Lepakshi - a place for a devotee and a connoisseur alike

Story 1: Ravana kidnapped Sita and was on his way to Lanka. Jatayu, a demi-god in the form of a vulture and a devotee of Lord Rama, intercepted Ravana in order to save Sita. In the ensuing battle Ravana cut off Jatayu’s wings. As Jatayu lay on the ground in the clutches of death Rama and Lakshmana came in search of Sita. Seeing Jatayu in this condition Rama uttered “Le-pakshee” meaning “rise oh bird”. Thus the place came to be known as Lepakshee.

Story 2: Veeranna, treasurer of King Achutaraya, the successor of King Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara Empire decided to build a temple for his family deity Veerabhadraswamy. Veeranna’s plans were on a grandiose scale and as a result the treasury got emptied. The king on learning this was upset and ordered Veeranna to be blinded. The loyal servant, that Veeranna was, carried out the punishment himself. He gouged his own eyes and threw them against the walls of the temple. To this day one can see the bloodstains on the wall of the temple. Thus originated the name Lepa-akshi, meaning village of the blinded eye.

It really doesn’t matter how this town got it’s name. The magnificence of the temple’s sculptures and paintings is sure to leave every visitor spell bound. It is claimed that the temple was built by Saint Agastya himself. However it was developed into the present marvelous form by Veeranna as mentioned in the second story.

The day before Ganesh Chaturthi my friend and I left early which enabled us to cover some distance before we stopped for breakfast. On Doddaballapur road we stopped at Shuchi Ruchi and stuffed ourselves with vada, kesaribath, kharabath and dosa. Well thankfully I did not eat all these items all by myself. According to our calculations we should have reached the temple by around 10.30 am. At one point of our journey I had to ask my friend to get down from the bike and walk while I transformed myself into a circus artist. Negotiating the collapsed road which had left a huge gap I almost lost my balance. The rocks and stones used to fill this gap only made matters worse. After I crossed the obstacle course a group of boys sitting in an autorickshaw exclaimed “excellent driving skills sir”. Thus combination of bad roads and a couple of other factors ensured that we reached Lepakshi only at noon.

The temple, right in the middle of the village and hidden behind all the modern buildings, was built in the 16th century (1535 AD) in the Vijayanagara style of architecture. The other notable and very famous example of this style of architecture is Hampi. An attempt at describing the architectural marvel of these temples would be grave injustice to the skills of the sculptors. The Vishwakarma Brahmin artisans, many of whose names are found in inscriptions in this temple, have brought to life the characters and events from mythology and history with consummate ease and grandeur.

The temple has 3 main sections, the Mukha Mandapa (aka Nitya Mandapa or Ranga Mandapa), Artha Mandapa and Garbha Griha. The temple also houses a Kalyana Mandapa which was left unfinished due to the unfortunate death of Veeranna. The unfinished Kalyana Mandapa has 38 carved monolith pillars in grey sandstone. It is believed that Shiva and Parvathi got married in this very same Kalyana Mandapa.

In this temple reside Lord Ganesha, Lord Veerabhadraswamy and his wife, Lord Shiva (there are five Shivlings in all), Goddess Parvathi, Lord Vishnu, Lord Anjaneya and Goddess Durga. Lepakshi is considered as one of the 108 important Shaiva Kshetras referred in the Skandapurana. Apart from the five Shivlings Lord Shiva has been depicted in various forms both in sculptures and paintings including the dancing form of Nataraja. Lord Veerabhadraswamy is also one of the many forms of Lord Shiva.

One of the Shivlings is placed on top of the coils of a seven headed serpent which has been carved out in a huge monolith boulder just outside the main temple. An interesting story exists for this seven headed serpent. The main sculptor asked his mother to serve him food. She asked him to wait for some time as the food was being prepared. The sculptor carved a magnificent seven headed serpent in the boulder just opposite to the room where his mother was preparing food. When she came out with the food she was taken aback by this life-like serpent. She exclaimed and it is said that her evil eye cause the snake sculpture to crack. These cracks can be seen even now.

One of the many must see things in this temple is the floating pillar. It is said that this pillar was completely off the ground but now because of an experiment conducted by a britisher one corner of the pillar is touching the ground. His experiment led him to conclude that the entire balance of the temple lies on this pillar alone. He is believed to have said that should this pillar be toppled the entire temple would collapse. It is a definite brain teaser as to how this huge stone pillar is hanging from the ceiling of this temple.

