Hey everyone, we are hoomies back as we promised with the second part of one of the most sought and popular hill stations of Karnataka. In the last blog, we talked about Coorg and some must important tips as you plan a visit to this beautiful city. In this, we will be explaining and will be talking about various places you can explore while in the city.
After a wonderful dinner and a great night’s sleep, we got up in the morning all freshened up and excited to explore this city. We had our amazing, delicious breakfast in our resort and headed over to this beautiful place known as the Raja’s seat. The view is just mind-blowing and very peaceful.
RAJA’S SEAT
Also known as the Seat of the King is one of the very popular tourist destinations in Madikeri. Located just a walk away or 1.5 km from the main city center. It is a seasonal garden of flowers and artificial fountains. It was the place where Coorg’s king used to visit and enjoy its spectacular scenic beauty with their queens. The view is just amazing with scenic beauty all around. One of the perfect locations to experience sunset and sunrise. This experience is worth capturing and living for. You can sit and relax in the wonderful view, perfect weather with a calm, lush green environment and golden streams of sunlight making it picture-perfect.
The best time to visit is early mornings or late evenings. The place is shaped like a small square in brick and mortar, with four pillars bridged by arches, enhanced by beautiful surroundings. Built at a higher level with a commanding view of the cliffs and valleys to the west.
Around the Raja’s seat is a splendid garden that consists of seasonal flowers and a musical fountain. Alongside is a wonderful park having a Gandhi Mantap to its left. This is where Mahatma Gandhi has been kept.
BEST TIME TO VISIT:
Early mornings – one of the golden moments of the sun rising from the back of mist-laden lush green mountain ranges.
THINGS TO DO:
- Capturing the spectacular view
- Spending time with your loved ones
- Toy train ride
ENTRY TICKET:
Very reasonable just Rs.5 for the entry and around Rs.20 for the train ride.
TIMINGS:
5:30 AM to 8:00 PM throughout the week.
Omkareshwara Temple
After visiting here and spending around an hour or two, we decided to visit Omkareshwara Temple
This beautiful holy place is just 1.2 km away from Raja’s seat. It takes around 5 mins from your car or a 10-minute walk. This being a Hindu temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Built in a mix of Gothic and Islamic style. A very religious destination of Coorg. One of the ancient shrines. The temple was constructed in the 18th century as a form of penance by King Lingarajendra II. The architecture is very similar to that in Muslim Dargah.
The ambiance was quite calm and soothing. Inside the temple, the premise is a water tank that has a Mantapa built in its center. You can see various fishes in this water tank.
TIMINGS:
6:30 AM to 12:00 Noon &
5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
NO ENTRANCE FEES but a bit crowded on Mondays.
The next on our cards was to visit Madikeri Fort.
MADIKERI FORT
This amazing fort is just a 5-10 minutes’ walk from this temple. We didn’t go inside the fort and saw it as we passed through.
This fort is also known as Mercara Fort built by Mudduraja in the 17th century. It is considered to be one of the interesting places for sightseeing. We were told by our local driver that the fort has two life-sized elephants made of mortar at the entrance of this Fort.
There are no entry fees.
TIMINGS:
10:00 AM to 5:30 PM.
This fort remains closed on Mondays.
Following our visit to the fort, we got really tired and decided to get back to our resort. Had a great lunch at our resort and enjoyed a relaxed and beautiful evening at the comfort of our rooms.
THINGS TO PACK:
- Sunglasses
- Comfy clothes (which can get dried easily)
- Umbrellas (unpredictable weather) / raincoats
- Mosquito repellents
- Just take some winter wears as it might get windy and chilly in the early mornings and late evenings
- Comfy shoes/ slippers
- Camera
LANGUAGES SPOKEN:
- English
- Kannada
- Konkani
- Hindi
THINGS TO BUY:
- Coffee
- Spices
- Handicrafts
- Chocolates
Thanks, you all for reading our blog. We will be back again really soon with some other amazing locations of Coorg. Happy Holi everyone. Hope this festival of color brings you joy and happiness.
