Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram), TN

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.

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.

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.

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.

Getting there: Plenty of buses and taxis from CMBT (Koyembedu) and Thiruvanmiyur.

Must-Do: Make a list of all places you want to cover and go about it. Relax by the sea.

Must-Don't: Vandalism and Littering.

My Rating: 8/10

Eddakal Caves, Wayanad

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.

 

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.

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.

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.

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.

Getting-there: About 25kms from Kalpetta and 13kms from Meenangadi.

Must-Do: Gobble delicious Pineapples on your way back to recharge yourself.

Must-Don't: Vandalism and Littering.

My Rating: 5/10

Yana, Sirsi

Bhairaveshwar Shikara

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.

Bhairaveshwar Shikara with Shiva temple

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.

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 mudras (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).

Mohini Shikara

Just like in Banavasi, the priest of the Shiva temple here gives all the devotees a briefing on the mythology of this temple. The pradikshina 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.

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 world - Sokkidhavanu Yanakke hogutaane, rokkiddhavanu Gokarna ke hoguthane, 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.

Getting-there: Around 40kms from Sirsi town.

Must-Do: Check out the rock formations and the Swayambhu.

Must-Don’t: Littering and Vandalism. 

My Rating: 8/10

Information Courtesy: Wikipedia, OurKarnataka

Kalil Temple, Methala, Perumbavoor, Kerala

Kalil Temple was originally a 9th Century Jain Temple situated in Methala near Perumbavoor. The temple sits on a hill under a huge rock. A rocky terrain and a final flight of about fifty steps brings you to this mysterious temple. I say mysterious because, surprisingly only one portion of the huge rock touches the ground and there is no support whatsoever. Although on the other side of the suspending rock are the temple walls, it has to be noted that the walls were a later addition. Hence the mystery of the suspending rock lingers, which draws devotees to this cave temple. On top of the cave temple is a carving on the rock. There is some confusion over who that image belongs to. Some claim it to be Brahma while others claim it to be Mahaveer Jain.

The erstwhile Jain place of worship is now a Hindu temple with Bhagavathy Devi sitting pretty as the main deity here, which brings us to the second mystery of the temple. It is clearly obvious to any devotee that the idol of Bhagvathy Devi does not sit in the centre of the Sanctum Santorum (in the doorway) but visibly to the right. Meaning, to see the idol the devotees have to go the left of the doorway. Apparently this was not the case many years ago. The popular belief is that the idol is moving on its own without any human intervention. There is a third mystery attributed to this temple. Apparently a few years ago, on one of the rocks there, people have started observing the markings of what looks like Lord Shiva. And as the years pass by the carving is becoming more and more visible. Nobody knows how the markings are becoming more distinct and legible. Currently the face and upper body can be clearly ascertained.

Up until recently the temple would close by noon after the poojas and not open in the evenings (a rare occurrence in temples of kerala). This can be attributed to the belief of existence of evil spirits in the dense forest there. But since a year ago, the temple is thrown open in the evenings and poojas performed. All the mysteries attributed to the temple gives a special aura to the temple.

Getting-there: About 10 kms from Perumbavoor town in Aluva en route Muvatupuzha.

Must-Do: Check out the suspending rock, displaced Bhagvathy idol and the self appearing rock carving.

Must-Don’t: Clicking pictures inside the temple.

My Rating: 8/10

Kadri Manjunath Temple, Mangalore

In a temple town like Mangalore, there are many temples that jostle for attention. One such prominent temple is the Kadri Manjunath Temple which was built in 1068 A.D. The main deity here is Lord Manjunatha or Shiva. The Trilokeshwara statue made of bronze in a seated position with three faces and six arms is considered to be one of the best bronze statues in the country.

There is a natural spring at the temple called the Gomukha, which lets out water to the nine ponds adjacent to it. The source of these springs is left to the imagination of the devotees, some even claiming it to be from Kashi. A few steps up the hill you would find yourself dwarfed by a huge statue of Lord Hanuman. There’s also a temple in His honour next to the statue.

