Usually most trips are made in the spur of the moment. It is never a planned oranised decision. So was a sudden decision to make a trip.. Although the ambition to visit Isha was always there, doing a bike trip was not in the plan. Three people willing to make it.We said why not....
It all started with the preparation for the trip which was basically nothing but getting the bikes serviced for any niggles that may come up. Nikhil who is the key guy for planning did the entire route and booking to make sure we were not homeless anywhere nor stranded hungry. Mind you we had very less time to plan. Vignesh for whom it was a first trip this long on bike. We started out at 7.00 AM which is normal time (earlier the better but you know how it is ) and took the Kanakapura road as we wanted to enjoy the forest drive. There was always this anxiety of finding good veg restaurants on this road, off-late it is quite well set with lot of places on the way providing veggies delight. We missed MTR which used to be a favourite and landed in a place where they serve out of an auto. Interesting business model of mobile hotel. With a few chairs on the concrete work going on there and a Maruti van serving as a kitchen cum billing counter the restaurant is good to eat. The breakfast was a precursor to what to expect for Vignesh who was more looking for a great ambience and comfort. The food was good and then we reached the place called Cauvery point a good spot hidden from most people. This is a little known place near Mysore where there is an old bridge built by Wellesly and is a good view point.There is boating as well and shops but don't expect anything clean and extraordinary. The place is good to go and relax. From there we were lost a bit running through villages roads to reach Kollegal- Male mahadeeswara road.
Once we reach the main road we had an even rough ride as the roads were in pretty bad condition and rains had wrecked it in quite a few places. But the entire stretch is through the forest and it is really very energising if you like this kind of drive. We reached Male Mahadeswara around 6 pm and settled down for the stay in one of the many dormitories there.
What was surprising was to see wild boars roaming around in the town with impunity and nobody seemed to bother. The temple is good and we we were lucky to be there when there was a customary Chariot dragging festival. Really enjoyed the visit. Next day we started from Male Mahadeswara to Satyamangalam through a rather circuitous route but through forest ranges which is known for tigers and elephants. It is scenic drive and we need to be careful while driving as the lane is narrow and nobody expects vehicles from the other side.With the dense vegetation more than six feet high on both sides of the road you keep expecting some elephant to be on every corner you take. We reached Satyamangalam arounsd 1.00 pm and settled down for a plate Takali ( Tomato rice) . Coming from Karnataka the wine shops look very intimidating called (TASMAC) as buying beer feels like you are buying something illegal.
The next day we crossed Dimbam and reached Coimbatore. The roads are excellent even in village side in Tamil Nadu which was a great encouragement given that we had little bit of backache and were aiming to rest our bums on the soft cushion ASAP.
we camped near on the outskirts of Kovai near the Isha foundation. The environment was so nostalgic bringing back memories of growing up in small village, The sun setting with those unique hues and the prayers being offered in the temple with the bells ringing. The sound of cows and dust accompanying and their bells tinkling... well it was an amazing moment.
The Dinner was a problem here, since vegetarian food is quite rare there and we had to walk close to 4 kms to the Isha to get the food. We went there only to realise the road was pretty dark and no light in those areas. We walked back in the dark with whatever lights we could manage from the cellphone.. I can tell you if it is pitch dark with trees surrounding you and you are walking in a narrow path cellphone light is no help as your mind is creating images everywhere and eyes seem to listen to mind rather than physics. We came back, Managed to eat some food in a dhaba.
The morning we visited the Isha foundation and the tour the meditation and the visit to the Dhyanalingam and Linga Bhairavi was good. Was amazed to see that people prefer to take photos more than meditate where there is such a beautiful opportunity and serenity.We spent a lot of time meditating in different places and somehow felt the place seemed to encourage that. It was surprising to see that we became more silent as we walked around.
After a good couple of hours we started back from Kovai to Bangalore on the highway and what a ride it was. We could do continuous driving for hours and stopping only for tea/lunch and continued. Just goes to show how comfortable travel can be if the roads are good. Came back to welcoming home and the comfort of hot water bath and comfortable cushions.