RSS FeedFlying Citizens of Kokkare Bellur
May 7, 2010 Birds, Karnataka, Mandya, One day outing, Photo Essay, Summer
Kokkare Bellur – I visited the place again, third time. Last to visits were in the months of January and April. This time it was mid of March. There were plenty of Painted Storks and Pelicans. Busy with their nesting for the season, listening to the whirring sound of their wings was a nice experience. It was overcast day and when I reached the place it was past 10AM. I managed to get these photos with my 18-200 lens.
Photos from my previous visits: Jan 2007 and Apr 2008
Random Photos
Feb 20, 2009 Karnataka, Mandya, Mysore, Tumkur, Weekend Getaway
It’s been a busy days for the past few weeks. That means less time to write. For the time being here are some random photos from my trips in year 2008. Above one was taken near Somanathapura.
Rail tracks near Mandya, en route Melkote.
Yoga Narasimhaswamy temple at Melkote.
A kid I met at Kaidala, the birth place of Jakanachari, the main architect of Hoysala temples.
Enchanting Melkote
Sep 10, 2008 Karnataka, Mandya, One day outing, Pilgrimage, Weekend Getaway
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
Kokkare Bellur: Revisited
Aug 25, 2008 Birds, Karnataka, Mandya, One day outing
Visited Kokkare Bellur again, 15 months after my first visit. There were not many birds this time. Painted Storks were around 20-25 in number.
Pelicans were very less in number. I counted 7 or 8 pelicans. I tried to get a decent shot of these big birds, but in vain. That pelican was hiding behind the tree branches as if its being guilty of something :P
Few of the sun-bathing Storks posed for the camera without hesitation.
And so was this squatting one
Bellur, became famous & got the prefix ‘Kokkare’ (Storks) because of these beautiful birds & is home for hundreds of storks & pelicans. The village is on the banks of river Shimsha, which flows on to join river Kaveri.
We thought of going on a coracle/boat ride & headed toward the river. Being summer the water was less & had to return back without luck.
