Day out with Nature in Sikkim.... Part I

A day out at River Rungkyung and beyond...

It had been about 4 days in Sikkim, and we were just done exploring Yumthang Valley and Zero Point.. From there, we were headed to another destination where we would be spending not one but two days, yes, probably the 1st time we were spending more than a day at a location/property. We were driving towards Dzongu, which was supposed to be quite untouched and inside a forest area. It was around 6 by the time we got there, and there was nothing but darkness surrounding us. On either side was thick forests, with a few mountains along with bumpy non existent roads. 

After about an hour inside the Dzongu region, we finally came to a halt. I saw on the right side a flight of stairs that went into the dark, beyond which lay the property we were staying at. Armed with our rucksacks and backpacks we made our way up the flight of steps. This was probably the one time when I had a bit of difficulty but the guys in my group, our driver and one of the guys from the property stuck with me, gave me immense support to reach the top. Infact, they were my pillars the next two days. 

This property belonged to Tenzing and his wife, the rooms we stayed was perched on top of stilts, almost like a tree house, looking over endless forest around. It was cool, green and felt like we were high up in the hills. The 2nd day, our host announced he had a full day planned for us. He was going to take us fishing to the river, cook us a meal right there, and then serve us lunch at his farm, before taking us beyond to see all that the region had to offer. 

We were fascinated, curious and well, I was tad anxious [ the thought of dealing with the steps, not once but twice was daunting].. Next morning, after breakfast, dressed in casual shirt and 3/4th with nothing but my wallet and camera, I joined the others down the stairs. The River Rungkyung was a few kms away, and a short walk from the main road [near the bridge], down some rugged path.  

Was I glad I made the trip.. The river was beautiful, crystal clear water flowed down the boulders, surrounded by hills and greenery. The water was cold, and I managed to walk to the middle where others were standing.. Soon after our host came armed with couple of beers and some meat, which he proceeded to cook in a makeshift barbeque of sorts right there on the banks of the river.  Being vegetarian, two of us stood by as the guys dug into the meat.. The beer was good~! 

We spent have been by the river for a good 5-6hours when Tenzing announced it was time to head to his farm for lunch. What he dint mention was that involved quite a bit of trek downhill, on steps paved out of the mountain.. lolz.. With the help of the guys, and a long bamboo stick, I made it alive to his little house near the farm. The property had been carved out of the mountain, and one room had a natural bathtub in it. 

Soon hot cases arrived, then came plates and cutlery and voila, our lunch was served. Many of the dishes were made using greens that had been foraged from the area around the property. From the property a few yards down slippery slope was the river, we could hear it raging away.. We happily lounged for a while, before we were told it was time to leave and explore more of the region and maybe do some fishing as well. 

Phew, we did so much that day, I am still reeling from it. stay tuned, shall share more in the next post... 

Prayers to Lord Rama in Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameswaram

This is a post that has been in the drafts for nearly a year now! And what a coincidence I opened it this morning to complete it. It is only fitting since today is Rama Navami and I have just returned from a trip to Sri Lanka [ a country that is filled with stories and remnants of Rama & Sita] 

A few years ago, one afternoon a friend called asking if I would like to accompany her & her family on a trip to Rameshwaram. I was thrilled and immediately said "yes". I had been dreaming of visiting Rameswaram for years, but it was just not happening. Mom & gramma told me that "Rameswaram" and "Kasi" are two places where the more you talk about going the lesser are your chances of actually going. 

So that year I had decided to stay mum about this wish of mine and see what happens. Lo Behold, the trip was actually happening! 

We took a train to Madurai and from there a cab to Rameshwaram. Friend's uncle had booked rooms at ISCKON in Rameshwaram. After a good night sleep, we were up and ready. The handbag and a bag with change of clothes. We made our way to the temple where a man met us and took us around. First was to the ocean behind the temple, where we stood while my friend did some puja with her uncle & aunt. And then they went ahead into the ocean to take the 24dips. Following them, the others did. I went with the last batch and did about 24 dips as well. The ocean surprisingly was calm and there were no waves at all. 

