Hirekolale Lake is at a distance of 10 km from Chikmagalur city. The original idea was to be there for sunrise to capture the hues of orange, pink, tangerine, and lilac of sky; to hear the melody of birds welcoming the new dawn; to escape the hot summer morning. Again, late night shenanigans stopped us from doing so. The drive oscillated between thick forest, remote village, and coffee estates. By the time we arrived at the lake the sun was bright, blazing, and humid. Parked tourist bus guaranteed us the usual summer crowd.
The main goal of constructing this reservoir was to supply water to Chikmagalur town as well as nearby villages for irrigation. The well-known Mullayyanagiri hills loomed behind the lake in cluster. As we walked towards the lake cold wind blew softly giving us temporary respite from scorching heat. We saw few people picnicking in the little shade and kids running amok. we wandered along the trail clicking photos in between for sometime. If it was dawn or dusk we would have spent considerable amount of time on the lake bank. Slowly the crowd started dwindling. Few troublesome youth arrived from nowhere loitering around catcalling. This irked us to no end. The area was totally desolated. Sensing the distress we immediately left the place. Those youth could be nothing more than a mischievous bunch. Or they could be really dangerous. In a situation like this always trust your intuition. And both our instincts told us to get away from that place as quick as possible. And the scorching heat beat us down mercilessly.
Distance: 10 KM from Chikmagalur
Entry Fee: None
Best Season: September-March
Best Time: Early morning or evening
Transport: Hire a car/opt for one day Chikmagalur tour in a private cab
Points to Remember:
No boating
No pets allowed
Go in small groups if you're visiting during odd hours
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