WanderLust Extremus!!!!

Mandarmani Trip

2008-09-10T21:34:00.000-07:00

Itinerary:Kolkata>>Mandarmani>>Kolkata

About:Mandarmani is a beach in South Bengal. It is known as the longest motor able beach of India (14 kms). Pristine and relatively tourist free, it is situated 180 kms from kolkata. Quaint fishing boats dot the beach and give it an old world air. Go to this beach if you like to spend a quiet holiday without doing too many things. If you are the busy sort who likes to keep doing something then it is not for you. Read a book, drink some local coconut water r simply laze around.
Time of Trip: September 6th and 7th, 2008

Duration: 2 days

Hotels stayed at: Masara beach resort

6th September,2008.

We left Kolkata at about 7 am in the morning.Sitting in Tata Sumo cars we went along at a fair clip for some time before suddenly getting caught right in the middle of a traffic Jam of trucks in a place called Kolghat.I've seen this phenomena of traffic jams of trucks in a fair few of my road trips in various parts of India.After sitting in the hot and humid car ,finally we moved on.The rest of the journey was relatively easier.

Just before we reached Mandarmoni we turn off into a small dirt track.From here there is no proper road and we just have to go through really bad roads.We took a couple of jolts allright.
We passed narrow roads with villages looking at us withvarious levels of boredom.

The beach comes into view very suddenly.One second you are riding a car in the middle of bad roads and dusty villages.A sharp turn later with a gasp you realise that you are on the beach itself.Te only way to explore this beach is to drive on the beach itself.It is know as the longest motorable beach in India.

We soon drove to our resort which was situated bang on the beach itself.It was decent.

pic 1: The Masara Beach Resort,Mandormani

We immediately descended on the beach,forgetting about lunch in our excitement in seeing the beautiful beach.And beautiful it certainly was.Beautiful beaches in India are not really about aquamarine blue waters or virgin white sands.It is simply the absence of large crowds.

The beach was pristine and unspoilt.Well I am sure it will only be a few years because it descends into a popular but dirty beach like Digha.

This beach was characterised by a large strip of clay before just before deep waters.We had to wade over this sticky strip carefully slipping and sliding before we reached the sand of the ocean floor beyond.Lots of fishing boats lined the beach.

pic 2: Lonely fishing boat on pristine Mandarmoni

pic 3: Lonliness ,Thy name is Mandarmoni

pic 4: Three boats on the beach,Mandarmoni

After a quick dip,we went back for a full lunch.

After a short nap I descended on the beach again in the evening all by myself with a book.I sat reading on the beach for hours till it grew dark.All around me I saw noone.The waves splashed with a mighty roar on the shore.For some time I forgot who I was,the cares and worries of the world I was in.It was magical.

I met some kids of a fisherman's family and took a quick snap.

Pic 5: Kids on the beach at twilight,Mandarmoni Beach

Pic 6: Large streches of the Beautiful Mandarmoni beach at twilight

As the beach was not very safe at night I could not go for a walk.Therefore we had to settle for Dumb Charades and some other games.I got bored after a while and went off to sleep.

7th September,2008

We got up early to watch the sunrise on the beach.It was beautiful,although nothing spectacular.

Pic 8: After Sunrise on Mandarmoni

After a heavy luch we decided to head back to Kolkatta.

We got caught at exactly the same place in the traffic Jam.We reached home by around 9 PM.

Wonderful weekend Getaway!!!

Ajanta-Ellora-Aurangabad trip

2008-06-11T21:37:00.000-07:00

(Click on photos to get clearer image)
Itinerary:
Bangalore>>Aurangabad>>Ajanta>>Ellora>>Aurangabad>>Bangalore
About:
Located near the city of Aurangabad in Maharashtra, the famous Ajanta and Ellora are cave shrines cut out of rock, by hand, and rank amongst some of the most outstanding specimens of ancient Indian architectural heritage. The 34 caves at Ellora and the 29 caves at Ajanta, were remained shrouded in obscurity for over a millennium, till John Smith, a British Army Officer, accidentally stumbled upon them while on a hunting expedition in 1819. Ajanta has been designated as a World Heritage Site, to be preserved as an artistic legacy that will come to inspire and enrich the lives of generations to come. Ajanta CavesIt was only in the 19th century, that the Ajanta group of caves, lying deep within the Sahyadri hills, cut into the curved mountain side, above the Waghora river, were discovered. They depict the story of Buddhism, spanning a period from 200 BC to 650 AD. The 29 caves were built as secluded retreats of the Buddhist monks, who taught and performed rituals in the Chaityas and Viharas, the ancient seats of learning, and nerve - centers of the Buddhist cultural movement. Using simple tools like hammer and chisel, the monks carved out the impressive figures adorning the walls of these structures. Many of the caves house panels depicting stories from the Jatakas, a rich mine of tales of the several incarnations of the Buddha. Images of nymphs and princesses amongst others, are also elaborately portrayed.

pic 1: Ajanta caves front view

pic 2: Ajanta caves :new perspective

pic 3:panoramic view

pic 4: the famous ajanta painting

Ellora Caves:

The Ellora caves, 34 in number, are carved into the sides of a basaltic hill, 30 kms from Aurangabad. The finest specimens of cave - temple architecture, they house elaborate facades and exquisitely adorned interiors. These structures representing the three faiths of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, were carved during the 350 AD to 700 AD period. The 12 caves to the south are Buddhist, the 17 in the centre dedicated to Hinduism, and the 5 caves to the north are Jain. The sculpture in the Buddhist caves accurately convey the nobility, grace and serenity inherent in the Buddha. Caves 6 and 10 house images from the Buddhist and Hindu faith, under the same roof, the latter dedicated to Vishwakarma, the patron saint of Indian craftsmen. The Vishvakarma cave is both a Chaitya and a Vihara, with a seated Buddha placed in the stupa. Its two - storied structure sports a colourful pageant of dwarfs, dancing and making music.

pic 4: Ellora caves

pic 5: me in frnt of ellore

pic 6: the sheer rock face of ellora

pic 9: ramayana in ellora

Time of Trip: May 14 th, 2008
Duration: 1 day

Hotels stayed at: Hotel Athithi, Aurangabad

I also visited a couple of other places in Aurangabad.

One was a very interesting Hanuman temple in which the deity was lying facing up on the floor.

I also visited the Bibi ka Maqbara

See wikepedia for details.

Bibi Ka Maqbara was built by Prince Azam Shah, son of Emperor Aurangzeb, in the late 17th century as a loving tribute to his mother, Dilras Bano Begam. The monument's name translates literally to 'Tomb of the Lady', but has earned the nickname 'poor man’s Taj' because it was made to rival the Taj Mahal. It is situated in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. The tomb in itself represents the transition from the ostentatious architecture of Akbar and Shah Jahan to the simple architecture of the later Mughals. The comparison to the Taj Mahal has resulted in a general ignorance of the monument

It was a good fun trip...

