As I write this, I am trying to think how Gangtok is different from any other hill stations. Like its other counterparts, Gangtok too has its share of some great views, a large number of hotels and a dedicated shopping area. The local travel agents have perfected the process of herding the tourists with three-point, seven-point and nine-point tours. I am unable to find anything to set Gangtok apart, except that it is yet to become a big fat dot in the tourist map. The number of people arriving here is probably much less than what you see in Shimla, Manali or Ooty and the number of hotels here are also not as many. But Gangtok is catching up, and catching up fast. The Government of Sikkim is doing everything possible to increase inflow of tourists year after year.

Yet, there is a feel good about Gangtok that you don’t necessarily see in other hill stations. You are less likely to see touts rushing after you the moment you arrive, trying to squeeze every bit of your money. You don’t see any kind of solicitors troubling you as you walk on the roads. People here are still nice and friendly. The hills around the town are still green and are not littered with hotels and resorts. Even the shopping street is so well managed that I don’t feel the claustrophobia that I tend to feel in other such places. Gangtok is still beautiful.

And the most beautiful part of the town is perhaps the zoo spread over a large area. When we started planning our first day in the town, I suggested that we go to Gangtok Zoo first.

‘Would you really like to see the zoo?’ some one responded immediately.

In return, two of us who had been here earlier said quickly in unison – ‘it is a beautiful place.’ It is an open-air zoo spread across a large area on a hill with plenty of space for each of its inhabitants. A zoo is indeed a confined space, but the sloth bears, snow leopards, pandas, civets and wolves living here still have plenty of space to walk around in their large enclosures. Sometimes these enclosures are so large that you won’t be able to see them without waiting for them to emerge from the woods. A family of pandas, a family of bears and a bunch of civets living here seemed happy, considering that they live in confined spaces, but a leopard and a Tibetan wolf looked lonely and brooding.

The paths that connect these enclosures go through thick woods and bamboo groves running for several kilometers. The cool weather of Gangtok has allowed a large number of flowers to bloom along these paths, forming bright yellow and purple dots in the woods.

Lingdum Monastery is located in a quite place in the middle of woods – the kind of place perfectly suited for spiritual pursuits. The facade of the monastery is a long two-story structure with large windows. A long wall of prayer wheels stands on the open area in front of the monastery. The monastery looked large, but I wasn’t prepared for what is inside.

As I walked through the front door, I was taken away by what I saw. Standing in the center of the monastery, surrounded by thick woods on all sides was a superb seven-story building adorned with Buddhist symbols all along its walls. In front of it was a wide open space where several young monks were on a learning session. The maroon-robed kids were dancing gently to the sound of drums in small groups, swaying their hands and occasionally jumping back and forth. Behind them, the tall tower rose high, superbly decorated with vibrant colours and beautiful paintings. In the next minute or two I took a few pictures of the monastery, but soon realized that in the short evening I was to spend here, I would rather sit quiet and take in the peace of the atmosphere than go on a clicking frenzy. I put away my camera and walked alone quietly along the monastery, feeling a sense of peace growing within me. As I write this, I realized that the experience of being in the monastery was beyond words and stopped making further attempts to describe the inner joy of being in the place and experiencing a feeling of nothingness, a feeling that nothing else but being there really mattered.

As the sun made his way beyond the ridges and the last rays of light kissed tower of the monastery, we retreated to our resort walking away unwillingly from the monastery. As we drove into Gangtok town and walked amidst revelling tourists at the shopping center, I wondered if these monastic retreats played a significant role in keeping the people of Sikkim friendly and in keeping Gangtok a hill station that is a lot more charming than its counterparts.

I woke up bleary eyed, took out my toothbrush and casually pulled the curtains before heading to the bathroom. One look outside the window, I threw away the toothbrush and rushed down with my tripod and camera. The view of the orange skies and sun surfacing over jagged ridges was something I did not want to miss. Toothbrush could wait.

I can go on to explain how the sky changed colour, how the ridges were stacked up below a brilliant sky and how I felt exalted after witnessing the drama. But words can make the whole affair dull and stilted.

