A travel blog of an Indian Backpacker

And the journey goes on..

lakshmi.sharath@gmail.com (Lakshmi) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:30:00 +0000

Journeys are a way of life. We wade through life looking for a purpose,seeking one milestone after another, looking for destinations but realizing that very often than not,there is no end to a journey. Home is really a state of mind then. For a vagabond like me , my alter ego lies in a spirit that is lost in the hills, running down the plains, getting her feet soaked in waters and reliving the past in a monument.

In the last two months and ten days, I have travelled to various heights and depths. I went to the Himalayas - Ladakh and Himachal, crossed cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, gazed at the Taj Mahal and lost myself in Fatehpur Sikri .Then I went closer home near Bangalore to the jungles and hills in Kabini and Coorg My last trip this weekend was to Daroji and Hampi, where I had the best of both worlds-nature and heritage..

Im often asked why do I travel ? Am I an escapist,shunning civilisation ? Do I want to run away from the " real" life and holiday all my life ? Or is it a way to forget myself..Even worse, people today consider travel as badge value and an addiction. For many, travel is all about Lonely Planet, must see places and a photograph as a souvenir behind a monument..a proof of been there , done that !Ive been through all of these stages and more..

To begin with my journeys have been more " real" than an escape and in the last two months specifically, they have shown me the path more than once . Its more of a self discovery, where the choices and dilemmas in life become more obvious and yet, I have let life take its own path, like the meandering road .When in doubt, my motto has been look for the road not taken.

Ive learnt some of life's hardest lessons while travelling. It is not about managing the extremes of weather or pushing oneself to climb another rock, but its about human relationships. Ive made friends, lost friends, been touched by a stranger and been hurt by companions..and yet as emotions come and go, you learn that be it the mountains or the monuments, they have withstood ego and passions. You learn to let go as you realize that human nature is extremely frail..you are just a microcosm in the entire universe and strangers will replace friends who in turn become strangers. All roads may not meet all the time, sometimes as friends you take different paths, sometimes you choose to avoid the other's path, at other times, you just turn around and take a different direction, but you need to walk on..till you meet another human face at the end of the road.

Ive often lost myself in the past - in a world of myths and monuments. Ive unearthed tales and they have brought out the child in me looking for stories in every stone. But as I look at these mighty structures withstanding the ravages of time, I feel humbled and yet a strange sense of belonging, a connection that probably is deep rooted. The silence tells me that Im part of the "past" as well. The present is however where I belong and the future is a question of time.

Travelling has taught me to appreciate the finer nuances of nature. You may argue that a sunset is a sunset and the same butterfly flits in and out of the flower in your balcony. However, it is only after you see the crimson reflection in the far away waters and the wild flowers in the jungle that you learn to appreciate these finer points of life.On another note,it is perfectly fine if you cant scale the mountain or go deep into the forest or climb that craggy cliffs.In real, you dont have to travel far to reach out to the nature..sometimes it is just a few steps from where you stand, but a lot of miles in your mind, as you go through the various mazes of thoughts to arrive here.

Travelling Ive realized is all about perspectives. It is about looking at life with a different point of view. Sometimes you see a kaleidescope of colours, many times its a monotone of browns . The barrenness hits you, the fertile greens lure you, the blues become you..but you learn to appreciate each for its uniqueness. The various cultures fascinate me, but you realize that its not possible to trade lives. For many, a shepherd's life seems to be ideal as the urbanite often thinks the life of a rustic is simple yet fascinating..yet, their challenges are something that we need to grapple with.

Finally travelling is not always about must see places..its about what you want to see.

Ive just finished my 200th post here and its a mere statistic compared to the miles you have all travelled with me..Thanks for being there, walking with me, standing right behind me and sometimes even showing me the way. To me however there is no destination -its just the journey

The Ladakh Festival - behind the scenes

lakshmi.sharath@gmail.com (Lakshmi) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:23:00 +0000

We were lucky. The Ladakh festival started off with great fanfare on Sep 1 in Leh and we were just taking a break from our hectic travelling. There is always a huge procession of various tribes and communities belonging to Ladakh on day one and we were lucky simply because the procession started right in front of our guesthouse at Chubi in Leh.All I saw was a riot of colours as everybody was busy getting ready but were willing to pose for a picture. I tried an amateur attempt at creating a video/slideshow of the pictures.Turn on the volume and enjoy .

