St. Mary's Islands - Coconut Island

Boats near beach - St Mary Islands

There are no words to describe the adventurous and yet fun filled boat ride from Malpe beach to the St Mary's Islands / Coconut Island.  This was my second venture straight in to the Arabian sea. The previous one being an official assignment to board a container ship at outer anchorage, Goa port on a Sunday- 2005 with Indian Customs! 

An islander's life for 2 hours: Yes I became an islander for 2 hours. Strolled the complete length of the islands, picked up beautiful shells, sipped on coconut water, enjoyed walking and wading in the azure blue waters of St. Mary Islands. The bright neon green mangroves provide a striking background along with the tall and lofty coconut trees.

The rock formations will provide one with an opportunity to imagine Mother Nature at work!

An hour is all we get at this island. And after that the boat captain (the helmsman) signals to board the boat... it is time to bid bye to this beautiful place!

How to reach St. Mary's Islands

The only way of getting to the islands is by ferry boat. Regular ferry service ply the 6 km distance from the Malpe fishing harbor (which has a ship building yard also) to the islands. However, the frequency of these boats may vary depending on the number of tourists visiting.

About the St. Mary's Islands

St. Mary's Islands, also known as Coconut Island and Thonsepar, are a set of four small islands in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Malpe in Udupi, Karnataka, India. They are known for their distinctive geological formation of columnar basaltic lava.

St Mary Islands

Scientific studies indicate that the basalt of the St. Mary's Islands was formed by sub-aerial subvolcanic activity, because at that time Madagascar was attached to India. The rifting of Madagascar took place around 88 million years ago.[2]

The islands form one of the four geological monuments in Karnataka state, one of the 26 Geological Monuments of India declared by the Geological Survey of India in 2001. The monument is considered an important site for "Geo Tourism

Historical facts

According to folk legend, in the year 1498, Vasco da Gama landed at St. Mary's Islands on his journey from Portugal, fixed a cross on the island and named one of these islands, O Padrão de Santa Maria, as a dedication to Mother Mary, before proceeding to Kozhikode in Kerala.[3] It is from this name that the islands got their current name

Rock formations - St Mary Islands

Geological facts

The columnar basaltic lava found in these Islands, which is very well developed in the basalts of Deccan Traps, exhibit an imposing range of hexagonal shaped or multi-faced (polygonal) columns split into a horizontal mosaic. In geological terms these are called "columnar joints".[1] The lava rocks form regular five, six or seven-sided pillars, called "laminar lava", and are found in varying heights in all the islands; the tallest of the columns is about 6 m (20 ft). Considering the importance and rarity of such an occurrence, these islands were classified as a National Geological Monument in 2001 by the Geological Survey of India.[4][6]

The Deccan Traps, that formed during Cretaceous–Eocene time about 60 million years ago. emerged from the vast deluge of hot molten basaltic lava in the western part of India which is now seen as flat topped hills and step like terraces

Important : Carry a light bag with adequate fresh water. Apply sunscreen lotion and Try wearing a chinese hat. You will need these as the climate is hot near the island! Please avoid littering. Please carry trash back to the mainland. Respect Mother Nature!
Prepare for a 3 hour adventure involving 15-20 minutes boat ride one way. It will take an hour to stroll and cover the island. Carry an extra pair of clothes in case you want to take a swim. Avoid slimy rocks underneath water..they are simy and slippery.

Unforgettable boat ride to St Mary Islands

Mithila painting / Madhubani painting

Mithila painting (also known as Madhubani painting)

01-Dec 2016- A memorable day for me as I got a chance to view and experience the beauty of Madhubani paintings at a major handicrafts exhibition in Mangalore, India. I also had the oppurtunity to interact with Mr.Bajrangi Kumar Jha (from Bihar) who was very keen to show m these paintings. He explained to me about the natural colors used to painstakingly paint these art forms.

He was also proud to show me a news article highlighting Shri Narendra Modi, PM of India gifting a Madhubani Painting to Hannover Mayor 



What are Madhubani paintings? 

Mithila painting (also known as Madhubani painting) is practiced in the Mithila state, Nepal and in the state of Bihar in India . Painting is done with fingers, twigs, brushes, nib-pens, and matchsticks, using natural dyes and pigments, and is characterized by eye-catching geometrical patterns. 

History of Madhubani paintings

The origin can be traced to the time of the Ramayana, when King Janaka of Nepal ordered his kingdom to decorate the town for the wedding of his daughter, Sita to Lord Rama. The ancient tradition of elaborate wall paintings or Bhitti-Chitra in Nepal and Bihar played a major role in the emergence of this new art form. The original inspiration for Madhubani art emerged from women’s craving for religiousness and an intense desire to be one with God. With the belief that painting something divine would achieve that desire, women began to paint pictures of gods and goddesses with an interpretation so divine that captured the hearts of many.

Madhubani, which by one account means Forest of Honey, (‘Madhu’-honey, ‘Ban’-forest or woods) is a region in Mithila, Nepal and the northern part of Bihar. A region that has a distinct regional identity and language that reportedly spans 2500 years.

The women painters of Mithila lived in a closed society. It is locally believed that Madhubani painting tradition started when Raja Janak of Nepal commissioned local artists to paint murals in his palace in preparations for the marriage of his daughter Sita to Lord Ram. The paintings were originally done on walls coated with mud and cow dung. The kohbar ghar or the nuptial chamber was the room in which the paintings were traditionally done. Originally the paintings depicted an assembly of symbolic images of the lotus plant, the bamboo grove, fishes, birds and snakes in union. These images represented fertility and proliferation of life. 

Noteworthy contribution of foreign scholars for Madhubani art

The contribution of foreign scholars in promoting the art form internationally has also been immense. Yves Vequad, a French novelist and journalist, in the early 1970s wrote a book on the basis of his research on Mithila painting and produced a film ‘The Women Painters of Mithila’. The German anthropologist film-maker and social activist Erika Moser persuaded the impoverished Dusadh community to paint as well.

