Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary trek - Day Trip

It was the 1st week of June and we were awaiting monsoons eagerly in Pune. The weather was cloudy and breezy signifying the onset of monsoons. A perfect Saturday morning for a day trip to Bhimashankar, which is known for the ancient Jyotirlinga shrine located in the Ghat region of the Sahyadri hills surrounded by the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary.  Am not a religious person, so my main interest was the forest. My friend had booked a car with Zoomcar.

The three of us started from Pune at about 9 am. The GPS showed 105kms from my home. We took the Alandi road to Pune Nashik highway, crossed Pune and stopped by a little restaurant to have breakfast with Vada Pav and tea. We started again, crossed a crowded town, took a left turn and soon we were surrounded by the beautiful landscapes. We started enjoying our ride through the narrow empty roads(in good condition), sliding up and down through the beautiful valleys. We stopped a few times to click photos. On our way there were dams to our left, though the water was scarce since it wasn't monsoons yet.

On our way towards Bhimashankar (Pic by me)

We then entered the Bhimashankar forest area. There was a check-post where we paid some 20rs around. We were loving the winding road through the hills surrounded by the forest. We stopped at a little tea stall hut for tea. There was a hotel called Blue Mormon Jungle Holiday Resort nearby, where one can stay overnight. But ours was a day-trip. We then drove towards the temple entry point where all the vehicles were parked.

We parked the car and started walking towards the temple. Throughout the walkway there were villagers selling different materials like flowers, coconuts etc. which are offered to the deity. Also some of them were selling sweet corn, some were selling sweets, some medicinal herbs. It was around 12:30pm by then and we wanted to have lunch. There are many small eateries along the walkway serving veg meals. They are not fancy eateries, but will serve the purpose of satiating your hunger. We had veg meals with rice, dal, papad and freshly cooked super tasty little brinjal.

Flowers along the walkway towards the temple (Pic Courtesy : Shakti Nanda)

Flowers along the walkway towards the temple (Pic Courtesy : Shakti Nanda)

Sweet corn seller near the temple (Pic Courtesy : Shakti Nanda)

Selling medicinal herbs outside temple (Pic Courtesy : Shakti Nanda)

After lunch we started walking towards the temple. There are stairs leading down to the temple. We started descending.There were lots of cows around and devotees were touching their feet for blessings, since cow is worshiped as one of the Hindu Gods. At the left, there was a long queue to get into the temple. As I am not religious, so did not get inside the temple, instead climbed down the stairs and reached the old temple.

Bhimashankar Temple (Pic by me)

Hanuman Puja just outside the temple (Pic Courtesy :Shakti Nanda)

We asked the locals about the Gupt Bhimashankar trek route, which is around 1.5kms from the temple. We took a right towards the backside of the temple and the green forests were welcoming us. Soon we entered the narrow pathway between the forest, stepping on the colorful forest foliage of different colors of dead and fresh leaves. It was just the 3 of us accompanied by the chirping of birds and insects. We saw trees of black plum, mangoes with their respective fruits hanging all around. The sweet and sour fresh smell of these fruits were intoxicating. We saw a troop of monkeys playing in the branches of the tall trees, throwing mangoes here and there. The forest is quite deep. There were small brooks, which were mostly dried up since monsoons did not arrive yet. We saw numerous butterflies and insects. Some tree trunks were blocking our walkway. We kept moving by climbing through them. Soon we heard a shrilling cry from the trees up. We looked up and yes we spotted a giant squirrel. After sometime we reached the little Ganesh temple inside the forest and then soon reached the end called Gupt Bhimashankar . There is no shrine here, but shiv lingas in the rocks. The place was fully dried up. We spent sometime there and started moving back. Again we encountered those shrilling cries and we could spot three to four giant squirrels up on the trees. We could also spot some languors. We reached back to the main temple, bought some local sweets and started our journey back to Pune.

Forest foliage (Pic by me)

Wilderness of the forest (Pic Courtesy : Shakti Nanda)

Lord Ganesh shaped on tree trunk (Pic Courtesy : Shakti Nanda)

Giant Squirrel up above (Pic Courtesy: Shakti Nanda)

Giant squirrel up above (Pic Courtesy : Shakti Nanda)

Indian Leaf butterfly (Pic by me)

Blue Mormon butterfly (Pic Courtesy : Shakti Nanda)

Blue Mormon butterfly (Pic Courtesy : Shakti Nanda)

Ganesh shrine in the forest (Pic by me)

We enjoyed the dusk surrounded by the beautiful ghats, having our evening tea and snacks before reaching Pune.

Somewhere in the ghats while returning back home (Pic by me)

Day trip to Samsing from wedding

It was my cousin sister's wedding in Feb. I flew down to Bagdogra from Pune, after a night's Darjeeling trip visited my hometown, Malbazar and then headed towards the wedding at Jalpaiguri. Yes, it was quite a hectic schedule indulging a lot of travelling. But the traveler in me always keeps asking for "more" :).

