Everyone is just getting to know each other. But that journey was also the beginning of new friendships. It’s a forest path. Salt in hand and leech socks on feet to ward off leeches. By the time nature, with its combination of drizzle, snow, and cold, opened up new paths of travel for us, we had already begun to climb the forest, meditating on Adi Shankara in our minds.
It was a dense forest from the very beginning. We kept walking, following all the laws of the forest, taking in all its vibrations, and absorbing its charm.
After walking for about two hours, we reached another beautiful village. There was a shop and very few people. The shop sold fruits, biscuits, and other items. We started our journey again. In some places, we saw two or three paths. If you are unfamiliar with the path, you should be careful. It is a rule of trekking that if someone who knows the path passes in front of you, they mark the path. It has often helped us on our journey.
What surprised us throughout the journey was the different landscapes. Grasslands gave way to bare hills, hills to dense forests, and forests to snow-covered valleys. By then, we had walked for about four hours. Even before we reached the jeep stop in Kodachadri, darkness and fog had covered us. The terror and darkness of the forest instilled fear in everyone. We slowly crawled in the darkness, listening to the song heard from the temple in the distance. Later, as we climbed a hill, we could see small rays of light from somewhere. A little relief. By the time the excitement of the journey was overcome by the fatigue of the walk, we were standing in the presence of Moolamookambika, bathed in snow.
We stayed at the Forest Guest House. We also ate there. We all slept in a hall, on beds and on the floor. At 1:30 in the morning, the three of us went down to watch the sunrise. In the light of our mobile phone, we groped in the darkness, heading east on the compass needle, and climbed the mountain. We waited for the rising sun on the highest and widest mountain. The result was disappointment. The wind, snow, and hail deceived us. It was dawn. The sun had disappeared somewhere. But the return journey was to another world. The Kodachadri mountains, bathed in a fine mist and covered in mist. In the distance, a few people walking like ants up the green-covered mountain where the Sarvajnapeetha stands.
We walked back to the guesthouse. After breakfast, we walked towards the Sarvajnapeetham. On the way to the Peetha, we saw a Ganapati cave with puja items and someone doing penance. We continued walking. Sarvajnapeetham! My mind is full of Adi Shankara!! We prayed for a while in front of the Peetha. We started walking towards Chitramoola, bowing down to that great yogi in our minds.
The descent to Chitramula is very steep. Snowdrops are falling from the grass between the rocks. Beautiful flowers in yellow, orange and black are all around.
Wild boars have buried their roots here and there on the paths. Snakes and reptiles are abundant. After walking for a kilometer or two, we reached Chitramoola. Chitramoola! The source of the Souparnika River. A spring that never dries up even in the hottest summer. We were lost for a while in that fountain of water that was caressing unknown herbs and falling down through the rocks of Chitramoola. We meditated for a while at the mouth of that large cave. Without us knowing it, our mind and body were sinking into some other world of concentration.
I didn’t even realize that I had climbed back up the mountain to Kodachadri and from there to the guesthouse below. My mind was filled with only the warmth of Souparnika.
Returning from Kodachadri to Kollur was a different route. You can see a village called Hidumane and a beautiful waterfall on this journey. Half of the journey is through dense forest. You have to go through steep climbs and descents. Apart from us, there is a guide. And then there is a dog. Like a host or a protector, it accompanied us throughout the journey. Roads painted with mud. Jeeps that easily gallop along roads full of large stones and potholes.
The mountains of Kodachadri, covered in pearly white snow, the valleys filled with yellow and orange flowers, and the cool breeze gently caressing them – we walked one after the other, lost in the beauty of nature.
After taking a bath in the Hidumane waterfall and having lunch, we started walking and after a while we reached the village. Hidumane is a beautiful village where rice and sugarcane are grown. Streams flow peacefully along the fields. After the village, there are country roads. We continued walking and reached a place called Nettur and waited for the bus. The bodyguard was still with us.
After a while, the bus arrived. I felt sad to leave behind a friend who had accompanied us all this way. He had become an inseparable friend.
It was Navratri that day. After returning to Kollur, we bathed in Souparnika and worshipped the goddess. We ate and went to bed. We couldn’t sleep. Our minds were still wandering somewhere in the snow-covered valleys of Kodachadri.
