Jul 30, 2022

a gathering of high school friends

The history of this gathering goes back to December 2020. A trip to a resort called Jhari Eco Stay in Chikkamagaluru district was planned by my friends from Vijaya High School, Bangalore. I couldn't join them. The five friends- Anil, Kiran, Naag, Skanda & Viji -had a great time at Jhari. Seeing the photos & videos of the gang chilling it out in the chilly weather, I knew I had missed a wonderful time. It was almost impossible to break away from the ongoing work at our apartment at Dharwad. My presence was required daily at the site to push the builder. Mid January 2021, after a simple house warming ceremony we moved into our new home. I wanted my friends to visit us and see our new home. July 2021 four of five friends- Anil, Kiran, Naag & Skanda -traveled from Bangalore to Dharwad. Viji couldn't break away from his office work. During that 3-day gathering we spent time together... two home cooked meals at our place, two late evening parties, an early morning bicycle ride, a visit to two historic temples and breakfast at a popular local eatery. It was a memorable gathering, moments of which remains fresh to this day. Despite the two gatherings, the full group was yet to unite in one place.
Beginning of January 2022 another gathering was proposed, tentative venue was Skanda's farm at his ancestral village. The proposal was on hold since most of us were busy, none of us could commit availability. A few weeks before this proposal cropped up, our friend Naag's trips to Bhoohalli became a hot topic. Bhoohalli is a remote village near a town called Sathanur about 80 km southwest of Bengaluru, situated close to Muttatti forest. The core of the topic was a little eatery called Sneha Jeevi Siddu Hotel whose menu consisted of South Indian dishes like dosa, idli, bonda, lemon rice, etc. Every visit to SJSH was rated 5/5 and the shocking part was the pricing. ​During one of the visits, a filling breakfast for two members was ₹70. We doubted Siddu's math but Naag verified the numbers, no errors found. Then we wondered if Siddu was giving discount. Naag confirmed no special discounts. The pricing was unbelievable!! Once we even had a con-call to audit the rates & billing. We went to the extent of telling that he was charging way too less but Siddu stuck to his numbers. We were stupefied by Siddu's honesty and simplicity. So, it was decided unanimously that we must visit SJSH for a breakfast once.
Months went by with no progress on the proposal. In between a plan came up that we spent a day & night at Bhoohalli, and visit two historic places in the vicinity. The two places picked by me were Kabbaludurga fort & Bheemanakindi a natural rock formation. Then I proposed that we meet at any of the resorts near Tumkur. Viji researched and shared a couple of names, one near Kunigal and another near Kanakapura. In the second week of June, during a joint call between Naag, Viji & I, the dates and place were decided- July 2nd and 3rd at Odyssey Retreat. Then we added Anil to the call. He too was okay. I think we kind of took the liberty of finalizing on behalf of Kiran, Skanda and BRS. I booked train tickets for both onward & return journeys. Couple of days later two more friends- Arun & Sam -two more friends confirmed their attendance. Great! The plan was cast- 9 of us would be checking into Odyssey Retreat on Sat afternoon, stay overnight and checking out on Sunday morning.
My onward train journey started at 5-15 am. The question was how do I reach the station that early. Autorickshaw was not an option. I decided to walk the 1.75 km way to Dharwad railway station. One week before the journey, around 4-30 am, I went walking to the station. It took me 22 minutes. Good timing. However, with two bags and an umbrella the timing might go up by a few minutes. So rounding it off to 30 minutes, I decided to leave at 4-30 am. July 1st morning. There was one worry though. What if it rains heavily. I can't travel in soaked trousers and footwear. I'll have to take that chance.
July 1st. I was up at 3 am. First thing I looked outside. It had rained little. Never mind. I cooked breakfast for Pushpa. Packed chapati and sprouts for myself. After the usual morning duties I was ready to leave. It started raining. Pushpa was concerned, told her its manageable. My trek to the railway station started with an umbrella raised, but raindrops were landing on my bags. My route runs over a hill which means half way is uphill and other half is downhill. Thankfully rain was light, it stopped after 5 minutes. Around the half way point, it rained again which lasted for 5 minutes. The downhill stretch passed quickly, it was a relief to step into the RS. I made it in 20 minutes! Intercity Express was already on the platform, I found my coach & seat. First thing I wiped the umbrella with a tissue and placed with the bags. Train departure was on time..
