Worry

Worry is otherwise known as 'fantasized catastrophising' where we create an image of the future and use it to frighten ourselves! Be aware that you are doing it, then stop doing it, otherwise the image will become a self fulfilling prophesy. Imagine only the brightest future, and so it will be (This one is easier said than done) . Besides there is nothing to worry about (This is again perspective, but broadly true ) ... unless you are under the illusion that your well-being and security are dependent on material things. If they are, then you will have many ways in which you can create worry. Possible loss, damage, separation, uncertainty are but a few. Look, you're killing yourself with worry, all because of the misuse of your imagination. Don't do it. ...
I know this post feels too short and incomplete . .  Do revert with suggestions on what else  can be written about . . 

Simplify Simple

For me Simple means: making things easy; having priorities organised; keeping things short and sweet; maintaining a clear focus.

Living a simple life is a nice idea, but not so simple in a world that's complicated & complex. It's common knowledge that being simple is not easy . 

So can we simplify simple ?? Take one small area of your life today, for example, your email inbox, kitchen shelf, your handbag, your wardrobe..  Simplify one small thing and expand from there...  So, What will you simplify this weekend ??

Please do feel free to revisit this post and add your views, opinions and even results in the comments. . 

Environment

When we look around to examine the state of our environment, which is what we leave behind after developing and exploiting the resources of the planet, many are quick to see pollution and waste. We are not slow in pointing out the damage and the impurities which will be our legacy for the future generations. We are not so quick to spot the impurities which we have allowed to develop and accumulate in our own personal lives. At the level of our thoughts, is every thought a pure and benevolent one (??) , which carries the best wishes for our fellow travellers. Unlikely, as we mostly learn to criticise and complain, attack and blame. At the level of our intentions do we always mean well and want the best for others, or are our intentions sometimes coloured by selfishness or greed? (More often , always !! )  At the level of outcomes do we celebrate the achievements of others as they grow to be all that they can be, or do we stand back in envy or jealousy. Our lives all begin within our own consciousness. The lakes and the landscapes of our mind and intellect are where we all live the most. Do we keep them clean and pure and unspoilt? Can beauty and harmony be found within? No! Then perhaps we need to clean up inside before we condemn others on the outside. Because what is out there is simply a reflection of what is in here! And we are all in it together. Perhaps that is why no one is to blame but we are all responsible ! ! ! ! !

You are a diamond

Just know that you are a diamond - you are pure . . .  You are very precious. . . . Sometimes a diamond may have fallen into the garbage bin.Down in the dumps , you are feeling low. . . .  Full of guilt . . .  and probably ideas of sin etc. But know that you are much  . . . much bigger than your actions, much bigger than your situations and circumstances . . . 

For the diamond to become clear again - it just needs a little water - that's all ! Then it shines brightly again. You are already pure and clean - just a little wash  . . . practice . . meditation . . .contemplation . . B2B . .  and you're back to your true self, your unbounded nature.

Have that sense of purity - and celebrate ! You don't need a reason to celebrate - joy and happiness is your very nature. When you are clear and pure - your true nature shines forth ! Celebration happens  just like that . . . 

Sandhan Valley Full Descend November 2018

 A brief account of the weekend adventure at Sandhan Valley (Maharashtra)

The post in FB read:  Tattva Adventures Trek to Sandhan Valley (Full Descend) on 17th - 18th Nov 2018 (Leaving on Friday Night 16th Nov 2018)

Sandhan – Full descent had always been a dream trek for me which was finally going to be true after three years of trekking. Had earlier seen the mysterious valley from afar while doing excursions/treks to the surrounding areas. The fascinating play of light and shadow in the Valley, seen from a distance (real or imaginary . . . only added to the mystique)

Detraining at 1.20 am at Kasara Station, our group of 26 huddled  into the few vehicles  and after the usual eagerly looked forward to  ‘tea/coffee/ biryani break’  at the one and only Baba da Dhaba , it was a couple of hours drive to Samrad village. The enthusiastic/not so enthusiastic/sleepy participation in the Antakshari during the drive added to the fun quotient immensely.

