SwapnilJirageTravelPost: कर्नाटक पर्यटन स्थळे 3

Safa Masjid Ponda Goa

The 'Safa Shahouri Masjid' is one amongst the 27 mosques built in Ponda by Ibrahim Adilshah during the 16th Century. Safa Masjid is a single chambered mosque with tiled roofing. A flight of steps lead us to the inside of the mosque. Adjacent to the mosque is a well constructed masonry tank with small chambers resembling the mihrab ( semi circular niche for prayers ).

Tourist Information Board of the ASI

Safa Masjid

The mosque is located on the national highway NH4A connecting Panaji with Belgaum. It is being maintained by the ASI and the entry is free.

Narayanadurga fort, Sindaghatta, Mandya

On a hot summer morning, we set our journey towards "Sindaghatta", located near K.R.Pete Taluk of Mandya District. The place originally known as Siddhaghatta underwent modifications and came to be known as Sindhughatta which later became Sindaghatta as it is called now. The place derived its name as Siddhaghatta from the Siddhas who meditated here and resided in the nearby caves. With a couple of inquires, we reached this place comfortably. On further inquiring about the caves, we realised that we had to travel a little more to reach the hillock near Rayasamudra village. The final stretch on road towards the hillock from Rayasamudra is difficult.

Narayanadurga

The Hillock is named Narayanadurga, but commonly known as Kailaseshwaradurga. We inquired about the caves but the locals denied of any existence of the same though the legends mention about it. On the top of the hill is a temple dedicated to Lord Kailaseshwara and remains of an old fort built by a local Chieftain. There are many legends associated with this place suggesting links with the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. This was a major reason our guides made sure we climbed the rocky hill bare footed.

First Tier

Initial Stretch

The Climb

The Fort has been built on one side to prevent an attack from the enemies while the other is steep, acting as a natural mode of defense. It is a seven tiered fort, with every fort wall having an entrance each. All of them are equally artistic though only their ruins remain. The fort walls follow a zigzag pattern and one can get easily lost if venturing alone.

Gateway

Amazing Views

Skillful Brick Masonry

Ruined Gateway

Stairway To Heaven

There is a beautiful temple on the hill top originally dedicated to Lord Narayana (Vishnu). His idol was stolen and the later king worshiped Lord Kailaeshwara's (shiva) in Lord Vishnu's place. The temple currently houses a Shiva Linga and Nandi, but the most interesting feature was a pair of life sized Dwarapalakas which very few temples carry. There is a ruined mantap by the side of the temple and a few natural water ponds which are believed to have been originated from Bhima's toe, thumb, knee and mace and are named accordingly. We had heard the same story about this place from another priest (Mt Karinja).

Nandi Kambha

Religious Mark

Fort Entrance To The Temple

Temple Complex

Life Sized Dwarapalakas

Garuda Kambha

Inner View of Temple

Kailaseshwara Temple

Natural Water Pond

We suffered sunburns on our feet as we had to climb the hill bare footed. Our guides were two local boys who were also climbing the hill to pay a visit to Lord Kailaseshwara .

Silk Cotton

Well Just Like Oasis

Lovely View

Sky Watch

To Be Continued .............

Hoysala Temples of Sindaghatta, Mandya

'Sindaghatta' is an erstwhile town of the Hoysala kingdom . There are many religious structures spread across the village. One such, located in the village center is the beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Lakshminarayana, built during the 14th Century. The Lakshminarayana sculpture inside the Garbhagriha is magnificent. The temple externally is not as intricate as many of the other Hoysala temples though internally, it has all the features representing the same.

Lakshminarayana Temple

Grand Entrance

Simple Shikara

Temple on a Raised Platform

There is an inscription on the entrance corridor. There is also a tall Garuda pillar in front of the temple .The interior of the temple is a true reflection of patience and skill possessed by the artisans, craftsmen and sculptors.

Inscription

Outer Ceiling

Ceiling 1

Ceiling 2

Ceiling 3

Decorative Door Frame

Lord Lakshminarayana on the Lintel

Melted Carvings

Intricate Dwarapalaka

Lion Carving on top of the Pillar

Temple Gate and the Pillar

Garuda Kambha

Garuda Inscribed

The priest lives by the side of the temple. We were unable to gather much information about this temple from the priest. The ASI maintains this temple while there is permanent care taker.

To be continued .............

ASI Museum , Aihole

The 'Archeological survey of India' (ASI) is the most important organization dealing with archeological researches and responsible for protection of India's rich history and heritage. There are 41 ASI museums all over India. One of the museums is located inside the main enclosure of Aihole, opposite to the famous Durga Temple. The museum houses many stone sculptures that were found in and around Aihole. The museum has an open air gallery exhibiting the various master pieces (mostly idols of various gods and goddesses and hero stones) of the Chalukyan era. The inside of the museum displays stone sculptures, artefacts and photographs of pre-historic findings and of the Chalukyan period giving information about the place of find and its approximate period.

Varuna (Rain God) on Makara (Crocodile)

Hero Stone

Lajja Devi - Fertility Goddess (in the centre)

Intricately Carved Pillar

Beheaded Mohini

Lord Vishnu with his Consorts

Pillar Base

Nataraja

Sapthamathrikas

Lord Ganesha

Hero Stone

Ruins

Looks like ET

Photography is limited to the open air gallery. The entrance fee to the museum is as low as it can get with only Rs 2 per head. It proves a worthy place to get a quick insight into the history of Aihole and its significance during various periods including the pre historic period.

References:
1 ASI .

Just Like that

Below is a compilation of a few amongst our many favorite captures .

Bhadra Back Waters

Dark Clouds Hovering Over Bangalore

Raging Nature

A Pleasant Greeny Evening

Lovely Sunset

A Walk Back to Shelter

Golden Shower Tree (Cassia fistula )

Mating Plant Bugs

Fire/Flame Lily (Gloriosa superba)

Honge (Pongemia pinnata)

Pupa

Z Point Trek - Kemmannagundi, Chikmagalur

"Kemmannugundi", also known as Kemmanagundi is a hill station located in Tarikere Taluk of Chikkamagaluru District. It is located at a height of about 1500 mts above mean sea level. The name 'Kemmannugundi' is a combination of three kannada words Kempu (Red), Mannu (Soil) and Gundi (Pit) and is attributed to the nature of soil available locally. The place is pristine and the monsoon rain only added to the beauty of this place. We were accompanied by rain through out our journey and thoroughly enjoyed nature.

Colors of Life

We knew by name about a place called Z point, and when we inquired with a local, he advised us to avoid getting there and did so without giving us any satisfactory reason. Though confused, we did not want to miss this chance and proceeded. A trek of about 4 kms takes us to a popular view point called the 'Z point' (called so because of its resemblance to the letter Z when seen from far). The place being situated at a high altitude, is known for its strong winds. We trekked towards Z point braving leeches and crossing wet and slippery pathways with almost zero visibility at times. Though the view was foggy for most of the time, we caught glimpses of the wonderful view from top. The lush green carpet with drops of rain, the white fog and the red colored soil that made for the pathway proved the best contrast.

