Valiyaparamba- A Backwater delight

Kavvayi Backwaters located near Payyannur, a major railway station is the third largest backwater in Kerala and the largest one in north Kerala. The 'Kavvayi Kayal' as called by locals, consists of several small and large islands. Valiyaparamba island is the largest among them and stretches over 16 sq km.

Hanging Bridge in the backwaters

 Valiyaparamba is just 30km from Bekal, a major tourist attraction in northern Kerala. The island can be reached by road or service boats.

A secluded island in the backwaters which can be reached by boats

 How to Reach:

By air: Mangalore is the nearest major airport ( about 105 km)
By Rail: Payyannur (Kannur dist).  The railway station is situated at a walkable distance to Kotty jetty. There is a service boat to Valiyaparamba at 10.30am in the morning and the same boat returns at 3.30 pm.

By Road: from Kannur side, get down at Payyannur. Take an auto from bus stand and go to kotty jetty at minimum charge. Tourists from Kasaragod side, should get down at Kalikadavu and hire an auto and go to Ayitty boat jetty.

We were a group of 10 students from Mangalore. We took a train to Payannur and we missed the only service boat that operates.  Hence, we hired an auto to Ayitty boat jetty which is approximately 8km from Payannur.  The service boat  departs at 1 pm from this point and reaches Valiyaparamba at 1.10 pm.

We continued on the service boat as we were more interested in Valiyaparamba backwaters than the island itself. The boat halts at Pandiala. From Pandiala, we took a country boat back to Payyanur after a 1.5 hr journey in boats. From Payyanur, we travelled in a train to Bekal and spent the evening watching the beautiful sunset.   

You can hire houseboats in Valiyaparamba at approx. 4000INR per night and cruise in the backwaters.

Sunset at Bekal

Kundadri Hills

Kundadri is a beautiful hill in the amidst the western ghats which is gaining popularity among the youths. This monolithic rock formation lies in Theerthahalli Taluk of Karnataka State. It is a nice destination to visit during post-monsoon.

There is a tar road till the peak as it is a Jain pilgrimage centre. There is a belief that a saint by name Kundakundacharya performed a deep penance at this peak.

How to Reach :

Nearest Airport: Mangalore ( Around 200 km)
Nearest  Major Railway Station: Shimoga (Around 70km)

However, it is easy to reach by road and we chose this option. The hill is around 8 km from Agumbe, a scenic town in the western ghats. Take road towards Guddekere from Agumbe and take diversion from this point to reach Kundadri.

We can take the road till the peak or trek through the thick jungles of Kundadri. It is advisable to take a guide if you plan to trek. Since we found nobody to guide us, we took the road with disappointment. On the top of the hill, there is a beautiful, small Jain temple. The view from the top is breathtaking.

The priest in the temple agreed to guide us for a downhill trek. Hence, with great enthusiasm, we began the trek. The path was completely covered by shrubs and this is where we began the trek.

 The trek is an awesome experience for an adventure lover and trail is through the thick ever green forests of the western ghats and takes approximately 2 hrs for a downhill trek. The path is very steep and requires footwear with good grip. At the end of trek, we paid the priest  Rs.200 as gratitude. The locals are really co-operative.

As a concluding note, I would say Kundadri is an awesome place for adventure enthusiasts but it is very much necessary to plan effectively as there are very less people around in the early morning hours to guide you. It is almost impossible to take the jungle route without a guide as there is no path visible.

Himavad Gopalaswamy Hill

Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta, is a hill (betta in Kannada) located in the Chamarajanagar district of the state of Karnataka,at a height of 1450m and is extensively wooded. It is also the highest peak in the Bandipur National Park. It lies in the core area of the Bandipur National Park and is frequented by wild life including elephants. Dense fog predominates and covers the hills round the year and thus gets the prefix Himavad(in the native language of Kannada) and the temple of Venugopalaswamy (Lord Krishna) gives the full name of Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta

It is approximately 220 km from Bangalore and 75 km from Mysore on the Mysore Ooty road -10 km away from Gundlupet, which is 60 km away from Mysore. There is a motorable road all the way to the top of the hill. Entry fee is collected at the forest department check post at foot of the hill. Materials used for pooja (prayers) alone such as flowers, fruits, Incense sticks etc. are permitted. Other food items are not permitted to be carried in. All these materials should be carried in non-plastic bags. Entry fee has been revised w.e.f. February 1, 2011. Entry fee is Cars (Rs 50), Buses (Rs 200), Bikes (Rs 10). You have to report back at the entrance after 1 hour 30 minutes. Visitors are allowed from around 8:30am till 4pm. Overnight stay on top is not allowed.

