Birth of a hill station - Chail

Almost every hill station in India - be it Shimla  or Darjeeling tell the same story. Lush and plentiful in summer with snow kissed conifers carpeted on their slopes in winters, these towns have been plucked   out of nature by the British. The quaint names, a sleepy railway station, an ancient church , a club and the palatial bungalows are all reminiscent of the old world charm. 

 If you take a leisurely walk down the malls and markets of these towns, they still smack of the colonial legacy. These hill stations were dubbed the summer capitals of the Britishers who lorded over them for several  years. And yet, one little hill station stands apart from the rest, defying the colonial hangover . It owes its existence on the political and tourist maps to an Indian ruler who made it his summer capital. This is the story of Chail , a town barely 45 kms from Shimla in Himachal Pradesh .

Located at a higher altitude than Shimla, the story goes that the Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala made Chail his summer capital when the British barred him from entering  Shimla. Although the conflict was not on military grounds, the story goes that the Maharaja was romancing a daughter of Lord Kitchener, who was then the Commander in Chief of the British army. 

The Maharaja decided to give the British a fitting reply and went on to create his own summer capital in Chail.  He first built a palace near Khandaghat  called Chail View Palace and then  built a road to Chail and finally his own summer retreat in this little town surrounded by deodar forests. Ironically Chail itself had been gifted to the Maharaja by the Britishers earlier .

The Maharaja was an avid cricketer and had captained many an Indian team besides playing several first class matches himself .  He left Chail a trophy – a cricket ground which has the highest ever pitch located at 2140 metres and it doubled up as a polo ground as well.

Like many Indian towns , Chail has its own share of myths and legends. We visited a temple dedicated to a saint, Sidh Baba built on a hillock by the king. The locals believe that the king had planned to build his palace here earlier , but the seer had visited him in his dream and asked him to choose another location.

Nevertheless, the Maharaja couldn’t have found a better place to create his summer capital. With the Himalayas in the background and the valley beneath,  the river flowing down and three dense hillocks covered with deodar forests, Chail looked every bit a royal capital. The lights of Shimla and Kasauli came up  as I stood there for awhile watching the sun went down. Chail had indeed come a long way from an idyllic hamlet to a royal seat and now a tourist resort .

.  

This was another of my Inside Stories, published in The Hindu - Metro Plus 

Gangaikondacholapuram - an ancient Chola capital

The sculpture calls out to me. Carved in stone is a story of a devout cowherd called Chandesa who worships an icon of Shiva on sand and anoints it with milk. His father angrily strikes him and Chandesa retaliates . His staff turns into an axe chopping off his father’s legs, just when Shiva lands on the scene and accepts him into his fold. When the guide finished his narration, it seemed to be just another tale from Indian mythology; but it did not end there.

“ See the sculpture carefully , the cowherd is a prince and the prince is the great Rajendra Chola 1,” he said explaining that this could be an allegory . Engraved in stone is the coronation ceremony of Rajendra Chola 1 graced by the Gods - Shiva and Parvati as the prince dedicates all his laurels to them .The sculpture that depicts this celebrated moment is the famous Chandesanugraha murthi panel from the Brihadeshwara temple.

I am in Gangaikondacholapuram,the long lost capital of Rajendra Chola 1 which has mysteriously disappeared leaving behind this mammoth temple. This was the town that once ruled all of India upto the Gangetic plain and also Srilanka, Maldives, Malyasia and Indonesia. When Rajendra Chola 1 conquered the Gangetic plain, he wanted to portray to posterity that he was probably greater than his father Raja Raja Chola 1 who had immortalised himself with the Big Brihadeshwara temple in Thanjavur. So he built another Brihadeshwara temple in a new found capital called Gangaikondacholapuram. However he did not complete the temple. And he finally ensured that his father’s temple was bigger than his. There were no answers to this sudden change of heart. Probably the panel was a clue to the sudden decision says my guide.

The towering 180 feet tall Vimana seem to touch the sky announcing its existence in this otherwise dead capital . A majestic Nandi obstruct our gaze. A few gardeners are tending to the lawn while we soak in the ambience. Various forms of Shiva captured in different moods stand out in the artistic mosaic. A giant lion shaped sculpture called Simhakinar in the form of the Chola emblem stares at you .

