Thursday, December 15, 2005
Hampi - rocky beauty

If Dali existed in the 14th century and decided to build a city, perhaps this is what the result would be. Hampi - the capital of the Vijayanagar empire in South India. Founded in a Romanesque fashion by two legendary brothers, Harihar and Bukka in the 14th century based on some lucky omen, the city survived as a unique bastion of Hindu culture in the south before succumbing in the mid-16th century to Islamic invasions.
Hampi today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and not just that. Due to recent bridges and road construction plus tourist influx, is labeled as a "threatened" World Heritage Site. Unfortunately, unlike the tourist spots in Kerala (Periyar Sanctuary, for example), I was less than pleased with the conservation efforts here on part of the local population.


What strikes the first-time visitor to Hampi are not the gorgeous intricately carved temples,




Other than the main Virupaksha temple, there are several other beautiful architectural wonders there. The Vitala temple dedicated to an avatar of Krishna, with its famous Sun chariot made of stone, and 'Musical Pillars', which resonate with different musical notes when


Friday, December 09, 2005
Periyar Tiger Reserve

The Periyar Tiger Reserve is an awesome place to visit for countless reasons. If these pictures and this post does not convince you that you just HAVE TO visit this place, feel free to count me among the worst writers of all time!
The sanctuary is located in the western ghat range, over an area of 700+ sq km. It has about 35-40 tigers, as well as herds of elephants, bison, deer, wild boar, 300+ varieties of birds, some of them rare, exotic and

Kerala is India's most educated state, with a 100% literacy rate, and it shows. This is one place where I saw an extraordinary awareness among people about the environment and the need to preserve it. Also, this is one of the few places in India where eco-tourism is a well-organized endeavor and has taken off in a big way.
The Periyar sanctuary is located around the Lake Periyar, an artificial lake created by damming the Periyar river. The lake is surrounded by mountains covered with fairly dense forest. The weather in winter is pleasant, with daytime temperatures in the late 70s/early 80s. At this time of the year (late Nov/early Dec), it's the time for the

Conservation issues
There are two huge problems the forests in South India face: animal poachers and Sandalwood

Elephants, while not endangered, have been valued and poached for their ivory tusks. This problem too, has been contained to some extent now, and elephants are thriving in most forests.
Sandalwood (chandan) is a rare small tree whose bark and wood give off the famous, intoxicating sandalwood fragrance. Grown chiefly in India, and some in Hawaii, the Indian variety is under serious threat from illegal cutting and smuggling activity. The harvest and use of sandalwood is strictly controlled by the Government, and it is rare and expensive, and in great demand in India for religious rituals and herbal medicines.
Eco-tourism in Periyar - Two days on The Tiger Trail
The work being done to protect the forests and the environmental awareness of the locals was enough to persuade me to throw in my support to this amazing effort by indulging myself in several of their eco-tourism options.

unforgettable experience to hear a dense forest at midnight and know what the sounds are. An unforgettable experience to see the bright eyes of deer surrounding you in a clearing. Leech-protection socks, flashlights and raincoats are provided. You bring yourself, with good boots and a big sense of adventure. Price: Rs 500 ($11) per person.
The Tiger Trail treks: These are 2-day-1-night or 3-day-2-night treks into the heart of the forests, with primitive camping in the night. It's conducted by the Eco-tourism development association, an organization founded by ex-poachers and smugglers, people with unparelleled knowledge of jungles and animals, and legendary tracking skills. I took the 2-day-1-night trek, and it was something!




Later in the afternoon, we struck gold. Well, silver, because gold would have been a tiger sighting. During one of our hikes we almost ran into a little herd of elephants, and a herd of


The tigers stayed hidden, perhaps for the better. We did get to see some fresh pugmarks and dung, but little else :( Well, all good for a first-time forest excursion. The night in the tent was dark. It started raining heavily during the night, and let me assure you that the sound of rain in a forest on your flimsy

veggie meal on a little wood fire, with rice, sambar dal, and 3 different vegetable entrees! They set up a watch at night with a campfire going, and played cards deep into the night. These people made the jungle their home. While we were resting, some of them amused themselves by fishing on our little bamboo rafts.

Wednesday, December 07, 2005
In Madurai, the city of temples...

In Madurai,
city of temples and poets,
who sang of cities and temples,
every summer
a river dries to a trickle
in the sand,
baring the sand ribs,
straw and women's hair
clogging the watergates

at the rusty bars
under the bridges with patches
of repair all over them
the wet stones glistening like sleepy
crocodiles, the dry ones
shaven water-buffaloes lounging in the sun
The poets only sang of the floods.
From "A River" by AK Ramanujan. Here's the complete poem. and for good measure, a picture of the dried Vaigai river that I just had to take :-)
So I flew from hometown Mumbai on the west coast (see map!) down to Coimbatore in the south of India, and then a five-hour bus to Madurai. This is a Government transport bus, part of the

The Meenakshi Temple


The temple itself is a huge complex, with 5 towers (gopurams) adorning the boundaries. Inside, there's a dizzying array of divine overload, with majestic gods and voluptuous goddesses looking on you from every angle. The intricately rainbow-hued towers narrate hundreds of stories from Hindu mythology, some of which are more familiar than others. The physical structure is supported by 8000 pillars, each carved out of single stone in shape of some animal, usually with a lion on the top. Inside, there is a labyrinthine array of smaller temples, each connected to others by dark passages.



Other sights


Madurai, and this part of Southern India, is famous for it's textiles, however. Gorgeous sarees adorn every other store, shimmering in their silks and embroidered fineries. A section is dedicated to the Tibetan women who spontaneously spring up all over India just before winter, selling ridiculously cheap (if you haggle) jackets and sweaters. Sweets, chai stalls and streetside food vendors wait to satiate the more physical hunger of the seekers of spiritual bliss.
Kanya Kumari
