Mode: Bus Trip (Bangalore - Shimoga - Kodachadri - Kollur - Udupi - Bangalore)
Date(s) of Travel: December 24 - 28, 2008
You can read more about the place here: Kodachadri
My Experience:
1. Me and my office colleagues started to Shimoga from Majestic Bus stand, Bangalore at Dec 24, 2008, 11.00 PM. We reached Shimoga the next morning 6.00AM and again boarded a bus to Kollur by 6.10 AM. We got down at Kodachadri cross at around 10.00 AM. The Bus travel between Shimoga and Kodachadri cross was so tiresome as it was going through western ghats all the time. By the time I got down, I was so tired and worried about the Trek. :)
2. From the Kodachadri cross to the foothills, it was around 4-5 Kms. On the foothills there is a hotel called santhosh and we ate breakfast over there. Food was bit costly, but was good.
3. Then we started to trek through the hills around 11.30 AM. The mountains are filled with lots of trees and because of this we didn't felt the heat. We did take a lot of breaks. We have to cross mountains by mountains and the picturesque hills was so good to see and experience.
4. We managed to reach Kodachadri by around 2.30 PM. There was a temple and few shops were also there. There is a mud road path too where jeeps can travel. We stayed at a priest house, where they provide food at a minimum cost.
5. We went to Agasthiyar theertha, which it is a small stream where we took bath. The water was freezing cold and rocks were so curvy. In the evening we went to the peak also called Sarvajna Peetha to experience sunset. We could see a small temple of Adi Shankaracharya where he did meditation.
6. We stayed overnight at the priest house and it was damn cold outside. It was a nice experience. Next morning, we started to trek down at 8.30 AM and reached the hotel at the foothills by 10.00 AM. From there we went to kollur, which is 20 Kms from Kodachadri cross.
7. In Kollur, we stayed at a hotel for sometime and went to river to take bath and went to Mookambika temple. After taking Darshan, I alone started to Udupi Via Kundapura by 7.30 PM.
8. I reached Udupi by 10.00 PM and when I started looking for a hotel, it was a big shock for me. I checked around 7 hotels and no rooms available in any hotel. But with gods grace, I could get a hotel in a place called Parkala which is around 10 Kms from Udupi.
9. Next Day Morning, I went to Malpe beach. From there I went to Malpe Shipping Harbour and could able to see a ship building yard too. Then, I went to St.Marys Island by boat which is around 40 minutes drive from Harbour. The Island was too good and the water was clear. There is a shop in the Mid Island where they sell fried fish. In the evening I went to Krishnan Temple which is very famous. After that, I boarded a overnight bus from udupi and reached bangalore next morning.
Thought of Day: Brahma (God) is real, the world is an illusion, Jeeva (atma) and Bramha (god) are same, not different - Adi Shankaracharya.