The journey was neither boring nor interesting... most of the I looked outside... vast farmlands, green crops, a peacock or a deer somewhere, went across several rivers and streams, Tungabhadra being the major one. The train arrived at Bangalore City station on time i.e. 1:55 PM, I made my way to Metro, a good 20 minutes walk. I alighted at MG Road Metro station, my brother & niece picked me up and we went home. Officially I'm at Bengaluru now. Brother, mom and I chatted until 6 PM. I had an early dinner and hit the bed at 8-30. I woke up by 1-30 am not to fall asleep again.
At 4 AM, I go out of the bed, went through the morning duties and packed up my bags and booked a cab to Basavangudi. Said bye to mom, came out to our apartment entrance, the cab arrived in a minute. It was nice to see early morning Bangalore roads... the familiar route... KH Road, 3 gates of Lalbagh, the jungle like garden of Madhav Rao circle, KR Park and Netkallappa circle. My destination- Anil's home -is a minute's walk from the circle. Anil was yet to get ready, meantime I went for a short walk, withdrew cash at an ATM, and had a hot glass of filter coffee. Back at Anil's place, it was a treat to see a noisy flock of parrots lined up on a wall. With so much green cover in South Bengaluru, bird life seems to be thriving here.
Our plan was to rendezvous at an eatery on Kanakapura-Inner ring road junction. Before that we had to pick up Arun. The route until Uttarahalli was familiar but I could see a lot of changes. Skanda and Naag caught up with us. We picked up Arun and reached the rendezvous point, Kiran and Sam had arrived. Then in a couple of minutes, Viji too arrived in his car. So 8 of us assembled as planned. The ninth man, Subbu would be catching with a few hours later.
Next on the agenda was breakfast at Sneha Jeevi Siddu Hotel, Bhhoohalli, a 72 km journey. We decided to leave Viji's car at Odyssey Retreat, a short deviation off Kanakapura road. I was traveling this far on Kanakapura road after 35 years, the landscape was nothing like before. Also I remembered driving Alwyn Nissan Cabstar at crazy speeds on this road... while returning from Mekedatu I had raced with a Swaraj Mazda at 120 kmph! I realized how wild a bunch of teenagers could be. A weekend morning traffic was not exactly light... and there were cyclists on this highway! These guys are brave to be riding with cars, buses & trucks passing by closely. Dharwad cyclists are still lucky to be riding on almost deserted roads on the outskirts.
A few kilometers after Harohalli we stopped to get a few pictures of a rock hill. During that brief stop someone noticed a deflating tire in Skanda's TUV. We drove into the first petrol bunk we saw to refill air. The pressure wasn't holding which meant either a faulty valve or a puncture. Across the road was a tire shop... a short break while the mechanic looked into the issue.
The journey continues... Kanakapura town had transformed, what was once a large village once looked more like some locality of Bengaluru now. Kiran pointed out Vasu Hotel a popular joint for Masala Dosa. Groups traveling to/from Mekedatu invariably stopped there. Memories of having eaten there came alive, I remember the tables placed under a tin-roof shelter. From Kanakapura we turned towards Sathanur, traffic was lighter on this road. From Sathanur we turned towards Bhoohalli. This stretch was peaceful, farms lands on both sides of the road, we passed through couple of villages before reaching our destination. On the way this peak came into view. This could be Kabbaladurga hill - this was one of the places on our original agenda. The other place, Bheemanakindi is also part of this hill. I checked out photos posted on Google Maps, both places are worth a visit. I hope to make it here some other time.
Here's a collage of a pictures of the main street of Bhoohalli. This is the last village on this road, 2 km from here is the border of Basavana Betta Forest. The top-left picture clicked by Kiran is a superb catch, it's nice to see the little gardens of those two houses. The big tree marks the spot of gram panchayat office and government school. Bottom-right: Viji taking selfie with a lovely little tiled roof house, and two little goats. Our friend Siddu's restaurant is a stone's throw from the red tractor.
