An Educational Tour to Bangalore, Mysore and Coorg

P. Anthra

The Department of Botany, JNRM organized our 10-day educational tour to Bangalore, Mysore and Coorg. It began on 13th November. We were all super excited. Our group included 11 M.Sc. final-year students, our HOD Dr. Dipon Sharmah and a lady staff member.

Day 1: Travel to Bangalore
While packing bags, I faced many dilemmas – “Should I take this or that?” However, I reached the airport on time. We took some quick group photos and boarded our flight to Chennai at 9.50 AM. With friends, the flight journey was full of fun, laughter and chatter.

After landing in Chennai, we enjoyed a tasty meal at the airport canteen. Then, we went to the metro station to catch a metro to Chennai Central Railway Station. For many of us, it was our first time riding a metro. Everyone was extra careful while getting in and out, thinking the doors would close too soon. It was like a mini adventure!

Our next journey was on the Vande Bharat Express to Bangalore. While waiting, we enjoyed strong-filter coffee at the famous Madras Coffee House. I also visited the Higginbotham bookstore and browsed different magazines, books and novels.

The train left exactly on time at 5.00 PM. It was my first time travelling on a high-speed train. The speedometer touched 128 km/h. It was thrilling! The beautiful scenery passed quickly outside the large glass windows. We were served snacks and hot masala tea. Everyone enjoyed the journey playing games and having fun together. Finally, we reached Bangalore at 9.30 PM and went to our pre-booked hotel in Gandhinagar. After a long and exciting day, we were tired and quickly fell asleep in our cosy beds.

DAY 2: Visit to the IISc, Bangalore
We started our day by having breakfast at the famous restaurant – MTR (Mavalli Tiffin Room). We had to reach the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) by 11.30 AM. Using Google Maps, we travelled from Majestic Bus Stop and reached IISc. It is one of the most prestigious institutes in India.

We explored the beautiful campus on foot and took notes of our interesting observations. Tall and old trees shaded the roads. The calm and peaceful environment of the campus made our walking enjoyable. After walking for about 2 kilometers, we reached the Microbiology and Cell Biology Department. A scientist showed us advanced scientific instruments like flow cytometers, spectrophotometers, NMR machines, etc. He also explained how these instruments work.

Next, we visited the conference hall. There we met two eminent professors: Prof Saumitra Das and Prof. Utpal Nath. They explained the importance of interdisciplinary research work and encouraged us to stay focused on our goals. They also shared details of their current research work in plant biology, cancer biology and viruses. It was a very informative session.

A Ph.D. scholar showed us the experimental room where model plants were kept. She explained why Arabidopsis thaliana is important in plant genetic studies. We found this session very fascinating. After this, we visited the iconic main building of IISc. We were in awe to see its grand architecture and clicked many photos. I am sure many of us secretly goggled “How to get into IISc.”

After lunch, we visited UB City Mall. It is one of Bangalore’s most luxurious shopping places with famous international brands like Rolex, Louis Vuitton, etc. The open terrace area of the mall was very beautiful. We spent about an hour at the mall. Then we took a bus back to our hotel. It was a very exciting and educational day for all of us.

DAY 3: Bangalore Tour
It was our last day in Bangalore. After breakfast at MTR, we visited the Lalbagh Botanical Garden. It was morning. Everyone was brimming with energy to explore the garden. Lalbagh had many exotic trees like different Cycas species, rain trees, a special fruit plant called Voacanga africana, Hog Tree Apple etc. We visited the famous old Glasshouse where flower shows are held on Republic Day and Independence Day. Nearby, we also saw wooden carvings of crocodiles and peacocks made from 200-year-old Nilgiris trees. One of the most interesting places in Lalbagh was the 3000 million years old rock. We climbed the rock, took pictures and enjoyed the beautiful view from the Kempegowda Tower.

Next, we saw the petrified tree fossils of Cycas about 20 million years old. There were small fruit stalls inside the garden. We enjoyed eating fresh guavas. We also explored the Cacti House and Rose Garden. The visit to Lalbagh Botanical Garden was both fun and educational.

After that, we took a short bus ride and reached Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace. The palace was built in the Indo-Islamic style using wood, stone and mortar. It was started by Nawab Hyder Ali Khan in 1781 and completed by Tipu Sultan. The pillars had beautiful carvings. Inside, we saw swords, knives and other weapons kept on display. There was also an inscription on a stone calling the palace an “Abode of Happiness and Envy of Heaven.”

