Kudajadri - An Introduction

When people write travelogues, they are basically about the place they visit, what is available, how you can get there and where you can stay and for how much. This travelogue, that I would be writing, however is not about where you can stay and how to get there, but what I learnt when I got there and how things along the way unfurled in a series of experiences that made my journey memorable. What I might be writing might be of little importance and mundane daily things, but I believe, if we all open our eyes to every little thing that happen around us, it can give us little clues of what happens next. Sounds a bit ridiculous? It might.



How many times have you seen little birds, a rainbow, butterflies (those who know me know about my obsession for butterflies!!) flowers, a smile on some strangers face who just passed by? I believe quite a few people might ever see these things. Not anybodies fault. After all, every one has there own problems to deal with and how does one take notice of such insignificant things in life around us, whence we ourselves are in deep shit. Take a break. Like I did. Ever since the year 2003, when I had gone to Spiti in the Himalayas, I was raring to go to some place where I could feel one with myself, and thus with the world. And it had to be an occasion like a good friends Suresh’s wedding to take that much needed break. But there was something even more special about this break. I had taken just one day out, to be with myself. And this day I would be trekking up the mountain of Kutachadri in Karnataka. The trip was combined with some personal visits too, people whom I hadn’t met in years. My bade papa I hadn’t met in 14 years! And to say he was my favorite bade papa! Life in the city does this to us.

I had been here before with two friends earlier and was enthralled by the journey and the amazing vistas that lay on the way. During the earlier trek, an unseasonal shower had occurred and the lightning in the clouds had happened below our eye level. It was a scene to be seen to be believed.

Historically, Kutachadri is a very important landmark in Indian mythology. Though I couldn’t gather any written evidence on this, a story I have heard from my grandmother and the pujari in Kutachadri temple is worth an ear.

Kutachadri has its place in mythology since the Tretayuga. During the Tretayuga, this mountain was in the Himalayan ranges. The Saptarishis had under taken penance for several days and Goddess Saraswati had appeared pleased with their penance. The temple was present since then.

During the Ramayana, when Hanuman carried the Himalayas to Lanka in search of the jhadibhuti, a piece of the mountain fell in the state of Karnataka. During Kaliyuga, Adi Shankaracharya, identified this place with his divya drishti and trekked up through the jungles and installed the deity and worshipped the Gods. It is also the place where Adi Shankaracharya achieved his sarva gnyana. The Sarvagyapeetham is still present over the top of the mountain. It was also the place where Parashuram threw his axe and Kerala was formed. Another legend has it that the evil Mookasura was killed by Goddess Mookambika at the same place. The thrishul which killed Mookasura is still present in this place.

It is indeed a wonderful place of visit for religious reasons. I would rather use the word spiritual reasons. But most of the visitors here are people who visit for religious reasons added with a sense of adventure. The place is nestled in the Mookambika Wild life Sanctuary, so you can expect the presence of wild life around. Probably that was the reason why my mother tried hard to dissuade me from trekking up the hill alone.