Kodagina Bedagu - The Splendour of Coorg

Coorg - Nature's garden!

 

Coorg has always been one of the first choices when it comes to planning a vacation or a short trip. The enchanting land of coffee and spices has its own unique charm that can rejuvenate a tired soul and also has a lot to offer an avid traveler. May it be the scintillating spices or be the captivating nature, the travel to Coorg is sure to have you longing for more visits. I happened to visit this pristine natural vista during the last weekend of November with few of my closest friends and this one trip is going to take a special place in my all time travel diary.

We landed at Kakkabe, a small Kodagu town known as the largest producer of Honey in South East Asia, during the early hours of Saturday. Our home stay was arranged in a nearby coffee estate and the care-taker lead us from front in his MM540 Classic Jeep. Jeeps are the most commonly used mode of transport for this terrain and you cannot miss a jeep in any plantation. We were driving through a lush plantation covered with dense coffee plants dotted with green and occasionally red coffee cherries. The climate was mildly cool and atmosphere seductively calm. Untouched by chaos of the city, far away from the bustling noises lay our home stay, a rustic bungalow that belonged to the estate owner. The view from our terrace in those early hours was magnificent. High hills, green paddy fields and chirpings of various birds. Wind never seemed to rest in this part of the world. It never got sunny and the entire valley looked to be in a deep slumber. It had rained considerably the previous night and the morning was misty with sparkling water droplets all around the plants. 

Legends say, Kodavas are the descendants of Alexander’s Greek soldiers who stayed back during his invasion. This story supports well considering the warrior stature of the Kodavas. Even today, a gunshot is fired as soon as a male child is born as to mark the birth of another warrior. In Coorg it is said that they welcome a guest and send away a friend. We were being treated to a similar hospitality at our home stay. I have experienced the Kodava hospitality a number of times at my friends’ homes but listening about coffee farming over a cup of mellow coffee from someone I’ve just met was a new experience. As I took sips of the smoking, well-balanced coffee with a sweet-subtle biting sensation just past the tip of the tongue, he explained me about farming, the harvest time closing in and the turbulence coffee growers are facing. Arabica & Robusta are the two most commonly grown coffee varieties here. Arabica is supposedly the farmer’s friend as it offers quick returns compared to the latter. While higher elevations are suitable for the Arabica variety of coffee, the lower regions are suitable for the Robusta. It was a pleasant morning getting lessons from a seasoned coffee farmer.

One of my friends was a coorgy and now it was his turn to interact with our caretaker in the native Kodava takk, the primary language of Kodavas. It is a mixture of Malayalam - Tamil and Kannada and is usually written in Kannada script. Kodavas append the clan name to theirs, so one knows the lineage of the person you’re just meeting. The usual Kodava introduction begins with the very same Mane pedha meaning house/family name. It’s really a great feel to see two natives meet and exchange pleasantries in their original dialect.  After a refreshing bath and packed up with all energy, my hunger was creeping up. Our breakfast was ready on the dining table. The thought of hot idlys and authentic coorgy style chicken curry was tantalizing my tongue. Coorgy cuisine is known to be one of the most ethereal, with abundant use of aromatic spices, curry leaves and magical blend of masala which are sure to tickle anybody’s taste buds.

First item on my to-do list for the day was to conquer the highest peak in Coorg, Thadiyandamol. The partially Malayalam, partially Kodava takk name roughly translated to ‘the top most point on the large mountain”. Thadiyandamol also happens to be the second highest peak in the state of Karnataka, standing tall at about 1800 mtrs above sea-level. We began our trek near the famous Nalkunaad Palace built by the king of Haleri Dynasty. Books say this one was a hunting lodge of the erstwhile king which is mistaken as a palace. The intricately carved and designed two storied structure resembles a coastal Indian house. The tiled roof and ethnic look of the Nalkunaad palace leaves too many unanswered questions. Though in a dilemma of its stature as a palace, history says this was the place where the last Kodava king was taken by the British army. Now there is a government school built adjacent to the palace and we could hear few children singing their nursery rhymes. I was wondering if they knew that the ground they play was once a royal ground of the Haleri Dynasty! It was from here we had our first sight of the hills that beckoned us, the misty Thadiyandamol. The sight of white clouds moving across the peak, clearing the view once in a while was a real inspiration.



The Hovering Haze

This is one of the trails that needs no guide for any trekker. Asphalted road stretches between the forest for about 2kms from the Palace, with steep curves and few houses on both sides.  Few more minutes and the asphalted road ends at a rocky jeep road. From here on it is occasional steeps with sprawling coffee estates on both sides. Small streams and dense trees provide a perfect setting for the trek. With the dense trees covering us from any sunlight outside, the trail is cool and refreshing. The scent of different forest flowers, decaying wood & leaves, melodies of various birds keeps the trekker engaged throughout the trail. 

The view unfolds after few more steeps and the trail opens up into a grassland.  After crossing through the large, diverse and eye-catching forest road, now we move on a walk way sort of narrow trail. The Thadiyandamol beckons us with its magnificent view from this part of the trek. 
 

There is huge rock which marks almost half way of the trek and the view around from this point ensures it as the right place for a break. The ridges, slopes and curves of nearby mountains can be seen from here. Thadiyandamol peak is right in front of us with clouds being swept across like a thin blanket. The grandeur of surrounding view is so much that you cannot resist to get to the peak. The last quarter of the trek is more steep compared to the first half but definitely not a difficult one. It looks like a naturally formed staircase with stones of different sizes & shapes all along the way to the peak. Every careful step takes you one feet higher and more closer to the peak. Once you have crossed the slopes, the trail leads directly around the peak to the summit.

As we inch closer, the gush of wind can be felt and that answers why the clouds were being swept away in seconds. The last stretch gets almost tricky because of the speedy breeze seeming to uproot you and the mist cover reducing the visibility to almost zero. Finally after 2.5 hrs of trek we had conquered the second highest peak in Karnataka. The feel that you get on the peak is inexplicable. It’s entirely a different atmosphere there compared to that at just 100feet below. The only probable sound you can hear on the peak is that of the gushing noise of the speedy wind. The pace is so much that we found it really difficult to stand there. It was hard to keep your foothold without a support. Clouds were playing with the mountains in this windy surrounding. In strips of thin white blankets, the clouds were being swept along the mountains from its base to the peak. The peak would get covered while the blanket moves across it and clears off in a while waiting for the next strip of cloud.

