Under the Falls...!!

Does anyone have a count of the number of waterfalls in the world? It is a tough one. How about the number in your country? Still tough? How about in your state? I know these are tough questions and even keen travellers find it tough to keep a count of them. India has a long list of waterfalls which are big, wide and high. The most well known ones are Jog falls, Chitrakoot falls, Athirapilly falls, Courtallam falls, Shivanasamudram falls, Ethipothala falls, Dudhsagar falls, Dhuandhar falls, Meenmutty falls, Hoganekkal falls, Amboli falls and  Nokhalikai falls.

 Rather than just watching the water fall from great heights, it is best experienced under it.  Most waterfalls have a small trek over a couple of boulders or a small coracle ride to the base of the falls. The experience is truly thunderous and therapeutic.  Standing under the falls and having the white water thrash on to your body is absolutely refreshing. Add to that a dip in that cold waters at the base and you come out fully charged. It is definitely an adventurous bathing experience to have a shower under those mighty waterfalls.

This is a part of the adventurous bathing campaign by Cinthol- Alive Is Awesome.

Athirapilly falls

Agaya Gangai falls

Abbey falls

Hoganekkal falls

Jog falls

Me at Shivanasamudram falls

Gokarna- Ten Things to Do/See...!!

Gokarna which is a spiritual town on the western coast of Karnataka, offers a lot of options for the backpackers and tourists. Here is a list of ten must do/ see things in this coastal hamlet-

Mahabaleshwar temple- Gokarna has been known for ages as a spiritual town and the Mahabaleshwar temple next to the main beach of Gokarna attracts large number of pilgrims through out the year. The temple which is built in Dravidian architectural style is famous for its Atmalinga or Shivlinga which can only be viewed through a hole in the pedestal. A visit to this temple during Shivrathri would be a great experience as the town celebrates the big festival with a Rathyatra and other celebrations.
                              
Walk through the alleys- The narrow dwindling streets and alleys of Gokarna with numerous cows for company is an interesting place to start your day. With temple paraphernalia displayed on both sides of the streets by the vendors, the place looks colourful, vibrant and religious. One can pick up rudrakshas, miniature shivlingas and many other interesting artifacts from the displays.

Hippies & Halakkis- This spiritual town is also known to be a hippie's paradise. People from world over land in Gokarna to explore the hippie lifestyle and to meet the hippies who have been visiting this place for many years. You can have interesting conversations with them and chances are quite high that you get inspired to live their lifestyle. Another genre of people one might see in Gokarna are the Halakki tribals. They still lead an ancient way of life and the women still wear traditional attire and distinct jewellery. They can be very easily seen on the streets of Gokarna selling vegetables, flowers and curios.

Gokarna beach- Even though the main beach of Gokarna is not the most preferred one by the travellers or tourists, this beach is definitely the most visited by the pilgrims. As per the customs, it is only after a dip in the waters of this beach can one enter the Mahabaleshwar temple. Even though the beach does not look very pretty with a lot of litter, a walk on the same early in the morning can leave one with a fresh mind and a blissful view of the Arabian sea.

Om beach- If there is something that is more famous than Gokarna itself in Gokarna, it has to be the Om beach. Renowned for its Om shaped appearance, this beach is a big hit with travellers. With numerous shacks and cafes, this is the beach where the foreign travellers head to escape the crowds of Goa. Its a long beach with rocks jutting out and serenity at its best. You can find hippies, Buddhist monks, European backpackers and the Indian nomads strolling on this beautiful beach. It is nice 6 kms drive over the hills with splendid views from Gokarna town to Om beach. A visit to Gokarna without a glimpse of the Om is definitely a crime.

Kudle beach- The second most preferred beach after the Om, it lies between the main beach of Gokarna and Om beach. Kudle beach also has a lot of cafes and shacks and invites numerous travellers during the peak season. The view of sunset on Kudle beach from the top of the cliff is breathtaking. One can also trek across the rocks and reach Kudle from Om beach.

Half moon beach- Walk towards the southern end of Om beach and a narrow pathway leads you through the bushes into the hills to the Half moon beach. The magnificent vistas of the Arabian sea can leave you awestruck. Approachable only by trek or on boat, this small beach in the shape of a half moon is a secluded one and a heaven for solitude seekers. The beach does not have any shacks or cafes and the only way you can spend time is by counting the waves or catching the crabs.

Paradise beach- Another secluded beach which gets active only during the peak season. It remains closed during the other half of the year. Paradise beach can be accessed by trekking further south of Half moon beach. Again, the accessibility is only by foot or by boat. Definitely a paradise for people who would love to stay away from civilization.

