Our plan was to reach M M Hills first from Bangalore. From there, after taking the permission from the forest department start trekking to Naagamale, which is 14 kms from M M Hills. After a night halt at Naagamale next day proceed to Palar and return to Bangalore.
Finally nine of us myself Veeresh, Dayananda, Kannan, Ashish, Narendran, Jai Ganesh, Ravi Kamath, Abdul and Arun started to go for this trekking. On 08-02-2008 Friday we all started from office with our bags including necessary fruits, eatables, medical kit and juice. After having dinner we all headed towards M M Hills by catching a KSRTC bus. We left from Mysore Road Satellite Bus Terminus around 10 pm, as the bus was late.
The journey was very cool with bus being almost empty, however in the night around 2 am we found that bus cannot to go any further as the supply of diesel to the engine was blocked and till morning we had to wait for the bus. M M Hills from this point was around 80 kms; we would have reached around 3.30 am, which would have been an odd time. Taking advantage of the situation everyone slept nicely in the bus. In morning around 6 am we stopped a Tamilnaadu bound bus from Kollegal, which was heading towards M M Hills. We reached M M Hills around 8.30 am; the last journey about an hour was breathtaking which went through steep hill station with lot hairpin bent curves. The view of the early morning beauty through hills was a very great view.
M M Hills, that is the Malai Mahadeshwara Betta is has very famous temple of Shiva. Many people from Karnataka, Tamilnaadu and Kerala visit here. Here we met the forest department officials and they said, yet the forest department head and guides have not arrived, we have time to get fresh. We all took some time and after paying some money we got a room in tourist guesthouse and everyone got fresh. Soon we had our breakfast at a local hotel and headed back to the forest department office. By the time we went back the forest officer was there and another trekking group was completing their formalities. Soon after that we went and completed formalities by giving individual risk forms, entry and other fees. In the meanwhile I enquired about the animals we sight during this trek. He said we have chances of sighting Elephants, Bison, Deer and few other animals depending upon our luck. He also said there are few tigers in the forest, he too not at seen pug marks yet.
Fig: The Malai Mahadeshwara Temple
After finishing the formalities we waited for the guides to arrive. There are two guides here but since both were not well we didn’t get any guide. Guides are supposed to carry a gun and wacky talky to contact the department in case of emergency. However a local guy accompanied us named Mahadesh who is of around 19 years and belongs to the nearby village. We started heading towards Naagamale the first day destination, which is about 14 kms from M M Hills around 12.15 pm. At the start of the trek we took milk and vegetables, which we need to provide the villagers of Naagamale to cook food for us.
In the beginning for about one and half kilometres we need to proceed through tar road and then started through mud road through small hills. On the way we also took water from small wells available. Throughout the way we can see many people who are going to and returning from Naagamale. After trekking for few minutes we started going through the forest. This route doesn’t have thick forest. Visitors and local people travel through this route. This place is considered as a very powerful place and there are signboards, which indicate that we should not use bad words.
Fig: On the way to Naagamale (The beginning)
Throughout the way I accompanied most of time with Mahadesh and started knowing about the place, the kind of people, life, livelihood and so many other things. He provided a lot of information, when I heard of all this I was surprised by the kind of life they live. Mostly they cultivate Raagi here and they keep some portion for themselves and use donkeys to carry rest of them to M M Hills and sell it there. Also sheep raring is one of their main businesses. Most of the people here are vegetarians and even killing animals is not encouraged here. They sell the sheep to the businessmen from Tamilnaadu.
As per his own life, he said they have a few acres of land and they produce around 30 bags of Raagi. They keep 10 for themselves and rest they will sell. Other than they earn around 20K from sheep rearing per year. They have no other sources of income, most part of the year they are free. Hardly they get some part times jobs and they do it for their income. They don’t have electricity for their villages and for everything they have go by walk. They also face danger of attacks by wild animals. Sometimes their crops are spoiled by attacks by wild elephants and they hardly get any compensation, even if they get its nothing. All these things made me silent for a moment. I saluted for the kind of brave life they are leading. At once I even thought they are leading a better life than us. Why? You know we leave in this modern world, it’s polluted; we face major diseases around early ages. The life over here is always about making money, running cold war against our own people, blaming the system and so on. Nothing like this exists over here; they hardly have controversies with each other. They hardly expect anything from government. They live independently and most important fact is the people are healthy, even an old people of 70 years walks through these forest areas 2-3 times faster than us. Throughout the way I collected much more information. On the way we had regular breaks were we had food and glucose to keep ourselves energetic.
On the way to the Naagamale we enjoyed the beauty of nature. We saw beautiful views of mountain range and the forest. The hills over here are covered by thick forest, which gives a very beautiful way of nature. On the way we get 2-3 small villages where we have small stalls where we can get refreshments. The villagers have kept these small shops as many people go Naagamale to visit the temple. Enjoying the nature, taking some breaks, having fun was all for us throughout the walk. We came to know that on the way to Naagamale we would not be able to see any wild animals as too many people go through these ways. However we have beautiful sceneries to watch around. On the way we even saw a pond where Mahadesh said elephants would come to drink water. Generally once the darkness covers people doesn’t go through these routes. Usually after 7 pm elephants arrive over here. So people over here don’t go out of their village after the sunset. Here are some of the beautiful picks of the route.