Because of the increasing popularity of Sandhan as a trekking destination our trek leads had taken a decision to start the trek immediately without waiting for a break at the Village. The instructions clearly did mention about carrying a good torch with back up batteries. So it was that we started the trek at around 4 a.m.  As my eyes got adjusted to the semi darkness and the eerie shadows playing on the beams of the many torch lights the feeling was most definitely one of eagerly scary anticipation. The surprisingly clear skies with the stars visible while very attractive were not to be admired indefinitely as I had to focus on the uneven rocky patches. A twisted ankle or a cracked shin was not a very pleasant prospect, more so at the beginning of a long and difficult trek. . .  The comforting factor of course for the entire group of adventurers was the absolutely rock solid and competent trek leads, four in all. The two stretches of rappelling and the one stretch of rope descent added immensely to the adventure quotient.

Rappelling long stretch

Rappelling short stretch

Sandhan valley is a Wonder of nature in the midst of the splendid Sahayadri (Western Ghats).You can call it a Water carved valley about  200 ft deep and about 1.5 kms long. Sandhan valley is located on the west side of beautiful Bhandardara region (a fabulous camping spot), near Samrad village. The Valley is surrounded with the mighty Alang, Madan & Kulang (Known as AMK- toughest trek in Sahyadri) Ratangad (had done that trek earlier), Ajoba & Kalsubai (at 5400 ft. the highest peak in Maharashtra) mountain ranges. At some places the width is less than 3 ft making it practically impossible for sunrays to reach and hence the mystically awesome term ‘valley of shadows’.

One of the many narrow paths

 More often, the valley is accessible throughout the year except during peak monsoon. To reach the other end of the gorge you have to cross 2-3 water pools. Water level changes according to seasons, in winter it is up to waist & in summer it is up to knee height (can’t imagine the levels during monsoon!!!). At the end of Valley you get a magnificent view of high cliffs. That is if you have managed to miss the magnificent valley scenes along the way which is hugely possible because you are busy concentrating on where to place the next foot in the extremely uneven rocky landscape. 

 
The Sandhan valley trek incorporates a couple of rappelling stretches and some liberal bits of freehold rock climbing and descending (nay – you can call it sliding with a steep fall on one side). These activities cannot be undertaken very easily by a group of rookies or individual trekkers. You would have to enlist the help of an operator who will, in addition to the technical gear also provide you with the expertise and I daresay moral support.

Another peculiarity of Sandhan Valley . . . The geography keeps changing with existing routes getting blocked up....or new routes opening up depending on the moods of Mother Nature. The few in the group who had done Sandhan Trek multiple times earlier confirmed this fact. As my fellow trekker Niles mentioned the changing landscape was in fact reminiscent of life itself how Change happens and we adjust subsequently. Don’t let the “full descend” term fool you. It is very demanding physically even on the toughest of knees. In fact many trekkers also in the past have confirmed that they find descent more taxing than ascent, during treks. 

 

The fabulously balanced huge boulders added to the beauty of the landscape. Perpetually wet footwear was the norm for the day and on more than one occasion we were wading through knee deep water. 

The very routine knee deep water in many places

The highlight (!!!) of course was when the water was chest high and we carefully trod through it with one hand delicately supporting on the rocky walls and the other precariously balancing the backpack. To their credit the Organizers had warned well in advance about the need to double pack the contents of the bag in water proof covering and also the fact that at places we might have to wade through chest high water.  There never really were any formal breaks for breakfast and lunch, and it was almost always when we were waiting for each other to catch up. There were some absolutely yummy chocolates up for offer. Still not very sure whether it was on account of the Birthday of one of the trekkers (No one was complaining though  )

Blue Lagoon

Fun and frolic at Blue Lagoon

There was opportunity towards the end of the day’s action to frolic in a pond of water rather exotically called Blue Lagoon Pond. 

The opportunity was gratefully taken up by a few enthusiastic swimmers in our group with the others being content to click pics and idle around.

