Shivaganga falls, Sirsi taluk, UttaraKannada district

In our recent visit to sonda vadiraja mutt during year end holidays, we covered iconic natural historical places near Sirsi. Nestled in deep forests, the region has some of the wonderful natural wonders to visit. Even though we could not cover all of them, I was satisfied with visit of Shivaganga falls, Unchalli falls, Banavasi, Marikamba temple, Sahasralinga and Manjuguni temple

This post is short briefing of our visit to shivaganga falls. The falls located amidst dense jungles of Western ghats near Vanalli village located 32 kms from Sirsi town. The Google maps helped a lot in reaching destination. Being far from civilization and midday, the visitors were feeble at the area. 200 steps down, you reach viewpoint where you can have beautiful distant glimpse of thundering waterfall.

If you can downtrek for one km which is steep & arduous and cross treacherous boulders, you can have closer glimpse of it.  We wanted to have the downtrek and have closer look of waterfalls. Someone who had just climbed back from downtrek warned us that it would be impossible to achieve with kids. There are lot of hurdles to cross before achieving the target. Hence we refrained from further down-trek and returned to view point. Despite the unachieved target, I was delighted to visit the waterfall and enjoy its majesty. Someday I will plan for detailed expedition to this place. The visit for me was long pending dream fulfilled.

How to visit

From Sirsi town, the falls is 35 kms distant. Turn on google maps and you will reach the destination.  A slight hiccup though during last 500m of the travel. The maps marker points to unknown location. You may feel as lost for sometime. A rickety plaque welcomes you to the shivaganga falls view point 500m before the destination. Make sure to notice this. From here, downhill along the ballast road leads you to the view point.

Best time

Winter is best time to visit. Since 2019 witnessed excess rainfall, the waterfall still had exuberant flow. December would be ideal timeline for the visit. Enjoy the drive from Sirsi to shivaganga falls with dense rainforest, intermittent wild animals. The roads are manageable with rare wear outs. Waterfall can also be visited during Monsoon season but down-trek is almost impossible due to tough terrain and biting leeches. It may be only practical to see it from view point.

Food

The route is absolutely uninhabited with rare traces of human presence. Especially after Vanalli., the human activity is hard to notice. Despite being 35 kms from main town, it feels as if we are on a long journey due to myriad curves, dense jungles and narrow roads. The strenuous drive may render the driver famished in early stages of journey itself. There are no shops as well. Hence, make sure to carry ample food and liquid along with you. Also keep your vehicle in good condition since there is neither repair centre nor petrol pumps throughout the route. The waterfall location had a small snack/beverage shop but was closed. Hence it is not possible to rely on this.

Last but not least, maintain cleanliness and preserve the sanctity of place.

And finally, here is short video of visit. Hope you enjoy it. Due to hazy mid day atmosphere, the pictures did not turn out well. Hence my presentation is restricted to only videography.

Winter clouds

Nov 9, 2019

Slew of cyclones both along Arabian sea and Bay of Bengal is keeping troposphere active with clouds. This time monsoon extended its presence beyond october and on the other hand, we have vigorous spell of North-East monsoon in coastal Karnataka thanks to cyclone kyaar. For the first time, the coast felt the brunt of cyclonic activity but fortunately not to the maximum degree. After ravaging the coast for couple of days, the cyclone swayed itself towards Gulf nations and fizzed out in transit.

These were the pictures shot during winter time in Bangalore when sky should have been deserted except for Sun :-). Hope you enjoy the evening snaps.