Beauty hidden behind the Fog

A Foggy Morning

Trek towards Z Point

The trek was as exciting and adventurous as it could get. Walking along the edge of the cliff with pathways at some stretches turning into waterways as it rained, we managed to cross and reached the final stretch. From far behind the final stretch, it looked as though steps were laid and we could reach the peak easily. But, half way ahead we realized it was not as easy as we thought. All of a sudden we were dragged in the direction of wind and the winds were strong enough to have pushed us aside if we had proceeded further. It was our first time experiencing gusts of this sort. An experience that will last for a long time. And since at that point in time, we were the only ones trekking that peak, we did not want to take any risk. We waited for the winds to slow down, but there were no signs of it. We then slowly started to walk down holding each others hands firmly and made sure every step was cautiously laid. The first few steps were the most challenging ones ever laid in our lives until now. It was equally exciting and frightening to have experienced such high speed winds. Once we passed the danger zone, everything calmed down and we walked back to our vehicle.

Rock Layers - Beauty and Power of Nature

The slippery pathway

A Glimpse of the Peak

To be continued .............

The Mighty Hebbe Falls - Kemmangundi, Chikmagalur

'Kemmannugundi' is also very popular for its waterfalls. Apart from the 3 famous waterfalls, there are many falls that remain unknown while a few more additional ones by default are seen during the monsoons. We planned to visit the three waterfalls namely the Hebbe Falls, Kalhatti Falls and Shanti Falls. We had to let go of our initial idea of trekking to the Hebbe falls as it had started raining continuously and time was also a constraint. We hired a jeep from Kemmanugundi up to the coffee estate through which is the path to the Hebbe waterfalls. A kilometer's walk from hereon leads us to the falls.

Monsoon Waterfall

Monsoon Magic

Visibility Quality to the Jeep Driver

Lovely Forest Jeep Track

A few words worthy to be mentioned about our little guide here...he proved to be rather brave and courageous for having withstood the strong winds though he was shy and spoke less. The jeep ride was no less than a roller coaster ride. We enjoyed every second of the 35 minutes ride. Our guide showed us the path up to a stream that we had to cross and walk further and also mentioned about the other 2 stream crossings after which we would reach hebbe. He bade us a temporary good bye at this point. We got ready to cross the stream, the path to which was made slippery by the light drizzle. The first stream had shallow waters though the force of water could be felt, especially by low weight individuals. Carefully reaching the other end of the river stream and checking for the suckers, we continued our walk.

Our Little Guide Prakash

1st Stream We Crossed

At times, the path being very steep and narrow and we had to be cautious and slow. After a few minutes of walk through the dense forests and as we got close to our destination the rain started to pour heavily making our sight almost invisible. Luckily, we were a few yards away from the falls. We finally crossed the third and the last stream, rested for a while, opened up an umbrella which later proved to be of no use because of the heavy rain and the water force of the falls which could be strongly felt at quite a distance from the waterfall ! We could hear the heavy noise made by the falls. Along with the rain, the mighty Hebbe gushed with pride and power. What a sight it was! The water fell in full swing. Hebbe, falls from a height of more than 500 ft in two tiers. The first tier is known as ' Chikka Hebbe' (Small Falls) and the second tier is known as 'Dodda Hebbe' (Big Falls). It was an amazing experience to feel the mighty force of the falling waters standing underneath it and at the closest distance possible. We had to be extremely careful as the rocks on which the water fell and we had to stand on, were quite slippery and one slip can prove fatal, since it's nature and it commands respect. Though the continuous rains gave us less opportunity to photograph the falls, it was a complete feast to our eyes. We spent very little time at the falls and had to walk back quickly as we felt the rain only got heavier and it would be difficult to cross the streams. We along with a couple were the only ones present at that time at the falls. Finally, after checking for leeches that silently suck blood without warning us, we started walking back, again crossing thrice the river streams which were flowing full because of the rains. We rested for a while and walked through the coffee plantations to reach our jeep. The ride took a little longer due to the almost zero visibility condition.

The Mighty Hebbe

As Best As It Can Get

The Hebbe Falls

Down Stream

Friendly Blood Sucker (Leech)

When we were almost about to reach the starting point, we saw a few people walking the track towards the falls, appreciating their bravery and wondering how easy or difficult it would be for them to reach the falls, as they had a long way ahead. Overall, it proved an adventurous experience.

To be continued ..........

The Historical Kalhatti Waterfalls, Kemmannugundi

'Kalhatti Falls' is one of the famous waterfalls in Kemmannugundi. This place proves a great combination of history, religion, nature and adventure. The temple near the falls is associated with the Cholas, the Hoysalas, the Marathas, the Vijayanagar Kings and the Wodeyar Kings. There are various carvings on the rocks surrounding the falls and on either sides of the temple entrance.

Road to Bliss

Kalhatti Falls as Seen From the Village

Closer View

The Kalhatti falls from a height of about 400 ft amidst the Chandra Drona hills and is clearly visible from a far away distance. It is a multi tiered falls and at its lowermost tier is a temple dedicated to Veerabhadra Swamy (Lord Shiva). The Tamil inscriptions on the rock indicate an association of the temple with the Cholas. The name Kalhatti (supposedly named so by the Marathas), is derived from two Hindi words 'Kala' and 'Hatti' meaning a 'Black Elephant'. The reason being that, the water falling near the temple cascades over three rocks that resemble elephants in their shape and size. Hence, the name. The village near the location of the waterfall is also named after the falls as Kalhattipura.

Approach to the Temple

Veerabhadra Swamy Temple and the Kalhatti Falls

Elephant Shaped Rock

Lord Anjaneya

Lord Veerabhadra

Lord Shiva

Kalhatti Falls

Note the Tamil Inscriptions at the Bottom

Lord Vishnu

Though the temple was closed, we heard from a local that the the temple is a cave temple and entry to the cave is restricted. The Annual fair is held during the month of April/ May. One can trek till the top of the waterfalls but only during post-monsoon season. We walked up to the next higher tier through the slippery path. The place was filled with the noise of the waterfalls. While playing in the waters, we were also visited by a pair of blue whistling thrushes, though their whistles were overshadowed by the noise of the waters. After a while, it started to drizzle and we had to hurry back.

Another Tier of the Falls

Blue Whistling Thrush

The Slippery Path

Colors of Joy

Note: Avoid visiting this place during festive season.

To be continued...............

Kemmannugundi, A perfect Hill station in Chikmagalur

"Kemmannugundi", also known as Kemmanagundi is a hill station located in Tarikere Taluk of Chikkamagaluru District. It is located at a height of about 1500 mts above mean sea level. The name 'Kemmannugundi' is a combination of three Kannada words Kempu (Red), Mannu (Soil) and Gundi (Pit) and is attributed to the nature of soil available locally. The place is pristine and the monsoon rain only added to the beauty of this place. Kemmannugundi is an ideal weekend getaway from Bangalore . This was summer retreat for Mysore Wodeyar Kings .

