My TripAdvisor Review No.601: Igguthappa Temple, Kakkabe, Kodagu, Karnataka.

Second Call From Lord Subrahmanya.

This was our second visit to this temple. Lord Subrahmanya had fulfilled many of our wishes after our first visit so we had to come back. The deity is known as Lord Igguthappa by the Kodavas. He is considered to be a provider of food and the one who fulfils his devotee’s desires. During the harvest festival, paddy is first harvested in the fields belonging to the Lord, and only then the people of Kodagu celebrate the festival.

The priest here meets each individual devotee personally and gives them his blessings. Even though we could not speak Kannada he got across to us very well and it felt good to talk to him and get the blessings of the God. He then took us to the kitchen where we received the ‘Maha-Prasad’ in the form of a full meal of rice, sambar and a sweet dish.

The temple is located in a very natural and beautiful setting, surrounded by hills and forests. It is definitely a must visit if you are in the South of Kodagu, and if you are a believer of the Hindu traditions.

Date of experience: November 2019

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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

My TripAdvisor Review No.576: Club Mahindra, Virajpet, Kodagu, Karnataka.

Our Favourite Club Mahindra Resort.

We have stayed in Club Mahindra Virajpet Resort so often that I am losing count. I think this is the third or fourth time we were visiting. Lets just stay that this has become our favourite resort in the Club Mahindra stable.

As usual we drove down from Bangalore via Mysore, Hunsur, and Gonikoppal and Virajpet town. The last part of the road, about 4 km, was still in a bad condition even though it had been under repairs on our last trip. Again we chose a room overlooking the plantation so that we would be woken up by real bird song, not an alarm bell. At first we were allotted a room overlooking the central walking area facing towards the pool, but since we had arrived early and there were rooms available looking towards the forest, Mr. Sanil who was our guide and is also the musician of the resort, helped us to find one.

Our ac studio room was well furnished with a king size bed and another folding bed. There was an LCD TV, microwave oven, electric kettle, and crockery and cutlery in the dry kitchenette. There is a round dining table with three chairs, and we could rustle up a quick meal with some of the ready to eat food packets we had brought with us. Once we ordered a meal which was delivered to us by their ‘Gourmet Express’. Of course there was the option of two good restaurants as well, one serving buffet (Aromas) and the other ala carte (Coorgenburg). The house keeping service was excellent. There is a nice big swimming pool and a fun-zone with plenty of activities for the kids. There is a gym and spa, and a shop named ‘Wolf-Pack’ where we bought some souvenirs. There are many activities organised for the mornings, and entertainment in the evenings, and one can never get bored even if you don’t go out for sight-seeing.

We enjoyed our stay in Club Mahindra Virajpet. It is more a like place where you can come, switch off your digital devices and just chill out, enjoy the beauties of nature, and go for long walks into the plantations.

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Date of stay: November 2019

Value

Service

Sleep Quality

My TripAdvisor Review No.325: Club Mahindra Virajpet, Coorg.

Rain Forest Paradise.

This was our second Visit to Club Mahindra Virajpet in the Coorg district of Karnataka. As usual we drove down from Bangalore via Mysore, Hunsur, and Gonikoppal and Virajpet town. The last part of the road, about 4 km, was still in a bad condition even though it had been under repairs on our last trip.

We wanted to be woken up by bird song in the morning, so I asked our guide, Ishika, for a room next to the forest. She obliged and allotted us a room in the Albatross Wing (each wing is named after a species of butterfly) with a ‘plantation view’. It overlooked the coffee plantation and the dense forest of trees beyond. We could hear the barbets and bulbuls twittering in the branches from the nice sit-out. Appanna helped us with our luggage and drove us down to our room, after parking our car in the parking lot.

Our ac studio room was well furnished with a king size bed and another folding bed. There was an LCD TV, microwave oven, electric kettle, and crockery and cutlery in the dry kitchenette. There is a round dining table with three chairs, and we could rustle up a quick meal with some of the ready to eat food packets we had brought with us. Once we ordered a meal which was delivered to us by their ‘Gourmet Express’. Of course there was the option of two good restaurants as well, one serving buffet (Aromas) and the other ala carte (Coorgenburg). The house keeping service was excellent, and Nasir was ever obliging and took good care of us. One evening he gave us a pleasant surprise by decorating our room with balloons and buntings. There was a complimentary cake on our table with Anniversary wishes even though the event was in the next month.

