tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-314215072024-03-14T13:52:06.371+05:30Road BlokeKishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.comBlogger135125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31421507.post-41148971690090268822013-07-24T07:55:00.002+05:302013-07-24T07:55:45.981+05:30Suvali Beach, Hazira, Surat<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If you are in Surat and looking for a beach to unwind and relax but hate everything about Dumas Beach, then Suvali is the place to be. An isolated beach and away from the hustle and bustle of Surat and the industrial town of Hazira, Suvali is a good retreat for people who want some solitude, sun, sand and sea. Thanks to the lack of development, this beach is not yet that popular with the masses.<br />
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Suvali, like most beaches in Gujarat has black soil, absolutely low-to-no tide and shallow waters. And this in my opinion takes the shine away from the beaches. To me a beach is all about about the roaring tides, crystal clear water and pearly white sand. Quite ironically the roaring tides have a calming effect on me. All of which is lacking in the beaches here. To make matters worse, when you look far into the sea, you don't exactly find seemingly endless stretch of water, rather Steel plants and Oil rigs. And that's not really a pretty sight.<br />
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We spent our Saturday evening playing catch and ogling at the Sun getting devoured by the sea.<br />
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<b>Getting-there:</b> Take the lane between L&T and GSEG on Hazira road and keep going straight for about 3 or 4 kms.<br />
<br /><b>Must-Do:</b> Watch the sunset<br />
<b>Must-Don't:</b> Littering<br />
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<b>My Rating:</b> 4/10<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Pic Courtesy: <a href="http://travelersguideindia.com/place/suvali-beach-surat/" target="_blank">Travelersguideindia</a></span></div>
Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31421507.post-20492724906452899492013-07-22T06:18:00.001+05:302013-07-22T06:19:09.737+05:30Laxmi Vilas Palace, Baroda<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After the disappointment of not being able to see the Palace the previous weekend, this time howev<br />
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er I was lucky enough to gain entrance into the majestic and stately palace. Laxmi Vilas by no means is just another palace. It is simply the largest private dwelling built till date and believed to be four times the size of Buckingham Palace. Built by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, everything about this palace is extravagant. The Palace cost a whopping GBP 180,000 way back in 1890 and boasts of having one of the most exquisite Darbar Halls complete with Venetian mosaic floor and Belgian stained glass windows. The palace also had modern amenities like an elevator, plumbing and even a miniature railway line within the palace compound which was constructed to ferry the children of the King between the Palace and School.<br />
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This palace is also a paradise for art lovers. Many paintings of the great Artist/King Raja Ravi Verma adorn the walls of this palace. The 700 acre palace compound houses the Moti Baug palace, a museum, a cricket ground, two clay tennis courts, a golf course and a rare teak floor tennis and badminton court. There's also a zoo and a well called the Navlakhi baoli.<br />
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Looking at the grandeur and magnanimity of the palace you cannot but swell with pride about the fact this extravagant (yet somewhat lesser known palace) is one of India's crowning glory. This is one of the very few (probably only) palaces in India where the Royals still reside and yet have thrown its doors open to visitors. The visitors are given a voice-recorded guided tour of the palace. Do not forget to spend a little extra time gazing at the armoury room and the paintings of Raja Ravi Verma and the Stained glass work and...<br />
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Also check out the Navlakhi well. Though its not well maintained and with limited visibility, it is still worth a visit. Overall it's a thrilling experience to walk around the palace and get a glimpse of how the Royals live their life.<br />
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<b>Getting-there:</b> It's a short drive from Baroda Railway station. There are frequent buses and autos running in this route.<br />
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<b>Must-Do:</b> Gaze at the paintings of the Raja Ravi Verma, stained glass work at the Darbar Hall, Armoury Room and the Navlakhi well are some of the highlights.<br />
<b>Must-Don't:</b> Vandalism and littering. Photography inside the Palace.<br />
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<b>My Rating:</b> 8/10</div>
Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31421507.post-17390600582620869582013-06-15T16:58:00.004+05:302013-06-15T17:05:13.605+05:30Swami Narayan Temple, Baruch.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtbJG-OIX3Pi-6qvzOg5mwR5Rdw4k43X3uA-hi6Qj8dZNiuCfFCgKupjQG-dn99AKsbiWkcesySgoe0smf6A5R_Q6b0JvFgzRyQnS8Y-ng6AdN_1L8UQ1Fl_6FWB9EibKjJZw8kA/s1600/Pictures+190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" cya="true" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtbJG-OIX3Pi-6qvzOg5mwR5Rdw4k43X3uA-hi6Qj8dZNiuCfFCgKupjQG-dn99AKsbiWkcesySgoe0smf6A5R_Q6b0JvFgzRyQnS8Y-ng6AdN_1L8UQ1Fl_6FWB9EibKjJZw8kA/s400/Pictures+190.jpg" width="400" /></a>Some days are just not meant to be a travel day. On such a wretched day there is some sort of evil cosmic force at play that spoils all your travel plans. It is one of those days when even your Plan B fails – almost. My original plan was to take a tour of the majestic Lakshmi Vilas Palace of Baroda and call it a day. Sure enough, I reached this royal Palace as planned, but to my dismay found that it was closed on this particular day owing to the auspicious eve of Navrathri. The Palace was to remain closed for public on these two days as special Poojas were planned by the Royal family. At this juncture that I would like to let my readers know that the Lakshmi Vilas Palace is one of the few Palaces in the country where the Royal family still resides - sometimes.<br />
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When the security guard told that the palace was closed it was as if I was hit by a thunderstorm. I experienced a brief moment of brain-freeze. I tried to reason with the security guard that I had come all the way from Surat just to watch the Palace. But somehow the fact that Surat was two and a half hours away from Baroda did not impress him. And then he gave me the stern don’t-mess-with-the-security-guard-look, which was my cue to retract my steps.</div>
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With Plan A failing, I had to come up with something to save my Sunday travel plans. Lucky for me, I had done enough tourism R&D over the past few weeks. I knew exactly what to do next. I took the return train to Surat, but alighting at Bharuch (halfway between the two stations). From here I took a rickshaw to the famous Swami Narayan Temple of Bharuch. Swami Narayan temples are famous for their grandeur and pomp, across the globe. And this wouldn’t be the first time I witness such a spectacle. A few years ago, I had the privilege of seeing the magnificent Swami Narayan Temple of Chicago. I was left totally awe-struck by the mastery of the craftsmen who worked their magic in stone.</div>
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Although I finally made it to the temple, to my disappointment I found that the temple was closed during the day. The temple was to open only around 4PM which meant I still had 3 hours to kill in the hot sun. Deciding against being dead meat in the hot Sun, I decided to take a quick look of the temple from the outside and head back. I spent a few minutes taking pictures of this magnificent structure and headed back to the Railway Station to catch my return train to Surat. And there awaited the third disappointment of the day. The next train will not arrive for at least another two hours. So I decided to take a bus to Surat. And to my dismay the Buses arrive literally at the doorstep of the Swaminarayan Temple. Had I known this before, I would have saved at least a couple of hours of simply running around from pillar to post in Baruch. And finally I found a bus back to Surat. Thanks to the awesome roads of Gujarat, we covered the 60 odd kms in less than an hour.</div>
<br /><strong>Getting-there:</strong> There are many trains plying between Surat and Ahmedabad via Baruch. After getting down at Baruch Railway Station, take an Auto to Zadeshwar Cross. The temple is a little further away on the Ahmedabad Highway.<br />
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<strong>Must-Do:</strong> Visit the temple during normal temple hours.<br />
<strong>Must-Don't:</strong> Vandalism and spitting pan/gutka (Oh yes! that's Gujarat's biggest curse)<br />
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<strong>My Rating:</strong> 5/10</div>
Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31421507.post-50516727695827246772013-03-17T15:15:00.001+05:302013-03-17T15:16:28.899+05:30Chankapur Dam, Maharashtra.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The only information we had about Chankapur Dam in Nashik District of Maharashtra is that it does exist. And yet we reached there pretty much without getting lost. All thanks to smartphones and GPS apps. Chankapur Dam is about 40-odd kms from Saputara. <br />
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The idea was to reach Chankapur Dam a little after noon and then probably take a bath in the water and head back Surat. And we pretty much stuck to the plan except the bathing part. Upon arriving at the landing point closest to the water (as far as the GPS shows), we found the water to be too muddy for a bath. So shed our plans of taking a bath and instead relax a bit before heading back. Thankfully, there was a tiny shack built to take refuge from the beaming Sun. Even though there was no name scribbled on this gift-wrapped gift, I’m ready to believe it was sent from God. After all, here we were in the harshest of summers sitting on the banks of river Girna, nestled between a hill on one side and an idyllic village on the other and staring at a 41m high dam in the distance.<br />
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The Sun was so harsh that none of dared to put even a finger out of the shade while resting in the shack. We spent about an hour resting and having conversations on topics ranging from food, travel, cricket et al. As the conversation steered towards their college days, my own mind wandered into the horizon. And how I managed a cat nap I don’t know, but it was one of the best I’ve ever had. And then it was time to head back to Saputara, where we had a unusually heavy lunch before starting on the return leg of our bike ride to Surat. On the whole it was one of the best rides I’ve ever had. And definitely the longest in a day. We had covered close to 450 kms in a day.<br />
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<strong>Getting-there:</strong> From Saputara cross the border and enter Maharashtra. After some 5 kms on the highway there’s a left deviation to Chankapur road. <br />
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<strong>Must-Do:</strong> It’s best to carry a GPS app with you, or simply rely of directions from people.<br />
<strong>Must-Don’t:</strong> Avoid coming in the summer.<br />
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<strong>My Rating:</strong> 5/10</div>
Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31421507.post-58051036083663167492013-03-17T13:37:00.002+05:302013-03-17T13:38:41.642+05:30Saputara, Dang, Gujarat<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The ride from Gira Falls to Saputara is in my book the best and most exhilarating bike ride I’ve ever undertaken till date. Saputara means, Home of the Serpents. Although I cannot vouch for the authenticity of the statement in current times, the only thing serpentile enough here were the roads. The ride through Vansda National Park with their winding ghat roads is an experience that has to be experienced at least once in a lifetime. The road in this section is absolutely spot-on, which makes it a ride to remember. Saputara is Gujarat’s only hill station. However, standing at 900 odd-meters, Saputara hardly qualifies to be called a “Hill Station”. It is also aggressively promoted as a monsoon destination of Gujarat. The lush green forests of the Sahayadri ranges of Gujarat attract thousands of tourists not only from Gujarat but also from Maharashtra. Although it’s the monsoons that see people come here in the thousands, the dry and de-leafed autumn of Saputara is equally magical. <br />
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By the time we reached Saputara, the Sun was completely out and just about getting warmed up for a rough day in the office. As for us, we tucked into some lip smacking Aloo/Gobi Parathas and Poha. With a filled stomach and a content heart, we were ready to take on the menacing March Sun of Gujarat. We rode to the table-top of Saputara to admire the views. And the views that greeted us there were absolutely mind numbing. The entire panorama was so dry and yet so beautiful. We parked our bikes at one of the view points and decided to hike a hill, which probably was the highest peak in Saputara. Though it was a short hike, it dawned on us that we almost used-up all our drinking water reserve in the process. Yet we spent a little time at the peak soaking the sights. <br />
