Mekadatu - the goats leap

If you search for this place on the net you will find people chilling out in the water and having fun, it is an exciting place to be... but its dangerous as well and that makes it more exciting. Situated in the dense forests, two life giving rivers merge and then flow through the ravine into a narrow gorge. This place is a testament to the power of nature, looking over the water, on to the surrounding hills covered with dense forests makes us feel so small and insignificant.

Just taking a moment away form your camera, phone and laptop just to behold the wonder, that is nature is enough to soothe your soul. The rocks here are not chiselled or sculptured yet they radiate great beauty. The armored riverbed here is filled with motley of parti-coloured pebbles add a picturesque charm to this place.

The waters that look so deceptively calm on the surface behold within them the power to even cut through rock and stone.The flora and fauna,... everything here is a work of art. The turbulent relation between water and rock creates a amazing scenery that arrests your heart.

Getting here : We can reach this place by driving to Sangama which is a mere 90 km from Banglore. then taking a coracle over to the other side of the river to board a bus that goes through the rocky road and reach the view point from where we could get a great view of the Mekadaatu where the goat leapt to escape from the lion.

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Mutyalamaduvu

It was a Sunday morning, and we were totally free of engagements (which by the way is a very rare case). We decided to go on a long drive, just me and my husband cruising in my car. Went to Bannergatte but did not want to stop there so we drove further...we knew that there is a picnic spot somewhere in Anekal called Mutyalamaduvu. In Kannada language, Muthyalamaduvu means Pearl Valley

It is a beautiful gorge with a sleek little ravine flowing through it and surrounded by lush green forest infested with mischievious monkeys with their devil may care attitude. Although it is a picnic spot you might want to be careful with your food these little devils could gang up on you, so I suggest you have your food before descending the gorge that way you can enjoy  the place in peace. The tourisim of Karnataka has provided us with minimum facilities and gazibos to sit and eat.

The  stairs leading to the ravine is not long and ends up near the temple of Shiva on the right and a beautiful waterfall that ends up in a little pond. Here the water from the falls slides down the flora of the place creating an illusion of a sting of pearls, hence the name Pearl Valley. The source of this water is the Onakanahalli Tank located nearby.

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A trip to Orissa

A trip to Orissa meant a visit to the golden triangle Bhubaneshwar - Konark - Puri. As I considered the itinerary of various tour packages online before planning this trip, I found out that most tour packages suggested that we arrive at Bhubhaneshwar, and proceed to Puri visiting Dauli and Pipli enroute and stay in Puri for the night. But we decided to stay in Bhubaneshwar for the whole trip and visit all the places from there as it takes a maximum of 2 hours to reach Chilaka lake which is the farthest place on our itinerary. We used to start at 7:30 in the morning to avoid the rushhour traffic and used to return before dark.

Usually we were budget travellers, me and my hubby, but this time we decided to indulge a little so though there were many bus services from Bhubaneshwar to konark and Puri we hired an air conditioned taxi. This decision was strongly inspired by the hot and sweaty climate of Orissa. We knew we were taking risk visiting Orissa during summer which is definitely not recommended time, (The best time to visit being in the months of October to March) but it was the only time we could spare. Anyway we did manage to have a great time and the best thing of going on a sunny day is that our photographs were brilliant.

The first day we decided to visit Konark - Puri - Pipli - Dauli.
We put aside the second day for some fun, frolic and some freash seafood at chilaka lake.

The third day is meant for visiting all the temples in Bhubaneshwar - the temple city of India.

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Konark - Temple of the Sun

span style="font-family: Calibri;">Konark is a small town some 30km from Puri and a good 60km from Bhubaneshwar. It is the third point of the golden triangle. Konark is the most visited place of Orissa, as it is the home of one of the most unique temples of India, a sun temple. It is a world heritage site drawing tourists around the world to its exquisite beauty. Indian temples are mostly dedicated to one of the Holy trinity or their avatars but rarely we find temples to other

Gods. The sun temple is rare cause it is dedicated to the sun God, Surya and such temples are very few are could be counted on fingers. But the appeal of the temple lies in its architecture and sculptures that embellish its beauty.  The temple is built to serve the Sun God who is always represented on his unending journey on his chariot, hence the whole temple is constructed in the form of a chariot with seven horses tied drawing the chariot, which represent the seven days of the week and 24 wheels of the chariot, representing the 24 fortnights that form an year. Since a month is divided (according to hindu calender) into two ‘pakshas’ or fortnights. The walls of the temple are adorned with surya in his infant, youth and adult stages representing the sun at different times of the day. Before I go any further in describing the incredible beauty of the temple I would like to start with us arriving at Konark.

