A walk through the monuments in Mahabalipuram is a journey that we embark on going further into our history and heritage. I visited Mahabalipuram after nearly a decade and the place still captivates me, leaving me speechless.

The Tiger’s Cave – The first structure that we visited enroute to Mahabalipuram.This mandapam contains a shrine dedicated to the goddess Durga. There are large figures in front of the caves.

As you walk further into the campus, you stumble upon this piece of structure. A temple, a nandi and a rock with engravings on it.

Then came Arjuna’s penance. This magnificient structure was  carved in the mid 17th century. Measuring approximately 30meters in length  and 15meters in height, it is the most popular of all structures in Mahabalipuram. Arjuna’s Penance is a story from the Mahabharata of how Arjuna, one of the Pandava brothers, performed severe austerities in order to obtain Shiva’s weapon.

To the left of Arjuna’s Penance is where we find Krishna’s Mantap. It depicts the incident when Lord Krishna lifted the Govardana Giri mountain offering shelter to the people and cattle of the village against torrential rains.  This is a 12 column cave temple.

As you make your way towards the interiors, along the ocean sits the magnificent Shore Temple. The temple earned its  name because it overlooks the Bay of Bengal. It is one of the oldest structural stone temple in South India. One of the key monuments at Mahabalipuram, this is now protected by the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

When visiting Mahabalipuram, you could also take a short drive further down towards Pondicherry. Club Mahindra has a beautiful resort- the Club Mahindra Big Beach Resort in Pondicherry that you must experience. Wake up to the sound of the ocean, and enjoy the laid back atmosphere for a perfect weekend getaway.

If you are visiting Coorg then do not forget to keep at least half day for a visit to Bylakuppe. It is a Tibetan settlement about 40kms away where the Indian government had leased 3,000 acres of land to the fleeing Tibetans in 1961. It consists of two Tibetan refugee settlements that were setup in 1961 and 1969 respectively and has now grown into a full-fledged town housing the largest Tibetan population outside of Dharamsala in India.

It is the largest Tibetan community in exile with about 40,000 people in five settlements containing monasteries, kindergarten to higher level secondary schools, health care clinics, a hospital and a traditional Tibetan medical facility. The ‘Lugsum Samdupling’ settlement established in 1961 has grown to a veritable township with monasteries, nunneries and cafes and stalls that showcase the Tibetan way of life.

As you near the settlement you will find monks in robes zipping past on two wheelers. Makes one wonder – what’s the hurry for the monks? Ah well, the monks here are well rooted in tradition and well connected with all modern technology too. You will see monks chatting away on a mobile phone in one hand and rolling beads on his rosary in another!

The most visited temple here is Namdroling (The Golden Temple) and the signage is loud and clear. And of course you can spot it from afar. Three beautiful larger than life gold plated statues look down at visitors above the altar. Buddha around 60 feet tall holds prominent place, flanked by Guru Padmasambhava and Amitayush (each around 58 feet tall). The walls are adorned with colourful paintings depicting gods and demons from Tibetan Buddhist mythology. The entrance has a curtain of beads which is the favourite of kids who love going in and out.

The monastery attached to this temple is considered to be one of the best places for higher learning. This monastery dedicated to the teachings of Palyul Lineage of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism was established by His Holiness Pema Norbu Rinpoche shortly after he came to India from Tibet. A long, leisurely visit to the Namdroling monastery would take up almost half a day. If you are lucky you will witness a prayer chanting session in one of the temples and it is a ‘must experience’. Rows of monks will sit and start chanting from their books and a couple of them will blow wind instruments while there will be another who will play the cymbals. All this will be accompanied by the rhythmic beat of the drums.

The exterior of the new Zangdokpalri temple looks majestic with a majestic rainbow arch. We are so used to being told not to photograph the idols in temples, that the ready willingness of the monks to let the idols in their temples being photographed is such a pleasant and welcome surprise. Most of the monks when approached are very friendly and ready to talk and answer all your question about their life there or Buddhism. It is almost like visiting a foreign country in your own!

There is a large parking area near the Golden Temple. A shopping arcade next to it houses many curios shops and restaurants.

Getting there: Bylakuppe is situated on the state highway 88. The nearest town for Bylakuppe is Kushal Nagar. Auto-rickshaw is the best mode for a trip to the Golden Temple from Kushalnagar. There are frequent buses shuttling between Mysore and Madikeri and you can get down at Kushalnagar.

