tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25053332623307165692012-02-13T19:52:04.940+05:30A travelogue on Incredible India, with Historical insight, Research, Folklore and Groundswell.Deguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11920558699154594412noreply@blogger.comBlogger1241100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2505333262330716569.post-21016400035777395762012-01-31T14:56:00.000+05:302012-01-31T14:56:49.539+05:30

Like the proverbial Jatinga birds committing harakiri at Assam due to magnetic and wind energy fluctuation, Kaivara too can cause confusion among human beings.  It was a first hand experience that prompted me to come to a conclusion.  After covering most of the tourist places at Kaivara and Alamgiri instead of taking the Bangalore route we proceeded towards Madanpalle with signposts too

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What better way to spend weekend getway and series of holidays to dig into our legacy and heritage. It is worth traveling a 1000 kms on a round trip from Bangalore to Bandalike. Enroute if one can enjoy the nature and adventure of trekking it is an added bonus.  Many of these ancient heritage locations seem to have used the nature to the optimum.  Vastushastra has been adopted to blend air,

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Kodavas  have a unique tradition among the Indians probably because of their descent from Alexander the great.  The migration of  Chandragupta Maurya in 298 BC down to Sravanabelagola gives some credence to this theory. The etymology of the word Koda is mysterious, some identify it as west or hills.  My premise is that  it refers to the vessel with water carried by women folk during wedding

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If one is inquisitive and on a rediscovery trail on India, one is bound to ponder over the legacy of  various kingdoms of the past.  Where did the Pallavan kings live, how did they manage to build huge monuments, what was the motivation to undertake massive architectural excellence, why did they engage in constant warfare among the Gangas and Chalukyas. During my trip i asked my guide

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I am lucky to have a French family connection with my sister having married Jacques a French citizen.  Going back to the roots of the French connection in India, could we have enjoyed better freedom and progress under their reign is quite debatable.  The genesis of  Pondicherry dates back to port trading days with the Romans with the discovery of Artifacts at Arikamedu.  It was known as

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Guys i am unable to post Golden heritage   for want of its approval by Indiblogger management.  But in the meanwhile i have tried to link the same with historical perspective.  The discovery of Gold in Chalukyan domain  has obviously spurred construction of monuments with a dual objective of establishing the hindu empire in the region and leaving behind a legacy of great builders.  But for

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Basically i was inspired to share my marriage journey by Pramod's Marriage Book.  How to pull off the long journey of two decades of  marriage with my better half  Vasanthi was the key question ?  I thought why not link it to our various trips that we have undertaken right from marriage days on august 23rd ( 1991 ) Wedding Portrait  With Sister and Mother Classmates Rajarathnam

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Guys Indiblogger meet sponsored by Samsung Galaxy TAB750 was a total success considering the number of  new comers into the fold.  Of course there were many veterans too such as Alok, Laxmi Rajan, Mathew, Vijay, Saurav, Rajesh, Karthik, etc.    We got to touch and feel the Samsung Tab750 which loaded with features, 8 MP camera output, video output, interface with social media, gaming,

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During the last visit i had an unfinished agenda to locate Krishnadevaraya's palace.  Based on some clues i began my quest in the right earnest.  The ruins opposite to underground Shiva temple looks very much to be a palace, whether it belonged to Krishnadevaraya was a key question.  I recollected the Paes description that his palace was bound by huge boundary walls, whereas this place was

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Robert Sewell wrote in his treatise A forgotton Empire " I have little doubt that before very long the whole history of southern india will be compiled by some writer gifted with the power making the dry bones live, but meanwhile the bones themselves must be collected and pieced together, and my duty has been to try and construct at least the main portions of the skeleton " Before we

Deguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11920558699154594412noreply@blogger.com2State Highway 49, Karnataka, India15.307366397019628 76.4662170410156215.246102397019628 76.38553604101563 15.368630397019627 76.54689804101562tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2505333262330716569.post-18532859077083336322011-09-03T11:46:00.001+05:302011-09-05T17:02:04.656+05:30

Hampi ruins are spread over 26 square kms, but the original bastion of the empire was spread across 40 sq kms.  In order to protect the city from invaders, the successive Vijaynagar empire fortified the city with 7 tier  protection.  The outer circle consisted of wall circulating the boundary, the inner ramparts were protecting the important monuments such temples, public function place, such

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ASI records on the premises of Anantasayana Temple mentions that this temple was dedicated by Krishnadevaraya in 1524 AD in reverance to Lord Ananthpadmanaba.  This temple town Sale was dedicated to his son Tirumala, who seems to have been killed in a conspiracy hatched for succession.  The prime suspect was Timmarsu, who was a trusted commander of  Krishnadevaraya.  He was blinded and

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It is virtually almost impossible to cover Hampi and surroundings unless one plans for a four day trip considering the logistics of  travelling, trekking, ascending, studying the architecture, shooting pictures.  If one is running short of  time or holidays, it is better to cover the same in phases.  So we decided to explore Hampi for the third time this time around focussing on the unseen

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When Robert Sewell published his treatise A Forgotton Empire in 1900, little did he realise that Hampi would  be considered as a world Heritage site in 1986 ( first reprint of his edition was published ).  The revival of the heritage destination has been slow and calibrated under Hampi Heritage area management authority act 2002 ( 16/4/2003 ).  The biggest boost for the conservation efforts

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On a guided tour we were driven past Charminar, lieu of parking restrictions near the monument.  We had to postpone our visit to the next day.  Luckily the visit to the edifice opens up at 9 am, we had to stand in the queue to buy the entry ticket of  Rs 5 each.  Once we were inside the premise, we had to undergo the security check at the gate, and bags are not allowed while climbing up.  

