Hampi hopping

One should give three full days for Hampi main sight visits whereas the badami; patadakkal and Aihole will require at least two full days to cover all the main sights. And… we tried covering all these in three days. Which we managed to achieve to a fare extend. Still it is advisable to keep five/six days for covering these places. There is so much to see and to understand from these places that if you are really interested in it then even 10 days will not be enough for you. Understanding the history, mythology, architecture is not my cup of tea (just like many other subjectsJ). I will probably be the last person who can give any reference or suggestions when it comes to any of these topics. But, I was surprised to know that I was actually interested in visiting Archeological site Hampi – one of the World heritage Site in North Karnataka. The monuments here have both historical and mythological connections. My interest in this could be because in earlier days people used to understand the importance of nature and accordingly the designed their life style. The structure of buildings was in line with the local weather and nature. This understanding is getting lesser day by day. Now days we are trying to control the surroundings as per our needs without even thinking about how it is going to impact on nature and ultimately on us.

Few things are shared here about our visit. Since I am not a right a person to give details on these monuments if you are interested in getting more knowledge on history of hampi then please visit - http://hampi.in/history-of-vijayanagara.

Hampi calling clicked at Bangalore Cant

painting @ bengalore station

painting @ bengalore station

It was last week of February, 2015 - a morning of a very first day after I left my job and I was packing for my trip to Hampi. Our journey plan - catch the flight for Bangalore then the train from Bangalore cant to Hospet (overnight journey) and then reach Hampi by road which is about 45 minutes driving distance from Hospet. And we (me and my 2 friends) managed to reach Hospet station by 9am next day. State transport bus facility is available from Hospet station. There are buses that take you from station to hospet bus stand; from there you can get another bus for Hampi. We spent Rs. 78/- for Hospet station to Hampi for three of us. Our homestay in Hampi was at walking distance from the bus stand. If you are interested in staying hotels then there are options available in Kamalapur and Hospet itself. Since, our next concern along with time was ‘save money’ we decided to opt for home stays that give you affordable, nice, safe, friendly and clean accommodation. Owner of ‘homestay – Mayuram’ Mr. Ravi was very helpful throughout the visit. Only thing was rooms were not provided with drinking water. But, one can get it filled from nearby restaurants. Mineral water is available in nearby shops but we prefer local water whenever out on camps/journey. Mr. Ravi suggested some good breakfast joints which indeed turned out to be very good. We were looking for local cuisine of Hampi and got ‘appams’ and coffee for breakfast. Locals here serve foreign cuisine more because there are lots of foreign visitors.  It was quite unfortunate that the options for local cuisine were very few.

underground shiva temple

underground shiva temple

underground shiva temple

underground shiva temple

Agama

Day 1 - We started our sightseeing on foot at around 10am.  The sun was marking its presence more generously. We decided to go straight till the sister’s stone and cover the monuments that are located after it so, first we landed into ‘The Underground shiva temple’ also called as ‘Prasanna Virupaksha’. My attention was captured by an agama probably a Peninsular rock agama. I managed to click some photographs. But, then one gentleman approached to us with curiosity of what we were looking at and then he tried getting closer to the agama to have a better look and as expected it ran away for its life. (this gentleman for no reason, informed us that he is from US; can go near 'that creature'; and there wont be any problem for agama. But, it seems agama didn't care about both Indian and Americans).  So, we shifted focus to main aim – the temple. Earlier, the temple was half buried due some calamities and now it has been excavated. It holds water in area surrounding the shrine. There was huge Nandi statue kept at the corner of the outer mandapa. This temple like many other temples is not in worship. As many of them, are either ruined naturally or by the other emperors who did not believe in the religion existing that time. The ‘water walk’ turned out to be a pleasant surprise after roaming under harsh sun. This water had some fishes and tadpoles. I tried to capture the picture of shivling for which I used flash and few insectivorous bats flew out of the main shrine which was in dark. I didn't disturb them afterwards. (Please note: I cannot stop myself from looking for biodiversity of the area doesn’t matter where I am standing). A friend of mine who is a history post graduate gave information on stone carvings, sculptures and paintings etc of all the monuments we visited. It was indeed a very hard work those people did in earlier days when there was lack of modern technology. The use of local stone with correct use of direction sense kept the interior of structures cooler than outer side, use of window pannels in such way that enough sunlight enters the outer area of the shrine, storing rain water, making water channels in such a way that water reaches all parts of the town and gets stored properly are few examples of how well learned they were about the use of natural resources. Their observation power was fantastic too. One can see the sculptures of various biological forms carved neatly along with the historical and mythological characters. These can be seen all over the place. They knew that documentation was important too. The inscriptions on many walls of various temples were proof of the same. We found these on Hazara Rama temple first and later at many places.

