An unforgettable monsoon trip to Udupi

 Hi friends,

           After the disappointment over our Europe trip which got cancelled in June this year, I suggested that we should travel in Vistadome coach from Bangalore to Udupi to experience the scenery and the journey through 54 tunnels on the way. 

              Vistadome coaches were introduced about 4 years back and that too through very few scenic routes in India.

 These coaches have large viewing windows on both sides, rotating chairs, and a viewing platform. It is more expensive than the ordinary coaches and so for a common man it is out of reach. July was the peak monsoon season when we booked the journey from Bangalore to Udupi and the journey offered magical views.  If you aim to reach stars, at least be happy that you could touch the moon. Vistadome coaches were made to give the Indian traveller awesome experience to match the western nations, but still fell short at some places. 

           No one can complain about the views all the way as it was one of the best we could experience.  From Hassan to Subramanya Road ( place of Kukki Subramanya temple) , there are 54 tunnels, lots of waterfalls on one side and valleys and mountains ⛰️ on the other side. As there is a viewing platform on the end of the coach, lots of enthusiasts were crowded in that platform to get direct views of tunnels one after the other. While most of us were with our phones, a couple of people were with professional 📷 cameras. Rains all the way was the blessing and a curse also. With the never-ending fresh greenery at its peak, valleys and mountains covered in mist was a feast for our eyes. These exotic views  close to our home is something most of us Indians are not aware of and that comes at a much cheaper price and instead chase the costly European trips. But the Indianness could not be taken out of these journeys. Even those scenic routes were littered at some places, the rotating chairs were not designed to comfortably rotate to face the windows to enjoy the routes. At a couple of places in the coaches, water was leaking near the chairs. Apart from all these flaws, this route is highly recommended to have an experience to be remembered for lifetime. This train goes to Karwar, a coastal area in the north of Karnataka. 

     

     My tribute to our Udupi journey through artwork!! ( this is in front of Udupi railway station)

          Udupi does not need any introduction. The place is basically famous for Sri Krishna Matha temple which will be crowded with locals and tourists, rain or shine. We stayed in hotel White Lotus just half km from the temple. We had to carry umbrellas and jackets all the time to wade through the torrential rains in udupi. We hired taxi for a couple of days to go around. We visited Kollur Mookambika temple near Mangalore, the famous Murdeshwar temple, Padubidri beach in Udupi which earned blue flag certification for cleanliness, Ambalapaady Durga temple, Anegudde Vinayaka temple 🛕,  Chandika Durgaparameshwari temple 🛕,  Marawante beach on the way.  All the temples are clean and well maintained.  Local Udupi people are simple when compared to cities like Bangalore. We couldn't enjoy sea waters as it was rough and dangerous with continuous rains. The visit to Heritage village in Manipal can take anywhere from one hour to more than three hours depending on the interest of tourists. For us, it took more than 3 hours as it housed lot of Heritage houses and durbar halls of bygone centuries. The Heritage village transported us back to lives lived centuries back. 

      

         I can go on about our trip but I will stop here with few tips. The onward journey from Bangalore to Mangalore-Udupi is worth going as the viewing platform is at the end of the coach with no engine attached in front of it. On the return journey,  the engine is 'insensitively ' attached to the viewing platform and so it is partly waste of money. The better time to go to places like Udupi,  Mangalore is after monsoon if you don't like being caught up in heavy rains. Get ready to bear with some boisterous groups of travelers who take repeated reels and selfies thus disturbing the peace of co-passengers. 

          Well, as I keep telling I got the feeling of traveling again by writing this travelogue and I wish I could really travel this journey again. This trip is more than worth every penny!!

P.S. Do not miss the statue of Shravanabelgolla that will be visible from the train, though it is far off!!

Deepa.