This monsoon, get a slice of Coorg and head to Kutta – a destination that is a mix of forests and plantations. A border town between Karnataka and Kerala, Kutta is part of Coorg, nestled deep inside the Western Ghats at the southern end of the coffee country. Yet for the usual visitors to Coorg, it rarely fits into their tourist itinerary, leaving it a virtually unexplored territory.

I have been to Coorg many times but Kutta has always been special to me. Serendipity had brought me here on my first trip to Coorg and it had been my first introduction to the coffee country.

Read : Scanned memories of Coorg

A decade ago, we were driving from Mysore and had decided to take the longer route through the Nagarhole forest to reach Madikeri. Kutta greeted us on the way and we fell so much in love with the pretty nondescript town that we decided not to head any further.

Morning in Kutta

Years later I find myself on the same road. The Nagarhole forests look a little refreshed from the recent showers.  We slow down to take in the scenery. A crested serpent eagle surveys the jungle for its prey. We look around to see if there is a leopard or a tiger lurking in the woods.  Herds of spotted deer cross the roads, some looking at us a bit warily, wondering if they should follow the lead of the others or wait. The sky is a magical blue but in a moment it turns grey as menacing rain clouds threaten to pour out their burden. Just then an elephant rips apart the bamboo shoots by the road and disappears into the wilds. The forests are silent; not even a single bird call is in the air as we drive out into Kutta.

Nagarhole forests in the monsoons

The landscape changes the moment we leave the gates of Nagarhole. The bamboo is replaced by tall silver oaks as coffee plantations surround you. However there is an element of wildness in the terrain. It rains just as I enter Kutta. The wet smell of the earth, the intoxicating fragrance of the coffee blossoms, sparkling little stars in the mist, the frogs croaking to the rain – Kutta welcomes me in its traditional manner. The rains stop and we wander around in the plantation. The covers come off and the coffee beans that were left to dry form a carpet of brown. The sun peeps out and the birds come out in the open to dry themselves.

Waterfalls beckon us and we head to Irpu, located in the Brahmagiri Range. Also known as the Lakshmana Tirtha Falls, the cascade that tumbles down takes the name from a tributary of the Kaveri. The path takes us through a paddy field that leads into a dense forest where we can see fresh elephant dung.

In India, every part of nature has a mythical connection, especially to the epics. And as the name goes, there is a story dated back to the Ramayan days. While Rama and Lakshman were searching for Sita in the hills, Lakshman quenched Rama’s thirst by darting an arrow into the Brahmangiri Hills. The river that flowed down formed the waterfalls. A famous Siva temple, the Rameshwara Temple stands on the banks of the Lakshmana Tirtha River, en route to the Falls. The recent rains have added some fury to the cascading waters. The rocks are a bit slippery but we leave as some tourists start pouring in.

Spotted deer grazing in the woods

The sky is a fusion of golden brown and crimson red as I head out on another wild encounter. We cross the border into Kerala to enter the wildlife sanctuary in Wayanad. Just as our jeep meanders through the safari roads, we hear that a tiger has been sighted. We follow the lead, but the big cat eludes us.

Read my post : A safari at Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuary Wayanad

We see the Malabar squirrel jumping across trees, a few langurs but the tiger seems to have escaped into the forests. The jungles; however, are lit by a beautiful light and I am enjoying the company of birds. Malabar parakeets screech. A white belied woodpecker, one of the largest of its kind willingly poses for us as I spot raptors like crested serpent eagle and oriental honey buzzard.

A crested serpent eagle looks away

I return to Kutta just as the sun sets. The crimson haze is all around as the silhouettes of the silver oak stand out in the twilight. The owls hoot welcoming the night. Another day in the wild ends as the rains tumble down again .

Looking for more posts on Coorg ? Read my Coorg Diaries – Part one, Part two and Part three.

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It has been ten years since I started travel blogging and nostalgia is one of the best ways to celebrate the journey. After all travel is not about the number of trips or posts but the memories that are associated with them. Going down the ages, I realized that each of these trips had a story around it and I wanted to share them with them. Almost all of them are from India and they are all personal trips, not sponsored by anyone.

2005 – Talakadu

The year I started travel blogging. I created my blog on blogspot purely out of curiosity. I was based in Madras or Chennai then and we travelled frequently to Bangalore. In one of those trips, the husband and I visited Talakadu and Somnathpur, near Mysore. The roads were bad and we lost our way as we meandered through the villages. We were dazzled by the show of green the sugarcane fields put up. Finally when we reached Talakadu, the excavations were still going on. And that is how this post came up.

Read Talakadu – Buried in the sands of time.

Excavations in Talakadu

2006 – Sikkim

Nathulla Pass, Sikkim

This was probably one of the craziest years of my professional life. I was with Big 92.7FM and had the mandate to work on the FM radio bids and thereafter to launch nine radio stations in the south – three of them in Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad within a gap of three days. This was also the year we moved to Bangalore but I was virtually living out of a suitcase, all on work . I managed to do just two holidays and one of them was in cold January to Sikkim. I dont know what possessed the husband and I to plan Sikkim but all I had was a handful of days and we wanted to disappear somewhere, away from the bosses and their calls.

Read Sikkim – Of Dizzying heights

2007 – Tawang 

Glacier near Sela Pass

I had quit my job in a huff and just wanted to escape from the bosses and think about what next to do. The husband and I annually holiday around the first week of January and since we had been to Sikkim the previous year, we planned Assam and Arunachal Pradesh for 2007. It was the craziest decision ever. Who would want to go to Arunachal Pradesh in the first week of January when its freezing and the sun sets by 4pm ? There was a bomb blast in Assam and there was heavy security too. Tawang was not in the tourist map and there was barely a soul travelling.. And yet it gave me a good break from work. I did eventually return to my job but with a plan to exit eventually, which I did .But that is a different story. I could say that this trip to some extent helped me realize my true calling.

Read Tawang – Of glaciers, lakes, snow clad mountains and a valley of clouds

2008 – Sringeri

Sringeri – Vidyashankara temple

One of my best years of my life. I had quit and my blog became my mainstay. I had all the time t travel. I also realized that I was drawn towards heritage sites. I found peace and quiet in Sringeri, a destination that I have been visiting since I was a toddler – a place where Adi Shankaracharya established his mutt in the South, when he saw a snake giving shelter and protecting a pregnant frog from the rains.

Read Sringeri – The spiritual world beckons

2009- Ladakh

Ladakh from the skies

The year I eventually decided that I am not heading back to a corporate job and I would be focussed on my career in travel . I travelled a lot this year, from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. I was also invited for my first FAM abroad – as the lone travel blogger from India to cover the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. But if I had to pick one trip and one post from the year, it has to be Ladakh. The husband and I had some great moments during this trip. And i wrote this post on the last day of my trip from a tiny cyber centre in Leh . It was probably my first experience of blogging on the go as well.

Read Ten great “Ladakhi” moments

2010 – Angadi

A broken sculpture at Angadi

What I loved most about travelling were the little discoveries in our own backyards. My cousin and I had gone on a little expedition visiting over 20 Hoysala temples in remote towns and villages – we even opened some of them ourselves. Most of these shrines were in vast open spaces or in heart of villages but lost to man. And that is how we discovered Angadi, the place which is considered the birthplace of the Hoysalas. I learnt that the oldest Hoysala temples built in the 9th century were in ruins inside a private coffee estate and we got permission from the owner to visit the shrines and see the ruins. Here is the story on Angadi

Read Angadi – the birthplace of the Hoysalas

2011-Nilgiris

Tea plantations in Nilgiris

As a child growing up in Madras or Chennai, holidays meant Ooty or Bangalore or both. I visited Ooty almost every year until high school. This is what happens when you have a father who is an old Lawrencian. And then twenty yeas later, I visited Ooty  on a solo trip and explored the Nilgiris. I saw a completely different perspective and I shared it in this post. Interestingly the post became very popular and my father shared it among his friends. It eventually went viral and it reached a man in the UK who was working with the OUP. He was apparently writing a book for school students on English and he was so taken in by the post that he wanted to add a chapter on blogs and wanted to reproduce the post, for a fee of course. That is when I realized the power of the blog.

Read Nilgiris – why the Queen of the Hills should be on your itinerary

2012 – Chithral

Most of 2012 was spent exploring international destinations but my favourite trip was to my ancestral town – Tirunelveli or more precisely Kallidaikurichi in down south Tamil Nadu. I was on a heritage tour, discovering ancient sites around Kanyakumari with INTACH and one of the destinations in the Naanjil Naadu tour was to Chithral, a Jaina site on a hillock. Despite the heat, it was absolutely beautiful with just a handful of us, all strangers sharing a passion for heritage. And I rediscovered my passion for both heritage and offbeat destinations

Read Chithral – a Jaina site on a hillock

Temple atop a hillock

2013- Rajasthan

Sand dunes near Jaisalmer

It was in 2002 when I made my first trip to Rajasthan. Although I did go on a quick trip to Jaipur post that, it took me 11 years to plan my next trip to Rajasthan. The husband and I went to Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Ajmer, Pushkar among other places. It rained and how . I had not seen the desert before and I had not seen rains in the desert either. This was quite a trip and hence the memories stayed on for a while.

Read Rajasthan – Eight days, eight memories

2014 – Puri 

Inside the Chausath Yogini temple in Odisha

I barely travelled last year but I began my year with a trip to Odisha with the husband . And that remains the best trip of the year. We visited several temples, went to heritage villages, did some birding and went on cruises but if I had to pick a moment from the trip, it is the darshan of the deities, Jagannath and his siblings, Balabhadra and Sulabhadra in the ancient Puri temple. It is believed that the deities were carved none other than Lord Vishnu himself, in the guise of a sculptor. Myths and legends had always fascinated me and the temple is a treasure house of them.

Read A morning in Puri at the Jagannath Temple

2015 – Kutch

The year has just begun and there are several trips to be made and memories to be carved.I ended 2014 and began 2015 with a visit to Kutch, a destination that has been on my mind since 2009. The trip happenned at the last minute as we ran from pillar to post finding accomodation but it was memorable.

Read My first impressions of Kutch

White Rann at sunrise

It is difficult to sum up a decade of travel experiences in a post as almost every trip is an experience by itself. Very often I go back and read old posts and smile to myself, remembering a little anecdote or feeling silly about something. And am hoping to make more memories. The vacant road lies ahead of me and destinations are waiting to be explored.

The post Ten years – ten posts appeared first on Lakshmi Sharath.

Welcome to this edition of Go Explore with goibibo . We have a new destination for you, a serene spot which will soothe your nerves and take you on a romantic high. In the last edition of Go Explore we went wild with Masinagudi, but this month we are headed to the beach for some sun and sand. All roads point to Karwar, a sea side town that inspired none other than Rabindranath Tagore.

Sunset in Devbagh, Karwar

Watching the sunset and turning the blue waters into a fiery orange was one of my favourite moments in Karwar. But you can create many moments of your own during your trip. It is a destination which is ideal for a romantic getaway. With the Arabian Sea on one side, the Western Ghats on the other, several islands lie in between forming the little town of Karwar, which is an ode to beauty.

I would recommend that you plan your trip this Valentine weekend to Karwar and I can give you not just one, but five reasons to head there. This Valentine if you want to relax, romanticise or rejuvenate, Explore Karwar with goibibo.

The post Go Explore with goibibo – Romantic Karwar appeared first on Lakshmi Sharath.

Almost every temple in India is either dedicated to Shiva or Vishnu and their consorts. While every temple has a spiritual significance to it, there are some shrines that remain etched in my mind. I am often taken in by sculptures, although I am no art historian or an architectural expert. They have a magnetic pull. These are some of the sculptures of Shiva in temples of South India that have fascinated me. Most of these temples have archaeological significance and were built by various dynasties several centuries ago.

Badami Caves

I start with the 6th century Chalukya capital, Badami or Vatapi where both rock cut and structural temples beckon me. There are four caves in Badami and the first one is dedicated to Shiva and his pantheon of Gods. I was awestruck seeing this 18 armed Shiva carved in the caves, probably an early depiction of Nataraja.

An 18 armed Shiva in Badami

Gangaikondacholapuram

When it comes to carving sculptures of Shiva, the Cholas are the experts. Raja Raja Chola’s Big Temple or the Brihadeshwara temple in Thanjavur towers over all shrines in South India and is a masterpiece in its own right. However his son, Rajendra Chola tries to replicate his father’s magnum opus in his new capital, Gangaikondacholapuram, but stops his work midway. Perhaps, this panel depicting Shiva blessing the prince and showcasing the story of Chandela has something to do with it.

