We have been to Goa many times and always thought that Goa had only beaches, temples and churches to offer as tourist spots besides the sea food. We were wrong when we discovered that there was one such spot which was different and unique - The DudhSagar Falls. We decided to visit this place and set out one morning with an extra pair of clothing and towels. We hired a cab and the cabbie informed us that a Mahadev Temple at Tambdi Surla was worth visiting. We agreed to go along with him, though we were more eager to see the falls rather than visit any temple as we had been visiting many temples in the course of our journey. As we drove from Panjim, the winding roads of the Anmod Ghat (Western Ghats) flanked on both sides with lush greenery, were a treat to the eyes and lifted our spirits. The drive was long one and we reached a place which looked like a wild life sanctuary. Later we learned that the place was known as Molem Wildlife Sanctuary and was on the bank of a stream of river Surla. We walked through the lush green surroundings and down a small bridge on the glistening waters of stream. Just as we turned a cornered we saw one of the most gorgeous pieces of relic from ancient India in the Golden Era.
Way to the temple
The temple stands in all its glory on one of the best locations in Goa. The first glimpse of the temple from the forest itself leaves an indelible memory. The beautiful greyish black rock of the temple shines against the backdrop of the lush green mountains and a beautiful manicured lawn surrounds the temple giving it a glorious look.
The Temple was built by the Kadambas of Goa in the 13th century AD. It is placed on a plinth and has intricate carvings on its pillars and walls. The temple consists of a garbagriha (sanctum sanctorum) , a small antarala (ante chamber ) and a nandi mandapa. The ceiling is decorated with carvings of lotus flowers and the pillars with rosettes. In the garbagriha there is a small lingam mounted on a pedestal. We walked around the precincts of the temple and sat on the plinth taking in the scenery.
The rosettes on the ceiling
We then decided to go to the Dudhsagar Waterfalls as it was late in the afternoon. This waterfall is located in the Sanguem , Goa. One can go by road or rail to Kulem railway station and then trek to the waterfall or hire a jeep with a driver to get closer in, however, there will still be a walk through rocks and rough paths to reach the base of the falls. This waterfall is also known as Tambdi Surla to some of the local people. The jeep ride is bumpy and goes through rough rocky terrain and streams and lots of fun for people looking for some adventure. We had to leave the jeep and walk for 20 mins to get to the waterfall and as we neared we could hear the sound of gushing and swirling water. Round a corner and you can see the majestic cascade of white water, gushing over the steep, nearly vertical face of the mountain from a spectacular height of 1017ft. The river Mandovi, which is the main river of Goa, begins on the Deccan plateau in the state of Karnataka.
The Dudhsagar Waterfall
Winding its way through the Western Ghats, this river plummets over the highest peaks on the border of Goa and Karnataka, thus forming the Dudhsagar falls. The pool formed at the base of the falls is very tempting and many people were seen swimming in it for hours. There is a lot of force in the water during the rainy season and it is not safe to swim in the pool or go under the fall. After an hour we decided to return to the jeep before it got too dark.
The trip was truly a memorable one and we yearned to go back.
Tips:
1) If visiting around monsoon, be prepared for occasional showers, carry a raincoat. Always carry an extra pair of clothes.
2) There is no direct way to reach Dudhsagar, you either take a train to Londa junction. From there, you need to take a local bus/taxi/train to either Kulem or Castle Rock. This takes about 3 hours. The trek starts from here, a trek on track for over 12 kms to reach the waterfalls .
3) Trek from Castle Rock station is about 14 kms and about 12 kms from Kulem station.
4) In case you plan to trek, come prepared with a good pair of walking shoes, the tracks look easy to walk on but the gravel can be quite a pain when walking for long distance.
5) The jeep ride is also rough and is about 20 mins. of bone rattling experience.
6) The terrain near the falls is very rocky and hence requires a lot of hop, skip and jump.
Planning a wildlife trip? Then Bandhavgarh is the best bet where lots of sightings have been reported. Thus we planned to take up the offer of Twine Outdoors and joined them in this adventurous tour of the Bandhavgarh National Park. We had never been to any wildlife sanctuary and so were very eager to see wildlife at close quarters. Packing our cameras and binoculars had never been so exciting.
All the members of the tour were supposed to meet at Dadar station. We reached the station on time and Archis, the tour leader, welcomed us with a broad smile. As we waited for the train, many members who had already been to such wildlife tours related all kinds of exciting stories. One thing common about the stories was - there is no guarantee you may see a tiger at all. Hearing this, we hoped, wished and prayed it would not happen to us. As the train chugged in, after some scrambling for our seats, we set out on an enthralling journey. We had to get off at Jabalpur and the journey from Mumbai to Jabalpur is 15 hours approx. Archis and his team entertained us throughout and the strain of the journey was not felt at all. We had a great time playing games and cracking jokes and sharing stories. We reached Jabalpur the next morning and though it was the summer season in the month of May we did not feel any discomfort in the heat.
