Shimsha & Somnathpur - Nov 2009

It was Friday evening and I started talking to Chetan and Sridhar about where we could escape for the weekend. The result was a plan for a day trip spending most of the day at Shivanasamudram water falls and stop at Somnathpur temple on the way back. We hired a cab and hit Mysore road around 7AM. We had Mangalore style Idli (Moode - Idli cooked wrapped in a leaf) for breakfast at MTR Shivalli after Ramanagaram.

As we neared Maddur, our driver told us about a temple there and about a bull in that temple that people worship and its divine powers. This aroused our curiosity and we decided to take a detour and visit.


The bull was resting at the caretaker family's house when we went. Our first look at it left us awestruck. It was huge compared to any bull that I had seen till then. But, what really surprised us was the currency notes that were tied to its horns and the silver coins that jingled around its neck. It is supposed to be a custom that devotees follow here.

We had tender coconut to beat the heat and continued towards Shimsha.


We finally reached Shimsha around noon after multiple stops. There are two main water falls here. At one of them, Gaganachukki, you can see the falls from a distance standing on a view point. We took some photos there and quickly drove towards the other waterfall, Bharachukki, where you can climb down some crude steps and get to the base of the waterfall.

Since it was past the rainy season, the water was not at its powerful best, but it was ideal to get into the water. We took a coracle ride which took us so close to the waterfall that we were drenched by the water splashing from the waterfall. Again, since it was past the rainy season, there were some points where you could actually stand right below the fall and feel the pressure of the water. We stayed in water for a couple of hours here.


The walk back up the steps left us dead tired and really hungry. There were no real restaurants around. So, we had to make do with the Bel puri, watermelon and tender coconut that were available.

As we drove from Shimsha towards Somnathpur, we saw inviting green farmlands all along the way on both sides. We couldn't resist the invitation and stopped at one point and took some pictures.


The Somnathpur temple is something that I have visited several times. But, it never fails to amaze me. Its a typical exhibition of Hoysala craftsmanship.


After spending some time there, we headed home amid scenes of the setting sun...