@NrityaGram......

Nrityagram - Lterally means Village of dance and thats exactly what the place is!

India's first modern Gurukul (residential school) for Indian classical dances and an intentional community in the form of a dance village,[2] set up by Odissi dancer Protima Gauri in 1990. The residential school offers training in Indian classical dance forms, Odissi, Mohiniattam, Kathak, Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali and Manipuri, eight hours a day, six days a week for seven year, following the ancient Guru-shishya tradition.[3] Designed by Gerard da Cunha, the community is situated near Hesaraghatta Lake 30 km away from Bangalore (Source Wiki)

If you are a dance enthusiast, this place should definitely figure in your itinerary the next time you are in Bangalore or its vicinity! I was there sometime last year and was definitely bowled over by this quaint little place......

Cottages at NrityaGram

Entrance into Nrityagram.....

Beautiful sculpture isn't it....

You are not allowed to click the pics of dancers in action! This is the picture of a picture

Linking this to AtoZ challenge - N is for NrityaGram....

A Bangalore Getaway ** Day 5 - Festival Of Words **

"Write Tribe" the amazing write club am a part of  is hosting its first festival of words from 1-7 Sep on the theme "Seven". You could get more details about it here....

Am choosing to write of the seven loves of my life....

 A weekend getaway once in 3 months and a big bang holiday once a year is my idea to refresh the body and soul ;). But there are days, when I want to get away from the daily trudges of city life even if its just for a couple of hours....

Thus one Sunday, we went on a trip to this quiet and peaceful lake called Thattekere which is an offbeat picnic spot in Bangalore part of the Bannerghatta National Park.  The lake was supposed to be a haven for bird sighting  sighting but all we could see were painted storks and few other birds. But err I wasn't complaining - Imagine we were the only souls around - surrounded by pristine, literally untouched nature and a large waterbody to gaze n introspect on life!

But an hour or so later, a few forest officials came marching and chased us away - supposedly this spot requires forest permit for access! They even threatened to seize our cameras. :-P.

Though let me tell you the short time we spent there cleared away so many cobwebs from my mind :)

All I need is a book in Hand......

@Shravanabelagola

After almost 5 years in Bangalore, did I manage to make a visit to Shravanabelagola on the way back from Chikmagalur.

This place figures in prominently in the religious circuit of Jains. Its known for a austere but mighty statue of one of the Jain gurus located on a hill-top which can be viewed from Kilometers away and is supposed to be awe-inspiring. Here's a click of the same.....

But makes me wonder in today's times of Internet, skyscrapers haven't the words 'Huge' taken a different meaning? I mean, yes I was awed that somebody caved this out centuries ago but in today's time is the size of the statue in itself(app 57 ft) awe-inspiring?? Maybe not.

N ho! jus so you know, the approach to it is thru well-laid steps, but be prepared for the seemingly endless stretch of steps to reach the summit :)

Linking this to ABC Wednesday(M is for Monument)

A Getaway.....

A day spent frolicking in the beach(a almost-private one at that) and pool as you guzzle down glasses n glasses of beer ~~ Now doesnt that seem like the perfect way to spend the weekend! And thts exactly what we did this weekend @Windflower in Pondi This must be one of the first vacations where we did zero sight-seeing(a quickie to Auroville doesnt count) n most importantly zero shopping(!!!!)!

But again as a colleague commented, to do jus this did u hv to drive all the way to pondi ~~ Couldnt u hv done jus the same at any of the resorts that dot Bangalore! Hmm yeap possibly ~~ But then a beach resort has a charm of its own n jus the very act of getting away from the 'Daily Living' can spruce up your entire system ~~ or as hubbs says "It is the journey that I cherish, more than the destination"!

The view from the room!



The Sand! I jus love that blue sky....

And the Beach....

Yea! I know there isnt anything "Pondi" abt these pics... But then as I said we hardly budged out from the hotel and the Beach :-D. BTW this trip was courtesy a gift voucher for a performance award that ma sis bagged from her work place.. How I wish ma comp would adopt such a policy to reward the best performance! Then sachi, I will pull my socks in no time :)

Linking this ColorDeckors weekend wrap up(Ages I hv shown up there) and ABC Wednesday(G for Getaway)

The joy of Doing nothing.....

