Kundadri – Hidden gem of Agumbe

Tripoto
Photo of Kundadri – Hidden gem of Agumbe 1/8 by Ashwini
Steps leading to the temple at Kundadri Peak
Photo of Kundadri – Hidden gem of Agumbe 2/8 by Ashwini
Green paddy fields and stacked mountain chains!
Photo of Kundadri – Hidden gem of Agumbe 3/8 by Ashwini
Clouds were not willing to give up!
Photo of Kundadri – Hidden gem of Agumbe 4/8 by Ashwini
Views that soothe the eyes
Photo of Kundadri – Hidden gem of Agumbe 5/8 by Ashwini
Views en route!
Photo of Kundadri – Hidden gem of Agumbe 6/8 by Ashwini
Isn’t that simply beautiful?
Photo of Kundadri – Hidden gem of Agumbe 7/8 by Ashwini
You can pay a visit to Sringeri en route!
Photo of Kundadri – Hidden gem of Agumbe 8/8 by Ashwini
My Masala dosa from Town Canteen

Some places are like that, they don’t fail to surprise you. They possess an innate sense of energy and unbelievably charming views that can be a perfect medicine to calm the stressed minds which, ironically leads to fire your deep hidden thoughts. Kundadri is one of them. It is a hidden gem of Agumbe. It is not one of the usual touristy destinations; barring the locals, many people are unaware of it. Maybe that is the reason for it to retain all its beauty and glory and staying pollution free at the same time.

How it might be up there?

Although I was keen to look up on the internet as to how it might be up there, I had deliberately turned down that option. I was not anticipating much; I wanted to be surprised. Curvy roads with greenery all around were welcoming us as we stepped out in the evening to explore Kundadri. Once we reached there, Oh boy!, I was truly blown away at the vista that nature had spread out for us! I was beaming with joy from within, which eventually showed up outside as a subtle smile.

Kundadri is a hillock which has a small Jain temple and 2 ponds surrounding the temple. Besides that, it hosts an amazing view with greenest of paddy fields, dense forests and a vast mountain chain stacked one behind the other. Above these mountains is a never ending sky, perfectly complimenting the views, hell bent on seducing the onlooker.

How did I feel at Kundadri?

It was 5 PM; we thought we are the early birds, but no! We were the late comers. There were already a bunch of people anticipating for the clouds to shoo away and make way for the sun to show off its flares in all majesty. But the sun was in no mood to scare the clouds, which were inching to burst away.

People around were taking selfies, group pictures, shouting and running around. But, nothing mattered; nothing mattered at all. As I sat there quietly, a soft breeze hit the face and sent my curls flying back. Isn’t that a good feeling? It always is. I felt I am on top of the world, feeling one with nature, forgetting all the bitterness that life had thrown at me, raising above all the thoughts, convincing myself to just stop thinking and feel the sweet love that Kundadri had offered me.

I settled comfortably on one of the rocks near the small pond staring at the panoramic landscape – Listening to my inner thoughts, which said ‘Life is a challenge girl. Face it! I am always there with you, giving you strength and courage to face, come what may!’

That is the reason I love nature so much. It is a perfect antidote for the confused mind and a hurt soul searching for an anchor to perch upon. Nature never ceases to care, never ceases to heal and certainly never disappoints.

Clouds were not willing to give up and dusk was setting in, making way to the moon and stars. With a heavy heart, grin on the face, we headed back. Back on the road, that was ready to throw us more views and offering us some great drives, which soothe the eyes and pacified the ego.

How to get to Kundadri?

  • Kundadri is approximately 354 kms from Bangalore. You can take the Bangalore – Hassan – Chickmagaluru – Sringeri – Kundadri route. If you plan to take this route, about 10 kms before Agumbe near the village of Balehalli, there is a board to your right pointing towards the road which will take you to the foot of Kundadri. After taking a right here, after about 7 kms, you reach the foot of Kundadri. Take right to climb the hairpin bends to reach the peak.
  • Alternatively, you can take the Shimoga – Thirthahalli road too if you are coming from that side.
  • The Google Co-ordinates are here: 13.557913, 75.168977
  • The roads to the peak are all weather roads and are in good shape. The hairpin bends are very steep and are a 60-degree climb at some places. The steed and its knight negotiated those curves very well. They made it look very easy, after all, they both have seen more dangerous roads in Ladakh.

If you are passing by this route or plan to do so, a couple of hours of a detour to explore Kundadri will be time well spent! Oh, wait! I almost forgot to tell that there are no shacks or shops of any sort en-route after you take a right near Balehalli. Be prepared with your snacks and sort if you are the hungry types. That said, if you throw that wrapper around, Modi is gonna hunt you down and haunt you in your dreams!!

This trip was originally published on HOPPING MILES