Misty Kemmannugundi

One of the peaks of Kemmannugundi

The Tall Vegetation of Kalhatti

Places to visit:
1. Z-Point
2. Hebbe Falls
3. Kalhatti Falls
4. Shanti Falls - Falls encountered en route to Z-Point

Shanti Falls

An uniquely grown tree

5. Raj Bhavan - A guest house and gardens maintained by the department of Horticulture (Government of Karnataka).

Places to visit nearby : Mullayangiri, Dattapeetha (Bababudangiri), Mankihyadhara Falls, Chikkamagalaru, Amruthapura, Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, Hulikere, and many more.

Land of Tigers

Places of Interest in Chikkamagalaru

Directions from Bangalore: Bangalore - NH4 - Tumkur - NH206 -Gubbi - Arsikere - Birur - Left Turn - SH 57 - Lingadahalli - Ballavara - Kemmannugundi.

Curvy Roads

Distance from Bangalore: 240 km

Stay/Accommodation : There are a few home stays at Ballavara. Kemmannugundi is about 13 km from here on. There are two guest houses maintained by the Horticulture Dept. at Kemmannugundi and Kalhattigiri, currently being renovated. It is supposedly very difficult to get an accommodation during the peak season. We are aware of one such, the Denton Home stay (Village in a Valley ) located close by to the Ballavara village. It comprises of a cottage, which can accommodate about 12-16 people. Hence, they rent out the cottage to one family/group at a time. Full privacy is ensured. The place is clean and well maintained. Price varies with season and also depends on the number of people.

Denton Home Stay

Guest House at Kalhattigiri

Places to Eat: Mostly, the home stays provide food on request and prior notice or is included in the package. It is very rare to find a hotel in Kemmannugundi. Cafe Coffee County is one of the few eat outs present in Ballavara.

Cafe Coffee County

Peak Season: Last week of September - First week of January, Last week of March - Second week of June, though our personal feeling is to visit the place during monsoon.

Post Card From Kemmannugundi

Mahadeva Temple - Kurdi (Curti), Goa

As we were heading towards the site of "Usgalimal Rock carvings" in Goa, we saw a Dept.of Tourism Board directing us towards a 1000 year old temple of Mahadeva in "Kurdi". We tried locating this place on our map but in vain. After a long search, we found a name 'Curti' on the map and guessed it could be a name given to Kurdi by the locals. Since previous day we had a similar confusion about the names of Forts Alorna and Aldona, and thought them to be the same ( which we found later to be two different forts) and applying the same logic here, realised this could be our destination! and decided to give it a shot. After a few inquiries, we reached this place . Lucky we .

Mahadeva Temple

It turned out be an unique temple built with laterite stone. The ASI has done a good job in restoring and maintaining this temple. At the entrance is a board giving details about the temple and its history. As per the information given by the ASI, it is known to have been moved from its original location to the current one. The temple was originally located about 17 km from its current position, in Kurdi Angod on the banks of the river Salaulem.

ASI Information Board

The board further says that " The construction of a dam across the river had threatened the submergence of the Temple and hence it was systematically dismantled and reconstructed at this place providing similar topographical setting. This temple consisted of a square garbhagriha and porch in the front and the main idol is presently under worship in Someswara temple at Kurdi Angod."

Rear View of the Temple

Door Frame

Ceiling

Lord Ganesha

Gorgeous Pillars

Front Porch

River Salaulem

This temple was built by the Kadambas during the 10th Century. We could not find a single soul around the temple, though we spotted a small house inside the temple compound which probably belonged to the care taker of this place.

Distance from Panajim : About 70 km

Garuda lenka Kambhas (Pillars)

Hoysalas, the true masters of Architecture are known for their magnificent and intricate carvings. They have always managed to include an unique feature in their temple architecture. A quite intriguing and striking feature seen at one of their temples is the "Garuda Lenka" pillar. Three in number and rising up to about 15 feet, these pillars were erected during the reign of the Hoysala Kings, Ballala-I and Narashima-III during the 11th century AD. This was done in memory of the heroes who voluntarily sacrificed their lives for the well being of the kings and prosperity and fortune of the Hoysala kingdom.

The Magnificent Garuda-Lenka Pillars

Garuda, a large bird resembling an eagle (Lord Vishnu's vahana or vehicle ) also represents an ardent devotee or a servant who was ever ready to sacrifice his life in order to defend the king. Lenka is a word synonymous to Garuda while Lenkiti is the female counterpart.

Significant Sculptures at the Pillar Top

Garuda, the King, Queen, Lenka and Lenkiti's - I

Garuda, the King and the Queen

Garuda, the King, Queen, Lenka and Lenkiti's - II

The Splendid Three!

The pillars seem to depict the king and queen traveling along with their devotees (lenka -lenkiti) on an elephant. The Garuda is shown to be kneeling on the elephant's head and facing the king while his hand is clasped firmly with the king's, a gesture that probably denotes the respect commanded by the king and the king's desire of achieving the supreme quality of Garuda while the tightly gripped hands could be a token of appreciation by the king for the willingness to sacrifice their lives. Our guess is that the central pillar depicts the king and queen along with the Garuda while the others include the Lenka and Lenkiti's, though we are unsure of the order of men seated so.

Twin Hoysala Temple,Sindaghatta

Sindaghatta houses another Hoysala temple apart from the Lakshminarayana Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. This is the "Sangameshwara - Jangameshwara Temple". This temple is different from the dwikuta structure, usually found facing each other. Here, the two structures are adjacent to each other, similar to the Harihareshwara Temple of Hariharapura.

Sangameshwara - Jangameshwara Temple

The temple is east facing and built on a raised platform. It has two separate entrances, two separate Garbhagrihas, two separate antaralas and a common Navaranga. The door frames are heavily carved. Though the external features of the temple look simple, its internal features are intricate and heavily decorated.

Dual Entrance

The Lovely Pillar

Decorative Entrance

Carved Ceiling

Nandi

Dual Nandi

Saptamatrikas

Part of the Door Frame having miniature carvings of the Music Troupe

Hoysala Emblem

Dwarapalaka

The Hoysala Emblem depicts a man killing a tiger, and apparently the tiger was an emblem of their rivals, the Cholas at that time. May be they were code words as in the current military operations and may be the word Hoysala/ Poysala probably meant 'Destroy the Cholas'. The priest of this temple was a very kind and knowledgeable man. He quoted a few lesser known facts and stories from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. He also enlightened us about Dwarka, the capital city of Lord Krishna found under water near the coast of Gujarat.

The Priest

The temple has been renovated by the Government with the help of Shri Manjunatha Trust of Dhramasthala and the locals, though it definitely requires further maintenance.

Directions from Bangalore: Bangalore - Mysore road - B.R.Koppal - Right turn - Pandavapura - K R Pete - Right Turn - After 7 kms turn Left - Sindaghatta.

Distance from Bangalore: 145 kms

Places to visit near by: Hariharapura, Akkihebbalu, Varahanatha Kalahalli, Kikkeri, Govindanahalli, Hosaholalu, Sheelanere and many more.

Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta, Bandipur

"Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta"(Wiki), one of the most favorite spots of Bangaloreans is situated inside the Bandipur National Park of Chamrajnagar district.The word Himavad means Misty. Lately, the hill range is being governed by the forest Dept. with strict rules and regulations owing to the illegal activities that are carried out here. Amongst the many legends associated with this place, an interesting one relating to one of the lakes, the 'Papanasini' (meaning washing away all the sins), as told by the priest is as follows: It is said that, in the hill ranges of Gopalaswamy betta, no crows are found now. The crows that existed took a dip in the Papanasini and on attaining moksha, turned into Hamsa (Swan) birds and reached heaven. We could not sight a crow either. There is a good chance of sighting wild life, especially the spotted deer, gaur and elephants.

Journey of Life

Smiling Sunflowers

Hovering Dark Clouds

Curving Roads

Misty Gopalaswamy Temple

Gopalaswamy Betta

Wow! What a View

Go Green

Fern Spores

One of the 77 lakes

Crumbling Fort Wall

An Experience of Nature's Reality

From the start of the Forest Check Post, the duration allotted to visit the temple and return is only an hour and thirty minutes. A nominal fee is collected at the check post. Overall, a beautiful and serene place.

Pandava Caves - Rivona, Goa - 1

Our next destination after Kurdi was Rivona, which served as a home to the Pandavas during their exile. We imagined the Rivona Pandava caves to be similar to the Arvalem Pandava caves. Though we reached Rivona with least difficulty, it was rather tricky to locate the Pandava caves. We inquired about the same to a few locals and got mixed answers which helped us the least and confused us more. Finally, we picked a house and on asking them, we found that they were familiar to the place and requested them to guide us to the cave. We had the company of two kids who lead us to our destination.

Pandava Cave

The cave is believed to have been associated with the Pandavas of Mahabharata (epic), though the historians date the cave back to the 6th century and believe it could be of Buddhist origin. The cave is simple with only a Peeta (Seat) like structure inside. It is said that the Buddhist gurus sat on this Peeta, meditated and preached principles of Buddhism to their disciples .There are steps by the side of the cave leading to a water pond.

Peeta

Cave Entrance

Natural Cave

Cave... First Look

Rock cut Steps

Water Pond

To be continued ................

Pandava Caves Rivona Goa - 2

After exploring the Pandava caves, we walked back to our guide's house in order to thank them for their generosity in accompanying us to the caves. On exchanging information about our places visited, they revealed the presence of another Pandava cave in this place and gave us directions for the same. We thanked them and proceeded further to explore the next cave. We reached the Lord Shiva temple, parked our vehicle and inquired with an elderly person sitting inside the temple. He told us we had reached the right place and directed us to the cave.

Entrance to the Pandava Caves

At the first look, we thought it could be ruined house, though we were wrong. The presence of a "Havan Kund" (havan - a sacred ritual performed using fire; kund - pit) outside the cave indicated that Rishis or Monks may have lived here and performed 'Havan' or 'Homa' as a part of their daily chores. As we entered the cave, a flight of rock cut steps lead us to the central portion of the cave which had a wonderful ceiling and an opening at its center for the entrance of light. There are two perennial springs originating from inside the cave which served as the main water sources for the Rishis/Monks. The water currently is being used for irrigation by the Local farmers. We found a small carving of Lord Hanuman inside the cave.Though the historians associate this cave with the Buddhist Monks, the locals believe that the Pandavas resided here for sometime during their exile.

Cave Entry

Rock Cut Steps

Natural Water Spring

Cave Ceiling

Cave Interior

Lord Hanuman Carving

Natural Water Spring

Pandava Cave Complex

Altogether, it was a wonderful experience exploring the caves.

Direction from Panajim: Panajim - NH17 - Margao - Take left turn - Quepem - Tilamol - Right turn - Rivona

Distance from Panajim: 65 km

Places to Visit Around: Usgalimal, Kurdi, Surla, Canacona, Margao and many more.

The Mysterious Pre-Historic Stone Cricles, Varlakonda

It happened by chance that, while reading a book on Megaliths, we found the names of familiar places viz Perisandra, Gudibande (Chikkaballapur District) and their surroundings, which interestingly were mentioned in the list of Megalithic sites. We could relate these unusual structures to the ones we found in Varlakonda as the description in the book closely matched our observations then. Varlakonda is a small village situated on the NH 7 (National Highway) and is equidistant from both Perisandra and Gudibande (about 8 kms). We always wondered of what those unusual structures we found at the base of the fort meant. We were absolutely thrilled when we realised it could be one of the megalithic sites.
The term Megalith is derived from two Greek words 'Mega' meaning big and 'Lithos' meaning stone. It describes a monument or structure made of large stones. 'Megalithic Culture' is an intriguing subject of study in the Archeological field. Many Megalithic sites are found across Europe, Asia and Africa, the best known being the Stone Henge, present in Wiltshire of the United Kingdom. Though the dates of beginning of this culture is not exactly known, excavations have revealed the type of activities and purposes of this culture. Their conclusions though, are not completely sure.

Megalithic Site, Varlakonda

As we read the book, we could instantly identify a few of the structures to be similar to Stone Circles, which are basically stones arranged in the form of a circle. Apart from these, were two cists (box-like structures), which essentially housed a covering on top in the form of a stone slab/s. They are two of the many types of megalithic structures, classified based on their appearance. We were astonished that people actually lived here.

Stone Circle and Cist

Side View of the Cist

The Cist

Stone Circles and Cist

Are these really stone circles is a big question. If yes, then what could be the reason that these structures were built and why did the people who occupied the place (Varlakonda Fort) later on, not disturb or dismantle the same. Surely, a mystery lies behind these amazing structures.

For Directions and Distance: Click here

Reference : The Megalithic Culture in South India - B K Gururaja Rao ( With due respect, we would like to mention that the Author studied the subject of Megaliths as a part of his doctoral research and has made a commendable effort to produce the details of megalithic sites and its culture in South India.)

Related Posts:
1. Rock art at Usgalimal

The Mystical Charmadi Ghat

"Charmadi Ghat" is one of the hot spots of Western Ghats and is home to innumerable waterfalls and hills. It also has a reputation of being a favorite trekking spot. The Ghat section, recently being upgraded to National Highway standards (NH234) is in best of its conditions. The drive along the Charmadi stretch is an amazing experience, especially during the monsoons and the post-monsoon period.

Lovely Lavender Flowers bedeck the Lush-Green Hills


Charmadi Ghat

Garuda Lenka Kambhas , Agrahara Bachahalli

'Agrahara Bachahalli', a village located in K R Pete Taluk of Mandya District was one of the most prosperous erstwhile towns of the Hoysalas. It is home to numerous temples built during the Hoysala period. The "Huniseshwara Temple" is the most prominent and well maintained temple in the village. A priest who was passing by the place, on finding a Shiva Linga under a tamarind tree, built a small temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and thus the name Huniseshwara (Hunise in Kannada means Tamarind). The interiors of the temple has been completely renovated. The Shikara (Gopura) is heavily and intricately carved.

