Calm, Serene and Divine: Coorg Calling !

If one believes that certain places on earth are sacred, surely this is one of them.A 60-ft golden statue of the Buddha, to be precise, flanked by two equally impressive figures. The entrance to the Main temple complex has a huge photo of one of the leaders/head-monk at the top of a prayer hall. The Main prayer hall (on the left of the previous prayer hall) offers the travelers a peek into what Buddhism is all about with Buddha and other statues towering over 60 feet and prayer mats laid out uniformly in front to seat the monks.We chose to spend a weekend in Coorg because it promised wild elephants, monsoon soaked views of lush hills and valleys, and a home stay on a coffee plantation. Yet right there on the main road was an elaborate gateway beckoning us into the settlement. It was like entering another world. The road to the temple passes restaurants advertising Tibetan food, a shop selling prayer flags, the Tibetan Career Institute, a school, etc. The sight of monks walking in a row along the road or drinking tea at Café Tibet was priceless. Feeling totally detached from the hurly burly of the Indian market just outside the settlement, we reached the monastery. Even its elaborate entrance and large courtyard filled with Tibetan children didn't prepare me for the first glimpse of the inner sanctum, with the three giant statues seemingly lit up from within and rows of seating mats laid in neat rows in front of them. Hindus, Muslims, others-- we all stood silently and in awe.

Talakaveri: Kaveri (River Cauvery) as a talab(pond).On the slopes of the Brahmagiri mountain ranges at an altitude of 1276 m above the sea level, it is believed that this place is the origin of the holy River Cauvery. River Cauvery, considered among Sapta Sindhu or seven holy rivers, is the Ganges of South India.A small square tank, the holy pond, called Cauvery Kundike or Brahma Kundike, which is the Ugama Sthana or the birth place of River Cauvery. Here, River Cauvery emerges as a perennial spring and disappears underground. River Cauvery again surfaces at Nagathirtha near Bhagamandala and joins with Kannike and Sujyoti at Triveni Sangam and meets the Bay of Bengal after her sojourn of 800 km through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. There is also a small shrine dedicated to Lord Vinayaka at the premises of this temple.

A pleasing woodland area renowned for its elephant training camp. The Dubare Elephant Camp is a must-experience for the elephant lover in you. Karnataka's history with elephants, goes a long way back and currently the state's Forest Department has about 150 elephants in various camps.It is positioned on the banks of the river Cauvery stuck between Siddapur and Kushalnagar. Throughout the rule of former Maharaja of Mysore, this terrain was utilized to prepare elephants for the Mysore Dussehra festival. The place owing to its awe-inspiring luxuriant exquisiteness is also a favorite destination for lovers of natures.River rafting at Dubare is on the outstanding brook Cauvery. The watercourse is extensive and the rapids here are not more, making rafting all the more effortless. There are two rafting alternatives accessible for the rafters—8.5 km run and 12 km run. The longer run widely depends on the level of water.