Lost somewhere amidst the chaos of Bangalore’s IT corridor is a village called Begur

which gives the city a bit of its history. As we drive through this ancient village that dates back to the 6^th century reign of the Gangas , we see rampant construction everywhere , threatening to erase its cultural ethos . We are in search of an old inscription, which historians believe records one of the very first  mentions of  the place , “ Bengaluru , “ way back in 900 AD.bbb

As I enter the main street of the village, driving past the lake , I see the locals gathered in front of the 1000 year old Panchalingeshwara temple . A bright yellow  chariot is getting ready for a temple festival . The flower sellers  are making a brisk business , as a few devotees throng the old temple,  built during the Gangas and Chola dynasties . The oldest of the shrines is the Nageswara temple and the remaining four , Nagareshvara, Karneshvara, Choleshvara and Kalikamateshvara were added later.

We walk around the temple compound  and find several Veerakal or hero stones scattered around – some depicting scenes from chieftain Nagattara’s life and death . I learn from Girish,the head priest that one of them which documents the chieftain’s death is now in the Bangalore museum.

I look for the inscription that refers to Bangalore and find it lying in the open along with some broken hero stones. The reference to the city is however in a violent context  . Meera Iyer from INTACH, Bangalore explains, “ It speaks of a  Battle of Bengaluru fought around 900 AD which resulted in the deaths of Nagattara’s son Buttana-setti and  his ‘house-son’ Pervona-setti .” She also tells me about another inscription found near the fort that speaks of  Nagattara’s daughter who fasted to death through a Jain ritual called sallekhana .

I look for some majestic citadels ,but find the remnants of an old fort in some crumbled mud walls ,  a stone entrance with some pillars that serve as an “ adda” for the villagers , while the kids play cricket inside . Two old temples , a well and some more inscriptions and carvings contrast with the high rise constructions that seem to be coming up around the village .

I hear about a Jain Basti close by and ask the locals who give me a blank look. Finally a few people take us to a small patch of land amidst  a residential colony where a headless Teerathankara, possibly referring to Mahaveera and another idol of Parshwanatha lie in the undergrowth . We also find another  small idol in front of a house near the temple and learn that it has been around for more than 100 years.

We walk a bit more and realize that the connection between Begur and Bangalore seem to be lost in the wake of modernization that seem to rob not just Begur’s but even Bangalore’s identity and heritage .

This story was published in the author’s column, Inside Story in The Metro Plus, The Hindu

Sometimes the most beautiful things are right around us . You dont have to travel far and wide to look for them . All we need to do is to ” Just Look Up .”  I am referring to the green canopy of trees that line our cityscape , painting our lives with colours, if only we look up and see them.

The book that is being read and reviewed today says just that – Just look up and see  the magic in the trees around you . I did just that this morning . As I walked around my house in Bangalore , the flowers were in full bloom and the colours refreshing. There was so much drama around as the squirrels chased each other and the birds were flitting around.

Author Sadhana Ramchander is no academician and yet her childhood love for gardens and trees has urged her to write the book . She says that it all started when she worked with her children’s school in creating nature and tree walks and when she realized that its not just the kids, but adults like us who have forgotten to look up and enjoy the beauty around us. Armed with a camera, she went about photographing trees and flowers and collected little details and trivia about them and lo – the book was born . A simple book , but a wonderful effort nevertheless that enriches our minds and creates awareness about the world of flora that surrounds us .

Just Look up is more than just a ready reckoner of more than 20 common trees in urban sprawls. It has got a foreword by Bittu Sehgal , Editor , Sanctuary Asia and photographs by the author , Sadhana and Karthikeyan Srinivasan , Chief naturalist , Jungle Lodges .What really fascinates me about the book are the little nuggets and snippets , the lovely pictures and beautiful detailing .There is the fiery gulmohar, the golden Indian Labarnum, the raintree, the coral bead tree , whose beads were my precious collection throughout childhood, the sandalwood,the banyan, the badminton ball, the pink trumpet tree, the tree of gold , the jacaranda among others in this collection.Although Sadhana has referred to the trees in Hyderabad and Bangalore , most of these are found in almost all cities

I am not very good with names and even as a kid failed thoroughly with the botanical and zoological names . But trees have always forged a deep relationship with me. I grew up with fruit and flowering trees around my home in Madras and even today, some of them still remain. But ask me on the names and I will shake my head. The book is like a field book for dummies like me . In this slender paperback, the gardens open out to you as you read every page ..Next time you look up , see the riot of colours and the drama that they enfold everyday .
If you are interested in buying the book, you can pick it up online as well.