The panoramic view of the nearby mountains below with curvy ridges is enchanting.  The windy peak offered an unobstructed view of hovering mountains covered under white clouds and the coffee bowl plantation below. It is an amazing feeling when we are amidst the white puffy clouds that pass by and that chilled, cozy feel persists on the skin. There happens to be one more interesting event when you are on the peak. Suddenly you get a sms  from your service provider welcoming you to the state of Kerala. The peak lies very close to some of the villages in Kerala and there are even histories of people walking across these shola forests during the good old days. They say, on a clear day, the peak even offers a view of the far away coast and some villages in the valley.

While walking back, we also noticed the pepper plants in between the coffee estates. Pepper grows on a creeper and is touted as the king of spices. There have been rich history of India being one of the major producers of pepper and foreign traders thronging our country for this spice which they called as Black Gold. Even our slavery to British roughly begins from the pepper trade that portrayed India’s richness in Spices. There are records of Romans trading pepper as ransom during wars. Most of these spices came from this southern belt of Kodagu and parts of Kerala. With the Coorg coffee estates providing the apt climate and shade, the pepper vine thrives in a perfect home to this creeper. Pepper is also one of the most widely used spice and is sure to spice up your life as well!

We had ample time and stopped by a small flower nursery on the walk back. It looked vibrantly colorful with many beautiful flowers that were unusual to city dwellers. The climate in Coorg supports all kind of floral versatilities and the people here are ever ready when it comes to gardening. This small house had tiny beautiful flowers in all possible tangling colors that made the house more charming. It seems like when the Kodava men take pride in their coffee growing ability, the women boast about their collection of various hued flowers. Having known my aunt’s passion in gardening, who is put up in North Coorg, I was not surprised by the remarkable floral collection every coorgy house possessed. Kodavas are known to be people of immense love and care. Not only they are hospitable to the guests but also when it comes to farming they treat the plants alike their kids with utmost love, may it be coffee, ginger or flowers.

After 2 hours of descent, we were back at the Nalkunaad palace where we had begun the trek and our car waiting for us. We were served hot cuppa and bread-jam back at our home stay. There is nothing rejuvenating like a hot cuppa after a stupendous trek and it took us longer than usual to finish that scintillating cup of coffee! The home stay had all the amenities and we spent the evening playing all sorts of games from Cards, Carom, Checkers, Scrabble etc. The campfire, as the night came down, was another highlight of our evening. With my friends playing the coorgy dance trance called Vaalaga on their phone, we tapped our feet around the fire. My friend taught us few steps from the casual dance style of Kodavas which is performed by everyone in a Kodava gathering. We gave our best shot trying to learn few steps around the fire place. But the mist fall was so heavy that we had to struggle to keep the fire alive. The sound of crickets and frogs were heard from the paddy field below. Finally, we resided to the coziness of our rooms as it became more and more colder towards the night.

We were treated to the famous coorgy delicacy once again for our dinner. Kadambittu, dumplings or rice balls, is one of the coorgy specialty cuisine. Kadambittu with the impeccable & mouth watering pandhi curry (Pork servings) is a royal treat to your taste buds. Cooking seems to be an art in this wonderful land. I learnt that Kachampuli, a species of Garcinia, is one of those magic ingredients that makes the Kodava cuisine so wonderfully amazing. But whatsoever be the ingredient, the art of cooking needs an extra bit of skill to nourish the one who is tasting it and the Kodavas seem to be richly blessed with this skill. The women here surely know that the easiest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.

Basking in the glory of scaling the highest peak in Kodagu, Walking around the sprawling coffee estates, savoring the cuppas, tapping feet to the Kodava beats around a cozy fire, feeding on the tantalizing delicacies from the land of spices, It was a day with an ethnic touch. An experience that can be savored for days to come.

Our day2 was supposed to start with the breakfast at 8. Though the breakfast was ready at 8, we were not. It was immense fun to curl around in the blanket in that chilling weather. It was a special morning with barely any sunlight and seemed like the valley also chose to curl around in the weather. The entire place looked gloomy and was partially covered with mist. It was an inspiring start to the day unlike traffic signals, shouting neighbors and noise. It was the birds that were making the melody here. It had rained even the previous night and the water droplets were trickling down from every leaf around the estate. Tiny blue flowers were just opening their eyes along the walkway. The morning was a sizzling new experience. Charging up all possible energy we started our second day in the Scotland of India.

Paaput with a delicious vegetable gravy was our breakfast for the day. Paaput is again a coorgy delicacy made with broken rice, milk, cardamom and with grated coconut spread over the cake slice sized pieces. Filling in stomach full of Paaput pieces and another cup of coffee, we were all set to vacate our home stay. Bidding farewell to the caretaker, thanking his hospitality, we headed out of that wonderful place through the same coffee plantation.

Our first stop for the day was Paadi Igguthappa temple, the most sacred temple for the entire Kodava community. There are no occasions among the Kodavas that begins without the mention of Lord Igguthappa or Kaaveramma. Writing about Kaveri would take another entire blog. In one simple sentence, River Kaveri is the lifeline of Kodagu. She is also touted as the Jeevanadhi of Karnataka, the river that sustains life, as she makes the land fertile all along her way before joining Bay of Bengal.  Hence she is prayed and invoked in all celebrations of Kodavas. While Kaveri sustains life with water, Igguthappa sustains life with rice or food. Said to be one of the avthars of Lord Subramanya, Igguthappa means the one who provides food, thus sustaining life. To resemble this, Paadi Igguthappa temple conducts annadhaanam (giving away food) every day to everyone who is present there during the lunch time. The priest in the temple explained the importance of Lord Igguthappa being worshipped as the father of Kodavas while River Kaveri is worshipped as the mother.

A 35kms drive from Kakkabe via a small town of Napoklu and through unwinding roads amidst sprawling coffee plantations, we reached Madikeri, the heart of Kodagu district. The Town of Madikeri is named after the king Muddu Raaya who built the city and named it Muddu Raayana Keri. This town still has an ethnic charm with some historical and colonial structures resounding the tales of untold times. Our destination was Abbey Falls which is 8kms away from the town. Abbey Falls is a waterfall nestled in the center of another lush green coffee plantation. The Madikeri thore, a combination of numerous streams and smaller rivers, also a tributary of river Kaveri, jumps down into the calm pool through huge boulders making two tiers. The top one being a smaller and then taking bigger and wider leap of close to 70 feet at the second. As we walk downhill through a paved way in between the private coffee plantation, we could hear the roar made by the falling Abbey. The 500mtrs walk through the coffee plantation is a treat in itself. Watching the twined pepper along the trees and green coffee seeds on the plants, it is also a bird watcher’s paradise. We found many different and vibrant species all around. Another few steps and the Abbey falls suddenly makes appearance amidst the coffee plantation.

