Tucked in the Malnad region of the Western Ghats, unknown to most people outside the Indian state of Karnataka, is a little hamlet known as Sakleshpur. I myself had never heard of it … before I moved to Bangalore. A friend of mine, who hails from that region, insisted that I visit Sakleshpur, so that she can see its beauty through my eyes and my writing. So in a way this blog is dedicated to her. I’m grateful to her for letting me know that such a place exist and believing in my ability to capture its pristine beauty.
That day, when we headed for Sakleshpur, the sky was overcast and the sun exploded through the clouds with a riot of colors strewn across the eastern sky. My wife sat beside me with expectation in her eyes, and my son tucked himself in the third row of the car hoping to make up on his sleep debt.
In about 5 hours we reached Sakleshpur. The weather was overcast and it seemed like it would rain. After we checked into the resort we were quite mesmerized by the beauty around us. It reminded me of the beautiful Swiss hills of Schönried. My wife started clicking pictures with her phone almost immediately. I was still a bit awestruck and almost forgot that I was carrying a camera. Then suddenly, it started raining cats and dogs. We took shelter in the patio of the dining area. Surprisingly, the resident dog developed some fondness for us and snuggled under my legs. He seemed quite pleased when my son started patting and stroking him.
It rained incessantly for 24 hours. But it wasn’t enough to deter me and my wife (my son chose to snuggle inside a blanket with a book) for a trek next morning up the Aagani Gudda—literally meaning a mountain born of fire—an apt name for a hill formed out of volcanic activity. However, due to the rains, the supposedly 360° panoramic views from the top was totally washed out. In a way it seemed ethereal, as if we were in heaven, with nothing between us and our creator. The illusion of existence was wiped off from our senses. My wife meditated with her eyes closed and I with my eyes open. I don’t think it made a difference as there was zero visibility. What we could see from the top of Aagani Gudda was only our internal visions.
Several hours after we returned from our trek, the rain stopped and the cloud curtain was gradually lifted to reveal the beautiful Swiss-like hills that we saw yesterday.
We sat in the patio for hours, watching the mesmerizing scene unfold in front of our eyes, until it started getting dark. And then I grabbed my camera and took a stroll knowing very well that it can see in the dark even if I’m unable to.
Next morning, the weather cleared up a bit and I decided to take an early morning stroll toward the opposite direction of Aagani Gudda.
When I returned after a brief stroll my wife and son was geared up and ready for the trek. The Swiss-like hills were clearly visible and we expected to see a clear panoramic view from the top.
The weather held up really well and it was a lot warmer than yesterday. And for the first time we saw crystal clear 360° panoramic views from the top.
By now, we had been quite hooked to the views from the top. Hence, we decided to go up Aagani Gudda again next day. And the experience we had was what we went to Sakleshpur for in the first place … a walk in the clouds. I’ve no other phrase to describe that experience.
