Melukote

Melukote or Melkote in mandya district, Karnataka is around 130 Kms from Bangalore and an ideal place for a day trip.Melukote Wiki We started early on a drizzling saturday morning and reached Melkote around 10'o clock after having our breakfast at Kamat. Immediately After crossing Mandya , take the right turn at the sign board of Melkote which is around 40kms from there.The road is pretty good and scenic.

On the Way to Melkote

On the Way to Melkote

Painted Stork

Much to our delight there is a huge lake on the way to Melkote with few Painted Storks and other birds sitting on the banks.

Devotee taking bath at the Kalyani

At the Kalyani

Yoganarasimha Swamy temple Steps

Yoganarasimha Swamy temple

There was a movie shooting happening at this place during our trip.The other places to see in Melukote are Sanskrit
research institute,Raya Gopura, Akka Thangi Kola.

Yoganarasimha Swamy temple

There is lot more to explore in this place than we did and will be travelling to this place soon. This time during our travel on the Mysore road  we saw couple of accidents which could have been easily avoided.The first was a couple driving on their  motor bike on the edge of the road which was wet due to rains .They skid and fell down and luckily for  them no other vehicle was close  behind them else the consequence could be worst. We gave them some first aid and water.The second was after crossing Ramnagara Two guys travelling on their Motor bike were fast on that road(The sigh board on that road says 40Kmph), and a school kid going to school,who's around 13yrs of age was crossing the road with his bicycle when suddenly this motorbike guys hit him.All three fell flat .The driver of the motorbike had some head injuries and few bruises ,pillion driver escaped with some minor injuries ,but the kid was the one who was seriously injured.His eye was swollen with many other injuries on his body.We just arrived that spot and stopped our vehicle ,there were few people who already gathered at that spot. Since the kids school was exactly opposite where the accident happened few of his friends came there. His injuries were very bad though not life threatening.  All the three were shifted to hospital after sometime.This could have been avoided if those bikers were driving carefully or rather a bit slowly atleast near the places were people tend to cross the roads .(This place  already has speed limit sigh boards and one can clearly see people just tend to walk across,) Most of the times i see people driving crazily while travelling and most of the times it the car drivers who do this. Sometimes it is so ironic to see people driving crazily with a "L" (learning sigh) on their car

View of Melkote Town from the top of the temple

Chembra Peak Trek

Chembra Peak, the highest in Wayanad, Kerala,at 2100 meters ASL is one of the best one day trekking spots. Chembra is around 300 km from Bangalore near Meppady.

Chembra Peak

Five of us started at 6 PM from bangalore in i10 car for an adventurous weekend. Our first halt was at Nanjangud for the night.

*Forest gates will be closed from 6pm to 6am in the forest reserve.

We stayed at a lodge in Nanjangud, who charged Rs 700/- for a night for 5 of  us.It was an ok kind of room with 4 beds.We started the next day early morning towards wayanad.

Sunrise near  Nanjangud 

The ideal time for starting the Chembra trek would be an early morning but Since we reached Meppadi close to noon, we decided to have fun at the Soochipara waterfalls and do the trek the next morning.

Soochipara falls

For reaching the Chembra base, we need to take the lane adjacent to Meppadi mosque and travel a distance of about 10kms to reach the forest office.The ticket would cost Rs 500 for upto 10 people which includes the guide charges.We had more adventurous plans and hence decided to stay at Chembra watch 

tower.It would cost Rs 3500/- per day(for all of us),which includes the trekking fee and the guide charges.The watch tower has 2 rooms,one on each floor.The room has one double bed with a single bulb hanging on one side of the wall and the light generated is very less.(Sourced from solar energy).

Make sure to take enough water and food items as you won't get anything around chembra base.For reaching the Watch tower you'll walk through the beautiful tea gardens.You'll get the feel of the forest once you reach the watch tower with the sound of cricket insects. As per the guard at the watch tower, there is a presence of wild animals around that place.

The view of the watch tower where we stayed.

*This picture is not taken by me.

It was amazing to see the sunset and the sky changing the colors from top of the watch tower.

View of Chembra Hills from the watch tower.

The view of the Chembra atop of the Watch tower would be just amazing.We also had a fantastic time playing bluff(Card game) that night.

Enjoying the view of the hills.

View of Chembra Hills from the watch tower.

View of Chembra Hills from the watch tower.

The next morning the entire surrounding of the watch tower was covered with fog.

View of Chembra Hills from the watch tower early morning.

We started around 6 in the morning for the trek. Ideally it would take 4 hours to trek and reach the top.

After sometime of the trek You'll find a small pond on the trial which has lots of small fishes.We had a good fish spa free of cost.

Heart Shaped Lake on the way to the chembra peak.

It is still a long way to go.We'll always feel that the it would be the last peak but the fact is the heart shaped lake is just the half way done.

Walking through the huge grass.

The final Peak.

Some where while climbing down the peak.

Robber Fly

Coming down would be slippery.I fell down once :)
There is a water flow in the middle of the trek and drinkable(As per the guide).We drank the same but it would be very cold and was just amazing.
The trek to chembra peak is awesome, but not an easy one.
The forest office for taking permission for trek is open on all the days of the year.
But make sure to carry enough water and something to eat. We took biscuits, few apples and chocolates.
*Its always important to make sure not to throw any of the waste on the hills.
We came back to the watch tower took shower( the watch tower has one decent bath room inside the compound at one corner, and yes you'll get only chilled water)
We started back to Bangalore and made sure to cross the forest check post before 6'o clock and reached around 11'o clock to bangalore.

The road we took from bangalore.
http://goo.gl/maps/AEFel