Our taxi driver left us at the mouth of a narrow lane much narrowed by the tightly knit stalls on either side. As soon as we elighted the vehicle auto rickshaw drivers surrounded us offering to take us to the booking counter of the Sun temple where no four wheelers are allowed, for just a minimum price of 30/-. Though it would have relived us of a walk in the hot sun, we preferred to do some window shopping of what’s on display so we decided to walk down the lane. It was a good idea too, we found out that cashew nuts are cheaper in this parts and are only 300/- per kg. It was a steal but beware some cashews may have little worms in them so break the cashew before you eat, what I did is as soon as I reached home I broke all the cashews and slow roasted them, that way they will not be spoiled. Anyways back to Konak,... At the end of the lane we were faced with a ‘Navagraha temple’ sign on the other side of the road, wondering if this was the entrance to the sun temple we asked a local vendor. He immediately pointed to the left, to a much bigger entrance  gate where people were chatting excitedly, indulging in a quick cooldrink or a nibble before entering the temple. There is an entrance fee of Rs5/- per adult (which may vary if you are a foreigner), still camera’s are allowed freely while video camera’s are charged Rs 25/-. We also booked a govt. Recognised guide for Rs150/- who explained the construction, architectural design of the temple, kings who ruled and patronized the temple and so on... One thing he said was that the king who commissioned the building of this temple has a TAIL.

Caught your attention didn’t I, well I was also curious at this statement but turns out the story is not that fascinating. The king of Konark suffered from an elongated spine which caused him great discomfort, he was unable to sit, stand straight or perform any chores that are expected of him as a king and a husband to add to this humiliation his people started calling it a tail. When the king consulted his royal priests they suggested that he should appease the Sun God and receive his blessing, so began the construction of the Sun temple.

Like many temples in Orissa, the Sun temple of Konark follows the kalingan school of architecture which commands any temple should have a inner sanctum or vimana and a outer hall or jahamohana for yagnas and yagas to be performed. According to tradition the shikara of the inner sanctum is raised cylindrically while the shikara of the outer hall is in the form of a stepped pyramid. The inner sanctum which should contain the reigning deity is razed by Jahangir’s troops and is now empty but the outer hall still remains tall. Pujas have not been performed in the temple for many decades hence it is more of a historical ruin than a holy place of worship. But still the temple is a awe inspiring sight with its majestically shikaras raising to towards the sky. Huge steps lead up to the temple entrance which is constructed on an elevated platform of about 12ft high. On the walls of this raised platform is where all the artistic geniuses of the time worked to chisel immensely beautiful sculptures, the 12 pairs of wheels. Each stone of granite is painstakingly sculptured and transformed from boring granite to beautifully voluptuous women caught on different chores of their daily life. The ‘Natya Mandir’, opposite the temple is also on an elevated platform, where dances are performed in honour of the Gods. The Natya Mandapa holds four stout square pillars all of which are adorned with dancing nymphs in various postures.

Temple of Sandhya (Surya's wife)

Konark is also  talked about, for its erotic sculptures next to the temples of Kajuraho, but it has more wealth of history to offer to the beholder. A day in the life of the queen is represented on one of the wheels of the temple, while in another region aptly capture the life of a commoner. There are carvings that show us how these huge granite stones are brought in from different parts of the kingdom and how the whole family of the artisan travelled along with the stones cooking, cleaning, raising kids and living life on the road. While another part of the temple wall depicts the great pomp and celebration that escorted the king in all his grandeur while he was leaving for a hunt. Another stretch of sculptures show us how traps are used to capture elephants. There are also depictions of how the rocks are pulled on logs and carried to such heights to make the temple the magnificient structure that we see today. A trip to Konark will be the highlight of your journey and a jewel of an experience in your life.

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Mysore Palace

A weekend trip from Bangalore to Mysore has become a ritual whenever we receive a guest. Everyone wants to see the Mysore palace no matter what. Its really one of the best Hindu palaces boasting its magnificence and glory. Well it is considerable new architecture and is built quiet recently when compared to the historically significant palaces in India. Still it stands as a symbol of the extravagance of the existing royalty. The front entrance of the palace.

The palace from the front.

The statue of lions that adore the palace grounds.

But these days the Main entrance is not used, instead the Eastern entrance is used for the public entry. There is a temple to the right side where the royalty has been paying obeisance for ages. Those majestic domes can be seen from this view. Cameras are not allowed inside the palace so they can be safely deposited at a counter near the entrance. There is always a rush at the entrance also footwear is prohibited inside the palace. there is another stall that accepts footwear near the entrance of the palace. We can also find audio guides for a price in this place, if you are interested to know more about the palace. We enter into the palace and parade of miniature models welcomes us. On the sides of the entry door we find enormous stuffed elephant head looking malicious even in death. we enter to a grand atrium with tall columns and a painted glass dome. The dome is beautifully decorated with colorful peacock feathers and other paints. This is once used for the wedding ceremony of the royals. The walls of this enormous hall are decorated with intricate paintings of the famous Dasara/Dussera festivities for generations. We can see see different chariots bearing the royals and other aristocrats in procession, drawn with horses and elephants.

Painting of Durga puja by the royals in the palace during Dasara

Through a huge teakwood door we enter to the next hall filled with the painting of the earlier royals and visiting dignitaries.

The famous 700kg golden throne

Then we proceed towards the first floor of the palace.on the way we fing the the golden elephant saddle on which the king used to ride during the festivities, now it is used to carry the idol of mother Chamundi the deity of the royals for generation during the parade of Dasara.

On the way to the first floor we find a old style elevator. The first floor of the palace is filled with beautifully painted columns. Here we find the viewing gallery with ceilings widespread and creating awe to its spectators.

From here we go to the main Durbar hall where the king holds his royal meetings. This is the place to see to find the extravagance and granduer of the royals.

So here are those rare pictures of the interior of Mysore Palace.