Archive | October, 2017

Devrayanadurga : Day Trips in Bangalore 7.30AM – 3.30PM (Trip 10)

15 Oct

Trip – 10 :  Devrayanidurga – a Nice green Hill Temple near Tumkur (7.30 AM – 3.30 PM) 

The trip to Devrayanidurga was more like a day trip to a hill station. It was London weather , misty and cool and we soaked it all in with the green as green greenery engulfing us up the winding road to the beautiful and serene temple of Lord Narasimha. Devrayanadurga means “fort of rock” and this beautiful temple is ensconced between rocky hills with a beautiful water body behind at an altitude of about 4000 feet above sea level. ( Ooty is 7000 feet – so this is high)

Devrayanidurga Hill Temple

Here are two temples are built for God Narasimha, one which is at the foot of the hillock called the Bhoga Narasimha and the other temple which is built on the hillock which is called Yoga Narasimha. Devarayanadurga is steeped in mythological importance. It is said that Lord Brahma the creator of the Universe, has performed penance for many years in the name of Lord Vishnu for several thousand years. Impressed by his penance, Lord Vishnu has incarnated himself as Lord Narasimha here. The temple was patronised by the Cholas and is well over 1000 years old.

We started as usual at 7.30 AM and headed to Tumkur Road Via Malleshwaram / Yeshwantpur , and after two toll roads stopped for breakfast at Shree Rathnam a nice and efficient Veg restaurant at 8.45 – It has a big inviting poster and you can’t miss it. (The restaurant is a 10 min drive after the 2nd toll on your left ). As you drive out from the restaurant look around for a flyover and take the access road and then a right from below the flyover – don’t go up the flyover. Follow Google Maps – there are signs that lead to Devrayanidurga and Goravanahalli Lakshmi temple. After a 15 – 20 min ride look for a left turn under an arched gate that takes you up the hill.

When we left Bangalore it was drizzling and the forecast was for rain in Tumkur – but we were lucky to have a misty day with low overhanging clouds amidst lush greenery with rain drops on the leaves and some bright yellow flowers. The drive up is a short ten minute ride – winding roads , you will cross some waterbodies, the views are very nice. Its empty and nice. You will reach a point where the road forks – to the left is the Bhoga Narasimha Temple and to the right is the Yoga Narasimha temple – a person standing there will charge Rs 20 for car entry. We went up – you can go all the way up and reach a point from where its only 100 steps to the Yoga Narasimha temple. Easy ten minute climb. You also have an option to walk up the steps from the point where the person collects the car entry fees – there are steps – that I guess would be a 1 hr climb.

Yoga Narasimha temple

As you climb up you will see a tree that seems to be coming out from the hill. We reached the temple top by 10.45 AM which was perfect – since they have a Abhishekam that starts at 11 AM – its a detailed procedure and you can view the 5000 year old idol being bathed with milk, ghee, butter, Chandan, and many more ingredients. The temple is small – but you can sense it is ancient.

Right behind the temple is a waterbody – there is a path that goes down to the source of the water body – but the steps to that place has been closed.

Beautiful Water Body

We spent over an hr at the Temple and then headed to a place called Namada Chilumme. This is on the way back after you have crossed the Bhoga Narasimha temple . (We did not stop at the Bhoiga Narasimha temple – but if you need a restroom break there is one near this temple). Almost halfway down  you take a right turn and drive for ten minutes ( ask the guy who sells the car entry tickets) and drive thru thick forests on both sides before reaching a point that has a Deer Park, A Siddha Garden and  Namada Chilumme.

Namada Chilumme is supposedly the place where Lord Rama stayed and shot a arrow on the ground to get water. Its past the deer park a short ten minute walk – on the way you will see Namada Chilume old guesthouse where Dr.Salim Ali had camped.

Namada Chilume old guest house

Namada Chilumme is a small hole in the rocky ground from where water is flowing out – and you can have a drink of this fresh clean water. Most people will head back from here. But wait – there are interesting views round the corner.

Near this point you will see a small mud trail going thru the forest. Take that trail – keep a stick with you as there are monkeys here. You walk for less than 10 minutes and come to a point that looks like a massive crater lake type cauldron surrounded by green hills with the rocky walls at its peak.