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One of the finest zoological park was established in 1959, and thrown open to the public in 1963.  It extends to over 380 acres housing Carnivores, Herbivores, Primates, Reptiles, Birds, Nocturnal and Rodents.  The zoo is closed on Mondays.   Timings of the zoo :  8am to 5 pm Entry Fee               Adult      Rs20         Child      Rs10 Train Ride             Adult       Rs15        

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Golla Konda in telugu literally means Shepherds hillock, Golkonda hillock was used by farmers in ancient times to graze their sheeps and cows.  This place was selected by Ganpathi Deva in lieu of its elevated platform(  1242 - 1262 ) as an ideal place to erect a mud fortress to station a garrison.  During the two decades reign of the kakatiya king, Ganpathi Deva, Golkonda fort played a strategic

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We took a risk of planning a trip to telangana territory amidst great uncertainty, whether the agitation will play spoil sport to our clubbing the extended independence holidays was big question mark.  We took a chance and booked our hotel, and one way ticket by inter city express towards warrangal.  Enroute we literally spotted a monolithic rock jutting out with a beautiful fortress wall

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Prologue  After a disappointing visit to Hanumakonda temple complex, we landed at Warrangal fort on the independence day ( 15/8/2011 ).  We were stunned by the unfolding open air museum of sorts with rain adding lush green background to the monuments.  The grandeur was overwhelming, i was left wondering why should such a complex not be declared a world heritage monument ?  We innocently asked

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The clear evidence of the conversion of a Jain Heritage into Bhagwati temple is found at Kallil. The statues of the theerthankaras must have been destroyed by the vandalisers and in it s place a Hindu goddess statue has been installed. The proof of the conversion can be seen on the unfinished image of Buddha or Jain theertankara which belongs to 800 AD as per carbon dating. The

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Live your life so that your epitaph could read, No Regrets at all! A trip to the virgin beaches of konkan coast can act as rejuvenating experience far away from the maddening crowd. No wonder my Bill and his family make it a habit to visit Mangalore and its non-polluted beaches once in 2 years at least from Paris. Last time around when I visited Panambur and Ullal beaches I was not

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Belum cave is located in the dry and arid zone of Ananthpur district, lot of cuddapah stones are mined in the nearby area, with a huge cement plant too located in the vicinity. These caves were inhabited in the ancient times by Buddhists and Jain monks, many of the relics discovered during the restoration process is housed in the museum located at Ananthpur town. It may have been

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It is located hardly 40 kms from my mils place in Karnad. A direct road connects via Moodbidri to Karkala, enroute one comes across the church of Attur. One gets to pass via the Soans farm in Belvai, Moodbidri too. This farm is built on eco tourism concept. The details of Soans farm can be obtained from the following link : http://www.moodabidri.com/soans/index.html History : This

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When we took off on a drive, to escape the sound of  diwali fumes & fireworks, never did we imagine that we will end up discovering literally an exclusive group of  buddhist caves enroute to Murud Zanjira. After crossing Revas danda from Alibaug we enquired on the cross roads which route we have to take and we were guided towards Murud via a hillock. Suddenly i noticed a small

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What the artisans from the Vijaynagar empire have attempted at Tadipatri is to been seen to be believed. Literally I had to reverse my vehicle and have an argument with my wife, who was reluctant that I should see these temples at any cost. It was worth the disagreement and at the end of the day she was happy that my instincts worked this time around for a change. We were delayed on

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Normally the priests refrain from acting as a guide to the tourist, my wife took the initiative and requested the priest to spend a few minutes to explain the historical importance of this temple town. Banavasi was known from the days of Emperor Ashoka. He sent his missionaries to Vaijantipura to spread the gospel of Buddha. The Shatvahana dynasty took over and reigned supreme for

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Many a times tourist to Kochi would get confusing answers if one asks about Tripunitara Palace. The best way to get around is to enquire about Tripunitara Museum which is away from the township of Tripunitara. This place is situated enroute to the famous temple of Chottinakara ( 6 km before the temple ) This palace is purported to be built on the hillock which is not very

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My fascination for fortress will be everlasting. I had read so much about Gingee Fort and its strategic part played in the annals of history that i made up to visit the same on 25/1/10, clubbing the repubic day holiday. We had a packed program with checking out Vellore Fort, Tiruvanamalai temple and rushed to Gingee by bus. Our anxiety began when we came to know that there is no cloak room,