In the afternoon, we visited the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum. It is named after Bharat Ratna Sir M. Visvesvaraya. The museum had interesting exhibits like Dinosaur Enclave, Wright Brothers Aeroplane, etc. After the Museum, we went to the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium. Before the sky show, we played interesting games and treated ourselves to some ice cream at the Nandini Milk Parlour. I picked my favourite flavour, Butterscotch!

At 4.30 PM, the sky show started. It was about gravity, space-time and the contributions of different space scientists. We were lost in the beauty of the night sky show! We also had fun checking our weights on different planets and learned how gravity affects our body weight.

Later in the evening, we went to the famous Commercial Street for shopping. I bought clothes for my parents and sister. I bargained a lot and managed to get good deals also. After a long and fun-filled day, we returned to our hotel. We were all tired but very happy.

DAY 4: Travel to Mysore
Our Vande Bharat Express train was scheduled to leave at 10.15 AM. Using the OLA app, we booked cabs to the KSR Railway station. The train journey to Mysore took about three hours. It was a fun and relaxing ride. The views from the window were beautiful and the snack served was tasty. We reached Mysore at 12.30 PM.

We had booked rooms at the International Youth Hostel in Mysore. Mysore was different from Bangalore. The roads were wide and there was less traffic. In the afternoon, we visited the famous Mysore Palace.

The Mysore Palace was enormous and very beautiful. It was the royal home of the Wadiyar Dynasty. Inside the palace, we saw the magnificent dance floor, beautifully carved wooden pillars, and well-designed ceilings. There were large silver chains, huge mirrors and many antique objects.

After visiting the palace, we went to St. Philomena’s Church. The church was built 200 years ago. We entered the church quietly and prayed. The church was truly mesmerizing. We clicked lots of pictures.

We then returned to the Mysore Palace to watch the light and sound show. Before the show, we enjoyed some fast-food snacks outside the palace. The ticket line was long. Finally, we got our tickets. The show had already started, so we ran towards the seating area under the open sky. The show was fantastic! It narrated the history of the Mysore Palace, the story of how Goddess Chamundi killed the Mahishasura and the legacy of the Wadiyar Dynasty. The best moment of the evening was when 97000 lights lit up the entire palace. It was an unforgettable sight!

DAY 5: Mysore Tour
By 8 AM, we were ready and reached Mysore Zoo. We saw many beautiful and colourful birds like hornbills, parrots, peacocks and cuckoos. It was fun to observe their activities. We also saw white peacocks, which are different from regular peacocks due to a genetic change called leucism. Next, we visited the gorillas, chimpanzees and macaques. It was fun to watch a gorilla busy having breakfast, with a menu of cucumbers, carrots and leafy vegetables.

Then, we moved to the big cats section. We saw tigers, leopards and Asiatic lions. It was amazing to watch these carnivores. They occupy the top of the food chain and are truly the wonders of the jungle! The zoo was also rich in plants. Some interesting plants were silver oak, silk cotton, Ashoka tree, black plum etc.

The reptile section was very exciting. The green anaconda reminded us of the movie Anaconda! We also saw tall and happy giraffes. Finally, we enjoyed refreshing sugarcane juice. It was much needed after the long walk!

Our next stop was a Bonsai Garden. The garden was huge with about 450 miniature plants grown in different styles. Some bonsai plants were as old as 1942! There was also a large sculpture of the god of herbs. We also saw a fascinating collection of antique items and specimens in the museum.

Next, we visited the 12th century old Mata Chamundeshwari Temple. It is located atop the Chamundi Hills. We enjoyed the scenic views of Mysore City through the large windows of our bus. The roadside was lined with beautiful trees like Tecoma stans. We explored the surroundings of the temple and also did some shopping. Finally, we took a bus back to our hostel.

DAY 6: To Coorg – the Scotland of India
We started our journey to Coorg at 8 AM. The bus ride was full of fun. We danced, sang and listened to music. Our first stop was the Golden Temple, built by the Tibetan community. The temple was magnificent and was home to about 600 monks. The main attraction was the statue of Lord Buddha. It was coated in gold.

Thereafter, we boarded the bus and headed to Kaveri Nisargadhama. It is a delta formed by the Kaveri River. We walked across a hanging rope bridge. Inside, we explored a large bamboo forest. Some of us stepped into the river. There were adventure activities like zip lining and boating. We also visited a deer park. Overall, we enjoyed the serene environment.

Our next stop was the Harangi Dam. It was huge and the view was breathtaking! We made reels with the dam in the background. While coming out, we collected lichens from the tree branches.

The bus started its last leg of the journey toward our homestay at Coorg-Ikyam. On the way, Sir showed us eucalyptus trees from where eucalyptus oil is extracted. We also saw many coffee plantations. The view was mesmerizing! I also noticed the unique architecture and design of the houses in Coorg. And I loved it!

