memories of Anjanadri Betta 2017

Here are a unshared memories of our trip to Anjanadri Betta on Aug 12 2017. After an eventful journey from Hyderabad we had arrived at Anegundi around 4 pm. We went straight to the home-stay we had booked in advance. Then we reached Anjanadri hill base around 5-30 pm, climbed it and spent an hour or so at the top. For Pushpa it was the first visit here, and mine was third visit I think. As always it was a wonderful experience.. the fresh air, those amazing sights and monkey antics. And, I wasn't alone in that experience, every person up here looked happy or lost. It looked like all were in a hypnotic trance.

Coming to these three pictures:

That's the iconic Frangipani of Anjanadri Betta. Do you see something in the tree's silhouette. You have to look closely. The little arc like patch on the right, it's a bird, probably a myna, approaching the Franjipani. Catching it midair so close to the tree was by fluke.

The next picture is active paddy fields as seen from Anjanadri. Yes, the sight of greenery and water is always a treat to eyes. After years I saw something more in this picture- the geometric shapes of individual plots- rectangles, squares, triangles and a multitude of polygons. Whatever the shape, every polygon out there will be tilled by farmers here. Now, notice that three or four plots are greener than the rest. Those are the ones where paddy saplings are grown, they are like nurseries. The saplings are transplanted to production plots where they grow, mature and produce paddy. The sight looks nice from here but you must try walking through those plots.

This the welcome arch of Anjanadri. From here starts the hill climb. Honestly I hadn't paid much attention to the details of the arch. Usually arches are either semicircular or straight lines but here we have an angular arch. At the top is a niche in which is an idol of a mother and child. It's a beautiful sculpture of a woman holding her child in her lap. This being the birthplace of Hanuman, the idol could be a depiction of Anjanadevi and baby Hanuman.

I had visited Anjanadri again in Dec 2024 with Sridhar. The arch is still there, the only change is color. Now it has been painted in shades of white and saffron.

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Yantrodharaka Hanuman Gudi, Hubballi

A few months while exploring the rural stretches around Dharwad & Hubballi, a marked spot caught my attention. The title of the spot on Google Maps stated "Yantroddharak Hanuman Temple." To my knowledge the only Yantrodharaka Hanuman shrine was situated at Chakratirtha at Hampi. Chakratirtha is the spot where river Tungabhadra turns sharply to the north, flows in the northerly direction for about 500 meters and then takes a sharp turn towards east. Since the ancient times, where a river or stream turns to the north or south or where streams merge are considered as holy spots and, shrines dedicated to Shiva are present. Coming back to Chakratirtha, the two main shrines are Yantrodharaka Hanuman and Kodhandarama temples. Then there are countless bas relief sculptures on the rocks along the river bank. Sculptures of Shiva Linga, Nandi, Anantasayana, Hanuman, Garuda, Ganesha, Narasimha and Dashatavatara can be seen on the rocky bank. Talking about Yantrodharaka Hanuman, it's a rare form of Hanuman in which he is seen seated in a hexagram.

After Hampi visit I found the story of Yantrodhara Anjaneya on Hampi Online website. I'm hereby quoting the story as it is:

Sri Vyasathirtha, a great scholar saint during the reign of King Krishna Deva Raya is believed to be an incarnation of the celestial Shankukarna. The earlier incarnation of Shankukarna was Bhakta Prahlada and the one after Sri Vyasathirtha was that of Sri Raghavendra Swami. Sri Vyasathirtha used to go to very calm spots on the banks of river Tungabhadra and meditate uninterrupted. One day, while he was meditating in a hillock near Chakratirtha, an image of Lord Hanuman kept coming to his mind. This happened only at that particular spot and nowhere else, even in nearby hillocks.

Sri Madhwacharya (believed to be an incarnation of Lord Hanuman) appeared in the dreams of Sri Vyasathirtha and instructed him to install an icon of Lord Anjaneya (Hanuman) next time. The next time Sri Vyasathirtha saw the image in the middle of his meditation, without any delay, he drew the image from his mind on to a rock using an Angara (coal used by Brahmins during Pooja performance). To his surprise, a monkey came to life from the rock and jumped out of the rock and his drawing would disappear. He repeated the process of drawing and every time, a monkey would jump out of the rock and the drawing would disappear. This happened 12 times.

Full of surprise, Sri Vyasathirtha finally decided to bind the image of Lord Hanuman in a Yantra. A small temple was built there and hence the temple has the name Yantroddhara Anjaneya. In the core of the Yantra is the statue of Lord Hanuman in Padmasana position. This is probably the only temple of Lord Hanuman in a sitting position which is generally in a flying or blessing position. The Yantra here is a form of binding which looks like a 6 cornered star. The star is encircled in a circle with flames going outwards giving it the drawing look of a sun. A closed, benzene like ring of 12 monkeys holding each others’ tails can also be found around the star and the sun which forms the outermost structure of the Yantra.