There is a forest department guest house at the top of the picturesque hill, which is not available for public, only public servants on official duty are allowed to use it.

 The original temple is some 700 years old.  It is generally attributed to the local king Chola Ballala of Terakanambi . During those days the place was of significant political importance as it was located in the tristate border of three territories ruled by three dynasties – the Gangas of Talakkadu, Cheras ( kerala ) and the Kadambas.

 Reaching there:
Start from Gundlupet, continue in the Ooty-Mysore road towards Bandipur. Nearly 8Kms after 

Gundlupet, at a place called Hangala, take right turn to proceed towards Gopalaswamy betta. 

There is a motorable road all the way to the top of the hill. Just before starting of the hill, there is

 a check post. Entry fee is collected at the forest depeartment checkpost at foot of the hill.

There are not many public transport options to reach Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta, except  few seasonal KSRTC services to this hilltop.

From Gundlupet,it is better to hire a private vehicle ( negotiate the rate for around Rs 200 for a return trip ).The road is open for traffic only during the daytime. Carry food and water. There are no shops near the temple. The nearest place for overnight stay is either Gundulpet town

Tonnur/Thonnur Lake

Mysore is noted for its palaces, including the Mysore Palace, and for the festivities that take place during the Dasara festival when the city receives a large number of tourists. It lends its name to the Mysore style of painting, the sweet dish Mysore Pak, the Mysore Peta (a traditional silk turban) and the garment known as the Mysore silk saree.

Tourists visit usually palaces, temples, Krishnaraja Sagar and Brindavan Gardens.
But there is also an unspoilt and unexploited lake near Mysore. It is less known lake which is in between Pandavapura and Melkote in  very picturesque village called Thonnur.

Ramanujar is said to have conceived the design of the lake and created the lake. He is said to have called it 'Thirimala Sagara' (ocean of the sacred hill)
Tipu Sultan named it as 'Moti Talab', as he was able to see the pebbles at the base of the lake clearly from the top.
Driving 30 kilometers from Mysore, a traveler beholds the lake-- a sheet of water, surrounded by hills, rocks, fields and birds flying in the horizon. The ‘lake’ is actually a tank that collects rainwater for irrigation. But the fact is that even when the rains do not fall, the tank still has water. Modern-day geologists are amazed. 
The lake spread across more than 2,000 acres.  A dam between two rocky hills impounds water that flows from the hills. The dam is 230 meters high and 145 meters wide. The rocky hills surrounding the lake are themselves a beautiful sight. They appear to be protecting the lake.  


Driving Directions (Available online) : 

1. From Mysore just 2 kms after Srirangapatna, need to turn left (a direction board is very clear) going towards Bellary / Shravanbelagola / Beluru / Halebeedu / Melukote / Pandavapura.

2. Pandavapura road is good and need to drive straight to reach Pandavapura railway station.

3. In front of the station, take the road going right (road on left leads to Halebeedu/Beluru).

4. Thats the SH 19 and after 4 kms, you will reach Pandavapura bus station, drive past and take a right and followed by a left.

5. Drive straight and after 3-4kms, you can see a white board that says "Venugopalaswamy temple" and few others(Check with the locals, they will definitely show the way)

.

6. Take the left here and keep driving straight.

7. After  around 8kms you will arrive at the thonnur village.

8. Drive straight past a few temples and a small lake to your left and you would see a huge hillock also to the left.

9. Continue driving and drive up the hillock and you would be parking next to the reservoir bund.

Even after getting down, you wont notice anything except a petty shop there....walk up the ridge and you will be amazed by what you see....A huge body of water spread as far as you can see amidst the hillocks!

Sirimane Waterfall

Sringeri Temple

Sringeri is the site of the first maţha established by Adi Shankaracharya, Hindu theologian and exponent of the Advaita Vedanta philosophy, in the 8th century C.E. It is located on the banks of the river Tungā.

Sringeri is famous temple town and has more than a million visitors every year. But there are other places of interest around Sringeri which are lesser known. One among them is the Sirimane Waterfalls. It is located at around 16km from Sringeri and has a motorable road.

 This waterfall is small in size when compared to the other waterfalls of the Western Ghats. But in beauty this one as pretty as others. Best season for visiting would be just after the rainy season.If you are travelling by public transport then Take a bus from Sringeri which goes to Kigga. You will have to walk 5kms after you get down at Kigga. There is motorable way to the waterfall.
If you are going by your own vehicle then this waterfall is a must visit  place during rainy season. You can also get wet here even during rainy season. There is a changing room for ladies near the falls unlike any other falls. The water is very refreshing. But you do not have any other  facilities near this waterfall. So its better to carry food. Nearest hospital and petrol bunk is in Sringeri.