The predominant mood that overshadowed everything else as we approached the dry river bed towards evening was one of relief and gratitude for the plains. The Valley is rocky all the way, and at the end of close to twelve hours of continuous action, the group had just about had more than its share of rocks.  The overnight stay under the clear skies, with Campfire, songs, games and of course yummy local food freshly cooked was like the proverbial cherry on the cake.

Campfire Fun

The enterprising Sachin with local Chef Nana 

Next day morning brought with it the experience of waking up to open skies, freshening up with water from the small body of water nearby and of course attending nature’s call in the open fields !!! Post breakfast it was a couple of hours of absolutely relaxing games. Both the rib tickling and the team building varieties of games saw enthusiastic participation from all.

Krishna - Hanuman Game 

Krishna - Hanuman Game

Cool team building game

 The easy way in which our trek leads displayed fabulous people skills while competently managing the technical aspects of a tough trek spoke volumes about their capabilities. After the games, it was a couple of hours of relaxed  stroll through the fields and a few rocky patches to  Dehne Village, where few more games and  lunch later we proceeded towards Asangaon Railway Station and back to our homes. 

Chale Chalo

Authentic Rural Maharashtrian Lunch

School time Pepsi Cola 

Special mention here also of the opportunity to gorge on the school time ‘Pepsi cola’ 

 The two day experience as always left me grateful for the availability of such magnificent places just a few hours from where we live and also for the sheer affordability of it. As with most treks, no words can truly describe the trek, it has to be actually experienced. Special mention of our group composition. There were trek veterans, trek rookies and the youngest trekker as young as 14 years old that had come along with her father.  As a word of caution, even though we had many first timers, this is by no means an easy trek; hence a certain level of physical fitness and endurance is expected to actually enjoy the trekking experience.  A decent pair of trekking shoes, a good backpack and a good head lamp is invaluable accessories.

For the curious this entire experience was less than 48 hours in duration and was costing Rs.1, 700/- . This time it was a joint effort by Tattva Adventures and Trek Mates India. Thank you  Jaal , Nilesh , Mahen and Sachin for all the help along the way .

Hampi Badami - The Master Piece

This is a brief (!!) account of my Journey to the Southern state of Karnataka to discover the incredible ruins of medieval Hampi, the rock-cut caves of Badami and the beautiful temples of Pattadakal and Aihole. Disclaimer: A basic search on google can lead to a lot of information about these magnificent monuments and hence  I have not delved too much into the facts and history of the places

Tattva Adventures (through The 3 Wheeler Ride Travel Company - 3 व्हिलर राइड)  invites to explore Hampi & Badami on 31stAugust  2018 to 3rd September  2018 (A premium tour) was just the message which I had been waiting for past few years, from the time I heard about the Hampi Ruins from a friend.

ITINERARY:

31st August to 3rd September , 2018 .
Total Cost — 12,000/- PP + 5% GST
Includes:

Ø Traveling From Mumbai to Mumbai in Sleeper AC Coach.
Ø Private AC vehicle for Sight Seeing all days.
Ø Accommodation in AC Rooms. (Triple Sharing basis) in 3/4 star hotels
Ø 3 Breakfast.
Ø All Monument Fees & Taxes.

DAY 1 : Friday — 31st august

The adventure quotient of the trip started much before the trip even started , because it was actually cancelled and then replanned since the majority of those who had earlier confirmed for the trip had changed their mind and opted out. So it was just two of us Myself and Priya (my niece and regular travel buddy).  The adventures continued at stage Zero. We assembled at Sion  @ 4.30 pm & boarded the bus to Hospet. It’s a 15hrs journey overnight by bus. (AC SLEEPER COACH).

 Imagine our surprise when after just a 30-minute drive we stopped, only to be told that the Bus had developed a technical snag. And the bus driver also informs us that he has run out of diesel !!!! (this, at the beginning of a fifteen-hour trip)

Replacement bus arrived at 10 pm. For those familiar with the peculiarities of Mumbai traffic, the replacement Bus had to come from Borivali to Wadala (Bus Terminus) !!! The spillover of the late start reflected in both the mandatory late-night dinner break and the arrival at the destination getting delayed by over five hours.