After this, we walked out, picking up our bags towards the Ramanathaswamy temple where we were to go around the 22 Theerthams [wells with water from certain rivers] and enjoy the bucket full of water poured on us by the men manning the wells. Phew! we were all tired by the end of it. Managed to find a place to change into dry clothes and slowly headed towards the main Sanctum. Legend has it that it is 22 because it indicates the 22 arrows in Rama's quiver.The first and major well is called Agni Theertham and the last one Ganga Theertham. 

This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is a popular pilgrimage site for Shaivites, Vaishnavites and Smarthas. The Temple is also one of the 12 Jyothirlinga temples, where God Shiva is worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlingam meaning "pillar of light". Another story goes that in Ramayana, Rama, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu payed to Lord Shiva here to absolve any sins that he might have committed during his war against the demon king Ravana in Sri Lanka. In order to worship Lord Shiva, Rama wanted a large Shivalingam. He instructed Lord Hanuman to bring the Lingam from Himalayas. But since it took very long, Rama built a smaller one here which is the main idol worshipped till date.  

A beauty of this temple is that it has the longest corridor among all Hindu temples in the entire country!! And it is beautiful. As you walk along, you will see pillars on either side with intricate carvings and bright colours. Infact, if you are not sure of where you are going, you just might lose your way! Which did happen to us, one group was at the main gate where we had entered and the other was lost. God bless helpful Samaritans, if not for them we would have gone around in circles looking for each other!! 

  

And today is Rama Navami-  a Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Rama to King Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya of Ayodhya. Lord Rama is also said to be the 7th incarnation of the Lord Vishnu in the Dasavataram. Today at home gramma makes panagam, neer mor and offers special prayers to Lord Rama & Sita... 

To know more about this temple, visit here

Kalady- The birthplace of Adi Sankaracharya

It was my friend's birthday and I had decided to lane there as a surprise. Her husband knew of my plans, but she did not. That eventful morning I landed in Kochi, it was pouring. I reached the entry gate and waited for my friend's husband to come pick me up [ navy area, so he had to come with a pass to allow me entry]. There I stood nearly drenched with my bags as he pulled in near the small passage. Hopped into the car and got a quick update that my friend was fairly mad and pissed off with him. Why? She had wanted to visit Kalady temple that morning but he kept putting it off saying he shall take them that afternoon. She had huffed off to the shower while he left for "work" aka to pick me up. 

I got home, was greeted by their kids who upon seeing me began screeching with excitement. Took all my might to get them calmed down. The little one was unable to zip her lips, she went running screaming "ma, look who's here, look who has come.. come out fast...".. hahaha... It was nearly half an hour before my friend stepped out of the room, all dressed up and muttering under her breath about how her husband couldn't fulfil her wish even on this special day. She turned into the living room, saw me and stood still zapped. Phew!!What a memorable moment that was.. :-) Once she was convinced I was really there, she couldnt stop screeching, told everyone who called about my surprise visit and then we got to making a quick lunch. 

Around 2pm, we were all piled into the car and on our way to Kalady, a place I had been wanting to visit forever but yet to. My grandparents, mom dad, uncle etc had all visited the place. And finally, it was happening. Kalady incidentally is just about 6kms from Nedumbassery Airport and the nearest station is 10kms away-Angamali railway station. Infact, we had to cross the airport and go down the road to reach Kalady. 

It was a fairly small village town that was nearly silent when wee reached there. We pulled into the parking lot near the temple and made our way to the temple. I noticed there were 2 temple complexes, one straight ahead and other on the right side. Friend told me the way to the river was between the two. Apparently there were steps leading to the river from the temple, but it had been sealed shut few years ago. 

We had to cross a small bridge of sorts to get into the temple, in the pond below were quite a few fish and turtles that had the kids excited. There was one shrine dedicated to Adi Shankaracharya as Dakshinamoorthi and the other is dedicated to Goddess Sharada. the temple is maintained by the Sringeri Mutt. 

