tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302423162024-03-22T03:02:04.612+05:30SHANDEExplore Life UnlimitedSandeep Shandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10271772844265880737noreply@blogger.comBlogger340125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30242316.post-51046329808100624512024-01-01T23:07:00.007+05:302024-01-01T23:13:03.836+05:30Looking back 2023<p>Continuing with the seeds sown in <a href="http://www.naanushande.com/2023/01/looking-back-at-2022.html">2022</a>, I continued with my podcast venture Gaalipata Media and there we signed off with a year-end special episode on 2023-Year of AI.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T7119BK3evc" width="488" youtube-src-id="T7119BK3evc"></iframe></div><br /><p>In this video collage, we have put together PoV from people from various professions on</p><p>- How AI is being leveraged currently?</p><p>- How AI will be in the future?</p><p>- Will it replace humans?</p><p>And yes just to confess, I also tried out creating <a href="http://www.naanushande.com/2017/11/brihadeshwara-temple-at-thanjavur.html">one blog post</a> through Generative-AI !</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Heartbreak in Cricket:</b></p><p>Yes, being a hardcore cricket fan from my school days, 2023 was a heartbreak as we couldn't clear the final hurdle for the pinnacle of World Cricket. But personally, this World Cup was a bit special as we made a special video on our best moment from the ODI World Cup.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="322" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kCnEbL4D79M" width="441" youtube-src-id="kCnEbL4D79M"></iframe></div><p>and this followed up with other special videos on</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://youtu.be/0kLGjXmItd0?si=jz7JZLN4FsrgR37d">Interaction with Gen-alpha cricketers</a></li><li><a href="https://youtu.be/uiPJz-bZ5xg?si=8huxdQ2pjRNwT1sl">Best moment from audience and friends</a></li></ul><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Personal Vlogging:</b></h3><div>Travel-wise wise my trips were bit restricted to a few visits to native place Udupi/Chickmagalur. From vlogging wise the stand-out experience was the early morning expedition around Maravanthe with <a href="http://www.enidhi.net/">Shrinidhi Hande</a> and my cousin Krishna Rao. The footages of this offbeat trip was lying in my hard disk for 11 months and finally got time during year-end break to create the video</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jaf92sW17tI" width="447" youtube-src-id="jaf92sW17tI"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>Last but not least I signed off with following lookback video</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="321" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A-vuawwZUsQ" width="441" youtube-src-id="A-vuawwZUsQ"></iframe></div><br /><div>Looking forward to a much more fruitful and creative 2024!</div><p></p>Sandeep Shandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10271772844265880737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30242316.post-7466418241553535482023-07-05T22:56:00.004+05:302023-07-05T23:02:54.677+05:30Exploring the magnificent Brihadeshwara Temple at Thanjavur<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" trbidi="on">This is a throw back post which has been in draft for ages. During my visit to Tamil Nadu in 2014, for my friend's Narayanan's wedding, I had the opportunity to explore the awe-inspiring Brihadeswara Temple in Tanjore. Also known as the Peruvudaiyar Kovil, this ancient temple is a testament to the grandeur of the Chola dynasty and is considered one of the finest examples of Dravidian architecture. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGVhMKf-yyMbBooXxkuunPWfLmrqMUj2r04C-NNrIClj4gQmD5JdPpiO6HzgmA90WKqShILhD10h73AMBOzrYExjkpZMZTPIyo4gR6dr8nJsZdEyxYoUSg4FwbOtSRLp3H402P/s1600/20140413-DSC_0417.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGVhMKf-yyMbBooXxkuunPWfLmrqMUj2r04C-NNrIClj4gQmD5JdPpiO6HzgmA90WKqShILhD10h73AMBOzrYExjkpZMZTPIyo4gR6dr8nJsZdEyxYoUSg4FwbOtSRLp3H402P/s640/20140413-DSC_0417.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" trbidi="on">As I stepped foot into the temple premises, I was immediately captivated by its sheer size, intricate carvings, and spiritual ambience.
Built in the 11th century by the great Chola king, Raja Raja Chola I, the Brihadeswara Temple holds immense historical and cultural importance. This UNESCO World Heritage Site stands as a symbol of the Chola dynasty's architectural prowess and their patronage of the arts. The temple was dedicated to Lord Shiva and served as a center for religious and cultural activities during the Chola reign.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTM1aMDG4w9LjQ5ljhcQmZ0-D8Za_oS2bkyvErMhU9mwpyZrQPBJTirXfctXkTSallIuqmIcCrlHLxvapgBQWJ0OmMubHhSWxPS5eu_GJydBgs7ytpNqEF_OaAi_v-3TcTAmGE/s1600/20140413-DSC_0362.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTM1aMDG4w9LjQ5ljhcQmZ0-D8Za_oS2bkyvErMhU9mwpyZrQPBJTirXfctXkTSallIuqmIcCrlHLxvapgBQWJ0OmMubHhSWxPS5eu_GJydBgs7ytpNqEF_OaAi_v-3TcTAmGE/s640/20140413-DSC_0362.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">As I approached the temple's entrance, I was immediately struck by the towering vimana (temple tower) that rose majestically into the sky. Standing at around 66 meters tall, the vimana is adorned with intricate carvings of gods, goddesses, and celestial beings. The sheer scale of the structure left me in awe of the architectural expertise of the Chola artisans.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdS7T78hGNZux1w9Pq4JEUquyc90OLpXC0fbiB-KSc6YdG4qLSx0eXmIBgZNBYb7LNk9zx_dRNsJHxqPNwWthC1KBcR6TRRNnC7aTaQbfMhXQEQPnyDnBErpiGjWEyM-KBf3M-/s1600/20140413-DSC_0412.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdS7T78hGNZux1w9Pq4JEUquyc90OLpXC0fbiB-KSc6YdG4qLSx0eXmIBgZNBYb7LNk9zx_dRNsJHxqPNwWthC1KBcR6TRRNnC7aTaQbfMhXQEQPnyDnBErpiGjWEyM-KBf3M-/s640/20140413-DSC_0412.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><span style="text-align: justify;">Stepping inside, I marveled at the spacious and well-maintained courtyard, known as the prakaram. The prakaram houses several smaller shrines dedicated to various deities. The highlight, of course, is the main shrine, where the massive Shiva lingam stands as the principal deity. The inner walls of the temple are adorned with vibrant frescoes depicting scenes from Hindu mythology, showcasing the artistic mastery of the Chola dynasty.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDHcpcWZ-pd69BgBaJNKuZPAbVcuUbv-kofqeziEToVCyEvqZ6O1MAKif7B3NolFXrT5OjCWVKIs5RDOWf_sh23kh_vS_FRKepLeRHx2CStTFjtVGtw0uoJStzRRpWxbMzN0-C/s1600/20140413-DSC_0355.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDHcpcWZ-pd69BgBaJNKuZPAbVcuUbv-kofqeziEToVCyEvqZ6O1MAKif7B3NolFXrT5OjCWVKIs5RDOWf_sh23kh_vS_FRKepLeRHx2CStTFjtVGtw0uoJStzRRpWxbMzN0-C/s640/20140413-DSC_0355.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The Nandi Mandapam, situated in front of the main shrine, houses a gigantic monolithic Nandi statue, the sacred bull and vehicle of Lord Shiva. The attention to detail in the sculpture is remarkable, with each muscle and fold of skin intricately carved.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqVAlg2yAtYJ68aM4QGcdd2Q9wuL-ejifRmnV4SUbBLn9XcjEiwZXAanRvgOIa8EPrv84dHsmfGxuAc0iJYbSGOnRK8oMejTWz_mGFjMrHlGOj1G3QXIXWc8vn81KRuGdlmLae/s1600/20140413-DSC_0416.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqVAlg2yAtYJ68aM4QGcdd2Q9wuL-ejifRmnV4SUbBLn9XcjEiwZXAanRvgOIa8EPrv84dHsmfGxuAc0iJYbSGOnRK8oMejTWz_mGFjMrHlGOj1G3QXIXWc8vn81KRuGdlmLae/s640/20140413-DSC_0416.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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The Brihadeswara Temple continues to be an active place of worship, drawing devotees from far and wide. The temple complex reverberates with the sounds of religious chants, devotional music, and the fragrance of incense. I was fortunate to witness a puja (ritual worship) being performed, which added a spiritual aura to the entire experience.
Visitors have the opportunity to offer prayers, light oil lamps, and seek the blessings of Lord Shiva. The temple also hosts various festivals throughout the year, with the most significant being the Maha Shivaratri festival when devotees throng to the temple in large numbers to seek divine blessings. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXl5rC4-BG0Tr2D37UnYmisaMwtRAiMQ0pxVo_ZEgCiMOIEj6-S_jDQo0IPISRUkyP8Lhgiqt8drJtpINwCgyIA0GdMZFiTgPvPrMliyi-T0I4ISuW8HVIbiDULHxA2WhG52tg/s1600/20140413-DSC_0386.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXl5rC4-BG0Tr2D37UnYmisaMwtRAiMQ0pxVo_ZEgCiMOIEj6-S_jDQo0IPISRUkyP8Lhgiqt8drJtpINwCgyIA0GdMZFiTgPvPrMliyi-T0I4ISuW8HVIbiDULHxA2WhG52tg/s640/20140413-DSC_0386.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" trbidi="on">My visit to the Brihadeswara Temple in Tanjore was an unforgettable experience, one that left me marveling at the rich heritage and architectural brilliance of the Chola dynasty. The intricate carvings, towering vimana, and spiritual atmosphere make it a must-visit destination for history enthusiasts, art lovers, and photography enthusiasts like us (Neelima, Adit, Murali, Mithun & myself). Standing as a testament to India's glorious past, this temple is a treasure trove of culture, history, and devotion. If you ever find yourself in Tamil Nadu, a visit to the Brihadeswara Temple should be at the top of your itinerary.
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Sandeep Shandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10271772844265880737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30242316.post-1685092551329941742023-01-01T00:14:00.105+05:302023-01-01T01:28:12.311+05:30Looking Back at 2022 <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">2022 was a big leap for me with respect to video creation. The turning point was when I took Vistadome train journey from Udupi to Bangalore in January. During the journey, I met Vir Kotian, a multimedia professional from Mumbai. Within a span of a few hours, he inspired me to take a plunge for being a serious video creator.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Here's the quick edit which composed from best video shots from 2022 </span></div></span><p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9CQ8Ijhz8lw?controls=0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>My Resources:</b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The major change has been my primary shooting device - DJI Osmo Pocket 2, which I feel is most under rated device in current era. The brilliantly engineered device which is handy for family man like me as most of the time while traveling I end up shooting in only one hand while holding my younger one in another :)</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Long time Back:</b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have been on Youtube since 2006-07, in fact my very first video posted in 2007 during my South Korea still get comments from people from 20 year old age group saying this video was uploaded when I was 2, 5 year old !!!. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWP4_F8j6EhAnbW4xbNUAIetnAhud0tMUWqzklsRHGNjjHPpd2q5x2qeNA0Nby11rsrcFckkW1pmJn-aqtSbPXu0dqWD2B4bL9xmrNp03vkRkt8ud9nNy0_xsfiCbq0dbvxkFjy8cg4aPAdkF-cJSzsTH_EEtkfotmNndsWu61RG-lkvxgrw/s960/Gumi%20Choku%20Comments.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="960" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWP4_F8j6EhAnbW4xbNUAIetnAhud0tMUWqzklsRHGNjjHPpd2q5x2qeNA0Nby11rsrcFckkW1pmJn-aqtSbPXu0dqWD2B4bL9xmrNp03vkRkt8ud9nNy0_xsfiCbq0dbvxkFjy8cg4aPAdkF-cJSzsTH_EEtkfotmNndsWu61RG-lkvxgrw/w640-h229/Gumi%20Choku%20Comments.png" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Feather in the cap:</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The most viewed video on my channel has been Deepika Padukone's intro scene in Om Shanti Om. I had shot that using Canon S2 IS point-n-shot camera in a single screen theatre and had reluctantly uploaded in Youtube. In my dream's I would have never thought people would be appreciative about this video 15 years down the line. Infact, as per comments of people it seems Deepika Padukone herself had shared this on her twitter timeline.</div></span><p></p><div><br /></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-0WPEy4oydc?controls=0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> <div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">It's always glad to see people giving you motivating comments like I was way ahead of time ! :) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6wCC2R5MXOjQK-pRmpwTQV-mW0gcQKw-Gg6Eew50A74UCBPeeSF6XGR4Oni01YK_fWqwCltkpJKZ9yuxjOI5RfbcL8Lblt5DNxXSt-CEAcSMjwA-Pr200gJRDS3WQxSZ1FT_u26rz96v2-tNjO4stpnvYCK6JZV6Ko5MDINFkD8rR0cuqxw/s1000/Deepika%20OSO%20video%20comments.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="1000" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6wCC2R5MXOjQK-pRmpwTQV-mW0gcQKw-Gg6Eew50A74UCBPeeSF6XGR4Oni01YK_fWqwCltkpJKZ9yuxjOI5RfbcL8Lblt5DNxXSt-CEAcSMjwA-Pr200gJRDS3WQxSZ1FT_u26rz96v2-tNjO4stpnvYCK6JZV6Ko5MDINFkD8rR0cuqxw/w640-h284/Deepika%20OSO%20video%20comments.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Looking forward for exciting 2022:</b></span></div>And other major stepping stone in 2022 was launch of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@gaalipata8563">Gaalipata Youtube channel</a> with my blogging buddy Raveesh. We have been making attempt at unique content through this venture and looking forward to create more interesting videos in 2023 !</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>Sandeep Shandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10271772844265880737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30242316.post-71832971015316572402022-12-01T22:57:00.001+05:302022-12-31T22:59:30.524+05:30Analysis Kantara Phenomenon<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px; text-align: justify;">In our latest episode in Gaalipata channel, we do a deep dive into the following aspects that made the film Kantara, a global phenomenon.</span><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px; text-align: justify;"><ul style="line-height: 1.4; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;"><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Connect with Belief System</li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Relatable Story</li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Marketing Acumen</li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Cinematic Framework</li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Sustaining Momentum</li></ul><div><br /></div></div><p> </p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NvqIvz6bFUU" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>Sandeep Shandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10271772844265880737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30242316.post-71896827347158362452022-08-17T22:45:00.012+05:302022-12-31T22:56:46.417+05:30Taking plunge into Vlog/PodcastI finally managed to take a serious plunge youtubing by launching a youtube channel "Gaalipata" with my blogging buddy <a href="https://www.raveeshkumar.com/">Raveesh Kumar</a> on Indian independence day - August 15, 2022. A kite flying in limitless sky symbolises freedom of expression. Conversations in Kannada about numerous subtle experiences of life is the central theme of "Gaalipata" (means kite in Kannada language) YouTube channel. <div><br /></div><div>In our very first episode, we discuss about our celebrations related to 75 years of India's independence and later in detail review the latest Kannada movie Gaalipata-2. We also flash back to 14 years to discuss our excitement when our <a href="http://www.naanushande.com/2008/01/gaalipata-one-step-forward-two-steps.html">blog post on review of Gaalipata-1</a> was featured in a Kannada ezine in 2008.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LZhJio_ibEE" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Sandeep Shandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10271772844265880737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30242316.post-36787444400918888302021-01-02T15:22:00.009+05:302021-01-02T15:40:39.266+05:30Shande's experience on HOMP<p><a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/newslaundry-podcast/highway-on-my-podcast">Highway on my podcast (HOMP)</a> was one of the by-product of COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, an initiative by pioneers of travel show - Rocky and Mayur along with show's director Abhinandan and cameraman Prashant. The podcast was go to channel for me during lockdown period. One of the interesting aspect of the podcast was encouraging listeners to share their personal experiences over email and which were read out in various episodes. </p><p>Below is the email which I had shared with the team and which was read out in <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/show/highway-on-my-podcast/episode/ep-25-masala-shark-and-cold-beer-in-daman-and-a-game-of-cricket-on-the-beach-76276796">Diu/Daman episode</a>.</p><hr /><p></p><p><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Hi Abhinandan, Rocky, Mayur & Prashant,</b></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>This is Sandeep (nickname Shande). Basically a Kannadiga, born in Uttar Pradesh and now very much in Bengaluru !</i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Thanks a ton for the lovely stories and also behind the scene anecdotes. You have been my friends during this tough lockdown period esp. while doing mundane household chores and lonely strolls around my home.</i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>I used to miss most of your HOMP episodes when it was aired around 2010 - mainly due to 2 hours one-way commute from office and on weekends, I used to be busy with activities related to my photography club (Bangalore Photowalk). </i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>I have been an avid traveler for the last 15 years. Apart from covering many places in my home state Karnataka, I have traveled across other states - Ladakh, Himachal, Sikkim, Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttrakhand, Maharashtra, M.P., Punjab etc. and most recent was one to Gujarat with my family in Dec 2019. Your podcast has helped me to cherish all my personal moments and many things which I have missed out. <b>Farali Kachori </b>at Jamnagar looks to be a big miss for me ! wish I had your guidebooks/podcasts handy during my Gujarat trip :)</i></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>I am a vegetarian and not a very serious foodie. However, I would like to recall following moments</i></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><ul><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><i>Pav Bhaji at <b>Supreme Corner, JM Road, Pune</b> - it was during the demonetisation period and I had 3 hundred rupee notes in my pocket. One of which was utilized at this hotel :)</i></li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><i>Kotte Kadabu at <b>Cafe Mysore, Mathunga, Mumbai</b></i></li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><i>Karela Pyaz + Butter Chapathi at <b>Bhagat Tarachand, Vashi, Navi Mumbai</b></i></li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><i>Aloo Paratha+Chai at a roadside restaurant at <b>Orchha.