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Sumitra Senapaty

The air with a whiff of coffee announces that you are in Chikmagalur. This small plantation town in Karnataka mesmerises visitors with its coffee and culture, says Sumitra Senapaty.

The Taj Garden Retreat resort's poolside

Coffee planters' houses, dogs lolling on verandahs, hens scratching in the mud, coffee trails interspersed with pepper vines. In the heart of India's coffee country is Chikmagalur, located at an altitude of approximately 1,000 metres. Literally meaning younger daughter in Kannada, Chikmagalur was just a small coffee-growing town in the Western Ghats, five hours' drive from

Bangalore, Karnataka. It was known only for its coffee plantations and its car rallies — that was till 1978. And the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's decision to contest from here made this town the focus of global attention and the rest is history. Today, it is a coffee-and-culture town and it is best to get here by road. Ideally, break the five-hour trip from Bangalore to Chikmagalur by stopping at Shravanabelagola, 115 km away from Bangalore. One of the oldest and most important Jain pilgrimage centres, it houses the 57-ft-high statue of Lord Gomateswara, the Jain saint, said to be among the world's tallest monolithic statues. The statue cannot be glimpsed from ground level, so get ready to climb the 635 steps, barefoot and this could easily take up to an hour. (To avoid the scorching heat, start early in the morning or late afternoon and remember that the temple gates are closed at sharp 6 p.m.) Closer to Chikmagalur, are the 900-year-old temples of Vishnu at Belur and Nataraja the dancing Shiva at Halebid. Here you can see some of the most detailed pieces of sculpted temple architecture India has to offer. According to historians, the splendour of the Belur-Halebid sculptural decorations, rival that of the temples of Khajuraho and Konark in North India.

The culture-heritage packed drive takes you through the plains of Karnataka, but once in Chikmagalur, the forests mesmerise you. Next door to the 1117 A.D. monuments of Belur and Halebid, Chikmagalur's hilltop Taj Garden Retreat interestingly reminds you of Malnad plantation houses with red-tiled sloping roofs in colonial style. Typically a leisure hotel, here you can take

refreshing dips in the swimming pool (in case the weather warms up!), take long walks, soak in the panoramic scenery, indulge in spicy Malnad cuisine or just do nothing.

Lavish hospitality is Chikmagalur's trademark, be it in the plantation or the Garden Retreat. I remember the `akki roti' (chappati made with rice flour) and the fiery chicken curry that came with it. The Peaberry restaurant (named after a superior grade of coffee) manages to serve a wide range of food from Chinese to Continental to South Indian and North Indian as well. Pancakes, dosa, appam, idli, uttappams or roti, the guest seems to have plenty to choose from. Moreover, the bracing hilly weather does whet an appetite or two.

The bar at the resort.

The air here has a whiff of the coffee that Chikmagalur is famous for. Percolated in stainless steel percolators that are fitted with a strainer, the coffee brews while it percolates drop by drop into a beaker beneath. Known as `decoction coffee', this strong mixture is poured into boiling milk and sugar is added according to taste. Ever since coffee seeds came to India and the first coffee plantation was established, coffee has become a way of life at Chikmagalur. The hills are full of plantations, where the coffee plant is plucked, cured and then packed. The coffee planters live what many consider a luxurious life in large planters' bungalows set in the midst of sprawling plantations with a bevy of helpers and assistants. For the benefit of those who like to get into the know-how of this brew, Taj Garden Retreat organises visits to the plantation and processing units. The aroma of coffee hangs in the air, while mounds of Arabica and Robusta coffee beans surround you. The coffee tour culminates with the sunset view from atop the Sitalayagiri-Mullayanagiri ranges, which is acclaimed as one of the loftiest peak after the Himalayas at a height of 6,329 ft. (`Giri' is local for hills and `gudi' is a temple). The Coffee Tour starts daily at 3.30 p.m. Ask for Muhammad Aseem, the hotel's activity facilitator — his anecdotes and commentary go a long way in making the excursion meaningful.

Wilderness is a necessity. Moreover it is important to soak in new delights and fresh experiences to effectively unwind, says Ravi Khandige, the hotel's general manager.

Daily at 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. there is a Jungle Safari to nearby Muthodi, at Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, home to bison, tiger, bear and spotted deer, amongst other animals. The sanctuary is surrounded by hills and part of the Bhadra river flows through it. Dense tropical forests interspersed with lush grassy slopes and glimpses of the characteristic red earth are what you see while driving through. Apart from viewing wildlife, you can do a high altitude trek to Mullyanagiri, which departs daily at 7 p.m., in case there are any takers. (You got to be reasonably fit for this.) Or take a mountain drive to Kemmangudi, a beautiful hill station, 50 km from Chikmagalur, surrounded by thick evergreen forests and coffee estates.

Just eight km from Kemmangudi are the Hebbe falls, where water gushes down from a height of 168 metres amidst fascinating scenery. All this is a part of the experience, which the Taj Garden Retreat organises. In addition, there is a bar and pool table, also picnic lunches, magic shows and art competitions for children.

Whether it is culture that you like to see in the form of temple architecture and history and myth, or pristine nature in the form of forest, wildlife and hill station, or coffee plantations and the delights of coffee processing, Chikmagalur offers it all within a radius of about 100 km. This is coffee country and the air is redolent with the fragrance of coffee flowers from the plantations — here you adjust to the rhythms of nature and seasons wait for no one. Flowers will bloom when they are supposed to and crops will appear only once or twice a year, the rains come annually and the routine of coffee planting, blossoming and picking carry on, in tune with the way nature meant it to be.

At intervals, in the cool depths of the forest, there are sudden glorious flourishes of colour — mynahs, weaverbirds, parrots and blue jays, busy taking food. Hairpin bends and slippery roads, not withstanding, whenever we happened to meet the locals, they were extraordinarily friendly.

Also there is a curious feeling of being isolated here, in a cosy sort of way — difficult to define but very addictive. Places to break free and trek at your own pace, savouring with each breath and a wift of the clear mountain air.

Fact file

How to get to there

By air: The airports are located at Bangalore (265 km), Mysore (190 km), Mangalore (180 km), Hassan (60 km).

By rail: The nearest railway station is Kadur (36 km).

By road: Chikmagalur can be reached by road. The stretch from Bangalore to Chikmagalur via Shravanabelagola is smooth driving. Shravanabelagola is 115km from Bangalore and a comfortable 90 minutes' drive. From Shravanabelagola to Chikmagalur, 150 km away, it should take approximately three hours.

Where to stay: There are a few options at Chikmagalur — five-star accommodations are available at the Taj Garden Retreat, there is a choice of standard rooms and cottages, with overnight facilities for drivers. In case you are on the planter's circuit, Chikmagalur has exclusive clubs, with reasonable accommodation. You could check out the possibility of paying guest accommodation in a coffee estate.

What to see: Belur temples (25 km) and Halebid temples (42 km) for a view of 12th-century Hoysala architecture, Shringeri, Hornad and Dharmasthala (96 km) for the devout pilgrims, Kemmangudi (80 km) and Bhadra Wildlife Reserve (40 km) for the wildlife enthusiast.

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