 

The British named it Jessey falls in remembrance of the daughter of the first priest of Madikeri. Later it was renamed as Abbey which roughly means snow or foam fall. Previously tourists were allowed to climb down to the waterfall and spend some time in the water but due to increasing number of irresponsible tourists losing their lives, now it has been banned anybody getting into the water. There is a hanging bridge that runs across the flowing water and tourists can take a splendid view of the falls from this bridge.

This place offers plenty of opportunities for a bird watcher with this water source and the surrounding plantation making perfect home for many rare birds. We had some utterly tasty butter milk at the entrance of the falls. This was prepared with lot of spices and kept in an earthen pot making it a tang better than any butter milk. Cardamom and Ginger are the other major crops of Kodagu, Madikeri taluk even has a Guinness world record for the production of Cardamom. This abundance makes its use in almost all the delicacies that is prepared here. These spices can make your taste buds dance in its every word. Munching on some churmur, we headed to our next destination.

On our way out of Madikeri to Chiklihole reservoir, we found some fresh oranges being sold by the road. We had to make up for the lunch. 3kgs of freshly plucked, deliciously tasty oranges did not last long. Coorg is also famous for the tasty Kiththale that is grown here. The greenish, pale orange and bright orange colored fruit all have different tastes. While the green ones are mildly sour and leave a bite on the tongue, the orange ones are sweet and juicy. Though the cultivations has taken a hit due to some dreaded diseases to the orange plant, there are still few estates which provide tasty Kiththale. We were lucky to have spotted a roadside vendor who was selling some delicious oranges. Books say, Coorg was one of the major exporters of oranges during 70s. Now this trend seems to have reduced and today when somebody mentions about Coorg and orange then their talks end up at Orange County, a luxurious resort in Coorg!

As we drive towards Kushalanagara from Madikeri, we cross Suntikoppa and a diversion towards the right after few kilometers from the main junction takes us to one of the lesser known but beautiful locales of Kodagu. Coffee plantations & small villages suddenly give way to a water body and you see the white colored writings ‘Chiklihole Reservoir’ on green slopes. The first look itself is refreshing. As you climb the steps up to the dam, the breathtaking landscape around the backwaters will have your mouths open.

Unaffected by the thronging tourists and their buzzing noise, Chiklihole reservoir is one of those untouched places in Kodagu. This entire place which has a dam with a unique water outlet design, green slopes, canals and large backwater area with a thick forest & mountain backdrop is definitely one of the places that can relieve anybody’s stress. The charm of the place is that it is extremely calm, tranquil and breezy. Chiklihole is a small dam constructed across one of the tributaries of River Kaveri for the irrigation purpose to nearby villages. The backwater area is very vast with Meenkolli reserve forest on the left & coffee plantation on the right side making it a captivating surrounding. The dam has a capacity of 0.18TMC storage and is one of the first ones to fill during the monsoon. The most unique part of this dam is that it does not have crest gates and the water is let out through an automatic semi-circular bowl shaped outlet. When the water level goes above a certain level, it automatically overflows into this bowl shaped structure making it a spectacular treat to eyes. This is further connected into canals on the other side of the dam which take water to the farmer.

It is also a bird watcher’s heaven alike most of the places in Kodagu. It was here I had one of my best bird sightings so far with my wanna-be-ornithologist friend. Though I had no idea about bird watching and their types, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing some birds which I didn’t know existed. Moreover, the tranquility made sure that a bird could be heard even when it cleared its throat.



Many people compare this reservoir to that of Periyar in Kerala for the similar tree stumps protruding out of the water. The curved and straight dry stumps raise above the water surface making the place look similar to Periyar. The stunning backdrop of forests, coffee plantations and mountain only increases the beauty of the view by multiple folds. This place is mesmerizing in its all words. An absolute spot if you plan to meditate green! The cool breeze, exotic locale and calm surrounding may bring out the poet in you, beware!

After filling up lung full of green oxygen, we moved on to Bylakuppe, the Tibetan settlement near Kushalanagara. When Tibet was invaded by the Chinese during 60s, Indian government accepted the exiled Tibetans with open arms and provided refuge until their homeland was liberated. During those days, the south Indian state of Karnataka offered 3,000 acres of jungle-land for the construction of refugee camps near Kushalanagara and today Bylakuppe has more than 15000 monks who practice their culture, making it the second largest Tibetan settlement outside Tibet. As you drive from Kushalanagara towards Bylakuppe, one can notice the red flags and the deep red-golden clad monks passing by. The huge circular structure on the top of the temple welcomes you into Bylakuppe.



Golden temple is the major attraction in this settlement. The Namdroling monastery, as it is named, belongs to the Nyingmapa sect of Tibetans. The temple houses the 70-80 feet tall statues of Buddha Padmasambhava, Lord Buddha and Buddha Amitayus which is the centre of attraction. The gold painted statues were sculptured by experts from Tibet & Nepal and the writings here say that these statues were filled with holy books, holy remaining of previous lamas, sacred scriptures etc during construction. The peace and divine feel that is felt here is enormous. It gives a blessed feeling to be around. Along with agriculture, the Tibetans also sell their ethnic handicrafts and other versatile items to make a livelihood. As you take a stroll around the temple, we can see monks, young & old, walking around with some books in their hands and if they find you looking at them, they just nod their head with a welcoming smile. But even behind their smiles what seems to persist is their urge and eagerness to return to their homeland which has become a distant dream. I wonder how many of them are aware that Chinese emigrants have occupied Tibet so much that Tibetans are now a minority in their own country. The holy city of Lhasa is now a buzzing tourist centre, and the Chinese still rule with supremacy. Dreams & pain shimmer in the eyes of every monk but with no answers.

 

That was curtains to my (I lost the count) .….th Kodagu trip. Covering another new place on the first day, which also happens to be highest point in entire Coorg, and going around the good old places once again on the second, I wrapped up my holiday with enormous satisfaction. Not only me, anybody who travels to Coorg is sure to return back with loads of inspiration, enthusiasm and overwhelming joy which makes them return to this beautiful land again. Because this is one place which can beckon you from time to time for its brilliant landscapes, loving people, mesmerizing mountains, sparkling water bodies, tongue-tickling cuisine, curious culture and more. This is a paradise in all terms. This is a different land altogether. This is Kodagu, the Scotland of India.