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Shrirangapattana is an ideal one day picnic getway from Blore. It is located on the old Mysore highway approximately 120 kms from Blore. One has to travel via Bidadi, Sholay’s Ramanagaram, Chennapatna, Maddur, Mandya and reach this place. The drive on the two laned highway is beautiful, but can be perilous for those who overspeed, many a accidents have occurred due to intermittent U turns in the

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HOW DID HAMPI LOOSE IT DIAMOND TRADING CHARM? Many of us wonder if Hampi was the diamond trading capital how did it loose out on its primacy. My research took me to culling out information from various sources. The diamond district in ancient times was located in the basin of Tungabhadra and Krishna rivers known as Raichur ( doab area ) The ancient rocky surface dating back to 3600 millions old

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When Tutankhamun's treasure was discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter and George Herbert it received world wide press coverage.  But the media interest in the discovery of the treasure trove of  Travancore kings  at Padmanabhaswamy temple is surprisingly very muted except may be in the vernacular press and channels in Kerala i presume.  The initial reports suggested that the treasure may not be

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Prologue On a one day visit which monument to be covered was a big dilemma for me, when i had been to attend my friends silver jubilee marriage celeberation.  The ideal location seemed to me the Govt Museum located at Egmore.  My friend was pleased to arrange for a drop to the museum so that i could make a quick trip of the same.  What strikes me with the collection galore in the museum seems to

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When the rainy season sets in the konkan coast, it squeals and unleashes the turbulence of a typhoon heralding the onset of monsoon. Nature ‘s fury can only be tamed by the lord Shiva, and true to his spirit we experienced the turbulence beyond compare on the shores of the Arabian sea. Prologue The credit for construction of the temple with the tallest Shiva statue & Gopuram in the world

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Water was literally flowing all round, the temple to the paddy fields and to the surrounding village. Just imagine the blessed land with 5 underground springs with crystal clear water, as if it is cleaner than RO water. The five springs are known as Srisailam Dhara, Narasimha Dhara, Nandi Teerta, Daivodini Dhara and and Kailash teerta all flow into the pond inside the temple. LOCATION :

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A typical Ekuta temple built in Hoysala style without Platform on all four sides. This temple was built by Amrutheswara Dandanayaka, commander of the king Veera Ballal II. Since the commander hailed from nearby town of Tarikere he wanted a monument to adorn his hometown. He had selected an idyllic spot near the river Bhadra, but safely away from it fury and flooding. The entire landscape

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One fine day we thought it is time we take a break and discover some of the heritage left behind the hoysala and vijaynagar rulers.  We took the NH4 and deviated towards turuvakere, banasandra, missed the route to Hulikere and reached Tiptur.  From Tiptur we moved towards Ariskere and decided to take a night halt.  In the meanwhile we had read on the net the diety Govinda or Lord Balaji is

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 Professor S. Settar considers Hoysalas were compulsive builders, with more than 900 temples built in aroud 600 centres in their territory.  These temples were built to prove to the world that they were better builders than Chalukyas.  In the bargain they were helped by natural availability of soapstone in plenty, which was enabled them to sculpt the stones with decorative designs.  Many of the

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A history was created at the iconic bangalore palace grounds @ 7.30 pm by the Mozart of  Madras with his troupe singing away to cheer the crowd.  For the first time in India a 3 D concert was bought into India with UFO being the sponsorer. One one occasion Shivmani came running into the camera causing a flutter, the 3 D effect made it look as if he is going to crash into you anytime.  Another

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On 19th April we Msians were fortunate to revisit the world famous Marina Beach in Chennai. Even I had a misconception that Marina was the longest beach in the world, but nevertheless it is credited for being the widest beach in the world with 437 meters.  The Miramar beach is one of the longest beaches in the world spreading almost 27 kms on either side. The beach stretches from Fort St.

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An elegant palace built with brick and mortar, along with liberal use of teak wood and brick tiles for roofing has been constructed by Marthanda Varma in 1744 AD after demolishing the mud Kaikulam Palace. The Kaikulam Fort and Palace was renamed Padmanabapuram palace as a dedication to Lord Padmanabha. The Travancore Royal family followed matrilineal system of succession. The kings were

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Prologue : In 1623 Pietro Dalla Valla an Italian traveller visited Ikkeri during the Dusherra season. He was invited to witness the pompous celebration coinciding with the inaugration of Aghoreshwara temple at Ikkeri.  He saw the king ( Hiriya Venkatappa Nayak ( 1586 - 1629 ) and his group of ministers enjoying the processions unfolding on the streets of Ikkeri along with a retinue of

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In the middle of  January the temperature started heating up in Blore which is surprising, maybe signs of changing climatic condition.  We friends decided to take a break to Mysore, Brindavan, Nagarhole and return to blore for a three days trip.  One day stay at Byalapkuppa was aborted due to the exigency.  We drove quickly to Srirangapatanam, enroute we had a good lunch at Kamat Lokruchi at