Shiva and Parvati blessing Rajendra Chola

Read more here – Gangaikondacholapuram, an ancient Chola capital

Lepakshi

Hampi may be synonymous with art and architecture of the Vijaynagar empire but it is in Lepakshi where I saw this massive beautiful Naga Linga and heard this interesting story. The giant multihooded Naga Linga was said to have constructed out of a single boulder in such speed ; apparently even before the cook had finished cooking for the workers. But a crack soon appeared in the boulder that it looks like the sculpture is split in the middle, towards its base. “ The sculptor’s mother was so taken in by her son’s work that she praised him, but her words only caused an evil eye and the crack appeared ,” says the guide , as I smile.

The Nagalinga in Lepakshi has many stories to tell

 Read – Stories around Lepakshi

Seeyamangalam

We spoke about the Cholas, the Chalukyas and the Vijaynagar kings but another early depiction of the Nataraja is carved by the early Pallavas under Mahendravarman 1 in Seeyamangalam, a temple which is about 80 kms from Madras (Chennai). Dedicated to Stambeshwarar, a form of Shiva, the temple has been further extended by the Chola and the Vijaynagar kings who have built the Gopurams and the Mandapams, besides the Murugan temple atop a rock with small steps carved on the stone. The temple has one of the earliest interpretations of the Ananda Thandava posture of Shiva that we know as Nataraja carved  in one of the pilasters, while the other has a low bass relief of Rishabhantara.

Shiva in an early depiction of Nataraja

Read – Seeyamangalam Cave temple

Have you seen any interesting sculptures or heard any stories ? Please share them here.

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There is something magical about a road trip. Only a magic wand can transform dry dusty villages into picturesque fields brimming with sunflowers, their heads nodding in glee towards the sun. The same moody wizard has suddenly flattened the landscape, filling it with stunted vegetation and thorny shrubs and then as per his whim, created boulders and rocky cliffs along the way. Rivers thinning into streams flow around pebbles chattering along. I am driving in Bagalkote district towards Badami, earlier known as Vatapi, the capital  of the early Chalukyas between the 6^th-8^th centuries. The town was later ruled by the Rashtrakutas, the Hoysalas, the kings of the Vijaynagar empire, the Marathas and was even under the regime of the Adil Shahi Dynasty but it still retains the stamp of the Chalukayas.

People entering Badami Caves

Nestled in a ravine there are forts, temples, rock cut caves and inscriptions carved in the rugged outcrop of sandstone . Standing below the Badami caves, I see the emerald green Agastya Lake glittering in the light, while the fort towers above the rock cut caves with canons watching the town. As the evening rays make the boulders blush, the red sandstone glows in the light, the tourists look like ants crawling up the rocks, their bright clothing standing out. I am surrounded by the mountains but it is the caves that beckon me.

Founded by Pulekeshi 1 who built the fort, the caves were constructed by his sons,  Kirtivarman 1 and Mangalesha but the greatest ruler was Pulekeshi 11 who engaged in constant wars with the Pallavas.  Vatapi is immortalised in a classical Carnatic song dedicated to Ganesha, as “ Vatapi Ganapathim Bhaje “ . Legends say that the sculpture of Ganesha was brought from Vatapi by the Pallavas who defeated the Chalukyas in one of the battles and it is now in Thanjavur. But the myth around the name “ Vatapi” takes us down to the Puranic era where, the sage Agasthya killed the Asura or demon Vatapi by devouring and digesting him.

The Agastya Lake framed by the cave

A little monkey distracts me as I enter the first cave dedicated to Shiva. I lose myself in the dark crevices of the rugged hills which have become virtual art galleries. All the four caves have a similar architecture pattern –  a verandah with pillars, a columned hall and small square like cells cut in the rock.

An 18 armed Shiva in Badami

One of the oldest cave temples built here in the 6^thcentury,  there is a pantheon of Gods here from Ganesha and Karthikeya beside Shiva with his consort Parvati. The sculpture of Shiva with 18 arms in different dance poses takes your breath away as the guide says it probably depicts an early interpretation of Nataraja. Looking around I see Mahishaswaramardhini while the ceiling is dotted with sculptures.

Larger than life carvings are seen inside the caves – Shiva with Parvati

I move on to the second cave where larger than life sculptures of Vishnu  takes the form of Trivikrama, Varaha and Krishna Suddenly the cave is taken over by a group of school children who are more interested in the monkeys around than in the carvings. I leave them and enter the third cave, another dedication to Vishnu.

Carving of Vishnu as Varaha in Badami Caves

This is the most beautiful cave. The façade is nearly 70 feet wide and every inch is carved with sculptures. I feel humbled and dwarfed, just seeing the bold strokes of the sculptor here, who has carved such larger than life sizes of various deities such as Vishnu sitting on a coiled serpent, besides Harihara and Narasimha. An inscription here dates back to the 6^th century.

Vishnu carved in Badami Caves

Narasimha in Badami Caves

Finally I am alone in a cave as all the school children have left. It is the last and it is dedicated to the Jains.  I can see an uninterrupted view of the Agasthya Lake from the cave, framed with its jagged edges. Besides Mahaveera and Parshavnatha, one can see carvings of Teerthankaras, Yakshas and Yakshis besides Bahu Bali on the walls. This was probably built at a later date .

The Jaina Cave in Badami

The archaeological museum is closing and I head there to see several sculptures and some of the oldest inscriptions. There are totally 18 in this town, one of them being an old Sanskrit inscription while another is one of the earliest evidences of poetry written in old Kannada. Battles fought and won are documented here as well.

A woman looks down from the caves

There are several structural temples in the town but an unchartered course leads me atop the hill to the oldest Shivalaya, The Malegitti Shivalaya . There are three temples in all and the rocks and the boulders are my companions. Even the monkeys do not come here. The sharp whistling of the breeze, the gentle evening sun, the deep gorges down hill and the rustling of the fallen leaves lend a surreal feel. The town looks distant as I gaze around, while the cannons look me in the eye from the other end. Looking down I see the Bhuthanatha temple on the banks of the Agasthya Lake. I walk up there to see the sunset.

For more stories 

Read – The temples of Aihole – a photofeature – Part 1

Read – Temples of Aihole – A photofeature – Part 2

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The red craggy sandstone cliffs form a rather stark background against the sky, accompanying me on my journey. Occasionally the scenery bursts into acres of green or bright yellow sunflower fields, but it is the mountains that gave me constant company.  The River Malaprabha interrupts my journey as small streams of water flow across the rocks embedded in the dry river bed. Along the banks of the river in Bagalkote district is a golden triangle, where three towns formed a rich tapestry of culture and architecture in ancient times. The heart of the Chalukyan kingdom, I am travelling between two erstwhile capital towns – Badami and Aihole and in between, was Pattadakal, my destination.

It is probably the mountains that gave Pattadakal its old name – Kisuvolai or Raktapura or the Red City. It is believed that it was the site where the Chalukyan rulers were crowned as kings. Yet one cannot find a palace here; but there are monuments that are probably more magnificent than a palatial complex.

The Virupaksha temple in Pattadakal

Sprawled amidst the mountains is the heritage site, where the temple complex opens into a fusion of architectural styles , which include the Rekha – Nagara –Prasada  with Dravida Vimana .There are ten temples here ,  all located in a single complex except a Jainalaya which is slightly further away on the road returning to Badami. These temples were all built between the 7^th – 9^th centuries by the Chalukya kings. But my interest lies in the largest and the grandest of all the temples in the Pattadakal complex – the Virupaksha temple.

Virupaksha temple – Inspired by the Kanchi Kailasanath temple

Built in the 8^th century, the Virupaksha temple is also known as the Lokeshwara , named not after the king or a deity but after the queen , Lokamahadevi who commissioned this magnificent monument to commemorate her husband, Vikramaditya 11’s victory over the Pallavas of Kanchipuram. She is believed to have been inspired by the Kanchi Kailasanatha temple and she brought in sculptors from the Pallava capital to build this temple. It is believed that the Kailasantha temple built in Ellora was based on the model of the Virupaksha temple.

You need more than a day to look at every carving inside the Virupaksha temple. It was  considered as one of the architectural marvels of the period, as even the architect was apparently given the title of “Tribhuvanacharya” or the master of three worlds. The temple is sheer poetry carved on stone and the walls, pillars, panels and columns are adorned with beautiful carvings from the epics and Puranas. A Nandi pavilion greets you at the entrance and the temple consists of a porch, a mandapa with 18 columns and a linga sanctuary.

Mallikarjuna temple – built by another queen

The queens of the Chalukyan era probably vied with each other to build temples for their kings.  Mallikarjuna temple, also known as Trailokeshwara temple, after the queen Trilokamahadevi who built it, is similar to the Virupaksha temple with its beautiful pillars and columns narrating stories from mythology, legends, puranas and epics. A Nandi pavilion stands in front , similar to that in Virupaksha temple and one can see two fragmented green stone Nandis here.

Both the Virupaksha and Mallikarjuna temples have left no stone unturned literally when it comes to carvings. Every inch of the shrines are carved – in outer walls, towers, friezes, reliefs, pillars and columns. Narratives from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, forms of Vishnu and Shiva,  episodes from Shiva ‘s life from his marriage to Parvati to his killing of demons, scenes from Krishna’s childhood are some of the stories carved here

As I sit by the mandapa to take notes from the local guide, the silence is suddenly broken by the arrival of several buses bringing in school students from local villages and towns.  Colourful school uniforms fill the landscape as the students run in and out of temples, jump in front of mandapas, pose for photographs with the Nandi and lose themselves amidst the shrines,  glad to be out of classrooms.  I watch them in amusement for a while, before continuing my journey .

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“Shussh”, whispers the naturalist, as I rummage through my backpack a little noisily to pick up my pair of binoculars. He points towards a grove of trees and I follow his gaze.  But  I see nothing – just a row of gulmohar trees whose branches are tinged with hues of red . My travel companions, a group of amateur bird watchers are clueless as well. It is my first official bird watching trip with a naturalist and I am learning how to spot birds. I squint through the branches and I see just a pair of mynahs . I look helplessly at my guide and he whispers “three o clock “ I have just learnt that the clock is usually a code word to denote the position of a bird on a tree.

The Cauvery at Galibore – a haunt of birds and birdwatchers

I stare again but the bird has already disappeared into a world of leaves. Disappointed, I look aimlessly through my binoculars towards a cluster of coconut trees. I look right into a pair of eyes blinking at me. I gesture rather excitedly at my naturalist and we all peer at the same tree with our binoculars. And looking right back at us, from a hollow in the bark of the tree is a pair of sleepy eyes. “Spotted owlet” I whisper rather excitedly and my naturalist gives me a rather approving look. I have spotted and identified my first bird today, a small stocky owl, with white spots and brown streaks, with bright yellow eyes.  I feel on top of the world, experiencing a sense of high at my new found discovery.

Spotted owlet is my first sighting

It is early morning and the sun is just rising at Galibore, a small fishing camp located downstream on the banks of the river Cauvery, barely a couple of hours away from Bangalore. A group of anglers have just come in to try their hand at catching the mahseer or billimeen as it is called in the local language, a fish that weighs more than 100 pounds and is said to have given many an angler a fight before they catch and release it.  We are however craning our necks and looking right above us, at the canopy of trees where birds are flitting about.

Before this field trip, the only birds I knew were crows, sparrows, pigeons and mynahs. Although I was fascinated by the avian creatures and their myriad colours and calls, I  could barely describe them, let alone identify them . And then I was “initiated” into the world of birds through a naturalist’s eye who showed me how to look at birds – through their sizes and shapes, through the curve of their beaks, through the colour of their rumps and their calls.  I discovered a whole new world, which had always been present around us, but invisible to our indifferent eyes.

Blue faced malkhova at Galibore

Back at the camp, my guide draws my attention to the bird that had eluded me a while ago . It has come back to its perch. Looking through my binoculars, this time I see it – a very large bird with a green beak and a prominent eye.  “ A blue faced malkova, “ whispers my guide and I wonder what it is so blue about it although it does shimmer in a shade of green. It is one of the largest birds I have seen .”It’s the eye,” he explains. I see a blue patch around it. I later learn that a bird’s name and the colour attributed to it may not necessarily be synonymous. “ A black kite is brown for instance, “ says the naturalist but many a time, a bird is known by its hues – so you have a red whiskered bulbul, a red vented bulbul, a grey bulbul, a yellow throated bulbul, a ruby throated bulbul among several other species of bulbuls. We set out looking for a few of them.