rain water harvesting@hazara rama

On day one we managed to visit on foot - underground shiva temple, masjid like structure near watch tower, nobleman’s quarter, hazarama temple, zenana enclosure, royal enclosure. Then at around 4 O’clock in the evening we reached Queen’s bath. We were about to enter the premises and we saw an empty auto coming in our direction. We asked him if he could take us to the vittala temple, malyavanta hills, pattabhirama temple and drop us at Hampi? He agreed. He took Rs. 350/- for all this. We went to ‘Pattabhirama‘ temple first and it was simply beautiful. There was no one else in the premises. So, we took a lot of time in exploring every inch and corner of it. By the time we reached ‘Vittala’ temple complex they closed the entry for the same. It was 5.45pm. So we went to ‘malyavanta’ hills. It is a sunset point. Here too we reached after sunset. Since, our aim was not to see the sunset we were fine with it. This place has lots of shivalings carved one after the other in two rows on a huge stone on top of the hill. These rows were separated by a deep notch bearing water. The evening wind was soothing.

Inscription @ hazararama

near masjid

lotus mahal

rock gecko

Hathi shala band stand

lotus mahal

hunting scene in royal chambers

step well. canal system

rows of shivlings @ malyavanta hill

In night we continued our search for local food. We came across one hall that was serving food on banana leaf. At first we thought we found one food joint the way we wanted but, I sensed something wrong. There were few people standing outside. We inquired about the things happening inside. It was a ritual being carried out after losing person in the family. We apologized and went into the restaurant that served us general food.

Journey to aihole patadakkal and badami

Aihole temple complex

Aihole temple complex

Aihole temple complex carvings

Aihole temple complex carvings

Next day we kept for Aihole, Patadakkal and Badami visit. We started at 6.30 in the morning in a hired vehicle. After having breakfast at Hospet we went to Aihole. Maximum journey was on highway with nothing much interesting to look around. Aihole has a temple complex. The structures and carvings of temples were somewhat similar to that of Hampi. After finishing the regular sight we saw one board of ‘Stone carved Shiva temple’. While we were on our way our driver- Pampapati mentioned that he has never been to this temple.

Patadakkal temple complex

I really wonder why people don’t visit this. It is a small place but the very first cave temple I saw in the journey so far. There is a sculpture of ‘Shiva performing 'Tandav’ in one side of the cave. Then we visited Aihole fort which is one the way to Patadakkal. The climb to the fort passes through residential area. It belonged to particular tribe. Their clothing was different to Karnataka one... More like Maharashtrians. Many of them keep their animals in their houses. After Patadakkal that has similar monuments we went to Badami. It has cave temples. Caves here still show the some remains of paintings

Shiva cave temple

on the roof and walls. My friend said they used vegetable colours in those days.  These caves are in three stages. Pampa savovar can be seen from these caves. There are few temples surrounding it we tried covering maximum we could. We only missed one Shiva temple which was on higher elevation We covered three forth of the way and saw watchmen returning down after closing that temple as it was nearing six in the evening. The official time to close this temple was 6pm but they closed it at 5.30pm and hence there was no point in moving further. We returned back. It was 9pm when we returned to Hampi