Hampi- Badami- Aihole- Pattadakal Trip

2008-04-13T20:08:00.000-07:00

Itinerary
Bangalore>>Hospet>>Hampi>>Badami>> Pattadakal >> Aihole >>Hampi>>Hospet>>Bangalore

About:
Hampi: Hampi, as it is popularly known today was the medieval capital of the Hindu empire Vijayanagara (the City of Victory). Hampi in the Karnataka state of India is listed as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Hampi is charismatic even in its ruined state. It attracts thousands of tourists and pilgrims every year. Vast stretches of boulder-strewn hills make the backdrop of Hampi unique. Dotted around the hills and valleys are 500 plus monuments. Among them are beautiful temples, basement of palaces, remains of aquatic structures, ancient market streets, royal pavilions, bastions, royal platforms, treasury buildings.., the list is practically endless. Hampi is a backpackers’ paradise, the same way the pilgrims’ delight. In Hampi at every turn there is a surprise. Every monument hides more than what they reveal. As an open museum, Hampi has numerous popular (100 plus!) locations visitors throng.

Badami: The capital of the Early Chalukyas, Badami is picturesquely situated at the mouth of a ravine between two rocky hills. Badami is famous for its four cave temples - all hewn out of sand stone on the precipice of a hill. Enter the first cave temple - past Shiva's door keepers - and there he is! The eighteen-armed Nataraja striking 81 dance poses! The largest and most ornamental is the third cave temple dedicated to Vishnu. Overlooking the cave temples is a reservoir dotted with temples dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva. Also a must are the Bhutanatha temples that lend their name to the lake beneath the cave temples.

Aihole: Famous as the "Cradle of Indian Architecture", Aihole has over a hundred temples scattered around the village.
The oldest temple here is, perhaps, the Lad Khan temple dating back to the 5th Century. The Durga (Fort) Temple is notable for its semi-circular apse, elevated plinth and the gallery that encircles the sanctum. The Hutchimalli Temple out in the village - has a sculpture of Vishnu sitting atop a large cobra.

Pattadakal: Pattadkal stands testimony to Chalukya style of architecture and was declared as a World Heritage Centre in the state of Karnataka by UNESCO. Situated on the banks of Malaprabha River, Pattadakal has the epics chiseled on the temple walls. The ceremonial site for the early Western Chalukyan kings, Pattadakal, is located near Aihole and Badami in Karnataka. In Pattadakal, there are sets of nine important temples that exhibit a mixture of styles.

Time of Trip: March 20-23, 2008

Duration: 4days

Hotels stayed at: Padma Guest House, Hampi (2/5)

I’ve been going on lots of trips with friends, so this trip was with Mom, Dad and Bro.

I caught the Hampi express (10.30 PM, 9 HRS) from Bangalore to Hospet. My parents were due to arrive in Hospet at about the same time (7.30 am) from Hyderabad.
1) 20 th March ,2008 –Thursday

Reached Hospet at around 7.30 am and met up my parents and bro. We decided to take an auto from Hospet to Hampi (13 kms, 30 minutes ,100 rupees).A word of advice. Don’t stay at a hotel in Hospet. To experience the real Hampi you need to stay in the ruined city. Also do not stay on the other side of the Tungabhadra in Hampi. Though it has some good places to stay but you will have to go back to your hotel before 6 pm because after that there are no boat crossings of the river and the land route is too long (About 50 kms).And Hampi is a beautiful place to explore at night.

Directed the auto driver to Padma Guest house which apparently is a popular place to stay (Recommended by Lonely Planet).

The roads were quite good. But what had us spellbound was the topography .As Hampi comes closer, the topography changes dramatically. All around us as far as eyes can see are millions and millions of boulders balanced in precarious positions. This is a famous rock climbing spot if you are an adventure lover. We were spellbound and wondered how the boulders had got there.

Soon we reached Hampi

The only good thing about the guest house was the location. Right beside Hemakuta Hill, our room offered great views of the ruins and of Virupaksha Temple. We stayed in a family room (Rs .800). The bathroom door did not have a bolt, the fan was slow and creaky, no hot water unless asked for etc. Not a bad place but no great shakes.

Pic 1: view of the Virupaksha temple from my room in Padma Guest House,Hampi

After a quick breakfast of Toast, Omelets and Juice we were on our way. We planned to stay about 3 days in Hampi. We decided we would go for an organized sightseeing for half the time and then would spend a day or two doing our own thing. We decided to go around in an Auto to see all the Major Places of Interest (Rs 700, 2days, 5 hours /day)
First stop of the day was Hemakuta Hill. This is not one of the tallest hills in Hampi. But this hilltop and its slops offer a splendid view of the sprawling ruins site. This hill is sprinkled generously with a large number of temples, archways and pavilions. The whole of the hill was fortified with tall wide stonewalls, the ruined remains of which can be still be seen. Once you have reached (about 15 minutes climb) the top, it’s almost a flat expanse of rocky sheet with occasional ups and downs. Hemakuta Hill is the best place in Hampi to see the sunset; and not as tedious to reach the top say compared to the Matanga Hill nearby. A beautiful Place for photography lovers.

pic 2: On top of Hemakuta temple,Hampi

pic 3: Hemakuta Hill,Hampi

pic 4: Rocky landscape of hemakuta Hill,Hampi

We visited the giant Monothilic statue of the Kadalekalu Ganesha on the Hill. It was remarkable. Seeing the multitude of ruins all around gave a feeling of awe and wonder.

We then made our way to a series of Jain temples on top of the Hemakuta Hill. Brilliant.
A word on the climate. Hampi becomes scorching hot in the months of March –June. Thankfully for us after a hot first day, the rest of the days were cloudy and cold.

Next stop was the Sasivekalu (mustard seed) Ganesha called so because of the resemblance. This is located on the southern foothill of the Hemakuta Hill.

pic 5: Sasivekala ganesha hill,Hampi

Next stop was the Krishna temple. This is one of the must see sites in Hampi. The carvings are especially spectacular with the Yalis (the mythical lion) on the pillars and the entrances to the temple hall flanged with impressive carvings of elephant balustrades. Many small shrines and pillared halls adorn the campus. The temple kitchen is located at the south east of the main shrine. The main tower at the east is an impressive sight with numerous carvings on it (now the tower is under restoration work). You can see the carvings of the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu in this temple. This is one of the few temples where the epic stories carved on the walls of the tower. This is fairly an intact specimen of a Vijayanagara era temple.

pic 6: Krishna temple,Hampi

Further east outside the temple you can see a long hall like structure. On the right (south) of it are the banana plantations.

pic 7: Banana plantations and ruins,Hampi

The left area is mostly a rocky landscape. This was actually the high street (the chariot street) once led to the temple. The long pavilions were shops in the market street.

pic 8: market street,hampi

If you walk along these long structures, you would reach the impressive temple pond with structures around and at the middle of the tank. The temple tank is now not in use. The nearby agricultural places use water from the tank. The chariot street mentioned in fact terminates at a series of wide steps in front of the main temple campus, probably the only such chariot street in Hampi.
Next on the agenda was a rocky outcrop. There are two huge rocks called as the two sisters. Amazing the way these rocks are positioned.

pic 9: Bro @ The two sisters rocky outcrop,Hampi

We next went to the Lakshmi Narasimha Temple. This is the largest statue in Hampi. Sometimes this is referred as Ugra Narasimha (i.e. Narasimha in its terrifying form). The protruding eyes and the facial expression are the basis for this name.

pic 10:Mom and dad,UgraNarsimha ,Hampi

An idol of Lord Shiva, known as Badavalinga, is situated in the immediate vicinity. The 12 feet tall lingam carved out of shiny black granite rises out of a shallow pool of clear water.