Fig: The whole trekking troop…
Fig: The beauty of nature on the way.
We reached Naagamale village around 3.45 pm and we had limejuice to refresh ourselves. Mahadesh went to a house were they have a separate big hall where they provide accommodation for the visitors and informed about our stay. They also provide food for which we need to inform them. We asked them to prepare food and kept our bags over there, took rest for some time. Immediately I had planned to visit the Naagamale temple at the top of hill, which is around two and a half kilometres from the village. Even though few among us very not ready to visit the temple same day as they were too tired finally agreed.
We all then proceeded to temple, which required around half an hour to reach over there. On the way we heard the voice of elephant. Some of us got scared and even had the plan of returning. However we proceed to the temple. Here Mahadesh said me his old story where he met with an elephant. Once he was rearing sheep in the forest and the elephant was sleeping over there. He did not recognize the sleeping elephant and accidentally proceeded towards it, as the sheep were moving in that way. Suddenly the elephant woke up and started chasing him. He ran for about half kilometre and the elephant chased for only for about 50 meters. It seems elephants don’t like anyone going in front of them. They just make you go away from their place. Only if we do something they chase us down dangerously. Here I started dreaming about elephant chasing us for some time the next day when we go to Palar. We were said in this route there are more chances of meeting the wild animals and the forest over here is thicker. That’s why people don’t prefer this route.
Fig: Naagamale Temple – Shiva Linga and Naagar Haavu (Snake)
Fig: Naagamale Temple – Front View
Meanwhile we reach the Naagamale temple. Here we can see the Shiva Linga and the Naagar Haavu (the snake commonly worshiped by Indians) made up of rock as in the picture. It is said that this place is a very powerful place and if we ask anything over here that will be definitely fulfilled. From here we can see the wide beautiful mountain range. Also we can see the river Kaveri that flows through the border of Karnataka and Tamilnaadu. The place where the famous Hoganekallu falls lies is also visible, however the falls cannot be seen. Also here we can see the village Gopinatham where Veerappan belongs. It is only about 7-8 kms from this temple. He used regularly visit this temple. After spending sometime over here Mahadesh said about a viewpoint situated over the top of the hill. We all proceeded over there. The view over here was breathtaking. We were seeing the large mountain range covered with thick forest, the Kaveri River. We also had the view of sun set. As it started getting darker and we proceeded back to the village and had tea at the local shop and reached our halting station.
Fig: The view of River Kaveri and Gopinatham
As soon as we reached the food was ready. Myself, Dayananda, Ravi and Kannan had Raagi Balls. Also the sambar and the sabji provided by them were very nice. Everyone ate stomach full and got ready to sleep. I wanted to take everyone again to the top of the hill to the viewpoint in the morning when scenery will be very beautiful to see and the whole place slowly covers by mist as the sun rises. But no one said they would accompany me, however Mahadesh promised me to take there in the morning again.
In the morning I had plan to wake up at 5 am and reach the top before sun rises. However I didn’t wake up so early and it was already 6.30 am by the time I woke up. Soon Mahadesh and myself proceeded towards the peak. Initially it was very cold however our body got adjusted soon. When we reached the viewpoint the mountains were almost covered by mist. In few more minutes mist completely covered it. The best experience over here was romancing with breezing wind. I was not ready to go back at that moment however I had to proceed.
Again we reached village around 8 am, by that time the breakfast was ready and our guys were already having it. Here it was open air for nature calls and some of us who had never done it before had the experience. I too got fresh and had breakfast and we again started to proceed towards Palar. We thanked the villagers who provided accommodation and food, also paid them money and proceeded towards Palar. We had tea at a hotel in the village; here they had refrigerator and Television. Mahadesh’s father in law owned this shop. Mahadesh and one more person had carried the refrigerator from M M Hills to the village. Only for this village electricity is provided as many people visit the famous Naagamale temple.
The distance from M M Hills to Palar is about 8 kms. It’s a bit tougher route and has thicker forest. The chance of seeing the wild animals in this route is more. Here we can find only one small village after that no human beings. Throughout this route we enjoyed a lot of beautiful views. At every moment we were expecting to see elephants. I always kept on asking Mahadesh will we see elephants, he said let us see our luck. But we had no chance of meeting a single wild animal. The route being a bit tough to walk through we had to take many breaks before reaching Palar. This time also I had a long chat throughout with Mahadesh.
Fig: Hills on the way to Palar
Fig: Wide range of forest covered with mist
Once we reached near Palar we got fresh by taking bath at small flow of water and later proceeded to Palar village. By the time we reached Palar it was around 2 pm. Palar is the border of Karnataka and Tamilnaadu. Here we waited at the border check post for bus back to M M Hills. After waiting for some time we got a bus from Tamilnaadu heading to M M Hills. We reached M M Hills around 4 pm and a private bus to Bangalore was ready to leave. We paid tips to Mahadesh and thanked him for accompanying us and left to Bangalore where we reached by 11 pm. All of us enjoyed the trek with a beautiful view of nature. Only thing that left us unsatisfied that we could not see the wild animals. Thus I end this story thanking each member of the trekking troop for making it successful.
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