Picnic In Talakadu

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 ;)