Makutta

The Team of KGS Cricketers recently had a discussion to have an outing to the Forest, hence decided towards in and around Madikeri, i collected some major forest ranges such as Bhagamandala, Sampaje, Mundrotu etc and finally decided to have a look at Makutta Range, it is almost 250 kms from Bangalore via Gonikoppal, Virajpet, From Virajpet it is hardly 25 Kms and from the main road inside the forest 2.5 Kms to reach Makutta Forest Guest House and booked the guest house with one of my friend who is closely related to Forest Minister Office, decided the venue and fixed the date 8th June to 10th June 2012, Harsha booked the TT and the team was finalised

The TEAM

Sateesh (myself)

Promod Solomon

Kumaraswamy J

Prashanth Shetty

Manjunath

Harsha AS

Lokesh

Ananth

Umesh and

Viswanath

Day -01  Bangalore-Hunsur-Gonikoppal-Virajpet

Day -02  Virajpet to Makutta

Day -03  Makutta to  Pottachipare APC- Makutta- Virajpet-Hunsur-Bangalore

Route Map from Bangalore to Virajpet-Makutta

Satellite View of Makutta Range

Left Bangalore by 3-30 pm it was heavy rains on the day, i was fully drenched to reach the Vehicle Spot, got into the vehicle, (JKS, Promod, Harsha, Manja and Ananth was already reached the place and they were in Vehicle) picked Vishwanath at Hanumanthanagar, Umesh at Nayanadahalli, we instructed and informed  Lokesh to pack all the necessary items for the tour (Groceries, Vegetables etc everything need to carry from salt to ....) he was ready near RV Engg College, started our journey from there because of heavy rains on that day, the traffic on Mysore Road was full JAMMED and there was several accidents on all the way on Mysore Road, we reached Virajpet by 10-30 pm, we stayed at Virajpet (CIDS) had dinner and slept as we could not reach the destination Makutta in time, 

Day -02 09th June 2012

CIDS Guest House

Panorama View from CIDS, Virajpet

Vishwa, Promod and Shetty enjoying morning view of Virajpet

Next day morning we had breakfast Idli Vade at CDIS, left Virajpet by 8-00 am to Makuta, it is on the Coorg-Tallicherry Road, Which goes to Kannur

Breakfast at CIDS, Virajpet

Little information about VIRAJPET



Virajpet, 32 km from Madikeri, is a taluk headquarters. The town, situated at the foot of a hill, is well connected by road with coastal Kerala towns like Kannur and Tellicherry. Virajpet was built in 1792 A.D. by the Kodagu Raja, Dodda Veerarajendra, on the site where he met the British Governor Robert Abercromby in 1791. The Governor requested the Kodagu Raja to provide passage for moving the British troops from Bombay via Tellicherry through Coorg, on their way to Srirangapatna to fight Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan.

Dodda Veerarajendra invited craftsmen and traders from neighbouring states to settle down in the town. Even to this day, some of the street names include Telugu Street, Bengali Street and Jain Street.


The Clock Tower is the most visible landmark of Virajpet, erected in 1914 to commemorate the Delhi Durbar of King George V. A local coffee planter, Mukkatira Aiyappa, took a prominent part in the construction of the tower.


Another important landmark of Virajpet is St. Anne's Church built in the Gothic style. Some of the Christians from Mangalore, who were forcibly taken by Tipu Sultan to Periapatna and converted to Islam, had managed to escape. They were offered refuge by Dodda Veerarajendra at Virajpet. The Raja ordered the building of a church in 1792 and granted land and funds for the construction. In 1868, the structure was dismantled and in its place the existing church was built.


Dodda Veerarajendra gifted a gold crown, a brass lamp, and an ornamental brass box to the church. Only the brass lamp, known locally as 'kuthu bolucha', is still in the church. The inscription 'V' in Kannada for Veerarajendra and the words – 'Nalaknad Aramane' are etched on the lamp.

MAKUTTA

Makutta Forest Guest House

Reached Makuta Village by 10-30 am got into the guest house,  deposited all groceries items in the kitchen which is located nearby Guest house, Mr. Dayanand, Mr. Thimmaiah Forest Guards helped us to prepare the food for us including our team member Umesh did the cooking work, immediately rain started and stopped (this was always coming 20 mts rain and soon after sun will come over) it happened nearly 3 to 4 times, 

Umesh, Ananth and Manja

after lunch we proceeded towards a small stream which was by the roadside nearly 2.5 kms trek had a nice view of the stream, took some pics, while returning we had a view of Malabar squirrel on the tree, captured video footage, some leeches attacked to our legs, no harm, we donated some bad blood of ours, we had a nice black lemon tea, played some games had Dinner and slept, it was toooooo hot we couldn't sleep because of too much humidity got sleep by 12 pm.  

Malabar Squirell

Manja preparing Chilly Bajji

 Day-03

Previous day Mr. Dayanand informed about Hanging Bridge across the  Pottachipare APC, All the team members (except Kumar and Promod) are thrilled to visit that place and he informed  to trek some 3 to 5 kms to reach that cross Kerala Border, we took our vehicle till the last village of Kannur and from there we trekked from Pottachipare APC till the hanging bridge it was a nice one

Having a look for Leech Bite

Hanging Bridge  near  Potachipare APC

Harsha and Lokesh

Lokesh and Shetty

Manja and Rangachari 

Umesh, Ananth and Vishwa - iPad at Forest

After spending some time below the Hanging Bridge, had tea at Pottachipare APC (Rangachari), we moved back towards Makutta enroute we found some Rubber Plantation all over the route (Kannur (Kerala) Side) 

reached back to our Camp had breakfast Chitranna, Bajji and Tea, after spending some more time, Mr. Umesh prepared Egg Bajji, Rice and Rasam for Lunch, we all had lunch and thanked the Mr Dayanand, Mr Thimmaiah, Mr. Jatiappa and Mr. Raghavendra (Forest Guards) very humble people  with memories of the Nature and one saying of Great Scientist Albert Einstein "LOOK DEEP INTO THE NATURE AND THEN YOU WILL UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING BETTER "  and Berry Clove's "DRINKING NATURE IS UNQUENCHABLE THIRST" we left towards Bangalore and reached Bangalore by 8-30 pm on Sunday

A brief information about Brahmagiri Sanctuary



Spread over 181 sq km, the Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary stretches in a wide arc from Kutta to Makutta. The diverse habitat ranges from lowland rainforests in Makutta Wildlife Range to high altitude shola grasslands in the Srimangala Wildlife Range. The sanctuary is contiguous with Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala and a densely forested corridor, punctuated by coffee plantations, connects it to Wayanad and Nagarhole. The forests abound with gaur, sloth bear, elephant, barking deer, a host of felines like tiger, leopard, jungle cat, leopard cat and primates like lion-tailed macaque, bonnet macaque and the Nilgiri langur. However, the forests are full of the common cobra, spectacled cobra, krait, bamboo pit viper, Russell’s viper, checkered keelback, flying snake and trinket snake.


Brahmagiri is also a great place for birdwatchers and if you are really into it, you must follow the trail to Pakshipathalam. The best time to visit the sanctuary is between October and May.

The experience of the rainforest here is worth a lot. The average rainfall of this area is ~5.5 meters

There is an amazing forest guest house, built during colonial times, the Area is called as KACHERIKADAVU AREA


Booking has to be made at
DFO Office,
Virajpet,
08274 - 228305