Sunday, March 18, 2007

Shivanasamudram Trip

Shivanasamudram is probably the largest waterfall in the region after Jog Falls. The place is also credited for hosting the first hydroelectric project in India. Here, Kaveri splits into two, falls into a valley in two separate places called Gaganachukki and Bharachukki and re-unites downstream. A good lot of water falls down from both the waterfalls. Gaganachukki especially is a steep fall where water gushes down with great velocity. The two waterfalls are around a 15-minute drive apart and make beautiful picnic locations.

Gaganachukki
Not many people know that Shivasamudram was the first place to have a hydroelectric plant in Asia which was built nearly a century ago. The power plant is called Bluff and this is the place where the first falls is located. It is called Gaganachukki.
We were fortunate to visit this place during monsoon time and the roar of the falls was deafening at some places. It was quite a spectacular site to watch the falls from the watch tower as for safety reasons we were not allowed to go near the falls. You can see the falls from two places. One is from the side of Bluff and the other point of view is near the dargah. It looked quite dangerous to get down.

Bharachukki
This is around a distance of 10kms from Bluff and around 2kms from the dargah. You will have to cross a bridge before you reach Bharachukki and this is the place where the river branches to create two falls so close to each other. Don’t miss this place. If you have time for just one falls, then go here.
At Bharachukki a staircase has been made to get down near the falls. It is pretty steep but the pains of getting down there are worth the effort. Once you get down there are 2 places where you can go. Either you can just go down right to the end of the stairs and sit near the water for sometime or take a detour to reach the falls on one side. We took the detour and it helped us see some breathtaking views. Sometimes it is these kinds of things that make a trip wonderful. When the spray from the water falling hits us, it was beyond the normal thrill experienced when we see water. It was the first time that we were seeing a waterfall from such a close range we were just amazed.


Shivanasamudram can be approached either via Bangalore – Mysore road or Kanakapura road. If you are taking Mysore road, you need to turn left at Maddur and drive some distance. On Kanakapura road, keep driving for around 120 kms on the highway. Shivanasamudra is very close to the highway. Kanakapura road is usually devoid of much traffic and is preferred way for driving. The roads are not very good and it may require 3 hours to cover the distance, so plan to leave early. There are no hotels close by and no accommodation or restaurants available on location. Nearby places to visit include Talkad, which has nice sandy shores by the river and a few historical monuments.



Bangalore - Shivanasamudram- 125 Kms
The Man and their Machines participating in this trip were:

Date :: March 18 2007
Round Trip :: 260kms

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Nandi Hill Trip

On March 13th, we made a trip to Nandi Hills which is a haven for the birds (and birdwatchers).
We left Bangalore around 5:00 am and reached the top at around 6:30 am. Again the sun had already risen by the time we reached the top.


Soon after we bought the tickets from the ticket counter.

Tourist Attractions :
Tippu’s Drop the place from where Tippu Sultan made his prisoners fall.
Tippu’s Summer Residence a beautiful palace on top of this hill. This palace is closed to the general public .
Temples - There are temples dedicated to Sri Bhoga Narasimha, Sri Ugra Narasimha and Sri Yoga Narasimha .
Nehru Nilaya, where Jawaharlal Nehru used to stay, now a guest house of the horticulture department of India.
Rivers - The rivers Pennar, Palar and Arkavati originate from these hills. Most of the sources have dried up . One can see the source of Arkavati at the entrance.
Brahmashram - It is said that Sage Ramakrishna Paramhamsa meditated here. Its a cool cave .
Nature - Enjoy the green lap and shade that nature has laid for you. Laid back, sit and enjoy.


Getting There – “Nandi Hills” is around 60 KM from Bangalore (towards the north). Take the Bangalore-Hyderabad highway (NH-7) from the Hebbal Flyover. Around 30 kms down this road, you reach Devanahalli. You come across a prominent signage of the upcoming International Airport (BIAL) on the right. Another 5 kms straight ahead, you come across a left turn that takes you to Nandi Hills. This turn is “unmarked” (or possibly marked in Kannada alone). Lookout for a smallish board displaying “Canterbury Castles”. This is where you need to get off the highway. P.S. – Do not mistake it for NH 207 (to Doddaballapur) which is the previous left turn (It leads you to some L&T factory). Post the left turn, 20 Kms of driving gets you to the foothills from where directions to Nandi Hills are very clearly marked.
The road condition is good overall with a few patchy spots nearing the hills. While the highway (NH-7) is very good, beware of some “unmarked” speed breakers that pop out of nowhere, especially if you are driving in the dark. We got “shaken up” a couple of times on our first drive.