On the heritage trail-Part 2

Day 2

The second day was not as intensive on the foot as Day 1 was. We moved from the 16th century Vijayanagar empire back in time to the Chalukyan regime between 12th and 15th centuries. Most important of the Chalukyas was Pulekesi and Vikramaditya I and II. Our first stop was Aihole, about 3 hrs away from Hampi.

Aihole - is popularly known as the cradle of temple sculpture as a lot of artists used it as a test bed for new styles of architecture and stone techniques. A tour guide mentioned in the passing that Aihole was the 'primary school'.









From Aihole, onto Pattadakal(a 15 min drive)

Pattadakal- was the second capital of the Chalukyas. It was the coronation city for Chalukyan kings. Pattadakal was by far my most favorite place of all the ones we visited. Many of the temples in this area were built during the time of Vikramaditya II. Virupaksha temple and the Mallikarjuna temple are some of the more prominent structures in Pattadakal. Our next stop was Badami, the site of the awe-inspiring cave temples.









Badami - was the capital city of Chalukyas, earlier known as Vatapi. The cave temples here are just spellbinding. There are 4 caves- one dedicated to Shiva, the next two to Vishnu and the last cave to Jainism.












Day 3 - Ok, so this is where the mythological side of Hampi surfaces. After a short break away from Hampi, we spent Day 3 back in Hampi. The resort staff had planned for a refreshing hike early in the am along a trail around the place which took us along hanging bridges and the boulders over to a vantage point from where we could view the entire surroundings accompanied by the calming morning winds and lilting river sounds. After a hearty breakfast, we were all set to scale the Anjanadri hill which was the birthplace and abode of Lord Hanuman!

The next stop was at Pampa Sarovar. There is a small lake filled with lotuses and is the location where Sabri is said to have met Lord Rama.

The last stop for the day was at Sanapur Lake(much like ending a meal with curd rice), the calm, clear waters of the lake was a peaceful and befitting end to our 3 day retreat. We went back to Mango Tree for a refreshing lunch and back to our cottage for a well earned siesta.









Our last evening was spent with a cozy campfire and the warm company of the other guests at our wonderful retreat. And thus ended our wonderful getaway into the world of history, sculpture and the finer art of escaping far from the madding crowd.

On the heritage trail- Part 1

Uhmmm...errr....sorry peeps! I've been AWOL again, but what to do? The pen hasn't exactly been my best friend for some time now. That's not to say there hasn't been much going on. Oh, there is sirree. Did y'all know I'm home now? Yes, its home for Christmas and the holidays. I have to tell y'all about my first week here but that's another post.

For now, you've got to hear about our recent trip. Seren and I set off on the heritage trail along the Vijayanagar and Chalukyan empires. What that means is we visited Hampi, Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal.

Right at the onset, we were greatly impressed with our resort. We stayed at Hampi Boulders, and were assigned the executive cottage(that's the first pic on the left in the link above). The resort is scenically positioned amongst the hills and boulders around Hampi. There are about 20 cottages or so each with private walkways and provides ample privacy and seclusion to make it truly serene and picturesque. Cell phone coverage in the area is spotty and there is no intercom to the main gondola. There are also no TV's in the room or in the central dining area. The staff is pleasant, ever helpful and extremely prompt with service. What struck us was that the owner had a very good aesthetic sense and had put immense thought into making it a unique experience for his guests. The staff hold campfires every other evening and constantly encourage guests to mingle amongst each other. It makes for a very English setting with guests meeting in the common area for meals and inevitably chatting and exchanging notes about their day and visits around the area. A five star rating for sure from us and we'd recommend it to everyone. The place is rather pricey, be warned. But for the kind of amenities and service and serenity, it is well worth the money spent.








