Ajjigadde: An unexpected journey...



The name ‘Ajjigadde’ is derived from Kannada language. In English language it means grandmother’s fields.  Nobody really knows how this name has been given to this region.

We visited the Rudragiri estate homestay during January 2014. It is situated in the picturesque region of Ajjigadde.  This region is located at the border of Kodagu and Sakleshpur. The Rudragiri estate is alternatively known as Ajjigadde estate.

Best time to visit Ajjigadde is between September and November. During this time it is very cold and fog covers the region. After January, the homestay remains closed for few months for coffee picking.
There are various routes to reach Ajjigadde:
Bangalore à Holenarsipura à Arkalgood >> 130 kms
Mysore à Sowmarpet à 160 kms
From Sakleshpur, the estate is around 35 kms.

The estate is spread across 110 acres of land. Primarily Coffee is grown, along with some pepper plantations. There are beautiful rivers flowing through the estate and some small waterfalls can also be found. There are quite a few friendly estate dogs. During the night campfire, they suddenly appeared out of nowhere and relaxed near the warmth of the fire.  The music that played out of the speakers made them excited and they started playing around.

Mr.T.N.Arun, the proprietor of this estate is a very friendly and helpful person. He ensures that all the requests of the guests are met without hesitation.

Facilities of homestay:

The homestay offers spacious rooms and a very huge empty ground in front of the house. There is a small open-air hut near the house, where people can relax in the shade.

There is ample space to put campfire during the chilly nights.

Parking is no problem, since there is large space inside the perimeter of the house. Vehicles could also be parked out on the road in front of the house. The road is very calm with hardly any vehicles moving around.



Places to visit:
There are a number of sigh-seeing attractions near to Ajjigadde.
Just behind the house is the Ajjigadde river. We relaxed near the river and time seems to slow down in this place. Even half hour seems like 2 hours!
Rudragiri hills are situated 6 kms from the estate and jeep could be arranged by homestay to go there. If trekking is preferred option, then the distance of 3kms can be covered in about 45 minutes. Muneshwara cave temple also is a beautiful place to visit.
Mookanamane falls is about 25 kms from Ajjigadde estate.
Mallalli falls is approximately 30 kms from Ajjigadde estate. Pushpagiri hills is situated 6kms from Mallalli falls.
The breathtaking Bisile ghat is about 18 kms away from Ajjigadde estate.
Nearest town to Ajjigadde is Shanivarasante which is about 18 kms away.





 










Pros:
1.       Beautiful and secluded place.
2.       A very good place to relax and just be at peace.
3.       Simple and tasty food. It is prepared by a small family of people who come exclusively during guest visits.
4.       Reasonably priced.
Cons (it is very subjective):
1.       Mobile network is very sparse. Only BSNL will be available.
2.       The lodging facilities in the homestay can accommodate a group of approximately 11-12 people. More than that could get a bit congested although it could be adjusted.
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