Pulicat or Pazhaverkadu is a small coastal town with a historic past – a port that dates back to ancient days, ruled by the early Tamil kingdoms to the Vijaynagar kings. It had its bit of international regime too – by the Portuguese, Dutch and British .

Straddling between the states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh is a vast saline lake here that beckons several birds, flamingos amongst them every year .

As we sailed towards the Bay of Bengal , we saw in the distant , small specks dotting the horizon. Out came the binoculars as we collectively heaved a sigh of excitement. They were flamingos .The boatman refused to change the course, citing that it was lowland and the boat would get stuck. We started negotiating in the middle of the ocean and he finally agreed . We sailed towards the flamingos with the sea behind us and then the boat was pushed physically as we came a bit close. There were millions of birds, some juvenile as well.

We stopped, stared, photographed and spent moments in silence .And then as the boat inched a bit closer, the birds flapped their wings collectively, displaying their bright orange and pink hues . And then in a moment , it all happened. A giant leap and there was such drama in the waters . The waters splashed, the wings fluttered and the calls were loud as the entire sky was abuzz with orange, pink, white and black colours and the entire flock of million birds flew above our heads to another shore.

We stood there for a long time, watching the sheer spectacle in silence, awestruck at the rainbow of colours painted by these creatures. It was one of those moments which I would say is inexplicable ,defying all words and expressions.

A longer version of this story was published this month in a Delhi based travel magazine,Terrascape

I was in Goa – not the Goa , that we all know on a birding trip.We went into forests, lakes, rivers , waterfalls looking for birds and here are some that we spotted and snapped.

Pic:lakshmi sharath

The state bird of Goa is the ruby throated bulbul – we spotted this bird in Tambdi Surla Wild life sanctuary

Pic: lakshmi sharath

The chestnut tailed starling – it posed for me for a while before it flew away to join its group on the wire

Pic: Sharath Krishnamurthy

The highlight of an early morning boat ride on the Zuari river was the black capped kingfisher

Pic: Lakshmi Sharath

The crimson backed sunbirds were in plenty, but they were the most difficult to shoot, as they were so tiny and flitting all the time

Pic: Sharath Krishnamurthy

We spotted the orange headed thrush when we were driving through the Bhagavan Mahaveer Wildlife sanctuary enroute to Dudhsagar Falls

All roads seem to lead to the forests. They are dense and mysterious , hiding several stories around them. One such story takes me to the 12th century.

I am in a lost village called Tambdi Surla in South Goa ,looking for a Mahadeva temple built in the forests of the Anmod Ghats. However I can neither see a house nor a shop around me . Everything seems to have a holy air around it. To begin with, the forests which houses the temple is called the Bhagavan Mahaveer Wildlife sanctuary. And locals believe that a cobra resides in the temple premises.

A lone peacock dances for us as our journey stops at the end of a stream . “ This is the Rabada river, it later joins another rivulet that flows on to become the Mandovi ,” explains our guide, Ramesh. We look down into the waters and see a checkered keelback gliding into the waters. The gates open and we stare, awestruck, at the carved temple that stands right in the open, against the forests ,the mountains and the sky in the background

Built by the Kadambas in the 12th century ,the temple borrows heavily from the Yadava style of architecture. “ This is presently the oldest temple in Goa today – there was a time when several temples were built by the Kadambas, but most of them have been destroyed during the invasions. This probably survived as it was inaccessible, built right in the middle of the forests, “ says Ramesh .

The temple has a garbagriha, an antarala and a pillared mantapa .A headless Nandi stands in the middle of the mantapa, in front of the main deity .Sculptures adorn the walls, pillars, roof and the tower of the ancient temple. You can see some Hoysala and Jain influences of architecture here as well. Built with basalt , it is believed to be constructed in the style of the Yadava minister Hemadpant , although some historians believe that the temple was built by the Kadamba queen Kamaladevi.

A group of locals walk over to the shrine to offer worship. I learn that a local jatre or festival is being celebrated in the evening .The locals believe that the temple was built in a hurry by the Pandavas when they were on exile and it is unfinished as it was built in a single night. I ask them about the cobra and they say that several snakes do reside around the temple.