Madhubani art -  Styles

Madhubani art has five distinctive styles, namely, Bharni, Katchni, Tantrik, godna and gobar. In the 1960s Bharni, Kachni and Tantrik style were mainly done by Brahman and Kayashth women, who are upper caste women in India and Nepal. Their themes were mainly religious and they depicted Gods and Goddesses, flora and fauna in their paintings. People of lower castes includes aspects of their daily life and symbols , story of Raja Shailesh [ guard of village] and much more, in their paintings. But nowadays Madhubani art has become a globalised art form so there is no difference in the work of artists of the region on the basis of caste system

Mithila painting (also known as Madhubani painting)

5 Facts about Madhubani paintings

1. When Rama and Sita tied knot, Madhubani style of painting was born  

Mithila paintings; you hear the name and right away you know there is a connection between this style of painting and Ramayana, right? And yes, there is.

The origin of this style of painting is related to the famous ‘Sita Kalyan’. It’s said that King Janaka, father of Sita, arranged quite a number of artists to create paintings of the marriage. According to history, this is when Madhubani style of painting was born.

Are you looking for beautiful madhubani paintings for your home? I recommend you visit Amazon.in. They have a great selection of these paintings.

2. Believe it or not, Madhubani paintings prevent deforestation

Artists from Bihar are using Madhubani paintings as a way to prevent trees from being cut down. But, how can simple paintings stop people from cutting down trees?

These artists of this region are drawing Madhubani paintings on these trees and since the paintings mostly depict Hindu deities, people restrain from cutting them down.

According to a report from BBC, “The Madhubani artists believe that they are showing the world how an art form can be used to convey a strong social message ‘in an effective way’.”

3. Once on mud walls, today- on canvas to bangles

It is the women who live in rural areas of Bihar do the traditional ‘Madhubani art’. But today, things have changed and now this style is popular not only among the people of India, but also among the people of other countries, especially US and Japan.

During the traditional times, this type of painting used to be done on mud walls of houses that were freshly plastered. Now, you would find Madhubani paintings on canvas, cushions, paper or even cloths. People are also doing Madhubani artwork on utensils and even bangles.

4. It is not just Gods you can see in Madhubani paintings

Hindu mythologies and deities has always been a prolific presence in the Madhubani paintings and it still is. These paintings are mostly about Hindu deities like Krishna, Ram, Shiva, Lakshmi, Durga etc. At times, events like weddings have also made it to the canvas of Madhubani paintings. Whatever space is left on the surface is never left alone and the space is filled with some simple paintings of flowers or even geometric designs.

5. There are Exclusive Madhubani Painting Art Galleries around the World

Today, many exclusive art galleries for Madhubani paintings can be found in India and even overseas.

The MITHILAsmita is an organization formed by some entrepreneurs for carrying on the tradition of Mithila paintings. This art gallery is located in Bengaluru, India. Apart from the art gallery, they also organize exhibitions for these paintings time to time.

In Japan, there is one ‘Mithila Museum’, which has over 850 Madhubani paintings. The museum also conducts research and also works for the publicity of these paintings.

In the town of Madhubani, there is also a ‘Mithila Art Institue’, which stands for the development of Madhibani paintings and also for the training of young artists.


Now that you know this much about Madhubani paintings, what do you think about its future? Will it be a major art form from India? Share your opinions with us in comments.

A Journey to the Southernmost parts of Tamil Nadu – Nagercoil, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi

13^th October 2016 0330 HRS: A date marked as very important & “must attend meeting” in my organiser. But, I had a shock when I found an empty KSRTC bus stand @ 0330 hrs - Thampanoor, Thiruvanathapuram (Trivandrum). I was told by a passer-by that I might be lucky enough to catch the train at 0345 hrs. My heart was racing – I dashed to the ticket counter located at the railway station opposite KSRTC bus stand. I was promptly informed that the Trivandrum-Nagercoil train had just chugged out of the platform no.1. I cursed myself and the general public for allowing the harthal/bandh to cripple Kerala daya after day!

My Father told me not to worry. We discussed and agreed to take turns to drive up to Kaliyakkavilai. Kaliyakkavilai is a panchayat town in Kanniyakumari district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, close to the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border. It lies on Coimbatore-Kochi-Trivandrum-Kanyakumari National highway 47.   

We started our journey by 0415 hrs and I took the wheel and we reached Kaliyakkavilai by 0500hrs

0500 HRS: I sighed relief when I saw the Nagercoil bus at Kaliyakkavilai SETC stand. I might have thanked the people, drivers and conductors behind SETC, a million times for keeping the service active. I was happy as the driver pressed the ignition key and brought the bus to life.

Padmanabhapuram Palace

We soon crossed Thakkalai. I remembered the earlier trip to Thakkalai and the famous Padmanabhapuram Palace. I had visited this place along with my brother when my aunt was working in the Kerala Archaeology Department.

0600 HRS: The route to Nagercoil is dotted by mountains and coconut farms. I reached Nagercoil by 0600 hrs and started looking out for the famous “end to end bus” to Tirunelveli. I located the bus and boarded the same without waiting for tea/snacks as I was in a hurry to reach the destination.

I was greeted by the sight of several hundreds of Wind mills while crossing Muppandal

Muppandal is a small village on the southern tip of India in Kanyakumari District, in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is located in a hilly region where wind from the Arabian Sea gusts through mountain passes. There is a legend that Avvaiyar had arranged for a marriage, to which she invited the sovereigns of the Chera, Chola and Pandya kingdoms. The kings erected pandals (mandapams) in the respective places allotted to them and this eventually led to the place being called Muppandal (meaning 'three pandals').