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Many a tourist get confused between Dutch and Danish and my impression that Dansborg fortress was Dutch was proved wrong as soon as I visited the Tranquebar beach. The Ozone rich beach of Tranquebar was a pleasant way to spend our spare time where the hindu monuments are closed between 1 to 4 pm invariably. This place boasts of the second rich place on earth which contains a rich content of O3 (

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KELADI NAYAKS  Keladi Nayaks were originally feudatory of the Vijaynagar empire. Choudappa Nayak was the original founder of the dynasty 1499 – 1540 who was basically a commander under the emperor Krishnadevaraya, who suggested he should take over as Governor of the territory to protect the interest Vijaynagar Empire. History of Keladi Nayaks origin : There is an interesting story on the

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One can sail to Krishnapuram from Allepey on the ferry starting at 5.45 am, 6 am and 8 am organized by DTPC. Krishnapuram palace is alleged to be summer vacation palace of the yester Travancore kings. It must obviously have been a palace of pleasure with courtesans around. The water from the pond seeps into the palace creating an aura of pleasure for the kings to bathe after a good massage. It is

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An aroma fills the air with expectation of a bygone era in search of the pepper queen, which symbolized the zenith of trading links with Europeans, Arabs, Persians, Chinese, etc.. The konkan coastal belt served as an export base, with Mirjan serving as one of the micro ports, for all the spices produced in the during the Vijayanagar Era. The vijayanagar empires principal exports were pepper,

Deguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11920558699154594412noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2505333262330716569.post-76542031397687540192011-05-10T16:37:00.002+05:302011-05-11T07:13:18.979+05:30

Prolouge Who built the Vidyashankar temple of Sringeri ? is subject of great speculation. Many a historians credit the godfather of Vijaynagar empire Vidyaranya to have commissioned and completed the temple in 1356 AD. However the typical Hoysala star styled pedestal indicates that the temple was commissioned much earlier. My surmise is that Hoysala king Veera Ballal III commissioned the temple

Deguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11920558699154594412noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2505333262330716569.post-59203914060884168552011-04-30T12:56:00.004+05:302011-04-30T13:30:27.286+05:30

I have been regularly travelling length and breadth of coorg intensively during 1989 to 1991.  Of course it was on official mission, discharging my duties as sales executive, ensuring width and depth of distribution of biscuits among the retailers.  The landscape of coorg was dotted with coffee plantation, cardamon, aeracanut, pepper and many other natures offerings  I used to look forward for

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According to hindu beliefs planets impact each and every individual right from the moment of one's birth unto his death. If one takes the re-birth theory into consideration, the previous birth also influences life on earth in the current birth.  Location : How to cover Navagraha temples which is spread over distance of 200 kms in round trip. If one is travelling by train one has get down at

Deguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11920558699154594412noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2505333262330716569.post-32870140450599381502011-04-22T15:54:00.003+05:302011-04-28T16:27:28.782+05:30

History : From the Neolithic mankind the baton was handed over to the Nandas who ruled over this territory, and later the Mauryas took over the reign after defeating the Nandas. Chandragupta Maurya ascended the throne in 323 B.C and spread his wings right upto Shravanbelagola. Later the Guptas and Satvahana dynasties ruled this region. South Indian dynasties of Pallavas and Cholas too reigned for

Deguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11920558699154594412noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2505333262330716569.post-80078776143454732672011-04-22T11:31:00.002+05:302011-04-28T16:28:35.860+05:30

Prologue : The seeds of Christainity was sown by the doubting Saint Thomas in India. Why was he known as doubting Thomas is an interesting incident. He refused to believe that Lord Jesus resurrected after crucification. Naturally he doubted the veracity of the believers, and later he touched the wounds of Jesus ( in his dreams I presume ) and got rid of his doubt on resurrection. After his faith

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For whom the bells toll, Time Marches On………….so goes the Lyrics of  Metallica.  Well when  working in high pressure organization which is filled with activity taking a break almost is a luxury, taken at a risk of displeasing one’s own boss.  I did manage to club the Diwali holidays, to move away from Mumbai, and thus escaping the sounds of deafening crackers being exploded in the apartments. 

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Just imagine being an amateur trekker risking one’s life that too on a diwali day ( 17/10/09 ) to ascend the impregnable Madaksira fort. Last time around we wanted to trek this fort but could not in lieu of not finding a proper place to park our car safely. Moreover we were in a hurry to reach Pavgada Fort, which was our destination for stay. This time around it was only determination and

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The vernacular translation or etymology of  Srikalahasti means literally SRI refers to Spider, KALA signifies Serpant and HASTI means Elephant.  The temple is dedicated to all three forms of life, and revolves around the royalties patronage.  Who built this magnificient temple is a matter of  speculation ?  The original structure seems to insignificant and built during the Pallava reign, over

Deguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11920558699154594412noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2505333262330716569.post-55393915695447758372011-03-23T12:59:00.004+05:302011-03-24T06:18:40.091+05:30

