Konaje Kallu: A trekker’s paradise in Dakshina Kannada District

Date : 08-02-2023

Konaje is a village in the Dakshina Kannada District of Karnataka. The place is 7 km away from the City, Moodbidri on Naravi Road. Konaje Kallu is a large granite standing stone. It is a challenge for rock climbers since it has no footholds and will be a trekker’s paradise. One will struggle a lot if they are not into trekking and climbing, but the beautiful scenery will bring you peace.

I along with my friends started climbing at 4.00 pm. We did not know the way to go up there top. We got confused as we saw many directions. One of the villagers showed us the first direction to climb up and the rest we assumed and climbed up. On our way up, we saw some plants which are dried due to lack of water and then we also saw a very clean pond. So, we thought to spend some time near the pond to refresh ourselves.

It took half an hour to reach the bottom of the huge rock. The big rock gives shelter to some ascetics. I wondered, the huge rock is their shelter! They had built some rooms, a pooja room or a temple called Kalabhairava. They do pooja there every day. As soon as the pooja gets over, they ring the huge bell which will be heard by the nearby village. And after the pooja, they feed food to the monkeys who live in the surrounding forest. During this time, we saw a huge number of monkeys who gather around to have their food.

The huge rock is surrounded by the forest place which is home to a variety of wild animals and birds. There is a rock cave in the interior of the forest area, which was used by ancient ascetics. Many prehistoric stone-age structures have also been found here. In ancient days, Konaje Kallu was commonly known as ‘Ass’s Ears’ by the erstwhile British rulers.

There were still two more huge peaks to climb nearby which we refused to climb. Climbing the rocks was a risky task because all of us were tired. So, we took a rest on top and had some snacks. At that time, we met a local guy who lives nearby village and we had a conversation with him regarding this place. “During monsoon and in winter, one can see Konaje Kallu covered with thick mist,” the villager said.

It was almost 6.00 pm, so we planned to head back from there but we waited till 6.30 pm to see the sunset. The sunset on the top of the rock was mesmerising. We could see many people who came from far were doing meditations. Here, we can see that it is also a place of worship for believers and a paradise for trekkers.

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