Friday, June 12, 2015

Shravanabelagola (long pending post on a long flight of stairs!)

Apart from the fact that the name of this place is a mouthful, the main activity here entails climbing the long flight of stairs, with pauses in between, all the while enjoying the lovely breeze even in the middle of a supposedly scorching afternoon (for those trained in Delhi summers, this is literally a breeze! :D).

So, our trip went from Belur back towards Hassan to rest for the night and to recoup our energies for the next exciting morning. :)

It's a short distance from Hassan to Shravanabelagola, but one always has the option of  getting lost! :D

The next morning was the 26th of January and was as such dominated by the 66th Republic Day Celebrations on T.V. and we couldn't do anything else other than sitting glued to the at-that-moment-not-so-idiot box. Even the foggy skies in Delhi couldn't bog down our spirits. But this did interfere a little with our plans, as we could only start after the parade was over and that meant past noon... No hay problema! :)

Loved the theme of the 66th Rebublic Day Parade: "Nari Shakti" (Women Power)! :)

While driving from Hassan to Shravanabelagola we were again struck by the lovely highway and its green bodyguards on both sides! There is something about Karnataka apart from its fantastic heritage sites that puts it in the same league as Kerala and Rajasthan in terms of touristic value - its landscapes.

Disclaimer: This photo was taken while standing still on the side of the highway and not while driving. The dash-ing median is proof. ;)

Through these very greens was a turn that we were looking out for - the shortcut to Shravanabelagola. Our GPS pointed towards one right turn (actually a U-turn and then a left) and we confidently took it. The misgivings arose after 5 minutes. Were we on the right track? What if this village road was not connected to the main road leading to Shravanabelagola? Would the road condition deteriorate? Would our GPS continue to pick up signals here?

Shortcut through a village - Praying the whole slightly bumpy while for the GPS to be correct!

The prospect of getting lost didn't stop us from appreciating our surroundings. How lovely it is to venture through green fields and coconut trees on a small road! And in the end, we did come out on the main road and from there Shravanabelagola was just a few minutes away.

As we rounded the last bend, we saw a huge smooth surface on our right. In the distance we could see a tiny flight of stairs winding through the Vindhyagiri Hill. I tried to be cheerful, but my spirits sank as Ma and Pa looked doubtfully at the innocent hill and announced: We are not climbing up there! My feeble attempt to encourage them: "We'll take lots of breaks." didn't really seem to work. Nevertheless, we all bought the mandatory sun hats and socks offered to us by young businessmen-in-offing. As we went inside the premises, I tried not to say anything at all. They both are 65+ and know their limits and I didn't want them to do anything they physically didn't feel upto. After all there were 650 odd steps leading up (we didn't know the exact number as we stood at the bottom) and it was peak afternoon. All the while moving towards the place to deposit our shoes and bags I was wondering if I was going to go up alone. And then Pa said: "We'll take a lot of breaks, let's try." Yayyyy! I was willing to sit down after every 10 steps. :D

First break :)

So, up we went, stopping every now and then to admire the beauty of our surroundings, concentrating on the stone steps (that didn't seem to be very hot through our new oversized socks) and sipping water every 10 minutes or so. Shade was in short supply, so we tried to make the most of what was available. I was so happy, I could have gone up and down the stairs all day! :D

Caution: Last shade for the next 300+ steps! :D


It was lovely to see how friendly everyone was - families ensuring everyone stayed together, groups of youngsters and habitual climbers taking two steps at a time or not taking the stairs at all and climbing the mountain unaided, couples supporting each other during the seemingly tough climb, old people driven by religious fervour, few foreign tourists attracted by the ancient vista - all of them were happy to share a word or two, as we moved up at a comfortable pace.

We can do it! :D

I was counting the stairs as we moved up and they simply seemed to go on and on!! The reward was the view that we had on looking back.

The 'Belagola' (white pond) behind the name: The view became better as we moved up... talk about bird's eye perspective!

