Travel - A pilgrimage.... Part 3 (Agumbe-Sringeri-Horanadu-Vittal)

Was looking forward to some real nice mountain drives and sure enough was not disappointed as we set out for Sringeri from Agumbe. The weather had been consistently pleasant and carried on being lovely all the way.

The road from Agumbe to Sringeri, winding through the Ghats was pretty good and enjoyable. Covered the distance of 30kms in 45minutes. A huge parking lot awaited us at Sringeri. There were plenty of Lord Ayappa devotees on their pilgrimage traveling in vehicles of varied sizes. They could be easily identified as all of them were dressed in black and the vehicles were heavily garlanded. The Jagadguru Shankaracharya Mahasamsthanam, Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri, is the first and foremost of the four Peethams established by the renowned 8th century philosopher saint Sri Adi Shankara, the principal exponent of Advaita (non-dualism). The Divinity of Knowledge, Goddess Sharada, installed at Sringeri by Sri Adi Shankara, graces the Peetham as the presiding deity. According to legend, Adi Shankaracharya is said to have selected the site as the place to stay and teach his disciples, because when he was walking by the Tunga River, he saw a cobra with a raised hood, providing shelter from the hot sun, to a frog about to spawn. Impressed with the place where natural enemies had gone beyond their instincts, he stayed here for twelve years.

The Sharada temple, dedicated to the Goddess of learning and wisdom, has grown from a simple shrine dating to the time of Adi Shankaracharya. In the fourteenth century, Vidyaranya is said to have replaced the old sandalwood image with a stone and gold image. The temple structure itself continued to be made of wood until the early 20th century. After an unexpected fire that damaged the structure, the current structure was built in the traditional south Indian (Dravidian) style of temple architecture. The Vidyashankara temple was built in commemoration of the pontiff Vidyashankara, around 1357-58 A.D. It was built by Vidyaranya, patron saint of Harihara and Bukka, the brothers who founded the Vijayanagara Empire. The niches in the temple have a number of sculptures from Hindu, Buddhist and Jain mythologies. The temple combines Hoysala and Vijayanagara architectural features. This temple also features 61 images carved in bas-relief, of various scenes from the puranas.

Buddha is depicted as one of the incarnations of Vishnu here. The main temple hall features 12 pillars designated for the 12 signs of the zodiac and the windows and doors along the temple walls are arranged in such a way that the sun's rays fall on each of them, in the order of the solar months. The 'garbha-griha' has a linga called Vidyashankara installed in the memory of Guru Vidyatheertha.

At the entrance of the temple complex, on the left there is this beautiful wooden structure. The details of this ‘heritage structure’ are there on a board.

The temple administration has built guesthouses for devotees who wish to stay. There are many private lodges also available in the vicinity. We had many miles to go and Horanadu to visit, so off we went, on the scenic route flanked by tea and coffee estates on either side all the way to Hornadu.

Took us almost two hours to complete the 80kms journey as we stopped often on the way to admire and capture the beautiful sights. Sri Annapoorneshwari Temple is an ancient and revered shrine located in the picturesque surroundings of Horanadu. Everyone who visits the Horanadu Annapoorna temple is provided with a vegetarian meal irrespective of his or her religion, caste or creed. Before entering the temple to pay your respects to the Goddess, the temple authorities exhort you to have lunch! But seeing that there were not many people in the queue for darshan we decided to skip lunch and visit the Goddess first. Male visitors to the temple have to remove their shirts and preferably cover their shoulders with a towel or a shawl as a symbol of respect and humility. The main deity of Annapoorna is made of gold and looks beautiful. It is said that a person who seeks the goddess' blessings would never have any scarcity for food in life. It is also believed that Lord Shiva was once cursed and that this curse was reversed when the Lord visited Goddess Annapoorna and sought her blessings. Feeling blessed, we made our way to our car to move on to Vittal, where we would stay for a couple of nights in our house. On the way, we passed Kudremukh – the township for the iron ore miners. And on the winding roads of the Western Ghats via Karkala and Mudbidri (been there done that) we cruised in the cool climes to reach Vittal at 1700hrs, covering a distance of 140kms in three hours. Vittal is a small town in the Puttur Taluka of South Kanara district of Karnataka. There is a beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Ananteshwar where people from far and near come to seek blessings. There is also a ‘Naag Katte’ outside the temple, which is worshipped daily. Our stay in Vittal was blessed with lovely weather and views so lovely that words cannot possibly justify.