The 100 petals lotus carved from 12 stones and joined together in the ceiling of the temple leaves one open mouthed, literally. Pillars with carvings of Rambha, Nataraja, Brahma, Shiva, Parvathi, Nandi, Bhringi (the three legged devotee of Lord Shiva), and Chandra are mesmerizing to say the least. These are the inner circle of pillars. The surrounding pillars have various forms and episodes sculpted into them including one of a chubby warrior, bhoota gana from Shiva’s army. I mention this because this bhoot gana is absolutely cute looking.

As the enamored eyes travel upwards on the pillars and reach the ceiling exquisite paintings take over the task of leaving the visitor gasping for breath for their sheer beauty and brilliance. These paintings on the ceilings done using natural vegetable dyes are now on the verge of being lost forever. Elements of nature have taken their toll on these paintings. What still remains though stands testimony to the artistic prowess of the artisans of that era.

Paintings depicting Shiva-Parvathi’s wedding ceremonies, episode of Ganesha separating Ravana from the Atmaling he got as a boon from Lord Shiva, Veeranna along with his brother Virupanna and sons, seven maids (each one an expert in one particular form of make up) readying Parvathi for the wedding and a painting of a young Krishna whose eyes follow you wherever you go are just some of the few.

Writing just a paragraph about each of the pillars and paintings would result in a huge book and words are just not equipped enough to capture and convey the stories that have been brought to life. One has to see with one’s own eyes, hear the stories that these silent pillars narrate with their own ears and feel the richness of art by being present there; body and soul.

Next time you see a saree with intricate creeper designs you might want to check one of the many pillars in the Lata Mandapa in the unfinished Kalyana Mandapa. The design just might have been inspired from one of these pillars each with a different intricate design.

The pillars in the unfinished Kalyana Mandapa have exquisitely carved figures of Shiva, Parvathi, Brihaspathi, Parvathi’s parents, Indra, Kubera, Varuna, Agni, Vaayu and Yama. Each pillar standing is a testimony to the sculptors’ capabilities of bringing stones to life.

Inside the compound of the temple is an impression of a foot in the stone. It is believed that it is Sita’s right foot impression. Throughout the year this impression is filled with water as there is a natural water spring inside it. The left foot impression is said to be in Kalahasthi.

On the same boulder in which the seven headed serpent has been carved is carvings of a story related to Sri Kalahasthi. There is a spider which is seen worshipping Shivling. A second carving shows Bedara Kannappa worshipping Shivling. The third depicts a cobra and an elephant worshipping the Shivling. Sri the spider, Kala the cobra and hasthi the elephant combined together give the name Sri Kalahasthi.

Right next to this story of Kalahasthi is a beautifully carved Lord Ganesha. Lord Veerabhadraswamy inside the sanctum sanctorum is ugraroopi meaning he is an angry God. The teekshna drishti of Lord Veerabhadraswamy is too powerful for mere mortals like us. This is why it is believed that one has to go around the sanctum sanctorum and take the darshan of Lord Ganesha before entering inside.

Lord Veerabhadraswamy draped in white with a blue cloth for background looked beautiful. Yes, he is a ugraroopi but that day he seemed to be in a good mood. In no modern day temple have I managed to get this feeling of absolute serenity and bliss. A smiling Lord Vishnu right opposite to one of the Shivlings evoked feelings of calm. The Goddess draped in gold and pink saree was looking… well just beautiful. I just stood there for a few moments lost in her gaze and her lovely smile. Goddess Durga carved into one of the pillars and now covered in a brass plate depicting her form was resplendent in a golden yellow saree. Her smile too evoked a sense of calm.

Inside the temple the guide showed us the sculptures of a perfect man and a perfect woman. The perfect man has long hands, broad chest, flat foot and two other attributes which I forgot. The perfect woman has a flat foot, a face which is in 3 equal parts (forehead, nose and upper lip to chin), her face, chest and abdomen are also in equal proportion, has an arched feet and the second toe of her feet are longer than the big toe. Quite interesting… but these talk about only the physical attributes. Weren’t behavioral characteristics important in the making of a perfect man or woman?

Walking around the temple we found inscriptions on the walls and on the ground. These are said to be in both kannada and telugu. Along the outer compound are shelters for devotees who came from far for worshipping the presiding Gods and Goddesses. The pillars here too are intricately carved with some wonderful designs.

On the ground has been carved what looks like plates in the stone. The guide explained to us that this is where the artisans used to have their food. Looking at the size of the plates I could not stop myself from wondering about the amount of food these artisans ate.