Following this, it is believed Sri Vyasathirtha installed 732 Hanuman temples all over South India. It is, to date, very difficult to get a list of all these.

Of the 732 idols of Hanuman installed by Vyasaraja, one of the known idols is inside the jungles of Uttara Kannaada, at Hanumana Kote near Lalguli village. I was fortunate enough to have visited the place three different times with years in between.

Coming back to the newest discovery, I was eager to see the shrine and came out with a plan. On Saturday May 15th morning, Pushpa and I finished our morning routine, packed breakfast and left home at 8 AM. Our destination was about 16 km away, close to Unkal village. We reached the place by 9 AM. This the sight of Yantrodhara Hanuman Gudi as seen from the road where we parked our car. As you see the place is silent except for the noise of light traffic.

It's a single chamber structure. The two Neem trees create a nice ambiance around the shrine.

The sanctum and the deity.

And, finally a close-up view of the deity. Having seen Hampi Yantrodhara Hanuman, it was like seeing a replica here.

I was curious about this temple's history. The only lead wad the phone number found at the site. I called the number which was answered by a person called Mallikarjun. Here's what learned: this temple was built a few years ago by the owner of this agricultural field. The deity is said to be consecrated by a Vaishnava Swamiji from Uttara Kannada. That's all for now. I did not press for more details since this was our first conversation. BTW, Mallikarjun is the priest who performs rituals here. In case you wish to visit this temple, you can call up the number seen in the photo above and check his availability.

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remembering Nidgal Betta

I haven't travelled out of town for the past few months, so the past few weeks I have been posting unpublished photos from my photo archives. This time I happened to pick Nidgal Betta. I'd visited Nidgal Betta on Dec 29th 2014. It was one of the toughest treks in my experience. The three boys from the village made my trip, without them I wouldn't have reached even half way the hill. The hill is wild and one needs to be familiar with the paths to reach the fort and eventually the peak. The trek from the fort ruins to the peak sapped me out. However, the view at the top made me forget my physical state. I have to thank those boys again for indulging a total stranger. Do check out the two part Nidgal Betta trek. And, here are some more photos of the morning.

Nidgal village is situated at the base of Nidgal Betta. The trek passed over the smaller hill, then into a valley and then we went up the main hill. This photo was shot on the smaller hill. You can see a bastion in the foreground, and there's a temple Shkhara next to the bastion. Notice the red patches on the slopes of the bigger hill, those are Gulmohar trees.

This is the temple next to the bastion. I guess this structure is the gateway of the temple. We did not go in due to time constraint.

I guess this is in the valley, looks like we had just left the smaller hill and, entered the slopes of the bigger hill. That seems like a tamarind tree. Notice the turret at the top. Wish I had got a closer look at the turret.

This is one of the many gateways on the bigger hill.

Given the remote location and wild terrain, the ruins have been preserved well.

Remains of a mud-wall. The layers give us an idea of how the wall built- layer by layer. I wonder what's the condition of the wall now i.e. after 12 years.

In the wild terrain it's natural for eyes to catch on to the wonders of Nature. There was a plant with balloon like dry pods. Probably there were tiny seeds in them waiting to be carried far away by winds. Close to the bottom-right of this image is an orange colored insect. I don't remember seeing it then. If I had, there would be a close-up image of that crawly creature.

Leaves cast their shadows on a granite rock. Those shadows are like live artwork at the mercy of Sun, and clouds too. Wonder how the live art looks like during a full moon.

This shot was taken on the crazy climb to the peak. While I rested at the lower end of the slope, my friends had perched on the crest. See how comfortable sitting like Ayappa Swamy. And those shadows are enigmatic.

At the peak of Nidgal Betta is a little temple with an idol of Nandi. At that little temple are two inscriptions. Do check out that temple- Basavanna Gudi and the sights from up there.

On the way back, I caught this tree's shadow on the rock. Notice the curvy shadow cast by the trunk. The trunk, rock surface, angle of Sun light - all have a role in that live art. Or do we call it ghost art because it vanishes eventually.

The first thought on seeing this rock formation was a shoe. A gigantic well used shoe. On this hill was so much to see. The different sights and views at different times of the day and, different seasons too.

The peak in the background and a ruined structure. The ground I was standing on can be considered at half-way up Nidgal Betta. On this small shoulder like formation are rampart walls and a few other structures. This little structure seen here is a temple, inside are relief sculptures and an inscription. An unexpected discovery was a huge cannon made of forged steel. Going by the historical evidences seen here, Nidgal was definitely an important place. For reason, Nidgal lost its prominence and faded away. It's become a hidden gem now.

December being a dry month, we get to see dry grass. Dry but beautiful. The contrast of shadows on shiny grass is a sight to behold.

Here's a portion of the cannon lying in a bed of grass. It seems like a XVI century creation, the types that could be seen at Vijayanagara, Kalburgi, Rayachuru, Golconda forts to name a few.

A gateway in the fortification around the shoulder.

The three sisters holding on their positions for centuries defying gravity.