Day 2. (Hampi) Saturday — 1st September

Krishna, our designated local guide was available at Hospet to receive us at around 1p.m. and after a much needed yet quick bath and lunch break at Hotel Clarks Inn, Hampi we started our Excursion to the famed Hampi Ruins.

A two-member group size ensured we could take advantage of the resultant flexibility and we opted for an auto-rickshaw for travel rather than by  Pvt AC vehicle as originally planned. (Talk about soaking in the local flavour!!) . Venkatesh having replaced Krishna as the local guide for the day cum Saarathi 

Colourfully painted frescoes on the walls brightened up the quiet town of Hampi. And there were monuments practically every few km.

 For the History/mythology enthusiasts, Hampi (the modern name for the ancient Kishkinda)  is nestled within the ruins of the medieval city of Vijayanagar in the state of Karnataka, on the banks of the Tungabhadra river. Set in a surreal and beautiful boulder-strewn landscape, Vijayanagara (the City of Victory) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and although the city was destroyed by marauding Moghul invaders in the 16th century, much of it remains today. Credit definitely to the ASI and Local administration which has done a good job of maintaining the monuments.
There are some magnificent Ancient ruins that are spread over 26 sq km area, many of which lie in and around Hampi Bazaar and the nearby riverside area. East of Hampi Bazaar is the UNESCO-listed 16th-century Vittala Temple, the undisputed highlight of the ruins. The Vitthala Temple is Hampi’s crowning glory.  The iconic magnificent stone chariot standing in the courtyard, which has been made famous by tourists posing with the new Rupees Fifty note is just one of the magnificent piece of sculpture in the Complex.

 

The entry fee levied by the Archaeological Survey of India definitely play a significant part in the maintenance of the Monuments. Reasonably priced at Rs.40/- per person, the ticket literally transports the visitor into a different plane and era. I really cannot speak for others, but I definitely got a feel of what the atmosphere must have been in years of ore. Occasional exposure to Bollywood ‘period’ movies did their bit in helping me visualize too :D

Missed seeing the large Ranga Mantapa with its 56 Musical Pillars (restricted for tourists now). The few Youtube VDOs of the musical pillars just whetted the appetite further to see and listen to the same but it was not to be 

 As expected, there was an electric vehicle ride from the main gate to the interior of the Vijaya Vittala Complex. This apparently is a recent move to ensure less pollution (sound and gas) in the immediate vicinity of the ancient precious monuments. For the records (as of September 2018 ) the cost of a single trip by the electric vehicle was Rs.10/- . Entirely operated by Female uniformed drivers, there was heartening sense of discipline to the whole thing.

It was nice to see many uniformed staff, security and others stationed at vantage points within all the Complexes to ensure discipline.
After a pleasant couple of hours soaking in the feel of the place, we moved onward to the next wonder.

The visit to the Royal Enclosure comprising of (Queen’s bath, Mahanavami Dibba, King’s Audience Hall, Stepped Tank, and Public tank), Hazara Rama Temple, and Zenana Enclosure (Basement of queen’s palace, Lotus Mahal, Elephant’s stables, and watchtowers) was awe-inspiring. 






It was quite easy to get transported a few Centuries back and imagine how it must have been in the Olden days at the Prime of the condition and the activities of the Royalty of that time.
The Elephant stable was an imposing edifice with arched entrances and many domes that must have once housed the magnificent state elephants.

   

The visually appealing Lotus Mahal  , an elegant example of the Hindu and Muslim styles of architecture which derives its name from its beautifully symmetric arches which resemble the petals of a Lotus opening to the Sun
The Hazara Rama Temple , the royal temple reserved for ceremonial use had some breathtaking carvings of horses, elephants, dancing girls and soldiers.

The magnificent 6.7m high awesome monolith Lakshmi  Narasimha depicting the man-lion form of Lord Vishnu and the adjoining  Badavi Linga which were on the way from Royal enclosure to Virupaksha temple was an awesome experience. . . . It was at this point that Mother Nature decided to enhance our experience further and it started drizzling lightly. The Fabulous ancient sculptures with light rains and the smell of wet earth were altogether a  Divine experience. 

