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Images from Golden Temple, Bylukuppe
2008-04-19 18:31:00
Two months after my bike trip to Coorg, I was back in that beautiful district. But this time the visit was for half day & restricted to Namdroling Monastery at Bylukuppe. Being Saturday Monastery was buzzing with activity, but inside the Golden Temple it was complete silent and peaceful.A student monk. He was more interested looking out of the class room instead of listening to the lectures.Paintings inside the temple are huge, beautiful and very nicely done.My visit was of very short duration. Just touch and go. This place is still there in my list of places to be visited :)Also read:Bike trip to CoorgKumara ParvathaMallalli Falls
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Crossing the river Tunga
2008-04-16 19:32:00
River Tunga. We had to cross the river. And we had three options - 1. By bus over the bridge.2. Using a hanging bridge which was half a kilometer away.3. By walk through knee deep waterAnd we chose the last option.Place: Hariharapura, 15 KMs from Sringeri in Chikkamagalur district.People were busy washing their clothes, bathing.He saw me. Stopped his work for a moment. Smiled at me & continued with his chores.Crossing the river was quite an adventure. Trying not to get our clothes wet & along with carrying the camera. Though it was knee deep, currents were pretty strong.
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Lord Igguthappa: The Kodava God
2008-04-07 09:17:00
| Beginning | Next ->Entrance to Nelija Igguthappa templeAfter lunch at Bhagamandala, we headed towards Nelija where one of Lord Igguttappa temples is located. Lord Igguttappa, the snake god, commonly known as Subrahmanya is the main deity worshipped by the Kodavas. We reached Nelija around 3.30PM & the temple was closed. We had to be content by roaming around the temple premises & enjoying the nature.From Nelija, we rode towards Kakkabbe where another Igguthappa temple at Paadi is situated. Again here the temple was closed due to renovation. After spending some time roaming around the place, we started our journey back home, to Bangalore.Stone bell at Paadi Igguthappa templeFrom Gonikoppa, we took the same route back home via Hunsur and Srirangapatna. As soon as we crossed Hunsur, rain god gave us company during the ride. We had to stop quite frequently and duration of the breaks was longer as the rain was lashing. When I reached home, it was well past midnight & the bike’s trip...

Desktop Calendar: Apr 08
2008-03-31 15:02:00
Download from here (Right click & select save target to download)Desktop Calendar for April 2008. Summer, time to visit a nearby water body and take a dip :)Background photo: Backwaters of Yagachi dam, near Belur, Hassan district.

Bhagamandala and Talakaveri
2008-03-27 18:32:00
| Beginning | Next ->Bhagundeshwara templeOur journey commenced next day along with rain. We headed towards Bhagamandala on wet 7 slushy roads. From Virajpet, we reached Bhagamandala via Moornadu. Some info about Bhagamandala from Wiki - Bhagamandala is a pilgrimage place in Kodagu, Karnataka, in India. It is situated on the river Kaveri in its upstream stretches. At this place, the Kaveri is joined by two tributaries, the Kannika and Sujyoti rivers. It is considered sacred as a river confluence (kudala or sangama, in Kannada and Sanskrit respectively).Pligrims at BhagamandalaIt is a common practice for pilgrims to take a dip in the sangama and perform rituals to their ancestors before proceeding to Talakaveri, the birthplace of Kaveri. During Tula Sankramana which falls on October 17th or 18th, pilgrims assemble here in large numbers.After spending sometime there & a quick visit to Bhagundeshwara temple, we headed to Talakaveri, the birth place of river Kaveri located at Brahmagiri...

Irpu Falls
2008-03-21 10:45:00
| Beginning | Next ->Irpu falls (also known as Iruppu falls)Irpu falls (or Iruppu falls) is situated at outskirts of Brahmagiri mountain range of Kodagu district. The falls is formed by Lakshmana theertha river when it jumps down in two tiers from a height of 52 mtrs (approximately 170 ft).By the time we reached there it was close to noon & raining had stopped. And the place was filled with tourists. Sandeep & Ganesh decided to take a dip while Nithin guarded luggage. I roamed around for sometime taking few photos & then sat silently enjoying the beauty of the nature.Legend says that, this falls was formed when Lakshamana shot an arrow to fetch some drinking water for his elder brother Rama, during their visit while searching for Seeta. Lakshamana theertha flows westwards & later joins river Kaveri. There is also a temple of Lord Rama.Temple of Lord RamaWe spent a good 2 hours at the falls. And then a nice lunch at the only hotel near the temple at Irpu. As we started our journey ba...
