Skip to main content

Secrets of the River

(This piece has been published in The New Indian Express)

A thick green forest, vast grassy stretches, and a river running through the undulating landscape. And to think all this is a mere 100 km away from Bangalore! Cross Kanakapura, and you will get to see hamlets of about 30-40 families punctuating the forest. As we go past Sathanur and take the Muthathi road (which by the way is an adventure in itself, considering the poor state of the road), we see stretches of mulberry plantations, banana crops, and all the pastoral scenes that jump straight out of a fourth-standard textbook chapter on rural life. Bheemeshwari Nature and Adventure Camp (was a fishing camping earlier) is an initiative of Jungle Lodges, Karnataka government's excellent eco-tourism project. The camp was earlier a fishing camp that attracted tons of visitors because of the Mahseer, the fish that has made the gushing and throbbing River Cauvery its home. Fishing (even catch and release) is banned now, but the camp attracts visitors for other reasons. The region offers excellent trekking trails, and you can trek all the way to the Basavana Betta which apparently has an old forest guesthouse constructed by the Mysore Maharajas. We chose to trek four km to the watch tower en route, and that was a satisfying trek on its own. We were richly rewarded with a view of the entire Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary region that encompasses bits of Kanakapura, Kollegala Chamarajanagar and Ramangara regions.



Apart from the trek, Bheemeshwari also offers rafting, adventure sport activities such as the Burma Loop and Parallel Walk, and a Zip Line. Never one for adventure, I was somehow dragged into these activities. And it turned out to be quite an adventure when I was stuck midway across the zip line for a few moments! 

But what I loved most, apart from all the activities on offer, was to sit by the river and read. Not that I got much reading done, because at some point I gave up on Richard Flanagan's 'The Road to the Deep North' and just stared at the river. As I watched the river take on many shades through the afternoon, and then the sun setting over the horizon, a lone coracle catching a glint of sunshine even as the sun disappeared, I was reminded of Herman Hesse's Siddhartha. The river is life. The river is a metaphor for everything. Journeys, beginnings, endings. A single moment in an eternity. 

You can check out junglelodges.com for more on Bheemeshwari, the accommodation, distance and other details. 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Remember Sadanand Vishwanath?

I write this as I watch the post-lunch session of the first Ashes Test 2017 at the Gabba. Watching it on Sony Six with the Channel 9 line-up of commentators (plenty of flak for that line-up, of course), my mind goes back to the Benson & Hedges series of 1985-86. I was too young to remember much, but certainly remember the Audi car that Ravi Shastri won. That was also the first time that DD telecast the Channel 9 feed -- I know now not then. I only remember the famous animated duck walk past the screen as the batsmen walked back to the pavilion. That series saw the emergence of a young, dashing wicket-keeper who kept the chatter going behind the stumps -- Sadanand Vishwanath. A Google News search told me what's up with him now. Here's a link: http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/vishwanath-seeks-to-live-cricket-again/article20628906.ece
Post a Comment
Read more

Walking down Fleet Street

One of London's most iconic streets, if you are a literature lover or a journalist or anyone who has anything to do with words. That's Fleet Street for you. The St Bride's Church, designed by Christopher Wren, located on this street has a lot of history associated with it. It is called the Jounalists' Church because of its location. Some of London's oldest papers were born on this street. When we walked into St Bride's, it was all quiet. We were the only visitors and the place was being renovated. Yet there was a free exhibition on. We enjoyed looking at old newspaper extracts, the history of the Church, clippings of how the Church was bombed during the WW II, how it was destroyed in the Great Fire and rebuilt etc. It was next door to this Church that the first printing press in London started to function as well. Our second stop on Fleet Street was the pub that came with many recommendations in books such as the Lonely Planet. The debate continues on whether...
Post a Comment
Read more

Let me know if you need help or something like that!

I have spent time as an attendant to a family member on more than a couple of occasions, for at least a fortnight or more each time, and am just recording my thoughts, in a random fashion. When you are a caregiver, you often get offers like, "if you want help let us know". But how often does a caregiver remember your offer, especially when he or she is caught up with taking care of the patient? How does the caregiver know what kind of help you are willing to offer or whether you are reliable? The burden of providing you with opportunities to help can be too much for the caregiver, especially sitting in an ICU waiting room or a ward with a patient in pain. If you really want to help, show up, find out how you can ease the burden off the caregiver in little ways. And act. Often, you could be offering help just to satisfy your conscience or as a nicety. You move on, once the caregiver says, "Thanks. Will let you know." The caregiver doesn't know if you real...
Post a Comment
Read more