Voyage 361

Trip to Coorg: Coorg also called as Kodagu lies in the Western Ghats of Karnataka with Pushpagiri Hills on north and Brahmagiri Hills on the south.  The highest peak, Tadiandamol, rises to 1,750 metres lies in Brahmagiri. Madikeri (Mercara) is the headquarters of Coorg District. Tourist Places & Routes in Coorg: Route1: 65km from Madikeri towards north(1-2days) 1.Kumaraparvatha(Trek) 2.Mallalli falls Route2: 25-30km from Madikeri towards north(1day) 3.Abbey Falls 4.Mandalapatti(Pushpagiri Reserve Forest) Route3: 90km from Madikeri towards South(1-2days) 5.Tadiandamol(Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary)(Trek) 6.Chelavara falls Route4: to the east towards Mysore(1-2days) 7.Bylakuppe(Kushalanagara) 8.Kaveri Nisargadhama 9.Dubare elephant camp(15km from Nisargadhama) Inside Madikeri city 10.Omkareshwara Temple 11.Raja Seat Route 5: 44km from Madikeri towards west(1/2day) 10.Talakaveri 11.Bhagamandala Route 6: 110km from Madik

 Somanathapura: Keshava Temple of Somanathapura/Somnathpur ( ಸೋಮನಾಥಪುರ ): This temple is a perfect example of the Hoysala style of architecture built in 1268 A.D. It has three sanctums on the west, south and north to Keshava, Venugopala & Janardhana, all connected. It is an ornately carved temple of magnificent craftsmanship depicting Vishnu, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha, Rati-Manmatha & Mahishasura. The ceilings and door jambs leading to the sanctum sanctorium are exquisitely carved. The temple is in the care of the Archeological Survey of India as a protected heritage site Somanathapura is just 50km away from the Shivanasamudra waterfalls so both can be covered in a single day from Bangalore. Nearest city is Mysore just 35km away. Keshava temple has one of the best preserved stone carvings of ancient architecture of India, in a very good condition. Keshava Temple of Somanathapura   Stone carvings on the wall of The Keshava Temple Basement Frieze Anim

Trip to the Misty Hills of Kudremukh: About Kudremukh: Kudremukh National Park is the second largest protected wildlife area in the Western Ghats (around 600 sq.kms). Three important rivers of Karnataka, the Tunga, Bhadra and Netravathi are said to have their origin in this area. Mist covered roads in Kudremukh All these can be reached within 80km. We first started with sringeri, which is famous for its Vidyashankara temple built in1342 AD. Reached Sringeri at 11am. There is a bridge Sri Vidya Teertha Setu across the Tunga river which connects from Vidyashankara temple to Sringeri Mutt. We had prasadam (lunch) at the mutt. There is one more temple called as Sharadamba temple which has lovely architecture built inside and photography is banned inside. The whole temple area is kept very clean and it was a pleasant experience to spend time in the temple complex. We then left at 12.30pm towards Kudremukh. Vidyashankara temple  Vidyashankara temple  Vidyashankara t