In search of Kurinji flowers and charming Charmadi!

One fine morning in August, we got a call from a friend in Chikmagalur. We were trekking in Ladakh. He was excited.

"Come now" he ordered over the phone!

"Now?? To where?? We are in Ladakh...."

"You have to come immediately. Kurinji has flowered"

Now it was our turn to get excited.....

"Kurinji has flowered, are you kidding"

"No, i went to Devaramane and it is spectacularly beautiful. Come over as soon as you are back from Ladakh"

That's exactly what we we did.

As soon as we landed in Bangalore, we planned to see Kurinji flowers. The flowers which Bloom once in 12 years. A nice article in Kannada newspaper on Devaramane made our excitement more. We clubbed it along with our trip to Jog falls.

After a nice breakfast in Bananki - the best Malnad breakfast you can ever eat - we started for Devaramane. We seemed to have started where we had left on the previous day when we drove to Jog falls and along the backwaters which is recounted in this post

Spectacular Jog Falls and Breathtaking Back waters!

The drive in Malnad is always a pleasure. Especially in monsoon. The winding road from Bananki took us through the countryside of greenery. Here and there along the road side, small ponds filled with bright lilies and lotuses added to the beauty of the landscape. It was nature at its best. As we drove towards Magundi, we started climbing and the valley view started getting prettier. When we reached Kottigehara, we could not resist driving on the Charmadi ghat. We knew it would be lovely after rains. We decided to take a right turn to drive up the Charmadi ghat. And what a drive it was to be!

Charmadi is charming beyond words when it rains. Leaving behind Kottigehara, we were surprised to see newly laid tarmac. The first stop obviously was at the Malaya Maruta. The valley view from here is astounding. It is a pity that the forest guest house on top of a small hillock is under disuse for a long time now. This could be a great coffee shop with fabulous views of the valley.

From now onwards, we were wowed by the vistas of the mountains. Foggy road, clouds hugging the peaks, myriad cascades by the road side, lush green valley all added to the pleasure of the drive. It reminded us of our drive few years back in the same season when we saw countless waterfalls. ( Check this post Monsoon Drive in Malnad - Countless Waterfalls and Visual Bliss! )

We went up to the highest point on the road and turned back. (Please click on the pictures to see them in original size)

We enter Charmadi....

What a road!!!

-------and the green cover

The view from Malaya Maruta

Captivating valleys as we climbed..... 

.........Green and fresh after the rains, it is beautiful.

Don't you love to drive in this road!!

......and this one?

A lovely water fall on the highway. It resembled Chinnakanal falls of Munnar.  Check out this post on Chinnakanal and see the resemblance http://tinyurl.com/k2a2gmz

First sight of Kurinji flowers. These were sporadic here unlike Devaramane.

Cascades all along.......

We were now on the way to Devaramane. To see Kurinji flowers!

After a customary halt at "Coffee Corner" for hot cup of coffee - one of the best filter coffee we have had - we deviated at Banakal. The road towards Devaramane did not give us any glimpse of what was in the store. The landscape was flat with coffee plantations and paddy fields. Crossing the village Guthi, we started climbing. It was a sheer climb. The roadside vegetation was not helping us with any views. After ten minutes of driving we stopped. We had to. The visual in front of us stunning. On the one side was a carpet of lavender coloured Kurinji flowers and on the other side was the spectacular valley view.

The sight which wowed us and made us stop in our tracks!

A zoomed shot of the lovely valley 

Another vista of the valley. Notice the terraced paddy fields.

A Pan shot....

We knew that there was a temple and the place surrounding that is nothing but carpet of flowers having read about it in the Kannada news paper. We were also expecting large crowd being Sunday. The next three kilometres of drive was a a bliss. We drove on a road surrounded by miles of Kurinji flowers in bloom on both sides of the road! The weather had held good and there was no rain. Surprisingly, there was no one around except two of us on the mountain.

It is Kunrinji all the way........lovely and beautiful!!

Miles and miles of them.....

A close up shot of the flower we see in 2026 again!

The temple was closed. Seeing our car, Ranjit, the caretaker came over to us and offered us to open the temple. A young bloke, we asked him about the history of the temple. He said it as built seven hundred years ago. We are not sure about these legends. But the temple looked pretty old. It is serene with a huge pond in front of it. The interiors of the temple is nothing great from sculptural or architectural perspective. The main priest had gone home and we could not enter the sanctum sanctorum. However we were able to have darshan of the Deity through the grilled gate.

A lovely pond in front of the temple

Kala Bhairaveshwara Temple

Treading the misty roads......

By now, the clouds had descended in full force. The complete area was getting fogged out. Wind was blowing. Fortunately it was not raining as we started driving back to Bangalore. Not before stopping again at few places to savour the serene place.

We will wait till 2026 to see the spectacle again!

Travel Information

Reaching there

• Mudigere is the best place from where one can reach Devaramane by hiring a jeep. Mudigere is 260 KMs from Bangalore and well connected by State Transport Services from different parts of Karnataka. The nearest railway station to Mudigere is Chikmagalur.
• We saw a government transport bus coming up to Guthi. Not beyond as road is narrow. 
• For those who are adventurous, it will be a nice walk from Guthi to Devaramane. 
• Road condition is very good. One can drive right up to the temple. However the last four KMs are narrow and is a steep climb. Not for someone who has not driven in the hills earlier.