My entire family was at the wedding. I was having a great time with my battle of cousins. Lots of gossips and fun, wedding rituals, getting ready to look pretty every now and then, wearing a different ethnic wear for every ritual... I was enjoying all of them. The wedding happened, the bride left for her new home. And soon after that I was bored of makeup, jewellery, sarees. I needed a break and my cousin brother acted to that and booked a car for Samsing trip.

So the next day, my brother and his wife and the 2 of us, started for the trip around 8 am. Samsing was my maternal uncle's home. I have been to this place n number of times. My childhood memories of visiting the tea factory of Samsing, traveling in a Bajaj scooter with my uncle to the hills and hiking the hills to reach Rocky Island, which was a newly discovered spot in 90s, were still fresh.

Soon we entered the Lataguri forest area. We started enjoying the drive through the empty silky smooth national highway with tall trees on both sides. We had breakfast somewhere and kept moving towards the hills. We took a break at a spot just before entering upper Samsing area. It was just the four of us standing at the end of the hill with nature's music and sound of the river flowing down.

NH31 surrounded by Lataguri forest

Our first stop by the hill

We kept moving again to reach the Rocky Island. In early 90s I remember no car would go there. Hiking was the only option. Even now the road is not a proper pitch road, but still cars can be driven through it. After a bumpy ride we reached the Rocky Island. It was again very much empty. The gushing river's melody was all around. Some new homestays came up there and interestingly one or two cute little shops selling alcohol :) . It was a new development at this place. We crossed the bridge, got down into the river which had less water since it was February. It was so much peaceful. We spent an amazing time together.

Rocky Island

We were then looking for a short hike somewhere nearby. We asked the locals and they suggested us to go to the old Hanging bridge. I was so excited, I shouted, yes this is the bridge I used to go with my uncle. The hanging bridge is not a popular tourist spot. The bridge is a very old one connecting 2 hills, constructed during the British rule in India. We started hiking through the beautiful hills surrounded by trees, butterflies, birds, insects. No music in earphones, but just the melody of chirping birds. We reached the old hanging bridge. Some of the wooden plates of the bridge were broken. The bridge was shaking when we were on it and we were enjoying the thrill. We hiked back to the rocky island and were hungry by then. We entered a small restaurant by the side of the river. We ordered momos and beer. The restaurant was playing slowly old Kumar Sanu songs and the music was mingling with the melody of the gushing river. I have been to this place so many times. But sitting here with the best company, having hot steamy momos and looking through the window towards the beautiful nature was an experience one of a kind. I wished to spend the night at the homestay, right upstairs, facing the river. But we had to leave for our next stop, Santalikhola.

Hiking towards the Hanging Bridge

The river just below the Hanging Bridge

The old Hanging Bridge

Window opening towards the river, where we had lunch at Rocky Island

We reached Santalikhola. A new development here. One cannot take his own car beyond a spot and has to hire a jeep to reach the end. I was very much familiar to this place and I knew its less than 2 kms from that spot. So who needs a jeep when you have your own healthy legs to walk, cherishing the nature. We started hiking again. At the end there is a resort and a very small hanging bridge. Soon we took a short cut through the shrubs and trees and climbed down the hill to reach the end which also has a river. It had no water at all because of winter. We came back to the place where our car was parked, had our evening tea sitting at the rooftop of a little restaurant, facing the hills. The host, an old man, was very friendly to us and told us his stories.

Walking through this road to reach Santalikhola 

Another Hanging bridge at Santalikhola, a new and small one

Evening snacks and tea at the rooftop of a restaurant with the cute old host

We started moving back towards Jalpaiguri. We took a little diversion towards the Garumara forest and reached the Murti River. On the way we spotted some bison far away crossing the road. When we reached Murti it was quite dark. Our other stop was the Mahakal temple inside the forest. It is just a group of Shivlinga shaped rocks, which locals worship.

The river Murti in early evening

Mahakal Temple in the forest

It was time to get back. On my way back, I was thinking how I am getting back again to the crowded concrete boring world from a world of emptiness, but full of nature.

Flavors of forests, backwaters, sea at Thekkady and Kumarakom - A photostory

After enjoying the tea estates and hills of Munnar it was time for us to enjoy the different taste of Kerala. We started for Thekkady in our car. We crossed beautiful tea gardens, waterfalls, foggy bends of the hills and deep green forests. It started raining heavily. We enjoyed the green all around and the rains. It took us about 3 hours to reach Thekaddy.

On our way towards Thekkady , distant waterfall hidden inside the fog

On our way towards Thekkady 

We entered at our already booked homestay, dumped our luggage in the beautiful big room, had lunch and went straight to the Periyar Information Center to book the next day's Periyar trip. There are several Periyar packages. I already had in my mind that I will buy the full day bamboo rafting and trekking program in Periyar. So I booked this trip for the next day, which was 2000rs per person.