On the left hand side, near the temple entrance is a black pole, which is said to be the exact place where Adi Sankaracharya was born. There is also another spot called "Brindavan", where Shankaracharya's mother Aryamba was cremated. There is a light that burns day and night here in the lamp within the box. 

The river here is referred to the "Crocodile Ghat". This is the place where the young Shankaracharya once got caught by a crocodile. Legend has it that his mother was dead against his taking Sanyasa and so went into the river and refusedd to come out till she agreed. This is when a crocodile got hold of him and would not let go. Once the mother gave him permission to take up Sanyas, the crocodile let go of his leg.   There is also a large hall in the temple where homams and small functions are held where the ceiling is lined with the entire story of Adi shankaracharya in image format. The paint was wearing off, letters fading away, we wished someone would maintain this better. 

As you walk to land from the river, on the left you will see the Shri Krishna temple, the family temple. Built in true Kerala style, this temple was beautiful. But because of the rains, we beat a hasty retreat to the car, had a quick hot cup of tea and headed back on the road towards Kochi. 

Legendary beginnings [Source: Wikipedia]

Legend holds that one day, the widowed mother of Little Sankara, Aryamba, fainted after walking three kilometers for her daily bath in the Periyar then known as Purna river. Feeling helpless, Little Sankara prayed to Lord Krishna. The tears of the child moved Krishna, who blessed him thus: "the river will flow where your little feet marks (കാലടി വരയുന്നിട്ത്തു നദി ഗതി ആവും). The Purna river took its new course in the place marked by the little boy's feet. That place came to be called Kalady.

The Purna river began flowing through Little Sankara's home garden. Sankara then installed Lord Krishna into the present temple, and marked the occasion by reciting his famous Ätchutha Ashtakam.

Thus 'Kalady' signifies the love of an innocent child for his beloved mother and the blessings of Lord Krishna[citation needed].

Skywatch Friday- Where they meet

"Poompuhar welcomes you" was the signboard i saw up ahead. We were really here and headed towards the delta. The town bore a sleepy look, probably because it was a Sunday afternoon. I remember studying about Cauvery poompattinam back in high school Tamil lessons.

  

There were a few kids running about, some playing cricket under the blazing sun, while others sat around half asleep. As we drove on, we passed by three arch ways- 1st was Nalan, then came Dhamayanthi, and there was a 3rd one, i cant recall the name on it though [will come back update once i do remember].. Finally, we reached the road that ran parallel to the delta, all the way to a small temple. 

We parked the car and began walking on the sand, the sun beating down on the us the whole time. The sand was nearly black in colour, but fine as can be. At a distance we saw the Cauvery river where a couple of fishermen were taking a quick bath before heading home for lunch. And on the left, we saw the ocean, the waves gently sweeping into the delta and welcoming the river. What a beautiful sight that was. it formed a small canal of sorts with sand shore on either side. A man i noticed came walking from the other side, wading through the water towards us.  

The sand we were walking on was fairly soft, wet, and looked like it would cave into the ocean any moment... It was quite a memorable moment being there, soaking it all in.  With not a single soul in sight, i enjoyed being there with nothing but a few crabs trotting about on the sand and the sound of the gentle waves.

For more beautiful skies, visit Skywatch Friday

Skywatch Friday, The King's Balance

As i made my way around the outer wall of Vittala Temple, Hampi when i spotted this huge arch of sorts on the left with a few structures beyond on the mountain, a guide walking with a group referred to it as the King's Balance. Curious, i walked closer to the group to see if i could catch a few words and insight on this sturcture... 

Also known as the Tula Bhara, this monument is made of 2 lofty carved granite pillars soaring to nearly 15 feet high and supported a stone beam across stretching about 12 feet fitted with 3 hoops on its underside. I went closer to inspect the pillars and noticed that one of them has a bas-relief depicting a king with 2 queens. Legend has it that these were depictions of King Krishnadeva Raya and his consorts. 

The structure resembles an entrance or a doorway towards the Kampa Bhupa’s Path located behind the Vittala temple. 

