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| The serene lotus pond at 'Dhole's Den.' |
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| A swing at the den. |
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| Soft toys in the lobby. |
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| Path leading to a homestay. |
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| Bouganvillea moment with Ingrid and Karthik. |
-Brian Mendonca
When Karthik invited us to Bandipur I felt it was a far cry from our humdrum routines. Where was Bandipur?
As it turned out it was a beautiful stopover at his digs at Dhole's Den, as he calls his boutique homestay. Located on the fringes of the Bandipur Tiger Reserve, Dhole's Den nestles deep South of Karnataka on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border.
We drove down from Mysore to Bandipur (80 km via NH 766). As we entered the Bandipur wildlife sanctuary we saw elephants, deer, and peacocks quite close to the road. We stayed two nights at Dhole's Den. There were many moments to savour. From the curated meals with homegrown vegetables from their nearby farm, to swinging on the wooden swing, or simply viewing the Nilgiris from the sit-out during breakfast.
I also ventured for a bird walk in the early morning. Somewhere in the middle of our trail we heard a loud muffled roar in the distance. 'That's a tiger and he's watching us,' said my guide. I was not able to appreciate the warbling of the bird calls after that.
I met Karthik when we were at CIEFL, Hyderabad in 1993-96. He was studying German in the Foreign Languages department and I was pursuing my PhD.
He was still the same, with that impish look and short hair. He came through an accident where he lost his right arm at 24, but, as Dr. Sr. Aradhana A.C. puts it, 'He found his purpose in life.' He founded Dhole's Den in 2009 where he serves as Director. He loves driving his jeep with a specially-designed seat. Often he takes off for the hills to breathe the rarified air.
Karthik took good care of us when we were his guests. Regaling us with tales of his guests he would break into laughter at the slightest instance. His energy moved you. On his vast property he tends his hounds which are very attached to him.
In the evening Karthik organized a poetry reading for me. He rounded up his guests and invited some friends over. I also wrote a poem during our stay.
As we loaded up the Innova for our drive to Bangalore airport (210 kms. via NH 275), a sense of wistfulness remained. Dhole's Den beckons one to return. As the den explores new initiatives like a meditation space, one sees how blessed one is to be so close to the wild (derness).
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Pic at the bottom (l to r) Karthik, Brian, Queenie, Ingrid, Vanessa, Dwayne, and Maegan. Pix courtesy Brian Mendonca. Updated 30/9/26.
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