</b></i></li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><i>Veg Thukpa at a canteen next to <b>Rumtek Monastery, Sikkim</b></i></li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><i>Gujarati Thali with Bajra roti at low-brow restaurant at <b>Bachou</b> (on the way to Bhuj, photograph below)</i></li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><i>A cup of cardamom tea at <b>Singhik - North Sikkim</b> with a magnificent view of Teestha River Valley</i></li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><i>Kachori - Chai at a tela in central <b>Jaipur</b> during early morning winters</i></li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><i>Jigarthanda at Besantnagar beach <b>Chennai</b></i></li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><i>Gudbud at <b>Diana Hotel, Udupi</b></i></li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><i>and Hot Idly, Dosas with chutney at any darshani in Bengaluru :) </i></li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97IaseP1enuC0ntObALuNKpmaYHsPtusnYWzVChUOcCJdCK4isR1xe0XZeMdCFrmwbDuwYpB3F0FpR5WfI0ApyFcZ_0esvHLZLU6kpRtKwsGtUS3vgYxNgHW8cu_DeVD3ZjP5/s2643/IMG_20191211_141015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1190" data-original-width="2643" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97IaseP1enuC0ntObALuNKpmaYHsPtusnYWzVChUOcCJdCK4isR1xe0XZeMdCFrmwbDuwYpB3F0FpR5WfI0ApyFcZ_0esvHLZLU6kpRtKwsGtUS3vgYxNgHW8cu_DeVD3ZjP5/w640-h288/IMG_20191211_141015.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Gujarati Thali at Bachau, Gujarat</b></div></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>I have listed down multiple places mentioned during your podcast and wish I cover these places once the lock down period is over.</i></div><div><ul><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><i>Sadarji's hotel near Assembly house, Lucknow</i></li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><i>Sharma Dhabha, Jaipur</i></li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><i>Rajma Chawal at Pahalgam <br /></i></li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><i>Radha Paratha House, Porbandar</i></li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><i>Seva Cafe, Ahmedabad</i></li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><i>Lee's Kitchen, Uttarakhand</i></li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><i>Durga Mantap, Bhuvaneshwar</i></li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><i>Sharma Vaishno Dhaba - near Chel, Himachal <br /></i></li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><i><many more></i></li></ul><div><i>And please let me know the coordinates of the Ghee Dosa place which you mentioned in the Karnataka podcast :) </i></div></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>More than food, photography has been the primary motivation for me and below are a few photographs I would like to share with you all. You can see more at my blog (<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.naanushande.com&source=gmail&ust=1609667250306000&usg=AFQjCNEtNnN4q6CG9tlirBPWtXhtOfgMIg" href="http://www.naanushande.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">www.naanushande.com</a>). I have not been active for the last 2 years. But your podcasts have given me a lot of kick to get back to writing. </i></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>And finally thanks for adding me to your mailing list. I have been receiving updates from Episode 12 and not sure how to access the previous ones ? Is it archived somewhere ? Also, similarly please see if there's a way to archive the lovely emails from fellow HOMPers which you read out during your episodes.</i></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>I am very much excited to see you guys back on the road and would be happy to contribute to HOMP initiatives in whatever possible way from my side.</i></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Please buzz me when you are here in Bengaluru, I stay < 1 km from Vidyarthi Bhavan :)</i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><br />Cheers,</i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Sandeep/Shande.</i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b><span>A few photographs from my trips across India</span></b></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimm6zAlZ4sA_LkdrsUixZ0bsv4Y1A1sYYYv5C4eS0Kk3XjAPSECJh-R0vbyBQCIS5JSo0siZsV_idy2edsgdpzsvnOo-zq-We1Fuv0Pj-r3dKzohyzlXTH7RVvmYb1rIAHd3kR/s1600/DSC_6477.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1071" data-original-width="1600" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimm6zAlZ4sA_LkdrsUixZ0bsv4Y1A1sYYYv5C4eS0Kk3XjAPSECJh-R0vbyBQCIS5JSo0siZsV_idy2edsgdpzsvnOo-zq-We1Fuv0Pj-r3dKzohyzlXTH7RVvmYb1rIAHd3kR/w400-h268/DSC_6477.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Nubra Valley, Ladakh</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZyGkl9S3LJB0TPzesIKuUHz_eb0XnVX6eq8gBqGlQNnryyVJgTByuYpYYa3eOEMNIu5C0wUH1gzvyXNEqGzpIDx6F0ETbmBdmtzmdze2Tr5PQvpsg-YNq0osGBGkJID7wcwIg/s1200/DSC_0913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="1200" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZyGkl9S3LJB0TPzesIKuUHz_eb0XnVX6eq8gBqGlQNnryyVJgTByuYpYYa3eOEMNIu5C0wUH1gzvyXNEqGzpIDx6F0ETbmBdmtzmdze2Tr5PQvpsg-YNq0osGBGkJID7wcwIg/w640-h198/DSC_0913.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Mt. Kanchenjunga as seen from Pelling, West Sikkim</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwUXAdc2HygcYoa5i-cl6JxO0CUNB-niGCu2bk41M8a8bt_4Wdy-51hsKbGR23uFE3B51yVZbEYLf25roCs09iU00ejdnoRgvRhNVTQkk0GjRVzBTg2utkwOfZjsaQjZj4aJ7e/s2000/DSC_0123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1165" data-original-width="2000" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwUXAdc2HygcYoa5i-cl6JxO0CUNB-niGCu2bk41M8a8bt_4Wdy-51hsKbGR23uFE3B51yVZbEYLf25roCs09iU00ejdnoRgvRhNVTQkk0GjRVzBTg2utkwOfZjsaQjZj4aJ7e/w400-h233/DSC_0123.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Valley of Flowers, Uttarakhand</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLsEQ55TqNNOGzLyScgvg009u_lCgm63cnoeLFbiiu7w9oDouov3yjTP-9DcNGdjQAbb3ren8DSIOlMmv8o0K81AYUFXMaWYeU8NU6jW-VdcCf_5YHmK4vLZjoDo_iDkqT5yq/s1600/DSC_1003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1045" data-original-width="1600" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLsEQ55TqNNOGzLyScgvg009u_lCgm63cnoeLFbiiu7w9oDouov3yjTP-9DcNGdjQAbb3ren8DSIOlMmv8o0K81AYUFXMaWYeU8NU6jW-VdcCf_5YHmK4vLZjoDo_iDkqT5yq/w400-h261/DSC_1003.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Cenotaphs at Orchha, MP</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw90026OqcCBkETRQWZp4BoOEl3qzMQ3UKFg4Ibg1bHop3MnndsTVSnsrhf3FrAplUjnx8aHuxTBD3L_tDl_OdEhVuFiQgyHBG174hgAmtxmhOtOrVxDAvdxoiIuLCAnbMROfd/s1600/DSC_0803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1071" data-original-width="1600" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw90026OqcCBkETRQWZp4BoOEl3qzMQ3UKFg4Ibg1bHop3MnndsTVSnsrhf3FrAplUjnx8aHuxTBD3L_tDl_OdEhVuFiQgyHBG174hgAmtxmhOtOrVxDAvdxoiIuLCAnbMROfd/w400-h268/DSC_0803.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Adinath Temple, Khajaraho, MP</b></div></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkEXGd4anUZXuJWf0L3Iif1vUmAzbwbymh6Ky9NCoeavZVDxXs3Pa1G9j1a9Il8asLP3lzPsxgaTSWzyh36CFJgwT0RyOp20BBhzS-QUKHrqOyokbm0_08aIqMeMuvdbo4fTCn/s1600/DSC_0687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1075" data-original-width="1600" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkEXGd4anUZXuJWf0L3Iif1vUmAzbwbymh6Ky9NCoeavZVDxXs3Pa1G9j1a9Il8asLP3lzPsxgaTSWzyh36CFJgwT0RyOp20BBhzS-QUKHrqOyokbm0_08aIqMeMuvdbo4fTCn/w400-h269/DSC_0687.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: center;"><b>Khuri Sand Dunes, Jaisalmer</b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdumQEBQpJ0i4zzpx1K52ZVCXkONxI8DvT4UNQUuZOkQDxM9XxcOIv4DjPm-VN2MM3mVOILUSPm1xsM6Y7nEnWuS9FiVzWYqlY5X_EdXNPYPj1s5Pmzlh_hVcRUgrDvWe6nry/s1600/DSC_2194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1054" data-original-width="1600" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdumQEBQpJ0i4zzpx1K52ZVCXkONxI8DvT4UNQUuZOkQDxM9XxcOIv4DjPm-VN2MM3mVOILUSPm1xsM6Y7nEnWuS9FiVzWYqlY5X_EdXNPYPj1s5Pmzlh_hVcRUgrDvWe6nry/w400-h264/DSC_2194.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: center;"><b>Puri Beach, Orissa</b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUThrJp8Mrl_U473Am2R-5BRno44jBCqBz-s2l8RX-RMGFhBlS1YFgMbLKC3Mtswc2WgxMaDZIQazdSm9WRZ5B78LymY7m-QCd16fJa9EkSoJ0ba4ePU1Wje1TiIt9E3lyl0W/s2048/20140113-DSC_0279.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUThrJp8Mrl_U473Am2R-5BRno44jBCqBz-s2l8RX-RMGFhBlS1YFgMbLKC3Mtswc2WgxMaDZIQazdSm9WRZ5B78LymY7m-QCd16fJa9EkSoJ0ba4ePU1Wje1TiIt9E3lyl0W/w400-h266/20140113-DSC_0279.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: center;"><b>Gokarna Beach, Karnataka</b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXEHaDTj9uxL_puU_ZYr5gIw9FAwYULasRxCVC452m0UpWMoZ3PuVRwaTyiEnSmYQ2JtLxv8L7rrCP-lHI3SFPerGd2cWjpPxr8mUAFWP050h6kv-tJ_y04PHXSCFKUHcXRT6/s2048/20131102-DSC_0160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXEHaDTj9uxL_puU_ZYr5gIw9FAwYULasRxCVC452m0UpWMoZ3PuVRwaTyiEnSmYQ2JtLxv8L7rrCP-lHI3SFPerGd2cWjpPxr8mUAFWP050h6kv-tJ_y04PHXSCFKUHcXRT6/w400-h266/20131102-DSC_0160.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: center;"><b>Ibrahim Rouza, Bijapur, Karnataka</b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBuLWBykmDWbO9_fXejkA6o1pBgsQzEhTCv8boZVPHeL8QzzTjU-LD65pkPFRsxvVY5wkI-2TjoTRaR7AfCArxSnWG33kBCBOoudySEWTEKZrUth8-9YKsqtOvxggQ6ftv8Xl1/s2048/2013-09-28+18.28.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBuLWBykmDWbO9_fXejkA6o1pBgsQzEhTCv8boZVPHeL8QzzTjU-LD65pkPFRsxvVY5wkI-2TjoTRaR7AfCArxSnWG33kBCBOoudySEWTEKZrUth8-9YKsqtOvxggQ6ftv8Xl1/w400-h266/2013-09-28+18.28.42.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: center;"><b>Landscape at Chikmagalur, Karnataka</b></div>Sandeep Shandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10271772844265880737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30242316.post-46367905577500712202021-01-01T14:47:00.002+05:302022-01-22T18:05:34.513+05:30Gujarat Trip: Brief Itinerary<p style="text-align: justify;">Here's the brief itinerary our Gujarat trip which was executed in December 2019. As mentioned, in my <a href="http://www.naanushande.com/2020/08/kuch-bin-hamne-bhi-bitaye-gujarat-mein.html">retrospect post</a> that Gujarat is quite a large state and has signature destination across all corners. We had to skip Statue of Unity, Mandvi, Diu, Junagad to accommodate Kutch (White Desert), Bhuj in our itinerary and had to be considerate about senior citizens and a small kid in our group.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJoxGky6fs0qeHEEuEf9vkeIN6Rd6LeRg-1SzLVJX2erc-Ik8AKQ2IuVDwBIXGfv9pldlsUwHq8bJDD9qZcRLk-c4XSFRaUzGV1DqzAH-uaOae8a-G3yJ0mI1y5Z7TVf-o2Vw/s699/Screenshot+2021-01-02+at+2.35.39+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="699" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJoxGky6fs0qeHEEuEf9vkeIN6Rd6LeRg-1SzLVJX2erc-Ik8AKQ2IuVDwBIXGfv9pldlsUwHq8bJDD9qZcRLk-c4XSFRaUzGV1DqzAH-uaOae8a-G3yJ0mI1y5Z7TVf-o2Vw/w640-h468/Screenshot+2021-01-02+at+2.35.39+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>
Day-0: 6th Dec 2019</b><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Departure from Bangalore and Arrival at Ahmedabad</li><li>Check-in at Toran Hotel (<i>in front of Sabarmati Ashram</i>)</li></ul><div><br /></div><b>Day-1: 7th Dec 2019</b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Early morning visit to Sabarmati Ashram</li><li>Started journey towards Dwarka</li><li>Stopover at Jamnagar in the evening - visited Ram dhun mandir and Lakhota lake/palace</li><li>Drive through Reliance refinery and stopover for dinner at a highway hotel</li><li>Reached Dwarka at 11.00 pm + and checked-in at Toran behind lighthouse</li></ul><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Day-2: 8th Dec 2019</b></div></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Drive to Okha and took a steamer to Bet Dwarka</li><li>Lunch at a low-brow eat out near Okha</li><li>Visit to Nageshwar Temple</li><li>Visit to Sunset point near Toran Hotel</li><li>Darshan at Dwarkdish temple to witnessed evening aarti - (<i>no cameras, mobiles allowed</i>)</li><li>Dinner at a small restaurant near Dwarka temple</li></ul><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Day-3: 9th Dec 2019</b></div></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Early morning wake-up and walked to Gomti Ghat and surrounding locations</li><li>Early morning darshan of Dwarkadish</li><li>Started drive towards Porbandar reached there by noon time</li><li>Visited Gandhiji's birth place</li><li>Started drive towards Somnath - lunch at a low-brow Dhabha</li><li>Stopover at Madapura beach for brief time</li><li>Reached Somnath at 6 pm and checked-in at Sagardarshan Guest house</li><li>Walked to Somnath temple but missed 7 pm aarti - (<i>no cameras, mobiles allowed</i>)</li><li>Watched sound & light show at 8 pm</li></ul><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Day-4: 10th Dec 2019</b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Early morning walk to Somnath temple and witnessed 7 am aarti</li><li>Had breakfast at cafeteria in Sagar Darshan guest house</li><li>Started drive towards Gir around 11 am</li><li>Lunch opposite to Gir safari reporting office</li><li>Started safari ride at 3 pm and it went up till 6 pm</li><li>Started drive towards Bhuj instead of staying overnight around Gir</li><li>Stayed overnight at Oyo hotel near Rajkot</li></ul><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Day-5: 11th Dec 2019</b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Continued journey towards Bhuj (<i>post breakfast</i>)</li><li>Lunch at a low-brow eat our near Bachao</li><li>Reached Bhuj around 4 pm and visited Aaina Mahal, Prag Mahal</li><li>Checked-in Hotel White Desert in Bhuj Cantonment</li><li>Dinner at one of the eateries near the hotel (<i>there were lot of options !</i>)</li></ul><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Day-6: 12th Dec 2019</b></div></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Started towards Dhordo (<i>post breakfast</i>)</li><li>Completed permit formalities at Bhirandiyara</li><li>Visit to Kaladungar - highest point in Kutch</li><li>Checked in at Toran Rann Resort and also at White Rann Resort</li><li>Visit to Zero point of White Desert (5 km drive) - Witnessed Sunset </li><li>Walked around the desert and witnessed Moon rise (<i>it was a full moon day !</i>)</li><li>Back to Hotel for dinner</li><li>Night drive to Zero point and witnessed the moonlight illuminated landscape</li></ul><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Day-7: 13th Dec 2019</b></div></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Early morning walk around Dhordo and witnessed sunrise</li><li>Re-visited zero point to experience landscape of white desert during broad daylight </li><li>Shopping of handicrafts, clothing at the exhibitions stalls at Dhordo (<i>next to Rann Utsav village</i>)</li><li>Started drive back to Ahmedabad</li><li>Reached Ahmedabad late night and checked-in at Toran Hotel</li></ul><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Day-8: 14th Dec 2019</b></div></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Early morning walk to Sabarmati Ashram</li><li>Visit to Akshardam Temple - no cameras, mobiles allowed</li><li>Lunch at Food court in the temple</li><li>Came back hotel and visited Sabarmati Ashram for shopping etc.</li><li>Took a late evening flight from Ahmedabad</li><li>Reached Bangalore around midnight</li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div>Hope this helps in planning your Gujarat trip. If you have any queries please post a comment here or send me an email at sandeep@shande.in </div></div><div><br /></div></div>Sandeep Shandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10271772844265880737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30242316.post-34560667457624763342020-08-10T15:00:00.000+05:302020-08-24T18:44:13.591+05:30Kuch bin hamne bhi bitaye Gujarat mein<div style="text-align: justify;">A trip to Gujarat was in my bucket list for a long time and it had got amplified with Amitabh Bachhan's <i>Kuch din bitaye Gujarat mein</i> promos. But my actual visit didn't get materialized for a long time and main blocker was exorbitantly high flight ticket prices during holiday seasons and multiple secondary reasons such as small kid at home, taking long leaves, etc. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmoMDw7PFt574raB3vz6zUFtEPuRiyWSMKrVWRGQJLDkRVGD5275Db81748y-78p1f2PMP6UgMrl4mFC03RlOMchYSDHzMHljbL709BVehbT8BtMJBlUSj7Mo3pgGRdjD8FfwC/s4608/IMG_20191209_082524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2074" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmoMDw7PFt574raB3vz6zUFtEPuRiyWSMKrVWRGQJLDkRVGD5275Db81748y-78p1f2PMP6UgMrl4mFC03RlOMchYSDHzMHljbL709BVehbT8BtMJBlUSj7Mo3pgGRdjD8FfwC/s640/IMG_20191209_082524.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Finally, in Nov 2019, when a flash airline ticket sale was happening for Go-Air and I applied my contrarian theory looked for prices of competitor airlines and there was a sweet deal in Spicejet in 1st week of December which synced with the basic motto of my travel - don't travel when others are traveling. Within matters of hours, I finalized the date of travel with Ramya, discussed my leave plan at the office, and booked the tickets Bangalore-Ahmadabad return without any concrete itinerary in mind. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Here a couple of points from my retrospect. </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;">Gujarat is a very large state and the signature locations on all corners. Plan your itinerary meticulously and have some buffer to make-up for unavoidable delays.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Initially, we didn't have White Rann on our travel list. But later we figured out that the week when we had planned the trip coinciding with the full moon day. This changed planning equations dramatically and later we had to give up on the newly unveiled Statue of Unity and Baroda city tour thinking it can be covered future visits to the state.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Food is never a compromise in Gujarat. Wherever you go, you will be served with nice Gujarati delicacies with <i>Sev Tamatar, Bhaigan masala, etc</i>. icing on the cake is complimentary/unlimited buttermilk they serve along with Thalis. I am sure it will keep your bowels going for the entire trip !