My TripAdvisor Review No.429: Big Mishra, Dharwad, Karnataka.

Sweetmeat Outlet For Dharwad Pedhas.

Big Mishra is not really a restaurant, but a shop which sells sweetmeats, snacks, dairy products and farsan, produced and marketed by the ‘Big Mishra Pedha Private Ltd’ company in Hubli-Dharwad. Their main outlets are in Dharwad and Hubli, but they have many more outlets in the other towns of Karnataka as well. Big Mishra Pedha was established in 1933, by the Mishra family.

The main attraction and most popular sweet is the ‘Dharwad pedha’. This sweet was originally prepared by the Thakur family, who migrated from Uttar Pradesh in North India, more than a century ago. They made the pedhas by boiling buffalo milk to a thick consistency and then coating it with powdered sugar. Thakur Pedhas have a separate outlet just next to Big Mishra’s.

Big Mishra’s outlet was bigger and more attractive, so we were immediately attracted to the store. We tried out the pedhas first and found it to be dense and chewy, with a sweet milky flavour, compared to the normal pedhas we get elsewhere. We bought a box of pedhas, murukkus, kachoris and chaklis. We also had a bowl of rasmalai, standing in the shop while our order was being packed.

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Date of visit: December 2018

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My TripAdvisor Review No.428: Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation.

Way To Go, Namma Metro.

On one of our recent trips to Bangalore we decided to take a joy ride on Bangalore’s Metro, fondly named ‘Namma Metro’ by the locals. We boarded at Sampige Road (Mantri Mall) and rode the Green Line till Peenya. We took the same train back to Mantri Mall, did some shopping and had lunch at one of the restaurants. Then we rode the Purple Line from MG Road to Baiyappannahalli and back. We enjoyed both the rides, getting to see a bird’s eye view of most of Central Bangalore in a couple of hours.

For the local commuters of Bangalore the Metro is a blessing, as it serves as a Rapid Transport System, avoiding the massive traffic jams and bottle necked roads which the city has become notorious for. It serves the main areas of Bangalore, but one still has to make use of the buses and autos to connect to the outlying areas.

Work on expansion and new routes are still underway, and hopefully should be operative in the near future.

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Date of experience: March 2018

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My TripAdvisor Review No.427: OYO 20019 Silverkey Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru.

Homely Serviced Apartments

This place is more like a serviced apartment rather than a regular hotel. It is located in a very serene residential locality of Bengaluru, with a lot of restaurants and shopping areas nearby, within walking distance. There is also a nice park in the vicinity.

The rooms are grouped in pairs, with each pair of rooms having a common living room and balcony, with sofas and dining table, and a dry kitchenette with microwave, small fridge, platform and wash basin. Utensils and cutlery are also provided. The apartment rooms each have a separate attached bathroom, double bed, flat screen TV, wardrobe and dressing table. The rooms are air-conditioned and quite comfortable. The property also has a large conference room and dining area. Parking is available, sufficient for about 8 cars.

We stayed here for two nights and had a pleasant experience. There was free wi-fi in the room. The complimentary breakfast consisted of idli, chutni, parathas, poha or upma, sabji, cornflakes, milk, tea and coffee. The food was tasty and we ate our fill. The owner, Mr Rangan, himself would come down and meet all the guests and interacted with us at breakfast.

Smoking and alcohol is strictly prohibited in the premises, and we had to pay a refundable cash deposit to ensure compliance. Also, there was no bell-boy available to help us with the luggage, but there is an elevator in the hotel, so we could manage. The fixtures in the bathroom, to hang towels and clothes were damaged, which we brought to their notice.

Despite the above inconveniences, we had a very peaceful and relaxing stay at the hotel, and would definitely stay here again for that home-away-from home feeling.

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Date of stay: December 2018

Trip type: Travelled as a couple

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My TripAdvisor Review No.426: Swathi Gardenia Restaurant, Bengaluru.

Good Restaurant on the Highway.

Swathi Gardenia is strategically located on the highway leading to the new Bengaluru Airport, at Sahakarnagar. One has to take the service road at the Kodigehalli signal, and it is about 100 meters ahead on the left. Parking for cars is available in a dedicated parking lot behind the restaurant.