There is a nice big swimming pool and a fun-zone with plenty of activities for the kids. There is a gym and spa, and a shop named ‘Wolf-Pack’ where we bought some souvenirs. There are many activities organised for the mornings, and entertainment in the evenings, and one can never get bored even if you don’t go out for sight-seeing.

There are no decent restaurants outside within a radius of 5 km of the resort. One can buy basic necessities like eggs, bread, biscuits and junk snacks, from a small shop near the parking lot.

For sight-seeing we visited a Ganesh temple and St. Anne’s church in Virajpet (13 km), the Igguthappa temple, Nalknad Palace and Thadiandamol peak (22 km), Iruppu Falls (60 km), and Nagarhole (65 km). Other popular places of Coorg are closer to Madikeri (40 km).

We enjoyed our stay in Club Mahindra Virajpet. It is more a like place where you can come, switch off your digital devices and just chill out, enjoy the beauties of nature, and go for long walks into the plantations.

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Room Tip: Ask for a 'plantation view' room if you like to be woken up by bird song.

See more room tips

• Stayed: February 2018, travelled as a couple
  • Sleep Quality
  • Cleanliness
  • Service

See all 3 reviews by EkMusafir for Virajpet

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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

My TripAdvisor Review No.312: Irpu Falls (Lakshman Tirtha Falls), near Nagarhole NP, Karnataka.

Beautiful Falls and Temple near Nagarhole.

Irpu Falls is about 13 km from Nagarhole National Park, and 8 km from Kutta. It is slightly off the Kutta - Srimangala road, in Coorg district, and we almost missed the turning to the falls. There is a parking lot for vehicles and we had to pay Rs.50 per head to enter the Brahmagiri Sanctuary where a path with a series of steps leads to the falls.

Before entering we visited the small Rameshwara Temple to the right side of the gates. According to ancient legend Lord Ram is supposed to have passed along this way, with his brother Lakshman, during their 14 year exile. Lakshman is said to have shot an arrow into the hills in his quest for water to quench their thirst and a spring of water spurted out, and now flows down from the Irpu falls. It is known as the Lakshmana Tirtha River and joins later with the Kaveri River.

The path is about 750 metres and we had to trek across a hanging bridge and climb a series of steep steps till we reached the falls through thick jungles. There were some benches, and changing rooms for ladies along the way. We saw quite a number of people enjoying a bath in the falls. The water is said to have some holy powers to wash off one’s sins.

It is best to visit the falls after the rains, between October to December when the flow is at its full force. When we visited in February there was still enough for people to have a cold shower

Ask EkMusafir about Irpu Falls (Lakshmana Tirtha Falls)

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

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My TripAdvisor Review No.311: Coorg Dine, Gonikoppal, Coorg.

Decent Restaurant in Gonikoppal.

We had lunch at ‘Coorg Dine’ at Gonikoppal on the way back from Iruppu Falls near Nagarhole National Park. If you are coming from Virajpet then you will see ‘Hotel Pranav International’ just after turning left to go to Kutta. Coorg Dine is the restaurant attached to Hotel Pranav. We parked in the hotel compound.

The ambience was decent enough but nothing fancy. They serve veg as well as non-veg food, but it was typically South Indian, with not many Coorgi specialities. We ordered a simple south Indian thali, which had a dry vegetable, rice, sambar, pickle, curd and papad, but no chapattis. Price was quite reasonable at Rs.60. Rice was sufficient and we had our belly full.

Service was good, and the place was neat and clean. It is a good stop over on the way to Wayanad Kerala, if you are passing through Gonikoppal.

Ask EkMusafir about Coorg DIne

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

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My TripAdvisor Review No.310: Rameshwara Temple, near Iruppu Falls, Coorg.

Small and Beautiful Temple in Coorg.

This is a small temple located near Iruppu Falls in the south of Coorg (Karnataka), and should not be confused with the more famous Ramanathaswamy Temple situated on Rameswaram Island in the Bay of Bengal in South of Tamil Nadu. Many of the reviews below describe a large temple next to the sea. Well, that is the Ramanathasway Shiva Temple on Rameswaram Island, and this Rameshwara temple is a small Shiva Temple on the Lakshmana Tirtha River, which is a tributary of the Kaveri River and originates in the Brahmagiri Hills near the Iruppu Falls.