Ramesh who is an expert in handling snakes offers to take us on a reptile trail around the temple. As twilight sets in, we walk right inside the forests and lose ourselves in the dense vegetation, cutting through the creepers. The shadows of the branches do look like snakes curving around us as we cross the stream. Finally we spot, not the cobra, but another poisonous snake, the Malabar pit viper which is just getting active. As I slowly take a photograph of it, the snake darts at us , before coiling away . The darkness sets in as we walk back to see the ancient temple merging with the night sky.

This story was published in Metro Plus, The Hindu .

Great kings do not just leave behind maps depicting their conquests. They also leave behind their footprints etched on the sands of time. Their empires fade away and many a capital city disappear but the crumbled remains of forts and temples erected by them stand as a testimony to their reign. These were my first thoughts as I entered a dusty village called Darasuram in interior Tamil Nadu, into the portals of an ageless Shiva temple

Built by Raja Raja Chola 11 in the 12th century , this temple , often referred to as a miniature marvel was called Airavateshwar temple and it took over 25 years to complete. Legend has it that the Chola king was fulfilling a wish of a female cowherd who wanted to have a temple in her village and he personally designed every single stone here which is described as a sculpture’s dream in stone. The town itself came to be known as Rajarajapuram
A temple shaped like a chariot drawn by horses and elephants supported by 100 monolith pillars carved exquisitely greet us . Mythical yalis grace the outer pillar. Stories from indian mythology come alive on the pillars as sculptures dance in front of your eyes. The temple is a veritable gallery of dance and art .

The various moods and forms of Shiva adorn thetemple .So you see an angry Shiva burning Kama , the God of love while another sculpture describing his fight with Tripuras . Marriages and penances are enacted in in stone , but finally we stop at a handsome form of the lord watched over by women. Dwarf like Shiva ganas are playing various musical instruments, one on a drum, another holding a conch.
The temple wall is a veritable art gallery. Scuptures made of polished black basalt are typical representations of ancient Chola art. Multi headed and multi armed they come alive with various emotions. There is Agora Virabhadra with an angry expression with three heads and four arms or a peaceful Agasthya , a four armed Nagaraja folding his hands with a snake hood above his head , a three faced eight armed Ardhanarishwar (half woman-half man ) ,an eight armed Durga sitting on the severed head of a buffalo amongst other sculptures. The Shiva Purana and Periya Purana are enacted here as tales of devotion and devotees ooze out of the stone.

It is little wonder that the temple , along with the two Brihadeshwar temples is a World UNESCO site. We walk down to the Devi temple which is silent and closed. The yalis look down on us from the pillars We sit quietly and lean against the yalis and wonder about how time had stood still here. The hamlet must have been bursting with life at one time. Today it is just a town of memory , forgotten except for some stray tourists and scholars who generate curiosity in the lives of simple agrarian folks.

As we drove down from Mahabalipuram to Pondicherry along the Coromandel Coastline, we passed through a bustling village called Kadapakkam . We almost lost ourselves in the milling crowds and missed the small board that mentioned “ Alamparai.” We asked around , but got no answers. Finally, curiosity got the better of us and we decided to take a detour . The roads however led us into an entire different world – silent and scenic.

There were backwaters on either side with nets and a few boats were bobbing on the waters . We followed the roads until we reached the crumbles of an old fort . A few coconut trees were dotting the landscape , while the entire blue sea stretched out in front of us .
A rusty ASI board gave us some information. We were at the 17th century Alamparai fort also called Alampara. Built during the Mughal era , it was ruled by the Nawab of Carnatic and was later on gifted to the French for their support. The British eventually destroyed the fort and the dockyard which was more than 100 metres long.

We read that Alamparai, was the ancient land of Idaikazhunadu, mentioned in the literary work, Siruppanatruppadai. The sea port was used for trade by the Arcot Nawabs and zari , salt and ghee were exported from here. Coins were minted from here as well and later on the mint was shifted to neighbouring Pondicherry. The mint built on a highway near Alamparai here even housed a Shiva temple, a “choultry “ or a hall and a pond and was built for the benefit of the travelers coming down this route towards Rameshwaram.

We finally met some fishermen who took us on a boat ride in the waters. We asked them about the choultry and the temple, but they instead told us about film crew who came here to shoot. It was hot , but the salts of the sea beckoned us as we bid farewell to them and drove on towards Pondicherry.