While in Vittal I also fulfilled an old desire of visiting the village ‘Ammembal’ from which we derive our surname.

It is an extremely small place, just about 4sq kms. Visited the local ‘Somnatheshwar temple’ there but could not get inside as it was closed for darshan. The days flew by and we had to move on yet again to Hassan and Bangalore via ShravanBelagola, Belur and Halebid.

Travel - A pilgrimage... Part 2 (Belgaum-Agumbe)

Left Belgaum at the decent morning hour of 0740hrs, after a hearty breakfast of huge idlis downed by some aromatic filter coffee, at the in-house restaurant of Hotel Ramdev. Tanked up just before getting on NH4 to be on our way to Agumbe. The weather was very pleasant befitting a chilly January morning and the drive comfortable right up to Harihar where we had to turn off the highway towards Shimoga. From the turnoff, the road was reduced to a two-lane tarmac with a few potholes thrown in as bumpy surprises. The traffic volume was low and mostly that of tractors and trucks.

Reached Shimoga at 1330hrs having covered a distance of 314kms in six hours. Saw a decent looking restaurant and parked for lunch. The menu mentioned ‘Palak Rice’ along with ‘Dahi Rice’. I love Dahi Rice but had never heard of Palak Rice so decided to try it out so called for one of each. Both were delicious and they also served a couple of glasses of hot ‘Rasam’, which was slurpicious. All this for a mere Rs.70/-. Feeling contented we set out again on the two laner onwards towards Agumbe via Teerthahalli. The bamboo forest all along kept the weather nice and pleasant. Unfortunately, the greenery had faded. It was lovely when we had passed through it in August last year. The rains had painted the forest bright green. However, even now, it was pleasant enough to keep the paths through the forest cool and refreshing. We passed through Teerthahalli at 1530hrs having covered a distance of 63kms in an hour and twenty minutes from Shimoga. The market place at Teerthahalli was very crowded. Seemed it was a ‘market day’ and the whole village and neighbouring villagers was out there to trade their goods. It was only later, in Agumbe that we learnt that the ‘Teerthahalli Jatra (fair) had just started and would last for a couple of days. We maneuvered through the crowds and got back on to the road to Agumbe, which was just 33kms away. The 45minutes drive to Agumbe brought back memories of our fears as we had passed through the place last year. We were repeatedly told not to stop anywhere on the Agumbe ghat, especially if yours is the lone vehicle on the road. We were also advised to look for other vehicles and travel along with them like a convoy. All this as, apparently, there was a huge amount of Naxalite activity in the area and the Naxals would stop vehicles and rob/harm random vehicles passing through. We had zipped through and counted our blessings for the safe passage then. And we had done it to avoid the terrible condition of national highway17 between Mangalore and Mumbai, which actually is a beautiful coastal route to travel on. But we had suffered enough on the way to Mangalore and were in no mood to get our body aching and the car damaged. We had preferred to take our chances with the feared Naxals! While web surfing, chanced upon a blog that spoke very highly about Agumbe and its surroundings and there were quite a few references by people who had visited and stayed there. That got me thinking ‘why not’ and zeroed in on the accommodation offered at the ‘Agumbe Rainforest Research Station (ARRS)’ an NGO established by the famous Romulus Whittaker who also runs a snake/crocodile research centre in Chennai. Checked out the location of ARRS on Google earth and thought no further. It was in a small clearing in the forest, away from the main road. The ARRS is managed wonderfully by a young man Mr.Gowrishankar, ably assisted by Mr.Prashant who lives in the Agumbe village. For accommodation, one has to get in touch with Mr.Gowrishankar, who insisted that since they do not want noisy vacationers frequenting the place, would like to have nature lovers as guests. Having convinced him of my bonafides, managed to get a couple of nights booked in this heavenly place.

