My Visit to Ramachandra Pura Mata

It was a visit which I was planning from many days and somehow was getting postponed. At last this May 1st 2009, long weekend helped me to fulfill my wish. More than the time factor it was the laziness which was holding on it.

It’s roughly around 250+ Km from Bangalore and will take good 8 hrs of your time to reach the final destination. From Shivmoga it’s around one & a half hour drive towards a place called Hosanagar. From Hosanagar it’s around 7 Kms to Karana Giri and from there the Mata is just 1.6 Kms away. Once you reach Shivmoga, you will get private buses to Karana Giri via Hosanagar which will cost you 45 bugs. From Karana Giri you can either walk or go you can get an auto.

Directions :
Bangalore – Shivmoga (6 hrs) Shivmoga – Karana Giri( Via Hosanagar, roughly 1.5 to 2 Hours)– Karana Giri – Mata ( 5 Mins)

Cost : Bangalore – Shivmoga ( Volvo ) – 327.00
Shivmoga – Karana Giri ( Local Private Bus) – 45.00
Karana Giri – Mata – Around 20.00 (I got drop by a bike fellow)

Accommodation:
Free if you stay in the common hall
200 Rs if you want a cottage (Easily accommodates 6-8 People, bingo, it’s with AC)

Food : Simple and very tasty food – Free. Not to miss Kashaya.

I also believe there is a direct bus from Bangalore to Mata and vice versa. It leaves at 8 30 PM from mata to Bangalore and don’t know the timings from Bangalore

So as soon as you reach the place, you will get a very warm welcome from the staff, enquiring of your whereabouts and the journey. Then you will be explained about the place and the programs. They also have a small counter which has many medicinal products made out of Cow’s output. (From Milk to Urine)

Why is this place so special?
(All I am writing is what I heard during my visit.)
India had around 80 different varitey of Cows and due to negligence and so many other factors now it has come down to 33. Out of which this place has a collection of 30 breeds. And they are in putting all effort to get the other 3 as well. Million thanks go to the brilliant effort of Swamiji. It was a mind blowing experience to go through the cow shed. Some of the cows exactly match as painted in the olden time god pictures.

The breeds are from all over India, majorly from Karnataka, Gujarat & Maharashtra. Some of the Bulls are really gigantic and ferocious. It’s definitely a treat to watch them. Out of thirty, two really caught my attention. One was a gigantic bull which is literally of roof top height when it stands and the other who looks like a Chinese monk. There are around 800 + cows in the ashram and maintance is a huge task. We just go there, have a ball of time, but god knows how they are maintaining all these.

Another good thing about this place is, they also conduct awareness programs on medicinal usages of cow’s products & bio agriculture.

Its very easy to go and get a packet of milk from milk diary but only when you visit such places, one can appreciate the value of a cow, the difficulties of a farmer, what is that we are loosing due to globalization and becoming western. I don’t know. I think this is too much for my age.

Take Away : Not to waste milk. Never Ever.