Pondicherry

– A Tranquil, Soothing Time On The Paradise Island

By Meera

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Just like Goa, the French styled city of Pondicherry too is known for its pristine and crystal-clear beaches. But one does not see the same jostling crowds on its golden white sands and beaches.

Therefore, a visit to Paradise Island should not be missed if you want to forget the world. The beach is in fact, located right at the mouth of the Chunnambar backwaters. This place is considered a paradise as it is flanked by a creek on one side and dark mangroves on the other side.

View from ferry

Pondicherry

– The Amazing Ride On The Chunnambar Backwaters

By Meera

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There is something magical when one goes on a winding journey from a river to the endless expanse of a sea. Traveling in a steamer and enjoying the windy, choppy journey, I ask you to visualize my thrilling experience in just three minutes. It is not just the Arabian Sea but even on the Bay of Bengal and the eastern coast of India, one gets such moments to take up such escapades once in a while. 

 As we were winding up our visit to Pondicherry,  Loganathan, our guide-cum-driver who took us to most of the sights in this old French colonial town, was insistent that we should not miss this incredible experience. Although we had hardly any time at our disposal since we were taking the night bus back to Bengaluru, he dropped us off at the Chunnambar Boat office by 3 pm. I was already exhausted as it was a hot Tuesday afternoon and pretty sticky and sweltering even in the month of January.

Tungabhadra Backwaters

- A Home Away From Home For Winter Visitors

By Tharangini

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Thank you for joining me from Part I.

A couple of young guys announced that the boat was ready. I looked around and did not see anything. Then they asked us to leave our footwear and walk up to the boat. It was just getting more and more curious. 

As we walked, the ground looked deceptively dry and cracked from the lack of moisture. One step in and the underlying clay announced its presence in the most slippery way. Slipping and sliding along we reached the boat. This was no place to make a splash in life. 

The multipurpose boat was used for both fishing and birding. I was not even remotely mentally prepared for this kind of ride. As five of us sat balanced on the rim, hanging on to the boat and the camera was quite a challenge. There were no life jackets and while others boasted about their swimming skills, I held on tighter to the rim.  Even as flocks and flocks of spoonbills, openbills, ibis, terns and ducks flew by, there was little I could do other than gawk.

Ibis and terns flying together

Tungabhadra Backwaters

- A Winter Paradise for Birds 

By Tharangini

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Earlier in the Otter story, I had spoken about the morning adventure in Tungabhadra backwaters.This, in an attempt to see the long-legged beauties that come to these backwaters for some lodging and boarding during the winter months.Yes, the flamingos.  

I had been harping about seeing these birds forever. Pompayya Sir had put together a fine little itinerary for the day to ensure that I would not have to leave without seeing them during this visit.The day started pretty early, still not bright outside as we drove towards Ankasamudra for a brief stop. Any bird lover in and around Karnataka would be well aware of the haven this place is for birds from all over.

We were there to meet Vijay Ittigi and Raju, who were among the key players in getting this place declared as a bird sanctuary. Since most newspapers have that story, I'll just stick to my experience here. Most of which was fascinating enough for me to keep scooping my jaw off the floor.

Pelicans at  Ankasamudra

Prayagraj – The Gutsy Siberian Seagulls At The Sangam

By Meera

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Their sounds and numbers make their distinctive presence and lifts the very mood of a person visiting Prayagraj. If people throng and crowd the Triveni Sangam every year from across the world - not to be left behind, the gusty seagulls from Siberia come calling for their winter halt in Prayagraj, the holiest city of India.

 

Prayagraj : A Confluence Of Himalayan Rivers

By Meera

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For once in my life, I was pretty excited as I was going with a group of friends and relatives to one of the holiest cities in India, Prayagraj. Although my visit had nothing to do with anything holy, I had always wanted to see the Yamuna as she is here a major partner compared to the Ganga. Although everyone dissuaded me not to travel during the Ardh Kumb time, my mind was made up and I was pretty curious to see the biggest gathering of humans in one city, therefore, nothing could stop me, cholera or the crowds.

