Touring Karnataka

Mysore tourism

2010-12-28T22:06:00.020+05:30

I had two days of leaves left for the year; Christmas was on Saturday and with Sunday following it, I had four days at my disposal for an outing. Anand shared the same situation and we decided to leave for Mysore. After few hiccups, we confirmed the visit and left Davangere early at 6.30 am on 23rd December, 2010. We, our spouses and our kids constituted the occupants of my car. Our itinerary for the day was to visit Sriranapattana by 2 pm, be at KRS dam (Vrindavana gardens) by 5 pm and then reach Mysore by dark. Things always don’t go as one plans, as we found out.

After evaluating various routes to Mysore, I finally chose to go through Tumkur. We reached Tumkur at 9.35 am after covering a distance of 200 kms. Since there were no directions anywhere along the highway, I overshot the deviation towards Kunigal. After a brief navigation through the streets of Tumkur, we found the Kunigal road.

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The stretch of road to Kunigal was in pathetic strait. It took us an hour to cover 43 kms. We were looking for a decent hotel at Kunigal for breakfast and in the process, we headed towards Mangalore instead to Maddur. Very soon we realized the error and headed back to the correct route. We had to skip the breakfast; fortunately we had stock of banana and biscuits. We covered another 55 kms in 1.45 hrs to reach Maddur. The road to Maddur was definitely better than the road to Kunigal. One must be prepared for sudden appearance of huge potholes or speed breakers on this stretch.

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We had to break for lunch and we halted at Kadamba Veg Restaurent, adjacent to the bust stand. After spending an hour, we left to Srirangapattana. It is here that we joined the Bangalore-Mysore highway and we were glad to drive on this road.

On the way, we crossed Mandya city; we covered another 52 Kms and reached Srirangapattana at 2.15 pm. We took to right and visited the fort. There was a signboard indicating places to visit inside the fort. A man offered his services as guide but we declined. Our first visit was to the spot where Tipu’s body was found. There was no point spending beyond 2 minutes there. We moved on towards the Colonel Bailey’s dungeon.

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Just as we descended to the dungeon, the place was swarmed by school kids from Kerala. After managing to click few snaps we left in a hurry. Strangely, videographing was forbidden. We had to do with still photography only. We refreshed ourselves with tender coconuts; these were bigger and cheaper than the ones sold in Davangere.

There were few temples inside the fort, unfortunately for us we were early. We were told that the temples opened after 4 pm. The most famous, Ranganathswamy temple too was closed.

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On the way back, there was a signboard indicating another colonel’s dungeon but we failed to locate it. Also present in this area was the birthplace of one of the Mysore kings, which too was found locked. A mini museum was housed within Jayachamrajendra memorial chatra. It has no entry fee and photography is allowed.

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Also present was Tipu's erstwhile Lal mahal, which has been decimated (dismantled) by the British. Nothing but few broken walls and a signpost remains.

We crossed the highway again, took a left turn and went towards Dariya Daulat bagh (Tipu’s summer palace).

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This one was maintained by ASI. I had to pay a special fee of Rs.150 for video camera only to discover that photography/videography was prohibited inside the palace. I felt cheated. People with camera that can record video have unfair advantage over those possessing handycam. After walking through elaborate garden and wading through mass of tourist, we entered the palace.

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The walls and the roofs were all painted with intricate designs, a delight to the eyes.

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Placed inside the palace were artifacts of royal possession, paintings of Tipu and his family and much more. The palace closed at 5.30 pm and we left for Nimishamba temple, which is on the bank of Kaveri River.

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After the temple, we visited Ghosai ghat, which was basically a river bank. It gave a wonderful view of the flowing river.

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Fortunately there were none to disturb us. We left for Mysore at 6.10 pm and reached after covering 14 kms reached our hotel. We had booked accommodation at Nandini Hotel at Irwin Road situated close to KSRTC bus stand.

Next morning, we started a little slowly (9.25 am). After breakfast our first destination was Chamundeshwari temple at Chamundi hills.

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Since we were late, there has a huge rush at the temple and we decided against entering the temple. As we descended the hills, we made a brief stop at the huge Nandi.

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After a brief break, we continued our tour at 10.30 am. Our next destination for the day was Talakadu.

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The road towards Talakadu was excellent and was newly laid for the recent festival.

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We were a little confused whether to take or right turn at the circle. We took right turn and reached Talakadu at 12.30 pm after covering 52 kms. Although a guide is not essential, we were duped into hiring one. From an initial quote of Rs.350, we settled his fee for Rs.80. He sounded excited in his narration was uncertain and confused himself. There were few shiva temples buried in sand, that were excavated.

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Besides shiva temple, there was a Vishnu and durga temple in the premise. The amount of sand present around this area is unbelievable. A local folklore suggests that the place was covered by sand following a woman’s curse. Whatever the legend, presence of sand in that area is baffling. I have a feeling that this area was once in the course of a river, which later got diverted. There were no good hotels around for lunch. We savored tender coconuts and left the place at 1.30 pm.

Over next destination was Gaganachukki / Barachukki falls.

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The road from Talakadu to the falls was in poor condition at most places.

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After covering a distance of 30 kms in 1.15 hours we reached the falls. We slowly descended the steps to reach the bottom. One has to tread carefully to avoid slipping at the steps. A breathtaking view of water rushing down awaited us. It is always the mass of tourists that spoils the view and serenity of the place.

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One has to be aware of monkeys, who are waiting to snatch away any edible stuff. We hired a coracle for fun-filled 10 minutes ride to towards the falls for a mere Rs.100. He took us close to the point where falls crashed down, paused for us to take photos and even gave us a spin. This was probably the best part of the trip. There were a few vendors selling snacks, cold drinks and tender coconuts. After spending a good 3.30 hrs, we left for Somanathpura.

It took us an hour to cover 43 kms of extremely poor road to reach Somanathpura. By the time we reached its premise, we learnt that it was closed for the day. We were dejected; if only the roads were good we could have arrived a lot early. Damn the government of Karnataka for the poor condition of roads. With sun setting and nothing else around to visit, we left for Mysore via T Narsipur Road and reached Mysore at 7.20 pm after covering 40 kms.

We had reserved the next day of the visit for touring within the city. Our first destination was the zoo. We were advised to be at the zoo by 9 am and so were we. There is no proper provision to park cars and at peak rush it becomes really difficult to park vehicle. I had to pay Rs.150 for using handycam. I had visited the zoo twice before but each time it impressed me. It is perhaps the best in the country and very well maintained.

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Strangely, there were wild animals on the roads too; they looked just like us but behaved just like wild animals. I can’t recall the animals but it contained many exotic and rare animals. As always, wild people continue to tease or feed animals and pollute the place. At places, officials insect visitors for possession of entry tickets and special tickets for photography/videography; hence it is strongly advised to retain the tickets. There were well maintained toilets and cafeteria to cater to visitors needs. Although our plan was to spend only 45 minutes, we ended up spending up 2.30 hours. By the time we exited the zoo, there were hundreds of people lined up to buy the ticket. We were glad that we visited early.

Our next destination was the Mysore Palace. Fortunately, a parking place was available for the visitors. After buying entry tickets we got inside the palace area. We were told that photography of any kind was prohibited inside the palace. One had to deposit their camera at a locker for a fee. Footwear too was prohibited inside the palace. There was facility to hire a guide or for a voice assisted tour.

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It is difficult to describe in words the grandeur of the palace is a must-visit spot for any tourist. There were two parts of the palace to be seen, the second part was more like a museum. Since we were short of time, we could not visit the temple in the palace area. A camel and elephant ride was available for those interested. We were at the palace until 2 noon after which we had lunch and left for KRS Dam.

We reached Vrindavan garden at 2.40 pm after covering a distance of 24 kms. The road was good and there were properly marked directions. There was a good provision to park vehicles. We were advised to leave KRS early as it would become difficult to get our vehicles out. Besides entry fee, we had to pay an additional Rs.50 for using camera. A signboard mentioned that use of video camera was prohibited. We visited a small aquarium before treading towards the gardens. The aquarium too had an entry fee; some of the tanks were empty, some had wrong labels and some had different fishes in one tank. It was too hot to venture out in the gardens, so the children took to playing in the nearby park. While the children played I took to the gardens as I knew it was my best chance to photograph the garden minus the crowd. I am glad that I chose to photograph when it was still hot because the place was swarmed by maddening crowd by 4 pm.

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One has an option of walking over a bridge or taking a boat ride to the other side of the garden to witness musical fountain. Anand decided to stay back while I and my family walked to the other side. There we were asked by the officials for the camera ticket. Since Anand had purchased the tickets, they were in his possession. I had to convince him about our position and he excused us with an advice to keep possession of ticket at all times. As the crowd started building up, we decided to skip the musical fountain show, which was to start at 7 pm. Unwilling to get stuck, we moved out of KRS at 6.15 pm. It took me almost an hour to get my car out of the parking lot as people started to come in from all directions. There were none to guide the vehicles in or out, hence people drove in all directions causing irrational jams. As we drove back we noticed incoming vehicles in two lanes for over two kilometers. There must have been at least two-three thousand vehicles coming in at that time. I guess many among them would have reached KRS after 8 pm (when the KRS closes) and many turned back without even getting opportunity to stop at KRS. I was told that most vehicles returned back to Mysore it after midnight. I suppose most of them had to miss their dinner. If one has to visit KRS, one has to start and leave early and if possible park the car as further form KRS as possible. We reached the city at 7 pm.

Next day, we visited Jaganmohan palace, which is now an art gallery. Since we arrived early, we got an opportunity to park the car and get an easy entry. As usual, we had to buy entry tickets and deposit our camera at the counter. The art gallery housed many photographs of the royal family, their belongings, artifacts among other things. Unfortunately, the flow of visitors was not very efficiently managed and sometimes many people had to squeeze through narrow wooden staircase. Of all the things that impressed me, it was Raja Ravi Varman’s original oil paintings. After spending an hour and half, we left for Mysore at 10.20 am.

We reached Tumkur at 2.30 pm, where we halted for lunch. We continued our journey and traveling through Chitradurga, reached Davangere at 6 pm.

DISTANCE CHART
Davangere to Tumkur: 200 kms
Tumkur to Kunigal: 43 kms
Kunigal to Maddur: 44 kms
Maddur to Srirangapattana: 52 kms
Srirangapattana to Mysore: 14 kms
Mysore to Talakkad: 54 kms
Talakkad to Gaganachukki falls: 30 kms
Gaganachukki falls to Somanathpura: 43 kms
Somanathpura to Mysore: 84 kms
Mysore to KRS Dam (Vrindavan gardens): 24 kms

Kanchipuram-Mahabalipuram trip

2010-10-24T14:22:00.014+05:30

Although this blog was originally intended to log my visits across Karnataka, I am taking liberty to include my travels outside the state. An unexpected and sudden proposal to visit Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram came up during second week of October 2010. As per original plan we were to leave Bengaluru (Bangalore) early on 12th, visit the Golden temple at Sripuram (at Vellore) on the way, visit Kanchipuram and offer prayers at some of the temples, purchase few silk sarees and reach Mahabalipuram by evening. Accommodation was already booked at Mamalla Beach Resort at Mahabalipuram.