We visited the Rameshwara Temple when we drove down to the Iruppu Falls near the Nagarhole National Park in Karnataka. It is a 50 km drive from Virajpet, Coorg, to the Iruppu Falls in the Brahmagiri Hills bordering the Wayanad district of Kerala. There is a parking lot where we parked our car, and had to pay an entry fee of Rs.50 to visit the Iruppu Falls (reviewed separately). However, you can pay your respects at the Rameshwara Temple before even entering the sanctuary for the falls. It is enclosed in a separate compound and you have to take off your footwear before entering.

Legend has it that Ram and Lakshman passed along this way while searching for Sita. Lakshman, looking for water to drink, shot an arrow into the hills and a spring of water started flowing from where the arrow struck, thus forming the Lakshmana Tirtha River. Hence the Iruppu Falls is believed to possess the power to cleanse sins, and visited by many devotees on Shivaratri day.

Ask EkMusafir about Rameshwara Temple

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

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My TripAdvisor Review No.309: Iruppu Falls, Coorg.

Sparkling Falls in the Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary.

We drove down to Iruppu Falls via Virajpet, Gonikoppal and Srimangala. We had to take a right turn to the falls before reaching Kutta, almost touching the border with Kerala. The road distance from Virajpet to Iruppu Falls was about 50 km, and the drive through the coffee and pepper plantations was quite enjoyable. There is a pay and park (Rs.10 per car), and an entry fee of Rs.50 per head before entering the Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary inside which the falls are located. There is a Rameshwara Temple also nearby.

We crossed a small suspension bridge across the Lakshman Tirtha River, and walked up a jungle path and steps leading to the falls. The climb was quite steep in places and we had to rest on the benches laid out along the less than 1 km path. There were some changing rooms, specially made for ladies who may want to have a shower under the waterfall. We enjoyed the walk in the midst of natural surroundings. We did not see much wildlife besides some monkeys, squirrels, and birds, as it was quite late in the day, and the other animals must have been hiding in the bushes.

The water was still tumbling down the rocks in the middle of February, but the best time to visit these falls would be from July to December, during the rainy season or just afterwards. It is then that you can enjoy the force of the gushing waters and misty environment to the fullest.

There are some snack stalls near the parking lot. We enjoyed some tender coconut water before heading back.

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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

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My TripAdvisor Review No.308: Cuisine Papera, Gonikoppal, Coorg.

Cuisine Papera - Excellent Authentic Coorgi Cuisine.

Review of Papera

Reviewed yesterday

On the way to Virajpet Coorg we stopped at Gonikoppal and found this restaurant called ‘Cuisine Papera’ serving traditional Kodava veg and non-veg food. In fact, this was the second time we stopped to dine here. It is located on the 3rd floor of a shopping arcade which also houses the ‘More Superstore’ and some vehicle spare parts shops. Parking is available in the compound.

We had to climb the staircase up to the restaurant, and it was very well decorated with traditional Kodava tools, utensils, and agricultural implements and weavers crafts.

The menu had many Kodava dishes, including pork, fish, chicken and mutton as well as vegetarian dishes. Once we tried their local fish fry, which I think was called Angel Fish. On the second occasion we dined on Mughlai Kadai Paneer with naan and roti. The taste was very good and peppery, as this spice is grown in the local plantations and they make liberal use of it. Black pepper used to be called the black gold of this region. Of course, you can request them to put less of it in your dish.

Service was good and courteous, and the prices were quite reasonable. At the end of your meal they served some betel leaves, cut areca nut, fennel and some sugar coated digestives so that we could make our own complimentary ‘paan’.

‘Papera Inn’ located above the restaurant houses 20 rooms where you can stop for the night, and they also run a home stay at Nelji village where you can enjoy a plantation stay.

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• Stayed: February 2018, travelled as a couple
  • Rooms
  • Cleanliness
  • Service

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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

My TripAdvisor Review No.171: Nalknad Palace, Kakkabe, Coorg.

“A Hideout for the King.”

Reviewed 1 week ago

The palace is about 25 km from Virajpet in the South of Coorg (Kodagu) district. It is about 2 km off the Virajpet – Talacauvery road, near the town of Kakkabe. There is a small turn-off on the left as you are coming from Virajpet. The last 1 km is a very rough and rocky road.

The Nalknad Palace is not a real palace, but a hide-out of the old Kodagu kings, to escape their enemies during war time. Some of their enemies were the British, as well as Tipu Sultan. The palace seemed to be in a state of disrepair, but still looked very regal.

It is in the midst of the forests on a hill, and surrounded by the tall peaks of the Western Ghats. The tallest peak of Coorg, the Tadiayandamol, is visible in the background and is about 6 km from the palace. Trekker’s start their trek to this peak from near here.

