Yerikallu

Yerikallu is one of the significant peaks of Charmadi range & one of the tremendous examples for a Shola forest. Each time hiking in this place was memorable.. During my last trek it was very adventurous.

Bangarballi water falls

 

kudremukh peak

The Kudremukh peak trek can easily be described as one of the most beautiful treks in the Western Ghats. The variety in scenery you get on this trek is not something many other treks can boast of. There are overflowing streams that have to be crossed, dark shola forests with crisp brown leaves fallen underneath, bamboo shrubs tall enough to touch the sky, rolling green hills and finally, the peak itself, where gusty winds can blow you off your feet while the scenery below blows your mind.

Kudremukh peak lies in the Kudremukh National Park, which is home to several species of flora and fauna. Keep your eyes open for spot deer, wildfowl and peacocks amongst other wildlife.  Being a national park has certain implications on trekking. Get a permit from the forest department at Kudremukha town for trekking. Camping is not allowed in the national park. This means that the trek to the peak and the return has to happen in a single day.

 

Aihole

We visit the Durga Temple Aihole, the cradle of temple architecture in Karnataka built between the 7th – 8th centuries by the Chalukyas. Interestingly, this temple is not dedicated to the Goddess “Durga”. It takes the name after the word “Durg” or fortress which probably refers to a fort built close by . Almost all the monuments in this town are between 1200-1300 years old.  W e are celebrating Karnataka Rajyoutsav or the day when Karnataka as a state was formed today.  And what better way to celebrate than to visit a destination that is very ancient and filled with rich heritage.

Pattadakal

Known as the ‘City of the Crown Rubies’, Pattadakal in Karnataka represents the high point of temple architecture under the Chalukya dynasty in the 7th and 8th centuries. Situated on the banks of Malaprabha river in Bagalkot district, Pattadakal was declared a world heritage site in 1987.

A holy city with an impressive series of ten temples, the village was earlier called Kisuvolal or Pattada Kisuvolal which meant City of the Crown Rubies

Pattadakal, along with Aihole (ancient Aryapura) and Badami provide a incredible concentration of religious monuments dating from the Chalukya dynasty. Aihole is considered the ‘laboratory’ of Chalukya architecture while Pattadakal exemplifies the high point of temple construction which, in the 7th and 8th centuries, achieved a fusion of north and south of Indian architectural forms.