Birds arrived soon after sunrise. A small bunch of black throated tits took fancy to a tree next to me, where they hopped on from branch to branch, probably looking for breakfast. A pine tree hosted a brown thrush-like bird, which glittered on a shaft of sun rays that penetrated through the leaves. I don’t know the names of much of Himalayas bird species, but sometimes names do not matter. It can be like watching a little girl run around and giggle in a nice quiet place; it doesn’t matter what she is called.

Waking up early in the morning has its good effects on you. But on this particular day, goodness did not last beyond breakfast. I was spending my days at Mashorba, a village near Shimla on invitation from Club Mahindra. Holidaying with a small bunch of travel writing fraternity, I had four good days spent amidst the mountains. The holiday had a few dull moments too, and it was one such day of dullness. A filling breakfast later, we spent a good hour waiting to be rescued from a traffic jam in Shimla and drove further on a seemingly never ending highway past hundreds of vehicles, ugly towns, a terrible accident before finally reaching Kasauli in the middle of the day.

Kasauli was recommended as a great place to go by one of our fellow travellers who himself decided to go elsewhere that day. “It’s a nice place, go to Kasauli,” he had told us, and we had immediately finalized our plans for the day. One of us asked our driver as we approached the town, “what is there to see in Kasauli,” for which he had casually replied, “market hai, mandir hai, sunset point hai” – ‘there is a market, there is a temple, there is a sunset point’. We had arrived there on mid-day and were planning to be back in Shimla by the hour of sunset. I understood why our man who recommended Kasauli to us decided to go somewhere else himself. But not to undermine the beauty of the place, it is a quiet and nice cantonment area – a great location provided you are an army major and have a cozy house to live there. Not otherwise.

After a quick walk around Kasauli, we were back to what we were doing before – driving through a highway past hundreds of vehicles, ugly towns and waiting to be rescued from a traffic jam in Shimla.

They say you have to go through some pain to be able to appreciate all good things in life. Indeed, remaining days in Shimla were spent appreciating those good things. In the small town of Chail where we went next day, I appreciated the beauty of deodar trees growing tall on the slopes carpeted with lush grass. I watched grey wagtails hop skip and jump on the road doing what they are best at – wagging their tails! I eyed on a Eurasian Jay in the thick woods and felt happy seeing them for the first time. I argued with people for calling a magpie something else, and cursed myself later for not bothering to accept a bet and missing out on some fortune. I happily shot pictures of ridge lines, knowing fully well that some of my friends will accuse me of coming back with stereotype images. It turned out later that my friends were very predictable!

Chail was a place I looked forward to seeing again. I had fallen in love with its thick cedar forests when I was there three years ago (Read: my previous visit to Chail). When I first saw the market in the center of the town, it had given me an impression that there could be a large sprawl of shops out there. But I was taken by surprise to see the buildings vanish on a bend making way to another expanse of cedars. With a blanket ban on construction activity here, the quiet woods, the tall trees, the idle village had remained unchanged and unaffected by the rush of tourists since my last visit. Except for a minor addition. Someone had added an addition zero to the entry fee to Chail Palace, which then used to cost Rs.10/- Now, a fading sign at the gates said 100/- and helpfully mentioned that it can be reimbursed against accommodation charges. I reminded myself not to forget the reimbursements the next time I come here to stay at the Maharaja Suite. Just for the record, it costs about 15,000.

I was still thinking about Chail when we went camping in the middle of cedar trees next evening. It was a tad luxurious for a camp, but was a cozy place for a good conversation around the warmth of the fire. Much food was consumed as the well read and well travelled folks prattled on William Dalrymple, Amitav Ghosh, Gerald Durrell, Che Guevara, Twain and Dickens and more. A smattering of that night’s conversation is documented here. I am told that the chatter progressed into a raucous cacophony till small hours of the morning, but I slept peacefully in my tent dreaming of cedar trees.