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There are a few adventure sports available here for the benefit of the adventure-minded tourists including parasailing and zorping. Although zorping is on my bucket-list of things to do, I gave it a pass. The zorping here was laid upon what looked like a cricket pitch - only slightly longer than 22 yards. And in no way exciting. We would have spent a little more time here, but there was one more place to cover before we headed back to Surat. And for that we had to cross-over to Maharashtra.<br />
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<strong>Getting-there:</strong> Surat->Navsari->Chikli->Vansda National Park->Saputara.<br />
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<strong>Must-Do:</strong> Get a bird’s eye view of the Saputara landscape. Carry adequate water if you are going there in the summer.<br />
<strong>Must-Don’t:</strong> Littering and misadventure.<br />
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<strong>My Rating:</strong> 8/10<br />
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Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31421507.post-52305372795216636502013-03-13T23:24:00.002+05:302013-03-13T23:26:26.927+05:30Gira Falls, Saputara, Gujarat<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Weekend was only two days away and I had still not made up my mind as to where to go exploring. Thankfully my predicament was solved when I overheard my colleagues sketching a plan to go biking to Saputara. Now, I had a bike and I had a future plan of going to Saputara too. So I jumped in. Saputara is about 160 kms from Surat, meaning, the earlier we started the better. Getting up at 4:15 in the AM is always a challenge. But when it comes to travelling they are only minor inconveniences. The other two bikes and their respective riders and pillion-riders assembled at our rendezvous point by 5AM. Without further ado we hit the road a.k.a SH168. The first break we took was after crossing Navsari and taking a left deviation towards Chikli. Riding a bike in Gujrat at 5AM on a March morning is no walk in the park. The biting cold of a chilly morning makes your fingers (and any exposed part of your body) go numb. My fingers were so stone-numb that I lost the sense of touch in them. Not wanting fall behind on the planned schedule, we were back on our saddles. Next stop was Gira Falls.<br />
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It would be fair to say there was no water in the “falls”. Nevertheless there was standing water in the levee built near the falls. This standing water provides a great mirror image of the rich green cover and the vast sky. On a good monsoon, the 30 m high Gira Falls is a sight to behold, they say. But there’s also a different kind of charm associated with a dried-up waterfalls. The rock formations taken shape from years of battering by the gushing waters is truly fascinating. The surprise package however was a sparkling Sunrise. It was quite magical to see the Sun rise from behind the woods. It was one of those very rare occasions during my travels when I could actually witness the Sun rise.<br />
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We would have spent a little more time there had it not been for the wish of getting a steaming cup of tea to get rid of the numbness. Pretty soon we were back on the highway and sipping a hot cup of tea and trying to regain the sensitivity of our hands.<br />
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<strong>Getting-there:</strong> Surat->Navsari->Chikli->Waghai->Giramal Village.<br />
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<strong>Must-Do:</strong> Visit during the monsoon to witness the glory of the falls.<br />
<strong>Must-Don’t:</strong> Littering and misadventure.<br />
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<strong>My Rating:</strong> 5/10<br />
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Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31421507.post-22024936501867931592013-03-06T23:02:00.001+05:302013-03-13T23:25:48.329+05:30Dandi Beach, Navsari, Gujrat<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It all began on March 12th, 1930 from Ahmedabad and culminated in a small town of Navsari district in Gujrat. Since then Dandi Beach has occupied a prominent place in history for her struggle for Independence. The famous Dandi March a.k.a Salt Satyagragha was the brainchild of none other than Mahatma Gandhi. Though the idea of a protest on Salt Tax was deemed laughable by many in that era, Gandhi went ahead with his marathon walk to Dandi and history books.<br />
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Conveniently located 50 kms from Surat, it’s a must-visit getaway for all Surtis. Dandi falls under Navsari District and is about 13 kms from the Navsari Railway Station. The ride from Surat to Dandi is pretty much comfortable except for certain bad patches in Sachin (Yes, there’s a place called Sachin in Gujrat) where flyovers are being constructed. Once you reach Navsari National Highway 228 takes you all the way to Dandi Beach, where the Highway meets the Sea. Having reached the beach early in the morning, it was pretty much deserted. This bode well with me as I generally love the peace and quiet of Mother Nature in general and beaches in particular. Just as Dumas Beach, the sand here is black and the water muddy. The sand here is so firm and so set that it could pass off to be a drive-in beach - had the Gujrat Tourism thought of promoting that. For the time being the beach is being optimally used by children to play cricket which is probably better than the cars taking over the place.<br />
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With the pleasant February Sun shining through and a cool breeze tickling my hair I decided to walk the beach. As I walked farther from the main crowding area in the beach, my eyes were arrested by the sight of pearly-white Sea shells washed ashore. What started as a solitary shell grew in numbers to at least two dozen. My collection also included some stones which were as thin as a one Rupee coin and of different sizes and shapes. As morning turned to noon, my mind started complaining about the Sun and the stomach started complaining about hunger. That was my cue to head back to Surat after what was a thoroughly relaxing morning with the Sea. <br />
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Whether you are with your family on a picnic or alone for some peace, solitude and relaxation, Dandi is the place for it. And don’t forget to get your cricket gear or football or Frisbee or whatever else is your poison.<br />
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<strong>Getting-there:</strong> Surat->Sachin->Navsari->Dandi. Approximately 50 kms from Surat.<br />
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<strong>Must-Do:</strong> Get your favourite sports gear and play by the beach. Early morning and late evening are the best times to visit, obviously.<br />
<strong>Must-Don’t:</strong> Littering.<br />
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<strong>My Rating:</strong> 6/10</div>
Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31421507.post-55528057022052204792013-02-26T21:57:00.002+05:302013-03-13T23:25:48.331+05:30Dumas Beach, Surat<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Think of beaches and images of white sun-kissed sand, azure sky, refreshing blue water and lush green cover with palm trees come flooding to mind. They also offer an opportunity to play in the waves, take a swim (or at least wet your legs for the not so daring folks) or spend endless hours just sitting on the beach sand and staring at the horizon. But come to the Dumas Beach and you will find none of that. The beach sand is surprisingly pitch black in color the water rather muddy and black - matching the color of the sand. Thorny wild shrubs accounts for the green cover. And if you look into the horizon you set your eyes upon steel plants, oil rigs, heavy machinery plants and shipping ports. This is probably one of the few beaches where you don’t even get an opportunity to let the waves wet your legs. That’s right. In Dumas beach (at least the time when I visited it), the water is a good one kilometer away from the actual beach. What lies between the beach and the sea is patch of marshy slushy gooey land. If you try walking on this patch, you will find yourself knee-deep in wet slush. <br />
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Though Surat is supposedly one of the Top 3 cleanest cities in the country the same cannot be attributed to the Dumas Beach. This tiny beach in the heart of Surat city is more littered than probably the Marina Beach on a weekend –even with her 50,000 odd visitors. From the looks of it, the Gujrat Tourism promotion with Big B is a big sham, if you are to look at the sorry state of affairs of one of the major beaches in the state. The Prohibition in the state is not helping matters either. Notwithstanding all these factors, Dumas is still a favourite weekend destination for most Surtis. What makes the idea of hitting Dumas Beach interesting is the many shacks near it which serve piping hot bhajjis. There’s an assortment of bhajjis here, from potato to kela to mirchi and some that I’ve never even heard before. To go with the bhajjis you also get served a chutney which, in true Gujrati fashion, is sweet.<br />
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The Dumas beach is also infamous for being a haunted beach – probably the only beach of its kind. Apparently, you hear strange noises here in the late evenings after the sun sets…obviously. To corroborate the story apparently even the dogs behave strange in here, with all their ability to catch infrared sounds and stuff. The way I see it, it’s the ghosts that should be scared of the humans seeing all the litter and utter disregard for mother nature.<br />
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Despite all her inherent (man-made) flaws, Dumas Beach is a must-visit for those who appreciate a good sunset. And come to think of it, this was something I almost missed. Disappointed at looking at the filthy beach, I had decided to not wait for the sunset and head back to my hotel. But just as I had devoured about 200 gms of bhajjis (yes, they are sold by weight) and headed to wash my hands I chanced upon this big ball of crimson red setting in the horizon. Without wasting another second, I grabbed my camera and headed to a vantage point where I could get a good glimpse of the glorious sun about to be devoured by the sea. Though the formality was complete in a matter of minutes, it is an image that will take an eternity to be erased from my mind.<br />
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<strong>Getting-there:</strong> Athwa Gate->Magdalla->Surat Airport->Dumas Beach.<br />
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<strong>Must-Do:</strong> Catch a glimpse of the setting Sun.<br />
<strong>Must-Don’t:</strong> Littering. Wasting time on the unkempt beach.<br />
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<strong>My Rating:</strong> 3/10</div>
Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31421507.post-5204986615019474042013-02-01T07:55:00.004+05:302013-02-01T07:56:19.216+05:30Elliot's Beach, Chennai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The Elliot's Beach (a.k.a Besant Nagar Beach) is comparatively smaller, less crowded and cleaner beach than Marina. This beach situated to the south of Marina and easily accessible by road. There are enough buses to this area and is a short walk from the Besant Nagar bus stand. To avoid the maddening crowd I went to this beach in the late after noon around 3. And sure enough it wasn't much crowded. Even the Sun beat down in full glory, the gushing breeze negated much of the blazing heat of the Sun. Much like the Marina Beach, the sea is very unpredictable.<br />
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It is better to observe caution and restrict yourself to just wetting your feet. Thankfully at that time of the day (weekday) it was totally devoid of any hawkers, beggars and stall owners. I spent a much-needed relaxing couple of hours with the calming (of the mind) sea before heading back to my hotel.<br />
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<b>Getting-there:</b> Plenty of buses to Besant Nagar. From there it's 1km walk/auto-ride.<br />
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<b>Must-Do:</b> Visit during the non peak hours/day<br />
<br /><b>Must-Don't:</b> Littering<br />
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<b>My Rating:</b> 4/10 </div>
Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31421507.post-17234735675747379522013-02-01T07:19:00.002+05:302013-02-01T07:22:20.399+05:30Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram), TN<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />Mamallapuram (or Mahabalipuram as it was previously called) offers the perfect day-trip option from the maddening crowds of Chennai. A visit to this erstwhile Pallava bastion can rejuvenate your spirits from an otherwise dampening stay in the crowded alleys of Chennai. The fact that the ruins stand right on the beach makes it all the more sweeter. M'puram is a short drive out of Chennai. It roughly takes about an hour and a half to reach this place from Thiruvanmiyur in a state bus. You could have reached sooner had the so-called "Toll Road" not been barricaded every 1 km till Kovalam. Once you cross Kovalam its a smooth ride till M'puram with the sea constantly keeping company. The traffic also clears up after Kovalam. <br />