</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Got to appreciate the professionalism of A to Z travel. Initially, I was discussing to book an entire tour package tour with them. Then later due to certain preferences w.r.t accommodation, I opted for only rented vehicle and as my per requirement they helped me with Seven Seater Innova with a carrier. </li><li style="text-align: justify;">Hats off to our driver Sunilbhai. He managed with us for a week and always spot on with the choice of his restaurants</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Full moon day at Kutch is a good experience. But the crowd on a full moon day was a big let down. Plus authorities switching off of mobile signals on that particular day created a lot of issues syncing with family members in a crowded place.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Please ensure that you stay close to White Rann at Dhordo village. The Rann Utsav package with 12K per person per night tariff for a large group was out of budget for us. Instead, we opted to adjacent places - Toran Rann Resort and Gateway To Rann Resort. Gateway to Rann is way better than Torann with respect to experience, food, etc.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Staying at Toran Ahmadabad was a prudent decision. We could cover Sabarmati Ashram during our early morning walk. esp. during Golden hours. Not to mention it saved us a couple of hours on a packed trip. </li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"> More details about the itinerary in a separate post.</div></div></div>Sandeep Shandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10271772844265880737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30242316.post-44332989141320764062020-08-09T23:59:00.007+05:302023-01-01T01:46:28.803+05:30Surviving the great lockdown !<div style="text-align: justify;">There are zillions of updates, articles written about unprecedented thing which has happened for last couple of months due COVID-19 pandemic. When the half of humanity was staying at home and many people rekindled their hobbies which lost in usual corporate rat race. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXSMmxI-NhOVqNJESTj2aacycPEhn2ZBRYWExBR2RVgJo2QfnMsPDrHsBTBLs0EzuJAoD1yv9DgKugyG0CmBCvxbtv3bcR2-SWAvSc70itU-UxhqFMoZiITssY4yN61kXOeTM/s4000/IMG_20200410_105316.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="4000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXSMmxI-NhOVqNJESTj2aacycPEhn2ZBRYWExBR2RVgJo2QfnMsPDrHsBTBLs0EzuJAoD1yv9DgKugyG0CmBCvxbtv3bcR2-SWAvSc70itU-UxhqFMoZiITssY4yN61kXOeTM/s640/IMG_20200410_105316.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For me as well, there was lot of urge within to re-look at blogging and post the write-ups which have been cold storage for ages. Somehow, the breaking-the-jinx blog post remained on edge of the fence. Finally, on Sunday morning (Aug 9th), I woke-up abruptly at 5:45 am from a dream something related to blogging (can't remember exactly) and got in front laptop without excuses to jot down things I will be posting in near future. The result of that is one of the blog post which you reading now :) </div><div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">The thought was to post something constructive and not related to usual travel/photography stuff, but in contrast some stuff which made tough lockdown period bearable. </div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Podcasts</b> </div></b></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">I had heard about podcast for long but never really gave a second thought what's it's really about and what will be there in it etc. Last year, I got introduced to it from wife Ramya's friend Naren at a lunch get together. Then, he had iterated that it's an ideal way for beating traffic stress and inturn do something constructive. I started listening from Attention Pliss podcast by one of the reknowned blogger and writer Arnab Ray and became a regular listener to this weekly podcast on current affairs. During this lockdown, I wanted something extra while doing mundane household chores and also during lonely walks around my home. To address this, I stumbled on a lovely podcast - <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/newslaundry-podcast/highway-on-my-podcast">Highway on my Podcast (HOMP)</a> by pioneers of Travel Shows - Rocky and Mayur along with show's director Abhinandan and cameraman Prashant. These guys have been my friends during this tough lockdown period and their state-wise episodes has helped relive all my amusing travel memories for last 15 years. Another interesting in the podcast is they encourage the listeners to share their experiences thru email and interestingly my email was recently read out in Diu/Daman episode. More on podcasts and recommendations in a separate blog post. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Ideal tool for Mopping</b> </div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">At the onset of lockdown period, I took up responsibility of sweeping and mopping at home. Initially, I used to do the stuff daily and later when it became monotonous I used the technique of listening to podcast make the most of time used for household chores. But with a 3 old year at home, the floor of the house used to get dirty within matter of hours. It's always tedious to do usual jhadu, pohcha thru the day and to address this issue, I bought the dry and wet mop from Amazon (details below). Since then at any point of the day, I can ensure that the floor at my home is tidy ! Coming to ROI, the break-even for this product is already achieved thru half of our maid's monthly salary :) </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Extended Screen</b> </div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">Work from Home can be stressful, esp. when you on critical path sharing your desktop screen with our colleagues for the whole day. Sharing is one part, but you will not be able to do any extra-curricular activity during micro-breaks. I was accustomed to work on split screen for a long time not only to have your "private space" during screen share sessions but also to improve your overall productivity when working individually. For this reason, I used to use my 32 inch TV whenever I used to occasionally work from home during pre-covid times. But somehow it didn't have the feel of the monitor which I used to have at office as the pixel density of a TV LED won't be made for viewing from a short distance. Later, during first week of walk March, when Covid made it's first strike in India there multiple speculations that we all may end-up WFH for long. Then, prudently or luckily rather before the lockdown period, I decided to order a BenQ monitor (details below) for seamless working experience at home. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Vegetable Cutter</b> </div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">When you are working from home, your lunch break-ups will be typically early around 1 pm and later around 4-5 pm there will be a craving to have some snacks. In office, you end up having snacky stuffs like bhel puri etc and emulating same stuff at home is not a cakewalk ! Somehow, during initial lockdown days, I squeezed some time from my work schedule to prepare churmuri, bhelpuri by cutting vegetables. Of all the tasks, cutting onions is one of critical task and takes lot of time. Of late, I hardly used to get time as cutting veggies as it takes around 20-30 minutes. Recently, I came across Butterfly's innovative non-electric vegetable cutter and ordered the same without any thoughts. Since then the vegetable cutting for churmuri is cut-short to less than 5 minutes !</div><div data-class="affiliateAdsByFlipkart" data-widgettype="productBanner" data-wrid="WRID-159699629029191636" height="240px" width="480px"></div><script async="" src="//affiliate.flipkart.com/affiliate/widgets/FKAffiliateWidgets.js"></script><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So these are couple of things which has made my lockdown period manageable. Please do share your thoughts and list !</div>
</div></div></div>Sandeep Shandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10271772844265880737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30242316.post-4304826856682135542018-12-31T23:09:00.001+05:302019-01-01T08:16:24.450+05:30What was different in 2018 ?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's time when you look back at happy gains and learnings from the year which is about to end. How about looking at the things which I experienced for the first time, did differently by breaking the jinx in 2018? I am sure all of you will have a similar list from your timeline and here's mine:</div>
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<b>Wild Card Entry at Tirumala: </b>Visiting Tirupathi and getting darshan of Lord Venkateshwara needs a lot of meticulous planning. I also did the same almost and was planning for darshan with my less than 1-year old infant, confirming whether they have restrictions like <a href="https://www.shridharmasthala.org/darshana/">Dharmasthala</a>. In contrast, Tirumala has something called <i>Supadha</i> entrance for people with special privileges and one of them is for parents with less than 1-year old infant. So, without much plan and a little bit of research (thanks to <a href="https://gotirupati.com/infant-entry-in-tirumala/">GoTirupathi</a> website) we landed up in Tirumala and had darshan of Lord Venkateshwara with a waiting period of 1 hour or so. More about this experience in a separate post.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Alipiri Gate Entrance to Tirumala</td></tr>
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<b>Sun touching Shivalinga at Gavi Gangadhareshwara temple:</b> Staying so close to the famous Gavigandhareshwara temple for last 20+ years, I could never witness the rare event of sun rays touching Shivalinga on Sankranti evening marking the entry into <i>Uttarayana</i>. But this year, I managed to break this jinx and credit mainly goes one <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Sundayapp/X3uvXrojiRaPr31fhf6IQI/The-mysteries-of-Bengalurus-famed-Gavi-Gangadhareshwara-tem.html">beautiful article in livemint</a> which was wired in my brain to provide a timely reminder. Actually, the common people are not allowed inside the temple due to space constraints and the proceedings are beamed live on a large screen at the <i class="">shamiyanas</i> outside the temple. Initially, we (me & <a href="http://ananthshayan.wordpress.com/">Ananth Shayan</a>) were a bit dejected for not being inside the temple, but being at a venue with a large crowd and listening live narration from the head priest made the event more memorable.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sun rays falling on Shivalinga</td></tr>
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<b style="text-align: justify;">Concluding proceedings of Bangalore Karaga:</b><span style="text-align: justify;"> I have managed to see initial proceedings of the famous Bangalore Karaga festival and also visit </span>to<span style="text-align: justify;"> the Dargah along with other temples in </span><i style="text-align: justify;">pete </i><span style="text-align: justify;">area. But witnessing the return of the Karaga to back to Dharamarayaswamy temple in early morning hours didn't materialize for long due to personal commitments, business travel etc. Before start of 2018, by I had earmarked dates of the festival in my calendar as it was falling on a weekend (Saturday night to Sunday morning). Apart from this, it was a long wait on the day of the festival as well. Due to last minute change in the Karaga bearer, the Karagashakti came out of the temple 3 hours late and the final proceedings at the temple were also delayed. Thanks to my friend </span><a href="http://ananthshayan.wordpress.com/" style="text-align: justify;">Anantha Shayan</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> for accompanying me to witness this festival yet again.</span><br />
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<b>Staying overnight at Nandi Hills:</b> I am sure most Bangaloreans would have been to Nandi Hills multiple times in their lifetime but not stayed there overnight due to limited availability of accommodation. There has been only one option i.e. KSTDC MayuranPine which had only 3 rooms and it's been tough getting a room there on weekends. Recently, they have brought booking of Gandhi Nilaya room on the same platform for increasing capacity. Earlier this year, when I took off for a day for my son's birthday this place turned out to be our obvious choice for having a unique getaway and being very far from the city. More about this experience in a separate post.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Late evening at Nandhi Hills</td></tr>
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<b>Witnessing Deepothsava at Bhogonandeeshwara Temple:</b> In last decade this famous temple next to Nandi Hills has become a must-visit destination if you are traveling around Nandi Area. Also, the location is quite famous for pre-wedding shoots and nowadays for kinda limited audience destination wedding near Bengaluru. And not many know that there is famous Deepothsava which happens here on last Monday of <i>Karthika </i>month. As it always falls on a weekday this event doesn't appear in calendars of many netizens of the city and also it clashes with famous Kadlekai Parischey festival in Basavanagudi. However, this time I managed to visit this along with my colleagues and actually, during peak hours the place was just 50 mins drive from our office Manyata Tech Park.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfLdrFx3cWc7gwbRd1CWOczV0kkh8oAk52JET_BsmpDAU154MS0D0CpRjEnCLX30qLKpMX0msxUSviL1oFy7v6YaVTUfEMiymo3jPzkf3sve8vHK0fPQelxawOYLJ0hCmBHrX/s1600/IMG_20181203_202359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfLdrFx3cWc7gwbRd1CWOczV0kkh8oAk52JET_BsmpDAU154MS0D0CpRjEnCLX30qLKpMX0msxUSviL1oFy7v6YaVTUfEMiymo3jPzkf3sve8vHK0fPQelxawOYLJ0hCmBHrX/s640/IMG_20181203_202359.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deepothsava at Bhoganandeeshwara Temple</td></tr>
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<b style="text-align: justify;">Kuvempu's home at Kuppalli:</b><span style="text-align: justify;"> Visting famous Kannada's poet home at Kuppali in Thirthalli taluk was in my bucket list for a long time. The place is only 17 </span>kms<span style="text-align: justify;"> from my hometown and I could not manage to be there being so close! Finally, when I had been Hariharpura to witness Deepothsava on Saturday, I ensured to leave a couple of hours early while driving back to Bangalore for having a stopover at Kuppalli.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kavimane at Kuppali</td></tr>
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<b>Visiting Mahabalipuram near Chennai: </b>I had been to Chennai several times but somehow a visit to Mahabalipuram remained in my bucklet list for long. But during one of my recent biz trip to Chennai, the trip materialized, thanks for my friend and award-winning blogger <a href="https://www.enidhi.net/">Shrinidhi Hande</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wIte05Jg7Cb6Bso4o36iXsBxbxlJ5xIKiMVYVM72G3FsnIgvUHNwPn8eVe_sdrgoo7YEEHBR9LvrcmpEgvoNO5x8T1_o9utuZWSiXfZNac0bY57C83pl_fkXQDi-BR5Q9l9e/s1600/IMG_20181215_073129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wIte05Jg7Cb6Bso4o36iXsBxbxlJ5xIKiMVYVM72G3FsnIgvUHNwPn8eVe_sdrgoo7YEEHBR9LvrcmpEgvoNO5x8T1_o9utuZWSiXfZNac0bY57C83pl_fkXQDi-BR5Q9l9e/s640/IMG_20181215_073129.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pancharathas at Mahabalipuram</td></tr>
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<b style="text-align: justify;">Managing without a Facebook app on mobile:</b><span style="text-align: justify;"> Once upon a </span>time<span style="text-align: justify;">, Facebook used to be a handy app on mobiles esp. when I used to manage activities at Bangalore Photowalk. But in recent times the amount of noise to signal has increased multi-fold and browsing Facebook on mobile was mainly unproductive. It was so sub-consciously addictive that I was not able to avoid it. But the decisive step was taken when I did a factory reset on my smartphone due to some issue with </span>an upgrade<span style="text-align: justify;"> of software. Later, while re-installing all necessary, apps I thought of how about managing without facebook app for a couple of days. Now, it's been a couple of months and I am alive without </span>the Facebook<span style="text-align: justify;"> app on mobile. For any FB requirement, I </span>occasionally login<span style="text-align: justify;"> thru browser on laptop/mobile. And for any photo sharing and </span>updates<span style="text-align: justify;">, Instagram is sufficient anyday!</span><br />
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<b style="font-weight: bold;">Traveling to and fro to office without a motorized vehicle: </b>Cycling to-n-fro to office has been in my to-do list for a long time but due to fear of traffic, cycling in the night time, weather conditions made this act postponed indefinitely. In fact, I made an attempt for this in Dec 2015, but I could complete the loop in a day as I was too tired and later after 2 days I had a horrible experience in pollution, traffic while making return journey after 2 days. This year, the decisive decision taken when I got stuck in a cab at Hebbal Flyover for an hour around 12 noon due useless white topping work at outer ring road. The jam was so much that after passing thru the bottleneck Google maps sent me a notification for rating my visit Hebbal BMTC depot! Anyways, post this day I have done multiple trips (once a week) to the office on a cycle and experience has been rejuvenating. And major credit should go<a href="http://iwearlumos.com/India/"> Lumos cycling bagpack</a> which brings in all confidence for cycling in the night time. More about this bag in a separate blog post.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTu_oeQ3GzZeibZfzZv_9tl0xCjfqv_fkvCWbO-1ILBTVYq6hyphenhyphenNCJI-_SEV6A6gcNB2i0H3Fsdt99KAb5XsbL9ym8c-OOt3YLmJqPwrep5jexfzJNzBxVgUVN1wfc5T1dsZ8O/s1600/Picture1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="987" data-original-width="1265" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTu_oeQ3GzZeibZfzZv_9tl0xCjfqv_fkvCWbO-1ILBTVYq6hyphenhyphenNCJI-_SEV6A6gcNB2i0H3Fsdt99KAb5XsbL9ym8c-OOt3YLmJqPwrep5jexfzJNzBxVgUVN1wfc5T1dsZ8O/s640/Picture1.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b> <b>No visit to a cinema hall:</b> Courtesy Amazon Prime and other video-on-demand sites I didn't have the need to visit a cinema hall. And also with an infant at home, it would be difficult to be at a hall just for experience purpose.<br />
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And lastly, not writing even a single blog post - well, it was almost there and I managed not to have this in the above list by composing this post to summarize different things which happened in 2018.<br />