Next was the Underground Shiva Temple. For some curious reasons, this temple dedicated for Lord Siva was built many meters below the ground level.

pic 11: Underground shiva temple, Hampi

For this reason, almost all the time the sanctum and the core parts of the temple are under water, restricting entry to the inner areas. A water cannel system too is visible around the main temple. But this canal is dry and you can walk down to a point from where it’s impossible to go further. There is a small temple for Siva’s consort too near the mail shrine.

We had some Coconut water to gain some respite from the heat.

We next made our way to the Royal Enclosure. This fortified area had been the seat of power of the fallen empire. Sprawling over many hundreds square meters, this fortified area is scattered with a number of interesting relics.

pic 16: Royal enclosure,Hampi

The most imposing structure in this area is the Mahanavami Dibba or the Dassera Platform or the ‘House of Victory’ .

pic 17:Mahanavami Dibba,Hampi

King’s Audience Hall or the 100 Pillared Hall is located within the enclosure in the northwest area. Stepped tank is located in the southeast area.

pic 18:the stepped tank,Hampi

Adjacent to this is another tank used as a bathing area. Further at the southwest corner is another huge swimming pool style tank (now empty) is located.
The underground chamber is located somewhere between the King’s Audience hall and the Stepped Tank.
Apart from these the Royal enclosure area is doted with numerous relics of buildings, crisscrossing aqueducts supplying water to these water bodies etc. Practically the royal enclosure area is a wide-open ground with little shelters inside

Moving on we made our way to the Hazara Rama Temple. This is not a huge temple by Hampi’s yardstick. But this temple at the heart of the royal area has some peculiarities. Firstly it had been functioning as a private temple for the king, or at the most, the royal family. The importance of this temple can be judged from its nodal location in the royal area. Your paths to various locations within the citadel concur at a corner of this temple.

Probably this is the only temple in the capital with its external walls decorated with bas-reliefs mentioned above. And the temple got its name Hazara Rama (a thousand Rama) Temple owing to this multitude of these Ramayana panels on its walls.

pic 19:the ramayana panels on the wall of hazara rama temple,Hampi

A sprawling lawn located at the north of this temple is an easy landmark you can spot from a distance.

The final stop of the morning tour was the Queens Bath. For some mysterious reasons this was called as the queen’s bath. But in all probability this was a royal pleasure complex for the king and his wives.

pic 20: Inside the queen's bath,Hampi

We then headed off for lunch to another of Hampi’s treasures. Mango Tree Restaurant is situated in the middle of banana groves and Mango trees. Stare dreamily over the magnificent view of the Tungabhadra as you eat your food sitting on the floor leaning against the wall. Magnificient.

pic 21: Mango tree restaurant ,Hampi

pic 22: views from the Mango tree restaurant,Hampi

pic 23:Inside the mango tree restaurant,Hampi

We headed back to the hotel to escape the afternoon heat. We dozed for a couple of hours before we headed off to Hemakuta Hill to catch the sunset. Hampi has some of the most magnificent sunsets in India. The background of rocky boulders ruins et all make for some great photography moments.

pic 24:Sunset at hemakuta hill,hampi

After watching the magnificent orange sunsets we headed down to the most famous landmark of Hampi, the Virupaksha Temple.
In front is a long bazaar called the Hampi Bazaar which is similar to any temple town in India. Hampi being a world Heritage site attracts a lot of foreigners.

Virupaksha temple is the oldest and the principal temple in Hampi. This temple is located on the south bank of the river Tungabadra, just next to where the local bus drops you. This area in general has been an important pilgrimage centre for the worshipers of lord Shiva. Virupaksha temple is equally sort after by the tourists and pilgrims. The temple Elephant Lakshmi is a big favorite of the People here.

After a dinner of Dosas we headed off to hotel for a well deserved rest.
2) 21 th March ,2008 –Friday
The weather changed dramatically today. It became cool and cloudy. It was a great beginning.
We left early after having breakfast to continue our exploration of Hampi.
First stop of the day was the Zenana Enclosure. Zenana enclosure was a secluded area reserved for the royal women. This walled harem houses many interesting highlights.

pic 25: The Zenana enclosure, Hampi

The major attraction is the Lotus Mahal located at the southeast corner. As the name suggests, you would enter into a sprawling compound with a mud road running through the middle of the compound. Probably the only thing you eyes catch soon when you are inside is the pastel colored Lotus Mahal at the far right corner.

pic 26: Mom n dad @ the lotus Mahal,Hampi

It’s a two-storied arched pavilion. The whole area was the private enclosure for the royal women folks. Three watchtowers can be seen at the corners of the enclosed area. You can spot these two storied towers close to the southeast, northeast and northwest corners. You would come across the remains of huge fortification walls at a number places in Hampi. This had been primarily built as the protection barrier to a wealthy capital area. Next were the Elephant stables. One among the few least destroyed structures in Hampi, Elephant Stable is a major tourist attraction. This long building with a row of domed chambers was used to ‘park’ the royal elephants.

pic 27: @ the elephant stables,Hampi

pic 28: bro and I on the lawns of the elephant stables

We spent some time at the Tungabadra River. The river flowed merrily on.

pic 29: The tunghabadra river

We next visited the most famous temple of Hampi, the vittala temple.

As the epicenter of Hampi's attractions, Vittala Temple is the most extravagant architectural showpiece of Hampi. No amount of words can explain this spectacle. The temple is built in the form of a sprawling campus with compound wall and gateway towers. There are many halls, pavilions and temples located inside this campus. The famous stone chariot can be seen here.
We spent a couple of hours at this marvelous architectural wonder.

pic 30 : The entrance of vittala temple,Hampi

pic 31: the musical pillared hall @ vittala temple,Hampi

pic 32: The Landscape of Vittala temple,Hampi

pic 33: in front of the famous stone chariot,vittala temple,Hampi

pic 34: Vittala temple and Me,Hampi

Soon it was time to explore the other side of the River. We caught the boat across the river(Rs 5) and reached Anegudi.

We had to engage a separate auto (Rs 300,3 hrs) there as auto’s cannot cross the river.
The ambience of Anegondi is refreshing for the ones who like a peaceful place to soak themselves in a rural ambient and tour at their own pace.

pic 35: temples,rivers and goats:on the other side of the tunghabadra

pic 36: green green everywhere,anegudi

pic 37: the green fields around anegudi

Attractions include Anjeneyadri (the hill top Hanuman temple), Pampa Sarovar (a tiny shrine and a sacred tank), Gagan Mahal (a small old palace).

pic 38:The Pampa sarovar at anegudi

The best place was the hanuman temple .We had to climb millions of steps to reach the top. My Mom and Dad did not try. My brother ran his way to the top and I huffed and Puffed behind him.