The Huniseshwara Temple

A unique feature is the Garuda Lenka Kambhas, which is also found in the Malikarjuna temple at Basaralu, Karnataka apart from the Huniseshwara temple. An interesting and strange fact is that, though the Garuda is associated with Lord Vishnu, both the temples having Garuda Lenka Kambhas are dedicated to Lord Shiva. The pillar at Basaralu has lost most of its sculptures on the pillar-top unlike the pillars here that are complete and well preserved.

Garuda Lenka Kambhas

Lord Huniseshwara

Lord Ganapathi

Kala Bhairava

Lord Shanmukha

Nandi

Central Ceiling

Natya Mantap

Shikara

Lovely Pillar

Empty Devakosthas

The Huniseshwara Temple

The caretaker of this place, an elderly person in his early 80's lives in a small house near-by temple the temple complex . The temple was renovated with the help of Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatha Trust .

To be continued .....

"Galaganatha" - The Pyramidal Temple

"Galaganatha", a small sleepy village on the banks of the river Tungabhadra of Haveri district is well known for its 'Galaganatha' or the 'Galageshwara' Temple built by the Kalyana Chalukyas. The temple is situated at the holy confluence of rivers Varada and Tungabhadra. A notable and distinguishing feature of this temple is its heavy pyramidal base and the strong curtains walls built around the temple in order to protect the temple from river floods. One has to appreciate the architectural skill of the Chalukyas, since this temple has been standing in its place for almost more than a thousand years, whereas the entire village was washed out due to continuous floods. The new village came up a little further from the temple.

The Galaganatha Temple

There is another temple to the left of the Galageshwara temple known as the Malleshwara temple, built during the period of the Rashtrakutas. The main temple of Galaganatha is dedicated to Lord Shiva in the form of a Linga. Inside the garbagriha is a pacha-linga idol symbolizing the confluence of the five rivers viz., the Tunga, Bhadra, Kumadvathi, Varada and Dharma. There are beautiful carvings of Lords Vishnu, Bhairava, Surya, Shiva, and of Goddesses Mahishasuramardini, Kali, etc., inside the temple.

The Malleshwara Temple

Galaganatha Linga

River Goddess

Pancha Lingas

Nandis

Beautiful Carvings depicting War Scenes

March Towards a War

Lovely Door Frame

Nicely Polished Pillars

Inscriptions

Nandi

Skillfully Formed Pillar

There is a ruined mantap inside the temple complex where some sculptures are kept. Its believed that there are about 101 Shiva Lingas around the temple and on the banks of river.

The Ruined Mantap

Nandi Kambha

Some of the 101 Lingas

Hero Stone and A Linga

Rear View of the Pyramidal Temple

The temple priest is a kind gentleman and shared various stories related to this temple. According to him, the temple was built by the great legendary Sculptor Jakanachari, out of a single rock. He continued to say that the linga here is a Sparsha Linga, which is underneath the present visible Linga and is considered very powerful. In the earlier days, when people kept iron near the Sparsha Linga and prayed to god, it turned into gold. As people started to misuse this power, the king decided to cover the same with a structure called 'Galaga'. Hence, the deity here came to be known as Galaganatha or Galageshwara and in due course the village too became popular for this temple and came to be known as Galaganatha .

Directions from Bangalore: Bangalore-NH4-Tumkur-Chitradurga-Davangere-Ranebennur- Right Turn towards Guttal-Right Turn towards Havana-Left Turn to reach Galaganatha

Distance from Bangalore: About 350 kms

Places to Visit Around: Choudayyadanapura, Kuruvatti, Haveri, Ranebennur, Harihara and many more

Chennakeshava Temple, Anekere, Hassan

Anekere is a small village belonging to Channarayapatna Taluk of Hassan District. It is home to one of the beautiful temples built by the Hoysalas and dedicated to 'Lord Chennakeshava (Vishnu)'. The two distinct features of this temple are the Temple Compound Wall and the Khalasa on the Temple Shikara. The Khalasa here is supposedly the largest one found in the state.

The Big Khalasa

The temple is a perfect example of Hoysala architecture, though smaller in size when compared to the other Hoysala temples. On keenly observing, we found an interesting feature on its Navaranga Ceiling wherein, its central portion is carved in a way that it resembles a Conch (Shanka). The entrance has a beautiful porch.

Navaranga Ceiling

Ceiling 1

Ceiling 2

Outer Porch Ceiling

The Grand Entrance and the Front Porch

Lord Chennakeshava

Intricate Dwarapalakas

Lion Face Carving

Garbagriha Door Frame

Temple Entrance Door Frame

Pillar Carving

Antique Tulasi Pot

It is surprising that this wonderful temple is not yet under the purview of the ASI. The temple has been renovated with the help of Shri Dramasthala Manjunatha Trust. As the priest was unavailable during our visit, the only information we got of the temple from the locals was that it was built by the Hoysalas.

Chennakeshava Temple

Shikara

Another View of the Temple

Ancient Temple Compound Wall

Directions from Bangalore: Bangalore - NH48 - C R Patna - Left Turn (near Ganapathi temple after medical center )- Anekere (8kms from C R Patna)

Kalyala Waterfalls, Madkeri

'Kalyala Falls' is located off the Madkeri - Mangalore Highway. It is visible from the highway and looks beautiful. Since the driving directions to the falls were known to us from our first visit, we quickly reached the last motorable stretch from where we had to trek down to view the falls. The drive itself is a mesmerizing one, with the greenery around and the narrow and curvy roads. It feels through the drive at every stretch, as though there's something more beautiful in store for us to see! It was a complete feast to our eyes.

View of the Falls from the Highway

Green & Lovely

Curvy Roads

The trek downwards is not long and took us about ten minutes to reach the falls. We did not spot a single soul around the falls and that meant the entire place was just for us two nomads. We had get down parallel to the falls to reach the place from the where we could enjoy the waterfalls . It is multi-tiered and the water falls from a height of about 150 feet.We are unsure of which tier of the falls we actually start trekking downward.

A Quite Artistic Board Directing us to the Falls

Dense Forest

Jungle Path

Upstream of the Falls

A Lovely View

Starting point of the Falls

Kalyala Falls

Wider View of the Falls

Just Like That -2

Below is the compilation of a few more of our favorite captures (Click here for Part1).

The Full Moon

Straight As An Arrow

Pleasant Drive

Wild Flower

Purple Leaf (Ventral Side)

A Fern

Wild Flower

Ground Beetle

Pill Millipede

Damsel Fly

Snail

Monitor Lizard

Spidy

Waiting for the prey

Back to Home

Lovely Sunset

Umbalagundi Waterfalls - Madkeri Ghat

'Umbalagundi Falls' is located just off the Madkeri-Mangalore State Highway. There is a high chance of missing a view of this falls as it is not visible from the highway, though the noise made by the gushing waters cannot be ignored if one has sharp ears. A small trek downward takes us to the base of the waterfall. As soon as we reached the base, we were greeted by a seven feet long snake and within the blink of eye, it disappeared underneath the rocks. We were not lucky enough to get a good shot of it. Not disturbing the snake, we moved on. towards the falls. The water here falls from a height of about 25 feet, and is truly mesmerizing. A passer by local told us that even during peak summer period, the volume of water remains more or less, the same.