Lastly, a partly burnt log of wood. This reminds me of a hidden shelter on the way to Basavanna Gudi. It was a one chamber shelter below a massive boulder. Whoever made it had constructed two walls with dressed stone blocks and mud. The interior had mud flooring. It could comfortably shelter a couple of adults. It was ideal for anyone who wanted to stay away for a while. It's not a secret hideout or something but it was like middle of nowhere.

Now, after typing out these lines, my heart yearns to visit Nidgal again.

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stories of Ramayana at Hazara Rama Devastana

Further to the post dedicated to the sculptures of Sharavan Kumar at Hazara Rama Devastana, I revisited the pictures again and felt like sharing pictures of two more walls there. Being a temple dedicated to Sri Rama, the builders decorated the temple with sculptures depicting stories from the epic Ramayana.

The middle image in the bottom row is the scene of king Dasharatha giving the divine payasam to his three queens Kausalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra. The divine payasam was a product of a Yagna for progeny. After the rituals a bowl of payasam was gifted by the gods to Dasharatha who in turn distributed among his queens. We all know that later four sons were born- Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana & Shatrugna.

The bottom row leftmost image should be of Dasharatha, the four princes and Guru Vasishta, the princes teacher. The rightmost image must be the scene of Dasharatha performing the Yagna.

Moving up to the middle row, the three images are from Aranyakhand, the part of Ramayana where Rama is in exile for fourteen years. The leftmost image is the scene of Bharatha meeting Rama,  Sita & Lakshmana in the forest. The middle image shows Lakshmana leading the way for Rama & Sita in a forest path. The rightmost is the scene of Lakshmana defending Rama & Sita from Shurpanakhi the Rakshasa woman who was infatuated by Rama's charm.

On to the top row where the mages are smaller. The middle one seems like Rama meeting Hanuman, or Sugreeva. The rightmost seems like Vali & Tara.

In this picture, the bottom left image is the scene of Rama breaking Shiva's bow Pinaka while trying to string it. This incident happens at Sita's home. Anyone seeking to marry Sita had to string Pinaka was her father king Janaka's condition. So Rama while trying to string the bow breaks it which proved his strength and marries Sita.

The bottom-middle image seems like sage Vishwamitra asking Dasharatha to send Rama & Lakshmana along with him to protect his Yagna from Rakshasa attacks. Dasharatha unwillingly agrees fearing Vishwamitra's anger. Despite being young and inexperienced, Rama & Lakshmana fight bravely and successfully protect Vishwamitra's Yagna ceremony. The bottom-right image is the scene of the battle between the princes & rakshasas.

In the middle row, it's a couple of rakshasa soldiers. Unsure of the characters of the archery duel. On the right it seems like Rama, Sita & Lakshmana.

The top row are scenes from the Ashoka garden in Ravana's Lanka. In the left is the scene of Hanuman meeting Sita while in captivity at Ashoka Garden. The middle and right images are the scenes of Hanuman fighting rakshasa soldiers and destroying a huge part of Ravana's palace garden.

So much for this week.

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Rickshaw Run Autos

This is a 9yo memory of seeing two gaily painted autorickshaws at Sabala Heritage Home, Vijayapura on Aug 18th 2017. Pushpa and I were traveling from Dharwad to Hyderabad, on the way we had stopped to see two historical monuments of Vijayapura. We had entered the historical city from the southern side and stopped to see the huge cannon named Landa Kasab Tope. Then we headed to the northern edge of the town to see the canon on Aldi Buruj. Unfortunately the tower was not tourist friendly, there was no way to climb the tower without the help of ladders. Also it was almost dusk, darkness was setting in. I moved up to a slightly elevated ground and got a glimpse of the canon which is quite long. We were tired and just wanted to find a lodge for the night. I guess we found a place just outside the city limits, a lodge situated inside a farm called Sabala Heritage Home.

We liked the heritage home's ambiance instantly. The hosts, lady owner and her colleagues, were friendly. Our first floor rooms had a view of neighboring fields, the only sounds we heard were insects. We had had lemon-grass tea and freshened up. The dining was on the ground floor. Menu was jolada rotti oota which included salad and sweets. Food prepared by village ladies was home food, no other word or phrase to describe it. There were a few other guests and their presence was hardly felt. We hit the sack early and woke up early to start the journey towards Hyderabad.

We chatted with the owner and found that she had good knowledge about plants. She grew vegetables, fruits, herbs, flowers and other crops. One of the herbs was a five in one spice. When we sniffed at the crushed leaf we got aromas of clove, pepper, cinnamon.. can't remember the other two. After the pleasant chat we said our byes and headed to the parking area where found two gaily painted autorickshaws. A group of young western foreigners were on a tour of India. Journeys would be slow but they weren't in a hurry, I guess.

On this flaming rickshaw was poster with website address rickshawrun.com which redirected to The Adventurist. Until now I never knew that touring in rickshaws was a craze among western tourists, particularly in Rajasthan. Do check out the website, it's big phenomena at another level.

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