Kavaledurga - An enchanting monsoon sojourn

Kavaledurga. An enchanting historical fort nestled so deep inside the western ghats, you are bound to feel like you've time-travelled. The meditative drive on wide, empty highways with stunning views in all directions, the hike up the secluded and undisturbed fort, the silent introspection at the peak as you take in the mesmerizing views of the river in the distance snaking its way through patches of forest; and if you're lucky, the feeling of the clouds whooshing by your face, will all coalesce together to accord you with a renewed sense of vitality and enthusiasm for life.

I was spellbound the moment we touched the curvy ghat section, with its roller-coaster kind of ups and downs. We zoomed along bridges that took us across, ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, ravines, wetlands, swamps and marshes. We also traversed coffee and tea estates, dense thick jungle, open grassland, and mini settlements. The road to Kavaledurga has it all! If you are a photography enthusiast, you do not want to be the one in the drivers seat. Make sure you are a passenger, carry a ton of juice, and ensure there's ample free space in your camera. You are going to be assaulted with photography opportunities!

Oh and by the way, don't blame me if you lose a part of yourself here. Coz I sure as hell did!

Day 1 - The drive to Shimoga

Hmmmm, how do I even begin with this particular place? It has so many facets to it!

Kavaledurga is a campers dream, a trekkers picnic, a workaholics vacation, an artists canvas, a photographers landscape, and a history buff's encyclopedia. You can be assured that Kavaledurga will morph and transform you into one of the above mentioned personalities that you aren't, and you might be turned into a multifaceted thrill seeker. If the location and the drive does not bring out the child in you, I don't know what will!

Even long-drive lovers and biking enthusiasts will not be left out. This place is 400kms from Bangalore. What more do you need? What starts with wide, open, 6-laned national highways in the beginning, turns into 2 lane state highways, which further blend into mountainous ghat roads with no dividers. Once the twisties began, we were half regretting going by car, instead of on bikes. The adrenaline rush is too good to be missed out on. Bikers can get a good dose of adrenaline on the twisties, apart from enjoying the thrill of riding in the rain of course.

My choice of poison: desolate ghat roads

The drive begins:

We started from Bangalore at around 5AM on a Saturday morning and were well on our way without any major hiccups.

After driving for more than 250kms, with 200 more to go, we decided to take a break. I started driving slowly as the others were busy hunting for eateries on both sides of the road. We finally got to what I'd call some semblance of civilization when we arrived at a bridge. We were apparently crossing the Bhadra river. I was surprised to find the bridge having a pretty wide carriageway. At the very end of the bridge was a forest department hut with a gate, and ahead of that was a junction. Towards the left of the junction there were shops and eateries on either side of the road. We decided to park there and then get back to the bridge to admire the beauty of the river and click photos. The river was a muddy brown colour and looked stunning in the backdrop of green hills, blue sky and forest. The tufts of clouds neatly spaced from each other only added to the beauty of the scene.

So first we arrived at a crossing for the Bhadra river, went ahead, parked the car and came back to the bridge to take pictures:

Into the wild

Lost in time

At the very other end of the bridge was this gate and a hut with forest department livery painted all over it. Even the trees around it were painted the same.

After taking a couple of pictures, we started walking back towards the junction. All we could hear was the rustling of the trees, the birds, and the sound of the river itself. We got back and spotted a coffee shop on the other side of the road. Exactly what we've been looking for! So we sat down and ordered cool drinks and coffee.

Taking a break after a really long drive with a nice hot cuppa ☕:

During this time, some of us were using our phones and checking out the location info of where we were. We got to know that there was a bird sanctuary just 4 kms away, and so decided to pay it a visit before continuing with the original plan.

After we felt sufficiently rested and ready to move, we started for Mandagadde Bird Sanctuary.

Signboard for the bird sanctuary:

Since we were quite ahead of time for our original destination, we knew that we had the time to do some extra-curricular sightseeing.

So off we went, and reached the spot in less than two minutes:

Mandagadde Bird Sanctuary

There were a couple of Herons and Egrets nesting by the large mounds of sand on the lake. I could spot them on the shores in the distance. We parked the car, got off the main road, and went to check them out. There wasn't anything different about this lake. It has the same scenery as any city lake, so we barely spent a few minutes here.

Having given the place the amount of time it deserved, we moved from there and continued on our journey. It was almost 70% done by this time I guess. The route was such that we had to go back to the coffee shop, and proceed straight from there. So we took a U-turn, said goodbye to the coffee shop, and proceeded with the journey.