I had to plan the travel itinerary and schedule approximately timings. I used google maps to select the best possible route and we decided to avoid going via Kolar and instead go via Hosur road. While going through the literature on Golden temple, I became aware that we needed several hours to see the temple and decided to drop it from our itinerary.

I was to don the role of the driver of my brother in law’s Tata Indigo Marina car. The party comprised of my sister along with her two kids, her friend Sabita and her two kids beside me. We were seven in all. I had nearly 16,000 kms of driving experience including a drive to Mantralayam (AP) but this drive was going to be different because I would be driving a diesel car for the first time. I had driven only small cars until then but this one was lengthier. Besides, driving through Bengaluru’s traffic was challenging.

My brother in law usually never gives his vehicle to anyone but he made a rare exception for me. We filled the tank the previous night and I took a test drive on his car. Diesel cars are a little difficult to handle at slow speeds; they keep turning off in inexperienced hands.

We got up early on 12th morning and got everything ready for the trip. I was quickly shown some basic controls in the dashboard and location of the spare tyre and the toolkit. Sabitha arrived with her kids on time. We left Malleshwaram at 4.45 am. I was not aware of the route to Hosur road. Both my sister and Kushal (Sabitha’s son) gave me directions. Once we hit the Hosur road, there were no problems.

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We encountered six-seven toll collection centres throughout the day; the charges varied from Rs.20 to Rs.35. At 6.45 am we reached Krishnagiri and Amlur at 7.45 am. We noticed a deviation to Sripuram at 8 am (205 kms from Bengaluru). We passed through Vellore at 8.20 am and reached the diversion to Kanchipuram at 9.30 am (291 kms from Bengaluru).

Our first destination at Kanchipuram was Ekambarnath temple; we reached it in ten minutes. There was no parking fee but one had to buy entrance fee.

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I paid Rs.100 to use handycam inside the temple. The temple is said to be 3500 years old, but it looked rebuilt or renovated. The sanctum is accessible to Hindu devotees only. Located inside the temple is a mango tree that is believed to be as old as the temple and is know to bear fruits of different tastes. It is forbidden to touch the tree. Like most ancient temples in Tamilnadu, this one too is vast with several pillars and deities.

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Since the kids were hungry we decided to break for breakfast and we headed to Sarvana Bhavan. We had to go through some narrow streets to reach it. We parked the car in front of the Kamakshi temple and walked towards the restaurant. A basic breakfast inside the A/C section set us back by Rs.1000.

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By the time we reached Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham (and the Kamakshi temple) it was already 11.30 am. We were told that most temples close by 12 noon. Even though we hurried inside, we were told that the deity was unavailable for darshan because of some special navaratri-related pooja. Disheartened, we left.
Kids were hesitant to visit any temples and decided to stay back in the car. I and my sister wanted to visit few more temples around; Sabitha decided to stay with her children. We hired an auto and left to Vadiraja Perumal temple, which was 5 kms from Kamakshi temple. For Rs.100, the auto driver agreed for onward and return trip.

When we visited the temple premise, it was about 11.55 am and we hurried through. We were asked to shell out Rs.100 for merely possessing the video camera. I was not willing to pay again and asked my sister to visit first while I waited outside with handycam. While she was inside the temple, I began filming the surroundings. I was rudely interrupted by the guards who objected to videographing without payment. I was not even inside the temple and argued why they could object. I got into a minor altercation with them over their logic but had to relent to avoid creating a scene. My sister returned in five minutes and it was my turn to enter the temple after handing over the handycam to her. Once inside the temple, I learnt that the temple complex also housed the famous golden lizard. Touching the golden lizard is believed to cleanse one of all the sins. Having come this far I did not want to forgo the opportunity and decided to go ahead while my sister kept waiting for me unaware of my plans. After few turns, ups and downs the stairs, I reached a long queue. One has to buy a Rs.2 ticket for darshan. The door behind me was shut close immediately. I realized that I had handed over my mobile to my sister and I had no way of contacting her. While standing in the queue, I overheard few kannada speaking pilgrims. I requested one of them to allow me to make a call to my sister and he obliged. I was able to inform her that I would be taking about 30-40 more minutes to reach out. Standing in the queue was an unpleasant experience; even though there were fans installed the stench of human sweat was unbearable. Finally I got to touch the golden and silver lizards mounted on the ceiling.

On the way back, the auto driver showed us Annadorai’s house and took us to another house selling silk sarees. He insisted we visit the shop. My sister did not find any of them to her taste and we left. He then took us to another government recognized shop which was basically run by the association of weavers.

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There were looms in the basement and first floor and many people were working on sarees.

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The salesman patiently showed various design patterns and colors to my sister. She finally made a purchase. It was here that we came to know that Sabitha had taken the kids to Babu Sah’s silk saree shop. This shop had more varieties to offer and was more crowded (and popular).

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Sabitha purchased half a dozen sarees for herself.

It was lunch time and we headed back to Sarvana Bhavan. We avoided the A/C section because of exorbitant pricing.

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The south Indian meal was good enough for me although I overheard one of the customers lamenting that the food was no good for the amount being charged. We left Kanchipuram at 3.20 pm.

The pleasure of driving through the national highway had ceased with Kanchipuram. We had to go through pothole riddled poor state highway roads. We reached Chengalpattu at 4.20 pm (336 Km from Bengaluru) and finally arrived Mamallapuram at 5.30 pm. Throughout the distance, we hardly encountered any signboards mentioning Mahabalipuram. Later, we came to know that the place is known as Mamallapuram and the small area near the shore is known as Mahabalipuram. Locating the resort was little challenging as there were no signboards besides the entrance at all. Besides, there was tree in front of the entrance that blocked its view.

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Tired, we settled into our rooms.

The rooms at the resort are modest. Fortunately, they are air-conditioned. Unfortunately for us, the remote control was a dummy and we had no control over it. Inability to change the temperature or even switch it off was a major put off. The room had a decent balcony but the view of the ocean was blocked by Casuarina trees. The room service was efficient and the toilets clean. Fortunately for us there were no mosquitoes. Overall, the rooms were pretty impressive. I had to ask for an additional bed for myself. Dinner was available as buffet with a price tag of Rs.350 per person. Few of us ordered food to be served in our rooms. The quality of food was a major let down.

After a good night’s sleep, we woke to a refreshing morning. Breakfast was a buffet at the open air restaurant. It was very close to the beach and offered a pleasant view. There was a wide variety of choices although the quality was not very good.

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Kids headed straight to the pool. The pool had chlorine treatment the other day and was ready for use. It had a maximum depth of 6.5 feet and no scope for diving. They have strict dress code for swimmers.

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I too joined in the pool despite being a very poor swimmer. While I got out of it after an hour, kids continued till 11 am. We headed back to our rooms and bathed. It was time to visit the famous rock temples.

The reception at the resort gave us a map with details of the places to see. We had to pay an entrance fee of Rs.25. All the important locations are clustered in a small area and are not difficult to miss. Click on the thumbnail to see the enlarged map showing the route that we had taken.The first place to visit was Krishna’s butter ball, Arjuna’s penance, Varaha Mantapam.

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As we entered the premise, we were approached by a local guy speaking English in heavy American accent.He offered himself as a guide. Neither we looked American nor European, we wondered why he spoke in such an accent; anyway we declined his offer. He was not an authorized guide anyway. As he left another guy approached us with broken English; he was an authorized guide. He offered to take us around for Rs.150 and promised to show us 12 places; our group agreed. He was always in a hurry and did not care if all the members of the group were assembled. Being Hindus, I guess most people are aware of Hindu gods and stories such as Mahabaratha. He was explaining them to us as if we were foreigners; some professional habit this! He showed us 6-7 places and then told us the remaining places did not need any guide.

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Frankly, this place does not actually need any guide. If one prepares early, one can find lots of information on the internet.

It was noon and time for lunch. We were looking for a good hotel and the guide was more than happy to show us the “good one”. Obviously, he had some stake in this exercise. Most of us regretted having visited the restaurant. After lunch, kids expressed that they had no interest in watching places and wanted to head back to the resort. The kids went to pool, beach and then slept in the rooms. We had some unfinished business to attend to. Our next destination was Mashishasuramardini cave (it was nothing like a cave), Arjuna’s penance model and the light house.

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After that we headed to Panch rathas; this one is maintained by ASI. Unfortunately, the ticket counter is little far away from the premise. We had to go back and fetch tickets.

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Around this area is the well organized shopping/parking area. One has to be a master in the art of bargaining to get a good price. A vendor sold my sister an artifact after heavy bargaining for Rs.500, only to be discovered that the same was available for Rs.250 in another shop. She returned the item to the first vendor and bought it from the other. It is good idea to visit several shops to get a fair idea of the prices.
Next, our destination was the Shore temple. This one too is maintained by ASI and we had to buy tickets. People with video cameras have to buy a special ticket (Rs.25) as well as give a signed undertaking.

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We overheard that it was damaged during the tsunami that struck few years ago. This was our last sight seeing site. I must admit that none of these carvings come anywhere closer to those in Belur-Halebidu in Karnataka.
On the Eastcoast Road and several recently made sculptures on display, which are apparently for sale. We wondered if people really bought those big structures.

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That evening few of us had dinner at Golden Palate restaurant. This one is well maintained and had good ambience. Like most south Indian restaurants, north Indian foods are never up to the mark.

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Next morning, we had long breakfast while the kids had good time at the pool. We checked out at 9.50 am and headed back to Mahablipuram to make some last minute purchases. We were out of Mamallapuram at 11 am. Our next stop was near Kanchipuram where we halted for some tender coconuts. We then halted at Vellore’s Sarvana Bhavan for lunch. After filling the tank with another 20 litres of diesel, we headed towards Bengaluru. As we entered the city, it started raining. Unfortunately, the car’s wiper was malfunctioning and I had real difficulty seeing through. Heavy evening traffic, coupled with poor visibility and modetate downpour made it extremely tough to drive back. I had never seen such a traffic blockade before; we made progress in inches. Thanks to Kushal’s GPS on his mobile, finding the way back was easier. We took an alternate route to reach early. Finally we reached Malleshwaram at 8.15 pm.