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To Coorg on Bike: A rainy start
2008-03-18 17:42:00
Beginning | Next ->Wet roads after the rain4.40 AM, Oct 20, 2007. I was waiting for other riders at the scheduled meeting place – near Mysore road – NICE road junction at Kengeri. When rest three reached the place in a span of 15 minutes, all of us were wet to the innermost layer of the clothes. It was pouring heavily. For a moment I thought of turning back home, but made up my mind and decided to continue with the ride.Mystic mountains of MadikeriFor the next two days it was fun filled & rain filled ride. Where ever we went rain followed us. From Kengeri it was a non-stop ride till Srirangapatna. By the time we reached Srirangapatna, rain eased out. And when we stopped next at Hunsur for breakfast, we were almost dry. After the breakfast Srik turned back towards Bangalore as he had office. Rest three (Ganesh, Sandeep & I) continued. En route Irpu falls, we tried our luck of passing through Nagarahole. But we came to know by people at Hunsur that two wheelers are not all...
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Desktop Calendar: Mar 08
2008-02-29 08:45:00
Here comes calendar for March 2008.Background photo: Captured near Mallalli Falls near Somawarpet.Download: 1152 x 864 and 1024 x 768(Right click & select save target to download)
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Back on the saddles
2008-02-27 07:00:00
It's been a long while since I rode out of town on a long ride. It's time to hit the road. Last time it was a two day ride to Madikeri.Now I'm heading west, towards Mangalore. I've four days in hand and a wedding to attend on Sunday. The plan is wide open. As of now probably it's going to be riding around Udupi, Mangalore & if possible Kasaragod. And looks like I'll be taking the same route which we took while riding to Goa 15 months ago.Also on the agenda is to meet couple of bloggers and one of them is a travel blogger.Previous bike rides:Gopalaswamy bettaKambadahalliMookana mane falls
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Sringeri
2008-02-22 07:50:00
Photos from my recent visit to Sringeri, Goddess Sharada's abode. Nothing much to say from my side, enjoy the photos :)Silhouette - Lord Vidyaranyeshwara TempleTunga RiverView from the other side of the riverFishes, as seen from the bridge.Another silhouete - Temple of Goddess SharadambaMore details about Sringeri & it's history - Temples and Shrines at SringeriKarnataka Tourism

Best part of the trek
2008-02-18 13:36:00
Just back from Sharavathi valley after a two day adventerous exploratory trek, from Kanoor to Nagavalli. Though Kanoor - Doctor mane (Doctor's house) - Kanoor Kote (Kanoor Fort) is a known explored trek path, we kept Kanoor as starting point and end point Nagavalli via Doctor's house & decided to explore a new route with the help of Ganapati of Sharavathi Adventure Trails.If you ask me which was the best moment of the trek, it's very difficult to pick one from the below list - Traveling in a luggage carrier for 10+ KMs after a bus journey of 10 hoursGetting scratched by thorns as we trek. And you look ahead to find no path, all you can see is thorny bushesYou reach stream after 4 hours of trek or rather say exploration, and jump into it immedeatlyLunch is ready & served, you are hungry, but you can't eat because it's steaming hot :)Everyone volunteers to help for preparing dinner. Menu: Chapathis, Rice, Sambar & Moong dal Kheer (hesaru bELe paayasa)No lights around ...
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Virupapura: A tale from Ramayana
2008-02-06 13:28:00
Virupapura hillock & the stone mantapaVirupapura, one of the few places that I have visited countless number of times, is a tiny village which has a story linked to Ramayana . Situated around 75 KMs from Bangalore and a stone's throw way from my native, the place gets the name from Rama. Previously known as Virupakshapura and along with the time, name got changed to Virupapura.Shivagange as seen from the hill-topMain reason for me to visit this place repeatedly is the small hillock to the north east of the village & the panoramic view it offers from the top. My usual routine used to be - climb up the hill which doesn't take more than 15-20 minutes, reach the lone stone mantapa, sit & ponder for hours.Temple of Lord SiddarameshwaraLink to Ramayana – As per the local stories, when Ravana kidnapped Sita, Rama & Lakshamana in search of her reached this place. And Rama built a temple of Lord Shiva (called as Siddarameshwara temple by villagers) here on the hillock. And...