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Happy new year to everyone ! Looking forward for having much more eventful 2019!</div>
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Sandeep Shandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10271772844265880737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30242316.post-9211485060580811412017-11-26T23:32:00.001+05:302017-11-27T11:48:42.719+05:30Axis of Traverse in Bengaluru, Finally<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcw11il_wyc8DbSehIM5lIT9A8DMF1ZlnBntO9hhE0qOUE4Nxww4eUm3bXhRSRwJ8XXmi2HagO9fKemX7r68oDzSPsJ3hpJfUT1Bz4tp6x6RrzVIxyy9wqD80CuONIF5mv9onQ/s1600/IMG_20160501_104030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="920" height="473" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcw11il_wyc8DbSehIM5lIT9A8DMF1ZlnBntO9hhE0qOUE4Nxww4eUm3bXhRSRwJ8XXmi2HagO9fKemX7r68oDzSPsJ3hpJfUT1Bz4tp6x6RrzVIxyy9wqD80CuONIF5mv9onQ/s640/IMG_20160501_104030.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Underground Metro Station (<i>pic taken from my mobile</i>)</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: #fafafa; white-space: pre-wrap;">It's been a hibernation for more than a year, with other priorities in life, blogging went into back burner for a long time. I was deliberating on the post to rekindle to saga of blogging to some extent, and ended up chosing this topic which has made an impact on most of the people in the city for last one year. Public transport has been one of my favourite topics which is evident from my previous post on <a href="http://www.naanushande.com/2009/02/going-to-office-by-bmtc.html">BMTC</a>, <a href="http://www.naanushande.com/2009/02/going-to-office-by-bmtc.html">Suburban Rail in Bengaluru</a> and also on <a href="http://www.naanushande.com/2013/01/connecting-dots-to-solve-traffic-problem.html">Sustainable Transport</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fafafa; white-space: pre-wrap;">The city of Bengaluru has finally has the axis of traversing. In yesteryears, there used to a word of wisdom for a new comer in the city "<i>w</i></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>hen you get lost in the city take a bus to Majestic from the nearest bus stop and you will reach your destination conveniently</i>". </span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; white-space: pre-wrap;">With the completion of Phase-1 of Namma Metro in June 2017, there is definitely a paradigm shift. And the word of wisdom no longer valid and the new one would be "g<i>et to the nearest metro station to reach your destination</i>".</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fafafa; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Long Wait for South Bengaluru:</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafafa; white-space: pre-wrap;">In Phase-1, the southern part was last to get completed. Somehow it's been a jinx with this part of city which doesn't even have a railway station and suburban train options. Unlike other locations. Baiyappahalli, Yeswantpur, Nayadahalli have seen <i>chiku buku</i> in their neighborhood for ages. The development as expected nothing short of controversy. The route from South End Circle to 9th Block faced lot of protest as it would destroy lush green cover through Lakshman Rao Park on Jayanagar 4th Main. There were many campaigns to take the route underground preserving the unique green cover. But the metro authorities ensured that loss of trees in only negligible which is evident in the below photograph!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAWM61_6m4hY0_4kMk7LEhJ7EtbOVr_dx4U1xrrRqNnxJr_Lvwf15pmr6wfyq-lJIqccxo-BHuqTPLu3kWFxG2I6q2vITIqQRFMGZ6kGwPwANt1_CRaTw5ZKhRXrd6SwiRJ0X/s1600/FB_IMG_1498452806938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="1024" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAWM61_6m4hY0_4kMk7LEhJ7EtbOVr_dx4U1xrrRqNnxJr_Lvwf15pmr6wfyq-lJIqccxo-BHuqTPLu3kWFxG2I6q2vITIqQRFMGZ6kGwPwANt1_CRaTw5ZKhRXrd6SwiRJ0X/s640/FB_IMG_1498452806938.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top view of RV Road station (source: not sure, not able to make it from copyright)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background-color: #fafafa; white-space: pre-wrap;">The weekend of the inauguration: </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">I had grand plans of traveling all four terminating stations on the weekend of inauguration of fully completed Phase-1. On the inaugural day (June 17th) the metro was not open to public and next day ended spending my entire day in hospital and labor room welcoming the new member in our family. The delivery happened two weeks in advance and all my plans went for a toss with other priorities :) This will definitely be an amusing tale for my little one when he has mind of his own.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsXIv_zbxC6EDccfAOKsu3WREeBNpPmzWRDIPZed0yXgOcgPInbUGE4eT36HkjCE2OIWEDzZeBcBu0bBPAObCBA6S4wLrQNywOXlnx1ZoGG1iYcBEEq6JN2kvPeWkSxVHBa4EG/s1600/national+college.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1213" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsXIv_zbxC6EDccfAOKsu3WREeBNpPmzWRDIPZed0yXgOcgPInbUGE4eT36HkjCE2OIWEDzZeBcBu0bBPAObCBA6S4wLrQNywOXlnx1ZoGG1iYcBEEq6JN2kvPeWkSxVHBa4EG/s640/national+college.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside National Colleage Metro (pic tken from y mobile)</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>First Ride from South Bangalore:</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">My first ride from South Bengaluru happened on day of the discharge of my little one when I took the metro from National College (nearest station from my home) to Soap Factory (nearest station to hospital). I was very excited to see the things getting materialized, especially after witnessing the construction of National College Station from the time of installation of sign board in 2004 saying "Proposed Site of the Station" and experiencing in numerous traffic snarls due to the diversion of traffic during construction.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsbiKleHeNX8sINcru3M1eqjPibh9fg5jZXPT7Cn3Vno0_j8FEsSFCzc-udfbEUe4iMIGaQ7kwpk-34C7YHAHRvqQE0w_xF2v7wLJvy4_1S4Mh39qeXUXoCQQB6_CRfLGeSnaR/s1600/IMG_20170625_110758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1213" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsbiKleHeNX8sINcru3M1eqjPibh9fg5jZXPT7Cn3Vno0_j8FEsSFCzc-udfbEUe4iMIGaQ7kwpk-34C7YHAHRvqQE0w_xF2v7wLJvy4_1S4Mh39qeXUXoCQQB6_CRfLGeSnaR/s640/IMG_20170625_110758.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me in Front of KR Market Station (pic taken by Ananth Shayan)</td></tr>
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<b style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Subsequent Rides:</b></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The next weekend I managed to have a joy ride with </span>Photography<span style="font-family: inherit;"> buddy Ananth Shayan. We </span>took<span style="font-family: inherit;"> the metro from Mantri Square and landed up in KR Market. In search of our favorite hangout Anand Vihar for </span>breakfast<span style="font-family: inherit;"> which has shifted by giving way its original space to KR Market station, we ended up going to Tippu's </span>armoury. The is place<span style="font-family: inherit;"> which is in a neglected </span>state in contrast to<span style="font-family: inherit;"> one near Srirangapatna which was in limelight recently for being shifted by some foreign experts to make way of doubling from railway line from Bengaluru to Mysuru. After our small </span>sighseeing and breakfast<span style="font-family: inherit;">, the return back to Malleswaram was an </span>arduous<span style="font-family: inherit;"> task. Almost all the </span>trains<span style="font-family: inherit;"> from Yelchenanahalli towards Malleswaram were fully packed with </span>first time<span style="font-family: inherit;"> riders from South Bangalore. After making attempts 2-3 times, we took the metro in opposite direction and boarded our train to Malleswaram from the point of origin. The typical 'best practice' which has been frequently followed by commuters in Mumbai Local </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">when they take the local towards Churchgate, CST as it is impossible to board the train at intermediate stations.</span></span></div>
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<b style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Key Highlights:</b></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Effortless Saturday ride:</u> Traveling from my home (Basavanagudi) to my in-laws' place (Kumara Park) have been nightmare especially on Saturday evening, when the folks who don't take out their cars on weekdays, will end up being on the road for the weekend shopping. With the advent of the metro, the nightmare has been annulled as I can bypass all jams and travel from National College to Matri Square in 9 mins flat with additional 2*(10-15) mins walk for first and last mile connectivity!</span></li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Ola Auto for first-mile connectivity:</u> I have opted from Ola Auto whenever I am supposed to reach time my destination on/before time. Getting the auto to the doorstep and finish the first-mile commute without any bargaining and cash payment business has been a fair option. The perennial problem of auto guys not coming for shorter rides has been solved effectively with this option.</span></li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Personal work in MG Road:</u> One day I had to be in MG Road on a weekday for small personal work. With metro + ola auto option I managed to reach my destination in less than 25 minutes without hassles of waiting for a cab, surge pricing etc.</span></li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Reaching for a meet-up in Cubbon Park:</u> On a Saturday, I had a meet-up with my Photography Society executive members. After getting delayed in morning due to unavoidable reasons, I managed to reach the spot with only 5 minutes delay, again with Metro + Ola Auto option</span></li>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Key Lowlights:</span></b></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Feeder service from BMTC:</u> The feeder service has been a big disappointment especially with respect to choice of routes and stops. For e.g. if I want to opt for feeder service from my home National college metro, I end-up more walking than actually the traveling in the bus. Not sure why BMTC is behind BMRCL for compensating them for the service which doesn't serve majority of metro users. Only silver lining are the cute small orange bus (<i>Samparka</i> service), which has been effectively designed with low floor boarding, space for standing/sitting etc.</span></li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Mushrooming of high rise:</u> All major players in Bengaluru real estate market are trying to encash with metro providing faster mode of connectivity. Over last couple of years, the Guidance Value and FAR Ratio have been increased at the location around existing or upcoming metro stations. Also, majority of the projects have been opportunistic, like the ugly 25+ high rise next to Mantri Mall and Station with a price tag 3.5 crore+. Not sure if the people who can afford homes with such a price tag would really opt for travel by metro ?</span></li>
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With phase-1 just completed, we will still have a long way to go before metro connects all key locations in the city. May be we will see light at end of the tunnel when majority of people of my generation are close to retirement ! :) I will be periodically refreshing this post with latest experiences and updates.</div>
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How has been your experience with metro so far ? Feel free to comment below for your stories.</div>
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Sandeep Shandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10271772844265880737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30242316.post-26397402777083336222016-10-31T11:41:00.002+05:302016-10-31T11:41:38.395+05:30Askew: Where going forward resembles going backward<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbdKniTolpESee9v3ISG5bmm7EOVWtVg3fbmM7AcjOhRzgpP8ydEXaRYXp32vQp7fXqJ3NPQKpt8ugHpo8-YJHxrnUtecAH1VJp2OZ138d6ZaZQzllSVFAgDB58bdtdAipSSr/s1600/Askew-forBlog.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbdKniTolpESee9v3ISG5bmm7EOVWtVg3fbmM7AcjOhRzgpP8ydEXaRYXp32vQp7fXqJ3NPQKpt8ugHpo8-YJHxrnUtecAH1VJp2OZ138d6ZaZQzllSVFAgDB58bdtdAipSSr/s640/Askew-forBlog.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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While reading about the debate/discussions about proposed SteelFlyover in Bangalore from Chalukya Hotel to Hebbal, I stumbled upon an article in NewsMinute - <a href="http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/how-bangalore-went-cosy-town-urban-nightmare-thanks-gladiatorial-it-boom-51775">How Bangalore went from cosy town to an urban nightmare</a>. The article which was actually an excerpt from the book <b>Askew: A Short Biography of Bangalore</b> by T. J. S. George concluded with following the lines.</div>
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It used to be a city in peace with itself. It was now a bundle of contradictions, a battleground of competing constituencies, where going forward resembles going backward.</div>
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The lines struck the right chord in my mind was very relevant to the ongoing discussions. Without any second thoughts and I bought the kindle version of the book well before the official launch of the hardcover version. The biography weaves multiple amusing stories which have made unique value-system of the city and also led to the deterioration of the same. It discusses city's history, personalities, culture, novel enterprises, IT boom and many more things. The author expresses concern about the new type of virtual plague which is close to inevitable and primarily happening due to the greed of elected representatives and bureaucrats.</div>
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Some of the key highlights of the narrative are:</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: justify;">Bangalore is following the same pattern of development as other deteriorated cities - which is build and enjoy, overbuild and suffer, collapse and complain, and then become argumentative of what happened. </li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: justify;">The city made its mark on the word map thru IT revolution and it changed the name of city from a noun to a verb. This overnight transformation coupled with myopic policies of elected representatives has made the city unbearable. In contrast, Silicon Valley and Boston didn't lose its charm while adopting modern enterprises. </li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">The builders of the city in yesteryears were selfless to the core. Lakshman Rao who had architected Jayanagar, died in 2005 without owning a house or site in Bengaluru. The cost per sqft was only one rupee when the best neighborhood in Asia was laid out in 1948. Just imagine how much assets he could have made just by hoarding parcels of land created by him ?</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">There used to be an orderly development of thru live-where-you-work principle followed by PSUs. IT tore this system apart by building fancy ivory towers without giving a thought on living and commuting needs of employees.</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">Within the boundaries of tradition there's a scope for innovation and enterprise - this has been beautifully narrated thru the story South Indian restaurants (i.e. MTR, Vidhyarthi Bhavan etc) set-up by Udupi Brahmins.</li>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: justify;">Amusing story of R Prabhakar, a consumer activist and guide/mentor behind the Darshini model low-brow eat-outs starting from Cafe Darshinis to latest being Bye-two coffee set-up by Raghvendra Padukone.</li>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: justify;">There's a big question mark on the scope for fresh enterprises in the city. The heirs of billionaires Rohan Murthy, Siddharth Mallya have managed find their green pasture elsewhere. </li>
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There are more such interesting things which make the book an engrossing read ! Do <a href="https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/9384067210/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=3638&creative=24630&creativeASIN=9384067210&linkCode=as2&tag=shaexplifunl-21&linkId=dfe9917504fe12290c38a8e09b22f2d6">order your copy at Amazon</a>.</div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-in.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=IN&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=shaexplifunl-21&marketplace=amazon&region=IN&placement=9384067210&asins=9384067210&linkId=8de0ce35e8007a5113e4343a7d81d208&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=false&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"> </iframe>
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Sandeep Shandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10271772844265880737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30242316.post-35028771032633574312016-07-01T10:20:00.001+05:302018-02-02T21:57:33.565+05:30Monsoon trip to Nandi Hills<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Landscape view besides Yoga Nadeeshwara Temple</td></tr>
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It was a trip to mark 10 years of blogging and by reiterating the same trip which had led to my very first blog post. For several reasons, I had a lot of things to compare and contrast between the two trips - mentioned in <a href="http://www.naanushande.com/2016/06/a-decade-to-cherish.html">my anniversary post</a>. We started from the city in relaxed manner post 12 noon and as expected the traffic towards our destination was very lean. Within no time we managed reached the airport interchange toll booth that too driving with conservative speed.</div>
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<b>Lunch at India Paratha House:</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">India Paratha House</td></tr>
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As per our plan, we had a stopover for lunch at India Paratha House which comes after Devanahalli town junction. The eat-out or rather hangout place was brimming with all genres of people - youngsters, families etc. The wooden structure and rot-iron/wooden furniture made up a unique ambiance which was blending perfectly with surrounding environment. The menu comprised various types of stuff parathas, q-parathas and pizza like <i>parantzas</i>. The parathas, chai and lassis filled our stomach optimally and kept us energized for rest of the day.</div>