Club Mahindra has a beautiful resort in Coorg and Bylakuppe is not too far away from our property.  Enjoy your visit to the coffee country with us and  plan a visit to Bylakuppe at your leisure.
Watch this video to experience the destination more.

I was on a blogger’s trip to Corbett invited by Club Mahindra and here is a visual articulation of my experience there .

Sunrise at Corbett : Early morning light filtering through a forest canopy always makes for a good picture.

Corbett Falls : A pretty waterfall aptly named after the legendary Jim Corbett.

Corbett : A mosaic of a landscape that makes Corbett a rich repository of wildlife

Nainital (enroute) : As you go up from Ramnagar towards Nainital, the landscape changes dramatically and is very picturesque.

Eurasian Hobby : Sitting high on a branch, the Hobby was patiently waiting and keeping a watch on the ground below.

Grey Wagtail : This pretty bird was a wonderful sight as it went about prancing in the shallow waters around the pebbles looking for insects.

Indian Robin : The male robin is easily identified by its dark body, reddish vent and characteristic upward flick of the tail.

Plumheaded Parakeet : The female parakeet has a grey head unlike the male of its species

Quaker : This dainty little butterfly was seen on the banks of the Kosi.

Rhesus Macaque : The Rhesus Macaque is a primate found in the northern parts of India. This individual was foraging the garbage around with its troop.

River Lapwing : This handsome bird is a close relative of the more widespread Red-wattled Lapwing.

Robberfly-dragonfly : This was the catch of the trip. The robberfly and the dragonfly are both predators in their own right. However, on this occasion, the dragonfly fell prey to the robberfly.

Ladakh being one of the highest inhabited plateaus and situated amidst formidable mountain ranges makes it one of the preferred destinations to witness remoteness in its truest forms. The same remoteness allows for chance sightings of wildlife just by the roadside. Over the 12 days I was wandering in Ladakh I saw many kinds of birds and animals. Here are few that I managed to capture.

1. Kiang or the Tibetan Wild Ass

The largest of the wild asses, kiang is found in the Tibetan Plateau living between altitudes of 4000 to 7000 meters. These animals are surprisingly athletic and move with amazing grace. With its association to the ass family, I did not expect them to look any pretty but they do. Kiangs are frequently spotted in Changthang region of Ladakh.

I spotted these Kiangs while going through the little traversed route of Mahe -Chushul – Spangmik.

2. Ladakh Urial

First things first, do you spot them in the picture below? Their camouflage is freaking awesome. Well these are the Ladakh Urial I suppose, correct me if I am wrong. I spotted them on the way to Tso Moriri from Leh.

3. Wild Hare

Well again near the Chushul region, we noticed sudden movement on the land in front of us only to find these little creatures running away from us.

4. Bactrian Camel / Double Hump Camel

Well, as the name says these camels have two humps as opposed to the single hump camels found elsewhere. Only a small population of Bactrian Camels was left here in Ladakh long ago which continue till date but all of them have been domesticated. The only surviving wild counterparts of Bactrian camels exist in Mongolia which I hope to see someday. This was shot in Hunder of Nubra Valley.

5. Black Necked Crane

The Chushul marshes are apparently where the black necked cranes migrate every summer. Luckily we spotted few here and there. The marshes were looking amazing for sure.

6. Yak

I have nothing much to say about this. I spotted them between Loma and Nyoma after crossing Mahe that is.

7. Himalayan Marmot

These very cute looking creatures similar in appearance to the beavers live in the high mountains and can be found quite often by the roadside in the Changthang region or any place with some grass. I spotted these while returning from Pangong to Leh.

8. Sheep

Technically not wildlife but it is amazing how small they look in front of the grand landscape there! Cattle are one of the primary sources of livelihood in Ladakh from what I have seen.

9. Horses

The horses are left freely here and probably they return back to their owners by night fall. Spotted these at many places but this was shot on the farther end of Pangong towards China.

Most travellers heading to Ladakh start their journey from Manali, where Club Mahindra has a wonderful resort . Do refresh yourselves here before you begin your trip to the mountains

Over a month and no blog posts, finally something which i wanted to share since a long time.A few experiences while was clicking these pictures
Yes I love traveling.
Experiencing things,living life and yes resting is all I crave for.

