Hi :)

I know I’m a lil late but I had to write this eventually :)

Well, let me start with the introduction, the trip was scheduled for 4 days and got extended to 5 :) I’d been out with ma family after a really long time… Though it was mostly visiting temples, it was really good cuz I’d ma camera on me and was surrounded by breathtaking scenes… I did miss the SLR but having a camera was a relief :) Check out the map HERE

Day 1 (15 of June, 2009. Monday)

Well, we started at 05.30am from Dharwad, we hit the Golden Quadrilateral, and mahn, that’s an amazing road, we covered around 160km in 1.5hrs, We reached Ranibennur and then took a small road which ran through the pretty villages of the northern karnataka, The road was a lil bad and narrow which cut down our average speed considerably…

We reached Shivamogga and we had no idea how far Shringeri was, only after reaching there we found out that it was 101km from there. Well, we had a time constraint, the temple at Shringeri closes its morning session at 1.30. So we had move faster, the scenery around was just amazing, the green flu had started its work, the fabulous malenadu, the land of mountains and thus evergreen forest, hence beauty :) I was busy clicking pics and didn’t notice the journey much.

Well, I must tell, we were like a dedicated team during the journey, Dad was the driver, me photographer, bro hmmm, well traveler and mom the home minister :P

Well, we reached shringeri at around half past 12 and the place is just amazing, I just loved it so much, on the banks of Tunga river it seems like a baby in the arms of nature, secure between her mighty arms and warmth of dense forest, well, warmth not literally, it was chilly there and was drizzling most of the times. Well, the legend tells us that after Shankaracharya became the peetadhipati of Sarvagna Peetha in Kashmir, he brought the Sharada Devi from there and was headed towards kerala and tunga river came in the way, since he could not keep the Sharada devi on ground and he wasn’t able to cross the river he decided to build the Sharada Temple there.

Well, after having lunch there, we got back on road and headed towards Horanadu. Well, in  Shringeri Temple they use solar power for heating, well, I must say that science and religion can go hand in hand if the brainless human stops making fuss of it!

Well, on the way to Horanadu we visited Kuduremukha, it was a leading iron ore mine for a long time, recently they ran outta good iron ore and they are shutting down their operation, It was like looking at a dying beast, a dying empire… abandoned buildings, empty streets and silence.

We reached horanadu at around 6.30pm that day, we visited the temple of Annapoorneshwari, we knew a guy who worked for the temple so it wasn’t hard to get in and get out. The crowd was thin, weather was chilly and we were tired, we had dinner that night and slept.

I woke up at 5.30am :O all by myself… well, then got ready and headed for the temple, after clicking some wonderful pics at Hornadu we had breakfast and left the city. The view from Horandu is just amazing, especially at the starting of mansoons… It was lovely. The Annapoorneshwari is the goddess who gave Lord Shiva something to eat or Bhiksha when he was walking around asking for it with a skull in his hand, all cuz of a curse. Well, better refer to Hindu Mythology for more details :)

Day 2 (16 of June)

We visited Kalasa Temple, which is just 8km from Horanadu and on the way to Dharmasthala which was out next destination. Well, Kalaseshwara is the deity at the Kalasa Temple, It is said to be the birth place of Agastya Maharshi.

Well, we stopped on our road at some place to have some tea, then I was hungry so we ordered some dosa too, well, hot dosa and chai in the middle of the journey, between the mountains and right on the banks of a extra large stream, well I could just call it Heaven :)

Dosa was awesome there, then we got back on road and reached Dharmasthala… well on the way we’d to get in and outta some rough terrain, well, we had roads but the curves there could easily have outshone all the hotties in bollywood… well, it was fun cuz dad was driving, the journey was slow, plenty of scenery and I could click as many pics as I wanted :)

We reached Dharmastala at half past 12 I guess, we just got outta our car and headed towards the temple, mom and dad had a sad experience last time when they visited the place, they told they couldn’t even make out who was the god in the temple, the crowd was so bad last time, but luckily when we went there were not many people in the temple, so we got our darshanas pretty well and also in a very little time :)