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<b>Getting to the Top:</b></div>
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After taking a deviation at Nandi Cross we continued our journey to the top. The stretch from the highway to the base of the hill is longer a countryside. There are several real estate developments or being planned. Not sure if we need a golf course, so many layouts and villas at green belt which has soil ideally suited for growing fruits. It's unfortunate to see developers encashing on disposable income of people without valuing the ecology of the sensitive area which is the source of 3 rivers - Arkavathy, Palar and Pennar.</div>
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<b>At the top:</b></div>
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We entered into the Nandi Hills by paying Rs. 100 parking and entry fee. Immediately after the parking our car in front of Gandhi Nilaya, one of the monkeys jumped on the top of our car and started licking the top and glass panes. The parking attendant mentioned that due to scarcity of fresh water bodies on the monkey was desperate to consume the droplets :)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDsKR92CDYekNen-qo2Bcscpt4oSdRDK6NvRWkJmsiOHw8oiSPRsBo3e2OOnTStxuj-fW8EIB4Khy3v6gEdLlAqgPYQJNzpo1BgoLH-qj2vEdLclHexvLZvXF6nYd_TM9qIl7/s1600/IMG_20160625_150626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="473" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDsKR92CDYekNen-qo2Bcscpt4oSdRDK6NvRWkJmsiOHw8oiSPRsBo3e2OOnTStxuj-fW8EIB4Khy3v6gEdLlAqgPYQJNzpo1BgoLH-qj2vEdLclHexvLZvXF6nYd_TM9qIl7/s640/IMG_20160625_150626.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monkey licking water drops</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: #ffd9de;"><b style="background-color: white;">A hill with many attractions:</b></span></div>
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Since I was visiting Nandi Hills after a lot of years, was very keen to experience of catching the glimpse of downhills landscape from sky decks which were constructed in recent times. After clicking a few photographs from the deck, we had a stroll towards Gandhi Nilaya, the rest house where Gandhiji had stayed during his visit to Bangalore. Further ahead, we came across a small temple dedicated to Nandi(Nellikai Basavanna). Besides that there was an ashrama where some swami had meditated for a <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">year. It started raining for a brief spell of time, since we had equipped ourselves pretty well, didn't face any issues during sightseeing.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnldXhad7gd4d77oH-vvfn65NnLuVYC9FggUTFs1Gn3uW03snIWMRlNM9PohtIFFsaizLs5ssGGlYW3KJSVG8nXb0cEUgIAQ48YUMPcvD4z_MK5_X9cbwfogJb_VLlLhdRvGca/s640/IMG_20160625_174033_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cubbon House - Nehru Nilaya</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">One of the major landmarks on the hills is Cubbon House - a guest house constructed in 19th century by Mark Cubbon, where he used to stay during summers. Post Independence, this house was renamed as Nehuru Nilaya and was the venue for SAARC summit in 1986.</span></div>
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<b>Yoga Nandeeshwara <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Temple</span>:</b></div>
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We offered prayers at Yoga Nadeeshwara Temple which is close to Tippu drop. While buying some fancy items inside the temple, we struck an interesting conversation with one of <i>pujaris</i> of the temple. Conversation revolved around philosophical discussions such as : 'Why we have so many gods ?', 'What is this supreme power' etc. Later we came to know that he is native of Mangalore and has been staying at Nandi hills close to 45 years. Previously, he was managing the Mayura Hotel and later when the government took over the hotel, he moved on to <i>pujari's</i> job at the temple.</div>
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<b>Hill Station Experience:</b></div>
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Post 5 pm it suddenly turned very misty. It provided us an experience at typical hill station like Ooty, Kodaikanal, Coorg and Chickmagalur.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6Eg1_7II-L9dOAXJO5n-EXLfG3eqLFCFqdkgzM7GHxtOo_F-E0O2hz8hLhuc-omWl1QKynWIsgSL9sdKgLSiey897uv0h4lnXFIDicJDyrqRdLPwwxe9A9Bxcele2JplBnBP/s1600/IMG_20160625_174731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6Eg1_7II-L9dOAXJO5n-EXLfG3eqLFCFqdkgzM7GHxtOo_F-E0O2hz8hLhuc-omWl1QKynWIsgSL9sdKgLSiey897uv0h4lnXFIDicJDyrqRdLPwwxe9A9Bxcele2JplBnBP/s640/IMG_20160625_174731.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Engulfed in Mist</td></tr>
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<b>To Conclude:</b></div>
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We started our downhill journey around 6 pm. Due to time constraints we could not explore a few landmarks but will ensure to cover it in our next trip.<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The trip which was </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0); font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">planned to be an obligatory visit to the hills, s</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">urprisingly turned out to be very fruitful experience. Also, felt sorry to witness unwanted real estate development around ecologically and historically significant place close to Bangalore. Hope the sanity prevails and the place is preserved for generations to witness !</span></div>
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Sandeep Shandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10271772844265880737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30242316.post-971020058751817392016-06-25T10:33:00.000+05:302016-06-26T23:00:02.371+05:30A decade to Cherish !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's been exactly 10 years since I have been sharing my experiences and thoughts on this platform. The journey has been amusing with a lot of things happening in life w.r.t. personal and professional front and not to mention about endeavours related to travel and photography !</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screenshot of my first blog post</td></tr>
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For last one month, I was contemplating on how to celebrate this accomplishment. Many thoughts ran through. Whether I should post cliched a blog-post with a birthday cake or post some statistics or do some retrospect. In the process, while going through my old archives I just had a glance at my very first post which was about a trip to Nandi Hills. Then an idea struck - why not visit Nandi Hills to celebrate the moment and also it would be good to share by comparing and contrasting the experience of visiting the same place 10 years back.</div>
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<b>Key Observations:</b><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: justify;">The routes to Nandi Hills from Bangalore has changed drastically. In 2006, there wasn't an elevated expressway or expressways. The main reason can be attributed to the development of Bengaluru International Airport at Devanahalli. I guess in 2006, the construction of the airport was still in progress we hardly knew Bangalore beyond Hebbal flyover.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">With the shifting in epi-center of the city, it was disheartening to see multiple high rises around Hebbal flyover. In 2006, there were only two promiment structure around the flyover: One was Godrej apartment and other was 'clone of petronas tower' at a fair distance. Now the every inch of available land has been constructed or under constructed.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">There were no decent restaurants enroute to the destination. In 2006, we had breakfast at a hotel next to Devanahalli bus-stand and only other decent option was Mayura pine-top at the Nandi Hills. Now there are 'n' options to choose.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">There are several developments atop Nandi Hills as well, the sky decks at various corners of Nandi Hills is one of the significant addition.</li>
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The comparisons continued flashing back to memories of the trip 10 years back and to the real time experiences. More about my latest trip in my next post.</div>
Sandeep Shandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10271772844265880737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30242316.post-10795919371220026022016-06-24T21:45:00.000+05:302016-06-24T22:03:46.591+05:30Experience of Reliance Jio 4G<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Reliance Jio is soon to be launched LTE 4g service in India. The official launch of the service is still months away, however the network is live and Reliance employees have been using it for last 6 months and recently they made it made open to outside through invite only system. I grabbed the opportunity of promotional offer through my friend On Ali who works at Reliance Jio.</div>
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<b>Key Observations:</b></div>
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<li>I have using the service for over a month. The network connectivity so good I have never bothered to connect the phone to home WiFi.</li>
<li>Voice calls which works on VoLTE is decent. But sometimes when the network connection is jittery the calling app fails.</li>
<li>Major minus point is that you can use the network only on LYF+ smartphones. There have been occasional crashes. But it is pretty decent phone.</li>
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<b>Instances where the service was truly a boon</b></div>
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<li>One day in evening, I was all set to leave office and was planning to catch up 2nd innings of IPL qualifier match between RCB and Gujarat Lions. Suddenly, I get a call from one of directors that there is some escalation on a deliverable and we are supposed to have an urgent fire fighting call with a WebEx session. I had to stay back in office itself by projecting my screen on WebEx. I didn't have room to see latest scores in Cricinfo :). But the hotstar app on my LYF Jio came for rescue and I was able to witness the ultimate chase led by AB deviliers on my mobile in the meeting room !</li>
<li>Recently when we shifted our home, the broadband FTTH from ACT took more than a week to be set-up and 4-5 days to reactivate. The Jio connection with mobile hotspot turned out be back-up connection at home</li>
<li>Due to delay in shifting of DTH connection, I used to play the TV channels thru Jio play on mobile and cast the content on home TV thru Chromecast. I ensured that my mother doesn't miss out her daily soap serials.</li>
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<b>Looking forward:</b></div>
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<li>Speed of the Connection: Currently I am getting around 20 Mbps (sometimes 30 Mbps) speed at stationary location. Not sure this speed can be sustained post public launch when more number of users will be alive on the network.</li>
<li>How the pricing will be post the public launch. I currently have two months to experience complementary service.</li>
<li>Experience of buying new connection: I felt the executives at Reliance Digital didn't look that prepared for handling customer avaling new connection. There were quite a few tedious things to be done on Reliance's enterprise apps before activating a connection.</li>
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<b>Screenshot of the network speed through Netvelocity</b></div>
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Note: This entire blog post was composed and published on LYF+ phone on jio connection.</div>
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Sandeep Shandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10271772844265880737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30242316.post-44516564301134600362016-05-22T16:33:00.000+05:302016-06-23T10:22:43.974+05:30U-Turn by Pawan Kumar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJX5jJvNoefSFwPNsuEpvu1-F8S4wjdVknJh4MbSoEO4LqjZoo7uZVLpajJpfrDfWbLaVOtA5Vx5vcZSC4gIjeSyVa7ZXgPKA8Q3Z4VfxQiraaLOOBuLpn_v23yXmzXN-Z3SF/s1600/Eng-Work-02-Eng.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJX5jJvNoefSFwPNsuEpvu1-F8S4wjdVknJh4MbSoEO4LqjZoo7uZVLpajJpfrDfWbLaVOtA5Vx5vcZSC4gIjeSyVa7ZXgPKA8Q3Z4VfxQiraaLOOBuLpn_v23yXmzXN-Z3SF/s400/Eng-Work-02-Eng.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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After critical acclaim and commercial success of <a href="http://www.naanushande.com/2013/09/the-lucia-experience.html">Lucia</a>, the young creative director from Kannada Film Industry is back in business with latest flick <a href="http://www.uturnthefilm.com/">U-turn</a>. Initially, his venture post Lucia was supposed to do on a theme related to Nicotone. Due to lack of funding, the director decided to do a literal U-turn and decided to make this movie. </div>
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The story of the movie is based on acts of people on Bengaluru's most in famous flyover connecting Double Road, Lalbagh Road, Richmond Road and Residency Road. The flyover is hopelessly designed to an extent that Bengaluru traffic police had to introduce a traffic signal atop to make it operational !
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Google map screen shot of the flyover :)</td></tr>
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I was among the first set of audience to watch this movie at premiere show at Cineopolis, Meenakshi Mall on 20th May. Had got the ticket thru online contest conducted by United Square who're official sellers of T-shirt merchandiser of the film.<br />
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The following things are noteworthy in the film:</div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">Initial credit sequence with inverted frame and Karma background score.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Cinematography through Drones: Top shot of the flyover during interval. I guess this should be made by folks from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/topshotindia/">Topshot</a>.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Roger Narayan: Hollywood actor playing the role of an inspector. He dominates the screen with his natural performance. The actor who had spent his formative years in Bangalore had acted as a child artiste in films like <b>Akasmika</b> and <b>SP Sangliana</b>. [<a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kannada/movies/news/Hollywood-actor-is-hero-of-Kannada-film/articleshow/50830489.cms">source</a>]</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Last but not the least - the message from the movie. It would make lot of difference even if 10-20% people avoid breaking traffic rules on road.</li>
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Things which didn't work for me:</div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">Climax: I felt something was missing in it. It could have been made more believable. But after discussing with blogging buddy Raveesh, I felt super-natural option was logical for the script and going by natural route would have made the story-line more complex. Do read review of Raveesh at <a href="http://www.raveeshkumar.com/2016/05/u-turn-simple-and-thrilling.html">U-Turn: Simple and Thrilling</a> and QnA session organized by Pawan in the embedded video below where he answers lot of queries on the climax :)</li>
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<b>Video Q and A Organized by Pawan Kumar:</b></div>
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<b>Trailer of the film:</b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kdh5P8dtMXA" width="560"></iframe></div>
Sandeep Shandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10271772844265880737noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30242316.post-77008017450960931962016-05-01T01:08:00.002+05:302016-05-01T01:08:49.574+05:30Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In hot summer days of 2014, we were in Trichy for a weekend to attend wedding of our photography buddy Narayanan Vinoba. On the sidelines of the wedding we covered a few destinations around the city and one among them was Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple at temple town - Srirangam.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gopuram and settlement of the temple town</td></tr>
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The temple is one of the three temples of Lord Ranganatha situated in natural islands of river Kaveri. The first one - Adi Ranga is at Srirangapattana, the second one - Madhya Ranga at Shivanasamudra and third/final one - Anthya Ranga at Srirangam.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPVPM_hcr_gaLgwP6vzZ2VRiriD13jYYR_F75DL7p12PTtMeF6DeuJUNq2Czk48CH0UqjluOJH6GFHo-t_27_Qrg7tFWiI6X_ffLUU9h7UNucW_o4snvgXP91YHkTEDzHTThoJ/s1600/20140412-DSC_0251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPVPM_hcr_gaLgwP6vzZ2VRiriD13jYYR_F75DL7p12PTtMeF6DeuJUNq2Czk48CH0UqjluOJH6GFHo-t_27_Qrg7tFWiI6X_ffLUU9h7UNucW_o4snvgXP91YHkTEDzHTThoJ/s640/20140412-DSC_0251.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gopuram at outermost Prakaram - The 240 ft high structure is highest gopuram in India</td></tr>
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The temple size is enormous with a 156 acres complex. The largest functioning temple in the world has seven prakaras or enclosures with 21 gopurams magnificent towers providing a unique perspective. The inner five prakaras function as temple and outer two as settlement. The 240 feet high gopuram at outermost prakaram is the highest in India, higher than the eighteen story <a href="http://www.naanushande.com/2014/04/temple-tower-at-murdeshwar.html">gopuram at Murdeshwar</a>.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMcj2WVJk9yYp-EoU3REgigGYFr6JhsSXg6UGX6yr9Praryt9PidtOABKqMpm61HDdGtgWVzDKbaHIxxQR2jqb8vR4jt4qOBlLPEcSCWhsj8afpCnmvNloteKMMAOwKqSyVnEk/s1600/20140412-DSC_0269.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMcj2WVJk9yYp-EoU3REgigGYFr6JhsSXg6UGX6yr9Praryt9PidtOABKqMpm61HDdGtgWVzDKbaHIxxQR2jqb8vR4jt4qOBlLPEcSCWhsj8afpCnmvNloteKMMAOwKqSyVnEk/s640/20140412-DSC_0269.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the tower viewpoint. One has to pay additional amount Rs. 50 for getting this to view point.</td></tr>