Hv u eva been on a vacation n felt bogged down with the "to-do" list in the place... I know I am a culprit there! Given this, when peop suggested a hill station which is a stones throw away from B'lore with a promise of "Doing nothing" it seemed promising. So "Yelagiri Hills" it was.....

But but  calling it a "Hill station" may really be a exaggeration.. Its jus a wee  bit cooler than blore but yeap a welcome relief from sultry Chennai!

Second, The possibility of any recreation activity there is next to zero. The only strenuous thing(or rather the only thing) u can abt do is go for a trek up the Swami Malai (The trek is indeed easy, coming from somebody who is nimble footed like me ~~ Its saying something) ! The other v dubious attraction of "Nature Park" is well avoided! The lake there? Hmmm good for a stroll but nothing To write home abt!

Hmm now I know that its not alays the "tourist attractions" that hv people flocking to a hill station... But each place has a USP ~~ Solitude, nature, weather ~~ Yelagiri jus doesn seem to score v great in any of these depts.....

So ma suggestion there if u visiting the place,  Choose a hotel where u hv some foliage to stroll around cause tht may turnout to be the only source of entertainment (apart from the swami malai trek)!

Now Now looks like I hv painted a v sad pic of the place! Its still a place you could do a quick get-away to escape the hustle n bustle of the city, to jus sit back n relax as well even if u chose otherwise the "to-do" list in the place is next to nothing :-D. I am told thou that during some months this place is a haven for para gliding.......

You cans see the other images from yelagiri here

Linking this to My World

Hogenakkal ~~ A rainy Affair!

Imagine sailing in a coracle in a valley ~~ A valley of waterfalls ~~ as you are sprayed with the jetting water from all sides.....

Will let  the pics to do more talking......

All these pics were shot @ Hogganekkal!, a few hrs drive from Bangalore

The day I stepped out for this trip it was raining cats n dogs n the downpour jus seemed to increase as the time went by... So much so that we had to stop the coracle in between n use it as a shelter! But on afterthought, the rain proved a blessing in disguise..... No scorching sun (N this place is famed for the heat that can make u go grrr) n more importantly no crowd (Jus a handful of coracles were out tht day as against the 100s tht usually frequent this place)!

The best part of this trip? Hot piping fresh fish fried on the river side... Imagine devouring this as u step out soaking wet :)

Linking this to Myworld tuesday

title n the coracle pic is courtesy sabina zacarias!

Back to Basics...

... @ Basic Halli!

Lets get the facts rt at the outset.. Shall we? When they say 'Basic' they mean 'Basic'(V Basic).. So if u head there expecting a village experience while still being lapped in all luxuries of the day then sorry this is the wrong place! Sample this to know what am talking... A tent with a mat, bed sheet, air pillow comprises ur living quarters, When darkness sets in the only source of light would be the camp fire or one of those strong torch lights (Keeps the insects - flies away ~~ Makes sense in a village!) n of course no Fan(Can get pretty ho in the afternoons!)

Now tht u got these 'basics' rt lets head to the more-than-basic fun u could hv....  A huge hammock(actually a strong net over a water tank) that can easily accommodate 4-5 people ~~ The best place to lull around in morning n evenings with a book in hand n let the gentle breeze from the water n the canopy of trees to put you to sleep(Bliss!)

Take a long 2 km walk (with a few Shepard's n lotta cattle for company) till u reach the pleasantest n most peaceful lake(I tell yea it redefines peace!) ~~ U can go boating on bamboo rafts or still betta take a quick dip in the clean natural waters(will beat any swimming pool1)

Take along lotta marinated meat (or veggies if u prepare) ~~ N toss up the yummiest barbecue dinner!!!!! (Well something to keep u occupied during the dark hours of evening ~~ Scroll up to top to know why its dark; Of course u always hv the backup option of huddling around the campfire n yapping away to glory!)

Pick a few 'Organic' Veggies from their backyard!

N best of all feast on the yummy yummy yummy Ragi Mudde - Upu Saaru (Trust me it will leave u licking for more!)

Of course not to forget the warm company tht only a pet can guarantee!