Back in the days, the King's balance was used to weigh the Kings of Vijayanagara and offer charity & donations in form of Grains, Gold, Diamonds and other precious stones to the people from the kingdom. This was done on special occasions like the Solar, and Lunar eclipse.

For more beautiful skies, visit Skywatch Friday

Talacauvery, where Cauvery is born

The journey to Coorg was very special, it was happening after years of dreaming and a few cancelled plans as well. We were 3 friends, one from Bangalore and us from Chennai, driving down to Coorg from Mysore. We had booked ourselves for 3 nights at a homestay- CoorgHallimane, in Kushal nagar. As we reached, we discovered the place was quaint, quiet and perfect. They have about 8 rooms in the main building and a few cottages scattered around, and we got to stay in one of those. On opening the window all we saw were mountains on one side and green fields on the other. There was also a swimming pool in the homestay with a small mushroom style fountain in the center. What fun we had playing around in it unwinding after the long drive to Coorg. 

We dint have any set agenda, but knew there were a few places we would visit for sure. Talacauvery was one of them. It is a good 4500 ft above sea level, and this the where the River Cauvery is born. It is said that the river disappears underground before surfacing again at Naga theertha near Bhagamandala.  Infact, Bhagamandala, about 8kms ahead of Talacauvery is where one witnesses the confluence of three rivers, Cauvery, Sujyothi and Kanike.  

During the drive from Madikeri, cloudy skies and mist was all we saw outside. There was the occasional light drizzle sneaking in through the window.  Drizzle turned to rains and it kept up with us through the journey. We had reached Talacauvery as rains lashed away. We braved the rain and walked on, freezing and soaked to the bone, looking for hot tea or any sign of shelter. The only thing we had were the akki rotis and chutney that the staff had insisted we carry along when we left the homestay. What a godsend it was, especially since we had been on the road long and not had a bite since morning.   

We were so glad to have chosen a Homestay in Coorg instead of a resort, as this experience was so much more homely and comfortable...   And like many destinations there are many Coorg Homestays that one is spoilt for choice..!!

 Rain did subside as we walked towards the shrine and the big tank near the Gundike, where I noticed many visitors taking a quick dip. From there, it was up another set of stairs to visit the temple of Lord Agasthyeshwara [Lord Shiva] and Lord Ganesha.

Taking shelter from the rain, we walked along the mandap surrounding the temple, when towards the end I thought I saw a flight of stairs leading to heaven. Well, that’s what I thought till my friend brought me to down to reality. Those steps were to go up Brahmagiri Hill, from where one got a panoramic view of Talacauvery and the city beyond. A lady passing by told us the story of how a special yagna was performed by the Saptha Maharishis up in the hills. Had it not been for the rain, we would have made our way up there.  What an experience this had been. On the drive back to Kushal nagar to the homestay, there was silence in the car, with all of us still lost in the beauty of Talacauvery.

Skywatch Friday- Clouds in the Hills

All this work is taking a toll on my Blog!! I've not blogged a travel story since the last .. well the last one!! Hopefully next week should be better..

Onto today's Skywatch post...

A few years ago [Aug 2004], while i was working with a Friend, we decided to take a break and getaway for a weekend.. We were 4 girls and were headed to the hills. If you've been to Chennai or lived here, you know how hot it can get!

We were heading over to Yelagiri Hills, about 240kms from Chennai.. A train journey till Jolarpettai and then a short ride across the 14 hairpin bends in the cab that had been sent by the Resort, well it was more of a hometstay. And back in the days, Yelagiri was pristine, unspoilt, people barely knew of its existence, plus there was nothing much to do, unlike Munnar or Yercaud!

All we did was walk, talk and chill out at the vast expanse of space. The icing on this cake was there was no connectivity- so no mobile phones, and back then we dint have laptops.. The resort did not have Television either! You can imagine how amazing it must have been...

Almost everyday, we would walk past the Punganur Lake, which was a man made lake spread across 57 sq meters. There was a beautiful garden, a play area for children and there was boating offered at the lake. Walking around the perimeter took about an hour, and it was one of the most scenic spots in Yelagiri. On our final day, we did spend an hour boating, with our boatman giving us tales about the place, and also spotted a water snake whiz past our boat... What an experience that was!!