Balancing Rock : Jabalpur--
On the way we had breakfast and Archis took us to the outskirts of the city of Jabalpur to see the balancing rocks. We were amazed at the balancing rock which is located near Madan Mahal fort in Jabalpur city of Madhya Pradesh. We gazed at it incredulously, awe struck at the miracles nature can offer. It is a formation of rocks perfectly balanced without other supports. How did it balance in this manner in the event of an earthquake?
The balancing rocks
We took pictures from all angles and left for the visit to the Dhuandhar waterfalls. "Dhuan" which means smoke and "Dhar" which means flow, meaning a waterfall which creates an effect of smoke which looks misty. The Dhuandhar Falls are located on Narmada River in Bhedaghat and are 30 meters high. The Narmada River, making its way through the world-famous Marble Rocks, narrows down and then plunges in a waterfall known as Dhuandhar. The plunge, which creates a bouncing mass of mist, is so powerful that its roar is heard from a great distance.
The Dhuandhar Waterfalls
The mesmerising sights and sounds of the waterfall has a calming and exhilarating effect on you. The fall of the water is so forceful that it is thrown back in the air creating a misty effect and adds to its beauty. A must visit place. No wonder this is called the "Niagara of India" as it has the same look and feel.
One can view the Dhuandhar waterfall from the east bank as well as from the west bank of Narmada River. To see the other side of Dhuandhar Waterfall you have to take the Cable Car Service available at Bhedaghat. The Cable Car Service is available at the entrance gate of Bhedaghat. The ropeway facility starts from the eastern bank of Narmada River, crosses the river and then drops you at the west bank of the River. The ropeway facility is not available from 1:30 P.M to 2:00 P.M as the staff goes for lunch.
The Marble Rock Tour
The small town of Bhedaghat has evolved into a major tourist attraction thanks to the Marble Rocks. The Bhedaghat Marble Rocks is featured in the Shahrukh Khan-starrer Bollywood film Asoka, in the song Raat Ka Nasha Abhi.
The Rocks stretch on both sides of the Narmada river and are a visual treat. Soaring to towering heights which reach up to nearly 100 feet, the Marble Rocks look benignly down upon the gently flowing waters of the Narmada river. These placid waters turn into a roaring white torrent some distance away, forming the Bhedaghat Dhuandhar Falls.
The Marble Rocks
We had a boat tour in the ravines and marveled at the splendor of this beautiful place. The limestone rocks, rising perpendicularly out of the placid waters of Narmada River, creates a stunning spectacle. When the boat travels through the gorges the rocks shimmer in the rays of the sun creating a magical effect. It is a unique experience and a must visit site in your trip to Jabalpur.
We were not willing to leave the place as this marvel of nature had us completely enraptured, but time was a constraint and we had to leave for our hotel.
By the time we reached the hotel it was late in the evening. We were served dinner and all of us retired early for the night as we had leave early in the morning before dawn the next day for the forest safari.
The Jungle Safari
There is a saying about the Bandhavgarh Park that goes: "In any other Park, you are lucky if you see a tiger. In Bandhavgarh, you are unlucky if you don't see (at least) one."
We woke up at 3:30 am the next morning at the knock on the door and readied ourselves for the exciting safari. Scores of jeeps arrived spewing dust alll around and there was a mad rush to clamber into them. Each group was assigned a jeep and we were asked to wear a scarf or similar headgear as it was an open jeep.
We preferred wearing hats and set off for the jungle with a feeling of nervous anticipation. We first rushed to the booking centre at Magadhi. There are three zones in the Bandhavgarh National Park - Tala, Magdhi and Khitauli. Amongst these Tala is the premium zone and most popular as many tiger sightings have been reported from here. It usually remains in demand throughout the season. Jungle Safari Routes" A, B, C, D" lies in Tala zone. Among them Route B-D or D-B are popular among visitors. This zone remains in demand so make an advance booking to secure its entrance ticket for the desired safari.
We were booked for the Magadhi zone and as we started our journey the road turned dustier and rougher. We were first taken to Charger Point which is created in memory of the tiger Charger who was a legendary king of the Bandhavgarh tiger reserve. He was famous for his ferocious roar and his long leap. He was called "Charger" because he had once charged at an elephant carrying tourists. He had an unusually aggressive stance towards safari jeeps and and elephants. He was a fearless male and could enter the territory of other tigers anytime without fear. He held the largest territory in the Bandhavgarh Reserve of all times and all the females were his for the taking. When Charger became old, he was pushed out of the Tala range by his son ( male from his daughter Mohini). When Charger was not sighted in the park the forest officals got worried and presumed him to be dead. Later he was found outside the Tala range. After this he was put in an enclosure. He died in the month of September in the year 2000 in an enclosure at Magdhi zone of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. A memorial was made in a place where his body was disposed of and is known by the name of ‘Charger Point’.
