Pleasant weather, hearty meals at our homestay, chit chatting with friends or lying in a hammock reading a good book~ is what we had in mind when we set about planning a trip to Coorg.
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| A jolly weekend at Coorg (a blog) |
The Kodagu district of Karnataka known as Coorg is roughly 100kms from, and borders Mysore. The region predominantly falls within the Western ghats and shares a topography similar to that of the neighbouring Wayanad district of Kerala.
Since these were my initial days in Karnataka, it meant a lot to have someone around with connections, and Lina knew a few Kodava friends who helped us out with a homestay in Madikeri, one of the main towns in Coorg. Another couple would join us, a good decision so we could pool in with transport and stay.
Tip : the concept of homestays with full board meals is more popular in Coorg.
BYLAKUPPE's Tibetan settlement
Enroute Madikeri, we stopped by Bylakuppe, the second largest Tibetan
settlement, after Dharamshala (north India). Stepping into Bylakuppe's Namdroling monastery amidst sounds of monks chanting and Tibetan instruments is almost like being transported to a magical Himalayan kingdom.
What a perilous journey it was for all those who crossed the mountains to escape the Chinese invasion of their dear Tibet.
There is a shopping center across the monastery, where we found refreshments before driving on. Along the way, we spotted a few stores selling non-alcoholic wines made from a wide range of fruits, ginger, chillies etc, but they were way to expensive so we let it pass
Homestays of Coorg : full board
After 2.30 hours on the road, we finally drew closer to our homestay. It was late afternoon and the whiff of a buffet set up, by all means, was the most comforting thing of the day. I was ravenous, and after a quick shower dug into a simple but delicious lunch of gravy, pulav and mooli salad. The flavours of Kodava cuisine held great promises for the weekend.
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| delicious meal of gravy, pulav and mooli salad |
None of us had been properly introduced to each other as yet, but there was no hurry. The guys and girls had come straight after a night shift, and needed to get some rest. Later that evening over munchies and tea, there were hush hush plans for a surprise birthday party the next day, which basically means we all chipped in some cash.
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| a patio with relaxing chairs |
< Day 2 >
We started with an early morning off-roading 4wd (jeep ride) to Mandalpatti viewpoint and watched the clouds floating down the kutcha road, the views would undoubtedly be stunning, if it wasn't for the heavy mist. I could hardly see the front of my hand. On our return we stopped by Abbey falls and then another short hike before hurrying back to our homestay.
A surprise birthday 🎂🎉 party
'There are some more places we missed out like Raja's seat etc'... but my thoughts were cut short at the sight of the birthday cake, and guys and girls were so excited. A bonfire was lit and the evening was jubilant. I could even see bottles😜 ehh! you got it! wine, scotch, vodka and gin... were passed around and everyone was in such good spirits. The buffet was an especially bigger spread today.
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| black forest and tuti frooti cake, surprise birthday party |
If there's one thing in common I have found between Kodavas and Goans~ is they are both uninhibited when it comes to good food and home distilled liquor, the latter which flows freely during festivals and family celebrations.
< Day 3 >
Tala Kaveri~ the source of the river Kaveri
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| Talakavery- the source of the river Kaveri in Karnataka |
Bhagamandala, the closest town to TalaKaveri is a further 1 hour west of Madikeri. The river Kaveri is held sacred by people of both Karnataka and Tamilnadu as it flows through these states. Tala Kaveri is an important place of pilgrimage and the river is worshipped in the form of Goddess Kaveramma. The water tank beside the small shrine is fed by a spring~ said to be the source of the river, it flows underground before taking shape as the Kaveri further down.
It was now time to wish goodbye to our weekend vacationers who were heading back to Mysuru. 'Won't you be coming with us?' asked Rohan, another guy from the group. 'No, I plan on a trek to Nishani motte and Tadiandamol which are much closer from these parts, so I'll stay back'! And so we bid farewell!
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