Kalasa-Horanadu tourism

2010-06-07T17:50:00.022+05:30

The last time I visited Sri Annapurneshwari temple at Horanadu was in 1996. A group of eight guys on four two-wheelers had traveled from Mangalore to Horanadu and back. Since then I was always itching to visit it again. I got an opportunity in May 2010. I left Davangere to Udupi along with my wife and son on 14th May at 3 pm and reached Udupi at 8.30 pm. After resting for the night, we took off next morning to Horanadu; this time my mother joined me.

We left Udupi at 7.30 am, reached Hiriyadka at 7.50 am. Then we headed towards Karkala, which we reached at 8.40 am. Although there are directions at many places besides the road, we found a little difficulty in finding the right direction near Karkala.

We reached Bajagoli after driving for 20 minutes.

We took a left turn at Bajagoli and the ghat sections started thereafter. The road was well laid out and the traffic very thin; there were hardly any vehicles moving in either directions. Although there were signposts asking people not to throw plastic bottles, the place was still littered with plastic bottles and snack discards.

At this point, I noticed a very strange rumbling sound coming from my car. Not taking any risk in inspecting the vehicle on desolated roads, I continued driving. Soon, we came along a diversion and a petty shop. I recollected the spot as we had a group photo taken here when our entire class had been to Sringeri on a botanical tour in 1992. I stopped the car and inspected for any obvious anomaly. Being untrained, I found none.

We had already covered 33 kms from a possible service station at Karkala and still had to cover 50 kms more to reach Horanadu. Yet, I decided to continue the journey.

Very soon, we reached the Kudremukh national park checkpost. Since the gates were open, I wanted to drive by. Callously, I glanced at the personnel manning the checkpost and he signaled me to stop. Had I not done that, I would have sped by and then landed in big trouble. Wondering why I was asked to stop, I approached the checkpost personnel and he handed me a ticket bearing my car number. It was the gate pass, which one had to surrender at the other end of the national park. Although the gate pass is issued free of cost, traveling through the park without gate pass would attract heavy penalty. I was glad that I stopped at the check post.

The drive along the kudremukh national park was pleasant one. On the way I would stop to enjoy the serene beauty of the hills and valleys, photograph and videograph them.

I was reminded of the college days when we made the same trip. After the last years heavy rains I was expecting to find roads in terrible condition but that was not to be; the roads were excellent.

We came across a point called Gangamoola, the origin of Tunga and Bhadra rivers. We did not have the luxury of exploring this point.

Besides, there were signposts asking people not to park their vehicles or trek in this region. So, there is hardly a way one can explore this point. The signboards were rendered unreadable due to heavy rains that fall in this area.

On the way, we came across private tea garden. We halted briefly to appreciate the beauty. The owners had a small tea lounge by the road. We had no time for that as our immediate aim was to reach Kalasa and Horanadu.

We reached Kalasa, which is a very small town at 10.40 am. Fortunately, we found parking space by the temple entrance. One has to pay a fee of Rs.10/- for car parking. A brief staircase led us to Sri Kalasheshwara temple.

As is common in many parts, photography is banned in the temple premise. After washing our hands and feet, we entered the temple. Located inside were Lord Eshwara and Goddess Durga temple (I suppose so, as I did not visit the latter).

One can make donations in the form or rice too. Men have to remove shirts and vests before entering the garbhagudi. One is not allowed to prostrate and bow inside the garbhagudi. After spending 35 minutes, we took off to Horanadu, which is only 8 kms drive from Kalasa.

On the way, we encountered river Bhadra with a bridge over it. The bridge did not appear to be very safe as it had no railings on its sides. Although swimming in this river is banned, one can find people swimming in it.

We had enjoyed the water during our last visit. One of my friends, Deepak had dived into the water only to hit an underwater rock that tore his scalp and had bled profusely.

We drove on and reached the temple premise at 11.35 am. We covered 118 Kms from Udupi in approximately four hours (including all stops). I was expecting the place to be a lot cooler but it was scorching hot.

My mother and wife purchased tickets for seva and we went inside. There was a huge rush inside the temple, not for the darshan as many were seated. Initially I though they were seated for food. On enquiry I came to know that they were seated for special pooja services. There is an elaborate queue system to reach the garbhagudi of Goddess Annapureneshwari. Since we had a seva ticket, we were made to sit in the close proximity of the goddess. The deity is fully adorned in gold and jewellery. Once again we were forbade from bowing and prostrating inside. Prasada and theertha were given outside. It is at this point that we had to submit hannu-kai to the deity. Next, we purchased ticket for anna-dana (rice donation). Upon presentation of the ticket, we can take a bowl of rice from the gunny bag and transfer it to a receiving box. After that we purchased prasada. Anyone visiting for the first will face difficulty because of lack of guidance or directions.

It is a tradition that one must have free food offered by the temple. It was lunch time. We discovered that there is separate provision for Brahmins. After a brief search, we were able to visit the bojanshala. Men are expected are to remove shirt and vest here too. At this time I realized the importance of visiting temples in white dhotis (panche) and not in jean pant and T shirt.

The seating arrangement was good; the lunch was modest, yet satisfying. We were served white rice along with saaru (rasam), sambar, payasa (porridge) and majjige (buttermilk). After lunch, my mother and wife did some shopping for memorabilia. My son insisted on buying some toys.

At this time, as I got busy shooting video, my son wandered and lost his way back. After few tensed moments, we found him. The scorching heat made every movement tiresome but thanks to good water supply, we were quickly eased. The tap water was remarkably cold, in fact colder than our regular refrigerated water. We bowed to the Goddess, thanked the temple for the lunch and after spending good 1.25 hours, left Horanadu at 1.00 pm.

On the way back we decided to stop at roadside shop selling various local agriculture produce including tea and spices. We discovered that their prices were almost three times lesser than what it costs in the city. We made some good purchases here.

After traveling some more distance we reached the spot where tea gardens greeted every passer by. We decided to stop by. We were give one complementary cup of tea and the rest had to be bought.

We bought some tea leaves. They have provision of sending the tea leaves to buyer’s residential address without any additional transportation charges. For more information, contact Akshaya Tea Traders (9379236599 or attkalasa@gmail.com).

Since we were in a hurry to visit the temple, we had missed a observing a few locations. But on the way back, I had lot of time.

I stopped the car near Kadambi falls.

Just as I opened the door, a monkey came too close to the car. Realizing that it could reach in and snatch anything it could lay its hand on, I secured all the windows and doors. Although there wasn’t much water in the falls, it would be entirely different during the monsoon.

I knew we would find Lakya dam on the way. After enquiry, I did find the direction to reach the dam but my mother and wife were against visiting the site. A spot had been created on the road side to view the dam but had not been maintained well; bushes and trees had completely obscured the view.

Without any further stop or problems from the car, I drove non-stop and reached Udupi at 5.40 pm.

Distance chart
Udupi to Hiryadka: 17 kms
Hiriyadka to Karkala: 22 kms
Karkala to Bajagoli: 14 kms
Bajagoli to Kudremukh: 40 kms
Kudremukh to Samse: 12 kms
Samse to Kalasa: 8 kms
Kalasa to Horanadu: 8 kms

Gokarna-Murudeshwar tourism

2009-07-20T13:28:00.008+05:30

I was planning since long to visit Gokarna. In fact, I had planned to travel up to Gokarna during my last trip to Sirsi (previous blog) but due to lack of company I had to drop the extension. But things were perfect for Gokarna trip on 22nd march 2009. My sister and brother in law were supposed to join us in their car but they changed their plans on the nth hour and I was left stranded. Not to be humbled by the situation, I decided to go ahead any way. I was accompanied by my wife, son, my sister and her daughter. We left Udupi at 9 am. I was told that the darshan at the temple in Gokarna shuts at 12.30 pm, so we had to hurry up. Traveling a distance of 180 Kms on NH7 and driving through Kundapur, Marvanthe, Bhatkal and Kumta we reached Gokarna at 12 noon. I had never driven my car beyond 60 kms on this highway and it indeed was an experience.

From Gokarna-Murudeshwara

On the way we passed by Marvanthe beach, a spectacular and unique sight because the river and the ocean is separated by a narrow stretch of road. On the left was the ocean and on the right was the river. The beach has been riddled with large boulders to prevent sea erosion or else the highway would get eroded. Driving further, we had to drive over a long bridge. This bridge was known to be weak and traffic on it was suspended for several years almost a decade ago. The bridge certainly appeared fragile and appeared as though it might cave in any time.

From Gokarna-Murudeshwara

Driving 22 kms from Kumta is a deviation to left. One has to drive another 10 kms to reach Gokarna temple. One is greeted by a checkpost that collects toll for entering the area. From this point we had little difficulty reaching the temple due to lack of any signs. Since we were nearing the closing time, we hurried to the temple. The streets were dusty and narrow and the place looked neglected.

From Gokarna-Murudeshwara

As we entered the temple premise, we were swarmed by priests asking us if we were interested in offering pooja. I had heard about this from my friends who had visited this temple. No where else do people come to pilgrims like this and this draws criticism. Foreigners are denied entry into the temple. Male members have to remove their shirts and vests before entering the temple. This is perhaps the only temple that I know where devotees are allowed to touch and feel the idol. Everywhere else devotees are not allowed inside the “garbha gudi”. One has to dip hand inside a small pit and feel for a small stony projection.

Photography of any kind is prohibited inside the temple. We were then given token for free meals. While meals served are simple, the arrangement is fantastic. Devotees can donate any amount for the free meals scheme. The dining hall can accommodate approximately 200 people.

From Gokarna-Murudeshwara

Situated right behind the temple and just a few yards away is the beach. We strolled towards the beach only to discover the blistering hot sand that got into our footwear and make our every step painful. After staying at the beach for a few minutes, we visited nearby Ram temple situated on a hill top. Even though a flight of stairs takes visitors to the top, the temple and its surrounding is in shambles.

From Gokarna-Murudeshwara

Even though plenty of pilgrims and tourists visit this place, the whole area is neglected and underdeveloped. Land and water are thoroughly polluted. A signboard asking visitors to maintain cleanliness has waste dumped around it. Not just the visitors, the local residents too dispose off waste in the open areas. It appears as if there is no municipal system in this place.

From Gokarna-Murudeshwara

After few minutes, we left to Om beach. On the way from the temple towards the toll gate is a turn to the right that leads to Om beach.

From Gokarna-Murudeshwara

The newly laid road was good. There was hardly any traffic but sudden curves and oncoming vehicles can surprise you; hence one has to drive with caution.