Best Green hills

This is a nice place to enjoy the views – it also has a small temple like rock structure with pillars – which is dilapidated and you can try climbing up.

fort of rock

This place was lovely – it was almost 12 noon – and it was bright and sunny , we enjoyed the 30 minutes we spent here and then walked past Namada Chillumme and the deer park to the road where our car was parked.

Namada Chillumme with greens

On the opposite side of the deer park is a 15 acre Siddha Garden – which is full of medicinal plants. The gatekeepers tried to explain in Kannada all the various plants over there and we tasted many a herb and leaf with funny tastes.

15 acre Siddha Garden

This was our lunch spot. A picnic lunch – the good ladies had all prepared some tasty dishes and we enjoyed a lovely meal in the midst of fresh air and greenery.

Devrayanidurga green Hill Temple near Tumkur,

Bhoga Narasimha Temple

Post lunch we left at 1.45 and were back by 3.15. (One car took a deviation for a Chai Break at Chitra Kala Parishad – so we were back at 4.15)

Devrayanidurga was another nature masterpiece we discovered. A hill station type place at Bangalore’s backyard was a rare find and I am sure a lot of our friends would love to visit this beautiful place. Its an easy 7.30 – 3.30 trip. 

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Kolar & Avani : Day Trips in Bangalore 7.30AM – 3.30PM (Trip 9)

10 Oct

Trip – 9 :  Kolaramma Temple – Someshwara Temple Kolar – Avani Rama Lingeshwara temples – Mayyas (7.30 AM – 3.30 PM) 

When you think of Kolar you think of Gold Mines – but there is more to Kolar. I had heard about the “Koti Lingeshwar”  temple in Kolar and as part of my recee went to check the place. We always try to do 3 things in our trips so I kept searching for other interesting places close by – thats how we discovered the ancient temples at Kolar & Avani. We were disappointed with Koti Lingeshwar – it does have many Shiv Lingas – but the place is so commercial and devoid of energy that we decided to skip it.

Old Madras Road is a mess – so ensure you leave by 730 AM sharp or better 7.15 AM so that you can get past the inner ring road and the crowded sections of Old Madras road by 8.15 AM before the traffic madness starts. Kolar is 71 KM’s from Koramangla – 1 hr 30 min drive in the morning. We left by 7.25 AM and reached our breakfast point by 8.35 AM. Nandi Grand is the best place to stop – has a wide range of dishes – service is fast and restrooms are clean

Kolar from here is a 20 min drive – you take a clover leaf exit ( remember this is a toll road so if you have Fast Tag in your car it helps save time). Our first stop was the ancient Kolaramma temple. Built by the Cholas 1200 years back. The presiding deity in the temple is Mahishasuramardini, who is named Kolaramma by the local people. She is an eight-armed Goddess Durga. The devotees worship her by looking at the mirror which is placed opposite the idol. There is a special pooja conducted on Tuesdays and Fridays, temple is open till 2 PM those days – on other days it closes at 11 AM. The temple also has a large brass idol of a Scorpion that is worshipped.

The priest claimed that the shrine of Goddess Durga is supposed to be over 5000 years old and was installed by Parashuram. This is a shrine visited by Adi Shankaracharya and is considered to be a very powerful deity. Legend has it that the fight with Mahisasura started here and finally ended at Chamundi Hills.

In the center of the temple, there is Saptamatrikas. They are seven mothers placed in a significant key position.

Its a small but extremely powerful temple- the architecture has the stamp of Cholas written all over it with its intricate carvings. I have had the good fortune of visiting this beautiful temple 3 times within a month.

A short walk from this temple is the Someshwara temple – you need to rush as this temple also closes by 11 AM. We were comfortable on time , we had reached Kolaramma by 9.15 and headed to the Someshwara temple 200 metres away by 10.15 AM. Built a little later – this is a grander and larger temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. We visited on a. Tuesday and the temples were empty – the weather was bright and sunny and pleasant and it was perfect to relax and enjoy the magical beauty of these ancient temples. I continue to be amazed at what lies in the vicinity of Bangalore – such beautiful temples at a 100 km distance – less than 2 hr drive and most people in Bangalore have no clue about them.