ಹಾಗೆ ಸುಮ್ಮನೆ - MRPಗಿಂತ ರೈಸು selling ಪ್ರೈಸು

ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನ ಮಾರ್ಟ್-ಗಳಿಗೆ ಬಿಲೋ ಎಮ್.ಆರ್.ಪಿ ತೋರಿಸಿ ಜನಗಳನ್ನು ಆಕರ್ಷಿಸೋ ಹುಚ್ಚು ಜಾಸ್ತಿ ನೋಡಿ. ಜನಗಳು ಕೂಡಾ ಮೋಡಿ ಹೋಗೋದು ಮಾಮೂಲು. ಎಮ್.ಆರ್.ಪಿ ಗಿಂತ ಕಡಿಮೆ ಅಂತಾ ಅವಶ್ಯಕತೆ ಇಲ್ಲದೆ ಇರೋದನ್ನ ಕೂಡಾ ತಗೊಂಡು ಕೊನೆಗೆ ಧನನಾಶಕ್ಕೆ ಕಾರಣರಾಗುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಮಾರ್ಟ್ ಗಳಿಗೂ ಅದೇ ಬೇಕು. consumption economy ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಜನ ಉಳಿಸೋದಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಖರ್ಚು ಮಾಡೋದೆ ಜಾಸ್ತಿ. ಜೊತೆಗೆ ಇಂತಹ ಮಾರ್ಟ್-ಗಳ ಮೋಡಿ ಮಾತುಗಳಿಂದ ಜನರು ಉಳಿಸಲು ಹೋಗಿ ಕೈ (ಅಥವಾ ನೋಟು) ಸುಟ್ಟಿಕೊಳ್ಳೋದೇ ಜಾಸ್ತಿ. ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಸರಿಯಾಗಿ ವರ್ಚುವಲ್ ಮನಿ ಬೇರೆ ಇದೆ ಜನರ ಬಳಿ (ಡೆಬಿಟ್, ಕ್ರೆಡಿಟ್ ಕಾರ್ಡ್, ಮೊಬೈಲ್ ವಾಲೆಟ್ ಮುಂತಾದವು). ಗೀಚಿದ್ದು ಲೆಕ್ಕಕ್ಕೆ ಸಿಗೋದಿಲ್ಲ, ಕೊನೆಗೆ ಬ್ಯಾಂಕ್ ಬಾಲೆಂಸ್ ಸೊನ್ನೆ ಆದಾಗಲೇ ಜ್ಞಾನೋದಯವಾಗುವುದು.

ಇರಲಿ ವಿಷಯಕ್ಕೆ ಬರೋಣ. ನಮ್ಮ ಮನೆ ಪಕ್ಕ ಕೂಡಾ ಇಂತಹದೆ ಎಮ್.ಆರ್.ಪಿ ಕೆಳಗೆ ಮಾರುವ ಮಾರ್ಟ್ ಇದೆ. ಮಕ್ಕಳಿಗೆ ಆಗಾಗ ಒಣ ಕೆಮ್ಮು ನಿವಾರಿಸಲು ಸ್ಟೀಮರ್ ಅಗತ್ಯವಿತ್ತು. ಅದಕ್ಕೆಂದೆ ಮಾರ್ಟ್ ನುಗ್ಗಿದೆ. ಚೆನ್ನಾಗೇನೋ ಇತ್ತು. ಅಲ್ಲಪ್ಪಾ ಸರಿ ಇಲ್ಲಾಂದ್ರೆ ವಾಪಾಸ್ ತಗೋತಿರಾ ಅಂದ್ರೆ ಮಲೆಯಾಳಿ ಮಿಶ್ರಿತ ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ "ಸರಿ ಇದೆ ಸರ್" ತೊದಲುತ್ತಾ ಮಾತನಾಡಿದ. ಕೊನೆಗೆ ಒತ್ತಾಯಕ್ಕೆ ಮಣಿದು, ಅದನ್ನು ಪರೀಕ್ಷೆ ಮಾಡಿ, ಆವಿ ಕೂಡಾ ಬರಿಸಿದ. ಬಿಲ್ ಕೌಂಟರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ದುಡ್ಡು ಕೊಡಲೆಂದು ಬಂದಾಗ ನನಗೆ ಆಶ್ಚರ್ಯ ಕಾಣಿಸಿತ್ತು.

ಅಲ್ಲಾ ಮಾರಾಯ್ರೆ, ಎಮ್.ಆರ್.ಪಿ ಇರೋದು ೩೬೫ ರುಪಾಯಿ ಇವನು ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ೫ ರುಪಾಯಿ ಜಾಸ್ತಿ ಮಾಡಿ ೧೪ ರುಪಾಯಿ ಡಿಸ್ಕೌಂಟ್ ತೋರಿಸ್ತಾ ಇದಾನೆ. ಒಂತರಾ ಹಗಲು ದರೋಡೆನೆ ಅನ್ನಬಹುದು. ಎಷ್ಟೋ ಜನ ಎಮ್.ಆರ್.ಪಿ ನೋಡೋದೆ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಮಾರ್ಟ್-ಗಳ ಸ್ಟಿಕ್ಕರ್ ಮೇಲೆನೆ ನಂಬಿಕೆ ಇಟ್ಟಿರುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಅಂಗಡಿಯವರಿಗೂ ಅದೇ ಬೇಕೆನೋ. ಬಹುಶ: ಎಮ್.ಆರ್.ಪಿ ಮೇಲೆ ಸ್ಟಿಕ್ಕರ್ ಅಂಟಿಸೋ ಬದಲು ಬೇರೆಲ್ಲೋ ಅಂಟಿಸಿರಬೇಕು. ನಾನೇನು ಚೌಕಾಸಿ ಮಾಡಲು ಹೋಗಲಿಲ್ಲ ಯಾಕಂದ್ರೆ ೩೫೬ ಎಮ್.ಆರ್.ಪಿ ಗಿಂತ ಕಡಿಮೆನೇ ಅಲ್ವೇ? ನನಗೇನೋ ತಿಳಿಯಿತು ಆದರೆ ಅದೇ ಎಮ್.ಆರ್.ಪಿ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಮಾಡಿ ಕೊನೆಗೆ ಎಮ್.ಆರ್.ಪಿ ಬೆಲೆಗೆ ಸೆಲ್ಲಿಂಗ್ ಪ್ರೈಸ್ ಇಟ್ಟರೆ ಎಷ್ಟೋ ಜನರು ಗಮನಿಸೋದು ಇಲ್ಲ. ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಮಾರ್ಟ್-ಗಳು ತುಂಬಾ ಲಾಭ ಮಾಡೋದು ಅನ್ಸುತ್ತೆ.