From Gokarna-Murudeshwara

There is hardly any parking space and presence of several vehicles can cause congestion on holidays. One has to descend few steps and cross over slippery rocky terrain to reach the beach. The shores are rocky and offer good environment to enjoy. Many foreign tourists visit this beach. There are a few resorts to stay. The administration discourages people from bathing in the sea and sign board has put up tabulating the number of death in the last three years.

From Gokarna-Murudeshwara

After staying for a few minutes left back. Since the car was hot as a oven, we almost got fried inside. Even the air conditioning couldn’t soothe us. The uphill climb forced us to switch off the AC. Otherwise; Om beach is good place to spend quality time all evening.

Our next destination was Murudeshwar. After driving back on the NH another 74 kms we took a deviation to right that took us straight to Murudeshwar temple. I had visited this place in 1990 and since then there has been a sea of changes. The temple and its surroundings has been beautified by its chief patron, RN Shetty. The temple has a huge 18-floor gopuram at the entrance. The door is guarded by two majestic elephants. The temple interior has a neat and plush look, gold paint has been liberally used and the place appears golden. The sunset brings out the best out of its paint. Fortunately, photography is banned inside the temple.

From Gokarna-Murudeshwara

On a small hill is a huge statue of Lord Shiva in meditation. There are other statues depicting incidents from mythological tales. Situated on the foot of Shiva’s statue is a small temple where one can offer pooja. The devotees are allowed inside and made to sit while the priest performs pooja.

From Gokarna-Murudeshwara

A major attraction here is the cave that depicts the story behind Gokarna and Murudeshwara. Ten rupees is levied per head for adults and children are charged half that amount. The cave is dark and air conditioned. As one enters the cave, the door behind is shut, lights come on with a welcoming voice. There are around 16 tableau that depicts the story as it happened. A narration clearly explains each tableau. Several ignorant, silly visitors behaved unruly inside the cave and obscured the narration.

From Gokarna-Murudeshwara

We spent few minutes strolling in the park and admiring the creativity and serenity of the place. We then headed on to the Naveen restaurant, which has been constructed in the water along the beach. There are three floors and the beach side view is spectacular. The quality of food and service was excellent, something that I really was unexpected.

From Gokarna-Murudeshwara

It was already pm by the time we decided to head back to Udupi. We did not stop anywhere and after driving continuously for 100 kms we reached Udupi safely at 9 pm. Driving through the heavy traffic at night was a challenging task as it was my first time in this part of the state.

Distance chart
Udupi - Kundapur : 35 Kms
Kundapur - Bhatkal : 52 Kms
Bhatkal - Murudeshwar : 14 Kms
Murudeshwar - Honnavar : 24 Kms
Honnavar - Kumta : 20 Kms
Kumta - Gokarna : 30 Kms

Sirsi-Sonda tourism

2009-04-15T20:43:00.007+05:30

I had been planning since long to visit Sirsi and nearby places including Sonda. Finally, we got to visit these places on 11th April 2009. The team consisted of my family with my relatives. The journey began at 6.15 am from Davangere. We were made to wait for 30 minutes at the railway crossing for two trains to pass. Since the work on golden quadrilateral project is stalled, people traveling by road have to endure these time wastes. Traveling through Harihar and Ranebennur we reached Haveri at 8.20 am after driving 76 kms and halted at Kamat hotel for breakfast.

From sirsi

Despite being a holiday there was a big rush and we could not find place to park the car. Half an hour later, we moved on. There are no sign boards indicating the distance or direction and we had to ask the locals for direction.

The road was newly laid and was a pleasure to drive on and very little traffic helped our cause.

From sirsi

There were sign boards mentioning directions to Banavasi but sign boards pointing to Sirsi were hardly seen. We entered Sirsi town limits at 10.20 am after traveling 69 kms from Haveri. Thankfully, there was a signboard and we took a right turn to Sonda.

From sirsi

After traveling 21 kms we reached another diversion near the auto stand. Once again we had to ask locals for proper direction and we were asked to take right turn. Few kms later we hit upon another crossing and thankfully a huge billboard with places around along with distances greeted us.

From sirsi

We drove through a dilapidated bridge over a small river.

From sirsi

As we proceeded towards Sri Vadiraja mutt, we were greeted by a huge tank; driving around it we reached the parking space for vehicles. The place was in disarray as some constructions were on and there were no signboards to lead the first-time visitors.

From sirsi

We quickly spotted the mutt and a flight of stairs led us down to it.

From sirsi

Men are supposed to take off their shirts and vest in the premise.

From sirsi

A few stairs down was the bootharaja temple. We washed our feet in a nearby tank and entered the temple.

From sirsi

We discovered that the Saint Vadiraja’s Samadhi too was in the same premise.

From sirsi

We did not gain entry inside for better view. Lying in the same complex is the bootharaja’s temple.

From sirsi

It is a tradition to roll coconuts here. We had bought coconuts from the mutt’s office before coming downstairs. We were told that meals would be served inside the mutt at 12 noon. There was a huge rush and we managed to find place to sit.

From sirsi

The meals were well prepared and tasty. Since the mutt is managed by tulu-speaking Brahmin community from Udupi, we felt homely.

From sirsi

This is the moola (root) mutt of Sode mutt, one of the eight mutts that worship the Lord at Krishna mutt in Udupi.

From sirsi

After meals, we visited the trivikrama temple lying besides the mutt. The temple appeared old but shabbily renovated.

From sirsi

It appeared as if people hardly ever visited this temple. After few minutes, we left Vadiraja mutt and headed towards Tapovana.

From sirsi

Once again lack of proper signboards made it difficult to locate the place. After circling the same spot, we managed to get the right direction. We had to leave the asphalt road and head over dusty roads inside the thick jungle. There was no sign of any human inhabitation and possibility of wild animals scared us. After traveling km, we reached a spot where we had to abandon the car and trek.

From sirsi

After trekking some distance we reached a point near a stream, which led nowhere. Sensing that we could not locate the actual location, we headed back.

The next destination was the Venkatramana temple and Jain mutt. After traveling few kms we reached the point where both of them were side by side.

From sirsi

While the Jain mutt was locked, the temple appeared neglected.

From sirsi

After spending few minutes we left for Swarnavalli mutt.

From sirsi

This mutt is well maintained and houses a small temple inside. On the day of our visit, the mutt was gearing up for some homa and was fully decorated.

From sirsi

Upon enquiry about Sonda fort, we were informed that there wasn’t much to see except a canon and a stone cot; so we gave it a miss. We stayed for a few minutes and headed towards Sahasralinga.

Scores of Shiva lingas’ have been carved on the rocks along the banks as well as in the middle of the river.

From sirsi

Fortunately there was a signboard indicating the direction but the road was unmotorable.

From sirsi

The dirt path was ridden with stones of all sizes and I feared the tires might suffer one or more punctures but thankfully that did not happen. We reached the dead end on the river bank. The river or rivulet was just a small stream and there were many rocks. We looked around but found only two shiva linga, which were not intact.

From sirsi

This was a disappointment. As the thunder and lightening began, we fled the place and headed for Sirsi town.

After driving kms we reached Sirsi town at pm. We had to keep asking direction for the Marikamba temple. Vehicles are not allowed to park in front of the temple and we were asked to park it a little away.

From sirsi

We made a quick darshan of the magnificent temple. Although photography is prohibited inside the temple, I still managed to click one. After having tea in a nearby hotel, we left for Davangere. After driving kms we reached Davangere in three hours.

Although I had high anticipations from this trip, it turned out to be a dud. This is certainly not a choice of visit as tourist. Only pilgrims must undertake such visits. I would certainly visit the place immediately after monsoon to visit Yana and the many waterfalls located around Sirsi (Unchalli, Magod, Satod and Shivaganga falls).

From sirsi

Those interested in knowing more about Sirsi may visit this excellent blog . For details on Vadiraja mutt read this article .

Sigandhur tourism

2009-01-27T21:59:00.011+05:30

A team of six members consisting of myself, my son and wife, my aunt and cousin along with Anand Hatwar (a friend of mine) set out for Sigandhur. Sigandhur is a small place situated in the Sagar taluk of Shimoga district. The main attraction of this place is the Choudeshwari devi temple.
Our journey began at 7 am from Davangere. After filling up the tank we left for Harihar. The road to Honnali from Harihar was good and the drive was pleasurable. From Honnali onwards the road to Ayanur was in bad shape. Although there were no big potholes, the road was single and rough.

At Ayanur, we joined the Bangalore-Honnavar Road (No.206), which was good as expected. Barring a small stretch of road, which was being repaired; the journey was smooth. As we entered the Sagar town, we took a left turn towards Ikkeri. We had to drive another 30 kms from this point to Holebagilu. This road too was single and in bad shape.

We reached Holebagilu at 11 am. We were greeted by a sight of large numbers of parked vehicles.

Since it was Sunday, there was a surge of tourists/pilgrims. The gram panchayat collected Rs.10 for vehicle parking. We were told that if we wanted to take our vehicle on the barge/launch, we would have to wait till 2 pm. We decided to park the car at Holebagilu and walked till the barge. We were fortunately at the right time and the barge/launch sailed to the other side immediately.

Sigandhur got surrounded by the backwaters of Sharavathi River when the dam was built. On enquiry, I was told that the first trip to Singandhur begins at 8.30 am and the last trip at 5.20 pm. The barge leaves back to Holebagilu at 6 pm daily. Two-wheelers are charged Rs.10/-, four-wheelers are charged Rs.15/- and tempo/jeep are charged Rs.20. Individuals have to pay only one rupee per head for the one-way ticket.

There was a big rush at the barge and people scrambled to take a good position. There are few rows of benches to seat the passengers. After a sail of 15 minutes, we arrived at the other side (Sigandhur).

The Choudeshwari temple is further four kms away from this point. There are frequent bus and jeep/tempo plying to and fro. The temple opens daily for darshan at 4.30 and closes at 6 pm. Since there were hundreds of people, there was a mad rush to get a seat. The bus was overflowing with passengers.

After we let the commotion clear, we managed to seat ourselves in a jeep. He charged Rs. 10 per passenger. It took us only five minutes to travel 4 kms.

Choudeshwari devi temple is small in built and the construction appeared fairly new.

After washing our feet, we had to go through a small queue to the temple interior.

Photography of any kind was not permitted inside the temple. After buying a ticket for pooja, we were divided into groups. There were no queue inside; instead people were let in batches. Devotees were made to sit while the other batch moved ahead. Priests collect any offerings made by the devotees and wrote down their names.

The priest announced that the Choudeshwari deity was very powerful and devotees come to her when they lose all hopes. He added that if a devotee seeks her blessings with full bakthi, their aspirations would be fulfilled. Those who had paid for pooja were given prasada (kumkum and sugar candy). Priest announced that after the aarathi, nobody should kneel down or prostrate before the goddess and aarathi would be made available to them outside the garbhagudi. After exiting the garbagudi in a queue, we collected the “Hannu kai” and left for the exterior.

