Shivamogga Diaries - Koodli, where sisters meet

It has been more than a year since I visited few places near Shivamogga. Even though it was short trip, I enjoyed the mother nature to fullest. Here is the write-up of my first visit during that time.

I will start off with the sequel of ramblings ensued from here and later shift towards the actual post. Hope you won't be bored!

Early morning, I found my scribbling pad nestled deep within the the maze of bag compartment. Alas! I remembered myself relentlessly wandering previous night to buy stationary which resulted in vain. The stout baggage had restricted me not to meddle with luggage the other night. I was annoyed whilst simultaneously happy to find my scrap book. I happily documented few wordings and metaphors with loss of factor of 25% approximately.

To give some background, I was in Shivamogga to attend a marriage reception of my friend. Even though the function was scheduled on Sunday, I departed early which is a day before, to wander nearby. I found a lodge to rest for meager amount which I will be holding for two days. Fortunately it was located near bus stop. I freshened up and later had hefty breakfast. The Mayura hotel beneath the lodge offers tasty breakfast to relish. Once done with day routines, I inquired one of the native to reach Koodli and expectedly he guided well. As per his direction, I entered private bus stand and boarded bus to Koodli cross. There are barely any direct buses destined to Koodli rather one has to reach Koodli cross and bank upon auto to reach the place. Koodli is just 16kms from Shivamogga and barely takes 30 minutes to reach if you have own arrangements. Most of the private buses destined towards Chitradurga halt at Koodli cross. Myself reached Koodli cross at 10:30AM and caught an auto towards the Koodli. The auto costs Rs.10/- in mass transport mode while Rs.50/- in dedicated mode. 10 minutes in auto, I reached Koodli and now its time to explore.

Koodli meaning confluence in Kannada is sacred place due to the merging of sisters named Tunga & Bhadra. Tunga which descends from gorgeous Kuduremukh ghats is the sweetest water I have ever tasted. Bhadra also originates from Kuduremukh ghats alongside Tunga & Netravati rivers. All three rivers originate at Gangamoola situated in Kuduremukh ghats. Tunga flows via Shringeri while Bhadra flows towards Bhadravati. Netravati flows west towards Mangalore and merges with Arabian Sea. In Koodli, one can easily distinguish the Tunga & Bhadra rivers during the peak monsoon season when both rivers brim past the banks. Left one is Tunga & right is Bhadra. The rivers do not mix rather merge and hence one can visualize the clear demarcation with dark Bhadra and lighter Tunga. Apart from auspicious confluence, the place hosts yet another glorious Hoysala monument Rameshwara temple curated by the Archaelogical department houses Lord Shiva as primary deity. More details are posted as picture below. Apart from the monument, Shankara matha and Sharadamba temple is situated nearby confluence. The main attraction however remains the river confluence. Don't miss the beautiful rural landscape en-route to the village.

CONFLUENCE POINT

RAMESHWARA TEMPLE

ARCHAIC TEMPLE & ANTIQUE SHOT

THE MEYTHOLOGY

Food: There is no proper source of food here at Koodli. The temples may provide food but I cannot guarantee. Anyways Shivamogga is fairly nearby and not a problem

Transport: Ample bus services till Koodli cross and later rickshaws. Dedicated autos tend to overcharge for slight increase in waiting time. Self transport arrangements are always best option.

Best Time: Obviously during monsoon season when rivers brim due to heavy outflow from Dam. One can visualize the boundary between Tunga & Bhadra.

SHANKARA MATH

SHARADAMBA TEMPLE

A Realization:

Things which are not used for quite sometime will malfunction for sure. This principle even holds good for human brains. My camera also malfunctioned for sometime and I thought it may be end of life. It has been lying idle for long and woken up swiftly. Fortunately after sometime, it woke up. The mystical behavior surprised me to some extent. After waking up, I concluded the malfunction was may be due to moisture impeding smooth electrical flow. Later on, it never misbehaved which concreted my analysis [still unclear though, just bragging :)]. To some extent we  we implement such strategies during monsoon season in coast. The malfunctioning of dial phone fades away once you warm it up on voltage stabilizer (Sun being a rare sight). Consequently, I did same mapping here!