Karnataka – Seasons of Life!

Chasing Ruins – Gudibande Fort

It was nearly two months that S was here, but we were yet to meet up. Both of us were occupied with something or the other and we could never make it. This weekend we were determined to make it happen. I had met S during the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, where we had shared a tent together. It was an instant connect. Subsequently, she even visited my home in Shillong. S is quite an inspirational woman. She left her high-profile corporate job to follow her dreams and went on to set up her own homestay at Manali. It’s quite a story and guess I should write about it. Meanwhile check out her fabulous homestay, Firdaws. I haven’t been there yet, but the Instagram pictures are drool-worthy!

We decided to do go for a hike together instead of the usual meeting at a café or in our homes. I just suggested Gudibande Fort and that was it. A joined us too. A and I had just been to Hutridurga the previous weekend.

About 100 Km away from Bangalore, Gudibande is a small town located in Chikkaballapur district of Karnataka. It’s very close to Andhra Pradesh border. On a hilltop of this town is located the 17th century fort that was built by Byre Gowda, a local chieftain of the Vijayanagar Empire. An interesting trivia that we learnt from the Internet is that Byre Gowda was a Robinhood of sorts, who was a messiah for the poor but a terror for the wealthy.

*Pic 1: Ruins of the fort wall seen halfway through the climb.*

It was a pleasant early morning drive as the car sped through the highway. Seated on the front seat of the car, A was relaying all kinds of information about the fort that he was reading up on his phone. Among other things, the Internet also said that the fort was closed due to the pandemic. We were already on our way and this information was conveniently ignored by all of us.

Soon the car took a turn and we found ourselves passing through winding village roads flanked by lush green fields, dotted by tiny boulder-strewn hillocks in the horizon. Large sections of these fields were dominated by tomato plantations. Certain sections had marigold plantations and the carpets of yellows and oranges were a sight a behold!

*Pic 2: Bhairasagara lake filled to the brim. The colour of the water emphasizes the season of monsoon. The conical hillock seen towards the right is where the fort is located.*

Soon we arrived at the large Bhairasagara lake. Located just a few kilometers ahead of the Gudibande fort, this lake was part of our itinerary. It being monsoon, the lake was teeming with water. At places, it felt like the water would overflow onto the road at any time. The hillock with the fort stood prominently and distinguishably in the background. After spending a little while by the lake, we decided to proceed towards the fort. The huge expanse of water deserved some dedicated time and we thought we would do that on our way back. Eventually, that never happened as we changed our plans went exploring another fort instead.

*Pic 3: Bhairasagara lake as seen from the top. Google says it resembles the map of India. We didn’t quite find that resemblance from any angle though.*

Soon we found ourselves at the base of a conical hill, on top of which sits the Gudibande fort. We could see a flight of broad cemented stairs going up, but it was barricaded by a red and white tape that ran across the breadth of the very first stair. A person sitting on a chair under a tree, who appeared like a guard seemed to be monitoring the place. So, the Google Map information was right afterall!

This was not a happy situation after having come all the way. As we wondered what to do, we found a couple of families coming down the stairs. This was our moment, we walked up to the guard-like person and asked if we could go up. He flatly refused. After requesting for a while, he allowed us charging a small sum (read bribe). Yes, we plead guilty!

*Pic 4: We passed through a couple of such doorways. I forgot to keep a count, probably three or four.*

It was a very easy walk up to the top and we made it in about 45 minutes. Most of the way we climbed through steps, some concrete, some just rocks, some carved out in the boulders. We passed through a couple of ruined doorways and through underpasses created by large boulders that touch on their vertices but widen at the bottom to create narrow passageways.

*Pic 5: One with my inspirational wonder-woman!*

Pic 6: We crossed several such large boulders that touch on their vertices but widen at the bottom creating a narrow passageway. Notice the indents on the rock right beside the stairs, those would have been used to climb up earlier.

The weather was perfect with a patchy sky covered in floating clouds and no rain or sun. We met a few people who were going down and wondered if they had bribed the guard-like person too.

On reaching the top we realized that we had the entire ruins to ourselves. There was nobody other than us and that certainly was a privilege. We spent a good hour at the top accompanied by the light breeze and the gorgeous views of the plains below. S and I were meeting after a long time and had a lot to catch up on. We found a comfortable place at the edge of the fort wall overlooking the Bhairasagara lake down below, while A went about exploring the ruins all around.