 

Lord Ganesha In His Various Avatars Across The World

By Meera

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As we visit temples in South Asia or South East Asia, one thing that stands out are the various forms of Lord Ganesh . Most of them are rock cut and either in standing or sitting posture. Since he is considered as the remover of obstacles and a harbinger of wisdom and success in life, one can find his image in every known form in temples across the world. You can even find him atop volcanoes, in the middle of dense forest, near seaside, on hill tops and any place that one can think of.

He is one god who has reached the foreign shores and one can see Ganesh’s various forms in which he is worshiped. Rock cut carvings of Ganesha can be seen in many temples which are built at the base of the volcanoes.  In Bali, his images in stone and wood are so common that children sell the idols to tourists on the highway road to Denpasar.

Ganesha with a Dragon look

The Walls of Hampi

- Where More Than History Flourishes 

By Tharangini

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Thank you for joining me from part I

Painted Spurfowls

My first view of the Painted Spurfowl was after we had huffed and puffed all the way to the top of the Mathanga hill to see the sunrise, which conveniently got obscured by the clouds. But just before we began our descent we saw the Painted Spurfowl pair effortlessly sauntering  around the top, oblivious to the inhuman efforts needed by a human carrying a giant camera bag on the back. The male is true to the name with the most spectacular plumage while the female tends to merge into the background more effortlessly.  Almost always seen together, they are like an epitome of compatibility. What is their secret?

The Walls of Hampi

- Nurturing Nature Amidst The Ruins

By Tharangini

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For over eight years Hampi has enticed and woven its web of magic, mysteries and enchantment spellbindingly around me. The addiction has me craving for more and more, as each year I find myself yet again in this place, to be intoxicated with its never ending surprises. 

As much as the ruins have me under their inescapable spell,  equally enthralling is the variety of life that hides, breeds and thrives on these walls. The walls that protected empires centuries ago continue to diligently carry on their duties of protecting and safe-guarding various life forms that now call these walls a home.

Generations of  men, beasts, flora and fauna have come and gone, yet the timeless wall remains - a silent spectator  to the stories from across time. 

As a tribute, here are just a few fleeting glances at the walls that are very much alive even today with the very different kinds of lives within them. 

Hoopoe Pair

Prayagraj Khusro Bagh

– From A Tumultuous Past To A Peaceful Present

By Meera

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Walking and treading on old pathways in historical old cities, one can feel the vibes of that era that may have been joyful or tragic. One such garden in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India gives you this feeling of having lost many things in life. High walled gardens with imposing entries are very rare but this one makes you take a peek around the 40 acres of peaceful oasis that hides the tumultuous past of one family.

 

The entrance

Smooth Coated Otters - Journey To Their Abode

By Tharangini

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The morning was already well spent watching flamingos from the most scientifically and delicately balanced boat. Our weights were equally distributed and even a single untoward movement would have sent the entire boatload for a nice dip in the Tungabhadra backwaters. As the only one of the entire lot, whose swimming skills had not progressed much beyond the doggy style paddling, I think I was the bravest to undertake this adventure. But that is a story for another day.

Flamingos in Tungabhadra Backwaters

Smooth Coated Otters - The Adventure And The Sighting

By Tharangini

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Thanks for joining me here from Part I.



We were barely a few meters away from the shore when a crocodile gently broke the shimmering water and announced its presence. Its eyes and snout glimmered through the liquid gold texture surrounding it.  Bracing myself, I just managed to get a shot when I felt my feet get wet.

A Crocodile in the waters of Tungabhadta

Agrasen Ki Baoli – An Age Old Step Down The Wells Of Delhi

By Meera

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Now how did people fulfill their water needs in the dry and arid regions?  In Indian sub-continent at least, one can see a plethora of ancient reservoirs of water since the time of Dholavira or Mohenjadaro. Be its capital Delhi or the neighboring dry regions, one can see step wells (or Baolis) across the northwestern parts of India. Agrasen or Ugrasen’s Baoli is one of the most beautiful structures and today, it is a popular destination for youngsters.

