Travelogue || Paddy's Wedding Trip - Kumbhakonam
After meeting up witrh Karthik, who had accompanied Paddy from Chennai , and Koushik, who had arrived in the morning by bus, our thoughts turned towards some much needed fuel. And off we went to the dining room to partake of the sumptuous snacks.
Our lodgings were arranged at the Hotel Sri Selli, a km or so away from the mandapam and in the bustling bazaar area. Karthik volunteered to come with us to the hotel room, and we went meandering through the cycles, cows, carts, scooters and motorcycles that constitute Kumbhakonam traffic.
The remainder of the evening was spent in viewing the wedding ceremonies, and numerous trips to the bridge across the river 'Kwai'ry nearby, an old bridge that rumbled every time a vehicle crossed it. Mom's instructions were top of the mind, and Nagul, Koushik and me successfully located the Vijayendra swami matha, where Raghavendra swami was supposed to have studied.
Another heavy meal later, we went back to the hotel room, after having been reminded many times that the ceremonies were due to begin by 4, and that the muhurtham was between 6 and 6.30.
Monday 5th September
Wonder of wonders, I was up by 3.30 AM, even after sleeping at a latish 12.30. By 4 AM the five of us had bathed and we were in the mandapam by 4.15, just as the Kashi yatra got over.
The rest of the morning was spent witnessing the wedding ceremonies, and before the clock struck 6.30, our Paddy was a married man. A visit to the matha, some breakfast , and we felt the lack of sleep catching up on us. Dropped Karthik and Koushik to the railway station where they wanted to make booking for their return that evening, and back we came to Sri selli for some much needed shuteye.
Had another heavy lunch, and bade our good byes and good lucks before proceeding on with the rest of the trip. With Gultu at the helm, we made good speed as we zipped across the state towards our next destination, Kodai. The vegetation changed from luch green in the Cauvery delta to sparse shrubbery as we crossed Kadur on our way towards Dindigul, the scheduled night halt. We were in Dindigul by 8 PM and then began the search for a hotel room.
Dindigul is a decent sized town, and from the looks of it is a focal point for healthcare services in the region. There are innumerable hospitals and nursing homes all around, and not one clean decent and reasonably priced hotel room. After a long and exhaustive search we settled for hotel Ananda, the cleanest place we could find.
Travelogue || Paddy's Wedding Trip - To Kumbhakonam
Trip Trivia
Dates: September 3rd 2005 - September 9th 2005
On Trip: Gultu, Sumo, Nagul and Pawan
Tripmeter reading: 1657 km
The D day was approaching. Fellow Pythagonal Paddy was about to enter into the realm of matrimony, and what best way for the Pythagonals to celebrate this than by organizing a trip to coincide with the wedding. In this, we were joined by our Delhi corrospondent Gultu, who landed into a rainy Bangalore evening on the 2nd. Our man arrived with goodies, including a copy of Russel Peter's stand up comedy show, tidbits of which were to leave immemorable imprints on the trip.
The original plan was 2 cars, but Koushik had to regretfully drop out due to an emergency at work. This left the 4 of us.
Saturday 3rd September 2005
Saturday the 3rd dawned bright and clear (we DID wake up by 6.30) and off we were on the road after picking up Sumo from Silk Board Junction. Made good time at the wheel and soon crossed the 4 lane section till Krishnagiri and onto the more mundane 2 laner from then on. Gultu at the helm got a taste of the craters that go by the name of potholes in our part of the country, which was to have a sobering effect on him (Refer Goa Travelogue). A detour from Dharmapuri and we were soon at our first spot: Hoggenakal.
Hoggenakal is the spot where the Cauvery leaves Karnataka and enters Tamil Nadu with huge rapids spread over many kilometers. With all the rain this part of the country was receiving, the river was swollen , and we had to wade through almost waist deep water overflowing some of the bridges. A very scenic place, though in places the water had a thin film of oil on it, courtesy the hunderds of locals offering oil massages to the visitors. With the sun beating down on us, we soon made a hasty retreat to the relatively comfortable A/C confines of the car.
A late lunch at Dharmapuri and we were off towards our night halt Kadur via Salem and Namakkal. We were on NH 7 right through, one of the roads that make up the 'North South' national road corridor. As such, the road was four laned in most parts, and apart from a few stretches, the roads were wonderful through the trip.
The entry into Kadur was slightly dramatic, as we wandered into sections of the town with extremely narrow roads, and then had a harrowing time trying to extricate ourselves from there. However, soon we were safely esconsced into the Hotel Perry International.
