Captivating Kushalanagar

Surrounded by the thick foliage of bamboo groves, sandalwood and teak trees, Nisargadhama is an island formed by the river Cauvery near Kushalnagar, writes Suryakumari Dennison

St Sebastian's Church

Madikeri, our holiday destination, turned out to be rather disappointing. Its fort and adjoining museum were closed, as they are every Monday. They remained shut the following day, which happened to be a government holiday. For the same reason, the residence of late General Thimayya (maintained as a memorial to his military achievements) proved elusive. As for the famed sunset at Raja’s Seat, since the sun was barely visible it could hardly disappear in a blaze of glory.

Despite these setbacks, our trip to Kodagu was not a failure. There was much to enjoy at Kushalanagar, about 30 km from Madikeri. The highlight was Nisargadhama, a scenic nature resort on an island in the River Cauvery. Negotiating the hanging rope bridge that spans the water was an interesting experience. When we kept walking, it seemed steady, but if we stopped suddenly we were aware of a swaying sensation.

Once across, we found ourselves in a vast green expanse of bamboo groves and teak and sandalwood trees. There were stone seats, matching the artistically crafted
archways, but tempting though it was to sit and soak in the ambience, we kept going. We paused now and then to admire the realistic sculptures of men and women in Kodava costumes, performing traditional dances. These images are safely within enclosures, to protect them from over-enthusiastic selfie-seekers. Moving on, we came to an amazing aviary. Colourful parakeets perched on our palms, helping themselves to the birdseed provided by the person in charge.

The children among us were a bit nervous, but so gently did our feathered friends feed that we felt not the slightest discomfort. What did make us uneasy at Nisargadhama was the large number of people who were thronging the shops at the entrance, with total disregard for social distancing.

Crowds were also a problem at Harangi Dam. By contrast, Chiklihole Dam, (a small reservoir, about 15 km from Kushalanagar) was refreshing. We drove unhindered to
the top (not easily accessible at other similar sites) and found it free of unmasked tourists. Not that we could entirely escape Covid! It dashed our hopes of visiting the
Golden Temple at nearby Bylakuppe. The Namdroling Monastery, home to a community of monks and nuns, was barred to outsiders because of the pandemic. Fortunately, we managed to see another significant place of worship. Constructed a few years ago, St Sebastian’s Church stands on a hill from which one gets a panoramic view of Kushalanagar. There was scarcely anyone around, but a boy playing on the premises kindly opened a side door for us. Beautiful statues adorn the interior and exterior of this splendid edifice.

Figurines of a different sort caught our attention at a wayside stall. Each time we passed BM Road, we were fascinated by colourful life-size replicas of animals that seemed to be staring straight at us. Made of cement, and evidently intended for parks and gardens, they were among the several spectacular sights of Kushalanagar.