It's 7am,we just landed in this quint town of murudeshwar from Bangalore. We took an over night bus booked on abhibus.com and sought a journey of 10 hrs . The city is very small and extends to one main road and every other road meets this road. The end of this road is the 21 floors gopuram.
Our Abode for today was the RNS residency hotel which is always in demand as there are only 2 major hotels in the town near The temple.
The hotel details/contact number are below :
RNS Residency
Murdeshwar Temple Main Rd, Murdeshwar, Karnataka 581350
083852 68901
It was almost 8am by the time we checked into our hotel . The view from the room can't be debated for. After a long journey our stomach was growling for freshing up we rushed to have complementary breakfast . The spread had Indian breakfast, fruits and bread .
After our meal, we decided to just sit at our balcony to Stare at the beautiful Western ghats and vast open seas . Like it's said the color blue soothes the mind and it's true to it's word .
At 10am,we saw the private tourist boats started their operation. There are boats to netrani island for adventure sports. The booking for the same can be done on spot at the beach . Also for non adventure entusiasts like me , there are speed boats which charge 100 INR per person would take you into the sea for 20 minutes and mind you it gives you a aderline rush. It's worth the experience. Also u can opt for water scooter and banana boats as well.
As it is a coastal area the sun is always on the upper hand . The scorching sun above our head ,we managed to click this amazing picture of 21 floors gopuram. Afternoon At 4pm , post our lunch and rest ,we ventured out again to take a lift to the 21 floor and capture the views. The charge is 10 INR per person. There are 4 view points inside the raja gopuram which is built in the 2000's.To be noted the view of the Lord Shiva statue overlooking the sea is mesmerizing . The picture clicked before sunset of the majestic statue of Lord Shiva is a take home picture. Post evening the we could see the lights being switched on
At 6:30pm ,we decided to go inside the temple to take Blessings . This is the picture with the garuda stambha
At 8pm , don't miss the statue of Lord Shiva shining under moon light .
The hotel doesn't have lot of options for dinner . Very limited menu . There are other hotels nearby which you can try.
After breakfast we reached the Keladi temple which is 1hr drive from jog falls.This is a small town in the Northwest of Karnataka (This picture of the temple entrance ).It was ruled by the rulers of Ikkeri dynasty. As soon as we entered the main compound, on our left you'll find the huge colorful life-size statues. As you enter the temple premises in the first room you will find a well decorated and intricate wooden roof.Interestingly it has the Lord ram and Lord shiva deity in the same complex.In this Temple you find various stone carvings of Good, Goodness ,King , queen and kingsmen . Generally it will take around 20 minutes to cover the place but if you are an history buff u require more time . Also the place inside is very cool unlike the outside . You can also sit inside and enjoy the calmness of surrounding.Interestingly, there is a very catchy statue of guardsman of the of the god, with face of an animal and body of a human.
At 11:30am,- Next stop is temple of Ikkeri. This is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva built by the Ikkeri rulers . As you enter the temple this is the first monument at the entrance.Like all Lord Shiva temples, first you will find the bull that is called the nandi in the local language . There is a huge nandi stone carving which faces the God. It's said to be the vehicle of the Lord. Like most of you already know there was no BMW, Mercedes at that time . The animals were the transporters .Next we proceed towards the main temple of Lord shiva deity . The entire Temple is Stone carved depicting various stories of the Gods and Kings and animals.The interiors of the temple are cool as they are built in stone. The temple complex also houses other goddess temple in the compound.The craftsmanship is something to be noted .
After our tryst with the stone architecture,our next stop was Signadur. It is a small village in the backwaters of the liganmakki dam . There is a temple of the goddess . To reach the place the vehicles are allowed up to a point after which we need to board the launch as it is called by the locals. It takes 20 minutes to reach the other side .As we stare in the open never ending backwaters it gives a very pleasant feeling .As we sat in the rear end of the launch that is the boat ,we could see the water splashing all over.We Spotted another launch coming from our destination towards at the start. Interestingly, the launch is a boat service by the government where the vehicles are also allowed. It take the weight of a private bus and many other cars .This is the river sharavathi that flows to the jog falls. There is abundant Flora and found enroute travel .Also,if you are in sigandur for lunch time there are free meals for all the devotees.
At 5:00pm we reached our Next stop i.e Varadapura . This is one of tomb of saint is on top of the hill .We need to ascend 100 steps to reach the tomb. The view from the top is mesmerizing. The is a time of the saint and a gurukul on the top.
After you descend from the hill , at the a the ground level there is a tank which has water which is believed to have the power to cure numerable diseases. Also, swimming is prohibited here.Crystal clear and well maintained tank . Here also there is meals offered free of cost . And there are guest house to stay overnight .
At 7pm, 1hr from varadapura is the Talguppa Railway Station. it's time to head back to Bangalore. This is one of less known stations and start point of the train.This is nearest railway station to jog falls.
start date : 30th September 2018
trip duration : 3 days
trip cost : 6/7k
Jog Falls, Gerosoppa Falls is located in North Karnataka in Sagara district in the Indian state of Karnataka, is 2nd highest plunge waterfalls in India.Enroute from murudeshwar via the sharavati wildlife santuary is very picturistic .
We reached our destination. A little warm as it was afternoon. The height of the falls is around 250m . The best time to visit is monsoon . There are four distinctive streams are named as Raja Rani roarer and rocket.As we walked towards the far end on the walkway we spotted many other streams plunging feet below from the Western ghats .
After a refreshing stroll down the walkway ,we decided to sit and enjoy the weather. The mist started to set in and the view was amazing. After a hectic day we retired for the day.
We spotted the gersoppa power generation house.
the Western ghats in every frame looks magnificent and never fails to impress. There is musical fountain at 7pm everyday .we would explore the other side of the walkway . Spotted this line of pillars till the horizon . There is a restaurant with very limited options
We were lucky enough to get a room at the government hotel which has the view of the jog falls from the window. These are big rooms with good furniture
The government guest home room door. This place can be booked via any booking portals .
KSTDC MAYURA gersoppa inside jog fake . This is the line of rooms. They also have a dormitory.