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M'puram is a small tourism-centric town. The only other occupations practiced here are fishing, stone carving and of course begging (which is an off-shoot of tourism). Much like the ruins of Hampi, the monuments are spread out. But unlike the former, you don't really need a bicycle or a vehicle to wander about - if you don't mind exercising your body a bit. But of course the same might not apply on a hot-Tamil-Nadu-summer-afternoon. In such cases you can always opt for autorickshaws and even bicycles/scooters for hire.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguBqox4hrPb6uqyL6WTsayQfihVkcERRiJy-k23-MEwE3OgQbPsGO84jZQVylPtm8l4Q9JzmLwET3gvHZEmslj2lS5XsD6zonFwTdKWJN9bR3yZsWoYE13VgJ-v4oAhIvHmIdrTg/s1600/160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguBqox4hrPb6uqyL6WTsayQfihVkcERRiJy-k23-MEwE3OgQbPsGO84jZQVylPtm8l4Q9JzmLwET3gvHZEmslj2lS5XsD6zonFwTdKWJN9bR3yZsWoYE13VgJ-v4oAhIvHmIdrTg/s400/160.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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There are plenty of sight-seeing options here - all that can be covered in a day and still have plenty of time to relax by the sea. The three major attractions here are Arjuna's penance, Five Rathas and the Shore Temple. Apart from this there are couple of cave temples near Arjuna's penance, Krishna's butterball, Tiger cave, a lighthouse and a few other rock carvings on the way. The rock carving on Arjuna's penance are nothing short of spectacular. The view from the Lighthouse is not to be missed. The Five Rathas are to be seen to be believed. And finally the Shore Temple is another masterpiece in stone.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcWrBfC7G4r9-jOCvxG1AF-RUDoxhQVV6S9X2lJqstG7IFYRKt_vjG5-m4QEIcaHQ7wQjGPFC8BzLjKA5MHR0__BvbkdP8i7e3ZcFab_k_IMCJZxIMuzCAXeCEOX1TJuEF_aXGSQ/s1600/248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcWrBfC7G4r9-jOCvxG1AF-RUDoxhQVV6S9X2lJqstG7IFYRKt_vjG5-m4QEIcaHQ7wQjGPFC8BzLjKA5MHR0__BvbkdP8i7e3ZcFab_k_IMCJZxIMuzCAXeCEOX1TJuEF_aXGSQ/s640/248.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
There are plenty of shacks in the beach near the Shore Temple where you get food and accommodation. To enter the Shore Temple and the Five Rathas, you need take an entry ticket of Rs 10. This one ticket is valid for both these places. The lighthouse entry is Rs 10 for adult and Rs 20 for Camera. The remaining locations are on the roadside and hence free.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLcgHrcA-c9pDaDj02pNt_0qDwBxZLGFdp3dCCOm4NK5ElLcauUWNMVrR7K9ecQgvh_NYy9cVajHut3esjqi9i43uGFmYlREhrOAEeTURwnC9xZYhQG8-TtHOQyAq6GTRALQSfYQ/s1600/262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLcgHrcA-c9pDaDj02pNt_0qDwBxZLGFdp3dCCOm4NK5ElLcauUWNMVrR7K9ecQgvh_NYy9cVajHut3esjqi9i43uGFmYlREhrOAEeTURwnC9xZYhQG8-TtHOQyAq6GTRALQSfYQ/s640/262.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Getting there:</b> Plenty of buses and taxis from CMBT (Koyembedu) and Thiruvanmiyur.</div>
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<br /><b>Must-Do:</b> Make a list of all places you want to cover and go about it. Relax by the sea.</div>
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<b>Must-Don't:</b> Vandalism and Littering.</div>
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<b>My Rating: </b>8/10</div>
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Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31421507.post-69592518658225758352013-02-01T05:38:00.002+05:302013-02-01T05:42:22.521+05:30Marina Beach, Chennai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5_P5RMZ4JtDnCYOFhIFU_4jBIaHBNxY7wZQoQRMs9n-641ELZVfj2fHCP6vnJUGndFiPdJ3dIRND1l8jHkuyAj5UTd418HIB5yutTSMFH0rSnTqIt0GnUTgW94bTVWcfpoDoyHw/s1600/087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5_P5RMZ4JtDnCYOFhIFU_4jBIaHBNxY7wZQoQRMs9n-641ELZVfj2fHCP6vnJUGndFiPdJ3dIRND1l8jHkuyAj5UTd418HIB5yutTSMFH0rSnTqIt0GnUTgW94bTVWcfpoDoyHw/s400/087.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
So where would a tourist head to, if he has an evening to spare in the bustling city of Chennai? The iconic Marina beach of course. In the afore said Sunday I was in the Triplicane area of Chennai looking to kill time. The signboard near my hotel indicated that the Marina Beach was 3 kms away. Since time was not a constraint and the fact that I don't mind walking (especially in a new place), I decided to walk my way to Marina. Half an hour later I was standing in front of a huge sculpture of a horse, which happens to be the entrance of the MGR memorial.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukgKYEQ6soPH_l0-hMVSJet-7dFzjvzlefHJ57zjhlsro377333sfIYGonu2aj-AsvusYPzI67Pecj0frZhyphenhyphenbrltEESRvliyne10FnXOCeh4kaAAUxDxEljln5Chm-0qrzHmIhQ/s1600/106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukgKYEQ6soPH_l0-hMVSJet-7dFzjvzlefHJ57zjhlsro377333sfIYGonu2aj-AsvusYPzI67Pecj0frZhyphenhyphenbrltEESRvliyne10FnXOCeh4kaAAUxDxEljln5Chm-0qrzHmIhQ/s400/106.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
This premises, also known as Anna Sqare, contains the memorials of former CMs MGR and Annadurai. After a fly-by visit to the memorials I turned towards the sea. It will not be unfair to state that the main attraction of Marina Beach is NOT the beach itself, but rather the thousands of stalls on the beach sands. It is like a fair - a mela. And considering the numbers, a mini Kumbh Mela. On a weekend, the beach receives at least 50,000 visitors. And Marina beach embraces all these visitors with arms wide open. Measuring 13 kms, Marina Beach is the longest urban beach in the country and the second largest in the world - thats enough room for a quarter of Chennai's population to squeeze in. <br />
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The beach is bustling with activity. The number of fish stalls, chaat counters, tea stalls, corn-sellers, bhajji makers, peanut sellers and other eatables can feed half of Chennai's population any given Sunday. Apart from the food stalls, there's also a host of other items for your entertainment. For kids, there are small joy rides, for adults there are photo studios where you can get your picture clicked with your favourite (cut-out of) actors/actress, you can play games like shooting the balloon or throwing the ring on items or.....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9eoRMWhPdhylYPl2zW8qloilJFmc8zbd5xcs5Mw2ezf3RY-POxUoUdf5EA-2Q43oSNI68N4O4k-tBQ-L4ErCadMj8fcvfGF93JIRTcKCwc4zx5DI6SCadLNNsKAhktmIRC9IUIA/s1600/103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9eoRMWhPdhylYPl2zW8qloilJFmc8zbd5xcs5Mw2ezf3RY-POxUoUdf5EA-2Q43oSNI68N4O4k-tBQ-L4ErCadMj8fcvfGF93JIRTcKCwc4zx5DI6SCadLNNsKAhktmIRC9IUIA/s400/103.JPG" width="400" /></a>As I said, it's a mela out there. All this while there's a turbulent sea doing it's dance. And it comes as no surprise that the beach is dirty and unkempt - littered with plastic and human waste. And thanks to the hundreds of fish stalls, there's a constant stench of dead fish! It's the kind of beach that as a tourist I would go only once.<br />
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<b>Getting-there:</b> On a weekend, all roads lead to Marina Beach, so just follow the crowd.<br />
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<b>Must-Do:</b> Take a walk round the stalls.<br />
<b>Must-Don't:</b> Littering (Yes, even in garbage pile like this)<br />
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<b>My Rating:</b> 2/10</div>
Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31421507.post-74425656788126757342013-01-28T19:42:00.000+05:302013-01-28T19:43:14.573+05:30Kukke Subramanya Temple, Subramanya<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">The
Kukke Subramanya Temple in Subramanya village of Dakshina Kannada is a temple
of ironies. Devotees from across the country come here to get rid of their
Sarpa Dosa (Serpeant Curse). And yet this temple can into existence because
Vasuki, the King of Snakes, wanted to protect his ilk from the wrath of Garuda.
Vasuki earnestly prayed to Lord Shiva who sent Subramanya to Vasuki as a reward
for his penance. Subramanya has ever since been worshipped as the protector of
snakes. And that’s not the only irony. The temple houses a silver Garuda tower
which is believed to be erected to protect devotees from the poisonous fumes of
Vasuki’s breath. Another interesting tidbit about this temple is that devotees
enter the courtyard from the back and go round to east-facing entrance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";">Interesting
tidbits and anecdotes and mythology aside, the Kukke Subramanya temple is a
must-visit in the pilgrimage circuit of Karnataka and South India. The majestic
Kumara Parvatha in the background, the pristine Kumara Dhara river flowing by
the temple and quaint little temple town nestled in the Western Ghats is worth
a visit. Subramanya is easily accessible from Bangalore, Mangalore and Hassan.
Trekking enthusiasts and devotees arrive here in large numbers. Whether it’s
trekking in nature’s lap in the most grueling way or getting rid of Sarpa Dosas
from this life or the previous or just getting away from the monotonous city
life to a relaxing weekend filled with devotion and nature’s abundant beauty,
Kukke Subramanya is one of the ideal locations to fulfill your need.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><strong>Getting-there:</strong> Overnight buses are available from Bangalore to Subramanya town. There is also a railway station at Subramanya.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><strong>Must-Do:</strong> Take a dip in Kumara Dhara before entering the temple.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><strong>Must-Don't:</strong> Littering.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><strong>My Rating:</strong> 6/10</span></div>
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Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31421507.post-54235251661033489922013-01-26T13:10:00.002+05:302013-01-26T13:11:27.162+05:30Kumara Parvatha Trek - Take 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq1ub9Ep1Rc2gD9jqwpRiSFRdGaS52bqA2CJ-eLc52yOj5bXg2PBkPtIc_GKPbZRzXVN33vEobKxI5cs0VEctFIsHu6THfDZcA6XygagCMnxb1f20eE9y2iqZvuSB-QzX_MPtQnA/s1600/118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq1ub9Ep1Rc2gD9jqwpRiSFRdGaS52bqA2CJ-eLc52yOj5bXg2PBkPtIc_GKPbZRzXVN33vEobKxI5cs0VEctFIsHu6THfDZcA6XygagCMnxb1f20eE9y2iqZvuSB-QzX_MPtQnA/s400/118.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The
last time I attempted to summit Kumara Parvatha and failed by a small margin, I
swore to myself that I will never come back to this wretched place. In my
previous attempt I got drenched in equal measures from the sweat and the rain.
Every bone, muscle and tissue in my body hurt from the 14-km inclined trek. On
the one hand where every item in my backpack felt like an extra burden apart
from my own modest body weight, in the other, I was losing weight thanks to the
depleting water levels in my body owing to dehydration and loss of blood to the
leaches. But more than a year later, here I was standing in front of Kukke
Subramanya temple with my backpack and staring at Sesha Parvatha in the
background. Such is the lure of KP. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As
daunting as it was, I was supremely confident of completing an unfinished task
with KP. The ease and technique with which I conquered Chembra Peak a month ago
had made me to believe that KP will fall. And fall it did, but not before all
the travails of a hard trek. Thankfully the blood-sucking leaches were no
longer in play, which also meant the Sun was out in full glory. And that really
took a toll on us once we crossed the forest cover. This time on the way up we
gave Bhattare Mane a miss since we had made it to forest office in good time.
Having reached Bhattare Mane before lunch, we gave it a miss and instead camped
at the forest office devour the lunch we had packed from home. A good lunch and
short relaxing break later we headed to the near 90 degree climb. The Sun being
merciless, we had to take multiple breaks to avoid dehydration and a possible
sunstroke. But with hardly any trees in sight to provide shade, the brief stops
were meaningless.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">After
we somehow dragged ourselves to the watering hole near the Mantapa, we rested
there for half an hour. Some of us even managed a few winks. The final stretch
to Sesha Parvatha is where you start questioning yourself if you have gone completely
crazy to be doing something like this. As tired as we were, we still managed to
pull ourselves atop SP by around 6PM. The progress we made from Bhattare Mane
to SP has been slow. But considering the terrain and the Sun, it was a task
well done. With light fading away soon, we did not stop to admire the view at
SP, instead headed to the forest cover immediately after that to the place we
could set up our tents and start a fire. All of us worked in tandem – while
some of them put up the tent, some went to fetch water from the stream and the
others went looking for firewood. In about an hour we were all set to settle
down for the night. Out came all the MTR ready-to-eats and we devoured them all
in no time. With an aching body and a full stomach we sat around the fire for a
while chatting until we finally retired into the comfort of our tents to call
it a day. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Next
morning we woke up early but got up somewhat late – if you know what I mean.
And right away we headed for KP. The view offered by KP is a tad disappointment.
Add to that, the peak is very crowded with a lot of overnight campers. The
place chosen by us was just right. We spent about an hour at the peak before we
decided to head back to the tents in the forest area. Wrapping up our tents, we
started on our way back. This time however, we spent time at SP doing what we
do best – monkeying around and capturing them in pixels. The descent proved to
be slower than expected with our tired bodies not cooperating with our heads.