Such grandeur coupled with very few people gave us the much sought after peaceful time. It was a wonderful experience to sit in the temple, close the eyes and experience it all. Here we also experienced the phrase “time flies”. It really did and pretty fast too because we had spent more than three hours. Given a choice we would have spent a few more hours exploring this amazing world from the 16th century.

One word of advice, when you engage a guide look for someone who explains in Kannada or Telugu. We asked for a guide who could explain in English. Later on we realized it was a mistake. Not only did this person not explain many of the sculptures and paintings but he also gave information which was contradicted by another guide. We were disappointed with the guide we had engaged.

We next stopped at the biggest monolith Nandi in India. Measuring 15 feet high and 27 feet in length this Nandi has an imposing presence. This is not inside the temple premises and is situated a few hundred meters down the road. It is not the most ornate of the Nandi’s that I have seen but it still is an amazing piece of sculpting. The guide told us that when this temple was built there were seven concentric walls. All that remains now are three layers. The rest four have been lost to the growing human civilization. Another interesting fact is that the Seven headed serpent carved out in stone in the temple can be seen from this place where Nandi stands. The buildings constructed do obscure the view somewhat but it is still visible.

As a footnote I would like to add a couple of things. Unlike many of the temples where at every step one has to shell out big bucks either for Darshan or for even just entering here there was no demand from anybody for money. Even guides do not ask you for any specific amount of money. They accept whatever the visitors give them. Secondly the priest in this temple was very courteous and very nice. He was young and even spoke to us in English. When I was hesitating to go near Lord Vishnu’s idol for taking a photograph he said “Please go in Sir, there is no restriction on taking photographs. Only request is please don’t enter the sanctum sanctorum.” It was such a delightful change from the haughty and airy priests of some of the temples I have visited.

It was time to head back to Bangalore. We decided we will take the Chikkaballapur road this time to avoid the bad roads that we came by. This did not help us in anyway. The road condition till we hit the highway was no better. The road widening disease had struck and it was a nightmare driving through these dust bowls. Finally it was around 5.00 pm when we went to the AP tourism development corporation hotel at Kodikonda post. Though we had not had our lunch we were not too hungry and had a plate of hot chapatis. Feeling a little better for having left the bad roads behind, we rode back home thus bringing another wonderful weekend to close.

Route: Total distance is around 130 kms from Bangalore.
Option 1: Bangalore - Yelahanka - Doddaballapur - Gauribidanur - Hindupur - then take the turn going towards Kodikonda - Lepakshi
Option 2: Bangalore - Devanahalli - Chikkaballapur - Bagepall - Kodikonda - then take the road towars Hindupur (there is a APSTDC hotel after which is the left turn) - Lepakshi

It was difficult choosing the photos to be uploaded in this blog. To see all the photos not uploaded in the blog Click Here

Markonahalli Dam

Life always has it’s own way of derailing the most meticulously laid plans. I strived hard to write about our travel experiences every week. The last couple of weeks have been very tough and I haven’t been able to write about the travels. As a result I have to now play the catch up game. It’s decision time now which I am not particularly fond of. Alas!!! I have to take a decision though. I will now write about our trip to Markonahalli dam. We visited this place a day after celebrating Independence day of the year 2009. The write up of the previous weeks’ shall follow soon. (Hopefully)

Searching through the various resources (google being the main one) we chanced upon a place called Markonahalli dam. Further digging revealed about another place Varadenahalli falls along the way. Of the two routes available we decided to avoid the one which goes via Tumkur road.

Yes, we did start later than our planned time but it was an early start compared to our previous weeks. This meant that we could cover some distance before we stopped for breakfast. We took the Magadi road. Early morning no traffic roads and a slightly overcast sky meant that we covered good distance. However the joy was short lived as Rain Goddess started crying... errrr… myself trying to visualize this, can you??? (My friend always uses feminine gender to address rains like arey meri ma ruk ja, kya kar rahi hai, kyon pareshan kar rahi hai etc.,).

Tippagondanahalli reservoir, famous as the place from where Bangalore gets it’s supply of water, beckoned us. The drizzle however dissuaded us from making a stop. The road was pretty good after a rough patch initially. As a result we were zooming along on our bikes. The tiny raindrops must have been pretty irked by this fact. It was not long before I felt the raindrops trying to pierce our skin wherever it was exposed. Having decided not to pay heed to this we realized pretty soon that the rain goddess wanted to prove to us that she is indeed more powerful than us. I have always said that Mother Nature is any day much more powerful than us, in fact much more powerful than all of us human beings on this earth put together. Yet I wonder what prompted rain goddess to hurl those tiny missiles called raindrops right into our eyes.