Stay Options

There are no stay facilities in Devaramane. The best option to stay will be in Mudigere in many home stays or resorts.

Tips

• This place is unspoilt and still clean. Let us make sure it remains like that.
• Devaramane can be a good place for a day picnic. The surroundings are serene. Don't spoil it by noise of music players!
• Carry lunch/any other eatables. Nothing is available here.
• The last few KMs is narrow and is a steep climb. One has to be a good driver to attempt this stretch.
• There is also a trekking trail from here to Charmadi. The local guys are willing to help as "guides".
• There are small hillocks near temple which can be climbed easily for a panoramic view of the valley

Postscript - The flowering season is over now. Still, Devaramane is a lovely place to visit and should be part of your itinerary to Chikmagalur.

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Back of the blog - Coffee Corner, Kottigehara

Back of the blog. Here we will share tit-bits and snippets on India Travel which may be useful for a traveller in India. It may be some new information about the place, a new cuisine one can explore, a bit of history, a funny anecdote or a good travel book. Anything connected to Travel in India. 

We are coffee aficionados. Give us good coffee and we love every sip of it. The pity is one does not get good coffee everywhere. What do you do when you are on a road trip but want to stop for a cup of coffee?

You have an excellent place to stop over if you are driving in Western Ghats between Chikmagalur to Mangalore.  It is "Coffee Corner". We tasted it first when it had just opened. That was three years back. Coffee was fresh and typical South Indian filter type. Ever since, we stop at this place whenever we travel on this road.

We were driving on the same road few months back and stopped over again. It was raining cats and dogs and a good cup of freshly brewed coffee was all that we needed to get energised.

We were not disappointed. The coffee was as good as we had years back. 

You will not miss this spot. This place is between Mudigere and Kottigehara before Banakal if you are coming from Mudigere. The signage is prominent. 

Stop over next time when you are driving on this road for a refreshing cup of coffee. 

Sun Rise in Mullayanagiri, Chikmagalur

This must be in last week of March last year. 

We planned to go to Bekal for the weekend. Since it was a long drive to Bekal, why not leave on Friday evening, spend the night in Thotadahalli Home stay at the foothills, watch sun rise in Mullayangiri and then proceed? The plan was workable and we were in Thotadahalli for Dinner on Friday. A sumptuous dinner and good sleep ensured that we were raring to go early in the morning to watch sun rise over Mullayanagiri.

Thotadahalli is at foothills and it took us 15 Minutes to reach the summit. Another ten minutes of climbing the steps took us to the vantage point. It was chilly on top and slightly windy. It was a quiet morning with some birds chirping. There was another car with a couple and a van with a large family who looked well educated. We had to stop them blaring Bollywood music from the van to maintain the serene atmosphere in the morning. It is sad to see people want to create noise wherever they go and can't enjoy silence even for a minute.

The sun started showing up in the distant horizon. The onset of his rise was greeted by brilliant colors in the sky. The horizon was clear and it was not misty. We saw a fabulous sunrise. As the sun came up, there was a shadow play in the hills which looked beautiful too. Take a look at these pictures. 

Sun....coming up slowly 

Notice the colour of the sky....

A closer look through the zoom

The Shadow play over the hills 

The last stretch of narrow road to summit

This is the right time to enjoy the sun rise on Mullayanagiri. The last two KMs is a drive through narrow road and one has to be really careful. If you are not confident, please park it below and walk up. You won't regret it. 

The sun rise over the hills or sea are always spectacular. When you are seeing it on top of the tallest peak in Karnataka, you will cherish it forever. 

Go for it when you travel to Chikmagalur next time.

For more details on Mullayanagiri and Chikmagalur, please take a look at the following related posts

Chikmagalur - A monsoon drive through western Ghats

Monsoon drive in Malnad

Driving Holidays from Bangalore - Magical Malnad

Did you like this post? If yes, please do share with your friends by clicking on the share buttons. If you need help in planning a trip to Chikmagalur/Mullayanagiri, you are welcome to write @ poorna62@gmail.com. 

Chikmagalur - A monsoon drive in Western Ghats!

Last week we were in Chikmagalur. 

The idea was to do nothing but go for drives in the western ghats. If you are a driving freak like us, nothing can be more pleasurable than driving in monsoon in these mountains when nature is at its best. It is green everywhere. The waterfalls which are invisible in other months are at their glorious best. Driving on the foggy roads hugged by mountains and valleys is an experience in itself.

It was raining cats and dogs in Chikmagalur. Our drive to Mullayanagiri was an adventure. The fog was so high we could hardly see any thing. Whenever the fog cleared a bit, we could see the valley. Driving carefully and hoping that visibility does not deteriorate, we reached the summit. It was too windy and rainy. It was as if we were inside a cloud. 