The drizzle steadily increased in force and by the time we got back to our trusted steed – THE AUTO, it was pouring cats and dogs. The downpour resulted in us missing Virupaksha Temple and the Monolithic Bull. 

We did however find shelter from the weather at a quaint Café serving magnificent Coffee :)

We also missed seeing the Mustard and Peanut Ganesha ( Sasuvekalu  and Kadalekalu Ganeshas).  It was pretty late and that was it for Day 1 of sight seeing (Remember we started the day five hours late !!!)

Day 3 (Badami) Sunday 2nd September

We started off the day nice and relaxed with a long Car ride (opting out of the Auto ride because of distance about 150kms from Hampi to Badami.)  Subramanian, our trusted Sarathi cum guide for the day reassured us that a start of 10 am was good enough for the sightseeing planned. This was quite contrary to the opinion of our Mumbai operator Jigar and our Hotel reception manager who were quite insistent that we should leave early in the day in case we wished to cover Badami exhaustively. The sightseeing and exploration for the day started with Aihole. Subramanian told us there are around 125 ancient temples in Aihole all scattered throughout the village. So, we had assumed that we would need more time to visit the temples in Aihole. It was not a very happy sight to see the condition of Aihole village which was highly underdeveloped. There were many small temples all around the village which all belonged to 6th to 8th centuries. But, the roads leading to them were very bad. We really are not doing justice to our past glory by not maintaining them well. 
                      
Our actual destination was Durga temple. This temple is the most popular among all the temples in Aihole. The temple complex is huge and beautiful. As informed by Subramanian and cross verified with Ms.Google,  Durga temple was also constructed by Chalukyas during 7th-8th century and it is unique in design. The interesting part is that Durga temple is not dedicated to Goddess Durga. It is dedicated to either Shiva or Vishnu. The name originated from “fortress” (in Kannada, Durga means “fort”). The architecture style is predominantly a combination of Dravidian and Nagara style. The pillared corridor makes the temple look magnificent.     
The temple has beautiful carvings on the walls and on the ceiling. Each and every corner of the temple speaks the glory of our ancestors.

Aihole Museum

Next on the agenda was Pattadakal . Situated 13 kms from Aihole  ,and  around 22 km from Badami, Pattadakal group of monuments is one of the UNESCO World heritage sites in India. When I was planning for this trip, amongst all the places, I was attracted more to Pattadakal. As you enter the gates of Pattadakal group of monuments, you will become captivated with the beauty in front of you. The heritage site is maintained extremely well and the group of temples looks outstandingly wonderful as you walk towards them. In ancient times, Pattadakal was a site where Badami Chalukya kings were coronated and it has temples built by them during 7th and 8th centuries. The group of monuments at Pattadakal is located on the left bank of the river Malaprabha and it has 10 temples including a Jain sanctuary. The temples were built in different architectural styles including Rekha, Nagara (Northern) and Dravidian (southern) styles. As per information and Boards put up at the Complex, this was as good as a Experimental project / pilot project  for the Kings and they tried out all styles of architecture here.
The temples in Pattadakal temple complex are Virupaksha Temple, Sangameshvara Temple, Chandrashekhara temple, Mallikarjuna Temple, Kashivisvanatha Temple, Galaganatha temple, Kadasiddhesvara temple, Jambulingeswara temple, Jain temple and Papanatha temple. Each temple is extremely beautiful. The Virupaksha temple is the largest among all, Sangameshwara temple is the oldest. Kashi Vishwanatha temple was built by Rashtrakutas and this temple is in a typical Nagara style and the gopuram of this temple is fascinating. The group of these temples is an absolute treat for the eyes. The feeling when we regretfully came out of this magnificent complex was one of leaving behind something unfinished. That is when I realized, these magnificent structures are not something that you can just see and move on. They are to be experienced at leisure. Considering our duration of three days in this region and so many unvisited places, I was certainly left wondering as to how Tour operators take out one day or two-day expeditions to these Heritage sites       
Now onward to Badami where I was looking forward to be amongst the hand hewn rock Caves. History Buffs … This one is for you - (Badami) UNESCO World heritage monuments , are  best known for the  remarkable cave temples. They display the full range of Indian religious sects. Badami was formerly known as Vathapi and was the capital of Badami Chalukyas during from 540 to 757 AD. The founder of the Chalukya dynasty was Pulakesin I (535-566 AD). His sons Kirtivarma I (567-598 AD) and his brother Mangalesha (598-610 AD) were involved in the construction of the cave temples. The most powerful King among the Chalukyas was Pulakeshin II (610-642 AD) who defeated many kings including the Pallavas of Kanchipuram. Badami had seen many major wars between Chalukyas, Pallavas, Rashtrakutas. It was later occupied by Vijaynagar Empire, the Adil Shahis, the Savanur Nawabs, the Marathas and Hyder Ali before the British included it in the Bombay Presidency. It’s pretty exciting to see the monuments which are around 1600 years old.  The temples which we were going to see in this trip were built during 6th – 8th centuries !! We felt bad to see the condition of the people and the condition of such a popular place. Fortunately, the historic monuments were preserved well. Before you begin to climb the cave temples, near the parking lot, you can find beautiful Killa Masjid. The Badami cave temples are carved out of red sandstone on a gigantic hill cliff and are considered to be the example of Indian rock-cut architecture. There are four cave temples and are connected by a stepped path (Decent exercise , though the excitement does not make you feel the strain ) . For the records, we climbed to the top and covered the Caves in the descending order