September 4th 2005
We now broke away from NH 7 and onto the highway towards Trichy and Tanjore. The road for the most part ran along the swollen Cauvery, a gorgeous sight. Trichy saw us visiting the famed Srirangam temple with its lofty Gopuram. However, the crowds thronging the temple resulted in our dropping plans for darshan in the sanctum sanctorium. The pythagonals were also put off by a sign outside the sanctum which did not allow for entry of non hindus beyond that point.
After getting lost on our way out of town (a regular feature on this trip, which has resulted in our acquiring intimate knowledge of a number of towns in Tamland), we were on our way to Tanjore.
The 'Periyakovil' (Big temple), as the Brihadeshwara temple is known in Tanjore is a world heritage site. It being afternoon, the sanctum was shut , and there were relatively few people around. This gave us the ideal opportunity to explore the famed temple and its Gopuram, of which it is said that it never casts its shadow outside the temple (Sumo has been vigorously contesting this, and as on even date, we have failed to convince him that as our history books said so, it must be true).
Lunch was one component missing, and the idea that there might be some good food awaiting us in the marriage mandapam drove us on towards Kumbhakonam.
The Cauvery splits into many distributaries at Trichy, one of which remains known as the cauvery. Understandably, the delta region is lush with greenery, and while the narrow highway and the traffic was bothering us, the beauty of the surroundings did enough to compensate.
It was around 4 when we entered Kumbhakonam, a town with the skyline peppered with Gopurams. This place has literally hundreds of temples, and most of these are over a Km square in size. With enterprising Native Language Support from Nagul and Gultu, we were able to find our way to the mandapam by 4.30, the estimated time of arrival.
Travelogue || Coorg
Trip TriviaDates: 15th July-17th July 2005Destination: CoorgDistance: 738 KmThis was a weekend trip that was as precisely timed as it could get! For once, we were able to predict schedules and arival times well in advance and stick to them with an efficiency that has seldom been achieved, and this was not at the cost of forgoing the groups core ethics: "Relaxation".But lets start at the very beginning, which, as we have been reminded by that delightful song in 'The Sound of Music' , is a very good place to start. The previous week was spent in deliberating the constituents of the trip, and , of course, the destination. Sumo regretfully opted out, citing work, and Paddy's non involvement in this and future trips was becoming more of a certainity. It was left to old warriors Nagul and your's truly to keep the Pythagonals flag flying, in which worthy cause we were joined ably by the latest enterant Koushik. Considering the increment of the steering committee to two, Coorg won over the other contender Yercaud as the destination of choice.Friday evening saw the trio leave Bangalore towards the night halt Mysore. Previous experiences of late night hotel hunting prompted us to reserve rooms at Hotel Siddhartha, a cozy , not too expensive hotel bang in the city center.The drive was mostly non eventful, save some small skirmishes Koushik had with Kanakpura road during his time at the wheel. A road block caused by a procession in Mysore ensured we entered Siddhartha at the stroke of 11 PM, which was the preordained time of arrival. As usual, all eateries and the hotel restaurant had shut down for the day, so we set out to the bus stand for our usual midnight repast at the various thelas. This time , however, the Mysore Bus Stand Canteen provided succour to our famished tummies, and, after the usual games of cards (It was Go Fish Version 2.1this time) it was bed time.
First glimpse of Tibetan architecture
The entrance to the Nyingmapa Monastery
Departure next morning was at an expected 9.30 AM. and a smooth drive later, we entered the first destination of the day: The Golden Temple at the Tibetan Settlement at Bylekuppe.
The main building of the monastery 
The three Buddhas: Padmasambhava, Shakyamuni, Amitayus
I have been here quite a few times before, and yet everytime the place takes my breath away. Once into the neat and orderly settlement, it is easy to forget that we are in South India. There were prayer flags fluttering everywhere, and stupas and temples peeped over the trees all around us. The golden temple is truly awe inspiring, and the huge main hall inspires even the most garrulous human to a moment of shocked jaw dropped silence.
The huge gold-plated statues
The 60 ft gold plated statues of the Buddha, Amitayus and Padmasambhava are complemented with 3 sets of magnificient frescos , each a storey high which ring the hall.
The fresco-adorned interiors of the monastery 
Some of the many frescos adorning the place
Shutterbug Nagul went beserk here, and we had to pull him away, but not before he had procured the numbrs of the local guest house.
The bridge across Nisargadhama 
Turgid waters flowing underneath 
The guardian deity
The next halt was Nisargadhama, a lovely , forested man made island in the cauvery, just before it left Coorg to enter Mysore district. Even though it was a Saturday, we were blessed with the absense of crowds, and took a relaxed walk around the island, with the pleasant sound of the Cauvery flowing besides us. The place is , truly , Nisargadhama: Nature place. 