After about 550 stairs or so there was a flatter surface with ancient carvings and inscriptions. The site goes back about 2000+ years and the inscriptions throw light on the craftsmen as well as the great public figures of those times. For example the Tyagada Khamba built in the 10th century stands testimony to the minister Chavundaraya, who gave away all his worldly possessions, including his life, on this hill. This made me think of the Vivekananda Rock off Kanyakumari. Strange coincidence that huge rocks and hills in the South of India have for centuries inspired people to look within, away from the material world.

Tyagada (literally meaning 'renunciation' or 'sacrifice') Khamba

Not to be overlooked were the various inscriptions and carvings etched in the hard surface by the unknown workers of yore. So, someone sat on this hot rock and hammered in these figures that would, centuries later, fascinate people from all over the world; I'm sure one could hear the rhythmic pounding of the ancient hammer with the right amount of concentration and imagination. :)

Rock carvings of animals have been in vogue in all centuries. This artist was dreaming of horses - No Freudian significance insinuated!

Ma and Pa's enthusiasm to try new things was another thing to admire for me. And their smiles on having come so far were enough to make the whole exercise worthwhile. :)

:) 

As we reached the top, we could view the top of the largest monolithic statue in the world! Bahubali welcomed us with open arms... err, figuratively speaking. :D

Did you know that devout Jains try to safeguard every living being and practice non-violence and self control to the extreme? Picture this, as a strict Jain follower you would not harm any living being including insects, follow vegetarianism to the extent of avoiding root vegetables such as onion, garlic and potatoes (yes, potatoes!) and be open-minded towards other beliefs and practices! This has to be one of the few religions in the world that is so accommodating!



The majestic statue stands tall at 58 feet and occupies centre-stage. No amount of carvings in the area surrounding it can take away attention from the Gomateshwara. Jain pilgrims have been flocking here since centuries. Just to give a perspective into the history of Jainism here: Chandragupta Maurya, the first emperor to unify most of India into an empire, converted to Jainism and led an ascetic life on this very hill, finally leaving the worldly domain in 298 BC. And this awe-inspiring work of art and engineering has been standing on Vindhyagiri since 978-993 AD! It must be a sight to see, when every 12 years the statue is bathed in milk, curd, saffron, turmeric and gold coins (!) as part of the Mahamastakabhishek ceremony! To witness the next one, one only needs to wait till 2018.



Coming back to 2015, we were reminded of the upcoming Delhi elections in February, when the priest asked us politely, where we were from. On hearing 'Delhi', he immediately preached: "Vote for BJP!!!" :D Is religion apolitical? Definitely not in India!

Having had our fill, we decided to go down (also because our stomachs were rumbling their displeasure at being ignored for so long!) and took a last look at the magnificent history sprawled below us.

You glance down and history glances up through its centuries old veil!
This concluded our triple agenda of visting Belur, Halebid and Shravanabelagola and we were calm and ready to face Bangalore traffic on our way back. Not that being calm and ready prepares you for the actual thing, but anyway... :D

Sunday, February 8, 2015

The Magic of Karnataka - Part 2

It was a single day, and yet there was more to come. While coming back from Halebid our GP-ESS ditched us, so we went back the way (towards Hagare) we had come, instead of taking the straight route from Halebid to Belur. Next time we know better. :)

(Don't miss the Dwarasamudra lake behind the Halebid temple!)

But this long route led to another experience. We went, mainly out of curiousity, to visit a temple on a small hill 'Pushpagiri' on the way to the midpoint Hagare. The hill is barely a few kilometres away from the Halebid wonders, but doesn't house any temple complex corresponding to what we gaped at in Halebid. As we went upstairs to visit the most prominent temple there, it struck me that here the adage 'Cleanliness is next to Godliness' is definitely not followed. The temple is neither dirty nor is it exceptionally clean, but the fact that the packaging of the material used to pray was strewn around the very place of praying left me aghast, specially because a dustbin is hardly a few feet away from the spot!!! Thus followed a minute, but very satisfying spotfix à la TUI (The Ugly Indian).