From here on, we encountered sharp curves, coupled with exhilarating jumps and declines. This sent us flying to either sides of the car, and took us off our seats as well, for a bit. We were catching some serious air on every twist, turn and fall, and we got maximum thrills out of it. Since I was the driver, it was me who was enjoying it the most, along with my friend in the front seat. The ones sitting behind were quite terrified as they were being tossed around like footballs. 😉

On the other hand, I never wanted this to end. There was just a single episode of rain, which passed by fast, or rather we got out of quickly. The rain battered the car like crazy, and provided additional excitement to the already existing euphoria of flying on the twisties.

When it got over, we rolled down the windows again to breathe the aromatic forest petrichor.

Within an hour or so, after all the twisties got over, we arrived at this beautiful meadow which was on our left, and decided that it was too appealing to be skipped:

There was an embankment kind of thing next to it. We descended the steep stony surface and got down to the meadow to feel its vastness. We got some really great snaps here.

The meadow with stream flowing in the centre:

A vast expanse of solitude

The undulating, vast greenery of the meadow was too captivating to let go. It conjured up images of childhood where we played cricket and football in such expansive fields.

The roads we've been flying on all the while:

Wide open roads, to let loose the child in you

The spot where we parked the car to go check out the meadow:

Introduction to Kavaledurga

Kavaledurga Fort is situated in Thirthahalli in the Shimoga district of Karnataka. It is built on a hilltop with multiple layers of fortification that follows the natural contours of the hill. It was built in the ninth century and was a stronghold of the Vijayanagar empire. It apparently has 7 layers of fortification with two at the village itself, which we crossed in the car. You'll cross the other layers as you progress along the trek. You can read all about the history of Kavaledurga here.

I am of the opinion that this entire itinerary and place can only be appreciated by those who have a very deep esoteric taste in nature. Yes, party freaks are welcome too, but remember, there is no commercialization here, so don't expect homestays, resorts, or anything of the sort. We just threw up a tent and soaked up nature alpine style.

After departing from the meadow, our next stop on the way was a bridge which had sandbanks on either side of it. It looked so primeval and tribal, that we just couldn't go without getting out of the car and experiencing it right then and there. There were many such sandbanks we'd crossed that day, but this is one that totally blew my mind.

Sandbanks always give off a primeval, mysterious and eerie vibe to themselves. I am always visualizing our ancestors living on sandbanks sustaining themselves by the resources of the river. Maybe I watch too many Hollywood jungle movies. I don't know! 😉

Sandbanks: an enigma of sorts

We arrived at the village where the fort was located and realized that there were still 2 hours to go for sunset. With that kind of time on our hands, we decided we could do a quickie that day itself, in addition to Sunday's trek, which was already on the cards. We had to cross at least a kilometre or so of slushy mud road before we could arrive at the gate where the trek began. The others got out of the car to make it easier to drive this section. This was also to protect the car chassis in case there was a hidden pothole in the slush. While they hiked up that 1 km section, I enjoyed the slow drive in the waterlogged mud trail. We arrived at the gate and saw a few groups returning from their trek. There were a few who were waiting to begin their trek as well, smoking at the tea shop near the gate.

We inquired about permissions at the tea shop and they said this was our last chance if we wanted to go up that evening itself. They were to close the gate soon, as sunset was fast approaching. So with that, we swiftly got back to the car, changed into trekking gear and began the hike. We decided to keep all the photography for the next day and just enjoy the trek that day. There was no time for anything else. We only went up till the second fortification, and decided to cover the rest the next day.

The rain which had stopped more than an hour ago started again. Although I used the word 'stop', what I actually mean is the rain had reduced to a drizzle. It never really stops here, not at least during these months. So it became heavy again as we were descending and I planned to keep the same clothes on till we hit the sack for the day.

There was a gorgeous Arecanut plantation right at the start of the trail. It added variation to the scenes we'd been seeing all day long:

Arecanut......next to a rice plantation?

Further ahead we noticed a small pond towards the right side of the trail:

 

We got back to the tea shop and were welcomed by piping hot Pakodas and Bajjis. Being soaking wet and shivering to the bone, there was nothing more one could have asked for right at that moment. There was quite a crowd at the shop due to the rain, as it was the only shelter around. I felt quite claustrophobic, and picked up my share of snacks to have in the open space next to the shop. This small patch of grass was to be our campsite for the night.

This was the view from our campsite:

We were waiting for the rain to stop so that we could get around to pitching tents. Finally after an hour or so, the rain let up. We knew we had an extremely small window of opportunity to set up camp. By the time we were down to setting up the second tent, it started drizzling again. Just as we finished setting it up completely, the drizzle turned into a full blown shower. We left the tents there and ran back to the tea shop for shelter.

By this time, everyone had left and the shop was closed. We were standing under the tarpaulin roofing that covered the front of the stall. Along with us was a man who said he was from the house on the opposite side of the road. He said we were welcome to get into his compound and use the toilet if needed. The rain never let up that night. It just kept moving back and forth from light to heavy. We used the drizzly times to go get all of our food and cooking equipment from the car. By now I was soaking wet and it really made no difference to me whether I got out in the drizzle or heavy rain.

