Sivasamudram and Talakadu

It was the very first long ride in my new ThunderBird 500. I started from Bangalore reached Sivasamudram and then Talakadu from where I came back.

Route:

Bangalore - Electronic City - Nice Road - Kanakapura Road - Kanakapura - Malavalli - Shivasamudram - KaveriPura - Shivasamudram - Talakadu - Malavalli - Kanakapura - Bangalore

Map:
https://www.google.co.in/maps/dir/Shivanasamudra,+%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A8%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%95/Tin+Factory+Bus+Stand,+NH4,+Pai+Layout,+Mahadevapura,+Bengaluru,+Karnataka+560016/@12.402589,77.2702077,10z/data=!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x3baf1d6b77ee58db:0xec9bcf80b2a8a70c!2m2!1d77.1772737!2d12.2997484!1m5!1m1!1s0x3bae113902cff7df:0xc4d3b443d93a9b6d!2m2!1d77.66869!2d12.996316?hl=ta

I started morning 6.30 from Tin Factory, Bangalore in my new ThunderBird 500. Went straight to Electronic City. Took the Nice Ring road. It was a toll road and I paid Rs.23 for my ride till Kanakapura Road. That is a 13 Km stretch and definitely you'll enjoy the ride.

Took the exit towards Kanakapura Road into NH209. Just three Kilometers away Ravishankar's Ashram - Art of Living International Centre -  located. I had tea in a road side shop near the ashram - first pit stop.

 There starts the Greenly highway. Both sides are filled with nature's art, delight to the eyes which only looks at computer monitors everyday. The same road with same view till Kanakapura where I had breakfast. Srinivasa Hotel was a small vegetarian hotel. Its located on your left side opposite to the City Metric school. Price and taste was descent. Had a Masal Dosai and moved on.

Next a 75Km single stretch direct to Gaganachukki. Gaganachukki is one of the falls in Shivasamudram. In Shivasamudram river Cauvery is divided into two by a cliff and falling two sides of it. One of them is Gaganachukki and another one is Barachukki. Bathing in Gaganachukki is restricted. Its only allowed for sight seeing from distance. The Hotel Mayura Sagar - a Karnataka Government Tourism dept. hotel - is located near this falls.

I had some pieces of Mango by seeing the view because nothing is available there except tender coconut and mangoes. Had a conflict with little shop employee.Clicked some photos and started to Barachukki.

The bridge connecting to Gaganachukki and Barachukki across the Cauvery river was being repaired. So i was not able to go via that bridge.The next bridge to cross the river is in Talakadu - 25 Km away. With some help of locals I came to know that there is boat (steamer) service at Kaveripura to cross the river where they can transport two wheeler's also. Kaveripura is 7 KM away from Shivasamudram. There was a guy on the road waving to all the vehicles going on the road. Unless he is not there nobody will ever know that the boat service is happening there.

The river bank was half a kilometer away from the road. I was little afraid whether that might be a trap of thieves. Because there was no road. Just between bushes I need to ride the bike. The boat was nothing but an iron plate. Until you throw the plate in water you won't believe that it would float. But easily they loaded 5 bikes including my Thunderbird. They charged Rs.50 for each bike and a person along with it. 

Then i reached Barachukki in another half an hour. I planned for this day because the water flow will be less and there won't be any restriction to bath. But the small falls were closed. Only big falls are open. But to reach that falls, I need to take the boat. Five people should take one boat for Rs.500. We'll be taken to the falls. The boat will come back in half an hour. And we should return in that. In earlier days when Shivasamudram was not much famous, all the falls were open and the boat ride was Rs.10 per head. Now the boat men made agreement with the local guards to close the nearer falls, so they both will get profit out of it.

I swam just near the bank. Didn't go to the falls. Swam for half an hour. Had hot bajji and Mathur vada prepared by the local sellers near the falls. One bajji got snatched by a Monkey.

Then from there started to Talakadu. If the bridge between Barachukki and Gaganachukki was good it would be easy to reach Talakadu. But now I need to go to Kollegal from Barachukki. From there again come back to Talakadu. It was little far from original distance.

I reached Talakadu around 4 in the evening. Directly went to the river. I was hungry. So first had lunch there. When I came last time, a year earlier all the houses near the river converted their houses into small hotels and served all kinds of food. I had both chicken and fish that time. But now only some roofless shops near the river. And that too serving only Veg. They told me that Non-Veg is not allowed in Talakadu as Temples are near-by. I was disappointed but had something to fill my stomach.

After lunch I seated on the shore. Watched people enjoying with their family and friends. Then I went to a temple. When I came last time the renovation was just started. I went inside the temple. But this time the renovation was half completed and the gates are closed. I stood out and took some photos. The temple was a very old one built in 1117 AD. Later it was buried by flood in Cauvery and covered by sand. Recently the archaeology department found the temple and started renovating that. That was a very peaceful place. I could sit there for hours. The special about the temple is the lathe carved pillars. There are four such pillars. And you could see Tamil letters cut on the stones.

Around 7 in the evening I started back to Bangalore. Had a coffee near Kanakapura and straight to Bangalore. The trip was completed with a special bone-less biriyani parcel from Shanmuga restaurant. The bull's trip meter showed 401 kilometres when i reach home.