Meeting a long time friend after a “very” long time rekindles those beautiful “never could be imitated” events which laid the base for a lasting relationship. These days, the days are so fast, occupied and hectic that we forgot those events and the base they had laid for us. With time getting valuable everyday and for everyone, my trip companions had evaporated gradually in the very tense battlefield of “regular” life and I had just few of them remaining to keep my journeys alive. Years back our lives were like a “one way”, as we walked, talked and had fun together and now, the scenario has just reversed with each one’s path turning out to be a no-entry for the other. Amid these restrictions, Mr. Dave and Gani are the last few who still support my Jaunt dreams and I have a special respect for them. They always accept my call with enthusiasm and accompany on my long journeys, in quest of something that could only be gone through and enjoyed before we too succumb to the miseries of that ‘regular” life. So it was more than just elation when Mr. Su (Sunand) accepted my proposal for a weekend Drive to “Mallalli”, a mesmerizing falls tucked away in the Coorg section of Western Ghats. Mr. Su had been my regular travel companion since 2006 but post marriage, I couldn’t pull him in for the numerous jaunts I had done. If at all we made it happen this time, it was because of the kind heartedness of his Wife and the perfect synchronization with this, of his parent’s arrival for a visit. He knew she was angry and I knew he was convinced, enough, to embark on a weekend of fun and nostalgic moments up in the Ghats. The plan was well set now that I confirmed to Mr. Dave of our arrival in Bangalore during the early hours of a November Saturday and set out on the dark NH4 in Mr. Su’s cute Wagon-R. The car was nimble and I loved the humbleness of her acceleration and the power of her economy as we drove in the most relaxed manner ever. Stopped by our regular tea stall just before Ambur and had a cup of tea watching the inter-state trains speed by and it was the usual feeling - cold, solitary and complete relaxation, before we kicked of our drive in pursuit of Mr. Dave. As expected, Bangalore was cold enough to rub our hands when we stood under the cover of pre-dawn darkness at the silk board junction, waiting for Mr. Dave’s slender silhouette to appear in the distant darkness. Thereafter, it was that usual “fun filled minutes” as we drove through NICE road to catch up with Mysore state highway, a road which I first drove through in 2008 during our Wayanad trip. Sleep was hugging like a frightened girl friend and I was as weaker to avert it, when a strategically located Barista came to our rescue. I was still sporting my workplace uniforms as I stretched out on the warm couch to close my eyes for a couple of minutes and immediately, the thoughts of my first drive over this notorious road disturbed the peace I was in now. Had a strong wash and sipped away the hot cappuccino, talking with Mr. Dave and Mr. Su over varied topics as a group of couples, may be in their first job, distracted our attention and spoilt the “ambience” with their loud and deafening chat. When they departed I was surprised to learn they had driven all the way from Bangalore on a two wheeler and I was relieved too, to enjoy a moment of silence and relive the 2008 drive in my “brief” dream.
Coorg being just “that easy to be covered distance” away from Bangalore, weekends are lined up with pre planned drives to this cool destination. This was the obvious reason I couldn’t crack a booking in one of my favorite home stay, The Prakruth, flanked by the backwaters of Harangi Dam. A night stay here would definitely have been worthy enough to justify our long drive for a one day picnic but nevertheless, that’s not all about a relaxed vacation – it needs to be directionless. Managed to reserve an accommodation at “4 Seasons” a humble home stay managed by a lonely woman, maybe in her 40’s, and strategically located @ the heart of Kushalnagar. Just after Mandya dawn had shown its face, loud and bright, to wake us up and expedite our drive. Bypassed Mysore during the early hours and reached the junction which taught us what it’s all about when you’re with your best dudes, with cans of draught beer, and driving under pouring rain to reach the Western Ghats. From Mysore it’s a beautiful single lane highway all the way to Kushalnagar and as always, when nearing the destination, handed over the keys to Mr. Dave and settled with a can of Beer, both me and Mr. Su. There was a strong sunshine but it wasn’t as hot for that kind of intensity as we relaxed under the morning chillness enjoying both our beers, and the views thrown at us by the relaxed countryside. The entry into Kushalnagar, to an extent, resembled our entry into Yellapur couple of months back in Uttar Kannad – that rusty KSRTC bus depot, chillness in the air, relaxed road sides and “worried for nothing” people – reiterated that mystic ambience. Checked into our home stay and it was surprisingly well built and maintained, with a big cozy master bed and a huge beehive decorating the entrance. The air was cold and the fresh Coorg coffee added to that “priceless” relaxation as I was sitting at the doorstep, with beehive above my head, enjoying the hot coffee and inhaling the fresh, cold air. Its moments like this which wipes away the accumulated stress and relieves the body from heat and acceleration a hectic schedule induces in our day to day life. The first glimpse of this “cool” town indicates it has something special about it and after few hours of observation I was able to identify that as, the quaint and serene setting on which its has been embedded. Kushalnagar also is famous for its Tibetan connection and it was well illustrated by the numerous and “stylish” monks making their presence prominent. Few hours of relaxation was enough to get us going and we drove in pursuit of “Mallalli”, a fall at the foothills of Pushpagiri. Past Kushalnagar, towards Somwarpet, it was a drive like any other one I had executed elsewhere in Shimoga, Uttar Kannad and Hassan – Just mind disturbing and lyrical. I only could wait or just imagine, how this stretch between Kushalnagar and Mallalli might be under the cover of a well established SW Monsoon.