Aramaneya Angana - Courtyard of the Palace

THIS BLOG IS WAY TOOO LOOONGG.. KINDLY BEAR WITH ME!!


Many said this place is shrouded with mystery and often remembered for the sad demise of 3 trekkers who lost their way inside this jungle to be found dead an year later.
Many said about the two army choppers that had crashed here due to unexplained reasons.
Many said about the deadly shrub Anamayakki (Dendrocnide sinuate) which causes severe fever, itching and rashes on body, which might even lead to temporary memory loss when touched on human skin.
Many said about the high frequency of wild animal encounters in this region due to which it was avoided even by localites who go into the jungle for forest products.
Many said this is one of the most treacherous treks in terms of steep climb, scorching sun and a risky walk around the slopes of a hill which has tall grass on one side a blind drop into the gorges on the other.
If all these were not enough then add this, Many said there was not even a single drop of water available throughout the 12-15kms stretch until you reach the peak.
AND TO MAKE IT A BIG ADVENTURE, ALL ABOVE SAID POINTS WERE TRUE TO ITS EVERY WORD!!!


Kempu Holay river @ Gundya - The summit is behind the faintly visible hill on the right side

 I am talking about Aramane Gudda - the palace hill, one of the highest peaks on the western ghats section of Karnataka. Standing tall at close to 1350 meters, this hill challenges any adventure lover. The hill is said to be called so since the time a king of Mysore planned to have a rice field set up there! The trail to this much talked about hill begins very close to my home in Gundya. Having seen this hill almost every day of my life, I finally decided to take on it. But had to have a sizeable company and an expert guide if this had to be made.

Preparation:
On the evening of November 9, Wednesday, I got a call from my home saying that some guys had called up enquiring about Aramane Gudda and were planning to be there by Saturday, 12th. Probably the time had arrived for me to witness the glory of Aramane Gudda. I decided to join those guys though I did not even know their names. But having just recovered from a week long illness of Dengue & Typhoid, I was not quite sure if had the fitness to trek such a height. Along with that, some commitments and other things kept me giving a second thought even till the last minute (to be precise, even till my first step into the trail). Though I was very confused, reluctant and not sure whether to give it a try or not, the night of Friday, 11th  November, I finally started my journey to home Gundya.

November 12th, 0900 hrs:
After getting freshened up at home and relishing mom-made neer dosas, I joined the group of guys who were having breakfast at a nearby dhaba. One of the 12 guys was Satish, an ardent trekker from Chennai, whom I had met on a trek to Arebetta during last monsoon. After being introduced to each other we met with our guide Devappa anna, a man in his late 60s and an expert of local forests. After enough warnings from my scared mom, carrying 2 phones with 2 sims of different networks, we prepared our backpack. Though my mom was reluctant to send me, I somehow convinced her. Later I found the blanket she had kept in my backpack which I had divinely forgotten. Given the temperature over the peak, a blanket was must. I love my mommy! :) Finishing the preparations, carrying only very essentially required luggage, we got dropped in a jeep to the beginning of trail at about 5kms from Gundya.   The trail begins at the National highway 75 (formerly NH48, between M’lore – B’lore) and leads directly into the shola forests. We were the first ones to tread on the path after monsoon (though there were hardly few trekkers gone this way!) and this was very evident looking at the imaginary trail. Being lead by Devappanna, we had begun the climb right away and gradually the noise of vehicles and a stream at the beginning of the trail started to fade away. Little did we remember that this was the last water source available for the  next 14 kms and we had couple of empty bottles!

Nov 12th, 1000 hrs:
Devappanna can be easily touted as the iron man of Gundya! Having lived more than 20 years of his life within the forest, this man in his 60s seems to know every shrub in the jungle. Till date, he has never worn a chappal and continues to tread through any path on bare foot. He was so quick that sometimes had to be slowed down for us to follow. He lead us moving away the small branches and thorny plants that were blocking the way. After a steep climb we reached a small grass land full of Dharbe hullu (Andropogon serratus), a forest plant with a feathery needle like flower,  which grew upto 7-8ft height. We had to make way through these plants and lead into the next forest patch. Since the rains had stopped a week ago, there were hardly any leeches. After about 3-4kms of Climb and 2 more small patches of grassland, we reached our first stop near a single big rock.

Nov 12th, 1115 hours:
After resting for about 15 minutes, finishing half of the water (without knowing the agony awaiting), we trekked ahead. From this point onwards, you hardly get any forest cover. The path leads into an open grassland with tall Dharbe and Theruva (Citronella) plants. The theruva thailam (Citronella Oil) from Theruva plants is one of the main ingredients in all our inhaling oilments like Amrutanjan. The edges of Theruva leaves are sharp and gives a cut or rash when glided over the skin. Though not serious at all, the cut leaves burning skin.  We were trekking the slopes through these grassland under scrotching sun tearing down every bit of our energy. Our energy was draining down and so was the water reserve. Few guys had some apples and even those were not sufficient for the beating taken by our body. Sun was showering mercilessly and before long most of the team was near exhaustion and we were hardly half way the distance.

Nov 12th, 1230 hours:
We were walking through the grassland with dense forests on either sides of the valley. The sun seemed to be burning only for us. Dried up water bottles, sweating faces, exhausted bodies could hardly make any move. It was then we saw the gooseberry (Phyllanthus emblica) trees with few berrys on it. Everybody fed on some berrys for that sour liquid content in it! But that little water could hardly even reach the end of our tongues. Finally we decided to take a small detour to fetch some water as our guide said there might be a stream few meters down the valley. But he was not sure if it had water or not. So myself and the guide decided to go take a look and call others only if we found water. We climbed down through the forest, taking some real deep steps and getting scratched by some tree branches. Moving through that forest seemed very difficult. At a point, the guide said, it would be better to climb to the peak where there is a water source than to climb down through this thick forest. We returned back empty handed to all those who were waiting for water.

