Narasimha Parvatha, Sirimane trekking

Agumbe is a place of diversified vegetation. It has very dense forest. We 5 people Ravindra holla (Mari), Guruprasanna, Ravi Krishna, Shashi and myself(Hari) decided to trek in this dense forest, that too narasimha parvata. Narasimha parvata is mari’s choice. This is the last trekking for our Ravi as bachelor.

Plan:

• Start to agumbe on 29 May 2009 by bus.
• Meet Mr. Sudhindra malya for trekking guide.
• Stay in Narasimha Parvata to 30 May 2009 night.
• Climb down from Narasimha Parvata. Visit Sringeri.
• Start to Bangalore.

As per plan we were suppose to start to agumbe on 29 May 2009 by 8:45PM Rajahamsa bus. As usual Shashi, Ravi led by their brother Guru came late at 8:50PM. We started our journey with welcome scolding from Bus conductor and Supervisor for late arrival of 3 brothers.

Bus was reserved up to Teerthahalli. Bus conductor woke us up and we got down in Terthahalli at 4:30 PM. This bus was going towards kundaapura.Bus went 100 meters and stopped for 5 minutes. We sat on steps of a shop, it was stinking. Mari and guru were telling we could have come by direct bus to agumbe which starts from Bangalore at 10:00PM. I wanted to reach agumbe and start trekking early. Spending time outside Bangalore is more happier than in bangalore. Soon street lights in Teertha halli went off. Nothing was visible in the early morning 4:30PM. Mari asked me where is the thermal sheet which we carried to sleep in the night. I had forgotten in the bus. Immediately one more bus came.

We asked him

ಸರ್, ಒಂದು sleeping mat 'ನ ಕುಂದಾಪುರಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋದ ಬಸ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಬಿಟ್ಟಿದೀವಿ ಅದು ಸಿಗುತ್ತಾ?
conductor: ಇಲ್ಲ ಅದು ಸಿಗಲ್ಲ ಅಂದ. ನಾನು ಅದನ್ನೇ ನನ್ನ ಸ್ನೇಹಿತರಿಗೆ ಹೇಳಿದೆ. ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಮರಿ ಹೇಳಿದ, ಕಳ್ಳ ಅವ್ನೆ ಮೊದಲು ಹೋಗಿ ಹುಡಿಕಿ ತಗೋತಾನೆ ಅಂತ.

We reached agumbe at 5:40AM. We were happy reaching early. Hotel Krishna was open, we completed all our morning formalities and had breakfast in the same hotel.


Trial usage of few items in agumbe shot.



Head on collision in agumbe.

Then we started to Malya residency. We met Mr. Sudhindra Malya, he called Mr. Thimmappa who would guide us to narasimha parvatha. Timmappa stays in a village named Mallandur which is 6 km from agumbe. We bought crushed tobacco powder and caster oil from Malya residency shop. We reached mallandur by an auto and paid 80 Rs.

We started our much awaited grand trekking at 7:30AM. We changed our clothes and started trekking. Mari was looking very nice in his new dress.

Nice dressing

After we walked for half an hour leaches started. Timmappa mixed tobacco and caster oil well; we all applied to our legs and started our wild journey.

Colorful frog.

It was really diversified forest; it had different species of trees. It doesn’t have valuable trees, it has only wild trees. There is no trekking route. We would definitely get lost if go without proper guide. Monsoon is yet to start, in previous week it had rained 2-3 times.Leaches started getting dense. But it did not bite us due to our medicine. Whether humans know or not leaches certainly know “Tobacco is injurious to health”.We reached barkhana falls at around 10:00AM.

Barkhana falls water.

Barkhana falls, looking down.

We enjoyed in barkhana falls. We have to bow down and see the waterfalls. It was fantastic view. We had bath in barkhana. Not much of water in barkhana. We took rest for 1hr.We started moving towards Narasimha Parvatha. Guide was saying there was road few years back. Road was made to cut the trees for rail-path. It was very steep terrain. Even lorry cannot climb the uphill. They used to use elephants to move lorry. Humans are so bad.

