Coorg Diaries - Day 3 and some last(ing) images

Some final images of Coorg as we leave this beautiful town. I cannot believe that we spent just three days and we gathered a wealth of information and made quite a few friends. Kishore to begin with, who had been our guide and told us about hidden temples and folklore behind them.

A Kodava home and a homestay that we stopped by at ..


We learnt a bit about their traditions and their weapons and understood why this agrarian community is also quite martial ..



Erstwhile, the sound of the bells at the temple in Madikeri Fort

And the flowers unveiled by the mist at Raja's Seat


At Bhagamandala, we met this man ruminating over simple aspects of life.It was interesting to know that Dassera here is celebrated in the night and ten decorated chariots with dolls of gods and demons depict the destruction of the evil forces by the Goddess Shakti.

We went to a beautiful waterfall , nestled inside a coffee estate called the Chelvarayan Falls..not much of water but lots of fun as I climbed down alone listening to the gurgle of the water and the buzzing of bees.





Our drive back took us to Virajpet - one of the key towns and erstwhile capital named after Virarajendra, the Haleri king . The interesting aspect is that Virajpet was once an amalgamation of various communities such as Telugus,Tamilians, Malayalis, Bunts, Moplas, Christians,Brahmins and even Bengalis.Even today you can see streets like Bengali Street, Telugu street going by the cosmopolitan nature of the town that housed several communities.

Virajpet which is just 30 kms from Madikeri is an important town today for coffee and spices and the St Anne's Church and Clock tower stand tall, today reminiscent of the colonial era .It is said that Dodda Veerarajendra established the town in the 18th century to commemorate his meeting with the British General Abercrombie during their joint war against Tippu Sultan .

This also became a shelter for the Roman Catholic Christians who were allegedly persecuted by Tipu Sultan .The St Annes Church was built under the patronage of the king himself, while Subedar Mukkatira Aiyappa was instrumental in erecting the Clock Tower in 1914 to commemorate the Delhi Coronation Darbar of King George V.


And finally we left Coorg as we drove through the forests of Tithimathi amidst through lush greenery, but no wildlife to give us company


One trail ends and another begins..

Coorg Diaries -Day one (continued)

It was the lunch hour and we were the only ones around . We heard stories and folk lore about how Coorg got its name. The river Cauvery originates here at Talacauvery and is worshipped by the locals and hence the name “Kodava “ which means blessed by mother Cauvery. Kod means give and avva refers to mother Cauvery ,my guide explains to us , so the Kodavas call themselves children of Cauvery. In the Kaveri Purana, it is called the Matsyadesa .The story goes that Chandravarma , the youngest son of king Siddhartha of Matsya Dynasty came on pilgrimage to Talacauvery . He settled down here and the coronation of his eldest son took place in Balamuri with the blessings of the river. It is also called Krodadesa, perhaps referring to the warrior clan who settled down here

There are several myths surrounding the origin of the Kodavas themselves, the most popular being that they are descendants of Greeks who settled down here after the conquest of India by Alexander ,the great .However the Kodavas have retained their original customs even though they have merged with the larger milieu . They worship Karana (ancestors) as family deity, Cauvery as mother and Iguthappa as presiding deity.While they pray in Hindu temples, they revere Ainmane or the ancestors house as the place of worship.

I asked Kailash if he believed that he was a Greek descendant and he laughed it off saying that some Kodavas believe that they are descendants of "Kurgs" and hence called so..Our luncheon session was filled with little snippets of Coorg lifestyle as we planned our itinerary . Kailash gave us insights into some hidden temples in the forests and estates , which are worshipped by the Kodavas and Hindus alike.

As the drizzle continued, we walked up to 18th century Nalknad Aramane (palace) built by the haleri king Dodda Veera Rajendra in the 18th century . Its in a small hamlet called Yavakapindi where a givernment school stood adjacent to it. A beautiful two storey structure painted in red with a tiled roof, beautiful wall paintings and pillars gazed at us as we opened the portals of the palace. A small mandapa in white was located close by.