A tiny little thatched structure came into view and we stopped having surrendered to rain goddess’ assault. A family from one of the villages around was also taking shelter there and was actually waiting for a bus to go somewhere. My friend and I were gibberishing away the time when I noticed this small girl staring at us. It didn’t take me long to realize that our appearances must have been quite startling for her. Cargo pants, jackets, bandana, head scarf, riding gloves, black sun glasses et al must have made her think if we were by any chance creatures from another planet.

As soon as the rains abated we continued our journey towards Magadi. Our stomachs were growling already. Soon we reached the circle at Magadi. We entered a small hotel kind of structure and the lady there told me idlis and rice bath was available for breakfast. Not used to having rice bath early in the morning we ordered idlis. It was not the usual idlis we get in our hotels in Bangalore. It was a kind of plate idli but had onions, greens and pulses. It tasted really good. Not only that the size of the idli was also pretty big. I could now hear my stomach groaning at having been forced to make space for the huge idli. A cup of coffee would help the idlis settle we thought. At the entrance of the Magadi town was an arch which proclaimed it as the city of silk. It should have been the city of sugar going by the amount of sugar the lady had added to the coffees.

All the while during our breakfast rain goddess was peacefully sleeping in the clouds. Someone must have informed her that we have started our journey again and she woke up forcing us to stop once again. I asked the boy sitting and cleaning bike parts what the fort like structure was that was right in front of us. He said that it was Kempegowda’s fort but now inside was nothing but a big ground used for Sunday fairs. A sense of gloom descended on hearing this and seeing the dilapidated state of the fort.

Rain goddess finally relented and allowed us to continue our journey towards Kunigal. One has to continue on this highway before taking a left turn for Markonahalli dam. There is a board announcing this and it is difficult to miss it. That must be precisely the reason for us to have missed it.

The unscheduled stops due to rain meant that we lost close to an hour and as a result it was 11.00 am when we reached Markonahalli dam. A crowd had already gathered. It was definitely not what we wanted. To have traveled all the way in order to get away from the noisy crowds of the city and only to find the same was disheartening.

Climbing up the steps was a reminder of our aging bodies. Thankfully it was not too high. The vast expanse of water was as soothing as ever. Just as we decided to sit on the stone compound wall a noisy group of people came and we decided to walk.

We wandered around looking at the dam. These huge structures never cease to instill a feeling of awe. We saw quite a few butterflies but only a couple of them posed for photographs. The young one of a lizard was looking around curiously which we managed to capture on camera too.

We came back to the dam and went near the place where the gates of the dam were. A group of boys had entered the huge circular opening and were shouting at the top of their voices and this finally drove us away from the place.

Just before the gate to the dam we had noticed a canal. Stopping for a quick photograph of the canal we noticed a path along this canal. We rode our bike along this path and took a break at a secluded spot. This break proved to be the highlight of the trip.

Lots of babblers and sun birds were flitting around on the trees. A large number of butterflies made us forget our aging and aching limbs. Giving in to hunger pangs we decided to chase the birds and butterflies after finishing the sandwiches and boiled eggs we had packed from home. Sitting on the grass, by the canal and eating simple food brought from home…. Hmmm… I wonder when was the last time I was fortunate enough to have experienced such kind of bliss.

Armed with our digital camera we set off in pursuit of the birds. From one branch to another, from one tree to another they kept flying around all the while making us run and helping us grow young; even if for just a few minutes.

A small girl named Arpita saw us chasing birds and asked us if we wanted them. This had me thinking and asked her what she meant by if we wanted the birds. She went on to explain that they catch birds and that too with their hands. We said we were not interested in having the birds. However a question popped up in my head, how does this kid manage to catch a bird with bare hands?

Continuing with our pursuit of birds we wandered off and were pleasantly surprised to see people working in the fields. There were a couple of lapwings sitting idly and enjoying the tender green of the just planted... Errr I really don’t know what they had planted. We looked around desperately for a place to sit but were disappointed. Trudging back towards our bike we were treated with sightings of some lovely insects, butterflies and birds.


It had been more than and hour and a half since we had reached this place. As if to compensate for the rains throughout our journey the Sun had been mercilessly beating down on us throughout this stay of an hour and a half. We were thirsty and hence headed off to Vishnu Bhavan. Surprise surprise… Rain Goddess did not take long to realize that we had started off our journey once again and decided to accompany us.