So, here's Naag with Siddu. He seems to be feeling shy facing us. His little place was actually packed with local customers as well. They too were curious about us. I guess the sudden attention was little too much for our friend. He was scrambling around trying to attend to us and the local people. While we waited we checked out the dosa pantry, Siddu's sister was at work, she swiftly went out of the frame when I aimed my camera. Our breakfast was masala-dosa, coconut chutnis (with & without garlic), bonda and tea. We wanted to have idli as well but unexpected local crowd had emptied out the stock.
SJSH has a big sign board, the red/blue letters on white background is superb. The hand painted font and color combo is original and artistic. The sign board states the time based menus, one each for morning and afternoon. Coming to the eating area, its a two row arrangement, fixed granite slab tables & benches, easy to clean & maintain. This hall might have been dim & stuffy if not for the sky roof. 
Done with breakfast, the matter of bill turned into a discussion. The rates were unrealistic, way too less. We wondered how the economics worked out. We implored Siddu to be practical about his rates, but he stuck to his rates. I felt Siddu didn't see us as customers, billing was just a formality. Well, it was nice to know him. Naag suggested we head towards the forest, check out the road to Muttatti, just a couple of kilometers away. As mentioned earlier, beyond Bhoohalli was forest area. Our drive came to a halt at a fence & gate manned by Karnataka State Forest Department. Apparently traffic was barred for time being due to ongoing road repair work. If allowed we might have driven to Muttatti, the village connected to Dr. Rajkumar and also the notorious Veerappan. With a group photo we left the spot. Back at SJSH, we bid bye to Siddu.
The next task was to pick up Subbu who was coming by a bus. We spoke with Subbu about the meeting point, we would be meeting at a village called Gabbadi Kavalu on Bengaluru-Harohalli road. A few kilometers before Gabbadi, we stopped for sugarcane juice and also to let Anil catch up with us. Cloudy weather feels nice as long as your are traveling, the moment we stop it gets little uncomfortable, especially when sun plays hide-n-seek. Close to the spot was a unique looking tree... a tree shaped by vehicles. This reminded me of tamarind tree lined stretch on Dharwad-Kalghatgi road. The other group in Anil's car caught up. Sugarcane juice was great, very refreshing! Our journey resumed with Naag driving like a race driver. We stopped at Gabbadi and within couple minutes we saw Subbu get off a bus. Good timing. From here I drove the TUV, road view was great, engine & transmission felt smooth. It must've been a fifteen minute drive, we arrived at Odyssey, parked the car and stepped out vowing not to get into a vehicle until tomorrow morning. Even though we were an hour early, we were allowed to check in. Thanks to the friendly staff and Viji's organizing ability.
Odyssey Retreat is an interesting place. There were plenty of activities to keep the guests busy... swimming pool, rock climbing, sky walk, sky cycling, trekking, rain dance, basket ball, badminton, football, and many more. Our package included quite a few but I wasn't game for any, felt the same about my friends as well. Someone did mention about entering the pool but no such thing happened.
Our accommodation was a container dormitory. A new experience. The 10 bed dorm had two toilets, ACs and fans. For ten adults this space could be tight, we were just 9, so it was okay. Also we would be spending time inside just a few hours. We settled in, washed up and changed. I was eager to start the party right away, can't let hours pass in idleness. Party fuel was assembled on one of he beds with an announcement that inauguration was minutes away.
The party was inaugurated on the lawn in front of our dorm. Close to our dorm was the rock-climbing tower. So after a round, I got an idea of taking a few snaps from the top but we were skeptical if I would be allowed to climb up. Anyway, I approached the rock-climbing incharge seeking permission to climb to take pictures, permission denied. I requested them to take a few snaps of us from the top, thankfully it was accepted. So the container on the right is our dorm and we at the table on the lawn.
I loved the ambiance of this place. The terrain is hilly, the resort is situated in a valley. To the east i.e. directly opposite to our dorm was a huge rock formation and on the north is a granite hill. Granite quarrying was rampant in this area, presently not much activity I feel. The downside of being in valley is lack of breeze. It was sultry and humid, slightly uncomfortable at times. Anyway, weather went into the background as the spirits rose higher.