There is something magical about a monastery that cannot be explained. Spinning the prayer wheels, we entered the Lingdum or Ranka Monastery near Gangtok .While the lamas were in the midst of their evening chants, some of the younger boys were practicing their ritualistic dances in the courtyard. As they swirled around, their movements synchronized with the sonorous music that came from the monastery .A boy lama was gently caned by his senior as he did not get his steps right.
Watching them perform, I remembered some of my earlier trips to Sikkim when I had visited a couple of monasteries. Steeped in myriad myths, they had a mystical aura about them .

Our first stop had been to Emchey monastery, built atop a ridge near Gangtok, . We were admiring the views of the city, when we heard this story from our guide. The 19th century Gompa was the home of a flying saint who had initially built his hermitage here. A tantric called Lama Drutob Karpo with powers of levitation had flown in here from South Sikkim and had blessed this site. Even today, people from Gangtok believe that the Gompa called the Solitary Temple contains and preserves the spirits of protective deities which take care of them .

A little further from Gangtok is the older Rumtek Monastery which is one of the largest in Sikkim . We were awed, not just by the sheer size of the monastery, but by the heavy security patrolling the site. The silence however was all pervading as we walked around the Dharma Chakra Complex, the Institute of Buddhist studies and the Golden Stupa.
Our guide explained that the monastery was the seat of the Karmapas, who belonged to one of the schools of Buddhism called Karma kagyu . Rebuilt by the 16th Karmapa in the 1960s ,who took refuge here after his exile from Tibet, it was originally founded in the 16th century, Even today precious relics along with the remains of the Karmapa are preserved here in the Golden Stupa.

The Karmapas are also called the Black Hat Lamas, on account of the Black Crown that symbolizes their power. According to legends, the first Karmapa was visited by several dakinis or the Buddhist versions of fairies and each of them gave him a strand of their hair as a gift. These strands were later woven together into a black hat and is handed down by one Karmapa to another. My guide explained that the Black Hat is kept at Rumtek Monastery and it has to be either worn by the Karmapa or tucked safely in a box for they believe that otherwise, it would fly away.

But the monastery was soon mired in controversy and sectarian violence over the selection of the 17th karmapa which led to heavy security. As the guide finished the narration, I looked around at the peaceful monastery set amidst the mountains and found it ironic that it had to be protected by men with guns.

Its tough to touch, feel and see any country in a few days , especially if you are a traveller like me. But if you are visiting Singapore as a tourist or on business and you have anything between a few hours to three days in hand, you can still get to experience the country based on your interests. There are no must sees – it just depends on what you want to see .

Even after my many visits to Singapore, I realize that I am yet to experience the country to the fullest. However there are certain places that I could recommend , including some of the tourist attractions. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but I hope it will give you an idea to plan an itinerary . While some trips are best covered by a tour operator ,especially when you are running short of time , the better way is to arm yourself with a map and a train ticket .

The proverbial city tour
Now, this is not something that I would recommend, but it has its advantages if you are on transit and have more than six hours to kill at Changi. You could ask the Information Centre to help you register on the tour which is free. You may need to clear immigration though ! If you are however a tourist, with more time on hand and you are wondering where to start ,then go on one of the hop on- hop off tours. In three hours , you would get an introduction to Singapore. Most of these tours cover a bit of colonial Singapore, show you some of the monuments, drive through some key areas and also stop over at a few attractions. If the bus stops at the Singapore flier, take a tour or do come back here to see the entire landscape of Singapore. Another place to see the skyscape of Singapore is the skywalk at Marina bay sands and that would cost you a bit.

Little India and China town
If you are not really into museums and are more into real people and local flavour , then do visit Chinatown and Little India. Most buses take you on a tour to these places . I would recommend a leisurely trip to both these locales..Little India is a microcosm of Madras , but served rather in a Singaporean fashion with a splash of colour and life. Mustafa, the 24 hours mall is a good place for bargains, but shop only if you have to.
Chinatown can be both colourful and quiet. The oldest Hindu temple in Singapore is located here, but Im more interested in the alternative medicine practised by the Chinese. Walk over to the one of the pharmacies – sometimes you may even find restaurants serving you food , recommended by a doctor, based on your yin and yang .

