Discovering Life on the Mighty Mekong

By Meera

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Hopping in and out of South East Asia, one fine morning, I landed in the tiny landlocked country of Laos PDR. This is an ancient land having ties with India dating back 2000 years. Although not on the regular tourist map of any visitor, my interest in its culture and its simple people made me hop on to a four day trip and I flew quietly into the quaint capital city of Vientiane.

Vientiane, capital of Laos PDR

Veeranarayana Temple In Belavadi

- The Saga of Ageless Unspoiled Beauty

By Tharangini

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When I first walked into the Veeranarayana temple in Belavadi, which is about 29 km away from Chikmagalur, my first instinct was to hug every pillar and stone in the temple. After having seen so many ancient temples falling victims to modern granite and worse, bathroom tiles in the name of renovations, this temple with its original look and beauty, was  like a much needed breath of fresh air. It was also so intoxicating that I was immediately smitten by its beauty.

Temple view from a nearby cottage

The Koppal Habitat - An Immensely Grounding Experience - II

By Tharangini

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Part II

In case you have missed out on Part I , click here.

The vast expanse of the Sanganal landscape

During the second half of the day with warm sunshine to keep us company, we moved to Sanganal. This is  the area of black cotton soil, now painted green during the farming season.  It was green as far as eyes could see and the same would be black once the crops were harvested. This was the choice habitat for the blackbucks. The uneven path of the undulating terrain through the vast  green stretches tossed us around in the vehicle. We were shaken, stirred and had our bones rearranged multiple times during our journey through Sanganal. The blackbucks were nowhere to be seen.

The Koppal Habitat - An Immensely Grounding Experience - I

By Tharangini

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Part I

The warm Wednesday afternoon had just transformed into a cool comfortable and almost chill evening. Entering into Hagedhal as guests of Indrajit Ghorpade in his farmhouse, the first thought was to breathe in and store as much oxygen as  possible during the couple of days we were going to be there. 

We were here to learn a bit about Koppal, the precious inmates of this unique habitat and the efforts of Indrajit Ghorpade and his DCF (Deccan Conservation Foundation) team in their conservation efforts to protect the region.

After being welcomed by Durganna and Suraj, a nice warm dinner of local North Karnataka cuisine  awaited our hungry stomachs. The dinner was outdoors, set to an orchestra of a thousand insects under the shimmering night sky. Warm food, chill evening breeze, a sea of stars, music of nature - I was in the embrace of heaven for sure. The enamor  of the night sky and the entire ambience took my breath away even as the others chatted. This was the perfect recipe to get grounded and connect with mother earth.

Jigme Dorji National Park

By Meera

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The Misty Mountainous Land With Its Many Hidden Colours And Life

The entrance to the Park

If you want to soak in unbelievable views, breathe pure and mountainous air that too at high altitudes, then take a trip down the royal kingdom of Bhutan. Even as such in this nation, when traversing from place to place, we have to either go up or down continuously. If you are nature lover and also freak on trekking and have young legs, this is the ultimate destination.

Kinnal Crafts - Generations Of Incredible Creations

By Tharangini

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For two days we had averaged 10 - 11 hours on the road. We had already been on road since early in the morning for the day and it was 5pm now. Information overload was almost short circuiting our brains when Meera and myself reached the Kinnal village along with Pompayya Sir for some insight about the beautiful Kinnal art.  But all we could think about was another 5 hours of journey ahead of us and a bus journey home. We reached the workshop of Dharmanna Chitragar, who was busy working on his temple model. It was a modest workshop with older models of his art, covered in cloth, occupying considerable space. Some more pieces that were returned in exchange for newer pieces sat on the loft observing us intently.

Folk Heritage Museum Of Bhutan - The Bhutanese Way Of Life A Century Ago

By Meera

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I have seen many a museum in my travails and sojourns across the world. Some of them have been very vast, boring, lengthy, cluttered and complicated that it has put me to sleep. But a set of barns, farm fields, cooking pots and mud huts in a traditional house and that too in a capital city for showcasing the rural and cultural history of a young nation, triggered my interest.

Ilkal Saris - Beautiful Threads And Hand Woven Efforts

- Beautiful Threads And Hand Woven Efforts

By Tharangini

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My familiarity with Ilkal saris was limited to the rare visits to sari shops with my mother. A chance visit to Ilkal however gave me an opportunity to see the making of these beautiful threads in person and from a very different perspective. The dusty streets of Ilkal reverberated with  the rhythmic clanking of the power looms. But the primary interest was to find those few who were still married to traditional hand loom weaving. A few streets later an extremely modest and old house, that could easily be dated back to about 60 years or more, came into view.

