Anegundi – land of the primate legends
Anegundi, or Kishkindha as it is historically known, has many facets. Overlooking the ruins of Hampi on the other side of the river Tungabhadra, it is generally an addendum to the itinerary of tourists visiting Hampi. However, by the sheer magnificence of its landscapes and the folklores around it, Anegundi can have its own claim…
Kaleidoscope in the skies
My interest in the spectacles of the setting and the rising sun was triggered by an incident in Cohin that I would like to begin the post with. I had asked my wife to join me in one of the office events organized at a beach resort off Cochin. She joined me on the last…
Chalukyan masterpieces on sandstone
Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal represent the glory of the Chalukya dynasty, a period stretching from about the 6th century to the 12th century CE with some period of Rashtrakuta rule in between. These towns in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka, in a region stretching across 40 kilometers, have been the centres of the Chalukya rule…
Breaking free from the urban din -1
For years I have travelled across faraway lands, to caper about snowy slopes and amble on desert sands, to the falls and the blooms of the cooler climes, the Northern lights and the Highland pines. But missed all that lay a drive away, the breaking day with its golden streaks and the glistening dew on…
The lure of the Blue Mountains
Nilgiris, or the Blue Mountains as its name in Tamil alludes to, is among the signature mountain ranges of South India. A part of the Western ghats just before the latter breaks into what is known as the Palakkad gap, it inherits the bio-diverse splendour of the Western Ghats. As if to lend credence to…
The wild and the wonderful
Bandipur National Park is the gateway to the Nilgiris for most travelers from Bangalore and Mysore. It is perhaps the most celebrated and well known among the south Indian wild life parks and sanctuaries. It is an important part of the very diverse ecosystem of the Nilgiri biosphere. Its contiguous extension into other forest reserves…
A jewel in the crown of the Nilgiri Biosphere.
The Nilgiri Biosphere covers vast areas of mountainous and plain lands in and around the Nilgiri mountain ranges of the Western Ghats of India. Many of its parts are fairly close to Bangalore and make up some of the most coveted destinations for nature lovers and general tourists. Places like Ooty and Coonoor are the…
Romancing the Ruins – Hampi
Hampi is a historian’s delight as much as it is a tourist’s fantasy come true. The capital and the seat of power, trade and culture in the Vijayanagara kingdom’s prime, this place retains the evidence of a thriving and glorious empire from the 14th to the 16th centuries. One look across the landscape with boulders…
The Hoysala temple trail
Ever since the pandemic restricted movement in our lives in early 2020, we have been desperately seeking options to unwind in the usual way that we knew: be with nature and the wild or spend time with heritage structures, soaking in the romance of historical reminiscences. This was not easy, considering that the world around…
The travel bug bites and bites hard
Everyone loves traveling, in his or her own way. Despite being a common hobby or passion, preferences are very personal and varied. My work-life over the years has made me seek leisure in relatively smaller travel efforts. Bangalore, and large parts of South India, offer a number of options to drive away from the humdrum…
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Wanderlust in the Southern Wonderlands 