Dense forest of agumbe.

Huli Muddu maaduttiruva Guru.



Special tree has only flowers in it.

Beautiful colourful centipade. Don't know how much poisonous it is.

This is not green tree. I never saw white plant except mashroom

Snake Sneaking outside.

Our longing was to stay here, on top of Narasimha Parvata

Timmappa told they would go to forest to hunt animals and distribute the flesh to all people of village. I was really unhappy with him. Moving ahead we reached a place where there was no forest. We took rest for 15 minutes. Reached top of Narasimha Parvatha by 1:50PM. Now lunch time, all went in search of water, 2 wells which were there had dried. Fact is for first few rains earth drink lot of water, it had rained 3 days back so earth was very thirsty and drank all water. Our plan is to stay in a room made by forest officials for Naxialite operations. Unless it rains, there is no hope of getting water. Since it did not rain for more than 1.5 hrs of our wait, we were supposed to leave the Narasimha Parvatha. We paid Timmappa 500Rs and thought of moving slowly. Had lunch with limited water and started climbing down to kigga at 2:45PM.



Distant view of Kudremukha, Seen from Narasimha Parvata.



Nice flower in Kigga.

We reached sringeri, we stayed in a room in a home. It is on upper part of home called as atta (ಅಟ್ಟ) in kannada.We had bath in the night instead of having next morning. I met my relative in sringeri and came back to room to join my friends.

On 31 May 2009 I got up at 5:30AM. Mari and myself we started to river Tungaa. We carried biscuits to fishes. There were few fishes in the river. It was not as usual, someone told fishes have been poisoned. We were unhappy for this.




Shila Baalaka.

 We got ready and started to sirimane waterfalls. We got a bus to kigga at 9:10AM. Kigga is around 10km from sringeri. From kigga sirimane is 4.85km. Shashi was really very sharp in finding fruits on the way Guru is the man who first stole the mango from field, and then I stole some more mangos.


Stealing mangos.



Stolen Mangos.

Shashi showed one more fruits which was yellow in color. Its name is different in different places. It was sour and sweet, we call it as “Saroli kaayi”. Reached sirimane falls at around 11:30aM. We enjoyed in waterfalls, took bath for more than 1.5hrs.

Sweet and Sour fruit, called as "Saroli Kaayi"

Now time to return to sringeri, all of us wanted lift till kigga. We did not get lift, walked till kigga. On the way snake was moving. It is common in Western Ghats.



KCC (Kigga Cricket Club) match.

We were hungry, mari suggested to have in Holla’s hotel, also he added if food is not good in Holla’s hotel he would sponsor. Immediately we decided that food will be bad. Mari had unbiased opinion from me, But I was already biased. We had Idli-Chatni, Poori, Vada. Chatni was too hot. Initially Mari was telling everything was good, later he ordered for sugar and accepted that it is not good. After eating all left to wash their hands. Guru and myself still eating. Guru was licking the chetni which he told very hot and not good to mari. Guru told Chatni was very good, I too felt the same, later we realized that except mari all liked every thing. Later we revealed this fact to mari. We reserved bus tickets to Bangalore.

Vegitatian food at some Holla's  home

Later wandered in sringeri matt. We gave banana to elephant, when Guru tried to give banana, elephant threw away banana. This could be seen with keen observation at the end of  the below video. It was very nice incident.

Contact Numbers:
Agumbe Sudhindra malya: 9448759363
Guide Timmappa: 9343687911, 08181292021

Sudhindra Malya ia owner of Malya residency. One can stay in malya residency. He arranges trekking in and around agumbe like Narasimha Parvatha trekking, Kundaadri trekking or koodla teertha trekking, Barkhana trekking, Jogi Gundi, Barkhana View point, Onake Abbe falls. He arranges guide. Car is also available.