Lambani Women

- A Memorable Noon With Their Colorful Culture

By Tharangini

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It was nearing 12 noon. We had been on the road since 6 am, after just a cup of tea. There was a distinct and collective growl in our stomachs indicating it was way past breakfast time and almost nearing lunchtime. Durganna and Suraj, who were both educating and introducing us to the flora and fauna of the terrain, Pompayya Sir, Meera and myself were just heading back from Talur lake towards Hagedhal, almost dreaming of a hearty meal . The dull December warmth was a soothing and welcome break from the cloudy skies of Bangalore.

Mirrors, coins and all the paraphernalia of the traditional Lambani women costume 

Gangaramaya Temple

- An Amazing Abode Of Buddha

By Meera

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If you want to see Buddha in every form and imagination and from every corner of the world, then make your way to Sri Lanka. Here he rests in peaceful contemplation for his followers and other believers to gaze to their heart’s content and wonder  at the artistic passion and dedication of the creators.

Magic Of The Evening Puja At Virupaksha Temple

By Tharangini

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It had been a long day of travel and birding for a couple of friends and me in Hampi. Though it was still early in the year, the afternoon heat had drained our energy and we were at a point of just dragging our feet around. But there was something more in store for us. An experience so different and so profound that even to this day when I close my eyes, the scene remains fresh in my memory.

The start of the rituals

Inspirational Women - The New Life Of Tribal Super Farmers

By Meera

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A bountiful of chilli cultivated  on unfriendly lands

Albeit a harsh and dry land hidden amid scrub forests, a few women have strived to grow chilly, chia, tomatoes, beans and pumpkins which jostle with another relating the tale of their success in small parcels of land. Thanks to dedicated help from a wildlife conservation organization, a group of tribal farmers at Sollepura have reaped the benefits of their hard work after many years of toil. Once living amid the jungles of Nagarhole, they were relocated outside by the government but it took them many years to adapt to a new life.

Kuruba Hospitality

- One Amazing Afternoon With The Nomadic Shepherds 

By Tharangini

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It was a lazy afternoon one October when my friends and me had a chance to experience the hospitality of the amazing Kurubas - the nomadic shepherds of North Karnataka. They are a very interesting group of people, we were told and we were not disappointed. The sun shone lazily and the whole atmosphere was languid when we wandered into their camp. Goats and lambs were bleating away,  some feeding and some looking at us with drowsy eyes. I tried to step gingerly between piles of droppings trying to avoid them but soon realized with numbers on their side, it was an unwinnable situation for me.

Krishna Temple In Hampi

- Decoding The Emotions On The Wall

By Tharangini

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The emotional attachment, love story and eternal infatuation with Hampi started a while ago and is still going on pretty strong. The deep sense of bonding and passion persists because Hampi still holds the power to ignite the curiosity, charm me and stop me in my tracks pretty often. I am sure others who have been wooed by Hampi will share similar sentiments.  

The intriguing stucco figuirines in the Krishna temple tower

Narihalla : A Breathtaking Landscape With Fabulous Views

By Meera

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Music: https://www.bensound.com

No, this is not the famous Ha Long Bay of Vietnam but Narihalla River and its reservoir situated in the central regions of Karnataka state. The damming of the Narihalla River, a tributary of Tungabhadra in this landscape has produced a unique sight where red craggy hills inter cut it beautifully at many places.

The Gadia Lohar Community Women - A Strength To Reckon With...

By Tharangini

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It was in late winter one year when we were returning after spending the morning observing the migratory birds near Magadi lake in Gadag district, Karnataka, that a group of people gathered around and watching something intently caught our attention. 

A breather before the next hit, while her husband
adjusted the piece of iron.

The Kishkinda Caves

- Takes You On A Hoary, Mythical Journey

By Meera

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Music: https://www.bensound.com

Even as we meandered and wandered across the river banks of the mighty Tungabhadra in Anegundi, our eyes seemed to be drawn to the nearby picturesque rocky hills with its caves. This scenic destination is in Gangavati taluk, Koppal district, Karnataka and is just 20 kilometers from Hampi, the World Heritage Site in India.

Hari Shankara - The Hidden Treasure Of Sandur

By Tharangini

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The sound of constant flowing water was the first to greet us as we alighted from the vehicle in Hari Shankara temple in Sandur, Ballari district of Karnataka.

The perennial flow of the sweet and healing
water in Hari Shankara 

Nallur, Holding On To A Forgotten Past

By Meera

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In the past, the sacred groves in India were a natural sanctuary for trees where none could fell them or even kill the precious wildlife abounding here. It was a divine abode where precious trees were
worshiped and protected.

Fallen trees and their new prodigies

A Meal For Everybody In The Glorious Past

By Meera

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Is this a ritual or custom of a bygone era? Were people so hospitable that they used to serve their guests free meals on stone plates carved in a row and connected to a main water channel? Or maybe, these were used by people for public festivals or picnics?

Music: https://www.bensound.com