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.