The road leading to Somwarpet is lined with occasional homes and overgrown vegetation throughout, and the possibility of a reptile crossing is always high. The countryside of western Karnataka, particularly the Ghat section, mesmerizes an avid traveler, no matter the number of times, and I was no exception. Though the distance between Kushalnagar and Mallalli is only 48 Kms it takes a little above 2 hours to make it up, thanks to the winding narrow road and the disturbing setting its been laid through. The drive is also tiring on the car and our body as well, particularly after that just completed 585 Kms drive from Chennai as we adopted ourselves to the ambience and drove in alignment. Past Somwarpet, the scenery transitions to a “solitary” indulgence with very few people to ask directions for. There are numerous junctions and one need to be careful to catch up with the right one else, the distances and terrain will exhaust your enthusiasm. After a long drive we finally made it to the entrance of the fall and a PWD board showed the distance in pure Kannada. There’s absolute loneliness and the walk, initially, traverses through gentle terrain with the sound of the stream accompanying throughout. There’s good tree cover and hence, the onslaught of sun is diluted to such an extent, except at few stretches, that I began to build a good conversation with Mr. Su and Mr. Dave. We were already past noon and sun was toiling us, as we scrambled our way towards the edge of the cliff we were walking over. The edge of the cliff throws before us a view which is just stunning – There’s enough depth below our feet to take the breath away and through it flows the Kumaradhara River after falling as Mallalli. The magnificent sight of the falls hastens our walk and as an average traveler who has drove all the way from Chennai just to get a glimpse of this beauty, I couldn’t hold on. There’s a staircase through the initial stretch but, that only accentuates the difficulty level when ascending back. This brief staircase ends abruptly and thereafter, it rough terrain to walk through and it takes you all the way to base of the fall. Now past SW Monsoon, it wasn’t gorgeous enough but, did evoke my senses to an average level. I easily could understand the best way to enjoy the beauty of this fall was under the pouring rain, in July or August, when there would be absolute loneliness and unbelievable ambience to photograph and enjoy. A bit of disappointment lingering around, we embarked on that heart pounding activity of climbing up and it indeed, was impacting on our stamina. It was early evening when we reached up and we began that romantic night drive back to Kushalnagar, under the cover of utter countryside darkness with only the distant stars for company. I was already drooling over the awaiting beer cans, back in the town, and executed a perfect smooth drive through all of the 48 Kms to ensure we were back, safe and content. Nights at Kushalnagar are surprisingly cold and a half sleeved shirt was doing no good in retaining my composure, as we procured our freezing beer cans and retreated back to our home stay ASAP. It was 100% relaxation after quite some time and we had a good chat before walking out in the cold for a hot dinner. Once back, the thoughts of Mallalli and the falling temperature outside made me forget what I was and curl inside the big, cozy blanket for an instant sleep like never before. I just couldn’t remember how it occurred, as the exhausted body ordered my brain to ignore this idiot’s creative thoughts and go dead for the next 8 hours. The next morning, when the bell rang to hand over the complimentary coffee and Breakfast, I felt broken that it was all over and I need to be back home end of that day and back to what I was doing all these years. Couple of hours later we were back on the road, towards Bangalore and then Chennai, but Kushalnagar had nothing to feel about our departure, for it had seen a lot in its years of experience as the most sought after destination for the guys and girls from Bangalore. We three may just have spent one day together but what prevailed was, that unknown amusing feeling deep inside the heart, making us to enjoy every moment we had earlier in the day, cherish them throughout the sleep later in the night and crave for more the next day. Because we very well know we’ll be born once, we’ll be friends once and never know we’ll be together the very next day. Bid goodbye to Mr. Dave at silk board junction and drove all the way to Chennai with Mr. Su, to forget them both and keep thinking about Mallalli that night. I was wondering where I’ll be during the SW Monsoon of 2012, with already Agumbe, Kollur, Castle rock and Thoseghar having their seats reserved????
