Pondicherry-Mahabalipuram Trip

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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

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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

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

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.