Coming down from the summit, we headed towards Kemmanagundi. This was a fantastic drive except for the last fifteen KMs when the road turns bad. Cars with low ground clearance should take a U turn and return back at this point.

Driving a Scorpio helped. Join us as we take you through the drive!!

Like the adage "A picture is worth a thousand words", these pictures will paint a lovely journey.

Mist clad valleys

Water falls, water falls everywhere!

Driving on the foggy road

Fog cleared and rain drenched road

........Foggy again

The Gopura of the Shiva temple at the foot hill of Mullayanagiri

Waterfalls again.....

Beautiful waterfall on the way to Kemmanagundi - Shot in different angles and shutter speed

The road condition is fantastic making drive a pleasure

Water cascading with full force

The water fall seen above plunges from a great height. It is not accessible but can be seen from a distance

Green meadows

Fog clears and we get a glimpse of valley

Foggy road again

From here, the road condition to Kemmanagundi deteriorate

Lovely meadows on the way to Habbe Falls

The view of Mullayanagiri ranges when we drove from Lingadahalli on the way back from Kemmanagundi

These are few videos we shot of the drives

a) Monsoon drive - 1

b) Monsoon Drive - 2

c) Monsoon drive - 3

d) Monsoon drive - 4

Travel Tips

Getting there

By Road - There are plenty of buses by state run Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation to Chikmagalur from different parts of the state. If you are driving by car, it is at a distance of 240 KMs from Bangalore. The road condition is very good and driving time will be 5.30 hours with a break.

By Train - There is no direct train to Chikmagalur. The nearest rail-head is Kadur on Bangalore - Mumbai line. All important trains stop here. Kadur is 35 KMs from Chikmagalur and there are plenty of buses and taxis from here to Chikmagalur

By Air - The nearest airport is Mangalore which is at a distance of 200 KMs.

Stay options

The best way to enjoy Chikmagalur and Malnad is to stay in many home stays in the region. Since most of the home-stays are in Coffee estates, it will give you an opportunity to experience estate life as well. If you are a "resort type" of person, then there are resorts as well.

Resorts & their websites

• The Serai -  The Serai
• Taj Gateway - Taj Chikmagalur
• Flameback Lodges - Flameback

Home Stays & their websites

• Thotadahalli Homestay - Thotadahalli
• Thippanahalli Homestay - Thippanahalli
• Balur estate by Linger - Linger @ Balur
• For other options look at this link - Home Stays In Chikmagalur

Lodges & their websites

Planters court - The Planters court

Other information

a) Chikmagalur is a driving enthusiast's dream. The hill roads, greenery, waterfalls, rivers makes this a real pleasure. Though monsoon drives are exhilarating, any season is good.

b) Minimum three days are required to explore Chikmagalur. Places not be missed (along with their web links) -

• Mullayanagiri - Mullayanagiri in Wiki
• Baba Budan Giri - Baba Budangiri in Wiki
• Kemmanagundi - Kemmangundi in Wiki
• Ayyanakere Lake - Ayyanakere
• World Heritage site of Belur - Belur
• World heritage site of Halebid - Halebid
• Hoysala temple Belavadi - Belavadi
• Bhadra tiger reserve / Muthodi wild life sanctuary - Bhadra
• Sringeri - Sringeri
• Horanadu - Horanadu
• Kudremukh Tiger reserve - Kudremukh

c) Try authentic "Malnad cuisine" served in the home-stays.

d) "Town canteen" in Chikmagalur town is famous for "Butter Masala Dosa". Don't miss it.

e) Driving up Mullayanagiri is only for experienced drivers. The last three KMs is very narrow and needs to be very careful.

f) MG Park in Chikmagalur town is a good place for kids. It has musical fountain which is operated in the evenings.

g) If you are a golf enthusiast, then try putting in Chikmagalur golf club. Check with the hotel or home stay personnel for more details.

h)  Winters are best for watching the sun rise and sun sets at Mullayanagiri.

i) Chikmagalur is also the base for many treks in western ghats. If you are a trekking enthusiast, check this link Trekking in Western Ghats

j) Carry a good Binoculars to enjoy the valley views from the hills and also for bird watching.

Glossary

Western Ghats - Mountain ranges in Peninsular India
Malnad - Mountainous region of Karnataka state
Hoysala - A medieval dynasty that ruled parts of South India
Masala Dosa - Indian pan cake made of rice and lentil with a stuffing of spicy potato and onion

Also check out this post 

Spectacular Sunrise in Mullayyanagiri!

Planning to drive in Monsoon this year? These posts in this blog will be helpful. Please click on links below

10 Places to experience monsoon in India!

Monsoon drive in Western Ghats - An itinerary to experience it!

Monsoon drive in Malnad - Countless waterfalls & Visual bliss!

Sakleshpur - Mesmerised in Monsoon!

Please check out the following related posts on Chikmagalur

a) Sunrise in Mullayanagiri

b) Halebid - Zenith of Hoysala Architecture!

c) Driving Holidays from Bangalore 2 - Magical Malnad

d) Alekan Falls

Did you like this post?  Do you need help in planning a trip to Chikmagalur? You are welcome to write at poorna62@gmail.com.

Happy to help.