Snake in its hide out

Umbalagundi Waterfalls

A Complete View of the Waterfall

Gushing Waters

Down Stream

After having a wonderful time at the falls, we moved on and just after a little while, we were in for another surprise. We spotted another snake, this time comparatively smaller in length, about three feet, which was on its way to the other side of the road. We had to be a little quicker than the snake to catch him for a photograph.

The Banded Racer Snake

Malleswara Temple, Aghalaya - Get rid of your Sins

"Aghalaya" houses a magnificent Malleswara temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is situated in between Melukote and Shravana Belagola. Though we had a chance to visit this temple before, we were not allowed to see the temple at that time as there was some trouble in the village. Also, we were just beginning to learn about Hoysala temples and so we did not realize completely what we had missed. Recently, we had a second chance to explore this unique and unusual Trikuta Hoysala temple at Aghalaya and so we did.

The Malleshwara Temple, Aghalaya

Trikuta (Three Chambers)

Aghalaya means destruction of sins (Agha = Sin, Laya = Destroy). Nothing much is know about the temple's history, except that it was built by the Hoysalas during the12th Century. This temple covers a large area compared to many other Hoysala temples. It is a Trikuta temple, having three Chambers or Gribhagriha, all facing East. It is similar to the Govindanahalli temple (which is a Panchakuta temple, having five chambers). The interiors and exteriors set a good example of the Hoysala architecture. Another interesting feature was that though the outer carvings were of Lord Vishnu, the deity worshiped in the temple was Lord Shiva.

Front Porch

Outer Ceiling

Nandi

Lord Ganesha

Mahishasura Mardini

Uma Maheshwara

Lord Shiva , Goddess Parvathi and Lord Ganesha

Decorative Work on the Pillar Top

Naga Stones and Perforated Window

Lord Vishnu's various forms and the Garuda-I

Lord Vishnu's various forms and the Garuda-II

First Three of the Dashavataras

Lord Panduranga Vittal

Art Work on the Outer Wall

Renovated portion v/s Original

Like many other temples around this region, this temple was renovated by the Govt of Karnataka with the help of the Dharmasthala Trust. The priest here was a very gentle and kind person.

Location : Between Melukote and Shravanabelagola

Places to Visit Around : Shravanabelagola, Melukote, Sante Bachahalli, Kambadahalli, Bindigananavile, Govindanahalli, Kikkeri, Aghrahara Bachahalli, and many more

Critters of T G Halli Reservoir

'T G Halli Reservoir' is located on the Bangalore Magadi Highway. Entry to the dam is possible only with prior permission from Cauvery Bhavan, located in Bangalore. Yet, there are many ways of enjoying its surroundings.This place is a heaven for bird watchers and nature lovers.

Peacock Pansy

Common Castor

Plain Tiger

Plain Orange Tip

Stale Flash

White Hairy Caterpillar

Praying Mantis

Stick Case Pupae

Mukteshwara Temple, Chaudayyadanapura

On reaching Ranebennur cross on the NH4 highway and realizing that Caudadanapura was situated close by, we were curious to see the temple of Muktheshwara that we had read about a while ago. We inquired about this place, but there seemed to be a lot of confusion with regards to the pronunciation of the name when finally, a jeep driver came to our rescue by correcting the same, from Caudadanapura to Chaudayyadanapura. On following his directions, we reached Chaudayyadanapura / Caudadanapura, a small village situated on the banks of the river Tungabhadra of Ranebennur Taluk, Haveri District. This place gets its name from the Veerashaiva Saint and Boatman, Sharana Ambigara Chaudaiah who lived here during the 12th Century. The place is also called by various names such as Shivapura, Muktikshetra and Gope. As per our readings, a mantapa on the bank of the river Tungabhadra housed the samadhi (Gadduge) of Sharana Ambigara Chaudaiah. But, we found only a small structure on the banks which we thought to be the samadhi, though not confirmed.

Samadhi of Sharana Ambigara Chaudaiah

The temple of Mukteshwara in Chaudayyadanapura was built by the Chalukyas in the12th Century. According to a legend, this place is situated at place where river Tungabhadra changes its path or direction of flow indicating the beginning of a new course, symbolizing Mukti / Salvation (Redemption). Hence, this place is called as Mukthikshetra and the deity worshiped here is Lord Mukteshwara or the God of Salvation. From our observations, it seems like our ancestors chose places close to water bodies and the summit of hills for the construction of the temples as these places were considered to be sacred.

Mukteshwara Temple Complex

There are eight main inscriptions found in this place. As per the book referred below, one of the inscriptions states that, in the year 1191, an ascetic/saint by name Muktajiyar was at this place and performed rigorous rituals to please Lord Mukthinatha. Thus, the deity here came to be known as Muktesha. It further states that the name of Lord Mukteshwara was appropriate as he was bestowing Mukti on his disciples.

Inscriptions

The temple complex consists of the main temple of Mukteshwara, the Kallideva temple, two small Shiva temples, another temple with four compartments of which two are dedicated to Lord Shiva, one for Lord Virabhadra and the other to goddess Chamundi. A Keerthistambha stands tall (about thirty feet) at the entrance of the complex. There is also a Gadduge of the saint Shivadeva inside the temple complex.

Kallideva Temple

Kallideva and two Shiva linga temples

Shiva Linga

Virabhadra , Shiva Linga and the Chamundi Temple

Keerthistambha

Virabhadra Statue

Samadhi (Gadduge) of Saint Shivadeva

Depiction of Disciples

The entire temple complex is well maintained.

Reference: The Temple of Muktesvara at Caudadanapura: A Little-Known 12th-13th Century Temple in Dharwar District, Karnataka (Kalasamalocana) by Vasundhara Filliozat. Vasundhara Filliozat is a freelance historian and epigraphist. She has worked on many aspects of history of the Karnataka kings and the temple of Jakkanachari style in the Dharwar District. The above referred book contains a detailed study of the temple of Muktheswara and has been used for providing information in this post.
Continued here.

Muktesvara Temple, Chaudayyadanapura -II

"Muktesvara temple" is a dwikuta temple and is a masterpiece portraying the style, culture and architecture of the Chalukyan era. It is considered to have been built in the Jakkanacharyan style of Architecture. There are two entrances to the temple, one from the south and other from the east. Both entrances have beautiful porches. The door frames are decorative and classic, representing true Kalyani Chalukyan Architecture. There is also a carving of Lord Mahesvara on the main door lintels.

Muktesvara Temple

Lovely Door Frame

Lord Mahesvara on the Lintel

Decorative Carvings

Carving of Animals on the Door Frame

Door Frame of the East Entrance

There is a small Shiva Linga inside the Garbhagriha and the door frame of the Sukanasi is skillfully executed. There is a Mantapa on the front side of the east entrance . The exterior walls of the temple carry carvings of Lord Shiva in his various forms, Lord Ganesha, Goddess Saraswathi, Lord Krishna, Lord Surya and other gods. The artistic work on the outer wall is commendable.