Having reached the Varadenahalli post we asked around for Varadenahalli falls. The locals said they had never heard of anything like that. It was very frustrating. Deciding to visit Tippagondanahalli reservoir instead we continued our journey. Yet again disappointment awaited us. A board at the gate of the TG Halli reservoir announced that there is no entry for public.

Masala Munch was the name of the place we stopped for a cup of coffee. Since we were hungry we decided to order for bread omlette. I wish I had walked into the kitchen and seen the cook coax the hen into laying eggs. The hen must have been very reluctant because it took a long time for our bread omlette to be prepared and brought to us.

Rest of the ride back home was pretty uneventful and a slightly disappointing trip came to an end.

Markonahalli dam is at a distance of about 93 kms from Bangalore and about 18 Kms from Kunigal.
Bangalore --> Magadi --> after Magadi town turn left towrds Kunigal--> go past Kunigal and continue on the highway --> take left at the signboard which indicates the way to Markonahalli dam. (there is a hotel by name Vishnu Bhavan on the right side of the road just opposite to this cross)

To see the pictures from this trip Click Here

Chunchankatte - Day 2

We woke up early in the morning, hoping to check out and head for Chamundi hills. The person at the desk was unavailable and we decided to have coffee in the meantime. A small cart by the roadside was where we ended up for coffee. As we sipped the hot coffee we saw a man cutting tomatoes. The speed and accuracy with which he was cutting was a treat to watch. When my friend decided to take his picture he was quite embarrassed and happy at the same time.

Having finally checked out of the hotel we took off for Chamundi hills. It was a beautiful drive all the way up. Before the crowd could build up we managed to get Goddess Chamundeshwari’s darshan. We walked around a little enjoying the magnificent view.

By now we were hungry and rode back into town. We were hoping to find a restaurant but we hit the highway to Bangalore instead. Luckily we found a small hotel where we had our breakfast. Our plan was to visit Mahadevapura. Off we went in search of the place.

On asking for directions a gentleman informed us that we had missed a turn. So we went back and took the turn towards Mahadevapura. Yet again the drive was, to say the least, serenely beautiful. Large coconut groves swaying gently, fields filled with water and people going about their daily routines had a calming effect on us.

Passing through one of the villages we saw an old lady sitting right next to something drying on the road. It was only when my friend told me that it was fish that was being dried did I realize what it was. It was curious to see these small little things being dried in the Sun and they were of different colors too.

It was confusion and more confusion when we reached one of the crossroads. People gave us directions and they were all different. Inspite of all this we did manage to reach Mahadevapura. There is a temple and Cauvery flows right next to it. There was lot of water and we walked along the bank. There is a Ramaswamy anekattu and few people had gathered around. We looked for a place where the crowd was relatively smaller. We sat down and watched a little egret standing in the water and sun bathing.

Hibiscus like flowers caught our eyes as we strolled back towards our bike. On closer inspection they were not. Question about what flowers these were kept bouncing around my head even as I focused the camera on the flower. BINGO… right next to the flower was something that … dimaag ki batti jala di

It was then time for us to move on. We stopped at a small shop for coffee and the shopkeeper told us we can reach the Bangalore road by going to the right. We did and we repented listening to him. We should have gone back the way we came. The road was non-existent and it wasn’t long before both of us were wishing for some soft pillows. However the fields, the birds and curiously shaped tree trunks kept us going. More pictures of ibises, tree pie, bee eaters and pond herons kept us smiling.

Inspite of stopping along the way for coffee at a roadside shop in one of the villages we were desperate to have some good coffee. During our recent trips we have noticed a phenomenon which has left us exasperated quite literally. If you were to watch us while we drive, you might notice us eagerly eyeing the tea / coffee shops for one which still has a kettle on the kerosene stove. These little shops are now equipped with thermos flasks. Ugh!!! Talk about technology. Trust us… given a choice we would never drink the tea from a thermos which tastes anything but like tea. I wonder if the proximity to Mandya, the sugar bowl of Karnataka, has anything to do with the coffees and teas being prepared in sugar syrup instead of water.

Since we didn’t find any of these little tea shops with a kettle on the stove we happily walked into Maddur Tiffanys. Quite an interesting question here… what would be the reaction of the people inside the hotel if we had given in to our temptation and driven our bike right into the hotel? It was lunch time. I ordered for meals and my friend ordered for masala dosa. But hey, we were in Maddur and how can one not eat Maddur vadas. Yep, we ordered them too.

