The Nilgiris.. Bandipur, Nagarhole and more..

i never was (or probably never realised i was) a serious nature enthusiast. Never been the gardener-kind. But seems like my recent trips through the forests of South Karnataka did awaken this side of me; love for nature and forests and the wild.

We've driven through different parts of the Bandipur and Nagarhole forest reserve, south of Mysore city, many a times. This includes the drives to and from Ooty in Tamil Nadu, Wayanad in Kerala and the trip to the serene Gopalaswamy Betta. And each time it's been a mesmerising experience. Be it the herds of deer grazing in the greens or the wild elephants that were at touching distance. Every single time it’s been a treat, to the eyes, ears and the soul!

There's been a sense of excitement each time we've entered the sanctuary and, not to exaggerate, but a sense of bereavement at the sight of that sign post saying “Thank you for visiting Bandipur National Park. Visit again!”, and “visit again”, i’ve always wanted to, each time i’ve been there!

A Giant Malabar Squirrel that we spotted in the jungle

These drives were enchanting, to say the least. You know it when you enter the forest. There's an amazing quietness. It seems to be just you and the sweet sound of birds chirping away happily and probably a few locusts whistling through the trees. What you feel for the rest 20 kilometres is just divine! As you drive towards Ooty, you enter the Madhumalai Forest Reserve, which is the same forest but in the limits of the Tamil Nadu state.  

The drive through Bandipur forest, towards Ooty!

A must-visit-place inside the national park is the Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta, an ages-old temple atop the highest peak in the Bandipur forest, 80 kms south of Mysore. The name literally translates to the 'hill of Lord Gopal', and the fact that it's covered by fog almost throughout the year makes it ‘Himavad’. The place is frequented less by people and more by elephants and thus still holds its serenity.   Although we did not come across elephants here during our visit, we did come across fresh elephant dung as we drove to the hill top. There was a sense of excitement in the air that there were elephants around few hours before we reached the place.

Holy Cows! On our way to the Gopalaswamy Betta..

A very misty view from outside the Temple

Entrance to the Gopalaswamy Temple

Then there are those tribal settlements you come across inside the Nagarhole forest reserve. These people have been living in the forest for generations, amidst the wild animals. Their way of living is truly fascinating given the age of internet banking and online shopping that we live in. They seem not very touched by modernisation and probably live without electricity and running water. But thankfully, the governments have set up schools around the settlements in order to educate the tribal kids 

Lion Tailed Macaques around the settlement

This journey was a beautiful one. And as i write these words i long to get back to the wilderness soon. The next thing on my vacations-list is a Jungle Safari. Divine Bliss, it's gonna be!