We had to pause our party for lunch. Menu had standard items offered by resorts, food was warm & tasty , I enjoyed the few items I had. Whoever designed the playout of this resort has done a neat job by keeping accommodation area away from the dining hall and recreation areas. The long bridge connecting the upper part and lower part of the resort is quite an attraction. It's a good stretch for group photos. Back at the dorm after lunch, couple of guys slept well while the rest chatted. I tried falling asleep in vain.
This group shot with all of us was taken on the lawn during tea time. Anil, Kiran, Sam, Skanda, Naag, Subbu, Arun, Viji and Sidd.
Weather was as sultry as it could get. I think it was after tea we spent some shooting at the basketball court. Not a single throw of mine scored a shot while Kiran, Sam and Viji did score a few. Back at the dorm rested a while. As we were preparing to resume the party, the skies opened up, the light shower lasted some 45 minutes. As it stopped a few of us were checking out the table & chairs on the lawn. Rest of the group sent a message that they had occupied a party shelter in the bonfire ground. Great! The party resumed. Kiran had brought a Bluetooth speaker with mic, we played a few songs. Kiran and Viji are enthusiastic singers, they sang a couple of numbers. Our talks touched younger years love stories... Naag and Viji narrated elaborately. Somehow the others escaped when Subbu changed the tracks during his turn. Arun spoke about his tryst with veganism, the topic sounded little serious. Then he amused us with Cuddapah Telegu, the focus was more on a particular word which is unbelievably versatile when it comes to fitting into any situation. I guess every language its own set of special words .. be it Dharwad Kannada, English, Hindi, or any other. At some point we tried to engage Naag with his "to be discussed later" list. The list was has topics ranging from saving forests & wildlife, ban on safari rides, Viji's upgradation, measuring convenience, some mansion Kiran spoke of, etc. Naag deftly deflected the topics!
A few of us had to force the rest to get up for dinner. As per the resort policy, dinner closes by 9-30 but the staff kept it open a little longer. Menu was almost the same as lunch, as usual I had a few items. On Viji's prodding I had a scoop of ice-cream. Normally I don't sweets after drinks, had to make an exception today. One pleasant surprise during dinner was the karaoke band. I think Viji and Kiran suggested a few Hindi numbers, the singer was good. I remember Arun asking for a philosophical Kannada number. The singer wasn't familiar. Then Arun asked for Shishunala Sharief songs. Again no. So we were back with Hindi numbers. At some point Viji took over the mic, his singing was impressive. Before the band closed for the evening I asked the band guy to sing yeh dosati hum nahi todenge... how can a friends party be complete without singing it!
After dinner we went back our adda. We had the bonfire lit and finished off the remaining fuel. Here's one shot with the bonfire blazing, the aroma of the smoke was heavenly.
I don't know how the time flew by. Around 1 AM, a few of the folks called it an evening, they went to the dorm. I think Naag, Skanda, Viji and I went for a walk with beer cans in our hands. I can't remember clearly how long we walked or sat but when we realized it was past 3-30 AM we decided to hit the bed. I remember waking up at 5 AM for a few minutes. Drank water and went back to sleep. It was 8 AM when I woke up. I had slept some 8 or 9 hours in the past 48 hours!
I was groggy, feeling miserable. To shake of the grogginess I had a cold bath, it did help a little. We all had breakfast together. Back at the dorm a few of us packed our bags. Check out time was 11 AM but Viji and I decided to leave a little early. Kiran, Sam and Subbu wanted to tag along. So it was a quick bye-bye session and we were on the road. Subbu and I got off at the first Metro Station. Another round of hugs and byes. My energy level was really down, the only way to recharge was to get proper sleep. I alighted at City railway station stop. The 20 min walk from Metro station to the railway station felt like a 4 km trek. I reached an hour early, the platform was uncrowded, I could sit peacefully. However, the train was crowded, jam packed at times. Somehow I endured the 8½ hour journey, plus another 30 minute bus ride, plus a 5 minute walk to home. A hot bath, change of clothes and home food revived me. This was one of the rare nights of interrupted sleep.
This gathering, though a rushed one, will remain a memorable one.
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Jul 27, 2022

