This entry is part of the series, Wildlife with a Hint of Photography: Coorg and Wayanad.»
This series captures my experiences when two good friends» of mine and I travelled extensively, especially across the wild side of South India. I hope you enjoy the ride through my photographs and the written word.
March 10 and we bid our goodbyes to Ganesh» and his wife at Irpu» . We were heading back to Bangalore. After a brief stopover at Kutta» , we drove further to the entrance of Nagarahole» . I had to report to the Forest Department guy and sign in on the register at the entrance. Not surprisingly, he again asked me to help him sell a couple of books to the “foreigners”, to which I politely declined and drove into the Rajiv Gandhi National Park.
Nagarahole: We Sight the First Wild Pachyderm!
About 2km into the forest, Cindy nudged me and said look to the left. She was absolutely delighted and exclaimed “My first wild elephant!”. After all she had cause to be, as the elephant is her favorite animal. This was an old tusker who was trying to cool himself and was taking a mud bath. We took pictures of him (“My very own elephant picture!” as Cindy said) and then carried on, our eyes wide open and our car at slow speed to spot any wildlife that we might come across. We stopped at the Forest Office to inquire about the safari as a last ditch effort. The lady at the Office said “No guarantee because of forest fires”, and we decided to head straight back to Bangalore.
We landed in Mysore» for lunch after driving through Hunsur» from Nagarahole. A good meal at Olive Garden brought us back to life and prepared us for the busy Bangalore-Mysore highway traffic. After a brief stopover on the outskirts of Mysore (where we bought fruits for the family) we came to Srirangapatna» .
Srirangapatna: An Ancient Monument, Lively Children and Three Cameras
It was evening and the light was golden yellow (perfect for pictures!) when we landed at Srirangapatna. We took a left from the highway towards the Masjid-e-Ala» . A group of kids befriended us, and soon we were busy taking their pictures with the magnificent Masjid-e-Ala in the backdrop. A perfect ending to an exciting and fun-filled journey!
Driving Experience: 6/10
- Very bad roads in Kutta and speedbreakers every 25-50 metres in Nagarahole.
- The road conditions deteriorate on the stretch from Nagarahole to Hunsur.
- The Mysore-Hunsur highway is an absolute pleasure to drive.
- The Bangalore-Mysore highway is smooth.
Watch Out For:
- Narrow roads
- Speedbreakers every 25-50 metres in the Nagarahole National Park
- Motorists heading towards you from the other direction, especially in the smaller towns and villages
- Trucks laden with sugarcanes near Mandya» and Maddur»
- Guides suddenly appearing in front of your vehicle at Srirangapatna
- Cattle, sheep and humans trying to cross the highway at undesignated places
- Weekend traffic between Mysore and Bangalore (especially kids zipping and trying to overtake)
Look Out For:
- Rich, full bodied Coorg coffee
- Wildlife in the Nagarahole National Park. You never know what you may come across!
- The rocky landscape of Ramanagaram»
- The innumerable handicraft shops selling the famed Channapatna» toys along the highway from Channapatna to Mandya (The shopkeepers are willing to bargain.)
Route Map
More From Vivek Dhage's Portfolio and Photoblog
- Leg 4: Ooty to Bangalore | Vivek Dhage's Portfolio and Photoblog
- Leg 1: Ranganathittu | Vivek Dhage's Portfolio and Photoblog
- Leg 2: Irpu | Vivek Dhage's Portfolio and Photoblog
- Leg 1: Bangalore to Mysore | Vivek Dhage's Portfolio and Photoblog
- Leg 4: Masinagudi to Ooty and back to Bangalore | Vivek Dhage's Portfolio and Photoblog
![Recommend [vivekdhage]](http://s3.amazonaws.com/arkayne-media/img/logo-recommend-me.png){kind=logo}
The Masjid-e-Ala or Jama Masjid is located near the Bangalore Gate of Tipu’s Fort. Tipu Sultan built this masjid (mosque) in 1784 CE after he ascended the throne of Mysore. It is said that he performed the first imamath himself. The mosque has lofty minarets that touch the sky. These minarets, a gift from Tipu, stand on a high platform and are double storied and octagonal in shape with pigeonholes surmounted by domes that adds to the grandeur of the entire structure. There is a flight of about 200 steps leading to the top of the minarets from where one can have a splendid view of the surrounding area. The minarets were a favorite subject matter for many contemporary European artists in their depictions of the British campaigns against the capital of Mysore.
There is a huge prayer hall, the Mihrab on the western side, which has an inscription that mentions all the ninety-nine names of Allah. Persian scriptures done in fine calligraphy and intricate ornamentation decorate the walls and ceilings of the Jama Masjid.
Yes, they're my own pictures.
![Recommend [vivekdhage]](http://s3.amazonaws.com/arkayne-media/img/badge/02me.png){kind=icon}
Nice. Especially the candid ones.
I truly enjoyed that day for so many reasons! The kids were a blast
Def brings a smile to my face reading your entry and looking through your shots. That landscape image, wow … what a day!