Mekedatu and Sangama:A leap in to tranquility

“I could wish my days to be bound each to each by natural piety” (Wordsworth’s poem, ‘My heart leaps up when I behold’)

Do you often get pissed off with the life in a city like Bangalore? Have you ever wished for a retreat from the mundane city life? Then, be ready for a wonderful trip to Mekedatu /Mekedaatu through the outskirts of Bangalore enjoying the countryside views.

We started our trip to Mekedatu one fine afternoon when the sun god was beautifully smiling at us. The overcrowded city and traffic congestion made our trip less enjoyable in the beginning. The annoying snail pace journey for 60 kms till Kanakapura made us crave more and more to be in the lap of nature. As we crossed Kanakpura, the whole scenario changed. The rhythmic swaying of the tall areca palms and coconut trees on both sides of the road made us think it to be the welcome gesture of mother nature. The magnificent beauty of grasslands, valleys and mountains is mesmerizing. The animals gazing in the open land, the long row of cow dung smeared small houses and the village dwellers leading their animals back to homes in the evening create a certain sense of spiritual serenity, far away from the hustle and bustle of city. The long ride through the Mugguru forest leading to Sangama and Mekedatu rejuvenated our spirits.

Sangama is the place where the confluence of rivers Arkavati and kaveri happens. The scene of rivers merging in to one at the backdrop of beautiful mountains is quite amazing. We need to cross the river in a coracle (round shaped boats) to the other side to board the bus to Mekedatu, which is 4 kms from there. Mekedatu' means 'goat's leap' in Kannada. It is said that a goat being chased by a tiger made a hopeless attempt to save its life by jumping from one side of the gorge crossing the river below, whereas the tiger couldn’t jump. As per one myth, the goat (meke) that is believed to have leapt across the Kaveri was Lord Siva in disguise. The goat’s hoove shaped holes can be found on the rocks and it is believed that only celestial goats could have marked their footprints in such hard rocks. The water flows very fast through the gorge, creating pits in the rocky riverbed. The hollow rock formation as Cauvery gushes through a natural ravine is a rare sight and should never be missed So, why to miss this chance of double dhamaka of enjoying the scenic beauty and boat ride of Sangam and also admiring the extraordinary rock formation made by the raging Cauvery river at Mekedatu. If you are a fish lover, there are many food stalls which sells fried fish. There is a KSTDC Mayura hotel at Sangam which provides good food.

How to reach:

Bangalore to Kanakpura (62 kms)

Kanakpura to Sangam (38 kms)

Mysore to Kanakpura (97 kms)

Kanakpura to Sangam (38 kms)

 

Halebidu: An unrivalled epitome of Hoysala Architecture

I was awestruck when I first saw the architectural marvel of Hoysala times, ie, Hoysaleswara temple, Halebidu. The intricate carvings of gods and goddesses engraved on this monument made me wonder about the craftsmanship of the workers who might have toiled day and night to create such an excellent stone temple.

The home to best Hoysala creations, Halebidu/Halebeedu (Hale means old and beedu means capital in kannada) earlier known as Dorasamudra/Dwarasamudra was the capital of Hoysala empire in the 12th century. Dedicated to the two aspects of life (feminine and masculine), this Shaivism tradition twin-temple has two shiva lingas of Hoysaleswara and Shantaleswara and two Nandis facing the respective siva lingas. The beautiful sculptures and picturesque friezes made of soapstone depict stories from Hindu epics such as the Ramayana, the Mahabaratha and the Bhagavatha purana. The work of this temple is said to have started in 1121AD during the reign of king Vishnuvardana and completed in 1160AD by Kedaroja. An informative and useful museum with sculptures of different avatars of lord shiva and vishnu, Parvati, Saraswati, Brahma and many Jain ascetics, copper plates, gold coins and catching wooden carvings is situated in the temple premises.

It is an understatement to say Halebidu is marvellous. The magnificence of the inscriptions on the outer walls of the temple cannot be described. In short, I would say, it’s an epitome of perfection. Yes, it is a lovely wonder of art.

Do treat your eyes with a feast when you are anywhere in Karnataka by visting this uncomparable stone creation.

How to reach: From Bangalore 215 kms and from Hassan 32 kms

(From Bangalore, take diversion to Hassan via Tumkur road)

Nearest Airport: Mysore (3 hours)

Nearest railway Station: Hassan

Babia: The satvik crocodile guard of Anantapura lake temple

Ever heard  or met  the deific crocodile, Babia, which stands as an odd one out from the other members of his  clan by being harmless, a pure vegetarian and by also acting as a guardian of the Anantapura lake temple in Kasaragod district. of Kerala. If not, its  time to meet this grandpa crocodile, Babia (according to the temple priest, he is more than 75 years old) and raise your eyebrows in wonder.

         The Anantapura lake temple is situated in the middle of a two acre rectangular lake (kalyani) in a small serene village, Anantapura, which is 6 kms from Kumbla in Kasargod dt. It is assumed to be the adisthala of lord Ananthapadmanabha, the diety of Padmanabha swamy temple, Thiruvananthapuram. Babia is the guardian of this temple and is a pure vegetarian as it completely relies on the temple nivedya or prasadam made of rice and molasses. My respect and admiration towards Babia became threefold when I heard that he did not till now has harmed anyone, even the fishes in the pond. When one crocodile dies, another one crops up, but none has unveiled the mystery as of how and the present crocodile, Babia is said to be the third one after the temple has been built. As any ancient worship place has a myth or a folk tale revolving around it, this temple and the unique Babia too has a story associated with it.

As one legend says, Sage Vilwamangalam, a Vishnu devotee was doing poojas at the place where the temple is situated. One day Lord Vishnu appeared in front of him disguised as an orphan boy. The sage felt pity and asked the boy to stay with him. The boy agreed to stay on the condition that he would leave if he were ever humiliated, to which the sage agreed. Being a naughty boy, he disturbed his pooja by his intolerable pranks. The sage became furious to which the little  naughty one left him telling  that he can be seen when he goes to the forest (Ananthakat) of serpent god, Anantha. The maharshi soon realizing the boy to be the incarnation of lord followed him and found a cave where the boy had vanished. It is also believed that the crevice in the cave where Lord Krishna disappeared is being guarded by Babia. It is said that in 1945, when India was under the Britishers, one English soldier shot a crocodile of the temple lake and within few days, the soldier died of snake bite as a revenge taken by the serpent god.

This beautifully crafted Kerala style temple situated amidst the sprawling grassland and enveloped by small hillocks stands as an example of the harmonious blend between nature and man by the presence of the well behaved superstar, Babia. If you are a person who loves travelling and likes to explore some exceptionally different places, this temple and Babia should be added to the itinerary.

Getting there: If you are driving from Banglaore, Anantapura lake temple is around 385 kms.

By road:

Bangalore to Kasargod (364 km)
Kasargod-Kumbla (13 km)
Kumbla-anantapura temple (6 km)

By rail:

Nearest Railway station: Kasargod railway station (14 km)

By air:

Nearest airport: Mangalore airport (56km)