19th January 2025
As usual, I left home early in
the morning at 0500hrs. The only difference was that, these days, my starting
point is Mangalore. The roads of NH 66 were relatively quiet, with only a few
heavy trucks, long-route Private buses, KSRTC
Clubclass Iravata’s, and some long destination cars playing on the road,
hardly came across three or four long-riding motorcycles. After Brahmavara,
took a diversion towards Barkur, as my destination was Nagara.
Lake on the way
The journey continued through Siddapura, Hosangadi, and the Hulikal Ghat section. Along the way spotted a beautiful lake on the right side of the road. Taking a small mud path reached the edge of the lake, clicked a few snaps, and resumed my journey.
My Taxi....😎😎
Being a Sunday morning, traffic on the scenic ghat was moderate. The road conditions were good, except for a few bad patches and some under-construction sections before entering the ghat. Once the curvy uphill stretch began, the ride became a delight, smooth, paved roads leading all the way to Nagara.
Just before reaching Masthikatte, I came across a curvy bridge built across the Mani reservoir. The stunning landscape compelled me to stop and take some photographs.
Survive or Mircale
It was around 0830hrs, and the morning sunlight beautifully illuminated the scenery. From this bridge, I noticed the shooting spot of the Kannada movie “Paramathma.” Captivated; to go there I took a slight diversion from the Kundapur-Shivamogga road.
The narrow road hugged the reservoir’s edge, offering breathtaking views. However, about half a kilometres in, found the road blocked due to construction work. Unable to proceed further, I decided to save this spot for another trip and headed back towards Nagara.
By 0900hrs, I reached Nagara.
Hungry for breakfast, some locals for recommended the Hotel Shabari near the
bus stand. After a satisfying breakfast of four Idli’s and a vada, I headed
towards the parking lot of Nagara Fort, located just a kilometres from the bus
stand.
Nagara Fort entrance
Nagara Fort was built in year of 1640 by Shivappa Nayaka of the Keladi dynasty. Until 1763, it remained under their control but eventually fell into the hands of Hyder Ali. The fort is situated beside a lake, though its current condition leaves much to be desired and calls for restoration.
While chit chatting with the parking attendant, she suggested visiting an old historical temple called Devagange on my route to Siganduru via Sampakatte, Nagodi, and Tumari. Quite interesting, I decided to include Devagange in my itinerary.
The Devagange Temple and its
ponds were built by the Keladi dynasty. The ponds, constructed near the Ishwara
Temple, are said to have pure water flowing through their intricately designed
shapes, and locals claim they never dry up.
After exploring Devagange, I
detoured back to the Siganduru road and continued my journey. The distance from
Devagange to Siganduru was around 60 kilometres, which I could easily cover in
two hours. The road condition was good, and the route passed through lush
forests and narrow, winding roads. There was not much traffic occasional
oncoming some tempo travellers and Trax, reached Siganduru by 1245hrs.
The Siganduru Chowdeshwari
Temple, located near the backwaters of the Linganamakki dam reservoir
(Sharavati), is a renowned pilgrimage spot. However, due to the ongoing
festival, it was heavily crowded, and I couldn’t get the Devi’s darshana. I
chose not to enter the temple prayed from outside headed towards the Siganduru
ferry point.
It was a fulfilling day filled with beautiful landscapes, historical sites, and serene moments—a journey to cherish and definitely worth revisiting. Total distance covered 391kilmeters.