break-dancing Myna at Aihole

We were at Huchimalli Gudi, Aihole. I was resting in the temple's Mukha Mantapa while Pushpa was going around the temple premises which consists of three temples and a stepped well. Pushpa spotted this Myna on the Kalyani (stepped well) wall, with the telephoto lens camera in her hands, multi-shot mode on. Here is the series of five clicks... it looks the Myna was practicing break dance.





These are two of three temples while the third temple is on my left hand side, out of view here.

This is the stepped well. While ASI is trying its best to protect & preserve the Chalukyan monuments are Aihole, Huchimalli Gudi is one of the best preserved temples.

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Jul 23, 2022

Sri Nanneshwara Gudi, Lakkundi

June 15, 2022
When you approach Lakkundi from the southern side, the first temple one gets to see is Halugonda Basaveshwara Gudi which is adjacent to the water pond. A little further into the village, two monuments come into view- Kashivishveshwara Gudi on the right, and Nanneshwara Gudi on the left -the road going into the village passes between these two temples.

Nanneshwara Gudi is a Ekakuta (a temple with one sanctum), its east-facing, has an open Sabha Mantapa, the rest of the temple is walled which includes a Nritya Mantapa, Antharala and Garbhagudi. The Mritya Mantapa has two entrances- eastern and southern. The Shikhara is a three tiered Vimana. This temple is said to be built in the XI Century CE using soapstone.

As you see, the temple is built on a Jagati, a high platform. The open pillared hall is a classic example of grandeur. The twenty pillars can be divided into 4 types based on the design. Each of the four types are complex, only a talented and experienced sculptor could produce them. Note that the pillars arrangement is asymmetric.
At the end of the hall is the entrance to the Nritya Mantapa. The doorframe is five tiered, each of the tiers has a unique theme. The crest of the frame has Gajalakshmi housed in a cuboidal niche. One of the tiers stands apart as it is hollowed out. The first time I saw this hollowed out tier was at another Chalukyan monument, the Mahadeva Devastana at Itagi, about 41 kms in the easterly direction. Also, the open Sabha Mantapa is a feature seen at Itagi.

A diagonal view i.e. from the southeastern corner. The side entrance is visible from here. The steps are balustraded, adorned by a Yali, a fierce looking lion like creature (see inset).

A closer look at the Yali balustrade. A lion featuring alert eyes, powerful jaws, a prominent mane, legs ready to propel and a looped tail. Indeed a fierce looking creature.

The side entrance also has an five tiered doorframe complete with Gajalakshmi. The entrance has a high canopy. The canopy seems more like an ornamental item because the projection is way too short for it to prevent sunlight or raindrops from reaching the door. Going around the rear portion of the temple, the exterior walls are richly decorated right from the base to the top of the walls.


This is a part of the base, a stepped creation. The tier featuring the etched arcs is a classy touch. I don't recall seeing this type pattern any other place. This elegant pattern can be seen at Kashivishveshwara Gudi here at Lakkundi.

Side walls and Shikhara. This design is complex. Wonder how the builders imagined it, designed it and made their imagination a reality. There could be multiple people involved in conception and execution. As mentioned earlier, this Shikhara is Vimana type, it has three tiers. At the Shikhara's pinnacle is the Kalasa, the sphere & cone object... it looks like a peeled coconut.

The rear part of the Shikhara. Just below the Shikhara base, on the rear wall is a sloping canopy in tile finish. This pattern is unique. It could've been a plain canopy but the architect gave a special touch to it. The middle part of the Shikhara is eye-catching i.e. the curvy arches shielding miniature Shikharas. 
Now lets see the base of the wall. The third tier from the bottom is made of elephants in different postures. Some portions of the tier are damaged, they seem to be broken intentionally. The other aspect of this tier is the variations in the stones used. In this picture we have two different colored stones- grey and white. I think its the same type of stone in different colors. The dark grey streaks in both variants are same. The white-grey stone has a special look.

This is the northern wall of the Garbhagudi. The projecting object is the drainage channel to let out Abhisheka fluids. Originally there would be a collection pit or a stone tank into which the fluids collect. Now things are different but if we go back in time, the mixture of water, milk, honey, banana, etc. was taken as Prasada by devotees. At the end of the ritual, the collection tank would be cleaned and kept ready for the next day's morning ritual. However, in the present most temples' pits/tanks are left untouched, left to rot and stink. The worst pit I remember seeing was at Virupaksha Devastana, Hampi. I wish the temple authorities get the pit cleaned daily thereby maintaining the sanctity of the place.