All this at a mere 70 kms from Blore ... A nice weekend getaway huh :-D

All pics courtesy hubbs :) (ofcourse except the ones where hes the subject)

Work Hard n Party Harder!

If theres been a title thts misleading its this!

No No dont snicker...  I swear former (WORK WORK WORK)  is all I been doing..... Soooooooob! N I swear theres no ma usual exxageration involved... My weekdays hv been a pain thnx to trying to shuffle too many roles at one go... Ooph!! Ha need prrof?? Look at the amount of time I been away from this place...

But thankfully the weekends hv been a breather...... One saw me making a quick detour to a sleepy town on outskirts of Blore while the other had ma little sis dropping in... Ha! Bliss!!!

My status on FB post weekend1 read "Stretches of Land ~~ Untouched by 'Development', Discarded Mines, Ruins of homes, Mountains with tiny villages n streams tucked in, Non-Descript temples on Hillocks ~~ What More can u ask to make a day?? Well How abt adding a dose of good Times with Gr8 friends, Yummm home cooked food, Meeting up simple folks who make ...u re-think priorities of Life ~~ Ha! A perfect sunday after ages :)" . Lemme do the pics do more talking here...

I love zipping on these expressway!

Do I need to say More??

Sleepiness is the landmark here! The Lone Homes...

The Non-Descript Temples

The Open Fields...

The Hillocks....

Even The Sky......

Ha tht was one amazing trip!!! A power-break from the daily grind! Loved every bit of it!!!!

N the status post last weekend said "When somebodys definition of a gr8 time is well.... spending hours n hours with u... nothing more - nothing less.... Then well u know to thank ur lucky stars :)."... Ha how the distance makes heart go fonder :)

N the reason I did this post even as the clock ticked past weekend is ~~ I so wanted to make it to the Weekend WrapUp's... I am hooked to it!!

Drive to Shivasamudram.....Weekend getaway from B'lore

/* Originally Posted on 20 Nov*/

Two things am really passionate about is seeing new places n eating good food :-).

This weekend after a bit of research on net, me n my hubbs decided to drive down to Shivasamudram. This place is located in Mandya district in Karnataka. The Kaveri River splits here into two branches-- Gaganachukki and Bharachukki.Gaganachukki is some 120 km from B'lore and Bharachukki is another 15kms from there. For more details on how to get there visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shivanasamudra

We started from home(Indiaranagar @ Blore) at around 12(N guys trust me tht was really late, had we started atleast one hour before we would hv had much more fun.....but well both of us are real lazy bones n this is the earliest we could make :) ).

We reached Gaganachukki by 3 in the eve. The first hydro electric project in India is supposedly constructed here. I had read a few good reviews about this place but well now the entry to waterfall is completely barricated(after unfortunate death of a s/w engg). So all that u can do at this place is look at the waterfall and enjoy the water sparay from a distance(with some good naughty monkeys to give u comapny)

From there we drove down to Bharrachukki which is another 15km away...N yes this is more like my place even thou the water fall here is smaller than gaganachuki, there is some action happening here! You will have to climb down to reach the mouth of the falls(but you have well laid steps all the way down). At the edges, the water velocity is not v high and so you can cross /swim from one end to another ! The best part here is the 'Kharakkas' or 'Theppa'(they are boats in the shape of a basket) in which the boatsman will take u as near the waterfall as one can(tip him liberally n he will add a few jathkaas...imagine a roller coaster ride in waterfall).......its really a experience!!

N the drive is worth it...you find a few ancient, ruined temples on the way which looks straight out of history channels!!

A few tips you may use if you intend to drive down to this place:

1. Leave early. There is anoher place called thalakaad which is about 20km from here. You can fit this into your itinary if you start early.
2.Spend most of your time in Bharrachukki. Its better to cover gaganachuki on way back(this way u can give it a miss if u dont hv time, n trust me there is nothing much u loose)
3.Its suggested to take Mysore road, Kanakapura road is devoid of traffic, but your vehicle will curse you for taking this road
4.Carry food with u. No dhabas or hotels(except one in gaganachuki) around. Carry an extra pair of clothing.

So now u know where to head if u intend to spend one good day!! Happy travelling...