It is believed that the goddess protects people and property against theft and robbery.

We entered the temple premise at 12 noon and were out at 12.50 pm.

There was a hotel near the temple, but we did not feel like having our lunch there. We luckily managed to find seats in the bus. Individual ticket costs only five rupees.

After alighting from the bus, we got into a barge and the sailing repeated.

We were at Holebagilu at 2.30 pm. After a slow drive back, we reached Sagar at 3 pm.

We had a good lunch at Hotel madhura situated near the KSRTC bus stand.

After the lunch and a much desired break, we continued our journey at 4 pm.

Treading on the same route on the way back via Ayanur, Savalanga, Honnali and Harihar, we made a brief visit to Ranganath swamy temple at Malebennur.

We reached Davangere safely at 7.45 pm.

Distance chart
Davangere to Honnali: 56 Kms
Honnali to Savalanga: 21 Kms
Savalanga to Ayanur: 15 Kms
Ayanur to Sagar: 54 Kms
Sagar to Holebagilu: 33 Kms

Mahabaleshwar and Shirdi

2008-12-01T13:34:00.012+05:30

A team of six teaching staff members and five PG students had been to Pune for three days as a part of delegation attending the National Conference in microbiology held at AFMC.

From pune

We took this opportunity to visit some nearby places, and the unanimous choice (barring me) was Mahabaleshwar hills.

From pune

An A/C Chevrolet Travera was booked and the travel began from where I was put up along with Rajendra Prasad at Wanwadi. The scheduled time to start picking up other members was 7 am but it got delayed to 8.30 am. Next, we picked up Hanumanthappa and along with him was a surprise addition; Shreekar Mallya from Manipal. The next arduous task was to locate Hotel Centurion, where Usha, Lava and Vishwanath were put up. We traveled around 20 kms and one hour within the city trying to locate that hotel. We discovered that it was a new hotel, which was still far from completion.

We finally left the city at 10 am. The cab was driven by Mr. Anil (09823362013) and we found during the course that he was helpful and a nice person to be with on a journey. His driving was steady and never crossed 70 kmph. Rajendra Prasad was the only without breakfast and we had to stop for his sake near a fuel station. The rest of us had tea.

From pune

Some 40 kms from Pune, near Kapurhol, we took a deviation to left, traveled another four kms and reached Ketkawale (also known as Narayanpur) at 1 pm. Present here was a replica of Lord Venkateshwara temple at Tirupati. This temple is well constructed and well laid out. The security inside was very tight and people are not allowed to carry even cell phones let alone cameras. The interiors were very good and clean. There were plenty of workers who kept the surroundings clean. We were given a free prasadam in the form a huge laddoo. We were also provided with free lunch. After the rest of us had lunch, we moved on towards Mahabaleshwar hills.

From pune

We passed through Pasarani ghats, Panchagani and reached the peak.

From pune

The driver took us to echo point (also known as Kate’s point). The view was spectacular as we could see the beautiful valley and a dam too. We were told that few scenes of the film Tare Zameen par were shot in that valley.

From pune

After screaming to hear ourselves echo, we left towards Mahabaleshwar temple. The temple is very old with a large crude lingam, which is believed to have originated on its own (udhbavalingam). As usual, photography was not allowed.

From pune

Located besides this temple was Atibaleshwar temple, which looked a bit deserted. It was locked anyway, at that time.

From pune

Located close by was Panchaganga temple, a point from where five rivers are said to originate. Provisions have been made for five natural streams of water to descend into a common point. Photography was not allowed here but in the absence of any watch dog, we managed to click. The water was cool and good to drink.

From pune

It was already 4 pm by then and we had to move on. We were taken to Marjorie point (6 km from the temple), another point of spectacular view of valleys. It crudely reminded us of the Grand Canyon.

From pune

We spent few minutes here and left towards Pune. On the way back, we halted briefly at Parshi point, an ordinary point but with a small park for children’s amusement.

From pune

We traveled another 100 kms from Panchagani and reached Pune at around 10 pm.

Throughout this trip, we were harrowed by the numbers of toll booths. We had to pay entry fee, parking fee, pollution fee etc at many places and these were not cheap either. All of us (except me) were disappointed with this trip. Since I was already aware that we will not see anything except valleys and hills, I was not disappointed.

Our next trip was to Shiridi and Shani Shingnapur. On this occasion, we had hired two Travera as we were 11 people.

From pune

Our journey started at 7 am and halted briefly at New Daulat Restaurant for refreshment.

From pune

Traveling through Awsari ghat, Ekal ghat, and Chandanapuri ghat on NH 50, we reached Shiridi at 12.30 pm.

From pune

Just as we alighted from our vehicles, a man came running to us promising us direct entry. Our driver suggested we trust him. This man took us to a shop and made us purchase a lot and took us to the main gate and deserted us. He took us for a ride and cheated us. We took the same route like any other devotee and after standing in long queue for 45 minutes we managed to have darshan that last 50 seconds. On the way to darshan, we had to go through several cordons of security. Photography was not allowed here either.

From pune

We had south Indian meals at a nearby Udupi Hotel and left towards Shani Shingnapur at 3 pm via Rahuri.

From pune

On the way we came across plenty of roadside cane juice shops but did not stop at any. We thought we would have some on the way back. We reached the Shani temple at 4.40 pm.

From pune

Houses in this place do not have any doors, this makes this place special. Nobody steals anything from this place, as no body wants to invite Shani’s wrath. Photography is not allowed and women are not allowed to pour oil on the deity. Only men who bathe and drape in wet saffron clothes are allowed to pour oil. Others can stand at a distance and watch the proceedings. Devotees who don’t intend to bathe can buy sesame oil from outside and give it to the archaka to pour it on the black stone that represents Shani. Even though photography was not allowed, I managed to shoot some.

From pune

We left Shani Shingnapur at 5.15 pm. The driver took a different route on the way back and we could not enjoy the cane juice. On the way back, the driver missed to take us to a good hotel and we ended up at a Kamath hotel for tea break, where the quality was really bad. We reached Pune at 9.15 pm tired and exhausted.

Coorg - Madikeri tourism day 2

2007-12-30T16:30:00.001+05:30

Madikeri - Kushal nagar trip on day two.
After a hectic day one visiting Bhagamandala, Talakaveri, Iruppu falls and Nagarahole national park, the day two got even more hectic. On our second day, our schedule was to visit the Omkareshwara temple, Raja's seat, Madikeri fort, leave Madikeri and on the way to Hassan visit Dubare forest, Harangi dam, Kaveri Nisargadhama and finally the Tibetan monastery at Bylekoppa.

Omkareshwara temple
Built in 1820, this temple dedicated to Eshwara is interestingly built in a muslim style. It was built by king Lingarajendra, but why it was built in this style intrigues me. This temple is located within the city and one can visit by walk or an auto. For more information on this temple visit this link. We offered our prayers and left for Abbe fall.

Abbe fall
This fall has been labeled differently, which include Abbe, Abbey and Abbi. I am not sure which among these is authentic. We left the temple and drove to the fall situated 9 kms from the city. The descent to the bottom in the car was scary as well as thrilling for me as it was the first time I was driving through such an inclined road. Interestingly, the fall is located inside a private coffee plantation. The good thing is the fall is not a private property. One has to walk for 5-10 minutes to reach the fall. It is said that during monsoon one can hear the roar of the fall quite few kilometers away but on our visit, it was a modest fall. A hanging bridge was built across the river, but the path had given away at some places. Entry to the fall has been restricted and people are discouraged from bathing in it. I leant that few people had lost their lives trying to get underneath the fall. We enjoyed the scenic beauty of the fall and leftback. It was distraught to see how the visitors have littered the place with plastics, papers and snack packets.

Raja's seat
We drove back to the city and went straight to the Raja's seat. I was slightly disappointed with what I saw, maybe my expectations were high. It is an elegant and well maintained garden with a pavilion where the king used to sit and watch the grand sunset. The best time to be here is during sunset and since we were there at almost noon, we did not enjoy it much. There are few benches where one can sit and watch the sun go down across the vast valley.

On the way back to the hotel we decided to visit the Madikeri fort. It houses a temple, a chapel, the prison, and a small museum. Being a government holiday, it was closed for public and we could not see much expect the replica of Asian and African elephants. The fort now houses a jail and we could see the inmates from the top. That was it, we checked out of the hotel and left the Madikeri city and headed towards Hassan.

Harangi dam
Situated 34 kms from Madikeri is Harangi dam, which is located at Hudgur village in Somwarpet taluk of Coorg district. One has to take a left turn from the main road. It is supposed to be a good picnic spot, perhaps just after the monsoon. We had to pay a small fee to gain entry. There were hardly any trees, the grass were all dried and there was not water flowing through the dam. It was a waste of time, we shouldn't have gone there. Photography is prohibited but a guard whispered into my ears that I could shoot photos but I should make it quick and less obvious. Since there was no water flowing, there was no point clicking, yet I shot one photo. I did not go all over the dam as we had to leave early. The guard walked up to me and said he saw me clicking photo, when I looked at him in astonishment he asked me either erase the photo or pay him. There he was.. what a technique, they encourage you to click photo and then ask you to pay for it. I paid him 20 bucks and left the place.

Dubare Forest
We drove back to the main road and then took deviation towards right and reached Dubare forest. We covered 17 kms from Harangi dam to this place. The road is very narrow at some stretch and one hopes that no vehicle comes from the other side. This is mainly an elephant capturing and training camp of the Forest Department, at the edge of Dubare forest, on the bank of river Kaveri. The best time in the day to visit is 7 am or 7 pm when the tamed elephants come for bath. Lucky visitors can get a chance to ride elephants. It is a good picnic spot. I don't know how much water would be flowing after the monsoon, but during our visit it was just “right”. While we bought the services of a boat to cross the river, few waded through the river. Even though river was shallow at some points, it was very slippery. We had our lunch here. The disappointment we met at Harangi dam was wiped clear by this place. We spent 2 hours here and left for Kaveri Nisargadhama.

Kaveri Nisargadhama
We drove another 13 kms towards Kushal nagar, finding this place is not difficult as it is located by the main road. It is a forest Department run rest house. The Kaveri river winds and slows down here and formed a small island (or so I think). One has to go through a hanging bridge. This is a wonderful place for picnic if one has sufficient time. There is a restaurant, a children park, elephant ride, boat ride, wooden huts atop bamboo posts. Beware of monkeys here, as they don't hesitate to snatch snack from women and children. If you intend to take a boat ride you have to buy a ticket before you enter the park. We could spent only an hour and half here and then we left for Tibetan monastery at Bylekoppa.