” This is the way the defeated kings used to go down and pour the water they brought down from the Ganga,” says the guide. I peer down and see a flight of steps leading through a tunnel below into a huge well filled with murky water. Rajendra built another huge reservoir which was about 22kms long and elephants were used by the armies to bring the water from the river. “He had brought back more than 1000 pots of holy Ganga water and performed the Kumbabhishekam,” adds my guide.

We move on looking for the palace and reach a small mound close by called Malligai medu near a small village called Ulkottai An empty spectacle of sand and rocks greet us. Recent excavations have unearthed some priceless treasures which are now sheltered in a small hut near the temple complex where the State ASI’s museum remains. A Buddha stands on the stony pavement along with some banana vendors as we enter the hut. Smiling silently at me is the king himself from a painting against the wall. The image stays with me as we drive down the highway.

This was published in the Inside Story, my column in Metro Plus.

Doddamakkali - A tryst with the River Cauvery

We were at Kabini yesterday and today, lets soak a bit in the Cauvery at Doddamakkali, which is more than just a fishing camp. This story was published in Jungle tales, a magazine brought out by Jungle Lodges on their 30th anniversary. A shorter version was also published in my column, Inside Story in The Hindu



My car jerks violently for a moment as the mud road brings it to a grinding halt .In a moment, the entire landscape is filled with a flock of birds .And that’s when the river Cauvery presents itself, looking deceptively quiet as it meanders below me. Descending from the Shivasamudra falls, the river flows here, bordered by the rolling green hills. I continue my journey and trudge along for a while when a nervous jackal rushes past me into the forest. Finally, I enter the portals of the Doddamakkali camp as the resident grey hornbills greet me.

Doddamakkali is not just a river bed, but a beach with pristine white sands. Rocks stand out with their reflections sparkling in the blue green waters. A lesser fishing eagle calls , but it remains hidden in the trees. “We just spotted some otters this morning,” says Karthik, the manager as I sip some lime juice. A langur pauses and sizes us up before carrying on. Elsewhere monkeys freely roam around the camp . As my coracle is getting ready, I see the brahminy kite dive into the waters.



If you are at Shimshapura, Dodamakkali is the first among the fishing camps as it is upstream. Bheemeshwari lies just 6 kms from here on the river and Galibore is further downstream. This is the course of the Mahsheer, one of the best sport fish sought after by both anglers and poachers. However, I was in no mood to fish, but we set sail to see some jelly fish which had resurfaced in the pools caused by the rapids .

The sun slips behind the clouds. Cormorants open out their wings and strike a pose, while the river terns fly around us. A crocodile basks on a rock. Surrounded by forests, the Cauvery divides them into two ranges – Malavalli and Kollegalla. The forests come alive with elephants, leopards, wild pigs, mongoose, sambhar, spotted deer , grizzled giant squirrel among others.

We sail alongside the Malavalli range where a hillock stares us in our face.”You would’ve passed it enroute,” adds Karthik following my gaze.”You will also find a similar one and that’s why its called Anna Thamma Gudda .”
We are suddenly beckoned by the forest officials from the Kollegalla bank and we sail towards them. The RFO tells me that they are planning to have a shed with guards here for conservation and protection. The forest is dense as we stroll around . “Have you tasted the pickle made of makkali root?” he asks as we wait for the boatman. I nod, remembering the unique taste.” This place is called Doddamakkali because of these plants that used to grow in plenty here ..now you find then in Chikkamakkali .” he adds.

We discuss poaching and the camp has quite a few former poachers who have now been employed in the camp.” You must meet Soma Naik who had a case against him filed by his own brother as he used to be a poacher once. Now, both of them work here and are into conservation,” he adds. The water gets deeper as the currents become stronger. The boatman deftly strokes the river and finally anchors the coracle near the rocks. He warns me to watch out for snakes , mainly cobras and pythons . We climb the rocks and reach a small pool where tiny jelly fish swim deep below. We almost lie flat on our stomachs and peer right into the waters to catch a glimpse and with great difficulty see tiny rings floating right inside .

As the sun’s rays light up the pool, we catch a sight of them, before they magically disappear deep into the pool.I sit on the rocks and look up at the sky .The blue is fast turning grey. A few drops of rain shower on us. A pied wagtail lands on a rock. A white breasted kingfisher perches on the branch looking for its next meal. A green eater looks away. We circle a bit on the coracle and set sail towards the camp, listening to the shrill cry of the red wattled lapwing, “ Did you do it ?”

