A Lollipop Trip

Exactly, it was a lollipop trip for me as we travelled all the way from Bangalore > kukke > Mangalore > Udupi > Sringeri > Hornadu and finally back to Bangalore. Since it looks like a small circle with a stick at the bottom, I call it as a lollipop trip. Now please get relieved from your eyebrow raised expression.

 

 

We had planned to leave our house by 6.30 in the morning, but as usual delayed one hour and left at 7.30 in the morning. But since it was a weekday the entire route from Bangalore to hassan welcomed us with less vehicles on road.
From Hassan to Sakleshpur and then to Gundya through Shiradi ghat. Thanks to government for still maintaining that road in good condition. We reached Kukke Subramanya by 2.30 p.m. and had our lunch. After relaxing for an hour in the pre-booked hotel (Sai Skanda), we went for the darshan of lord Subramanya.

Kukke Subramanya is a well known temple where devotees come to get relieved from Naga dosha, means the curse of serpent. In short, the lord Subramanya  got married to Indra's daughter devasena and later promised the serpent king vasuki  to remain in kumaraparvatha and protect the serpents.  Kumara Dhara is the river that flows from all the way from kumaraparvatha.

 

The devotees are supposed to take a dip in kumaradhara and then visit the temple. We being different, did the reverse of it. Anyways my children enjoyed playing in the river along with my husband that too at 7 in the evening. 

 

Next day in the morning, packed all stuff, had breakfast and then moved towards the coastal city, Mangalore. Since Mangalore is famous for ice creams, we tried four to five types of ice-creams in Pabba's ice cream parlour. With the cool stomach, we travelled further to Kapu beach. The Kapu beach welcomed us with very huge waves. Yes, the waves were very turbulent, and the guard was not allowing Mahesh to go deep into the sea.

 

 

I could see the same character of Mahesh (love towards water) in my two children as even they were jumping to play in the turbulent sea. It would have been very difficult for me to handle my son and daughter if my mother-in-law would not have been with me.

After having lunch on the way, we travelled to Manipal as we had booked our room in a hotel named Treebo Vijaya Residency- Manipal. We relaxed for a while and went to Udupi mutt. Udupi Sri Krishna mutt is a very nice place with a big Kalyani and of course the well known kanakana kindi.

 

During the era of caste discrimination, the Brahmin priest did not allowed kanakadasa to enter the temple for Lord Krishna darshan. Kanakadasa was outside the temple for many days waiting to let him into the temple and for Lord Krishna darshan. When the disappointed kanakadasa sang kirthanas, a portion of the temple wall fell down and the Lord Krishna  statue turned around from east direction to west. The crack in the outer walls of the temple through which Kanakadasa was able to see lord Krishna is known as Kanakana Kindi.
After visiting udupi mutt, we had dinner and reached back to hotel around 8.p.m.

 

 

 

 

Next day in the morning again packed all stuff and geared up towards Sringeri. Hey hold on! Before Sringeri we headed to malpe beach and then visited the no man's island " St. Mary's Island". They just allowed us to stay in the island for 30 minutes. The to and fro boat journey from malpe beach to the island takes half an hour.

 

 

 

In the year 1498, Vasco da Gama landed in this island and named it as St. Mary's island as a dedication to Mother Mary. This island is also known as Coconut island.

 

 

From malpe beach the travel started towards Sringeri. Here comes the main purpose of our trip. Let me tell you in next paragraph as it happens the next day. We reached Sringeri by four in the evening and booked rooms in the temple administered guest house. Decent enough to spend a night. If the temple authority wants they can manage it better. Took rest for a while and went to visit the goddess Saraswati temple, famously known as Sringeri Sharadhamba. This temple was built by Adi Shankaracharya, who used to preach Advaita Vedanta.

 

 

 

 

We also met two young elephants which were looking as twins.  If I am not wrong I think they were of 23 year old. After having dinner served by the temple administration, we came back to guest house and slept off.
Next day in the morning there was big queue for getting ticket to Aksharabhyasa. Thanks to my father-in-law who went  early and got it on time. Yes, the whole trip was planned to get the Akshara bhyasa done for my cute princess Rithvi. It was done by 8.30 in the morning.

