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I was awake by 3:30 AM waiting for my alarm to ring at 5 o’clock. That was the excitement level which was in me as I was going on a trek for the very first time. Working in corporate, it’s the same lifestyle everyone has… Weekdays…Work hard! and weekends…. Just SLEEP! Wanting to break free from this mundane routine I signed up for a recce that Team Parikrama had planned to visit Chennarayanadurga fort this weekend. As I was an amateur trekker with only enthusiasm and water bottle in my bag pack, I set out to fill myself with loads of memories. We left Bangalore city at 6 AM and reached Kotagere at 9:30. Having breakfast in a very small hotel run by a family made me taste that authentic village food which reminded me of my gran’s place (aww… I miss her soo much). After this delicious breakfast we set out to climb a hill and witness the grandeur of the Chennarayanadurga fort. As we started the ascend I couldn’t but notice that this place had a rocky terrain. It wasn’t gravel or just filled with tiny or medium sized rocks but the fort was on huge boulders!!! With the adrenaline pumping we braved every boulder and after about 45 minutes of this we reached the foot of the fort. The team lead then informed us that the trek is gonna be much easier after this level and we all sighed in relief (Imagine my delight :P). As we entered the first stone entrance we were surprised at the architecture of this place. The fort was built on these huge boulders to keep the enemies at bay but what about the life inside these fort walls? I wondered?
As the lead started explaining us the significance of every door or water collection area, the entire fort came to life in my head! It was very well planned. The people who resided there had thought of every tiny requirement and built it to their advantage. The architecture, sculptures on the pillars everything was done in detail (now which is poorly visible due to lack of maintenance). As we reached the top after another half hour we could see the entire fort with its storage places and water bodies. It was exhausting but let me tell you this…. It was worth every step we took to reach this place to experience a view of the entire surrounding!!!
With sun at its zenith and tummy growling we started our descend and made quick stop as we played at the water body in the fort. It was cool and refreshing! The team also gave us badges as a token of accomplishment and let me tell you this…. It was really good!! I could show off to my peers that I have already conquered one fort and there will be many more to come. After filling our stomachs to the brim we set on journey home and this time my bag pack was loaded with loads of memories in my camera and my badge on the bag!!
( P.S. – I had the best sleep that night in YEARS :P )