A trip to Coorg is never quite complete without a trip till Talakaveri. While the beautiful landscape of Coorg and the sprawling coffee plantations evoke much awe in the tourists, a trip to Talakaveri is quite the cherry on the icing, for those particularly spiritually inclined.
The Talakaveri is the source of the holy river Kaveri. Located on the slopes of the Brahmagiri hills at an altitude of around 4000 ft above sea level, the spot can be reached by a 2 km journey from Bhagamandala up the Ghats. The Talakaveri is supposed to hold great religious importance and there is a holy kundike from where the river emerges as a small perennial spring and then flows underground again to emerge a short distance away. Taking a bath in this spot on Tula Sankramana in October is considered very sacred and many devotees can be seen bathing here at the time.
The Shiva temple at Talakaveri houses a rare and ancient Shivling, while another temple is devoted to Lord Ganesh. This temple has a holy Ashwantha tree where, according to legend, the Trimurtis - Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva- gave darshan to sage Agastya. A flight of steps takes one up to the nearby Brahmagiri peak, where the 7 great sages called the Sapta Maharishis were believed to have performed a special yagna.
Replete with religious significance, it is believed that if you offer a prayer and ask the Lord for something, your wish will surely be granted. It is also considered important that after the fulfilment of your prayers, you must make a trip back to Talakaveri and offer another prayer in gratitude.
While cynics scoff at this belief or rather this tradition, the number of people up at Talakaveri, even in times when rain is crashing heavily down their backs, shows the effect this place has on the people and their belief in the spiritual powers of the Talakaveri.
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