Bheemeshwara temple and waterfalls

Prologue

Our original plan was to hike to a waterfall that was visited by very few people. The probability of success was low as there was no defined path in the forest, and rain adding to the difficulty level. Our chances of success were diminished further when locals refused to guide us. It was the day before Ganesha Chaturthi, and they had important tasks to complete. They said that it was difficult in the monsoon and advised us to come after October. But we decided to continue further to see how far we can proceed. We walked into the forest as per the directions given by locals. A Malabar pit viper was resting in our path. I crossed it without noticing, but my uncle stepped on it!! My cousin, who was walking behind my uncle, shouted. The moment my uncle lifted his leg, the viper got into attack mode as it started chasing us!! It was the first time that I was seeing a snake chasing people. Vipers are slow, but they strike very fast. Since my uncle had stamped on the body and head of the snake, it took some time to attack.

 

I have seen these vipers many times during my treks in western ghats. In general, they tend to be peaceful, but on that day, the snake was angry due to our actions. After some commotion, we managed to push it away from our path. But then our energy to continue the trek had come down. We continued, but due to the dense undergrowth, we were not sure about the step we were putting on the ground. We decided to drop the trek, and decided to go to the nearby Bheemeshwara, which only required a short walking on the Jeep track!!

Note: By the way, we visited this waterfall a year later. You can read that experience here.

 

About Bheemeshwara

Bheemeshwara is a small village on Kargal – Bhatkal road. It is gaining popularity due to the ancient Shiva temple located inside a cave. As per legend, Pandavas built the shiva linga during their vanavas. Apart from mythology, not many details about history are known. It may have been constructed during the Hoysala period. The intriguing question is why the temple was built in such a remote location? The area is now in the midst of the forest, but it was a happening place with a huge population a few hundred years ago.

Reaching Bheemeshwara

The drive to Bheemeshwara was uneventful. The road from my native place near Jog falls to Bheemeshwara was recently tarred and was in a good condition. As we reached the signboard mentioning “Bheemeshwara”, I was wondering whether I can take my car further or park on the side of the main road. A quick check on the condition of the road convinced me to park the car on the highway and walk the remaining distance.

Walk to the temple

We had to get down the valley, cross a stream over the bridge, and climb up to the temple. After walking a short distance, we came across a fallen tree. It was a good decision to park the car on the main road. Even otherwise the recent rains had washed the section of the road making it difficult for a normal four-wheeler to navigate.

 

The walk was pleasant with greenery around. A waterfall was majestically falling over the faraway mountain. The fields and a couple of houses indicated the presence of civilisation. Thanks to rains, the leeches were omnipresent for which we had to keep an eye on our legs. 

At Bheemeshwara temple

The presence of a house and a big hall indicated that we were near the temple. The temple was on higher ground and steps were constructed to reach the temple. A waterfall next to the temple is the unique feature of the temple. The water was flowing in full force and it was adding to the beauty of the place. The stream called “Sarala hole” jumps at about 50ft before reaching the valley below.

 

The temple is in a precarious position and part of the roof is gone. The artwork of the temple is inspiring. 

 

We had a cup of tea at the house nearby and started our journey back.

Changes from my last visit

I had visited this place in 2005. At that time, it was an unknown location to the outsiders with only locals coming during Shivarathri. We had not met a single person during our visit. At that time there was no bridge across the stream. The steps to the temples were natural. There was no big hall near the temple. It had a feeling of a remote location. When the focus is on building religious tourism, the artwork and nature take a backseat. While the changes that are done for strengthening the temple structure are necessary, building artificial structures spoils the aesthetic beauty of the place.