Someshwara Temple, Kolar.

The brand new Ritz lying in the parking lot for a week has been crying for attention. With the arrival of the weekend, we took her out for a spin. Even though the plan to go for a long drive was made in the eleventh hour, there was no shortage of destinations to choose from. We zeroed-in on Kolar. Even the places we to see in Kolar was a no-brainer. Since I’ve already to Kolar once, there was no need to take a peek at Google maps either. All I needed was a good night’s sleep so we can start early in the morning. But that was not to be, as I kept tossing and turning in bed till close to midnight and then very reluctantly dragged myself out of bed at 4 in the morning.

After picking up a couple of friends from KR puram, we were quickly onto NH4 headed towards Kolar. First stop was Kamat Upachar (or was it Lokaruchi? What’s the difference between the two anyway?) some 10 kms before Kolar. Next up we drove right up to Someshwara Temple in Kolar town after asking for directions from the locals. The Someshwara Temple was built in the 14th Century by Vijayanagara Empire. The temple was built in distinct Vijayanagara style with Chinese, European and Thai influence. This inclusion of foreign styles is a prominent feature of Vijayanagara architectural style as witnessed in Hampi.

The temple complex, among others, has a huge Mantapa, Yoga Shaala, Kalyana Mantapa and a shrine for Goddess Parvathi. The temple was unusually quiet when we were there. Just a handful of devotees came along at that hour, which was fine by me, as I hate crowded temples. We spent a few leisure moments relaxing and taking pictures before we decided to move to the next item on the list – Kolaramma temple.

Getting-there: Take NH4 out of Bangalore. Some 60-odd kms later you will find yourself at Kamat. Make sure to have some food here, since there aren’t any good hotels in Kolar worthy of mention. Some 10 kms later take a left deviation to Kolar. You can ask for directions once you are in Kolar.

Must-Do: Have food at Kamat before you get to Kolar. A good camera is handy to capture to the splendor of Vijayanagara style of architecture.

Must-Don’t: Destroy the serenity and aesthetics of the place.

My Rating: 6/10

Nandi Hills through D90

The last time I had been to Nandi Hills was in the July of 2009. Even after two years, I still distinctly remember the images of that trip. I remember that I couldn’t differentiate the mist from clouds. Two years later, I still faced the same problem. Only this time, the clouds and/or mist were even more intense. To add to my woes, I could not differentiate the rain from the dew. That is also probably why Nandi Hills will continue to be one of my favoured destinations around Bangalore.

Just like last time, we were there very early in the day. But this time round I explored Nandi Hills with a different set of people (Photography and Trekking enthusiasts) and a different set of eyes (Nikon D90). Here’s some of the best moments frozen in pixels:

Bhatkal Beach

Bhatkal is another beach that is as yet off the tourist map. But this is not a deserted beach like Kasarkod. There's a small settlement of people, mostly fishermen, who live by the beach. But from a tourist perspective, there's nothing there. Not a shack, or a shop for refreshments. No public transports except an occasional Autorickshaw from Bhatkal town 7 kms away.

As a result of this seclusion from the rest of the world, the beach here is pretty unspoilt. It's another vast beach that you would enjoy walking on. But beware of the huge crabs crawling over the grainy sand beach. The heat as everywhere we went was a killer. But thanks to some huge boulders on the the beach we could get some respite from the unrepenting Sun. It was an ideal spot to relax, with a book in hand.

 

Getting-there: 15kms from Murudeshwar. Buses available from Murudeshwar and Kollur.

 

Must-Do: Get a book and have a relaxed time with the soothing sounds of the ocean.

Must-Don't: Choose the summer to visit the place. Littering this paradise-on-earth.

 

My Rating: 7/10

Mookambika Temple, Kollur

If you are a Hindu Malayali, the chances of you visiting the Mookambika Devi Temple at least once in your lifetime are pretty high. The temple may geographically lie in Kollur, Karnataka, but you will easily mistake it to be somewhere in the lush green mystic mountains of Kerala. The chances of hearing Kannada voices here are as remote as the sun setting in the east.

The presiding deity here is Goddess Mookambika, believed to be the manifestation of Shakti, Saraswathi and Mahalakshmi. This temple is also considered to be one among the Seven Muktisthala pilgrim centers in Karanataka along with Udupi, Subramanya, Kumbashi, Koteshwara, Sankaranarayana and Gokarna. Another significance of this temple is that Sage Adi Shankaracharya is believed to have perceived the idea of setting the temple here by installing the idol himself, some 1200 years ago.

The temple is situated at the foot of the Kodachadri Hills and on the banks of River Sauparnika. If you have a day to kill, you can consider a trek to Kodachadri peak. There are all-weather Jeeps that take you to the peak. We however kept this trek for a later date.
The Mookambika Devi is also a favourite for Vidyaramba. A lot of small kids are initiated into education  here by writing in a platter of rice. The temple can get really crowded in the mornings and late evenings, as there is a steady influx of devotees. So you might want to go during the "non-peak" hours.

Getting-there: 60kms from Murudeshwar. 420 kms from Bangalore. Buses are available from both locations to Kollur.

Must-Do: There's a clothes regulation here. You cannot enter the shrine wearing, shorts or three-fourths. Men have to be bare-chested.

My Rating: 6/10

Apsarakonda Falls, Honavar.

After reaching the far end of the beach, we started walking in-land and soon enough we found human habitation there. We started asking around, and thankfully realised that we were on the right track. The Apsarakonda was a mere kilometer walk from there. And yes, we didn't have to climb the hillock. 

The Apsarakonda hardly qualifies to be called a "Waterfall". If you are rich, you can probably create one in your own backyard. There's a steady stream of water pouring down a well-shaped earth-pit with some phantomesque setting. But the fresh water was enticing enough to make me go take a dip. Parched from energy-sagging walk, I drank the fresh water to my heart's content. And suddenly all the fatigue and the exhaustion disappeared. I was now ready to head back to our hotel in Murudeshwar.

Getting-there: The best way to the reach here is to take a Rickshaw from the Honavar-Murudeshwar road. The other way of course is from the beach - not recommended if you are not a regular walker in the sun.

My Rating: 4/10