Summer exhibition

Been to the Ulsoor exhibition in Bangalore, that is conducted every summer. Having paid the entrance fee and dropping my name for lucky dip I entered the place without knowing I would enjoy much. Its a deviation for the Bangaloreans from the usual maals, park, theaters. You find exhibits from various parts of India including Shantiniketan handbags, bed covers, chappals, Rajasthan dress materials, handicrafts, branded items display, books for all ages and much more.

Exhibitions are always fun. We see many kind of people, their family orientation, Kids bugging their parents for a toy or fun rider or eatable. Well settled father buys them whereas a lower middle class man tries to convince the kid saying 'it is not gud for you, when you grow up we will buy'. Many stories like this run at each corner. Even if you don't buy just roam around and check things. Freaky guys get into a shop, check for the price as if they gonna buy, ask for some kind which is not available with the shop keeper and make fun out of it, I am no exception. Balloon, balls, toys, dolls are sold to attract kids. People who dont even go to theaters or any other entertainmwnt, bring their family and spend some time by buying few things for kids, eatables, chit chat for a while and get back to home in late evening. It is a pleasure for the kids to dress up nicely and get ready for this exhibition in summer vacation. Even I enjoyed a lot in window shopping, buying kashmir salwar materials, hair clips, house hold items, fun riding in dragon train and shouting a lot when it was moving fast.

This reminds me of the (g)olden days. When I was in school we use to go to the kottai mariamman kovil thiruvizha. People in and around the town and nearby villages come there with the family. House wives remain in fasting and grow saplings with sprouted beans called molapaari. They take procession by holding that in their head and reach temple. Music concert by local music parties will be conducted. There was a big ground in the temple premises where many shops including games like snake ladders, Rubik cube and toys for kids, fun activity in giant wheel, merry go round, eatables, accessories made us consider it as the amusement park. Only there we get delhi appalam, panju mittai, milagai bajji. Wherever such an exhibition is held, women section for accessories like hair clips, bindi, etc will not be missed. We go to the temple do darshan, purchase something, sit in the carpets and enjoy the gaana with family. I use to return home happily if my parents bought whatever I wanted otherwise showed my crying face. This thiruvizha that happens once in a year is a real amusement for us.

This exhibition is reposing and I want go to Ulsoor once again. Initially I hesitated to go thinking that it would be waste spending money and time and every year same things will be exhibited. What am I gonna buy from there that I don’t get in Bangalore. But it was worth spending some money, seeing such a huge crowd and cheerful kids, having good time with family. Moreover felt happy for purchasing something for myself and am waiting for the next visit.

Anticipated drive to Coorg

Being in Bangalore for more than 4 yrs I felt ashamed of not been to Coorg, dubbed as the Scotland of India. We made an instant plan to visit the places around Madikeri. A cottage has been booked in Coorg, few kms away from Madikeri the previous day of our journey. We reached Mysore on a Saturday morning. On the way to Madikeri, we stopped at Bylakuppe to visit Namdroling monastery which is Tibetan village. There was a sudden difference in entire environment. People there were Tibetans and all the buildings were of Tibetan architecture. I felt like being in borders of India. The temple for Buddhists is built in Tibetan mythology where statues of Padmasambhava, Buddha sakyamuni and Amitayus are covered in gold and hence Golden temple. The walls, roof of prayer hall was fully painted and almost everywhere dragon paintings or statues were seen. The next spot was Dubare forest where we saw many elephants. After this the road took us to Madikeri. From there it was 20 minutes drive to the cottage we have booked in coorg. It was so narrow and scary to go interior of the forest. We reached the beautiful house and I was wondering how the construction happened in that place. We tasted tea, watched world cup cricket finals having homemade dinner.
With the joy of winning the cup along tasty dinner, we slept in rooms that were nicely maintained. Woke up early next morning to see the plantations around the cottage. Pepper was grown in between coffee and wide varieties including mint, pineapple, jackfruit, hibiscus and many varieties of flowers whose name I am not aware of were planted. Around 2 hrs we enjoyed seeing the Sun rise, walking in the coffee estate. Then refreshed and headed towards Talakaveri, place where river Cauvery originates. It was looking like a small pool and poojas were going on. I was disappointed to see that place for having travelled from Bangalore and nothing special was there. Nearby was the viewpoint and had to climb 300 steps to reach. It was an ordinary view we see anywhere in a hill. I felt then it was the wrong time to come to that place. Probably I would have enjoyed viewing the hill, clouds, climate if the weather was cold. I had a different assumption about coorg but it was shattered. Even if the place is good or bad, the climate adds value to it. Since it was burning hot I was not satisfied with the trip. I convinced myself saying somehow we went out with family and seen some places and returned back.