the light baggage

Overview: I knew this place called Periyapatna as a small town on the way to Madikeri. It happens to be my wife's granny's place as well. So on my recent visit to granny's house, I thought of exploring this small town. It was good to learn that there is more in Periyapatna than just serving as a pit stop point to Coorg. The Granny's place was located at a calm and clean area and was very well maintained with areca nut plantations all around. We visited the Fort which was probably built by the Kodagu rulers of Coorg and then further renovated by Tipu Sultan where he held the Kodava king Dodda Vira Rajendra as a prisoner. The fort walls cover the entire area and there are entry and exit points which lead to Periyapatna lake. I took one of the exit points of the fort and the lake was amazing. The early morning mist added to its beauty and the lotus flowers were blooming on the surface. On the way back I took a leisurely stroll along the streets where houses were built in...

Overview: We did this trip long back and I thought I would pen down my experiences with my trip to Shivanasamudra falls.  We started early in the morning and set off for Shivanasamudra. The place is located between Kanakapura road and Mysore road. It can be approached via Malavalli. The route to shivanasamudra is very scenic and passes through rural Karnataka. We reached Shivanasamudra falls at around 10:30am. Shivanasamudra falls is formed by the river Cauvery and forms two waterfalls called Gaganachukki and Barachukki. First we visited the Gaganachukki falls which had good amount of water pouring down from great height forming a spectacle. We visited this place post monsoons so there was good amount of water. We sat along the pavement in front of the falls and there was fencing all around to prevent more adventurous people venturing out close to the falls.     After this we went to Barachukki falls which can be reached by climbing down a series of steps leading...

  Overview: Soraba in Shimoga district, named after the Holy cow Surabhi which used to milk on a stone statue of Lord Ranganatha. This place was called Surabhipura in ancient times which got changed to Soraba over centuries. We visited the Ranganathaswamy temple in Soraba which has become popular because of the legend. The temple is believed to be built by a local Gowda from Halesoraba from the bay of the river Dandavathi. Several manuscripts and inscriptions have been found near the temple supporting this.       This place is easily approachable as it is near to many tourist destinations like Banavasi, Sirsi, Chandragutti. We visited Soraba during our visit to Banavasi. The main road connecting Soraba to other towns is the main shopping area of Soraba with all facilities. How to reach: Bus: KSRTC buses ply from Bangalore to Soraba and Sirsi. By Bike/Car: Take the NH4 to reach Ranebennur, from there, take a deviation towards Soraba. Food/Accommodation: ...