Catamaran ride- The fishermen on Om beach/ Kudle beach/ main beach are quite eager to take you on a boat/catamaran ride. Bargain well and head into the Arabian sea with them. A splash of the salty waters is sure to leave everyone refreshed. A catamaran ride from one beach to another is definitely exciting. Beach hopping cannot get better than this.

Namaste cafe- The most well known shack in Gokarna is the Namaste cafe on  Om beach. The cafe cum shack has been carved out on a rock that leads to the beach. The restaurant faces the Om beach and is one of the best places to relax with a mug of beer in Gokarna. It has good rooms and the food is quite delicious. Their Tuna sandwich is one dish which every visitor must bite into. 


A detailed post on Gokarna is here- https://www.talesofanomad.com/2017/04/gokarna-and-its-beaches.html

Belum Caves- Deep Down Under...!!

I was in search of a Lord Buddha statue after traversing almost 300 Kms across the barren plains of Rayalseema in Andhra Pradesh. The search was not to see the statue of Buddha but to make sure I was on the right path. The statue was the landmark and the destination was Belum Caves in Kurnool district. The charming lord invited me to the longest underground caving system in the Indian sub continent. 3.5 Kms of the caves have been excavated and 1.5 Kms of it is open to the public. First discovered in late 1800's by a Britisher, the caves are presently under the Archaeological Survey of India and Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation. When these millions of years old caves were explored again in early 1980's, speleologists found Buddhist relics and remnants of Lord Buddha's times. There are claims that the caves were occupied by Buddhist monks, sages and Jains.

Going down 40 feet

I went down 40 feet from the ground level with my guide. The steps led me to the entrance hall which had a low slanting ceiling and huge opening to the sky. My guide then explained to me how and when the caves were explored, what the excavators found and about the different kind of formations of stalactites and stalagmites. He also warned that the humidity level would be 80% in most places. Except for a few bats, he claimed the caves were devoid of animal presence. Supposedly millions of years ago, water flowed through these caves and the formation of the passages and the smoothness of the cave-walls are all a result of the flows.

Entrance hall

My guide

The caves have been lit up along the passages for visibility and this yellow light made the caves even more attractive. As we trod ahead, the smell of earth was so apparent and  I also realised that I was sweating profusely. The further I went, higher became the humidity levels, deeper became the caves from 40 feet to 100 feet below ground level and heavier became my perspiration. All these difficulties did neither distract me nor make me tired. I was lost gawking at the natural formations of stalactites,stalagmites, pit holes on roofs, animal paws, snake hoods, god look-alike and many many more formations. It took me some time to regain my senses as I was spellbound gazing at this heavenly wonder. Even as my guide kept explaining in detail about the caves, I was lost and transported to aeons back.

Ceiling formations

As we kept walking along the fairly wide passages, my guide stopped and said we will take a short cut. To save 200 meters of walk along the passage, he literally made me crawl for 15 meters in pitch darkness. The ceiling was hardly two and a half feet high and that was indeed a mind blowing experience. For the first time in my life I felt I was a true cave explorer.

The major sightings inside the caves are meditation room, mantapam, maya mandir, pathal ganga, banyan tree hall and musical chamber. The tourism department has done significant initiatives to promote these caves by placing bridges, cutting steps, lighting, air supplies at frequent points and excellent guides to help the visitors understand the history behind these extraordinary caves.

Can you see a Ganapathi here?

Bridges laid by tourism department

Formations on the ceiling

Banyan tree hall

After walking, crawling, gaping, clicking, posing and listening to my guide's geography classes for 1.5 Kms we reached Pathal Ganga. This is the point where there is a small spring and a stone in the shape of Shivalinga. The water was not cold as I expected it to be. Pathal Ganga is almost 120 feet below the ground level and is the last point up to which the cave is open to public. Even though explorers have gone much further ahead, it is not advisable for the visitors to follow their foot steps. My guide also mentioned that there are chances of animal presence further ahead of Pathal Ganga.

Pathal Ganga and Shivlinga

Pits on the ceiling

It was a long walk of another 1.5 Kms before I could breathe fresh oxygen, see the sun's rays and and get my senses back from the fantasy world. 

Belum caves is definitely one of the best caving options available in the whole of India. It is slowly but significantly gaining importance on the tourist map and is sure to attract many more visitors in the coming times. Please make sure to carry lots of drinking water when you enter the caves.

Signing Note- Go down the caves and transport yourself into a magical world...!!

Route- Bangalore- Chikballarpur- Anantpur- Tadpatiri- Kolimigundla- Belum Caves
Distance- 320 Kms

The Indian Grand Canyon...!!

