Shivgiri Trails, Your very own tiger den

Shivgiri is located above Yemmedoddi village in the hoggarekangri Hills, north of the Babu Budanagiri Hills in Kadur taluk of Chikmagalur District. At the Shivgiri Trails in Chikmagalur District the tigers make their way through rich red berries that sprout from the hundreds of coffee plants grow around this over 100 year old estate. I was amazed to see the estate beautifully located atop a remote hill bang in the middle of a tiger reserve in the forests of Yemmedoddi. I felt lonely and left out, however reveled wonderfully in that state. As I drove up the winding mud road, which offers a spine tingling view of the valleys and the forested hills, I noticed that the place is so isolated that nobody except those connected with the estate ever more around in the area.

Shivgiri to me was what god made to make the trekking community happy, disappear into the greenery and don’t return till evening. Omkariah was our knowledgeable guide here. Out trek to Doddabale Siddaragudda was the first thing, which we did. It is a peak to the back of the guesthouse, 5500 ft high. To reach it we had to wend our way through the coffee beans in estate and then through the forest. All along the route, we found droppings of one or the other animal, which was an evidence enough of their happy existence there. The walk was slightly tiresome because of the upward slant of the terrain. When we make it to the top, there cannot be too many sights to behold. I was smothered by the winds that blow cold all the day and at night it can elevate almost physically, if the person is not careful enough to find a grip himself. To the south was the awesome views of the Bhadra River and Lakeville Dam, to the west are the tiny village of the Yemmedoddi, the Baba Budanagiri hill ranges and Madagadakere, a large lake. According to the legend the lakes fills up because of a magic rain, however the locals insist that it is the winds that fills up the lakes, bringing with them tiny droplets of water that the eyes cannot see.

You can hear the birds call over the forest in Shivgiri, from inside branches, from high up in the air, from within the valleys and everywhere. We had armed ourselves with a pair of binoculars and catched a host of them like woodpeckers, finches, sunbirds, mynahs, barbets, babblers and many more.

The Yemmedoddi forests were once favored hunting grounds of the British. They used aim at tigers, wild boars etc. But most of the animals have survived in spite of the old guns. Shivgiri has it tigers even today. My guide and his friends, who have here forever, have counted some of 10 of them, panthers too show up from time to time and they have been even seen walking on the mud road leading up the hill. There are sloth bears, mouse deers and many more. There are many natural caves and a few of them have for long been the house of tigers and panthers.

There was a small Lord Shiva temple, which according to the locals was 400 years old and has a very strong deity.

Shivgiri Trails has a packed price of Rs. 1500 per person per night including stay meals and a trek for 2 days and 1 night.

Bharatpur, Faithful lover's return

Keoladeo Ghana Bird sanctuary is full of exotic, foreign winged visitors who migrate here from across the globe in Bharatpur. Spring is the time for courtship and nesting, when all the species become lovebirds. The other seasons also have their own attractions. The rains are for breeding and rearing young, with nests across the parklands brimming with mottled and specked eggs of many colours. Once the hunting ground of the Maharaja of Bharatpur, the scrub, swamps and marshes of the 29-sq km Keoladeo was later turned into a bird sanctuary and now ranks among the most visited in India.

To take in the essence of the park, divide your trips over the different times of the day. An early morning sojourn into the park means being at the main gate by 6.30 am. Get a ticket and find yourself a guide. No motor vehicles are allowed inside and if you do not want to exert yourself then there are cycle- rickshaws and bicycles. There are lots of paths to be explored in the sanctuary, but the maximum sightings are on the paths bothering the swamps. Make a particular route for yourself for the morning trip like reach the main tank, Sapan Mori, and then turn right towards the Keoladeo Temple. Along this route you will be delighted by encounters with the star visitors, the Great White Siberian Cranes, if it's winter.
Post lunch trip is the time to catch anything in the bright sun and one of the most spectacular sights is not of birds, but the pythons. Head for Sapan Mori again, this time going left towards the pythons sunning ground. Keep silent and soon you will see these majestic creatures lazily lying around in loose coils near their holes.

The Mansarovar and Hansarovar marshes and the swamps and lakes of Bharatpur constitute one of the most important heronries in the world. For this Keoladeo is a World Heritage Site. The park guarantees good sightings of purple heron and several other species. You will see long- toed jacans walking magically across the water and large flocks of pelicans and flamingoes fishing in the deeper water.

At the tourist reception center boat rides can be booked if there is enough water in the lakes and boating season is on. This is a unique experience, as one can get much closer to the birds and is an ideal opportunity for keen photography.

Lohagarh Fort was built by Raja Suraj Mal in the 18th centaury, is a flamboyant amalgamation of Mughal and Rajput architecture over the years. There is a government museum in the Fort, which exhibits the art and culture of the region, including various inscriptions and sculptures.

Most of the places to stay are along Dr Salim Ali road, which runs from Bharatpur to the entrance of the park. You can stay at Laxmi Vilas Palace, Kadam Kunj, The Birdies Inn and many more. There are many restaurants like Hotel Sunbird while Nightingale is a good option for a tandoori dinner. However Sunbird can also organize dinner with a born fire, even if you aren't staying there.