The views from the top were absolutely brilliant. Words cannot describe it. Perhaps the pictures do it more justice.

pic 40: Bro on Hanuman hill,anegudi

pic 41: Rocky landscape of Hampi from top of Hanuman hill

It clouded over and looked like it was going to rain so we ran down the mountain.

We made our way back to Virapur Gadde where the heavens opened up .We had brilliantly green fields in front of us as we sheltered in a shop. The fields in the rain made for amazing viewing.

We crossed the river back and had a very late lunch at the Mango tree restaurant.

As usual we were off to Hemakuta Hill to catch the sunset. It was cloudy today so the sunset was not as spectacular. But I managed to capture some good twilight pics of the ruins.

pic 42: Ruins and Landscapes,Hampi

pic 43: Virupaksha temple landscape,Hampi

pic 44: the twilight foto of the virupaksha temple and surroundings.

Dinner was followed by haggling with taxi drivers for the one day trip planned for the next day to Badami, Aihole, Pattadakal and back to Hampi by night.
3) 22 th March ,2008 –Saturday

We woke early and were ready to leave by 6.30 am. Badami is about 160 km from Hampi. Aihole and Pattadakal are close to Badami.

We had arranged for a Tata Indica for the round trip Travel+ sightseeing, (Rs 2200+150)

First stop of the day was the Tungabhadra Dam. The weather was pleasant today too with a hint of rain. We enjoyed a brisk walk up to the dam but there was no water.

pic 45: The tunghabadra dam

Today was Holi. It proved to be a nuisance as in regular intervals rowdy groups of noisy revelers stopped the car and demanded money. I grew pretty angry after a point and even had a fight.
First stop was the Banshankari temple. Pretty ordinary and not worth a visit.

pic 46: sunflower fields enroute to badami

Next we went on to the caves at Badami.It was an amazing place.

pic 47 : Badami caves

The first set of caves is a group of four on a hill adjacent to the Bhutanata tank, connected through flights of stairs.

The first cave dating back to the 5th century CE has gigantic carvings of Shiva in bas relief. It enshrines a Shivalingam. In the adjacent wall there is a carving of the cosmic dance of Shiva Nataraja depicted with eighteen arms. There are also reliefs of Ganapati, Shanmukha and Mahishasuramardhini.

The second temple bears images of Vishnu . It is reached through a flight of 64 stairs from the first one. On its celing, are carvings of Vishnu on Garuda and several other scenes from the puranas.

The third rock cut temple is reached from the 2nd temple through a flight of 60 steps. It is a 100 feet dep cave, with inscriptions dating this Vishnu temple to 578 CE during, the period of Kiritivarma Chalukya. Here there are carved images of the Narasimha and Trivikrama avataras of Vishnu. There are also murals depicting the divine marriage of Shiva and Parvati.

Further up, is a Jain rock cut temple dedicated to the Tirtankara Adinatha with inscriptions dating back to the 12th century

There is the magnificent tank near the temple which is a brilliant shade of green and has healing properties. Other temples dot the landscape.

pic 48 : The bhoothnatha lake in a lovely emarald colour,badami

We had lunch at the Badami court restaurant, Badami.

We next headed off to a small temple called Mahakuta. This was a gem. This temple is not very popular on the tourist circuit as many do not know about it. But this turned out to be a gem. It was the kind of temple I like, all old world charm. You can imagine yourself 1000 years back if you want to.

pic 49: The Mahakoota temple

We headed off to Pattadakal next. Pattadakal is 22 km from Badami, the capital of the Chalukya dynasty of Southern India, who built the temples in the seventh and eighth centuries. There are ten temples including a Jain sanctuary surrounded by numerous small shrines and plinths. Four temples were built in Dravidian style, four in nagara style of Northern India and the Papanatha temple in mixed style.

The group of monuments in Pattadakal was designated a World Heritage Site in 1987.
Quite frequently in my travel blog I run out of adjectives. As I said earlier,I hope the pictures do it more justice because the place was absolutely amazing.

pic 50: Pattadakal temples

pic 51: bro in front of pattadakal group of temples

Here the best temples of the style, the Virupaksha and the Mallikarjuna are seen. These were built by the queens of Vikramaditya II (734-44) in memory of his victorious march against Kanchi, the Pallava capital, and the temples were named by them after themselves as the Lokeshwara (by Lokadevi) and Trailokeshwara (by Trailokadevi), which came to be known as the Virupaksha and the Mallikarjuna respectively. The two magnificent temples with their nicely engraved lively figures on walls and the massive square pillars are in sand stone. Pattadakal itself was known as Kisuvolal (`Red Town') as the sand stone here is reddish in colour.
The Sangameshwara, Chandrashekhara, Jambuling and Kadasideeshwara are the other major temples here, and Pattadakal has also a Jaina basadi of Rashtrakuta times with two beautiful elephants in this front. The Galaganath here which is dilapidated, has caurvilinear (rekhanagara) shikhara.

A note on all the places on this trip: As most of them are world heritage sights these places are beautifully maintained with immaculate lawns and sign posts with descriptions. Really admirable.

The final stop of the day was Aihole. Aihole has its own historical significance and is called as cradle of Hindu rock architecture. Many temples and caves of historical importance can be found at Aihole. The roadside was littered liberally with temples. The most famous is the semi circular Durga temple and the Lad temple.

pic 52:Family @ the durga temple,Aihole

We also visited a museum which was unimpressive. It started raining now. It was about 5 pm. We decided to head back to Hampi.
We reached Hampi after an uneventful car ride by about 8.30.
Dinner followed by sleep.
4) 23 th March ,2008 –Sunday
Got up late today. A leisurely day was on the agenda. After a big breakfast we headed off to Virupaksha temple again.

pic 53: The virupaksha temple on a rainy day

Spent some time at this place.
After a small walk we made our way back to the hotel.
Headed back to hospet to catch our trains

pic 54: The rain washed roads on the way back from Hospet

Family left by a 3 pm train back to Hyderabad.

I spent some time reading. Hospet has a lovely railway station and I spent the evening reading on an old bench. The joys of life.

pic 55: Hospet Railway station

Caught the Hampi express back to Bangalore @ 7.30 pm.
Reached Bangalore by 6 am.
Hampi deserves the title of “Poetry in Stone”

References:
http://www.hampi.in/

Pondicherry-Mahabalipuram Trip

2008-03-17T23:08:00.000-07:00

(Click on photos to get clearer image)

Itinerary:
Bangalore>>Chennai>>Pondicherry>>Mahabalipuram>>Chennai>>Bangalore

About:

Pondicherry: Away from the hustle and bustle of big city, Pondicherry is a quiet little town on the southern coast. The unmistakable French connection, the tree lined boulevards, the quaint colonial heritage buildings, the spiritual scene, the endless stretches of un spoilt virgin beaches, backwater, a surprising choice of restaurants serving a mélange of cuisines, provide a heady mix that draw travelers from near and far. It is the perfect place to come, if you want to take the pace of life down a few notches.