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A tale from Ramayana
2008-02-06 10:34:00
Virupapura hillock & the stone mantapaVirupapura, one of the few places that I have visited countless number of times, is a tiny village which has a story linked to Ramayana . Situated around 75 KMs from Bangalore and a stone's throw way from my native, the place gets the name from Rama. Previously known as Virupakshapura and along with the time, name got changed to Virupapura.Shivagange as seen from the hill-topMain reason for me to visit this place repeatedly is the small hillock to the north east of the village & the panoramic view it offers from the top. My usual routine used to be - climb up the hill which doesn't take more than 15-20 minutes, reach the lone stone mantapa, sit & ponder for hours.Temple of Lord SiddarameshwaraLink to Ramayana – As per the local stories, when Ravana kidnapped Sita, Rama & Lakshamana in search of her reached this place. And Rama built a temple of Lord Shiva (called as Siddarameshwara temple by villagers) here on the hillock. And...
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Desktop Calender: Feb 08
2008-02-01 04:29:00
January had been a dull month. Both on travel side and also writing my old travel tales. Hope things will change, and I get to travel.Here is calender for the month of Feb'08. Background photo: Captured at Manchanabele dam.Download: 1024 x 768 and 800 x 600(Right click & select save target to download)
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2007 Round Up
2008-01-30 12:16:00
I know its little late, but still here is the round up of 2007. I wanted to post it in the beginning of the year, but got occupied with work resulting in the delay.The year started with a weekend trip to Mysore & Ranganatittu. Followed by a short bike trip & trek to Skandagiri in Feb. And then a long ride to Sakaleshpura to end the quarter.Summer and it was trek time. Visited Western Ghats twice, first a three day trek in Sharavathi valley. And then to Kuduremukha. After that I went on a short solo ride to Kambadahalli, a small Jain pilgrimage and then a group ride to Gopalaswamy betta.After two visits to Western ghats in summer, I paid another visit in peek monsoon. This time, a futile attempt to climb Kumara Parvatha. Come August, went on a 5 day road trip to Goa - 1700 KMs (trip log yet to come).Last quarter was a bit disappointing one. Managed to visit Coorg on bike (again, trip log yet to come). And then short visits to Devarayana Durga and Nandi hills to end the year 2007.Year...
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In Search of Tippu Drop
2008-01-11 10:41:00
Last journey of year 2007 & my first visit to Nandi hills. Travel plan to Nandi was decided on the previous day at 9.30 PM. And our plan was to reach the top by 6-6.15 to catch glimpse of Sunrise. But we were late in starting reached Nandi only at 7.45. End result along with Sunrise, we missed the misty moring.Bird's eye viewLeaves & clear blue skyAs soon as we got down, all four of us split and roamed around aimlessly for almost an hour before regrouping for breakfast. After filling our stomach it was time for us to explore the place - Yoganandeeshwara temple, Tippu drop, Nellikayi basavanna & then a quick nap at the view point ;)Another view from topFlowerI missed the mist covered mountain top. May be I'll go there to catch them.How to reach:There are different routes to reach Nandi hills - via Doddaballapur & Devanahalli. Suggest you to go via Devanahalli as the road conditions are better.Similar One Day Outings from Bangalore: Devarayana durgaAchalu bettaGopalaswamy bettaK...
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Desktop Calender: Jan 08
2007-12-31 13:18:00
Wishing all the readers a happy new yearDownload: 800 x 600 and 1024 x 768PS: Inspired by and created with the help of Arun of India Travel Blog.
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Photos from Devarayana Durga
2007-12-20 18:03:00
Visited Devarayanadurga, one of the three Durgas of Tumukur district. Though plan was to reach the top before Sunrise, was bit late. But still an heavenly place, so near by.Soaking in early morning sun raysView of Durga/betta/hill from Devarayana durga villageSun-bathing (?!) on a cool winter morningA lamp on top of a rockFort in ruinsHow to reach (Cumulative distance in KMs):Bangalore - Nelamangala (28)- Dabaspet (50) - Urdigere (65) - Devarayanadurga (81)Or Bangalore - Tumkur - DevarayanadurgaSimilar One Day Outings from Bangalore:Achalu bettaGopalaswamy bettaKambadahalliManchanabeleBheemeshwari
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A Visit to Mallalli Falls
2007-11-27 16:15:00
Previous: Kumara ParvathaWe woke up to witness a beautiful & peaceful morning. Rain God was in a good mood & we were spared from getting drenched. We repacked our backpacks, thanked our hosts & started back towards Beedalli. We were bit late to reach the place & we missed the bus again. Luckily a jeep was available and owner of the jeep agreed to take us to Mallalli falls & then drop us at Somavarpet.To reach Mallalli falls, one has to take a deviation at Hanchinalli. Hanchinalli comes 2 KMs before Beedalli when travelling from Somavarpet towards Beedalli. From Hanchinalli it's a bumpy jeep track for 2 to 3 KMs. And then a walk for almost a kilometer. It was completely misty even at 11 in the morning. End of wonderful walk brought us to the view point which gives us a majestic view of the falls. Though we had lots of time, we decided not to go down to the foot of the falls as it was very slippery on the rocks.We spent a quality time over there enjoying the roari...
