Pics: by Naveen
October 22, 2010
When people commute from Udupi to Shimoga they are sure to heave a sigh of relief. Breezy greenery all around, trees, monkeys posing for travelers, curved roads, hillocks touching cloud are sure to mesmerize nature-lovers. It is an enchanting place that grabs the curiosity of tourists, compelling them to revisit the experience.
Amidst busy city life everybody’s interests in recent years are turning to be the ‘unique one’ but all culminate in visiting the places gifted by nature. In city there is neither buzzing bees nor the huge trees swinging when the breeze blows. By visiting the Agumbe Ghats one can relax and redraft the essence of life. Many think that earning more and more money with the fast moving time will give an ultimate happiness. The answer could be ‘felt’ only when they achieve that goal. They simply cannot enjoy with all that money, dawns the realization.
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After all that, they start a new life, redraft the ultimate goal in life, and buy a house amidst forest or in some remote village where they will be liberated from their ‘business’ in life.
Well, Agumbe is the place that gets second highest rainfall in the country and is famous as ‘Chirapunji’ of the South. This place is also home for several medicinal plants. Agumbe gets an annual rainfall of about 7000-8000 millimeter and hence the place is always serene.
Most of the tourists travel from Manipal route to Shimoga, Sringeri, Horanadu, Kudremukh and stop at Agumbe to get pleasure from the natural beauty. Agumbe is about 90 km from Shimoga, 102 km from Mangalore and 55 km from Udupi. Thus people can easily access this place by road transport.
Agumbe is famous for its sunset view. Tourists come here specially to enjoy the sunset. A separate tower has been constructed atop of Ghats for the tourists to relish the picturesque beauty of sunset.
But this view cannot be relished during rainy season as the Ghat section is filled with fog, mist and cloud. Right time for recording the gorgeousness of sunset in our mind is from December to April.
In the vicinity of Agumbe, places like Kundadri hills, Jogi Gundi, Kunchikal, Barkana, Onake Abbi waterfalls attract the tourists.
Agumbe has gained international fame for its rain forest and King Cobra research centre. ‘Malgudi Days’ Television serial directed by late Shankar Nag was also filmed here.
I remember those days when I used to dream that ‘my’ bus should stop once near the tower and allow ‘us’ to see what’s there steep down?....
The driver who was oblivious of my desire as I was not old enough to talk to elders. But god blessed me soon and made the access to Agumbe an easy trend. I started visiting that place with my friends whenever I got the opportunity. An indifferent mindset will turn right after a visit to such nature’s gift. I started thinking simple and deep, moreover I learnt the importance of god.