Introduction
On the outskirts of Karnataka is Kodachadri TREK which is blessed with some of the most beautiful scenery. home to several waterfalls and summits. In the local tongue, Kodacha and Adri mean “home of the hill jasmine blooms,” making Kodachadri the tenth-highest peak in Karnataka. The top of Kodachadri, also known as the Jasmine of Hills, serves as the perfect backdrop for the well-known Mookambika Temple and the Mookambika National Park. Kodachadri, the focal point of this national park, offers a variety of options to hikers and wildlife enthusiasts. At a height of 4406 feet, the Kodachadri Trek begins; the summit is a stunning peak with a large area of lush forest surrounding it.
Best time to Visit
The best time to visit Kodachadri is from September to January since the area will be covered in lush green grass, have a cool breeze blowing across the mountaintop, good humidity levels, and temperatures. You would encounter dry grass, high temperatures, and dehydrating humidity if you wanted to visit in March.
How to reach Kodachadri Trek
By Road: About 20 kilometres separate Kodachadri from Kollur. To get to Kodachadri, one must travel utilising Kollur. Bus service connects Kollur with South Indian cities. Several buses travel from Bangalore, Chennai, and Mumbai to Kollur. You can either get out in Shimoga, which is 115 km away, or Kundapur, which is 50 km away, and then take a ST bus to Kollur.
By Train: If you’re using a train, you can disembark at Kundapur and then take a bus or a taxi to get to Kollur. At Mookambika Road in Byndoor, specific trains from Kodachadri to Bangalore and Mumbai halt. If you get off here, it will take you 60 minutes to get to Kollur.
There are numerous ways to reach Kodachadri summit. Comfortable trails take you through delicately rising meadows and forests, including Karekatte. Others, such as those from Sampekatte or Marakuttaka through Hidlumane Falls, are rocky and steep; you may need to gorilla your way up while holding onto the ground.
Kodachadri Trek route
Four checkpoints mark the route from Marakuttaka. Being in your group will help you stay on course because the route from the base village is not well marked. This section, which is around two kilometres long, travels through a dense wilderness. Throughout the journey, you will pass a lot of little creeks. Pass over the brook. You will pass a school and the town of Yemmeonda before arriving in Hidlumane. After stumbling and stumbling up the path for twenty minutes, you arrive at the first milestone. The path finally comes to an end at a house after passing through many paddy fields. A route here leads to an open meadow that emerges suddenly from dense forest. The last traces of civilization before the summit can be found in a few houses and agricultural land.
Kodachadri Falls
The ascent to the falls, which takes another 20 minutes, begins not long after the clearing. The journey becomes more difficult as you have to navigate challenging and severe shaking. The much-awaited Hidlumane Falls, a combination of seven cascades, is the next accomplishment. But, your efforts were well rewarded with breathtaking views of the main waterfall cascading on you from a height of 60 feet. You can fill up your water bottles here because you’ll need them for the hike ahead. Soon after relaxing and having fun at the falls, we continue on the right-hand wilderness track. The Kodachadri plains can be reached after 30 minutes of trekking through a wilderness environment similar to this. Growing flora is tough up here due to the strong breeze. But, take caution as this section is quite steep, with the grade approaching 60 degrees at several points.
Kodachadri jeep ride
After about 45 minutes, the path wanders and merges once again before joining the jeep trail that leads to the Kodachadri Temple. Finally, a rocky road across the brink of a cliff brings you to the Kodachadri peak itself from here. At a shrine near the top of Kodachadri, a 40-foot-tall iron pillar stands upright. Trishul was allegedly employed by Goddess Mookambika to kill the evil Mookasura, according to her disciples. Despite being exposed to the harsh Kodachadri weather conditions of dampness and rain, this iron pillar is made of pure iron and has not rusted.
Conclusion
The Kodachadri Trek offers the ideal chance for a weekend getaway from Bangalore. The Kodachadri Trek, unlike any other, takes into account people’s needs for adventure and escape from the rush and bustle of their daily lives. The surface of the journey is varied. It starts with the best of nature, leads you through dense undergrowth and native vegetation, thundering cascades, on-mountain pinnacles, and then returns you to modernity and historic forts! From ancient times, the Kodachadri hike in Mookambika National Park has been magnificent.