the light baggage

Overview:   The twin hills of Aretippur in Mandya district is a mix of history and adventure. The village has been recently studied by the archaeologists and several Jain statues have been discovered, and more have been found carved on the rocks of Kanakagiri hills. There is also a small pond in Kanakagiri, which, according to the inscriptions there, is known as Kanakagiri Teertha. The adjoining Savanappana Gudda, is an equally interesting place, with a 10 feet tall Bahubali statue atop the hill. This statue was installed in the late 10th century, and perhaps before the gigantic Gomateshwara statue at Shravanabelagola.                           On the way towards Channapatna, one can visit the hill temple of Siddheshwara at Alur Doddi and Chola era temple dedicated to Lord Rama ar Kudlur. This temple at Kudlur was built by the Cholas dating back to th...

Overview:   While driving back from Hospet to Bengaluru, a slight detour to this little place is worth visiting. The drive from Hospet to Sandur is itself a pleasure with winding roads and hills in the backdrop gives a heavenly feeling. The Swamimale hill range is a part of Western Ghats on its eastern edge, which is abundant with different species of wildlife and also popular for medicinal plants. This hill is also believed to be rich in minerals which is a result of volcanic eruptions several centuries ago.               There is also an ancient temple in the middle of wilderness. The Kumaraswamy temple complex, which also houses Goddess Parvati’s shrine, dates back to the Rashtrakutas during the 8th century.               References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krauncha_Giri How to reach: From Bangalore, Sandur can be reach...

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...

  Overview:   Lake District, meaning the land of lakes is in the Cumbria county of England. We visited Lake District on the way back from our trip to Scotland, though the weather was not so pleasing with rains and fog all around. Apart from visiting a few silent places around the Lake District, we took a small hike to the Aira Force waterfalls. Fortunately, the rain had stopped and the hike was pretty easy with beautiful surroundings. True to its name, the water falls from a height of 66 feet with roaring noise. It is believed that this place has been the hunting place of the Duke of Norfolk.         After our return from the falls, we decided to move on towards Manchester for our Old Trafford stadium visit, the home of Manchester United football team's home ground. On the way in the Lake District we saw several small waterfalls flowing out after the rains. References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_District How to reach: Lake Distri...