Badami pics

Anjaneya Hill

Statue of Krishnadevaraya

sugriva cave

The last day was kept for remaining Hampi monument visit. We decided to cover other side of the Tungabhadra river first. We started our day at 6am with ‘Korakkal’ ride. It was too short (about 5 minutes) but memorable and expensive too (Rs. 200/- since we booked it for early morning. Otherwise it starts from 8 am and the charge is Rs.20/- per person). After crossing we walked for a while and then found one auto he charged a lot (Rs.600/-) to show all the places. Since we had no other option we went ahead with it. First we went to Anjaneya hill - a birth place of Hanuman.  It is a sunrise point too. However, we saw the sunrise while climbing the hill. There are more than 500 steps to climb and once you are on top of it, it gives nice views of North Karnataka’s topography (boulders).

We wanted to see Krishnadevaraya’s Palace. But, it is closed for visitors. One can't go inside. Some renovation was going on. The palace / house was so simple (no beautiful carvings on it) that a thought came to mind – ‘He must be very humble and simple human being and probably down to earth as well’. (please note it is just my feeling. I don't know the reality). Then we visited sugriva cave. Here I tried to explain to my friend about the mythological story of rama, hanumana, bali, sugriva etc. but, then I realized that my knowledge was little more than zero. Hence stopped from going further with the story and advised her to Google it. We returned to Hampi in motor boat. It was 9.15am when we reached back to the home stay.

Gejjala mandapa on the way to Vittala temple if you go on foot

Bhojana shala

Bhima statue at bhima's gate

After taking rest for few minutes, we started exploring this side of the river where we stayed. There were many things that we did not see on day one. The Vittala temple premise is worth visiting. The best sculptures can be seen here. Then we went to hemkuta hill, sasivekalu ganesha, ugra narasimha, matanga hill, virupaksha temple etc. We saw bhima’s gate and

Pushkarni on the way to vittala temple

 bhojana shala on the way. My friend was not really keen on visiting matanga hill, but ultimately agreed. And it was again worth visiting. The path goes through the boulders. We got a nice aerial view of entire Hampi and were really happy that we could cover so much. We thanked our driver – Pampa for giving us the encouragement to climb. We returned back by 4.30pm after covering 95% of our listed monuments. Thanks to the book that my friend was carrying with her about Hampi and badami. It helped a lot in searching the sculptures and identifying the temples as we did not hire any guide anywhere. Certainly hiring a guide will always give you detailed information but, we waned to explore it with our own vision.
Vittala temple complex

inscription @ vittala temple

Achyutaraya temple

achyutraya temple

Ugra narasimha

Monolith shivling

cavings of climber @ krishna temple

View from matanga hill hampi bazar

Achyutraya temple from Matanga hill

Virupaksha temple

200 years old paintings

Dhol hanged in Virupaksha temple

Random pics

Bhima's gate

window panes

Goa beach

Before leaving Hampi we made a plan to re-visit this place again with at least 8 days in hand.

Our bus to Goa was at 6.30pm. It dropped us at panjim bus stand by 5.30am. We visited nearby places in Goa since, we had some time in hand before we catch the train (2pm) for Mumbai. This train was supposed to reach Mumbai at 11pm but, there was some problem with railway lines due to off-season rain. Hence we reached Mumbai on 5am next day.

That's all about our Hopping :)

Us

Drizzles in the city

"A happy mind brings a pleasant smile on your face and even more when your walking speed suddenly slows down to enjoy the drizzling rain."
It happened with me yesterday morning when Mumbai received soft drizzles. It actually brought new energy and I felt thankful. Thankful to everything I have, everything that I had. It was just a happy feeling.