The restaurant has a good ambience. As you enter there is a self-service section where you can stand (or sit) and eat. As you go deeper there is a section where you get full service but no ac, and same on the mezzanine floor above it. To the right there is an ac section. They also have a banquet hall. There were some plants and areca nut trees besides the service section, like a small garden, hence the name Gardenia.

We had the ‘Swathi Special Masala Dosa’, which was actually 2 dosas, one a simple masala dosa, and one was a masala dosa with butter and extra red chutney. It was quite filling and we decided not to have the tempting 'Bisi Bele Bhath', as we were all quite full with the dosas.

Service is good and prices are reasonable. They serve Andhra style thalis as well, both vegetarian and non veg. Maybe we will try that on our next visit.

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Date of visit: December 2018

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My TripAdvisor Review No.425: Basappa Khanavali, Dharwad.

Wholesome Simple Thali Meal.

We visited this restaurant twice, for lunch and dinner, at Dharwad, where we had halted for the night on our road trip from Bangalore to Pune. It is located near the Court Circle in Central Dharwad.

They serve a simple standard thali meal which consists of jaloda rottis (sorghum bread), two chatnis, green salad, vegetable bhaji, lentil bhaji, rice, curry, pickle and curd, priced at ₹80. We got a second helping of the bhaji, curry and salad, and the meal was very nourishing and satisfying. At dinner time they served us one sweet puran-poli as well, but this is only available to the early birds.

The restaurant is very popular with locals as well as travelers, and is always full at meal times. It has been running since the year 1930, and was started by the grandfather of the current proprieter.

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Date of visit: December 2018

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My TripAdvisor Review No.424: Indraprashta Residency, Dharwad.

Conveniently Located.

This hotel is an excellent budget hotel to break journey if you are travelling from Mumbai or Pune to Bangalore by road. Dharwad lies exactly midway between Pune and Bangalore on the NH48 highway. You have to leave the main highway and drive in about 6 km into Dharwad city to reach the Court Circle where this hotel is located.

Though we did not have a booking, we were immediately allotted a non a/c deluxe room at a very reasonable rate. They do have a/c rooms as well. There is a lift available in the hotel. There is a limited car parking area in front of the hotel for 3 cars. The room was spacious and well ventilated. The furniture and fixtures were relatively new and there was an LCD TV with a satellite connection, but mostly showing local channels. There was a wardrobe, dressing table, two sofas and a coffee table. The bathroom was a bit small but clean.

They do not have a dining hall, but there are plenty of dining options within walking distance. They also provide room service with food ordered from nearby restaurants.

All in all, it is a value for money stay. I would definitely stop here again if I have to break journey at Dharwad.

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Date of stay: December 2018

• Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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My TripAdvisor Review No.423: The Coffee Grove Restaurants & Resorts - CG - ALA, Vythiri, Wayanad.

Cosy Restaurant, Good Food.

We visited this restaurant for lunch on the way back from Banasura Dam to Vythiri in Wayanad. It has a very nice cosy ambience inside, and looked like a pretty homestay bungalow from the outside. There is sufficient parking space outside the restaurant.

They had veg and non veg food on the menu, including Kerala Thali. We tried out their Veg Schezwan Fried Rice which was quite tasty. After the meal we had their special coffee, which they make from the coffee grown on their own plantation.

We picked up some spices and home grown coffee powder from their small store next to the restaurant. Even though it is a few kilometers outside Vythiri town, it is worth dining here at least once.

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My TripAdvisor Review No.422: Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.

Part Of The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

We drove through two ranges of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary during our Wayanad trip. As soon as we crossed the border between Karnataka and Kerala on the Mysore to Sultan Bathery route, we crossed over from the Bandipur Tiger Reserve into the Muthanga Range of the Wayanad Sanctuary. We saw elephant on two separate occasions from the highway itself, once as it had just crossed the road, and on the other occasion it was grazing quite deep in the forest. Deer sightings were quite common.

On the return trip we returned via the Tholpetty and Kutta (in Karnataka) route, after visiting the Thirunelli temple. To visit the temple we had to drive deep into the Tholpetty Range of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. Since it was afternoon we did not get any animal sightings, but we did see a lot of elephant dung along the roadside. The Tholpetty Range is contiguous with the Nagarhole Wildlife Sanctuary of Karnataka.

