Half-day Trip to Kurudmale and Avani

Took me long to write this .. but still here it goes…

We went on a short trip to Kurudmale and Avani couple of months back. We packed breakfast and lunch from home and started around 8am.

Bangalore -> Hoskote -> Kolar -> Mulbagal -> Kurudmale  . Approximately 110 Kms. There are signages that lead you to Mulbagal. From there you have to take a left turn to reach the place.

Took us 2 hours since we stopped on the way on the highway to have breakfast (approx.. 20 mins).

Kurudmale Ganesha is a famous place locally. It is in Kolar district. The temple is believed to be constructed by Vijayanagara kings. The idol is around 13 feet in height. As per mythological story, Ganesha’s idol was installed by Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. This place is believed to be the meeting place for all devathas. Hence locally people come here for worship before they start any important work or new job or marriage, etc. The temple is mostly in ruins.

There is a 750 years old Shiva temple (Lord Someswara) right opposite to the Ganesha’s temple. The low ceilings of the temple remind you of a cave temple. There is another Ganesha’s idol at the entrance and a Nandi on the side.

From Kurudmale we proceeded to Avani. Hardly 20 kms from Kurudmale. This is to the left when you are going towards Bangalore. There is signage to guide you.

Avani is known as Gaya of the south. Avani is famous for its Sita temple situated on a hill. There are temples of Ramalingeshwara, Lakshmaneshwara, Bharateshwara and Shatrugneshwara. It is said that Sage Valmiki stayed here and Sita Devi gave birth to twins here.

Beware of the monkeys, if you intent to eat anything within temple premises.

After temple darshan, we stopped near the fields at the outskirts of Avani for quick picnic lunch. We drove back to Bangalore and were home by 3pm.

Sale ! Discount ! Offer of the day!

Those words send a chill up the spine of a man and a tingling sensation in the purses of women. The never ending sale is everywhere and all through the year now. “Retail revolution” – oh yes, we ladies know all about it.

There was a time when little nooks and corners of the city were explored by ladies who loved window shopping more than anything else. There always were ‘wise’ aunties who knew where to buy the cheapest and best wares ranging from freshest paneer to right sized knitting. Kitty parties were full of discussions about the shopping trips made and to be made. Shopping expedition was a time for female bonding just like any other social function. Harass the shop keeper for hours for the right size/ shade. Check out almost whole stock before walking out to another shop. (So much of footwork !!)

Retail landscape changed over time which put the wise aunties out of their wisdom and the small shops out of their business. Ladies went mall-hopping (with or without kids/ husband in tow) and gathered knowledge about all products and sales. Print media screamed ‘sale’ to lure more foot falls. Ladies surely bought (unnecessary) things and of course bragged about how they got a good bargain. They found more fun in actually trying out the products (which is not allowed in smaller shops). Wear that forbidden silk dress once like a dream, no need to buy. Get a makeover free and don’t actually buy the whole makeup kit. Sales are more frequent and discounts are norm of the day.

e-Commerce further changed things. An email or newsletter or facebook like is enough for ladies to check out the product and open their purse (for credit cards). No commuting time, no physical verification of shop and stock. Window shopping is now completely online. (I call it ‘website-hopping’). The fun of being with friends is all gone. From shoes to jewellery everything (almost) is sold online. In return to what we spend, we get redemption vouchers, points, club memberships, discount coupons, etc. All these make us spend more.

We are certainly spending more but having less fun doing it. (I certainly am !!) Any of you feel the same? Aren’t you missing the gossiping, the cribbing, the sharing of style tips, the planning of outing, the fun in harassing the shopkeeper, the thrill of trying out new clothes, etc and best of all bonding with your friends?

Same question must have given some e-commerce sites an idea and they started ‘social shopping’. Send online updates about what products you are checking out or buying. Take tips from friends or even borrow money online. Oh Well… in a world where friendships are only online, this should not come as a surprise. Nevertheless, I am speechless.

I am off to make myself some coffee to digest this now. Till next time.

"The Fall of Advertising and Rise of PR" by Al and Laura Ries

I came across this book when I was looking for some tips regarding marketing and sales for my company. This book is very readable and for those who are unfamiliar with the area of marketing can also understand what the author wants to say. Though it would have been better if they had given some kind of introduction to the terms used in the beginning itself. Using examples of faltering companies through-out the book showcases the hard work and research done by the authors to support their idea.