 
Just to be clear: The 'blue' corner in the 'after' picture is not garbage, it's my scarf. :D

We then continued to Belur to visit another masterpiece of the Hoysala dynasty and reached it in an hour or so. Having found a place to park our red riding hood (a cakewalk compared to parking in Delhi and Bangalore!), we walked over to the darling of the masses - the Belur temple. From outside the façade glinted in the afternoon sun, the architectural beauty being gazed upon lovingly through the gaps in the clouds by those in heavens above. But it didn't particularly impress me much at that time (I could barely see the photo I'd taken against the sunlight!) and thus my expectations were lower, just like in Halebid. Which, I always feel, is a good thing and a surefire way to be pleasantly surprised later. :D

The gopuram from outside

As we entered the temple, my first instinct was to turn back and look at the entrance (a 7 storey gopuram) to see its details. It was majestic from inside despite the restoration works being carried out. There was also a pillar right in front of the entrance (a little camouflaged here) that looked impressive, but was stubbornly refusing to fit into any frame. That brought out my stubborn streak and I made sure I captured it in one. :D

The gopuram from inside

There's a fascinating story about the other pillar outside the temple in the premises. They say that the second pillar called Garuda stambha (stambha = pillar) does not have a base and that one can pass a thin sheet of paper between the pillar and its so-called base (No, we didn't try that this time. I'm not sure if it's allowed anymore.). This reminded me of the non-corrosive iron pillar in the Qutab Minar Complex in Delhi. Ancient architectural marvels abound in India!

Garuda stambha

We then proceeded to take off our shoes as per tradition and ventured inside the temple built on the trademark star-shaped raised platform. There is a certain sense of spirituality in going around barefoot on stone (specially when it's warm and sunny :D), or maybe it is accupressure that leads to the feeling of wellbeing. Maybe it's both. :)

Another view of the star-shaped raised platform of the main temple

The Hoysala dynasty was undoubtedly a big promoter of art and artists, specially sculptors. Oh, and there is a legend behind the name Hoysala, which has inspired some of the sculptures in the temples built by the dynasty. It is supposed to be a call - 'Hoy Sa'la', meaning 'Strike, Sa'la' encouraging the courageous leader of the dynasty 'Sa'la', as he killed a tiger. And this pose has been captured and used as an emblem in both Belur and Halebid temples built by the Hoysala dynasty.

The 'Hoy Sa'la' emblem at the entrance - in the left corner and in the centre

Once inside, we had to remember everytime to close our mouths - the detailed carvings tend to have that effect. :D As with most of the temples of that period (it was built in 1116-1117 A.D.), this one too had elaborately carved ceilings, a sight to delight one's heart (but not at all good for the head or the rest of the body, as one moved with eyes glued upwards. Multi-tasking has its limits.  ;) )

A Ceiling to see!

What details - inside as well as outside! There are celestial nymphs in various poses on the upper outside part of the temple, connecting the wall to the ceiling. And there is a row of 650 (I'm told. I didn't count them personally, but it does seem to be true. ;) ) elephants near the base of the temple on the outside, with each of them striking a unique pose.  No wonder it took about 100 (103 to be a bit precise) years to complete this riveting engineering and architectural marvel!
Celestial nymphs adorning the external walls of the temple

We moved on, noting the different rows of musicians, dancers, animals and Gods. The apsaras danced in stone supported by the ornate carvings - Do they ever realise how many people they have delighted over the years?! :)

Intricate carvings

All my efforts to capture Ma & Pa against the awe-inspiring backdrop were unsuccessful (someone or the other kept on passing by) till I found a door to the temple that was not frequented by the throngs of the visiting humanity (Before that my parents had a short glimpse into the hard life of fashion models and I had a brief vision of the travails of a cajoling photographer! ;) ). And thus came about the perfect picture frame, which was worth the 3 day trip including the 2 night stay and more than 500 km in terms of driving pleasure. :)

Worth framing, isn't it? :)