Next morning, strengthened by a breakfast of best ever Aloo Parathas I have ever had, we walked through a stretch of one such cedar forest to get back to the resort, loosing our way briefly before getting back on track and resisting insistences of one of us to try and chalk out a straight line path to the resort through the steep slopes. The rewards of the walk came in the form of a few encounters, like the one with a congenial elderly shepherd who conversed fondly with his dog, a few birds and a waterfall. Not to forget is the ‘feel good’ of the deodar forests.

Later in the day, we did what the tourists must do in Shimla – make a visit to the Viceregal Lodge and a walk up and down the mall (Read more: Walks in Shimla Mall Road, spending a day at Shimla Mall). While mall was a familiar territory, Viceregal lodge impressed and surprised me by its efficient construction and tastefully built exteriors. Raj Verma, the guide at the lodge showed us the furnishing and woodwork, electrical wiring and switches and decoratives that have survived the 121 years since the lodge was built. The foresighted architects of the lodge had implemented rainwater harvesting and had made provisions for electric wiring in the walls at a time when Shimla had no electricity at all. No wonder that the lodge is still used with very little modifications.

At the end of the touristy venture to Shimla, we were enslaved in the evening by the preparations of sous chef Vikas. I wonder what addictives he puts into his appetizers. I came to the restaurant every night with a resolve to eat very little, but never manage to stop before I could take no more. And when it comes to saying ‘thank you,’ I must not forget the tireless resort manager Mohnish.

The visit to Shimla and Mashobra ended just the way it started. We journeyed through the highway that seemed never-ending on a day that is easily the most boring one in the entire trip, even surpassing that uninspiring day when we waded past Shimla’s traffic towards Kasauli.

Spituk Monastery, like all monasteries in Ladakh, is located on a hill overlooking the village. River Indus flows behind the monastery, beyond which are the tall mountains capped with ice.

On the other side of Spituk is a very different landscape where the wide valley of Indus is used in constructing the Leh Airport and the army installations. At less than 10km from Leh, Spituk it is almost ready to be consumed by the expanding town.

The colourfully painted doors of dukhang (prayer hall) in Spituk Monastery

A mural of Virupaksha (also called Chanme-Zang), the lord of the west direction. The front wall of the prayer hall in every monastery is usually painted with images of guardians dieties of four directions.

Colourful decorations in the prayer hall of Spituk Monastery.

A monk wearing the traditional yellow hat of the gelug pa lineage at Spituk Monastery.

A statue of Tara (also called Dolma), a female Bodhisattva. Spituk Monastery has a room dedicated to images of Tara, called Dolma Lhakhang or the Temple of Tara

The Hoysala trail continues from Part 1 where we visited Doddagaddavalli and Belur. We now move on to the next temples in Halebeedu and Belavadi .

Taking a walk along the outer walls of the Hoysaleshwara Temple in Halebeedu, I was treated to a deluge of beauty in stone. Present along the outer wall were the finest engravings of images of gods and of events from Indian Mythology, all in the confines of a 4 feet high horizontal band.

One such figure is of Lord Krishna lifting Govardhanagiri to protect Gokula from torrential rains. I saw the ecosystem of the hill comes alive even in that little space. The architect had carved out in it a forest full of trees, a monkey climbing a tree, a hunter aiming at a pig and a lion looking out from its cave. Rendered under the shelter of the hill were the subjects of Krishna – cows, his cowherd friends and other villagers. All these may not be apparent to a quick passer by, but as the guides explained these nuances to tourists, I saw people pausing to take a closer look and gasping with awe. Another similarly detailed section of the wall showed Ravana attempting to lift Kailasa Parvatha, the expression of his face clearly showing his suffering under the weight of the mountain.

The one figure on the wall that awed me the most was of Lord Shiva as Gajacharmambaradhari – an appearance where the lord dances inside the body of a demon in the form of an elephant. I found it difficult just to imagine the concept, but the sculptor depicted it effortlessly in an elegant manner. There is so much attention to detail in this work of art; I could even see Shiva’s finger nails shown piercing through the skin of the pachyderm.