Parameters
Coorg being just “that easy to be covered distance” away from Bangalore, weekends are lined up with pre planned drives to this cool destination. This was the obvious reason I couldn’t crack a booking in one of my favorite home stay, The Prakruth, flanked by the backwaters of Harangi Dam. A night stay here would definitely have been worthy enough to justify our long drive for a one day picnic but nevertheless, that’s not all about a relaxed vacation – it needs to be directionless. Managed to reserve an accommodation at “4 Seasons” a humble home stay managed by a lonely woman, maybe in her 40’s, and strategically located @ the heart of Kushalnagar. Just after Mandya dawn had shown its face, loud and bright, to wake us up and expedite our drive. Bypassed Mysore during the early hours and reached the junction which taught us what it’s all about when you’re with your best dudes, with cans of draught beer, and driving under pouring rain to reach the Western Ghats. From Mysore it’s a beautiful single lane highway all the way to Kushalnagar and as always, when nearing the destination, handed over the keys to Mr. Dave and settled with a can of Beer, both me and Mr. Su. There was a strong sunshine but it wasn’t as hot for that kind of intensity as we relaxed under the morning chillness enjoying both our beers, and the views thrown at us by the relaxed countryside. The entry into Kushalnagar, to an extent, resembled our entry into Yellapur couple of months back in Uttar Kannad – that rusty KSRTC bus depot, chillness in the air, relaxed road sides and “worried for nothing” people – reiterated that mystic ambience. Checked into our home stay and it was surprisingly well built and maintained, with a big cozy master bed and a huge beehive decorating the entrance. The air was cold and the fresh Coorg coffee added to that “priceless” relaxation as I was sitting at the doorstep, with beehive above my head, enjoying the hot coffee and inhaling the fresh, cold air. Its moments like this which wipes away the accumulated stress and relieves the body from heat and acceleration a hectic schedule induces in our day to day life. The first glimpse of this “cool” town indicates it has something special about it and after few hours of observation I was able to identify that as, the quaint and serene setting on which its has been embedded. Kushalnagar also is famous for its Tibetan connection and it was well illustrated by the numerous and “stylish” monks making their presence prominent. Few hours of relaxation was enough to get us going and we drove in pursuit of “Mallalli”, a fall at the foothills of Pushpagiri. Past Kushalnagar, towards Somwarpet, it was a drive like any other one I had executed elsewhere in Shimoga, Uttar Kannad and Hassan – Just mind disturbing and lyrical. I only could wait or just imagine, how this stretch between Kushalnagar and Mallalli might be under the cover of a well established SW Monsoon.