Birding over the weekend - Getting there !

lakshmi.sharath@gmail.com (Lakshmi) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:27:00 +0000

Ive been birding over the last few months and Ive enjoyed looking at them, learning to identify them, listening to their calls and also observing them. I was initiated into birding thanks to NTP (Naturalist Training Programme )conducted by Jungle Lodges and also some friends who guided me and even helped me picked up a binocs ..There was a time when every weekend I used to wake up early and go for birding and then there was a long hiatus. Finally, I went birding again yesterday and for the first time tried my hand into photographing birds. Shreeram,a friend , photographer and blogger lent me his lens and this is one of my favourite shots from yesterday's birding. An egret landing at TG Halli.

Destination Coorg

lakshmi.sharath@gmail.com (Lakshmi) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:35:00 +0000

I just returned from a whirlwind trip to Coorg and the main agenda was to finalise the itinerary for our up coming trail on Kodagu . A lot has been said and spoken about it, but there is always something ethereal and mystical about this land, which the Coorg Gazetteer describes as the size of a baby's sock.I heard more stories, unearthed more hidden temples and listened to fascinating legends. Our Coorg trail will be launched in November and we have quite a few interesting tales for you. Ive just put together a few of our stories in a new blog, MYTS - My Travel Space. You can also read about the Haleri Dynasty in CLAY - a story that was also published in the Deccan Herald recently.We would like you to be a part of the tour..do join us..

India through my eyes- No Please !

lakshmi.sharath@gmail.com (Lakshmi) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:05:00 +0000

Very often when we travel we tend to take pictures of local people. Usually I ask then for permission , but sometimes I like to take a candid moment.

I was in Thiksey in Ladakh when I saw these boys chatting. I asked them and they gave me an exasperated expression..Not another of those tourists , pls ...said their look. I couldnt help laughing when they hid their faces with a lid as a mock show of protest . And thats when I took the picture..I showed it to them later and we had a laugh and they later allowed me to take a couple of more pictures.

Say it with flowers - Happy Deepavali

lakshmi.sharath@gmail.com (Lakshmi) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:35:00 +0000

" I cannot see what flowers are at my feet,
Nor what soft incense hangs upon the boughs..."

- John Keats

Wish you all a very Happy Deepavali. Enjoy the beauty of these Himalayan flowers which filled the landscape with a lot of colour and cheer

The Himalayan Beauty

lakshmi.sharath@gmail.com (Lakshmi) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:38:00 +0000

We were enroute to Chail when I spotted this shy girl, on her way to school. She refused to even look up at us when we spoke to her and I finally took a few pictures of her as she was seated in her car.

Sunrise at Mashobra - SWF

lakshmi.sharath@gmail.com (Lakshmi) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:03:00 +0000

I was at the Club Mahindra resort at Mashobra as a part of the Blogger's meet , when my room-mate Radha, who was one of the winners of the Trip of a Lifetime travelogue contest woke me up to see the sunrise. I was too lazy and sleepy to rush down, but I took the picture from my room, though the looking glass though.

If you want to do sky gazing, do visit Skywatch

Inside Story - Sindhudurg

lakshmi.sharath@gmail.com (Lakshmi) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:05:00 +0000

“Can you see the fort there?” We were at the Malvan beach, when we saw a two-mile-long wall of a fort standing tall against the horizon. “There are close to 15 families staying there even now. My aunt lives there…”

We had befriended a self-styled guide who decided to give us an armchair history of Sindhudurg, the fort that lent its name to the district. “Sindhu means sea and Durg is, of course, fort; hence the name,” he explained.

Built by Maratha emperor Shivaji in the 17th Century across 44 acres of land, this ocean fort located in Kurute island is home to several shrines, including one dedicated to the warrior king built by his son Rajaram. A footprint and a palm relic of the Maharaja are among the tourist attractions here.

The monsoon had just set in and none of the boatmen were willing to take us ashore to the fort, but they vied with each other to tell us stories. When Shivaji was ruling over Konkan, he was looking for a sea fort that would defend him from the onslaught of the Siddhis of Murud Janjeera.

The Janjeera fort had been unconquerable and Shivaji selected the rocky island of Kurute, and along with his commander, Hiroji Indulkar, built the fort at Sindhudurg. Built using molten lead mixed with mortar, it had 32 towers and was meant to be their naval headquarters. The fort remained with the Marathas before it was taken over by the East India Company.