Walking me along these marvels of art, my guide Uma occasionally slipped in carefully practiced humorous quotes. Pointing at an image of a monkey pulling drapes of a lady, she winked and declared it as ‘monkey business’ and watched with delight as a short group of tourists burst out laughing at the remark. In another instance, she asked me what is God, and waited for me to come up with an answer. Not expecting a question from someone who should be giving me answers, I paused, not knowing what to say. She then showed me figures of the trinity on the wall – Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, and explained me – “G-O-D god; it means Generator, Operator and Destroyer!”

Nowhere before had I seen so many images of stone carved to such great detail. How did the Hoysala architects manage to bring in elaborateness in stone that was achieved by none else, not even by their contemporary neighbours? It is Uma who unfolded the mystery to me. “The temples here are built using soap stone,” she told me, “this type of stone is soft like butter when it is taken out from the earth. It hardens over continuous exposure to the atmosphere.” With its butter-like characteristic, the stones could be carved to greater details, a task impossible with any harder form of stone.

It would not be easy to believe that a stone could be so soft. But I was to see a demonstration very soon. Outside one of the temples, I was surrounded by hawkers selling postcards, small metal statues and artifacts made of stone. I managed to escape from them without buying anything, but a friend bought a small grinding stone that happened to be made of soap stone. Its surface was so soft, we could easily make scratches and marks on it using fingernails!

Halebeedu is not just about its famed Hoysaleshwara Temple. Few people who come here realize that the place is littered with the remains of the ancient kingdom. It was the capital of the Hoysalas for most duration of their rule, complete with bustling markets, temples and housing colonies. We can still see remains of the old habitat – a large area strewn with carved rocks and remains of the pedestals of a few temples. Also within the fortification of the town are three Jain Bastis and Kedareshwara Temple – a smaller replica of Hoysaleshwara Temple built by Vishnuvardhana’s grandson.

My prized discovery of Halebeedu turned out to be none of these grand structures, but a small kalayani in the village of Hulikere. It is an ornate tank hidden inside a coconut grove. The Kalyani’s waters are surrounded by small shrines of stone in all the eight directions, giving a reverent feel to the tank. Its calm waters reflected the tall coconut trees and the puffy clouds in the sky. The steps leading into the water served as perfect place to rest and watch the fish gently moving in the still water. I sat there for a long time all by myself, with no one else but fish for company. The silence here was so filling for the heart, I would never have bothered to leave but for my greed to explore more.

About 12km from Halebeedu is another temple at the small village of Belavadi, again hidden from the weekend crowds and day-trippers. On my way here during another visit in the middle of the monsoons, I was welcome with carpets of yellow sunflowers that were splashed amidst lush greenery, often larger than several football fields joined together. Occasional marigold fields added further to the riot of colours. Silhouetted far away to the west were the hills of Western Ghats that rose from the plains and merged with monsoon clouds. A gentle drizzle constantly reminded me of the wet season.

When it comes to intricate carvings, Veeranarayana Temple at Belavadi does not compete with Belur and Halebeedu. The temple’s prized possession is its 108 circular pillars that are polished so well that I could see my own reflection on their surface. An array of these pillars leading to the sanctum makes the temple look as grand as a king’s court.

When I needed a break from hopping from temple to temple, I found refuge in a coffee estate in the small village of Bikkodu near Belur. It was located at the edge of the plains where barren landscape made way to an evergreen canopy. The estate, with many tropical trees preserved intact to provide shade for coffee plants, was home to birds with dazzling colours and beauty. In my two hours of wandering in this green expanse, I saw crimson coloured scarlet minivets, green pigeons, emerald doves, rose ringed parakeets, coucals and a few dozen other colourful birds that whizzed past me as though they were getting late for an appointment. If the walk under the evergreen forest refreshed me, coffee made from freshly ground powder offered by Vipin, the estate manager, kept me going further.

