Simply clicked

These are the photos - taken from my phone

The Fountainhead

Review:
Rating: **
These are the deadlines of the second handers. They have no concern for the facts, ideas, work. They’re concerned only with people.

They don’t ask: ‘is this true?’ They ask: ‘is this what others think is true?’

Not to judge, but to repeat.

Not to do, but to give the impression of doing.
Not creation, but show.

Not ability, but friendship.
Not merit, but pull.

What would happen to the world without those who do think, work, and produce?

Those are the egoists.
You don’t think through another’s brain and you don’t work through another’s hands.
When you suspend your faculty of independent judgment, you suspend consciousness. To stop consciousness is to stop life.
Second handers have no sense of reality. Their reason is not within them, but somewhere in that space which divides one human body from another.
Not an entity, but a relation – anchored to nothing.


This is the gist of this book. The author has used innumerable ways for saying it and to justify it.
Now I don’t say – I liked the book – that only makes me a second hander!

ಬೆಳ್ಳಿ ಲೇಪಿತ ಚಾರ್ಮಾಡಿ

2008 ರ ಲೇಹ್ ಯಾತ್ರೆಯ ನ೦ತರ ಸ೦ಪೂರ್ಣ plan ಇಲ್ಲದೆ majestic ನಿ೦ದ ಸಿಕ್ಕ ಬಸ್ ಹತ್ತಿಕೊ೦ಡು ಹೋದ ಜಾಗವೆ೦ದರೆ ಈ ಕೊಟ್ಟಿಗೆಹಾರ.

It was Kiran's suggestion to go to Kottigehaara. But myself and Laks both were of the idea that we have to get to Charmaadi - for scaling the peaks of Chaarmadi. I had a vague idea that Kottigehara is on the other side of the peak compared to Chaarmadi village for the simple reason that the route to Kottigehara is not on the Shiraadi ghat. 

Some gut feeling - we changed the route from the Shiraadi to Chaarmadi, avoided Dharmasthala - Ujire, and headed to Kottigehara. 

we enquired about the bus, fortunately got the bus to Mudigere. 

It was the first seat, beside the driver in regular saarige (kempu dabba) back doored bus - my first of its kind in that seat journey towards Mangalore. One reason which prompted us to fix for the seats - could be - a newly married couple in the opposite seat, behind driver seat!

Some how we killed an hour time till ten O' clock, Mohan went home! he missed all the action which happened later on. He had appointment with an important thing called Life- Wife!

When we reached Mudigere it was 5 am, we had really tested the strength of the back, in the 'driver-friendly' roads. Four fellows in the bus were awake all through the journey - three of us + driver..!

After having tea from a petty shop (really great to find one at that chill dark morning) we headed towards Kottigehara in a great ride in Mahindra & Mahindra jeep. It was packed with ten people. It was just 14 km jolly-coster ride in the back seat of the jeep. We spoke loudly about the cricket- so that not to intrigue the co-passengers. Laks didn't object, we both enjoyed it. First sign of our maturity!

We arrived at Kottigehara asking for the check post- we had information that one can book for the cottage at deep forest next to that place there- when we finally located it, we found a security guard who denied a room there, saying that it is booked for the entire weekend. Just then nature was getting waken up, with musical decorations. We found a hotel – had tea. Some unspoken words were understood between the shop owner and us – we got stuck with that fellow for rest of the stay in Kottigehara. He directed us to the Gowdara Hotel (under construction). The owner of the hotel agreed for Rs. 150 rent for a room (dimensions were hard to notice – as there was no light, Power also!), which was the cheapest accommodation for us in recent years.

We rested for a while – ate  ನೀರು  ದೋಸೆ – at the same hotel. As per the hotelwalla instructions we started walking towards a falls which follows a deviation to Jenakallu. These are the photos taken during walk to Bidirutale (ಬಿದಿರುತಲೆ) deviation which is exactly at 8 Km from Kottigehara.

We intended to stay in this travelers bungalow - this is at 4 Kms from the Kottigehara - its name - Malayamarutha travelers bungalow. 

We saw this waterfalls by the roadside, probably called as Aniyur falls, it was a magnificent view. Here is are the photos and video of the falls.

And the journey continued..

