Riverwoods Chikamagalur

... to carry (only necessary items mentioned) :-
(1) A strong backpack, cap n a pair of sturdy shoes.
(2) Water (at least 4 ltrs for each excluding night-out)
(3) Food (Bread, butter, biscuits, banana, instant magi, nuts what not!)
(4) Glucose
(5) Warm clothes, bed sheet
(6) Torches (otherwise forget trekking through the tunnels)
(7) Salt (for the leeches, though we didn't find one; but after monsoons, there are thousands), mosquito repellent
(8) Matches ...

Friday, 10.20 PM- arrive at Chikmagalur (Shakti Resorts). Me and cousin, ran first to check out the best of all the 7 cottages that were allotted to our group, and finally settled into one cottage. We had picked the one that had a huge tree blocking the doorway, which made the entry and exit difficult. Anyone who ventured to the cottage in the darkness would surely bang his/her head against a branch of the ...

... and walls, as the sounds of horns and tablas echoed throughout and Brahmin priests doused the statue of a deity representing an incarnation of Vishnu (the Preserver of all that is good in Hinduism) with milk, curd, water, ghee (clarified butter), honey, sugar and turmeric. The mixture, having been blessed, was later collected from the base of the statue and shared with the devotees then present.
Hassan, Karnataka, India tipep

... out on visiting a Jog Falls while coming within 2km and basically lost his cool. Eventually a compromise was reached and we visited the falls for a max of 10 mins before heading on our way. The falls were actually quite good despite there not being heaps of water. We stopped at a small restaurant recommended by the bus driver. The restaurant had no menu and offered basically curry vegetable or curry vegetable with mutton. It tasted nice and spicy.

... was used for the construction of these temples. However a number of sculptures in the temple are destructed by invaders. So the temple is incomplete. Halebid means ruined city. There is an archeological museum in the temple complex. The Hoysaleswara temple, dating back to the 1121 C.E., is astounding for its wealth of sculptural details. The walls of the temple are covered with an endless variety of ...

... madanika were sculpted as seemingly engaged in artistic activities such as music (holding musical instruments) and dance. Kirthimukhas (demon faces) adorn the towers of vimanas in some temples. Sometimes the artists left behind their signatures on the sculptures ...

... it was hot, hot, hot. At the top, I entered the tiny enclosure and was confronted with one of the tallest monolithic statues of this naked man. His head and shoulders are disproportionate to the rest of his body and on the base there are inscriptions in ancient Kannada and Tamil. With the evening sun casting its shadow on the statue, I tried to imagine the ceremony when millions of Jains around the world converge every 12 years here to pour milk, curds, saffron, ghee ...

... we pleased. We found the "blue cushions" situated inside each temple. These are for guests. We sat and listened to the monks chant their Mantra's while others played long hornpipes and Conch shell. Huge drums beat hypnotic beats to the chanting. It is a ...

The temple tour starts at 7:15 AM - so we were up at 6 AM. Krishna and Rathna made sure we were well stocked with food (just in case), and Hitendra (Rathna's driver) made sure we arrived on time and stayed to make sure we were sent on our way safely. We spent most of the day in the bus - but we got to see some amazing countryside. There were three attractions, Sravanabelagola, Belur, and Halebid. Most of the time was spent enroute - but the ...

... the wheel. We kept driving. I assumed that we ould find a mechanic at kemanugundi. As I keep driving the gear shift gets worse, soon I can only use 1 & 3 rd gear. After another few Kms we found a jeep, carrying some coffee workers. We seek advice and I learn to my shock that this road is no longer used to get to kemanugundi as the other road is much better. Moreover it seems only a 4 wd can get through this road in 1 piece. I knew that, byut we ...