Mahabalipuram: Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) also close to Chennai (Madras) is on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, along the eastern coast. Mamallapuram known for its rocks carvings and monolithic sculptures has the famous shore temple, the only one to have survived the ravages of nature. Also known as the Seven Pagodas (temples), six now lie submerged in the sea.

Time of Trip: March 7-9, 2008

Duration: 3 days

Hotels stayed at:

Park Guest House, Pondicherry (5/5) absolutely brilliant place

We caught a late night train from Bangalore to Chennai on 6th March; 2008.There is a direct Volvo bus from Bangalore to Pondicherry for people who don’t mind the long journey of 7 hours in a bus.
1) 7th March ,2008 -Friday

We reached Chennai by about 8 am. After a heavy breakfast at the Saravanna Bhavan at Chennai central we caught an auto to Koyambedu Local Bus terminus, popularly known as CMBT.

There are buses going every hour to Pondicherry. Be careful to take the bus taking the ECR route. The roads are better and more scenic.
The roads were very good. We caught glimpses of the ocean on one side. The scenic views are very soothing to the eye. In about 3 and half hours we had reached Pondicherry bus stand by about 1 pm.

A quick auto drive later we were deposited at the Park guest house.

I fell in love with Pondicherry and the Park guest house. It was the best place I had stayed in my life. The room was huge. But the best part was the views from the enormous balconies that every room had. The park guest house was located strategically on the beach, and my balcony overlooked the ocean. The sound of the waves splashing on the rocks could be heard continuously. I sat in the balcony, mesmerized, for a very long time.

Pic 1: View from the Park Guest House,Pondicherry

A note on the Park Guest house. It is run by the aurobindo Ashram and has some basic rules that need to be followed. Also it is always booked so you need to book the rooms about 1 month in advance .But it is worth every paisa of the 600 rupees per night we spent.

Soon we left for lunch to hotel Surguru, the most popular restaurant in the area for south Indian. After a sumptuous lunch we set off on our travels.

We had decided before hand that Aurobindo Ashram or auroville was not our kind of thing so we decided not to go there. We decided that it as primarily going to be a beach vacation exploring Pondicherry’s pristine beaches.

After negotiating with the Auto Driver we went to visit a couple of beaches.

First stop was Serenity beach which was very small and secluded and not really worth it. So we moved on to Auro beach which was the primary swimming beach of Pondicherry. Lots of people including foreigners could be seen on this beach. The beach was reasonably clean. We had lots of fun playing on the beach.

Pic 2 : Auroville Beach,Pondicherry

Pic 3: Kingfisher Calender,2008 at Auroville Beach,Pondicherry

Pic 4:The waves and I,Auroville Beach,Pondicherry

Soon we decided to leave before it became dark because we had heard that Pondicherry’s beaches are not safe after dark.

It was back to the hotel for freshening up before we ventured out again at about 7 pm.

We walked along Pondicherry’s Promenade beach. The beach is Rocky and cannot be used for swimming. It was beautiful.
We ate at one of the French Café’s dotting the streets of Pondicherry. We went to the Tourism Department to take Maps regarding the French walk of Pondicherry. Soon we were on our way by foot, exploring the quaint French section of the town. It was like we were suddenly transported out of India.
We ate at a very expensive place near our hotel before we went back .We enjoyed sitting on the balcony for some time before we decided to sleep. The last thing we heard before we slept was the sound of the waves gently crashing on the shore.

2) 8th March ,2008 -Saturday
This was meant to be a relaxing soothing vacation. So we got up around 9 am. Had a leisurely breakfast at the restaurant at the hotel which overlooked the sea. Food never tasted so good before.

We were off to our primary spot of the day, Paradise beach at the chunnambar backwaters resort.

This was the highlight of the entire trip. This beach is connected to land but it is primarily accessed by tourists only by water. This beach is not so well known so it was practically empty of tourists.

The motorboat was soon chugging away over the lovely backwaters of the Bay of Bengal.

Pic 6: The backwaters on the way to Paradise Beach

Soon we could spot the long stretch of beach we were heading for.

The beach truly lived up to its name. Picture this, on one side the brilliant blue waters of the Ocean with the foam topped waves crashing on the shore. On the other side the green waters of the backwaters with coconut trees lining the shore. A long pristine stretch of sand with the ocean on one side and backwaters on the other. It was beautiful.
We spent many hours there.

pic 7:Paradise Beach

pic 8: Paradise Beach=Heaven

Soon we headed off to our favorite lunch spot, hotel Surguru. It had grown really hot by this time so went back to our rooms in the afternoon to take a nap.

It had become cooler in the evening so we took a long walk along the promenade again.

pic 9: The rocky beach promenade,Pondicherry
After an early dinner we retired.
3) 8th March ,2008 –Saturday

We had a hectic day today. I got up early to watch the sunrise from our balcony.

Pic 9: Sunrise at Pondicherry from Park guest house

We were going to visit Mahabalipuram before we headed back to Bangalore.
After breakfast we reluctantly checked out of the Park Guest House. Something told me I would go back there again and again in my life.

We caught a bus to Mahabalipuram. Took around 2 hours to reach as it was en-route to Chennai itself.

We stopped off at a restaurant and had brilliant pancakes.Yummy…

Soon we engaged an Auto to give us a tour of all the important places in Mahablipuram.

First stop was the 5 rathas. Small hill sloping from south to north has been segmented into five divisions & converted into monolithic temples. Each monolithic temple shows different kind of sikhara. The five rathas are Dharmaraja Ratha, Bhima Ratha, (center huge structure), Arjuna Ratha (left of Bhima ratha), Draupadi Ratha (extreme left) and Nakul Sahadev Ratha (extreme right).

Pic 10:The 5 rathas,Mahabalipuram

Pic 11 : Me in front of the Dharmaraja Ratha,Mahabalipuram

Then we visited a couple of minor places including the lighthouse, Krishna’s Butter Ball , Arjuna’s Penance etc.

Pic 12:Me supporting the weight of Krishna's Butterball

Descent of Ganges. A prodigious rock wall (eight feet in length & thirty feet in height) carved by the Pallava artisans reflects in bright sunshine, the timeless story of the descent of the Ganges.

pic 13: The intricately carved rock wall,mahabalipuram

Final stop of the day was the shore Temple. It is a structural temple meaning using blocks of stones for constructing temples. Shore temple is a temple complex consisting of two Siva temples and a carving of Anantasayana Vishnu. The temple facing east is entered by a small gopura (smaller one). On plan, it consists of a small sanctum & a front mandapa & is a two-tired vimana. The sanctum is housing a linga. The temple facing west is also dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is large in plan comprising sanctum, mahamandapa, front mandapa, balipitha and dvajastamba. The carving on Lord Vishnu on a boulder in Anantasayana form is lying in between these two temples. It belongs to the period of Narasimhavarman I and thus earlier than the Siva temples.

Pic 14: Shore Temple,Mahabalipuram.

Pic 15: Me in front of the shore temple,Mahabalipuram

Soon we caught another bus to Chennai which took an hour and half. We caught the Shatabdi back to Bangalore.
Pondicherry is truly the place “To give Time a break”. A must see vacation.