On climbing the hill a little further one can find a Jogimut and Pandava cave. There's no supporting literature or folklore that links the cave to the Pandavas. The cave itself is very suspect and there's no way it could hold the Pandavas (especially Bheema) during their Vanavasa. So yeah in my opinion you just have to treat it as a tourist spot - nothing less, nothing more.

Getting-there: Right in the heart of the city. The buses are a good medium of transport to get around in Mangalore.

My Rating: 5/10

Mullayangiri, Chikmagalur.

On the way to Mullayangiri via Muthodi

Day 2 in Chikmagalur had a sedate start. Though we had planned to leave early in the morning to Muthodi Wildlife Sanctuary, couldn't execute it to the dot. Breakfast was at the renowned New Town Canteen. If you google New Town Canteen, you would see umpteen recomendations to have the Butter Masala Dosas here. The recommendations stand in good stead with the Dosas made here. New Town Canteen is the MTR of Chikmagalur. In fact, there were some in the group that vouched for the fact that New Town Canteen served better Dosas than MTR. But don't take our word for it and check out for yourself.

After having two Masala Dosas dripping with butter, we faced a difficult task of bundling into our SUV and stay put till we reached Muthodi Wildlife Sanctuary. Our excitement to see some wildlife was nipped in the bud when we heard from the Forest Officer that the Safaris were suspended owing to heavy rains and bad terrain. But our dissapointment was partially wiped out by the amiable Officer who gave us an insight into the whole Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, the Tiger Conservation Project, notable species native to the Muthodi/Bhadra Sactuaries among others.

From inside the cave.



He also suggested us to take a different route through the forest to reach Mullayangiri, for its breathtaking beauty. And breathtaking indeed it was. For the seond time in as many days, we were left gasping for breath looking at the lush green cover and mountain ranges as far as the eye can see. Luckily, we did not encounter a single tourist vehicle along this route, allowing us to stop and stare wherever we wished.



Mullayangiri Temple.



Mullayangiri has been well covered in this Nov 2010 blog. An addition to that is an underground cave below the temple. Not an extensive cave, but well worth the visit. Get ready to soil your clothes if you decide to enter this cave.

Badami, Bagalkot.

After embarking on the Hoysala Trail covering Halebidu and Belur, I was truly astonished by India’s rich architectural heritage. I decided to explore more. At the same time, I also wanted to see the works of a different dynasty. A different era. An architecturally different offering. Thankfully, Karnataka has a lot to offer in this regard. The Hoysalas made way to the Chalukya Trail.

When you talk of Chalukyas the first name that springs to mind is Badami. Located about 90 kms from Hubli, it’s a perfect weekend getaway for those residing there. If you have more time and your own transport at hand, then you can expand the list to include Pattadackal, Mahakoota and Aihole. There are frequent buses available between Hubli and Badami. Or better still you could catch a bus to Kulgeri Cross and then from catch another bus to Badami. After alighting at Badami we make a quick visit to Banshankari temple which is about 4 kms from Badami bus stand. After that we came back to the cave temples of Badami. The cave temples in pictures always looked totally out-of-this-world, and that’s what we found Badami cave temples in reality – totally out-of-this-world!

They are a set of four temples carved inside a monolith. Another striking feature of this temple is the fact that there are temples Shiva, Vishnu, Buddha and Jain – a proof of Chalukya’s religious tolerance. Though the carvings of Badami are not as artistic and magnificent as Halebidu or Belur, they still hold a special charm for their rock-cut look. The view gets better and better as you climb. The once natural pond with the Bhoothanatha Group of temples and the man-made waterfalls (by the Chalukyas for keeping the pond from drying up) all add up for a wonderful experience. The rains only add to the beauty of the place.

Do not forget to engage an ASI guide to give you a tour of the temples. The guide will tell you a lot of interesting observations of the sculptures. Do watch-out for the 18 armed Nataraja which depicts the 81 postures of Bharata Natyam, the Hari-Hara idol to appease both Shiva and Vishnu, the flat-bellied Ganesha, the smiling Narasimha, the only sitting posture of Vishnu (as opposed to Ananthashayanam) anywhere in the world, the worshipping of Kubera by Mahavira, the aesthetical additions by Vijaynagara Rulers, the fort wall additions by Tippu Sultan… the list goes on. Badami is a must-visit place for all those who appreciate India’s past glory.