Muppandal

This area is located in between Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari Highway (NH), You can also catch a glimpse of Jayamatha Engineering College in Muppandal. The Muppandal village has benefited from the building of the nearby Muppandal wind farm, a renewable energy source, which supplies the villagers with electricity for work. This is the Second largest onshore wind farm in the world. The village had been selected as the showcase for India's $2 billion clean energy program which provides foreign companies with tax breaks for establishing fields of wind turbines in the area. Huge power-producing windmills tower over the palm trees. The village has attracted wind energy producing companies creating thousands of new jobs, dramatically raising the incomes of villagers.  The suitability of Muppandal as a site for wind farms stems from its geographical location as it has access to the seasonal monsoon winds.

Wind energy generation capacity of Muppandal and surrounding areas is estimated to be around 1500 MW, which is about 20% of that of India.

0730HRS @ Tirunelveli – I was woken up as the bus entered Tirunelveli. I could see the sweet stalls decked with the famous Tirunelveli Halwa. Before entering the next bus for Thoothukudi, I vowed to purchase a small packet of this world famous halwa on my way back.  

About Tirunelveli Halwa : Ask any person who hails from Tirunelveli about the must visit spots and iruttu kadai will definitely be mentioned. The shop is named iruttu kadai because of the lack of lighting. The shop is owned by Rajputs who migrated from to Tamil Nadu 5 generations back.  The first owner cooked the sweet by himself during the day and sold it in the evening. It was poorly lit those days and hence the name “dark shop”. Well this is the place that sells one of the best halwa in the world. Packets of halwa purchased from here by locals are shipped to various parts of the world.  

About Tirunelveli: Tirunelveli also known as Nellai is a city in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of the Tirunelveli District. It is the sixth-largest municipal corporation in the state (after Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, Salem). Tirunelveli is located 700 km (430 mi) southwest of the state capital, Chennai and 58 km (36 mi) away from Thoothukudi.

Tirunelveli - has lush green farms, largest wind farms. Also the famous end to end bus 

The city is located on the west bank of the Thamirabarani River; its twin city Palayamkottai is on the east bank. Tirunelveli is believed to be an ancient settlement; it has been ruled at different times by the Early Pandyas, the Medieval and Later Cholas, the later Pandyas, the Malabar and Tirunelveli sultanates, the Vijayanagar Empire, the Madurai Nayaks, Chanda Sahib, the Carnatic kingdom and the British. The Polygar War, involving Palaiyakkarars led by Veerapandiya Kattabomman and forces of the British East India Company, was waged on the city's outskirts from 1797 to 1801. Tirunelveli has a number of historical monuments, the Nellaiappar Temple being the most prominent.

Industries in Tirunelveli include administrative services, agricultural trading, tourism, banking, agricultural machinery and educational services. The city is an educational hub of southern Tamil Nadu, with institutions such as Tirunelveli Medical College, the Veterinary College and Research Institution, Tirunelveli Law College and the Government College of Engineering.

0830 HRS – I started from Tiunelveli by a bus and reached Thoothukudi before 10:00 hrs: This was my 3^rd trip to Thoothukudi. Thoothikudi has a harsh climate.  

About Tuticorin, also known as Thoothukudi : Thoothukudi is a port city and a Municipal Corporation and an industrial city in Thoothukudi district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The city lies in the Coromandel Coast off Bay of Bengal. Thoothukudi is the headquarters of Thoothukudi District. It is located about 590 kilometres (367 miles) south of Chennai and 190 kilometres (118 miles) northeast of Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum). According to Confederation of Indian Industry, Thoothukudi has the second highest Human Development Index in Tamil Nadu next to Chennai.

Tuticorin City serves as the headquarters of Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Limited. Major educational establishments in the city include Thoothukudi Government Medical College, Fisheries College and Research Institute, Marine Training Academy, V.O.C. Arts & Science College, Government Polytechnic College, and Anna University Tuticorin Campus.

Tuticorin Port is one of the Fastest growing Major Ports in India. Tuticorin is an "Emerging Energy and Industrial hub of South India". Thoothukudi is known as "Pearl City" due to the pearl fishing carried out in the town. It is a commercial seaport which serves the inland cities of Southern India and is one of the sea gateways of Tamil Nadu. It is also one of the major seaports in India with a history dating back to the 6th century AD. The city is administered by a Thoothukudi Municipal Corporation covering an area of 90.663 km2 (35.005 sq mi) and had a population of 237,830 in 2011. The urban agglomeration had a population of 410,760 as of 2011.[2]

Tuticorin Thermal Power Station & Tuticorin Port

The majority of the people of the city are employed in salt pans, sea-borne trading, fishing, and tourism. A major attraction in the city is Our Lady of Snows Basilica, a 16th-century site. The 21 islands between Thoothukudi and Rameswaram shores in the Gulf of Mannar are noted as the first Marine Biosphere Reserve of India, and have around 36,000 species of flora and fauna. This protected area is called Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park. Our Lady of Snows Basilica festival is celebrated annually during August. This and the Shiva temple festivals, e.g., Adi Amavasai, Sasti, and Chittirai chariot festivals – are the major festivals of the area. Roadways are the major mode of transport to Thoothukudi, while the city also has rail, air, and sea transport.

I had a good meeting at Thoothukudi and started my journey back by about 1300 HRS. I did purchase Tirunelveli Halwa which was relished by my friends and family. A journey that began on a sour note turned very sweet! 

A trek to the highest peak of Karnataka – Mullayangiri

If you think that you need a bulldozer of a body to go through these trek experiences then you are wrong. Sheer will-power is all that you need to traverse across valleys, ridges and hills to reach the summit !

Heaven is not a different piece of creation, but it is there on the earth itself bonded with the nature.

Mullayangiri hills

Video on 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJixsMwuqss&list=PLV31EEF4nJGy7DVXaHEjllZUTwxUcutIk

We trekked to Mullayangiri and Baba budangiri- Chikamaglur on 16^th & 17^th July 2016. This group had fully charged enthusiasts from my (KV Vizag Steel) school days, who had already trekked Narayangiri and Antharagange and certain new members also. Members for this trek were Soman, Manmeet, Srinivas, Vamsi, Rajath, Anupama and Kanchanmala with her husband Hemanth and their son Dinesh.  We also had new friends Abhishek and Yukthi.

