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Showing posts from March, 2012

Kanva Reservoir: A nut sized Dam

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  Overview: Having nothing much to do over a weekend, we thought of visiting a regular picnic spot near Bangalore, the Kanva reservoir. Its one of the favourite places for the bikers as one gets to go down till the mouth of the water. We thought of a family outing so we set off in our car. We had to take a right turn near Channapatna towards Kanva. The roads at that time were not in a very great condition. As it was just the beginning of the monsoons, there was very little water in the reservoir. We went to the Dam and enjoyed the scenic view of the surrounding hills. The water was looking crystal clear and the reflections from the sky gave it a blue look. It was a Sunday so we could see decent crowd at the place. Though there is nothing much to see at Kanva, one can be lucky enough to spot a few good birds. After spending a while near the reservoir, we headed back towards Bangalore. On the way back, we visited the Kengal Hanumantha temple at Kengal.              How to reach: Bus:

Rani Mahal, Gudnapur: Many questions unearthed

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  Overview: After writing a full fledged blog on Banavasi, I still felt the need of again highlighting an excavated palace at Gudnapur near Banavasi called Rani Mahal. Rani Mahal is said to be built in the 5th century and was probably used by the queen during the Kadamba rule. Archaeologists are still trying to explore this place. We could see many Jain idols which reveals that this place was associated with Jainism. The palace overlooks the Gudnapur lake offering spectacular views of the sunset. Still trying to find answers for many questions on this place: 1) First up, the history behind this palace 2) The story behind the name of the place, Rani Mahal 3) The association of this place with the Kadambas      How to reach: Bus: KSRTC buses and also several private buses ply regularly from Bangalore to Sirsi. Private vehicles can be hired from Sirsi to Gudnapur. By Bike/Car: Take the NH4 to reach Gudnapur via Shimoga, Birur, Kadur, Banavasi. Food/Accommodation: Vanavasika Tourist

Lost temples Of Karnataka: Turuvekere

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  This Post is a part of the Hoysala Diary. Please Click here to read the main post Overview: We started our trip with Turuvekere, which houses a number of Hoysala temples. The first temple we visited was the Moole Shankara temple. One exceptional feature of this temple is a small opening from the eastern wall which allows the sunrays to fall on the idol on certain days. The temple was closed when we reached there but we got the keys to the temple and unlocked it ourselves. Its a very simple structure with not many carvings unlike the typical Hoysala temples. Also nearby is the Gangadheshwara temple where we have the idol of Shiva and the Ganga flowing from the top of his head Shiva. The Nandi is well polished and has a shine.            About half a kilometre from this temple is the Chennagaraya temple which is a very small temple. The premises was clean but the temple was closed. This temple also has nice shape but no carvings.   Also nearby is the Gangadheshwara temple where

Cycling to Thattekere: Birds, Lake and Nature

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  Overview: Thattekere is a little village near Harohalli in Kanakapura Taluk. Known for the different varieties of birds and widely popular among the photography communities, its an ideal place for solitude not very far from the city. Approachable from both Bannerghatta and Kanakapura road, we decided to hit Thattekere on cycles to test our fitness levels as well. I rented a Rockrider 5.2 which looked like a pretty decent choice. I started from my house at Banashankari 3rd stage at around 6am and joined my friend Abhay near IIMB, Bannerghatta road. It took some time for us to get out of the traffic, deafening honks and dust trail left by the buses and trucks. We reached Bannerghatta at around 7:15am and had breakfast near the bus stop. This was the place where we had to take a call on whether to proceed or head back. The breakfast gave us some energy to proceed further. After a couple of kilometres we came across a village road leading towards Shivanahalli. The landscape suddenly