Getting-there: Direct buses are available from Hubli to Badami. Else take a bus to Kulgeri Cross and another one from there to Badami.

Must-Do: Engage a guide.

Must-Don’t: Littering, Vandalism.

My Rating: 8.5/10

Shivagange, Bangalore

It’s a brand new year. And with a new year comes new hopes and a fresh beginning. But when it comes to traveling, every journey is a new beginning - a fresh start. The destination may or may not be new, but it’s a new beginning nevertheless. My latest weekend getaway had something new about it too, for it was the first time I was take a trip to Tumkur district of Karnataka. Shivagange or Shivaganga was my object of fascination in this latest trip.

Shivaganga is roughly about 60 kms from Bangalore, depending upon where exactly you stay. Considering the freezing climate we left home at 6:30 AM (half an hour late compared to our usual time) and by the time we reach Jallahalli I was already cursing myself for starting so late. The ride from Yeshvantpur to Nelamangala was a real nightmare, what with all the traffic, bad roads and construction work on the elevated highway. By the time we stopped over for breakfast at Hotel Agarwal (cant remember the exact name), I had decided to not come towards Tumkur until the Elevated Highway is ready. But after the super delicious breakfast I was ready to come and eat there if not anything else. Yes, the breakfast here is to die for. Do not forget to try the Khara Baath. After a much satisfying and invigorating breakfast we were back on the road. Right after you cross the toll-gate till the foot hills of Shivagange the roads are a biker’s paradise.

Shivagange is a huge hill rising up to 1368m. It is also famous for religious reasons…yes there always has to be a temple on every hill top. Gangadhareshwara is the presiding deity here. Other (religious) attractions include the Olakala Teertha, Nandi Statue(s) and Patala Gange.

After parking our bikes right outside the temple, and giving ourselves a good stretch, we gazed at the monster ahead of us - 1368m of almost vertical climb to the cloud-covered peak. Luckily, footwear is allowed for the climb except at places of worship. But unlike us, most were doing the whole trek on foot, which made us look a little sinful. But then who cares, after all I was wearing my brand new Woodlands trekking shoes and was more concerned about the safety of my new shoes than the sinful feeling of wearing footwear “near” the place of worship.

The first stop after climbing some 50 odd steps is the Gangadhareshwara Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is believed that performing an abhisheka with ghee turns the ghee into butter. There is also tunnel in this temple that is believed to lead to the Gavi Gangadhareshwara temple in Bangalore. Whether, somebody has undertaken the task of verifying this claim, I cannot be sure. But apparently the tunnel is closed from both ends for safety reasons.

Climb further for about half an hour and you reach Olakala Teertha. Here in this cave temple one would find a small hole-in-the-stone which has a natural spring water source. It is believed that only pious people would be able to touch this water. This also translates into the fact that if you are a tall person with long arms then you are pious :)

Another half hour climb and you reach a relatively new shiv-parvathi idol in glistening white. From here you would get your first good look at the highest peak in Shivagange. We were already huffing and puffing by the time we reach shiv-parvathi and to make matters worse, the next stretch ahead of us was one vertical climb. The rock-carved steps, the rusty rickety railings and in some cases absolutely no steps, makes the climb very treacherous. It is also a physically demanding and absolutely exhilarating experience. After a monkey had confiscated us of our water bottle and emptied its contents, were dependent on lassi’s available at the numerous shacks along the way. During our climb we found a couple of boys carrying water from the foothills to the peak. Curious, we asked them about their daily routine. Their answer shot our brains through our eyeballs. These guys apparently make 10-15 trips per day depending on the demand and get paid Rs. 20 per trip. That’s right 10-15 a day, and sometimes even 20! They definitely have one of the toughest jobs in the world. Had somebody asked me to do a second trip that day, they would have witnessed a Houdini’s act in front of their own eyes.