My last visit was Munnar because I’d always had a fascination with this place
For some reason I like South Indians,they are very  warm people having some incredibly tasty food and a colorful culture.
The stay credit goes to club Mahindra for the awesome resort.
It had a  Indo-British architecture and the rhythm of life here is pretty relaxed.
Munnar is famous for its verdant tea estates and occult mountains.
Before checking on the entire resort I decided to take a walk and suddenly  I was surrounded by the tea plantation feeling déjà vu and it took me to another world.
I would have clicked more pictures if I wasn’t so engrossed in eating and drinking at the resort
The few pictures which I have clicked are pretty self explanatory
Hope you guys like like them.

As I walk towards the camel fair ground, I have a preconceived image of the fair in the back of my mind. From what I have seen in the photos till now, it is a very colorful atmosphere with decorated camels on sand dunes, tourists galore, stalls and so on.

The shops are open on both sides of this narrow road. It is around eleven in the morning and there is no rush to lure the tourists. Also, there is no sign of sand anywhere. Am I mistaken?

At a distance I see a Ferris wheel being fixed up. Oh that’s the ground! I run towards it. I hear some strange grunting sounds. Do camels sound so? I am excited. With rucksack, camera and water bottle I go in the direction where camels are parked.

My first impression on seeing the camels is a disappointment. There is only one color and different shades of it in the vicinity. Brown. There are more camels than men in this huge ground. The whole atmosphere is a little languid. Under the scorching sun I see people lazing on string cots or near their carts which serve as their temporary homes.

Walking is a bit difficult now and I realize it is sand under my feet! On enquiry I find myself standing in a camel market !

Camels are tied in a row or in a circle and fed some fodder. Some standing tall, some sitting while some other pretend to sleep! As I go near them, I find a few interesting things. By nature they are very calm animals. They don’t make a fuss about the food or the place. They chew and make faces, some cute, some unattractive.

I ask a man who tends to a camel. He turns out to be the owner and gestures me to sit on a cot nearby. He tells me what it is to come in this fair to sell a camel. For full one year they wait for these ten days where they can do any business. He has come from a tiny village in Jaisalmer and hopes to get a good return on his camel. While he asks his nephew to play Ramanta for me, he worries about the women in the family who are left behind. Except for some tourists, I have not seen a single woman till now.

I notice the decoration of camels is of two types. Almost every camel has been tattooed. Henna mixed with black dye makes pretty designs and motifs on their body. Some camels are numbered as well. Few of them are groomed neatly with their hair cropped off or shaved to give a nice design. Remember Aamir Khan in Ghajini?:)

There is a calf numbered 386 among them, almost of my height. I try to go near it but shooed away by its mother reminding me that all mothers are same when it comes to protecting their young ones.

I walk by some shops selling all the accessories needed for decorating a camel.

Walking on sand I see a woman at a distance; the sole woman preparing chapathi (flat bread) on a stove made of bricks. Camera shy, she does not utter a word but a man hurriedly comes to her rescue. He tells me she has to feed five men of her family. Anyway this is a temporary arrangement till she goes back to her village where she has a pakka chulha.

At sunset, a major portion of this vast expanse becomes lively with more people than camels. The nautankiwala, bioscope wala, chai (tea) seller, women attired in colorful dresses and jewelry, photographers and tourists. The brown color is subdued by vibrancy of other colors. My initial impression of the place undergoes a sea change.

Some of the camels are decorated for the tourists, mostly foreigners. The colorful saddles, halter and nose pegs and carts are attached. These camels are tame and obedient. The charges for a camel ride are exorbitantly high but after a failed attempt at bargaining nobody minds paying for it.

This ground is home to none. Everybody has come here for a purpose. Me too.

After soaking myself in this spectacular affair I bid adieu to Pushkar for the day to catch my bus for Ajmer where I stay. Tomorrow is yet another day on this ground when different contests for camels start.

Do plan your visit to Rajasthan with Club Mahindra. We have resorts in Kumbalgarh and Nawalgarh,

Everything is nothing, nothing is everything! This is what our guide said about the Borobudur temple. Borobudur temple has 13 levels and all the way up the steps, there are carvings of Buddhist culture and history with a tiny bit of Hindu culture. There are war sagas and legendary beauties all the way from level four till level nine. Now, these are not equally spaced levels. From ground level to level four might have been around 20 steps. But upwards happens to get more steeper. After listening to the Buddhist history on level four, we pondered.

Took a moment to enjoy the cool morning breeze and looked around. Coming to Borobudur for the famous sunrise had been worth the ride. Fortyfive minutes from the city of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the middle of nowhere, temperate climate and yet really close to a beach. Everything was around the temple. This was Borobudur, within the beautiful jungles Java.  In distance was the active volcano Mt. Merapi. Hot and blazing up smoke.  So the nothing around this temple is indeed Everything.