My last stop in the journey into Hoysala heartland also happened to be in a coffee estate. Searching for the origin of these kings who were connoisseurs of art in stone, I arrived at the small village of Angadi in the heart of Sahyadris. It was here in a small temple that a brave young man killed a tiger with bare hands and subsequently scripted the creation of a kingdom. His descendants moved to Halebeedu and established a capital, from where they ruled a large part of Deccan for more than three hundred years.

Still standing proudly inside a coffee plantation in Angadi are three small beautiful temples that are said to date back to tenth century. The temples do not compare against the grandiose structures built in the later days, but it is here that the story began in a small way. As I departed from Angadi on my way back Bangalore, I wondered for once how every creation of greatness has a very humble beginning.

Travelwise is conducting a Hoysala trail this June 19,20. For details , check here

One would not expect to find a 900-year old temple in a non-descript village with a tongue twister name like Doddagaddavalli. Driving past gently undulating vistas sparingly dotted with stout trees and small irrigation ponds – they added a dash of beauty to the widespread vegetable fields – I suddenly encountered a colourful sign by the road that announced the presence of an ancient temple. Turning off the main road and going past a small village with its usual share of chickens and cows that blocked my way, I found myself gliding from the top of a mound, down an easy slope. At the base of the valley was a small black structure of stone, a temple with shrines rising up from all its corners, a saffron flags fluttering over one of those projections. Its location could not have been better, situated at the edge of the village overlooking a lake and visible from every crest of the wavy landscape that surrounded it.

The Lakshmidevi temple at Doddagaddavalli is just one of the thousands built by the Hoysala Kings who ruled a large part of South India for more than three hundred years. Returning here again a few weeks later with a small group of history-enthusiasts, I saw a few eyebrows going up in amazement when I casually mentioned that the Hoysala Kings built 1521 temples in 948 centres. It is not much, considering that it averages to about five temples every year during their long tenure of governance. But what is impressive is that 434 of these temples have survived even today, with the oldest of them built more than 1000-years ago, the most recent having survived no less than 600-years.

Thanks to this temple building spree, the land here is dotted with ancient temples in every shape, size and varying degree of craftsmanship. Some of these have intricate carvings in stone and some have simple plain walls. While a few of these temples are in various stages of dilapidation, a few more have gone through modernization by the pious villagers who have continued the tradition of regular worship in the temples. Many of them are now managed by Archaeological Survey of India. The temple at Doddagaddavalli appears to have weathered the years without having to go through much change from its original shape. Its walls and shrines appear in near perfect condition, probably not a lot different from the way it looked in the time of the Hoysalas.

Doddagaddavalli was the first stop in my journey of exploring the Hoysala Heritage. I had set out from Bangalore on a sunny April morning looking for these ancient structures in stone spread around the small town of Hassan.

Leaving in the wee hours of the morning, I drove past the city that seemed to be perennially under construction, thanks to its double digit growth rate that has refused to slow down in decades. Beyond the city were industrial areas that spewed their smelly chemical exhausts on every passer by. Further ahead was a highway that lost the charm of its open roads to a widening work.

It took me good two hours before I could breathe clean and dust free air in a clutter free environment. The next three hours of breezy driving took me past small villages, fields, lakes and vistas containing hills and greenery, before arriving at Doddagaddavalli.

The temple here is a simple structure when pitched against the better known heritage sites built by the Hoysalas. Its four sanctums, the inner hall and its walls are a lot simpler than what one would see in Belur and Halebeedu, the erstwhile capitals of the kingdom. It also deviates from the typical architecture of the temples in these parts, which are constructed within a star-shaped pedestal. However, Doddagaddavalli’s charm is not in its work of art, but its setting next to a lake in an undulating landscape, completely devoid of tourists who throng the better known temples nearby.

I was almost transposed to the era of Hoysalas as I watched the life along the lake – men washing bullocks and women washing clothes, no one in any sort of hurry. My interaction with Puttaswamy, the watchman of the temple confirms the slow pace of life here. Still in late twenties, he had moved on from a busy life as a plumber in Bangalore, and had decided to come here and take it easy.