As we drove through the jungle we spotted many inhabitants like the the Gaur, beautiful sambar and barking deer, wolves and jackals, hyenas and peacocks trying to woo the peahens.
It was a beautiful morning and as the sun shone through the thick forest the birds were chirping and the peacocks were dancing.
All of a sudden the jeep stopped and we saw the driver looking for some marks on the dusty road. He declared that there was a tiger near by as he pointed to his huge pug marks.
The Tiger trail
All hell broke loose in the jeep. Everyone scrambled towards the front with their cameras ready in hand and eyes searching the jungle. Suddenly we heard the danger call of a monkey from nearby. It was a warning to the other animals that a tiger was searching for its prey. Another call echoed from the other side of the jungle in a diagonally opposite direction which meant that the tiger was somewhere between these two positions. All of us were on high alert. The jeep had slowed down but there was no sign of any tiger. Suddenly as we turned a corner we saw the jeep ahead of us come to a standstill. On peering closely we saw the most beautiful sight we had ever seen in the jungle. A tiger had stretched itself across the road and lay there nonchalantly, his flame and coal colored coat shining in the sunlight, his beautiful eyes gazing directly at us. Suddenly he yawned and his giant vampirish fangs sent shivers down my spine. We parked the jeep and everyone watched him silently as he flicked his tail and suddenly stood up and started walking in the opposite direction. all the jeeps followed him slowly. His gait was majestic, muscles rippling with sinewy strength and his brass brilliant coat shining in the sun. The jeep moved slowly along with him. He did'nt even bother to glance behind at us and kept on walking majestically at his own pace.
Suddenly he turned left into a thicket and started prowling as if he had marked his prey. We could see some sambars grazing at a distance. My heart went out to them. There was a deep throated call by a monkey and all the sambars sprinted away as fast as possible. The tiger flicked his tail as if in anger. I was thankful of the distance between us and had goosebumps when he turned towards us but then quickly disappeared into the jungle. After he left there was a lot of jubilation in all the jeeps on having spotted him for so long. This memory will ever be etched on our minds.
The most amazing fact of the jungle, as told to us by our guide, was that the animals prey only when they are hungry. The tigers do not prey upon humans and I could see some inhabitants walking in the jungle without any fear. This meant that these animals strictly followed some code of conduct. As we learned this we realized that it was man who was wild and destructive and not these animals. They never disturbed the ecology around them, neither did they have any greed for more.
We drove back with a sense of gratification for having learnt a lot from this safari. The next morning we drove back into the jungle for bird watching and had a wonderful time watching and knowing about the birds. Our curiosity was amply satisfied by Archis who had a lot of knowledge about these birds
All in all it was a fulfilling journey and made us hungry for more such excitement.
Tips before you on this safari:
1) Carry a scarf, binoculars, camera, torch and full sleeved clothing, sports shoes and hats with you for the safari.
2) Sun glasses and water bottles are also needed, when you are travelling in the afternoon in an open jeep.
3) Cotton clothes are better option during the summer season.
4) The booking of the safari can be done in advance and Tala zone is the most in demand.
5) The jeep ride can be very rough and bumpy at times so it may be very uncomfortable for those not used to such rides.
6) Always take a guide along with you on the jeep as he has a lot of experience in the jungle.
7) You have to be prepared to rise early in the morning as the safari starts at 4 am.
It was a sultry afternoon in Goa in
October and we were searching for a place which was peaceful and provided the
much needed relief from the crowds. We decided upon visiting Gokarna, a small
town in Karnataka, as we also had always wanted to visit the Gokarna
Mahabaleshwar temple. We started early in the morning by road and reached
Gokarna via Karwar by noon. On the way we were compelled to visit the Devbagh beach at Karwar for its spellbinding views as shown in the picture below.
The Karwar Beach
The road, which takes you to the small town from the
highway, is narrow and winding. As we approached the resort, the scene changed
from dusty roads to pathways lined with silver oak trees and banana
plantations. The midday sun had cast its golden colour on the town and the
mountainside. There were hardly any people around. We were happy that our
choice of holiday was right. The town is a sleepy town with few shops and worn
down houses.
Flower Shops on the way
We were a bit apprehensive about our choice of the hotel. We were
welcomed by Ravi and Kishore, two young boys of a mountain top resort, known as Paradise Resort, overlooking the Kudle
Beach. It was a beautiful place surrounded by palm trees in the midst of a
jungle. The cottage we had chosen online was far better than our expectations.