A green be eater poses

The woods around us explodes into a medley of sounds. The birds are active as they exercise their limbs, singing an ode to the sun.  I learn the basic skills to be a birdwatcher. Patience tops the list. For hours I stare at the same tree, as if I am in deep meditation , looking for any movement in the branches or the leaves. A little bit of rustle and I am all eyes, gazing into a world of green, hoping I could sight a bird. My friends, who are not into bird watching find me either crazy or amusing as I can gaze at nothing for infinity, hoping to get a good sighting of a bird. And it is this patience that gifts me a pair of verditer flycatchers, their aquamarine coat standing out in the fabric of green. And excited I follow their flight to another tree to see a Tickells blue flycatcher..a small bird painted in such brilliant hues of blue and orange.

I am alert, patient, excited and relaxed – a bundle of emotions as I learn to spot one bird after another For some birdwatchers it is all about ticking a species off their list, for me, it is a sense of high as I find a new discovery every time amidst the trees. The colours, the calls – they bring out the curiosity in me.  My senses are all heightened as I learn to identify calls as well. “There is a difference between a bird’s song and its call,” explains my naturalist, and as if on cue, the puff throated babbler, another small bird begins to sing, its melody luring me into a different world like Keats’ Nightingale.

Say hello to the brown fish owl

Leaning against a tree, I let my frayed nerves be soothed by the calls.  The sun’s rays filters through the tall trees. And then I see the resident bird of Galibore, a massive brown fish owl,  with its prominent ear tufts and bright yellow eyes staring right into my eyes.  It seems to be a bit unhappy at being roused and does not share the same excitement that I have for its company.

The woods suddenly become silent.  As my naturalist says, the birding hours seem to be over. They have retreated into their homes and habitats and it becomes difficult to spot them as the sun’s rays get harsher. I look at my bird book and the list in my hands. I had sighted about 60 species in my very first outing. But I am still craving for more. I keep looking around, waiting for one more call . But all I can hear is the rustle of the wind amongst the leaves.

A hoopoe looks away

As I plan to leave, a loud call four notes beckons me. It is not a hoot, not a chirp, not a song or a whistle. I stand transfixed. I have not heard that before. I scan the trees with the binoculars and I can see nothing.    I gesture to my naturalist and we wait for it again. The bird suddenly becomes silent. We finally decide to leave. Just as I lower the binoculars, it calls again. “One more bottle, “ says the naturalist and I look at him with a weird expression. “Is that a bird ?” I ask. “No, it’s the call, just listen again – that is what the bird is saying, “ I look up and see it camouflaged amongst the leaves – the Indian cuckoo, a shy bird, conspicuous with its call. Till date I call it the “One more bottle “ bird.

As the outing ends, I realize that there is an entire world amidst the bushes that I have been blind and deaf to in the last few years . And I also learn that a bird can say ,” One more bottle,” “Brain Fever” or “Did you do it “ if you listen carefully to their calls. No wonder people say we birdwatchers are a motley lot who have gone cuckoo !

Cauvery at Galibore

Getting there

Galibore is about 102 kms from Bangalore. The best way to access it is by road and it takes a little more than two hours to get there via Kanakpura and Sangama. Drive about 10 kms Sangama, where the rivers, Arkavathy and Kaveri meet and you will reach Galibore Fishing Camp , On the way, you cross Mekedaatu, a cliff which offers you gorgeous views of the rivers and the forests around.

Related posts – Fishing camps off Cauvery near Bangalore

The wild Karnataka – Galibore

Get fishy at Bheemeshwari

Doddamakkali -Tryst with the River Cauvery 

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I have often asked myself if there is one aspect of travel that I am partial to. I love the wilds, enjoy the solitude of a quaint town, love to listen to the soothing sounds of the waves, feel the energy of a big city and listen to stories of people . But if there is something that gets me all excited , it is heritage towns and destinations – more so, the ruins of a town .

A lot of people tell me history is boring. It is in a way  if you just perceive it the way we study in our classrooms , full of facts and figures, battles fought and won. But if you sit amidst a ruins and lose yourself in a world of imagination, you realize that there is nothing boring about history. It is romantic in its own way, mysterious and melancholic . It becomes a story with real people and real lives and with different endings , laced with truth, versions of truth, legends and myths. And that is probably why I would drop everything and head to ancient towns because the crumbling walls tell me a story, the proud tower is now a victim to the sands of time and our kings and queens a testimony to Shelley’s Ozymandias.

India is a land of so many dynasties that I often wonder how we even came together as a country . In Karnataka alone, I traced about ten dynasties and visited some of their ancient capital towns to see if they carry any tales about them . And each one of them had a little story to say, a tale of erstwhile glory lost and dusted away. Some of them live in the garb of a tourist town, others have withered away, waiting to be discovered. Almost every town has a river that flows through it, although the Cauvery seems to be the most prominent.

I am dividing this into two parts for now, probably there will be a third as I explore more towns.

Talakadu of the Western Gangas

On the banks of the Cauvery is the town of Talakadu that is literally buried by the sands, not just by time. The capital of the ancient Ganga dynasty is filled with legends and curses even as temples lie buried below the ground.

However we hear a tale filled with greed and lust for power which is set much later. It was the time when Talakadu and Srirangapatna were under the Vijayanagar empire . The death of the last Viceroy , Srirangaraya provoked the Wodeyars of Mysore to declare war. As Srirangapatna fell, the Wodeyar ruler sent his soldiers to covet the jewels of the late Viceroy’s widow, Alamelamma. As she fled from her pursuers, she is supposed to have jumped into the Cauvery , uttering the curses. My guide gets all dramatic as he proclaims the curse…” May Talakadu be always covered with sand and may the kings of Mysore always remain without heirs. “ The locals fear the curse as they say that it has come true. Talakadu is mysteriously engulfed with a sea of sand and the family tree of Mysore rulers show a large number of adopted heirs .

Read the story here – Talakadu, buried under the sands of time

A temple being restored in Talakadu

Srirangapatna – the capital of Tipu and Hyder Ali

History is filled with stories of Tipu and his father Hyder Ali who ruled Mysore from their capital, Srirangapatna, on the banks of the River Cauvery. Athough pilgrims and tourists flock to the Ranganathaswamy temple here, Srirangapatna is filled with monuments that take you down to Tipu’s era. His mausoleum, the palace , the mosque are just some of the attractions here. Tipu left his mark everywhere and if you have the time, then visit his birthplace , Devanahalli on the outskirts of Bangalore where the airport is located.

The Palace all lit up for the Dussehra

Mysore of the Wodeyars

The Kingdom of Mysore may have had several dynasties ruling over it, but it is the Wodeyars who are synonymous with the city, having ruled it over for 200 years. The city still has the royal stamp on it, with everything centred around the royalty. Even today, the Dussehra procession is a tradition laced from the Wodeyar era.  It is not just the palaces but several trails around the city take you down the eras. Mysore is my all time favourite getaway from Bangalore, especially when the latter gets on my nerves. I can go there anytime, even tomorrow if I wish , but you should head there during the Dussehra to get a feel of the royal era

Madikeri – The land of the Haleri kings

Everybody gushes about the natural beauty that Coorg is endowed about, but hardly a few know that Madikeri the capital was ruled by the Haleri Dynasty for over 250 years. Several stories echo from the old fort in Madikeri, the palace at Nalknad and the tombs near the capital.

The origin of the Haleri dynasty is traced to Veeraraja, a nephew of Sadashiva Nayaka of the Ikkeri Dynasty.  Disguised as a “jangama” or a priest with healing powers, he established a small group of followers in Haleri and overthrew the local Nayaks, including the chieftains of Bhagamandala and Talacauvery, and went on to become the lord of Kodugu with Haleri as his capital. His grandson, Mudduraja, later changed the capital to Madikeri.

The tombs of the kings near Madikeri

Madikeri Fort is today one of the few remnant symbols of this powerful dynasty and it houses a palace, a temple, a chapel, a prison and a museum where you can see hero stones or virakkals among other artifacts.

Read more – The Haleri trail of Coorg

Besides the Gaddige or the Raja’s samadhis, which are the tombs of the kings Doddaveerarajendra and Lingarajendra, there is also the Nalknad Aramane which has had its share of stories in the reign of the Haleri kings.

Read here – The Nalknad Aramane

Inside Nalknad Aramane

Dwarasamudra – the Hoysala town

My personal favourite. The Hoysalas will always be close to my heart . My entire tryst with travel as a career started with these kings who set up their capital in two towns – Velapuri and Dwarasamudra, which we popularly know as Belur and Halebeed. I explored more than 30 temples with my cousin, in small towns and villages, searched for some with a map in hand, stumbled upon some which have been converted in cow sheds…sigh ! thats a different story.

Ruins of a Hoysala temple

Read the post here – On the quest for hiddden Hoysala temples

The ruins in Dwarasamudra

But let me tell you the story of how Dwarasamudra became Halebeed. T he Hoysalas were ruling from Velapuri or Belur from  the banks of the Yagachi river. When one of the kings shifted the capital Dwarasamudra in the 11^th century ,he built a canal to channelize water from Yagachi to the new capital. A tank was built and the Hoysaleshwar  temple was later constructed on its bank. “ And then , it was renamed as Halebeedu, meaning old abode. Today you can still see the ruins of the old town behind the main temple.

Read the post here – The story of Dwarasamudra

Also read – Angadi , the origin of the Hoysalas

Also read – Belur, Chennakesava temple 

Coming up soon – Part two of the ancient dynasties – Hampi of the Vijaynagar Empire, Badami of the Western Chalukyas, Banavasi of the Kadambas, Malkhed or Manyakheta of the Rashtrakutas, Bijapur of the Bahmani Sultanate. Add Bidar and Belgaum as well besides Hubli and Dharwad which had their own history as well.  I am yet to visit the others and probably they will feature in part three.

 

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India is a land of many cultures and every dynasty has left its mark on it . In Karnataka alone, I traced about ten dynasties and kingdoms and my love for ruins and heritage has taken me to a few of them. In the last post on ancient capital towns of dynasties in Karnataka, we visited Talakadu, the capital of the Gangas,  Srirangapatna of Tipu and his father Hyder Ali,  Mysore of the Wodeyars, Madikeri of the Haleri Kings and Dwaasamudra of the Hoysalas. 

Read – Ancient capital towns of dynasties in Karnataka – 1 

Today, we visit the most famous and popular tourist destination in Karnataka , Hampi and Anegundi, besides the Chalukyan towns of Badami, Aihole and Pattadakkal

Hampi

The capital of the Vijaynagar Empire, Hampi, I believe cannot be explored in one lifetime. I have been here at least half a dozen times and yet, I feel I have barely seen anything beyond the tourist circuit. The story of Hampi takes me to Anegundi, the mother kingdom and the mythical Kishkinda of Ramayana where it all began.  Two brothers, Harihara and Bukka, whom we have probably studied as Hakka and Bukka escaped from Anegundi as it was under the control of the Delhi Sultan, Muhammad Bin Tughlaq. On the banks of the Tungabhadra, they met a seer, Vidyaranya from the Sringeri Shankaracharya Mutt who guided them to build a  town here called Vijaynagar . The brothers with a small army went on to defeat the Sultan and the rest of course is history.  But how did Vijaynagar become Hampi ? Read on here ..

Read – The story of Hampi 

One of the many sculptures in Hampi

I visited Hampi for the first time in 1995 when I was a student and then I have been going there repeatedly  and in  one of the many trips I decided to head to Anegundi, where it all began. An old fort, temples, ancient palaces greeted me as I went exploring this historic town.

Read – Anegundi – Relics of the past 

Gates of Anegundi

Badami

The ancient capital town of the Chalukyas , Badami is famous for its rock cut cave temples, the structural temples besides the fort and museum. My earliest memory of Badami was in 1995 when I visited it as a student and I went walking around the streets looking for a bell that was worn by cows around their necks. I visited Badami again a couple of years ago along with Aihole and Pattadakal and was completely taken in by these monuments which were built centuries ago.

People entering Badami Caves

Badami or Vatapi as it was called was founded by Pulekeshi 1 who built the fort and the caves were constructed by his sons,  Kirtivarman 1 and Mangalesha but the greatest ruler was Pulekeshi 11 who engaged in constant wars with the Pallavas.  Vatapi is immortalised in a classical Carnatic song dedicated to Ganesha, as “ Vatapi Ganapathim Bhaje “ . Legends say that the sculpture of Ganesha was brought from Vatapi by the Pallavas who defeated the Chalukyas in one of the battles and it is now in Thanjavur. But the myth around the name “ Vatapi” takes us down to the Puranic era where, the sage Agasthya killed the Asura or demon Vatapi by devouring and digesting him.

