Enchanting Coorg and Mysore... @ North Karnataka

If a thought to sneak away from the city stress crosses your weary mind while in Bangalore, then you just cannot miss planning a quick weekend trip to places around Mysore and within the Coorg District of Karnataka. Yes, it is a long road trip and in order to cover the complete places, one needs to reserve at least two days. You can plan an overnight stay in Mysore so as to cover the city and the beautiful places around it which are definitely must visit places on your way to Coorg (Kodagu). The Bangalore-Mysore Highway is a speedy highway which at times may become prone to traffic due to weekend rush on Fridays and Mondays. But if you start early on a Saturday morning, you may cheat the city traffics. This road trip starts from Bangalore visiting Mysore via. a small town called Srirangapatna and then catching up with the Mysore-Coorg Highway. 

Once you are in Coorg, you may also plan to visit the Madikeri which is the headquarters of the Coorg District and is a famous hill station too.

Namdroling Monastery in the Bylakuppe town in Mysore

Bylakuppe is a small town in Mysore District around 96 kms. from Srirangapatna in Mandya District. It was rather unusual for me to experience a very different culture of this town which was unlike several other towns of South India. This town is inhabited by many Tibetans and it is believed that the population of Tibetans including the Monks and nuns are more than 70,000. For some reason, I get a very serene feeling when I look at the Tibetan Monks. 

We happened to visit the Namdroling Monastery which was an experience of a different kind. Inside the monastery, there are huge golden status of several Buddhas including the founder of Buddhism religion Buddha Shakyamuni, Buddha Padmasambhava and Buddha Amitayus. You can rest here staring at these statues which will bring divine peace to your mind. 

Today, the Namdroling Monastery is a home for more than 6000 Tibetan Monks and is renowned as a center for the pure upholding of the teachings of the Buddha.

Krishnarajasagar Dam and Brindavan Gardens

The Dam is built across the Cauveri River and just beside the dam is the famous Brindavan Garden. It is too rare to miss these gardens on your way towards Mysore. With lush green tree and flower plantations all around, it is surely understood why this has been a hub for shooting several famous love songs of old Bollywood movies. There is a small fish aquarium built across the garden which has quite a different variety of fish on display. This attraction is has a nominal fee and school students visiting the Brindavan really enjoy them. 

The Krishnarajasagar Dam is a beautiful and well constructed dam with a planned pathway for tourists visiting it. The mighty flow of the river can clearly be experienced from here and one can imagine how a river flows across several villages of South India quencing the thirst of severals on it's way.

The Mysore Palace (Ambavilas Palace)

The famous Mysore Palace remains the greatest attraction in the city of Mysore. One can enjoy a short guided tour through the palace and enjoy a historic view of the paintings and architechture of the structure. The most amazing part of the architechture is that the entire palace is covered with electric bulbs which are all lit up during special occations for e.g. on the auspicious occation of the Dashera which commomorates the victory of the good over evil. The palace was the official residence and center of the Wodeyars who rules the princely state of Mysore from 1399 to 1950.

The palace houses several rooms of unique historic importances which are clearly written and displayed during the tour. Just outside the palace are several lion statues which will make you ponder and tempt you to pose some good pictures with them. Certainly, the Mysore Palace is worth a visit.

Talakaveri and Brahmagiri Hills

Talakaveri is a small temple village in the Coorg District of Karnataka. This place has a good number of tourists visiting every day. This place is the origin of the River Cauvery which further flows through four different states of South India. We can drive all the way to the foothills of the temple. As a common scene across several major temples of India, there are small shops outside the temple where you can buy yourself quick snacks. On entering the temple you will come across a water kund (pond) where devotees wash their feet and hands after travelling through the narrow roads towards the village. There are two temples beside the holy water kund the first one of Lord Ganesha and the other of Lord Shiva. 

The most beautiful part of the visit to Talakaveri is the climb towards the Brahmagiri Hills. Right beside the temple, there are footsteps which will take you to the highest peak of the Brahmagiri Hills which is nearly 1350 feet above the sea level. The scenic view one can observe from this peak is uncomparable to any other place on earth. It is believed that the seven great sages known as the Sapta Maharishis performed a great yagya right here. You can see the distant horizons from here and the clouds kissing the winds as it rushes through your hair. The view of several windmills on these mountains seem too beautiful to miss. I am sure that the pictures you capture from this place will be your best pictures in Coorg.