 

But there was more in store as we headed for Avani a small village located 20 km from Kolar – 30 min drive. Enroute we stopped by at a modern Mayya’s Complex that has multiple restaurants , super clean rest rooms , showers , feeding room and ATMS’s. This complex is world class – I am yet to see a nicer set up in any highway across India. We stopped for a restroom break and then headed to Avani.

Avani is known for the Sita temple situated on a hill. This temple is one of the few temples dedicated to Sita in India. There is a belief that the sage Valmiki was residing here. Sita lived here in his ashram while in exile. Sit gave birth to her twin children Lava – Kusha here. Even today the room where Sita gave birth to her children exists. The war between Lord Rama and his sons Lava and Kusha happened in this village.

Avani is also known as the Gaya of the south and has ancient temples known as the Ramalingeshwara, Lakshmaneshwara, Bharateshwara and Shatrugneshwara, dating back to the period of the Nolamba Dynasty 

A monk from the Sringeri Peetham camped here for a few days and found an idol of Goddess Sharada in standing posture flanked by  Adi Shankaracharya and the Sri Chakra. He consecrated this idol here and established a new Matha and installed one of his shisyas as the head of the new Matha.

 

The temples are built by the Nolomba dynasty and later renovated by the Cholas. The gopurams look a bit like those built by the Pallavas. They are well maintained and the best part is they are totally empty. There are multiple small temples of Shiva each consecrated by Lord Rama &  His Brothers.

Close to the temple is a hillock which is a 2 hr trek ( up and down) and leads to caves where Sita is supposed to have lived. We reached the temple by 11.45 and with a deadline to return by 3.30 we had to keep the Trek for a later date.

            Photo Credit  http://aravindgj.blogspot.in/2017/

After visiting the main temple complex we visited the Sharada temple which was closed and then headed for lunch at the Mayyas complex. While coming back its on the other side of the highway – but there are gaps in the median that allows you take U Turn with travelling far. A good lunch and we left by 1.30 to reach home by 3.15 PM.

Kolar & Avani were great discoveries – so close to Bangalore, fascinating temples, lots of history & mythology, excellent roads , good food – so easy to cover in a day trip from 7.30 AM to 3.30 PM.

The trek up the hillock is pending and thats is on our To Visit list soon.

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Malleshwaram : Day Trips in Bangalore 7.30AM – 3.30PM (Trip 8)

9 Oct

Trip – 8 :  Veena Stores – Malleshwaram temples – Kote Venkatramana Temple – Mahabodhi Society – Little Italy (7.30 AM – 3.30 PM) 

As usual we started at 7.30 AM and headed to Malleswaram via MG Road and Windsor Manor and reached our breakfast point by 8.10 AM. Malleswaram is old age Bangalore – narrow well maintained roads , smells of jasmine flowers , dotted with temples – its a good mix of TN & Karnataka – full of great economical eateries – of which Veena Stores is amongst the best. Located at 15th Cross , Margosa Road Its a small 100 sft store which serves piping hot delicious food – take away only. Weekends can be a mad rush with waiting time of over an hr as Mercs and BMW’s line up for pick up – but on Wednesday we were served in minutes. Kesari Bath, Idli Vada, Sweet Pongal, Kharabath, Filter Coffee and a few more authentic tasty dishes all of which cost 30 – 40 Rs a plate.

Malleshwaram trips in Bangalore

A few minutes drive from here is 15th Cross Rd which is home to 4 majestic temples – adjacent to each other. The Kaadu Malleshwara Temple, Sri Dakshinamukha Nandi Tirtha Kalyani Kshetra, Gangamma Temple and a beautiful Vishnu temple. The Kaadu Malleshwaram Temple dates back to 1600 AD – and was built during the period when the Marathas held sway over Bangalore and is said to have been built by Venkoji Shivaji’s step brother who found a “Swayambu” there during one of his Tax Collection drives. its a well maintained beautiful  green temple on a small hillock with lots of open spaces. There are 40 steps that lead to the temple top.