Day 1
We set off towards the ruins of Hampi, the historical nerve center of the Vijayanagar empire of 16th century. Krishnadevaraya is said to have been the most important monarch that encouraged sculpture and established trading ties with other countries during this regime. The stone chariot at the Vitthala temple is by far the biggest landmark of Hampi. Other important monuments include the Virupaksha temple and Zenana quarters that house the Lotus Mahal. Purandara Mantapa is a monument built for the singer-saint Purandaradasa right on the banks of the river Tungabhadra. King's Balance is a stone structure on which kings used to weigh themselves against gold and gems and donated for charities.














At the end of Day 1 we were exhausted, partly due to our own stupidity actually. We'd been warned to not take the Hampi ruins by foot since it covers about 25 kms. We started walking towards one set of monuments and by 1pm we were hungry and our feet were slowly beginning to kill us. Howoever, lunch at Mango Tree totally rejuvenated us. This restaurant was uniquely built around mango trees with unusual seating areas- low tables with floor seating. The restaurant is also located overlooking the wilderness and woods, so be prepared to catch some wildlife roaming around while you recharge your batteries. Being a pure vegetarian restaurant, the Mango Tree thali was scrumptious replete with thin, soft chapathis, a healthy sabji, a kootu, some rasam, sambar and rice. We coupled the thali with some refreshing lime juice.

This done, we decided to take on the next half of the Hampi trail by auto(which was by far the smartest decision we took). By around 5pm, we'd covered about 80% of monuments. See, there are two aspects to Hampi- one is the historical part, revolving around the Vijayanagar empire. The other is the mythological part- Hampi is also Kishkinda, Hanuman's birthplace is located right here.

More on this side of Hampi in the next post.

In God's own country

And we're back. With tales to tell, of course. And as the title screams loud and clear- we went on a trip to Kerala. Would you believe me if I said this was my first time? Really! And I fell in love with this beautiful state. My God, what a variety in natural resources- from tea to herbs, to Ayurvedic treatments to spices, from beaches to backwaters, from coconuts to banana chips, from beauty to serenity- can you think of another place that delivers all this in just one strip of land? I cant!

So here's how it all started.

Day 1 : We landed at Kochi and immediately started driving towards Munnar. Within an hour's time we were driving up the mountains, towards the cool, clear temperatures of this southern hill station. Vast expanses of tea plantations became visible in a couple of hours. The drive from Kochi to Munnar takes about 4 hrs. We took a 45 min break to grab a quick lunch.

We stayed at the Royal Retreat. Let me tell you, this is the cutest B&B type of place you will find in this area. The place has cabin like rooms- not too many of them. Probably about 15-20 rooms in all. But the quaint rooms, the brightly painted corridors, the colors and scents of the flowers in the yard- all add to its charm. A stream divides this "royal retreat" from a park that is filled with walking trails and a cheery flower garden. This became our evening walk as we settled into our rooms.

Day 2 :The next morning found us driving towards a few popular tourist spots around Munnar such as Pothamedu viewpoint, Mattupetty dam, Echo Point and some waterfalls. While these spots are essentially touristy in nature, its the drive that provides the best views of the luscious green of the tea plantations topped by brilliantly blue skies.








And as we drove around, we eventually were well on our way to our next destination-Thekkady. The drive from Munnar to Thekkady takes about 5+ hrs and is a strenuous one filled with steep slopes and sharp bends. Not a pleasant ride for those that suffer from motion sickness.

Thekkady : What can I say about this destination- so unlike Munnar. But so unique in its own wealth of resources. Our first stop at Thekkady was at a spice plantation- we went on a guided tour. Do take one if you can. There are many of these spice plantation along Thekkady road and its worth a visit. The guide explains the many herbs and spices that grow in this treasure trove that has medicinal value of Ayurvedic significance and home remedies. Its no wonder Kerala was one of the biggest trading ports in India for spices.

We next went to a Kathakali performance at the Mudra arts center.

We stayed at the Rangerwood Nature Castle hotel at Thekkady. This is a new hotel and hence the rooms were freshly painted, the place was well kept and minty fresh. Service was good, though room service is ordered from a Cafe right across from the hotel and hence quality of food was sub-standard. The rooms have a wonderful view of the Periyar Wildlife sanctuary and has a cabin-like feel.










