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Dubare
Dubare
(Karnataka)
Kaveri's secret treasure trove
For a river that's so woven into the fabric of Coorg, there's precious little you see of the Cauvery. It leaps down from its perch at Talakaveri on Brahmagiri and disappears, only to reappear like a divine goddess at Bhagamandala, where it meets the Kannike and the invisible Sujyothi. The descent breaks up the stream into tributaries that form such a lattice of rivulets, it could teach FMCG companies a thing or two about distribution. It is this network of veins that breathes life into Coorg, making it a living, pulsating organism. While nearly every estate has its own stream or waterfall, the main river silently slides through a thick forest cover, unnoticed. If it weren't for the bridge after Kushalnagar, you wouldn't even know it existed.
But the river runs almost parallel to an 18-km backlane that connects Gudde hosur to the Madikeri-Siddapur Road. This unexplored stretch of the Cauvery, hemmed in by the Dubare Reserve Forest and the road, is one of the best riverside jaunts in Coorg. So hopelessly exposed, the river is forced to disgorge its little known treasures... the glint of a mahseer's scales, the frolicking of elephants, the splash of blue of a white-throated kingfisher, the childish gurgle of the river and the dull dwoop of a wild mango falling into the river before being swept away.
For a special glimpse of the Cauvery River in glorious naked beauty, catch her unawares in Dubare.
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Exodus to Coorg
The greatest wonder about Bylakuppe is not that a place like it exists, but where it exists. Thousands of miles from Tibet, the last thing you expect to stumble upon in interior Karnataka is the largest Tibetan settlement in India.
To get to Bylakuppe from Dubare, drive back to Guddehosur, then turn right to Kushalnagar. About 4 km after the town, turn right at the arch for Bylakuppe. The landscape is strewn with prayer flags, stupas and monasteries of the Sakya, Kagyur, Nyingmapa and the Yellow-Hat Gelugpa sects of Vajrayana Buddhism. As you weave past a sacred lake, the Namdroling Monastery (see picture), or Golden Temple, glints in the far distance. Every weekend, entire carloads of holidaying families flock to see the spectacular Golden Temple and its 40-ft high statues of Padmasambhava, Buddha and Amitayus. A good time to visit is during festivals, when the main courtyard becomes an open stage on which masked dancers twirl in colourful costumes to the sound of gongs. Contact the Secretary, Namdroling Monastery (Tel: 08223-694654) for updates on cultural events and Vipassana meditation courses. Easily the most picturesque of the four monasteries, Kagyu, or Kagyudpa (Tel: 08223-694220) is located on an elevation and hence commands the best view. To get to Kagyu, turn left from Bylakuppe's main arterial road through the Tibetan Dickey Larsoe Settlement arch, and turn right. Head past Camp 4 for 1 km and then turn left. Bylakuppe is an excellent place to pick up an assortment of Tibetan goods. A string of shops at Camp 1 and a couple at Sera-Je sell thangkas, prayer wheels, incense and Tibetan music. To stay here, check into Kannika International (Tel: 08276-274728; Tariff: Rs 385-550) in Kushalnagar. Kannika can arrange cabs for a tour of the monasteries. Siddhartha Restaurant (Tel: 08223-698003; Tariff: Rs 125-195) in Sera-Je has 10 rooms and fully embraces the principles of Buddhist simplicity. Try the Tibetan momos at the ground floor eatery. Friends Corner (Tel: 08223-694696; Tariff: Rs 150) in Camp 4 has 3 rooms with attached loos and is a stone's throw from Namdroling Monastery. It's also the best place to eat. Note: Foreign visitors need to have a permit (PAP) to enter Bylakuppe. |
Content Source:
Outlook Traveller
Contributed by:
Anurag Mallick
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