Kotilingakshetra and Bethamangala

Sometime in 2001

After a hard day's work at the R&D Division of BEML at KGF we went to Kotilinga Kshetra. We were a group of six; Deepak, Praveen, Ajay, Kalappa & I from Komal Process Controls and Kamal from Epoch Instruments. The name Koti Linga Kshetra means "a place of a crore Shiva Linga." The complex has two temples- Manjunatha Devastana and Kotilingeshwara Devastana. The latter is a giant Linga and opposite it is a giant Nandi. Both Linga and Nandi are steel & concrete structures. Apart from the two temples there rows and rows of Shivalinga. I think the mission of this Kshetra is to have a crore Linga.

We spent some 30 minutes and then moved on to Bethamangala lake, a reservoir formed by impounding river Palar. Water from this lake is purified and then supplied to BEML campuses and KGF town. The objective of our visit was to see Bethamangala Water Works, the water purifying plant which is a pre-independence installation. It was past sunset when we reached the plant, most of the staff had left for the day. One staff guy whom we met hesitantly let us in and in minutes he got friendly when he realized our interest to know things.

This 100 year old plant functions well even now.

The care-taker showed us the entire purification process. It’s truly an amazing place. a monument by itself.

It was educative tour, the 30 minutes we spent there was worth it. We thanked the technician and headed back towards KGF town.
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Kurnool and Alampur

Kurnool was one of the destinations I frequently visited in Andhra Pradesh during the 90s. The town’s situated on the east bank of river Tungabadhra. Incidentally the city is only on the east bank. On the west bank are the industries of TGV group.

During one of the visits, we went for a walk in the river bed. Rivers in Rayalseema belt are mostly shallow and wide. The bridges across the rivers are long. I’ve hardly seen rivers flow in this region, except for this one- Tungabadhra and Krishna.

It was a summer evening; the breeze was refreshing after a day of traveling from Bangalore and then work at one of TGV factories. As we entered the river bed, we noticed musk melon creepers… it was towards the end of the season, most of them were dry. The Kurnool variety musk melon is very popular.

Walking on dry sand was fun and needed lot of effort. As we approached the waters, I noticed this lovely little anchor. It was a beautifully crafted piece.

Wondering what an anchor is doing here? Small boats are used here to ferry people across the river from the town to the factories. I rode one of the bigger ones, powered by a diesel engine, couple of times. The route was a round-about one since it had to be navigated through the deepest parts of the river.

In the picture above, you can see a part of the ruins of the fort probably built during Vijayanagara. Kurnool was a place of strategic importance.

During another visit, we decided to check out other historical monuments within the city. This one is a small structure built like a fort, it's called as Kondareddy Buruju. Going by its construction it was a military barrack with a watch tower.

Look at the walls and the floor… they look solid. This structure was well-built and presently well maintained.

We spent some 45 minutes looking around. We could get a 360 degree of the flat city. Kurnool’s and Davangere are two towns which are real flat.

During the same visit, we heard about Alampur, a historical place about 22km from Kurnool. Here are seven or eight Chalukyan temples and a watch tower.
The is Sangameshwara Gudi situated in the outskirts of the village. It was originally built at another place close by. The temple was moved to the present location since its former location is submerged in Tungabhadra backwaters. ASI had put in lots of efforts into this project; mark every stone and dismantle the temple, shift the stones and assemble it back at Alampur.

The sculptures are beautifully decorated with floral and geometrical designs. Every sculpture tells a story from the Hindu legends. In the picture below, you see Ardhanarishwara, the a half man-half woman form of Shiva. The guide told us a story behind the temple but I cannot recall any of it.

This is one of the three temples positioned in a row. If I'm right this is Veera Brahma Devastana. This is typical Chalukyan architecture, feels like you are looking at temples in Pattadakal or Mahakoota.

The interior of one of the three temples.

This Nagadeva carving (which was lying in front of the archaeological museum) is supposed to have been exhibited at an art / historical show in Paris. There museum has a good collection of stone sculptures, most of which are Chalukyan.

We were almost done and we were passing the mosque within the temple complex and we noticed a huge cane basket inverted over a platform. Out of curiosity we asked a kid what was under that? Chicken? Out of no-where a bunch of kids were on the scene and a Mullah came and moved the ‘cane basket’. Wow! I was awe-struck seeing a bowl carved out of black granite.

The Mullah told us that during festivals, this bowl would be filled with food and people would have handfuls out of it. The carvings on the sides are intricate. This picture does not tell much, you have to see it in real.

Edit:
I happened to visit Alampur two more times once in 2014 and again in 2015. Here are the links to the newer articles.
Sculptures at Archaeological museum, Alampur
Sangameshwara temple, Alampur
Papanashi group of temples near Alampur

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Chikkasiddarabetta

Satish, Anil and I visited this hill sometime in 2003. We left Bangalore early morning by Satish's Santro, took NH4 towards Tumkur, stopped for tatte idli breakfast at one of the village eateries. There was no road going right up to the hill so we parked the car in one of the petrol bunks. We crossed the railway tracks and walked to the hill. This tree stuck out from the surroundings. It was a thick-petaled flower.