Imagine the supermoon rising on the frontiers of Chandragiri fortress besides the queens chambers and Kings Palace well lit.    We were privileged to witness the sound and light show anchored  by the Big B in the chandragiri fort premises at 8 pm on the 21st March 2011.  The show unfolded the history in cinematic fashion. Who built this historic edifice is matter of intense speculation ?  The

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Shivgange Photoblog Shivgange looks surmountable from a distance of  a kilometre but for us it was like conquering an everest.Basically being other side of 50......trekking 4500 feet above sea level is humongous task. Shalini accompanied us with glee.....to scale the peak. Oh my goodness the holy water is almost reachable but only a few get to fetch it, it is believed all the sins gets washed

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An iconic king and so little is known about Krishnadevaraya. It is my endeavour to demystify the reign of Krishnadevaraya apart from his various victories in the battlefield, which is well covered in the annals of Indian History. The era wherein Hindu royalty was filled with multiple wives created intrigue, conspiracy and drama was the order of the day. Domingo Paes is probably the

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Tirumala TrekBy instinct we decided to trek up the Tirumala hill from Alipiri on the 28th instant, which was Vaikunta Ekadasi. We prepared mentally and physically at 40 + we knew we will be pushing our system to the limits. The total distance to the sanctum sanitarium is around 9.5 Kms. We have had earlier attempted to climb 2000 steps in Melkalu tirupati which was exhausting. But now the bar

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ProlougeWe went to attend wedding of our family friend Anoop Manghat in Palghat, we arrived in the midnight from Alwaye by bus, after covering Munnar, Keladi by Taxi, which was crowded to core and we were lucky to get down in midst of the highway.  Anoop had booked our hotel, but we had to finish our dinner.  We had lovely kerala parotas along with egg curry and than moved to our nest.  Next

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Never before have I undertaken research before undertaking a trip to the Malad territory, which is famed for worship of spirits ( bootha kola ), land of the King Cobra, where Pineapples are grown, Nude worship is practiced, where rivers merge in the form of tungabhadra, where spice and rice is grown. Anxiety built up with unrelenting rain pounding the region, which obviously was a bounty for

Deguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11920558699154594412noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2505333262330716569.post-68791241128552141332011-03-13T11:06:00.000+05:302011-03-13T11:06:39.922+05:30

The endeavor of fleeing rulers of Vijaynagar to build an alternative edifice @ Lepakshi must be visited by all puritans. The earnest desire to emulate the grandeur of Hampi Heritage is unravelled at Lepakshi. At the enterance a huge Nandi is sculpted, which happens to be largest Nandi in India. As one enters the temple one is presented with a visual treat of pillared structure of Veerabhadra

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The Darasuram group of temples is located around 7 kms away from the kumbakonam railway station. I was inspired by a blogger from Ahmedabad to visit this temple on priority when compared to Navagraha temples which is usually ventured as a matter of religious tourism to get rid of their doshas. My gut feeling had come true to see the Darasuram unraveling as fresh as a daisy after a heavy

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What makes Munnar that extra special to be called the Rich mans paradise or Ooty ? Is it because of clean, landscaped and unpolluted tea gardens, confluence of three rivers or the much hyped tourism. The credit for discovering the Munnar hilly ranges embedded in the western ghats goes to a British adventurer Mr John Daniel Manro and local tribal chief Kannan Thevar. Both of them discovered

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It was a news to me when I read that Mahabalipuram was built on the wealth amassed from destruction of Vatapi by the Pallavan King. The capital of Chalukyas was Badami ( Vatapi old name ) which was ransacked for its supreme wealth and grandeur.  The Pallava kings had established Mahabalipuram as a sea port to have trading links with China, Arabs and Greeks. Infact the antecedents point

Deguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11920558699154594412noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2505333262330716569.post-5787103598922719912011-03-05T17:34:00.001+05:302011-03-05T17:50:56.311+05:30

“It is dusk, a time for foreplay to begin @ Aihole “ felt the artisans of the chalukyan era. The artistic freedom for the artisans to depict erotica was witenessed in plenty. For skeptics it may sound like an exaggerated marketing gimmick to promote a tourist destination, for lovers of heritage it real passionate plea inviting them to explore the fourth century passion play exhibited on

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The beautiful and serene atmosphere with a lake; impregnable defense of Badami landscape captivated Pulkesi II ( 609-642 AD) who married the princess Devi from Alupa dynasty from Barkur. She obviously brought along with her artisans who had rich experience of carving wonderful edifices. Inorder to proclaim his victory over the Pallavas and re-capturing the territory Badami was commissioned as a

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Some of the exclusive properties Jungle Lodges are as follows : KABINI RIVER LODGE :  Once the hunting ground of the yesteryear Maharaja, nestled in the southern boundary of Nagarhole National park, it is a perfect getaway for adventure seeking individuals and families.  A truely world class destination according to British Tatlers Travel Guide. Activities @ Kabini :  Jeep Safaris into

Deguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11920558699154594412noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2505333262330716569.post-6307499712947766372009-08-30T23:28:00.007+05:302011-05-10T16:19:35.386+05:30

Prolouge The inspiration of Aristotle ( 384 – 322 BC ) combined with the valour of Alexander the great ( 356 – 323 BC ) firmly entrenched the Macedonian empire. In the sub-continent under the tutelage of Chanakya ( 350 – 283 BC ) the Mauryan empire was born with Chandragupta Maurya ( 340 – 298 BC ) as the emperor by vanquishing the Nanda empire. In 325 BC it is speculated that

Deguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11920558699154594412noreply@blogger.com3Shravanabelagola, Karnataka, India12.85587 76.4827512.521153499999999 76.01583099999999 13.1905865 76.949669tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2505333262330716569.post-32525537517848457752009-08-27T16:22:00.005+05:302011-04-22T16:15:41.287+05:30

PROLOUGE : Nagaland is the only state where the Official language is ENGLISH. This itself for motivation enough for me to plan a visit to Nagaland. The entry point by road, air or rail happens to be Dimapur, which located on the border of Assam. Innerline permits have to be obtained to visit Nagaland. They can be obtained from Delhi, Kolkatta, Gauhati, Shillong, &  Dimapur for 10 days.

Deguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11920558699154594412noreply@blogger.com7Dimapur, Nagaland, India25.9 93.73333325.2823255 92.79949500000001 26.5176745 94.667171tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2505333262330716569.post-52148907471032141532009-04-01T07:43:00.007+05:302011-07-21T07:54:57.487+05:30

PROLOGUE : The taste of rice, rasam and karela fry in an ordinary thatched roof restaurant in Moreh is still lingering in mind even after 24 years. Burma rice which is produced in the borders of Manipur and Burma is the best rice in the world due its organic content and variety. We crossed over a river which was flowing at 1 inch thickness with purity of a mineral water. People were

Deguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11920558699154594412noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2505333262330716569.post-62340058494986199122009-03-29T15:45:00.007+05:302011-04-22T16:15:16.538+05:30

PROLOUGE The Name Laldenga would send fear down our spines due to the separatists demand from Indian Union. In general people visiting Mizoram used to be greeted with a statement, Are you from India ? Knowing the history of Mizos, we may be tempted to ask them are you from China or Mongolia. However sanity has prevailed the agitation which began on Feb 28, 1966 ended in 1986 with the Mizo

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The Enigma of ASSAM is mired with mysticism, tantrik cults, teotonic disturbances, Tea Estates, turbulent Brahmaputra, wild life sanctuaries, silk weaving, bamboo crafts, and Bodo agitation. The etymology of Assam is subject to many theories and conjectures. The reliable version is that of Asama in the sense of being Peerless or Unrivalled. The Ahoms called themselves Tai, which meant

Deguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11920558699154594412noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2505333262330716569.post-11789637956422130122009-03-25T16:46:00.009+05:302011-07-21T07:54:57.474+05:30

No where in the world can Sunrise be as beautiful, enchanting and mesmerizing as on Tiger Hills, Just imagine the full moon fading in West, Golden sun glowing in the east and the Himalayan range unfolding in the North. It can only be Darjeeling where the nature unravels in all its glory. Our one day sight seeing began @ 3.30 am with a journey from Darjeeling town past the historic railway

Deguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11920558699154594412noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2505333262330716569.post-5362450001773256202009-03-23T23:20:00.005+05:302011-08-05T18:09:55.138+05:30

Where the clouds gently touch the Jaintia hills, orchids blossom, khasi virgins dance in unison, caves meander furtherest, uranium deposits are found, smoke bellowing from Jhuming, Pineapples taste sweetest and Umiam lake is the deepest. Khasi Tradition and Morals : The British divided the tribes of two hills into Jaintias and Khasis, to further their supremacy over the innocent tribals.

Deguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11920558699154594412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2505333262330716569.post-71250112035310656202009-03-22T15:27:00.011+05:302011-07-21T07:54:57.502+05:30

Enter the land of the Yaks, Glacial Lakes, Hot Springs, Tibetian & Nepali Cuisine. A land enriched with flora and fauna, which was original inhabited by the Tribes of Lepcha and Bhutias. Now they are vastly outnumbered by the armymen and business men from all over the country. Nepalis are the majority population in the state today. A demographic transformation indeed. Tourism is the

Deguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11920558699154594412noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2505333262330716569.post-89835738374887155092009-03-21T18:22:00.007+05:302011-03-20T07:27:19.906+05:30

The spirit of survival against extreme humid weather, traffic conditions on the road, and earning livelihood on day to day basis for common man on the street of Kolkata brings out the best. The city of Joy, signifies the undying spirit of human endurance. Kolkata presents a totally different picture underground inside the metro. One gets to travel faster without smoke pollution, traffic

