The meandering roads snaked around a green fabric of coffee plantations and dense forests. The leaves of the pepper crops curled around the tall silver oak trees. It had rained a bit but the afternoon sun was now shining in all its glory. The snowy white blossoms of the coffee plants glistened even further . The dusty hamlets interrupted this green mosaic as they emerged one after another . It was late afternoon and the roads were empty .

We were in Malenadu or the hilly regions of Karnataka looking for a humble beginning of a dynasty which had ruled this region more than thousand years ago. This was not a pleasure trip, but a journey that took us down eons of history , a quest in search of folklores and myths that gave an identity to the Hoysala Dynasty .Our destination was Angadi, a small hamlet lost in the hills of Karnataka, enveloped by coffee plantations and lush green fields.

Pic : Lakshmi Sharath Read the full story