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Travelogues Nisargadama Getaway
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"Islands in the stream..." went one of the more popular songs of the wonderful sixties. The Ministry of Forests, government of Karnataka, may or may not have been aware of this song but when they saw this fine island in the river Cauveri they decided that it would make a tranquil tourist destination.
So what they did was augment the already lush foliage of the island by planting more bamboo and other trees. Then they built a picturesque hanging bridge from the mainland to the island. For accommodation, first small structures were hoisted on bamboo stilts on the slopes of the island.
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Talking of sunrises and sunsets, you can get quite confused in your directions if you take a parikrama around the island, for sometimes you see the sun on your right, and then on your left and then suddenly it is right in front of you. But all the time its reflection is shimmering in the river or setting the bamboo groves aflame with its golden light.
There is a small fox, which frolics around the canteen and becomes your friend as soon as you place an order for chicken with the cook there. Ravi, who is employed by the WWF, showed us the orchidarium where he grows fifty species of orchids, like Aria Retusa, Aerides, Denrobium, all brought from the hill slopes of the Nilgiris. While the nearby Nagarhole sanctuary is no doubt a much bigger attraction for nature lovers, with its tigers, gaur, elephants and wild chital herds, Nisargadama, started only in 1989 is a unique little place in the contentious waters of the river Cauvery.
Cauveri Nisargadama Kushalnagar
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Editor: Romola Butalia (c) India Travelogue. All rights reserved. |
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Of course, like a lot of other goodies of Karnataka, Nisargadama is closest to Mysore, being just a two-hour drive from this town of Tipu memorabilia. From Mysore you take the road to Hunsur. Just before Hunsur there is a diversion with an arch on the left one reading "Welcome to Nagarhole". So take the right diversion, get past Priyapatni about 17 Kms away, then after a further 23 Kms you see the Nisargadama sign board on your left. Before venturing here, particularly on week ends, you would do well to get confirmed booking from the Conservator of Forests, Madikeri (see box for more details) and have someone who knows Kannada with you, for letter confirming your booking is in that language.
There are lots of people who come here as day-trippers. They enjoy a picnic, make a lot of noise, use the paddleboats and then depart before sunset. But that's where the fun of spending a night here starts. For one, you can enjoy the full spectacle of the sun rising and setting -- over the river, beyond the bamboo clumps. Then there is the silence of the night, which can be quite startling if one is used -- as most of us are-- to bustling towns.