Driving through the dense forests of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is a wonderful experience in itself. To explore deeper one must stop at a Jungle Lodge and take a Jeep or Elephant Safari into the jungles. Besides Wayanad, Nagarhole, and Bandipur, the Madumalai Tiger Reserve of Tamil Nadu is also a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

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Date of experience: December 2018

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My TripAdvisor Review No.421: Thirunelli Temple, Wayanad.

Ancient Vishnu Temple.

If you have planned to visit the excellent temples in the Wayanad district of Kerala, then the Thrissilery Shiva Temple and the Thirunelli Vishnu Temples are two of the most divine places to visit. According to the traditional custom you must first visit the Thrissilery temple and then proceed to the Thirunelli temple. Both the temples are located in the midst of the hills of the Western Ghats, near the town of Manathavady, in North Wayanad, but separated by a distance of 19 km.

We visited the Thrissilery temple first, and then drove to the Thirunelli Temple, through deep jungle and forests. Unfortunately, the temple doors were closed when we arrived around 1 pm, and we could not enter the sanctum sanctorum. However, we got a darshan from outside and did a parikrama around the ancient temple. The temple is dedicated to Lord Maha Vishnu. It is located on the southern side of the Brahmagiri Hill in Kerala, very close to the border with Karnataka, surrounded by lush green forests and mountains.

About 1 km northwest of the temple is a holy mountain stream called the Papanasini. Pilgrims bathe here as they consider the waters of this stream washes away their sins. The temple offers services to immerse cremation ashes in the sacred mountain stream, which then flows to the Kaveri River and into the Indian Ocean.

After our parikrama of the temple we went down to the base of the hill where there were some Udupi food joints which served lunch and snacks. We enjoyed some puttus and wadas with spicy chutney for lunch.

The temple timings are: Morning 5.30 am to 12 noon. Evening: 5.30 pm to 8 pm. Try to go there early morning or late evening, with more chances of spotting wild elephants, gaur, and deer in the forests, if you are driving through the Tholpetty range of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.

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Date of experience: December 2018

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My TripAdvisor Review No.420: Thrissilery Shiva Temple, Wayanad.

Divine Temple.

If you have planned to visit the excellent temples in the Wayanad district of Kerala, then the Thrissilery Shiva Temple and the Thirunelli Vishnu Temples are two of the most divine places to visit. According to the traditional custom you must first visit the Thrissilery temple and then proceed to the Thirunelli temple, in that order. Both the temples are located in the midst of the hills of the Western Ghats, near the town of Manathavady, in North Wayanad, but separated by a distance of 19 km.

We decided to visit the temples on the way out from Vythiri. It is about 45 km from Vythiri (about 35 km from Kalpetta). It was difficult to find the temple, as we were offline as we got nearer to the remote place where the temple is located. We reached the temple after an almost two hour drive from Vythiri, enquiring the route from the locals.

The temple is very secluded and surrounded by an ambience of peace and tranquillity. At mid-day we were the only pilgrims to visit the temple, and the priests themselves took us around for darshan. To enter the sanctum sanctorum and perform a guided puja I had to remove my shirt and vest and only then allowed to enter. We had to do a circumambulation of the sanctum in a well defined path which is marked on the ground.

Though it is a Shiva temple there are also idols of other deities which are worshipped. These include Lord Vishnu, Goddess Saraswati, Lord Ganesha, Lord Muruga and Lord Hanuman. Located behind the temple in a water body, is a small shrine of Jala Durga. This perennial water body originates from the Papanashini River near Thirunelli. Locals believe that the shrine was installed by Lord Parasurama, an incarnate of Lord Vishnu.

We felt very blessed after visiting this temple. We collected holy prasadam from the temple office, and continued our journey to the Thirunelli Vishnu Temple.

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Date of experience: December 2018

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My TripAdvisor Review No.419: Banasura Hill, Wayanad.

For The Hardcore Trekkers.

We could see the Banasura Hill from the Banasura Sagar Dam. It is the second highest peak in Wayanad, after Chembra Peak, and is part of the Western Ghats mountain range of India.

The Banasura Hill trek is a long excursion for the trekking enthusiast. First, permission has to be obtained from the North Wayanad Forest Division office located in the town of Mananthavady, about 25 km from Banasura. Treks start from near the Banasura Hill Resort, about 2.5 km from the dam. You will be accompanied by a guide, after paying a fee at the Forest Office.