The late afternoon mellowed by the winter sun (what they call winter in Karnataka, we call spring in Delhi ;) ) coupled with the magnificent surroundings made it a sight to remember. I would think back fondly on the time spent here walking back and forth, enjoying the ambiance, taking dozens of pictures of the serene monument and not worrying about the time spent there - talk about flexible, private and enchanting trips! :D

A bit of the star-shaped raised platform from another angle

My most favourite of the lot (actually I have a lot of most favourite photos from this trip, even though I'm bending the rules of grammar to stand by this stand of mine :D) is the one, where one can see a woman in a red sari passing by the temple basking in the sun, the clouds intermittently floating and stopping to wonder at all the fuss happening below and the green, swaying trees adding to the colour spectrum...

Serene masterpiece!

We strolled out of the temple, assuaged our hunger-ravaged tummies (that suddenly remembered to growl their displeasure aloud) and wondered what to do next. There is a dam nearby that could have been another highlight of the trip. But our tired limbs and wonder-filled minds (after experiencing Halebid and Belur in one day!) called for a halt to sightseeing and we drove back to our base in Hassan.

The next day was the Republic Day holiday in India and we were planning to drive back to Bangalore via Shravanabelagola. More on that in another part...



Saturday, January 31, 2015

The Magic of Karnataka - Part 1

Somehow all trips that start with me not having a lot of expectations from them, end up being spectacular! The long weekend trip from Bangalore to Belur and Halebid last weekend was no exception. 

Despite the infamous Bangalore traffic holding us captive for about 2 hours, we managed to escape and were soon on the lovely Bangalore-Mangalore Highway. Giving us competition was a train passing by. After chasing it for a while, we decided to let it win. :D



The speed limit on Indian highways is usually 80 km/hr, but a lot of cars were understandably using the flying gear. Blame it on the excellent roads and the encouraging trees on either side of the highway giving an overdose of green signals!

(This one was taken after the lunch stop, but the highway is the same. :) )

In all this, we just didn't realise when we strayed off the National Highway and were swallowed by the State Highway. Which, of course, was a stroke of luck because of the beautiful glimpses into the local green veins of Karnataka. I simply love the trees here... laden with ancient wisdom, they seem to be at peace with themselves and bend over themselves to pass on the serenity to the passersby, at times literally welcoming one with open arms! :)



After straying off the path a bit (part of every great trip!) we finally found our way courtesy our GP-Esses! (They didn't behave well some times, so the frustration is coming out in terms of spell-oh-fun, though within the limits of decorum! ;) )

Our route was supposed to be a stop at Shravanabelogola (more about it later), but after a tempting thick dosa post the conventional lunch time we felt more inclined to continue our trip to rest our precious heads!

The sun was getting ready to throw its nightly temper tantrum and so we hurried to find the first decent hotel to escape its wrath... It's a tradition (of not booking a hotel in advance) that we followed from our path-breaking trip last year to the deep South and it has its own charm and anticipation. :D It also reminded me of the road trip through Iran (not Iraq! ;) ), when finding a place to stay for the night was the end-of-the-day ritual almost every second day. :) Anyway, before I go off track completely, let me drag myself back to the topic... yes, so we were looking for a decent place to stay and we found one, the very first one, where our mechanical companion also had a place to park its tashreef. :D Talk about luck. :) And then we had time to turn our attention to the streets of Hassan that gave no indication of its small town status...



The next morning was the beginning of our mouth-agape-with-wonder visits to Belur and Halebid, both of which are about 30 odd km away from Hassan, making it the perfect base to visit both. We chose Halebid to first astound us and were a bit sceptical about its charms at the modest entrance.



Just one temple? I thought as we went inside. Happy to be proven wrong later. :)



You have to take off your shoes at the entrance, which gives a good excuse for some accupressure for your soles. Thankfully the weather was perfect to walk around and instead of jumping from one foot to the other in scorching heat, we were able to concentrate on our guide's informative and at times humorous anecdotes and explanations. Let me try to recapture it a bit...