DAY 7: Coorg sightseeing
We started our day by visiting the famous Omkareshwar temple. It was built in 1820 by King Lingarajendra II. At the entrance, we noticed a large water pond with Catla fishes that help clean and reduce environmental contamination. We took blessings from Lord Shiva.

Next, we went to Abbey Falls. On the way, we spotted a stunning glass bridge. After reaching the parking area, we grabbed our specimen jars, forceps and polythene sheets and started walking towards the falls. There was a long zipline, but we decided not to try it. Instead, we focused on collecting specimens. We collected plants like Lycopodium, Selaginella, Mosses, etc. Suddenly we found that there were many leeches along the roadsides. Many of these were stuck in our shoes. It was scary! We used forceps to remove them. However, we continued collecting specimens carefully. After some time, we finally reached Abbey Falls. The waterfall was breathtaking! The sound of the water felt like heaven on earth. We clicked some pictures and enjoyed Maggi. How can we leave the hills without having Maggi?

After lunch, we visited Madikeri Fort. It was built by King Mudduraja in the 17th Century. The walls of the fort were very wide. While enjoying the scenic view of the fort, we collected some fruticose lichens. We also explored a museum that had several historical artefacts and weapons.

Our next stop was Raja’s Tomb. It is a historical site that contains the graves of the royal Kodavas. The tomb was surrounded by a well-maintained garden. We collected Marchantia species. One of my friends patiently collected a long mat-like layer of it.

After that, we visited a coffee shop called Kodaku Coffee Growers Cooperative Society Ltd. A staff member explained the difference between arabica and robusta coffee. He demonstrated the process of making filter coffee using traditional and modern filters. We tasted the coffee and loved it. He showed us expensive civet coffee beans. These are collected from the coffee beans excreta of civet cats. Everyone hesitated to taste a brew of it, except our HOD sir!

Next, we visited the Mountain View Coffee Plantation. A guide explained that Coorg is the second-largest tropical region for coffee cultivation and that two main types of coffee i.e. arabica and robusta are grown there. He showed us how coffee is harvested, mostly by the women. Coffee plants can grow until 250 years and they use vertical plantations to grow coffee. Later, he showed us the coffee-making process. After thanking the guide, we left the plantation.

Our final stop of the day was the Raja Seat. It offered a breathtaking view of the hills. We enjoyed a stunning sunset. We clicked pictures, made reels and had a great time together.

DAY 8: Visit to University Of Mysore
Early in the morning, we started our journey from Coorg to Mysore. During the ride, we enjoyed ourselves for some time, but eventually, everyone fell asleep. We reached the International Youth Hostel, Mysore by noon. After lunch, we headed to the Botany Department, University of Mysore. At the department, a faculty member took us to the Botany Museum, also known as the N.J. Vavilov Museum. We visited the Herbarium room, where 2892 species were preserved. After that, we explored the medicinal garden and learned about the medicinal uses of different plants. The teacher explained how biodiesel is produced from Jatropha and Pongamia plants.

Later, the department’s chairperson interacted with us. He invited us to the master student’s fresher’s party. Our HOD sir was the special guest in the programme and he delivered an inspiring speech.

After leaving the University of Mysore, we decided to visit the Dasara Exhibition. It is a grand festival in Mysore. The exhibition was beautiful and we had a great time there. Some of us even sat on the giant wheel. Before leaving, we bought the famous Mysore Pak sweets.

For dinner, we went to one of the best-themed restaurants in Mysore – the Gufha Restaurant. The ambience was mind-blowing. We had a great dinner. Then we headed back towards the International Youth Hostel.

DAY 9: Journey from Mysore to Chennai
The full day was all about travelling from Mysore to Chennai. At 12.30 PM, we boarded the Vande Bharat. During the train journey, we were all busy completing our unfinished tour reports while occasionally enjoying the view outside. Finally, around 7.30 PM, we reached Chennai. We headed straight to our hotel and rested for a while.

DAY 10: Journey to Sri Vijaya Puram
At 3 AM, we all gathered at the hotel lobby. The booked minibus arrived at the right time. As there was minimal traffic, we reached the airport on time. There was plenty of time before boarding. Many of us took a nap.
We reached Sri Vijaya Puram by 9:15 AM. We took a final group picture together. And with many good memories, we all departed for our respective homes.
Our 10-day educational tour was a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience! The lessons that I learned will stay with me forever. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Dr. Dipon Sharmah, HOD Botany, JNRM whose guidance and thoughtful planning made this educational tour a great success.
(P. Anthra is doing her masters in Botany from Jawaharlal Nehru Rajkeeya Mahavidyalaya)