Walking around Singapore
If you enjoy walking and absorbing the sights and sounds of Singapore, then these areas should not be given a miss – the entire Marina promenade, Suntec City styled according to Feng Shui , Merlion Park, Orchard Road for the malls and shopping and Singapore River for its cruises and adventure sports – journalist Shweta who was with me was hell bent on trying reverse bungee jumping among other sports I would also recommend a cruise – there are cruises from a few hours to small islands and cruises that sail to neighbouring countries. Take your pick

Singapore Zoo and Botanical garden
Talking about nature, the zoos and the botanical garden should be on everyone’s itinerary. The gardens are massive and a visit to the Orchid garden is a must. This is a great place for birding as well. The Singapore zoo is one of the best zoos around and do not miss the night safari. You can visit both of them on your own, but they are by no means close to each other. So you would need ample time for both. Try breakfast with the orangutans in the zoo . If you are into birding like me – jurong bird park should be on your itinerary. This will easily take about half a day of your time. Sungei Buloh Nature Park and Ubin Island are on my list as well for birding during my next trip.

Night life
Singapore has a vibrant night life. My favourite is Clarke quay and the nightlife around the river. Chijmes is another option. Holland village,Demsey hill and Orchard Road are also great places to hang out.Try the gin based Singapore sling if you fancy a cocktail. If you like to experiment with food, besides idlis and dosas in Little India, visit the hawker centres. There are quite a few of them – Lau Pa Sat is recommended by my guide.

Sentosa island
A trip to Singapore is incomplete if you do not visit the famous Sentosa Island – which has several attractions . You could even stay here. Sentosa can be approached by land or water, but everyone prefers the cable car. The attractions are innumerable – from laser shows to underwater world. Casinos are available here in hotels if you like to try your luck Now, even Universal has opened here . The beaches are vibrant and a first timer will need at least a day out here.

To read more posts on Singapore click here

Great civilizations and dynasties do not have a fairy tale beginning, for they are all founded on streams of blood . While Indian folklore is rich in heroic legends , a birth of a dynasty is replete with battles fought and won .

It is the same with the Vijaynagar empire , except there are several stories here with various versions. But the location remains the same. A river bed with a fortification on one bank . This was the principality of Anegundi, ruled then by a Hoysala chieftain. When the Delhi Sultans laid siege to the Hoysalas and Kakatiyas, the latter fell, leaving South India vulnerable to their attacks. Our story begins here in the 14th century.

Sitting in a coracle and enjoying the ride around the Tungabhadra I heard a guide narrate the story of Vijaynagar to a group of tourists .”When the Delhi Sultans had invaded Warangal, two brothers called Hakka or Harihara and Bukka escaped and landed here in Anegundi,” he says , pointing to the town on the other side of the river.

The brothers who were under the Kakatiyas then started serving the local chief here . Meanwhile the chief gave refuge to Bahauddin, a rebel nephew of the Delhi Sultan , Muhammad Bin Tughlaq.

“The Sultan plundered Anegundi and the brothers escaped again, and this is when they met Vidyaranya , a seer from the Sringeri Shankaracharya Mutt who asked them to build a city on the other bank of the river .He called it Vijaynagar or the city of victory though we also call it Vidyanagar after the seer, “ the guide said. The story however does not end here. The brothers raised a small army and revolted against the Sultan, who returned the kingdom to them. The seeds of the Vijayanagar empire which went on to rule all of South India for over 350 years had just been sown.

And yet everything about Hampi is not about Vijaynagar. Gazing at the waters of the Tungabhadra, I was looking forward to going towards the Pampa Sarovar on the other side. After all, Pampa is older than Hampi or Hampe as it was called and this was the Kishkinta of Ramayana where Rama gets the support of Sugriva and Hanuman and even kills Vaali. It is no wonder that Jambhavan , the lone sloth bear in Sugriva’s army comes alive in Daroji, the sloth bear sanctuary located close to Hampi.

As dusk dawned in Vittala temple , I was lost in the silence , when a familiar voice greeted me. It was the guide and his lot of tourists. As I walked away , I could hear him say, “ This is the greatest empire of all times, people compare it with Rome , but let me tell you that Vijaynagar is even more majestic than Rome .” I thought this is probably where civilizations and empires meet – on battlefields. And yet there is a similarity in the stories – one river and two brothers…

This was featured in my column , Inside Story in the Metro Plus. For more stories of Hampi, visit my blog