillock behind the Tourist Bungalow is also beautiful and the hillock is called Venkatarayana Durga, with some remote connection to some Palegara Kings who ruled the surrounding places. During sunrise, the plateau below is usually covered with mist and it looks like a vast sea of curd with some high peaks peeping out of the misty plateau.

SEETHANADI - KUDLUTHEERTHA 2013

AGUMBE-SEETHANADI-KUDLUTHEERTHA

Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary:

Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary has been named after Lord Someshwara, the presiding deity of the famous Someshwara temple located within the limits of the sanctuary.

The sanctuary is spread over 86.99 sq. kms. The sanctuary is constituted by eight reserved forests, About 40 km from Udupi. It contains rare species of animals, birds and medicinal plants.

GANAPATHI TEMPLE, SOMESHWARA

SRINIVASA RAO ENJOYING NEER DOSE

NEER DOSE

Sitanadi Nature camp is a part of the Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary along the banks of Seethanadi river and the place is just awe-inspiring. The nature camp is located on the banks of river Sita overlooking the Somewhwara Wildlife Sanctuary. Sita river flows through some of the densest evergreen forest in the Western Ghats with good rafting stretches and offers scope for rafting during monsoon season, especially from June to October. Accommodation facility is available at the nature camp in the form of farmhouse, home stay or heritage stay at reasonable rates and one can easily spend 3 to 4 days at the nature camp as base camp and enjoy nature’s resplendent splendor and richness and submerge in the cathartic benefits it offers. Trekking activity is available to nearby waterfalls like Kudlu Tirtha, Jogigundi, and Onke Abbi Falls, which are situated inside the forest.

SEETHANADI NATURE CAMP TENTS

SEETHANADI FOREST GUEST HOUSE

SEETHANADI NATURE CAMP DORMITORY

INSIDE DORMITORY

TREK TRAILS

Kudlū Theerthā Falls: About 42 km from Udupi. A waterfall located deep in the jungles of Western Ghats, close to Hebri town. This is a beautiful water fall in any standards, and may become very weak during Feb-May. With a height of about 300 feet, it falls directly into a pond which is considered holy by local people, because, sages meditated here thousands of years ago. There is one more water fall above Kudlu theertha, called Manga theertha (monkey theertha) named so because, only monkey can reach it as the path is very steep inside the forest

How to go - 20 kms from Agumbe, take a left detour before 6 kms to Hebri, another left after another 3-4 kms. The road will end at the banks of river Sita. There is a Burma bridge on the right side to cross the river (dont try to swim across). After that one has to walk for 4 kms inside the jungle. There will be a small stream which has to be crossed to reach the foothills. Trek 3-4 kms and you will reach the most beautiful falls in the entire state.
You can even request your driver to drive you across the river, this way you save 3 kms of trek. I did the same.
Remember, always go to your left along the water and if takes more than a hour, you probably came the wrong way

Mode of transport – If one wants to go there by public transport, then he can either go to Shimoga and catch a mini bus(which piles at frequent intervals to Hebri) and get down at the Koodlu gate. From there catch another minibus which will go upto a place called Dargas. Dargas is around 6 kms from the banks of river Sita. So one need to walk that extra 6 kms also. The other option is to go to Hebri(the bus will go via Dharmastala, Karkala,etc) and there you can catch the mini-bus to Nellikatte and get down at Dargas.

Travel Essentials :
Note: This is from my personal experience
Loads and Loads of Water, atleast 3 litres per head
Wear Shoes and loose pants, preferably a lower.
Take a cap, comes very handy against the sun
Camera and some yummy food
Some band aids, would come in handy for bruises
Salt, if and only if its raining

Lion-tailed macaque

Conservation status:  Endangered 
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Family: Cercopithecidae
Genus: Macaca
Species: M. silenus
Binomial name
Macaca silenus

The lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus), or the wanderoo, is an Old World monkey endemic to the Western Ghats of South India.

The hair of the lion-tailed macaque is black. Its outstanding characteristic is the silver-white mane which surrounds the head from the cheeks down to its chin, which gives this monkey its German name Bartaffe - "beard ape". The hairless face is black in colour. With a head-body length of 42 to 61 cm and a weight of 2 to 10 kg, it ranks among the smaller macaques. The tail is medium in length, about 25 cm, and has a black tuft at the end, similar to a lion's tail. The male's tail-tuft is more developed than that of the female.

Gestation is approximately six months. The young are nursed for one year. Sexual maturity is reached at four years for females, and six years for males. The life expectancy in the wild is approximately 20 years, while in captivity is up to 30 years.

SRI VENUGOPALA SWAMY TEMPLE, AGUMBE

ON THE WAY TO JOGI GUNDI FALLS

Jogigundi Falls like most of the falls in and around Agumbe is situated amidst the dense forests of the Western Ghats of Karnataka. But, this is your slightly different waterfall. Unlike your traditional waterfall that falls from a height or in multiple tiers, this one flows out of a cave that runs through the hill. 

JOGI GUNDI FALLS

Jogigundi Falls is situated about four kilometres from Agumbe. About 3 out of these 4 kilometres can be covered by vehicles and the last one kilometre needs to be trekked via a narrow and steep trail. 

A very pleasing and natural swimming pool greets you at the end of this trek. If you look to your left, you will find the Jogigundi Falls. One can bathe here, but please do avoid soaps or any chemical reagents as they can cause damage to the environment.

Kundadri [Kannada: ಕುಂದಾದ್ರಿ ] is a mountain peak with dense forests in the Western Ghats in South India (Karnataka State). This well-preserved land of Karnataka is home to 17th century Jain temple that is not much given to architecture. Two small silent ponds formed by the rock on one side of this temple leave you wondering at its presence on this height. Throughout the year you can find lotus flowers in the pool which is also a breeding ground for some fishes- both large and small

ON THE WAY TO KUNDADRI HILLS

Kundadri is at a distance of about 80 km. from the district headquarters, Shimoga and about 20 km from Thirthahalli town. From Shimoga, one has to take the National Highway NH-13 (Thirthahalli road) to reach Thirthahalli. Then take State Highway SH-1 (Agumbe Road) up to Guddekeri and then take left deviation. From Bangalore, one has to take the National Highway NH-206 to reach Shimoga and then take the above mentioned route. The total distance from Bangalore to Thirthahalli is 332 km. From Mangalore, one can take NH-13 to reach Thirthahalli. The distance from Mangalore to Thirthahalli is around 146 km. There are numerous mini-buses from Udupi to Thirthahalli. From Udupi Railway Station 86 km to Thirthahalli.