*Pic 7: Just before the entrance of the fort.*

Besides the ruins, there is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva on top, which is believed to be one of the 108 Jyotirlingas that Lord Rama established in various parts of India. A filled us in with this and other information that he collected from Google while exploring the ruins.

Apparently, the fort edifice comprises of seven gateways though we saw only three. Ruined temples, caves sliced deep into the hillocks, and many secret passages that might have served as escape routes for the soldiers constituted the other highlights. Also, there are/were 19 rock ponds that could have been some form of water harvesting system. Again, we saw only a few. Byre Gowda seems to have been quite a visionary as he ruled this place only for three years and managed to leave behind this impressive legacy.

*Pic 8: A flight of stairs carved out on the rock just after entering the fort.*

A was back, not just with his freshly gained Google information, but with a bunch of dry twigs that he collected while exploring the fort. Those twigs will add glamour to his newly designed living room. S and I were in the middle of an exuberant conversation, but we had to pause. It was time to leave.

*Pic 9: That’s where S and I spent our time chatting away.*

Chasing Ruins – Hutridurga

“Look at all the people here!”, I directed my comment to R as A chuckled away. The place wasn’t crowded but we encountered several groups of people all through the way. Two days back when we were planning this R was reluctant to give me the name of the place saying that I would just blog about it and make a less frequented place popular. Well, R had forgotten that there aren’t many hidden places anymore.

*Pic 1: That’s Uttari Betta or Hutridurga. Look at the refreshing greenery, all thanks to the monsoon.*

Bored with the monotony of being home, I had reached out to two of my friends and we decided to go on a day hike in the outskirts of Bangalore. It’s been raining almost everyday in Bangalore. Keeping that in mind we wanted to go somewhere nearby. R recommended Uttari Betta and that was it.

*Pic 2: A proper road leads up to the base of the hill but we parked the car well ahead and decided to walk.*

Uttari Betta, also known as Hutridurga, is a fortified hill about 70 Km. away from Bangalore. Situated at an altitude of 3708 feet above the sea level it overlooks several villages all around. The village located at the immediate foot of the hill is known as Santhepet while It derives its name from Hutri, a village about 3 Km away from the hill. Hutridurga is one of the Nava Durgas (nine fortified hills) that was built by Kempegowda, who founded Bengaluru in the 16th Century. Later Tipu Sultan used this fort as his military bastion against the British.

*Pic 3: It was a lovely day, the ever-changing cloud patterns making it all the more beautiful.*

*Pic 4: Remnants of the fort remain scattered at various places.*

We left Bangalore early and drove through a scenic stretch of road with Savandurga looking out on us most of the way, sometimes from the right side and sometimes from the end of the road. Though we woke up to a rainy Saturday, the weather had become perfect and remained that way for the rest of the day.

Upon reaching our destination, we were welcomed by an arched gateway that welcomed us to Hutridurga Trek. It appeared like a Karnataka Tourism board. We alighted from the car and pretty soon realized that wasn’t the starting point. A little bit of asking around and we found our way to the actual start point, which was a good 2 Km drive away.

Pic 5: *A quick pose with ‘A’.* *There are several doorways all along the hike, this was right at the start.*

*Pic 6: ‘R’ and I steal a moment at the top of the hill.*

It was a very easy hike to the top. In many places there were steps craved out on the rocky surface, making it even simpler though robbing off its natural appeal altogether. Probably done for the villagers who hike up to the temple situated on top. As we started the walk, I was surprised to see two families with little boys and girls coming down. While it was nice to see adventurous parents, I wondered if I would have done the same. I don’t think I would have quite dared, especially with the pandemic being far from over. The worst part was nobody was masked. And that was true for most of the groups we encountered all along. The only masked people were us.

*Pic 7: In many places ‘R’ and ‘A’ created their own route, rather than follow the trail. I couldn’t master the courage to follow them though!*

*Pic 8: Some good candid shots. Byproduct of hiking with a professional photographer, which happens to be ‘R’.*

The total distance of the hike is about 5 Km. up and down. We took our own sweet time to climb up, stopping or sitting wherever we felt like. Ruins of the fort lay scattered all around. We passed through a couple of enchanting stone doorways, some of which had interesting engravings. There were six doorways in all. Most of the times R and A would steer away from the actual path and find their own routes. On one such occasion R got badly stuck in a precarious position from where neither could he climb up nor climb down, making me more than a little nervous. It took him sometime before he could figure a way out.