Having finished lunch we hit the highway and we were glad that we won’t have to suffer bad roads anymore. Alas! It was not to be. The road to Kanwa dam was being relaid. It was a horrifying ride. It almost made us turn back and give Kanwa dam a skip. But having come so far we decided we will take a look at it anway. The water level was much higher and the dam had been painted. There were a few people who had come for a picnic but on the whole it was pretty isolated. A red wattled lapwing entertained us for some time. There was no place where shade was available for us to sit. This prompted us to head back and we saw a lot of bee eaters. We even saw one bee eater happily devouring an insect.

It was a long ride back home as thoughts of the city life flooded back. Yet another wonderful trip came to an end. There was a heavy sinking feeling. Yet two days of being ourselves without worrying about the worldly responsibilities had rejuvenated us to an extent.

For viewing the Day 2 pics Click Here

Chunchankatte-Day 1

WARNING: After reading my previous blogs we realized that they were not doing complete justice to our trips. In an attempt to keep it short I had left out quite a few things which were integral to our enjoying the trips tremendously. To keep it short or to write about all those wonderful little experiences was the choice we had to make. Finally we decided we will forget about keeping it short and write for those friends of ours who really love to read all about our experiences and interactions with nature. So friends, get your soft drinks bottles, popcorn packets and settle down in your chairs to go along on our trips……

Our trip to Chunchi and Sangama was, to say the least, wonderful. The number of birds we got to see, the lovely mountains, mesmerizing clouds, soothing lake et al. For the next weekend we decided to go to Ghati Subrahmanya. Late on Friday evening we realized the place would be crowded, so crowded that there wouldn’t be an inch of space to put our foot down on the ground. My friend was upset after having done all the planning and research. It looked like we would have to spend the weekend at home sulking for having not realized that Nagarapanchami was on the weekend.

After a lot of consoling and convincing I scurried off to the nearest cybercafé to search for alternatives. Half an hour later armed with a list of about 10 places I walked towards my friend even as my heart pounded away. Dilly dallying between the options, we discussed and argued about which place to choose. Finally… chun chun ke chuna humne Chunchankatte falls.

Saturday 25th July, 2009. Is it necessary to mention that our start time was much later than what we had decided? It was still early enough for us to be able to hit the Mysore road without getting stuck in a traffic jam. This inspite of having to take a circuitous route through JP nagar and Banashankari. Needless to say we lost our way, courtesy dug up roads. Tatte idlis in Bidadi beckoned us. I was not sure if it was my bike or our stomachs whose roaring and grumbling kept reaching my ears. On reaching Bidadi just as I was about to stop for idlis my friend informed me that the regular hotel where we have breakfast is still ahead. Within no time we realized we had missed our tatte idlis.

Kamat Lokaruchi it was for our breakfast then. We took our time enjoying our breakfast. Though the food is good the waiting at times gets on our nerves because of the huge weekend crowd. Come to think of it I enjoyed it so much that I don’t even remember what I had for breakfast. Having silenced the roaring in our stomachs we set off again.

On the highway we noticed some vendors selling fruits. They had arranged the musambis and pomegranates in an eye catching fashion.

Ponds, lakes, rivers and other water bodies have this strong control over us which is difficult to explain but easy to understand for those who love nature. It was a lake which compelled us to stop and spend some time there. The expanse of water, the blue skies garlanded by soft cotton like clouds, a few women sitting on the steps and washing clothes… we captured it on camera. Or should I say we tried capturing it on camera.

Just then my friend noticed a small plant with leaves still tender sprouting out of the stones. And then there were more such tiny tots swaying to the lilting music of the winds. The color of the tender leaves has always fascinated me and it was no different this time. For the next few minutes we took time to savor it’s beauty and capture it on camera.

Having reached Mysore we asked for directions to KR Nagar which is the short form of Krishna Raja Nagar. With the help of some people instead of just following the main road we ended up taking a circuitous route which took us past the Infosys campus. Finally however we did reach KR Nagar. It was close to noon and we stopped at a hotel to have a bite and coffee.

The circle in KR Nagar had a pillar right in the middle which was very tall, tall enough to be touching the clouds. (Well… atleast in the photograph)

We asked for directions and proceeded towards Chunchankatte. Along the way my friend suddenly asked me to stop the bike. With no clue as to what was so compelling I followed my friend. It was a tree which had been cut. Just the stump stood there. As we looked at it a question popped up. How does one count the rings to find the age of the tree? I tried but I lost my way while counting what I thought were rings.

