The lockdown had taken away one of my best pastimes, that was driving. Having driven twenty five thousand kms in the last year and a half, I had just driven 25 kms in the past two and a half months. Our last trip was to Koodumale.

With the lockdown announced and nothing much to do over the weekends, I developed my own application, wherein I can input and search for locations based on distance, type and interests. And by the first week of June, with the lockdown easing out and our anniversary day looming, I started scanning my app for the list of possible safe locations. Having not taken my car out for a good spin for more than two and a half months, the criteria was simple. A round trip lesser than 200 kms and not a very popular attraction (lesser crowd). Manchanabele dam, it was !!

22nd June, 2020 (Monday)

We decided to leave post lunch as the place was just 70 plus kms from my home, packed good amount of food for the kid and carried cup noodles for us along with hot water in a flask. On the nice road, traffic was almost fifty to sixty percent of the regular traffic. The only other difference being most of the people wearing masks even inside the car.

Soon we left the Mysore road and took the village road. It was a scenic road with rain drenched breeze blowing across us. I opened the window and my kid got really excited. With the overcast conditions, it started raining as we reached the dam.

After a two and half month break, the white horse finally in its familiar surroundings

A small pond near the dam area

Sluice Gates of the Dam

Water gushing out

From the top of dam – a serene place

Black clouds kept looming

Looks like a place for hydro power generation

One of the most beautiful views – Longed for this

We took pictures and enjoyed the surroundings with hardly anyone around. The policemen came in bike and advised us to leave that place. With ample amount of time in hand, we scanned the nearby places and decided to go to Thippagondanahalli Reservoir, the upper stream of the same Arkavathy River. It literally poured en-route and we finally reached the vicinity.

Final stretch of the road

With the help of some local residents, I kept diverting and finally reached a dead end and a deep valley. Wow !! What a place to end our quarantine days devoid of any driving.

TG Halli from the top. We could not go any further.

With that dead end, decided to turn around and return home via the Kunigal – Nelamangala highway instead of our regular Mysore – Nice Road. With a thunderous monsoon rains, beautiful songs and loved ones for company, finally, we ended our travel less quarantine days.