A drizzle started as we heard a sound behind us. A caretaker had silently moved in and was opening the main door for us. We were the only visitors. As we soaked in the moment, we were given a capsule of history .


During one of the wars with Tipu Sultan, Dodda Veerarajendra had to retreat and he came to this dense forest. He converted it as an operation base and built a palace and even got married here . This palace was the last refuge of the last king of Chikkaveerarajendra before he was deposed by the British .



The caretaker showed us around as we climbed a small ladder , saw the hidden chamber in the roof , the torture room, the royal bedrooms and the main durbar . Some of the paintings here are original, while some have been renovated . This is the base camp for trekkers who wish to hike up to the highest peak Thadiyandamole .



A few homestays are located close by and they offer brilliant views of the mountains. We walked up to Palace Estate where the owners had converted the granaries into rooms. The century old bungalow looked so comfortable that we wished that we could stay here .We are more of the home stay types as they give an insight into local culture and as the touristy crowds normally prefer resorts, we would like to stay in simple and quiet homestays.


We met Prasad who was kind enough to show us around and also give us some more insights into the Kodavas. He said that about a 100000 Kodavas today live in the district and they revere their ancestors at Ainmane or their ancestral home. Each Kodava family has its Ainmane and we even went to their ancestral home later in the evening , but it was closed. The rituals of the Kodavas are very different from the Hindus , for instance agni or fire god is not so significant, while water is worshipped . Similarly priests and slokas have little significance as most marriages are conducted in the presence of the elders .


It was quite dark as we left the palace and we returned to the resort and heard Kailash describing some of their marriage traditions. The bride and the bridegrooms are apparently subjected to a lot of "tests "..for instance he claims that the bride has to carry a pot over her head while she is distracted by family and friends..sometimes she has to hold the pot for hours and she cannot keep it down till the relatives agree to do so for they are testing her patience. As for the groom, his test of strength is to chop down branches of trees in just one stroke.Almost all Kodavas are into agriculture and even if they are employed , they have a few acres of plantations .

We sat for a few minutes outside under the clear sky, enjoying the last few moments of the dying blaze that was warming us up..Day two would see us discovering more of the heritage and spiritual essence of Coorg.

Off to Coorg - Scanned Memories

I'm off to Coorg on Friday . Hence there is a sharp deviation from my posts on the west coast to the green environs of Coorg .

Ive been to Coorg many times..but it was all before the travel bug bit me. Those were days without a digital camera, with friends and families, weekends spent lazing around. But scanned memories do make a couple of trips special and they highlight one feature. That the trips have never been planned.

There is another trip that we made many years ago . We were living in Chennai then . We landed in Bangalore on the weekend and were immediately bored. We are not the partying variety and Bangalore even today tires me... Anyways,on a Saturday evening in late August when the rains had just settled down, we called up some friends and asked if we were game to drive to Mysore. It was 8 pm already as we started and landed in Mysore well past midnight. We all checked into a room and chatted the night away and decided that we will lunch in Madikeri. But as we drove through Nagarhole Forest, we lost track of time. And then we went looking for food and a waterfall. We found both in Irpu .

Located in the Brahmagiri Range , these falls are also known as the Lakshmana Tirtha Falls,the source of the river with the same name. As the name goes, there is a story dated back to the Ramayan days. While Rama and Lakshman were looking for Sita in the hills, Rama was thirsty. Lakshmana in his quest to get his elder brother water shot an arrow into the hills and the river is said to have originated . Crossing a paddy field followed by a forest, the trail led us to the spot which was also a pilgrimage spot. A famous Siva temple, the Rameshwara Temple is situated on the banks of the Lakshmana Tirtha River, en route to the Falls.

We still had not found food. We even found a bar , lots of tea shops in neighbouring Kutta but no place to lunch .So we kept driving around until we came to Ramcad estate and filled our appetite. A great place , I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a simple whole hearted meal with a great view. We wanted to linger, drive to Madikeri, but had a night train from Bangalore to Chennai . And that brought us to the end of another weekend getaway .

