Unseen Gundlupet - Flower pot of Karnataka

 

Unseen Gundlupet - Flower pot of Karnataka

Gundlupet is called flower pot of Karnataka, this small town which is nestled between  Mysuru - Ooty  Mysuru - Kozhikode Highway. It shares borders with Tamil Nadu and Kerala so through out the year this tiny town keeps busy with tourists.

Bandipur wild life safari and Himavad Gopalaswamy Hills are most famous tourist spots of Gundlupet. This small town is surrounded by agricultural land which shares it border with the wild life Sanctuaries of Karnataka and Kerala. 

 

Bandipur Tiger Reserve Entrance

 

 Inside the Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary

 

Wildlife Safari

Forest Petrol on Two Wheels😃

 People are simple and hard worker they adopted agriculture as their profession, through out the year grows different crops and vegetables like Jowar, Raagi, Sugarcane, turmeric, onion, banana and vegetables. Mansoon period is July to October, during these days most of them are grows Sunflower and different colours of Marry golds  turns up whole area into a flowerpot.

Waving Colourful Marry gold fields

Average rainfall in this area is only 600mm and it falls between July to October still they utilities the rain water in proper manner, almost all fields having their own tube well and large ponds to collect rain water and feeds to drip irrigation. Its main hub to supply vegetables and flowers to Kerala during the Onam season.

Sunflower Crop

Sunflower seeds ready to harvest

Sunflower field passage decorated with flowers😃

 

Bandipur Tirger Reserve 

Bandipur Tiger Reserve Safari is just 14Km far from Gundlupet town, earlier the office located inside the forest now they shifted outside due to heavy rust of tourists, Karnataka State forest department arrange wild life safari on nominal price, mini buses and Jeeps are available on sharing basis. Both Morning and evening safaris are opted. The new office have built in large area with proper facilities.

Small shelter built on tree top to protect the crops from wild animals during night

Shri Himavad Gopalaswamy Temple

Shri Himavad Gopalaswamy temple is famous temple in Gundlupet, its located at Himavad Gopalaswamy Hill which comes under Bandipur Tiger Reserve and its just 21Km from Gundlupet town. to reach there on has to travel on Gundlupet - Ooty road till a small village called Shri Hangala then take dievrsion towards right, a narrow tarmacked road nestled between village and fields takes us to parking area near the entrance of  Betta. 

Village View

Earlier all the tourist vehicles were permitted to climb the hill now a days Karnataka State Road Transport buses playing between hill base to top.

This Dravidian style temple built during AD1315 in Hoysala era later maintained by  Wodeyars of Mysuru. The Garbhagraha contains an idol of Shri Krishna holding flute under a tree this beautifully carved idol is 6 feet tall. Devotees are only allowed to visit the temple during day time with time restrictions. It opens at 0830hrs to 1630hrs, private vehicles are not allowed and please remember that  this is a Plastic free Zone. During the most of the time throughout the year this temple was covered with snow, that's why it's called Himavad (Covered with snow) Gopalaswamy temple.

Somewhere near around Gundlupet

Way to Shir Himavad Gopalaswamy Hill

Road to Himavad Swamy Hill

Parking area

 

Entrance Gate Shri Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta

Shri Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta

Shri Himavad Gopalaswamy Temple

 

Accommodation and food

There are many lodges and resorts are available at Gundlupet, terrif starts from Rs.600 per day, so many veg and non veg restaurants was also served so no need to worry no previous reservations required. If you visit during the monsoon don't forget to travel the interior villages of Gundlupet it's an amazing experience, monsoon is a good time to explore this flowerpot surrounded by huge hills.

View Near Betta

 

Trip to Bandipur National Park

Whenever I travel by Sargur route a unique place called Hand Post attracts my attention, it was a small town and at the heart of the town a small circle built and two road crosses each other. One is Gundlupet HD Kote road and another is Mysore Manathavady Road. I had traveled many times on HD Kote route whenever I reached to this place Manathvady Road attracts me because it goes through deep jungle. So this time I had decided to explore this route and planed accordingly.

Day One 26th December 2015

As per the plan early morning at sharp 0500hrs left home, Karthik  joined us from Mulleria. Our first destination was Paadi Igguthappa temple located at Kakabbe, Kodagu. Igguthappa is one of the  important deity of Kodagu.

On the way to Coorg

Loard Igguthappa known as rain god, as kodavas and kodagu arebhashe gowdas were agriculturists they pray Lord Iguthappa for rain.

Tea Stall at Talakaveri junction

It was very foggy day nothing is visible, once crossing Sullia weather was slightly improved, road condition was also excellent. Around 0800hrs reached Talakaveri Junction, from there onward narrow winding road limited our speed. 

Way to IgguthappaTemple

Park yard of temple

Around 1000hrs reached Lord Igguthappa temple, a well built parking area with a friendly care taker welcomed us.

Main Entrance

History of the temple (Source : Wikipedia) 

Paadi Igguthappa temple became a prominent place of worship during King Lingarajendra’s reign. Lingarajendra had ordered his Dewan Apparanda Bopu to get an idol of an elephant made out of the silver coins. The coins weighed about three kilograms. On the back of the idol is inscribed in Halegannada (old Kannada), the year in which it was dedicated to Igguthappa for favours granted to Lingarajendra. This exquisite silver elephant is used daily in the poojas performed at the temple^.