Kaadu Malleshwaram Temple

Diagonally opposite to this is a unique temple worthy of the UNESCO world heritage tag – The “Dakshinamukha Nandi Tirtha Kalyani Kshetra“. Some say this temple is 1000’s of years old and was unearthed recently. Water from the Nandi gushes on to the Shiva Lingam and then flows to a pond which some say is the underground source of the Sankey Tank. Of the 4 temples on this road – these two are outstanding and we spent most of our time here. But do visit the Gangamma and the Vishnu temple also. In all you can budget 90 – 120 minutes to cover these 4 temples. Right next to these temples is a Brahmins Coffee Bar – so if you want to grab a coffee before you head out – you can do that

Dakshinamukha Nandi Tirtha Kalyani Kshetra

Our next stop was another historical temple – Kote Venkatramana Temple. The 17th century Venkataramana temple is located near the old fort (“fort” is kote in Kannada language) adjacent to what was once the residence of Mysore Wodeyar royal family, and later became the palace of Tipu Sultan. Temple closes by 12 noon – and we made it comfortably by 11.15 AM . Its a 20 min drive from Malleswaram. The green lawns of the fort adjacent to this temple looked inviting but we decided to keep the forts and palaces visit to another day. You need a drive – as parking is an issue at all these places.

Kote Venkatramana Temple

Keeping the Fusion spirit in mind our next stop was the Mahabodhi Society of Bangalore located next to Freedom Park. A 10 min drive from the Kote Venkatramana Temple.

A zone of peace and equanimity – the centre has a large meditation hall , a beautiful Pipal tree, a stupa and a small garden . They also have a lovely store. This is a residential centre for Monks in Training so keep the chatter low.  If you are a meditative person you will love this place and can spend a few hrs here – but we had to move on keeping in mind our 3 PM return deadline.

Large meditation hall

It was 1 in the afternoon when we left the Mahabodhi Society at Gandhinagar and we drove past the tempting stores of Chickpet and Avenue Road heading back to Koramangla – on the way stopping for a roaring lunch at Little Italy ( Tavarkere Road near St John Woods apartment). One of the members of the group is a partner owner here and she magnified an already delicious buffet spread. The lunch buffet here is also a well kept secret – the variety of food is impressive , very tasty all of which is backed by excellent service. And to top it all its reasonably priced.

Home was a short 10 min ride from here and were back by 3 PM – we had seen some amazing places in the heart of Bangalore. This is an easy trip to replicate – packed with good food , history , architecture , mythology, spirituality and tranquility – the perfect elements for a Fusion trip.

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Shivanasamudra ,Talakad, Somnathpura : Day Trips in Bangalore 7.30AM – 3.30PM (Trip 12)

4 Oct

Trip – 12 : Shivanasamudra – Talakad – Somnathpura (7.30 AM – 7.30 PM) 

We covered a lot of ground and were almost 30 kms from Mysore. As usual we started at 7.30AM from Koramangla and reached the Nice Road by 8 AM and hit the Kanakpura Road by 8.15. Our breakfast stop was at 9 AM at a place called Mandarathi garden – a 45 minute drive from the Nice Road Kanakpura junction. Fast , efficient , economical with functional rest rooms – lunch was to be at 1.30 / 2 – so we had a heavy breakfast of Idlis. Dosas , Vadas and Coffee.

Mandarathi Gardenia

Our first halt was at the town of Shivanasamudra – which is 120 Km from Bangalore. You can reach Via the Kanakpura Road or Mysore Road – we preferred Kanakpura road – less traffic , scenic with more greenery , even if its a single road you can travel comfortable at 80 – 100 km / hr.

The town of Shivanasamudra is famous for its twin waterfalls Gaganachukki & Barachukki. River Cauvery splits into two forming a small island – which is also home to the famous Madhya Ranga temple of Reclining Vishnu – a 4000 year old temple which is part of the threesome on Cauvery – the Vishnu temples at Srirangapatnam and Srirangam.

We reached Ganganchukki View point at 10.45 AM – its empty on a week day , walk down a few steps and you reach the viewing gallery for a very impressive massive waterfall. The best time to do this trip is in Sep – Oct after the rains when the waterfalls are gushing – and we were there on Oct 3rd after heavy rains. Roads are excellent – Google maps gets you to the right spot – search for Gaganchukki View point and not Shivanasamudra. The place has a small restaurant , rest rooms , a few shops selling coconut water – budget 30 minutes here.

