SOMWARPET IN KODAGU

 Somwarpet is a key town in Kodagu also called Coorg some forty kilometers from Madikeri towards the fringes of the Western Ghats.Not many people know about this small but significant town in Kodagu.It is closer to Kushalnagar than Madikeri  and many aspiring specifically to reach Somwarpet from Bangalore can do so through Kushal Nagar without touching Madikeri.

There is a Muthappan temple in Somwarpet frequented by many and all the austerities conducted in the main temple in Prassinikadavu is also conducted here.Some twenty kilometers trek through the Western Ghat mountains and forest range could take one to Parassinikadavu.In ancient times people took the forest route through the ghats to reach Kodagu which explains the similarities seen between Kodagu and Malabar.

Places like Sakaleshpur and Chickamangalur is accessed from Kodagu through this town and has a simple and elegant KSRTC bus station.

WAYANAD NEAR BANGALORE

There is a less known tourist spot near Bangalore, more precisely near Mysore.It might be wrong to say less known as by the day many people are becoming aware of this Tourist destination.

Wayanad till the 18th century was less inhabited and the name Wayanad comes from Wayal-nad which means a land of many feilds.Wayanad has a very ancient history less discussed which links it to the Jain religion..this needs more research but possibly Jain monks took to this place for stay and penance.Wayanad is adjacent to Kodagu or Coorg and many roads link  Kodagu with Wayanad.

How to reach Wayanad? Take the Ooty highway from Mysore that goes through Nanjangud and then into a place called Gundlupet..at the Gundlupet check-post turn right into the Bandipur forest. Some one and a half hour journey from Gundlupet one reaches SultanBattery a key town in Wayanad.

The total travelling time from Bangalore to Wayanad could be some six hours or so.Sultan Battery ,Mananthavady and Kalpetta are the key cities of Wayanad relatively close to each other..there are many tourist spots in Wayanad which are less glorified by general public but none the less formidable.There are many smaller towns in Wayanad too like Vythiri and Panamaram.

ALLEPPEY (ALAPUZHA) , THEKKADY AND MUNNAR.

Some time back as a part of an office  excursion in 1997 went on a tour of Southern Kerala..and is worth recording and mentioning.It basically covered Alleppey , Thekkadi and Munnar..the latter two places in the Idukki district of Kerala. Ernakulam, Alleppey, Thekkady and Munnar form a circular travel loop.

Allepey also called Alapuzha is on the Arabian coast few hours drive from Ernakulam also called Cochin. Alapuzha translates into a Sack like river..technically it could also mean Big River..but what is seen here is not a big river but a big pond or lake formed by the backwaters from the Arabian Sea.A Back Water is formed due to certain coastal conditions and the pressure of the sea water inward forming a large lake in-land.At high tide the excess sea water drains into this lake with its height increasing a few meters and during  low tide the excess water tends to drain into the sea.The waters in a back water will be very quiet and serene with very less or minimal directional water currents making it safe and ideal for boating. The backwaters at Alapuzha is formed through a large narrow conduit running tens of kilometers upstream from the sea making it even safer.

A boat ride on a small steamer could last more than an hour and would cover a large expanse and many boat houses are permanently anchored in the lake for permanent stay for tourists an interesting phenomenon.

We took a halt for the night at Kottayam and set outfor Thekkadi in the bosom of the Western Ghat mountains a lake formed by the streams of the Western Ghat forests  and part of the Periyar game reserve. The boats used for boating here are smaller in size and the rides are smaller than the one at Alleppey and wild animals like elephants can be spotted on the top of the Ghats near-by. Being the Boss I got to sit on top of the steamer and had a very splendid view of the surroundings for nearly an hour.

Few Hours deep into the Western Ghats towards the Tamil Nadu border is the hill station of Munnar. I just happened to stay in the resort there for the night after  having a stroll through the narrow roads and small townships. Munnar  is a very quiet and eloquent place like say Madikeri in Coorg which I had visited an year before on a similar trip.