Read here – The caves of Badami

A woman looks down from the caves

However personally for me it was Aihole which was breathtaking . Out of the 125 temples here , we start with the Durga temple. The temple built between the 7^th-8^th centuries by the Chalukyas . Ironically it is not dedicated to Goddess Durga,  but takes the name after “Durg” or fortress which may have referred to the proximity of the fort that was around . Built in a fusion of Dravidian and Nagara styles of architecture, the temple’s apsidal design is also referred to as “Gajaprasta” referring to the shape of an elephant’s back. But it was not just the shrines. Walking around the streets, I would be lost in a monument here and there. Sometimes old homes jostled with space with a cave temple. The village seemed to morph into this little site filled with monuments that were built centuries ago. It was simply overwhelming. You did not need to know the story or the history , but just being there was a great feeling.

Aihole – Durga Temple

Get a visual high on Aihole with these virtual trips

Temples of Aihole – A photofeature – 1

Temples of Aihole – A photofeature – 2

If you visit Badami and Aihole, then you cannot leave without heading to Pattadankal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. What fascinated me about Pattadankal was the fact that queens here commemorate their husbands’ victories by building tempes.

Read – Pattadakal, where queens built temples

The connection with Pallavas and Kanchipuram has been around since the beginning and apparently the largest temple here – Virupaksha was inspired by the Kanchipuram Kailasanatha Temple

Mallikarjuna temple – built by another queen

The list does not end here. I have visited Malked of the Rashtrakutas and Bijapur of the Adil Shahi Dynasty. But I still need to visit Banavasi of the Kadambas, Bidar and Belgaum.  Can you add anymore towns to this list that have been lost in the eons of time ?

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The sky is growing dark by the moment. The roads get narrower. The journey seems long and never ending. We traverse across regions that are sparsely inhabited but most of the time, I have just age old trees for company on the road . The hills part ways for us, the forests are enchanting, the rivers whisper along their course , while the roads meander around quiet sleepy villages. I am in Karnataka driving towards a little town called Teerthahalli, sandwiched between the spiritual Sringeri and the wild Agumbe .

The River Tunga in Sringeri

The evening lights have already come up as we enter the town. It is well past sunset. The empty roads suddenly burnt into a vibrant market as we jostle for space amongst mopeds, cycles and cars whizzing past us. A herd of cattle is lost somewhere in the medley of shrieking horns. I leave the town behind me and head to the highway leading to Sringeri,  looking for a man who is a priest in a local temple here.

Seshadri Dixit greets us at the entrance of his home. Draped traditionally in a simple white dhoti with a white cloth covering his upper torso, he had just then finished his duties at the temple next door, which  is owned by his family for generations. His smile is warm but his face does not register any emotion. But behind that calm and sagely look is a spirit of adventure that can now be seen only in the twinkle of his eye.

In front of the porch is a row of cycles, one of them is his prized possession. “ So you are here to ask me about my cycle expedition ?” he asks a rhetorical question, giving me an amused look as he scratches his beard.

Meet Seshadri Dixit – the man who cycled across the country

And so the story begins – an inspiring tale of courage, adventure and fortitude that started way back on May 31, 1978. For three years and  two months or 1145 days  as he recalls with precision, Seshadri Dixit pedalled all over the country non stop for 55000 kms besides walking down 45000 kms , “the padayatra” as he calls it.

The story that started with a loan of Rs 750 that Seshadri took from a local bank in Teerthahalli to buy a cycle that took him all over the country. “I still have the cycle here, “ he says, slowly showing signs of childish excitement as he gently tugs at his companion of 35 odd years  and pulls it towards him. And then , as his wife brings steaming hot cups of coffee, Seshadri Dixit steps into the world of nostalgia reliving his adventurous years .

Seshadri Dixit still has his old cycle

It was a story of a young restless man with a streak of daredevilry  who wanted a sense of achievement in his life. “ I was about 24 years old then and not married. It was an obsession that I wanted to do something adventurous in my youth, “ he says nonchalantly.  Inspired by the Shiva Purana , he initially wanted to see all the pilgrimage centres in the country, but that soon developed into a plan of a grand All India Tour.

His friends helped him collect money. Some local organisations  and institutions supported him. He managed to get about Rs 5000 for a countrywide  expedition on a cycle. With a bundle of clothes weighing about 8 kgs, he set off from the Agrahara in Teerthahalli and travelled all over from Kanyakumari to Kashmir . “ I also went to Bhutan and Nepal but could not go to Nagaland and Tripura then, “ he laments.

“People, mainly the local policemen were helpful everywhere. Someone would stop and feed me, some bought me clothes , took me to various places to stay, connected me with influential people who would give me money. I slept on newspapers on the ground, sometimes would go to a Dharamshala or sleep in temples,” he reminisces adding that getting vegetarian food was never a difficulty anywhere in India.

He kept in touch with his family in every town. Telegrams were sent and received. Nostalgia lives in an old coloured  file where he has stored almost every bit of communication between him and his family. He was a local hero then. Dusty newspaper articles show a young bearded man with unkempt hair riding a cycle. He was written about in almost every state. “ Someone would introduce me to a local reporter who would then do a small interview  ,” says the man who now speaks multiple languages having experienced many cultures. His English is rather impeccable as well.

But what about the cycle ? It was a faithful partner, taking him places. “ There was a lot of wear and tear, but people helped me to fix it. I never had any problem with it, “ he says, except remembering the one time when he almost had a near death experience because of it.

“No, it was not an accident. I was in interior Madhya Pradesh when I was attacked by a group of tribals. They had bows and arrows and they were standing up in the trees and I did not notice them .I was hit by an arrow and was then beaten up . I was unconscious . The next thing I know is that some local forest guards found me . But it was actually the cycle that saved the day for me .”

Seshadri told us that the tribes seemed more interested in the cycle than in him and they left him unconscious there and started playing with it as it was a new toy . The guards hearing the commotion fired a bullet in the air and later found him bleeding and treated him for his wounds . In another incident, he was kidnapped by a few dacoits who later let him go after learning about his expedition .” Everywhere I went, people only respected and took care of me . “ he adds.

We look through the newspaper clippings in Kannada which shows a triumphant hero returning home. But that was almost 35 years ago. Today Seshadri , close to sixty years of age lives a quiet life in his village , educating his daughters – one is doing her post graduation, while the other is still an undergraduate.

As we leave, he shuts the file and closes a chapter in his life. Today, he seems like a much different man, his restlessness reigned in but his spirit remains undaunted as ever. He barely looks his age and his eyes sparkle, showing an urge for yet another adventure in his life.

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Five Jain temples in Karnataka India

I have always been fascinated by Jaina sites. They are not just ancient but are usually in very remote destinations – atop hillocks or in caves. I even did a short course on how Jainism spread to South India and was surprised to learn that the Tamil Jains are an indigenous community. The first time I had ever been to Jaina site was to Shravanbelgola, when I was a child. But I started exploring the basadis in Karnataka when I went on a Hoysala trail.  I have not been to many places but here are some that are my favourites in Karnataka.  Some of them are in ruins, some are popular pilgrimage sites, some are ancient centres , some are tourist spots – lets revisit five Jain temples in Karnataka India today.

The Cave Temple in Badami

Glittering in red are the rugged outcrop of sandstone as the sun’s evening rays in the Chalukyan town of Badami. And these mountains are hiding many a temple and an inscription carved in them. But it the Badami Caves that grab your attention. The town was founded by Pulekshi 1 who built the fort while the rock cut cave temples were carved by his sons, Kirtivarman 1 and Mangalesha. Badami was earlier known as Vatapi and the Chalukyas were constantly warring with the Pallavas in the South.

The Jaina Cave in Badami

There are four caves in Badami and we are in the last one, looking at the Agastya Lake framed by the craggy outlines of the rocks. esides Mahaveera and Parshavnatha, one can see carvings of Teerthankaras, Yakshas and Yakshis besides Bahu Bali on the walls. While the other caves were built in the 6th century, this was probably built later.

Read more – A visit to the Badami Caves. 

The Cave temple in Aihole

There are several monuments in Aihole located near Badami and while I can spend days here, this is one of my favourite cave temples. Although the Meguti temple is more popular as a monument here, I found a certain peace here. It is remote, quiet and has an aura of mystery around it.  One of the oldest rock cut cave temples, it probably dates back to 6th-7th centuries  I climb a small rock and open the door of the cave to find it richly decorated with carvings, some of them not complete. You can see carvings of Parshvanatha and Bahubali with female consorts.

Jain Cave Temple – Aihole

The cave opens into a porch that leads to a square hall with multiple small chambers. In the centre is a seated Teerthankara, flanked by guardians. The ceiling is ornate with relief patterns of lotus petals and other mythical creatures.

Read more –

Photo feature – Monuments of Aihole – Part 1

Photo feature – Monuments of Aihole – Part 2

Dwarasamudra or Halebeed

The entire Hoysala trail was filled with several temples and basadis that were Jain monuments . It is believed that Bittideva was converted into a Vaishnavite and he became Vishnuvardhan but his wife Shantala devi still remained a Jain. But during the Hoysala regime, religion probably did not matter. There were basadis and temples, dedicated to both Shiva and Vishnu were built. If Belur was dedicated to Chennakesava, Halebeed was dedicated to Hoysaleshwara.

Basadihalli near Halebeed

But Basadihalli close by is  dedicated to Parshwanatha, Shantinatha and Adinatha.  These were built in memory of Ganga Raja, the army commander by his son, Boppadeva. The 16 feet tall sculpture of Parshwanatha with the four teerthankaras was a highlight of this basadi while the ornate pillars reminded you of the glory of the Hoysalas. Another tall pillar with a sculpture of Brahma stood outside one of them while the ancient well here was almost dry.

Read more 

The Old Dwarasamudra

How Dwarasamudra became Halebeed

Moodabidri

This was probably one of the first destinations I had ever visited – even prior to the Hoysala trail. Located close to Mangalore, enroute to Sringeri, I must have crossed this town several times , but it is the first time I stopped at the  Tribhuvana Tilaka Chudamani basadi, meaning the crest jewel of the three worlds. The locals and the tourist books refer to it as the thousand pillar temple or the Savira Kambada Basadi.

Moodabidri – the thousand pillar basadi

There are no records here , but we heard that it was built at the instance of local chieftain , Devaraya Wodeyar in the 15th century. The basadi houses a tall bronze image of Lord Chandranatha Swami, the 8th Tirthankara . The thousand pillar basadi is a three storey symmetric structure and looks like poetry carved in granite .

Read more – Moodabidri, a thousand pillar basadi

Ruins of a Jain Basti in Begur

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Walking around Bijapur, in Karnataka is like traversing down a historic route. And there is more to it than just the monumental Gol Gumbaz, the symbol of the town. The Palmyra of the Deccan as the town is referred to is filled with monuments that takes you on a trail of the Adil Shahi Dynasty. Here are eleven must see monuments in Bijapur.

Trees part ways to show you towering monuments in Bijapur

On a dry afternoon in Bijapur, I took an autorickshaw and explored the town. Mosques, mahals and mausoleums filled the landscape, throwing shadows of the past. The trees would part ways to show us a peek into an ancient monument. There were tanks and reservoirs everywhere. Citadels and palaces lay in ruins. But walking along Bijapur was like a treasure hunt, discovering monuments at every nook and corner of the town. Here are eleven must see monuments in Bijapur

1.Bijapur Fort

The old crumbling ruins of the Bijapur fort

Towers and cannons looked at us from every angle as the fort stood amidst the walls of the modern city, looking both crumbled and stately at the same time. It seemed like a motif of the town, built by Yusuf Adil Shah, the founder of the Adil Shah Dynasty in the 15^th century. The citadel or the Arakella along with the Faroukh Mahal was built by him, who was believed to have been of Turkish origin, being a prince himself.  The fort is probably crumbling today but it is one of the must see monuments in Bijapur

2. Gol Gumbaz

The symbol of Bijapur- the Gol Gumbuz

The very symbol of Bijapur, the Gol Gumbaz towers over all the monuments in the town. The monument is a mausoleum built in the 17th century for the Sultan of Bijapur, Mohammad Adil Shah and it is proudly referred to as the “structural triumph of Deccan architecture.”