Photography was prohibited inside the palace, but we took many snaps outside. There was a lone guide cum watchman who showed us around the palace, and we left him a small tip.The guide showed us the ancient wall and ceiling paintings, as well as a secret passage and a dark room inside the palace.

The surroundings were very calm and beautifully forested and green.

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Visited January 2016

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

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My TripAdvisor Review No.168: Igguthappa Temple, Coorg, Karnataka.

“Beautiful Temple in a Natural Setting.”

Reviewed yesterdayNEW

This temple is about 30 km from Virajpet in the South of Coorg (Kodagu) district. It is about 2 km off the Virajpet – Talacauvery road, near the town of Kakkabe.

Lord Igguthappa is an important deity for the local Kodavas. He is considered to be a provider of food and the one who fulfills his devotee’s desires. During the harvest festival, paddy is first harvested in the fields belonging to the Lord, and only then the people of Kodagu celebrate the festival.

We were lucky to visit this temple around noon time, and see the special ceremonies being carried out that day. The idol was taken out in a procession around the temple on the head of the priest to bless all the devotees who were present. Later all the devotees were served with a sumptuous lunch. We were served by one of the priests himself, Shri Lava Kumar, as a guest in his house. We were happy to receive his blessings.

The temple is located in a very natural and beautiful setting, surrounded by hills and forests. It is definitely a must visit if you are in Coorg.

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Visited January 2016

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

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My TripAdvisor Review No.167: Club Mahindra Virajpet, Coorg.

“An Enchanting Plantation Resort.”

Reviewed 2 days agoNEW

Club Mahindra’s Virajpet Resort is located about 13 km from Virajpet town, in the middle of the coffee plantations of Coorg (Kodagu).

We drove down from Bangalore via Mysore, Hunsur and Gonikoppal, and it took us about 6 hours with a few breaks in between. The roads were generally good, except for the last 5 km. In fact the last 2 km were under repairs when we arrived and we had to drive our car over large stones which were being used to pave the road. Hope it is done by now. They have a large parking area, and a separate area for self/owner driven cars.

We had a smooth check-in, and Chandni from reception walked us to our Studio room while introducing us to the resort, which is spread out 37 acres of a coffee plantation. They also arrange for a guided but chargeable walk every morning for the guests. Each block of rooms is named after a species of butterfly, because the plantation had a huge population of butterflies before becoming a resort. Each room has a butterfly poster as a decoration. There is a large clean swimming pool and tracks laid out for walking among the trees and plants.

Our air-conditioned room was quite spacious and clean, and there was a nice sit-out. We had a dry kitchenette with a microwave oven, tea maker, toaster, crockery and cutlery. The housekeeping staff were very helpful and courteous and always enquiring if we required anything.

There are two large restaurants, one serving buffet and the other ala-carte. There is also a room delivery service called ‘Gourmet Express’. There are no restaurants outside the resort nearby. One has to travel at least 13 km to Virajpet to try out the local cuisine. We tried the ala-carte restaurant ‘Coorgenburg’ and the food was quite tasty. We also made good use of the kitchenette and dining table in our room.

The area around the resort is surrounded by forest and plantations, and the sight-seeing places are few and far between. It is a long drive to the Nagarhole NP and the Iruppu Falls. One can visit the St.Anne’s Church and Ganesha Temple in Virajpet town, and shop for local products. We enjoyed driving to the Iguthappa Temple and Nalknad Palace which is relatively close, and got a view of the Thadiayadamol peak, the highest mountain in Coorg.

On the whole, we had a nice stay and enjoyed our holiday experience at this plantation paradise.

Room Tip: Choose rooms closer to the forest at the far end to enjoy the morning bird calls.

See more room tips

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• Stayed January 2016, travelled with family
  • 
    Sleep Quality
  • 
    Cleanliness
  • 
    Service

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

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MEANDERING TO MADIKERI (COORG). PUNE TO MADIKERI IN A MARUTI ZEN, NOVEMBER 2008.

DAY ONE: Thursday, 6-11-2008. PUNE to BENAULIM (GOA).


We left home at 6.30am, having finished our packing the previous day. It is a good time to leave the city as all the traffic signals are still asleep. Got on to NH4 via the Katraj bypass. The road was good and we had reached Nipani in Karnataka by noon. After Nipani we had to get onto a state highway(SH), since we wanted to take the Panjim-Karwar-Mangalore route(NH17). NH17 runs along the west coast of India and is supposed to be one of the most scenic roads in India. We took the Uttur-Ajra-Amboli-Savantwadi-Panjim road, as this is supposedly the shortest route to Panjim from Pune.