After booking, we went to that place of Thekkady where a lot of cultural events are held like Kathakali Show, Marshal Arts show, Magic Show etc. We booked the Marshal Art show for 200rs per person. Never in my life I saw any Marshal Art performance. So i was excited. We entered a mini amphitheater kind of a place. We were seated at the first row. Few guys all dressed up in Marshal Arts attire lighted up the Diyas (Lamps). The ambiance all in all made me travel to a historic era. A group of young guys started the spectacular show. Half of the time they were flying in the air with swords, shields, sticks, ribbons. We, spectators, enjoyed it a lot. And there was a thrilling fire show where our hearts skipped a bit at their every action. It was a performance full of entertainment and an experience one of a kind for me. The show ended and after having tea we reached hotel at about 8 pm, had a super delicious home-made dinner at our hotel and called it a day.

Moments from the Marshal Arts show

Next day woke up early since we were asked to reach at Periyar Tiger Reserve, within 7:45 am. After having the best idli of my life as the complimentary breakfast of the hotel, we started in our car towards Periyar. We bought the tickets at the entrance and got in. Soon we were surrounded by trees all around. The weather was cloudy. The driver parked our car and we walked down to the lake. We were given cotton gaiters by the Forest Department people. They also spread tobacco on our gaiters so that leeches stay away from us. We were a group of 10 people, we were the only Indian tourists there. We started at about 8:15 am for the forest hiking. We crossed the Periyar lake in the bamboo raft and reached the other side. And then it was only our group at the other side of the forest, far from the maddening crowd, into the wild. We started hiking inside the forest. Surrounded by deep green forest, walking on wet grass which had crawling insects and leeches, chirping of different insects and birds made me feel I am lost somewhere in a wild world. Soon we spotted some wild elephants and sambar deer at a distant hill. We started walked to a beautiful side of the Periyar river. By then I was already bitten by a leech. Here we had had our packed breakfast. The place was so lovely, silent and peaceful. I felt like I can spend here for hours, just gazing at the hills, the river and the forest.

Forest guard who accompanied us for the hiking

Crossing the lake in a bamboo raft to reach the other side of the forest

Forest foliage

 Hiking deep inside the forest, only us

When we spotted the elephant

At this beautiful location, far from the maddening crowd, we had our breakfast

We started walking again and reached to another part of the forest beside the river. There were 2 bamboo rafts. We got into the rafts and sat there. We started crossing to the other side by rowing the bamboo raft. That side of the forest had a few forest camps. We got our life jackets from there and started rowing our raft. We spotted several birds and Nilgiri langur. We parked our raft again, got down and rested there lying on the green grass. We spotted wild boar there at the other side. We had our packed lunch and started hiking again in that part of the hill. We spotted the bones of bison and some interesting insects and spiders. We came back to our raft and started moving back to the other side. We got down and started hiking again where we spotted a herd of wild elephants again. It was raining by then and we were hiking in the rains. We reached to the bank finally, from where we got into the raft to sail back to the other side of the world inhabited by human civilization. It was around 5 pm by then. We came back to our hotel and called it a day.

Bamboo rafting at Periyar

Where we had lunch

Somewhere in the forest

Bison bones

Spider somewhere inside the forest

Grasshopper inside the forest

Next day we woke up and was ready for our journey to Kumarakom. It was a long journey from Thekkady. We started at about 11am. The hotel owner was so sweet that he chalked us a travel plan and made our driver understand it and asked him to show the beautiful places on our way towards Kumarakom. It was not the usual route we took. First we went to a place somewhere in a village. And the view there mesmerized us. It was a 180 degree view infront of us, where we saw the hills merged in clouds. It was not a usual tourist spot. There was none there other than us. We secretly thanked the hotel owner to make us visit this heavenly place.

Hills merged in clouds

We then started moving again and reached another point called Kalvari Mount. It was quite a climb by our car uphill. We got down from the car and walked all around. Whatta beautiful and serene place it was. There were only locals there. The place had cottages where one can stay. One can also trek to several spots from there. I felt like spending a full day there. But had to leave the place.

Kalvari Mount

We then started moving towards Vagamon Tea Garden. We were amazed by the beauty of the tea gardens of Kerala again. After stopping at a few points, we started heading towards Kumarakom.

A stop somewhere on our way

Soon we were in the plains and was surrounded by paddy fields. Finally at about 4 pm we reached Kumarakom.

We checked in to the resort by the Vembanad lake. We loved our cozy cottage by the backwater. The resort was beautiful by the lake, After a lot of adventure and travelling, I could ask nothing more than the luxury and relaxation by the lake. We saw the houseboats moving around in the lake.

Relaxing by the lake, at the resort on a cloudy day

Relaxing by the lake, at the resort

Relaxing by the lake, at the resort

We spent some lazy moments at the resort and then next day it was time to go back to Cochin. It was a sunny Monday and by the infinity pool of the resort I felt that Monday morning blues have never been so beautiful. After a sumptuous buffet breakfast we checked out of the hotel and asked our driver to take us to Marari beach.

Monday morning blues have never been so beautiful

Soon we reached the beach. It was a sunny beautiful morning. The beach was beautiful with white sand against the deep blue sea and sky. The beach was almost empty with few locals. I felt  like spending a full day here. But we did not have much time.

The beautiful Marari Beach

The beautiful Marari Beach

We started for Cochin to catch our flight for home. With some wonderful memories and experiences, we came back home with a promise to myself that I will visit the beautiful God's own country again.