Captivating
Coorg
"The Scotland of India"
Coorg, officially known as Kodagu located
in magnificent mountains in Karnataka with a cloudy landscape is the most
prosperous hill station and the heavenly place for all nature lovers. This prevalent spice and coffee producing
hill station is not only popular for its beautiful green hills and the streams but
also a popular destination because of its culture and people. A local clan specializing in martial arts, known as the Kodavas are exclusively distinguished
for their keen hospitality. Madikeri is the region's center point with all
transportation for getting around starting from here. A visit to Coorg is
incomplete without the memorable experience of the beautiful concept of
"HOMESTAY”.
Rare
Earth Estate for homestay
The homestay concept in Coorg is mostly
preferred by the tourists due to the grand hospitality of the local people.
They satisfy the requirements of the tourists who desire for homely environment
and affinity in the relationship. The tourists with small kids can rely on homestay
especially for food as per their requirements.
There is natural landscape surrounding the
bungalows like coffee and spices plantations, cultivation of mangoes and
various vegetables used by them in daily meals served to the tourists. They use
homemade aromatic spices enhancing the lusciousness of the food items. The
tourists may not be given such splendid welcome and homely environment in the
hotel stay. The vegetarian menu was really flavorsome with varieties of local
dishes. The non-vegetarian lovers can definitely rely on Coorgi delicacies. The
food is not only prepared but also served wholeheartedly by them.
The cottages were airy, spacious and
attractively furnished with teak wood furniture, finely carved in vintage
style. They had some rooms attached to the bungalow, while there were many
rooms dispersed in the premises of the bungalow.
We stayed there for three nights. OH! What
an experience to get up early in the morning after a good refreshing sleep during
night! We would love to go for early morning walk in the pleasant sunlight. The
cool breeze had a tickling sense, invigorating our body and soul. After a
refreshing morning walk, we used to relish the home grown rich stimulating
aromatic coffee and tasty breakfast of South Indian delicacies. It was as if," पेट भरा मगर दिल नहीं भरा "
Dubare
Then rose the next day, when we decided to
go to Dubare which is 40 km away from Madikeri. It is the elephant
orphanage spread across vast areas. There was an arrangement of a ferry boat to
cross the river, to take the tourists to the spot, where we can actually see
the elephants. What an amazing experience it was! We were thrilled to sit in
the boat and enjoy the cool breeze flowing through the river.
Then we reached the spot, where the wild
elephants which intrude human habitats and cause devastation in the farms are
trapped and brought to this orphanage. They are trained and tamed by already
trained elephants. The wild elephants are trapped in the huge cage made of
bamboo.
We found numerous elephants in this
orphanage; the oldest elephant is 50 years old.
We had an exciting elephant ride with 8 to
10 people sitting on the elephant’s back.
We can feed the elephants with the fodder,
which initially brought goose bumps on my skin, but later I did not feel afraid
as they were harmless.
We were astonished by the way the caretakers caressed
the elephants, as if they were their own children. This spectacle refreshed our
conviction on the notion of the compassionate link between human beings and
animals.
Raja’s
Seat
The next day we planned to go to Raja's
Seat (Seat of the King) which is a seasonal garden of flowers and artificial
fountains with reviving greenery, chain of high and low-rise-mountains. It is
one of the most important tourist spots in Madikeri of Coorg District.
The Kings of Kodagu used to watch the
setting Sun, and spend time with their queens here as it was the place of
leisure and relaxation. It is shaped like a small square in brick and mortar,
with four pillars bridged by arches, enhanced by beautiful surroundings. It is
built on a high level ground with an impressive view of the cliffs and valleys
to the West. There is also a Toy Train for children and adults. The track of
the train passes through the dense trees with countless species of birds to be
watched. The train also passed through the tunnel which was really an electrifying
experience for children and adults.
Tala Cauvery
Our owner recommended that our visit to
Coorg will be fruitful if we visit Talakaveri which is the source of the river
Kaveri located by Brahmagiri hill near Bhagamandala in Kodagu district,
Karnataka bordering Kasarkod district of Kerala. It stands at a height of 1,276
metres above the sea level.
A tank or kundike has been erected on a
hillside by Kodavas, at the place that is said to be the origin of Kaveri. It
is also marked by a small temple, and the area is frequented by pilgrims. It is
mainly the worship place of Kodavas. The river originates as a spring feeding
this tank, which is considered to be a holy place to bathe on special days. The
water flows underground to emerge as the Kaveri River some distance away. In
2007 the temple has been renovated by the state government.
There are some rules to take the darshan of
the deities. The male tourists had to wear a white dhoti and the female tourists,
a saree or Chudidar with a pallu overhead. The tourists are not allowed to
enter the sanctum of temple wearing pants, jeans, and top and leather belt. The
temple was kept very clean with no tinge of dirt seen anywhere. The priests are
very particular to maintain the sanctity of the place by prohibiting the
devotees to loiter aimlessly here and there. There were belts of carpet leading
the way to sanctum to protect the feet of tourists from the parching heat of
the sun. The holy water (tirth) was really cool and soothing in the sunny
afternoon.
There was the Brahmagiri hill situated
right beside the temple. There are a series of approximately 300 steps leading
to the top of the hill. From there, one can have a 360 degree view of the surrounding
hills. We can see the green scenic view of the state of Kerala from the hill
top.
Buddhist
Monastery
Then it was the last day of our trip, when
we visited the Golden Temple or Namdroling Monastery. It is one of the most
popular tourist places in Coorg. It is a beautiful Buddhist Monastery situated
in Bylakuppe at a distance of 34 km from Madikeri. Bylakuppe is the second
largest Tibetans settlement in India after Dharamshala. It was established in
1961 and is close to Bangalore - Coorg route. The main tourist attraction here
is the magnificent Namdroling Monastery established in 1963. This is the
largest teaching centre of Nyingmapa, a lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, in the
world and is home to a Sangha community of over 5000 monks and nuns.
The Golden Temple complex is huge and it
houses 40 feet high gilded images of Guru Padmasambhava (also known as Guru
Rinpoche), Buddha Sakyamuni and Amitayus. The temple tower is highly lavish.
The outer walls adjoining the doorway are decorated with huge colourful murals.
The doors, red in colour, have huge gold knockers and a thick plaited rope with
tassels hanging from it. The walls are embellished with colorful paintings
depicting gods and demons from Tibetan Buddhist mythology.
The monastery attracts large number of
young Tibetans seeking enlightenment and learning. It also attracts abundant
tourists from all over India and overseas.
What an exciting sight to watch hundreds of
Buddhist monks doing religious rituals and offering prayers loudly!
It is a serene and grand sight, enclosed by
its landscaped gardens.
The timings of the monastery is from 9 AM -
6 PM and the prayer is at 1 PM .It is a wonderful experience to watch the
prayer.
We enjoyed this Coorg trip and we were
destined to return to our hometown. We had mixed feelings because it was a
rejuvenating excursion for us. At the same time we were hesitant to part with
the Captivating Coorg which taught us to appreciate the beautiful aspects in
our life, to be one with the nature , to become keen observant of nature and
the realization of the meaningful existence of animals in the lives of human
beings. Thus with this treasury we returned home.
