Travel - A pilgrimage... Part 2 (Belgaum-Agumbe)

We left Belgaum at 07:40 after having a big empty breakfast of aromatic filter coffee in the restaurant of the Hotel Ramdev. I refueled before getting on the NH4 to go to Agumbe. The weather was very nice, as befits a cold January morning, and the drive was easy to Harihar, where we had to turn off the highway to Shimoga. The road was separately rebuilt into two-lane asphalt and turned several potholes into potholes. Traffic was light, especially the movement of tractors and trucks.

I arrived in Shimog at 1:30 pm, having covered 314 km in six hours. I saw a decent restaurant parked for lunch. In addition to "Dahi rice", "Palak rice" is mentioned on the menu. I love Genius Rice, but had never heard of Palak Rice, so I decided to try one of the two. Both were delicious and they also served a glass or two of hot "Rasam" which was also delicious. All this for 70 rubles. The bamboo forest has always kept the climate nice and pleasant. Unfortunately, the green has faded. It was great when I passed by last August. The rain had dyed the forest a brilliant green. But even now it was nice enough to keep the trails through the woods cool and refreshing. After traveling a distance of 63 km from Shimoga in one hour and twenty minutes, we crossed Teerthahalli at 3:30 p.m. Teerthhalli market was very busy. It felt like "Sunday" and all the townspeople and neighboring towns were there to exchange their wares. Only later in Agumbe did we learn that the 'Teerthahalli Jatra (fair) had just started and would last for several days. We made our way through the crowd to the road to Agumbe, which was only 33km away. The 45 minute drive to Agumbe brought back our fears when we passed this place last year. We were repeatedly told not to stop at Agumbe Ghat, especially if you are the only vehicle on the road. We were also advised to investigate other vehicles and travel with them in convoy. This was all because there seemed to be a lot of Naxalite activity in the area and the Naxals stopped vehicles and looted or damaged random passing vehicles. Then we cross the border and count our blessings for safe passage. And we did it to avoid the harsh conditions of National Highway 17 between Mangalore and Mumbai, which is actually a beautiful coastal road. But we had suffered enough on the way to Mangalore and we didn't want an injured corpse and a wrecked car. We choose to take our chances with the formidable Naxals! Surfing the web we came across a blog that spoke highly of Agumbe and its surroundings, with several testimonials from people who have been and have stayed there. This got me thinking “why not” and brought to my attention the accommodation offer from the NGO Agumbe Rainforest Research Station (ARRS) founded by the famous Romulus Whittaker, who runs a snake and crocodile research center in Chennai. I checked the ARRS location on Google Earth and didn't think twice. It was in a small clearing in the woods off the main road. The ARRS is led by a young man, Mr. Gowrishankar, who is ably assisted by Mr. Prashant, who lives in Agumbe village. For accommodation, you should contact Mr. Gowrishankar, who insists that nature lovers stay because they don't want noisy tourists frequenting the place. After convincing him of my good intentions, I managed to book a couple of nights in this paradisiacal place.

I entered the ARRS at 4:15 pm and when I turned off the engine, it was completely silent. Just the song of the birds, that's all. Govrishankar was there to greet us and showed us to our cabin. The exterior of the chalet was very tastefully done and looked very nice. The furnishings were very basic - a few loungers, chairs and a very clean bathroom. Very airy and full of natural light. ARRS was solar powered, so there was no TV. Our mobile phones have also died due to lack of network coverage. The only telephone connection was the BSNL CDMA which was available at the main ARRS villa. It was a lifesaver for residents of Agumbe and surrounding areas who had snakes getting into people's buildings. After receiving the SOS signal, he ran to his jeep to "rescue" the snake and released it into the woods at the ARRS compound. Around 17:30 Gowrishankar was supposed to come to the village and offered to take us to the famous house in Malgudi days.

We met Kasturi akka, the owner of the establishment, who treated us to wonderful "Masala Kurmura (Puffed Rice)" and "Kashaya (Hot Herbal Tea)". I spent the night chatting with him and learned that he rents out rooms on the top floor of the now famous Malgudi Days Cottage. Dinner at ARRS was at 8:30 pm and we all spent it together in the beautiful dining room. Over lunch, Gowrishankar explained why snakes breed in Agumbe.

A) In the south of Kanara, the snake is worshiped and King Cobra dedicates temples to it. B) Agumbe has the second highest rainfall after Cheerapuji, so the weather is perfect for king cobra proliferation. The next day, after a hearty breakfast of eggs and toast, we set out around 10:30am for a pilgrimage to Parshwanath Chaityalaya on Kundadri Hill. It is located 18 km and 320 meters above Agumbe, which in turn is 600 meters above sea level. Kundadri Hill is actually a huge monolithic rock formation with several outcroppings.

This place is also a Jain pilgrimage center.

Named for the Jain monk Kundakundacharya, who is said to have done severe penance here, Kundadri is packed with Jain pilgrims during Makar Sankranti.

The single lane uphill road is steep and has about ten hairpin bends. Fantastic guide. There is a small stop at the top where you climb a few steps to reach the temple: Basadi Vrushabha Teerthankara Jain is said to have been built in the 17th century.

The view from the top is impressive. After spending a few minutes absorbing the beauty, let's go back. Next up on the show was "Sunset Point." We were advised to be there at 5pm to reserve front row seats for the show. The sunset itself is not spectacular, but the views of the valley at sunset and the party atmosphere are spectacular.

We took advantage of the many photographs on offer and returned to the ARRS for an early lunch. After a restful night we tried the very tasty “Neer Dosas” for breakfast. We left Agumbe for Sringeri, Hornadu and Vittal hoping to return perhaps during the monsoon for a little more communion with nature at its best. I would also like to add that all the neighbors in the neighborhood I spoke to have said that the nakhas do not attack anyone at random, only people they perceive as enemies of the common man. They hoped that by reviving its economy, Agumbe would become a tourist destination.

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