The Golden Triangle Trip

2008-03-11T23:10:00.000-07:00

(Click on photos for clearer image)

Itinerary: Bangalore>>Delhi>>Jaipur>>Kota>>Delhi>>Agra>>Delhi>>Bangalore

Note: Circuitous route to attend wedding of friend
This is a very clichéd route and I don’t as a rule like such touristy towns, but I had to see it once anyway in my lifetime.

About:

Jaipur: Jaipur is the first planned city of India, located in the desert lands of Rajasthan. The city that once had been the capital of the royalty, now serves as the capital city of Rajasthan. The very structure of Jaipur resembles the taste of the Rajputs and the Royal family. In the present date, Jaipur is the major business centre for the natives of Rajasthan with all requisites of a metropolitan city. The city of Jaipur, painted in pink, grasp the appreciation of every visitor. One can see that hoary charm still alive in the avenues of Jaipur. All theses features make Jaipur, one of the most sought after tourist destinations of Rajasthan, India.

Agra: Perhaps no other historical monument has evoked as much awareness and admiration from tourists and travelers alike, as the magnificent Taj Mahal - fondly called by people as the ultimate requiem of love, from a great Mughal Emperor to his beloved.So overwhelming is the exquisite beauty and presence of this marble mausoleum that centuries later today, even the very land where it has been located - Agra - has been immortalized as the City of the Taj. Yet, it doesn’t take much for the roving eye to discover that there's more to Agra than just the fabled Taj Mahal. The city is a virtual gateway to a world of discovery… a freeze-frame from a resplendant era that's long since gone by.

Kota: Along the eastern bank of the Chambal River lies Kota - an amazing example of majestic medieval age and modern industrialization. Kota is located on a high sloping tableland forming a part of the Malwa Plateau. The Mokandarra hills run from southeast to northwest of the town. Once the part of the erstwhile Rajput kingdom of Bundi, Kota became a separate princely state in the 17th century. Today, besides being Rajasthan's industrial centre, Kota also serves as army headquarters. Its wealth of impressive forts, opulent palaces and splendid temples of past centuries retain their former glory. Its present-day edifices and heavy industries have made it the industrial heartland of Rajasthan. Summers in Kota are quite hot. The city experiences scant rainfall between June and August. Winters are cool and are the best times to visit the city.
Time of Trip: January 25-29, 2008

Duration: 5 days

Hotels stayed at:

Jaipur: Hotel Arya Niwas (4/5)

Agra: Hotel Taj Plaza (3/5)

1) January 25, 2008- Friday

I caught an early morning (5.50 am, Deccan) flight to Delhi after spending the night at a school friends place.

Reached Delhi and put up at a friends house. Delhi was freezing cold (About 5 C)

Spent the afternoon wandering around CP. Delhi winters are amazing. I ate Chinese food for lunch. We watched Roger Federer go down in the semifinals of the Australian open sitting in café coffee day.

Retired early to bed. Long day ahead.
2) January 26,2008-Saturday

We got up at 3.30 am. Crazy, but it was republic day today and the security threat meant that we had to leave early to account for unforeseen stoppages. We caught the Ajmer Shatabdi to Jaipur at 6 am. Really comfortable Journey. Landed in Jaipur by about 10.30. Checked in at the Arya Niwas. Really nice place. A double room cost us Rs 1000/- per night. A note about the restaurant here .It was absolutely brilliant. A quick lunch was followed by haggling with the auto driver to take us to various places.

Jaipur was an incredibly dirty touristy city. The pink city is not really pink after all. But is part of the experience, one of the USP’s of India as a travel destination.

Pic 1: The Pink? City from a moving auto

Our first stop of the day was the Majestic AMBER fort (shown in the movie Jodha Akbar). The Amber Fort looks stunning, all-built in white marble and red sandstone. The outer appearance of the Fort, being rough and craggy is totally different from its core. The interior of the Fort provides a soothing and warm ambience, which is least expected from its outer appearance. The marvelous decoration of the Amer Fort is influenced by both, the Hindu and Muslim manner of ornamentation. Exquisite paintings of hunting scenes on the walls depict the temperament of the Rajputs, who were adventurous, revolutionary and self-indulgent. The intricate carvings on the walls and ceilings simply astonish the visitors.
There is also another fort called Jaigarh which we did not find worth considering.

Pic 2 : Amber Fort,Jaipur

Pic 3: The hill opposite Amber Fort

The second stop of the day was the Jal Mahal. The first four floors of this building is under water, only the top floor remains outside.
Built in 1799, the palace is now abandoned, but reasonably well preserved. In the monsoons, it looks particularly startling with its red sandstone set against the water hyacinth filled lake. The late looked slightly dirty to be honest.

Pic 4: The Jal Mahal, Jaipur

It was late evening by then, so we decided to end the day with some shopping. Picked up a famous Kota sari for my mom and some gifts for the friend who was getting married. Ended the day with a nice meal at the Arya Niwas.

3) January 27,2008-Sunday

We continued sightseeing in Jaipur.

First stop today was the Hawa Mahal. Hawa Mahal is a major landmark and famous tourist attractions of Jaipur.I think it is a highly overrated monument. Hawa Mahal is a pyramid-shaped facade with five stories. It has 953 small windows decorated with tiny lattice work. These pink sandstone windows commonly known as "Jharokhas" are constructed in such a style, that it looks like a giant honeycomb. The air circulation through windows represents the marvelous touch of Mughal designing, which keeps the Palace always cool. The small screened balconies and arched roofs with hanging cornices enhance the beauty of the Palace. The Pyramidal outline and replication of pattern makes it more attractive in appearance.

Pic 5: The facade of the Hawa Mahal,Jaipur

Next we went on to the Jantar Mantar. Between 1727 and 1734 Maharajah Jai Singh II of Jaipur constructed five astronomical observatories in west central India. The observatories, or "Jantar Mantars" as they are commonly known, incorporate multiple buildings of unique form, each with a specialized function for astronomical measurement. These structures with their striking combinations of geometric forms at large scale have captivated the attention of architects, artists, and art historians world wide, yet remain largely unknown to the general public. This was really fascinating. To think that these kings had so much scientific and mathematical instinct in those times is truly astounding.

Pic 6: The Jantar Mantar,Jaipur

Pic 7: One of the many astronomical instruments of wonder in Jantar Mantar,Jaipur.

We quickly went to the city palace next because it was getting late for my train. City Palace forms one of the most famous tourist attractions and a major landmark in Jaipur. The beautiful palace was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh during his reign. Among the various forts and palaces of Jaipur, City Palace stands apart, with its outstanding art and architecture. City Palace complex covers a huge area, which is divided into a series of gardens, courtyards and buildings. Initially, Raja Jai Singh built the outer wall occupying a huge area. The additional grand buildings were constructed later by the succeeding rulers.

Pic 8: The city Palace,Jaipur.

Pic 9: The city palace,Jaipur

We then ran back to our hotels, had lunch and left for the railway station.

We caught a train to Kota(2.45 pm,3 hrs) .We had to attend the marriage of one of my good friends in B school, Puneet Sharma.

