Flying Above the Clouds - Kalavarahalli Betta

October 2008 Saturday

When my friends called me Thursday day and said "trek to Kalavarahalli Betta Friday night, as usual I had no other answer but a “yes”. A hectic fortnight had even kept me away from the blogs. Several emotions and thoughts slipped away unrecorded and I recall the sayings of VW – Nothing has ever happened, unless it is recorded. So true it is!!!!

The preparations for this Trek were minimal. As we all had been there twice, and As Usual at 1:00 AM four bikes set off, Since we were going on bikes, time was not a factor at all. We touched the Hyderabad Highway from Hebbal, As usual everybody had a brief stop at Dabba for tea on the way to chikaballapur and after around 60 kms, and we reached the very old Omkara Jyoti Ashrama / Papagni Mutt in
We saw several bikes and few cars already parked there and of course Manu. Manu is a high school student and on weekends he guides tourists to the Skanda Giri Peak which has suddenly out of nowhere has become a “must go spot” for Bangaloreans.


After registering at the forest department office which has come to existance just recently, we started our trek up the hill at about 4:00 AM. The trial looked pretty obvious to me and many of us as we had enough torches to show us some light on a moonless night. There were all kinds of people, Few shouted, few screamed, few joked, some tired, some enthusiastic, some drunk and some acted drunk. Even though it is a 5km hike, some parts of the trial can be really steep and tiring for non trekkers.


A small hill next to Skanda was burning; Manu said that some tourists had left a cigarette lit which has now turned into a raging fire. After a continuous hike, with minimal breaks, we reached the summit at about 5:45 AM. A huge crowd was already there and more arrived soon.

We resumed climbing after a few minutes and after about 100 mts or so you will come came across a small stone room which was a Shiva temple .Inside the room there was a Shiva ling made of Stone. After about 15 more minutes we found remains of an old wall that seemed to be the outer boundary of an Old Fort .There was a small flat space and a pole over it.
Soon we where on top, There is a small temple at the peak but the tourists had already occupied every bit of it. Few chatted; few slept.


As the sunrays displayed the vibrant colors it was a spectacular view. Even though it was not anything close to what I was expecting, the experience of watching the sunrise from a hill top was itself exhilarating.Well, this would happen only in December and in mid march the sky is as clear as a glass.
But nevertheless, the view from the hill top is always amazing. I took a walk around the summit and absorbed a bit of the environment. Few people cursed theirs friends for disappointing them.


After spending about an hour at the peak, we walked down. On the way back, I got to know one of fellow trekker better; he is from and lives on top of similar hill. He shared his stories from childhood and his stay there; the frequency of buses to his village, even now, he says is minimum compared to other places. While talking to him, I added few more places in my list of – “To go”
At the foothills of Kalavarahalli Bettai, is a Matt and an ashram, which seemed like a Gurukul, with kids learning veda. The early morning chants filled the atmosphere with a serene touch. I also had a small conversation with the tender coconut seller, as Expected he told me that it’s only since a year that this place has gained such attention. One of the aspect of traveling, that I enjoy most is to interact with localities; by doing so, one gets an insight into a totally different world that exists beside us, which we tend to neglect.

A group came to me and asked the route to the summit. I explained to them, that there were clear instructions and the trial was very obvious. After they thanked me and left, two village boys came to me and asked what I had spoken to them? When explained they sadly asked me not to have done so. I later figured out that they were guides and had lost this group due to the greed for more money. At that moment, I felt as though I had witnessed both sides of the mirror.

We Paid a brief visit to birth place of Vishwesharaya, on memory of whom we celebrate Engineers day. It is a very sweet village. We stopped at his house where his relatives still live. The man there told us that the museum would open only after an hour as the watchman had not yet arrived.

We walked to the garden and the memorial and then rode back to Bangy. Unplanned trips always bring the most memorable moments, as you begin to cherish every moment spent without any prior expectations. This makes me wonder why our usual days are so predictable even if they come as clean sheet of paper. So is it possible for us to experience every day with similar excitement as an adventure? May be.