Sukanasi Door Frame

Lintel of Sukanasi Door Frame

Sapthamathrikas

Outer Ceiling

Inner Ceiling

Mantapa

Carvings of Dance Troupe on the Front Porch

Lord Ganesha

Intricate Carvings on Temple Walls

Empty Devakosthas

Wonderful Floral Depictions

Pattikas

Miniature Shikaras

Temple Shikara

It is definitely one amongst the well maintained temples of Karnataka. The temple remains open throughout the day irrespective of the priest's presence.

Directions from Bangalore: Bangalore-NH4-Tumkur-Chitradurga-Davangere-Ranebennur-Right Turn towards Guttal-Right Turn towards Choudayyadanapura (Be sure not to miss this turn as there are no sign boards indicating the same, The right turn to be taken is about 6 km before Guttal)

Distance from Bangalore: About 330 km

Places to Visit Around: Galaganatha, Kuruvatti, Haveri, Ranebennur, Devaragudda, Harihara and many more

Reference Used:
The Temple of Muktesvara at Caudadanapura: A Little-Known 12Th-13th Century Temple in Dharwar District, Karnataka (Kalasamalocana)

Lizards

Lizards (wiki) are the most common of all reptiles. They are characterized with well developed limbs and eye lids. Among the reptile species, 50% of the species belong to the group of lizards. The lizards, along with snakes fall under the Order "Squamata "(scaled reptiles). The other orders of reptiles include "Crocodilia "(Caimans, Alligators Gharials) and " Testudines" (Turtles and Tortoises).

Lizards are mainly insectivorous though some are carnivores and some are herbivores. Their body is covered scales at least on some portion of the body, if not fully. They are found in all kinds of terrestrial biomes (wiki) like the deserts, forests, hilly regions, etc,. Most of the lizards are oviparous, expect a few. Lizards are further divided into many families depending upon the their common characteristics. Common lizard families include the Geckos (Gekkonidae), Agamas (Agamidae), Chameleons (Chamaeleonidae),Skinks (Scincidae), Monitors (Varnidae) and the Iguana (Iguanadiae).

Agama

Geckos: These are the most commonly and easily found lizards. They may be arboreal, ground or rock dwellers. Some are commensal with man . Most of the geckos are nocturnal. The tail of geckos regenerates and does not attain the original color and shape. Geckos are non poisonous.

Northern House Gecko

Chameleons: They are arboreal lizards. Only one species is found in India. Chameleons are unique in the possession of an extensible tongue, independently movable eyes and have parrot toes that are characterized by modification of the toes into two sets of opposed clasping organs. They have a compressed body and prehensile tail . They posses to a remarkable degree, the ability to change color.

Chamaeleon zeylanicus

Skinks: Their bodies are covered with smooth or keeled shiny scales ,imbricately arranged . There is typically little or no neck region. Body is elongated and flattened. These are majorly ground dwellers. Some limbless forms are also found.

Skink

Snake Skink (Juv)

Agama: The most easily found family of lizards, especially in rocky regions. They have well developed teeth, which are divided into incisors, canines and molars. They can be found in all types of biomes. The head, which is held off the ground on a distinct neck, has small scales and lacks shield. Eyes and ears are well developed.

Spiny Agama

Rock Agama

Peninsular Rock Agama

Monitor Lizards: They have a long and flattened body, long tail, long neck, and extremely elongated and slender forked tongue (similar to snakes). Komodo dragon, the largest existing lizards belongs to this family. Some are found in aquatic biomes also. These are endangered by trade in reptile skins.

Common Indian Monitor

Iguana: They are large herbivorous lizards native to central America and Caribbean Islands. They re usually found in zoos and national parks.

Iguana

Reference: The book of Indian Reptiles and Amphibians by J.C. Daniel

Fort Kundana

'Kundana Fort' is one of the closest forts to Bangalore, housed in the small village of Kundana (about15 km from Devanahalli). A small hillock with fortification is seen from the roadway. A walk of about 10 minutes leads us to the first tier of the fort, most of which is in ruins today. Nothing much remains of the fort, except for it's three tiers, a doorway, two renovated temples, a kitchen room and foundations of a few buildings. While looking at the doorway, a wild guess can be made, that of a Palegar of Vijayanagar Kingdom having built the same.We did find a water pond near the temple, again a wonderful and skillful depiction of our ancestors wisdom in harvesting the rain water. Unfortunately and sadly, today it only turns out to be a dump yard for people who visit the temple. Not a single soul was spotted on the hillock.

The Second Tier of the Fort

Crumbling Fort Walls

The Doorway

Chennakeshava Temple, Kitchen Room and the Water Pond

Garuda Kambha

Phantom Rock

Kundana Village - Bird's Eye View

Fort View Villa

Drying Wild Zinnia Flower

Overall this place is good for quick outing from Bangalore.

Places to visit near by: Nandi Hills, Devanahalli Fort, Skandagiri, Ghati Subramanya and many more ...

The Saga of Hairpin Bends -Kolli Hills

A chance to attend a friend's wedding at Madurai gave us yet another opportunity of exploring the state of Tamil Nadu. Since last time around, we had missed exploring the Namakkal fort, we wanted to do it this time and also as the time was very short (a day), we had to minimize the number of places we could visit. As we started our journey on Saturday morning, we were welcomed by rain and as we continued, it showed no signs of stopping. Due to the receding north east monsoons, there were heavy rains and hence we thought it would be the best to visit waterfalls. Our plan now was to explore the lovely Kollimalai /Kolli Hills, the beautiful Akashganga waterfall and a few temples around. We were fully aware that we had to cross the seventy hairpin bends to reach this amazing place courtesy our fellow bloggers - Shankara and Mitr .

An initial View of the Kolli Hills and its Magnificent Waterfalls

After inquiring at various places, we reached the hill base. There is a forest check post where they collected from us a minimal entry fee along with our details. Hereon, the saga of the hair pin bends started and we began to enjoy the journey more, amidst the mist, the rains, the curvy roads and the lush greenery.

First Hair Pin Bend

Don't know what it really says, though we were proud to be amidst Kolli hills!!!

Tourist Places of Kolli Hills

An Awesome Morning!!!!

Hair Pin Bend

Winding Roads

70th Hair Pin Bend

We crossed the 70 hair pin bends and wow, what a journey it was! There were still no signs of any waterfalls anywhere. We reached a place called Semmudu, the largest village of Kolli hills. There is another check post here and they collect a fee for further entry. On inquiring about the falls here, he gave us directions telling us it was about 19 km from the check post along with an alternative option of taking a short cut, which would save us about 10 km, the chances of losing way in the latter was much easier. We took the short cut and after traveling some distance, we reached an unknown village where we spotted some hot food being served and fed ourselves sumptuously with dosas, parsthas and omelettes. In no time, we reached the Arappuleshwara Temple. It was chilly weather and we were almost shivering due to the cold. We headed towards finding the way to falls But, to our dismay , we realized that the entry to the waterfall was temporarily suspended for all, because of heavy rains. And they would open the gates only after the rains subsided until it would be safe for the public. Not being very disappointed, we inquired about another falls called the Masai falls, near Masai Periswamy temple. The locals informed us that, at this point in time, it would be difficult for us to go to the temple and the falls due to the heavy rains. From here, we proceeded to the Arappuleshwara temple and after a quick darshan, we had some hot herbal soup that was prepared locally and tasted perfect. We wrapped up and started driving towards Madurai.

