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.

@Tirumala

Last weekend I have been to Tirumala, entirely different place seeing after many yrs. Everything was computerised right from room booking, getting tickets for darshan ,laddu issue. we got a simple room to stay. Initially I was not happy with the facilities provided there, but soon alright. There were thousands of people who had no room to stay, slept somewhere and utilised the facilities provided by TirupathiTirumalaDevasthanam for basic necessities. In seegra darshan we could finish the darshan in 3 hrs.

I felt if I had known this before we could have returned back home on same day, how are we gonna stay for 2 more days. Evening went to temple premises again to see the temple decorated with lights. I could compare Tirumala today against 10yrs back. Lot of things have been developed. There is a very big stage beside temple, where dance program, music concert, drama on Mahabharatham are conducted everyday. Pilgrims can sit in the steps in front of the temple and watch them.

The four mada streets are very clean and behind the temple is the huge Shanku, Chakra, Nama. From there we could see the temple main gopuram and thanga gopuram together.
In evenings water fountain dances for the music played.


Next day we went for dharma darshan where we have been allotted a hall to sit with other 100s of pilgrims. 3months old kid to 80 yr old elders were there. Actually we had to sit there in same hall from 1pm to 9pm. Lunch, milk, dinner were provided by TTD. But we came out of the place by 2pm and went in to the same hall by 8pm being identified by photo metric system. We were allowed to move in the Q by 9pm. People were rushing, I need not walk, they pulled me towards the temple. A baby was crying for milk, young girl fainted and fell down. I thought why people are suffering this much to see an idol who is unpredictable if he really cares for anyone. Does he really care for his devotees!!. It was such a long Q even a tortoise would move faster.Finally by 11pm we reached the pragara. Enthusiastic pilgrims behind me rushed and crushed us, I was about to cry in pain. Somehow we reached near lord in 10 minutes. The moment I had darshan, all pain vanished away and goose bumps on seeing him. Having seen, came out and sat in the pragara for sometime. My mind was so peaceful, not thinking the outside world.
Though I dont believe much in idol worship, Tirumala is always an exceptional. For few seconds of darshan, we follow fasting for few days, travel so long, wait in Q for long time...


It is so difficult for the TTD to maintain such a place where lakhs of people visit the temple daily. But they do their best. Free drinking water and rest rooms are provided every 10 mts atleast. Private hotels are everywhere and this time I had seen them selling fried rice, noodles, gobi rice, chola poori. I love the climate in hill which makes me eat a lot and munch maangai, kadalia, masal pori even if I am not hungry.

It was worth spending 3 days which was not only devotional but enjoyable. We went there had darshan, ate whatever we wanted, slept well and enjoyed the climate. Apart from enjoyment seeing different kind of people reminded me again ‘Be happy with whatever you want and whatever you have’.

Shivanasamudram-Talakad trip

Highly frustrated in office work, we as a team wanted to go to Belur, Halebedu, Shravanbelagola. The day has been decided as Feb 13th. We all were excited to go and enjoy there. One of my team mates told that we may not be having fun in visiting temples. Hence we were planning for a greenery. Listed all places around Bangalore- Yelagiri, Mekadattu, Hogenakkal, Gopalswamybetta. For some or the other reason we rejected all and finally decided Shivanasamudram and Talakad on the previous day evening.

Everyone has taken some activity like packing food for breakfast and lunch, snacks, fruits, water, games, cab booking, recording songs. Next day morning the cab started by 6am and picked our 9 member team at their pick up points. We left Bangalore by 8.30 am and the road has taken us towards Shivanasamudram. In the cab we started playing songs in tamil, telugu, hindi, kannada-all peppy numbers. Around 9.30 we stopped near ramanagaram and had breakfast. Back in cab we were playing anthakshari and had fun by dancing, playing dumb shereds, pulling everyone's legs.

By 12 we reached Shivanasamudram where cauvery river splits into Barachukki and Gaganachukki falls. Gaganachukki falls is very deep and we did not reach there. We just saw that, took photos, had sweet tender coconut which was only Rs.7 then moved towards Barachukki. It was a rocky area and we had to trek to reach the place. I couldnot manage to walk down the steps and fell down and got hurt badly:). Very much excited to see water- lovely to see the place and it gave a kind of happy feel when we touched water. Took so many fotos in the rock around giving funny poses. It was adventurous to walk in the pricky stones and with risk we have reached the other end. From there we took a coracle to reach the falls. It was full of moss and difficult to balance. Everyone holded each other and we managed to sit in a place where water fell like beating us with great force. Playing in water is always fun forgetting the world around us. Being there for an hour by 2 we started from there. Again we had to climb to reach the cab. Since it was very hot we were very thirsty and had cold drinks. In 1 day we finished 6 litres of sprite, thumbs up and fanta.

On the way to Talakad we stopped and had lunch under mango tree. Only we were there and enjoyed food due to hunger. In another 20 minutes we reached Talakad and could see sand everywhere. Waited for the sun to set and in the mean time we played cricket, discus throw. After sometime we got into water and played using a small rubber ball. Then we came out of water changed dresses where separate rooms were available. Had evening tea, took snaps around and went to the temple.

Interesting stories are there with the temple. There are 5 lingas which are believed to be the 5 faces of Lord Shiva. They are Pathaleshwara, Maruleshwara, Arkeshwara, Vaidyanatheshwara and Mallikarjuna. A lady named Alamelamma has given a curse that made the place become sand. There are a lot more info available in wiki. It was amazing to see sand all around in the mid of forest kind of area. We walked for 1 km to see all those temples. We visited the temples and we did not return in the same route, it was like taking a round to reach the place where we started. The day has ended there and by 7.30 we started towards Bangalore. On the way again we started singing dancing without feeling the tiredness. The highlight was everyone danced and enjoyed the trip. We all reached home with a feel that we have achieved something. For sure this trip is a memorable one.
Note: Place cursor over the image to see what it is.

Sleepless nights...

It happened to me to travel in train that night. I packed my bags tightly so the regular resident of train will not visit my bag , yeah the plump mouse. After 3 days stay, with heavy heart I left my native, Somehow I managed to lie down in my berth. Suddenly I felt something itching my hands...yaaa kiiiiii it was cockroach, whole family halted in the train it seems that too in the compartment I boarded. I could see cockroach of all sizes right from small baby to grand grand pa...I moved away a little from the window side and covered my face and ears fearing it would enter my ears. Everytime I woke up to see if it was sitting over me and playing with its family. The whole journey was horrible. But how could others sleep without bothering these animal planet??!!. Sleepless night came to an end when I reached Bangalore.

10 days later again I had sleepless night but this time not in fear of cockroaches...I was wondering at the facilities IRCTC provides in ac compartments.Only 4 were there and I myself felt like a princess lying with neat blanket, quilt, pillow, screens.... It was so cold in the hot summer that made me feel sleepless and enjoyed chillness. A question raised in my mind when I saw good latrine and water facility compared to sleeper class, cup attached with a chain(irctc's awareness!!!) - people in sleeper class won’t need this basic facility or what? But the good feel I got in sleeper seeing people of all kind, their conversations about native, cinema, job, future, studies were missing here where none spoke with each other.
Though train is filled with healthy looking rats, cockroaches staying with family each compartment is filled with memories of people's sorrow, joy, crying faces leaving their dear ones,students going for higher studies, business people with much hopes, crying baby sound.... train journey is always memorable. Train its koo kuch kuch music with in-built cradle has become part of my life.