Drove into ARRS at 1615hrs and as I shut off the engine there was total silence. Just some birds chirping, that’s it. Gowrishankar was there to receive us and he showed us to our cottage. The exterior of the cottage was done very tastefully and looked very pretty. The interior was very basic – a couple of cots, chairs and a very clean bathroom. Very airy and filled with natural light. The ARRS was powered by solar energy so no television. Our cell phones also died due no network coverage. The only phone connection was BSNL cdma that existed in the ARRS main cottage. It was the lifeline for people in and around Agumbe who had a snake encroaching on their premises. On receiving an SOS, he would rush in his jeep to ‘rescue’ the snake and release it in the forest on the ARRS premises. Around 1730hrs Gowrishankar had to go to the village and offered to take us to the house made famous in the ‘Malgudi Days’ television serial.

We met Kasturi akka – the owner of the property – who offered us some wonderful ‘Masala Kurmura (puffed rice)’ and ‘Kashaya (hot herbal brew)’. Spent the evening chatting with her and learnt that she rents out rooms on the upper floor of the now famous ‘Malgudi Days cottage’ Dinner at ARRS was at 2030hrs and we would all have it together in the beautiful dining area. Over dinner, Gowrishankar explained why snakes thrived in Agumbe.

A) In South Kanara, the snake is revered and the King Cobra has temples devoted to it. B) Agumbe has the second highest rainfall after Cheerapunji hence the climate is perfect for the King Cobra to proliferate. Next morning, after a hearty breakfast of eggs on toast, at around 1030hrs we set out to visit Parshwanath Chaityalaya on Kundadri hill. It is located 18kms away and 320metres above Agumbe which itself is 600metres above sea level. Kundadri hill is in fact a single gigantic monolithic rock formation with various outgrowths.

This place is also a Jain pilgrimage centre.

Kundadri, named after the Jain monk Kundakundacharya who is said to have practiced severe penance here, throngs with Jain Pilgrims during Makar Sankranti.

The single lane road that climbs up is steep and has a dozen hairpin bends. An awesome drive. There is a small parking lot on top from where you climb up a dozen steps to reach the temple - a Vrushabha Teerthankara Jain basadi said to have been built in the 17th century.

The views from the top are breathtaking. After spending a few minutes of absorbing the beauty, we head back. Next on the agenda was the ‘Sunset Point’. We were advised to be there by 1700hrs, to ensure ringside seats of the spectacle. The sunset per se is not spectacular but the view of the valley at dusk and the festive atmosphere is.

Made use of the multi photo ops offered and traced our way back to ARRS for an early dinner. After a restful night, we were treated to some wonderfully delicious ‘Neer Dosas’ for breakfast. Departed from Agumbe towards Sringeri, Hornadu and Vittal with hopes of returning, maybe during the monsoons to commune some more with nature at its best. Finally may I add that all the locals whom I spoke to averred that the Naxals do not attack anybody at random but only those whom they perceive as enemies of the common man. It was their fervent hope that Agumbe grows as a tourist destination boosting their economy.