Lovely Tribal House

Water Everywhere

Misty and Cloudy

Raging Clouds

Misty Kolli Hills

Magical

While returning, we took the longer route to make sure we don't miss anything worth watching and later realized that we had to drive through an additional 39 hairpin bends! All put together, we crossed more than 175 hair-pin bends of Kolli hills, which was a wonderful experience. There are also a few small resorts in the hills which offer accommodation. Since ours was a short trip, we didn't get chance to check out any of these resorts. Kolli hills is an ideal weekend getaway from Bangalore. Like most of the hill stations, this place is also abused by irresponsible tourists who do very little for keeping our environment safe. A humble request to the tourists, from us and all who care for our surroundings and the environment is, please do not litter, use the waste bins for throwing garbage, which is present at most of the tourist places. Avoid use of plastic wherever possible. Nature is god's gift. Help in keeping it beautiful.

Await for more hidden secrets of this place..........

Just Like That -3

Water covers 71% of the earth's surface and constitutes about 60% of the human body weight. A compilation of a few of our favorite captures having water as its main theme is presented below.

Namada Chilume, Water Spring,Tumkur

Atri Natural Hot Water Spring , Orissa

Stepped Tank (14th Century), Bhoganandishwara Temple, Nandi

Agastya Lake ( Man Made,5th Century), Badami

Honnamana Kere, Somwarpet

Natural Lake, Avani, Kolar

Umbalagundi Falls, Madikeri

Jedupala Falls, Madikeri

Bhitarkanika Back Waters, Orissa

Sharavathi River Valley, Karnataka

Tungabhadra Dam, Hospet

Sea Mouth , Lake Chilika joins the Bay of Bengal

One of the India's cleanest Beaches, Orissa

Kaup Beach, Udupi

This compilation also marks our 100th post!!!

Harihareshwara Temple, Harihara, Davanagere

'Harihara' is a bustling town located about 13 km from Davangere district. This place derives its name from the famous Harihareshwara temple situated here. The temple is dedicated to the Lords Hari (Vishnu) and Hara (Shiva). It stands as a classical example of the Hoysala architecture and is believed to have been built during the12th Century. Harihara is also known as Guharanya Kshetra or Dakshina Kashi.

Harihareshwara Temple

The idol of Lord Harihareshwara inside the Garbagriha is about 6 ft tall, with parts below the deity's knee being buried under. This idol is believed to be a Swayambhu murthy (Swayam:Self ; Bhu:Generate). The temple has a huge Mukhamantapa with 60 pillars. The exterior and the interiors of the temple are wonderfully carved. There is a temple dedicated to Goddess Parvathi inside the temple complex. There are two beautiful Deepasthambas (pillars for lighting diyas) in the front portion of the main temple and many inscription stones inside the complex.

Pillared Alley

Lord Harihareshwara

Dwarapala and his helper

Artistic work on the Door Frame

Ceiling with the carving of the Asthadikpalas

Inscriptions

Temple dedicated to Goddess Parvathi

Inscription Stones

Deepasthamba

A saint named Guha lived on the banks of the river Tungabhadra. He had the reputation of being cruel, cunning, and demonic. He desired to take control over the entire universe and thus, performed penance on the banks of the river to please Lord Brahma. Pleased by his devotion, Lord Brahma granted a boon for which Guha asked for himself to be eternal, and that it should be impossible for any man, demon, animal, god, or any other form of life, to kill him. Accordingly, and true to his word, Lord Brahma granted him this wish and left the place. Guha, after having gained the power of eternity began to trouble all life forms existing in the universe. Being troubled, noble men went to their favorite Lords to seek a solution for this problem. Thus, the form of the Lord Harihara (Shiva and Vishnu) was born in order to defeat Guha. Harihara and Guha fought war for many years, with Guha finally accepting defeat and begging for Salvation. After being pardoned and granted salvation in the form of Lord Harihara standing on his chest, Guha entered pathala and the Lord remained there with his feet buried under. Thus the image of the deity here is only visible up to the knee.

Amazing Symmetry

The deities in the temple are worshiped regularly and the temple is very well maintained.

Places to visit around: Davangere, Uchangipura, Uchangidurga, Kanakuppa, Chitradurga, Ranebennur, Haveri, Harpanahalli, Bagalli, Anekonda, and many more.

Distance from Bangalore: 275 km

Tambdi Surla, Goa

'Tambdi Surla' is a small village inside the Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary, Goa. This place houses one of the finest and probably the oldest surviving temple of Goa. The temple is dedicated to Lord Mahadeva (Shiva) and is believed to be built around the 12th Century by Goa Kadambas. This is one of the few temples that has survived trough years and remains intact.

Mahadeva Temple

ASI Tourist Information Broad

Entrance and Sloping Roof of the Mukhamantapa


Lord Mahadeva


Floral Ceiling- Unique Feature of Kadamba Architecture (Asta Kona, Eight Directions)

Decorative Artwork on the Pillar

Kadamba Nagara Shikara

Not sure what these are

Mahadeva Temple, Tambdi Surla

The temple is very well maintained by the ASI. There is no entry fee. We had no information regarding the priest of this temple.

Kalleshwara Temple, Hulikal, Tumkur

During our course of conversation with the priest at Tandaga, he informed us about another stone temple situated about 3 km from Tandaga. He went on and appreciated the ASI, who helped restore the temple, which otherwise was in ruins. We were not aware of the temple of Kalleshwara in Hulikal. On following the directions given by the priest, we reached a canal, from where we had to take a right turn. Now, we were stuck in a rather funny situation, wherein there were two motorable roads turning right, running parallel on either side of the canal!! We stopped by to inquire a few locals about the route to Hulikal and none were really sure. Finally, we decided to trust our gut instincts and drove ahead, choosing one of the right turns. We traveled for almost 2 km with no signs of any temple around, nor any local in order to confirm about the route. We started to doubt our decision of taken the right right turn! Not giving up, we continued driving and luckily, an auto driver coming in the opposite direction confirmed to us that we were heading the right way towards the temple.

The Lovely Canal

A lady sitting nearby the temple confirmed to us that it was the Kalleshwara temple we were looking for. The temple has undergone restoration recently. Sadly, there were no signs of any further maintenance, which was evident by the sight of water logging around the temple itself. Though the temple was locked, we were able to peep in and get a glimpse of Lord Shiva and his guardian Nandi through the grilled door. The architectural plan is very similar to the Chennakeshava temple of Tandaga. This temple was built by the Hoysalas, who, as we all know, are the masters of intricate temple architecture. Surprisingly, the Kalleshwara temple seemed to have the simplicity and plainness unlike most of the other hoysala temples, known for their artistic intricacies.