Monsoon : Travel - 3

Jog Falls : The final leg of our journey was a long drive to Jog Falls with Amma, Puthith, and Guru.  It had always been Amma's wish to visit Jog Falls in monsoon, when the water flows at its fullest. In prepration for this trip and to make most of it, I had spoken to my uncle to get tentative dates for when the dam gates would open, so I decided to take some leave from work just in case. 

We started early and reached Jog falls via Davangere by noon. We went straight to the first viewpoint of the falls after reaching Jog. The view point was crowded and the falls was covered in mist, we could only hear the roaring sound of the water falls. After waiting for a while, the mist cleared and we got the breathtaking view of the water falls. 

Next, we headed to the KSTDC hotel to check in, which is conveniently located right by the falls. The hotel was decent, and the highlight in our room was the Mysore sandal toiletries. A lot of construction was happening around, making the place a bit dusty. Since there aren't many food options in Jog, we had no choice but to eat at the Mayura restaurant. The staff there were friendly and even customized our meals for us. The onion pakoda and fries were perfect for the weather

After checking in, we decided to head to Linganamakki Dam. We had two options: take a boat and view it from a distance or go directly to the dam itself. I opted against the boat ride since the river was in full flow and it felt risky.

We learned that we needed special permission to enter the dam and had only an hour left until closing time, we almost gave up hope. Luck was on our side, Guru's friend a happened to be in Jog at that time, thanks to him, we got special permission to visit the dam, and he even accompanied us! The sight was magnificent, with five gates open. Took some pictures and on our way back, we took a short break at the China Gate viewpoint, which turned out to be a perfect spot for taking photos.

The next morning was misty and drizzling, and I wanted to be at the viewpoint before sunrise. We woke up early and stepped out while it was still dark, making our way to the viewpoint, which was just a two-minute walk from our room. We waited for a long time, but it was worth it to get an unforgettable view of the Raja, Rani , Roarer Rocket. After spending few hours, we started our journey back. We made an unplanned visit to Chowdeshwari and Dwimukha Chamundeshwari temples, both unique and really peaceful. 

We started driving back on the same route. Amma and Chikkamma suddenly remembered they hadn’t visited Harihara, so we made a quick stop at the temple and got darshan from outside the sanctum sanctorum. Harihara temple is one the most beautiful temple on the banks of river Tungabhadra. 

It was raining on and off both the days, it was a super weather. The only tough part was finding restaurants that don’t use garlic and onion, so next time we will be more prepared and bring some snacks. The 8+ hour drive each way was long, but my Hyryder made it a smooth and enjoyable ride. 

Everything worked out better than what i had expected, thanks to nature. Here’s to many more long drives!