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Kumara Parvatha - Unfinished task
2007-11-19 14:30:00
My third visit to Western Ghats in less than two months period. First one to Sharavathi valley & next one to Kudremukha range. This time we were heading towards Kumara Parvatha or Pushpagiri, which marks as a boundary to Kodagu (Coorg) & Dakshina Kannada districts of Karnataka. But this time we started on a wrong foot.Our plan was to start trek from Somawarapet side, camp near the summit on day one & then get down towards Kukke Subrahmanya on day two. But instead of booking bus tickets to Somawarapet, we landed in Virajpet on that Saturday morning at 4.15 AM. From Virajpet we changed two busses to reach Somawarapet via Madikeri. By the time we reached Somawarapet, the only direct bus to take us to starting point had already left. After breakfast at Somawarapet, we took a bus till Kannahalli Katte & the conductor of the bus arranged for a jeep to take us to Beedahalli or Beedalli - trek starting point.It was cloudy & started drizzling when we started our trek. Initial 3 KMs is along ...
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A Short Trek to Achalu Betta
2007-11-08 06:45:00
The story dates back to Aug 2006, when I came across some nice photos of this small hillock Achalu betta (or Achchalu) on DKM's blog. Collected information from DKM on how to reach the place & four of us started in a car. It was nice drive on the country-side & we took our own time to reach the place. We had a small pit-stop en-route near a village where SJ got busy shooting birds. Rest of us had a nice time talking to the village kids who were helping their parents in the farm. And then we packed breakfast at Kanakapura & proceeded towards Achalu.Achalu is a small sleepy village just 15 KMs after Kanakapura. Just as we enter the village, there is a small pond; but there was no water when we were there. TO reach the foot of the hill one need to cross the village along a narrow lane. When we asked an elderly villager for directions, he called a small kid to show us the way. Two of his friends joined him and they were our guides for the whole day.We parked the car at the ...
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In Mysore
2007-11-06 19:12:00
As the subject says, I'm in the heritage city of Karnataka - Mysore , on an official visit. As I'm going to stay here for 3 to 4 weeks, I'm looking for places to visit in and around Mysore, that is apart from well known places like KRS, Palace or Chamundi; I'm looking for less known places here in Mysore. My preference is for the places which can be visited in 3 to 4 hours time including travel.If you are aware of any such places, please drop in a mail at - payaniga at gmail dot comThanks in advance :)Related links -Himavat Gopalaswamy BettaRanganatittu & Lingambudhi kereShivanasamudra

Travel Blogs & Links
2007-10-25 12:44:00
Here is a list of travel related blogs, websites, discussion forums that I follow. The list doesn't stop here, I'm still in the process of updating it.Travel Blogs :Alemaariya anubhavagalu - A travel blog in Kannada by Rajesh NaikTreks & Travels - By AravindIndia travel blog - By Arun Cuckoo's Eye ViewMridula's Travel talesGanesh KudvaPraveen's EscapadesSigma's memoirsAnita BoraThejesh's travelForums / Discussion boards / Groups: Bike NomadsCouch SurfingGetoff ur assGoNomad.comIndia MikeY! Groups - Bike NomadsY! Groups - BMCY! Groups - Indian Highways
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Now it's payaniga.com
2007-10-15 13:23:00
Cut that extra word in the URL. I've moved my travel blog to my own domain. From now onwards it's going to be just http://payaniga.com (old url: http://payaniga.blogspot.com/)Thanks Thej for helping me out in setting up the site. And also thanks everyone for your support & comments. Request everyone who has blog-rolled me to update the URL in your list.PS: All visitors coming via old url will be redirected to the new one.This seems to be one of the shortest blog-post by me :p. Will be back soon with details & photos of road trip to Goa :)
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Digest: Kuduremukha trek
2007-09-20 13:36:00
Kuduremukha (or Kudremukha) trek log links consolidated - Basarikal gate to Mullodi on day oneSomavathi falls @ MullodiTo Kuduremukha peak on day twoGeneral info on Kuduremukha trekSome random photos & more photos
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Kuduremukha: General Information
2007-09-19 13:25:00