The power of public relations has been brought into focus through this book which has amazing anecdotes and examples of companies who bet big on advertising to generate sales.

Businesses have traditionally thought that advertising budget is directly proportional to sales generated. The authors argue and prove otherwise. They contend that public relations has extremely effective at building brands. The authors show that advertising focuses more on being creative. Using various examples, the authors show that advertising has historically been ineffective in generating sales for the product/ service showcased. On the contrary, public relations have worked in favor of a product/ service and helped in creating long lasting brands.

I wish the authors had given more recent examples. There are more relevant examples in the last decade that could have validated the idea. All in all, the book delivers on its title and is a good read.

On a personal note, it makes sense for companies to take a relook at their advertising spend and check whether they are getting returns for every penny spent. In the current times when 'Digital Marketing' is the buzz word, it is extremely important to have the right public image than a creative advertisement.  

Weekend Trip to Mahabalipuram and Kanchipuram

Yep you read it right. Bangalore to Mahabalipuram to Kanchipuram to Bangalore. All In TWO days.

Started early on a Saturday morning armed with the usual stuff and directions.

Hosur onto NH7 via Krishnagiri (take left. Do not go towards Salem) - Vaniyambadi - Vellore - Wallajah - Kancheepuram - chengalpattu - Mahabalipuram

Beautiful drive. Mostly 6 lane with some detours. Got to stop at quite a few places for toll. Started at 6am, stopped for breakfast at Vellore and reached Mahabalipuram at 1pm (just in time for lunch at Hotel Mamalla Heritage). Post lunch we went to explore the ruins and spend time on the beach. Must see places are listed below. Got to take a ticket of 10/- which gives access to all the places listed below.

Shore temple: Amazing view are you are approaching the ruins. Very picturesque. Not very large structure but landscaping has been done for tourists. There are shrines of Vishnu and Shiva.

Then we had a gala time in the beach. There are hawkers all along the beach. One can buy beautiful show pieces and jewellery made of sea shells and colored stones for bargain.

Five Rathas: These are five chariots built out of stone known as Pandavas Rathas.  There is Ratha dedicated to each of the Pancha Pandavas and also Draupati. These are built in Dravidian architecture style.

Durga's Cave: This is on a small hillock near the light house. There are three shrines: Shiva, Parvathi and Skanda. One can climb all the way up to the top of the temple and get a view of the surroundings. One can also climb up to the top of the light house to get a view of the sea and ruins. 

There are many shops that make and sell amazing stone sculptures (especially black stone) in all sizes. All the tourist places close by 6pm and no one is allowed near the ruins post sunset.

We started at 5.30pm from Mahabalipuram tired and reached Kanchipuram at 7.30pm. We stayed overnight in Kanchi and woke up energized. The stay was decent in Hotel Sakthi Residency. What is worth mentioning are the Dosas we had in Sangeeta Restaurant in ground floor. The service is out of this world.

We went to Kamakshi Amman temple first. The main gopuram is large with beautiful sculptures. This is one of the three main shakti peetas. The main diety, Goddess Parvati, has shakti yantra or Chakra in front which is supposed to be source of power. 

Next we went to Vamana temple which was right behind Kamakshi temple. There is a huge black stone idol (over 30 feet height) of Vamana with the right leg on Bali's head and the left leg pointing towards the sky. This temple is special to Kanchi and Lord Vishnu in this incarnation is not worshiped anywhere with an idol matching this size.

Varadaraja Perumal temple is more famous for its golden and silver lizards which are carved in the roof of the holy sanctum. People stand in queue for hours to touch those and believe that all their sins will be washed away.

Other prominent places to visit in Kanchi are:

- Kailasanathar temple which is the oldest Hindu temple in existence

- Ekambareswara temple which is the largest temple in the city with one of the tallest gopuram in India at 59 feet. It has a long corridor with thousand pillars and inner walls are decorated with 1008 lingas.

- Kanchi Mutt established by Sankaracharya

Post lunch we started off our journey back to Bangalore at around 2pm. We reached city by 7pm.

Tiresome but amazing trip. Wonder where our next trip will be to....