Looking Back: Part 2
Sunflowers turn away
(With apologies for a rather startling use of the “n-word”)
Picture taken in Karnataka, South India
Looking Back..
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Picture taken in the Halebidu temple complex, Karnataka.
Temple Time
Revisiting the temples of Halebidu.
I last visited Halebidu almost two years ago.
It is just as fascinating the second time.
Homeward Bound
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Our tour was over:
Ten days exploring the wondrous temples and palaces of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
We were now homeward bound.
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Our journey had spanned a small arc of the subcontinent, from the Arabian Sea to the Indian Ocean.
We had crossed the Western Ghats to watch wild elephants, then slowly ambled our way through the Deccan Plateau:
From modern beaches and ancient temples to British architectural fantasies and bland concrete hotels;
Bustling towns to ruined cities.
We enjoyed meals in both grand restaurants and humble bamboo food-stalls.
Tea fuelled our road travels while cool beers soothed our evening stops.
We had explored and watched and wondered.
Our time spent in observation of people
At work, rest and at prayer.
Like life itself,
An amazing journey encompassing delight, despair and discovery.
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A Visit To The Hill-Top Temple
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From the wilds of Wayanad and the elephants of Tamil Nadu, we crossed into Karnataka.
Our first stop was at the Himavad Gopalswamy Betta Temple.
Built almost 700 years ago at the summit of a quiet and lonely hill, it is often hidden by mist. But we had arrived in brilliant sunshine.
Despite, or perhaps because of the presence of many devotees, there was a palpable sense of quiet and prayer.
Having received the blessing of the temple priest in the inner sanctum, we walked around the temple then made our way back down the steep and narrow track.
On this road, a pilgrim bus had jammed the rear corner of its chassis while taking a sharp hair-pin bend.
With minimal fuss, the passengers disembarked while the bus was re-manoeuvred into a drivable position, then quietly returned to their transport. There was neither shouting nor horn-tooting from drivers blocked by the stationary vehicle.
Something of a rarity in India.
Perhaps the calm and peace of the temple was more pervasive than I had realised…
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Time To Go
I am almost ready.
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Transportation is booked and confirmed.
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Sir is once more off on his travels:
This time across the Western Ghats to our neighbouring states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu .
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The ancient city of Hampi is on the itinerary.
The Raja’s palace in Mysore will be experienced.
An excursion to exotic and mysterious places.
I may be gone some time.
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Other than the first picture, images have been taken from the web.