Namdroling Monastery
Also known as the golden temple, it is a Buddhist monastery built by the Tibetans located at Bylekoppa. It is located 7.5 kms from Nisargadhama. As one enters this place, one feels like visiting another country. There is a sudden change in the culture and one gets mesmerized by the view. This place should not be missed by anyone visiting Kushal nagar. There is a large hostel for the monks, a shopping complex and 2 temple complexes. A beautiful and well maintained garden surrounds the temple. The people here are very well behaved and gentle, it is only the visitors who don't display sufficient respect. As the temple's door is opened, one gets stunned by the magnificent view. The sight can not be described in words, a huge hall, huge Buddhist idols, intricate and colourful paintings, plenty of golden colours... The best part is, there is no restriction on photography, something that Hindu temples at many places do not allow. It was 6 pm when we finished adoring this place and there was no possibility of driving all way back to Davangere the same day. We drove to Hassan via Kushal nagar covering a distance of 80 kms and halted in a lodge.

I recommend visitors to this blog on Kushal Nagar.

Flash animation of photos

Distance chart:
Madikeri to Abbe falls: 9 Kms
Madikeri to Harangi dam: 34 Kms
Harangi dam to Dubare: 17 Kms
Dubare to Kaveri Nisargadhama: 13 Kms
Kaveri Nisargadhama to Bylakoppa: 7.5 Kms
Bylakoppa to Kushalnagar: 5 Kms
Kushalnagar to Hassan: 80 Kms

Coorg - Madikeri tourism day 1

2007-12-30T12:22:00.002+05:30

Madikeri (previously known as Mercara) is a picturesque charming town situated at an elevation of over 5,000 ft (1,525 m) above sea level. Madikeri is the district headquarters of Kodagu (formerly Coorg). Because of the picturesque location it is often dubbed as the Scotland of India. For more information on places to visit in Madikeri and around, visit this link or this one.

For historical, cultural as well as travel info on Madikeri, visit wikipedia.

In brief, places to visit in Madikeri are Raja's Seat, Madikeri Fort, Omkareshwara Temple, and Rajas' Tomb. Places to visit around Madikeri are Abbi Falls, Iruppu Falls, Bhagamandala, Talakaveri, Dubbare Elephant camp, Harangi dam and Kaveri Nisargadhama. Places of trekking & wild life include Thadiyandamole, Pushpagiri, KoteBetta, Igguthappa Kundu, Brahmagiri, Nishanimotte and Nagarahole National Park.

My travel log:
Finding accommodation
We reached Madikeri at 9 pm. Since we were unable to make prior reservation at hotels, we had hard time finding one. Several of the hotels that are advertised on the internet were beyond our budget and those within our budget were not mentioned in the net. At that hour in the night we had to run from hotel to hotel looking for accommodation. Even though we visited in January, the occupancy was almost full. Nonetheless, one must make prior accommodation before embarking on to Madikeri, to avoid last minute surprises. We were lucky to find a modest accommodation with restaurant attached. After a tiresome day traveling from Davangere via Shimoga, Bhadravathi, Tarikere, Lingadalli, Chikamagalur, Belur, Halebid, Hassan, Arkalgud, and Kushal Nagar, we hit the bed immediately after dinner.

Bhagamandala
Next morning, we had breakfast at the restaurant downstairs and left for Bhagamandala. We drove 36 kms of winding roads in 1.15 hr with brief stops at coffee plantations for photographs. The road is generally good with few rough patches here and there. Local buses and other tourist vehicles move around as if they are participating in some rally. Bhagamandala is said to be the convergence of three rivers (Kaveri, Kannika and Sujyothi) but we noticed only two. The river is considered sacred and one has to leave the footwear quite some distance away from the river. People take bath in this holy river. Bhagandeshwara temple at Bhagamandala houses four deities (Eshwara, Subramanya, Vishnu and Ganapathi); the temple was under renovation during our visit.

Talakaveri
A little distance from this temple is a hotel where we had our breakfast and left for Talakaveri. It took us 30 minutes to drive through uphill ghats of Bhramagiri hill, a distance of 19 kms. We stopped briefly for good photographs. There is a good parking place at Talakaveri. It is the origin of Kaveri River. A new temple complex (Agastyeshwara & Ganapathi) was being built a few steps above the origin of Kaveri River. From Talakaveri, steps lead up to the nearby Brahmagiri peak but we did not time to scale it as we had to cover Iruppu falls and reach Nagarahole national park. You can buy good quality honey marketed by the co-operative society at Talakaveri. Even though honey is sold everywhere in Madikeri, insist on the one marketed by the society. Locally grown spices and condiments are also sold at Talakaveri. We rushed down, had a tea break at the same restaurant and left for Iruppu falls.

Iruppu Falls
It took us five hours fifteen minutes to cover a distance of 121 kms from Talakaveri to Iruppu falls driving through Virajpet and Gonikoppa. We reached the spot in the hot afternoon at 2.30 pm. The car had to be parked under the sun with no protection. There is a small hotel and toilet facility and is very useful to freshen up. One has to buy ticket to reach the falls. Since we had a lot more distance to cover, we almost ran all the way to the falls, spent just five minutes and dashed back to the car. It was pity that we could not spend more time and enjoy the fall. The fall is easily reachable, although little slippery.

Nagarahole national park
Our final destination of the day was Nagarahole national park. The road from Iruppu fall to the park was in extremely bad condition. I felt sorry for putting my new car on such bad roads; my car had to endure a pothole ridden single road with ragged edges. It took us one hour fifteen minutes to cover a distance of 18 kms on this road. We reached the park at 3.45 pm, 15 minutes before the deadline. One can use the services of the park's sight seeing bus by paying a fee of Rs.75 per adult member. Sitting besides the window gave me jitters, as I had heard of an incident/rumour where a tiger jumped and mauled a passenger in the bus. The bus drove through the forest very slowly and a guide in the bus pointed to the wildlife. Our excitement of seeing animals in their wilderness was met with disappointment at the park. In a tour that lasted mere 15 minutes, we got to see 4 monkeys, 3 deers, a peacock and a dog.
So much for the wildlife trip! With a heavy heart and a gross disappointment we left back to Madikeri at 5.15 pm. Driving through Gonikoppa and Virajpet we covered 87 kms and reached Madikeri at 8.20 pm.

Flash presentation of day 1 photos:

Distance chart:
Halebidu to Hassan: 30 Kms
Hassan to Gorur: 27 Kms
Arkalgod to Kushalnagar: 47 Kms
Kushalnagar to Madikeri: 30 Kms
Madikeri to Bhagamandala: 36 Kms
Bhagamandala to Talakaveri: 19 Kms
Talakaveri to Virajpet: 65 Kms
Virajpet to Gonikoppal: 24 Kms
Gonikoppal to Iruppu falls: 30 Kms
Iruppu falls to Nagarahole: 18 Kms
See Coorg - Madikeri tourism day 2

Belur - Halebid tourism

2007-12-27T22:28:00.001+05:30

Belur, located in Hassan district was the early capital of the Hoysala Empire. It was built by king Vishnuvardhana in commemoration of his victory over the Cholas at Talakad in 1117 CE. Legend has it that it took 103 years to complete and Vishnuvardhana's grandson Veera Ballala II completed the task.

The main attraction in Belur is the Chennakesava temple complex which contains the Chennakesava Temple, surrounded by the Kappe Chennigraya temple.

For more information on this magnificent temple, visit this link or wikipedia.

A guide would be very handy because it is difficult and time consuming to explore on own. However, beware of pseudo-guides (locals guise themselves as guides) and insist on i-card. The sanctum of channakeshava temple is very dark and fortunately photography is allowed. The ceiling too has intricate carving but a focus light is arranged to viewing it, however one has to buy a ticked to utilise this service.

The deity in the shrine is still being worshipped unlike many historic temples that have been neglected or abandoned. Since the entire flooring of temple complex is granite, it gets pretty hot in the afternoon and walking bare foot becomes difficult. It is better to visit in the morning.

Flash presentation of Belur photos:

My travel log:
We left from Davangere at 6.30 am and halted at Shimoga for breakfast. Then, travelling via Bhadravati, Tarikere, Lingdalli, and Chikmagalur we reached Belur at 12.30 pm. Without wasting time, we had quick "darshan" of the lord and spent majority of the time admiring the carvings. This was my second visit to this temple and I was the "guide" to my companions. We had lunch at a hotel in Belur, and left for Halebid at 3.30 pm.

Halebid:
situated 16 kms from Belur lies Halebid. Halebidu was the 12th century capital of the Hoysalas. The Hoysaleswara temple was built during this time by built by Ketamala and attributed to Vishnuvardhana, the Hoysala ruler. It enshrines Hoysaleswara and Shantaleswara, named after the temple builder Vishnuvardhana Hoysala and his wife, Queen Shantala. See wikipediafor more information.

The temple complex comprises two Hindu temples, the Hoysaleshawara and Kedareshwara temples and two Jain basadi. Halebid means ruined city. There is an archeological museum in the temple complex. There are two nandi bull statues on the either side of the Hoysaleshwara temple. The Hoysaleswara temple, guarded by a Nandi Bull that was never completed.

My travel log:
It took us 20 minutes to cover a distance of 17 kms from Belur to reach Halebid. There is plenty of parking space for cars but finding the right one underneath a tree is difficult. A guide here too would be handy. Since we had to reach Madikeri the same day, we rushed through the temples. Hawkers sell various objects carved out of stone and one can purchase them as memento. After a brief stay of 45 minutes, we left for Hassan.

Flash presentation of Halebidu photos

Distance chart:
Davangere to Shimoga: 94 Kms
Shimoga to Bhadravati: 35 Kms
Bhadravati to Tarikere: 20 Kms
Tarikere to Chikkamagalur: 57 Kms
Chikkamagalur to Belur: 26 Kms
Belur to Halebid: 17 Kms

Halu Rameshwara

2007-12-25T22:01:00.000+05:30

Another place of pilgrimage in Karnataka is Halu Rameshwara. It is located in a forest, eleven kms away from Hosadurga in Chitrdurga district. It is believed that while going to Lanka, Shriram worshipped Lord Shiva here, hence the "Rameshwar"/Shiva temple there.

I am not sure if it “Halu” means destroyed or milk. Wikipedia states “the well has white coloured water (looks like milk) in it that's why the name 'Halu' Rameshwara.”

Searching the net did not yield another reference on this place except for this one.