The road was bad in parts and it took us 3 hrs to reach Savantwadi, a distance of 110 kms from Nipani. We stopped at Kamat’s at Savantwadi for refreshments. We entered the sunny state of Goa around 4.30pm and reached Panjim after an hour of driving through increasing traffic of locals returning home from work. By the time we reached Margao it was 6.30pm and had already become dark and we decided to head towards the beaches to find a pleasant place to spend the night. In the dark we had some problem in remembering the roads from our previous visits.

Finally we found a nice place called Rosario’s Inn near Benaulim beach. The room was small and could barely accommodate an extra mattress - Rs.400 for lodging for the three of us. Instead of walking to the beach for dinner we decided to try out their ‘home’ fare. The dining area was in a nice round open-air tiled shack, and one foreign couple was already enjoying their supper at 8pm. We ordered drinks (feni and wine) and starters (golden fried prawns), followed by fish fry, rice and salad and the bill amounted to only Rs360.

The room was a bit cramped but we were so tired that we were soon fast asleep.






DAY TWO: Friday, 7-11-2008. GOA to MARAVANTHE.



It was quite pleasant in the morning, maybe around 22° C. Komal and I went for an early morning walk on Benaulim beach. It was high tide and only one foreigner was swimming in the sea. There were quite a few (including locals) taking their morning walks.
For breakfast (room service) we ordered cheese omlettes (Rs30-double egg) and toast butter, and drank milk straight from the sachet. There was a lovely garden outside our room, and a football ground outside the compound. We took our first snaps of the trip.








A PLEASANT NOVEMBER MORNING AT ROSARIO'S INN, BENAULIM, SOUTH GOA.


We departed from Rosario’s at 10.30am, and stopped on the way to buy some booze and snacks. Bought a souvenir mug, and a bottle of feni and wine to smuggle into Karnataka. Got onto NH17 via Chinchinim.

After Canacona, NH17 was in a bad state and as we approached the border with Karnataka it kept getting worse. About 20% of the road was in such a bad condition that I had to get into first gear. Every 20km of good road was followed by 2km of bad road, which slowed us down considerably.

For lunch we stopped near the Karwar warship museum and had the cheese sandwiches which we had packed from home. The scenery of the sea and hills around Karwar was beautiful and I took a few snaps with the digicam.
KARWAR BEACH AS SEEN FROM THE HIGHWAY



Further progress was slow and it was 5pm when we arrived in Murudeshwar to do darshan of the world’s biggest Shiva statue. It was indeed awe-inspiring and the temple too was of giant proportions. After darshan we had dosas and coffee at the ‘Naveen’ restaurant which was constructed on stilts in the sea.




GIANT SHIVA IDOL AND TEMPLE AT MURUDESHWAR






FISHERMEN AT MURUDESHWAR BEACH


By the time we reached Maravanthe it had become dark. Maravanthe is the famous causeway where you drive on a narrow strip of land between a river and the deep sea. People and lorry drivers stop at sunset to admire the scenic beauty. Unfortunately, we missed this because at 7pm it had already become quite dark.

It took us a while to locate the ‘Turtle Bay Resort’, which was down a right turn and located just next to the beach. The setting was nice and rustic, and you could hear the waves crashing on the beach. They had three types of rooms; ordinary-Rs.1500, Deluxe with 3 beds-Rs.2500, and a/c.-Rs.2500. In spite of not having a reservation we got a room easily as it was Friday and the weekenders from Bangalore had not yet arrived.

We had dinner sitting outside in their thatched roof beach shack, with a bold cat for company, purring and begging for scraps. There were posters hanging around the shack with loads of information on the different kinds of sea-life around. After dinner we walked on the deserted beach and listened to the pounding waves in the dark. We could see the protruding rocks in the half moonlight and feel the cold sand in our feet.

Back in the room power kept tripping, but they had a noisy generator which saved us from having a stuffy night in the room. The room itself was a cozy cabana, and a mattress was provided for the extra person.

　
DAY THREE: Saturday, 8-11-08. MARAVANTHE to MUDIGERE
Went for an early walk on the beach with Komal. She enjoyed running in the sand near the water’s edge. It was a secluded beach with only the locals around. We could see the trucks moving on the highway near the beach. One fishing boat pulled in with a couple of fishermen. They had a catch of some tiny fishes.