A little further we found some villagers working in the fields. There was a lady who caught my friend’s attention and as her photograph was being taken we could hear her shout excitedly to her husband. She was so thrilled that her photograph was being taken that she asked her husband to pose for a photograph too. Wish we had been closer to them so that we could have gotten better pictures of them.

Continuing ahead we passed through a village. People walking around leisurely, kids playing, cows and hens were all there. We even saw red chillies spread out on the ground for drying.

Continuing our journey we passed some fields. There were plants which had pink flowers that caught our fancy. They looked beautiful. We tried in vain to identify these plants. As the curiosity got the better of me I walked upto a villager nearby and asked him. He said it is called hogegida. I wasn’t sure what it was and the perplexed look on my face prompted him to put his fingers to his lips in a fashion indicating smoking. It suddenly struck me, these were tobacco plants. My friend and I were both excited with this new discovery. Such beauty and to think that it’s leaves can kill.

Kingfishers sat on the electric cables and teased us. Just as we raised the camera they would fly away. We were like two kids running behind the kingfisher. A farmer working in the fields was quite amused at all this and he said why are you taking photos of only birds, take our photos also. He called his friends too and posed for a photograph and they were very thrilled to see themselves on the display of the camera. Ahhh!!! Not often do you get to see genuine smiles.

Bidding goodbye to our farmer friends we continued our journey. In one of the fields a few birds caught our attention. Along with a little egret was a bird which we had not seen too often. Yes, a black headed Ibis was happily having lunch in the fields. Our excitement had to be kept under control lest the birds get scared and fly away. Even as we were busy shooting the black headed Ibis another bird snatched our attention. Gosh! It was the black Ibis. It reminded me of the phrase jab bhi deta hai to chappar phadke deta hai (please don’t ask me who is the one who gives).

Finally we reached Chunchankatte. Even as we parked the bike I could hear the majestic roar of the falls. We walked past the temple and a small bridge led us to the falls. We lost track of time as we walked down the boulders and sat with our feet in water. The water cooled our souls and we just sat there allowing River Cauvery to take us into her beautiful arms. She caressed us with a fine spray of water.

It is said that Lord Rama along with Sita had accepted the hospitality of a local couple named Chuncha and Chunchi right here. Sita, who was tired, asked to take bath and Lord Rama directed Lakshmana to shoot an arrow into the rock. The water pouring out from where Lakshmana is supposed to have shot an arrow gushes out in three different shades. The three different shades being that of turmeric, shikakai (a fruit used as natural shampoo) and oil. Another interesting thing here is that the roar of the waterfalls can be heard except from the Sanctum sanctorum of the Kodandarama temple. It is believed that Lord Rama, tired of the constant complaining of Sita, cursed that the tongue of a woman should not be as sharp. Hence, Cauvery, considered to be female cannot be heard inside the sanctum sanctorum where Lord Rama resides.

Hopping from one place to another to enjoy the waterfalls we finally settled down very near to the falls. Looking towards the left we were bewildered. Cauvery was flowing silently and gracefully akin to a bride. Just before the falls she looked like a group of toddlers giggling. And then she transforms herself into a powerful falls, her roar ferocious enough to send shivers down the spine. It was amazing to see this transformation.

With heavy hearts we bade goodbye to Chunchankatte falls and headed towards Mysore. Our plan was to meet one of our friends who stays in Mysore and then go back to Bangalore. As luck would have it our friend was working and could get free only by evening. It was dilemma time once again, to stay or not to stay. A flip of the coin finally decided for us. We would stay back to meet our friend for dinner.

After a long search we found a place to stay which was very near to the palace. Once freshened up we ventured out and walked around only to be blessed with a power cut. The whole street went dark before the generators sprang to life to drive away the total darkness. The clock tower looked magnificent in the night light. Color lights beautified the place where the statue of the Wodeyar king stood majestically.

Finally our friend arrived and we went to a restaurant nearby for a lovely dinner. Dinner finished, it was time to retire for the night.

To see more pictures of day 1 Click Here

Chunchi N Sangama

Devarayanadurga bike ride was great, just like most of our bike trips earlier. For our weekend trip on Sunday 19th July, 2009 we decided to plan our trip for a change and Mekedaatu was the destination we came up with.

An early start as planned did not materialize and we started off at around 7.00 am in the morning. We hit Kankpura road and the Karnataka tourism department board declared Mekedaatu was 79 kms away.

As I was driving one of the buildings caught our eye and we decided to explore it a little. The board at the main gate said “Shankaraa… Yours for the arts”. Tailoring, embroidery, karate and a few other classes are held here what the elderly person at the security window told us. The compound wall itself caught our fancy. When we peeped inside Lord Ganesha was sitting pristinely under a lovely mantap. A few ducks waddling around on the lush green lawns inside the compound had me wishing I could be working in such a lovely place.