Fact file
Doddamakkali is one of the most remote fishing camps in the river Cauvery , barely 8 kms from Shimshapura .A beautiful landscape littered by rocks , the camp is located on the banks of the river on the Malavalli reserve. The patron Goddess Kali lends her name to the hamlet and there is a small shrine on the mud road leading to the camp.



The camp has about eight tents with attached toilets. The ambience is natural as there is less electricity here and the camp runs on generator. So, your tents will be lit with an electric lantern with fans at night. A torch is a must have if you are headed here .

Activities include trekking, birding, fishing and coracle rides. You can try beach volley ball as well.


Best season :
The months between September and February will be the best time to visit as its also ideal for birding and to see jelly fish. Angling starts here at the onset of early winter as well. Summers can get very warm and humid there.

Getting there
Doddamakkali is approximately 140 kms from Bangalore. You can either take the Kanakpura route or the Maddur-Malavalli road. If you are taking the Kanakpura road from Bangalore, reach Halgur and from there drive down to Shimshapura village. There is a gate with a watchman there. You make an entry there and then drive down the 8 kms of mud road that reaches the camp. The last km is a bit tricky, so ensure that your vehicle is in good shape.
If you are driving via Maddur, take a deviation towards Malavalli and Kollegal . You would reach Shimsha Hydro electric project. Follow the JLR board there until you reach the Shimshapura .

Many moods of the River Kabini

I've been to Kabini many times and its always been a new and a rich experience to me. This was one of the many experiences and it was published in the Orange County Blog, which I had managed for a while. Meanwhile, here are the glorious skies of Kabini as well,the many moods , which have been photographed during my many trips - my contribution to Skywatch

I am lost for a moment looking at the vast expanse of green fields bordering the hills. It paints such a contrast from the dense forests and the silent river that greeted me a while ago. An alpine swift, a migratory visitor just whizzes past us . And then it happens all of a sudden. A moving mass of dark clouds sweeps across the field heading towards us. I stop dead in my tracks as the others shout, “ Run ,the rain is coming.”I stand there amazed, watching the rain move from across the hills, drenching the fields and shaking me up.


As we dry ourselves in a thatched shelter the naturalist says,” Its common here, we can actually see the rains coming, but what is uncommon is we don’t know when it will rain.” And this is not the only unpredictable feature in Kabini. The birds, the beasts are rather unpredictable too. “Everyday, there is something different here , “ he says. I take his word for it.

Later in the day, when the sun’s rays caress the river Kabini, we see a variety of avifauna in the water. Suddenly the entire atmosphere comes alive. A tree full of Malabar pied hornbills, painted storks and woolly necked storks on the shore, the peregrine falcon and the osprey rub wings with the cormorants and darters that grace the river. And then there is a hush. The boat suddenly changes directions . “We are going towards the Bandipur bank now,” announces the naturalist . “Can you see a tusker there ? He just swam yesterday from the Kabini side towards the other bank.”


We arrive only to find two boats full of tourists from the neighbouring resorts taking photographs of the tusker working hard on the bamboo branches. He attacks it with his trunk and thrusts one of his legs forward pushing the branch on the ground, As the shutterbugs keep clicking, he turns to give us a look and then attacks the bamboo again. It is almost like a protest ,a display of his irritation on us humans interrupting him on his task. While the tusker is at it, the naturalist explains that come summer the banks of both sides are littered with elephants and one can see them swimming across the river too. I look around and see a crocodile basking in the sun while a peacock makes its appearance.



We sail back amidst murmurs of tusker talk while I get excited by a noisy flock of Malabar pied hornbills. A sambar deer peeps behind the peacock and darts into the undergrowth again, while the spotted variety watch us. A purple heron looks away while something blue catches Vikram’s attention . “That’s the common kingfisher ,which is actually a misnomer- the white breasted kingfisher is more common.”As we discuss the bird, we see the pied kingfisher and the stork billed kingfisher before returning to the resort. It’s a memorable boat ride with a lot of memories for company.

And to see beautiful skies around the world, visit Skywatch every Friday.