The dome is the second largest in the world

The dome , one of the largest in the world was supposed to be like a budding rose, emerging from the petals of the flower that stood at its base and hence it was called the “rose dome”.  Although this is one of the must see monuments in Bijapur, there are several others which are equally fascinating

3. Juma Masjid

One of the most quiet mosques I have been to

Also known as the Jami or the Jamia Masjid, this 16^th century mosque was not completed. A huge dome with nine bays, it is about 11,000 sq kms and is the largest mosque in Bijapur. In the 17^th century, Mohammad Adil Shah insisted that the mehrab , shaped like an arch is gilded with gold as verses in Persian are inscribed on it.

4. Ibrahim Rauza

After the Gol Gumbaz, this is one of the most famous monuments in Bijapur

One of my personal favourites, this is the tomb of Ibrahim Adil Shah 11, built in the 17^th century and along with Gol Gumbaz, one of the must see monuments in Bijapur. Standing as a twin monument, with a mosque and a mausoleum, this is a beautiful structure, with some elegantly carved motifs. The tomb was supposed to be the inspiration for the Taj Mahal in Agra.

5. Bara Kaman

There is something mysterious and eerie about Bara Kaman

Another tomb , this incomplete monument was planned to overshadow the Gol Gumbaz but one never knows why it was not finished . Built by Ali Adil Shah 11 as a mausoleum for him and his family, the structure built in Gothic style was abruptly stopped. Arches built of basalic stone lie half complete , even as twelve of them were planned.

6.  Upli burj

Another towering monument that you cant miss

A tall tower greets you right in the middle of the road . This is the Upli Burj built by Hyder Khan in the 16^th century. A flight of steps carved in the tower takes you on top from where you can see two cannons guarding the town of Bijapur. A great place to enjoy the views of the town, especially around early morning or during sunset

7.Malik E Maidan

Meet the Monarch of the plains

The Monarch of the Plains as it is referred to lies in inside Sheraza Burj or the Lion’s Gate and is one of the largest canons of the medieval times. At 15 feet of length, with a diameter of about 5 feet, the canon weighs about 55 tonnes. It was a war trophy erected by Ibrahim Rauza after the Vijaynagar Empire was defeated in the Battle of Talikota in the 16^th century. The muzzle was shaped like a lion’s head , crushing an elephant to death in its jaws .Cast in Ahmednagar and was apparently dragged here by oxen and elephants.

Also read – Meet the Monarch of Plains in Bijapur

8.Gagan Mahal

There are several mahals which are now government offices in Bijapur

The private residence of the royal family in the 16^th century, Gagan Mahal was built by Ali Adil Shah 1. Also called the Heavenly or Sky Palace, the palace houses a durbar hall and some private rooms. With a 21 metre façade with beautiful arches, the palace is sadly in ruins today.

9.Mehtar Mahal

Another beautiful mahal waiting to be restored

One of the most elegantly designed gateways to a mosque, Mehtar Mahal has some of the most beautiful bracket figures. Although Bijapur is strewn with several palaces , Mehtar Mahal is not one of them. Built in 17^th century in the Indo Sarcenic style, the carvings of birds are exquisite , while the structure has balconies with stone trellis work

10.Sat Manzil

One of the tallest monuments in Bijapur

A seven storeyed mansion, it was once considered one of the tallest buildings in Bijapur. Today barely five of them remain and mostly in ruins. Known for their stucco work and paintings, Sat Manzil was probably a pleasure pavilion built in the 16^th century.

11.  Saat Kabar

The most eerie place in Bijapur

The last monument that I saw in Bijapur was a bit grave and eerie . Saat Kabar refers to sixty tombs of women, killed by one man their husband, Afzal Khan, the army chief of Adil Shah 11. An astrologer tells him that he will be killed in a battle.  So he decides to kill all his 60 wives lest they remarry after the war. So, he beckons them to an isolated spot and pushes them into a well  and murders them.

Also read – Saat Kabar, a grave destination in Bijapur

Have you been to Bijapur ? Do recommend more must see monuments in Bijapur for my next trail.

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Mausoleums of Bijapur

Getting off from the railway station at Bijapur, I am lost in a melee of fruit vendors, auto drivers, cyclists and passengers. The 10^th century town founded by the Kalyani Chalukyas is now rechristened as Vijaypur, its old name meaning the town of century. But my auto driver points out to the ripe red rounded pomegranates that are sold in every corner of the city and says that the name “ Bijapur” probably referred to the beejas or seeds of the fruit.

The old crumbling ruins of the Bijapur fort

Driving down around the town, you barely get a feel of the Kalyani Chalukya influence as the city is filled with domes and tombs, citadels and cannons that take you on a historic trail of the Adil Shahi dynasty. The walls of the city may be crumbled but the city retains its image of being “The Palmyra of the Deccan”. Built by Yusuf Adil Shah, the founder of the Adil Shah dynasty in the 15th century, one can also see the citadel or the Arakella along with the Faroukh Mahal, which were one of the earliest monuments with the dynasty’s stamp.

The dome is the second largest in the world

My trail starts with two mausoleums, one which is considered the “Structural triumph of Deccan architecture and the other, an unfinished monument that probably would have even surpassed the first tomb, if it was allowed to be finished. I am referring to the famous Gol Gumbaz, a 17^th century mausoleum built for the Sultan of Bijapur, Mohammad Adil Shah and the incomplete mausoleum of his son, Ali Adil Shah 11, called Bara Kaman.

It is still early morning as I find my way to the  ‘Gol Gumbaz’, one of the largest domes that tower over the city. I like to think that I have the monument to myself, but a group of school children on a study tour seem to enjoy playing hide and seek here. I am however lost looking at the dome, designed as a   rose bud, the petals emerging at its base . It was often referred to as the rose dome, compared only to that of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The entire area of the mausoleum is about 18,000 sq ft, while the external diameter of the dome alone is about 45 metres. An octagonal tower stands at each corner of the cube and it opens into a narrow flight of steps that goes up seven storeys high.

The symbol of Bijapur- the Gol Gumbuz

What really fascinates me and the children however is the whispering gallery where a little whisper from one end would travel across the other. Looking down from a height of 32 metres , it has a width of 3.25 metres and has children running all across it, screaming instead of whispering in excitement. Perhaps it was the king’s idea of whispering sweet nothings to his wife from one end of the gallery, but to me there is nothing romantic about it.

One of the largest domes in the world

The Bara Kaman however is wrapped in silence, lost to tourists and school children. There are no domes or pillars here. Just towering stone walls that curve into arches, built to represent death and immortality, as they try to reach out to each other.

There is something mysterious and eerie about Bara Kaman

Mohammad Adil Shah apparently started building the Gol Gumbaz during his lifetime to ensure that it stood apart from all the other monuments in the city. Hence he probably was not very happy that his son wished to surpass his mausoleum. The guide there tells me that the shadow of this structure would have fallen on the ‘Gol Gumbaz’ if it had been finished. A conspiracy theory said that the pride between the father-son duo as to whose mausoleum surpassed the other would have led to its current state. Perhaps the son was murdered, says the guide.

The mystery around Bara Kaman

I leave the melancholy behind and head to another tomb, a personal favourite called the ‘Ibrahim Rauza’, supposed to have been an inspiration for the Taj Mahal .

After the Gol Gumbaz, this is one of the most famous monuments in Bijapur

The 17^th century tomb of  Ibrahim Adil Shah II is a twin monument, with a mosque and a mausoleum, with some elegantly carved motifs. I spend a few hours here taking in the silence, before heading to a gory site.

One of the most beautiful tombs in the world

The setting of a cold-blooded tale, it is not just a single mausoleum. No pillars or domes are built here. On a dry isolated land surrounded by dense wilderness are sixty graves made of black stone. This is ‘Saat Kabar’ or the sixty graves of the murdered wives of Afzal Khan, the army chief of Adil Shahi II. A lone man emerges from the shadows, looking like a ghost himself claiming to be the guide. He narrates the gruesome fate of these women who were killed by none other than their own husband.

The most eerie place in Bijapur

During the war between Shivaji and Adil Shah, in the 17th century, Afzal Khan led the forces but was distracted by an astrologer who told him that he would not survive the battle. The jealous and possessive commander decided to kill all his 60 wives lest they remarry after the war. So, he beckoned them to an isolated spot and pushed them into a well and murdered them. Afzal Khan apparently wanted to be buried near his wives as well, but he never returned from the battlefield.

Another towering monument that you cant miss

There are several other tombs in the city but none seem more poignant and eerie than the Saat Khabar. I hastily return to the city only to see a tall tower, the Upli Burj, built in the 16^th century. Climbing up, I see two cannons guarding the city.

Standing there, I watch the sun’s rays stroke the city of Bijapur as it lies in a golden haze. There are no school children screaming and I have the moment to myself. My guide whispers there are more mahals and mosques in the town, but I leave them for another day.

Eleven monuments in Bijapur that you must not miss

A grave destination – Saat Khabar

Monarch of the plains 

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A road trip to Jog Falls Karnataka

There are five ingredients that make for a great road trip – fantastic weather, great company, good food, interesting sights and finally, an awesome car. And I am lucky to have them all. The monsoons come calling and it seems like the ideal time to head out to Jog Falls Karnataka.

Monsoon is my favourite time for a road trip

The forests are kissed by the rains, the wet breeze nudges your cheeks, the meandering damp roads beckon- it seems like a sign from the universe to soak in the moment.

The Renault Lodgy is a powerful MPV and is ideal for a family holiday

And so, when a shining brand new Renault Lodgy, glowing in shades of red lands at my door step, all I want to do is to take her out for a spin to my favourite destination – the Western Ghats ! Our destination was the Jog Falls Karnataka.

Mist and monsoons go hand in hand

There is something about a road trip in the monsoons. Nature wears her best coat of paint and everything around me looks afresh. As a child, I have always loved road trips. Although I lived in Madras, now Chennai, my grandfather had coffee estates in Chikmagalur and Saklespur and every holiday we used to head out to the mountains. Growing up in a joint family , we were always travelling with cousins in tow and every holiday was like a picnic. Years later, I am reliving the experience on this trip, travelling with my uncle, aunt, cousin and the spouse as well.

On the road with Lodgy is like a picnic always

The Renault Lodgy is an ideal family car or perfect for a large group of friends. Stylish, comfortable with plenty of leg space, this is an eight seater MPV with six gears, tilt steering and it definitely makes heads turn as we cruise on the highway. Driving at over 100 kmh we head out of Bangalore  towards Shimoga, Sagar and Jog Falls Karnataka. But I have always realized that road trips have no real destination. The journey is the destination.

Rice fields look all lush and green

And as we move on,  the wheels take us through highways, muddy roads, rugged terrains, detours and dead ends. We cross fields and forests, lakes and waterfalls.  Detours especially make for great journeys and I love taking them.

Colourful sunflower fields beckon us

And the Renault Lodgy  takes us to see pretty sunflower fields and cascading waterfalls. It even fits into a small rugged lane surrounded by sunflowers nodding in the breeze. But the rains come calling soon.

On the road with Lodgy

As we romance the monsoons, here are some glimpses of the wet and wild along the way.

The Western Ghats in mist and rain

Lush and green, the forests love the rains

The forests are dark and mysterious

My dazzling red Lodgy paints a pretty picture – a diva on the streets. Sophisticated, sturdy and stylish, it has a glossy front grille with chrome satin garnish. Plush interiors add to the comfort. And the fog lights lead us through the mist as visibility drops.

And finally we are at our destination – Jog falls

 The car is sturdy even on wet roads as it is a different experience driving in the monsoons. Long drives need a lot of comfort. The 8 seater MPV has plenty of leg room to stretch or you can like us fold the rear seats and stock it with food packets. 

Fun on the road

 Family travel is fun. Laughter echoes through the woods. We sing, we tell stories, we picnic in the woods and lose ourselves in the beauty of nature around us. We stop at small towns and the car stands out stylishly. We buzz past fields and forests

Thatte Idly in a local eatery with vadai

No road trip is complete without stopping for coffee and tea and binging on local food. Thatte idli, a speciality here which is flat and soft is served with chutney while we devour masala dosais.

Masala dosai and vadai..my favourites

Food is the main essence of a road trip

And finally we are at our destination at Jog Falls Karnataka. The rains tumble down. The River Sharavati flows around us. The mountains are wrapped in mist. Dark rain clouds surround us

Colours of the Sharavati

Kayaking in the waters

And later up in the hills, it forms the mighty Jog Falls, which is today shrouded by mist. We soak in the rain, go kayaking, take a boat to the islands and listen to the sounds of the forest.

Island hopping in Sharavati

Our little cottage in the woods overlooks the vast expanse of the backwaters of the River Sharavati that has been dammed at Linganamakki. The earth is wet and the forests are refreshed.