Finally at noon we were at Bhattare Mane - just in time for lunch. By now I was
so hungry, I could eat an elephant. Well I did not eat an elephant but I ate
rice portions that probably an elephant would eat. Never in my life have I
eaten so much rice at one go. The steaming hot rice, sambar, pickle and majige
is like manna from heaven. A good rest and some coffee later we started towards Kukke Subramanya, thanking Bhatta for his hospitality and his quirky small talk. A couple more hours later we were on ground zero, tired and exhausted. A cold water dip under fading lights in the Kumaradhara river brought back much of the life in us. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">As always KP has been a bone-crunching and energy-sapping trek and puts your mind power rather than muscle power to test and this time we emerged victorious.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><strong>Getting-there:</strong> The trek starts from Kukke Subramanyam Temple.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><strong>Must-Do:</strong> Do this trek between October to December. Watch the sunset and sunrise if you are lucky.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><strong>Must-Don't:</strong> Littering</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><strong>My Rating:</strong> 8/10</span></span></div>
Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31421507.post-2312358578459176292013-01-16T22:19:00.002+05:302013-01-25T22:40:41.504+05:30Cheluvanarayana Temple, Melukote<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCutqR4ToYkz-Byz3_UlwItCZawFt0bBGPt6czctrhXqCgakcCI8bQWEsiiCCZ9GsaRtUC_6PTY2T6-6BKARY3l22ANlpUayfBA-iiF5WDDY4bRhxxwVHZ7uwcpADNcyqF3g7TA/s1600/091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCutqR4ToYkz-Byz3_UlwItCZawFt0bBGPt6czctrhXqCgakcCI8bQWEsiiCCZ9GsaRtUC_6PTY2T6-6BKARY3l22ANlpUayfBA-iiF5WDDY4bRhxxwVHZ7uwcpADNcyqF3g7TA/s400/091.JPG" width="400" /></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Melukote
has been on my travel bucket for long. But as luck would have it, while I
finally made it to Melukote, it wasn’t a totally fruitful trip. This was the
longest road trip for our 11-month old and as it turns out – the most
difficult. It was extremely difficult to keep leash on our hyper-active and
restless little angel. She can be quite a handful in such occasions and that
takes a toll on her mother too who was all but drained-out by the time we
reached Melukote. My mother-in-law is another person who can’t undertake long
road trips even if the end result is visiting a famous temple. As a result when
we reached Melukote, we visited the Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple and returned
back to Bangalore. The idea of climbing some 200-odd flight of stairs uphill to
visit the Yoga Narasimha Temple did not find appealing enough for my wife and
mother-in-law after such a long journey.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple is built on the foothills of Yadugiri and is
situated about 145 kms from Bangalore and about 50 kms from Mysore. The temple
is dedicated to Thirunarayana or Cheluva Narayana. On the top of the hill there
is a temple for Yoga Narasimha. There is also a beautiful stepped tank at the
base of the hill. It believed that the famous Srivaishnava Saint Ramanujacharya
resided here for about 12 years in the 12<sup>th</sup> Century, thus
making it a prominent place for Srivaishnava Sect and also home to the Academy
of Sanskrit Research.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQD9A528YqT8E54FLWAEgQE5nFmPx8FeGHIpqk0JIOwWBvaKX3VR8HZGolI0VCnir3wOA_UiUncGJ1a4oe6EIrIS1fx5LMlrGmNwIVqZv8pbmQ88SUSX2xZF9Jbl_w33l-lurmpQ/s1600/087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQD9A528YqT8E54FLWAEgQE5nFmPx8FeGHIpqk0JIOwWBvaKX3VR8HZGolI0VCnir3wOA_UiUncGJ1a4oe6EIrIS1fx5LMlrGmNwIVqZv8pbmQ88SUSX2xZF9Jbl_w33l-lurmpQ/s400/087.JPG" width="265" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
exact year of construction of the temple is not known. But it is believed to
have existed even before Ramanujacharya retrieved the lost metallic image of
the presiding deity. It is also believed that Ramanujacharya using his
influence and stature was instrumental in rebuilding and renovating the temple.
Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana who was a follower of Ramanujacharya had taken
refuge here for a brief period during the Muslim invasion of Dwarasamudra.
Glimpses of Hoysala art are also very evident here. But it is not nearly as magnificent
as any of the full-fledged Hoysala temples in the area.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">For
those who enjoy long drives, this is a good place to drive down to. The final
stretch of 32 kms after exiting the Bangalore-Mysore road is also pretty good
for most part. There are some winding stretches of well-carpeted roads
when you can glide at 100 kmph. The village atmosphere, green paddy fields and
the fresh air make the drive even more pleasurable.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Getting-there:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Take right after Mandya town and
follow the road for some 30-odd kilometers.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Must-Do:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Visit both temples (Cheluvanarayana
and Yoga Narasimha) and the Stepped Tanks</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Must-Don't:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Littering and Vandalism.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">My
Rating:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">5/10</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31421507.post-78359093599254822222012-12-31T23:56:00.005+05:302013-01-28T19:59:46.526+05:30Images of 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqq6y1Dy5ffVk0oP64UKv-iyzOCFFGGYd3TMk2x42bh_FztCsj7N6ZrLTuetv6TIu-zsMVttfMNi5s-9un9kznCLUa7qQia9ZOcHWQdOutXkVpPFRCYew-MgY5ZGcNU0N12fsHuw/s1600/IMG_1035P.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqq6y1Dy5ffVk0oP64UKv-iyzOCFFGGYd3TMk2x42bh_FztCsj7N6ZrLTuetv6TIu-zsMVttfMNi5s-9un9kznCLUa7qQia9ZOcHWQdOutXkVpPFRCYew-MgY5ZGcNU0N12fsHuw/s640/IMG_1035P.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kambala at Jappina Mogaru</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTJmbbHQyYps2WtNPQwYrLMiJfjwl4z3W1TlbL0E0w72dPrXHI_Ig9433dJaEE-Iz0wWGuxgRPSiGTsMsFwI3OrR1PSv5_2TLskCc2k82HcOdLEeLKj9bX3zUjBGbHxY9VAZIyHQ/s1600/Picture+624P.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTJmbbHQyYps2WtNPQwYrLMiJfjwl4z3W1TlbL0E0w72dPrXHI_Ig9433dJaEE-Iz0wWGuxgRPSiGTsMsFwI3OrR1PSv5_2TLskCc2k82HcOdLEeLKj9bX3zUjBGbHxY9VAZIyHQ/s640/Picture+624P.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Mary's Island</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJzHFCqz878KHo92ls1cIJ1kwKMgZfBdAIGQZzu8nGads_9vG6QzCf0fGQRvHrNI-UqZvbLHL5i2HVZMo16NbiXRTmDBW9JrpzP52Aulo2C5Pt_XnlYk3w5-2QxMzEJJsBUWtt4g/s1600/082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJzHFCqz878KHo92ls1cIJ1kwKMgZfBdAIGQZzu8nGads_9vG6QzCf0fGQRvHrNI-UqZvbLHL5i2HVZMo16NbiXRTmDBW9JrpzP52Aulo2C5Pt_XnlYk3w5-2QxMzEJJsBUWtt4g/s640/082.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mammiyoor Mahadeva Temple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqb7V0U89H7e7pd78RVuaSsl2Rev4j4pvkE7SP_HgT2mIeMceRoRJ3uhxlma4dxEZBjLthoXmNAbcoCtkm14sKA9kgvzkNT6SrJBHWd4EV47R2sa6m26VnmkNami7vvUR2ULtgww/s1600/150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqb7V0U89H7e7pd78RVuaSsl2Rev4j4pvkE7SP_HgT2mIeMceRoRJ3uhxlma4dxEZBjLthoXmNAbcoCtkm14sKA9kgvzkNT6SrJBHWd4EV47R2sa6m26VnmkNami7vvUR2ULtgww/s640/150.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Revannasiddeshwara Betta</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU11MEnzaCCYHZs-cXjPx2ZuobRsppSUc_rA9oS7L6dUj7dxWuPehTgadwXEKbff7sMJeYQf2sxXihXzEEfCsVVlE_68Mk-uDmgSp86SHRpB1AvtvTNNGv4WArEMa3c-EN6l1bGw/s1600/155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU11MEnzaCCYHZs-cXjPx2ZuobRsppSUc_rA9oS7L6dUj7dxWuPehTgadwXEKbff7sMJeYQf2sxXihXzEEfCsVVlE_68Mk-uDmgSp86SHRpB1AvtvTNNGv4WArEMa3c-EN6l1bGw/s640/155.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Banavasi Temple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik4Sy1DO35ec2bdyK3nxAVc1wLad0DdkuONmWx4ba3FuLRv5eHDhQVhPGbn8TzqX9ZJohXnIy95uRQyoW4XWLROehZJH081J3UWq60BzDkXMEd35i9st5raGiZK4bVDJYNGjHAIw/s1600/223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik4Sy1DO35ec2bdyK3nxAVc1wLad0DdkuONmWx4ba3FuLRv5eHDhQVhPGbn8TzqX9ZJohXnIy95uRQyoW4XWLROehZJH081J3UWq60BzDkXMEd35i9st5raGiZK4bVDJYNGjHAIw/s640/223.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sahasralinga</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZzzClxEsNyRUo5wZ2G0Kb64g6A83D0Sl__840uaxWVNI9-dDyEBXqJZI6tp6-X5h5GS7wKnYhbr7-LAPP1LbkeqPDvF8oIeSlUYcBMAjoGGeHNtSolk0HXoe9iQWhfrY59PVBA/s1600/176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZzzClxEsNyRUo5wZ2G0Kb64g6A83D0Sl__840uaxWVNI9-dDyEBXqJZI6tp6-X5h5GS7wKnYhbr7-LAPP1LbkeqPDvF8oIeSlUYcBMAjoGGeHNtSolk0HXoe9iQWhfrY59PVBA/s640/176.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chamundi Hills</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj47cPxGB6E567iOPv8EuueLSz5tZ_oaCTXVnAxkRHvl5KSEuG-uYcg90heCYt-Iw47agovuGGaO_T_hfeRybAD4ThbhQSr7aoZnoNNm6T-b371VMonKc22JfsjqTvGQmV3bsq5Ug/s1600/167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj47cPxGB6E567iOPv8EuueLSz5tZ_oaCTXVnAxkRHvl5KSEuG-uYcg90heCYt-Iw47agovuGGaO_T_hfeRybAD4ThbhQSr7aoZnoNNm6T-b371VMonKc22JfsjqTvGQmV3bsq5Ug/s640/167.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kalil Temple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1xgc25wf6XnUUTm6c7SHpShefGjQ56sYHEts1UwN6O5eBJ6r_qOM7FeyaGgOVMUx0Mm8hfJPby3Nc5v9xEBf8QcUhsfrDb-StFeaNMY9MD1m7qwy1pOe6hYdz4iazj6_9mpA9Q/s1600/245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1xgc25wf6XnUUTm6c7SHpShefGjQ56sYHEts1UwN6O5eBJ6r_qOM7FeyaGgOVMUx0Mm8hfJPby3Nc5v9xEBf8QcUhsfrDb-StFeaNMY9MD1m7qwy1pOe6hYdz4iazj6_9mpA9Q/s640/245.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boga Nandeeshwara Temple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4cIB7bKgqiVLIKV7fy6ARf8R2RsPrvNUZaiZiKR1tCqzn20Ctp9y5ZIIPXtC8FG0mkSj0J7YriZHgKj3lWBrFXsu_NnRMZHqZV0xLWNoCr79Hu5Uy5lYPO-T6ubri5-H_bfB-Cw/s1600/275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4cIB7bKgqiVLIKV7fy6ARf8R2RsPrvNUZaiZiKR1tCqzn20Ctp9y5ZIIPXtC8FG0mkSj0J7YriZHgKj3lWBrFXsu_NnRMZHqZV0xLWNoCr79Hu5Uy5lYPO-T6ubri5-H_bfB-Cw/s640/275.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heritage Wine Tour</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wv_MdMHMKtgoHP60Mz8sImHd5eMLRh3e5Z0HRqISTxhh5SxwGKiLRnmY5JVkvJ7gaJR7F0vCBd_kgj-0Fh81wF29Gk35Ho5YAk3ypGdGiwR7dQclv3Ny450VCHlRq3ME3lg01Q/s1600/276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wv_MdMHMKtgoHP60Mz8sImHd5eMLRh3e5Z0HRqISTxhh5SxwGKiLRnmY5JVkvJ7gaJR7F0vCBd_kgj-0Fh81wF29Gk35Ho5YAk3ypGdGiwR7dQclv3Ny450VCHlRq3ME3lg01Q/s640/276.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sathodi Falls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3622jmmNxSox_PqXuCIVA8rfiA8W4nCWqfxap8UvF-wi5kAqI46llk2-42_PD7mlep6wlUWjEmOdkGHJu1hkLGcP5oQpk7I5WVhVz_J9aFut4HjxaxUHBRcIb8sFR-YdkMdocWQ/s1600/586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3622jmmNxSox_PqXuCIVA8rfiA8W4nCWqfxap8UvF-wi5kAqI46llk2-42_PD7mlep6wlUWjEmOdkGHJu1hkLGcP5oQpk7I5WVhVz_J9aFut4HjxaxUHBRcIb8sFR-YdkMdocWQ/s640/586.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vibhoothi Falls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8b_3vt9Ak4ZM60oI3uC5m0Nbo5GPHqudqJO0A8DB8jz55fx0EeU5StmFc798BBZzTYIRKelVH6C-LR73wiN82vLFIkchwsWAM2ONgI9qjgapchuyi6GjkHmjxfQ4KLKyoxKPIg/s1600/297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8b_3vt9Ak4ZM60oI3uC5m0Nbo5GPHqudqJO0A8DB8jz55fx0EeU5StmFc798BBZzTYIRKelVH6C-LR73wiN82vLFIkchwsWAM2ONgI9qjgapchuyi6GjkHmjxfQ4KLKyoxKPIg/s640/297.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chembra Peak</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUVCfbqjr32O-AGQr2GvzK_k3F1cez-L8Yv5teErIoSCP2s6hgYXiJhqJRQkeF4WbZ4tesTJpcC2C3wbFIb3ZPZsNnpnAqZ7Qo0Zira9FYsGmvuDyCPaT2WyzZIRrhyphenhyphenVTwWMZN-Q/s1600/DS+312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUVCfbqjr32O-AGQr2GvzK_k3F1cez-L8Yv5teErIoSCP2s6hgYXiJhqJRQkeF4WbZ4tesTJpcC2C3wbFIb3ZPZsNnpnAqZ7Qo0Zira9FYsGmvuDyCPaT2WyzZIRrhyphenhyphenVTwWMZN-Q/s640/DS+312.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doodhsagar Falls and Trek</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpf7ljFG8YYcBrV0zsrS2sqnImkruGnYgnfbmRqwcVIbU9plpB66PQBvoHppy19q3aNEXAzi976sASNehDn2qSiDEYvCSObqcpQi2jJqksFAwZV5pSWTfNV1-c6H4d7KWHOsn1A/s1600/DSC00011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpf7ljFG8YYcBrV0zsrS2sqnImkruGnYgnfbmRqwcVIbU9plpB66PQBvoHppy19q3aNEXAzi976sASNehDn2qSiDEYvCSObqcpQi2jJqksFAwZV5pSWTfNV1-c6H4d7KWHOsn1A/s640/DSC00011.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chikka Tirupathi</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaEKul7JnrCpJDEsFnbdF3D7sXyAi6Gni5NMndxMtBeX12HRcVGckckKMoV9G8kRm5AlNiGsqGfYppgGVcYr0Nm1mtxILcvhHNX7kkCmH92Omw_m5hbO-YC5JwGPLZAtNMR3CfDg/s1600/Picture+637P.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaEKul7JnrCpJDEsFnbdF3D7sXyAi6Gni5NMndxMtBeX12HRcVGckckKMoV9G8kRm5AlNiGsqGfYppgGVcYr0Nm1mtxILcvhHNX7kkCmH92Omw_m5hbO-YC5JwGPLZAtNMR3CfDg/s640/Picture+637P.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upper Bhavani Dam</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZVbLYwCakDIlgigXwjQOPFn0-s4Y06QQMcufifYwsaHVa89ICkPdGbvoAXPzyFkx3uY11GZCCS7ZtIXatBcpHP8B1QJqPvH62mKpHfuWxJ9-qMuDqcysVbw39gY7xgCT8EU_rA/s1600/Ambegal+Krishnar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZVbLYwCakDIlgigXwjQOPFn0-s4Y06QQMcufifYwsaHVa89ICkPdGbvoAXPzyFkx3uY11GZCCS7ZtIXatBcpHP8B1QJqPvH62mKpHfuWxJ9-qMuDqcysVbw39gY7xgCT8EU_rA/s640/Ambegal+Krishnar.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ambegalu Krishna</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</div>
Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31421507.post-31166921071408138432012-12-31T23:47:00.001+05:302013-01-01T00:19:59.270+05:30Chembra Trek, Wayanad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopEQPkWzYTJmuEPA9xSsOidczOJHOciuhowHrKlfSEpyX4Mj0fIGV4EEctHw5K1zGghFamL98A44mWtgYMHLanuPs_T8-vEyhyphenhyphenOkz2UKJL74wbnPrLR4NH5UHmplpsMnjfbwEYw/s1600/297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopEQPkWzYTJmuEPA9xSsOidczOJHOciuhowHrKlfSEpyX4Mj0fIGV4EEctHw5K1zGghFamL98A44mWtgYMHLanuPs_T8-vEyhyphenhyphenOkz2UKJL74wbnPrLR4NH5UHmplpsMnjfbwEYw/s400/297.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt;">The key to conquering any peak is not to look up for what is left, but to look back to see how much you have already covered.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt;">The prospect of conquering any peak is always enticing enough to make me and my like-minded friends to put on our travel gear and head out to some place exciting. The Chembra Trek required no additional effort in appeasing the group to undertake this trek. A simple with a single picture did the trick and pulled-in the quorum for a trip. The single picture and the USP of the Chembra Trek was that of a natural heart-shaped lake half-way through the climb. This natural and perfectly heart-shaped lake with water throughout the year stimulated and intrigued many in the group. Although there were the last-minute drop-outs, we still managed to total six. This proved a good number to take our own car rather than depend on a rented one vis-a-vis cut costs for the trip.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt;">If the heart-shaped lake is an asset of the Chembra Trek, then the guide who MUST accompany you along the trek is the liability. For every group that wants to climb Chembra, the forest department provides a Guide (whose fee is covered in the entry tickets). It is not like you need a guide to find your way around, but the forest officials insist that you must carry one with you. The ill-effects of carrying a guide in such a trek is that, the moment you tell him you want to climb all the way to the final peak and not go back after reaching the heart lake (as many do), he starts trying to de-motivate you about how arduous the trek is and blah blah blah. But then we are not the ones to be cowed down so easily. And despite a very slow mover in our group we succeeded in conquering Chembra Peak with reasonable ease. And this was the crowning glory of our last trip of 2012.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzn_33kpYUCdrMB6mrxk6yjR8ot2t_2IOQG7LOqJ3mSV3lnlV2MjnL4y2RTr3ceUjRx9oCm2-gJgBM8xVlMNbm24mEJkZjU6ysYXML6lb6yMO_JD04cPMpmKvvrscAePuLjkgdSw/s1600/315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzn_33kpYUCdrMB6mrxk6yjR8ot2t_2IOQG7LOqJ3mSV3lnlV2MjnL4y2RTr3ceUjRx9oCm2-gJgBM8xVlMNbm24mEJkZjU6ysYXML6lb6yMO_JD04cPMpmKvvrscAePuLjkgdSw/s400/315.JPG" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt;">The trek begins with a stroll through a private tea garden until you reach a watch tower. From here starts the real deal. In the first 500mts my breathing got heavy. At the end of the 1<sup>st</sup>kilometer, my hands were on my hips. By the 2<sup>nd</sup> km I was dragging my feet. By the third I feel numb to all the pain, exhaustion and the heavy breathing. And in comes the heart-shaped lake like a breath of fresh air. Though I’ve seen the picture of this lake a hundred times, it was still unbelievably heart-shaped in real life. It takes me about half an hour to take the perfect picture of the lake without the tourists occupying the frame. And that’s good time to recover my strength and my breath. With that I set forth to conquer the peak. The distant elusive peak is an arduous climb, but not impossible. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt;">After the disappointment in KP this time round my determination was strong. I had to finish this trek and would like to do it with considerable ease. My strategy was to not stop and rest but keep walking - no matter how tired my body was. When I couldn’t take it anymore I took short breaks of 3 minutes each. In those 3 minutes I practiced my Yoga techniques of taking deep breaths. Three short breaks of 3 minutes each and a half hour break at Chembra lake got me to the peak of Chembra. At 6900 feet I was standing at the highest point in Wayanad (or so the forest officials claim). It is obvious to any trekker or tourist that the peak that they claim to be the tallest here is definitely not true as there are more taller peaks adjacent to the one you are standing on. But why the forest officials claim that this is the tallest is beyond our imagination. Maybe it’s because there’s a threat of wild animals there, maybe they don’t want to entertain trekkers and tourists in these areas. But that doesn’t take away anything from the feeling of standing on a peak and breathing the fresh air of mother nature. Its not just air but pride that fills my chest when I take deep breaths at the peak. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt;">On an average it takes 4 hours to reach the peak and 2 hrs to descend. A wonderful one-day trek with the everlasting image of the heart-shaped lake as a souvenir that will be etched in your mind.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt;"><strong>Getting-there:</strong> Kalpetta->Meppady->Chembra Estate</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt;"><strong>Must-Do:</strong> Trek to the heart-shaped lake and beyond till you reach the peak.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt;"><strong>Must-Don’t</strong>: Littering and camping overnight(not allowed)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt;"><strong>My Rating:</strong> 8/10 </span></div>
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Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31421507.post-84901017939330755432012-12-26T00:10:00.002+05:302012-12-26T00:12:45.460+05:30Karapuzha Dam, Wayanad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgevnBBBeoundlTpJn71vDg5gM02_OfeswKNYnJvu_RJsxbiAa-zL_ZtXiRidYyUglJWZTnBfmvRaxTVmK6HabVKnU3yd2mWmfC7TZPb6vpmKGfl4VWOM0RVJ3om4xV0wbqJmdDzg/s1600/201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgevnBBBeoundlTpJn71vDg5gM02_OfeswKNYnJvu_RJsxbiAa-zL_ZtXiRidYyUglJWZTnBfmvRaxTVmK6HabVKnU3yd2mWmfC7TZPb6vpmKGfl4VWOM0RVJ3om4xV0wbqJmdDzg/s400/201.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Returning from Edakkal Caves we realised we were not left with much options for the remainder of the day. Meenmutty Falls was our original plan but conflicting reports of it being closed for tourists and the fact that we may miss the deadline for entry into the area made us fall back on Plan B. We zeroed-in on Karapuzha Dam as that was the closest to our accomodation in Meenangadi. Plus, we wanted enough time to relax before a demanding Day2 of our Wayanad trip.<br />
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Karapuzha Dam is built on the Karapuzha Lake, which is however a conglomerate of a dozen lakes. This place is not very touristy, but if you have an evening to kill and watch the sunset in Wayanad, then this is the place for it. This place also promises to be a good one for birding but I guess our timing wasn't right. The dam in itself is a very quiet place and unlike other dams across the country, this one is open to public and hardly has any security personnel around it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbY2snGHjR32Oimh2hivE7e06EZ82x2nuDmoA2gVbNFS8zI-vovWWD9g4qxKon1QR7woSjxggnwLtWHd2XAZdA5admJ96xdVsxSLmLRhR9TAAfE-9-cKqnWOjudxzU_1o2FmdKA/s1600/204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbY2snGHjR32Oimh2hivE7e06EZ82x2nuDmoA2gVbNFS8zI-vovWWD9g4qxKon1QR7woSjxggnwLtWHd2XAZdA5admJ96xdVsxSLmLRhR9TAAfE-9-cKqnWOjudxzU_1o2FmdKA/s400/204.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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After waking around the dam for a while and waiting for the sun to set, SM and I (who had driven the car last night taking turns) found a comfortable spot to lie down on. And before we knew it, we drifted into a deep sleep. And when I finally woke up i found, much to my dismay, the sun had set! But from what I heard from my co-travelers, the sunset was magical.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgob3REd_EVtmZK-_SSM3uJQ70si_U7mnxJBrY2GPdlCofRE1ab7QU6EHXeHM72S4JfskvZT2k2mPOVSLZlHxm9QkO-1Q30Vqu5KfK0hiD3TVgR2kBck7c-HfTBgwSt5HKyVdcqdQ/s1600/224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgob3REd_EVtmZK-_SSM3uJQ70si_U7mnxJBrY2GPdlCofRE1ab7QU6EHXeHM72S4JfskvZT2k2mPOVSLZlHxm9QkO-1Q30Vqu5KfK0hiD3TVgR2kBck7c-HfTBgwSt5HKyVdcqdQ/s400/224.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>Getting: there</b>: 17kms from Kalpetta and 6kms from Meenangadi.<br />
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<b>Must-Do:</b> Watch the sunset<br />
<b>Must-Don't:</b> Littering<br />
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<b>My Rating:</b> 5/10</div>
Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31421507.post-10871797417210661922012-12-26T00:00:00.000+05:302012-12-26T00:12:03.380+05:30Eddakal Caves, Wayanad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTbXcOK7xU6jCosQjycBZFGIja5Eh3WuLZbTMCiyygue7zoVsher6B1bWZ_GT_ar7bmfZPvSWgjuyhDz2t_khTGXDJlABOQeS7eR5C-ZD77SJ9M5ZwpmWKNu8zRJzlcnYoZ40LzQ/s1600/064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTbXcOK7xU6jCosQjycBZFGIja5Eh3WuLZbTMCiyygue7zoVsher6B1bWZ_GT_ar7bmfZPvSWgjuyhDz2t_khTGXDJlABOQeS7eR5C-ZD77SJ9M5ZwpmWKNu8zRJzlcnYoZ40LzQ/s400/064.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Wayanad is one of the perfect
weekend destinations from Bangalore. For one, it is a mere 300 kms from
Bangalore and with good roads, it makes for an easy drive. For another, there
are so many destinations in a 50 km radius around Kalpetta that you can plan
multiple weekend getaways to this sleepy town nestled in the great wide Western
Ghats. Not surprisingly, this is my second visit here. The first time round I
covered Pookode Lake, Soochipura Falls and Kuruwa Dweep Islands. Needless to
say, this time round I had other destinations in mind.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Unlike last time when we booked a
TT, this time we opted to take our own car and that meant a lot of driving
shared between 2 of the 6 passengers. Thankfully the well carpeted asphalt
lasted all the way till Kerala border. But there ends the good fortune. The
moment you step foot on God’s Own Country, it is as if you set foot on Hell!