Another view of the Garbhagudi drain channel.

A miniature Rekhanagari Shikhara on the temple's northern wall. Check out the decorative touch to the canopy edge. The sculptors had patience to give such delicate finishing touches in a complex structure as this.

This is the view from the northwestern corner. Take a look at the base of the temple. The parallel lines along the base creates an illusion that the temple is afloat. This could be my imagination. 

Done with the exterior, lets take a quick look at the interior. This is the open pillared meeting hall, Sabhmantapa. As mentioned earlier, there are four types of columns here, however every pillar is unique when you compare the details.

A lotus fixed into the ceiling, which marks the center of the hall.

This is the inner hall, an enclosed space called as Nritya Mantapa. The Nritya Mantapa is a stage bound by four very ornate pillars. Nritya Mantapa can also be semi-enclosed. For example Tarakeshwara Devastana at Hangal has a half wall with seating platform around the hall. This is a standard design, can be seen in most Chalukyan temples. In the background is the grand doorframe of the Garbhagudi. The deity of this temple is a Shivalinga seated in a pedestal. 

Nritya Mantapa as seem from the Antharala. These four pillars are the most complex and ornate in this temple. In fact these four pillars are the best in any of the temples. This would be the next most important part after the Garbhagudi.

Sabhamantapa as seen from the inner hall. 

Back in the Sabha Mantapa, lets take a close look at one of the lathe turned and polished pillar. This hall has 8 to 10 such pillars.

The beauty of these pillars is the mirror polished section also has four embossed floral pattern. Each of the floral pattern is unique, which means there are 40 such designs. Even if I wanted to draw one of these on paper, it wouldn't be even close to this creation in stone.

Done with Nanneshwara Gudi, I head towards the museum and Brahma Jinalaya. To see Lakkundi, its better to have a light tummy, so that moving around is comfortable. During this trip I could visit only 7 temples and the museum. I still need to check out the remaining temples situated in the narrow lanes of the village. Hoping to make another visit here.
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Jul 16, 2022

Sri Shankarlingeshwara Gudi, Lakkundi

June 15, 2022
Shankarlingeshwara Gudi is one of the 20 odd surviving historic temples of Lakkundi. This temple is situated in the eyesight from Brahma Jinalaya & historical museum of Lakkundi. The temple is surrounded by farmlands. In fact, adjoining it is a small plantation of jasmine flowers. When I approached the spot, a dozen ladies were picking flowers from the shrubs. This is a restored monument, some of its components are recently sculpted. For example, the pillars & beams of the Mukhamantapa The Nandi Mantapa too is a present day product. 

A resting Nandi inside a Mantapa in front of the temple door is the original position of Nandi. However, most of the Nandi Mantapas are gone, probably the stones were carried away and used else where.

The purely functional structure. Going by the looks of the stone blocks, they seem to be shaped using a stone-shaping machine, not hand sculpted.

This is the southwest corner. The external walls are not really plain. Scale models of pillars & Shikhara adorn the walls. Also the Shikhara of this temple is complex in design. Whoever got this temple built wanted a small but grand looking structure. And, I feel its grand not just by the looks but in terms of functionality too. 

View of the Shikhara from the western side. The complex shape of the Shikhara seems like some device to pull in cosmic energy.

The northern wall. Notice the two projecting rainwater canals, similar canals have been provided on the opposite side as well.

The inside of the temple. This is the Sabhamantapa with a Ranga Mantapa in the center. This is a standard design in Chalukyan architecture. The Garbhagudi has a deity, daily pooja is done.

Right next to the temple platform are two hero-stones. I winder how many hero-stones were seen here in Lakkundi, say five hundred years ago. WHo knows how many are buried in dirt, how many taken away and used for some building construction. I believe that "superstitious beliefs" helped preserve some of our heritage and Ficus trees. Its tricky to know which of the ancient beliefs are actually useless and which ones are useful.

Done with Shankarlingeshwara Gudi, I head towards Musukina Bavi and Mukteshwara Gudi, which are situated on the other side of Lakkundi-Gadag road, close to government bus-stand.
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