Nov 12th, 1300 hrs:
After a break, we resumed our trek again. We climbed high above the forest in the valley and the view opened up. Now the entire area around the hill was clearly visible from this point. Thick, dense forests on the slopes of the surrounding hills were visible from here. Edakumeri railway station and the railway track was prominently visible on the opposite hill, almost at the same height as we stood. Venkatagiri, another peak was right opposite to us. The Gundya Hydel Powerplant and Kempu holay river looked like a small white patch on a green canvas. Somewhere deep below, the national highway 75 was faintly visible. We were almost half way up. After admiring the view around, we turned to the side where we had to climb and raised our head up, Maaaannnnn!! Still so far to go?? The peak was visible way far up and the way that lead to it was an uphill climb in open grass land. A steep uphill climb. Then came the icing on the cake, Devappanna, our guide revealed that what we saw was just the peak! And we had to climb up this one and then walk around the slopes of another and later climb down the valley to the Summit!! Whatta wonderful trek, I say!

We had to trek till the left most peak and then climb over the peak into the valley

Nov 12th, 1330 hrs:
After another short rest, we were climbing higher on a terrain that had tall grasses and big sized rocks on the ground. Every step had to be kept on the ground negotiating the huge stones. But things were getting very tiring on every step. Loads of elephant dung and pugmarks of bisons & other animals were seen at that place. If any animal showed up, given our situation, we weren’t in a state even to throw a stone let alone running away. Hunger started to creep up now. If I was few hundred meters downhill then I could have been eating mom made fish curry lunch! Psch!! :O Comfort is boring! :P I was following our guide talking to him as he understood only tulu and we slowed down for others to catch up. Suddenly we heard a animal grunt like sound from the valley or was it a growl? I just looked at the guide. Even he seemed to be looking at the direction where the sound came from. I calmed down myself and without showing up the slight fear, carelessly shrugged my shoulders and said, ‘Should be a wild pig, right?’. And then the growl was heard again from the slopes opposite to us, but nothing visible. Devappanna, the guide, having spent many years in & around the forest, was quite familiar to all kind of animal sightings and he just whispered, ‘may be a tiger or bear!’. I stood with a wide open mouth. We quietly waited for the others to reach us. Five minutes passed by like an year. The growl wasn’t heard after that. We continued our climb with Devappanna looking towards the sky and making a ‘thank you’ gesture!

November 12th, 1430 hrs:
One of the guys was a first time trekker and he was finding it difficult to negotiate the slopes. A look back at the trail would have anyone feel dizzy and holding onto the trees. It was quite a steep. This guy from the group held onto such a tree branch and it got pulled out. Two rounds on his head and he landed in a bush 5 feets down. Somehow he got up, though no injuries, just few scratches, being without water made him really tired now. We waited for few more minutes for him to relax and started our trek again. Some faint trumpets, cackles and screeches were being heard from the forest in the valley deep down. Finally we reached close to the peak that we had seen way below from our trail.

The Enchanting view of hills around the peak of Aramane Gudda

November 12th,1500 hrs:
Now our guide lead us around this peak. It was the slopes of the same hill and we were literally walking around the peak, on the slopes, to go beyond it. Our guide said the water source was another 4kms. We had to walk on a slope trekking up. It was like how an ant could climb up an upside down ice cream cone. Climb up, hold on to the ground and make sure you don’t slip. Because one wrong step and that would definitely be the last trekking step of life. Steep slopes on the right side leading to the peak, slopes covered with tall dharbe and theruva with some flowering plants and a very narrow path that takes you around the peak. One the left side was a deep gorge of about 1000 meters depth. We had to walk for another three-fourth of a kilometer around this peak on the slopes. At a place, the slopes of the hill was covered with tiny blue flowers for an entire stretch looking like a blue layer of mattress. We treaded carefully around the slopes and came to the end of it. The view from that point was mind boggling. Thousands of feet below us a green patch of forests, a gustling river, black mark of the highway and the surge tank of Gundya powerplant. On the opposite hill to us was Arebetta and Edakumeri railway station, at a lower altitude. Most of the hills around were visible from this point.

November 12th,1545 hrs:
The guide lead us further into the valley where the peak and another adjacent mountain met and in between the ‘V’ we entered into a jaw dropping view. The fantabulous valley of Aramane Gudda! Wooow!! We had done it! The summit!!

The summit and the forest patch within which the water source lay

A moderately deep bowl shaped valley with a small forest patch at the centre and largely plains. Covered by hills of varying sizes, the space in between was as big as a soccer ground. We were walking into the space that was like a fortress covered by hills and our guide pointed at the small forest patch in the centre of the valley and said, ‘adharalli neeruntu’ (there is water in it!). The last kilometer of walk into that forest patch through tall grassland seemed farther than all the climbs. The delight of seeing a small stream inside a cool, calm and silent group of trees after such a climb is nothing less than a paradise. The crystal clear water was chilling and sweet! This feel is more than mere words can hold!

The life saver stream within the small shola patch - Divine water, truly!

November 12th, 1630 hrs:
After gulping in bottles of water and cleaning ourselves we started to get hungry. Mom had packed me some dosas and I started munching on it with the guide. The guys started cooking Maggi and all of us had a ‘grand lunch’ in the given circumstances. After relaxing to heart’s content, we headed out of the forest patch into the plain, Hills and hills around. Many single trees here and there, the one right at the peak of a hill catches anybody’s attention. It was like a group of ‘WWWW’s written all around with varying ascent & descent and we looking at it like from a bowl in between! Now we had to find a place to camp, sun was going down and wind was picking speed.

November 12th,1700 hrs:
We had to set up our camp site at a safe place. Myself and 2 guys from the group, Thyaagu and Chelly climbed up 2-3 small peaks around the water source to locate one such spot. We had to find a place on the peak and nowhere near the water source or in the valley. Wild animals would walk through the valley to drink water and they would not want to be disturbed by the snoring us! Also the wind would be really speedy during the night and we did not want to wake up seeing our tent flying far away! Finally we found one such place on a small peak towards east of the valley. This part of the place on the peak was naturally set up like a table top with some flat rocks and then a wide flat step before beginning the slope. We preferred that wide stepped place which could block wind from atleast one direction. We just had to move few stones, clean the bushes and the place was ready. The remaining guys got some wooden logs and our camp site was in place. These guys had 2 plastic tents and they formed a long camp that could fit all 14 of us. The sunset was on and I ran onto the opposite hill to get a click. I had to climb down about 30-35 feet on the slopes and then again climb up the same height on opposite end to get the view of the valley beyond. By the time I reached the opposite peak, the red sun was going down in mist. Not the greatest of the sun sets I have seen but it definitely would have been better if not for the mist.

A glorious phenomenon called sun set

November 12th, 1800 hrs:
The horizon was playing with the colors. Changing color every minute from tinges of orange and red. Finally the color play had to give up to the darkness.