It was like a log cabin with a panoramic view of the jungle. The ground floor
had a huge bathroom with huge glass French windows overlooking the
jungle.
After a quick lunch we decided to
explore the Kudle beach which was nearby. We were provided with a guide who
took us through a twisting narrow path covered with dry leaves and rocks
winding through the jungle. We were thankful that we had worn shoes else it
would have been difficult to walk on the rough terrain. The beach was nowhere
in sight for a long time and just when we had started wondering when this
hopping on rocks would end, we were greeted with a panoramic view of the Kudle
beach. It was simply mesmerising. The sun's rays danced on the waters creating
a magical shimmering effect on the waters. The beach was lined with greenery
and thankfully there were very few visitors. We waded through the waters and
walked bare foot on the sands along the entire stretch.
The Kudle Beach
While on one
side was the aquamarine water of the Arabian sea, the other side was lined with
the rocky mountains of the Western Ghats. The wind was soft and fishermen's
boats sailed lazily through the waters. We noticed some food shacks and decided
to have snacks at one of them. We chose the one at the end of the beach which
gave us a good view of the expansive beach. It was very relaxing and we decided
to leave as the golden sun had set and darkness spread over the beach. The sky
lit up with the stars and the moonlight played with the waves and silvery
sands. The atmosphere was ethereal.
The next day we woke up early in the
morning and set out to visit the Om Beach which is on the other side of Kudle
Beach. The winding roads and the steep steps made us breathless and suddenly at
a corner was one of the most beautiful natural scenes we had seen. The waters
were crystal clear and the beach had a unique shape, like that of the letter
"Om" in Devnagiri script. The view from top was breath-taking and the
beach was deserted except for a few foreigners who could be seen meditating. We
soaked in the sun and as we neared the waters the foamy surf swirled around our
legs. The peaceful blue sky with wispy cotton clouds having bright yellow
fringes left us feeling absolutely relaxed. We left for lunch at the resort and
promised ourselves that we would revisit this place.
The Om Beach
The Kudle beach is west facing. Om beach, Half moon Beach, Paradise Beach (also
known as Full moon) and Belekan beach are south facing. We had no time to visit
the other beaches, a decision we regretted later. Mirjan Fort is a
beautiful fort located in the village of Mirjan on the west coast of the Uttara
Kannada district in Karnataka and is also worth visiting.
The Gokarna Mahabaleshwar temple is a
must visit. This temple in Gokarna is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord
Mahabaleshwar, an incarnation of Lord Shiva. The temple is
considered as pious as the Shiva temple at Varanasi or Kashi in Northern India and
hence is known as the Dakshin Kasi. This temple enshrines the Atma Lingam
of Lord Shiva. According to the legend, the Atmalinga was placed
at Gokarna, in the temple precincts, by Ravana, when
he carried it from Mount Kailash in the Himalayas. The temple is built in a classical Dravidian style of architecture.The temple
has a small hole in the sanctum sanctorum from where devotees can see the top
of the Atma Linga. The best time to visit the temple is during the
festival of Shivaratri which marks the day Lord Shiva was born. During this
festival, Rathyatra (Travel on a Chariot) is held.
Local woman at the temple
The next day we decided to visit the
famous Murudeshwar Temple a few kilometers away from Gokarna. This temple
is built on the Kanduka Hill which is surrounded on three sides by the waters
of the Arabian Sea. Murudeshwar is a picturesque place
situated between Honnavar and Bhatkal. Murudeshwar is also known for the
Murudeshwar Fort and wonderful beaches. Nearby, Netrani Island, is also a very
popular spot for tourists as it offers excellent boating, snorkelling and scuba
diving opportunities.
Murudeshwara has a railway
station on the Mangalore-Mumbai Konkan railway route.
A huge towering statue of Lord Shiva,
visible from great distances, is present in the temple complex. It is the
second highest statue of Lord Shiva in the world. The tallest Shiva statue is
in Nepal. The Rajagopura at the entrance of the temple complex is the world's tallest, standing at 249 feet. The Gopura has 22 floors and is the only Gopura to be fitted with elevators. The view from the top is breathtaking and offers a 360 degree panoramic view of the Arabian Sea surrounding the temple. The next morning we left for home promising ourselves another trip to this lovely destination.
Tips:
1) Gents are not allowed to wear shirts while entering the sanctum santorium of the Mahabaleshwar temple. Ladies can wear traditional Indian outfits.
2) If you are a fish lover then visit the hotel Fish Land at Honnaver.
3) The Paradise resort serves only vegetarian food which is very tasty. They do not accept credit cards. Please confirm before booking.
3) Please do not visit any of these places especially the Murudeshwar temple during the vacations as they are very crowded and you have to stand in long queues for darshan.
4) Always carry an extra pair of clothing while visiting the beaches as the pristine blue waters tempts one to take a dip.