Day 3 : Next day, our first activity was a 2 hr boat ride at the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. We only sighted some wild boars, elephants and birds. Nothing much to write home about. Post lunch, we spent some time shopping for spices, tea and handicrafts. One problem we had at Thekkady was finding good restaurants that catered to the vegetarian palate.

Day 4 : We set off for our last destination- Alleppey. Along the way we stopped by at the Connemara tea factory where we were given a guided tour on the process of tea making. The whole factory smells warmly....of what else...but tea! The steps that are followed to convert the green tea leaves to "tea leaves" that go into the cartons and land right at your dining table as garam chai is nothing short of wonder-mazing!

The drive from Thekkady to Alleppey takes about 3+ hrs. Whoa, what a change of scenery. One steps down from the mountains to the flat lands of luscious green fields lined with coconut trees and water.

Alleppey is the land of back waters- scenic, serene and laid back. Our 3 hr cruise along these calm waters was the perfect end for this great holiday. It was a time to gaze at blues of the sky and water, at the sponge like clouds that dotted the sky, the green of the coconut trees and foliage, the houseboats and fishing boats that amble along the way, the people that live along the shores of the backwaters- doing their thing- be it washing clothes, taking a bath or buying stuff from the peddler-on-a-boat.
















And thus we were done. Our eyes brimming with nature's beauty that's packed more in our minds and longer lasting than any compact flash card could fit.

Signing off
-altoid

Winter 2008-Notes from back home-3

Weekend Getaway

* Saturday morning around 7:30 found Seren and I on the road. We were headed towards the Bangalore-Mysore highway and on our way to Janapada Loka/Channapatna and Kanva Reservoir.

* Since we headed out at this early hour, traffic was somewhat light and by the time we were well into the highway, the morning shades of dawn coupled with the characteristic cool breeze of Bengaluru welcomed us. We even wondered if we should have left sooner and caught a brilliant sunrise.

* After a 45kms drive, we saw a big, cheery sign on the left welcoming us to Kamat Lokaruchi and Janapada Loka. The anticipation of a scrumptious breakfast was in the air as we turned into the parking lot.

* As we walked into Kamat Lokaruchi, we were asked if we wanted to go for the breakfast buffet option. This was an easy decision. "Yes!" we exclaimed in unison and thus were escorted to the buffet area. Each section of this rustic set restaurant is in the form of "huts" replete with thatched roofs with an open air setting. We paid for 2 breakfast buffet meals and were served a thaali consisting of dollops of khara bath, kesari bath, pongal, chutney, kanchipuram idli and a katori of sambar. Separate stalls carried coffee/tea, some fruit and a fruit juice. Cost per person Rs 60. Digging into this delicious southern breakfast fare - priceless.

* After breakfast, we took a well earned walk around Janapada Loka. There was an open air theater-cheerily painted with Warli stick figures, a museum, a herb/medicine garden and even a small lake replete with paddle boats. Makes for a quaint picnic spot.

* I spent some time at the book store and arts/crafts store adjacent to Kamat Lokaruchi. This done, we headed out back on the highway towards Kanva reservoir.

* A few kms ahead, we found signs for the reservoir leading into a dust road. This probably is one of the negatives for those venturing to view this scenic dam/reservoir- the dust road which is really not well maintained. And there are very few signs along the way to indicate how far the reservoir is. But once the dam/river is sighted, its a beautiful and serene feast for the eyes. Oh and I forgot to mention, somewhere on the way to Janapada Loka, I realized I had brought my camera sans the memory card(Ugh! ).

* These pictures of the reservoir are taken thanks to my phone.

















* Next stop was Channapatna to check out the colorful wooden handicrafts so typical of the place. I will upload some pics of the loot we picked up on this visit in my next post. We spent an hour or so out here and then headed back. We debated whether to try lunch at Lokaruchi, then decided against it. We gave Amma a chance to feed us a scrumptious lunch of bisibelebath, curd rice and chips. And then it was siesta time!