Clean-up drives

It has been more than five years that I am participating in beach clean-up drives on  the Mumbai coast. Majority  of the time I have coordinated it. Clean-up drives are used as strong tool for sensitizing citizens specially students regarding the huge quantity of waste that is generated in cities like Mumbai. We need to understand that If we are generating waste then it is our duty to discard it properly. When it comes to our home, we simply put it in a dustbin and hand it over to municipal authorities..... the waste is out of our house... the problem at the house level is solved. but.... when it comes to the earth,,,, there is nothing called as "outside" ... basically all the garbage that it created at residence, offices, schools, factories etc. remains on earth only. In my city there are two major festivals in which Idols of Plaster of Paris (POP) are created worshiped for certain days and then immersed in our very own sea 'The Arabian sea'. Traditionally these idols are supposed to be made from soil. So that, when one immerses the idol it disintegrates on its own and almost no harm is caused the water ecosystem. But, this age is a age of rapidness and competition ,,, and this competition and rapidness has entered in celebrations of festivals as well. Hundreds/thousands of idols are made every year. Since 'soil' one's are difficult to make and one can not prepare huge idol from it hence the option of POP is always selected. It takes very less time to prepare as compare the soil. Hardly any one bothers about hazards of POP. It affects the water ,, it affects the life in it. It stays in water for long time ,, a very very long time... Not only idols but in general all the waste is ultimately dumped in the sea. We have also came across the medical waste (syringe, bloodbags etc.) while conducting such cleanups. Since schools and college students volunteer for such cleanup drives , I am very much hope full for better future of our sea life and ultimately our lives as well.

It is my humble request to all those who conduct clean-up drives that use it as a tool for creating awareness. Our aim is not just to clean the place but to create such a future where there will be no need for such cleanup drives.

Every morning at racecourse

 In a city like Mumbai where there is a shortage of open spaces, I am so glad to have one of the largest  open space in the city so near. Although its a racecourse, it has a considerable amount of biodiversity. Every morning I get a chance to have look at some of the common city birds like black kites,sunbirds, flower peckers, egrets, mynas etc. along with not so common birds in this area like - drongos, prinias, neelkanth etc. here at the Racecourse. There are even records of purple swamphen nesting here. Huge trees surround this place. One can see about 20 kites sitting on the open cleared patch of ground right in the middle.  Tree like Gulmohor, Sonmohor, Cassia, Rain tree, Mango, Banyan, Peepal, Bakul etc. are some of the trees that are planted over here and all of them are huge in size. This place has a charm of its own in every season. A carpet of grasses with lovely green colour covers the ground in rainy season, winter season arrives with sweet calls of birds. One more sound is added with the arrival of summer i.e. call of  male Koels. One can devour variety of colours from green, brown, red.... in these seasons. The climer named 'railway creeper' a species of 'Ipomea' is currently in full bloom. If you are a fitness freak then this is a perfect place for you. It has 2.2 kms walking as well as jogging track. Lots of place available for your yoga or any other fitness exercise. Lot of training sessions are conducted here as well. Tourists that visit our city generally want to see the "Dhobi Ghat" - 'Washer mans' colony which is just opposite to the racecourse and I really wonder why? Anyways, they might be having some interests of their own. But, I would also suggest that one should visit this place as well. Preferably  in early morning. Even there are so many Mumbaikars (Mumbaites) who are totally unaware about this particular site. The place is under conspiracy in these days. No matter what they (Government) come up with a theme park of international level or 'smarak' of great people, the existing biodiversity of this place is definitely going to get affected. I just hope that whatever changes that will take place over here, they will / should help in making our city's environment clean. Difficult but, not impossible, isn't it?

The way to conservation……

Our need of food, water, clothes, medicines, houses, even our modern equipments all of them, have their origin in nature. There is no doubt that in past few years we have over utilized our natural wealth; in fact we have exploited the nature without thinking about our future. And we are facing the consequences for all our wrong doings – for instance the prices of petrol, diesel, food items, and things as such have raised so high making it difficult for a common man to survive. Conservation of our natural resources has become a critical issue as far as survival of all living world is concern. Many countries (almost all of them) have taken legal steps in protecting the natural wealth. Even in India we have very strict rules and regulations.

