a trip with brother, Chandragutti-2

...continued from a trip with brother, Chandragutti-1.

We had trekked almost two hours in still air in the uphill path passing through the jungles on Chandragutti hill. The experience had sapped our energy. And suddenly we were out in the open, exposed to blazing sunlight and to the heat radiating from the rocks. The hilltop today was a contrast of what I'd seen in Oct 2011. It was grey-green and fresh then, today it's grey-pale-yellow and parched. One thing is common though, the constant breeze.

Deepak going around the big water tank. In the background is the jungle we trekked through to come here. Beyond the hill & jungle are farmlands and villages.

Deepak's view of the water-tank. I wonder if this tank was ever filled to the brim. Even if it's thrr-fourth full anyone swimming in it may have had a difficult time climbing out without help. Perhaps, a rope was left hanging into the tank as an aide to climb out.

This part of the fort is the core of Chandragutti fort. I guess this was where the commander stationed. Perhaps this structure was the commander's residence & office. The condition of this structure was really good back in 2011. I was saddened to see the damaged wall. I feel this damage is a result of vandalization. Possibly someone must've dislodged a block or two trying to locate hidden treasure.

Another water-tank next to the commander's office. This one is friendlier compared to the big tank. At the opposite end are steps descending into the water. Green water indicates deep water.. surely this is deep but also there's a lot of moss in it. Maybe it isn't safe enough to drink. In the past, water tanks were maintained well. Usually fish and tortoises would be left in, they did the cleaning naturally.

From the other side of the tank. That plant was there last time too which means it's at least 15 years old, maybe much more older. On the rock surfaces around this tank and structure, one can see several etchings of an elephant and hulimane triangles. Hulimane literally means tiger's home. It's an ancient game played by two people, one representing a tiger and other sheep. Obviously the tiger will prey on the sheep and the sheep have to evade the tiger or be eaten.

About a hundred meters from the water tank is that boulder which marks the end of the trail. Beyond that rock are sheer drops, down below are more jungles and paddy fields. There's place to sit around the boulder but at noon one can't expect much shade. The two canines had gone ahead and found a shady spot to rest.

That's Deepak close to the edge. On to his left was a small shelter good enough for one person to sit comfortably. This is a great great sunset spot.. west is slightly to the right, we are looking towards the south-south-west.

This wall descends dangerously to the very edge. I wonder how this wall was constructed. Those guys were undoubtedly brave and strong. Also look at the wall, it's solid. It's wide enough for a person to walk over it but anyone trying that should be daring enough or foolish enough. I guess many haven't tried it and that's the reason it has been left alone.

After going around the boulder, we came back to the eastern side, the shade was wider here. Deepak decided to go horizontal. I parked myself on a stone block placed there like a seat. Our canine friends were resting across the small water-tank next to us.

There they are, lying down in the shade. The white one was staring into the water. I guess some insect or frog had caught it's attention. The dog's expression was like... can I catch it, will it taste nice. After a while it lost interest and decided to nap.

I decided to go around a bit, the dogs followed me. Deepak launched his DJI Mini2. Luckily at the time it wasn't too breezy. Wind is kind of unpredictable, it blows in sudden powerful bursts. This is one of the few ariel shots captured by DJI Mini 2.

Sun was beating down fiercely, it was difficult to be in the open for more than 10 minutes. I headed back to the boulder. We ate some peanut candy and drank water. We felt bad for not having anything the dogs could eat. Also we would be hungry and running low on water. We decided to start our return trek. One last look at the boulder... don't know if I'll ever come here again. Whoever that person Bujji is... that person has written his name next to the hulimane etching. Around this spot we heard a buzz high above us. It took a couple of seconds for us to realize that it was a passing bee-swarm. We froze for a moment and then relaxed knowing they wouldn't attack with provocation. The buzz faded away... Oh that sound was a treat to my ears!

At the collapsed gateway, we did not take the dirt slope, it was too risky. It would be easier to clamber down the heap of boulders. That's me making my way through the branches and stones.

Another view of the ruins. Even the canines took the same way. It's easier for them since they are much lighter and their center of gravity is much lower. With four limbs they are like 4WD vehicles. With the toughest bit behind us, our descent was rapid, no long breaks.

At one spot we heard a strange call, we were unable to find the source. We stopped and looked carefuly, we found a small group of monkeys. They were kind of restless, as if they had sensed danger close by. Our canine friends stayed with us through the trek, they would either lead us or follow us, stopped when we stopped. We were really touched by their behavior. As soon as we reached the temple, our canine friends left us and went out of sight. We were tired, thirsty and hungry. We spotted a water tank, thankfully it was filled. The cool water wash was refreshing. We refilled our water bottles and headed to the car.

At the exit of the temple parking area was a shop. We stopped to inquire for a khanawali. The shopkeeper said there were hotels which served meals... chapati, curry, rice, etc. After that meal, it would be difficult to travel since we wanted to reach Bhadravati by sunset. The shop had snacks, ice-cream and buttermilk. We opted for snacks and settled at the shop for a while downing several ice-cream cups and buttermilk sachets. Thirst and hunger quenched, we were recharged. We started our journey towards Bhadravati via Shivamogga. It was around 7-45 PM when we checked into a hotel in Bhadravati. The plan for the following day was to see Paper Town, our street, our home and our school... a trip with brother, Bhadravati & Kumathi.

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