We stayed at the Taj Gardens[no connection to the Taj group of hotels], a family run farmhouse owned by one Mr.Rahman, a retired Leather Businessman.  The resort wass spread about 40 acres or more, most of which was barren, but the area near the rooms and entrance was done up very neatly with beautiful garden, play area and even a small pool. area of course is large, with huge playground, park, plantations, rose garden, etc. 

We were the only guests and the staff was available at our beck and call, and some more. they were ready to cook up quite the storm for every meal-veg and non veg.. Hospitality was awesome!! I wonder what has happened to the place, heard that a Famous Resort company has bought them over... Today, Yelagiri also holds Paragliding events and such...

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Through Deep waters

Walking through the Vittala temple, listening to the various tales about Hampi, a word caught my attention. Lakshmi mentioned visiting Anegundi.. My interest was piqued and i probed further to learn that it had something to do with the Kishkinda section that appears in Ramayana...

In the epic Ramayana, Kishkinda was the kingdom of Bali, Sugriva's brother. After killing Bali the kingdom was handed over to Sugriva by Rama.  Kishkinda-Kanta, a portion in the Ramayana depicts the meeting of Rama and Lakshman with Hanuman and Sugriva. Kishkinda is believed to be part of Karnataka, near Hampi. [source: karnataka tourism]

Reaching Anengundi she said was possible only via boats as the bridge had collapsed half way into construction. With fear in my heart, and anxiety racing through, we made our way to the river Tungabadra that was raging on in full force, hoping the journey would be safe and smooth. 

The coracles are huge, and i saw men bringing their bikes on them, apparently there is another option to reach Anegundia. It is via road, but the distance is over 40kms..

An empty coracle made its way and the old man in charge of the ride beckoned us with a shout. We got into the coracle, and looked around wondering where to sit... i knelt down near one side, and held on for dear life as the coracle went in circles with the old man and a young boy rowing us across. What a ride that was!! I knew i would have to go through it all over again on our return, but well, decided to put that thought aside and enjoy Anegundi for the time being............ 

Time flew by as we drove along lush green fields, climbed mountains in search of cave paintings, and visited a very interesting lady who runs the Kishkinda trust... At the shore, we watched 2 men load their bikes onto the coracle, and thought "lets wait for the next empty coracle",but were asked to join in the same ride. "Whoa, is that possible? so many of us plus bikes" was the only thing running in my mind... There were 6 people already on the boat, and with us, it would be 9.[7 plus 2 who steered the coracle].. I hopped in, and the guys on the bike asked if i wanted to stand holding onto the bikes.. 

Even though i had my doubts of their invitation, i still took them on and it sure made the ride comfortable and fun.. During the course of the ride, came to know these men were returning to Hampi after watching a movie in a theater beyond Anegundi, and this is their regular mode of commute. 

Amidst the surroundings, i was lost in my own world of huge boulders, and beautiful temples when suddenly a tap on my shoulder jolted me back to reality...we had reached, and it was time to get going...... 

Day 10 Camels and Cheats

Few years ago, when i made a visit to Delhi, we decided to up and do a mini trip with few other friends... one of the destinations we hit was Pushkar. One of the most popular destination in Rajasthan, its a town famous for its sacred lake, for its Brahma temple, and of course, the infamous Camel fair. Infact, we missed the Camel fair by a day, but oh well, we were on a tight schedule... We had been on the road for nearly 10hrs, and were tired as we reached this temple town.

Got out of the car, and what do we see- a camel cart behind our car and a snake charmer on the street across, the guy had painted the snake red [unfortunately, cant find the pic]... The street was crammed with people, locals all sitting about staring at passer-by...  We weaved through the narrow alleys making our way to the Brahma temple and the sacred lake. What is fascinating about this lake, is that there are mini ghats, or canopy kind of arches where people bathe and do pujas. 

Hindu Mythology says Pushkar was where the creator Brahma began the work of creation.  Locals claim that it happened on the banks of the sacred lake, which is one of the reasons that so many temples and bathing ghats have been built around it.  

