Mullayanagiri, the highest peak (6317 ft.) between Himalayas and Nilgiris, is one of the best treks in Karnataka. The peak gets its name from a small temple at the summit, which is dedicated to a sage Mullappa Swamy, who is believed to have meditated at the cave near the summit. It is located in the Chikkamagaluru district and is a nature lover’s paradise. Chikkamagaluru is not only the gateway to Western Ghats but is also one of the largest coffee producing districts in the country.
As my cousin & I could not find any public transport on this route, we decided to hire a bike from Chikkamagaluru. We reached here on a foggy morning and soon, visibility became an issue as we climbed higher into the mountains. The starting point of the trek is called Sarpadhari, from where a steep trail of 4 kms leads you towards the Mullayanagiri peak. The initial stretch of the trek has some breath-taking vertical slopes and one gets incredible views of the Western Ghats.
There is a cave close to the peak that provides shelter to those who want to stay the night. The temple built on the peak is dedicated to Lord Shiva and maintained by Karnataka Police. It is believed that there is a cave (900 years old) below this temple that leads to Seethalayyanagiri Temple (2 kms below the peak) but the cave is now closed.
After the climb up to the peak, it is a wonderful experience to sit inside the temple. The temple floor is cold & soothing and along with the feeling of peace, it makes you want to stay back longer. Strong winds and misty weather on the peak dropped the temperature significantly. Shivering even in the afternoon, I could imagine how challenging it would be to spend a night on the peak without warm clothing.
The trek will have you thinking about it long after you've completed it. Aside from a few steep ascents, the Mullayanagiri Trek is fairly easy to do. Sometimes, the serpentine forest trails allow you a close encounter with wildlife and we did not realize the danger that the wildlife could pose during such a trek. But when we visited the Bhadra Tiger Reserve after a couple of days, we were informed by a forest guard that a man eating tiger was prowling this very area and the local authorities were organizing efforts to capture the predator. On this occasion, ignorance was bliss for us!
There was low visibility from the peak and it was certainly a walk in the clouds experience. Other places to explore nearby include the Baba Budangiri Hills (12 kms.) & Manikyadhara Falls (9 kms.)
There was hardly anyone on the peak during the time we spent there. Without any competition for the best vantage points, we were able to occupy a prime spot without any disturbance as we watched the clouds float below us. We waited for them to disperse, so that we could get decent views of the forest area. There were a couple of fleeting moments when we got a breath taking view of the green carpet mountains and the blue valley. It was worth all the trouble one takes to reach this magnificent place!
After having our lunch, we decided to call it a day and head back to Chikkamagaluru.
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