Sri Chamarajeshwara Temple - Musings Of A Divine Interference

By Tharangini

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Sri Chamrajeshwara Temple
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Tamilyomen

Long long ago, roughly about a decade and half back, I used to make an annual trip with my uncle to assist with his auditing work. My work was to cross check various calculations and other data verifications, data entry etc. and my incentive was visiting a new place each year. This was much before my peruse of our history and heritage and hence the conspicuous absence of any image in this write up.

So what is this article doing in this blog?  As I sat bundled up in my jacket, staring at the pretty determined rain outside my window that was going strong since morning,  I was reminded of one of my most memorable visits to a temple during one such auditing trip.  With the lockdown having pretty much turned spotted owlets into sitting ducks, I felt it may be a good idea to share this eventful visit with you.

Bannerghatta Dolmens – The Need For Studies And Protection

By Meera

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The dating of the dolmens of Bannerghatta is a bit hazy and they are said to belong to the early Neolithic period that is 4000 to 3000 BC. It is amazing how they have survived all these years on hills that are frequented by wildlife and humans and of course, stone thieves.  On a trail across the Doddibetta hill ranges, the existence of large herbivores and carnivores can be clearly seen.

A view of more dolmens on the northern part of the hill

Bannerghatta Dolmens – The Ancient Face Of Bengaluru City

By Meera

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Searching for dolmens, menhirs and other very ancient structures has become a passion for me and Tharangini but it never struck my mind there was one in my own backyard. To my amazement, this is just about 25 kilometers from my place where once ancient people had resided and left the footprints of their existence in the nearby forests.

The first view of a Dolmen

Koodli Temple – An Ancient Story From The Verdant Malenadu

By Meera

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Situated in the heart of Malenadu, the ancient place of Koodli beckons one with its verdant paddy fields, areca nut plantations and shimmering sunsets. Driving through these regions, one soaks in the serene and hilly landscape that is teeming with water birds while in the fading light, the larks make their own songs heard mellifluously over the mesmerizing paddy fields.

En route to Koodli

Lakshmi Narasimha Temple - The Man in the Long Coat And More

By Tharangini

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Though regular pooja happens inside the temple, the work of overzealous devotees who conduct their own mini poojas on the carvings outside,  has made them red and yellow. Incense sticks were also lit up right next to these carvings. Little did they realize that though their hearts were in the right place, their actions were doing more damage than good to the temple.

One unfortunate aspect with no escape from, are vandals. With initials and proclamations of love adorning certain patches, this temple has also attracted its share of defacing. But it is certainly doing much better than the Navalinga temple at Koppal where the vandals have been a lot more destructive in their efforts.

The man in the overcoat

Lakshmi Narasimha Temple - The Jewel Of Bhadravati

By Tharangini

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After our rendezvous with Amrutheswara temple in the morning,  we reached Bhadravati by noon for a brief sojourn at the Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple. The modest temple with a rich history, tucked in the center of the town was abuzz  with the footfall of the morning worshipers  when we reached there. They were trying to finish their prayers, worships,  pooja and get the blessings of the lord before the temple closed for the morning.

Front entrance to the temple

Annular Solar Eclipse – The Rare Dance Of The Ring Of Fire

By Meera

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Video Credit: Revanth Rajeev

It was the thought of ‘Ring of Fire’ that kept me awake throughout the night and I was hopeful of seeing it properly even if it was a cloudy day and the sky was not clear. Thousands of people across many cities were glued to the skies through various formats – if some were at planetariums, astrophysics centers, others congregated in small selective gatherings at river banks, educational institutions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The deadly virus did not dampen the spirits of many who managed to get a plethora of celestial images of the annular solar eclipse on June 21 from various places across India.