Two hours, nine lassis’, one lemonade and one bottle of water later we were standing next to the stone carved Nandi. The cool windy breeze here seemed to take away with it every last bit of exhaustion from our body. We no longer remembered to complain about the heat, the exhaustion and tingling sensation in the ankle. We were totally at peace with the gatekeeper of Shiva’s abode. Due to space constraints we could not stake our claim to enjoy a few peaceful moments and had to give way to other devotees.

A little further, there were two more temples and what looks like a runway for fight planes from a warship. A relaxed half hour here and we made our way down. Surprisingly the descent was way too quicker than expected. On the way back, we came across Patala Gange. Here we found a natural spring water source. A priest stationed here gave this spring water as teertha as well as jug-fulls to quench everyone’s thirst. The priest tells us that the spring water level in this cave never changed over the past 60 years – no matter how much you draw out of it. It is believed that the Holy Ganga of the north is the source of this water. A little hard to believe, but that’s the way it is being believed.

Another belief is that the spring water here has some connection to the spring water source of Anthargange. Submerged in this water are the 9 Jyothirlingas, one Vinayaka and one Subramaneshwara. The priest also told us that come Ugadi 2010 and these stone idols would be moved to a new abode near the newly sculpted shiv-parvathi.

With a heady dose of spirituality and trekking we rushed back to Bangalore for a sinful indulgence of Hyderabadi Biryani – our prize for conquering yet another “betta”.

Getting-there: NH4 all the way till Dobbaspet and then a left detour for 6 kms.

Must-Do: Check out Olakala Teertha and Patala Gange. Keep yourself hydrated. Carry absolutely no baggage as they will either be confiscated by the monkey or will impede your progress. No need to carry water bottles too and there are many shacks along the way.

Must-Don’t: Littering. Coming with kids as it could prove dangerous.

My Rating: 6/10.

Anthargange, Bangalore.

The name Kolar evokes in the minds of many, nothing but the images of the famed Gold Mines, which by the way is now shut. Even though the Kolar Gold Fields (a.k.a KGF) are now abandoned, this district of Karnataka is by all means still a gold mine. A gold mine for the ever-wandering tourist. A gold mine for the avid devotee. A gold mine for scholarly archeologist. My R&D into Kolar yielded a long list of places-to-visit. Ironically, most of these places are temples and temples are, as a principle something that I avoid while on trips. But, given the nature and significance of the temples, I was ready to make an exception. Foremost on the list was Anthargange, which also happens to be the closest to Bangalore. Then there are places/temples with mythological significance. There are also these ancient temples from our country’s glorious past. Temples built by the Cholas and the Chalukyas. Add to that there’s the Kotilingeshwara – the one crore shivlinga temple and the Chikka Tirupathi.

The plan was to first get to Anthargange, and IF the body permits, to move on to the other temples. I said IF, because Anthargange has a good vertical trekking trail on offer. We left for Kolar at 7 in the morning and hit the Old Madras Road. The route is very straight forward. Once you take the Old Madras Road, you get off it only at Kolar, which is roughly about 65 kms. There’s a road sign which tells where you take the left turn to Anthargange. From the highway it’s a mere 5 kms to Anthargange.

The temple at Anthargange is famous for its natural spring water source from the rocks believed to be coming from the Ganga of the north. No one really knows the actual source of the water. The source as one can see it is a small crevice from which a steady stream of water flows down into the temple pond. What happens after it flows into pond is something that’s not very delectable to the eye. There are scores of people taking bath (with soap and shampoo), kids jumping into the pool and splashing water all over creation and the like. And right before the water falls into the pond from an elevated platform that looks something like a jump board of a swimming pool, there are hordes of people (not devotees) collecting The Water in water cans and water bottles. From the looks of it, this source of water serves as the drinking water supply (not to mention the bathroom) for the whole of Kolar. I say that because, it looked like the whole of Kolar were there either collecting water in their cans or taking a bath.