Since there was no other dry spot, we had to cook under the shelter of the shop. We used a miniature gas stove, since there was no firewood available, and sat down to piping hot noodles. The cold caught up to all of us when we sat down to eat, since we were not generating body heat anymore. I couldn't stand it any longer and I rushed for the tent the moment I finished eating.

The night was uneventful, with the sound of heavy rain pounding the tent every now and then. There would be really quiet moments where all you could hear were the crickets and cicadas, and then there would be the sound of the heavy downpour which instantly blurred out all of the other sounds. It kept alternating between the two. I barely slept a wink because of the excess tea I drank due to the cold. That amount of caffeine is bound to keep anyone up, if taken during the second half of the day.

Day 2

We woke up to a chill, misty morning with thick black clouds still present all around us. The rain had let up for a while and that gave us ample time to complete morning duties and dismantle the tents. We decided not to cook, as we neither had the time, or energy to do so. We just ate whatever processed stuff was in our bags and called it breakfast. With that we began the hike at around 7 or so. There were tourists arriving to the parking spot just as we were folding up the tents and packing our bags. We wanted to get a head-start to them so that we could be alone and get some amazing pictures.

The trek up Kavaledurga is quite easy, undemanding, and is most apt for someone who is just getting back to the game after a long break. It is totally doable by newbies who have minimal trekking experience. It's only in the monsoons where things get a little bit dicey and challenging. This is the time where unseasoned tourists and non-trekkers must watch their step. The trail is clear cut, with most of it being stairs, either carved into the rock or separately laid. Regular trekkers who are looking to take a break in between difficult treks, newbies who want to try out trekking for the first time, and even  total couch potatoes can do the Kavaledurga hike.

Here's some history for all you history buffs:

And here's some warning boards from the Archeological Survey of India for those of you who go to such places to monkey around:

And with that, we passed through the 5 fortification walls one by one:

View of the fort from another temple on an adjacent hill

It should take the average trekker not more than an hour to ninety minutes to reach the peak, with plenty of breaks in between. Even if you lounge about and take a lot of pictures, you will have time to explore all the beautiful nooks and crannies of this majestic fort. Just like most forts in India, it has a multi-layered protection system in place. So when you've finally crossed the 5th and final wall, you know the peak is just a few meters ahead.

There is a gorgeous swimming pool somewhere after the fourth wall that made us too stunned to move. I recall resting and checking out that place for more than 20 minutes at least. The dark green of the moss inside, the light blue and white reflection of the sky, all fused together to create an artists masterpiece. Just before reaching the pool, you will come across the ruins and remnants of fallen stone pillars and walls. Some of them were still intact, while the others were broken. These remnants of the Mughal Empire are sure to intrigue every history buff and wanderer who come here.

I did not get around to finding out the story behind those fallen pillars and stones. You will find many artifacts of ancient significance here, such as the pool, the tub, the striking architecture and fortification system, among many other such artefacts. Of course, the most striking architectural marvel is the temple itself located inside the fort, which is located after you cross one of the fort walls. We, along with some other groups, took the longest break at these two points (the pool and fort). There isn't much of a trek left after you've checked out these two attractions on the way, so you'd might as well laze around here, and take in some history.

Before you reach the pool, or ruins or any such stuff, you arrive at the fort itself.

History buffs and architecture enthusiasts, feast your eyes:

There are these tall ancient pillars right opposite the fort, which look regal and majestic:

Notice the pillars opposite the fort

After exploring these, you'll continue climbing for a few more metres towards the fourth fortification wall:

You'll then arrive at the ruins:

And then you'll finally arrive at the swimming pool:

Notice the colours blending into each other

Surrounding the pool, some at the same level and some at higher points, we noticed more architectural creations. We had no idea what they were built for, or what purpose they served:

Then you'll arrive at the final stairway before you reach the peak:

Once we got to the peak, we were treated to mesmerizing views of the entire range below. Between the intermittent cloud movement, we could notice the river snaking its way through serene lush patches of forest:

After steeping ourselves in the wind, rain and mesmerizing views, we started heading back to base. We got back to campsite the and parking spot in less than an hour, as we barely took any breaks on the way. Immediately, we began for our second destination which was to be another fort.

We were visiting not just one, but two forts on the same day. But not before we could have a sumptuous meal that we were all craving for. We were living on instant food since the last three meals, and this came as welcome relief.

We stopped at a very quaint village en route that had just a handful of people moving around:

pin-drop silence

The homely eatery

Brunch

I gorged on two plates of this

I gulped down as many Idlis and dosas as I could. They were in fact so good that I overate and felt heavy after that.

