A mus(t)seenagudi...

Last weekend we, along with friends decided to drive down to Masinagudi, nestled amidst the verdant foothills of the Nilgiris in Tamilnadu.

It was a pleasant break that involved...

* driving through the lush Bandipur and Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary.

* spotting some spotted deer.

* watching the cotton like clouds descend on the mountains.

* sleeping to the sound of steady rain outside.

* eating fresh ripe guava before the Malabar giant squirrel gets to it.

* exploring the wilderness hand in hand.

* finding a gurgling hill stream.

* picking up some pebbles for my succulents back home;-)

* becoming kids again when we saw a wild hare hop right before us and straight into the darkness.

* suddenly becoming quiet when we saw the bulbuls chirping in the morning on the evergreen tree.

* identifying the birds and the bees( oops, the moths)

* tasting some delicious locally grown gooseberry, jamun, bilberry jams

* devouring some sinfully delicious desserts.

* drinking cups of chai.

*taking in the colour green.

* enjoying every moment of the day.

* re-living those simple but beautiful moments through this post:-)

my friends' little daughter...

silver oak leaf...

gurgling stream...

The beautiful place where we stayed...

our charming cottage...

morning after the rains...

our wildlife and nature enthusiast friend helping us identify a bird...

sitting pretty on our window...

breakfast time was divine...

(images by Arch)

A place that nature calls home...

* Cauvery river gushing down the rocks and forming white foams.
* Mallika's excited laughter as she swings by on a long swing on the tamarind tree.
* I look at the textures on the wooden steps leading to our log hut.
* Blue..yes Cobalt blue was the sky and blue was the water too.
* Sunlight making the Mulberry leaves glow.
* Faint screams of the 'White Water Rafting' team through the roar of the river.
* Fluffy candy floss clouds fill the sky while I settle into the hammock with a book.
* I see colourful kites in the sky...Kites?? Gosh! I must have dozed off while reading 'The Kite Runner'
* I always have flashes of scenes from the books I read even many days after finishing. ( Does anyone else have a similar experience?)
* Little fish nibble at our toes when we dip our feet in the cool water of the river.
* A trek up the hill leaves me panting and my hands smelling of lemon grass.( well the hill was filled with them:-)
* My head feels giddy after the coracle ride downstream.
* A feeling of calm surrounds all of us sitting along the shore, when the sun sets painting all of us in a beautiful shade of orange.
* The logs of wood crackle under the flames of the bonfire while the stars appear silently into the night sky.
* My husband sighs, Mallika whines and I refuse to leave this place that nature calls home.

Calm...

Sunset at Cauvery Fishing Camp, Bheemeshwari.

Have loads to share with you all...
Wait for me while I drag my thoughts back from our very relaxing and close to nature trip.

Meanwhile do check out my Flickr for uploads from the trip:-)

Hampi: Part 2

The ruins of Vijayanagara dynasty-Hampi has been described by innumerable people in many a poetic ways...
but this is what I feel being amidst the ruins.

* I imagine many hands carving the hard granite rocks to create these exquiste masterpieces.
* The seven notes of music arising from the magical, musical pillars.
* The grandeur that would have been the name of kingdom of Vijayanagara.
* I marvel at the rocks that have stood the test of time.
* I feel a sense of calm when I see the sun rise over the Mathanga Hill.
* The Tungabadhra flowing peacefully through the ruins.
* I try to read the faces of many sadhus and holy men who throng the temples of Hampi.
* I am lost in a world where rocks speak to me about the bygone era and ask us preserve them for the future generations... A picture perfect Lotus Mahal- An Islamic influence in an otherwise Vijayanagara Style architecture.
Details on the Lotus Mahal...Beautiful Vijayanagara Architecture in the Vittala Temple...
Close-up of the wheel of the Stone Chariot in the Vittala temple premises...
Honestly now I truly understand how she feels looking at these structures & rocks...

Magical Mango Tree....

* I have been to Hampi twice and my husband 6 times.

* As we were riding through Hampi bazaar on our gear-less scooters, we bumped into my husband's 'first tourist guide' who took him around Hampi in 1995.

* It was late evening and we were hungry, after exchanging pleasantries the 'first question' to the 'first tourist guide' was, 'Which is the best place to eat?'

* He simply said 'Mango Tree' and asked us to follow the Tungabadhra river.

* So here we were on 3 scooters riding along the river into dusk.

* We reached a quaint little gate with a small board that read Mango Tree with no mango tree in sight.

* Clueless we followed a path through a banana plantation and jumping up when we heard a rustling sound nearby.

* Reached a place that looked like a village home.

* We were asked to remove our footwear near a shelf which was filled with freshly fallen white flowers from the tree above.

* As we moved in I caught a glimpse of the river flowing peacfully ahead and my heart started beating in anticipation.

* I saw the huge mango tree form a canopy above us and somebody swing right ahead of us in a long rope swing.

* Then the magic happened when we walked down the steps....the river was the giant 70 mm screen and rocks forming the backrest of the seats.

* Low benches with glowing hurricane lamps were placed right in front of us as we stretched our legs and gave in to the beauty of the place and the service of the friendly waiters....

Want some killer pizzas?

Head straight to Hampi...
No kidding.
This place caters to the gastronomic needs of people from all over the world.

I am sure a little spelling mistake won't deter you from trying out some fantastic food or the hair cutting salon for that matter...;-)

Hampi: Part 1

My head is filled with images of Hampi & my heart hasn't returned from there yet...

Till I assimilate all that we experienced in Hampi during our fantastic holiday with family, here are some colours, patterns, graphics, shapes & textures from the trip.

Pink & Red Kumkum hills...
Lemon & Goli Soda...
Multi-coloured tourist-y T-shirts...
Interesting slippers...Colourful mirror & embroidery embellishments by LambanisRent a gear-less scooter...

Enjoy! Will be back soon...