The Lost World - Kanoor Kote

Kanoor Kote is located in the midst of Sharavathi reserved forest. Reaching this place for stranger would be tough as many locals on the way predict the kilometers but don't know the exact distance to Kanoor Kote. Kanoor Kote was built by Rani Keladi Chenamma who ruled Keladi province after her husband's death. Keladi chenamma's name is considered as one of the brave women of Karnataka and of its history. 

Kanoor Kote says every word of history which was lived there even today and to reach here is one major task for any tourist and it will make you still wonder how did they traveled in such route when there was no transport at all. The fort is located in the deep jungle which is Reserved forest for wild animals. One can hear a lot of animal making noise while trekking towards the fort. It is adviced to trek to the fort in group rather than alone or few.

We were charged Rs 150 by forest dept and a trekking fee of Rs 50 more. There are few forest department sign boards and few cement chairs to sit just before Kanoor Kote. There is zero amount being spent in preserving this old historic fort. This place is not an ideal place to camp overnight and instead would recommend to stay in some villager's house located few kms away. We had walked almost 30 kms to reach this place from Dabbe Falls. There is a jeep route which will take you almost all the way till this fort. You need to walk for about 2 kms at the end to reach this fort. Check out this video.

Camera: Nikon D600 with Nikon 14-24mm lens
Location: Kanoor Fort, Shimoga, Karnataka, India

South India Tourism - Pandya Nagari

Karkala is a town and also the headquarters of Karkala Taluk in Udupi district of Karnataka, India. The first name of this town was "Pandya Nagari" during the Jain regime but afterwards it was changed to "Karikallu" because of black stones. Black granite is abundant in this area, and is in wide use in the local architecture. The statue Gomateshwara (Lord Bahubali) is located about 1 km from the center of the town and is 42 ft. high, believed to have been built around 1432 AD. Yearly celebrations are in the month of February called "Rathotsava" and once in 12 years "Mahamastakabhisheka", sacred bathing of the statue with saffron paste, milk and water and sprinkled with sandal wood powder, turmeric, and vermilion is celebrated. This statue of Gomateshwara in karkala is the 2nd highest next to the Gomateshwara statue, located at Shravanabelagola. Karkala has a number of natural and historical landmarks including the Ramasamudra Lake.

There are 18 basadis of antiquity including Mahaveera Basadi, Chandranathaswamy Basadi, Adinathaswamy Basadi, Ananthanatha Basadi, Guru Basadi and Padmavathi Basadi.

South India Tourism - Surathkal

Surathkal is on the shore of Arabian sea and boasts of having beautiful beaches. There is a beach in front of the Sadashiva Temple.The beach is known for its clean surrounding and its lighthouse.

Surathkal is famous for the some of the age old very famous educational institutes/colleges like NITK, Govindadasa college and many other schools. Surathkal was once a Grama panchayat, then town panchayat, municipality now merged with Mangalore city corporation.

According to legend, the name Surathkal is derived from "shiratakal" meaning "headstone" in Tulu (local language). When Lord Ganapathi kept a shiva linga belonging to Ravana on ground, Ravana tried to pull the linga from the ground but could not. The place where the linga is supposed tohave been is now known as Gokarna. Due to the force exerted by Ravana, some pieces were scattered. One such piece from the head of the linga is said to have fallen in present day Surathkal. The famous Sadashiva temple is said to be built around that piece of linga. Men in the coastal line go for fishing, as early as 4am in the morning and will be back home by 12pm. Women go to market to sell those fishes (Most common types of fish that they sell include the famous "Banguday", "Bootai"). People here speak Tulu (Majority), kannada or konkani and are proud to be called as "tulu nadu da jokulu".

Stone Age paintings

These paintings/ symbols crop up throughout the prehistoric world. These hands were painted on the walls of a cave in Rio Pinturas, Argentina. The hand forms were created by pressing all or part of the hand against the surface, after having applied paint or clay. This symbol is surprisingly rare, found at just under 7 per cent of the French sites studied. Its earliest know appearance is at Chauvet, from where it seems to have spread out in all directions. By 13,000 years ago it had fallen out of use.

Kodachadri Trekking

I had been to Kodachadri with my friends on a team outing when I worked for IBM. We reached Kollur late in the evening and spend overnight at one of the hotels in Kollur City. We started our day by visiting Sri Mookambika Temple of Kollur. Kodachadri lies in the Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary at Kollur in Karnataka, India. The mountain is 1343m tall and is the highest peak in the Shimoga district of Karnataka. Arashinagundi falls and Hidlumane falls are two famous waterfalls inside the forests of Kodachadri valley. The highest point among these hills offers a majestic view of sunset. During sunset the Arabian sea can be viewed from the sunset point. There is also a sunrise point from where a breathtaking view of rising sun is made possible. The Lingamakki reservoir is also visible from the peak.

There is a temple dedicated to Sri Mokkambika Devi at the top. Chitramoola is another beautiful location which according to the legend was the place where Shankaracharya met Mookambika Devi. Ganapathi Cave is another attraction near the Peak. Kodachadri is a trekkers paradise with adventurous trekking routes through the waterfalls to the peak. Well, if you are lazy to go all the way for trekking then you can go by local jeep though some other route. I would suggest every one to take routes through the waterfalls to the peak. It’s a must visit place. Leave a comment and do share this post if you are planning to visit or have already traveled to Kodachadri.

Belur

Belur, built in the year 1117 A.D. was the early capital of the Hoysala Empire. Belur is located in Hassan district, Karnataka, India. The main attraction in Belur is the Chennakesava temple complex which contains the Chennakesava Temple (meaning handsome Vishnu) as the centre piece, surrounded by the Kappe Chennigraya temple. The temple is one of the finest examples of Hoysala architecture; it was built by king Vishnuvardhana in commemoration of his victory over the Cholas at Talakad in 1117 A.D.Legend has it that it took 103 years to complete and Vishnuvardhana's grandson Veera Ballala II completed the task. The facade of the temple is filled with intricate sculptures and friezes with no portion left blank. The intricate workmanship includes elephants, lions, horses, episodes from the Indian mythological epics, and sensuous dancers (Shilabalikas). Inside the temple are a number of ornate pillars. Darpana Sundari (Lady with the mirror) carved on walls of Belur Temple is one of major attractions in the complex. This temple is being proposed as UNESCO world heritage sites.