Kaveri Flows

A view of Mekedaatu, which is a Day Trip from Bangalore

A view of Mekedaatu, which is a Day Trip from Bangalore

Presenting here, the first of many landscapes taken with my new Canon 24mm Tilt Shift lens! This lens is an absolutely stunner. If you notice the corner to corner sharpness, and the almost infinite depth of field, you’ll know what I am talking about.

I shot this image at Mekedaatu, near Bangalore. This is a photograph of the river Kaveri. The patterns on the rock tell a tale. Today, the water level is low as you can see in the photograph. But once upon a time, the water level was high enough to reach where I was standing when I took this shot. This photograph captures the warm evening light. It wasn’t sunset yet, but close. Hope this photograph inspires you  to visit this place.

Jenukallu Gudda

Jenukallu Gudda at Yellapur near Sirsi
Jenukallu Gudda at Yellapur near Sirsi
Image from www.pixelshooter.net or www.pratapj.com. Image is copyrighted. Contact hi@pratapj.in for re-use elsewhere.

Second time lucky, viewing a glorious sunset at Jenu Kallu Gudda, in Uttara Karnataka. The first time I got to this location, it was past sunset and all I saw was a feeble glow of a sun that had already set. But the second time, I got there in time to view the sun playing hide and seek behind clouds. This spot is 17 km from Yellapur, close to Magod falls, and accessible by vehicle. The last few kilometers of road is not tarred, but the drive is totally worth it. If you are visiting Jenu Kallu Gudda, be sure to be there for sunset! From here, you have a panoramic and brilliant view of Bedti River valley and surrounding mountains. They are Kodekallu Gudda and Balekallu Gudda. This place is close to Magod falls, but you may have to ask for directions to get there.

Here is the correct Google Maps location for Jenukallu Gudda. The one that shows up in search is incorrect. I have submitted a correction to Google, but I am not sure if my correction will reflect when you search.

Flow…contained

Closeup of the River Cauvery

Closeup of the River Cauvery

Mekedaatu is located 100 km from Bangalore. At this spot, a goat is said to have crossed a deep gorge by jumping from one rock, to another. Very close to Mekedaatu is also the confluence of the Arkavathi and Kaveri (Cauvery) rivers. In fact, one most cross this confluence by wading across, or by coracle, before reaching the actual spot where the goat made the leap. The distance from the confluence, or sangama, to this spot is 4.5 km. There are buses to ferry tourists to and fro.

Like many natural spots, Mekedaatu is usually highjacked by uncouth youth who came to bathe, revel and party. This behavior robs the place of its serenity. There are a lot of interesting naturally occurring phenomena to notice at Mekedaatu. For instance, it is very interesting to see how the water has eroded the granite rock over the years. We also noticed small fish being thrown out from gushing waters in large numbers.

The above photograph is a representation of the fury of the Kaveri at Mekedaatu. In nature, very few elements can withstand the force of water. Even the rocks that contain this flow, are slowing eroding. It is a matter of time, before the river wins over the rocks that contain the water. But will the river last till then? Or will man deplete all natural resources and let the river run dry? I am not sure how many think about this. So many of the hordes visiting the place get so caught up with their boozing, shouting and drinking to notice even what is in front of them. I wonder, if such a distant thought would occur to them at all. I have no problems with people partying, but to do so at the cost of the serenity of nature and ending up trashing the place with bottles and waste is certainly not good. And this is our collective failure as a society. We have failed to ensure that every human has the sensitivity to give some thought to what goes on outside of his own little mind.