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Showing posts from April, 2014

Lost temples of Karnataka: Chandragutti

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Overview: We stumbled upon this place called Chandragutti during our visit to Banavasi. Chandragutti was known as Chandraguptapura during the ancient times when it was a stronghold of the Kadambas of Banavasi. The temple situated on the top of a hill is a large natural cave approached by a flight of steps where a Shiva Linga is worshipped. The place is associated with the saint Jamadagni and his wife Renuka, the collosal hip like boulders in the cave are identified as Renuka in hiding when Parshurama persued her. The outer facade of the cave forms a vestibule in front of which is an imitation of the Chalukyan style and a pillared Sabhamandapa is also present added during the Vijayanagara period in east-west orientation. The top of the hill further takes us to a tower which was a bit sticky due to the oil lamps which are lit everyday by devotees. The place offers a stunning view of the surrounding hills. Chandragutti is also known for the nude procession which takes place on certain

Sand Dunes, Michigan

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Overview: The Silver Lake State Park in Michigan offers a spectacular variety of Dunes. We took a Dune Ride at Mac Woods Sand Dune Rides and the view from the top was simply amazing with clear blue waters in the horizon. We had a brief stop at the banks of Lake Michigan which is a vast fresh water lake and we could see miles and miles of blue waters. The Ride takes you through the forest area which is a part of the State Park.               References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Lake_State_Park_(Michigan) Map:

Srirangapatna: A place where history is written all over it

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  Overview: Srirangapatna: Welcome to the Historic City Srirangapatna, says the board on entering the town in Mandya District. True to the statement, Srirangapatna is loaded with history from different ages. Most people tend to miss this place as it is on the Bangalore-Mysore road and people just zip through this city. So let me share my experiences as I explore this historic city. We started from Bangalore at around 8:00 am. We stopped for breakfast at Hotel Kadambam near Channapatna. We reached Srirangapatna at around 10am and first up was our visit to Sri Ranganatha Swamy temple. The board outside the temple says that this temple was built by the Ganga chieftain Thirumalraya in 894 AD which was later expanded by the Hoysalas, the Vijayanagara rulers and the Wodeyars. The main deity of reclining Vishnu is supposedly the largest in Karnataka. The obelix belonging to the Vijayanagara period can be seen at the temple. There are other shrines inside the temple and the inner courtyard