We reached Kota around 6 pm. We were surprised by what a big city it was .It was much cleaner than jaipur.
We reached the guesthouse and met up some other B school friends of mine who had come for the wedding.
Soon we were off to the wedding hall. It was my first Rajasthani wedding. We had a lot of fun in the barat. We danced to the craziest Hindi film music. Sadly I couldn’t spend long there and had to leave by about 10.30 pm to catch the train back to Delhi for the next leg of the tour.

Pic 10: The Rajasthani Couple, puneet and poonam at the wedding in Kota,Rajasthan.

Pic 11: IMT Ghaziabad get together at Kota,Rajasthan

We caught the train to Delhi which departed at 12 am. The train journey was one of the coldest of my life. I froze to death that night because I had grossly underestimated Delhi’s winter.

4) January 28,2008-Monday

The train reached Nizammudin station around 7 am. We immediately caught another train to Agra at 9.30 am which reached around 12.30 pm in Agra.

We set off to our hotel. Our room was upgraded from normal rooms to Taj facing rooms. The view from the window was amazing and we got our first glimpse of the Taj Mahal. We are not the first who have raved about the Taj and neither will we be the last. It was amazing.

We quickly freshened up, had our lunch and set out.

First stop of the day was the Agra fort. This great monument of red sandstone dominating a bend in the river Yamuna, 2km northwest of Taj Mahal was constructed by the Mughals during 1565-1571. It was Emperor Akbar who laid the foundation of this majestic citadel in 1565. The fort was ready by 1571 period of Shahjahan, Akbar's grandson. The fort is crescent shaped, flattened on the east with a long, nearly straight wall facing the river. Fort's colossal double walls rise 69 ft in height and measure 2.5 km in circumference encircled by a moat and contain a maze of buildings which form a small city within a city. The fort contains splendid mosques and palaces in red sandstone and white marble built by two generations of creative builders during the time of Akbar and later Jehangir and Shahjahan. .It was amazing.We could see the Taj mahal from various places in the fort.

Pic 12: Standing in front of rather a crowded but still majestic red fort,agra

Pic 13: The lawns of the Agra Fort

Soon we were off to the big one. The monument of Love. The most beautiful building in the world. The Taj Mahal. Taj Mahal of India - "the epitome of love", "a monument of immeasurable beauty". The beauty of this magnificent monument is such that it is beyond the scope of words. The thoughts that come into the mind while watching the Taj Mahal of Agra is not just its phenomenal beauty, but the immense love which was the reason behind its construction. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan got this monument constructed in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, with whom he fell in love at the first sight. The very first sight of the Taj Mahal, the epitome of love and romance leaves one mesmerized. We spent many hours by this place.

Pic 14: The Taj Mahal,Agra..need I say more?

Reluctantly we set off. We spent the evenings roaming the bazaars of Agra.Settled down for the night in our hotel.

5) January 29,2008-Tuesday

Caught an early morning train back to delhi.

Caught an evening flight back to Bangalore

Thus my “Golden Triangle Trip” came to an end. Good fun….

Belur, Halebid and Shravanabelagola trip

2008-02-27T19:53:00.000-08:00

Itinerary: Bangalore>>Shravanabelagola>>Belur>>Halebid>>Bangalore
(click on photos for clearer image)
About:

Belur
In 1116, King Bittiga repudiated Jainism and returned the Hoysalas to the Hindu fold, renaming himself Vishnuvardhana. In the same year he defeated the mighty Cholas and, to celebrate this victory, ordered a temple erected at Belur, 38 kilometers (24 miles) from Hassan, in honor of Channakesava, an incarnation of Vishnu.

Halebid

The Halebid temples and palaces that the visitor sees today were once part of the last Hoysala capital, located 16 kilometers (ten miles) east of Belur. In 1310, a Muslim army swept down from Delhi on a rampage, brutally killing its citizens and looting its treasures. Any hope that the city might be rebuilt was crushed forever in 1326 when a second onslaught wrought greater destruction and brought the Hoysala empire to an end.And yet the remains are magnificent.

SravanabelagolaThe huge 17.7-meter- (58-foot-) high monolithic statue of Gommateshvara Sravanabelagola stands on the summit of the 143-meter (470-foot) granite Vindhyagiri Hill. The site was established in the ninth century and remains one of the most important Jain pilgrimage sites in southern India. Every 12 years (next in 1993) the great statue is given a ritual libation. The town is 170 kilometers (106 miles) from Bangalore and 60 kilometers (37 miles) southeast of Hassan.

Time of Trip: February 23, 2008
Duration: 1 day

Hotels stayed at: None

How we reached there: KSTDC tour from Bangalore in A/C Volvo. (Rs. 685)

We got up really early and took an auto to Badami house where the trip began. The bus started around 7.30 AM. The bus was really good and comfortable.

At about 9.30 we stopped for breakfast. We had bad idli and watery sambhar.

First stop Shravanabelagola:

We reached Shravanabelagola at about 10.30 AM. It had grown hot by now. The large number of steps leading up to the temple looked daunting. Huffing and puffing we made our way to the top. On the way to the top we came across a number of temples. It was here that I captured a photograph of a lone sadhu in front of a temple.

Pic1 : A sadhu near shravanabelagola

There were some carvings on the mountainside in ancient Kannada which were preserved by glass covers.

Pic2 : You can see the glass panes on the ground covering the ancient writings.

The gomateshwara statue was very imposing but somehow it was shorter than I had imagined it to be.

Pic 3 : The gomatestwara monolith statue

The descent downwards was definitely easier and after having some ice cream to replace the calories we had lost, we set off.

One of the negative points about the tour is that the one hour they give does not do complete justice to all the places, but it is reasonable.

Soon we had lunch at a KSTDC hotel. I had a nice south Indian Thali which was reasonably good.

Belur:

Belur is about 60 kms from shravanabelagola. Soon we reached the belur temple. A guide accompanied us and charged Rs. 15 per person. The temple was magnificent. The temple took 103 years to build and in a classic example of the Hoysala style. It rises, like a rococo wedding cake in stone, from a star-shaped plinth, one of the hallmarks of Hoysala building design. From the base upwards, there is an extraordinary wealth of decorative detail; every available inch is crammed with intricate carvings. Line upon line of friezes form bands around the temple, each depicting scenes from Hindu mythology. In one frieze, 650 elephants jostle one another in a continuous line. There was a particular carving which showed a woman. On observing closely we can spot a lizard near her. The lizard can be seen catching a fly. The detail levels are amazing. This is a functional temple of Vishnu.

Pic 4: The majestic belur temple

pic 5: History....

Pic 6: Another old temple in the belur temple complex

Pic 7: Friezes with various animals in the belur temple

Pic 8: Intricate carvings in the belur temple

After spending an hour here we moved on.

Halebid:

The main temple is dedicated to Shiva and, as at Belur, was built by King Vishnuvardhana. It conforms, with its star-shaped base, to the pattern of all Hoysala temples but is the most intricately decorated. Only in darkness of the inner sanctum where the stark black lingam, the symbol of Shiva, is still worshipped is there any suggestion of simplicity. It is very similar to the belur temple but has a garden is front. Vandalism is rampant. There are 2 enormous Nandis in the temple.

pic 9: The halebid temple

Pic 10: The rear view of the halebid temple

Pic 11: The Halebid temple in a paranoma of flowers.

pic 12: The magnificienet temple of Halebid in black and white

Soon we were on our way back by about 4.30.The rest of the journey quickly flew past. The roads to and fro to the temples are very good. Moreover the bus is really comfortable so we dint experience any of the discomforts of a long bus drive. We reached Bangalore by about 9 pm.