We had breakfast at Adiga’s and resumed our journey. Along the way we saw a pond filled with lotuses. It was a beautiful sight to watch. The lovely pink colored flowers dotting the green leaves compelled me to park my bike by the side and take a few pictures. A pleasant surprise was in store for us. A pheasant tailed jacana was stealthily walking around on the leaves. Alas!!! I could not manage to get a good shot of this beautiful bird.


It should not take more than 2 hours to cover about 80 kms. Ideally speaking that is. More than 5 hours might sound very difficult to explain but if you are crazy like us stopping at every possible opportunity to see the birds, butterflies, mountains, trees, flowers, passers by and the myriad interesting things around us then everything falls into place. How often do we stop to see a bird preen it’s feathers? When was the last time we stood still, afraid to even breathe, just to hear the lilting call of a bird? How often do we let the innocent radiant smile of a child captivate us? Have there been incidences where the sight of a mountain or a cloud invokes images of something else we have seen earlier? Ever wondered how that curious hollow in the trunk of a tree is formed?


Allowing our hearts to dictate the progress of our journey we moved along doing the things mentioned above. Just then the sight of a huge water body lured us into turning our bike towards it. A black shouldered kite perched on the electric cable grabbed our attention. We stood and watched. It rewarded us by taking off and flying around. And then… what we saw made us gasp in sheer admiration. The kite simply stopped in mid flight and stayed still, almost as if hanging in mid air. I had not seen something like this in south India. Only during one of my Himalayan treks had I seen a raptor do such a thing. If only I could have captured that moment on camera.


While walking towards the lake I stopped dead in my tracks. This grasshopper was the reason and it was gracious enough to pose for me before it decided to do the famous vanishing act of the Gods in Indian movies sans the sound effects (remember those TINGGGG sound effects?).


The lake was quite huge. Dark clouds majestically floated by in the sky. Mountain ranges sheathed in greenery where there were no huge boulders formed the background. A strong breeze created ripples in the water. These small ripples flowed towards the bank and back. They reminded me of a connoisseur of food lapping up a delicious dessert; slowly, gently, savoring it with all that he has.


The lake beckoned me with it’s soft gurgling sounds as it played with the stones on the bank. How could I not accept it’s invitation? Settling down on the edge of the lake I let it all soak in. The caress of the breeze let me know that it was happy with my taking time to sit there and be with them. I closed my eyes, content to just be there.

It was time to bid adieu to the lake and we slowly made our way back towards my bike. I picked up a dead dragonfly lying in our path. After taking a picture of it and putting it back down on the ground I looked back at the lake longingly.

Riding towards Mekedaatu we passed quite a few villages and we stopped at Aladahalli. It was already past noon and we were beginning to feel hungry. At one of the bakeries we had a quick bite and then started our journey again. It was a mistake that I did not ask for directions. Instead of taking a left turn we went straight ahead. A helpful villager thankfully gave us directions and we headed back. A curious arrangement of boulders halted our ride for a few minutes.


At one of the villages we saw a temple of Sri Mutturaya after whom the village was named.


Speeding towards Mekedaatu on a fairly good road I happened to notice a board which showed the direction for Chunchi falls. Yet again our hearts made the decision for us. Reaching the Chunchi colony we asked for directions and made our way towards the falls. There were a few cars and bikes parked announcing the presence of visitors. We made our way towards the falls and immediately realized that there was not much water. Instead of walking all the way down we decided to head back towards Mekedaatu.

Even before we could reach our bikes we found ourselves chasing birds and bees again. It was lovely to watch the birds and the bees suck the nectar from the flowers as they flew from one plant to another.



Here is a shot of the road we traveled on.


We finally reached Sangama and saw that the place was crowded as expected. The water level was much higher than during my previous visit. The garbage was also much more and I did not feel like venturing into the water. It is sad to see such a beautiful place being littered. Ahh… how many people have written this? And how many times??? Yet…

There was a huge crowd waiting to take the coracle to reach the other side. Looking at the number of people on the other side which leads to Mekedaatu we decided we will come back later when the crowd is likely to be smaller.

Our drive back was yet again dotted with lot of bird sightings. One more wonderful trip came to end. When we started Mekedaatu was our planned destination. We did not go there. But what we did see warmed our hearts and brought a smile on our faces.

To see rest of the photos from this trip Click here