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One can get massive feel of temple complex by getting to designated photography viewpoint. The entrance to this place is from one of the inner prakaras and one has to pay an entry fee Rs. 50 for getting to the top.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVFYWe_BsR4kTt5LumczVA2Za9UG7O85rKBMle5Z-ty2mE_eo7iacKJ9XvJhCqMf8ojJRSM2_DCTWfu8KT5zKPelTur011cxauPVEORAr8_Ir2sAieLyk80VseBNq02fgpMi9/s1600/20140412-DSC_0259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVFYWe_BsR4kTt5LumczVA2Za9UG7O85rKBMle5Z-ty2mE_eo7iacKJ9XvJhCqMf8ojJRSM2_DCTWfu8KT5zKPelTur011cxauPVEORAr8_Ir2sAieLyk80VseBNq02fgpMi9/s640/20140412-DSC_0259.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">A gopuram at one of the inner prakaras<br />
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The temple perenially crowded with devotees. One has to spend sufficient amount of time for darshan of the deity. We could not wait till the darshan time of 7.30 pm, since we had to get back to Narayanan's reception ceremony. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VCKDyv3uxEvT7wSjIejqAMC44b8s-qTW_ggU0Fbo1_LGk1k-lzSZy1g0anjaOBIK0jiG7zltLVPA1lA1AeXAPl8JZVyXSSg1LwvkjG7IBY3WZUhfloBz-iBOQ-UZl0_QBvic/s1600/20140412-DSC_0271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VCKDyv3uxEvT7wSjIejqAMC44b8s-qTW_ggU0Fbo1_LGk1k-lzSZy1g0anjaOBIK0jiG7zltLVPA1lA1AeXAPl8JZVyXSSg1LwvkjG7IBY3WZUhfloBz-iBOQ-UZl0_QBvic/s640/20140412-DSC_0271.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fan to beat the heat for people waiting for darshan</td></tr>
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There are many Mandapams/Halls in the temple. As per UNESCO link, most of these were added later when the temple was under Vijayanagara empire. The temple is one of the latest submission from India to tentative list of new addition to UNESCO World Heritage site.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizO3KTjU-tjb1TqvLR-eliMGJmtoz0fGP6neLaXwVXO76lgpfySpJQmYqEG4Ik8ro14imZNSGxaSdJGlTWNpELApl4c1EmfbnM2IwkKuTzu9Bitc0aON2VYahVCBhS4b4any8r/s1600/20140412-DSC_0277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizO3KTjU-tjb1TqvLR-eliMGJmtoz0fGP6neLaXwVXO76lgpfySpJQmYqEG4Ik8ro14imZNSGxaSdJGlTWNpELApl4c1EmfbnM2IwkKuTzu9Bitc0aON2VYahVCBhS4b4any8r/s640/20140412-DSC_0277.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cavalry Pillar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq0UdHV4ixsy6UaNgywHhKChG3VWQSqQLJYXMtEI7l9pPBbmlS50J2GtqsSLi6fqtpPLkAWk8lVuIeHWr8_4xfsSh1lyEmaKVQHvnZEODrkVLhy5-NxKK6Wxu10wxnyNrcIp8M/s1600/20140412-DSC_0279.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq0UdHV4ixsy6UaNgywHhKChG3VWQSqQLJYXMtEI7l9pPBbmlS50J2GtqsSLi6fqtpPLkAWk8lVuIeHWr8_4xfsSh1lyEmaKVQHvnZEODrkVLhy5-NxKK6Wxu10wxnyNrcIp8M/s640/20140412-DSC_0279.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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Very thick rope which is used the pull the chariot during temple's utsavam</div>
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<b>References:
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>UNESCO - <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5894/">Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple</a></li>
<li>Wikipedia - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranganathaswamy_Temple,_Srirangam">Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple</a></li>
<li>Wikipedia - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_Gopurams">List of Tallest Gopurams</a></li>
<li>Deccan Chronicle - <a href="http://www.deccanchronicle.com/150910/nation-current-affairs/article/bid-get-unesco-stamp-ancient-ranganathaswamy-temple">Bid to get UNESCO Stamp</a></li>
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Sandeep Shandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10271772844265880737noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30242316.post-54893015902220062782016-04-10T00:57:00.002+05:302017-09-16T00:32:44.945+05:30Top 10 things to do in Sikkim<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The idea for this post came up while I was suggesting places to visit to one of my close friends who was planning for a vacation at Sikkim. I guess these kind of posts is a typical featured items in a commercial travel websites, but it's always good to have one personal version documented at a place and hence this post ! :)</div>
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Here're top-10 noteworthy experiences from my trip to Sikkim. Some of the typical things may not be featured here.</div>
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<b>1. Evening stroll at MG Marg, Gangtok</b></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRArf52rlR4qFam_My4cSTg3U3u-CR2uvQ-ST5puc9dJZVqB-zfhFaG7GEINyIKBunw6scbU7MtyRDwekNhP4-5c4TCN5XXoQPV9rrxzpEbBqtPocUL4cf_qvtV2ZiQJR04WS4/s1600/DSC_3249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRArf52rlR4qFam_My4cSTg3U3u-CR2uvQ-ST5puc9dJZVqB-zfhFaG7GEINyIKBunw6scbU7MtyRDwekNhP4-5c4TCN5XXoQPV9rrxzpEbBqtPocUL4cf_qvtV2ZiQJR04WS4/s640/DSC_3249.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MG Marg, Gangtok</td></tr>
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Gangtok will be your base location for most of the travel destination at Sikkim. After tiring day-time sighstseeing, an evening stroll at the MG Marg would be a rejuvenating experience. Unlike MG Roads in other cities, this one is completely vehicle free !</div>
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<b>2. Experience Spirituality at Rumtek or any other Buddhist Monastery</b></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQtXHVMxbvdf_uVNDrrItVAPWUI3DwpUaUR5o8diL-FYe243POo23c9IAMZZMTbT3fSc9H91-vshUScNSmZ7XH7Ec558qR2jeKEXuo-kvqHmHvU6gUsji8nh3wS8Om5TiCgKkq/s1600/DSC_0273.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQtXHVMxbvdf_uVNDrrItVAPWUI3DwpUaUR5o8diL-FYe243POo23c9IAMZZMTbT3fSc9H91-vshUScNSmZ7XH7Ec558qR2jeKEXuo-kvqHmHvU6gUsji8nh3wS8Om5TiCgKkq/s640/DSC_0273.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rumtek Monastery</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
There're dozens of monasteries in Sikkim which offer serene and peaceful atmosphere to visitors. One of the significant and some-what controversial monasteries is at Rumtek, which is one hour drive from Gangtok. The monastery is actually the seat of 17th Karmapa, who's currently at exile Dharamshala(Himachal Pradesh). Indian Government has prevented him from taking up the throne for the fear upsetting Chinese sensibilities.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<b>3. Tasting local cuisines - Momos and Thupka at low-brow eat outs </b></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLMoeCyQb03qy2vK8gsPUF5NM2UeNQi5_siNKYqJbyvqBNU1vSDr1ecA3EHvG0emgrsfH_P2G0aIXRcroJY9ZMuUrCI1u6Wcq-xdAS77HJ3GlGOSbXUjOQVnE3r0Vx9J97x1x/s1600/DSC_0326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLMoeCyQb03qy2vK8gsPUF5NM2UeNQi5_siNKYqJbyvqBNU1vSDr1ecA3EHvG0emgrsfH_P2G0aIXRcroJY9ZMuUrCI1u6Wcq-xdAS77HJ3GlGOSbXUjOQVnE3r0Vx9J97x1x/s640/DSC_0326.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Low brow eat-out in Rumtek</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
While traveling away from the cities it would be difficult to find proper fine-dining restaurants. You may have to compromise with Maggi, Bread Omelettes etc. But it will be a good opportunity taste local cuisine like Momos and Thupka especially in chilly weather !</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<b>4. Spend some time with locals, especially with Kids</b></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIeeNoX5iA4aWdPHe5s1-czdyavArc1fbtCgN1IntG1QoDs3myDBjF27Rdk7ZrXWQgleGlrXBOfchZ2eAQgu-ldTdvYNEDLI_1JV6iytrtyqjxzooygO3KeGQpJjDPRHAJaeYm/s1600/DSC_3674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIeeNoX5iA4aWdPHe5s1-czdyavArc1fbtCgN1IntG1QoDs3myDBjF27Rdk7ZrXWQgleGlrXBOfchZ2eAQgu-ldTdvYNEDLI_1JV6iytrtyqjxzooygO3KeGQpJjDPRHAJaeYm/s640/DSC_3674.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Had a nice time with these kids at Lachung</td></tr>
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One of the highlights of the Sikkim is innocent and down-to-earth nature of the people. Do take some time of from your busy travel schedule and strike a conversation with them. Many families have one of the members working in Tier-1cities but still you will find them rooted to their value system and have high regards about their culture ! And kids will always remain kids :)</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<b>5. Sip a cup of tea with majestic view of Teestha Valley at Singhik </b></h4>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tea at open terrace cafeteria at Singhik</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
In search for a cup of tea during our journey to North Sikkim, we had a stopover at some random place called Singhik. There we chose to have a cup of tea at a terrace hotel which offered view majestic of Theestha Valley. The atmosphere was so peaceful that we could hear the gushing of water which was kilometers away ! This unplanned visit turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. </div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<b>6. High on Tea at Temi Tea Garden </b></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-WNSJ7q0-fZlRZbzICOPKt2veDtUKlXhA5Iw2LpBVELkhdULeax5NUKBrxHoSb48qChNk8iOeD_H_UUPvzU2vDItxoP1MvC874ddPDFPWbQyvm-j4KyxFweyjWQIs8e2xk7KU/s1600/DSC_0482.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-WNSJ7q0-fZlRZbzICOPKt2veDtUKlXhA5Iw2LpBVELkhdULeax5NUKBrxHoSb48qChNk8iOeD_H_UUPvzU2vDItxoP1MvC874ddPDFPWbQyvm-j4KyxFweyjWQIs8e2xk7KU/s640/DSC_0482.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High on Tea at Temi Tea Garden</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Tea Gardens are always a treat for landscape photographers and when it coupled with clear weather, snow capped mountain - it turns out to be double icing on the cake. We experienced the same by being high on tea at Temi Tea Garden with clear view of Kanchenjunga in background.</div>
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<b>7. Spend a night at Pelling Helipad</b></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudcXmII62S_-X9wlQMsMKGQFTmO_cxYFgTdkGQI9GcobwErWVfhfD_Bshjfhzk_c4Z68uwEvQfbcm3CtXaGB9HdXI3rdtHtbCftHQIHWSD-dDEYtQ3rPc5IAcqFXQAQZM_NW3/s1600/DSC_0846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudcXmII62S_-X9wlQMsMKGQFTmO_cxYFgTdkGQI9GcobwErWVfhfD_Bshjfhzk_c4Z68uwEvQfbcm3CtXaGB9HdXI3rdtHtbCftHQIHWSD-dDEYtQ3rPc5IAcqFXQAQZM_NW3/s640/DSC_0846.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Experiments with light painting at Pelling Helipad</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
We concluded our west sikkim trip by doing a quick-visit to helipad at Pelling. Since it was a new moon day there was hardly any natural light. Our guide pin-pointed cluster of lights in surrounding areas which were actually Darjeeling, Keylong etc. As per our guide, on full moon day many enthusiasts camp at the helipad to get an uncluttered view of moonlight Kanchenjunga. Since we didn't have an iota of light to view the peak, instead used the opprotunity to experiment with light painting :)</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<b>8. Experience sub-zero temperature and 360 degree snow at Zero Point</b></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCHxvmz-JYh-56ODDWEyzFdArWj1vULv0jDGNz098NGKNsCcEzzgu2t8momIF4DPMnEBpsQIZUbUJRsUu27IvISatjV68wDTfHqBIf2Kt7AZUeuQOYz78xpfRg7nFy4_DBTdk/s1600/DSC_0163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCHxvmz-JYh-56ODDWEyzFdArWj1vULv0jDGNz098NGKNsCcEzzgu2t8momIF4DPMnEBpsQIZUbUJRsUu27IvISatjV68wDTfHqBIf2Kt7AZUeuQOYz78xpfRg7nFy4_DBTdk/s640/DSC_0163.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">360 degree snow at Zero-Point</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yumasongdeong, famously known as zero-point is the last point beyond Yumthang Valley where civilians can visit and experience snow at sub-zero temperature. Not sure about the reason for the place beeing named zero-point, may-be there's no trace of civilization ? Zero-point is not featured in regular tourist itinerary for some unknown reason. One has to pay extra money to the vehicle drivers for getting to this point.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<b>9. This is India, that is China at Nathu La Pass </b></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybg08gGpcLpGwnum0b6BNq353yUp2CyCH97C5jYc7sETbMwoZyRc-34rQXHwUclmaA54oZ3kvvc3Too7IzVE84bIGJKBZl32HRqmJvbu4_nIZweJI037J4uO7jdi2GUcb8-s2/s1600/DSC_3320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybg08gGpcLpGwnum0b6BNq353yUp2CyCH97C5jYc7sETbMwoZyRc-34rQXHwUclmaA54oZ3kvvc3Too7IzVE84bIGJKBZl32HRqmJvbu4_nIZweJI037J4uO7jdi2GUcb8-s2/s640/DSC_3320.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Indian soldiers and posing with AK-47s which they had kept at static display</td></tr>
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Can you imagine that one can get 2.5 hours ahead of time by taking a one step ? Yes, you may not be able experience it in person but it's technically possible when one crosses Nathu La pass in East Sikkim. Historically, the place was part of silk trading routes between the two countries and now you will find Chinese and India armies stationed at the international border. The friendliness of the Chinese armies depends on the personnel posted during your visit. When I had been there they used to show grinning face to Indian tourists but the staff deputed at present have shaken hands with Indian tourists who have been there recently. On the Indian side, do take photos with our jawans and with AK47s and bazzokas which would be kept for static display. Also, get a certificate of visit to Nathu La by paying a nominal amount.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<b>10. Watching Sun Rays kissing the tip of Kanchenjunga at Pelling</b></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmr6aRD6fBgiNFTYFpWxCvbMaJ8AyWdOxMYcSv92THAzJbPDdXxjbW97_tWefqEJX0O9_w0VxFZKqfpe_d51cOdfpIYF1_291d_I8GJN6d7CJlp718Kv6VidXmIUbz75TQ2K7y/s1600/DSC_0889.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmr6aRD6fBgiNFTYFpWxCvbMaJ8AyWdOxMYcSv92THAzJbPDdXxjbW97_tWefqEJX0O9_w0VxFZKqfpe_d51cOdfpIYF1_291d_I8GJN6d7CJlp718Kv6VidXmIUbz75TQ2K7y/s640/DSC_0889.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Witnessing this from comfort of our hotel at Pelling</td></tr>
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Last but not the least is experiencing sunlight striking the tip of mighty Kanchenjunga peak Pelling. One has to get up as early as 4.30 am to witness this daily spectacle. We were lucky to get a room with an open terrace and the timely tea served by hotel staff made this an experience to cherish for lifetime !</div>
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Sandeep Shandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10271772844265880737noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30242316.post-70222598237755501312016-04-03T12:26:00.000+05:302016-04-08T01:45:04.761+05:30FAQs on Sikkim Trip<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art work at Rumtek Monastery</td></tr>
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I had been to Sikkim in 2010 for a week and had covered many of the interesting places. The experiences of the trip shared in this blog have been very handy for people who plan for a visit to the State. And based on the detailing and prompt response to queries some people assume I am a travel agent or a resident of the state :) especially in my post on <a href="http://www.naanushande.com/2011/04/north-sikkim-lachen-lachung-yumthang.html">North Sikkim</a> ! Also, there have a few specific queries from my close friends. This blog post is an attempt is to consolidate all such queries at one place :)</div>
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<b>Q: Winter clothes - how many overcoats/sweaters one needs to wear to bear the cold?</b></div>
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It depends on the time of year you're visiting Sikkim. In winters, it will be very cold at high altitudes and wearing thermal is highly recommended if you're not used to cold climatic conditions. Whereas in summers, the temperature in Gangtok would be normal i.e. manageable without jackets and in North Sikkim you can manage with one layer of warm clothes.</div>
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<b>Q: Shoes - should we have one extra pair? Will it get wet soon?</b><br />
Not required, it will unnecessarily add weight to your luggage. Your shoes may get wet while walking on the snow at Zero-point but you can manage by having a back-up slippers/floaters.<br />
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<b>Q: Yak Ride - how much one negotiate for Yak Ride Tshung lake in Gangtok. I read a mule stepped on your feet in Ladakh? How about here - is it crowded?</b></div>
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I didn't opt for Yak Ride and it may be crowded during peak season as many tourists will be keen on having a profile with the beast :) Btw Tsanghu lake is quite far from Gangtok, may be around 2-3 hours ride :). A mule had stamped on my feet when I was hiking at Valley of Flowers which is quite far from Ladakh :).</div>
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<b>Q: Lonely Planet Sikkim Guide - you told you have the guide. Can you pass it on? :)</b></div>
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It's DRM protected soft copy and also with dated information. I highly recommend you to download latest PDF version at <a href="http://shop.lonelyplanet.com/india/india-travel-guide-16/india-sikkim-chapter-16/">Lonely Planet - India- Sikkim - Download</a> for 3.32 USD</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7EBvXlibUyGCJiXgHblIh691eeBuoaszBm4JCzAvNDRZxcmoGzlw0yu4rEUxr843BpC_7lXntmW5irYfwz4dnrMVMHmtXV2GAXTWQZvjZjLqHaWSUpuEv2WDGC2Rn4LATwrWx/s1600/IMG_3009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7EBvXlibUyGCJiXgHblIh691eeBuoaszBm4JCzAvNDRZxcmoGzlw0yu4rEUxr843BpC_7lXntmW5irYfwz4dnrMVMHmtXV2GAXTWQZvjZjLqHaWSUpuEv2WDGC2Rn4LATwrWx/s640/IMG_3009.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My friend Debojit having Veg Thupka</td></tr>
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<b>Q: Food - how is the food there, should we carry some fast food/junk food?</b></div>
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At remote areas while traveling, getting homely food will be tough and you may have to compromise with Maggi. You will get dal and rice at accommodations at North Sikkim but don't have very high expectations. It's recommended to carry some junk food for quick bites. However, I suggest trying out local cuisines like <i>Momos</i> and <i>Veg Thupka</i>. If you're a non-veg there will be multiple options for which I am not the right person to comment.</div>
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<b>Q: How to protect the Camera in moist, windy, cold conditions in Sikkim. Did you buy any special gear for that ? </b></div>