 

 

 

 

 

. As you climb these steps, the view of the city, the nearby lake and the other monuments in the city become more and more beautiful. The first cave is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The main attraction in this cave is the carving of Nataraja with 18 arms and it is said that if you take any combination of the two arms of this sculpture, it makes a perfect classical dance pose.
            
Apart from this beautiful Nataraja, there are few other wonderful sculptures on the walls as well as on the ceiling of the temple. If you climb around 60 steps, you will reach the second cave temple which is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and in this temple Vishnu is depicted as Trivikirama – with one foot on earth and the other foot directing to north. There is also a representation of Vishnu as Varaha. 
This cave is the biggest among the four cave temples of Badami. The panoramic view of Badami town and Agasthya lake is extremely beautiful from this temple.

We climbed some more steps to reach the last cave temple which was dedicated to Mahaveera Jain. 
This temple was the last constructed cave temple and was not as beautiful as the other three temples. There was an old Kannada inscription at the pedestal which belonged to the 12th century.
Late evening we enjoyed the sunset on the way back to Hampi covering the Banashankari Temple .  The trip to Badami would never have been complete without a visit to the famed Banashankari temple . Located at Cholachagudd near Badami, in Bagalkot district, Karnataka, India.

The temple is popularly called Banashankari or Vanashankari since it is located in the erstwhile Tilakaaranya forest. The original temple was built by the 7th century Kalyani Chalukya kings, who worshipped goddess Banashankari as their tutelary deity.
 The temple celebrates its annual festival called Banashankari jatre, in the months of January or February. The festival comprises cultural programmes, boat festival as well as a Rath yatra, when the temple goddess is paraded around the city in a chariot.
  It was interesting to experiment with the local sweet tea and evening snack Girmitt at a restaurant close to the Temple.

The long car journey from Hampi to Badami and back had some melodious Rehman Jukebox giving us soothing company . Throughout the day, Subramanian lived up to his promise of ensuring we covered all places. His speedometer read at an average of 100kmph !! En route back to the Hotel, We saw a Huge bungalow, resembling a palace being constructed on the way and  we were provided with the interesting tidbit that it belonged to a local ex Councilman with a colorful history.
Also it was fun to see a very interesting strategy by young children at almost all village borders to cordon off the Road and ask for Donations for the soon to come Ganapati Chaturti celebrations.