The hill trek is quite strenuous and only young or experienced trekkers should attempt it. It can take about 8 to 9 hours to trek to the peak and back to base, and is best attempted in the winter months between November to February.

An added bonus of the trek is a chance to visit the thunderous waterfall along the way, which the locals call Meenmutty Falls.

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Date of experience: December 2018

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My TripAdvisor Review No.418: Thariode, Wayanad, Kerala.

Rural Wayanad.

Thariode is a pretty little village in rural Wayanad, about 10 kms from Vythiri and Kalpetta, on the route to Banasura Dam. It is surrounded by hills with plenty of greenery and tea gardens. There are many temples, churches and mosques in the town, and all the communities live in perfect harmony.

We passed the impressive looking St. Mary’s Church, and clicked a snap with my cellphone. It is a model rural town of Wayanad, with an idyllic setting surrounded by nature, and there are many resorts and home-stays nearby. Maybe we will stay at one of them on our next visit to Wayanad.

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Date of experience: December 2018

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My TripAdvisor Review No.417: Banasura Sagar Dam, Wayanad, Kerala.

Speed Boat Rides.

The Banasura Dam is closer to Kalpetta rather than Vythiri. It took us about 45 minutes to drive the 24 km to Banasura Dam from Vythiri town. The drive was quite scenic through a lot of greenery and forested areas. It is the largest earthen dam in India, and the second largest in Asia. It is one of the best picnic spots in Wayanad.

One can either trek up to the top of the dam or hire a jeep. We opted for the bus which charges ₹10 per person. It is easy to trek down. Parking charges are ₹30 for a car, and entry charges are ₹30 per person, and extra is charged for still and video cameras (no charges for cell-phone cameras).

We got a spectacular view of the lake when we reached the top of the dam. There is a lot of greenery around the lake shore, which can be better explored by hiring the boats. Speed boats, Pontoon boats, Cycle boats, Coracles and Kayaks are available from 9 am to 5 pm. There is a nice garden where we relaxed for a while. It is better to visit in the early mornings or evenings. It was quite hot at noon when we visited.

After reaching back to the base, we stopped at the Banasura Dam View restaurant for lunch. There are some food stalls near the parking lot as well.

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Date of experience: December 2018

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My TripAdvisor Review No.416: Chain Tree of Karinthanandan, Vythiri, Wayanad.

A Ghost Story.

The legend behind the Chain Tree near Vythiri reads more like a ghost story. It is said that a tribal youth, Karinthanandan, guided a British engineer in making a road through Wayanad’s forests. The engineer, however, decided that he did not want to share the glory with his guide and killed the poor young tribal. The dead man’s soul would haunt travellers who passed by the area, until a priest chained his soul to a ficus tree.

The tree is located about 2 km from Vythiri, just before reaching Lakkidi, but we missed sighting it as we were driving to Lakkidi View Point. On the way back we had to make use of G-maps to pinpoint the exact location otherwise we would have missed it again. Then we saw the chain tied and hanging from the tree. Besides the tree there is a small compound with a temple. There is also a wayside tea stall nearby.

One can stop here and pay homage to the poor young tribal man, so that his soul may rest in peace.

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Date of experience: December 2018

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My TripAdvisor Review No.415: Lakkidi View Point, Wayanad, Kerala.

Sheer Drop from High Range.

Lakkidi View Point is a place on the Kozhikode Bangalore Highway (NH-766, earlier NH-212) from where we can get a bird’s eye view of the plains below, from the high ranges of Wayanad. It is about 7 km drive from Vythiri village.

We drove down from Vythiri, and just after crossing the town of Lakkidi we exited the district of Wayanad in Kerala. There is a narrow parking area by the side of the highway from where we could see the sheer drop down to the coast of Kerala. From this point we got a panoramic view of the valley below, with the serpentine road winding down the mountainside like a coiled snake. A few kilometres below we could see the vehicles wending their way up through the Wayanad Churam and Thamarassery Churam (mountain passes).

Many people stop by at this point just to admire the sheer beauty of the scenery unfolding before them, and to take some pictures. On a cloudy day the atmosphere may become hazy, making it difficult to see much, but one can still enjoy the rising mists and moisture laden breeze. During the monsoons one can also enjoy the many waterfalls trickling down the hillsides.

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Date of experience: December 2018

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