There are no potholes on this road – only craters! Once you cross Sulthan
Bathery the craters disappear, only to give you a feeling as if you just landed
on Mars. The so-called highway is being re-carpeted and from the looks of it
the work has been going on forever. There are no visible signs of any work
being done. After gobbling on some Masala Dosas and Puris from Sulthan Battery
we headed towards Meenangadi, where we had booked ourselves into RI Residency.
To our dismay we found the road to be blocked and traffic not allowed to pass
through. Upon enquiry we found that there has been a tiger-spotting here a
while ago and the forest officials were trying to capture or drive-away the
tiger from the (so-called) human habitation. Apparently the tiger also killed 2
goats and a cow the night before which has the local population angered. And
Kerala being Kerala which calls for a hartal at the drop of a hat has started
agitation for the capture of the wild beast.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0WY_CGWLLJOE_wF-JZq-cau8jWi8IqR-Vf10JF50XKZCWMxmwt8wnoxl4IW2VoWX_suIVM9Qb5voJSwLoSJi2S1vv3EixsNw9sfegvSfmsIJB1nh7KslzISTDE-OI9CO3S87Txg/s1600/157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0WY_CGWLLJOE_wF-JZq-cau8jWi8IqR-Vf10JF50XKZCWMxmwt8wnoxl4IW2VoWX_suIVM9Qb5voJSwLoSJi2S1vv3EixsNw9sfegvSfmsIJB1nh7KslzISTDE-OI9CO3S87Txg/s400/157.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">That meant we had to take a detour
back to Sulthan Battery and follow a different route to Meenangadi. This detour
cost us at least an hour. We checked into our dormitory accommodation at the
spanking new RI Residency which to our surprise was very neat and comfortable.
And at Rs 150 per head we could not be any happier! A quick bath later we
headed to Edakkal Caves.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">For the uninitiated, the Edakkal
Caves are famous for its prehistoric carvings. Some of these carvings date back
to 5000 BC which is attributed to the Neolithic man. These Stone Age carvings
are the only one of its kind in South India and points to existence of a
pre-historic civilization. Not all carvings are believed to be from the same
era. That implies that people from different times have inhabited these caves
and left their mark. The oldest of the carvings are believed to be 8000 years
old. The existence of Tamil script only adds to the intrigue of the place and
the history of this Dravidian language.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhljTNVaVCqeMJ53oHEsGIcseVjsOX5FAtHxVHKtygFWC2DhtzXdEYoycheHPcRK2Nh79FQlePmQ1Pza47nCA75Cd2maUauImjjCU8KD-8tR_cA5dRPD1wkegk0iszMrKn3y49lQ/s1600/162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhljTNVaVCqeMJ53oHEsGIcseVjsOX5FAtHxVHKtygFWC2DhtzXdEYoycheHPcRK2Nh79FQlePmQ1Pza47nCA75Cd2maUauImjjCU8KD-8tR_cA5dRPD1wkegk0iszMrKn3y49lQ/s400/162.JPG" width="265" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Until a few years ago going by the
blogs of that time, getting to the caves used to be an arduous trek. All that
has changed now with the so-called tourism development. Crass
commercialization, well-paved roads, steel staircases, different entry and exit
routes has changed the experience for the worst! The hordes and hordes of
picnic goers don’t make the situation any better. Coming to the carvings
themselves, thankfully they are well-maintained. The guard on duty and the ASI
officer ensure that these engravings aren’t vandalized. For a small fee they
even explain the history of the place including deciphering some of the markings
on display. With that dose of pre-historic life we decided to head to our next
destination.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><b>Getting-there:</b> About 25kms from Kalpetta and 13kms from Meenangadi.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><b>Must-Do:</b> Gobble delicious Pineapples on your way back to recharge yourself.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><b>Must-Don't:</b> Vandalism and Littering.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><b>My Rating:</b> 5/10</span></span></div>
</div>
Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31421507.post-73886667687188769392012-11-14T23:53:00.004+05:302012-11-14T23:56:14.216+05:30Boga Nandeeshwara Temple, Bangalore<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQUkJdj8alJXG0gLO3xNnntT87rDAKGjip2aVPT0uzbzC85k36Pta_fFCHNgkOv8ZUCRaejvfwqxmF9pl5BtRtvvbo6cBhMarIF6HOqs1Y2oqUvByHI1WlSn4DGIhNQcmemw-NQQ/s1600/200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQUkJdj8alJXG0gLO3xNnntT87rDAKGjip2aVPT0uzbzC85k36Pta_fFCHNgkOv8ZUCRaejvfwqxmF9pl5BtRtvvbo6cBhMarIF6HOqs1Y2oqUvByHI1WlSn4DGIhNQcmemw-NQQ/s400/200.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Strange are the
ways of the world. There are some things that I just don’t comprehend. That
every Bangalorean has been to or knows about Nandi Hills is a common knowledge.
But ask them about Boga Nandeeshwara Temple and they will draw a blank. What’s
the connection? Well, the Boga Nandeeshwara temple is situated right under the
nose of Nandi Hills. What makes the matter even more intriguing is that this is
no ordinary run-of-the-mill temple. This temple was originally built in the 9<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
Century by Bana Queen Ratnavali. This temple was then expanded and renovated by
the dynasties of Gangas, Cholas, Hoysalas, Pallavas and finally the
Vijayanagaras. This is also quite easily one of the largest temples in and
around Bangalore. Despite all this, the Boga Nandeeshwara temple is off the
tourist map for reasons unknown. Also the Karnataka tourism boards that usually
display even the slightest place of tourism interest have conspicuously missed
out on Boga Nandeeshwara temple. That could be one reason why so few people
know about (and visit) this temple – which is good in way because this temple
so far has been well maintained with sprawling lawns, well-kept structures and
even clean bathrooms!<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEqo-Wm7Tl2KL_lQjVbJt3zaAWXc18Dvl0vZD-_3zTfvD_W_oM9TH4wM5KjAxtnxebc3lNQZ2zMzU2ZS6QZ2qgpKaP0cysjSJT7KQ1y8E4fOs4vaWfOg0jGeLXEZuL9ziRrynFnA/s1600/207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEqo-Wm7Tl2KL_lQjVbJt3zaAWXc18Dvl0vZD-_3zTfvD_W_oM9TH4wM5KjAxtnxebc3lNQZ2zMzU2ZS6QZ2qgpKaP0cysjSJT7KQ1y8E4fOs4vaWfOg0jGeLXEZuL9ziRrynFnA/s400/207.JPG" width="400" /></a><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Boga Nandeeshwara
Temple houses three different temples namely, the Arunachaleshwara, Uma
Maheshwara and finally the Boga Nandeeshwara temples. They all together
represent three stages of Lord Shiva’s life – Arunachaleshwara depicts Shiva’s
youthful life, Uma Maheshwara depicts Shiva’s wedding with Parvathi and Yoga Narashimha
depicts Shiva’s renunciation stage. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJhFpGLKl2z2ngoOpzpazCHhpfwv12iUG5R6Y6oxEKW3GmfOs3HwFZu-jE38hGaByzxjl_TVEjgrqxxti6KkxL-P6QlWUe030_7OrJmzK-8OQS93etnZILNlDQDNv09orR2Zxsw/s1600/245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJhFpGLKl2z2ngoOpzpazCHhpfwv12iUG5R6Y6oxEKW3GmfOs3HwFZu-jE38hGaByzxjl_TVEjgrqxxti6KkxL-P6QlWUe030_7OrJmzK-8OQS93etnZILNlDQDNv09orR2Zxsw/s400/245.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">To the trained eye
it is easy to make out the architectural styles of Gangas, Hoysalas and the
Vijayanagaras. The many stone pillars in the temple reminds its devotees of the
temples of Hampi – rich in stone artwork. The also houses a Mahanavami Dibba and
a stepped tank called Shringi Theertha a lot like the ones we saw in Hampi. The
temple also has a few soapstone sculptures which leaves a Hoysala signature in
the temple. The highlight of the temple, in my opinion, is however the Shringi <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Theertha (a stepped tank). This pond is
believed to be created by Nandi by plunging its horns into the earth to draw
water from holy Ganga. We spent at least an hour in the serenity and
peacefulness offered by this magical place (but for the annoying “caretaker”
who came asking for money every 10 minutes for no reason, which we obviously
didn’t oblige). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9H033AMGu_nScF6zx7fdStNRKRPyfkR2FQ7PsFH8-fEkha2CMZYcp3_53n5c6iXecFYL3YcOHMGzGPbvDMTChuzFMI2SePggR8lGkWrHZ8zLn1LkX1yQeiArJ6U5p-hmxrp9wkQ/s1600/317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9H033AMGu_nScF6zx7fdStNRKRPyfkR2FQ7PsFH8-fEkha2CMZYcp3_53n5c6iXecFYL3YcOHMGzGPbvDMTChuzFMI2SePggR8lGkWrHZ8zLn1LkX1yQeiArJ6U5p-hmxrp9wkQ/s400/317.JPG" width="400" /></a><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the end it was
hard to bid goodbye to this temple but then we knew we would come back soon
enough.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Getting-there:</strong>
Cross Devanahalli airport and the take the left which goes to Nandi Hills. This
road ends in a T-junction where left goes to Nandi Hills. Take the right here
and travel 5 kms.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Must-Do:</strong> Check
out the Stepped Tank and the stone carvings around the temple.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<strong>
</strong><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Must-Don’t:</strong>
Vandalism and Littering.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>My Rating:</strong> 8/10</span></span></div>
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Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31421507.post-23085738658922671492012-11-14T18:48:00.005+05:302012-11-14T18:49:34.347+05:30Banashankari Temple, Badami<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPnXkkpOwuUScq4SQ0QRWt2BnastyTGAVw6Q76FluYX-aNj1hGdFwvGjZwjovY-E5uTp43VFh2J-3AsSMGrBxFDGuXxh7Dt9gj11JLyOtDIShIZoJZ4JZFkuwy-3fzGayqmnCCtA/s1600/1badami.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPnXkkpOwuUScq4SQ0QRWt2BnastyTGAVw6Q76FluYX-aNj1hGdFwvGjZwjovY-E5uTp43VFh2J-3AsSMGrBxFDGuXxh7Dt9gj11JLyOtDIShIZoJZ4JZFkuwy-3fzGayqmnCCtA/s400/1badami.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Banashankari Temple at Badami is
a somewhat lesser known entity compared to its massively popular next-door
neighbour - the rock-cut cave temples of Badami, so much so that I’m writing
about this temple after almost 3 years of visiting the place. The inspiration
came after a couple of friends recently went to this temple on their Hampi-
Badami-Pattadackal circuit tour. Thanks to their trip, I start digging into the
pages of history for gathering more info on the temple. It’s not for nothing
people say that every travel is an education in itself.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Those were the days when my better
half worked in Hubli and I in Bangalore. So on one of my visits to Hubli we
decided to cover the Badami-Pattadackal-Aihole circuit. As it turned out, we
cut short our trip after visiting Banashankari Temple and Badami Cave Temples.