Some really remarkable temples. A slice of history you would not want to miss.

Coorg-mysore

2008-01-14T00:38:00.000-08:00

Itinerary: Bangalore>>Mysore>>Coorg>>Mysore>>Bangalore
(click on the pics to get a clearer image)
About:

Coorg: 252 kms from Bangalore and 1525 m above sea level lies Madikeri, the district headquarters of Kodagu. Coorg or Kodagu (originally called Kodaimalenadu) means 'dense forest on steep hill'. Dubbed as the Scotland of India, this town has a lot to offer to the tourist. Misty hills, lush forest, acres and acres of tea and coffee plantation, orange groves, undulating streets and breathtaking views are what make Madikeri an unforgettable holiday destination.
Coorg is on the Western Ghats. Set amidst verdant valleys, imposing mountains and teak wood forests, this is one of the most beautiful hill stations you can visit. It lies on Karnataka's southwestern end, covering an area of 4,102 sq km.

Mysore: Situated in the southern part of the Deccan Plateau, Mysore District is an undulating tableland, covered in parts by granite outcrops and fringed by verdant forests. From ancient times, this district has played a significant role in the history of South India. Mysore District is a popular tourist destination, offering several attractions ranging from the royal splendour of Mysore City and its fabulous Dasara Festival to exquisite temples, pilgrimage centres and scenic spots.
Mysore city is at 770m above sea level and 140 kms from Bangalore. Also known as the City of Palaces, Mysore retains a quaint charm, that never fails to enchant.
Mysore was the capital of the Wodeyar dynasty, feudatories of the Vijayanagar Empire, who declared their independence in the 16th century and ruled in Mysore until independence, barring three decades when Haider Ali and his son Tipu Sultan wrested power from them. Mysore today, is a pleasant city with an old world charm, contributed by its broad shady avenues, well laid out gardens, fine buildings and a salubrious climate.

Time of Trip: 29 September -2nd October 2007.

Duration: 4 days, 3 nights

Hotels stayed at: Hotel Hill town, Madekeri. (Good Hotel)

How we reached there: Bangalore to Mysore by train. >>Mysore to Coorg by bus>>Coorg to Mysore by bus>>Mysore to Bangalore by train.

1) September 29th, 2007- Saturday:

Caught an early morning Train (Tirupati Passenger,7.40 AM) from Bangalore to Mysore.(120 km,3 hours)
Caught a bus from Coorg to Mysore (120 km, 3 hrs, 12.30 PM).

We set off for Raja’s Seat. Raja’s seat is a view over the mountains of Coorg. A breathtaking view of the misty mountains and the lush green valleys can be seen here. The road to Mangalore snakes through these hills. It is an astounding sight to see the far off headlights of a vehicle as it makes its way up the hills. A park surrounds this area. Outside this park we had some of the most amazing bhelpuri ever tasted. Today however dense impenetrable fog covered the mountain s .The valley below was shrouded in dark. The atmosphere was incredible. A hill station covered in fog, walking along slowly with no worries in the world, clutching your shawl around you, eating tangily spiced bhelpuri. Is that heaven or what?

pic 1: The incredible views from Raja's seat, Madekeri.

We decided to walk home to the hotel. There is something magical about a hill station. Narrow sloping roads with steep precipices, shops selling aromatic coffee, spices and honey, friendly people. It’s almost surreal. We walked home, enjoying the sheer lack of people on the road.

2) September 30th, 2007- Sunday:
Soon we were off to the first destination of the day, the elephant camp at Dubare. Plantations of coffee and pepper lined on both sides of the road. We stopped our car to examine the coffee bushes in detail. Coorg makes the most amazing coffee. The berries were bright green now.

pic 2: The lush coffee plantations at madikeri

Pic 3: The winding roads of Madekeri

We drove through winding roads to finally reach the banks of the river, Kaveri. We crossed the river in a motorboat. The early morning sunlight made the river look silvery and unreal. We soon crossed into Dubare, the elephant camp. The camp is home to 12 elephants. The gently flowing waters of the river kaveri, the giant animals lying peacefully in the water, the tress lining both banks of the Kaveri. It was a wonderful sight.

pic 4: Me enjoying the flowing kaveri river

Pic 5: The elephants in Dubare elephant camp

pic 3: ELEPHANTS AGAIN

We headed off towards Kushalnagar, which houses a very famous Tibetan Monastery. Soon we spied the golden dome of the monastery from the car as we sped towards it, flanked by fields of golden corn. We entered the confines of the monastery. We felt like we were transported to Tibet. We entered the magnificent inner sanctum of the monastery, with an elaborately carved dome. Three enormous gold Buddhas were seated in a row. Elaborately sculpted and adorned in finery, the Buddhas were out of this world. Magnificent Buddhist painting adorned the walls.

Pic 7: The magnificient 3 golden buddhas in the buddhist monastry

We stopped off to look at the Harangi Dam.

pic 8: The harangi dam

After that we headed off to our final big stop of our day, a natural preserve called Nisargadamma.

pic 9: The natural preserve nisargadamma(Dont ask me abt the pose)

3) October 1st, 2007-Monday:

On the Agenda for today were the spots in and around Madekeri. Our first stop of the day was Abbey falls, situated at a distance of 9 km.
The rainy season meant that the falls was beautiful, with torrents of water falling through a great height. We stayed at the falls for about an hour, walking the rickety bridge to get a better view. We went constantly wetted by the spray.

Pic 10 : Abbey falls in all its glory

We next headed for a place called Rajas Tombs. Big tombs of the Rajas greeted us. It was decent though, nothing that you wouldn’t get elsewhere .The view was very good from this place. After this we went to a temple called Omakeshwara temple. This was frankly a big disappointment and not worth it. From here we were off to Madekeri fort. This was a big joke too as the fort housed the police commissioners office and other commercial establishments.

Pic 11: The Rajas tombs in Madekeri

We decided to make our way to the town view, which was up a long winding path. It was magnificent. The entire town of Madekeri could be seen. Not a soul except us was at that town view point.

pic 12:The scenic views from madekeri town view

3) October 2nd, 2007-Tuesday:
Caught a 10 am bus to Mysore

After a hearty Mysore Thali lunch we set off to see the magnificent palace. It was simply put, the best palace I have ever seen. A lot of palaces disappoint you. They are more ruins than splendor. This was so ornate and so colorful that it looked straight from a Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie.

pic 12: The ornate mysore palace

We decided that e still had time to see the st. Philomela’s Church. It was truly a beautiful church, tall twin spires seemed to touch the sky. We entered the beautiful church. Beautiful stained glass and a sense of peace greeted us. We lingered as long as we could.

pic 13: The imposing St philomena church,Mysore

Caught a train back to Bangalore.