Why is the Borobudur sunrise so famous? When you walk up the levels of the temple and look east, what you see is the sun rising behind this active volcano. The sight of  hot gases and smoke rising up as sunrays slowly emerge behind Merapi is amazing. It first felt like see a hot cup of coffee with steam against it and a beautiful sunrise. Magnify that hot cup but two million times and that is Merapi for you. Active and scary, the local guides have actually stopped mountain treks to Merapi which were a hit with visitors till a few years ago.

As we walked up the levels ten to thirteen, the last four levels mostly have Stupas. Each of the Stupas is supposed to have a Buddha inside who is seeing the world through the square holes. Restoration of the temple is in progress and some Buddhas can be spotted sitting inside the Stupa with a little teasing smile.

The topmost level was under restoration when I visited in August 2011. But all it housed was another Buddha. Another Buddha looking through the square holes of the Stupa and smiling at the world. That’s the nucleus, the everything. Nothing really!

The noise is deafening but I am much thankful about the ability of human brain to totally phase out the distractions and transport one to a different time and day altogether. This Diwali, the sound of crackers is slowly fading out as the gentle echo of the flowing river is ringing in my ears. A vision forms in my head, of a huge glass window, of a comfortable bed, of green forests beyond and a charming river called Kosi. A week before, I spent few days in the foothills of Himalayas, wandering in the dreamy realms of forests around Corbett.

Few weeks ago, when I was invited for a blogger’s meet hosted by Club Mahindra Safari Resort, truth to be told, I was more excited about meeting fellow bloggers than being in Corbett itself. I think I had forgotten what it felt like, to be in forests. I thank Corbett for reminding me of the grandeur of the woods! I thank club Mahindra for taking me there to begin with.

The first thing that struck me as we reached our rooms was the view, it was gorgeous! Usually resorts almost always do have a good view, but the reason I liked this view so much more was the resort’s proximity to the river and the cozy feeling surrounding it. The nights were comfortably cold as opposed to the piercing cold winter nights which made it possible to walk by the river side and watch the hills beyond till late nights. While the mornings were quite pleasant, nights were spectacular. Starry skies used to surround us as darkness descended. Whiling away time waiting for shooting stars and watching the moon rise over the hill reflecting the silvery glow in the flowing waters were some of the best memories of the trip. To think that there was a time when darkness used to scare me! [Frankly speaking I still am afraid of darkness, well in weird places. ]

If that was about idling in comfort in nature’s lap, the eclectic mix of people was just as fun with varied conversations and discussions. With social media experts to naturalists and travelers to photographers, the group had it all. What such different people brought along with them were such different perspectives. Few were happy watching the colorful avifauna, while few were interested in observing spiders and insects, few were busy trying to spot mammals, few were enjoying being in the forest and I was busy light stalking.

Like I said earlier, I had forgotten how it felt to be in the jungles. The moment we entered the jungles of Corbett, the show began! The forest came alive. The golden glow of the early morning sun and the greenery painted an unforgettable picture. I was gaping at the jaw dropping scenery unraveling itself at every turn and every once in a while when I turned back, something like this was happening!

The gleaming beams of sun rays from behind the leaves left me almost blinded at many occasions. Yet, I tried and tried to see through the lens, if not my eyes, the lens could have been burned for sure! Sunbursts, they are called, and I tried my best to capture as many as I could. Whenever the vehicle stopped for the bird watchers to observe, the sudden calmness instigated a desire to the listen to the song of the forest.

Next day, driving though the verdant jungle of Sal trees, I was all too eager to spot some magic again. Of course the light didn’t disappoint me! Golden glow and faint silhouettes was the picture being painted today by the gods. Watching the streaks of rays through the canopy, I was smiling involuntarily. As much trouble it was, waking up at ungodly hours to reach the forest by the golden hour, it was all worth it!

I came back charmed by the forests and stunned by the play of light, a photographer’s delight! Don’t you agree?

Neelima was one of the bloggers who was invited to Club Mahindra’s resort at Corbett for the Bloggers Trip 2011

We’ve spent a chunk of the day in the jungles of Corbett, praying for a glimpse of the elusive big cat, thanking our stars for a rare sighting of the Yellow-throated Marten, and marveling at the magnificent colors of the Kingfisher, the Woodpecker & the Chestnut Bee-eater. I’ve rediscovered my love for the wilderness, but I’m equally glad to be back in my apartment; it is not everyday that I’m pampered with riverside luxury.