The action started with Manmeet preparing a map for pick up points & Kanchan and family boarding the Tempo traveller van arranged by escape2explore at Banashankari. Kanchan & Manmeet coordinated the pick up at Marathahalli for Soman, the rest of the gang at Hennur Main road and Anupama at Hebbal.

We had the school friends shaking hands and welcoming each other at the pick up points. Friends then chatted up with each other followed by cracking jokes & later music was played for the group. Music was an interesting medley of old melodies of Rafi sahab, hindi melodies of 90s and also popular numbers by Robbie Williams, Mr.Mister, Michael Jackson.  I made it a point to sleep the next 6 hours like any other day in order to remain sane! Am not sure whether my friends slept! The driver would not have slept as he had to drive a distance of 280 kilometers from Bangalore to Chikamagalur

Mullayangiri 

Day One – 16^th July 2016

We woke up once the van halted at Kaimara forest check post. Thankfully, our van was the first to stop at the check-post. Curiosity made us disembark the van and check this new place. Soon it was time for selfiegraphy - read photography! We also sipped on hot tea and munched biscuits. Soon we noticed a long queue of taxis, jeeps and buses lined behind our van. At around 545 am, the wait ended with the check-post gate being opened.

We were all thrilled as the van started moving on its way. The driver quickly drove through the roads laced with hair pin curves towards Kumble's Misty Mount Estate and Homestay.

We freshened up at the home stay. Me. Vamsi, Srinivas & Anu decided to take a morning walk. This turned out to be quite an experience. We collected fresh lemons that fell from the tree. Several of the trees were covered with moss and lichens indicating the limited sunshine received. We ventured deeper into the coffee estates to be attacked by leeches! We made a quick retreat.

After a heavy breakfast of idlis and chithranna, we drove to the trek base and started off for the sarpadhari trek to Mulayyanagiri.  

The trek - stretch is fairly steep (almost 50-60 degrees) and first passes through brush and low trees until it turns right alongside a ravine on the right. The trail was found to be slippery owing to monsoons. We keep climbing uphill with very brief breaks in between. The trail snakes along the side of the mountain until we reach the black cliffs of Mullayanagiri and pass through an opening between them. From here, the trail starts to relent as we pass through a small field of short flowering shrubs. Here on, we hit the last and final stretch to the Mullayanagiri peak. The incline gradually increases once again until we see the temple flag at the peak. In about 20 minutes of steady plodding and we would have reached the Mullayanagiri peak. The place is extremely silent and still  - a perfect spot for the temple to exist.

Mullayangiri 

About Mulayyanagiri (Kannada: ಮುಳ್ಳಯ್ಯನಗಿರಿ)is the highest peak in Karnataka, India. Mullayyanagiri is located at 13°23′26″N 75°43′18″E in the Chandra Dhrona Hill Ranges of the Western Ghats of Chikkamagaluru Taluk. With a height of 1,930 metres (6,330 ft), it is the highest peak between the Himalayas and the Nilgiris. Mullayanagiri is one of the best trekking places in Karnataka and South India.

The peak gets its name from a small temple (gadduge/tomb) at the summit, which is dedicated to a Tapasvi "Mulappa swamy" who, is believed to have meditated at the caves only a couple of feet below the summit. The caves are accessible and not very deep, they have a direct entrance to the garbagudi of the temple, which is now blocked by the temple priests. Apart from multiple versions of folklore and strong Siddha culture around the belt, the origins or any information about the deity remains ambiguous.

When the present asphalt roads and the 300 concrete steps were not present, a trail was used to reach the peak, known as 'Sarpadari' or 'sarpanadi'. Although it is not very frequently visited now, this trail is cherished by trekkers.

The trek must have taken approx. 3 hours to complete. The trekker is presented with breath taking views from each ascending level. The views of the plains below are unforgettable. So are the beautiful clouds kept on creeping up along ridges almost engulfing us along the way!

The temple at the summit draws a good number of visitors who come on their vehicles through the asphalt roads.

We took the steps from the temple and started a descent of approx. 4 km to the base where our van was parked. This was inconvenient as the group members were exhausted. However, we managed to reach the base and quickly headed back to the home stay. A simple Lunch with rice and sambar, rasam was served which was quickly downed by our group members.  

We then drove towards Bababudangiri hills. 

About Baba Budangiri & Manikyadhara 
Baba Budangiri is a mountain in the Baba Budan range of the Western Ghats of India. Located in the Chikkamagaluru District of Karnataka, Baba Budangiri is known for its shrine to the Sufi saint Baba Budan, a pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Muslims.

Near Manikyadharafalls - Bababudangiri

The main peaks in this range are the Mullayanagiri and Baba Budangiri (height 1895 m). Collectively, these peaks are known as Chandradrona Parvatha Shreni (Chandradrona Mountain Range)as they naturally form the shape of a crescent moon.
Manikyadhara Falls is near Kemmangundi of Chikmagalur district. It is on the Baba Budangiri Hills, which is a sacred place for Muslims and Hindus. It is one of the main attractions of Baba Budan Giri


We then re-entered the trail to hit the more exhilarating part of the entire trek. This stretch involves hiking along the lofty and steep rocky ridges of Bababudangiri. With a cliff on one side and a steep hillside on the other. We noticed the graceful lumps of clouds that hazed over mountains. We crossed beautiful lakes before reaching a staircase towards waterfalls at Manikyadhara.

View from bababudangiri hills - on way to manikyadhara

We were exhausted and needed to head back to the base and then the home stay. Manmeet had taken the lead and tried arranging a jeep – however, there were early bird visitors who took this last jeep out. We were a little disappointed and started walking – soon we saw a mini truck heading the same way. We requested a drop and voila they agreed. This part was totally unplanned and yet we had the maximum fun! We boarded the mini truck and we laughed, screamed and yelled to our hearts’ content!