Angadi - the birthplace of the Hoysalas

“Hoy Sala " ( Strike Sala ! ) said the guru Sudatta Muni to his student , Sala who was in an armed combat with a tiger . The beast had just attached the duo who were immersed in rituals at a Durga or Vasantha Parameshwari temple in a village called Sasakapura or Sosevur. The student struck the animal in one blow, immortalizing himself and his victim . The guru was so pleased that he asked Sala to establish a kingdom and the Hoysala dynasty was established with Sosevur as the capital .
The story is believed to have happenned more than 1000 years ago. at Sasakapura or Sosevur which is today identified as Angadi, a small hamlet in Chikmagalur district in Karnataka The temple of the Goddess , along with the ruins of more temples and basadis is the only proof of this myth .The folklore however became so popular that every temple of the Hoysalas has this story carved in stone and it became the royal emblem of the dynasty.

We were in Malenadu or the hilly regions of Karnataka when we heard this story. 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 .We were looking for a humble beginning of this dynasty which had ruled this region for over 400 years.

Our destination was Angadi, a small hamlet lost in the hills of Karnataka, enveloped by coffee plantations and lush green fields. Nestled in the Western Ghats, in South India in the heart of coffee country, this nondescript village was once the birthplace of a powerful dynasty which ruled South India thousands of years ago.
The meandering roads snaked around a green fabric of coffee plantations and dense forests. The leaves of the pepper crops curled around the 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 stopped by at a small town, Janapura to have some tea and take in the fresh air.The directions were loud and clear. Angadi was a further seven kms away. In about ten minutes we were there. A small village with a few houses scattered here and there , a couple of shops, a lone bus stand and green fields. At first glance, it looked like just another hamlet lost to the world. And yet, it was the cradle of a dynasty that built beautiful temples and made several conquests . However to our eyes, there was nothing historic about it. And then we took a short stroll, wondering if we had indeed come to the right village. To prove us right, stood a faded old relic under the shade of a tree ..a Hoysala inscription . We were indeed on the right track.


Angadi in Kannada means shop, but we hardly found any shops around . Surrounded by coffee plantations and open fields, it seemed to be a sleepy market . We finally found a small shop and asked them the route to the “ Devasthanam “ meaning temple in the local lingo. A couple of hands pointed uphill which took us through a coffee plantation which led to mud roads which split into two. There was not a soul around. We followed the road going upward and encountered steep hairpin bends which curved through the coffee plantations and led us to the Durga or the Vasantha Parameshwari temple . And this was the setting of the origins of the Dynasty

The origin of Hoysalas
The Hoysalas were not born kings but they ruled for 300 years . They were natives of Malnad, Karnataka and were tribal chiefs who were subordinates of the Western Chalukyas. Some inscriptions show them as lords of the Male (hills) while some indicate that they were descendants of the Yadava clan. Historically though the first Hoysala family record is dated 950 and names Arekalla as the chieftain, followed by Maruga and Nripa Kama I (976) .


But the kings who shaped the dynasties were Vishnuvardhan and Veera Bhallalla who became independent from the Chalukyas .Vishnuvardhan established his supremacy by defeating the Cholas in Talakadu . Historians claim that the story behind the Hoysala crest is a symbolic interpretation of this victory as the tiger , a symbol of the Cholas is shown subdued by a soldier.

But today the Hoysalas are remembered for their patronage to arts along with their exploits on the battlefield – a baffling 1500 temples built in 958 centres, of which the two famous ones are Belur and Halebid which were the capital cities of the dynasty. However, hardly a 100 survive today. Our trail had taken us down to 25 villages including Angadi , the original capital of the empire, where it all began.

The Durga temple was renovated and was well maintained . It did not look like a typical Hoysala temple either , going by their style . A tall structure supported by pillars with sculptures stood close by. The priest explained to us that the temple, which has been renovated recently was the original temple where Sala had killed the legendary tiger.

The pillars he said were used as a swing to cradle the Gods during festivals. I had read that there was the ruins of a Chennakesava temple here similar to the Belur temple . We asked him where the ruins were and he told us to follow the roads that went below. We were told that there were three temples as well as basadis

The ruins of Angadi
The priest guided us and we followed the road below until we came to almost a deadend. There seemed to be a rugged path above as we climbed on the rocks that led us inside the coffee plantation. We saw a few basadis with some sculptures inside while a few were left wide in the open. It was silent except for some parakeets which were shrieking in excitement. We almost thought the place was to ourselves when we heard some voices .