My little cottage in the woods

Jog or Gersoppa Falls formed by the Sharavati is nestled in the Western Ghats in Uttar Kannada and is best viewed during monsoons. The mist brings in the magic as we see the second highest plunge waterfall in India dropping from a height of 830 feet.

Misty Jog Falls

Cascades form from the mountains and I love the local names given to the four of them. The king is the Raja, plunging in one sheer column but it meets Roarer half way who creates a lot of noise. Rocket is ideally named as it shoots down from the mountains but it is Rani, who looks elegant in her white coat of foam.

Curtains of white tumble down

When the waters of the Sharavati are released from the neighbouring dams, the four of them thunder down, forming a formidable curtain of white. But we are not so lucky. The mist has wrapped them in its fold but the Jog Falls Karnataka still presented a lot of drama.

The view from the Forest Department Bungalow

A lone cascade in the greenery

Meanwhile the Lodgy is getting a fresh wash from the rains as it has taken us over 400 kms from Bangalore. Family holidays are so relaxing. We walk in the rain, go on boat rides, watch the rains and binge on goodies.

A journey into the forest

We lose ourselves in the beauty around us. Conversations cease as we listen to the sounds of silence .

Monsoons in Western Ghats is a must do experience

I am in no mood to leave but every journey has to end. And we are back on the highway, heading back to Bangalore. But given a chance, I would love to go back to being in the lap of nature again.

Dark and mysterious. the roads take us back home

This post was written in partnership with Renault Lodgy for the launch of their new #lodgyworldedition

Love road trips ? Here are some posts

On a road trip in Bali exploring temples and cultures 

On a road trip from Dublin to Cork

On a road trip to Valparai

On a road trip in Amritsar

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Trails and tales – Places to visit in Hampi

My trip to Hampi was courtesy Orange County Hampi and I went on a guided trail to some of the places to visit in Hampi. This post focusses on the ruins of Hampi, places near Hampi, monuments of Hampi and stories of these monuments. 

My heart skips a beat as I enter the portals of the ancient city of Vijaynagar, popularly known as Hampi today. I can feel the excitement pounding inside me.  Even after five trips, Hampi has this effect on me. Nostalgia is mixed with awe as I remember my first trip as a 20 year old when I came here as a mass communication student on a photography tour.

Hemakuta Hill in Hampi

It starts raining as I drive through the town. The town has drastically changed in just two decades. It is not just the transparencies on my old analog cameras that have been replaced by smart memory cards of DSLRs and smartphones. My sepia toned memories of this sleepy hamlet is now replaced with the vibrance of a bustling tourist destination filled with travellers, historians, hippies, backpackers and even a few colourful characters .

A carving of a king in Hampi

Hampi was my first ever travelogue when I moved to Bangalore as a media professional two decades ago.  It was a feature that I did for a lifestyle show on Star Plus when we covered the Hampi festival or utsav .

Ganesha monolith in Hampi

I have written several articles and features for publications and even featured it on my column in The Hindu . I am also fascinated by places near Hampi – Anegundi, the mythical Kishkinta of Ramayana and Daroji known for its sloth bear sanctuary are my favourites. The city has lured me five times and yet, I feel like I have barely explored the places to visit in Hampi.

Orange County Hampi- an edifice personifying luxury 

I am here in Hampi on invitation from Orange County Hampi, a palatial luxury resort, located just ten minutes from the main city centre. It is an ode to the Vijaynagar Empire in stone – a monument by itself replete with fortifications and pillars. The gates stand formidable like a gateway to a citadel.

Orange County Hampi Resort

A palace stands , elegant and yet opulent. Water bodies like little canals and ponds fill the eye reflecting the beauty of the monuments. The Jal Mahal or the pool villas are an epitome of luxury. Another palace inspired by the Lotus Mahal houses a restaurant and the spa.

A peep into the beautiful resort

The delicate arches, the soft light, the muted shades, the elegant carvings – they all paint a picture of grace and gives you a fleeting feeling of living like a princess. Although the resort itself is an amalgation of design elements inspired by different palaces, you almost feel like an architect from the Vijayanagar era has put his signature on the monument.

Interiors of the resort

Along with a guide, I decided to explore some of the trails designed by the resort and listen to the stories behind them. Temples, forts, palaces, tanks and reservoirs, caves, aqueducts – these are some of the places to visit Hampi among the ruins.

Raya Trail of Hampi

Walking amidst the Royal Enclosure

The story of Hampi begins with two brothers – Harihara and Bucca, popularly known as Hakka Bukka who founded Vijaynagar Dynasty in the 14th century under the guidance of a seer, Vidyaranya who was from the Sringeri Shankaracharya mutt. There are many legends regarding how and why Hakka Bukka founded this town, then known as Vijaynagar or Vidyanagar.

Also Read – Story of Hampi

Standing in the Royal Enclosure, I was staring at the ruins of the Hakka’s Palace, probably one of the first palaces to be built here. There are several palaces here built by different kings, Krishnadevaraya being one of the most famous.

Every stone here tells a story . I sit among the ruins as my guide Hussain creates this pen picture for me.  The horses came trotting as Krishnadevaraya, a wrestler par excellence used to wake up in the wee hours of the morning and practise in his Akhada. The swords clashed as the clinks echoed in the silence.Perhaps he prepared for battle everyday but his day began after a bath at the Hazara Rama temple close by. The temple stands today and is one of the places to visit in Hampi while you are on the Palace or Raya Trail.

One of the many towers in Royal Enclave

The ruins are the remnants of a powerful empire which ruled India for over 200 years and even contained the kings of the Delhi Sultanate. The thick walls that enclose them hold towers, turrets and temples. There is an underground chamber that fascinates me. Mahanami Dibba is a poetry in stone carved every inch with sculptures. If you want to see the social and cultural life of the people during the era, look at the carvings – from wrestlers to musicians, dancing girls to kings and queens – you get a glimpse of Vijayanagar of that period.

Carvings on Mahanami Dibba

But it is not the palaces of the many kings that grab my attention. It is the majestic Elephant Stable. Sitting in the lush grass, sipping a tender coconut water, I ask myself, if the stables for the elephants were so grand, how magnificent the palaces would have been if they had withstood the onslaught of time.

The grand elephant stable

We walk around. The palaces of queens and nobles are scattered around in the ruins. The Lotus Mahal stands out in the crumbles. The Queens Bath is another favourite. There are several monuments in ruins here which are among the places to visit in Hampi. I travel beyond the realm of the ruins and walk around .

Lotus Mahal in Hampi

There are old rock cut cave temples, crumbled walls of old temples, pillars and towers,  dried up reservoirs and tanks, old creaky pipes carrying water across the town, stepwells and octagonal wells. Standing there and looking at the crumbles of one of the richest dynasties of India, I am completely overwhelmed.

Hampi-stepwell

Temple Trail of Hampi

A carving on a rock

The temples of Vijayanagar are scattered everywhere amidst the boulders. Built by various kings, some of them were almost like a settlement by itself, with markets and dwellings around. But the main temple – one of the places to visit in Hampi, the Virupaksha temple dedicated to Shiva is older than the city itself. Hampi’s mythical origins starts with a legend between Shiva and Parvati, referred to as Pampa. Virupaksha is referred to as Pampapathi or Pampa’s husband.  Under the influence of Kama or the God of Love, this is where Shiva met Parvati or Pampa . However Shiva in anger burnt Kama and the legend lives on even today at Hemakuta Hill, where I am standing right now, gazing at the Virupaksha temple between the boulders.

Virupaksha temple in Hampi

There are several shrines around in Hemakuta Hill, one of my personal favourites among the places to see in Hampi and each of them narrates a story of its own. The Krishna temple is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Hampi, with sculptures carved all around it. The markets around are silent .

Lakshmi Narasimha in Hampi

The underground Shiva temple, another popular temple among the places to see in Hampi is filled with puddles of water. But the monoliths fascinate me – the Lakshmi Narasimha, the Badavi Linga, the Sasivekalu Ganesha and Kadalekalu Ganesha.

Badavi Linga in Hampi

Sitting near the Nandi statue, I look at a kingfisher looking for a quick snack.

Tungabhadra trail of Hampi

This is my personal favourite of all the trails. The Tungabhadra is the very lifeline of Vijaynagar. Every great dynasty begins on the banks of a river and the kings of Vijaynagar created aqueducts, canals, tanks, reservoirs, stepwells across the city.

The Tungabhadra is the lifeline of Hampi

Even today, some of the old canals still remain. Walking along the banks of the river, I stop to see the mountains stacked with boulders – each one of them seem to speak to me as they stand still, precariously on top of each other, like Lego Blocks. The rains have abated and the sun slowly seeps in. The silence is overwhelming.

Hampi-Tungabhadra

Hampi is not just associated with Shiva and Parvati – it is where the Ramayana comes alive. While Kishkinta was across the river, the temples are scattered amidst the rocks. There is the Kondanda Rama temple, an old Hanuman temple but what fascinates me is Sugriva’s cave, one of the places to visit in Hampi.

Sugriva Cave in Hampi

This is where Sita dropped her jewels when she was abducted by Ravana and Sugriva hid them right here.  The rocks create an interesting pattern and my guide Hussain says that Sita’s saree borders are believed to be etched here as she was dragged away by Ravana.

In Achutharaya temple

There is another beautiful temple – built by Achutha Raya that lies wrapped in silence. Sitting by the boulders which are the remains of another market,  I look at the dry well and the hillocks flanking it and am absolutely lost in a world of my own.

Vittala temple trail in Hampi

Walking along the river, I cross the Purandhara dasa mandapa, where the famous carnatic musician composed songs and sang them. If you have grown up like me, learning carnatic music, then one of the first Geethams is dedicated to Virupaksha and creates imagery of Hemakuta Hills.

Vittala temple – one of my favourites

But the trail eventually leads to the most beautiful and musical of all temples – the Vittala shrine, one of the must see places to visit in Hampi. Designed like a chariot with musical pillars and carved every inch with ornate sculptures, Vittala is my personal favourite among all temples in Hampi. It had its own bazaar too, like other temple complexes.

The king carved on the pillars of the Kings Balance

But the tulabhara or the King’s Balance is what fascinates me. And in a small little corner, the king stands carved in stone. I am presuming it is Krishnadeva Raya but he could be any of the rulers of this mighty empire which ended in the infamous Battle of Talikota after a 200 year old reign

Anegundi

Gagan Mahal in Anegundi

If Hampi is a cradle of one of the oldest and powerful empires of India, then it is Anegundi, the mother kingdom across the river where it all began. Pampa Sarovar lies here in absolute silence, with a crocodile in a lake near by,  giving it company. It is also believed to be the Kishkinta of Ramayana.

Also read – Anegundi, relics from the past

And Hukka and Bukka apparently were serving in the kingdom of Anegundi before crossing the river to establish Hampi. There are forts, ancient gates, palaces, temples but I am fascinated by Hakka and Bukka’s aqueduct, one of the places to visit in Hampi which stands amidst the ruins.

Pampa Sarovar in Hampi

The rains start tumbling again as Hampi weather gets very moody. My brief stay at the erstwhile capital of the Vijayanagar empire is almost coming to an end but I want to linger for a while. The ruins have so many more stories hidden beneath them. The coconut trees sway in the evening breeze, a coucal calls, the banana plantations dance to the tune of the wind, a broken turret stands out amidst the boulders, a rock agama dashes into the bushes, a toothless old lady poses for me , a shepherd herds his goat , a couple of horses graze in the grass while the nomads gaze upon and the sisters of Hampi- the two boulders stare at me as I leave the town , hoping it would call me soon.

A deity in a tree

Places near Hampi

There are many more experiences in and around Hampi and places near Hampi that I would like to visit and revisit. The rock cut prehistoric caves with paintings near Anegundi, sighting sloth bears in Daroji, bird watching – especially the endemic yellow throated bulbul..the list just goes on.. I need to come back again to see some of the places to visit in Hampi.

In Anegundi you see plenty of locals

Hampi weather

The best time to visit Hampi is winters between October and March, however I have been between July and September as well during the monsoons . It can rain however a bit heavily at times here.

Getting to Hampi – Hampi Express

Although we prefer driving from Bangalore to Hampi which takes about six hours, the first time I got here is through Hampi Express, a train that stops at Hoskote, 13 kms before Hampi. Taxis and autos will take you to your hotel .

Ramayana trail in Hampi and Anegundi

Hampi Festival 

The Hampi Festival is an annual three day function which happens in winter every year. I saw it for the first time two decades ago and had covered it for a television channel as well.

