WATERFALL AMIDST THE GHAT

Devaragundi Waterfall

A mesmerising peek of Western Ghats

About

    Everyone must agree, the real beauty lies in the wild. One such beauty is waterfalls. A very cute yet fatal waterfall that flows in the middle of Western Ghats is Devaragundi Waterfall, popularly known as Thodikana Waterfall around the local town Sullia, Dakshina Kannada. 

Journey

    Not a very long hike to get to the waterfall, yet it takes some nerve. Largely during monsoon, the valleys are vulnerable to blood-sucking leeches. They are the main threat to go across the place. Anyhow, the pass is admirably clear since a few of locals reside nearby. 

    The main aspect of Western Ghats is the highly-dense forest, making it a large terrain for various living creatures. These valleys are often praised for its biodiversity and they flourish when it rains.

    Crops are grown amid the jungle area, mainly areca nut and rubber trees. The laterite soil in the region provides favourable conditions for this vegetation to grow productively.

    Across all the highlights along the path, the way end up to the waterfall. The water from the hill runs in abundance when it's monsoon gathering all the streams from the top. 

    The water streams through numerous valleys and joins Payaswini, a river that originates in west Karnataka which flows towards Kasaragod, Kerala. One of the major beauty spots of the town is the view of the river from the hanging bridge. 

    Keeping aside all the aspects, visiting the scenes of Western Ghats could be relaxing from all the stress. The region is a national treasure as it's one of the major evergreen forests of the planet. 

CLIMBING THE SECOND-HIGHEST MONOLITH OF ASIA

Madhugiri Fort

That's what I'm talking about!

About

    Let me take you back to 2016 when I had a venturous trek, which is not so far from Bangalore(India). A magnificent hill made of a single stone holding a fort located in Madhugiri, a small town in Tumkur district, Karnataka. The hill is about 800 metres high, considered to be the second-highest monolith of the continent. 

What it looks like from the base

Journey

    Not every trek feels the same. A most important thing to know before anyone starts off to a hike is to understand the terrain. Well, to climb a hill which is made entirely of a single stone, looks silly and easily doable. Well, it isn't.

    The complete trek to the peak from the bottom is over a kilometre. About half of the path from the base seems pretty simple as there's a comfortable way to walk-through with all the steps made of rocks. 

Hiking along the fort is privileged as it not only shows the direction to advance but also gives the thrill to walk alongside. 

Midway through, an aerial view of the town, Madhugiri, is visible. Seems not so vast region, yet the landscape appears to be pleasant. 

Latter all the fun begins once the easy route begins to end. While the risk is considered, it feels really stunning to pass through some of the tracks along the way. 

It's not fun for the fearful. Nonetheless, one has to agree, climbing this hill is quite exciting. All these adventurous processes lead up to a beautiful end result, i.e; the peak. 

Top of the Hill

Everything seems worth it from the top, and it is. A breathtaking view at the Deccan Plateau is remarkably destressing. 

Never mind the sun or its heat, all the way up there, it appears to be in a peaceful world. That is all that is needed. 

Because there's no 'no' in 'trek', never missout to push oneself up and do adventurous stuff once in a while.

THE GRAND CANYON OF INDIA

GANDIKOTA: The Grand Canyon of India

Isn't the place just stunning!

About

    A lot many wouldn't know about this glorious destination mainly due to its unpopularity. Let me give you a slight glance. The picture you see just above is a view from the top of Gandikota Fort where you see the river Penna calmly flowing to infinity. The place greatly resembles The Grand Canyon of Arizona, USA. Although the difference in areas of both places is large. They tend to have similar climatic conditions. Largely barren with weather highly humid, make the place a special destination.

A gorgeous view from the top of the fort

    Located in Kadapa district of Andra Pradesh, India, the place is one of the major underrated destinations of the country. The place consists of two major structures other than the fort; Ranganatha Swamy Temple and the Fort Mosque, which aren't functional. 

Journey

    

    Personally, I've visited the place three times in two years(2018 and 2019), wherein I'd different experience each time. From my base location, Bangalore, it's about 280KMs. The route is within the southern parts of Deccan Plateau where most of the places are barren and empty. 

    Although, there are a few spots where you could stop by and fancy the beauty of the place. One of such is the bridge that comes along which lies under huge rocks. There's a temple that's built above the rocks as well.

To drive along the roads that connect is one of the major fascinating adventures. With minimal traffic and enjoyable sceneries, the journey to the destination is made memorable.

Major Structures

The entrance of the fort. The path leads to a high tower named 'Charminar'(not to get confused with one in Hyderabad). The tower closely resembles the Charminar, only to differ in its height and glory.

The Fort Mosque

Ranganatha Swamy Temple

The Fort Mosque

The Nonfunctional Prison

Camping Site

    

Adventures

    Since my first visit during the summer of 2018, the place has developed a lot as a tourism spot. During then I realised that not many people know about the place. However now, the aspects of the place have changed for the good. Major activities include hiking down the fort to the banks of the river Penna, kayaking and also camping above the valley looking over the sky at the stars. The place is pleasant, so as to set up a campfire at night to have a memorable time with family or friends.

    The hike towards the cliff to have a proper look at the valley is quite adventurous.

    Needless to say, it is dangerous, only if you try to walk on the edges, though there's plenty of safe space to hike. 

    The fascinating feature about the cliff is that the sound could be echoed against the opposite wall more than a couple of times.

    There's another path to trek down the fort towards the bank of the river. Kayaking services are provided by local experts. 

    Trekking down to the fort and spending peaceful time in the valley could be worthwhile.

Additional Gallery

The place to be; the sight to see 

Such a delight to float across the river 

    A sunset sight from Mylavaram Dam which is about 18KMs away from the fort.