The Lakshmidevi temple was built by a merchant in 1113AD. This was one of the earliest temples built by Hoysala Kings, just a few years before they began dominating the Deccan Plateau. In 1116AD, King Vishnuvardhana defeated the Chola generals in Talakadu (near current day Mysore), ending a hundred years of Chola occupation in the region. Following this victory and his subsequent conquests in the north, he encouraged movement of artisans into his kingdom and commissioned construction of some of the most elaborately carved temples ever to come up in these parts, perhaps anywhere in the world.

Walking around the Chennakeshava Temple in nearby Belur next morning, I was amazed at the attention to finer details that went into making every statue carved on the walls and pillars. I found here a statue of a danseuse whose bangles were chipped to rotate freely around her hands, a carving of Nandi barely larger than a chickpea and a pillar decorated with miniatures of gods and goddesses probably numbering more than a hundred. The base of the outer wall was made of layers of friezes. One of these layers contained 650 elephants – every one of them carved differently from other.

Well known among all the richly decorated sculptures in Belur are madanikas, bracket figures installed below the awnings. The sensuous damsels are depicted in various moods and activities, like Shukabhashini talking to a parrot and Darapana Sundari adoring her own figure looking into a mirror.

With carvings adorning every inch of the walls, pillars and roofing of the temple, it is no wonder that the sculptors took 103 years to complete its construction. But moving ahead into nearby Halebeedu, I was in for even more surprise. The twin temples of here are nearly twice as large as the one in Belur. It took nearly double the time to construct and hosts carvings that are no less intricate than the treasured beauties of Belur in their perfection.

Part 2 of the Hoysala trail takes you to Halebid or Dwarasamudra, Belavadi and Angadi , the origin of the Hoysala dynasty. For more details, log on to travelwise who conducts these tours

In September, I gave a 30-minute presentation on Photographing mountainscapes at Club Mahindra Whispering Pines Resort at Mashobra near Shimla. The audience included the winners and jury of Club Mahindra My Trip of a Lifetime travelogue contest.

In this presentation, I took some images from my archives and spoke about a single feature in the image that made me take the picture, or a feature that stood out in the image. Below are the slides of the presentation.

Photographing Mountains

Standing on the top of Bennegudda hill, there is something interesting to see in every direction. Spread to the north are the ruins of ancient city of Dwarasamudra and remains of its temples of stone. To the east is the famed Hoysaleshwara Temple and the large lake that attract travellers in drones from all over the world. To the south, not far from Hoysaleshwara Temple, is another complex of finely carved structures of stone that have weathered the times. Finally, to the west is an open expanse of villages and fields, with tall hills of western ghats visible in the horizon. The hills are so far away that their fading ridges seem to merge into the sky.

The city of Dwarasamudra that once encompassed Bennegudda was built by the kings of thousand-year old Hoysala Kingdom. The Hoysala dynasty came into existence in a time when the Chalukya Kings dominated the northern parts of Karnataka, while a struggle was on between the Cholas and Gangas for dominion in the south. The ancestors of the Hoysalas joined hands with the Gangas in the war against Cholas, and eventually built their own kingdom on the edge of Malnad region. They established their capital at Dwarasamudra in later half of eleventh century, now called Halebeedu. Their kingdom spread as far as Madurai in south and Lakkundi in the north as they grew stronger over generations. In the days of their prime, Vishnuvardhana, the Hoysala king who ruled in the first half of twelfth century, defeated the Cholas in Talakadu and supported construction of ornate temples of stone all along his kingdom. Many of these temples have survived even today as the evidence of a time when craft of carving excelled.

The Hoysaleshwara temple in Halebeedu is one of the finest examples of their architecture. The two shrines in the star shaped temple are dedicated to Hoysaleshwara and Shantalaeshwara, named after the king and the queen. Heavily decorated outer walls have eleven layers of friezes at the bottom, with rows of distinctly carved elephants, lions, horses, the mythical creature makara and stories from the puranas. One of those stories shows the gods and demons churning the ocean using Serpant Vasuki coiled around the mountain of Manadara. In another sculpture, Bheema is depicted going to after the enemy troupes in the war of Kurukshetra, killing elephants and piling them up on his way. Above the friezes are four-feet high statues of gods and goddesses carved to such a precision that even fingernails, teeth and lines on the hands can be identified clearly.