Also read – Hampi Utsav

I also recommend that you visit Hampi on a regular day so that you can soak in the silence. Although you can stay here forever, a minimum of four days is required just to see the main places near Hampi. What are the places to visit in Hampi that you will like to recommend ?

Hampi hotels

There are several guest houses, homestays, bed and breakfasts, hotels in Hospet, Kamalapur and Anegundi. However Orange County Hampi is the only luxury resort in Hampi.

Interiors of Orange County Hampi..Pic Courtesy…Orange County

This post was written in partnership with Orange County Hampi, a luxury resort in Hampi who had hosted me for a couple of days in their palatial property and had organised the trails for me. The rooms here are priced in the range of Rs 25,000 – Rs 50,000 and they are ultra luxury resorts.

Orange County Resort – the Zenana Room. Pic Courtesy..Orange County

My suite, overlooking the thorny shrub forests had even a private jacussi in it. But the priceless experience was at the spa.After a hard day of trekking the boulders of Hampi, I would spend hours in silence at the elegantly designed restaurant in the resort, designed in a palatial style with little rivulets murmuring around, while an elephant, probably a tribute to Lakshmi, the temple elephant looks upon us.

Orange County Resort – Restaurant – Pic Courtesy..Resort

Munching on some delicious, traditional South Indian cuisine that tickles my taste buds, I feast on not just dosais and idlis but local flavours that probably remind me of my grandmother’s recipes. There is contemporary and continental cuisine for those who crave for the same but I would anyday choose the payasam to the tiramisu.

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My search for historic old towns in Karnataka that once helmed the affairs of powerful dynasties takes me to ancient dusty towns, where crumbles and ruins are all that greet me . Kingdoms have been wiped down and their prosperity razed to earth in these narrow streets where houses lie huddled together, riddled with poverty. These are the thoughts that enter my head as I walk in the lanes of Malked, a town located in Gulbarga district known today for a prominent cement factory.

Entry to fort in Malkhed

The river Kagini , a tributary of Bheema flows close by, as a few egrets and herons fly around.The lanes converge around me. Stray dogs run helter-skelter. I follow the curve of the roads and am greeted by two huge bastions almost as high as 20 metres.  A detour emerges out of nowhere taking me into an older part of the town, a part which probably dates back to the 9^th century.

I am now in Manyakheta, the capital of the Rashtrakutas, under king Amoghavarsha who shifted the capital here from Mayurkhandi near Bidar and reigned here for 64 years. The Rashtrakutas were great patrons of literature and the king penned the very first classical piece in Kannada, Kavirajamarga. Most of the information of the Rashtrakutas of Malked  is gathered through inscriptions, but it is believed that they ruled almost all of South and parts of West India from this tiny town. Manyakheta retained its glory even during the reign of Kalyani or the Western Chalukyas who succeeded the Rashtrakutas till the end of the 10^th century, after which it was probably plundered.

Ruins of monuments greet you

The sun is harsh and walking around, I see the old city walls, broken and covered with vegetation. Smaller bastions greet me as I look at the devastation all around. An old man calls out to me. He says he is the caretaker and explains that the Malkhed Fort has seen several rulers reign over it, including the Bahmani Sultans.  The walls of the bastion were built of limestone and the caretaker told us that it was referred to as Shahabad stone.

Another ruin inside Malked fort

There are several monuments inside the fort complex, all in various stages of ruins and restoration. A watch tower looks down as I see an old domed structure, with some minute carvings. There are three arches through which one can enter and several pillars are holding the structure together. The caretaker refers to it as the kala masjid or the black mosque.  A tomb lies close by.

Another structure resembles a mandapa and is believed to be a Jain basti . It also seems that the monks were probably using it as a resting place. There were more enclosures inside the fort complex, in various stages of ruins. Probably they were homes or palaces, wonders my guide.

Pottering around, I see crumbled remains of more monuments and remnants of the wall. Beyond the mosque is an old Hanuman temple. The fort seems to be in various stages of renovation and am told that that work has been stopped due to lack of funds. However the ruins only make us wonder about the pristine glory surrounding the town more than 1000 year ago.

The 9th century Jain temple in Malked

I look for more clues that would take me to the Manyakheta of the Rashtrakutas. The guide tells me about an ancient Jain temple, dating back to the 9^th century located inside the village. The Rashtrakutas were patrons of Jainism and it is believed that Amoghavarsha himself was a Digamber Jain.

The village lies in a state of slumber when I walk through the maze of lanes and cul de sacs. Eventually I see a board on a simple white door which said, 9^th century Jain temple of Neminatha. The door is however locked.

The temple was closed but it was rich in carvings

A small child beckons us as we follow her through a lane, which leads to a goshala. Her mother opens another door as we enter to see a quiet shrine, decorated with colourful pillars and sculptures .  We sit quietly as a monk is meditating in the temple premises.  I also learn that the temple is a mutt and the monks have been lived here since centuries.

Also read – Five Jain temples in Karnataka you must visit 

A carving in the Jain temple

As I return to the town, I hear that Malked is also a pilgrimage town as it houses the “Brindavan” of Madhva seer, Jayateertha, one of the four disciples of Madhavacharya. I head to the Uttaradi Mutt to pay my respects before heading back . But my search for more dusty old capital towns, ravaged by man and time and wiped out by nature continues.

Fact file

Malked is about 40 kms from Gulbarga via Sedam Road and can be best travelled by road. Gulbarga is well connected by road and rail from Bangalore and Hyderabad.

Karnataka is one of the few states that has several capital towns of erstwhile dynasties

Read – Ancient capital towns of dynasties in Karnataka – Part 1 

Read – Ancient capital towns of dynasties in Karnataka – Part 2 

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Meet Seshadri Dixit, the man who cycled across India

The sky is growing dark by the moment. The roads get narrower. The journey seems long and never ending. We traverse across regions that are sparsely inhabited but most of the time, I have just age old trees for company on the road . The hills part ways for us, the forests are enchanting, the rivers whisper along their course , while the roads meander around quiet sleepy villages. I am in Karnataka driving towards a little town called Teerthahalli, sandwiched between the spiritual Sringeri and the wild Agumbe .

The River Tunga in Sringeri

The evening lights have already come up as we enter the town. It is well past sunset. The empty roads suddenly burnt into a vibrant market as we jostle for space amongst mopeds, cycles and cars whizzing past us. A herd of cattle is lost somewhere in the medley of shrieking horns. I leave the town behind me and head to the highway leading to Sringeri,  looking for a man who is a priest in a local temple here.

Seshadri Dixit greets us at the entrance of his home. Draped traditionally in a simple white dhoti with a white cloth covering his upper torso, he had just then finished his duties at the temple next door, which  is owned by his family for generations. His smile is warm but his face does not register any emotion. But behind that calm and sagely look is a spirit of adventure that can now be seen only in the twinkle of his eye.

In front of the porch is a row of cycles, one of them is his prized possession. “ So you are here to ask me about my cycle expedition ?” he asks a rhetorical question, giving me an amused look as he scratches his beard.

Meet Seshadri Dixit – the man who cycled across the country

And so the story begins – an inspiring tale of courage, adventure and fortitude that started way back on May 31, 1978. For three years and  two months or 1145 days  as he recalls with precision, Seshadri Dixit pedalled all over the country non stop for 55000 kms besides walking down 45000 kms , “the padayatra” as he calls it.

The story that started with a loan of Rs 750 that Seshadri took from a local bank in Teerthahalli to buy a cycle that took him all over the country. “I still have the cycle here, “ he says, slowly showing signs of childish excitement as he gently tugs at his companion of 35 odd years  and pulls it towards him. And then , as his wife brings steaming hot cups of coffee, Seshadri Dixit steps into the world of nostalgia reliving his adventurous years .

Seshadri Dixit still has his old cycle

It was a story of a young restless man with a streak of daredevilry  who wanted a sense of achievement in his life. “ I was about 24 years old then and not married. It was an obsession that I wanted to do something adventurous in my youth, “ he says nonchalantly.  Inspired by the Shiva Purana , he initially wanted to see all the pilgrimage centres in the country, but that soon developed into a plan of a grand All India Tour.

His friends helped him collect money. Some local organisations  and institutions supported him. He managed to get about Rs 5000 for a countrywide  expedition on a cycle. With a bundle of clothes weighing about 8 kgs, he set off from the Agrahara in Teerthahalli and travelled all over from Kanyakumari to Kashmir . “ I also went to Bhutan and Nepal but could not go to Nagaland and Tripura then, “ he laments.

“People, mainly the local policemen were helpful everywhere. Someone would stop and feed me, some bought me clothes , took me to various places to stay, connected me with influential people who would give me money. I slept on newspapers on the ground, sometimes would go to a Dharamshala or sleep in temples,” he reminisces adding that getting vegetarian food was never a difficulty anywhere in India.

He kept in touch with his family in every town. Telegrams were sent and received. Nostalgia lives in an old coloured  file where he has stored almost every bit of communication between him and his family. He was a local hero then. Dusty newspaper articles show a young bearded man with unkempt hair riding a cycle. He was written about in almost every state. “ Someone would introduce me to a local reporter who would then do a small interview  ,” says the man who now speaks multiple languages having experienced many cultures. His English is rather impeccable as well.

But what about the cycle ? It was a faithful partner, taking him places. “ There was a lot of wear and tear, but people helped me to fix it. I never had any problem with it, “ he says, except remembering the one time when he almost had a near death experience because of it.

“No, it was not an accident. I was in interior Madhya Pradesh when I was attacked by a group of tribals. They had bows and arrows and they were standing up in the trees and I did not notice them .I was hit by an arrow and was then beaten up . I was unconscious . The next thing I know is that some local forest guards found me . But it was actually the cycle that saved the day for me .”

Seshadri told us that the tribes seemed more interested in the cycle than in him and they left him unconscious there and started playing with it as it was a new toy . The guards hearing the commotion fired a bullet in the air and later found him bleeding and treated him for his wounds . In another incident, he was kidnapped by a few dacoits who later let him go after learning about his expedition .” Everywhere I went, people only respected and took care of me . “ he adds.

We look through the newspaper clippings in Kannada which shows a triumphant hero returning home. But that was almost 35 years ago. Today Seshadri , close to sixty years of age lives a quiet life in his village , educating his daughters – one is doing her post graduation, while the other is still an undergraduate.

As we leave, he shuts the file and closes a chapter in his life. Today, he seems like a much different man, his restlessness reigned in but his spirit remains undaunted as ever. He barely looks his age and his eyes sparkle, showing an urge for yet another adventure in his life.

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Five Jain temples in Karnataka India

I have always been fascinated by Jaina sites. They are not just ancient but are usually in very remote destinations – atop hillocks or in caves. I even did a short course on how Jainism spread to South India and was surprised to learn that the Tamil Jains are an indigenous community. The first time I had ever been to Jaina site was to Shravanbelgola, when I was a child. But I started exploring the basadis in Karnataka when I went on a Hoysala trail.  I have not been to many places but here are some that are my favourites in Karnataka.  Some of them are in ruins, some are popular pilgrimage sites, some are ancient centres , some are tourist spots – lets revisit five Jain temples in Karnataka India today.

The Cave Temple in Badami

Glittering in red are the rugged outcrop of sandstone as the sun’s evening rays in the Chalukyan town of Badami. And these mountains are hiding many a temple and an inscription carved in them. But it the Badami Caves that grab your attention. The town was founded by Pulekshi 1 who built the fort while the rock cut cave temples were carved by his sons, Kirtivarman 1 and Mangalesha. Badami was earlier known as Vatapi and the Chalukyas were constantly warring with the Pallavas in the South.

The Jaina Cave in Badami

There are four caves in Badami and we are in the last one, looking at the Agastya Lake framed by the craggy outlines of the rocks. esides Mahaveera and Parshavnatha, one can see carvings of Teerthankaras, Yakshas and Yakshis besides Bahu Bali on the walls. While the other caves were built in the 6th century, this was probably built later.

Read more – A visit to the Badami Caves. 

The Cave temple in Aihole

There are several monuments in Aihole located near Badami and while I can spend days here, this is one of my favourite cave temples. Although the Meguti temple is more popular as a monument here, I found a certain peace here. It is remote, quiet and has an aura of mystery around it.  One of the oldest rock cut cave temples, it probably dates back to 6th-7th centuries  I climb a small rock and open the door of the cave to find it richly decorated with carvings, some of them not complete. You can see carvings of Parshvanatha and Bahubali with female consorts.

Jain Cave Temple – Aihole

The cave opens into a porch that leads to a square hall with multiple small chambers. In the centre is a seated Teerthankara, flanked by guardians. The ceiling is ornate with relief patterns of lotus petals and other mythical creatures.