That morning we started off from Hubli in a rickety government-owned bus and
reached our destination close to noon. After alighting from the bus we enquired
about Badami cave temples with a rickshaw guy in our broken Kannada
interspersed with Hindi. Whether it was a total communication failure or
taking-us-for-a-ride thingy, we were dropped off in front of Banashankari
Temple. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This 7th Century AD temple complex
instantly catches your attention with its high walls, watch-cum-lamp tower and
large temple pond with stone mantapas on three sides. Not one to waste an
opportunity of looking at the architectural wonders of our forefathers we entered
the temple and offered prayers to Banashankari (a.k.a Vanashankari) Devi.
Banashankari is believed to be another form of Lord Shiva's consort Parvathi.
This temple was originally built in 7th Century by the Kalyani Chalukya Kings
and later renovated in the 17th Century by a Maratha Chieftain Parasuram Agale.
Hence, even though the original temple has glimpses of Dravidian style, the
later additions are the distinct style of the Vijayanagara era.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cEIuxnlj1TkWFqOq2eDRt4nuySHnTmobSWhPQWVHQ53DnDr5SF5GMp_to8ClexG60AAtCmSh0XHkoE-hbkhVY3vnEz_WJ916sT0e0NuCXsTjgJXZ1Alom2Z-ePPEAEZ15KOHWQ/s1600/2badami.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cEIuxnlj1TkWFqOq2eDRt4nuySHnTmobSWhPQWVHQ53DnDr5SF5GMp_to8ClexG60AAtCmSh0XHkoE-hbkhVY3vnEz_WJ916sT0e0NuCXsTjgJXZ1Alom2Z-ePPEAEZ15KOHWQ/s400/2badami.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">According to the scriptures, people
of this area were harassed by the demon Durgamasura. Answering the fervent
prayers of the inhabitants, Shakambari Devi was sent to protect the people. Not
surprisingly the demon was killed in a fierce battle and peace restored in the
area. The forests around the temple provided enough food for the people here in
times of a famine. Hence the Goddess got the name Shakambari. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is definitely worth visiting this
temple which is rich in history and mythology.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>Getting-there:</strong> From Hubli take the Gulbarga-Bijapur
highway and take right at Kulgeri.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>Must-Do:</strong> Check out the age-old lamp
tower and temple pond.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>Must-Don’t:</strong> Vandalism and littering.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><strong>My Rating:</strong> 6/10</span></div>
Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31421507.post-3367340352547903302012-11-14T16:43:00.002+05:302012-11-14T18:51:17.208+05:30Mahabaleshwar Temple, Gokarna<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHJ1znxL73T_oEZ-SpuHMJepgguMK0MWz06H03vSN_QysWZz-rqm1PBQ64ZkNG43_-0gOk1G7YvEtoBeACpXe5Or5mdmLVKEuuh0sdXKWqjyMlUVcuuQnrp0NbjFKByXgha-m3Q/s1600/592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHJ1znxL73T_oEZ-SpuHMJepgguMK0MWz06H03vSN_QysWZz-rqm1PBQ64ZkNG43_-0gOk1G7YvEtoBeACpXe5Or5mdmLVKEuuh0sdXKWqjyMlUVcuuQnrp0NbjFKByXgha-m3Q/s400/592.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Mahabaleshwar Temple in Gokarna is believed to be one
most significant temples in South India from a mythological perspective. The
presence of an <em>Atma Linga</em> here makes it one of the holiest and highly revered
temple. Legend has it that Ravana’s mother who is a staunch devotee of Shiva
was performing a penance for her son when Indra jealous of her devotion, disrupted
her penance by throwing the linga into the sea. A distraught Ravanna, performs
a severe penance in Mount Kailash to please Lord Shiva. Impressed by his
devotion Shiva bestows a boon to Ravana. Ravana asks Shiva for the <em>Atmalinga</em>. Shiva
then gifts Ravana the <em>atma linga</em> with instructions that it should not be placed
on the ground. Perturbed by the powers bestowed on Ravana, Shiva’s sons
approach Vishnu to redeem the situation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">While Ravana is heading back to Lanka, Ganesha intercepts
him taking the form of a little boy. Ravana asks the little boy to hold the
idol (and not place it on the ground) while he would be back after offering evening
prayers. But when Ravana does not return in the stipulated time, Ganesha places
the idol on the ground and leaves. Once placed on the ground, Ravana tries with
all his might to lift the linga but it stays put, thereby forcing Ravana to
return to Lanka empty-handed. It is this <em>atma linga</em> in the temple that draws
devotees in the thousands. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBqDPQHEoawaR0Mmc24NBMYxkJavHEwbiX2qW2dwndwYIAAvkxRIqPZ8iowpxxnuRpPZxOqJd5nf3UxCheuB1CHMp7oGiLKNSxMd7Zr6ML710yh4rTY1PtecEhpZAqzVEkasagQ/s1600/595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBqDPQHEoawaR0Mmc24NBMYxkJavHEwbiX2qW2dwndwYIAAvkxRIqPZ8iowpxxnuRpPZxOqJd5nf3UxCheuB1CHMp7oGiLKNSxMd7Zr6ML710yh4rTY1PtecEhpZAqzVEkasagQ/s400/595.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our original plan after visiting Viboothi Falls, was to go
to Unchalli Falls and if time permits Kumta Beach. But some mystical power
forced us to re-draw our plans to end the Sirsi trip with a visit to the
Mahabaleshwar Temple in Gokarna and a beach trek from Gokarna to Kudle. As soon
as we entered the temple we were confronted by a battery of poojaries. They
cornered us like salesmen and started rattling out a list of poojas that they
can perform for you. And the a la carte included poojas of varied denominations
starting from as high as Rs.500 to as paltry as a sum of Rs.50. And that
frankly was a big turn-off. Thankfully we got a quick darshan and we were out
in no time. The best part however was that you get to touch the <em>Atma Linga</em> in
the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHkhq5WlnpOZSMfALSm0wfZ3n4BpMk5MqZKrnpYuxwcFOFlo3zzTNpx5er9kZ5Xn25iQWuS6lexMcPxqvD7E5gQj05p7cN4SJQZP5pbTcF0Wssor6QRwwxmz6f4mHG8JhgZacdg/s1600/644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHkhq5WlnpOZSMfALSm0wfZ3n4BpMk5MqZKrnpYuxwcFOFlo3zzTNpx5er9kZ5Xn25iQWuS6lexMcPxqvD7E5gQj05p7cN4SJQZP5pbTcF0Wssor6QRwwxmz6f4mHG8JhgZacdg/s400/644.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After the tryst
with the <em>atma linga</em> we walked to Gokarna beach and without spending another
minute(going by past experiences) started walking towards kudle beach. Kudle
has been one of my favorite beaches ever since I went there almost 3 years ago.
But going there after all those good memories I was a little apprehensive. In
the last 3 years, surely Kudle must have been commercially sold out. There sure
is going to couple of resorts, some tens of night clubs an hundred little
shacks. I dreaded the thought of watching such a sight. Thankfully I was not
entirely proved right. But Kudle is slowly and surely going that route. Another
couple of years and Kudle would have gone the Goa-way. Sigh! After another
wonderful Sunset (a Kudle speciality), we headed back to Gokarna. A laugh-riot
dinner later we started to head back to… Damn I don’t even want to mention that
name… </span></span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">L</span></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Getting there:</strong> In
the heart of Gokarna town. The temple is right on the beach.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Must-Do:</strong> Touch
the <em>atma linga</em>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Must-Don’t:</strong> Waste
time at Gokarna Beach. Instead head straight to Kudle.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>My Rating:</strong> 6/10</span></span></div>
</div>
Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31421507.post-37015153867148353392012-11-11T23:54:00.001+05:302012-11-11T23:55:04.658+05:30Viboothi Falls, Sirsi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBd_I0f8MTvBJBaZt6YylNIzxmNATTGvdwbr9l81j-AgJU-_LzcXO5MmM7I1YAD6SzQCOdjEDsdKINN1QMZN3ufHne-lFPgl6mO82FSH97H8iEbYUHWF-b1RVV_wzD5pvVyDP0Q/s1600/586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBd_I0f8MTvBJBaZt6YylNIzxmNATTGvdwbr9l81j-AgJU-_LzcXO5MmM7I1YAD6SzQCOdjEDsdKINN1QMZN3ufHne-lFPgl6mO82FSH97H8iEbYUHWF-b1RVV_wzD5pvVyDP0Q/s640/586.JPG" width="424" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When we first planned to visit Sirsi, the idea was to go
waterfalls-hopping. Sirsi and its surroundings have so many waterfalls that we
were skeptical of being able to cover them all. But ironic as it may seem,
after one and a half day of travelling, we had so far seen just one waterfall.
Days prior to the trip when we were reading up on Sirsi, we stumbled upon
places much more interesting than just waterfalls and so it came to be that we
were going to the second and last waterfalls of our trip.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Viboothi Falls is a mere 8kms from Yana, but the winding and
treacherous road makes it look longer than that. From the end of the motorable
road it’s another 2 km walk to the waterfalls. Viboothi is as pristine as they
come these days. Nestled in the Sahyadri Ranges and formed on River Gangavali,
Viboothi gets its name from the limestone formations in the area. It is a
3-tier waterfall that forms a tiny pool, worthy of being called heavenly. The riverbed
in this pool is haphazardly stuffed with big boulders, making it very perilous
for the tourists. You have to be extremely stupid to dive into these waters.
