From the company, we organized a one-day trip to Mullaiyanagiri for employees on Sunday, 8th June. Twenty-five out of our 38 employees have been able to make it for the trip. Ten ladies and 15 gentlemen, their ages ranging from 20 years to 55 years. Here, I would like to summarize the facts and share my opinion on the trip.

After a hectic season ending this summer, we wanted to have a break from routine and have a relaxing session. The group otherwise formally organized with hierarchy, powers and responsibility, will now be informally organized with personal friendships and similar interests.

Usually, in business operations, it is me who makes final decisions or takes tough calls where the buck finally stops. But for this trip, I delegated the responsibility of organizing the trip to my younger colleagues and future leaders, Nanda Kishore, Vinod and Shiva Kumar. They are trekking freaks themselves, too. I only briefed them about the duration of the time, which was 1 day. i. e. Sunday without affecting our regular work on Saturday and Monday, people – our employees only and not their families, place – a scenic place nearby and budget – 800 per head. They went ahead, selected the place, went there one month in advance to understand the place, booked the bus, arranged for lodging and food, and arranged to pick up and drop employees from far away places.

Though a few of us visit other places almost every weekend, for a few, it was a once-in-lifetime, once-in-a-blue-moon kind of opportunity. One colleague remarked, for the first time since my college 10 years back, I am freaking out like this. For me, it was otherwise; I didn’t go out till I completed college as I was not allowed. The company management is very happy to provide them with that opportunity and their gratitude in return.
Many of us know each other professionally, but we don’t know each other personally. Those who are working in our branches at Mangalore and Sullia may not know those working at our factory at Puttur. This was a great chance to get to know each other personally. I am surprised at how each of them has different personalities at work and outside work. Some of them, who meekly obey orders from superiors at work, now participate freely.

We started from our factory at Puttur on Saturday night at 10 p.m. and picked up people along the way. Travelled through Charmadi ghats to reach Chikmagalur at 3 a.m. We checked into a lodge only to get fresh and complete our morning activities. They charged 100 per head for the same. Get ready by 6 a.m. I travelled to the base of Mullayanagiri Hill while enjoying hills, valleys, sunrise, and a panoramic view of Chikmagalur city. We had breakfast at a small canteen at the base and started trekking to the Mullayanagiri peak 4 kilometres away. Everybody enthusiastically marched along, playing many pranks along the way.

We saw many tourists like us that day since it was a Sunday. Being the highest point in Karnataka, it should certainly attract many visitors. We could see lush green mountains, green either with grass or trees. I observe that the ghats on the western side of Malnad have more trees, and the ghats on the eastern side of Malnad have more grass.

Mullayanagiri peak has a small temple on top. It also has a couple of caves where one go a decent length inside the hole of hardly 1 metro diameter. Such a cave experience was first time for me, for a claustrophobic, it can be quite an experience. Once can reach the top through well laid out steps, instead we climbed form the back side of the hill to reach the top to enjoy a full 360 degree view of other landscapes visible from top.

We started descending down at 10 a.m. Reached the base at 11 a.m. We had ordered for lunch at the same place where we had breakfast. Since we had to go to Bababudanagiri next and had nothing to do here, we had an early lunch at 12 p.m.

The mobile tower on top of Bababudganagiri is clearly visible and just a 2-hour trek from Mullayanagiri, but along the road, one has to travel 20 km. The road is still under construction, so we had to park our bus well before Duttapeeta and go by public Jeep. He also took us to another place 4 km away with a small lake and viewpoint. I finished that part of the site by 3 p.m., and it was time to come back.

The weather was excellent for sightseeing. It was bright and sunny; there were no clouds, so far-off places were visible. There was no rain, so cameras could be taken out without fear. The rainy season is yet to arrive formally, so all the streams and rivers have no water. At that altitude, the humidity was low, so unlike in Puttur/Mangalore, where we would sweat profusely without doing anything, there we were not sweating at all. It made it so much easier that we were trekking easily, even under the midday sun. But when we were heading back after Mudigere along Charmadi ghat, the rain came, and it stopped us from enjoying the breathtaking views of the ghats. While going up the ghats, we couldn’t see because it was night, while coming back, it was raining. I can’t complain about it when we choose to travel in the rainy season.

Dinner was ordered at Suprabha’s uncle’s place at Somanthadka off Ujire. Thanks to their family for arranging it. After dinner at 8 p.m. we reached Puttur at 9.30. People were dropped to their respective places by 10.30. A satisfying and pleasurable trip comes to an end. Bad thing being, People had to come back to work on Monday as usual after this

Thanks to the organizers who made the trip a jolly ride without hiccups. I would like to highlight their responsibility and sacrifices. After such a tiring journey, they dropped people off at their homes in their personal vehicles. They gave us the best opportunities while they took away what was left. On a 22-seater bus, they sat near the driver and didn’t sleep for a moment in their entire night journey. They freshened themselves up at the bus stand while the rest of us did it at the lodge to save time for us. They came first and went back last. Not many appreciate them for the good things they have done, but any shortcomings are immediately observed and mentioned. It is not easy to hold 25 people together throughout the journey and make everybody happy, but they did it. This will give them a good experience of how to lead in their organizational duties in times to come.

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