I was more curious about the families living in the abandoned fort today. “My aunt stocks a lot of food until the monsoon gets over. It’s very difficult to keep sailing in the choppy waters.” The guide told us that most of the families were those of mavlas or soldiers who fought in the Maratha army. For generations, their descendants lived here; the younger generation has, however, moved to the shore in quest of employment.

Tourism seem to be their main livelihood, besides fishing. “Most of the houses are ancient as well. We cannot even sell them, and there are no facilities here; so, its like we are all cut off from the world, and continue to live in the glorious days of the Maratha empire.”

The tides recede and a private boatman offered to take us ashore. “Madam, there are ponds there which will never become dry. I will show you hidden passages. Did you know there was a coconut tree with a branch…?”

As we start negotiating the rate, I wonder about the families stuck in a time warp, cut off from civilisation. We start sailing to listen to their stories.

Published in Inside Story, Metro Plus supplement of The Hindu on September 21,2009

Namaste India

lakshmi.sharath@gmail.com (Lakshmi) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:19:00 +0000

In India's most favourite monument and popular tourist destination - The Taj Mahal

Colours of dawn at Mashobra

lakshmi.sharath@gmail.com (Lakshmi) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:58:00 +0000

Ten great Ladakhi moments

lakshmi.sharath@gmail.com (Lakshmi) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 12:08:00 +0000

Jullay !

Im yet to recover from my trip to Leh-Ladakh and the pictures are still stored in the memory card. But a quick post to recollect some of Sharath's and my great Ladakhi moments.

The first thing that stays in my mind are the images of the mountains when the flight lands in Leh. You can see lakes, monasteries and some great landscapes, but as the flight scoops down the mountains take your breath away.

The next thing that I recall is my trip to Panggong. Many swear by Tso Moriri, but I loved Panggong. We even pitched our own tents and stayed in a wonderful place by the lake which kept changing its colours.

I liked Hemis and Stakna to Thikshey and Shey. But the view from the Shanti Stupa is one of the best

I loved the apricot fruits that I had in Hundar. The landscape in Nubra valley was one of the best, with its white sands as we went to Sumur and back

The sighting of black necked cranes. A beautiful bird and it was quite unusual to see them at Panggong where we did get to see a closer view than in Tso Kar.

The marmots - adorable . The first time I saw them with their back to me, I mistook them to be a rock.

Good food in most of the places, but I really enjoyed the veg momos prepared by Dorjee , our cook at Panggong and the Alu Paratha at a punjabi dhaba at upshi. And my best meal was puris and daal in the mountains after Changla pass enroute to panggong.

The rivers followed us everywhere, but the confluence of the Zanskar and Indus stays in my mind.

The night sky at tsomoriri..even at 2*C, watching the lake bathed in moonlight was a delight.

The Ladakhi festival. The inaugural procession which went past my guest house, the colours, the music(Im sold on ladakhi music) and the people, most importantly, our driver and friend, Dorjee who saved us from getting stuck from the snowstorm past Tanglangla.

The Himalayas beckon..

lakshmi.sharath@gmail.com (Lakshmi) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 18:02:00 +0000

I am off to Leh-Ladakh for about ten days. Its been rather chaotic planning and finalising the itinerary and finally with the help of Satya and Arun, Sharath and I are leaving in a couple of days..I will see you all in some time..do have a great week.

On the eve of independence...

lakshmi.sharath@gmail.com (Lakshmi) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:12:00 +0000

Taking life , people, freedom with a pinch, sorry, mounds of salt

My Trip of a Lifetime

lakshmi.sharath@gmail.com (Lakshmi) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 03:47:00 +0000

When I come back from every trip, I think that this has been it - the trip of my lifetime , but then I start planning for the next and wish someone could just sponsor it. Ive been dying to go to Himachal Pradesh and soak in the Himalayas and my trip of a lifetime is just going to happen.And this is made possible by Club Mahindra .

CLAY has just announced a contest which could make you win your trip of a lifetime. Just pen your thoughts on the best travelogue and email it to clay@clubmahindra.com and you could join us on a trip to Mashobra in September. For more details, visit CLAY or become a fan of CLUB Mahindra on FACEBOOK.

Last date : August 19, 2009..Dont miss it !