Pic 9: The temple at the top. In front of the temple is a clear pool of water known as ‘Dodda Donne’, which means big spring. Painted on a rock beside the pool is a large sign that reads *‘Danger’* *leading us to assume that the pool must be deep*.

The views from the top are just as stunning as one would expect. The cloud patterns on the sky on that day made it even more beautiful. Savandurga was standing out and was clearly visible from the top. The temple on top is dedicated to Lord Shiva.

The three of us spent some wonderful time soaking in nature’s splendour while munching on the sandwiches and fruits I had carried for us. It was a good break after a very long time.

My Maiden Bike Trip With a Trek

I have to admit that I was slightly anxious as R sped through the narrow empty road that morning. The sun wasn’t up yet, and the air was chilly. The early morning breeze inundated my entire being, which was quite pleasing to my senses. A mixed feeling of joy wrapped in a little bit of apprehension was perhaps how I felt then. R had planned everything and I had no clue where we were headed. All I knew was we were out to trek somewhere in the outskirts of Bangalore.

It was the month of December, 2020, when R came up with this idea and I was going to be his partner in crime. We were to travel in his bike and this was going to be my first long drive on a bike. Quite naturally, I was a little nervous. My bike rides have always been within city limits. Well, there’s a first time to everything. Besides, I had to have faith in R, who extensively travels in his bike and has even been on off-road biking trips to places like Leh-Ladakh. R is an avid trekker too. In fact, R and I met during Rupin Pass Trek and ever since we’ve been very good friends.

Pic 1: That’s Kabbaladurga – the monolith we climbed.

The Ride

Off we went through crowded city roads and busy highways, stopping for a snack here and there in roadside eateries. We passed through charming quaint villages with cute little lovely homes. In some places, those meandering roads with gorgeous scenery unfolding at every bend was just picture-perfect. At one time, we even took a wrong turn and travelled for 9 Km. through a broken road passing by bushes and wilderness, with not a soul in sight. Needless to say, we panicked a bit and the entire stretch was filled with anxious moments. Being adventurous by nature helped at that point and finally we made it through. Overall, we did have a wonderful time.

Pic 2: L-Somewhere on the road; R-A hut at Kabbala village

The Trek

Kabbaladurga is a beautiful little hillock, nestled somewhere in the rock-strewn slopes of the Kanakapura mountain range. The monolith hillock is located at Kabbala Village, about 80 Km. away from Bangalore. The initial stretch of the climb was easy as we maneuvered our way through tall grasses, bushes, shrubs and trees with boulders strewn here and there. There was a flight of steps too, carved out somewhere. R, however, decided to follow the trail through the wilderness instead and that’s not surprising at all.

We climbed at our own pace and took frequent breaks enjoying the splendid view of the surrounding hills and lakes that progressively got smaller as we climbed higher. R is a photographer by profession. Hence, many of these were photo-breaks. Sometimes, I would surge ahead only to realize that R was left far behind.

Pic 4: L-The greenery was slowly giving way to the rock-face; R-Just after descending.

Everything was fun till we reached the rock face of the trek towards the end, which was almost a 70-degree climb. This section was tricky and wasn’t easy. Some places had indentations to enable a proper grip on the rock-face, some had hand railings too. Even as I concentrated on the climb, my mind worried about the descend through those steep sections.

Pic 4: The rock-face precarious section. Guard rails and indentations were present only in some places, not everywhere.

A temple dedicated to Goddess Kabbalamma is located on top. Villagers regularly climb up to pay their obeisance to the Goddess. During our climb, four villagers passed us. They were bare-footed, and the climb seemed like a piece of cake to them. Parts of a ruined fort also exists alongside the temple on top. After spending some time on the peak, we descended. My descending demons, as always, took no time to make their ugly appearance and trouble my mind. I needed a helping hand from R, especially at the rock-face section of the trek.

Pic 5: L-A water pool at the top; R-The temple was a slight descent away on another side.

Pic 6: L-Clicked somewhere midway through the climb; R-A quick phone break at the top.