I got an opportunity to travel to this lesser known temple in January 2004. A group of eight people on four bikes left out from Davangere early in the morning. I do not recollect entirely the route we took, but we deviated from the NH at Anagodu towards Holalkere. On the way, we stopped by a Ganapathi temple in Holalkere(see photo). A huge idol of Lord Ganesha is conspicuous.

Unfortunately, I had not maintained log of places visited or the routes taken so I do not recollect much about this trip. We reached Halu Rameshwara in the afternoon somewhere between 12 noon and 1 pm. The temple looked very ordinary in built and did not appear to very popular destination for pilgrims.

There are clusters of small temples in the complex and one among them stands out. There is a small pond inside the temple from which various articles such as flowers, fruits, coconut, rice, bangles etc pop up. One has to buy an offering ticket to visit this temple. One has to make a wish and wait besides the pond and something would pop up from underneath. A priest would interpret the “Prasad” so obtained. To my surprise I got cooked rice as Prasad from the pond. Since pilgrims make offerings as "Ganga Puja" in the same pond/well, it is believed that these pop up by the upward stream of water.

On our way back, we took a different route and reached Davangere via Chitradurga.

Kudluthirtha falls tourism

2007-12-21T11:00:00.000+05:30

Kudluthirtha (or Kudlutheertha or Kudlu theertaha) falls, located in Someshwar Wildlife sanctuary, is considered holy. Water falls from a height of about 126 feet and is 5 km trek from Tinagale.

It can be accessed from both Agumbe as well as from Hebri. People going towards the falls from Agumbe must cross Someshwara and cross the Seetha River bridge. Few kilometers later one would come across an arch on the left side of the road where one will have to deviate.

Finding the route to the falls is not an easy task and you will constantly have to ask locals for direction to avoid getting lost. Finding locals at odd time is also difficult.

My travel log
The roads were narrow and in bad shape when I visited in January 2007. After 3-4 kilometers of drive, we came to the dead end of the road where a rivulet blocked our path. Bikes and few cars can cross the water filled rivulet but we did not take the chance and left our car there. There is a narrow bridge across the rivulet, which bikers can take thus avoiding the risk of drowning the bikes. We were not sure if our car (Maruti Alto) could go through that narrow bridge.

Nonetheless, we decided to trek and trek we did for a long time. At some point we felt that we should have taken the chance of wading the car through the water. After a long walk, we came to the point where trekking begins and vehicles stop. We walked, climbed and panted.

All the weariness disappeared when we stepped into the cold waters of the lake. The fall was magnificient even though none of us dared to go under it. The lake is shallow away from the falls but the bed is full of stones, most of which are extremely slippery and some pointed. The place is all littered by careless visitors.

Since we reached the falls at 4 pm, we did not have much time to enjoy and after 1.5 hours of froliking, we headed back. Return or descent was easy and hardly noticeable. If you are ready for the arduous trek to the falls, then this falls should not be missed.

Flash presentation of our trip to Kudluthirtha falls

For an article on places to visit (including falls) in Agumbe, visit this page. Few people visiting Kudluthirta on bikes have discovered that petrol has been stolen from their bikes, refer this page. Install a fuel lock if you must undertake a bike trip to this place. Read account of another blogger who visited this magnificient falls.

Sringeri tourism

2007-12-21T10:43:00.000+05:30

Sringeri is one of the most celebrated pilgrimage centers in Karnataka, and is home to the Sarada Peetham established by the revered spiritual leader Aadi Sankaracharya. Sringeri is located amidst the Sahyadri hills in Chikmaglur district of Karnataka on the left bank of the river Tungabhadra. Aadi Sankaracharya established the Sarada Peetham here in the 1st millennium CE.

The Sharada temple, dedicated to the Goddess of learning and wisdom, has grown from a simple shrine dating to the time of Adi Shankaracharya. In the fourteenth century, Vidyaranya is said to have replaced the old sandalwood image with a stone and gold image. After an unexpected fire that damaged the structure, the current structure was built in the traditional Dravidian style of temple architecture. For more information visit wikipedia.

The Vidyashankara temple at Sringeri was built in memory of Guru Vidyashankara or Vidyathirtha by Vidyaranya, a patron-saint of Harihara and Bukka, the brothers who founded the Vijayanagara empire in the 14th century. This temple combines the Hoysala and Dravida architectural features. It stands on a richly sculptured basement. There are six doorways leading into the temple. The twelve pillars in the mandapam are named the Raasi pillars, and are so arranged that the sun's rays fall on each of them, in the order of the solar months.

For details on individual temples in Sringeri, visit official website of Sringeri Sarada Peetham. Information is also available at indiatemples.com

Free meals are served to the devotees in the afternoon at the newly constructred hall ("bhojanalaya") behind the Sarada temple. Sringeri has guest houses run by the temple administration. There are many private lodges.

Flash slide show of photos of my Sringeri trip

Places to visit from Sringeri include Annapoorneshari Temple at Horanadu, Rishyashringa Temple at Kigga, Venugopalaswami Temple and Sunset Spot at Agumbe, Kalaseshwara Temple at Kalasa, Rambapuri Matha at Balehonnur, Veerebhdra swamy and Chittemakki Mallikarjuna Swamy temple at Koppa. Those interested in trekking can visit Kudlutheertha falls after descending Agumbe ghats and crossing Someshwara.

My travel log
We left from Davangere on car at 7 am and reached Sringeri at 11.30 am travelling via Harihar, Honnalli, Shimoga, and Thirthahalli. Throughout the journey (january 2007) we found the roads good enough. People buy puffed rice to feed the fishes in the river, which itself is a big attraction. Fishing is not allowed here. Photography inside the temple too is not allowed.

After visiting the temples and having lunch at Bhojanashala, we left for Kudluthirtha falls via Agumbe ghats.

Badami tourism

2007-12-20T00:26:00.001+05:30

Badami, is a small town in the Bagalkot District of Karnataka. Formerly known as Vatapi, it was the capital of the Badami Chalukyas. The town is noted for its several cave temples, carved out of rock in the sixth-seventh century AD. It is located in a ravine at the foot of a rugged, red sandstone outcrop that surrounds Agastya lake. Two of the hills in Badami represent the demons Vatapi and Ilvala. Badami was founded in 540 A.D. by Pulakesi I, an early ruler of the Chalukyas. His sons Kirthivarman and his brother Mangalesha I constructed the cave temples.

The rock-cut Badami Cave Temples represent the secular nature of the rulers then, with tolerance and a religious following that inclines towards Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Cave 1 is devoted to Shiva, and Caves 2 and 3 are dedicated to Vishnu, whereas cave 4 displays reliefs of Jain Tirthankaras. For more details, visit wikipedia. One has to climb a flight of 2000 steps to reach the cave.

Places of importance include Buddhist cave, Bhutanatha temple, Dattatreya temple, and an archaeological museum. For more information, visit this page.

Flash video of Badami photos:

Some of the hotels include Hotel Badami Court, Shri Laxmi Vilas Hotel, KSTDC Mayura Chalukya, Hotel Anand Deluxe etc. For information on accomodation visit this page

My travel log
While driving from Banashankari towards Badami, we curiously visited a small temple atop a hill. The road towards the hill was not asphalted and climbing along the slope on a slippery track was a daunting task. I lost control of the vehicle but was fortunate enough not to crash. Unless the road is asphalted, it is not a good idea to drive a vehicle that is not a 4-wheel drive or is a 800 CC car. After climbing the well-maintained steps, we came across an extremely small temple. There were none except us and since it was getting dark, we made a hasty retreat.

Finding accomodation without prior reservation was difficult. After scouring through the town, we had to settle for a cheap accomodation. The room was unkempt, with no hot water supply, and muddy water flowing through the tap. In simple words, it was a nightmare.

Next morning, we had breakfast at a nearby restaurent and headed for the rock caves. Even though a parking lot is available and a parking fee is levied, cars are not looked after. Monkeys play atop the car, pulling up wipers and damaging the mirrors. If that is not sufficient, there are street urchins scratching the car with stones. I had few kannada alaphabets inscribed on my car bonnet. I learned a lesson here; if urchins are not given alms, they would exact revenge on the car.

After climbing through the stairs, we gazed in awe the sculptures made on the sandstone caves. One has to pay fee for using camera, the charges of still and video camera differ. There is a flight of steps that leads to the top of the caves, but is out of bounds for visitors.

After the descent, we walked along the lake to the opposite side. The lake is being polluted by the locals who use it for all their needs. The lake has turned green and smells foul. In the absence of porper direction, it is easy to get lost in the narrow steets. On the other side is a museum maintained by ASI.

Close to the museum is an entrance that leads to the fort. The path is well maintained and a pleasure to climb. Since there are no shops around, one has to carry adequate amount of water and snacks. An iron canon is seen atop the fort. Standing on the top one can see the deep ravine. To visit two mandaps on the top one has to climb through narrow slippery steps. I almost slipped while descending.

After descending from the fort, we visited the Boothanath temples and the buddhist cave where we had to crawl through the narrow entrance. It was 2.30 pm by this time and we were out of water and snacks. We had great difficulty in reaching back for the car parking as we got lost in the narrow streets.

We hurried though our lunch in the town and left for Davangere at 3.10 pm. After driving through Gadag, Savanur, Ranebennur and Harihar we reached home at 9 pm.

Distance chart:
Banashankari to Badami: 7 Kms
Badami to Gadag: 68 Kms
Gadag to Savanur: 64 Kms
Savanur to Ranebennur: 63 Kms
Ranebennur to Davangere: 40 Kms

Banashankari tourism

2007-12-20T00:25:00.001+05:30

Banashankari Temple is located about 7 kilometers from Badami. Here Banashankari or Shakambari is the form of Goddess Parvati. The Banashankari Temple is quite old. Its original structure is said to have been built by the Chalukyas of Kalyan. However, the existing temple was built in the 17th century. The temple has been considerably modernized in the present times. According to the Skanda Purana it was here that Devi killed a demon called Durgamasura. As the temple is located in the Tilakaaranya forest, the Devi is popularly called Banashankari. The blackstone idol of Goddess is eight armed and can be seen seated on lion and trampling a demon by foot. In front of the temple is a large pond called as 'Haridra Tirtha' which is enclosed by stone mantapas on the three sides. For more information, visit this page.

There is an annual temple festival celebration in Banashankari, the festival is celebrated with full devotion and enthusiasm. Whole town is decorated, the streets around the temple are taken over by a huge fair, marked by color and liveliness and attended by thousands of devotees.

Flash video of Banashankari photos:

My travel log
We reached Banashankari travelling 16 Kms from Pattadkal. The road was definitely not as good as the others in this area (December 2006), but was motorable. Pople usually visit Banashankari temple from Badami town, but we chose to travel to Banashankari temple first because we had to depart back home from Badami.