The last visit to Coorg was about a couple of years ago when we woke up one Saturday morning and decided that we wanted to go to Coorg ASAP. This time, friends were not available, and so we just drove .. It was more the drive than the destination that we went after and that phase of time, we were willing to give an arm and a leg, just to get out of Bangalore. Nothing to write home about, except that it was a fantastic weekend .

Pondicherry - A colonial hangover

It all happened in a moment. The sky changed hues, the landscape altered, even the familiar turned quaint as we reached our destination. Pondicherry is a medley of old world charms, with a potpourri of people; where history meets legends and a confluence of cultures exist. Here, the past and the present blend, as nostalgia lingers in every corner of the city.

We went to Pondicherry in search of new landmarks - to look beyond Auroville and the Aurobindo Ashram .The French influence is almost omnipresent . You can sense it in the streets , in the red kapis of the policemen, in the architecture, the cuisine and even in the accents. It is not just the French, but even Roman connections are evident here . Excavations unearthed in Arikamedu, in the outskirts of Pondicherry have proved that Romans had settled here . Legends associate this sea side town with the ancient Hindu sage Agastya . The 300 odd temples here are testimony to the same . It is difficult to typify this town which smacks of the old colonial era and yet is so distinctively Indian .



Even more difficult is to find accommodation in this popular weekend getaway, that too on a Saturday afternoon. We drove past a few resorts that boasts of a sea view, crossed many a cottage in and around Auroville and entered the heartland of the city, looking for colonial bungalows which offer guest house facilities . Meandering our way through the maze of streets, we set out in search of a heritage guest house , Patricia Guest House.



Our enquiries led us to a nondescript door on Rue Romain Rolland shrouded by greenery. We could not see beyond the huge compound wall, not a soul was around ; just a cycle leaned against the door. After a brief wait, the portals of this house opened to unveil two portions of a renovated old bungalow , more than a century old, enclosed by foliage . A small tank of water becomes a fish pond, even as a huge metal pot hangs over it, supported by a rope

A series of large pillars support the open hall which serves as both the living and the dining room. An eclectic array of curios and antique furniture dots this space –from sea shells to exquisite pottery , from colorful lampshades to terracotta dolls, the mélange is unique . At one end is an antique wooden swing touching the red oxide flooring, at the other are petite breakfast tables and chairs , overlooking the garden. .



Run by Patricia Michel and her son, Thierry, this guest house currently offers three rooms and a colonial suite with breakfast. Thierry recollecting his childhood, says that this 150 year old bungalow owned by his grandfather was once an arena for cock fights. It is a bit difficult to understand his accented English as he takes us on a tour of his house.



A narrow staircase leads up to two levels, to the rooms which have attached bathrooms and private verandahs as well. Our room was on the first level which was spacious and had the same feel as the hall downstairs. A huge wooden bed covered with mosquito nets is the first thing that meets the eye , placed three feet above the ground . The sun reflects through the stain glassed window panes, creating colorful patterns on the walls .



The second part of the guest house is the heritage portion with a kitchen and a living room. A vast expansive suite with a private garden and a lounge is now being renovated and will be soon in the offing. Its almost a house in itself with a living room and a dining area enclosed in that space . Scattered by antiques and artifacts , Thierry calls it a colonial suite while I feel that there is a beauty in that clutter . Every item has been carefully detailed and arranged, be it the wooden furniture or the dry flowers . The walls are adorned with old paintings or with buffalo head mounts . Its like living in a museum, except that this is bright and vibrant .



The duo also manage another colonial guest house which is a home stay and is just a few streets away. In fact Pondicherry is full of them now, complaints Thierry who has come back from France to manage this property . Several bungalows are now converted into hotels and restaurants; we had dinner in one of them called Dupliex, named after the erstwhile Governor General and housed in the former Mayor’s residence . It was not just the food or the experience that we partook, but a large slice of history as well. The trip did give us a hangover, of the colonial variety