Note to self : Please check for memory card in camera before heading out on trips.

Finding roots in a far-away land

Sigh. I have so much to tell from my long weekend and the road trip across the MidWest. And the sooner I put it down in writing, the sooner I will be able to shed the load because its definitely overwhelming in every sense of the term.

Route : Northern VA- Columbus OH- Chicago, IL- Pittsburgh PA- Northern VA

Headnote 1 : This is the first time I got such a wonderful peek into the MidWest. It is beautiful, it is scenic and the people are warm, welcoming and so down-to-earth.
Headnote 2 : I usually try not to be vernacular-specific in my posts so that everyone can understand and appreciate. So fair warning, there is a lot of Kannada-related mentions in this post- they're unavoidable and very much warranted, given the nature of the sentiments. Also fair warning- this is a loooooong post so put your feet up, pull out some popcorn and enjoy the ride.

On that note, lets go.

This was a last minute decision, to go on this trip. As always, those are the best kind. Taking an additional day off, we set off first to Columbus.

Columbus, OH :
A delightful pit-stop at a friend's place where conversations were warm and welcoming, company was entertaining and evening walks were a welcome change of scenery. A brisk walk in a new community is always enjoyable- new sights, new sounds, new smells and ever-pleasing.

One thing I did note though-this particular neighborhood didnt have fences between homes. As I walked, in one house a mastiff came running out from the yard onto the sidewalk menacingly. I let out a scream that could've brought the entire neighborhood out to enquire what was wrong. There was probably an electric fence or something(how should I know?) because it stopped right at the invisible demarc and barked some more. Alright, thus scared, I continued along with the walk.

Next stop

Chicago, IL :











The first day of our stay in Chicago was spent going around this enchanting Mid-West city. There is always an air of something interesting happening, and an interesting sight for eye candy out here. We went on the architectural riverboat cruise and took a ride up Sears Tower. Then we roamed around the city, soaking in the brilliant blue sky and the warm sunny weather that had been bestowed upon us. As I sat on a bench at Navy Pier, it was calming to watch the sails pass by, the little lighthouse over the horizon, the calm azure water with its sparkles..there was serenity right there.










The next few days were spent at the World Kannada Conference. Its an event that brings Kannadigas all over the US together over the Labor Day weekend every 2 years. This year it was at Chicago. Its one of those events where one gets to hear Kannada spoken everywhere around, almost like being back home. Dignitaries from the literary, film and political worlds all converge to mingle, to entertain, to be entertained, to muse, to dress and to impress. There are fashion shows, Kannada Idols to be chosen, Youth Forum, Women's forum, literary sessions, Meravanige(which is the Kannada term for procession where very district of Karnataka is showcased by all the kannada sanghas of North America)...the list is endless. Its one big festival where bisibelebath, kharabath, vangibath, mysore pak and mosranna flows limitlessly, run-ins with celebrities are oh-so-casual and one dresses up in one's finest, twice a day.

Our saga of run-ins began the previous evening, where on our cruise, we ran into none other than Yedi(short for B S Yediyurappa, Karnataka's CM :P). After a short guftagoo with him, for the next 2 days we had wonderful run-ins with C.Ashwath, Vatal Nagraj, Ramesh Arvind, Jayamala, Upendra and Mukyamantri Chandru. I found Upendra exceedingly down-to-earth, warm and approachable. He has an air of humility and honesty that is hard to miss.

The literary sessions consisted of a Q&A session with S L Byrappa, talks by Chandrashekar Kambar and Gurulinga Kapse, book/cd releases, book reviews and other such thought-provoking discussions. What a great congregation of brilliant minds! I was almost ashamed that I was so out of touch with Kannada literature.

Guru Kiran night was grand, as always, featuring singer Nandita, Ramesh Arvind and a host of others. That went on well past midnight of Saturday. The Meravanige on Saturday morning was wonderfully executed. There was a long chain of Kannada Sanghas of the US where each group had a display of the essence of Karnataka- whether it was Kodagunaadu, or North Kanara or even showcasing our tribal dance forms.