Read more –

Photo feature – Monuments of Aihole – Part 1

Photo feature – Monuments of Aihole – Part 2

Dwarasamudra or Halebeed

The entire Hoysala trail was filled with several temples and basadis that were Jain monuments . It is believed that Bittideva was converted into a Vaishnavite and he became Vishnuvardhan but his wife Shantala devi still remained a Jain. But during the Hoysala regime, religion probably did not matter. There were basadis and temples, dedicated to both Shiva and Vishnu were built. If Belur was dedicated to Chennakesava, Halebeed was dedicated to Hoysaleshwara.

Basadihalli near Halebeed

But Basadihalli close by is  dedicated to Parshwanatha, Shantinatha and Adinatha.  These were built in memory of Ganga Raja, the army commander by his son, Boppadeva. The 16 feet tall sculpture of Parshwanatha with the four teerthankaras was a highlight of this basadi while the ornate pillars reminded you of the glory of the Hoysalas. Another tall pillar with a sculpture of Brahma stood outside one of them while the ancient well here was almost dry.

Read more 

The Old Dwarasamudra

How Dwarasamudra became Halebeed

Moodabidri

This was probably one of the first destinations I had ever visited – even prior to the Hoysala trail. Located close to Mangalore, enroute to Sringeri, I must have crossed this town several times , but it is the first time I stopped at the  Tribhuvana Tilaka Chudamani basadi, meaning the crest jewel of the three worlds. The locals and the tourist books refer to it as the thousand pillar temple or the Savira Kambada Basadi.

Moodabidri – the thousand pillar basadi

There are no records here , but we heard that it was built at the instance of local chieftain , Devaraya Wodeyar in the 15th century. The basadi houses a tall bronze image of Lord Chandranatha Swami, the 8th Tirthankara . The thousand pillar basadi is a three storey symmetric structure and looks like poetry carved in granite .

Read more – Moodabidri, a thousand pillar basadi

Ruins of a Jain Basti in Begur

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Walking around Bijapur, in Karnataka is like traversing down a historic route. And there is more to it than just the monumental Gol Gumbaz, the symbol of the town. The Palmyra of the Deccan as the town is referred to is filled with monuments that takes you on a trail of the Adil Shahi Dynasty. Here are eleven must see monuments in Bijapur.

Trees part ways to show you towering monuments in Bijapur

On a dry afternoon in Bijapur, I took an autorickshaw and explored the town. Mosques, mahals and mausoleums filled the landscape, throwing shadows of the past. The trees would part ways to show us a peek into an ancient monument. There were tanks and reservoirs everywhere. Citadels and palaces lay in ruins. But walking along Bijapur was like a treasure hunt, discovering monuments at every nook and corner of the town. Here are eleven must see monuments in Bijapur

1.Bijapur Fort

The old crumbling ruins of the Bijapur fort

Towers and cannons looked at us from every angle as the fort stood amidst the walls of the modern city, looking both crumbled and stately at the same time. It seemed like a motif of the town, built by Yusuf Adil Shah, the founder of the Adil Shah Dynasty in the 15^th century. The citadel or the Arakella along with the Faroukh Mahal was built by him, who was believed to have been of Turkish origin, being a prince himself.  The fort is probably crumbling today but it is one of the must see monuments in Bijapur

2. Gol Gumbaz

The symbol of Bijapur- the Gol Gumbuz

The very symbol of Bijapur, the Gol Gumbaz towers over all the monuments in the town. The monument is a mausoleum built in the 17th century for the Sultan of Bijapur, Mohammad Adil Shah and it is proudly referred to as the “structural triumph of Deccan architecture.”

The dome is the second largest in the world

The dome , one of the largest in the world was supposed to be like a budding rose, emerging from the petals of the flower that stood at its base and hence it was called the “rose dome”.  Although this is one of the must see monuments in Bijapur, there are several others which are equally fascinating

3. Juma Masjid

One of the most quiet mosques I have been to

Also known as the Jami or the Jamia Masjid, this 16^th century mosque was not completed. A huge dome with nine bays, it is about 11,000 sq kms and is the largest mosque in Bijapur. In the 17^th century, Mohammad Adil Shah insisted that the mehrab , shaped like an arch is gilded with gold as verses in Persian are inscribed on it.

4. Ibrahim Rauza

After the Gol Gumbaz, this is one of the most famous monuments in Bijapur

One of my personal favourites, this is the tomb of Ibrahim Adil Shah 11, built in the 17^th century and along with Gol Gumbaz, one of the must see monuments in Bijapur. Standing as a twin monument, with a mosque and a mausoleum, this is a beautiful structure, with some elegantly carved motifs. The tomb was supposed to be the inspiration for the Taj Mahal in Agra.

5. Bara Kaman

There is something mysterious and eerie about Bara Kaman

Another tomb , this incomplete monument was planned to overshadow the Gol Gumbaz but one never knows why it was not finished . Built by Ali Adil Shah 11 as a mausoleum for him and his family, the structure built in Gothic style was abruptly stopped. Arches built of basalic stone lie half complete , even as twelve of them were planned.

6.  Upli burj

Another towering monument that you cant miss

A tall tower greets you right in the middle of the road . This is the Upli Burj built by Hyder Khan in the 16^th century. A flight of steps carved in the tower takes you on top from where you can see two cannons guarding the town of Bijapur. A great place to enjoy the views of the town, especially around early morning or during sunset

7.Malik E Maidan

Meet the Monarch of the plains

The Monarch of the Plains as it is referred to lies in inside Sheraza Burj or the Lion’s Gate and is one of the largest canons of the medieval times. At 15 feet of length, with a diameter of about 5 feet, the canon weighs about 55 tonnes. It was a war trophy erected by Ibrahim Rauza after the Vijaynagar Empire was defeated in the Battle of Talikota in the 16^th century. The muzzle was shaped like a lion’s head , crushing an elephant to death in its jaws .Cast in Ahmednagar and was apparently dragged here by oxen and elephants.

Also read – Meet the Monarch of Plains in Bijapur

8.Gagan Mahal

There are several mahals which are now government offices in Bijapur

The private residence of the royal family in the 16^th century, Gagan Mahal was built by Ali Adil Shah 1. Also called the Heavenly or Sky Palace, the palace houses a durbar hall and some private rooms. With a 21 metre façade with beautiful arches, the palace is sadly in ruins today.

9.Mehtar Mahal

Another beautiful mahal waiting to be restored

One of the most elegantly designed gateways to a mosque, Mehtar Mahal has some of the most beautiful bracket figures. Although Bijapur is strewn with several palaces , Mehtar Mahal is not one of them. Built in 17^th century in the Indo Sarcenic style, the carvings of birds are exquisite , while the structure has balconies with stone trellis work

10.Sat Manzil

One of the tallest monuments in Bijapur

A seven storeyed mansion, it was once considered one of the tallest buildings in Bijapur. Today barely five of them remain and mostly in ruins. Known for their stucco work and paintings, Sat Manzil was probably a pleasure pavilion built in the 16^th century.

11.  Saat Kabar

The most eerie place in Bijapur

The last monument that I saw in Bijapur was a bit grave and eerie . Saat Kabar refers to sixty tombs of women, killed by one man their husband, Afzal Khan, the army chief of Adil Shah 11. An astrologer tells him that he will be killed in a battle.  So he decides to kill all his 60 wives lest they remarry after the war. So, he beckons them to an isolated spot and pushes them into a well  and murders them.

Also read – Saat Kabar, a grave destination in Bijapur

Have you been to Bijapur ? Do recommend more must see monuments in Bijapur for my next trail.

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Gol Gumbaz Bijapur

Getting off from the railway station at Bijapur, I am lost in a melee of fruit vendors, auto drivers, cyclists and passengers. The 10^th century town founded by the Kalyani Chalukyas is now rechristened as Vijaypur, its old name meaning the town of century. But my auto driver points out to the ripe red rounded pomegranates that are sold in every corner of the city and says that the name “ Bijapur” probably referred to the beejas or seeds of the fruit.

The old crumbling ruins of the Bijapur fort

Driving down around the town, you barely get a feel of the Kalyani Chalukya influence as the city is filled with domes and tombs, citadels and cannons that take you on a historic trail of the Adil Shahi dynasty. The walls of the city may be crumbled but the city retains its image of being “The Palmyra of the Deccan”. Built by Yusuf Adil Shah, the founder of the Adil Shah dynasty in the 15th century, one can also see the citadel or the Arakella along with the Faroukh Mahal, which were one of the earliest monuments with the dynasty’s stamp.

The dome is the second largest in the world

My trail starts with two mausoleums, one which is considered the “Structural triumph of Deccan architecture and the other, an unfinished monument that probably would have even surpassed the first tomb, if it was allowed to be finished. I am referring to the famous Gol Gumbaz, a 17^th century mausoleum built for the Sultan of Bijapur, Mohammad Adil Shah and the incomplete mausoleum of his son, Ali Adil Shah 11, called Bara Kaman.

It is still early morning as I find my way to the  ‘Gol Gumbaz’, one of the largest domes that tower over the city. I like to think that I have the monument to myself, but a group of school children on a study tour seem to enjoy playing hide and seek here. I am however lost looking at the dome, designed as a   rose bud, the petals emerging at its base . It was often referred to as the rose dome, compared only to that of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The entire area of the mausoleum is about 18,000 sq ft, while the external diameter of the dome alone is about 45 metres. An octagonal tower stands at each corner of the cube and it opens into a narrow flight of steps that goes up seven storeys high.

The symbol of Bijapur- the Gol Gumbuz

What really fascinates me and the children however is the whispering gallery where a little whisper from one end would travel across the other. Looking down from a height of 32 metres , it has a width of 3.25 metres and has children running all across it, screaming instead of whispering in excitement. Perhaps it was the king’s idea of whispering sweet nothings to his wife from one end of the gallery, but to me there is nothing romantic about it.

One of the largest domes in the world

The Bara Kaman however is wrapped in silence, lost to tourists and school children. There are no domes or pillars here. Just towering stone walls that curve into arches, built to represent death and immortality, as they try to reach out to each other.

There is something mysterious and eerie about Bara Kaman

Mohammad Adil Shah apparently started building the Gol Gumbaz during his lifetime to ensure that it stood apart from all the other monuments in the city. Hence he probably was not very happy that his son wished to surpass his mausoleum. The guide there tells me that the shadow of this structure would have fallen on the ‘Gol Gumbaz’ if it had been finished. A conspiracy theory said that the pride between the father-son duo as to whose mausoleum surpassed the other would have led to its current state. Perhaps the son was murdered, says the guide.

The mystery around Bara Kaman

I leave the melancholy behind and head to another tomb, a personal favourite called the ‘Ibrahim Rauza’, supposed to have been an inspiration for the Taj Mahal .

After the Gol Gumbaz, this is one of the most famous monuments in Bijapur

The 17^th century tomb of  Ibrahim Adil Shah II is a twin monument, with a mosque and a mausoleum, with some elegantly carved motifs. I spend a few hours here taking in the silence, before heading to a gory site.

One of the most beautiful tombs in the world

The setting of a cold-blooded tale, it is not just a single mausoleum. No pillars or domes are built here. On a dry isolated land surrounded by dense wilderness are sixty graves made of black stone. This is ‘Saat Kabar’ or the sixty graves of the murdered wives of Afzal Khan, the army chief of Adil Shahi II. A lone man emerges from the shadows, looking like a ghost himself claiming to be the guide. He narrates the gruesome fate of these women who were killed by none other than their own husband.

The most eerie place in Bijapur

During the war between Shivaji and Adil Shah, in the 17th century, Afzal Khan led the forces but was distracted by an astrologer who told him that he would not survive the battle. The jealous and possessive commander decided to kill all his 60 wives lest they remarry after the war. So, he beckoned them to an isolated spot and pushed them into a well and murdered them. Afzal Khan apparently wanted to be buried near his wives as well, but he never returned from the battlefield.

Another towering monument that you cant miss

There are several other tombs in the city but none seem more poignant and eerie than the Saat Khabar. I hastily return to the city only to see a tall tower, the Upli Burj, built in the 16^th century. Climbing up, I see two cannons guarding the city.

Standing there, I watch the sun’s rays stroke the city of Bijapur as it lies in a golden haze. There are no school children screaming and I have the moment to myself. My guide whispers there are more mahals and mosques in the town, but I leave them for another day.

Eleven monuments in Bijapur that you must not miss

A grave destination – Saat Khabar

Monarch of the plains 

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