We reached the home stay by 8 pm. We soon discovered that there was no hot water. With outside temperature touching 15 degrees Celsius, we reluctantly took the cold water for bath. The group members had yet another surprise with disco lights and music to which they all sung and danced! This was followed by a simple dinner and rest!

Day 2 - 17th July 2016

Kanchan, Srinivas, Vamsi and myself went for the morning walk. We took the asphalt roads and stayed away from muddy tracks to avoid leeches. We completed the morning walk in about 20 minutes and headed for breakfast of upma and idlis.

Our guide Manoj suggested Belur and Halebidu as the places to visit prior leaving for Bangalore.

Belur & Halebidu

Belur was the early capital of the Hoysala Empire. With Halebidu which is only 16 km away, this is one of the major tourist destinations in Karnataka. Belur is located in Hassan district. According to inscriptions discovered here, it was also referred to as Velapuri.

The main attraction in Belur is the Chennakeshava temple complex which contains the Chennakesava Temple (dedicated to Chennakeshava, meaning handsome Vishnu) as the centre piece, surrounded by the Kappe Chennigraya temple built by Shantaladevi, queen of king Vishnuvardhana. It is said that Shantaladevi herself danced in front of the main shrine during its installation and her dance inspired the poses of the figurines on the temple walls.The first moulding were the temple wall meets the jagati (platform) around the temple is made up entirely of a frieze of elephants

Temple at Belur

There are two more shrines here that are still in use by devotees and there is a Pushkarni or stepped well to the right side of the main entrance. The Dravida style rayagopuram at the entrance which was a later addition by the Vijayanagar kings, who considered this deity as one of their Kuladevata or family god. The temple is one of the finest examples of Hoysala architecture. It was built by king Vishnuvardhana in commemoration of his victory over the Cholas at Talakad in 1117 CE. Legend has it that it took 103 years to complete and Vishnuvardhana's grandson Veera Ballala II completed the task. The facade of the temple is filled with intricate sculptures and friezes with no portion left blank. The intricate workmanship includes elephants, lions, horses, episodes from the Indian mythological epics, and sensuous dancers (Shilabalikas). Inside the temple are a number of ornate pillars. Darpana Sundari (Lady with the mirror) carved on walls of Belur Temple is one of major attractions in the complex.

Temple at Halebidu

This temple along with Hoysaleswara temple in Halebidu and the Jaina monuments at Shravanabelagola are being proposed as UNESCO world heritage sites.

Belur was a great inspiration for Soman who mentioned that he will visit this temple again as he could not soak the beauty of the temple! Anu had visited these temples thrice and yet was able to find something new during every visit. My friends were very happy to complete the temple visit.

We soon hit the highway to Bangalore with only one stop-over at A2B for lunch. We reached Bangalore by 730 pm. Each one of us carried back treasure troves of memories that would last an entire lifetime.

“The natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest” says David Attenborough, British naturalist.

And, if you want to take the walk of your life over every single foot of Promised Land, you have to see it for yourself.

Kummanam

Kummanam - Valley of Flowers

Let me introduce myself - I am the Monarch Butterfly. During my migration, I visited Kummanam this week. I got all attention of the folks there who captured me in their cameras and may be in their hearts also! 

You can view me @ Watch me in action 

I will describe about Kummanam

Kummanam is a village that lies on either side of River Meenachil. Administratively it is in Thiruvarpu and Aymanam Gramapanchayat of Kottayam district in Kerala State, India. Capital town of Kottayam District is 4 km east from here. A bridge named Thazhathangadi palam connects either areas beside river. Kummanam is near the tourist road from Kumarakom to Thekkady.

Kummanam is full of green landscapes - I call them Greenscapes. The greenery is all encompassing and enchanting for me and my friends.

Overview : Aymanam means 'the land of five forests'. Ay in Tamil is five and Vanam in Sanskrit is forest. Kummanam means 'the horrible forest'. Ku in Sanskrit means worst and Vanam is forest.

Thazhathangadi is an ancient river port in Kummanam. Thazhathe in Malayalam language means 'lower down' and angadi is 'market'. Spice traders from pre Islamic Arabia settled in this river port.

Portuguese traders built houses here on the banks of River Meenachil and a Church dedicated to Saint George.

Thaliyil Kotta near Thazhathangadi was the seat of Thekkumkoor kings. Thali was an administratiove division and kotta means fort. King Marthanda Varma annexed Thekkumkoor to Travancore. Vedipurackal is the place where Thekkumkoor kings kept gunpowder. Vanchiyathu is the place where Thekkumkoor kings kept royal canoes. There are houses still bearing these names in Thazhathangadi.

Thazathangadi hosts a boat race or Vallam Kali in August/September every year during festival of Onam. This boat race began about one hundred years ago.

Elamkavu Kaali temple is in Kummanam.

Elamkavu Kaali temple

Thazhathangady Juma Masjid, third oldest mosques in India is more than 1000 years old located beside Meenachil river. It is famous for its richness of architecture, wood carvings and the beauty.

Vedipurackal Vaidyar was ayurvedic doctor of Thekkumkoor kings. Kummanam Govindapilla was a poet who wrote an epic poem on the kings of Travancore, was a member of Sri Moolam Sahithya Sabha. Moothedath Gopala Pilla, Vakkil Ponnattu Kurian, and Valavillil Ramakrishnapilla were advoctes. Kummanam Govindapanicker and Maliekkal Kunjachan were the deliverers of akshara slokam.

The breezes of Meenachil river whispers through the palm fringed shores of Kummanam.and also the birthplace of Kummanam Rajasekharan.famous Hindu leader.

Me and my friends hope that Kummanam remains evergreen as it is now so that we can keep visiting this place during our next migration!