Unlike Sathodi, this is the kind of falls where you can relax, unwind, take a
dip and refresh yourself in the pristine waters. It is an ideal picnic spot
where you can spend a couple of hours playing in the waters and not know the
time fly-by. Though Sirsi has many waterfalls, not all of them entertain the
tourists to play in their laps. Viboothi is one such falls that embraces her
visitors and leaves them wet, fresh and recharged. A must-visit waterfalls for
your Sirsi itinerary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsi9DY1A6S1MvhW1-dMin7lLeZC6prBEpF2xJApraxJi6O_0JSuqSGobmJkd_ybvFpDrI7Gn4nh4DuCOdMxebvMeB8pFueJr3WfFlFlbay-9kEXRIIN8P_4H0ZSQOuP3QMh0s49Q/s1600/567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsi9DY1A6S1MvhW1-dMin7lLeZC6prBEpF2xJApraxJi6O_0JSuqSGobmJkd_ybvFpDrI7Gn4nh4DuCOdMxebvMeB8pFueJr3WfFlFlbay-9kEXRIIN8P_4H0ZSQOuP3QMh0s49Q/s640/567.JPG" width="424" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Getting-there:</strong> 8kms from Yana.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Must-Do:</strong> Take a dip in the water and get totally refreshed
and rejuvenated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Must-Don’t:</strong> Diving into the pool and littering the place.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>My Rating:</strong> 8/10</span></div>
</div>
Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31421507.post-54165611691465905442012-11-04T23:13:00.000+05:302012-11-04T23:18:14.105+05:30Yana, Sirsi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNfa_Uk2UgwiIhqJMLbWLqJTRWQNnchSJAbZyxty4ZgpTVg33d7TGXeqXdMn-SGC58bWajOVNDuWy4VkmbR5Db47ON6VGiwiCjy6pOmN-pU4PIHhC_VoHN-hAiRwNzJqfVghpBA/s1600/524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNfa_Uk2UgwiIhqJMLbWLqJTRWQNnchSJAbZyxty4ZgpTVg33d7TGXeqXdMn-SGC58bWajOVNDuWy4VkmbR5Db47ON6VGiwiCjy6pOmN-pU4PIHhC_VoHN-hAiRwNzJqfVghpBA/s400/524.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bhairaveshwar Shikara</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It pays to have good friends, more so when these people are
random guys you met in blogosphere. So, on Day1 of our Sirsi trip when we had
given up hope on finding a room (all rooms in all hotels occupied, thanks to
Dassera) in Sirsi, this blogger friend of a fellow traveler turns out to be our
knight-in-shining-armor. All it took was one phone call and within minutes the
six of us were given two of the best rooms in a hotel which belonged to a
relative of our blogger friend. As if that magnanimity wasn’t enough, the hotel
refused to take a single penny from us for our one-night-stay! A hot water bath
and a good night’s sleep ensured all of us were all charged-up for the next day. A sumptuous breakfast later we were headed towards Yana.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQWvm9-G4cqG10SkNwXi00Hy2itCN98UPxPqSZfXplltcYe2V92twhAZx_jKzxD2FBT622vzwdw9__95qaOJDA1WvW0Yq4MHzrBSTRueH7-yAkxCfUsBFa8NISpGDgF24NjYSvfg/s1600/404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQWvm9-G4cqG10SkNwXi00Hy2itCN98UPxPqSZfXplltcYe2V92twhAZx_jKzxD2FBT622vzwdw9__95qaOJDA1WvW0Yq4MHzrBSTRueH7-yAkxCfUsBFa8NISpGDgF24NjYSvfg/s400/404.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bhairaveshwar Shikara with Shiva temple</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yana is famous for two massive rock formations. Essentially,
these rock formations are black crystalline limestone. The entire village of
Yana is known for these rock formations. But there are 2 such formations that
are of mythological significance, namely, Bhairaveshwar Shikara and Mohini
Shikara. Yana is as much a geologist’s delight as it is for a pilgrim. The Bhairaveshwar
Shikara is popular for a Swayambhu (self-manifested) linga. Add to that water
drips on to this linga from the rocks thereby making the alliteration that it
is holy Ganga flowing. However, the scientific reason for the formation of the
swayambhu is attributed to phenomenon of stalactites and stalagmites.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Most of the pictures you find of the two shikaras on
internet do no justice compared to the real deal. These are massive rock
formations, standing as tall as 120 metres (Bhairaveshwar Shikara) and 90 metres
(Mohini Shikara). These rocks are not without its share of mythological stories
and prominence, as the names suggest. As per the mythological stories, the
demon king Asura through persistent penance obtained a boon from Lord Shiva
whereby on whomsoever’s head Asura places his hand, would turn to ashes (hence
the name Bhasmasura). But Asura turns a Frankenstein’s monster and wants to
test his strength on Lord Shiva Himself. After being chased by Asura, Shiva
seeks refuge and advice from Lord Vishnu. Vishnu takes the form of damsel
Mohini and entices Bhasmasura with her beauty and dance. An infatuated
Bhasmasura agrees to a dance competition between the two. In one of the <em>mudras</em>
(dance pose) Mohini places her hand on her head which an unsuspecting (and
blindly in love) Asura copies, only to be turned into ashes by his own
foolishness. The resulting combustion was believed to be so intense that it
blackened the limestone formations of entire Yana. The Bhairaveshwar Shikara (Shiva’s
Hill) and Mohini Shikara (Mohini’s Hill) thus got their respective names and
temples (Mohini Shikara houses a Parvathi temple). </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaOdLrvZxRTPYPcH-cKJ7Ke1UL_8xa4zjupAlxrareB2ZD77DytA5iohzl5ZBGfZ2LQxmDVIXxqGoh9mpNIqhowfH6_eNHtjTdbSBFUZE2L_3dV7GDfE-6SZDgll7RDmPlUejOJA/s1600/523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaOdLrvZxRTPYPcH-cKJ7Ke1UL_8xa4zjupAlxrareB2ZD77DytA5iohzl5ZBGfZ2LQxmDVIXxqGoh9mpNIqhowfH6_eNHtjTdbSBFUZE2L_3dV7GDfE-6SZDgll7RDmPlUejOJA/s400/523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mohini Shikara</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Just like in Banavasi, the priest of the Shiva temple here
gives all the devotees a briefing on the mythology of this temple. The <em>pradikshina</em>
of the temple here is probably the longest and toughest of them all as it
involves walking around and between these rock formations on barefoot. Once you
are done with Bhairaveshwar Shikara, there are steps downhill that takes you to
Mohini Shikara and the Parvathi temple.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This area once used to be a dense Sahayadri forest. And it
took a trek of nearly 17kms from civilization to just reach these rocks. But
crass commercialization and road-laying has done away with all this. And now
visitors need to walk just half a kilometer from where they can park their
vehicles. The day is not far behind where you can drive right up to the base of
these hills. There’s a popular saying in these parts of the <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">world - <em><strong>Sokkidhavanu Yanakke
hogutaane, rokkiddhavanu Gokarna ke hoguthane</strong></em>, meaning, the one with tremendous
guts and determination goes to Yana and the one with money bags goes to Gokarna.
Unfortunately that is no longer true in these times of rapid and unbridled development.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Getting-there:
</strong>Around 40kms from Sirsi town.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Must-Do:</strong> Check
out the rock formations and the Swayambhu.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Must-Don’t:</strong>
Littering and Vandalism.</span></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><strong>My Rating:</strong> 8/10</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Information Courtesy: </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yana,_India" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Wikipedia</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">, </span><a href="http://www.ourkarnataka.com/states/trek/trekking_yana.htm" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">OurKarnataka</span></a></span></div>
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Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31421507.post-90744466276672240522012-10-30T23:28:00.000+05:302012-10-30T23:32:45.152+05:30Sathodi Falls, Yellapur<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhgqcorlgVvjbOZZ2m9larVMHFg8lHl-kg01ZSmFJwklPTW0kFqgmT9HomFADHeiGmo-pY8RAde0MhH4TUHhEzNQrDKLrZzK8u2Ti9I5wslnBbCKdNmsPjAA6PGEiDLWeTSpJmSA/s1600/276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhgqcorlgVvjbOZZ2m9larVMHFg8lHl-kg01ZSmFJwklPTW0kFqgmT9HomFADHeiGmo-pY8RAde0MhH4TUHhEzNQrDKLrZzK8u2Ti9I5wslnBbCKdNmsPjAA6PGEiDLWeTSpJmSA/s400/276.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This was my second attempt at getting to Sathodi Falls and
yet again for a briefest of moments I felt my chances of getting to see this waterfall
receding, just like the sun setting in the horizon. The first attempt was a
failure because accessibility was an issue. After reaching Yellapur, I found
that there were no buses that go to Sathodi Falls. I knew it wasn’t wise to
hire a Jeep or a rickshaw as they would charge me buckets. I was told that
youngsters there offered to take you to Sathodi for a nominal amount. As it
turned out, the nominal amount was Rs. 400 – something that I was expecting the
Rickshaw-wallas to demand. I decided to drop the plan and instead go to Magod
Falls. But even that didn’t materialize since the bus timings were very erratic
and less frequent.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxgdUKWZvhyajTjV-FLJTkOFbpojqp_-GffApRcGlFxKes932gSfURAgQZhpJw0t6pPiUJdMGhSnyt_Pufa8JBp-eqahew7R42c_HDKesCpt2a0qJLT10zuA11QD115GLlHWnyg/s1600/279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxgdUKWZvhyajTjV-FLJTkOFbpojqp_-GffApRcGlFxKes932gSfURAgQZhpJw0t6pPiUJdMGhSnyt_Pufa8JBp-eqahew7R42c_HDKesCpt2a0qJLT10zuA11QD115GLlHWnyg/s400/279.JPG" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But this time round I was travelling with a group and with
our own transport – a Tavera. The threat to our chances was however from the
receding daylight. Our first challenge was to enter the forest area before
6:30PM before the gates close. And the second was to spend enough time enjoying
the view and yet get back to civilization before it’s too dark. Sathodi is a
28km drive through the forests from Yellapur town. The roads are in a bad shape
for the first 23kms. For the last 5 kms there is simply no road. Ok.. Im
exaggerating a bit here. There is indeed a mud road for the last 5 kms but it’s
in a pathetic condition. The rains make the road even worse with loose soil and
slippery slopes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">With the menacing road taking a toll on the vehicle and the
eager-to-retire sun looming over our heads, we started questioning the
rationale of going ahead with our plan. Would the destination be worth the
journey? Would we be able to spend at least 10 minutes there? Even if we do,
are those 10 minutes worth the trouble we took just getting here? What if we
have a flat tyre on the way back? Is it safe to spend the night in this jungle?
Just as all these questions were hovering around inside the confines of our
heads, we got our first glimpse of the backwaters of Kodasalli Dam. And just like
that, our apprehensions started disappearing. We were now more than eager to
get to the waterfalls. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhfgDwcFnUgGWmSHtDMCiqNWfR8i0VNAnGHMlqxNdBDsU4PuJCZWXW0IHaQufBqOWpfGWRum3hkQzZxaC3si02659gegQjHxpZUk2YKMkM39_dv1FuoMz0JHi7HJ6KihFKyvlOzg/s1600/282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhfgDwcFnUgGWmSHtDMCiqNWfR8i0VNAnGHMlqxNdBDsU4PuJCZWXW0IHaQufBqOWpfGWRum3hkQzZxaC3si02659gegQjHxpZUk2YKMkM39_dv1FuoMz0JHi7HJ6KihFKyvlOzg/s400/282.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We finally reached the check-in point of the falls where we
paid a nominal entrance fee and quickly made our way to the falls. A one
kilometer walk later we gaped with open mouths at India’s little Niagara falls.
I had to admit that the pictures you see of Sathodi in the internet do no
justice to the real deal. Even though you don’t get to go near the foot of the
falls, the view is pretty intimidating. While most waterfalls I’ve seen till
date are tall, and single or multi-tiered, this one was w-i-d-e. And thanks to
all that rain for the last couple of weeks, Sathodi was a decked-up princess.
Anybody with half a brain would know better than to venture into the water. At
this time of the year Sathodi was strictly a viewing-only waterfall. Even
though we had set ourselves a deadline of 15 minutes to reach back to our
vehicle, half an hour had already passed. Not completely content with the
amount of time we spent here, we had to drag ourselves back to the car. Our
apprehensions of a flat tyre were highly misplaced and we reached Yellapur, and
subsequently Sirsi, incident-free.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Getting-there:</b>
Sirsi->Yellapur ->Sathodi (Follow the signboards at Yellapur)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Must-Do:</b> Start
early so as to spend enough time there and get back safely</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Must-Don’t:</b>
Adventurism or heroism in the rapid waters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">My Rating:</b> 8/10</span></div>
Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31421507.post-90441277652276620852012-10-30T22:41:00.003+05:302012-10-30T22:42:46.788+05:30Sahasralinga, Sirsi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5iia9zWEtyDi8hL3fzdfbHgsZtsl3-paEu1XH-nym_89_t-lHS-g3VgvVm9YRZ7p0Yg4IwzBT9Qkna43Dimd4oVlNFSjRx5NGmc5nck5i4aBr594io1wjJCDx4JVdVL8lqjhrSw/s1600/223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5iia9zWEtyDi8hL3fzdfbHgsZtsl3-paEu1XH-nym_89_t-lHS-g3VgvVm9YRZ7p0Yg4IwzBT9Qkna43Dimd4oVlNFSjRx5NGmc5nck5i4aBr594io1wjJCDx4JVdVL8lqjhrSw/s400/223.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The literal translation of Sahasralinga means a 1000 Lingas.
And that’s precisely what you get to see here. On the banks of river Shalmala
are carved hundreds and hundreds of Shivalingas and Nandis (Basavannas). It is
believed that for every Linga, there is a Nandi staring at it. Currently there
are far too fewer lingas, and even the ones present have suffered some damage
over the years thanks to the force of the ravenous waters. Even then the sheer
number of Lingas and Nandis is sight to be seen to be believed, notwithstanding
the fact that we went there at a time when the water flow was high.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTcXeHxrqh4n89c0bI3KCJqi4D0lBpj4okcT4dORWJlc0N69Yqs8W60M8-0pc5Ra38QXV9FaQ6Q_1W0UHSrtkERB5EaYbJkMhLu39_MS4scRzMkhyK2a_PfBs_gNbUkHOIarUdqw/s1600/202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTcXeHxrqh4n89c0bI3KCJqi4D0lBpj4okcT4dORWJlc0N69Yqs8W60M8-0pc5Ra38QXV9FaQ6Q_1W0UHSrtkERB5EaYbJkMhLu39_MS4scRzMkhyK2a_PfBs_gNbUkHOIarUdqw/s400/202.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">These Shiva lingas were built by King Sadashivaraya of
Sirsi. It is best to visit Sahasralinga during the dry seasons, when the flow
of water is pretty less. Sahasralinga is 10 kms from Sirsi. A recent addition
to this tourist location is a hanging bridge built across the river to connect
neighboring villages. Since the flow of water is comparatively gentler, this
place can also double up as a picnic center. Children might enjoy play in the water
here.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Getting-there:</strong> About 10 kms from Sirsi en route Yellapur.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Must-Do:</strong> Visit during the dry seasons to see more of the
lingas surfacing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Must-Don’t:</strong> Vandalism and Littering.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>My Rating:</strong> 6/10</span></div>
Kishan Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162332083779690252noreply@blogger.com6