Musings by the sea shore

lakshmi.sharath@gmail.com (Lakshmi) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 15:25:00 +0000

The mountains beckon some, the forests lure you, there is a charm in an old heritage monument and a certain peace in a remote town . I often get lost in new worlds, some that let me escape the mundane realities of life.

But when my mind is restless, I often seek the waves. The ebb and flow of the waters reassure me, the fury of the waves calm me down, the foam bathes my mind and the endless space of sand, water and sky give me an immense faith in life. I realize I am a microcosm in this entire universe and nothing can change the dynamics of life. The rhythm must go on..some waves are rough, some gentle , some gather around your feet,letting your toes feel the illusion of being embedded in the sand, but they let go eventually.

However the colours change as I watch the entire skyscape enact a drama in front of me . Colours of life , I call them - rose, crimson,gold, blue, grey fill the sky as it becomes an open palette.The fluffy white clouds flit in and out ,wrapping the sky in its fold, moving from one end to another. They change their shapes , gather around together to form a big white mass where little streaks of sunlight stream out. Sometimes there is a bit of a conflict in this paradise..where dark clouds throw a veil over the brighter ones, leaving the sky in a grey tone. Life I realize is a rainbow of colours, except we do not get to choose the palette.

I watch as the shore clings on to the waves, but it ebbs leaving the foam behind ..even that evaporates only to be washed away by another wave that drags a bit of the sand with it..I wonder if relationships are like that. The waves erase the memories, the shore tries to cling, the essence is absorbed by the shore and the sea as they carry a bit of each other when they embrace..only to eventually let go. The rocks at a far end are mute spectators to this spectacle. They remain silent as the waves unleash their emotions on them. Sometimes they lash at them, sometimes they embrace, but the rocks do not respond. Sometimes I wonder if this is what they refer to as being rock solid.

I see humans living by the sea, of the sea and I wonder if their understanding of life is much better than us urbanites who worry about mundane issues . As i grapple to understand my destiny and the forces that work within them, I look around and see the entire cycle play out in front of me.

I leave my footprints on the sands of time and wonder if my dreams will come true and if they would be etched for ever, when a wave flows up to me and let the foam curl around my ankles and erase those footprints away.Destiny I realize is not always written by us. We just get to think we play a role here. A little breeze blows past my face and the voice of the waves echo in my ears..Let Go...They say, you give back to the sea something that is important to you..I did just that.I left a part of me , my mind and my thoughts so that I could feel the spacelessness and nothingness inside me, and the voice still tugs in my ears..Let Go...

Travelling has its moments

lakshmi.sharath@gmail.com (Lakshmi) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 15:19:00 +0000

When we travel, we soak in the local flavour . And of late,Ive been fascinated by local markets, small shops and their interesting titles..here are a few that I saw while I travelled to metros, cities, towns and hamlets.

Disco Chicken Centre
Om Shakti Solutions
Mustafa Bananas,
Uncle Bun,
Hello London-imported fancy store,
Dubai Agencies general store(outskirts of Chidambaram)
Horizon-Eaters Stop-Restaurant,
Kalas Occassion-Spoken English & coaching,
Travel &Tours -Acting Driver available,
Living Works -Upholstery Works

Have more titles ? Do add them to the list ..

Monsoon edition of the Hoysala trail

lakshmi.sharath@gmail.com (Lakshmi) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 17:01:00 +0000

The Monsoon edition of the Hoysala trail is on again..soak in the rains as we journey down the eons of history..Feel the lure of the monsoons and add a dose of history along with us as we go on a journey back to the eons of the time. Visit monuments off the tourist circuit, hidden temples, a step well in the middle of nowhere and the ancient capital of the Hoysalas, Dwarasamudra. A dash of coffee to go with the tour as we go on a plantation tour and indulge in a bit of birding as well..

Places Covered
The temple with four shrines at Doddagaddavalli
Belur
Halebeedu
Ancient town of Dwarasamudra spread around Halebeedu
Hulikere Tank – A charming kalyani
Belavadi Temple
A walk in 300-acre coffee estate

You could contact me or Arun though our blogs and let us know if you would like to join us on the tour. Log on to travelwise for more details .