Kollam - Cashew Capital of the World

Kollam -- Cashew capital of the World

Videos on   Kollam

Kollam - its backwaters - Mayanad  ,Ashtamudi lake

Kollam (IPA: [koɭɭəm]) or Quilon (Coulão), formerly Desinganadu, is an old seaport and city on the Laccadive Sea coast in Kerala, India on Ashtamudi Lake.  Kollam is known as the "Cashew Capital of the World", Kollam is noted for its traditional cashew business and is home to more than 600 cashew-processing units. Every year, about 800,000 tonnes of raw cashews are imported into the city for processing and an average of 130,000 tonnes of processed cashews are exported to various countries worldwide

Kollam is the Cashew Capital of the World

Kollam's rich history

Kollam has had a strong commercial reputation since the days of the Phoenicians and Romans. Fed by the Chinese trade, it was mentioned by Ibn Battuta in the 14th century as one of the five Indian ports he had seen during the course of his twenty-four year travels. Desinganadu's rajas exchanged embassies with Chinese rulers while there was a flourishing Chinese settlement at Kollam. In the 9th Century, on his way to Canton, China, Persian merchant Sulaiman al-Tajir found Kollam to be the only port in India visited by huge Chinese junks. Marco Polo, the great Venetian traveller, who was in Chinese service under Kublai Khan in 1275, visited Kollam and other towns on the west coast, in his capacity as a Chinese mandarin.

V. Nagam Aiya in his Travancore State Manual records that in 822 AD two East Syrian bishops Mar Sabor and Mar Proth, settled in Quilon with their followers. Two years later the Malabar Era began (824 AD) and Quilon became the premier city of the Malabar region ahead of Travancore and Cochin.  Kollam Port was founded by Mar Sabor at Thangasseri in 825 as an alternative to reopening the inland sea port of Kore-ke-ni Kollam near Backare (Thevalakara), which was also known as Nelcynda and Tyndis to the Romans and Greeks and as Thondi to the Tamils.

Below are the must visit places in Kollam

1 Neendakara 

Neendakara is a village in Kollam district 9 km north of Kollam city in Kerala, India. It is Kollam district's intermediate fishing port. Neendakara is 30 km north of Paravur.

Neendakara - Atilla of fishing boats

When Portuguese traders settled in Kollam (then Quilon) in the early 16th century, their ships passed through the Neenadakara bar, now the site of Neendakara Bridge, part of National Highway 47, which connects the village to Sakthikulangara across Ashtamudi Lake. In Malayalam, Neendakara means "a long bank".

The headquarters of the Indo-Norwegian Fisheries Community project, established in 1953, was based in Neendakara until 1961, when the site was handed over to the Government of Kerala

2 Tangasseri Lighthouse or Thangassery Lighthouse 
This is situated in Tangasseri, near Kollam in the Indian state of Kerala. It is one of two lighthouses in the Kollam Metropolitan Area and is maintained by the Chennai Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships. In operation since 1902, the cylindrical lighthouse tower painted with white and red oblique bands has a height of 41 metres (135 ft), making it the tallest lighthouse on the Kerala Coast. (This lighthouse tower is opened for visitors only during the evenings from 3.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.)

Thangassey Lighthouse

Prior to construction of the lighthouse, the British East India company had installed a tower with an oil lamp. In 1902 they commissioned Tangasseri Lighthouse, which by 1930 had suffered cracks in the tower that required jacketing masonry to be installed.

The lighthouse is located on the coast at Tangasseri in Kollam city and is the only location in India that still maintains Anglo-Indian culture. Tangasseri is home to remnants of an ancient Portuguese built coastal defence, the St Thomas Fort, a Portuguese Cemetery, a canal, the ancient port of Quilon and the Infant Jesus Cathedral.

3 Munroe Island
Located 27 km from Kollam, is Munroe Island. Formed by the backwaters of Ashtamudi Lake and Kallada River, this island is named after Colonel Munroe, the British Resident of erstwhile Travancore State. He is credited with having integrated several backwater regions by digging canals. The discovery of stone age tools and megaliths stand testimony to the antiquity of this islet which shelters a quaint little village.

Munroe Islands - ideal for cruise

A unique country craft cruise is offered by DTPC at Munroe Island in this  typical backwater Island village of Kerala, Morning Cruise from 0900 hrs & Afternoon Cruise  from 1400 hrs

4 The Thirteen Arch Bridge
The Kollam–Sengottai branch line is a railway line in South India which connects Kollam ... The 13 Kannara bridge or 13 Arch Bridge (Pathimoonu kannara palam) is a 108–year–old bridge at Kazhathuruthi. The bridge consists of 13 arches.

13 arch bridge

5 Thenmala
Thenmala is a tourist place near Punalur town, Kollam district in Kerala. Thenmala is the first planned eco-tourism destination in India. The Thenmala dam was built across Kallada River. Thenmala is famous for being the shooting location in Malayalam and Tamil movies.

Kallada Irrigation Project - Thenmala

Thenmala attracts foreign and domestic tourists with a host of attractions. Boating on the lake, a rope bridge, trekking, mountaineering, biking and a musical fountain.  Thenmala is approachable both from Trivandrum and Punalur by road. The waterfall called Palaruvi is a prime attraction nearby.


Watch this space for more on Kollam!!

Trek to Narayangiri & Kayaking in Manchanabele Dam – 13 & 14 MAY 2016

View from Narayangiri hills

"Jobs fill your pocket, adventures fill you soul."

This trek was a first of all sorts. Reason : This was the first time a trek plus get2gether planned by our friends from Kendriya Vidyalaya (Vizag Steel). Our friends Srinivas, Vamsi, Rajeev, Soman, Manmeet, Veena, Kanchan joined this trek. We had additional members for this trek : Hemanth – Kanchan’s husband and Kanchan’s colleague/friend Divya.