Also can anybody let me know some other weekend getaways from banglore..

Trip to Puttaparthi

/* Originally posted on 3 mar */

This was a complete improptu trip with no planning whatasover. We(I n my hubbs again) were on our way to Lepakshi(my last blog) n had stopped at a petrol bunk to ask directions. At the entrance we saw a sigboard of Satya Sai Baba N on asking for directions realized tht Puttaparthi it was only 60 km away from there!

Well neither of us are believers of Satya Sai Baba(No offence meant for believers) but decided to make the trip n it was worth it!

This place is a good 170 km from B'lore. We took NH7 road thru Yelahanka, Chickballapur, Begapally and Andhra border up to Kodikonda(same as Lepakshi) n Puttaparthi is 60 km right from here. The road was in a pretty good conditions and with plenty of direction signboards n the most dependable Indian GPS System(who else but the pedestrians, auto-drivers, co-passengers) finding the place is no problem at all!

At the very entrance you see massive school, medical, university buildings run by Satya Sai baba n One thing which stands out here is the proverbs in different languages from across the globe!

Baba's Ashram here is called 'Prashanthi Nilayam' n this holds beautiful mediation hall n row after row of rooms\dorms buit for piligrims(unfortuanely we couldnt find accom here; But finding accom here at affordable rates is any easy job!); But from what I am told, the experience of staying here is something to be experienced to be believed! Another interesting feature here is all piligrims visiting here are advised to be dressed in all white n girls pin up ur hair(i was pulled up for it :( ) and if u arent in a sari, remeber to wear ur duppata(pulled up again :( )

We had darshan of Baba n u should c the mass of humanity assembled there!! Do note that Baba gives darshan only twice in a day one at 8 or 9 in morn n at 3:30 in eve. So plan your trip accordingly.

Puttaparthi thou is a small place in heart of Andra(rather in border), has a truly cosmopolitan mix of people, culture n shops here!! We had our dinner at a tibetian place run by an Italian n dessert at German bakery run by a Nepali n trust me the cusines u get here are as authentic as it can get.

All in all an intersting place to visit n do not forget to pick up a few tibetian\nepali knick-knacks when u r there!

A Trip to Lepakshi Village

/* Posted on 28 Feb */

One fine Saturday I n my hubbs dearest decided to check out the Lepakshi village (u c we both are outdoor persons n if we are at home for more than a day, u will c us on each others' throats :) ).

Lepakshi Village is in Hindupur (Ananthapur Dist) of AP. Though it’s in AP, the place is quite near to B'lore (hardly 140 km from B'lore)! We started early in the morn (U c 9 is v early for our standards esp on a weekend) n took NH7 road thru Yelahanka, Chickballapur, Begapally and Andhra border up to Kodikonda. Lepakshi is 12 kms away from Kodikonda. We reached the place by around 12:30 (had stopped on the way for breakfast).

Lepakshi is a small sleepy village thou it boasts of the famous heritage structures of the Largest Nandi n Lepakshi Temple. This place would be of interest only if u enjoy old historical monuments. It is steeped in some interesting mythological stories(to narrate the story should be another blog in itself) n has a few exquiste carvings including 'Padmini' and 'Vaastu Purush' - female n male with perfect stats! But the biggest attraction here might be the 'hanging Pillar'...Imagine the entire temple is supposedly balanced on this 'Hanging Pillar'. But unfortunately one of skeptical British scientists of Pre-Independence era didn’t believe this n in an attempt to prove it wrong , sturbed the equilibrium of the pillar n now its kinda tilting to one side! He supposedly got the pillar pulled from all sides using big iron rods.....Imagine what hue-n-cry would it have risen if the same had happened to a british monument! Another attraction here is a 3D-Krishna painting on temple roof! N do u know from where intrinsic designs of the famed Andhra handloom saris come from?? They suposedly are a replica of the carvings in this temple pillar!!

Adjacent to it is one of the largest Nandi statue (somebody told me its largest in world!). Looking at it from a distance you may not be wowed by its size...but once u go n stand next to it u feel dwarfed.

all in all a Good trip (but as i said u will enjoy it only if u r interested in archaeology, history n all....dont go there expecting any adventures)!!