PAYANIGA

When we started off towards the temple town ‘Melukote’ (Melkote or Yadavagiri or Yadugiri) on a summer day, to be greeted by the misty morning. Our prayers for the same climate went in vain as the temperature soared later. We stopped at couple of places for photo sessions & reached in time for the breakfast.

After savouring the delicious ‘Puliyogare’, we roamed around the place – Cheluva Narayanaswamy temple, akka-tangi kola, Dhanushkoti (there is one here also), Raya Gopura & then Yoga Narasimhaswamy temple (situated on top of the hill).

What amazes me is the number of pushkarinis (kalyani or man made water-body) in a town situated on a hill. And that too most of them filled with water during peak summer.

The day we were there in Melukote was the last day of 10th board exams. A bunch of guys directly came out of the examination hall and jumped into the water to beat the heat & also to celebrate the end of exams ;)

How to reach there:

Bangalore – Mandya – turn right after 4 KMs from Mandya – Jakkanahalli Cross – Melukote

Or

Bangalore – Kunigal – Bellur Cross – Nagamangala – Jakkanahalli Cross – Melukote

An unforgettable journey

Places visited during the four day bike trip to West Coast

* The beginning
* Belur
* Yagachi Dam
* Sringeri
* Agumbe
* Around Udupi – Malpe beach & port, Bengre
* Udyavara beach
* Kunjarugiri and Pajaka
* Around Kasaragod – Ananthapura & Madhur
* Bekal Fort
* Manjeshwara & Someshwara

Route taken during the trip –

Day 1: Bangalore – Kunigal – Hassan – Belur – Chikkamagalur – Sringeri – Agumbe – Hebri – Udupi

Day 2: Udupi – Malpe – Udupi – Udyavara – Kunjarugiri – Pajaka – Kaup – Surathkal

Day 3: Surathkal – Mangalore – Kumbla – Ananthapura – Kumbla – Madhur – Kasaragod – Bekal – Kasaragod – Manjeshwara – Someshwara – Mangalore – Kudupu – Kaikamba – Polali – Kaikamba – Surathkal

Day 4: Surathkal – Mangalore – NH48 – Shiradi Ghat – NH48 – Hassan – NH48 – Bangalore