Sagar in Shimoga

We went to Shimoga during the long Independence Day weekend (12-14th Aug'17). We spent one day each in Shimoga, Sagar and Thirthahalli. 

Shimoga is a district we had not explored before and is only a 6 hour drive from Bangalore via Tumkur. We checked in at Akash Inn just to rest for the night and paid Rs 2200/- through the travel website "Booking.com". It is a really good hotel. Oh! You must try their poori-sagu for breakfast, the sagu is delicious, unlike anything I have tasted before. (Aside: a tip - don't stay at Jewel Rocks. It is pathetic - both the service, the food and the room facilities. I had stayed there on an official visit and didn't like it one bit. Same price as Akash Inn, by the way). 

The next morning, we set out straight to Sri Sigandur Chowdeshwai Temple.  The drive was pleasant as it was monsoon season. Luckily, it didn't rain throughout the 3 days of our trip. The weather was cool, the roads surrounded on both sides by rows and rows of arecanut plantations, rice fields and thick forests.

You will not feel the strain of driving at all. The drive, mostly on NH 206, was one of the most enjoyable parts of the trip.

While in Sagar, how could we have missed a detour to Jog Falls? I still wish I could see the Jog in full fury, froth emanating from the bottom, the falls in its majestic glory as seen in some movies like Mungaru Male which was shot here. 

The  hydro-electric power station at Jog Falls with the multiple layers of the Western Ghats in the background

We heard from the locals about Shridhar Swamy Mutt in Varadahalli where the samadhi of the Swamy lies. Sri Shridhar Swamy is a revered saint in this part of the State. The Theertha is a holy pond with water that flows 24 hours a day and no one knows the source of the water. It is known for its skin cleansing properties. People take a dip in the pond to rid themselves of any skin disease.

We also went to the most talked about place in Sagar - Honnemardu (Golden Lake) located on the backwaters of the Sharavathi river. It is beautiful and is known for the most spectacular sunrise and sunset views and covers an area of 50 km by 80 km.

Honnemardu is supposed to have kayaking, boating and other water activities. But when we went, there was no boatman and the boats were all resting. I guess he knew few would venture out into that hell-hole of a road and come thus far. Or perhaps, prior booking was needed with one of the adventure camp organizers. Anyway, there were only 5 cars that visited the place that particular day.

The road is so bad, so bad that you curse yourself and every Internet page that talks about how scenic Honnemardu is (which it is, no doubt) but skip mentioning its pathetic road. You vent your anger at the public servants who have slept off and not turned around even once to see the disarray. The neglect and apathy is shocking especially since Honnemardu is the first thing Google throws up when you search Sagar or Shimoga. You don't even have any road markers to help you. We stopped at a place where there was a car and a bike parked and a small, mud-trodden pathway among the bushes that led somewhere. We stopped and blindly followed it and found the right place. If that car had not been there, we would have driven further because there really is nothing to guide you or no human face to talk to.