 

 

 

The Lord Shiva gifted the linga known as Chandramouleeshwara Linga to Sri Adi Shankaracharya.  The Goddess Sharadhamba is the incarnation of Goddess Saraswati. People believe that by worshiping her, one can receive blessings of Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu along with Parvati, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. The Aksharabhyasa ritual is done here as it is believed to be sacred and fulfilling. The children in the age of 2 to 5 are given a slate and chalk, and a plate of rice on which the children must write their name and the word OM. It is believed that this ritual imparts good knowledge and education to the children.

 

 

After having breakfast we moved towards Hornadu. Even though Sringeri to Hornadu distance is approximately 67 km, it took three hours for us reach as the entire route is a ghat section. We travelled completely from one hill to another to visit Annapurneshwari. Hornadu is known for famous temple of goddess Annapurneshwari. We had darshan after waiting in the queue for almost more than a hour.

 

 

 

The Annapoorneshwari deity is made of gold. It is believed that a person who seeks the goddess' blessings would never have any scarcity for food in life. It is believed that Lord Shiva once had a curse and that this curse was reversed when the lord visited Goddess Annapoorna and sought her blessings.

 

 

 

 

We had lunch in the temple itself and headed towards Bangalore at 3 p.m. The Malnad region bid farewell to us by cool breeze in the early evening that too in the summer. It was an awesome experience of cool breeze and fresh air for almost an hour till we came down from hilly region to the junction known as  kottigehara. 

 

Finally we reached home by 11 in the night, just to go to work the next day in the morning, and to breathe in the same polluted air.

Born to Live in Dark Just to See Black

Black is a colour, which does not allow the person to see other colour.
Just imagine a situation when your eyes are open and you just see black in colour.
You will be watching TV or doing something and suddenly power goes off leaving you in pitch dark. Would you like to remain in that situation or light a candle. Nowadays we cannot even think of staying in dark and hence have installed UPS at home just to avoid black colour.

We cannot imagine our life in darkness, but few people are born to live in dark, just to see black!

This morning, I started my drive to office in the regular route. Seeing the jam packed road, I took an other route and was trying to cross the road. I found a blind man, may be in his twenties crossing the road. I got down from my bike and helped him crossed the road unaware that I have stopped my vehicle in the middle of the road.
While making him cross the road, I asked him where he wants to go. He told MORE, and since it was near by I left him in front of MORE building and said in a regular tone " See you are in front of MORE now and I will make a move"
I came running to move my vehicle as it was in the middle of the road. Luckily nobody scolded me for that instance.
While moving my vehicle, suddenly I felt ashamed of myself for leaving the person on the road and saying him "see here comes the MORE". How can a blind man see the MORE building when he can't see anything other than black. I parked my bike on the road side and went in search of him in guilt.

I found him moving further from the MORE building. I ran to him and asked him again where he wants to go. He said that he is in search of a garment factory near to MORE.
He was walking so confidently with a stick in his hand that too in an unknown road. He told me that he can take care of him, but he got himself hit by a parked truck. I got hold of his shoulder and went in search of a garment factory. I wanted to apologize to him for the sentence which I told him after leaving him at MORE, but didn't had courage to do. Finally with somebody's help I got the garment factory and left him with the security person.

I have helped the blind people even before this instance, but never felt hurt like this!
Right after this instances, my mind is thinking too much in the offline.
The person who is born to live in dark will be surrounded with questions starting with How.
How the person looks like with whom he talk?
How his parents are?
How the nature is?
How is the food that he eat?

It is now the end of the day, I am filled with so many questions, which does not have answers.
Who has helped him to reach bustop?
whether he reached home or not?
Is he coming tomorrow also, If yes then who will help him.

I am sure after few days, I will forget this instance and the blind man will forget me as he will be receiving help from one or the other. But this instance will always make me feel lucky to have born with sight to see the light.