ಬಿಲ್ ನಂತರ ವಾರಂಟಿ ಕಾರ್ಡಿಗೇ ನಾನೆ ಸಹಿ ಹಾಕಿಸಿದೆ. ಪಾಪಿಗಳು ಅದನ್ನೂ ಮಾಡಲ್ಲ. ನಾವೇ ನೆನಪಿಸಬೇಕು. ಬಿಸಿನೆಸ್ ಮಾಡಿದವರದ್ದು ಜಾಣ ಮರೆವು ಅಂದ್ರೂ ತಪ್ಪಾಗದು. ಒಂದು ವರ್ಷ ವಾರಂಟಿ ಇದ್ದರೂ ಉಪಕರಣ ಕೆಟ್ಟಿದ್ದರೆ ಬದಲಾಯಿಸಲು ಗೊಣಗೊಣ ಅನ್ನುತ್ತಿದ್ದ. ಅಲ್ರೀ ಬಿಲ್ ಕೊಡ್ತಾರಲ್ಲ ಅದೇ ವಾರಂಟಿ ಅಂದ್ರೆ, ಮಹಾನುಭಾವರೆ ಅದು ಪ್ರಿಂಟೆಡ್ ಬಿಲ್, ಕೇವಲ ಎರಡೇ ದಿನದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಳಿಸಿ ಹೋಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಮತ್ತೆ ಐಟೆಮ್ ಹಾಳಾದರೆ ನಾವೇನು ಮಾಡೋದು ಹೇಳಿ.  ಅಂದಹಾಗೆ ಐಟೆಮ್ ಸಧ್ಯಕ್ಕೇನೋ ಸರಿ ಇದೆ, ಮುಂದೆ ಹೇಗೆ ನೋಡಬೇಕು.

Beautiful sunset in and around panchamukhi

October 4, 2019

The monsoon of year 2019 was yet to begin withdrawal phase. The rains are here to stay still. The monsoon has picked up momentum again in Karnataka and consequently there has been deluge in most parts of North Karnataka as well. The nature of soil in North Karnataka makes the water percolation slower. Even pinch of rain forms large puddle and takes days to dry up. Hence most of the canals and roads were flooded with water thanks to persistent rains.

This time, during our visit to Mantralayam, we visited the panchamukhi anjaneya temple as well. It is customary to visit this mythological temple connected to Mantralayam. Unlike the previous visit, current visit was unique one. It was unique because, we did not have dependency on public transport. We had our own vehicle and ample to time to explore the beautiful historical temple. Unlike our other visits when the drivers of tum-tum were pestering us to return in few minutes, this time it was comfortable & satisfactory visit extending to nearly 90 minutes. The second exhilarating fact was that the rural world of panchamukhi was canvased with lush greenery with dazzling sunset preparing for golden art exhibition in partnership with monsoon clouds. It was worth stopping every 100 mts. The lush paddy, cotton and jowar fields with rockhills & sun as backdrop provided some exhilarating photo shoot opportunities all through the rural road. But there was not so much time.

My previous visits portrayed arid vegetation but this time it was one of the heartfelt one. I was bit annoyed for not making full of this opportunity due to time constraints.

Nature exuded so much beauty but I did not have sufficient time to cherish and capture them. The beauty of monsoon was evident on the hillocks and fields and sky. Visiting these places on rare occasion not sure when will opportunity knocks again.

Here is a video of our short visit. Hope you enjoy this short video and immerse in divinity!