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Not required. All entry-level DSLRs are robust enough to sustain cold temperatures. If you want to be on safer side, I suggest buying a <a href="http://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B013I7GOLU/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=3626&creative=24790&creativeASIN=B013I7GOLU&linkCode=as2&tag=qpwoeiruty-21">DSLR pouch</a> from amazon/flipkart. Kindly note that you may not be able to get good quality pictures by operating DSLRs inside this pouches :)</div>
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<b>Q: Any other suggestion you would like to make?</b></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: justify;">Nothing particular. Do you try to strike a conversation with locals. They will have some interesting story to share. Many households have their sons/daughters working in metro cities in India and would definitely relate to your stories. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Have realistic expectations about travel time. In mountainous terrain, sometimes you won't be able to cover even 20 kms in an hour :). </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">I am planning to write a new post on top-10 things to do in Sikkim stay tuned !</li>
</ul>
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<b>Q: We are 4 adult 2 kids and one infant and wanted to visit north Sikkim in coming June last week, could you plz suggest here ?</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Travel to North Sikkim is regulated. You cannot travel on your own. Please book your excursions from an authorized tour operator in Gangtok. For details, you can get in touch with Binita Lama: 09734983536/09832079292. Young kids may have difficulties in getting adjusted to high altitudes but I feel it won't be serious.</div>
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In case you have any other queries please write me at sandeep.shande@gmail.com. I will try my level best to address it :)</div>
Sandeep Shandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10271772844265880737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30242316.post-24653363235269584952016-03-27T13:59:00.000+05:302016-03-27T14:00:59.020+05:30Dr. Shivaram Karanth Theme Park at Kota<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In January 2016, we were in our ancestral place Udupi for attending a wedding and visiting a couple of temples on the sidelines. While shuttling between the places, we used to come across a big banner in kannada 'Dr. Shivaram Karanth Theme Park' on the median of NH-17 highway, just before the junction of Kota town.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_9Lhh49bemNGJKQUg4vkvxC44BLbKMDzBLUaWUqgYf4YNPas462A1A64Q5JWD8qNxMNhzjogtYBplInNkVz9Clf4nFIzuX_eMWEA4uMoiy3bskRvtu5vJPRswvqaRIgiqGrH/s1600/20160123-DSC_0520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_9Lhh49bemNGJKQUg4vkvxC44BLbKMDzBLUaWUqgYf4YNPas462A1A64Q5JWD8qNxMNhzjogtYBplInNkVz9Clf4nFIzuX_eMWEA4uMoiy3bskRvtu5vJPRswvqaRIgiqGrH/s640/20160123-DSC_0520.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pool with Dr. Shivaram Karanth's statue</td></tr>
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To quench our curiosity, we very eager to do a flash visit to the place but somehow it didn't materialize for first few days. Later in one of the evenings, we had one hour to spare around Kota and the visit to the theme park was a unanimous choice.</div>
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The theme park dedicated to the Jnanapeeta awardee comprises a landscaped garden, a library, an art gallery, an anganawadi and big indoor auditorium. In the garden, there's a small pool with bronze statue of Dr. Karanth in the middle. The life-size statue was made my local artists and one among them is Mr. Janardhana Havanje. The atmosphere around the pond is so serene that one would feel like to sit there for ever and read or write a literary work !</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlahcSQsHfm1kWyQXNSZs76oHRAAXT4W3VZzh1Z5s7QAdGTB1GbeBK58us8aNJVHj2O8ddIMnvwAeR7jzGYMTqveEm34WbmJYU8tEvranf-0M2pg0ss85IjF-z-BLiXQvvZw3T/s1600/20160123-DSC_0528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlahcSQsHfm1kWyQXNSZs76oHRAAXT4W3VZzh1Z5s7QAdGTB1GbeBK58us8aNJVHj2O8ddIMnvwAeR7jzGYMTqveEm34WbmJYU8tEvranf-0M2pg0ss85IjF-z-BLiXQvvZw3T/s640/20160123-DSC_0528.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front Facade<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The library has a collection of all the works of the author and also book from his personal collections. In the art gallery, they had exhibited painting and photographs from local artists. Most of the paintings had scenes depicted from Dr. Karanth's novel.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art Gallery</td></tr>
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The gallery type auditorium is one of noteworthy feature of the theme park. According to Mr. Havanje it's one of unique venue in the district and Udupi district. Every year during birth anniversary of Dr. Karanth ( i.e. on 10th October) there will be special program to honor noted personalities of Karnataka in the same auditorium. Mr. Ravi Belagere, Salumarada Thinmakka are some of the personalities who have been honored recently.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Auditorium</td></tr>
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There's also an <i>anganawadi</i> in the same campus which was closed during our visit. Later we came to know that one of unique features of anganwadi structure is that there's no differentiation between the walls and the ceilings, providing congenial learning environment for young kids.<br />
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<b>References:</b><br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://karanththemeparkkota.org/">Official website of Theme park</a></li>
<li>Wikipedia: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._Shivaram_Karanth">Dr. Shivaram Karanth</a></li>
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Sandeep Shandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10271772844265880737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30242316.post-48553319204656176732016-03-20T01:36:00.001+05:302016-03-26T08:33:12.003+05:30Lakshminarayana Temple at Hosaholalu near K.R. Pete<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In August 2015, we were on a full day trip on a weekend in Hassan district. After covering <a href="http://www.naanushande.com/2015/09/lakshminarasimha-temple-nuggehalli.html">Nuggehalli</a> in morning/afternoon, we had been to Mavinakere post lunch and had planned to wind up the day at some Hoysala temple at Krishnarajapete(K.R. Pete). While getting there, the google maps navigation took us in an optimized route but unfortunately the roads were not in that great condition and by the time we reached K.R. Pete it was already dusk time. We were so unprepared for exploring the place that we didn't have the exact name nor the co-ordinates of the temple on our fingertips. Initially thought that we would be able to manage with a quick enquiry with the locals. Later we figured out that the temple which we are planning to visit is in Hosaholalu which is 2 kms from K.R.Pete.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFgAqkRsu0HhK5UX-4Ise-73hHNko1rVQynG-HwuflIbiTE5-DX0xlBN8q3r6uPhUJuv6cq4jMVUBT3KM16bp-4q3eCgQDz81U8RVQWxtPTnqL2KgYtKNfk5kRqNBSZqhsJYr/s1600/20150802-DSC_0421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFgAqkRsu0HhK5UX-4Ise-73hHNko1rVQynG-HwuflIbiTE5-DX0xlBN8q3r6uPhUJuv6cq4jMVUBT3KM16bp-4q3eCgQDz81U8RVQWxtPTnqL2KgYtKNfk5kRqNBSZqhsJYr/s640/20150802-DSC_0421.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Lakshminarayana Temple at Night time</td></tr>
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Hosaholalu was an <i>agrahara</i> built by Hoysalas and was enclosed within a fort during the Vijayanagara rule. The Lakshminarayana temple is a fine example of ornate 3rd generation among Hoysalas temples. Constructed in 13th century, it's a trikuta temple on stellate plan. </div>
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On the exterior, the temple stands on a high raised platform with conventional mouldings. The stellate corners of which are provided with sculptures of elephant denoting ashtadiggajas. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidLYLw5TmL6sVjXAkRQEdqakX5vMzLz4EU88OHieOFMt4i66gqArD71veuE7HDcxqGw-jxilFW5SRRP1woBIjlp8K_-lDSU7l2FzoAwKZ79BG06RkhYy1yXVyMdm4z2UDPsQrp/s1600/20151004-DSC_0579.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidLYLw5TmL6sVjXAkRQEdqakX5vMzLz4EU88OHieOFMt4i66gqArD71veuE7HDcxqGw-jxilFW5SRRP1woBIjlp8K_-lDSU7l2FzoAwKZ79BG06RkhYy1yXVyMdm4z2UDPsQrp/s640/20151004-DSC_0579.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sculptures on two and half fee high platform. Stellate Corners with Sculptures of Elephants.</td></tr>
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The images carved on the walls are about two and a half feet high. The sculptures of Panduranga, Govardhandhan, Sarasvati, Madhava, Dhanvantari, Dakshinamurti and Mohini are significant amongst the wall sculptures. The friezes and scroll work and the railing panels on the adhishthana are of much interest. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBf01bIyVSFeQ9oG40VHPzyAaPDNnbKwKIoWdj8qXAVan3ctggmaiSRc-07szLwjgXgtMvnw1Isbke3jSyPN8Ew21Ho_T_fAx-d8wjfH4bXe7ZcFGM-0oi6aOkeb9_C_it3NV/s1600/20151004-DSC_0581.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBf01bIyVSFeQ9oG40VHPzyAaPDNnbKwKIoWdj8qXAVan3ctggmaiSRc-07szLwjgXgtMvnw1Isbke3jSyPN8Ew21Ho_T_fAx-d8wjfH4bXe7ZcFGM-0oi6aOkeb9_C_it3NV/s640/20151004-DSC_0581.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carvings of Padmanabha(Gadha, Chakra, Padma, Shanka) and Garuda carrying Lakshmi+narayana</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8I_y4xwXaPFl2bMUlBkCoz7X2QuMiCr_e-Ng1jj2IUrkoCHz1YoQuib39Sq5NpwSEjes26ttFJkWx_nZOlgsPO9gRuK3zWZ1ARY756d9OFtVy9W-AABGjKH2Rri0leWcoFQqL/s1600/20151004-DSC_0588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8I_y4xwXaPFl2bMUlBkCoz7X2QuMiCr_e-Ng1jj2IUrkoCHz1YoQuib39Sq5NpwSEjes26ttFJkWx_nZOlgsPO9gRuK3zWZ1ARY756d9OFtVy9W-AABGjKH2Rri0leWcoFQqL/s640/20151004-DSC_0588.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Backside of the temple. The multi-tier structure of which is also prominent in Chennakeshava temple, Belur.</td></tr>
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The images revolving around the <i>chaturvimshati</i>(24 names) aspect of Vishnu and other deities are interrupted by double-storeyed chariot-like shrines at west, north, and south of the stellate garbhagriha.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNyOGeWSI7VoppxcUtLEZWf7KyjQL9jHzBy2UcpGB1sIMLbl6RbCMpeAbwKGOx8ALayCAUzETdbpbvCGPeA3wgiirfV2iuO9_dsDokDj_RvzSP6ntG_j4JTuJksiWcpHCoLrjW/s1600/20151004-DSC_0591.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNyOGeWSI7VoppxcUtLEZWf7KyjQL9jHzBy2UcpGB1sIMLbl6RbCMpeAbwKGOx8ALayCAUzETdbpbvCGPeA3wgiirfV2iuO9_dsDokDj_RvzSP6ntG_j4JTuJksiWcpHCoLrjW/s640/20151004-DSC_0591.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shikara of the temple with cloudy backdrop</td></tr>
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The sides and mahanasa of the sukanasa are also well carved. A closed mandapa built of granite blocks towards east which is later addition of 17th century, disturbs the original layout plan of the temple built of soapstone(chloritic schist).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqP4dUvds6kwU3k4LkOLCvdv1Td7gVUqQpkS_jN3zWl0kny5YUmOp5btrZ7H_xYDkr4Tnr_SK1tsJ-ZSzWP1xo0sitUlwDVyn84uND8jx_zkIfFWaWOeSsn_PO-MJURT_6pj2/s1600/20151004-DSC_0603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqP4dUvds6kwU3k4LkOLCvdv1Td7gVUqQpkS_jN3zWl0kny5YUmOp5btrZ7H_xYDkr4Tnr_SK1tsJ-ZSzWP1xo0sitUlwDVyn84uND8jx_zkIfFWaWOeSsn_PO-MJURT_6pj2/s640/20151004-DSC_0603.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dwaja sthambha and Front facade. The additional construction in front spoils the charm of original architecture elements.</td></tr>
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Only the main shrine of Laskshminarayana facing east has a sukanasi, a navaranga and a superstructure. The pillars of the navaranga are lathe-turned and well polished. Dancing female sculptures in different mudras adorn the capitals of these pillars. The other two shrines of Venugopala and Lakshminarasimha which are lateral do not have any special feature. Due to low lighting condition in garbhagriha, I could not capture decent photos apart from the part of the ceiling click from my mobile :)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjUjSZYq-ztgBTza6011hSrM0kAYFNTRRGKiMh9dRkhegcxxZiBhQ4O92hanKbBGGMzJWJ7f2CyKouUA9gevksXmCw4GM07aAr8pHoodd3nejq6Mnnf09V1U9I7FkQHRBlYUlw/s1600/IMG_20150802_193317_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjUjSZYq-ztgBTza6011hSrM0kAYFNTRRGKiMh9dRkhegcxxZiBhQ4O92hanKbBGGMzJWJ7f2CyKouUA9gevksXmCw4GM07aAr8pHoodd3nejq6Mnnf09V1U9I7FkQHRBlYUlw/s640/IMG_20150802_193317_HDR.jpg" width="474" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interior Ceilings of Garbhagriha</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-SDXhMv1uwk8Dz7O5IVEU2ZX7Bk99MMPlR2INoCCDhx1pn4YxvW2G6qJmMIaBwKYJ2MPb57HP7PTxs5LPVDaiZLDTEWcbV3oAbIwykNTgYelUMv49EkbanjJV2j1ubDZEbD0b/s1600/IMG_20150802_193845_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-SDXhMv1uwk8Dz7O5IVEU2ZX7Bk99MMPlR2INoCCDhx1pn4YxvW2G6qJmMIaBwKYJ2MPb57HP7PTxs5LPVDaiZLDTEWcbV3oAbIwykNTgYelUMv49EkbanjJV2j1ubDZEbD0b/s400/IMG_20150802_193845_HDR.jpg" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unlike fully protected ASI temple which closes early at 6 pm, this temple maintained by priests and locals is open till 8 pm.</td></tr>
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Other interesting thing note was presence of several elderly and educated locals with their grandkids at the time of <i>mahamangalaarthi</i> on Sunday evening. It was good to see older generation imparting values of heritage, culture to the future generation.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjE52YDv7wTUl5a5aUZsefgXPu6WL74QttDi9BDUir8rrRmYjOkllmeE5r7q58lNzIqckg7nsW19pBfTCzDQmtX4Oq2Twdh7o7AEUurhmjMS4D1AXZE0MnYbLbKl8wHNJWH504/s1600/20151004-DSC_0584.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjE52YDv7wTUl5a5aUZsefgXPu6WL74QttDi9BDUir8rrRmYjOkllmeE5r7q58lNzIqckg7nsW19pBfTCzDQmtX4Oq2Twdh7o7AEUurhmjMS4D1AXZE0MnYbLbKl8wHNJWH504/s640/20151004-DSC_0584.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Glimpse of Hosahalalu hamlet around the temple</td></tr>
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Since we could not explore the temple during our first visit due to darkness, we had plans of revisiting the Hosahalulu with sufficient homework. Fortunately, it materialized within two months when we were on the way back to Bangalore from Coorg. We took a detour from Hunsur and reached Hosaholalu through Krishnarajasagara and Bherya. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDt2wDSGLUrDZSigxg6MNzc8M02qyckf4P4ju7dGuwCxH14KTV9OgEDjIQB9yXTtGBcZQeeSr6s_OUDOAdXYJdn97wVMverMwowsmep7YWkdZdbN78E5uKVdAi0neaZ7zQYfZM/s1600/IMG_20151004_181517_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDt2wDSGLUrDZSigxg6MNzc8M02qyckf4P4ju7dGuwCxH14KTV9OgEDjIQB9yXTtGBcZQeeSr6s_OUDOAdXYJdn97wVMverMwowsmep7YWkdZdbN78E5uKVdAi0neaZ7zQYfZM/s640/IMG_20151004_181517_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little bit of drizzle during makes exploration pleasant. But on the day of our second visit, the drizzle got converted into heavy spell of rain and driving on partially waterlogged Hassan-Bangalore highway was a nightmare !</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Driving back to Bangalore after </span>second<span style="text-align: justify;"> visit was almost close to a nightmare. Due to heavy rains on that day, we decided to return via Nagamangala, Yadiyur to be on safer side. But the drive on NH-48 was not easy, especially on the stretches where it was partially waterlogged.</span><br />
<b><br /></b> <b>References:</b></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.in/gp/product/8170173450/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=3626&creative=24790&creativeASIN=8170173450&linkCode=as2&tag=qpwoeiruty-21" rel="nofollow">A Complete Guide to Hoysala Temples</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-in.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=qpwoeiruty-21&l=as2&o=31&a=8170173450" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> by Gerad Foekema</li>
<li>Wikipedia: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keshava_Namas">Charturvimshati Vishnu (24 names of Vishnu)</a></li>
</ul>
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-in.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=IN&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=shaexplifunl-21&marketplace=amazon&region=IN&placement=8170173450&asins=8170173450&linkId=&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">
</iframe></div>
Sandeep Shandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10271772844265880737noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30242316.post-27687521038200489882016-02-01T00:31:00.001+05:302016-02-01T12:20:09.652+05:30Breaking the Somanathapura Jinx !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUWWjZ-U8ZZmhc0hY5noI9yJrwmau1s8k8gTlX9WZV8Z88BLKv7uNIGYjRZO7Pvqze_hcjdirSuIuuelogACyZHyKCLf1l4ElbWIywB4Y_zRrOyQS0qqTYrb1owExzHfOeOXXZ/s1600/20151225-DSC_0036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUWWjZ-U8ZZmhc0hY5noI9yJrwmau1s8k8gTlX9WZV8Z88BLKv7uNIGYjRZO7Pvqze_hcjdirSuIuuelogACyZHyKCLf1l4ElbWIywB4Y_zRrOyQS0qqTYrb1owExzHfOeOXXZ/s640/20151225-DSC_0036.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Side view of Keshava Temple at Somanathapura</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A few things in life somehow continue to remain jinx and one of among them for me was visiting famous Hoysala temple in Somanthapura. The place along with Shivanasamudra and Talakadu are obvious locations for a packed day long outing for Bangaloreans. I have visited other two places several times but the Somanathapura was skipped due to some reason or the other. </div>
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<b>Some Flashback:</b></div>
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First time in 1993, our school outing was washed out due to heavy rains on that particular day and our trip was restricted to Shivanasamudra itself. Then in 1999, with my PUC classmates after covering Shivandasamudra in the morning we ended up spending post lunch time in Talakad only and Somanthapura was given a skip since we had to be back in Bangalore early in the evening. In 2004, similar story continued as then newly excavated temples in Talakad took a lot of time to explore. Later in the same year, I ventured out at the same locations in a bike but since it was my first bike-trip to avoid fatigue we returned back early from Shivanasamudra. </div>
