a Cup of Coffee from Billigiriranganatha

A cup of Coffee & Fire Flies in B R Hills

Story by: KAPIL KUMAR

Mysuru, Karntaka, India: It was the month of June when we started our journey from Delhi to Bangalore. I had no idea what's waiting for me there. We just wanted to go to Mysuru, a town in karnataka, but famous worldwide for Royalty, cleanliness, good people, great architecture, temples, broad roads, food, trees, sandalwood products, silk, tea and so much other things which I can go on writing. At Bangalore airport my friend and brother Ramesh Muniyappa was ready to receive us and from there Mysuru is 135 kilometres. Off course Ramesha, as he is called in Mysuru, had something special in his mind for us this time. Apart from everything he had planned a two day visit to Billigiriranganathaswamy - a place I have never heard about.

It was a forest where Soliga tribe shares the place with Elephants & tigers. Soliga means children of the bamboo. The tribe still enjoys the ancient connect with the jungle maintaining their customs & traditions. Way back in 1976 a young doctor Dr Sudarshan wanted to help the Soligas entered this jungle. He wanted to help them with medicines but he was greeted by arrows. But the arrows, the indifference of the people, wild animals, less food, no proper shelter did not dither Dr Sudarshan in establishing a school for Soliga children. In his endeavour he was backed by a loyal team comprising of Mataji & Huche Gowda. They worked as yogis in the jungle - who never wanted anything in return - just doing their unconditional service to the mankind.

So it was our luck that we met Mataji, who is also the elder sister of Ramesh Bhaiya. She was delighted to see us. When I saw her it was like looking to my own mother and now I understood why she is called Mataji, the Mother. Mataji took sanyas following the footsteps of Swami Vivekananda. She dedicated her life to the forest and its inhabitants. Taking her along we started our journey to B R Hills.

B R Hills or Billigirirangaswamy hills is a name that is dedicated to Lord Vishnu - Billigiriranga means - the Lord of the White Clouds. She spoke in kannada - the official language of Karnataka and we spoke in Hindi but somehow we managed to communicate either in hindi or English. As we were moving towards her cottage in B R Hills it was getting dark. Ramesh Muniyappa was driving the car and we were like six of us sitting comfortably in a SUV. As we reached the school compound it was too dark inside. Mataji knew her steps well and she just went into the dark and vanished. We stood there like lost souls in the dark. With fear of tigers and nothing to see we were like terrified but as we were looking to Ramesh Bhaiya - a distant voice called us. But we could not see anything just followed a dim light and Ramesh Muniyappa. Finally, after two minutes of efforts we reached a dream cottage... really a dream cottage. Mataji welcomed us inside - with a smile- I can't describe in words what it meant to be there at that moment in B R Hill forests with deep silence and a smile on a yogis face.

Mataji was ready with her south Indian tea - by this tea I mean a special tea taste from the South. Now, she asked us to sit outside the cottage in a verandah so that everyone is accommodated and tea could be served.

As we sat outside - there were million stars on our heads - so visible that they looked fake and after a gap of nearly 20 years we saw fireflies. The city life has taken away our sky and fireflies but B R Hills, Ramesh Bhaiya and Mataji gave them back to us. Thanks to you. will write more on B R Hils.