There were bursts of some wonderful humour with Haasya Loka with humorists such as Prof Krishne Gowda. Stomach achingly funny!

Yuva Raaga had a entertaining music show of talents of the youth here in the US who have an amazing appreciation for Kannada. Sunday's most fitting end to the entire event was "Kannadave Sathya" by C. Ashwath and his team. The show began with Aswath asking the entire audience gathered in the main hall of the Convention Center(which was packed to capacity) to stand up for his opening song, which was the state anthem of Karnataka, penned by Kuvempu- 'Jaya bharata jananiya tanujaate'. This was moving and touching and it warranted singing along. The evening continued on with gems by the legend such as 'Elladaru iru, entaadaru iru, endendu nee kannadavagiru' and 'Raayaru bandaru maavana manege' and 'Kodagana koli nungitta tangi' and so many many more.

At the end of 3 nights, I was overwhelmed with being back in touch with Kannadatva. For 3 days I was entertained by stalwarts of whom I have read so much about and seen on TV, that which would have taken me months to get the same kind of exposure back home. As I left the venue on Sunday night, my heart was filled with gratitude, my mind was filled with enough cud to chew on for the next few months, my parched throat was quenched with all the love and oneness that came along with being amongst like-minded people and thus I was satiated. SO totally worth it. I am on a high right now as I write this out.

It was a long drive back home in every sense of the word. I found the countryside around the MidWest entirely charming strewn with luscious corn fields, red barns and open spaces. I present some of the scenery that kept me entertained all through the drives.










We stopped for a couple of hours, since it was on the way, at..

Pittsburgh, PA :

A quick dekho at Tirupathi Thimmappa, a quick stop for tamarind/curd rice topped with boondi at the temple cafeteria and we set off...for a another stint of driving for the last lap, homeward bound.

It is said 'home is where the heart is' and what that means is not your physical dhak-dhak beating heart. Its your soul and my soul right now is telling me 'Kannadave satya, kannadave nitya'. Yes, undoubtedly. That will always be home.

Footnote : My next post will definitely have to be about two small miracles that I was a subject to while I was at the windy city. Stand by for details...

Confluence

Confluence (kŏn'flū-əns)
n.
- A flowing together of two or more streams.
- The point of juncture of such streams.
- The combined stream formed by this juncture.










A scenic spot + Some peace and quiet + Some history + A handful of rivers + Some benches = A grand confluence of nature at it's best

This Mother's day, with two mother-like figures in tow, it was time for an early morning scenic drive to Harper's ferry, WV. This has been a long overdue visit and having lived this close to this serene spot, it was shameful to have not gone sooner. The only spanner in the works was the torrential rains that had become a part and parcel of our beautiful world for the last 4 days. This morning as the sun emerged, bright and cheery, it was hard to not wave a hand at it and say welcome back, hope you got a well deserved break. I'm sure the sun tires of the drudgery of its job, as do we all.










6:30am on Sunday: Over coffee/tea/idli/chutney, after the rustle of wrapping paper and crisp opening of cards for Mother's day had died down..."There's no rain right now. Weather.com says heavy rains in the afternoon. Lets just go for a drive"

Me : "Alright, lets get ready and head out then."

7:30am : The three of us were all set to go with time to spare. A small picnic hamper was hurriedly put together.

8:00am : No sun, dense clouds, directions in hand- all set to go.

9:15am : At the park entrance, paid entrace fee and drove to the shuttle bus after a quick stop at the visitor's center for maps and trails and such.

9:30am : Walked around the scenic spots, drinking in the beauty of the surroundings, the serenity of the gurgling waters and chirping of the birds as we soaked in the history of the small and less known place called Harper's ferry.

11:00am : "Lets head back, looks like the weather is going to take a turn for the worse"

12:30pm : While we sat at the table back home after a scenic drive, the packed lunch tasted divine, the conversation fluid and relaxed and the mind at peace.

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.






Footnote : Definitely worth a revisit. And if its this close, many many revisits for sure.