I watch the sunlight dancing in the river Kosi from the balcony of my Club Mahindra apartment, the water splashing over the rocks. This Corbett adventure is part of Club Mahindra‘s travel blogging trips across India, and I feel privileged to be part of it this year. Three days ago, six of us bloggers arrived at the Club Mahindra Safari Resort, with dreams of looking a tiger eye-to-eye in India’s oldest tiger reserve. As we watched the sun rise over Kosi from behind the mountains that morning, we didn’t know that we’d leave seeing a lot more.

I lounge in my balcony a little longer, charmed by the tirelessly flowing river, and then reluctantly give up my spot for a discussion on India’s biodiversity with Mr S.Karthikeyan, the first Indian naturalist I’ve met. I’m transfixed as he displays figure after figure, and picture after picture, of the lives we never think about. That night, he catches a little beetle crawling along a wall light, gently but firmly overturns it, and asks us what a cockroach does when overturned. Struggles, I think to myself, ducking my head close to it. Much to my surprise, the little guy leaps in a high back-flip and turns itself upright – a flipping beetle, it’s aptly called! Smiling, I think he too could be a tiger in an alternate universe.

As the sun starts to fade away in the evening sky, I stroll along the river, past the swimming pool, and into the gardens where the grass is still glittering in the fading sunlight. They remind me of the gardens we saw surrounding Jim Corbett‘s winter home. The man saved many a villager by hunting man-eating tigers & leopards, 50 and 250 of them respectively to be precise! I imagine Corbett’s lifestyle back in the 40s, when his humble two room house must’ve been surrounded by dense forests, with only a trail leading up to it. I imagine the nights he must’ve sat out, looking for his victims. A shiver runs down my spine as I see a cat staring at me from the path ahead, and I calmly make my way back to where my blogger friends are furiously photographing the orange sky and its reflection on the water.

As the air starts to get chilly, we camp ourselves under the stars and watch the artists of the region perform a Kumaoni version of the bagpiper. Every now and then, we look up from our delicious traditional Kumaoni meal and catch a shooting star, until the moon reveals itself from behind the mountains, and hogs all our attention. Following a string of after-dinner conversations & desserts, I walk back to the coziness of my room, convinced that ours is a lucky generation to enjoy the comforts of modern living amid the charms of nature.

Shivya was on invitation from Club Mahindra to attend the Blogger’s  Trip to Corbett

Dasara Goluvu is celebrated with the at home with the traditional wooden Pattada Bombe couple dolls which is widely available in Tirupati. Dasara is incomplete with the Pattada Bombe and the Kalasha along with the other wooden and clay dolls. The arrangement of dolls is widely followed even today in South Indian states Karnataka (called Dasara), Andhra (called Bommala Koluvu) and Tamil Nadu (Goluvu). The usual collection is Dashavathara, Krishna and Gopikas and a huge variety of dolls made of clay and oil painted. The famous among them is lady dancing doll with shaking head.

The tradition is to arrange the dolls from Day-1 of Dasara and worship every Goddess Lakshmi, Saraswati, Durga. Dasara is concluded by Vijayadashami, the day Pandavas of Mahabharata gain victory after 18 years of exile. It is also believed that the most difficult task is easily accomplished on Vijayadashami.

I did not want to miss the tradition and bought these miniature dolls sold at Victoria Market. Victoria Market, unlike any other market, you name it, you find it. My initial plan was to buy a Japanese doll dressed in the rich Kimono. Later, I dropped the idea learning the price. Considering the space constraint at home, I decided to buy the impressive miniature dolls that are handy and those which I can take along with me to Bangalore. It was a rainy Saturday and closing time. I managed to buy 3 guitars/violin, 3 wooden kimi keychains, kittens for a decent bargain. The seller was happier to give one for free seeing my enthusiam and that made me more meery. Another shop I visited, an aborigin (natives of Australia) was selling Didgeridoo and played it upon my request, though I didn’t buy them. Its too huge to carry and play too.

Bottom Row: L->R 2 Boomerangs in background, Kittens in the basket. 5 crystal elephants, tiny gal with 2 plaits, kitten in basket.

First Row: L->R Japanese Kimmi doll, Guitar, Violin, Guitar, Japanese Kimmi doll

Second Row: L->R Australian Wildlife (Kangaroo and Koala), Didgeridoo, Places in Australia.

Mysore Dasara or rather say Melbourne Dasara or Souvenir Dasara?