So, as per our guide (I'm sceptical of guides ever since I overheard one in Amer Fort in Jaipur saying that the cannon there could fire all the way till Pakistan!!! lol) Halebid (Halebidu / Halebeedu) means ruined city and was named thus after the destruction at the hands of the Delhi Sultanate. The original name of this erstwhile capital of the Hoysala dynasty in the 12th century (Alert: History overload!!!) was Dwarasamundra or the Gateway to the Sea.

Here's an example of the panels. There are several layers covering different walks of life: There's one devoted to the arts, one to the stories and events from the epics Ramayan and Mahabharat, one simply ornamental and one to erotica! Yes, ancient India was not as prudish as it is today and depicted the different facets of life in its sacred spaces. Talk about people limiting girls from wearing jeans in today's so-called modern days and I wonder where the shift from such acceptance to such narrow-mindedness took place.



Hmm, another topic is threatening to stall my line of thought. Getting back... :) Here's (2nd row from top) a scene from Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean by demons and Gods to bring up nectar) with the legendary mountain Mandara being used as the churning rod and Vasuki, the serpent of Lord Vishnu being used as the rope.



This one (2nd row from top) from the epic Mahabharat shows the Pandav Bheem (who was supposed to be as powerful as thousand elephants) during the war, killing elephants single handedly and depositing them in a heap behind him (on the left)



And did you notice that the mouse of the elephant God is unable to bear his weight and beneath its tiny claw the pedestal of the structure is starting to give in? :)



The ceilings have their own special panels depicting mythology and are an attraction in themselves!



 And here's the divine trinity: Left is Brahma (with a beard), the creator, in the middle the destroyer of evil, Shiva, with his trademark damru and on the right Vishnu, the preserver.



Like most temples of this age, this one is also on a raised star-shaped platform.



 And here's one from the epic Ramayana, where Ram is shooting Bali through 7 trees as he helps the Vanara (monkey) king in exile Sugreev defeat his mighty brother Bali. Why through 7 trees? One, because Bali was blessed with sucking half of the strength of any enemy, who confronted him face-to-face. And two, because as per the Shastras (ancient Hindu holy scriptures), an archer is not responsible for killing anyone, whom he shoots through at least 7 trees.



And a thousand other stories etched in stone that I can't possibly tell in one day. :) On our way out of the temple we were made an offer we couldn't refuse... mini metal statues (10 of them) for a paltry sum compared to the craftsmanship and time invested in creating them.



Off we went to explore the other temples a short distance away, where polished pillars showed an inverted reflection (No, this guy is not waving to the deity! He's simply checking out his reflection. :) ) and the architecture wowed again.



The serenity, of course, was unexpected. This temple, for example, seemed reserved for our visit, lucky us! :)



And our favourite glint of red could rest undisturbed beneath a huge benevolent green friend. What a lovely place to read or simply relax and think of nothing in particular. :)


More in second installment. Time to rest my fingers... :)

Saturday, January 17, 2015

The charm of an organic farm

Oct 2013...
Around us the forest prepares itself for the night... the sun is slowly switched off, the surrounding noise dims and the tall trees sway in the cool breeze, murmuring their approval and the jhingurs start their lullaby for the night. And it is only 6:30 pm! Hard to believe that Bangalore is just an hour's drive away!

We are in Navadarshanam, an organic farm set up by an IIM professor near Gumalpura in Tamil Nadu. Our cottage is about 5 min walk away from the community dining hall. Large stone steps followed by a thin strip of clearing lead to it. From the front porch, as far as the eye can see, only trees and the jungle is visible on all sides. Another 20 acres and the Thally forest reserve stakes its claim. There is electricity here, generated by the farm for its internal use and enough to charge the visitors' mobiles. Our cottage has two bedrooms and a living room sporting an open kitchen. Sparsely furnished, it has beds, chairs and tables. There is water in a pitcher in one corner of the kitchen. Frankly speaking, I hadn't expected such luxury and was prepared to sleep on the floor keeping an eye on any suspicious snake activity around me!!! I'm pleased at my low expectations! :) We sit in the porch and close our eyes - what an ideal place to meditate!