The road leading to Somwarpet is lined with occasional homes and overgrown vegetation throughout, and the possibility of a reptile crossing is always high. The countryside of western Karnataka, particularly the Ghat section, mesmerizes an avid traveler, no matter the number of times, and I was no exception. Though the distance between Kushalnagar and Mallalli is only 48 Kms it takes a little above 2 hours to make it up, thanks to the winding narrow road and the disturbing setting its been laid through. The drive is also tiring on the car and our body as well, particularly after that just completed 585 Kms drive from Chennai as we adopted ourselves to the ambience and drove in alignment. Past Somwarpet, the scenery transitions to a “solitary” indulgence with very few people to ask directions for. There are numerous junctions and one need to be careful to catch up with the right one else, the distances and terrain will exhaust your enthusiasm. After a long drive we finally made it to the entrance of the fall and a PWD board showed the distance in pure Kannada. There’s absolute loneliness and the walk, initially, traverses through gentle terrain with the sound of the stream accompanying throughout. There’s good tree cover and hence, the onslaught of sun is diluted to such an extent, except at few stretches, that I began to build a good conversation with Mr. Su and Mr. Dave. We were already past noon and sun was toiling us, as we scrambled our way towards the edge of the cliff we were walking over. The edge of the cliff throws before us a view which is just stunning – There’s enough depth below our feet to take the breath away and through it flows the Kumaradhara River after falling as Mallalli. The magnificent sight of the falls hastens our walk and as an average traveler who has drove all the way from Chennai just to get a glimpse of this beauty, I couldn’t hold on. There’s a staircase through the initial stretch but, that only accentuates the difficulty level when ascending back. This brief staircase ends abruptly and thereafter, it rough terrain to walk through and it takes you all the way to base of the fall. Now past SW Monsoon, it wasn’t gorgeous enough but, did evoke my senses to an average level. I easily could understand the best way to enjoy the beauty of this fall was under the pouring rain, in July or August, when there would be absolute loneliness and unbelievable ambience to photograph and enjoy. A bit of disappointment lingering around, we embarked on that heart pounding activity of climbing up and it indeed, was impacting on our stamina. It was early evening when we reached up and we began that romantic night drive back to Kushalnagar, under the cover of utter countryside darkness with only the distant stars for company. I was already drooling over the awaiting beer cans, back in the town, and executed a perfect smooth drive through all of the 48 Kms to ensure we were back, safe and content. Nights at Kushalnagar are surprisingly cold and a half sleeved shirt was doing no good in retaining my composure, as we procured our freezing beer cans and retreated back to our home stay ASAP. It was 100% relaxation after quite some time and we had a good chat before walking out in the cold for a hot dinner. Once back, the thoughts of Mallalli and the falling temperature outside made me forget what I was and curl inside the big, cozy blanket for an instant sleep like never before. I just couldn’t remember how it occurred, as the exhausted body ordered my brain to ignore this idiot’s creative thoughts and go dead for the next 8 hours. The next morning, when the bell rang to hand over the complimentary coffee and Breakfast, I felt broken that it was all over and I need to be back home end of that day and back to what I was doing all these years. Couple of hours later we were back on the road, towards Bangalore and then Chennai, but Kushalnagar had nothing to feel about our departure, for it had seen a lot in its years of experience as the most sought after destination for the guys and girls from Bangalore. We three may just have spent one day together but what prevailed was, that unknown amusing feeling deep inside the heart, making us to enjoy every moment we had earlier in the day, cherish them throughout the sleep later in the night and crave for more the next day. Because we very well know we’ll be born once, we’ll be friends once and never know we’ll be together the very next day. Bid goodbye to Mr. Dave at silk board junction and drove all the way to Chennai with Mr. Su, to forget them both and keep thinking about Mallalli that night. I was wondering where I’ll be during the SW Monsoon of 2012, with already Agumbe, Kollur, Castle rock and Thoseghar having their seats reserved????
Parameters
Route–Chennai-Vellore-Krishnagiri-Hosur-Bangalore-Mandya-Mysore-Kushalnagar-Somwarpet-Mallalli.
Best Time to visit – July to Sep. There’s no better time than this.
Specialties – Fresh honey, cold nights and romantic setting.
What you should do – Walk around the town after sunset, drive to Mallalli under pouring rain, have a chat with friends with embarrassing number of beer cans through an entire night, kiss your girlfriend till you run out of breath.
Don’t Forget – To photograph a Tibetan Monk with shades driving a bike, to enjoy the sunset at Mallalli, to buy fresh honey or wine, to taste the traditional food, to have a big cup of fresh coffee every morning and have a good rejuvenating sleep with beer cans for company.
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