RELAXING AT TURTLE BAY RESORT, MARAVANTHE, KARNATAKA.

Tourists started arriving at the resort around 9.30am. We had been the only guests last night, or so it seemed. We had aloo parathas for breakfast and checked out at 10am.
First, we had to go back to the spot on the highway where it squeezes between the Sowparnika river and the Arabian sea, as we had missed witnessing the scenery in the dark, last evening. It was indeed a fascinating sight and it seems many truck drivers also make it a must-do stopover for refreshing the body and soul. After having coconut water we were on our way towards Mangalore. However, since we were already running behind schedule and also I’d heard that the road from Mangalore to Madikeri was in bad shape, we decided to turn left to Manipal from Udupi - destination Chikmagalur.
We reached Udupi around 12 noon, but decided to skip visiting the Krishna temple, even though it is a must-see in Udupi. Again we found NH17 to be very bad in parts, and we had to slow down to a crawl to avoid any damage to our little Zen.

Manipal seemed to be a town with a character totally different from the rest of rural Karnataka. In fact it looked much like Pali Hill (Mumbai), with a lot of good college and university buildings. There were also a number of high rise residential buildings coming up. However, all too soon we were out of Manipal and back into rural Karnataka.

Our next stop was Karkala, where we saw a giant Gomateshwara statue. We couldn’t get up close as the entrance gate was closed. We had lunch at an air-con restaurant called ‘Rockside’, which served up an excellent ‘Surmai masala fry fish’.

We were now on a state highway, and most of the direction boards were in Kannada (the local language). Asking for directions was also sometimes a frustrating experience as we couldn’t understand the local lingo. So I just picked up the name of next destination from the road maps we were following and asked them to point, at each junction. In this way we could manage to reach the small town of Mudigere by nightfall, still 30km away from Chikmagalur.

Mudigere had only one hotel in the marketplace. But after asking around at Horticulture Research station, one lab assistant guided us to a Govt. Rest house. The room had a high wooden ceiling, a six-seater dining table, a comfy sofa-set, but only one bed. But the room was huge and airy, in an old style ‘dak-bangla’. And the care-taker accommodated us for Rs.100 only.
We had dinner at Hotel Atithee in the marketplace. Simple rice-plate for Rs.25, and dosas for Rs.12. We were so tired that we crashed instantly, Komal sleeping on the sofa.

DAY FOUR: Sunday, 9-11-08. MUDIGERE to MADIKERI.
I went for an early morning walk in Mudigere. It is a small one street town with three petrol pumps. Had buns and tea for breakfast. Had the car washed. It had become quite dirty., and one of the hub-caps had fallen off, god knows in which pot-hole. Filled ‘Speed’ (Rs.61.25 a litre), and we were on our way to Belur at 9am.

We reached Belur by 10.30am. We were quite impressed by the architecture and carvings. We had a proper brunch after seeing the sights. We got dosas, wadas and upma at Rs.10 per plate (substantial) and followed it up with coconut water, also at Rs.10 each. In fact the tender coconut is cheaper here than even in Kerala!

The architecture and carvings in Belur and Halebid are comparable even to Khajuraho. The temples were built around the 13th to 14th century by the Hoysalas. One could spend hours inside the monuments just admiring the intricacy of the carvings. Here are some of the pictures taken by me.
　

　
　
　

BELUR TEMPLE CARVINGS

BELUR TEMPLE

CHENNA KESAVA TEMPLE, BELUR.

From Belur we took the road to Hassan. This was one of the best roads we encountered after leaving NH4 and we had reached Hassan in 45mins from Belur. After Hassan the road was narrow and bad going to Arkalgud, Mallipatna, and Somvarpet. After Somvarpet it got better but very undulating. We were now in Coorg district. We had a late lunch at a restaurant in Somavarpet.




WINDING & PICTURESQUE COUNTRY ROADS OF COORG.



We reached Madikeri and Club Mahindra’s Kodagu Valley Resort and got a fabulous reception. In our room we opened the feni and wine bottles we had smuggled in and celebrated. It had been four long days of hard driving on good, bad and middling roads.
We had covered a distance of about 1150 kms. Our Zen had given us an average of about 19 km/litre.

HOME AWAY FROM HOME. CLUB MAHINDRA'S KODAGU VALLEY.

TALAKAVERI TEMPLE IN COORG.

VIEW FROM RAJA'S SEAT, MADIKERI (MERCARA).

Now I had five days at Kodagu Valley resort to plan the return journey route.