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Fast forward 2014, my blogging buddy <a href="http://www.enidhi.net/">Shrinidhi Hande</a> had planned for a 24-hour outing around Mysore in a self-drive Toyota Fortunner. After starting the day at Chamundi Hills, breakfast in Mylari(mysore), we made a quick visit to Talakadu and Bharachukki falls. Since a few of our trip mates had to be back in Mysore by lunch, we ended up skipping Somananthapura and after lunch at Mysore, we covered Melukote in the evening and returned to Bangalore via Yadiyur. And thus, the Somananthapura jinx continued. </div>
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Finally, the jinx was broken on 25th December 2015 through a family outing. I was so much particular about the breaking the jinx, the first place which we visited on that day was Somananthapura. Okay now enough about the jinx, let's get into details of the place. </div>
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<b>Getting There: </b><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There are two routes from Bangalore: one via Kanakapura and other via Maddur. The preference of the route will depend on the present condition of the road. We opted for Bangalore-Maddur-Malavalli route. After breakfast at Shivalli Restaurant at Maddur, we faced under construction patches between Maddur and Malavalli. From Malavalli, a breezy drive took us to Keshava Temple in Somanthapura. </div>
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<b>About the Temple: </b><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Keshava temple was constructed by Soma, a high officer under Hoysala king Narasimha III (1254-1291 A.D). It's one of the perfect examples of the Hoysala style of architecture. Standing on a raised platform in the centre of a spacious enclosure having sixty-four cells, this three-celled (trikutachala) structure consists of three <i>garbhagrihas</i>, three <i>antaralas</i> and a <i class="">navaranga</i>. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZunQ1QwsskQzqWJhANAY8HTLWts3FqcaatOHyGEQjcL259HaxJ11oDjg7htPh0O0h1jueObdZ1an10Lf3HHssY_rDuAc9RVqsG1-i1UE5CWrQxY9d1uKhYBEK4sgxRAvBt5fq/s1600/Somanathapura-temple+blueprint.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZunQ1QwsskQzqWJhANAY8HTLWts3FqcaatOHyGEQjcL259HaxJ11oDjg7htPh0O0h1jueObdZ1an10Lf3HHssY_rDuAc9RVqsG1-i1UE5CWrQxY9d1uKhYBEK4sgxRAvBt5fq/s400/Somanathapura-temple+blueprint.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trikutachala - 3 garbhagrihas, 3 antaralas, 1 navarang ( image source: Gerad Foekema's Book)</td></tr>
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It has a mahadwara standing on the east. The statues of Venugopala, Kesava and Janardhana are installed in the cells which are surmounted by elegantly carved sikharas. The statues of Venugopal and Janardhana are in original form. Whereas, the main deity - Keshava's statue was destroyed during Muslim invasion and authorities have placed a smaller replica from outer walls.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxs3ZqiB-BwbWJAhBne8xjQACMFeKozUB_316ajqhYx2LV1kKApM_hvmVqR1IOm89HqefhXuhKB3-USKAcPHHfMtPi4jCsY5Z2yp9hJmnQJOHnboTz7kM5sPOAv1w1ZnD0caRn/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-02-01+at+12.16.17+am.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxs3ZqiB-BwbWJAhBne8xjQACMFeKozUB_316ajqhYx2LV1kKApM_hvmVqR1IOm89HqefhXuhKB3-USKAcPHHfMtPi4jCsY5Z2yp9hJmnQJOHnboTz7kM5sPOAv1w1ZnD0caRn/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-02-01+at+12.16.17+am.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Statues of Venugopal, Keshava and Janardhana</td></tr>
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The inscriptions engraved on a huge slab standing in the mahadwara and on the beams of the navaranga ranging in date from 1269-1550 A.D. give the details of the construction of the temple and several grants for the upkeep of the temple. In post medieval era, the temple was frequently visited by guests of Mysore royal family and that's one of the reason for this temple being one of major tourist attractions around the royal city.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1R4w22WsV96tsZ6XTJVKJy5_2rfxXaVI4v9uCkD5za3VHGEUwi6Rt-pud6lmCkBKNK-gY1QV54aienIK4i58iQwacW9wlsjDnBvzVCIhJW_VtUCd28m6DipyYhbWgW6dKv2H/s1600/20151225-DSC_0029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="465" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1R4w22WsV96tsZ6XTJVKJy5_2rfxXaVI4v9uCkD5za3VHGEUwi6Rt-pud6lmCkBKNK-gY1QV54aienIK4i58iQwacW9wlsjDnBvzVCIhJW_VtUCd28m6DipyYhbWgW6dKv2H/s640/20151225-DSC_0029.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mahadwara of Keshava Temple</td></tr>
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<b>Sculptures and Architecture: </b><br />
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The basement of the outer wall is highly ornamented with friezes of elephants scrolls, epic and puranic scenes, small images with intervening turrets and columns with figures in between. The number of gods/goddess (which includes 164 forms of Vishnu) their attendants adorn the walls. The names of a number of sculptors Mallithamma, Masanathamma, Chameya, Bhameya etc are carved on the pedestals of the images.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdJc229YtD1StVlJUk99EJs4cyVx5S-YRjEqZUeBzSYtDi7rOZKYDt3dHgyzEukhbcghkVse78z4-UFoq4K_TlaOIj184E8bBa1QFiKjm7b9dbgSDJavfca9fgCNP1WaRdi_d/s1600/20151225-DSC_0055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdJc229YtD1StVlJUk99EJs4cyVx5S-YRjEqZUeBzSYtDi7rOZKYDt3dHgyzEukhbcghkVse78z4-UFoq4K_TlaOIj184E8bBa1QFiKjm7b9dbgSDJavfca9fgCNP1WaRdi_d/s640/20151225-DSC_0055.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Friezes of Elephants Scrolls, Epic and Puranic Scenes</td></tr>
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<b>Some more details through photographs:</b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6AA7vA2DHYWKdDjhmpC2HrWJfavCcR2iFVfK0QGGvabQjsk_8lqrC3o_S1atq_b3YppTCkZpo89G8uqkd-Q-uWywBbFaZ01S8wU-ZKiojZ9kvNS14B5GS8rPPcd8TJXCFbI6/s1600/IMG_20151225_104502_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6AA7vA2DHYWKdDjhmpC2HrWJfavCcR2iFVfK0QGGvabQjsk_8lqrC3o_S1atq_b3YppTCkZpo89G8uqkd-Q-uWywBbFaZ01S8wU-ZKiojZ9kvNS14B5GS8rPPcd8TJXCFbI6/s400/IMG_20151225_104502_HDR.jpg" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slab in Halegannada inscription with details about History of the temple.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUW17RloNoerXt-WtKenxW58jsGP0YlVIp216o34kmY4OtRrGSXB7y3xZYqf8ZQ2zUf-bwGfkFmk8iItapO4E44FIpcvVxp1QskcxJEtxVSGqRYajhDFS2StIc2OVm5sI0Kin/s1600/IMG_20151225_103543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUW17RloNoerXt-WtKenxW58jsGP0YlVIp216o34kmY4OtRrGSXB7y3xZYqf8ZQ2zUf-bwGfkFmk8iItapO4E44FIpcvVxp1QskcxJEtxVSGqRYajhDFS2StIc2OVm5sI0Kin/s640/IMG_20151225_103543.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Postbox inside temple premises. Letters posted here will be delivered with pictorial cancellation on the stamps.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Iy9Pt0p1H8zHJ7XBnQ0beF69zC6f-UXgAv7B9BtOeBGt71_vEJ5n_6YWDWjgvjpyCLX6_AObMmbOHnnOc8eIgI4MXprer3e0WyII03p00n3YJpcpDKtq-50nFAlhE8RXxn0R/s1600/76-Shradhula.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Iy9Pt0p1H8zHJ7XBnQ0beF69zC6f-UXgAv7B9BtOeBGt71_vEJ5n_6YWDWjgvjpyCLX6_AObMmbOHnnOc8eIgI4MXprer3e0WyII03p00n3YJpcpDKtq-50nFAlhE8RXxn0R/s400/76-Shradhula.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Shardula: An imaginary animal with the combinations of 7 elements from different animals - Jaw of a Crocodile, Tusk of Elephant, Eyes of a Monkey, Body of a Pig, Legs of a Lion, Tail of a Peacock.</td></tr>
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</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJicRiSXgj8Idqw5LyRHoQEFf3RrUO7j0T4HZ6CJEtWISFFKI9ErZC6N3zEY9D0USv15gN3U5sDa-7rpMu1riPa4_RzhxDLi3QJfHdwHbBHQwO_8xuj5wW94kjr7CjmMVhjHLp/s1600/72-Dhanavanthri.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJicRiSXgj8Idqw5LyRHoQEFf3RrUO7j0T4HZ6CJEtWISFFKI9ErZC6N3zEY9D0USv15gN3U5sDa-7rpMu1riPa4_RzhxDLi3QJfHdwHbBHQwO_8xuj5wW94kjr7CjmMVhjHLp/s320/72-Dhanavanthri.jpeg" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dhanavantri - Goddess of Medicine</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWMvD4nmUAfII67c23Yv3aQXgaS7QfTghxUOca3dnn3-kYRWpGJbDjqUMloqXEEcdFxUrveqB1N-7iEBEEGhur-DSlLDr6iSTfa8Gliw5xSG-Q9e6s2IaAB798xIsRNVQcA46/s1600/83-Yoga+Narayana.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWMvD4nmUAfII67c23Yv3aQXgaS7QfTghxUOca3dnn3-kYRWpGJbDjqUMloqXEEcdFxUrveqB1N-7iEBEEGhur-DSlLDr6iSTfa8Gliw5xSG-Q9e6s2IaAB798xIsRNVQcA46/s400/83-Yoga+Narayana.jpeg" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yoga Narayana: Vishnu in meditating position</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxzmJaM0zvdG_wHXvcxsSbTSzm_JhjN5uR64SAG5dqjDgnflt0j_gVPvhkHYsqy7zCtCc5dMCsYEaL-EMu9L705Ey0DlNGFXvrQuohsmb-AIoD_Kotx-T-s4uVlDVP770m4soA/s1600/74-Image+Compression.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxzmJaM0zvdG_wHXvcxsSbTSzm_JhjN5uR64SAG5dqjDgnflt0j_gVPvhkHYsqy7zCtCc5dMCsYEaL-EMu9L705Ey0DlNGFXvrQuohsmb-AIoD_Kotx-T-s4uVlDVP770m4soA/s400/74-Image+Compression.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Compression: Lot of elements depicted in a small space</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAdbVyoYLhoMXPlDE9ge7X6X_dg8JryrntN7pXDi4t2wKbvbsqQwGFJDzqtbngS08VpiDE2j5S79NQJmHwW1BcJKzfkyYTh6Ebg3hgtkCu9-tapQWZ2gwwia-zfdeyrdZ6tHoJ/s1600/79-Patch+Work.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAdbVyoYLhoMXPlDE9ge7X6X_dg8JryrntN7pXDi4t2wKbvbsqQwGFJDzqtbngS08VpiDE2j5S79NQJmHwW1BcJKzfkyYTh6Ebg3hgtkCu9-tapQWZ2gwwia-zfdeyrdZ6tHoJ/s400/79-Patch+Work.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horrible patchwork performed by so-called artists from ASI. It would be good to leave such patches empty than spoiling it with unimaginative work</td></tr>
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<b>Tip Offs:</b></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Do the initial exploration of the temple with the help of a guide. It would be handy to have the details before capturing photographs from different perspectives.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Try to be at the temple at early in the morning. You will have a chance to capture the architecture elements in golden hours and not-to-mention you can explore the things peacefully with a negligible crowd.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Take a self-addressed envelope/post-card to drop at the post box inside the temple premises. You will be getting it delivered by India Post having a unique cancellation on postage stamp</li>
</ul>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>References:</b></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.in/gp/product/8170173450/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=3626&creative=24790&creativeASIN=8170173450&linkCode=as2&tag=shaexplifunl-21" rel="nofollow">A Complete Guide to Hoysala Temples</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-in.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=shaexplifunl-21&l=as2&o=31&a=8170173450" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> by Gerad Foekema</li>
</ul>
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Sandeep Shandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10271772844265880737noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30242316.post-73737497035222857962015-11-07T14:37:00.001+05:302015-11-08T11:34:01.591+05:30Cup of Coffee at Belase Stop(Chickmagalur)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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"Coffee Coffee everywhere and not a drop to drink" would be a usual thought running through your mind while driving thru 'Land of Coffee' Chickmagalur. Even if there're a few roadside stalls the coffee will be of sub-standard quality served with dubious hygiene standards.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Font facade of the Stop. Many would think the owners have done a typo by writing Belase instead of Please :)</td></tr>
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The recently started Green View Coffee Joint is a welcome change for all travelers. The coffee served here for Rs. 20 with the seeds grown at the estate behind the shop and plus awesome view of the valley makes the experience to be cherished. Apart from coffee the place offers Obattu, Akki Rotti, Khara Mandakki Puri.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the landscape from the coffee shop</td></tr>
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So next time when you're driving between Chickmagalur and Balehonnur do make a time for a stopover at this lovely road side coffee joint. It's around 10 kms from Balehonnur towards Chickmagalur.</div>
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Also, note that the tea is not served this place but the lovers of tea should definitely visit for the view of the landscape around.</div>
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The embedded map below shows the exact coordinates of the shop <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d15528.351840333993!2d75.54433964659482!3d13.344804331897317!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x0%3A0x0!2zMTPCsDIwJzQxLjQiTiA3NcKwMzInMzYuNiJF!5e0!3m2!1sen!2s!4v1446962497901" style="border: 0;" width="600"></iframe>
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Sandeep Shandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10271772844265880737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30242316.post-26355923906596106922015-10-25T19:38:00.001+05:302015-10-25T19:40:05.777+05:30Tunga + Bhadra at Koodli<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Confluence of Tunga(Left) and Bhadra(Right)</td></tr>
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We were on the way back to Bangalore from Shimoga through Chitradurga. About half an hour drive from Shimoga, besides a sharp turn on the highway we spotted a board showing directions through a small road- "Way to Koodli". We were in two minds, as we were on a tight schedule and were on target to reach Bangalore by dinner time. But the spirit of exploring an unseen place prevailed and we decided to take U-turn after crossing the Bhadra bridge on the highway.</div>
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Koodli (literally means the place where two rivers meet), is a small village at the confluence of Tunga and Bhadra rivers. Apart from panoramic view of the confluence, the place is famous for 12th century Rameshwara Temple, built in typical Hoysala style. There's also a popular neo-style Narasimha Swamy temple besides the old temple. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rameshwara Temple at Koodli</td></tr>
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There also an open air Shiva shrine in the complex of Rameshwara temple, the details of the open temple were not provided on "about the monument" board which was put up inside temple premises.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open air Shiva Shrine</td></tr>
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In addition to above mentioned temples, there is small Harihara temple on the banks of river confluence. During rainy season this will be submerged in water. Since it was pre-monsoon time, we were just in time to get a glimpse of this temple. The small nandi in front of this temple denotes the exact point where the two rivers meet.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harihara Temple at the point of Confluence</td></tr>
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In case you're planning to travel between Chitradurga and Shimoga, then do plan for pit-stop at this small village. The place may offer you different scenic perspective in different seasons !<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panoramic view of the Confluence.</td></tr>
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Sandeep Shandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10271772844265880737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30242316.post-63053468538986006242015-09-26T22:33:00.002+05:302015-09-26T22:33:55.366+05:30Uppi-Two by Upendra<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Uppi-Two is the latest flick in Kannada film industry by multi-talented filmmaker Upendra who is known for his creative narratives and unique perspectives. The movie is the sequel to the movie titled by his good name which release way back in 1999. I was so much inspired by the film that the character "naanu" turned out to be the major factor for the naming of this blog. The director made an attempt to quench the expectations of his fan through his directorial comeback "Super" in 2010, but it was not that well taken by his fans like the 1999 flick.</div>
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In contrast, his latest venture got several rave reviews. It was the talk of town several things and one common one being title of the movie, which is homonym to one of the common cuisines in Karnataka Uppittu - ಉಪ್ಪಿಟ್ಟು. Due other priorities, I could not experience the narrative immediately after the release. After a long wait I finally got a chance watch the film with my blogging buddy Raveesh at the new multiplex - ETA Cinepolis close to my home.</div>
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The plot of the very difficult to explain in fact the director has left to the audience for their own interpretation. In comparison to the first version, the sequel is more polished, refined and tending more towards philosophy. However, the music of the movie is a bit letdown. The magical tunes like <i>MTV Subbu Lakshmi, Uppi kinta bere ruchi illa, Mastu mastu Hudugi </i>were missing in this movie. </div>
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Regarding my interpretation of storyline I still need to converge and will update this part after thorough analysis :)</div>
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Kindly refer following links for interpretation and reviews</div>
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<li>Raveesh Kumar: <a href="http://www.raveeshkumar.com/2015/08/uppi-2-kannada-movie-review.html">Uppi-2 Review</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.quora.com/Did-anyone-understand-Upendra-2-Uppi-2-movie-Please-enlighten-us-folks">Uppi-2 Quora Discussion</a></li>
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<b>An aside:</b><br />
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The new multiplex ETA Cinepolis is a welcome change to people staying around Charamrajpete, Basavagudi, Hanumanthanagar area. Leaving apart Uma talkies we didn't have any proper place for experiencing a movie between Urvashi and Eshwari theaters. The ETA namma mall just had a soft launch with only multiplex and other shops may start operating from Jan 2016 onwards.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside ETA-Namma Mall 3rd Floor</td></tr>
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Sandeep Shandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10271772844265880737noreply@blogger.com3