As we were walking down the steps to catch a glimpse ofthe river, we were cornered by a man who looked like a priest. And next thing we know, the 4 of us are sitting on the steps, and reciting mantras... After about 10mins, the pujari asked us how much w were willing to contribute... That was it, we knew we were being taken for a ride, and managed to weasel out of this with a mini dent in our pockets.. 

They kept saying = either 500 or 1000 must be contributed and that is what will bring you prosperity... This had us gaping at each other, and the next minute we parted about 100 bucks and departed from there, totally shaken up and pissed off at what was happening.... 

[The hotel name was on a background exactly like this....]

Suddenly, we all felt hunger pangs ringing aloud in our tummies... On the pursuit of finding a place to eat, we saw a street sign that said "Brick on the wall" and like the fools we were, we went on a wild goose chase only to find a literal wall, where a hotel was being constructed!! So much for that, bah!!  we spotted a cafe on the top floor of a building nearby, and after crawling through 4 flights of stairs we found paradise. Run by foreigners, this cafe was quite nice- food was good, and the view was totally worth it.... 

Am hoping to make another trip to this part of the country and to Pushkar,spending more time exploring the sights...

The River, The Heritage and The Loot.. Goa Part 4 Finale!!

Phew.. writing this Goa travelogue took more energy than packing my bags and spending those awesome days out there!! :)

Read these earlier posts, to know how my journey was.... 

• Portuguese live on.. Goa part 3
• Churches temples and people... Goa Part 3
• Strangers and beaches... Goa Part 2
• Sun sand and the beaches.. Goa, part 1

the South goa tour then took us to  the Colva beach .. This has to be the most favorite beach of mine in all of Goa... so beautiful.. calm.... the sand was wet and flat like a well laid out cement floor, and it was just woww!!! 

This is where i decided to give Water scooter a try... what rush.. wanted to do parasailing, alas, too crowded and time was up by the time crowd fizzled out... ! Always a next time!! 

The ripples formed by a small stream as it joined the ocean

A lone star fish..

next time i shall!!

Moi... got a guy who was with his family to click, turned out he was a professional photographer and one who wasnt too crazy about SLRs... "I dont know when i last use an SLR, he said parting ways..."!!! :D

Following this came the romantic, beautiful,mystical cruise on River Mandovi, in Panjim... I had paid for this while booking South goa tour, the cruise was just Rs150/- 

We reached the dock at 5.30, hopped on the cruiseliner, explored a bit, before making our way to the top, open air, with chairs laid out, and a view to die for... The cruise was for an hour, there was a Dj belting out some famous numbers, a dance floor, and an MC who kept the crowd entertained.. Oh, we witnessed a few popular local Goan dances as well ... 

Not just these, the vessel had a Bar, snack counter, a discotheque in the basement floor as well... Good fun...!!! a new kinda experience... one that i enjoyed like crazyyyyyyyyy.... !!! :) 

The moon shining bright in the sky... Ahh, what a sight it was...

The following day was free.. infact that morning, got a call from Fernandez asking if i wanna do one more tour, but declined his offer as i wanted to explore some of the town on my own.... Set about walking along the road near the hotel.... Found this place called Calizz, kinda like our Dakshin Chitra...

Check out pictures here [we arent allowed to take pictures inside the buildings]

My entry ticket..Rs200.. but totally worth it..

They have restored couple of houses- from Pre and Post Portuguese eras...Lovely stuff... to look at how people lived before and after.. The guide Kunal made is so interesting, i was lapping up every word he uttered...

After an hour or so around here, i took the bus and headed to Anjuna market to generally chill out... A friend had reccomended this place called Curlies, quite nice.. Lounge kinda arena, sit back, wit a book in hand a breezer.. sheer bliss!!! ;)

The loot i brought home from Goa.. [Sri, here it is... :D] 

Anjuna Beach -from that local gypsy kinda woman.... Bracelets , neck pieces and a pouch...  and err, other stuff.. ;o

Till next time... Toodle doooo~!!! :-)