River Colarado cuts through the state of Arizona in the U.S. to form the world renowned Grand Canyon. Half a globe away in the Rayalseema region of Andhra Pradesh, Pennar river cuts through Kadappa district to form the Indian Grand Canyon, better known as Gandikota gorge.

After traversing through the barren brown hills and a few sunflower fields of Rayalseema, we reached Jammalamadugu, a small town in Kadappa. From there a narrow but well asphalted road took us further higher onto the hills of Erramala. The landscape though being devoid of greenery was expansive and a sight to behold.  After a fifteen kilometer drive through the beautiful landscape we reached Gandikota fort. The fort was under rennovation. All that we wanted to see was the canyon and headed there. It is small walk from the fort to the canyon. The gorge forms the background for the fort and also gets its name from the same. The fort also houses a Masjid, Madhavaraya temple, Raghunatha temple and a granary.

As we walked towards the gorge all that we could see were the vast plains and the big red boulders. The gorge was nowhere to be seen till we reached very close to it. Then from nowhere the 300 feet deep gorge appeared leaving us wonderstruck. Though it cannot come anywhere close in size and beauty to the Grand canyon of Arizona, it definitely can be named the Indian grand canyon. We were disappointed as there was hardly any water and the hot summers of the region had made the river into a green slush of weeds and grass. Post the monsoons it would definitely resemble the Grand canyon and would leave all visitors gaping at its natural formation. However, the huge red boulders made for a magnificent background and the landscape looked majestic. Even without water, the gorge did leave us spellbound for quite a while with its gargantuan vistas.

The place still remains unexplored with very few visitors other than the locals. Make sure to visit the gorge after the monsoons to enjoy this scenic natural wonder.

Signing Note- Indeed our own Grand Canyon...!!


  Route- Bangalore- Chikaballarpur- Gorantla- Kadiri- Pulivendula- Jammalamadugu- Gandikota
(Once you cross Andhra border ask for Gorantla deviation)


Distance- 290 Kms

Sunflowers...!!

This stunningly beautiful field of sunflowers was a delight to capture. Rayalseema, Andhra Pradesh. August 2012.

Wish you all a Happy Onam...!!

Down the Stream...!!

On world photography day, this frame was captured at Hogenakkal, Karnataka-Tamilnadu border. August 2012.
Eid Mubarak to all...!!

Published Articles

This article of mine was published on spiceflair.com

Tranquil and Relaxing beaches of Gokarna

Gokarna, better known as a hippie’s paradise is a small coastal temple town on the western coast of India. Situated at a distance of less than 80 Kms from Goa, this beautiful hamlet in Karnataka boasts of some of the most secluded beaches in India.It is a 10 Km detour from National highway- 17 that takes one to Gokarna.

[Read More]

Colours Through My Lens...!!

This post is my entry for Capture the colour contest by travel supermaket.com. The contest is about submitting photographs capturing the five vibrant colours- Yellow, White, Blue, Green and Red.

YELLOW

Think of yellow and what flows through my mind are the blazing yellow sun, fluttering sunflowers and the shining yellow metal. 

This photograph was clicked inside Batu caves, Malaysia. It is one of the shrines inside the cave and what attracted me to this was the yellow light which had spread across, making the stalactites and the shrine glow in it.

WHITE

White stands for purity but for me it has always been either clouds, snow or fluffy cotton.

This photograph was captured from KL Towers, Kuala Lumpur. The huge white cloud seemed like a crown for the miniature looking tall sky scrappers of the city and the distant hills. My imagination of the crown is what attracted me to the moment.

BLUE

Blue is my favourite colour and for me it symbolizes the sky and the ocean.

This turquoise blue waters of the Indian Ocean was captured from a view point en route to the famous Le Morne mountain in Mauritius. What caught my fascination was the magnificent shades of blue that the waters displayed.

GREEN

I can relate green only to verdant forests, plantations or pastures and nothing else.

On my way to B.R. Hills, near Bengaluru I was fascinated by this mesmerising landscape of green paddy field, green trees and green hills. The colour green was so hard to ignore and that made me photograph this.

RED

I associate Red to blood and to the sun.

A wonderful evening was enjoyed on Pantai Cenang beach, Langkawai capturing the the blue sea, the blue sky and the interesting visitors. However as the sun set, what attracted me was the red shade that spread over a certain section of the sky. The sun had set but the colour red was so dominant in the blue frame.


 As a part of the contest I am nominating fellow bloggers to participate in the same.

My nominees are :

Bhushavali Natarajan

Sankara C

Sneha Diwakar

Arun Bharadwaj