Rising in a fall : ShivaSamudram, Karnataka

 Image courtesy: Bhavya Sindhu M.             

“ I faced it and tried to open my eyes. I just couldn’t. The mighty waterfall was coming down on my face and my chest full on.

It hurt.

But I had never felt this alive before. With my arms stretched wide, I tried looking around. Hazy sights of white bliss falling on a bunch of adventure freaks.

Of IIM Bangalore. Thanks, Anveshan.”

My first few days at IIM B had made one thing clear. I was not gonna have time for myself. Or so I had thought, only to be greeted by a pleasant surprise, and a much needed break.

Along came Anveshan – the Adventure and Mountaineering club of IIM Bangalore. Yes, it’s hard to believe. Future management honchos can be as footloose as a wandering hippie. It was this wanderlust which brought together a bunch of adventure freaks under the umbrella (or parachute) of Anveshan, and they decided to visit the Shivasamudram falls of Karnataka.

I joined the caravan!

We were a bus of management students ready to experience the thrill. For most of us, this was a first encounter with a real mighty fall, not any random warm stream in a hilly terrain. For me, well, my closest encounter with a waterfall before was my default waterfall wallpaper on my laptop. ;)

I can go on and on with explaining the uplifting spiritual feeling of facing the might of nature in all its glory. But I would rather let the photographs talk.

A view of the Gagan Chukki Falls; Image courtesy: Kartheek T.     

Zoomed in shot of the fall.   

   Arnab’s YAMAHA R15, which took me to the  other end of the fall.  

Watch the digital Speedometer vrooming up to 109kmph in some frames. (Ignore my irritating appearances in the video. I just was happy and I wanted to capture it!)

Anyways, we reached the other side of the falls.

     

It looked better from here. I wish I could append the gurgling sound of the fall with the picture.      

  

   They were already inside! I chose to take snaps without entering the waters. I cared for my SONY H55 and my HTC Wildfire S.

Hesitating, I touched her. The nature.   

After this we went down. Down to the place where the falling met the fallen. And that’ where the flood gates opened.

I had chosen not to get drenched. God asked, why not? And there came rains! We reached the bottom of the waterfall. Strange circular boats were waiting to transport us to a stranger place.

Who in his right senses would resist this temptation! Hopped on a boat. It was raining anyways.    

  Image courtesy: Bhavya Sindhu M.

And  this is what was waiting for us on the other side. ShivaSamudram Falls. In all its glory!

Image courtesy: Bhavya Sindhu M.

And this is where I lost myself. The next hour was one of the best hours of my life. I took off my shirt and went right beneath the falling waters. It hurt in the beginning. As if I were standing unguarded in heavy rains that hurt the skull.

I faced it and tried to open my eyes. I just couldn’t. The mighty waterfall was coming down on my face and my chest full on.

It hurt.

But I had never felt this alive before. With my arms stretched wide, I tried looking around. Hazy sights of white bliss falling on a bunch of adventure freaks.

Of IIM Bangalore. Thanks, Anveshan.

Image courtesy: Bhavya Sindhu M.  

 “No matter how hard your day, how tough your choices, how complex your decisions are, you always get to choose what you want for lunch.” – Denny Crane, Boston Legal. 

--
Alok K.