Don’t be afraid- it was dead

till we reached this 8th km mark. It was all too great walk - in the misty environment to walk on the roads with our cool relaxed hearts.

From that point our accent started and in no time we are climbing the misty mountain almost 70 degree inclination, lucky - on the way we could spot a guy from the village above- who said it wont take much to reach the village- bidirathale. He tipped us that in that route we can reach the tops of ಜೇನಗುಡ್ಡ, ಕೊಡೆಕಲ್ಲು, ದೊಡ್ಡೇರಿ. We were awakened to the thought that reaching Bidirathale is not the end. And for the first time got to know our mistake, we shouldn't have walked 8km stretch from Kottigehara.

When we reached Bidirathale, we could find threee e e houses - living there was this young man ದೊಡ್ಡಪ್ಪ ಗೌಡರು, with his elder brother. Though he offered - a night stay, food for the night, coffee in the following morning, we decided to go back to our base camp- Kottigehara, not for the reason that it had no power but it had no network!!

We walked back to the road, boarded the bus back to Kottigehara. 

Ate ನೀರು ದೋಸೆ in the same hotel. As we were out rightly tired, we slept early and we didn't even know till next day morning that whole night there was no power at Kottigehara. I got to know after two days that the cot on which I slept, had mites! 

I and Kiran transferred all the photos taken during the day to the pen drive in the only CD vending shop of the place. Ate ನೀರು ದೋಸೆ and returned to the room, by then Laks was half way into dreams. He slept without eating on the day when we had walked more than 12 km and that too he had walked 3 or 4 km bear footed!! We still don’t understand the courage and stamina he calls upon during such circumstances. One couldn’t forget that he was the lone passenger in the Leh trip not to be down with mountain sickness apart from the driver of our Sumo grande.

While eating we got vague instructions from the villagers about the important places to be seen nearby Kottigehara. We had zeroed on Ballalarayana Durga.

Got up early next day- mainly because of hunger. Made elaborate narrative calls back home from all the possible coin box phones available, Laks leading the race to call his would be ಅರ್ಧಾಂಗಿ.

Ate ನೀರು ದೋಸೆ again.

Packed the ಕೊಟ್ಟೆ ಇಡ್ಲಿ from the same hotel and boarded the bus to ಸುಂಕ ಸಾಲೆ. That was again a fine journey of 18 kms passing through a place named Kelagina Mane. 

The moment we got down at Sunka sale, we were told all the nonsense story of difficulty of the terrain, the rain and the leeches. After having tea and purchasing a small pot of snuff powder and sona chandi oil (to mix and apply over skin – protection from leeches) we decided to hire a jeep, shedding Rs. 400. 

It was about  8 kms from the Sunka sale. The journey and driver Mr. Somesh  were equally good and to sooth situation he was playing the good old kannada PB Srinivas songs from the pen drive jeep audio player!

These are the photos en route to the top.

and just as we were going ... we had trouble ... + we had solution !

The jeep seen in this picture belongs to the fellow who organized a home stay in Gatikallu. The info can be found in Gatikallu. That jeep was in fact ಮಾಲ್ ಗಾಡಿ. And the jeep driver of that gang – pulled a rope and tied it to our jeep and pulled it back!

We continued our journey walking, leaving the jeep behind. 

On the Way UP -

from the top -

360 degree video from the top

When we were preparing to get down we met this man - who reportedly lives on the hill tops and rarely comes to lower villages. He is named Appanna Gowda. He generously gave us the solution for applying over our skins to get rid of leeches.

we had emerged from the leech kingdom almost untouched by the leech - That was the exclamation from Kiran! 

We returned to Kottigehara. 

Ate ನೀರು ದೋಸೆ again.

Vacated the room - paid Rs. 200 for as rent for 2 days, this being the lowest in recent years. 

Laks and Kiran started the journey to Bangalore, via Hassan. I started to move down ಚಾರ್ಮಾಡಿ  to come to Mangalore.

This trip will be etched in our memories. 

Trip Dates: 2nd and 3rd october 2010.

Truckers: Kiran, Laks, Myself

Route: Bangalore - Mudigere - Kottigehara - Charmaadi + Ballalarayana Durga

Total expenditure per person - 900/-

Beware of Leeches!!