It started getting cooler and darker now. Our camp was set. Devappanna gathered some dry wood and lit a fire nearby the camp. This was my first overnight stay at a peak amidst a forest. This was my first tent forming class. These guys had done it many a times and I had a decent lesson.

They also gave the tip of laying the tent as low as possible so that the body heat remains within the tent keeping it warm. We filled in all our bags as pillows into the tent and cleaned up the place. The camp fire was keeping us warm and I also had my trusted sweater covering up. As night grew up the wind gained more and more speed. Gradually the entire place was pitch dark except for our campfire. Visibility was as good as being blind. Few steps away from the fire and next step had to be kept with sheer guts. Even if some bear or bison was staring at us, we could hardly notice it.

Our campsite - Look at the mist beyond the place!!

November 12th, 2000 hrs:
The guys from Chennai, Satish and his group, started cooking for dinner. Maggi was here to save us again. They even had some Coke & Fanta. Everybody were excited to be amidst a thick jungle on the top of a high peak, munching on maggi for dinner. It felt like a more lot closer to the nature. Devappanna kept the fire burning. We finished our dinner and then sat around the fire talking about all possible things from Mustard to Mars. Just then somebody spotted an aura beyond the hill on which we had camped. We climbed up the hill with our torch lights and there it was.. Moon rise in the deep valley.. It was full moon today.. !! Glory! Glory! The golden crimped moon was lighting up the entire valley.

November 12th, 2100 hrs:
By now the full moon had climbed up higher and was shining right above our campsite. Camp site under moon light, ah that was sweet like it rhymed!! :P  Few stars also joined him in the party, twinkling and glittering. What was pitch dark few hrs back was now considerably lit. We could faintly see the hills around and the valley below where our water source lay. Moonlight, cold wind and the calmest of surroundings, this was incredible. BSNL mobile network was available even at this peak, surprisingly. I gave a call home to pacify my worried mom. Took few long exposure clicks of camp site in the moon light. This was one of the grandest evenings I had ever had in my life. This was one of those days that doesn’t happen always.

November 12th, 2215 hrs:
We were all warming ourselves around the fire and then something strangely beautiful happened. Since our camp was on one of the peaks, we could oversee the hills around. The curved ‘V’s and ‘W’s all around at different heights. In between one such ‘V’, between the slopes of two small hills, a white stream started to flow into the valley. Before we could realize, the white clouds flowing in through the gap had come into the valley below our camp site. White puffy cloud filled the entire valley around, beginning from the gap between two hills on the west. It flowed like a white river all around in the valley. The small patch of forest, our water source, the soccer ground sized bowl like valley below, everything was white and white only in color. Only the peaks could be seen raising above. In simple words, it looked a like a white sea of clouds and green peak raising from it. Sadly I could not take a good picture in that dark conditions. I tried my best with various settings to get one click but it also needed a tripod which I had not carried along with. Slowly the white clouds cleared the valley and again it was clear like before but before too long another fresh surge came in through the same gap of slopes and it repeated. We kept cherishing this happen atleast 4 times that  night. Wish I could’ve taken a better picture!

The speedy wind was sweeping the mist across the hills creating a visual extravaganza

November 12th, 2315 hrs:
Bodies were tired after a tiring trek up the hill. But the happenings around kept us awake even after a six hour long climb under hot sun. It was an eventful night so far. One by one people started getting inside the tent. Devappanna preferred to sleep near the fire as he thought it would be congested inside and he was convenient sleeping in the warmth of the fire. All of us stuffed inside the tent and I was at the entrance to close the sheets. We kept the torches lit inside, since the tents were of orange color, the torch lights made it look like a large fire. This made sure that no wild animals came near to the camp. Also the guide kept the fire burning outside and had a watch over us. Within no time, all of us fell into deep sleep. Finally after such a long, adventurous day, body had taken over mind!

Sept 13th, 0130 hrs:
I woke up when some water droplets fell on my face. The temperature had gone way down. Cold was seeping into every nerve! The mist fall had become so heavy that it got settled above the tent and was seeping inside through it. The tent had become all wet and drenched. Every time the wind picked speed, the tent would shiver and some drops would fall inside the camp. We covered up our heads with the blankets and went back to sleep again.

Sept 13th, 0330 hrs:
I woke up again to cool breeze hitting me. Some creeping noise could be heard outside the tent. Probably the wind was hitting the tent so hard and making that noise. It was terribly cold. I could see the sheet covering our tent entrance was fluttering in the speedy winds. Wind was blowing at very high speed and our tent was trying hard to withstand it, But the entrance of our tent was just the ends of the sheet left free and they were fluttering, making a flapping noise. I tried holding both the ends of the sheet together, closing the tent entry. But the wind was way beyond my left hand’s strength. I tucked it under my body and slept over the ends, so it remain closed. But it kept pulling out. Finally I got out, brought a big stone and kept the ends of the sheet closed with it. This one worked and that was the last disturbance for our sleep!

@ break of the dawn - Full moon was still visible overhead and the valley that was covered in mist last  night was clear now

Sept 13th, 0600 hrs:
I woke up to our guide’s call. He was trying to wake us up for the sunrise. I sprang out in a flash, picked my camera and ran up. We had to climb up a small hill adjacent to our tent to see the sun rise in the valley. The valley was totally under mist and hardly anything visible. Far away in the eastern horizon, the sun had already risen up and climbing higher. We were again about to be deprived of another view !! With a heavy disappointment, I climbed down the hill towards the camp. But hold on! The sun rise show wasn’t over yet. When I was half way climbing down the hill, I just turned back for another look at the rising sun. and there it was.. The reddish orange glory! Finally, a sigh of satisfaction!

Another sun rise but definitely not just another way of seeing it!

Sept 13th, 0800 hrs:
When I got back near the camp, I found our guide keenly looking at something on the ground a few feet away from the tent. I just went to him to see what was of such interest but only to be dazed! There were some bison pugmarks around that place, a few steps, it looked like somebody was curious of our camp last night. The thought of having been watched by a bison (one or more) gave a chill in our nerves. What if?? No.. !! That creepy sound that i heard last night??  Full stop!
We spent some time walking around the hill, taking in the cool air and fresh oxygen! It was quite a delight to be at that place. Cool breeze, mildly cold climate and the breathtaking view in front. The mist had cleared up by now and we could see the Kempu-holay river faaaaar below, like a white creak amidst the green forests. It was a priceless morning that I can hardly explain in words.