The entry to the temple area is through a very narrow passage that is highly congested with street vendors. Taking a car through this stretch can test one's patience. Surprisingly, there is a well maintained parking lot for car and good toilet facility. A vast lake (that was empty) and a mandap geets the visitor. There is a small pond that resembles the one in Hampi in construction.

The temple was a small disappointment because it did not look like any ancient temple we were expecting to find. The modern renovation took away the classic looks of the temple. Photography is prohibited inside the temple. The temple opens at 4 pm for darshan in the evening. Locals will pester you to buy a local food preparation.

Although hotels are available, for good accomodation one has to go to Badami.
Distance chart:
Pattadakal to Banashankari : 16 Kms

Pattadakal tourism

2007-12-20T00:24:00.001+05:30

Pattadakal is famous for its group of monuments and was designated a World Heritage Site in 1987. The uniqueness of this place derives from the presence of both the Southern and the Northern styles of temple architecture. The temples were built in the 8th century CE. There are ten temples including a Jain sanctuary sourrounded by numerous small shrines. Pattadakal saw the Badami Chalukya art in its full bloom. Located on the banks of the river Malaprabha, Pattadakal was the capital of the Chalukya rulers. For more information, visit wikipedia.

Pattadakal, located in Bagalkot district of Karnataka is 14 kms from Aihole, 22 Kms from Badami and 16 Kms from Banashankari. These places are interconnected with well laid roads. The tourism department has placed signboards with directions and distence at regular intervals making driving to these places effortless.

The best known is the Virupaksha temple, built by Queen Lokamahadevi. Other notable temples include Sangameshvara Temple, Kashivisvanatha temple, Mallikarjuna Temple, Galganatha temple, Kadasiddeshvara temple, Jambulinga Temple, Papanatha temple, Naganatha temple, Chandrashekara temple and Mahakuteshwara temple. A Jain Temple located on the Pattadakal-Badami Road has some very beautiful sculptures. Archeological Survey of India has maintained a Museum of the Plains and Sculpture gallery.

Every year during the first quarter Pattadakal celebrates the annual three-days extravaganza of dance and music festival, which is also called the Chalukya Utsava. There are no hotels in the vicinity and one has to go to Badami or Banashankari for accomodation.

Flash video of pattadakal photos:

My travel log
We left Aihole at 1.30 and reached Pattadakal at 2 pm. Even though parking facilities are absent, village panchayat collects parking fee. Archeological Survey of India is doing a good job maintaining these structures. It would require a minimum of 3-4 hours for an ardent observer to appreciate the sculptures on these temples. We did not have sufficient time and my companions lacked interest, so we pushed off after spending 1.45 hours. However, the road to Banashankari from Pattadakal was not as good as the others in that area (December 2006).

There are no hotels nearby and one has to carry sufficient water and snacks. Places to visit nearby include Aihole, Banashankari and Badami.
Distance chart:
Aihole to Pattadakal: 14 Kms

Aihole tourism

2007-12-20T00:22:00.001+05:30

Aihole, located in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka is kown for historical significance and is called as cradle of Hindu rock architecture. Many temples and caves of historical importance can be found here and thus is a very popular tourist spot in north Karnataka. Aihole was the first capital of the early Chalukyas. Here they built over 125 temples in various styles and is said to be a laboratory of experiments in rock cut architecture. See wikipedia for more details. The first phase of temple building in Aihole dates back to the 6th century CE, the second phase to the 12th century.

A group of three temples is referred to as the Kontigudi group of temples. One of these is the Lad Khan temple, named after a mendicant that lived in this temple in the 19th century , another the Huchiappayyagudi temple and the Huchiappayya math. Other temples include Durga temple, Meguti Jain temple, Ravanaphadi temple, Gowda temple and Suryanarayana temple. Museum & Art Gallery is a sculpture gallery maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India in the Durga Temple complex.

My trip log
We left from Kudalasangama at 11 am reached Aihole at 11.45 am. There are no parking lots and one has to find a tree shade to park the car. Even though there are no facilities for car parking, Gram panchayat colects parking fee. Archaeological Survey of India, who maintains the Durga Temple complex collects a nominal entry fee. The place is neat and well looked after. The carving on the temples are marvellous and discerning visitors can spend a lot of time marvelling at the sculptures in the temples. A guide would be handy but a prior visit to wikipedia would not necessitate one. There are more temples in the neighbourhood, many in dilapidated conditions. More excavations is ongoing and new temples are being found.

To reach the Meguti jain temple one has to climb several steps. All the effort in climbing the steps is overcome by the sheer sight of aihole the place offers. Reaching the foot of the stairs is through a small strip of extremely bad road. It is wise to leave the car by the main road under hot sun than driving along this strip. Parking the car can be problem as vehicle can't reach the base of the steps and kids in the neighbourhood might damage the car. Carry adequate water and wear cap to protect from the sun.

Flash video of Aihole photos:

Distance chart:
Kudalasangama to Aihole: 33 Kms
Places to vist next include Pattadkal, Banashankari and Badami.

Kudala sangama tourism

2007-12-20T00:14:00.000+05:30

Kudala Sangama is an important center of pilgrimage for people of the Lingayat faith. It is located about 15 km from the Almatti dam site in Bagalkot district. The Krishna and Ghataprabha rivers merge here. Basava (also known as Basaveshwara or Basavanna) took nirvana (Lingaikya) in this place in the year 1196. The Aikya Mantapa or the holy Samadhi of Basavanna, the founder of the Lingayat faith along with Linga, which is believed to be self-born (Swayambhu), is situated here. The Kudala Sangama Development Board takes care of the maintenance and development of this place. Three rivers (Krishna, Gataprabha and Malaprabha) confluence here, hence the name Kudala sangama. I was told by the locals that the river Malaprabha merged with river Krishna when the Almatti dam was constructed.

Flash video of koodalasangama video:

My travel log
After freshning up at the KSTDC hotel, we went straight to the Lord Sangameswara temple that is built in the Chalukyan style architecture. The aikya mantapa is under the water and a tall column is built around it to protect as well as to allow pilgrims to reach it through spiral stairs. The top of this column is connected to the main land by a bridge. Atop the bridge one can see the panoramic view of confluence of two rivers. One must descend from this point using stairs to reach aikya mantapa.
We did not have time to visit anywhere else and after breakfast we headed straight to Aihole.

Almatti tourism

2007-12-20T00:12:00.001+05:30

Almatti dam built over river Krishna in Bagalkot is no longer a tourist's destination as it is out of bounds. However, as a respite one can spend good time at a well maintained park near the entrance to the dam.

Flash video of almatti photos:

My travel log
December 2007: It took me four hours to reach Almatti dam from Hospet. It was my first long drive in my car (with almost no prior driving experience). It was 5.45 pm when we reached the dam premise. It was a big disappointment when we learned that it was out of bounds for tourists. I clicked a photo using maximum available zoom and then raced down towards the park. The park closes at 6 pm and we rushed in. After few minutes of strolling we got into boating. As the sun set, we made a quick exit as we had to head to Kudala sangama.
Distance chart:
Hospet to Almatti: 141 Kms
Almatti to Kudalasangama: 30 Kms

Hampi tourism

2007-12-20T00:08:00.000+05:30

Hampi, the former capital of the Vijayanagara empire is situated on the banks of the Tungabhadra river. It is approximately 75 kms from Bellary and 13 Kms from Hospet. Once a flourishing kingdom of Vijayanagara empire, it is now in ruins. This "City of Ruins" is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kishkindha, the Vanara kingdom which finds mention in the Ramayana is also located at the banks of river close to Virupaksha Temple.

Most of the ruins are along the road leading from Kamalapura to Hampi. Important sites include Virupaksha Temple, Ugra Narasimha, Vithala Temple Complex, Hazara Ramaswami temple, Lotus Mahal, Mahanavami Dibba, Pushkarini Tank, Elephant Stables, and The Kings’ balance etc. Visit the wikipedia article for complete list.

Accomodation is available at the following hotels; Hotel Mayura Vijayanagar, Hotel Priyadarshini, Hotel Malligi, Hotel Mayura Bhuvaneswri, as well as KSTDC Cottages.

Visit the Karnataka tourism website for further information.

My travel log
The journey in my car from Bellary to Hospet took painstakingly one hour forty five minutes (in february 2007) because of extremely bad roads. After having breakfast at Hospet, we covered 13 kms to reach the ruins of Hampi. It takes at least one entire day to see most sites. Since we had to reach Almatti and Koodalasangama, we left early.

Flash video of hampi photos:

Generally, after visiting Hampi tourists visit the TB dam in the evening and enjoy the gardens and the musical fountain. Venturing near the dam is now prohibited.

Bellary tourism

2007-12-20T00:04:00.001+05:30

Bellary or Ballary, is a district in Karnataka that borders with Andhra Pradesh. The Bellary city does not have anything worthwhile to visit except for a fort. The Bellary Fort is built on top of the Ballari Gudda or the Fort Hill. The Fort was built round the hill during Vijayanagara times by Hanumappa Nayaka.

Turkish Martyrs Graveyard: a small garden built in memorial of Turkish war soldiers is located near the airstrip.

Places to visit inside the Bellary city include Bellary children's park cum zoo near Radio park, a newly developed Golden Jubilee Park beside railway station. It contains musical fountain which starts at 7 O'Clock in the evening

Places of importance around Bellary include Narihalla (a reservoir adjacent to the main road between Bellary and Sandur, is another spot attracting people to take up adventure and water sports.), Sri Kumaraswamy temple at Sandur, Ubbalagundi (50 km from Bellary city and from Hampi, two rock structures, as seen in Yana in Uttara Kannada district, is the only spot in the Hyderabad-Karnataka area suitable for trekking, rock climbing, river crossing, and boating).
Sandur

Tungabhadra dam at Hospet

The civilian Bellary Airport is located at the far end of the Cantonment area.

Daroji Bear Sanctuary near Hampi: Situated only 15 kilometers from Hampi, Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary is the only sanctuary in North Karnataka.

Flash video of bellary fort

For more information on Bellary visit wikipedia as well as official website.

Hotels
Accomodation is available at some of these hotels; Hotel Pola Paradise (3 Star), S.S Hotel, Ashoka Comforts, Hotel Pawan, Bala Regancy, and Chalukya deluxe.

This was my travel path from Davangere in February 2006
We left Davangere in our Maruti Alto car at 6 am and reached Chitradurga, where we halted for breakfast at Aishwarya Fort. We reached Bellary at 12 noon travelling via Challakere and Rampura. This route was excellant as the roads were newly laid.
Distance chart:
Davangere to Chitradurga: 62 Kms
Chitradurga to Challakere: 30 Kms
Challakere to Bellary: 104 Kms