We squinted through the trees and found some workers. We went down and climbed another path where the ruins of the three temples awaited us . The Chennakesava temple , along with Patalarudreshwara and Mallikarjuna lay absolutely in ruins..The structures were being laid by the ASI workers who had just begun restoring these temples. The idols and sculptures were kept safely, especially the Chennakesava which stood in all its glory in the glare of the setting sun. As the sun touched down, we sat a while on the broken pillars gazing at the strewn idols and wondering about the times when a dynasty was laying its foundation stone in a small village. It dawned on us at that very moment, that we had just walked into a historic moment.

Getting there - Angadi is 18 kms from Mudigere and 25 kms away from Belur and 260 kms from Bangalore The ideal route from Bangalore would be to reach Belur and take the Mudigere route . At Janapura, one needs to take a left and Angadi is 6 kms from the junction. You can also reach Angadi through Sakleshpur and Chikmagalur . Accomodation in the form of home stays and resorts is available at Hanbal, which is the closest town as well as Sakleshpur, Chikmagalur and Mudigere.

A shorter version of this story , focussed on the myth was first published in my column, Inside Story and then much later in Spectrum, Deccan Herald.

Some wild musings

I was looking for inspiration to pen an article on my recent wildlife trips , when I decided to convert my friend my muse. She said a very simple thing - " You owe it to your subjects to write about them..now focus and write. " My immediate response was " Im writing about the denizens of the forest and Im not sure they appreciate mankind coming there to do a peekaboo and stare at them. " Write for the forests at least, " she answered and my thoughts took a different turn.

Instead of writing in my word document that reads 47 words now , I started posting my thoughts here.Do we as tourists, travellers, wildlifers, photographers really care for the forests and its denizens- be it man or animal ? I am part of a wildlife group and every day , my mail box is inundated by mails from the so called experts who preach about their take on wildlife.If lack of awareness is one of the key issues, this holier than thou attitude of the wildlife enthusiasts sometimes gets on my nerves too.

A friend recently remarked on how some photographers unethically disturb nests of birds to take a good photograph. Many times, we get special entries into forests to take pictures. Ive been guilty of it too when I went to Daroji to see sloth bears at close quarters. The animals no wonder ignored us.While writing this post,my intention is not to curtail tourism or photography,because this is the only way we get close to nature. Im just trying to say that we should rather be a bit sensitive to the forests too and understand that animals are tired of being chased. We can sight them in silence, take photographs without flash ,not wear bright clothes and leave as quickly as possible , giving them their space and privacy.For we have encroached into their territory .As my friend said,"The forests need us to survive. Its symbiotic."True, we need the forests to survive as well.

Discover the Magic Beauty of Batanes Island

Philippines has over 7000 islands blessed with rich, magnificent and enticing beauty. Visiting this country is all worth it because you are welcomed with enormous unique and breathtaking views. To begin your adventure, start with the northernmost and the smallest province of the Philippines, the island of BATANES.

Batanes Island will bring you to a place where paradise exists. You will witness picturesque views of nature, historic buildings and lovely people. Basco which is the capital of the island is only 190 kilometers south of Taiwan. Batanes lies in the rich blue sea of Pacific Ocean. This island is consists of 10 more islands and islets namely Batan, Sabtang, Itbayat, Mavudis, Siayan, Diogo, North island and Y’ami. Only the first three islands are inhabited and that would only mean that the rest are untouched making it more mysterious and exciting.

Batanes Island has distinct beauty compared to other Philippines islands. Batanes has steep cliffs, rolling hills, deep canyons and border lined shores but what is most interesting about this island are the stone walled houses purposely designed to survive against typhoons.

Batanes is a cool and windy island ideal for relaxation and respite. There are also various activities that you can enjoy in the island like swimming, fishing, visits in the churches, lighthouses and villages. You can also visit the different places in the island like House of Dakay, Mt.Iraya, Mahatao View Deck, Burial caves, and more.

A trip to Batanes is like a journey through time, experiencing the most significant history of the island and feeling its rich beauty. A visit to Batanes is truly worth it, a once in a lifetime experience.