Back to the colonial era - Tranquebar

lakshmi.sharath@gmail.com (Lakshmi) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 04:22:00 +0000

The waves tell a story of their own. Im just back from a weekend trip with a school mate of mine from Tarangambadi or Tranquebar, which was a Danish settlement, during the colonial era. The trip was wonderful for many reasons - I was meeting my friend after several years, the location was completely off the tourist track and it was in many ways, a journey that brought me back on track as well..I am back to blogging with a bang and will be visiting all of you soon..and there will be more posts,of course..have a great week

Journeys in the mind

lakshmi.sharath@gmail.com (Lakshmi) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 02:49:00 +0000

Ive been travelling a lot..both in the real world and in the mind..The physical journeys have not really been that exhausting, while the latter has really drained me.
I havent been in the blogging world for a while, but will soon get back to catch up on all Ive missed..Until then :)

Join us on the Hoysala trail

lakshmi.sharath@gmail.com (Lakshmi) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:50:00 +0000

Arun and I have been planning for ages to get into the travel space. And we finally did over coffee one afternoon when we realized that we both had the same interest. Both of us were fascinated by the Hoysalas and the Malenadu region and after days of pouring over history books and a century old ASI documents we launched our first tour - The Lesser Known Hoysala temples. We also added a coffee trail and a birding trip to the heritage tour and lo, we became tour guides as well.

We had a trial run last month with friends who gave us a lot of motivation and now we are back again. This time, we would like to invite you to join us. The trip would cover temples off the tourist track, go to the ancient town of Dwarasamudra and its ruins, the temple called Velapuri also called Belur on the banks of the River Yagachi. We promise that it will not be a history class, but will present you with some colourful details of the lives of the kings and queens as well..:)

We look forward to having you with us.Do join us and you can mail me at lakshmi.sharath@gmail.com or arun at arunchs@yahoo.com for any information. The details are in the brochure.(Pls click on it to see it in full)

A speck in the horizon..

lakshmi.sharath@gmail.com (Lakshmi) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:27:00 +0000

I was in Sindhudurg on the Konkan coastline last week when the dramatic skies above the Arabian Sea changed from a bright blue to gold to rosy pink to grey and black. We spent every day at a different beach, but this picture of the Tarkarli Beach stands out in my mind. It may not enter a picture post card contest, but it gave me a perspective of life..how insignificant and small we human beings are when compared to nature. It reminds of the last two lines of Keats'(my all time fav poet) sonnet, " When I have fears that I may cease to be " ..

...then on the Shore
Of the wide world I stand alone and think
Till Love and Fame to Nothingness do sink.."

What does it remind you of ?

For more wonderful skies around the world, click here

Sindhudurg - a refreshing trip

lakshmi.sharath@gmail.com (Lakshmi) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:05:00 +0000

I finally satisfied my wanderlust for a new destination. Sindhudurg it was last week on the Konkan coast on the Maharashtra-Goa border. Before I take you to the sights and sounds of Sindhudurg, I had my heart fill of sharbats , vada pavs , misal pavs, kandha(onion)bhajji..The sharbats (juices-refer to the first picture)are the most refreshing,especially the kokum .Im still salivating..

On the road again

lakshmi.sharath@gmail.com (Lakshmi) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:57:00 +0000

I am travelling again and this time I am exploring a new destination in India. They say this district has forts, beaches, forests , mango orchards, old temples and also promotes rustic tourism.Whats more , its very close to a destination which is almost everybody's favorite..any guesses ?

While you are at it, this is one of my favourite pictures from the Hoysala trip . A Kalyani called Hulekere which is in Dwarasamudra, the capital of the Hoysala Dynasty , what we today call Halebeedu. Most of us know of one temple in Halebeedu, but in our weekend tour, Arun and I took the group to almost 8 of them including ruins.

The Malenadu skies

lakshmi.sharath@gmail.com (Lakshmi) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 18:12:00 +0000

I donned a new role last weekend - From a travel writer to a tour guide . Arun and I are planning to launch weekend tours and we did a trial run last weekend . We took a group of friends to the ruins of an ertswhile dynasty called the Hoysala Dynasty which ruled the Malenadu region of Karnataka. Malenadu means Land of the hills and the kings were called Male chiefs or lords of the hills. This dynasty which ruled for over 400 years during the 10th-14th century was known for the temples they built, a staggering 1500 of which hardly 100 remains. Our trip was to some of the lesser known temples which are not in the tourist circuit . We were standing at the portals of one of the temples when the evening sky changed colours as the moon emerged

Watch this blog for more on our trip to the Hoysala Dynasty .

For more wonderful skies around the world, click here