the light baggage

Overview: Associating a place with our great epics and having local legends is common in India. Both Ramayana and Mahabharata have touched almost all of India. Here is a list of places associated with the great epics in and around Bangalore. Places associated with Ramayana: 1. Avani (95km): Of the many places in India claimed to be the birthplace of Lava and Kusha, this is one place in South India. At the base of the hill is an ancient Nolamba era temple with Shiva lingams consecrated by Sri Rama and his brothers, and at the top is the Sita Mata temple. On the way to the top is a rock cut cave believed to be Valmiki Ashrama. Avani 2. Teerthamalai(165km): Legend says that the water has been pouring down since ages when Lord Rama shot at the rock to get water to perform puja. Hanumanteertham was created when Hanuman threw a pot of water from Theerthamalai. Theerthamalai hilltop can be reached through a flight of steps, which are quite steep ate places, but very safe for climb...

Overview:   Hampi, located on the banks of the river Tungabhadra, is one of the most popular heritage destinations in Karnataka. The vast area of the Heritage site also includes Kamalapur, Kampli, Anegundi and Hospet, and one needs at least a week’s time to explore the site. Hampi, though inhabited and ruled since 2nd century AD, rose to prominence in the 15th century during the Vijayanagara Empire. According to legend, Hampi was also known as Pampa Kshetra or Kishkinda Kshetra, which was also the home to the monkey king Sugreeva, and also is the birthplace of Hanuman, who was born in the hills of Anjandri Betta, near Anegundi.                 The main attraction that catches eyes is the Hampi Bazaar, which was the main shopping centre during Krishnadevaraya’s reign. Just next to Hampi Bazaar is the Virupaksha temple, where Lord Shiva is still worshipped. The main temple has exquisite paintings, with c...

Avani, Kurudumale and Mulbagal: Glimpses of Ramayana in Karnataka Overview: The journey of 120 kms from Bangalore takes us several centuries back. After reading a lot of blogs on Kolar district very rich in heritage, we decided to visit a few places the district has to offer. We started from Bangalore at 6am and very quickly crossed Hoskote as it was a Sunday and there was very little traffic. We had packed our breakfast and had it somewhere on NH4 highway. Below is the description of all the places we visited: 1) Kurudumale: We had to take a left deviation just before entering Mulbagal town to reach this place. Kurudumale is known for its Ganesha temple which has a 14 ft idol of Lord Ganapati which is believed to exist since ages. Around the idol a temple was built by Sri Krishnadevaraya. It is believed to have immense powers and the devotees are bound to be blessed with whatever they ask from the Lord. Along the same road we went to Someshwara temple which was again a beauty. The ...