Day 4 (Hampi) Monday 3rd September

The day started with a long auto ride from Hotel to the Historic Anjan(i)  Parvath/ Anjeyanadri Hill  also known as Monkey Hill. 
Folklore has it that this is the birthplace of Lord Hanuman. Lord Hanuman is also known as Anjaneya. Hence, the hill has been given the name of Anjeyanadri. There is a temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman on top of the hill. Anjeyanadri Hill is surrounded by lovely plantain and paddy fields. There are more than 575  steps to reach the summit of the hill. Though the climb involves a large number of steps, it is quite safe to ascend the hill due to the presence of the stone stairs

 

 

A cool breeze helps visitors in their climb. But the main attraction is the view of the surrounding that the hill offers. The sight of the valley and the Tungabhadra River flowing below offers a mesmerizing sight.
After the exhilarating visit to Monkey hill, it was onward to Pampa Sarovar. Pampa Sarovar is a sacred pond for the Hindus. This is believed to be one among a few Sarovars (sacred ponds) mentioned in Hindu epics and scriptures. The pond and the shrine are located in a secluded valley hidden by boulder hills at the three sides. The pond, rectangular in shape, is usually filled edge-to-edge by floating lotus. There were however no lotuses when we visited 
   The whitewashed shrine is located right next to the pond. This is a functioning temple and the idols worshiped are of Lord Shiva & his consort Parvathi (Pampa). This shrine is much ancient than many of the temples in Hampi.
A vividly painted musical instrument placed in the temple courtyard is interesting. The instrument at a time plays a drum, metal plates and a couple of bells attached to it. The whole thing is driven by a motor attached to the mechanisms. Apparently, these were the temple musical instruments originally played by the temple musicians. Now this machine plays it all together during the prayer time (typically early morning & in the evening).

Then onward it was to the magnificent Durgadevi Temple housing a  Sri Krishna Temple and awesome Durga Lakshmi and Shiva Linga .

This complex provided some awesome photo ops since there was no obvious restriction on photography.

 Around this time , I realized that I was missing my cap. Logic stated it had to be at the auto or left behind at Pampa Sarovar. We did make the trip  back to Pampa Sarovar though not very hopefully. Lo and behold , my traveling accessory was right where I had forgotten it a goodly hour back. This was in spite of it being Gokulashtami / Krishna Janmashtami and a decent  crowd at the Temple. Gratitude for that :)


 
Somewhere during the course of the day, we also managed a Coracle ride in the magnificent Sanapura Lake. Must say this was very much on the “to be experienced” list before this trip :D




Chanced upon this interesting sign  “Swimming prohibited, crocodile inside” at the Lake  (after our ride) and then realized later that we were riding our flimsy Coracle in the very same Lake !!!



The day passed by quickly enough and soon we were back at the Hotel. Onward to the Bus Stop and the 15-hour journey later, it was back at Aamchi Mumbai with loads of memories. There is nothing like getting back to your everyday routine (Mumbai or elsewhere ) for a reality check :P.
Few interesting aspects of the trip were that all our guides cum saarathis (Four of them in three days )  were Tamil speaking people (in Karnataka !!! ). On enquiry, we came to know that these were descendants of those people who had settled down at Karnataka in the early 1950s after having come here as Workforce from Tamil Nadu for construction of the Tungabadhra Dam.


It was also nice to see magnificent traditional arches at the entrance of most Village Borders. I have earlier noticed this also in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.




Also it is nice to see the use of local resources, in this case Stone being used for setting up a compound wall. Earlier had come across such use in Cuddappah region and also in and around Abu Road. 


Could click this beautiful Shiva/Shankara painting in the rather nice "Pink Mango" restaurant right next to Clarks Inn.

As always I am surprised at the way we comfortably cross State Borders / Zones (actually more like our own comfort zones)  (just a few 100 km)  and literally step into a different world totally different from our very own City streets, skylines, routines and crowd. This fabulous experience I guess is available to everyone who is willing to explore it. In few earlier posts too I had shared about the weekend getaways with nature. I do agree treks and marathons might not be doable for everyone, but this was more in the nature of a basic excursion/ expedition to a place with some mind-boggling History and Architecture. Will this inspire at least a few who read this to try such visits ? ?  Only time will tell. There are some magnificent experiences to be explored within India