Karnataka Gatha Vaibhava

Alright! All about last week 😃 I went on a weekend trip to Chikkamagalur with my friends. We stayed in this rustic homestay called Western Woods. The plan started off with around 15 people and dropped to 5 by the time we were ready to go 😆 However, that did not deter us. The five of us got to stay together in the dormitory-style huts. It had two double beds on the ground floor and two single beds on the top floor. Looked more like bunk beds. It had 2 bathrooms as well. The whole place was impressively clean!

We started by 7 AM and reached by 10:30 I believe. We had the whole day ahead of us. So, we headed to a nearby pool. The tranquil water and serene surroundings seemed to take away the stress of our busy lives 😇 We lay down on the rocks for a while soaking up the sun. It looked as if it might rain. So, we headed back to the resort. We enjoyed hot bhajjis while watching the mandatory rain before Shivaratri 😋 The water spirit must have been in its element because we jumped into the pool right after and started playing water polo. All our unused joints got some much-needed exercise. Needless to say, we slept like logs.

The next day, I skipped the trek to Ethina Bhuja, a mountain that resembles the back of an ox. I don't particularly enjoy heights (read terrified 😖). Post breakfast, we went offroading in an open jeep. We were thrilled to bits when the jeep almost went up to the edge of the hill 😀 The weather was hot and humid. We took some pictures and headed straight to a hidden waterfall. The water was so clear that we could actually see the fishes swimming and the seaweed underneath. Back to the resort for lunching and napping. In the evening, we took a short hike to a hill named Devaramane to watch the sunset. The sunset was nothing unusual but the open expanse of mountains all around was breathtaking!

It was time to go home. We washed up and sat around a bonfire. Before I forget, the food here was delicious, which is rare in homestays. The owner of the resort began chatting with us and was saying that we should try the night safari the next time. This got us intrigued and we hopped on to his car for a nighttime stroll, hoping to see a few wild animals. Unfortunately, the only animal we saw was a rabbit scurrying away 😂 There were a lot of horror stories going around. But the night sky was so clear, illuminated by thousands of tiny star lights which are usually obscured by the pollution in the city, that nothing could frighten me. I felt one with nature 💕

The next morning, we were reluctant to say goodbye to this wonderful place. Though it had zero cellphone coverage, it helped us to connect with ourselves 😇 But we had more sightseeing to do. One can never tire of visiting the heritage cities of Belur and Halebeedu. I went back to feast my eyes on the marvellous sculptures and the amazing craftsmanship of the artisans of the 11th and 12th century. We always hire a guide because every carving there has a story to say. We had timed the visit totally wrong because it was peak noon and the sun was blazing on us relentlessly. And yet, we couldn't help being mesmerized by the fascinating stories of our land's history 🙆

The Western Ghats has already been declared a UNESCO world heritage site. The government is working on a similar status for Belur-Halebeedu. Visiting these archaeological marvels has rekindled my interest in knowing more about our legacy. Our ancestors were far wiser and skilful than us and am talking about eight to ten centuries back. Apparently, Sri Aluru Venkata Rao has beautifully summarized the rise and fall of the various dynasties in Karnataka in his book called "Karnataka Gatha Vaibhava". I am reading this book now and hope to experience what was once a glorious period of mankind.

The following site lists some of the must-visit cultural landmarks of Karnataka.
https://www.trawell.in/karnataka/heritage