We talked about college days; adventures, mad driving, friends... As we climbed the hill we spoke more about the hill. What it was like some years ago. There's a small fort wall on the top. The path to the top was littered with discarded plastic bags and chicken feather. There's a tomb of a saint close to the summit. People of a particular community visit to pay respect and pray. These pilgrims cook there.

It was not possible for us to reach the summit since we had to do circus... I mean climb steep faced rocks. This hill seemed to be a kind of a watch tower for Paleger soldiers. There's two a small stone structures; one within the huge rocks and another one built on one of the edges. The fall is a couple of hundred feet deep.

That's Anil kneeling a foot away from the edge and acting as though he's falling. Satish was screaming at both of us. He's like a strict father, doesn't like taking unnecessary risks. This natural Bonsai was opposite Anil's corner.

Standing on the edge was fun. Somehow Satish was okay with this.

We saw a passenger train pass by on Tumkur-Bangalore line, and traffic was moderate on NH4 which runs parallel to the railway line.

The entire area is full of rock covered hills. We could capture a hazy shot of Shivagange which is close to this hill.

We explored the top and found that lot of rocks had a peculiar shape on the bottom side. We wondered if it was the effect of the wind... Later, during my visit to Thenginkalbetta I learnt that this is the effect of sharpening curved metal blades on the rock. The person doing the job would lie down on his back, hold the sword above and rub it's curved edge on the stone. Due to constant rubbing layers of the stone has eroded forming this arch. Since this was a Palegar hideout, the soldiers spent time preparing for fights.

The sun was up getting warm. As we explored, we stood at an edge and could see the shadows formed on a rock below. It was fun to shoot it. The three of us in shadow.

and in real...

It was a nice little gathering after many years. The last time we went out together was in 1990, to attend a wedding at Tiptur. That was a wild trip, a late night party and a drunken jaunt to a haunted poultry farm. 
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Shivagange

Shivagange looks like a 'Shiva Linga' as seen from the NH4 (before Dobbaspete). I've heard it also looks like a bull's profile from another angle. When it's cloudy the top part of the hill is covered in clouds giving it a heavenly look.

The first time I had been was with Anish and Praveen but we stopped half way up since it was getting dark. The next visit was with Gulveer and we were determined to reach the top. The climb is not really tough. It took us some 90 minutes. On the third or fourth climb we made it to the top in 45 minutes.
The climb is a mix of both dirt and rocky surface unlike Savandurga which is all rock surface. As we pass the half way mark, the climb gets steeper with hardly anything to hold on. This part can be dicey during rains. Grass and small shrubs are the only plant life... no trees on this hill.

Just before we reach the top, we get to see Nandi statue on our left. It's perched on a small rock which acts like a private pedestal for Nandi. Once on the top, you can see a small temple and a shop, managed by the Swami and his son.

The Swami's been living there for more than 20 years. What a life! On top a hill breathing fresh air and seeing the sights we rarely get to see.

The summit is a small area with steep faces on three sides. We have to watch where we step. One wrong step... let me not imagine further.

One of the faces is a suicide spot... straight down several hundreds of feet. This is where queen Shantala, Hoysala king Vishuvardana's wife, ended her life by falling here. I stood two feet from the edge and took this picture.

When we looked around, we could see lot of smaller hills spread around. Many of them with little forts or watch houses on top. Palegars used these hills to keep watch over their territory and also as hideouts during wars. This whole area is one destination for nature lovers, adventure seekers and wild life enthusiasts but it's changing fast with the so called 'development activities'.

For people coming from Bangalore, there are two routes to reach Shivagange. The most travelled route is the one from Dobbaspet. the other one is from Bangalore-Hassan road which is less crowded. We always took this road which passed through country road. During one of the visits, on the way back, we saw a flock of vultures. This was the only time I ever saw vultures so closely. Huge and ugly and scary. The flock was a mix os all sizes and ages.  They were busy feeding on a carcass... may be a cow or a buffalo. At first they did not notice us. I took out my aim-n-shoot Yashica and slowly went towards the flock... scared where they might attack me with their claws and beaks. But they were suddenly alert. They saw me and started leaving moving me away from me. I interrupted their party. Sorry guys. The next scene was some thing I'd never seen. The vultures started running picking speed, flapping their massive wings trying to lift their mass of the ground and then slowly took off the ground... like jumbo jets. I don't think I'll ever get to such a scene ever again.

Shivagange is a home to several temples. One of the temples is popular for it's underground spring. People throng here to touch the water which is supposed to be holy.

I've heard that a tunnel existed long time back which connected to Kashi. Hard to believe. I've also heard that another tunnel connected Shivagange to Gavigangadhareshwara Devastana, one of the cave temples in & around Bangalore. I've seen the tunnel's entrance which is just behind the Garbhagudi. It was blocked after few treasure seekers died of suffocation in the tunnel. Gavigangadhareshwara Gudi is worth a visit.

If you ever happen to visit Shivagange, make sure you carry sticks to scare the red-faced monkeys. They are rude. Last when I went, some time 1993, they ruled the place.