In 1835, the year after Linga Rajendra’s son Chikka Veerarajendra was deposed by the British, Dewan Apparanda Bopu took it on himself to renovate the temple. The structure was reconstructed and was fitted with tiles replacing the earlier thatched roof.

Igguthappa Temple

My brother and family

Photography was prohibited inside the temple, after visiting temple headed towards Virajpet, distance between the place is around 31km, well tarmacked winding road goes through coffee estate breeze to ride.

Way to Virajpet

 Paddy fileds

Virajpet town

At Virajpet took breakfast at KSRTC canteen and headed towards Kutta via Gonikoppal, distance is around 54kms, once reached Kutta Tholpetty wild life sanctuary starts. At Kutta there were two road which goes to Mysore one is via Nagarahole forest another is via Begur forest range.

 On the way to Kutta

Two and three wheeler are not allowed in Nagarahole route, we choose second one i.e Manathvady Mysore road which goes through Kattikulam, Bavali and DP Kuppe. 

 Coffee plant on the way

 Tholpetty wildlife

Road is narrow but well maintained, as usual in Karnataka side there is a hump in every 500mtrs. One can enjoy the cool forest atmosphere. On this route there were many tribal villages also available, their agricultural land nestled between the thick forest.

 Small bridge inside the wood

Thirunelli temple junction

 Small temple inside the jungle

 Tribal settlements

 Superb road inside the Begur wildlife sanctuary

 Fields

Pound inside the forest

 Tribal settlement (Karnataka side)

Barricade

At forest check post visited forest office, the local tribal kids were playing along with the forest dept. elephants. 

 Elephant

Forest check post 

Road closed inside the Nagarahole tiger reserve

After taking a break of 15miunts for a snap headed towards Gundlupet via Sargur. Now the old road SH 33 was closed and instead of that a new road was built, every vehicle has to take diversion from here, It was a good move by forest department, to save the tiger.

 
Forest Petroling

Forest office

Rajiv Gandhi National park entrance 

Horse gram on the road villager innovative way to separate it ...

Tractors at field

Around 1400hrs reached Hand post from there we took Sargur road the road which goes through rich vegetable fields and Nugu dam. On the way we found a unique innovation of villagers.. they use vehicle to separate horse gram from the plants. Actually these were separated by beating the plants but here they simply puts plant in the road and when vehicle goes through it it separates and at the evening they collect it.

Villager

Superb road

Temple on top of the hill

While going through this road near Nugu falls one white colour temple built in top of the hill attracted me, its looks too far from  the main road and looks like built in top of the highest mountain.

Nugu Dam

10 minutes brake near Nugu receviour

Little Master..

Sheep herd

At room

Around 1700hrs reached Gundlupet and had some food and settled down on good lodge, whole Gundlupet town was very busy with road construction, the main road was going little wider, so traffic jam was there in peak hours. 

Around 2030hrs took dinner and returned to the room. Next days was very important to us because, we had  planned to visit Bandipur Safari and Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta.

Day Two 27th December 2015

Wake up at early 0430hrs and get ready around 0530hrs, our destination was Bandipur National Park. it was located 12km far from Gundlupet, around 0555hrs reached at the forest check post it was closed because it open only from 0600hrs and colsed at 1800hrs. A long Que was in front of the gate.

Que in front of the Bandipur forest check post

As soon as gate opened heavy loaded trucks and passenger vehicles were rushed towards Bandipur, the road which goes via Bandipur connects three states, It goes to Ooty and also one can reach Wayanad (Kerala) by using this road.

 Deer inside the forest

 Forest Safari starts at 0630hrs and we took tickets for that and went in the forest department Eicher vehicles. It was a wonderful experience, we can see and enjoy the deep jungle, and it freshens our mind and soul.

 Inside the forest

 After the Safari returned to the forest check post, our next destination is Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta, I had visited this place twice. But this time it was a unique experience, as soon as reached near the entry point we were surprise to see a large parking area of private vehicle.

Our Santro In front of Bandipur forest check post

 Village Life (Hangala Village gateway to Himavad Goapalaswamy Betta)

Parking area

Now all private vehicle was banned inside the temple premises, lot of KSRTC buses playing around in this route, and they are charging Rs.20 for one side travel. So we took KSRTC and started climbing the hill. You can read more about here. {Trip to Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta} & {My Legendary Green 'Bull..}

 View from the Bus

Himavad Gopalaswamy temple

 My brother and family

 Temple car

Some VIP visited to the temple so tight security was there

After visiting temple returned to Gundlupet and took delicious breakfast and vacate the lodge and started our return journey. Via Sargur and HD Kote.

While taking rest near the Nugu Dam again spotted the small white colored temple on top of the hill, while so approached the security enquire about that he informed us it was one of the  famous temple and it called as Godess Chikka Devammanavara Temple, and located just 13kms from the Dam and road was also in good shape.

 View from the Hill Top

 You can spot wild Elephant n this picture

 Shri Chikkadevammanavara Temple

Karthik

parking area on top of  the Hill

Only 13Km so we didn't think twice headed toward the Hill. on the way a village lady asked drop to the Hill. In case If drop the plan to visit this Hill it was big loss to us. Because it was most wonderful experience, steep road and fantastic scenery was really made us crazy.

Temple premises

Rode from the Top

After visiting temple joined the main Road and headed towards HD Kote around 1330hrs reached HD Kote and took lunch at Hotel Near KSRTC Bus stand and continued our journey, around 2100hrs reached home via Hunsur, Madikeri and Sullia.

Sheep herd 

 Village View