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A temple by the waterfall

The best way to explore Kemmangundi is in a local Mahindra vehicle. The roads or rather lack of it is really not designed for city sedans. We set off from Birur in an old generation Mahindra jeep modelled on the Chrysler which is among the few vehicles at ease in the terrain. Soon we were out of Birur, the smell of fresh air a welcome change from the smoky Bangalore dust.

There were small fields on either side of the road till the point from where the gradient started. It was an exhilarating drive with coffee estates on either side of the road. As the vehicle started ascending, we could feel the chill in the air. There were very few vehicles on the road, probably not many venture this side. The old vehicle made a lot of noise, perhaps a combination of the state of the road and the vehicle; yet we could hear the chirping of the birds and the whistling of the wind as it blew through the tall trees.

We came across a lovely cave temple on the way near the Kalhatti Falls. The place is surrounded by dense green vegetation; it was the onset of spring and the trees were all decked up to welcome it. The mountain ranges in the vicinity were adorned with multiple shades of green and crimson red; one of the prettiest sights to behold. We took a short break to check out the place and then continued on our way slowly climbing up the winding road or the remnants of it as it led us through coffee plantations with more twists and turns, rocks and more rocks till we reached Kemmangundi.

Also see: Monsoon getaways around Mumbai

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