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looking around Sathodi Falls

These pictures were shot during a trip to Sathodi waterfall.

a skeletal hand

Nature creates the best spirals

a type of moss

From a distance, the river bed looked like a beach. What looked like sand we saw was dirt. As we moved towards water, the ground got softer. The mixture of fine dirt and water can be traps, need to be careful.

like a Trishula stuck in Earth

These are arecanut trees trunks. A plantation submerged in reservoir waters have become lifeless.

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A day at Sathodi Falls

Sunday, February 10, 2008

A trip planned by colleagues- Ajay, Archana, Haseena, Mahesh, Preeti, Roopa, Shilpa, Shweta, Ushalata, Vani, Vidya, Vijayalaxmi, Yasmeen and I.

We assembled at my uncle Prof. A R Desai’s (Hangarki) place. For such a group, everybody was on time, even the vehicle (Trax Cruiser). We started off on our journey at 6.15AM. Everybody in good spirits.

On the highway connecting Hubli and Ankola, heading towards Yellapura, we saw the sun rise to our left, painting the sky around it with crimson and gold. Haseena and Vani started singing (which is a must for journeys)... followed by Anthyakshari – more and more songs. We reached Yellapur and then realized that we over-shot the turn to Sathodi Falls. Vidya was grumbling that we are not paying attention to the road and we might end up else where.

We turned off the highway towards Sathodi Falls. A narrow road with trees on both sides. As we drove further, the jungle was getting thicker... We passed through a hamlet. Here ends the good roads. Now it was a narrow, winding, dusty dirt track through the jungle.

According to the information from people with whom we had inquired, we were supposed to trek 6 kilometers, one way, with bags laden with food & water. We were prepared for the walk.

At one point, I felt we might be close to the falls, may be within 6kms. I was hungry and asked to stop for breakfast. As usual, ladies opposed but I insisted that we stop and have breakfast. At the next turn, we stopped, of course against few ladies' will. As we got off the Cruiser, we realized that we had stopped at a very nice spot.

Bed-sheets were spread out on the ground, that would be a makeshift kitchen. Vidya, Shilpa and Haseena got to make sandwiches while I helped them get things from the bags. I could not find tomatoes! I was worried about facing the ladies wrath for being careless! Later we got the tomatoes. What a relief! But I got fired for not getting enough bread!!

While breakfast was getting ready, four cameras (two digital and two mobile phones) had got busy.

We went on a short adventure climb... all of us. These girls were quite brave to climb through a narrow, slippery dirt path on the edge... one wrong step or slip, the next point of contact with the ground would be 25 feet below.

We decided to move on... packed and stuffed everything into the Cruiser. We decided to trek down to the falls. Talking, cracking jokes, singing, shouting, shooting pictures, throwing stones... most of us had become kids for the day.

We saw tall trees, wonderful flowers, a buffalo (some girls thought it was a wild bison), dry stream beds, young tender leaves, bright red wild berries, a beam of sun light through a gap in a tree, bamboo... We picked up stones, pebbles, fallen leaves, sticks, flowers...

As we walked through the jungle, there was a huge waterbody just next to our path. It was a reservoir formed by the dam across Kali river. We climbed down slope and spent some time next to the water. Started pitching stones on the water. Pitching was new to so many and they seemed to enjoy it. Shot few group pictures.

Weather was humid and getting warmer. We reached a point beyond which no vehicle could pass... Cruiser waiting for us. The falls was just another kilometer from here. We could hear the gushing water. We took our bags now and headed to the waters and falls. Vidya, Shilpa and I were the last ones to reach the falls.

The clear fresh water felt cool on the feet. I washed my face and wet my hair. It felt great! The girls had found a good place in the stream to sit in the water. The group looked so relaxed & happy. The stream bed was scattered with huge rocks and boulders sculpted by water.

I saw Ajay and Mahesh exploring their way to the falls... trying to get as close as possible. Finding a way through the rocks and water was fun. All the walking and clambering over rocks made us hungry.

We grouped together under a pergola away from the waterfall. It was convenient to spread out the food stuff & serve. We could sit and eat comfortably enjoying the sights & sounds. Lunch menu was chapathi, salad, peas, brinjal, lady's finger, a sweet, fried rice, curd rice... the list goes on. I had a heavy meal napped for a while. After the break, we headed towards the waterfall again.

This time round, except for Shilpa, all of us went real close to the falls. We spent some time admiring the beauty of the falls, the pond at the foot of the falls, rock formation... We pitched more stones on the water. Vani learned to pitch and was excited about it.

On the walk back, we stopped for tea. As we waited for tea to be prepared, I was attracted by the beach like look of the stream bank and I decided to go down take a look at the place. Shilpa joined me.

We walked on the dry, cracked stream bed... it was still wet and spongy at spots. A little further towards the stream, the bed looked like quick sand. I took few pictures. Ajay and Mahesh joined us. We found some paw prints... belonging to the cat family.

The sun was going down, giving us long shadows. That gave me an idea to shoot pictures of Shilpa, Ajay and Mahesh with their shadows. It was fun!!

Except for Haseena, everybody joined us on the stream bed. More shadows.

I guess this was the last picture of the wonderful day.

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