In ancient India when there was nothing called as ‘Ministry of Law and Justice’ this natural wealth was preserved through strict rules (sometimes strange beliefs). Almost every village had a sacrosanct patch of forest dedicated to a deity, which was left untouched by villagers. Even today, these forests are protected by religious sentiments of the people and are found throughout India. Although the degree of sanctity of the sacred forests varies from one grove to another, ex. the Garo and the Khasi tribes of northeastern India completely prohibit any human interference in the sacred groves. Even dry foliage and fallen fruits are left untouched. Where as, the Gonds of central India prohibit the cutting of a tree but allow fallen parts to be used. This fact is now well recognized by the ministry of Environment and Forest, which has already documented Sacred Groves (S.G.) all over the country which possibly hold some of the last treasures of biodiversity.

Sacred groves are broadly divided in to three types – 1. Traditional Sacred Groves – these do not have a properly built temple. The deity could be represented by any kind of symbol such as stones, tree etc. 2. Temple Groves - Which have a properly built temple, 3. Groves around the burial or cremation grounds.

SGs act as a gene pool. i.e. The sacred groves are important repositories of floral and faunal diversity that have been conserved by local communities in a sustainable manner. They are often the last refuge of endemic species in the geographical region. The groves are often associated with ponds, streams or springs, which help meet the water requirements of the local people. The vegetative cover also helps in the recharging the aquifers. The vegetation cover of the sacred groves improves the soil stability of the area and also prevents soil erosion. So, basically when you conserve a sacred grove you are conserving biodiversity, helping aquifers to recharge and conserving soil.

These sacred groves still exists in almost all states of India. The maximum number of SGs are present in Himachal Pradesh (nearly 5000) and the minimum are in Uttarakhand (around 22). Kerala has around 2000 of them. Sacred groves are called by varied local names according to the states. In Maharashtra, it is called as Devrai, Jharkhand – Sarana, Kerala - Sara kavu, Tamil Nadu - Koilkadu etc. But, all of them are not preserved properly rather many of them are on the verge of getting vanished. There are several threats to them. Such as, disappearance of the traditional belief systems; rapid urbanization and developmental interventions, invasion by exotic weeds; pressures due to increasing livestock and fuelwood collection. Many groves are suffering due to ‘Sanskritisation’ or the transformation of the primitive forms of nature worship into formal temple worship.

While pursuing my M.Sc. Botany from Mumbai University, I did a project on a SG which is in Lanja Taluka, Ratnagiri dist, - my native place in Maharashtra. This Sacred Grove is facing all the threats that are mentioned above but still ‘existing’; there are certain plants that are only found in this area and nowhere in rest of the village. The local ‘Grampanchayat’ has put a ban on cutting of these trees from last two years and there is a hope for better future. Later I had been to a SG in Kudawale village of Chiplun Taluka, Maharashtra. This remarkable SG holds a magnificent variety of flora with the locals protecting it. Although there are less religious sentiments attached to this SG, they have understood the importance of it in sustaining their life... the sacred grove holds a perennial water stream and villagers get potable water supply throughout the year. As an education officer with WWF-India, I arranged a camp to the Konkan region in the past year.  It was during our Konkan camp, we came across a person who owns a patch of land which also holds the sacred grove. What pleased us was that he is preserving the grove as it is, instead of just cutting it and planting some cash crops. On his land one can experience the pristine forest even though it is surrounded by agricultural land.

You may agree that, it really doesn’t matter which profession you belong to you can help in conservation even though you are staying in the city. Remember, when you don’t waste paper, water, also when you switch off non-essential lights and electronic equipments you are taking your small steps in conserving the nature. One just has to respect the nature and use all the resources carefully. Ultimately it depends a lot upon us whether to conserve the natural wealth or just go on using the resources until we finish them all.

More readings:
 http://www.sahyadrica.com/2012/09/barefoot-in-kurne.html