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A prick of thorn in the forest is painful for an amateur trekker, but the joy of discovering something invaluable makes one forget the pain endured in the bargain. It was one such experience I had during my recent trip to Kurnool. An exclusive travelouge Just when we were to begin our journey from Kurnool to Srisailam, I saw an article in the paper stating that ASI has recently discovered

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Prologue: One fine afternoon ( april 1985 ) my boss and myself were traveling across the Srisailam town. He being a devout follower of Shiva got down and visited a small miniscule looking temple with huge tree. He said it was one of the famous jyotilinga places in India. I was not impressed by the structure which was simple to the core. It is believed that tigers and used to freely roam around

Deguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11920558699154594412noreply@blogger.com7Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh, India16.074269369438806 78.8699913024902316.069114869438806 78.86269580249024 16.079423869438806 78.87728680249023tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2505333262330716569.post-31743604997371709452009-01-11T21:30:00.006+05:302009-08-28T18:36:03.859+05:30

The name Alampur sounds Islamic. Alam in Arabic means Flag. According to many Historians, there is nothing even remotely connoting Islamic influence, but it is converted name of Halam which means plough. Hamalapura was converted to Alampur. But historical evidence points to the invasion of the Bahamani Sultans armies into the town to plunder the wealth of the temple. In most probability the

Deguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11920558699154594412noreply@blogger.com1Mahabubnagar, Andhra Pradesh, India15.872846316558139 78.1333923339843815.790288316558138 78.01666283398437 15.95540431655814 78.25012183398438tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2505333262330716569.post-88723686491541522432009-01-09T20:03:00.007+05:302009-08-28T18:33:29.493+05:30

Gooty town on the NH7 which almost midpoint between Bangalore and Hyderabad ( 252 Kms ) is blessed with a beautiful Fort which stands as a ruined and neglected monument. The Fort spreads over the 3 hillocks, with a lake feeding water to the soldiers stationed at the Fort. Surprising a graveyard at the enterance is filled with monument type edifices embedded with details of the soldier or

Deguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11920558699154594412noreply@blogger.com7Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, India15.111901287412248 77.6369476318359415.029038787412249 77.52021813183593 15.194763787412247 77.75367713183594tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2505333262330716569.post-74600468663357082142008-12-25T22:24:00.006+05:302008-12-25T23:03:09.359+05:30

Madurai is popularly known as the Athens of the East, because of its antiquity and historical importance. It stands tall as the premier temple of Tamil Nadu in the opinion poll conducted by NDTV for seven wonders of the state. The temple complex is filled 12 gopurams or towers. The most famous of the gopuram on the southern part of the complex stands tall @ 52 meters ( 170 feet ) HISTORY : The

Deguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11920558699154594412noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2505333262330716569.post-80363614604812671632008-12-24T19:14:00.007+05:302011-05-10T16:09:11.068+05:30

Brihdeshwar Temple has been declared as world heritage site in 1987 AD. The temple is located in the rice bowl district of Tamil Nadu, Thanjavur. It is close to the railway station and old bus stand. The nearest city is Trichy which has an airport and railway junction. HISTORY Raja Raja chola ( 985 – 1014 AD ) was one of the greatest emperors of the Chola dynasty. By birth he was known

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Prolouge : I land from Rameswaram by train in the midnight @ Trichy and quickly check in for a slumber. I get up early morning and quickly shower and start proceeding to Srirangam by Bus. Well my co-passengers enquires where am I from I tell him I am from Bangalore. He exclaims “ Super city “. I wonder whether the concrete and glazed buildings is a term for a Super city. However I find

Deguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11920558699154594412noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2505333262330716569.post-3716184882334207282008-12-20T13:49:00.003+05:302008-12-20T16:57:49.312+05:30

PROLOUGE: The cyclone Nisha struck the coastal T.N. in Nov 2008, particularly Rameswaram and its surrounding wrecking untold misery on the livelihood of the fishermen and localities. The scene on the seashore huts reminded me of the Tsunami, with water flooding into their homes. The incessant rainfall for over a period of fortnight has stalled the fishermen venturing out to sea. I land into

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Coorg or Kodagu is famous for the coffee estates along with Pandi Curry ( pork ) as their prime cuisine. The terrain is blessed with excellent nature trail and wildlife. The entire district border Kerala and Tamil Nadu is filled with forest cover ranging from 200 to 300 kms. Three main forest ranges in Kodagu are well maintained by the forest department. They are Nagarhole, Dubbare and

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KRS ( Krishna Rajendra Sagara ) as it is popular known as the Brindavan gardens and Dam is dedicated to the king of the times Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV. The KRS dam was constructed under the guidance of Sir Mokshagundam. Visvesvaraya ( 15th Sept 1860 – 15th April 1962 ). Sir M.V was awarded the highest civilian award of Bharat Ratna in 1955 just a few years before he passed away. The KRS dam was

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The transformation of Bekal Fort is amazing in terms of reconstruction to replicate the bygone era. The legendary defense citadel, When I visited the Fort in April 2005 I found it was absolute state of ruins and neglect beyond salvage. The facelift provided to Bekal Fort by ASI and district tourism board is commendable and requires special appreciation. I hope all other historical monuments