 

Ganganchukki View point

From Gaganchukki we headed to Barachukki and on the way visited Madhya Ranga ( the 4000 year old reclining Vishnu temple) – a small temple under renovation and a Shiva temple where the Sri Yantra was consecrated by Adi Shankara. These temples have mythological significance but are not architectural marvels.  Ganganchukki to Barachukki is 14 Km – a 30 min drive thru small village roads in excellent condition. The View from Barachukki is equally good – the place is cleaner and there are steps that can take you right down the water body where the waterfall crashes down – sadly the step are closed and not accessible.

We left Barachukki at 12.30 and reached our next destination the Submerged / Excavated temples of Talakad – 31 kms from Barachukki – a 40 min drive and were there by 1.10 PM. Talakad has 5 temples – that date back to the Ganga / Chola dynasties over 1000 years old, the town on the banks of the Cauvery was submerged under sand on account of the curse of a Chieftains wife who was harassed by a Wodeyar king. Its a 30 – 45  min walk to cover the 5 temples , the whole place is full of sand so you may find it easier to walk by removing your sandals or shoes.

Excavated temples of Talakad

This where we had lunch at a local villagers house – its a Udupi mess , excellent tasty food served on plantation leave – normally they charge Rs 75/- but we had requested for a special meal with sweet , curd , unlimited servings – and we’re charged Rs 120 / person. The meal was a feast – Roti , Rice , two sabjis, salad , sambar , rasam , papad, curd , butter milk and sweets – and on a nice sunny day the mood was to take a nap  – but we had to move on.

Somnathpura Udipi meals

Before leaving Talakad we spent a few minutes at the banks of the Cauvery – you can take a dip or venture out for a Coracle ride if you have time. Water is very clean and the river is peaceful here.

Cauvery River

We reserved the best for the last – Somnathpura is a small village 30 kms from Mysore that is home to a beautiful  Hoysala temple from 1100 AD. The Hoysala Architecture is unique with its intricate carvings and this is one of the best examples of Hoysala architecture at its prime. A well preserved temple – sadly it was defaced by the muslim invaders and is not a temple where prayers are offered.

Talakad to Somnathpura is 26 kms – a 30 min drive – again excellent roads thru the rural hinterland of Karnataka. This is fertile Cauvery basin so the landscape is lush green , lots of lakes and ponds. We reached Somnathpura by 3.15 PM.

Somnathpura Hoysala Temple

We engaged a guide for Rs 350 – who did an excellent job of detailing minutely all the intricacies of the temple. The start shaped temple with 3 tiers of intricate carvings is a treat for any history lover.

Beautiful Carvings

We left Somnathpura at 4.15 PM. We could have come via Mysore Road or by Kanakpura Road – Google Maps advised that the Kanakpura road route would be shorter by 20 min – so we zipped back the same way we had headed out in the morning – a ten min tea break at 5.45 and were at the nice road by 6.10 PM and at Hosur Road by 6.30 PM – unfortunately it was peak rush and it took us 70 minutes to cover the last 10 kms reaching home at 7.40 PM.

We had accomplished a lot in the last 12 hrs – driving almost 350 Kms. The per person cost was Rs 1025/-.

One last thought I am left with  after driving in the rural heartland of Karnataka. There is a lot of development in Rural Karnataka – its only Bangalore ( specifically Koramangla) that sucks – if the Govt can build rugged roads in rural Karnataka that has survived well this years rains ( we did not encounter a single pot hole as we zipped at 80 – 110 km / hrs thru the villages) wonder why our roads in Bangalore need surfacing every year. Maybe thats the game plan of the Siddaramaiah government – focus on the villages and ignore the City that provides 80% of the states revenue – after all 25 seats from Bangalore don’t make or break the Government.

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Some more photos 

Shivanasamudra

Udupi Mess

 

Temples in Shivanasamudra

 

Best Temples near Bangalore

Hoysala temples carvings

 

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