Dinner is supposed to start by 7:15 pm. We reluctantly open our eyes, acquaint our eyes to the dusky forest silhouette and make our way to the community dining hall. It's a huge, welcoming kitchen and I'm happily transported back to my childhood in our joint family. We peep in through the glass windows, not wanting to disturb the two busy chefs. More people join us, exchange smiles and some pleasant introductions and we slowly troop into the kitchen. Food occupies centrestage for a while as we savour the freshly prepared millet, rice, roti and vegetables. Sambhar and rasam confirm that we are in the heart of South India! :) Needless to say it's heavenly! Right food at the right time!

By 8pm we are all done and are chatting with the unassuming, kind people running the show. ''Would you like to join us for a short chanting session?'' - One of them asks us. What do you chant? Oh it's this and that, a bit Kannada and some Sanskrit." There are 6 children on the farm and the motley group of farm residents and visitors sit down in the community hall again. The chants start. It is more about participating than singing melodiously! But it touches our heart! After about 10 min we stop and observe a minute of silence with our eyes closed. It's so peaceful that I'm reluctant to open them again! We thank our hosts for including us in the small ritual and walk back to our cottage using our torchlights. It's 9 pm now and I'm sleepy!!! We've decided to get up at 5:30 am and do yoga. While setting up my alarm, it strikes me that I have 8 hrs and 24 min to sleep! Wow, what a luxury! Can't wait to wake up and look at the forest! :)

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

PK - Two letters that have set tempers ablaze in India!

There are few movies nowadays that start a movement or mobilise people so much that one feels passionate enough to support its cause and to adopt its core theme or idea as one's leitmotiv in life or to start protests against it! :D

PK is clearly one of them. To see the earthlings from the perspective of an alien, who questions all existing belief systems is enlightening! For all those, who choose to oppose its message of letting God take care of himself/ herself and not resorting to violence to defend their faith, one dialogue is enough:

God doesn't need puny humans to defend him!

Who are we to try and 'save' the creator?! It's like showing a lamp to the sun to help it glow a bit more. :D

It also reminds me of the famous Kabir couplets that question the Hindu as well as Muslim traditions:

पाहन पूजे हरि मिले तो मैं पूजूँ पहार |
ताते तो चाकी भली पीस खाय संसार ||

(Literal translation: If praying to a stone helps one find God, then I'd rather pray to the mountain. Much better than this is the millstone that grinds flour and feeds the humanity.)

कांकर पाथर जोड़ के मस्जिद लई बनाय |
ता चढ़ि मुल्ला बाँग दे , क्या बहरा हुआ खुदाए ?

(Literal translation: Some stones were gathered and a mosque was built. And the mullah climbs on top of that and crows - Has God gone deaf?)

An article in the newspaper today put it very well: Had Kabir been alive today, he'd have been lynched by people trying to save and protect God!!!

We are becoming more and more intolerant and closed-to-logic by the day... it's a world, where disrespecting another's belief and violently or very rudely justifying one's own belief system has become the order of the day. Where has logic gone in all this? It takes an 'alien' to show us the mirror; of what we have accepted over the years unquestioningly. It's laughable how we divide the human race into various categories based on skin colour, appearance, certain characteristics or the faith that one is mostly born or stamped with and has no control over. And then we build stereotypes and let them grow into solid walls of unfounded prejudice.

There is hope after all in Supreme Court's verdict on the cases filed in the court against PK: "If you don't like the film, don't watch it!" Bravo! :D

Here's hoping that we can 'see' beyond what is apparent or what has been handed down to us as tradition over centuries. And that we can break the walls of not just racial and religious prejudices, but also of border prejudices. Hope the day comes soon when we can say that we are proud / happy to be human beings rather than limiting ourselves to man-made boundaries!