I was happy, I don like to wait.. well, then we got ourselves a room and got fresh, we went out.. by the time we reached our car, it started raining and trust me when I tell ya, Malenadu rains are not kind.. Who cares :P It makes things beautiful, the kinda beauty which a gal suddenly aquires when she’s in the bridal dress :)

We decided to utilize the hiatus due to the rains to visit the Manjoosha Museum, well, the place is rich.. They have so many stuff there, I was in a hurry cuz we had more plans for the day, but even then I took a flat 1 hour 30 mins… it was amazing, things ranging from prehistoric artifacts to world war 2’s electronics. I loved it :)

Then we went to the Mahaveera statue over the hill, since it was raining the scene was just awesome, and then suddenly sun decided to give me a lil bonus, he came outta the blankets of clouds on that chilly day and gave one of the rare effects of Bisil-Male :) [sun and rain pouring together] Well, very few photographers are so lucky…. :) I was just so very happy.

From there we went to one of ma dad’s colleagues place, stayed there for a while and came back, while going there (belthangadi) we visited the Rama Temple. Nice place. We stayed that night at Dharmasthala and left early to Kukke SUbramanya the next morning.

Day 3 (17 of June)

We reached Kukke Subramany at around 11 I guess, we went into the temple and came back in another 2 hours. The Temple itself is placed in such a beautiful location, man, words cant describe it nor can my camera bring it to ya. You gotta be there to know how it is, I just loved it.

Then we had nice Neeru-Dose and headed towards Udupi via Mangalore, we had lunch in Mangalore, typical south canara good, just loved it. Once we reached udupi we went to the Krishna Mutt, The place where Madhwacharya is said to have established the original center for Dwaitha Siddhanta, which stands on the ideology that Humans and God are different entities and Human Is dependent on the God. The legendary Kanakana Kindi is in this place.

After the temple visit we went to a damn good restaurant in Udupi City, Parivaar. I’d a Black Forest Ice cream, I swear, it was one of the best I’d ever had. I just loved it. :) We went to ma cousin’s place later on for the night, well, this cousin of mine is a genius, she’s amazing at studies, she just finished her 12 with about 94% aggregate, she is just one step behind from becoming ‘Vidushi’ in Bharatanatyam, a sweetheart and one of those people whom I admire a lot.

Well, we talked till 4 in the morning and then slept, we were back on road by 9.30 I guess, we were heading towards honnavara, but on the way we visited Hattiangadi, the diety there is Ganapathi, One of our family’s favorites :) We reached honnavar by 2 or so, We were visiting the place of ma oldest best pal…. Well she’s ma first ever friend I guess, right from ma first year she was there to play with me and endure my bites, well, yeah, the legend says that I used to bite her all the time and she used to cry for some time and again we were back on the board playing and she, ready to endure another bite. Though she is just a year elder to me, she was this caring kid :P well, we weren’t in touch for around 16yrs, but when we meet you just can’t deny that we are the best of pals :P

Well, We visited Apsarakunda that day, an amazing place, I’d really like it if you checked the pics of the place and see it for yourself, cuz I just don’t know how to explain what I saw there, well, maybe a paradise for a guy with a camera and a good eye for beauty :) We left for home the next day morning.

Effectively,  ma tour was awesome, I visited the whole family of Shiva, Annapoorneshwari at horanadu, Kalaseshwara at Kalasa and Manjunatheshwara at Dharmasthala, Shanmukha at Kukke Subramanya, Ganapthi at Hattiangadi, Plus we visited Rama and Krishna, a complete package is what I call it :)

I got to meet the people I love with the people I love, I’d long and much needed chats with ma best pals, I visited heavens, I witnessed breathtaking moments and above all I had the opportunity to capture them in ma lil frame… I’m Happy :)

Signing off now pals,

Yours,

Whisperer