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...

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... :)

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! :)

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!

How much?

He at 5 yrs.: Bua, do you know how much I missed you, when you were in Blr?

Me: How much?

He (spreads his arms): 100!

Zum Frauentag! :)

zärtlich, liebevoll, sensibel, fein
ob sie groß sind oder klein
kenne keinen, der sie nicht liebt
danke, dass es Frauen gibt

Deadly cocktail!

It's funny how a book affects one more than a movie made on the same book. Well, that's the case at least with me. I've seen the movie 'Kai Po Che' based on Chetan Bhagat's "the 3 mistakes of my life" and was moved. But that was nothing compared to what I feel now, having just finished the book. It shook me up, questioned my beliefs, made me want to change the world and to write this blog post!

I'm not going to write about the story or the characters, rather about the one thought that relentlessly hits me time and again, not letting go. Why do we, intelligent and rational human beings most of the times, fail to keep the deadly cocktail of religion and politics separate? Instead of keeping fuel and fire away from each other, we try to keep them in the same room, same drawer, right next to each other and do not shy away from a few fireworks, even if they go out of hand at times!

Yes, religion is a part of life, in India it is a way of life, but it doesn't need to overshadow all other human emotions. Aren't we human beings first and foremost and religious beings later? Shouldn't religion comfort and console and help one direct one's energies towards becoming a better person? Why is it being allowed to instigate one community against the other? More importantly, why are WE allowing it in the other spheres of life that should be handled with a humane touch?

We have to take the blame - for letting our foolish emotions take hold of our little minds and for believing that the others are evil (only an evil mind sees evil in everyone else!). Kabir, the wise one, knew it all along:

बुरा जो देखन मैं चला, बुरा ना मिलिया कोय 
जो मन खोजा आपना, तो मुझसे बुरा ना कोय

(Loosely translated: When I went in search of evil, I couldn't find any. But when I explored my own mind, it turned out to be the most evil of them all!)

That brings me back to the burning topic in my head:

Can we please separate religion from politics?

An administrator should be objective and fair. That is the need of the hour, to put it mildly. By this time we should've learnt enough lessons to make us comprehend the drastic outcomes of an unfair leader! Our human sensibilities and our sense of reason and rationale leave us, as soon as the religious melodrama is played out. Let's please keep religion, where it belongs: In our hearts and our souls. Let's please not let its purity be muddied by shortsighted, powerhungry individuals. A leader is the one, who leads by example.

And an example doesn't need to come at the cost of anyone's life!

ABCD... ABC-WTM!!!

A weekday and a late night movie? Of course the two go together, specially when the movie is ABCD, a fresh film oozing with energy and enthusiasm that fills you with energy as well! Not convinced? Well, it is well past midnight and here I am online, not willing to sleep till I write about the lovely movie! :D This is not going to be just a review, but a +ve -ve muddled up raving review! LOL

• Yes, Prabhu Deva is a far better dancer than an actor. But his honesty for dance shines through and through in ABCD (Any Body Can Dance) - a film made straight from the heart! :)
• Ganesh Acharya pulls off a good performance, considering he's primarily a choreographer!
• Kay Kay Menon is believable as always!
• If you've followed the seasons of the dance show: Dance India Dance, then you'll surely love this 'star'-studded film.
• And if not, then you'll simply love it for the passionate performances and breathtaking dance sequences!
• Each character is etched out clearly, each one having his 15 minutes of fame - Dharmesh sir (can surely act and pretty convincingly at that!!!), Salman (bundle of sophistication and agility), Punit (best use of his droopy eyed look for portraying a dopey dancer!), ... the list goes on and on!

I'll keep it short and sweet. :)

This is a movie based on dance, so don't go expecting acting extravaganza. Go with the right expectations and you'll surely enjoy it! :) And don't get up from your seat till the last credit rolls off or you'll miss a lovely lively performance by the dance biggies! :)

And yes, not every body might be able to dance... but ABC-WTM... Any Body Can Watch The Movie!!!

Yenjoy! :)

Angrezi Barfeeeee!

In the order of having watched them... :)

Barfi! + + + - - -
One line review (even though it is quite late!): Sweet, without being diabetic! :)

I did manage to put my foot into my mouth by telling my friend/colleague from UK that the film's protagonist is deaf and dumb... and when Barfi started showing his worldly wise ways, she had only one comment to make: He's definitely not dumb! My mistake: I used an old, commonly used metaphor to describe someone who can't speak or hear! Lesson learnt: Correct term is deaf and mute, and yes, deaf and mute people do not have to be dumb... In fact, the loss of one sense often heightens another!

About the movie...

Pluses:
- Ranbir Kapoor's emoting abilities!
- Location - Darjeeling :)
- Mohit Chauhan's lovely rendering of songs

Minuses:
- BIGGEST MINUS: Missing connections between the brilliant moments...which all happen to be "inspired"! That's sad actually!
- Too much going to and fro from present to past to the older past to the present to the past... you get the idea! :D
- Priyanka Chopra's natural beauty takes away from her autistic character at times ...making it a little unbelievable, but she does manage to make an impression by the time the movie ends.

English Vinglish + + + + +
All pluses! :)
- A very strong social message to fellow Indians who look down on non-English speakers in India!
- Sreedevi and the rest of the brilliant cast
- Pleasant songs (nothing out of the ordinary, but catchy and hummable)
- Script and dialogues
- Surprise package - Amitabh Bachchan! (There, I've spilled the beans! lol)

This one scores and how!!! Sreedevi still has the ability to make one cry at the injustice meted out to her character. Her character is spunky (enough to do a Michael Jackson on the street in a foreign country! :D), determined to put her thoughts into action, brave to follow her heart, committed to her family... in all... a beautifully etched out personna and she does full justice to it.

The movie took me back to my Foreign language learning days... and of course to my experiences as a teacher. All the permutations combinations of words that the English learners used in the class in this movie happen in real life - multiplied by at least 10! :))) Which is one of the reasons why I'm hooked to teaching! :D

It also reminded me of how we as a society put extra emphasis on speaking English and look down upon people, who are unable to express themselves in 'Angrezi'! And are actually proud of the fact that our ability to express ourselves in Hindi (or in our native language) is limited!!! Ridiculous! (I'd have loved to write this post in Hindi, just to make a point, but the Hindi transliteration has disappeared from my tool bar!!! :o)

It is a pity that people who grew up in their own country can't express themselves in their native language!!! Actually this is something to be really ashamed of, if I may use such harsh words!

Coming back to the movie... Do go and watch it, if you haven't already done that. It'll open your eyes to the way you treat people around you! A great leveller! :)

Ze drama of life

What a drama life is! lol :D 

No teleserial can ever come close to the theatrics and uncertainties of real life without seeming absurd!