Sept 13th, 0900 hrs:
Our guide was constantly reminding us about the difficulties posed by sunny day if we descended late. So finally we packed up our luggage and of course the entire trash (including Cigarette pack covering strips! Yes!) and climbed down to our water source. We cooked another session of maggi beside the stream and everybody had their stomachs filled before packing up one last time before the descent.

Sept 13th, 1015hrs:
We were finally moving out of the Aramane Gudda that had ‘bowl’ed us by its charm, Walking out of the valley, we came straight into the ridges, through which we had done a very careful trek last day, But while climbing down, it seemed more difficult. If the stone that we step on was not firm enough on the ground then it used come out and roll directly into the gorge. It was scary! We had to step on stones with utmost care and only after making double sure that it is strong & firm on the ground, The slopes had the same tiny blue flowers all around and the view this morning seemed better that last day. After close to an hour of very careful trek, we were out of the ridges and back in open grassland, descending.

The blue mattress

Sept 13th, 1145 hrs:
The climate was far better than what it was last day during the ascent. Cool breeze kept on blowing and the sun was milder. Climbing down was more relaxing if not for the skidding mud and rocks, I had my share of treatment when I slipped not once but thrice. I was enjoying the view around, the hills, gorges, deep valley of forests and once in a while looking at the trail as well. Somewhere I planted my leg on a stone and before I could realize it was a mud clutter, it got powdered and I slid. My concern was the camera and holding it tight, I let myself free to land on my butt. Ah! Wasn’t  that bad! This happened two more times in next half an hour and I realized, the best way to fall down when you slide is to land on your butt. But what if this had happened while crossing that ridge, around the slope? Nothing, I would’ve reached the base before anybody else did, dismantled though! ;)

Adventure in its every sense!

Sept 13th, 1300 hrs:
Our guide was an awesome human being. Not only he was encouraging me to take photographs around but also he kept us going with the stories. Another special thing was, ‘whenever I asked him how long to the destination?’, he used to reply, ‘nanaallaa sumaaaru povodu!’ (We still gotta go a long way)! This happened even during the climb last day. While we were almost near total exhaustion, he used to tell this and we somehow used to make up our mind for the long way ahead. But finally, it wasn’t as long as he told us. May be he was jus making us gather all our mental energy. While climbing down, he always used to say, 4 more kilometers. But this time we knew we could hear the vehicles around 2kms from the road!;)

Our awesome guide, Devappanna waiting for us to catch up with him!

Sept 13th, 1400 hrs:
Now we were close to the closing point. I rang up home and asked them to send the jeep. The last part of the trek was through thick jungle and many wild thorny plants blocking our way. Our guide moved it away and still the slope was quite a steep one! After few more minutes, we finally heard the stream, which was supposed to be the first water source that we missed last day. This meant we were approaching the main road and in few more minutes we could hear the vehicles. As always, the last kilometer seemed the longest of all. The joy you feel while stepping onto the highway to see a vehicle awaiting you and the thought that you don’t have to walk anymore is stupendous. But if you just turn back and take a look at the peak, the joy of having conquered that is more than any money can buy!!

Conquered!

Sept 13th, 1500 hrs:
I was back home feeding on mom-made lunch like a hungry soul, after a refreshing bath. As they always say, the biggest joy of a trek is when you come back and relax at home looking at all those pics and remembering the gruel you went thorough. I was doing the same, sleeping on the cool floor, under the fan after a lunch to the brink, telling stories to my siblings. Yeaaa.. the same one you just read!! :)

Dasara Vaibhava

How close have you been to the golden ambaari (howdah) on a Grand Dasara procession day, without any official badges, contacts or passes & after landing in Mysore just half an hour before the event as a common tourist? 100meters? 50meters? Or as close as 5feet to the proud tusker, Balarama like me?

Yes, that’s where a SLR in hand and some amount of confidence blended with few smart moves can take you, to the centre of the very same path through which the grand procession of Dasara or Jumboo Savari passes through. I was witnessing the glory of Mysore Dynasty being unfurled again, standing right over there at centre stage with no official consents.

Few days back, a friend from North India happened to ask me about importance of the World Famous Mysore Dasara and I somehow managed. But when has asked how does the Jumboo Savari takes place, I was in trouble. Being a Kannadiga (a claim that is always argued by my friends), having read about Dasara throughout my school days, living in Kannada speaking state for 23.7 years, I had not witnessed the historic Jumboo Savari even once. I had not been to my Naada - Habba not even for one single time.

For someone who is so much inspired by travel & tourism, for someone who has traveled around few of the most celebrated destinations of South India, for someone who aims to become a world-traveler some day, this was a real shame. My consciousness made a face at me, too bad, Sam. Not to Dasara even once? Not once Jumboo Savari? Very bad! I had to make amendments. I had to visit my gardens before planning to visit neighbor’s plantations. I had to know my culture before trying to learn others’. I had to see Mysore Dasara before dreaming about La Tomatina of Spain or The Carnival of Brazil. I decided, I will be in the heritage city, the city of Palaces, the cultural capital Mysore on Vijayadashami, 2011.

Due to different reasons, few of them who were supposed to accompany me did not turn up. But I was not ready to give up this opportunity. It was my first brave step into becoming a world traveler. I was at Mysore to watch Dasara festivities, all alone. Landed at Mysore around 12pm and the procession would begin by 12.30. I did not know the town very well. I had to find a place for myself and my camera. Covering from the burning sun & with a bottle of water, I walked towards the main gate of the Palace (Jayarama Gate) through which the procession enters the City. I was not very surprised to see the crowd that stretched almost up to 500meters from me until the barricade to the path of procession. I thought I could somehow sneak through to the front row. Few steps into the crowd and I was lucky not to be thrown away. That was the immediate response I got just for trying to add up with the crowd. Knowing it’s not a safe place for both me & my camera, I decided to withdraw. But I had not given up.

I went for a stroll near the Jaya Maarthaanda gate of the palace and clicked some pics. There was tight security all around and I was nowhere near to the gate, let alone procession. Few more minutes went past loitering and then I decided to ask someone, throw away your shyness, Sam, poochne may kya jaatha hain?? ;) I walked up to a NCC cadet and inquired about the roads that procession passes through and a suitable place that I could stand with my camera and the answer was KR Hospital. Got into an auto & a very polite thaatha dropped me as close as he could to the procession path, though there were lot many ‘no entries’ and ‘temporary one ways’. Finally I was near KR Hospital, close to market.