Travel – A pilgrimage…… Part 1 (MUMBAI-KOLHAPUR-BELGAUM)

Travel has become a religion for my wife and me. It is very fulfilling as it also gives us a spiritual connect. Have also noticed that to visit exotic locales garnished with history, all that one has to do is to ensure that one visits the local religious places, which are inevitably located in some of the most beautiful, and scenic locations. Apart from the natural beauty, one is also treated to some enlightening history. And so, this time when we decided to drive down to Mangalore by avoiding the NH17, we decided to drop in for a while at Kolhapur where the deity of Mahalakshmi, also known as Ambabai resides in the heart of the city. We set out from Bandra at 0530hrs to beat the traffic on a cool January morning. The weather and the wide-open roads were all very encouraging to eat up the road and soon we were cruising on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. The tummy rumbled for attention as we neared the second food mall on the expressway and we decided to satiate our hunger and stopped for ‘vadapav and chai’ breakfast. The ambience was good but the food was ordinary. I suppose the first food mall must have been the better of the two as there were plenty of buses and cars parked there – precisely the reason that put us off, as I hate to queue for food. Having fortified ourselves, off we went back on the road, not wanting to miss out on the pleasure of making the best of the pleasant weather to drive in. Soon the Kolhapur exit made its presence and there we asked for directions to the famed temple. The directions were simple. Turn right, go under the flyover, enter the welcome-arch to Kolhapur, and then go straight till the third statue in a roundabout. This statue is the Shahu Maharaj statue where you turn left and bingo – the temple! The signage is pretty decent too. There are parking restrictions around the temple so you just follow the ‘Pilgrims Parking’ signs and park in the designated parking lot for a fee of Rs.10/-. The walk to the temple is a mere five minutes. We parked at 1130hrs having covered a distance of 386kms. The temple has three entrances and you may choose any. There are manned shelves to keep your footwear at all the entrances where they charge you Rs.1/- per pair. Being a Tuesday, the devotees were aplenty but orderly, as the temple had made good arrangements for disciplined darshan for all. Of course, you could barely glance and bow down your head in obeisance and you were urged to move on to ensure that all devotees got ‘darshan’. The whole process from the time we queued up till we stepped out after paying our respects just took us fifteen minutes. As photography was prohibited inside the temple, took some outside. There were some very intricate carvings on the outer walls of the temple. The temple tops were freshly painted and stood out in stark contrast to the rest of the stone colored structure. On our way back, we came across a monument atop which there was a figure of an athlete! It took me by surprise as it was the first time that I saw an athlete being adored and revered in India, ahead of cricket players. At the bottom was a plaque honoring all the Olympians from Kolhapur. Now it was time to taste the famed spicy Kolhapuri food and as advised by various foodie friends we decided to head towards ‘Opal’ restaurant for our lunch. On our way to the parking lot, we saw a school and a junior college housed in a heritage building which looked like a fortress! Wow! Walking along we spotted a residential block, which again seemed to belong to history. Kolhapur sure is a city wrapped in history. To get to ‘Opal’, we were directed to retrace our route back towards the highway till ‘Tara Rani Chowk’ – again the third roundabout where we would take a right. And there on our left stood a mansion like structure christened ‘Opal’. We were welcomed very courteously and ushered to our seats for a typically non-vegetarian thali which was accompanied by some yummy ‘sol kadi’. The vegetarian thali too was delicious. This sumptuous repast put us back by a couple of hundred rupees. Well spent. The food was good and the service – excellent! Got back on the highway onwards towards Belgaum – the preferred place for our night halt. Checked in at 1530hrs with the odo reading 501, in Hotel Ramdev and since we had an evening to loaf around, did precisely that. Had read about the famed fort in Belgaum and it turned out to be just a couple of kms from the Hotel. So after refreshing ourselves with a hot cuppa we strolled out at 1700hrs towards the fort. It is a straight road from the Hotel till the Sungoli Rayanna Circle where you turn left and adjacent to the main Bus stand is the Fort. Just inside the gates of the Fort is the Military Durga Temple. The Fort has a church and a mosque too, apart from the many government and military offices as it seems to be occupied by the military forces. All the religious structures in the fort are apparently run for and by the military forces and are open to all. Strolled back leisurely to the Hotel for a delicious South Indian meal at their in house restaurant and retired early for a restful night to ensure a refreshed departure next morning for an exciting destination – Agumbe!