The best sculptures are seen on the south door of the temple, which was used by the king and the royal family. The door keepers here are framed to a fine detail, with every bead in their ornament highlighted distinctly. To the east are two Nandi Mantapas, each of them facing a deity of the temple. The Nandis are the sixth and seventh largest statues of the bull in the country.

South of Hoysaleshwara temple is the smaller Kedareshwara temple, which shares architectural elements with its neighbour. While the former is buzzing with activity of tour groups and guides, Kedareshwara Temple has a deserted calm, allowing the visitor to explore at one’s own pace.

On the way to Kedareshwara Temple is Bastihalli, a small hamlet that houses three Jain Temples dating back to the days of King Vishnuvardhana. The highlight of Parshwanatha Basadi, the largest of the three, is a mantapa with an array thick cylindrical pillars. Inside the temple is a 16-feet high statue of Parswanatha standing in the shade of a five headed serpent. The roof of the main hall hosts small statues of the twenty four tirthankaras. Besides Parshwanatha Basadi are two other temples dedicated to Shantinatha and Adinatha.

Located just below Bennegudda are the ruins of the old city, littered with broken remains of carved rocks. It is an Archeological Survey site that hosts remains of three temples, of which only the pedestals and some friezes have survived. However, the carved mass of rocks littering the area around the temple is an evidence of the glory days that the kingdom had once witnessed. Today, creepers have grown over the rocks that were once caressed by the hands of the sculptor.

With their vast empire and rich architecture, the stories of Hoysala kings have become an important part of our history. Here in Halebeedu, every corner has something to remind us of the grand days of the great kingdom.

Getting There

Regular buses connecting Bangalore with Chikmaglur stop at Belur. Halebeedu is 15km from Belur, and can be reached with the help of local buses or auto rickshaw. If you are driving, drive past Hassan on Belur road till you reach Hagare Village. Turn right at Hagare and drive for another 7km to reach Halebeedu.

For more details, log on to www.travelwise.in for the Hoysala Trail

How many times have you come back from a vacation, after having seen some beautiful places and experienced something nice, but wish you had good images to keep memories forever? Good travel images can stretch the experiences of our journeys all the way back to our homes. Here are 10 tips to get the best from your camera while you are on a holiday.

1. Wake up early.

The golden light of early morning is the best time to take pictures. Many things work in favour of the photographer when the sun is just coming out. The warm light makes the landscape look pretty. Fog diffuses the light and adds a magical effect. The low lighting brings out the textures of the subject and adds depth into the photograph. A photograph shot in the harsh afternoon sun can look dull and flat, but the same shot in the morning may look magical. If not in the morning, the next best time of the day is evening. Avoid the times when the sun is high.

Pic : Arun Bhat

2. Keep the sun behind you.

This is the most important and most obvious thing to keep in mind when taking pictures. If the sun is facing the camera, your subject will be in shadow, forming dark areas without details. With the sun behind you, your subject will have proper lighting and turns out better.

3. Put people in pictures.

Picture of a man standing on the top of a tall mountain can say a lot about the scale of the mountain. A lonely couple walking on a wide beach can say how empty and tranquil the beach is. A man worshiping in a temple can bring life and character to the temple. Always look for a chance to place people in your pictures.

Pic : Arun Bhat

4. Lookout for background clutter.

Have you ever noticed in pictures of Taj Mahal, that Taj is the only building seen in every one of those typical images? Imagine a few tall high rise buildings in the background of Taj, a chimney of a factory sticking out, and all possible urban construction behind Taj posing at the viewer. Would the picture look the same? Obviously not. Taj is a specially thought out monument, which was built on a high platform to block views of everything else behind. But most other places and monuments we see are not so. Lookout for an angle where you can eliminate the background clutter.

