This time all credits to Raghu for getting us together for this amazing trip over the weekend. The plan was to cover Kemmanagundi and head back to Bangalore may be in a day or two. But since we had a very good driver in Raghu and a SX4 we did not mind cruising here and there and hunting down places chasing Karnataka tourism board mile stones.
Day 1: 22nd April 2011
We hit the Tumkur highway @ 6 AM to reach Kemmanagundi. Our fist pit stop for Breakfast at Kamath. On the way we had all permutations and combinations as in which route to take and where to go and all....Finally decide that we will head to Amruthapura.
The temple is a fine example of Hoysala workmanship built with a wide open mantapa Surrounded by coconut farms, the temple still has its original outer wall with interesting, equally spaced circular carvings. The speciality of the temple are the rows of shining lathe turned pillars that support the ceiling of the mantapa.
After lunch @ Shivamogga we headed towards Sigandur. It is famous for the temple of Goddess Chaudeshwari. This place is located on the other side of backwater of river Sharavathi ( before Jog falls ). To reach this place people have to come to the main city Sagar. Vehicles reach one side of the bank in the river Sharavathi. Launch ( ferry ) service is available from this bank to the other bank to cover a distance of one KM and service charges just Rs. 1 per head :)
Now wait a second....werent we supposed to go to Kemmanagundi ? YES this is what happens when we have a superb car.. money...time...enthusiasm.. and a very good driver in Raghu :) So first day we had a halt @ Shivamogga and Kemmanagundi moved to day 2. I must admit that Raghu is a fantastic driver...perfect.! and Arun is a worst navigate :)
Day 2: 23rd April 2011
At around 5 AM in the morning headed towards Kemmanagundi Finally :)
Kemmannugundi is a hill station in Chikkamagaluru district. It is located at a height of 1434m above sea level and blessed with silver cascades, mountain streams, and lush vegetation, Kemmangundi’s beautifully laid-out ornamental gardens and enchanting mountains and valleys views are a treat to the eye. For the adventurous at heart, Kemmangundi offers many peaks to scale and intricate jungle paths to explore.
We had our trekking for Z point which is a vantage point at Kemmangundi and can be reached by a steep uphill trek of about 45 mins. from Raj Bhavan and is another favourite place of people who want to view a spectacular sunrise . As it is a walk beware of slippery roads and snakes and also visit shanthi falls near kemmangundi.
Hebbe Falls: A downhill trek of about 8 km from Raj Bhavan takes one to Hebbe Falls where water streams down from a height of 168 meters in two stages to form Dodda Hebbe (Big Falls) and Chikka Hebbe (Small Falls). Jeeps are available from one particular point to Hebbe falls and they charge around INR 700 to 1200 (for an up and down trip depending on the no of people).Just on a caution note make sure u dont drive there on your own vehicle as the is no road u have to find your own road to drive :) Back to Chikkamagalur we visited Mullayanagiri and had dropped Arun there as he wanted to put his base on top of Mullayanagiri, Karnataka's highest peak. We had our stay in Chikkamagalur.
Day 3: 24th April 2011
Mullayanagiri Tallest peak of karnataka famous for the temple on the peak and for its breath taking view from the peak.
The Veera Narayana temple is located in Belavadi. The temple was built by the Hoysala Empire. Belavadi is located 29 km southeast of Chikmagalur town on the Chikmagalur-Javagal highway. It is located at a very convenient distance from the famous temple towns of Belur and Halebidu and a visit to this quiet town is a rewarding experience.
THESE 3 DAYS, WE TRAVELLED 975 Kms JOURNEY WAS AN AMAZING TOUR FROM HILL STATIONS TO SOME BEAUTIFULL TEMPLES.
The total cost of tour was around 2500 INR. Special thanks to Raghu for driving our car, Arun for guiding us towards rite as well as some wrong directions , Prashant for coming and being a good boy as usual.
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