The scene here was no different but definitely a lot better. There were about 8-10 rows of people sitting on the road up to the barricade that prevented them entering into main path. Same scene was on the opposite side of the road, barricades and people beyond that. Cops were roaming all around the main street expecting the arrival of procession & controlling the excited mob. I knew, if I had to make atleast few clicks out of my visit then I somehow have to get to the barricade and for that I have to cross a good 8-10 rows of crowd between me & barricade.

Sometimes few small incidents lead to greater opportunities. The sun was scorching over my head and I pulled out the water bottle that I had bought in the bus stand. Few gulps and I heard a guy ask, ‘Sir, swalpa neer kodtheera?’ (Could you please give some water?), I looked and found a guy in almost 3^rd or 4^th row from the barricade asking for water. A wicked grin flashed in my head, passed on the bottle. When he was returning it, I requested if I could join him there. Next minute, I was just 3 rows behind the barricade! Almost 30 more minutes passed by in that tiring, humid afternoon. It was around 2.15pm and somebody screamed, ‘Aaane…‘ (Elephant)  The entire crowd that was sitting calm rose & started buzzing. There were pushes and stampings on feet, there were irritated ‘pschhh’ exclamations and cold stares being exchanged, there was a mild chaos. I decided to do a ‘chance pe dance’ act. Holding my camera close & safe, I somehow slid myself through the next few rows in front of me. Then heard the whistle blow, cops came shouting & waving their laatees asking everyone to sit down. The crowd calmed down and we were told that it would take another hour for the procession to reach there. Everybody sat down and I found myself sitting in the very first row holding the barricade. Wink wink!!

I started clicking around and enjoying the attention to my SLR. Some guy even asked me, ‘Sir, press or media?’ I smiled and replied, ‘press’! Yeah for my personal love towards photos & not videos! I was literally showing off at the moment and not too late we could hear the sounds of trumpets and drums at distance. The procession was approaching closer and now I almost had a manageable view.

You never know when luck strikes on your centre head with its cotton hammer. I was just adjusting my camera and a constable on the street asked me, ‘pressnavraa, sir?’ Smiling again, I said, yes. He insisted me to come closer to the barricade so that I could get a better view. But then there was already a guy standing there and I denied politely. The constable turned around & said something to his colleague and turned again to me. Coming closer to the fence he spoke softly, ‘I shall tell you when the inspector turns around, just sneak through the barricade as soon as possible and come to the opposite side of the road’. I agreed, thanked him dearly and was up for the adventure. That would’ve been the fastest sneak through ever.  As the first tableaux was approaching that point, I ran across the road to the opposite end. There was a tree on the opposite side which was used as a make shift barricade and people were sitting beyond that. I was standing in the cover of the tree, on the very same road through which the procession is to pass. In simple words, I was on the main roads through which the world famous Jumboo Savari would pass in few hours. A clear & unobstructed view like that of an official was at offering. Constable Sir, I shall be grateful to you always.

May be this is what they call as divine intervention or may be Chamundeshwari Devi wanted me to get a closer look the first time itself. I was like an official broadcasting cameraman now for all the gimmicks I was putting up. I could click at my will standing beside that tree

 The ultimate show of pride & prestige, guts & glory, pomp & honor, the Jumboo Savari was preceded by a glorious show of rich culture & heritage of the land of Karnataka. Every district panchayaths of the 30 districts and 4 board’s viz. Irrigation, Tourism etc. had their respective tableaux and display of native art forms.

  
Excerpts from the Kannada literature was the theme for most of the tableaus. Literary giants like DVG, Maasthi, Dr. Kambaara, K.S. Narasimhaswamy and others adorned the tableaus of different district panchayaths and each were preceded by a native dance form. Krishnadevaraya’s Dasara Durbar, Navaratri idols, Dr. Raj, Gubbi Veeranna, Namma Metro Mysorige were some of the highlights.

There were varieties of cultural display by every district. The folklore and native dance forms were showcased by artists from round the state. It included even two African teams and a north Indian team performing dance forms.

 The rich culture of Karnataka was shown through Yakshagaana, Kamsaale kunitha, Suggi kunitha, Dollu kunitha, Veeragaase, Pooja kunitha etc. Artists dressed up as mythical characters entertained the people who had waited a long 3-4 hours under burning sun. Mobile phones stretched into the procession, everybody cheering the performers, people waving at the cameras, Raakshasa (demon) character shaking hands with kids… this was the sight of the crowd that was behind me within the barricade. But I was lucky, very very lucky in fact, out here in the street, getting as close as possible, I was clicking photographs to my heart’s content.
 

 Some of the performances were so energetic that I could not hold my urge to stand still looking at them. I was moving my shoulders, tapping the feet, enjoying thoroughly.

Here came the big moment. The last of the tableaus, that of tourism board of Karnataka bearing the one liner, One State - Many worlds, passed by.

The moment was here that everyone waited for. The police band in a horse pulled wagon came next and then followed by the royal cavalry. Following were three elephants secured around by commandos and NCC cadets forming a human chain around them. The man of the hour, 53 year old loyal tusker, Balarama, clad in rich cloth and glittering jewels, was accompanied by two female elephants on either side and continued to carry the 750 KG Golden Ambaari for the 13^th consecutive time.  
 

The 750 kg golden ambaari of Mysore palace is taken on the elephant’s back to mark the closure of Dasara celebrations on a pompous procession. This tradition has been followed from the beginning of Dasara 400 years ago. The idol of Chamundeshwari Devi is kept inside the ambaari and taken on the back of a designated tusker in a grand procession to Banni Mantap. This procession is world famous as it showcases the glory & splendor of Mysore dynasty and rich culture & heritage of Karnataka. This year would be the last time Balarama; the tusker would carry the ambaari.  
 

 I made most of the opportunity in my limits. Clicked my trigger umpteen times to get that best shot. If I was of Balarama’s height then maybe I would have been at touching distance to the ambaari. For a moment, I looked out of the viewfinder.  I was lost looking at the pride with which Balarama was carrying the Godmother of Mysore. His eyes were content with an unexplained satisfaction. May be he was aware that he would not be walking this grandeur anymore. But he looked determined to finish his service in the best way he could.

I took few more shots as Balarama, basking in the glory of his last walk and whispering something to his girlfriends, walked past me. Having witnessed the show of shows, I was happy and proud. I was very lucky the first time itself. What more could I ask?