5. Shoot children.

You know it already – they have so much life, they can bring life to your pictures too. When you see willing kids, just make friends with them and take their pictures. You would make them happy too.

Pic : Arun Bhat

6. Shoot local people.

You will often come across people dressed traditionally, or in a unique manner. Lookout for the elderly people who have not shed the clothes of the olden days for today’s globally uniform dressing. Smiling people, wrinkles on the face of an old man in chai shop, people at work – they all can add beautifully to your travel experiences and memories. Get up close and talk to them, it always helps in getting good images.

Pic : Arun Bhat

7. Emphasize the main subject.

This tip is about getting pictures of you and/or your family in front of the a monument or scenery. We all want one such image don’t we? But who gets prominence in the frame? Should it be the structure of Taj Mahal or your spouse? You know the answer well. Frame your family to be a part of the big picture; don’t make them the big picture!

8. Research before you go.

This tip is for people who want to get serious with their camera. You have limited time and want to get the best out of it. Instead of running through the place and trying to get images in a hurry, sit back at home before you leave and try to find out what matters to you in your destination. Plan to spend more time with the subjects you like, once you are at the location. But then, if you are on a vacation and the camera is just a supplementary gear, you should really not get into the headaches of research. Let a holiday be a holiday, not a time for some intense work.

9. Get out in winter.

It is the time of the year when mornings and evenings are most colourful and magical. I know it could be really cold at places, but the efforts will be rewarded. Even in daytime, the skies tend to be clearer and the light would be a great deal more conducive for photography than rest of the year.

Pic : Arun Bhat

10. Leave wildlife alone.

This is not really a tip, but an advice to exercise discretion. You would have seen many mind blowing images of wildlife on the internet, television or magazines. Shooting wildlife requires a lot of hard work, dedication, and years of experience. Do not go out of your way to get wildlife shots on your holidays. An unguided attempt may often result in disturbing the wildlife, inadvertently putting them in danger or even destruction of their dwellings. Attempt wildlife only if you are keen to go far in the field, and start with some expert help. Of course, no harm trying to capture an animal or bird that comes easy on your path.

Happy clicking and travelling!

Before the days of motor ways crisscrossing the mountainous landscapes of Himalaya, people relied on their strong feet and travelled long distances by walking. Pilgrims made journeys lasting many months to visit the holy places where the mighty river Ganga originated. Things are much different today, as people buzz from place to place in buses and jeeps.

In his book ‘Sacred Waters’, Stephen Alters tries to get closer to land and nature, taking the Himalayas by feet, travelling to the four holy origins of the Ganga – the char dham.

Alter leaves behind his watch at home deliberately as he sets on the journey and allows the route to unfold at its own pace. He finds his way with the help of villagers as he moves, trying to avoid noisy motor roads and searching for the old abandoned pilgrim trails. With his progress, he describes people, landscapes and culture that unfolds in front of him, always staying close to nature and observing changes created by the modern world.

His description often brings forth the sanctity of nature as he describes the unpeopled forests of Garhwal region, its flora and fauna, hilly landscapes, rivers and lakes. The naturalist in Alter unfolds as he takes the reader along describing his walks along the forests of Moru Oak trees or sightings of verditer flycatchers and barking deers.

Author’s quest in the book is as much spiritual as it is about the contemporary life in Garhwal. Besides writing about his spiritual experiences and moments of blissful feelings in the journey, Alter ensures that he talks about every aspect of the region in the book. Along with Garhwal’s nature and environment, he digs on the history and mythology of each temple he visits, sees cultural and social changes that are brought about by motor roads and attitude of people to change. His description of destruction of the mountains in Tehri for construction of the mighty Tehri dam is touching and depressing, and his talks with activist Sundarlal Bahuguna in Tehri town, informative.

‘Sacred Waters’ is an excellent introduction to the Garhwal region of Indian Himalayas, and his narration is intense and comes from the heart. The book is a good read for audience interested in any aspect of the region, be it culture, journeys, history or environment.