Visiting the temple was not our primary motive. It was the hiking that began from the temple. The hike up the hill was challenging especially if you have Asthma. So here were two Asthma sufferers pitted against the mighty rocky terrain of Anthargange. After about an hour or more (we really lost track of time) we were, as we presumed at the top of the hill ranges. And to our surprise we found a village on top of this hill. But no, the villagers here do not have to hike this path every day to reach their home. There is a motorable road one could take to reach here. The hamlet up this hill looked a sleepy one. As we began to wonder what to do next, we found a few (6-7 year old) kids playing in the Raagi fields. So when we asked them what else this place had to offer, the kids replied there were caves further up the hill. Yeah apparently the hill still goes higher.

The kids were now our official guides to explore these mysterious caves. I say mysterious, since I’ve not encountered anything in relation to Caves in my research on Antargange. Now the only problem with this guide-business was that we had five of them. Nobody was ready to let off of an opportunity to earn some money. Though we designated only two of them as our “official guides” the other three tagged along. After a little bit of scheming among the guides, they sent back the youngest and most gullible guide back with a toy as a bribe.

Our guides for the day were an enthusiastic and energetic lot, compared to us lethargic city folks. One of them, from time to time even plucked Guava fruits for us. Pretty sweet – the guava and the guide who offered it. Just like any good guide, they showed everything that could be captured with your lenses. Finally after another hour or more of hiking we reached the so-called-caves. So-called, because these caves were never inhabited. So-called because these caves can never be inhabited, except of course by tiny midgets or seven year old kids. The kids took us deeper and deeper into the rocky formations. The gaps between the stones were so small and our bodies so huge, that many times it seemed impossible to go through. But somehow we went further and further. Most times on all-fours, sometimes contorting our bodies in unimaginable shapes and sometimes sliding down rocks like on a slide in a playground. And then finally we found a crevice between two rocks where we just could not go. It was so narrow that we got stuck after just a couple of kids. But the silly kids were so confident that we could cross, that my co-traveler tried and almost dislocated his nose when her tried to keep his face straight.

The kids then showed us a different path for the exit. And by the time we got out, I had a couple of bruises on my elbows and knees and even managed to twist my shoulder again (as a result of an accident couple of years back). But we were never more glad to be finally out. That place there, could kill a claustrophobic.

The way back was pretty uneventful except for the continuous chatter of the kids, and their stories. They told us quite a number of stories, but after knowing eagerness to talk bull, I wouldn’t put any of those guide-stories here. After tipping out little guides (all of them) at their village (Paparajanahalli), we started to make our way down to Antargange. But soon we realized that folly of our intitial misconceptions of this sleepy hamlet. The place was suddenly hip and happening - and how. There we found an agricultural well where about forty young men and kids were assembled around the well and splashing themselves into it. On the main road though there was a large gathering of young men who had some kind of drag-racing-cum-wheeling competition going on. Next to the local tea-stall hangout place was a large swing suspended from a tree where again young men were swinging away to unbelievable heights.

Unable to believe this sudden transformation of the place we walked back to Antargange. Now with most of the devotees gone, the temple was quieter on the devotional front but noisier on the recreational front. It was all fun and frolic for the kids and men who came to the temple for their afternoon swim in the swimming pool (ex-temple-pond). However there was no variation in the number of people carrying the spring water back to their homes or businesses where they sold the water. We took this opportunity to have a closer look at the Fountainhead of the water. Surprisingly the stream just kept coming from an elevated platform, between two tiny Nandi statues. We filled out bottle with this stream and to our surprise, it tasted as pure as a natural spring water can be. It was a real life saver for our parched throats. Somewhat rejuvenated by the generous amount of stream water we made our way back to so-called mineral water haven of Bangalore.

Getting-there: Old Madras Road -> Left at Kolar 65 kms later -> Left before Bus Stand.


Must-Do: Keep yourself hydrated. Taste the natural spring. Explore the Caves - if possible.

Must-Dont: Carrying excessive baggage. Even backpacks and waterbottles and coats are a liability while exploring the caves. Littering, bathing and the like. Claustrophobics should stay away from the caves.


Road Report: Good Roads after T.G.E (or a similar combination of alphabets) Extension. But too many diversions, because of the laying of the 4-lane roads.

Food: Kamat Upachar, 10 kms before Kolar - A must!!!


My Rating: 6.5/10