BANGALORE:
Are you bored and sick of breathing only automobile fumes and seeing
the concrete jungle? Do you want to get up and stare into an unending
expanse of greenery and forests? BR Hills, also known as Biligiri
Rangana Betta in local tongue, nestled at the edge of the Bandipur
Wildlife Sanctuary, is the place for you. BR Hills is a protected
forest teeming with wildlife. One can sight deer, peacocks, elephants,
bison and a wide variety of birds like warblers, kingfishers etc.
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On
the top of BR Hills
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We
started off on two motorcycles, I on an Enfield and Kishore and Prakash
two up on the Yamaha YBX towards the hills. Our plan was to reach
BR Hills and spend the night there. The next day do some trekking
in and around, and proceed towards Parsons Valley in the Mukurthi
Wildlife Sanctuary near Ooty.
The
road till Kanakapura was good and neatly paved but after Kanakapura
the road slowly turned from bad to worse and thus considerably slowing
our progress. But still the ride was enjoyable because of the scenic
beauty on the sides of the road. We passed many small villages and
towns before reaching BR Hills.
We
reached the base of BR Hills at around 4 pm and before starting ascent
of the hills we decided to take a small break at a beautiful lake-cum-reservoir.
The lake had crystal clear water and invited us to take a dip and
refresh ourselves. The view of the BR Hills from here was truly captivating.
Prakash clicked many pictures here. On the way to the top we were
lucky to sight a few peacocks and deer which scampered into the thick
jungle on either side of the road on seeing us. The one-hr slow drive
to the top of BR Hills was simply refreshing, with the vast expanse
of greenery and mountains.
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The
lake below
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At the top of the hills there is a temple of Ranganathaswamy, the
main deity of many surrounding villages and a place of worship of
the Sri Vaishnavas. The
priests are very welcoming to visitors. To reach the temple one has
to either follow a recently-constructed steep road, or climb the 150
odd steps, which leave any ordinary person breathless.
We
spent the night at BR Hills and proceeded towards Chamarajanagar en-route
Parsons valley the next day. The road passed through the thick forest
till the base of BR Hills and thereafter after through small villages
and towns. The next town we reached was Chamarajanagar where we had
lunch and proceeded towards Gundlupet. After Gundlupet we entered
Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary.
There
were signs that warned us of elephant and wildlife to be found on
roads. We reached Bandipur and after that it was a complete forest
stretch till Parsons Valley. There are small villages and towns between
Bandipur and Ooty but these towns lose their importance when one is
so enamoured by the forest and the beauty of the nature around.
We
refuelled our bikes at Gudlur and proceeded towards Parsons valley.
This valley lies in the famous Mukurthi Water Buffalo Sanctuary near
Ooty. On the way to Parsons Valley one has to pass through Pykara
dam, which offers facilities for boating and some water sports. This
place has been developed and maintained by the Tamil Nadu Government.
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BR
Road to Chamarajanagar
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Parsons
valley is a haven for trekkers, naturalists and wildlife enthusiasts.
During the trekking season there are many trekking teams traversing
the beautiful slopes of the valley and the Mukurthi Peak and surrounding
areas. The tribals who are now employed by the Tamil Nadu Government
and the local tea estates basically occupy this valley and there is
also a small school established by the Government to impart education
to the tribal children.
The Porthimund dam built across the Pykara river is located just 18
km from Parsons Valley. For two days we stayed at Parsons valley,
trekking in and around the thick forests.
We said good-bye to our hosts and the forest department
staff there. The
return journey was almost uneventful and quite fast because we came
via Mysore.
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