Also the trek was planned to Ramanagara (where the famous blockbuster movie Sholay was shot), God had different plans for us – the rain god department played truant by dispatching a heavy rain to Ramanagara and almost all of Bangalore.

Narayangiri hills

The Narayangiri hills lies on Jalamangala village which is around 20 Kms from Ramnagara and is famously known for the boulders and vast number of caves. This mountain is 3800 feet in height and has something very interesting things for everyone to explore.  Also there is a small temple built in peak having idol of Lakshmi Narasimha which is open to devotees only on weekends, also there are parts of many forts which was constructed by the local ruler under surveillance of maharajas of Mysore (Wodeyar Dynasty) in 16th century. Remains of the fort are like encircling the mountain which can be seen from the peak. Also there are vast number of natural caves, which can explored on the way to peak, you can find the footsteps near the foothills up to a point and then start trekking by entering the thick forests of Jalamangala which hosts many small wildlife.

Narayangiri Hills

2300 HRS : Our Tata winger van arrived . Wow .. I was extremely happy to meet all my friends !  

Baba was our driver + guide – Yes the same baba jaan whom I had mentioned in my Antharagange trek!

We embarked on an exciting night trek to Ramanagara. However upon reaching the base station, Swamy (the in charge of trek organizer) informed that rains had made it impossible to trek the Ramanagara route. He suggested the Narayanagiri trek. We discussed among our friends and soon started moving to Narayanagiri Base. We reached by  by 1230-1245 PM. Upon arrival, the sight of scorpions near parking area sent up shivers down the spine!

We were joined by another bus load of trekkers and then we all started climbing the steep Narayangiri hills. The terrain was full of rocks, mud & we crossed dense foliage and shrubs! Babajaan did inform me that this was a difficult trek involving 4 km – with steep inclines.  He also mentioned that this area gets frequent wild life visitors (sloth bears) from the neighboring forest !

There was mother and kid from the other trekker group. We also had Mr.Shakthi and his son whom we had met in the Antharagange trek!

Tip  : Bringing children below 6-7 years might not be the best idea as these treks require stamina and the child might find it difficult to do such treks!

We arrived close to the peak by 0230 hrs & took a break – now the entire terrain was rocky. Small steps were cut into the rocky surface and rods were fixed at certain places as handrails.  We reached the peak by 0300 hrs. Baba and his assistants quickly made a bonfire. Our group was able to enjoy a relaxing bonfire. We chatted for quite some time… Roasted a few corn cobs on bonfire. Also snacks were shared by thoughtful members who prepared and packed them for this moment. Dr. Soman performed a micro surgery on Manmeet’s "injured finger”. Dr.Kanchan’s help was also enlisted to remove the wicked thorn – Operation was declared a Success..probably at the insistence of the doctors!  

I decided to wear my jacket and sleep inside the cozy sleeping bag- obviously I just cannot miss my sleep! I dreamt of the galactic clouds, nebula, Andromeda galaxy and milky way galaxy that Srini had spotted and shown. Yes.. you can watch the starry sky, galactic clouds and galaxies from these mountains on a clear sky.

By sunrise, my friends were up and taking pictures of the sunrise near the Laxmi-Narayana temple

We started to descend downhill from the peak by 07:00 AM. I do not have words to describe Mother Nature’s beauty at Narayangiri. I could not believe that we had trekked through such beautiful locations. The descent is not simple as we need to carefully place our steps (as per guides advice) on rocky terrain and climb down.

Our Guide - Mr.Baba who led us through uncharted and unfamiliar territories...safely!

Tip : Follow the guide/guru’s instructions – Donot try to be creative!

Please carry your garbage back to base for safe disposal - respect mother nature!

Mr.Baba's assistant ! The Steep descent from Narayangiri hills.  

We found mango plantations at the base. Kanchan took the intiative to collect the mangoes…. Soon the entire group was relishing on the harvested mangoes. I chatted up with the locals and got to know that the government was planning a 700 step route to the temple. They did inform that it takes one day to cut a step on the rock!

Post this, we reached the base camp by 08:00 AM.  Baba drove us through some very tough terrain to the camp site of escape2explore at Manchanabele Dam. We freshened up and attacked a delicious buffet breakfast. Swamy briefed us about the kayaking activity with dos and donts.

Escape2explore does conduct programs for corporates wrt team building at Manchanabele – combining it with water sports.

We wore safety jackets and got into kayaks. This was a first for most of the friends except Veena. Kayaking through azure blue waters of Arkavathi river cannot be described – you need to just do kayaking to experience the thrill and fun.

Manchinabele backwaters

Manchanabele dam a reservoir, about 40kms from Bangalore was built for irrigation purpose across the river Arkavathi. This place is a well known film shooting spot. Backwaters at the dam with Savanadurga on the backdrop, make it very picturesque.  The dam may not be an exciting piece of architecture but what takes your breath away is the beauty of the water and the mountains around them. It is an excellent picnic spot. Various adventure activities are offered by escape2explore like rappelling, kayaking, swimming,  paintball. 



Please carry your trash back. It’s disheartening to see a lot of people litter and spoil the beauty of the backwaters.

Kayaking in Manchinabele dam

Post the water sports and swimming session, we hopped into our Tata Winger and drove back to the Bangalore city. We bid goodbye to each other with a promise to meet at Barleyz for dinner!
We hope to meet more often and for treks and sports activity.

Our Tata Winger Van

At AntharaGange on 01 May 2016 !

Unforgettable Sunrise at Antara gange

You can find success before work only in fairy tales and dictionaries!

In actual life – it invariably arrives after hard work and imaginative toil

There is always a battle to be fought before it is won

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth

Two incidents to share before we start on the trekking expedition: First I recollect my meeting in March 2016 with my school friend Siddharth Kapoor! He said a sentence – Raghu I visited Himalayas, but sadly there were no Indians in the expeditions. That is when he started his adventure sports startup named Dare2Venture to educate, enlighten, inspire and provide reliable trekking services into Himalayas/Mt Everest & on Norh east India circuit.

