I
have often been asked by people what are the best places for a one-day outing
from Bangalore. I usually suggest the scenic spots on the banks of river
Cauvery like Shivanasamudra, Bheemeshwari, Mekedaatu or Talakadu since these
are the best available picnic spots about 100kms away from Bangalore wherein
you can cook, Play in the water and have a nice picnic of sorts. I have been to
these places a number of times be it with friends or family and this place
never ceases to excite me.
The
splendor of river Cauvery always attracts me to take a dip in it in scorching
heat.... true Bliss!!!
However
be informed there are a number of warning signs warning people not to get into
the water at some places because of the undercurrents that have claimed many
lives. So before getting into the water make sure it is safe to swim and ensure
that there is no danger.
One
of the safe places to play in the water on this stretch of Cauvery River is
Talakadu. The water levels are not so high in this place which makes it a safe
place to swim. May be for this reason this place is overcrowded compared to
other tourist spots on the banks of River Cauvery.
The Beautiful Cauvery River
The Plan
It
had been a long time since I had gone for a trip because of the hectic work
schedule and financial crunch off-late. luckily our Cultural association
decided to organize a picnic for its hard working members. They had decided to
go to Talakadu for a one day trip.
How
could I miss this opportunity to visit a tourist place which was completely
sponsored ;). So I decided to tag along :) .
We
were about 40 people and we hired a bus instead of TTs as it was economical. So
this time I was not involved in planning the route and driving. I could relax
and enjoy the trip, also I hadn't been to a trip in a bus since School time so
this refreshed my memory of School trips :) .
The
Association had decided that we wouldn’t take cooked food to the trip or have
food at any restaurant instead cook food on the spot which would make the
picnic more fun and engaging. So we carried vessels, gas cylinders groceries
etc. along with us to the trip.
The Trip To Talakadu
Begins.......
The
worst part about a one-day trip is that you need to wake up very early in the morning
since there is no night driving involved and you have to reach the spot early
since you have to be back by evening. The trip was planned on a Sunday since
not everyone has the luxury of getting an off on Saturday like we IT people do.
Sometimes I feel like I am a blessed Slave ;) .
So the tour bus was supposed to
depart at 7AM Sunday Morning. I
had to wake up at 6 in the morning to board the bus at 7. I hate to wake up
early on weekends, somehow I pushed myself out of the bed by 6:30 and managed
to get ready and board the bus by 7.
Talakadu
is famous for its white sandy river banks. It somehow resembles a beach and
when a tourist new to the place visits it for the first time will surely get
confused if this place is a beach or a river bank due to the white sands and
the huge crowd at the place. So if you are visiting this place make sure you
carry a football or volleyball so that you can play on the sandy river banks
which will add to the fun quotient. Also large amounts of sand deposit in the
river has made the river shallow at this place hence tourists visiting this
place can play in the water without any fear.
Sandy River Bank resembling a beach
We reached Talakadu by 11. It took us almost 4 hours to reach since the driver was a strict follower of speed limit on the road and never crossed 50KMPH on the speedometer ;) . There are no good washroom facilities available for women on Kanakapura road except for a CCD which is difficult to spot. However there are well maintained washrooms and change rooms at Talakadu itself so you don't have to worry much when you are travelling to Talakadu with family. Though there are many eateries in Talakadu I would strongly recommend to carry food & water while travelling to any of these places.
The place was very crowded. For a moment it felt like I was in Calangute beach in Goa. That was the kind of atmosphere and crowd at this place. We quickly found a comfortable spot away from the crazy crowd and settled down with our luggage and sought permission from the cops to carry out cooking in the area. So the ladies in the group got busy in cooking related activities while we men were away in our swim trunks to take a dip in the river. After a swim we too got involved in cooking and now it was the turn of the ladies to have fun in the water :) . After about 3 hours the food was ready and after a heavy lunch we indulged in some activities like boating etc. I was so very missing the Barbeque equipment. This place is perfect to setup a Barbeque by the side of the river :)
Fisherman with his sword and Shield for daily Survival
.We boarded the bus by 5 and were back to Bangalore by 9. It was a pleasant
experience and a day well spent looking forward to some more sponsored trips
from my association ;)