The River

After lunch at a roadside eatery, we rode around the countryside for a while and then visited Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary. Here we spent sometime relaxing at the banks of River Cauvery. The sanctuary authorities bothered us about permissions, but we did manage to find a spot where we wouldn’t be discovered. I had been here just a few months ago and had waded into the waters. This time the river had swelled, and we had to contain ourselves only at the bank. R even managed to take a quick nap. I had no intention of closing my eyes even for a second and missing the magnificent view of the river.

The Sunset

On the way back, somewhere on a random bridge over a waterbody, we witnessed a glorious sunset. Couldn’t have asked for a better end to the wondrous day! We reached home late night after having covered nearly 250 Km.

A Small Hike and a Soothing Afternoon

It was the month of February. The pandemic was already in the air, just that we didn’t know much about it. The world at large wasn’t much affected till then. I received a call from a friend who informed that he had taken a sabbatical and planned to go to his hometown in Kalimpong. And, that he wanted to spend some time travelling in the North East. Back then neither he nor I had any idea that God had other plans and his sabbatical would not serve its due purpose. Before leaving Bangalore, he wished to go for a day hike somewhere in the outskirts of the city.

Achalu Betta

The following weekend, we were on our way towards Achalu Betta. Another friend had joined in and so it was the three of us. Achalu Betta, also known as Muneshwarana Betta, is a small hillock located in a sleepy village known as Achalu (‘Betta’ is a Kannada word meaning Hill). Just about 57 Km from Bangalore, this village has a temple that’s situated on the hilltop. The temple is dedicated to Lord Muneshwara, a form of Lord Shiva.

Pic 1: A ‘Nandi‘ idol at the hilltop overlooks the village.

Once we reached the village, it took us a little while to figure out the way up the hill. We could see a portion of the temple and a set of stairs going up but we had no intention of taking the stairs. There were not many people around to ask for help and not knowing the local language was another handicap. After a little deliberation, we did manage to find a trail that would take us up. A little more than an hour and we were up after a steady climb of about 3Km. The sun was shining bright making it a little tiring but the lovely panoramic view of the surroundings terrain more than made up for it. Also, there was nobody other than the three of us. It couldn’t have been better.

Pic 2: A villager with his bullock cart going towards the cultivation field located closeby.

Muthathi

After a quick lunch somewhere in a roadside eatery, we went towards Muthathi, a settlement located about 100 Km. from Bangalore. Muthathi is situated on the banks of River Cauvery and remains surrounded by a dense forest, which is part of the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary. As the car speeded towards the sanctuary, the surroundings gave way to a fresh and verdant green. Tall trees of various kinds lined up both sides of the road against a backdrop of low lying green hills. Needless to say that it was an enthralling drive with dense jungle on both sides of a neat and well-paved straight road.

But the peace and tranquility of this stretch didn’t last very long. Soon we reached the riverfront only to encounter a chaotic situation. Hordes of people were all over the place cooking, eating, and merry making. They looked like people from the nearby areas. Though there were families and children, the crowd didn’t feel very decent. Feeling awkward and out of place, we left the place. We got to know only later that it was a festival day for the local people.

Pic 3: The calm and serene River Cauvery, though the water level was low at that time.

Pic 4: Another picture of the soothing river water.

A little ahead, we found a quiet place by the river. Excited, we parked the car and headed out to the river. Locating a nice spot, we opened our shoes, dipped out feet into the cool and soothing river water. In less than 10 min, a forest guard appeared from nowhere asking us to leave immediately. Apparently people are allowed only in the picnic spot that we had just left behind. Our attempts to convince him went in vain and we had to leave.

Pic 5: My friend goes scouting for a place deep enough to swim.

Pic 6: The afternoon was hot but the water was cool and this place had fishes swimming all over.

Further ahead we located a place that looked like a government guest house. Eager to spend more time in the river, my friend promptly went in to seek permission. He was told prior booking was mandatory. However, a little bit of convincing worked in this case and they allowed us to spend time beside the river though it was chargeable.

Once again, it was just the three of us. We had the soft flowing Cauvery just to ourselves. We spent a leisurely afternoon. While I chose a flat rock and sat there dipping my feet, both my friends swam around in the water. The afternoon slipped by as tiny fishes nibbled at my toes and soles. Evening descended sooner than we thought and it was time to leave for Bangalore.