The Harangi Reservoir Just a few kilometers away was Harangi Dam and resevoir, which was our next destination. The reservoir was full to the brim, a sight we have never seen before. The top of the dam offers unparalled views of the landscape around, a truly fulfilling sight.
In and around the dam
Raja's Seat 
View from Raja's Seat 
Mist-laden landscape around Raja's Seat
The lovely hotel is just across the road from Raja Seat, just off the main town and overlooks the rest of the town. A quiet evening was spent in watching the sunset (or imagining it-with the clouds and the mist) at Raja Seat, a delightful viewpoint overlooking rolling hills and the road to Mangalore. Then began the usual game sessions and this time 5-3-2 ruled. A special mention must be made here of Koushik's extraordinary run of luck and my extraordinary lack of it, and only some deft manouvering in conjunction with Nagul ensured I was able to stay on in the game. Thus ended a highly satisfying day.
Long-exposure night-time shot from the Hotel 
Mist causing the light to diffuse
All those games had taken their toll, and it was pretty late in the day when we work up next morning. However some quick rearguard action saw us off by 9:30 A.M. towards Talacauvery. 
Talacauvery 
Drive up to the temple in near zero visibility
The temple
Ruins around the temple
Through the drenched forest The road through nagarhole is narrower than the one through Bandipur, and is hemmed in by the forest. This was one of the few times when we didnt see any wildlife other than the usual spotted deer, but the verdant forest more than made up for it.
On the drive back
Travelogue || Masinagudi [Day 3]
Day Three
Forest Hills->Bangalore
Paddy and Sumo woke up an hour before we did, and spent the early morning exploring the place.
Early morning view of the bamboo huts
Deer in front of the huts
The deer group that had graced our hut at night was still around. Both the guys occupied themselves getting some good early morning photographs while we got up and readied ourselves for the morning trek.
Starting off on the trek
We left on the trek at around 9am. Apart from the guide we were joined on the trek by another couple, the ones who had booked the tree-house. It was a nice, bright day and the weather was just right for trekking - neither too warm nor chilly. The initial part was slightly tiring but the path eased out in places making it one of the most enjoyable treks we have been on.
The forest in a riot of colour
On the trek
Almost midway to our destination the guide pointed out fresh dung - that of a tiger - right in the middle of the trekking path. It was very fresh, and we halted there for a minute or two while the guide sniffed around for the animal. Suddenly the normal sounds of the jungle were muted by the low deep-bellied growl of the tiger. We did not sight the tiger but personally speaking the growl was good enough. I had no wish to come face-to-face with the animal, not after the same guide had shown us the bear-inflicted wound on his leg on the previous trip. That had also been on a trekking expedition when a bear suddenly came out in front of the trekking party and the guide had to fight it off while the trekkers made a beeline back to the sanctuary of home. Anyway, we continued without incident to the pool.
In the pool
It is fed by a waterfall that has caused a huge widening of the stream, surrounded as it is by rocky outcrops on three sides. The water level was half that on the previous trip (which was after monsoons last year), but it was still deep enough to wade, and the waterfall was still in good shape.
Following our tradition on water-bodies, Pawan and I went in to the pool and to the base of the waterfall and were soon joined there by Sumo. Paddy wisely kept away from the water due to being sick, in spite of our continuous exhortation to take the plunge. We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly in the water (no surprises there) since the couple had graciously declared that even though they didn't intend to get in, they had no problems with staying there for a time while we splashed around.
After getting out of the pool, we turned back home on a different circuitous route that took us to a splendid viewpoint which overlooked the valley below us, giving a panoramic view of the whole place. The forest was a riot of color, with infinite variations of green, brown and golden.
Amidst the greenery
This return route was a walk in the park, and we ambled along merrily till we suddenly were at the clearing to the machan. We didn't even realize that the time was now 11. We popped into the dining room for a sumptuous breakfast. Hungry from the trek, we ate long and hard, till we could have no more.
Back to the huts to freshen up and it was soon time to leave. The cold bath was extremely refreshing but it also brought to the forefront the tiredness from the trek. Thanks to this, we left the place at noon since we didn't want to end up driving through the night on the way back in such a tired state.
Elephants again
Saw another group of three wild elephants on the Bandipur stretch this time. It turned out to be a pretty smooth drive back to Bangalore, with us getting home at a decent hour. End of another refreshing trip, one that was sorely needed. Now to plan for the next one, while there is still sand left in the hourglass.
Other wildlife photos
