KARKALA

KARKALA
The giants in the ghats
By Allen Mendonca

The drive up to Karkala is splendid in the rainy season, especially the stretch after Hassan when the road curves into the Siradhi Ghats and then twists, turns and bends , sometimes at an incline of almost 60 degrees. These ghats receive 4,500 mm of rain every year, so evergreen forests cover their slopes and make the drive itself memorable. When one tops the crest of the ghats and beholds panoramic valleys, tumbling waterfalls and gurgling streams that grow into the Netravathi and Gurpur rivers, one can't help but stop awhile along the way and look around. You are sure to spot wild orchids blooming high in the canopy. If you are lucky you might even spot the black-hooded king cobra, slithering on the wet rocks seeking a little light and warmth.

After such an auspicious beginning, through nature at her primordial best, Karkala, in parts, appears as aged as Mother Nature herself. Ancient shrines rub shoulders with newer temples. Mangalore-tiled cottages nestle amidst modern concrete monstrosities, and the Jains, attired like their brethren up North, speak the local languages of Kannada, Tulu and Konkani with a distinctly different accent.

Jainism is believed to have taken root in Karnataka in the 6th century BC when Lord Mahavir travelled to these parts and won over King Jivandhara of Hemangada and his courtiers, who became his disciples. By the 10th century, Jainism had spread all along the Karavali coast and in the towns and villages along the Western Ghats, bestowing piety and some of the most famous monuments in India to Karnataka. Karkala is among the most important of these sacred places. From the centre of this picturesque little town rises the 300-ft high Gommata Betta, crowned with a 41.5 ft monolith of Lord Bahubali, the first Jain tirthankara. Visible for miles around, the colossus sends a regal welcome to pilgrims, tourists and trekkers alike.