Getting to the waterfall:

After finishing breakfast, the plan for the day was to visit a waterfall, another fort, and then head back to Bangalore. We had plans to visit a hydroelectric power plant too, but got to know that it was closed for visitors after reaching there. So with that, we took a detour for the waterfall, and after another thrilling session of the twisties for another two hours, we arrived at our destination. We had to park to the side of the road to get to the falls. We could already hear the sound of gushing water from the road itself, which greatly raised our excitement levels. The others got out and I had to move the car a bit to park it properly. I then quickly changed into my swimming trunks behind the car, and then caught up with the others who were waiting for me at the trail.

There was a rapidly flowing stream that preceded the falls. Some of us got into the stream a few metres before the falls, where the water wasn't flowing as rapidly. The water was bone chilling cold and it completely wiped away all my sleep deprivation, preparing me for the long drive back to Bangalore. I felt refreshed and rejuvenated after that dip. There were some people downstream of the waterfall, and so we too decided to go there next.

The stream preceding the falls:

Almost got swept away :D

View from above the falls:

After getting down, we were able to take pictures with the falls behind us:

The waterfall was just too magnificent and imposing to let go. It flowed at such speed and ferocity, the spray coming out of it could be felt from a distance. I could have spent much more time here, but we were getting late to leave for Bangalore. If you find any waterfall off the road in the Western Ghats, definitely make sure to spend as much time there as you possibly can. Those are the places where you definitely do not want to save on time.

Second fort and return journey

After the waterfall visit, we started for the second fort. It wasn't too far from this place, and was just a pit stop on our return journey. So with that, we left and got to the second fort within an hour or so. This was probably the first time in 2 days that we saw such a huge conglomeration of people at a single place. From the beginning of the trip, right uptil now, we'd never been to or around such touristy places. It almost felt like we'd left the Western Ghats and had gotten back to civilization. There were huge crowds of families and groups of youngsters, all milling around at the entrance to the fort and the sides of the road leading to it.

We got some stunning grassland views at this fort, considering that was all that was inside it. This fort is not isolated like the Kavaledurga fort. In fact, it is located off the main road and hence the crowds.

Due to the rains, the number of people were less, but it was still high considering how remote the place is. There was a bit of water logging right at the entrance of the fort. I made the mistake of coming barefoot here, and instantly regretted it. From the entry, I noticed that it was slushy inside the fort too, as the mud had soaked up all the rain water, and the excess had piled up on top. So I quickly hollered to the others to go ahead and that I was going to go back to the car, to put on some footwear. I got to the car and noticed that my shoes were still soaking wet from that mornings trek and I was in absolutely in no mood to get into wet, mushy shoes. So I put on the same slipper which I was using to drive, and then caught up with the others.

It is quite a massive fort if you ask me. It spanned almost a football field in size and had some pretty expansive views of the meadows, once you climb to the top. From one side of the fort, you can view the main road below with a spectacular view of the cars snaking through the single-laned ghat roads surrounded by greenery everywhere. Trust me, you can just sit here and watch the cars pass by all day and still not get bored of the beauty of the place. This place really is timeless!

I was a bit disappointed as I managed to get just a single leech on me during the entire trip:

Even with hordes of people around, the place managed to look barren and solitary. Due to its vastness, I guess the people were evenly spread out everywhere. This gave everyone privacy, along with a chance to take photos without strangers appearing in them, which is usually the norm at most tourist attractions.

Since this place was so huge and there wasn't much chance of encountering any issues related to safety, I decided to explore the place on my own and moved away from the group towards a different direction. Later, when I got up to side of the fort, I noticed that the group had further split up and they too were enjoying the place all by themselves. This was so cool. It was unspoken, yet understood and appreciated, without any hard feelings. We later signaled to each other from wherever we were and grouped up again, this time to exit. With heavy hearts we bid goodbye to the beautiful fort and the western ghats.

We got back to the car, and the trip was pretty much uneventful from then on.There were no stops for dinner on the way as this highway is not as commercialized as the other highways leading out of Bangalore. There was a stretch of road, in fact the very same road which we used while coming here, that was completely dark, with no streetlights at all. This is the one place I struggled with the drive. The blaring headlights from the opposite direction not only makes it difficult to discern what kind of vehicle it is, but also how close it might be while crossing. Quite risky I would say !

We arrived at Bangalore late in the night due to the delay on the unlit section. It was only after getting onto the 6-lane highway that we were able to get back to our original cruising speed and make up for lost time. I got back home, after dropping the others to closest points where they could take a cab from. While driving back home, I was terribly sleep deprived and was almost dozing off in the car itself. Despite this, my mind was busy contemplating where to trek or which place to explore the next weekend. My crazy restless mind!

Disclaimer: The stunt performed at the waterfall is not by a professional, but you still shouldn't try it at any cost. I am not at all responsible for anything that might happen if you do. 😂