Starting at 8 on a nice Sunday morning, our first stop was Kamath Lokaruchi on Mysore road for a hearty breakfast, which fuelled our spirits for next two hour Antakshari on the way to Shivanasamudra.
Shivanasamudra (also called 'Bluff' for reasons we could not find out :) is just 120 km from Bangalore. At the Gaganachukki waterfalls Cauvery branches off and falls frothing from 200 feet into a rocky gorge. The hydroelectric station, first of its kind in Asia, can also be seen from the same vantage point. 
Situated on the banks of river Cauvery and 45 Km to east of Mysore (about 40 Km from Bluff) is Talakad. This place has few old temples which were buried under the white sand for hundred of years. The temples are open for ceremonial worship once in 12 years. Talakad is a must-visit just to see the sight of sand-from-nowhere amidst the green and the Cauvery.
The sandy beach (not well-kept though) makes a good diving ground for sports enthuasists, who were plenty in our team. After a round of football, throwball and lagori, the gang jumped into water and enjoyed themselves thoroughly.
Hungry, we had a few self-made sandwiches, and then found a guide (also the author of 'kshetra-mahatme' book) who took us on a memorable hour-and-a-half lon
g walking tour covering five temples. The place is famous for its temples buried under the sand — including the famed Vaidyanatheswara temple. According to legend, Talakad was swept over by sand dunes when Alamelamma, widow of Sriranga Nayaka, the area chieftain, threw herself into the Cauvery, but not before cursing the land. It gets its name from two brothers Tala and Kada, who found the Lingam from inside of a tree.
Situated on the banks of river Cauvery and 45 Km to east of Mysore (about 40 Km from Bluff) is Talakad. This place has few old temples which were buried under the white sand for hundred of years. The temples are open for ceremonial worship once in 12 years. Talakad is a must-visit just to see the sight of sand-from-nowhere amidst the green and the Cauvery.
The sandy beach (not well-kept though) makes a good diving ground for sports enthuasists, who were plenty in our team. After a round of football, throwball and lagori, the gang jumped into water and enjoyed themselves thoroughly.
Hungry, we had a few self-made sandwiches, and then found a guide (also the author of 'kshetra-mahatme' book) who took us on a memorable hour-and-a-half lon
g walking tour covering five temples. The place is famous for its temples buried under the sand — including the famed Vaidyanatheswara temple. According to legend, Talakad was swept over by sand dunes when Alamelamma, widow of Sriranga Nayaka, the area chieftain, threw herself into the Cauvery, but not before cursing the land. It gets its name from two brothers Tala and Kada, who found the Lingam from inside of a tree. It was an experience to remember for a long time. We understood quite a few things about each other, and some secrets too ;)
Some pictures are here.
How to reach: You can reach Talakad by taking Mysore road, then deviate to Malavalli, and from Malavalli, you can take a diversion to Talakad. Talakad is about 35 kms from Malavalli.