Secondly, I remember my phone call to my parents when I told them about the night trek to Antara Gange. They were anxious and concerned for me just said – please take care and be safe!  Do not try funny (read adventurous) things. They asked me if I would be entering into any water bodies. These concerns were in the right place. Reason - There had been alarming number of incidents of trekkers entering forests and water bodies without experienced guides resulting in tragic incidents and accidents.   I did explain to them that this night trek was a relatively simpler one and being conducted by regular and well experienced operator for a group of 60 -70 enthusiasts.

About The Anthargange trek : This trek is one of the most sought after trek around Bangalore. It's the combination of trekking and cave exploration that drives the excitement factor. Anthargange hill is completely surrounded by boulders. Located around 65km from Bangalore near Kolar, this hill is at an altitude of 1712m above sea level. Anthargange night trip is perfect for trekking and night cave exploration. Around 3km trek is pretty moderate as the journey begins by making your way through broken rocks and tricky path in the boulders to finally reaching the cave site to probe. This amazing experience of making your way through the formation and crawling at times because of the cave's volcanic rock formation is a tale worth sharing.

The experience at Anthargange cave takes you back to the primeval times. And you finally get to be a "Cave Man".

About Antara Gange  - Antara Gange is a mountain situated in the Shathashrunga mountain range in the southeastern portion of the Indian state of Karnataka. Antara Gange literally means "Ganges from deep" in Kannada. It is about two miles from the town of Kolar and seventy kilometers from Bangalore. Antara Gange is famous for the temple situated on the mountain. 

Antharagange temple

In the temple is a pond which gets a continuous flow of underground water from the mouth of a Basava (stone bull). There is a steep, narrow path to the top of the mountain. There are seven villages on this mountain, including Therhalli. The mountain consists of granite rocks and lot of caves around. 

The trekking program  does not cover this temple visit.

1, 2, 3 and Off to Antargange

2230  hrs - The promised pickup arrived in the form of a 50-55 seater bus and I was only happy to start this new experience by hopping into it. I was happy that my school friend Kanchan was in this big group of trekkers. We made new friends Vaman, Ankit, Ashish!

Friends are like amazing places! Some friends and places are known to us since school / childhood days and some very new places are like the very new friends you make when you visit new places!

The bus driver went full throttle and zipped zapped through and out of Bangalore after Tin factory / KR puram. After entering Kolar, the bus driver had to engage the vehicle on first gear and negotiate several wicked hairpins before reaching Antargange base Kolar).

0100 hrs – We reached the base and were greeted with large rocks and boulders that looked menacing and ready to roll on to us! All the participants were eager to start off the trek. We were given big sticks and sleeping bags to carry. I asked my friends if the stick was being given as a form of defense against possible wild animal encounters.

Trek commenced immediately when our guide  coordinator Mr. Baba ( am going to call him baba jaan as he had our jaan (life) with him ) told all participants to take a right and start walking through a field (instead of the road).

trek and cave exploration - Antaragange!

We crossed through difficult, rocky and challenging terrain dotted by cactus and thorny plants before reaching the mysterious caves (or clefts) formed by numerous volcanic rocks.

The caves have several and difficult gaps through which enthusiasts need to slide out. In certain places, the gap between clefts/rocks are just wide enough for a medium sized person! In certain other places were helped by babajan who held our hand and gave us a pulling move to take us to a higher rock!

We completed the cave explorations and emerged into the open ground surruounded by the same rock mountains
.

We could now enjoy the view of starry skies and the millions of lights below in Kolar .

Bonfire was lit by Babajaan and his assistant Junior baba. Several of the enthusaisats danced to popular Punjabi and hindi songs! My friends climbed on to rocks to enjoy the beautiful views! I was feeling sleepy and opened the sleeping bag. I slept comfortably for next 3 hours

0600 hrs I was woken up by the howling and cold winds. I wore my jacket and climbed higher rocks with Ashish and Ankit to witness the amazing sunrise!

Antharagange - view from the hilltop

0700 hrs – my friends called me and told me that Babajaan had given instructions to move back to the base where our bus was parked. We bid bye to Antarganga and I wished more of our friends could join this trek and witness this natural wonder!

Back at base for return!

Winding roads -- way back!

We had breakfast at Kamath hotel((Kolar) by 0800hrs and were served hot & crispy dosa, kara pongal and idlis. This part of the program was very quick as all enthusiasts were having voracious appetite! The late comers were welcomed by sight of empty vessels that once held sweet pongal, kara pongal, soft idlis and crispy dosas. They had to be content with simple cut papaya & the fast finishing coffee!     

0900 hrs - We crossed Tin factory - KR Puram by 0900 hrs. I said bye to my friends and hopped off the bus. I caught the first available bus to MG road& got down at Trinity to collect my bike from office! As I got off the bus, I heard the evergreen and popular song from blockbuster movie Roja being played in a car by AR Rahman sir’s fan  

Chinna Chinna Aasai Siragadikum Aasai

Muthu Muthu Aasai Mudinthuvaitha Aasai

Vennilavu Thottu Muthamida Aasai

Ennai Intha Bhoomi Sutrivara Aasai

The translation is,

I like to do small things, I like to fly like a bird

My dreams are like small pearls, I like my dreams to come true soon

I have a liking to touch the moon and give a kiss

I want to travel around the world!

I reached home before 10:00hrs. Now you can guess what happened … I slept like a log!  

Antara ganga is a must visit and perfect night trek spot that need to be visited in a large group and with proper preparation guidance from a well experienced operator like Escape2explore http://www.escape2explore.com/   

I hope that this travelogue will serve as an insightful article for all my readers and friends who want to kick start their trekking programs! Bye for now and do take care! Wishing you happy times ahead…

Also check photos on 
Anthargange Photos on Instagram