Some general information on Kuduremukha -Kuduremukha in Kannada means horse (kudure) face (Mukha). And is approximately 350KM from Bangalore.Kuduremkha peak is at 1892 meters above sea level.Route (that we took): Bangalore - Kunigal - Hassan - Mudigere - Kottigehara - Kalasa - Kuduremukha.Refer Karnataka wilderness tourism website for detailed information on different trekking routes within Kuduremukha National Park range. And also for contact details to get permissions for the treksIn case you want to stay at Mullodi at Sathish's place, call him up & inform before reaching the place - 08263-249595. Nearby places of interest: Horanadu, Kalasa, SringeriAnd here is the same trek story in Shashank's (fellow trekker) words
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To Kuduremukha peak
2007-09-18 11:55:00
<< Prev | Beginning of the trekKuduremukha peakThe day started early. It was cold. After finishing our daily chores, we started our hike to Kuduremukha peak around 6.30AM. Initial stretch is an easy one, almost flat & no gradients. We walked one behind the other on the path chatting continously, stopping for photos here and there. Landscape around us was amazing & breathtaking. We reached Lobo house (Lobo mane) by 8. The peak was clearly visible from that place. A quick break & refreshments, we continued.View from Onti maraThough it's referred as Lobo house, there 4 houses close by which were constructed by one Mr. Lobo during pre-independence era. When we reached third house someone noticed a guava tree next to the house. End result, we spent almost half an hour there. And when we continued from there, not even a single fruit was there on the tree :). From there on the route gets tougher and the group of 10 got split into smaller ones depending on the speed. We p...
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Kuduremukha: Somavathi falls
2007-09-12 13:44:00
<< Prev | Beginning of the trek | Next >>Somavathi falls is a very small but dangerous waterfall near Mullodi village. The falls is not more than 8 or 10ft height but very slippery. Each one of us who got under the water slipped at least once. Though it was fun, one fell down and gave back a piece of his teeth to the nature. We sat down under the water slipping & sliding, waiting for turns while others were slipping & sliding.A late lunch of chappathis & teplas after a refreshing bath. And then we spent a quality time listening to gurgling water, bird songs (especially the long whistle of Malabar Whistling-thrush. We came back refreshed & recharged to Sathish's house (home-stay) where we stayed for the night. We played disk throwing & cricket till dark. And then it was round of leg-pulling & general chit-chat. After a nice dinner, we slipped into our sleeping bags & a sound sleep.In case you are not interested in trekking & just want to h...
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Kuduremukha: Somavathi falls
2007-09-12 13:44:00
<< Prev | Beginning of the trekSoma vathi falls is a very small but dangerous waterfall near Mullodi village. The falls is not more than 8 or 10ft height but very slippery. Each one of us who got under the water slipped at least once. Though it was fun, one fell down and gave back a piece of his teeth to the nature. We sat down under the water slipping & sliding, waiting for turns while others were slipping & sliding.A late lunch of chappathis & teplas after a refreshing bath. And then we spent a quality time listening to gurgling water, bird songs (especially the long whistle of Malabar Whistling-thrush. We came back refreshed & recharged to Sathish's house (home-stay) where we stayed for the night. We played disk throwing & cricket till dark. And then it was round of leg-pulling & general chit-chat. After a nice dinner, we slipped into our sleeping bags & a sound sleep.In case you are not interested in trekking & just want to have a dip in Somavathi falls, you can hire a jee...
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Trek to Kuduremukha
2007-09-10 13:43:00
Friday May 18th 2007, eleven of us started from Bangalore towards Kuduremukha. Picking up everyone from nook & corner of the city took two hours and unfortunately I was the first one to get into the vehicle. Around 11 PM, we stopped near Nelamangala for dinner and took off. We reached Horanadu by 7, next morning. After a quick bath, paid a visit to Horanadu Sri Annapoorneshwari temple. From there we went to Samse via Kalasa, where we were planning to hire a jeep to trek starting point.Seven of us got down in Samse village with luggage, while rest went to Kuduremukha town to get permission from the forest department. Our plan was to hire a jeep at Samse till Mullodi, (last village, afterwards its Kuduremukha National Park range). From there trek till Lobo’s house and camp. On day two, start early, reach summit & back, pack-up, trek back to Mullodi, take the jeep back to Samse by evening and back in Bangalore by Monday morning. But, whole plan changed as no one is allowed to stay/ca...
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