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The legacy of Portuguese, Dutch and the British is seen @ Fort St. Angelo. It was built by Sir Francisco De Almeida in 1505, ( almost 500 years old ) on the shores of Arabian sea, for guarding the town against attack from the sea by pirates and subsequently foreign enemies. The fort signifies the first sign of colonization attempt by Portuguese who had essentially landed in India for trading of

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The credit for converting 1000 acres of barren land donated by Karnataka Government to Golden Temple area goes to His Holiness Pema Norbu Rinponche. He arrived in India with only Rs 300/- in his pocket from Tibet and laid a foundation for Namdroling Golden temple in 1988.We used to visit frequently the tibetian refugee camp on business trip selling bubble gums which was favourite of the

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Imagine shoveling 2 lakh tonnes of rock surface and building an edifice to represent Mount Kailash which is the abode of Shiva. The grandeur of such scale has never been attempted by mankind after the Parthenon . A massive army of 7000 laborers and hundreds of master craftsmen focused for 150 years to complete the Kailashnath Temple @ Ellora. It is twice the area of Parthenon and 1.5 times

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“ Prolouge : A man continues to enjoy himself in paradise as long as long as his memory is green in this world “ declares the patron Harisena on cave 26 “ One should endeavour to build a memorial on the mountain ranges of Sayadhri that will endure for as long as the moon and sun shines “ This is what Harisena along with his hired artisans along with the Buddhist monks strived in the

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KOCHI,ERNAKULAM,MATTANCHERRY, Cochin is the colonial name for Kochi. It boasts of A world class port city, and International airport @ Angamalli, connected to almost all parts of the globe. The roads are better networked when compared to the capital, and being centrally located it is also known as gateway of Kerala. Ernakulam is the business district of Kochi, and practically Fort Kochi,

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Kerala is filled with Nature, Ayurvedic massages and Beaches. In a conservative land which is filled with strikes at the drop of the hat. One can never be sure when the market bandh is called, and many a times over frivilious reasons. No wonder, however mighty and influential industrialist, he would not stick out his neck to start an industry. Under such a circumstance Kerala’s economy is

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Bhagavathi ammal Temple According to a legend, Banasura, the king of Demons, sought a boon from Lord Shiva that he could be vanquished only by a virgin. The Devas invoked Goddess Parashakti too redeem them, Unable to bear the harassment of the Asura king. Shakti came to kanyakumari as a virgin girl and did penance on the shores. Lord Shiva of Suchindrum wished to marry the Goddess, and

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The lands end, where both Sunset,sunshine and moonrise is visible from the sea. Virtually making it an ideal place for meditation saints to meditate on the rocks. This rock island invited Swami Vivekanada to meditate, and to obtain gyaan beyond human imagination. Kanyakumari was known as Cape Commorin during the British times. Kanyakumari signifies virginity of mind, body and soul for the locale

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The discovery of Chandavalli Cavemen remanents have been a high point of archaeology in Indian History. This discovery was made quite early 20th century under the directorship of archaelogical department @ Mysore. The life style of the cavemen from the Neolithic age is fascinating and subject of imagination and maybe documentaries. The picture ( courtsey http://www.us.att.org/ )

Deguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11920558699154594412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2505333262330716569.post-28036842895174988462008-11-07T19:09:00.000+05:302008-11-07T23:24:35.216+05:30

Chitradurga fort is one of the most impregnable fort built in India, by Veera Madakari Nayak during the Vijaynagar empire. Palayagara’s were feudal Lords under the Tuluva dynasty obviously meaning trusted governors of the Emperor. There are numerous films shot in the surroundings of Kallina Kote, which means fort made out of boulders in Kannada. The famous films are Vishnvardhans Nagara

Deguidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11920558699154594412noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2505333262330716569.post-73735958268179015242008-11-07T16:58:00.001+05:302009-08-27T17:32:14.263+05:30

Well nothing like having a date with history and that too with Shivaji Maharaj’s fort after visiting all the royal monuments at Aihole. One has to take the Gudlur route which is approx 30 kms and further up 22 kms one comes into Gajendragarh one of the massive forts. There two more fortifications enroute to this fort along with a Kalkakaleswar temple. The route is filled with

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Pattadakal has been declared a world heritage monument in the 90’s for its sheer artistic splendour and glamour. It is located 22 kms away from Badami, which serves as the base town for many tourists in view of accommodation facility. The ideal time to arrive at this destination for photography is between 3 to 4 Pm, when the light conditions are absolute harmony with nature. One shoot their

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“It is dusk, a time for foreplay to begin @ Aihole “ felt the artisans of the chalukyan era. The artistic freedom for the artisans to depict erotica was witenessed in plenty. For skeptics it may sound like an exaggerated marketing gimmick to promote a tourist destination, for lovers of heritage it real passionate plea inviting them to explore the fourth century passion play exhibited on

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