Kodachadri, Karnataka

Kodachadri, Karnataka

Waterfall at its best

Heaven on earth, is a simple phrase which signifies the beauty of Kodachadri!! It is an amazing place for nature lovers and a must visit if one stays in Karnataka! Kodachadri is a mountain peak in Shimoga district (Karnataka). “Adi Mookambika temple” is located here which is known to be the “moola sthana”(place of origin)  of Goddess Mookambika (Mookambika temple in Kollur). Shankaracharya Peeta or Sarvagjna Peeta is also a famous place in Kodachadri. Many other small places of worship such as Shiva temple are also present. The peak located in the midst of dense forests, almost touching the clouds is a feast for the eye.

Misty

Travel:

It is at a distance of around 35kms from Kollur. While from Bangalore it is approximately 380Kms. We took our vehicle till Nittur and from there we had to hire jeeps. No other vehicles can reach the hill top. The jeep costs around 200 per person or around 1600 on the whole.  The driver rightly coined the term “CRAZY RIDE”. It is a scary drive as the road is horrible maintained. The road to reach the hill top is extremely bumpy, rocky with sharp curves as well. To make it even better ;) when it rains the roads are slushy and hence a lots of chances that our vehicle gets stuck there. On one side of the road we can see a deep valley which is extremely beautiful and scary since the road is narrow. Making way for another jeep coming from the opposite direction is a challenging task.  

I have heard the trek to the peak is an awesome experience but due to time constraints couldn’t make it happen. The jeep ride is also adventurous.

The jeep stops at the hill top where a few temples are found. At the peak there is a small place where we get tea, coffee. The chilling weather with hot bajjis was awesome; surprisingly Gobi Manchurian was also a part of the menu. On trekking a few meters from the hill top Shiva temple is found. Further trekking will lead to Sarvagna peeta, but during rains it is a little risky.

Places to Visit:

• Jog Falls
• Sigandur Chaudeshwari temple
• Kollur
• Gajanur dam
• Gajanur dam is built across river Tunga.
  The security guard there told us that all the doors of the dam are usually open in the month of August and that will probably be an ideal time to visit this place.
  People do not have access to the entire dam for safety reasons.  Small eateries are there close to the dam which sell Cucumber, Bhel puri  , Roasted corn, Water etc . On the whole it is an average place to visit.
  Other places like Sakkarebaylu and Mandagaddhe are close to this place, but because of average reviews and time constraints didn’t visit these places.
• Murdeshwara

Best Time to Visit: Monsoons. Though little risky but that is the time one will enjoy this place the most.