A Cave Temple

Weekend brings the thoughts of travel. But with security being an issue these days, we were looking for some place which is with in the city limits yet away from crowds. We came to know of a cave temple in Hulimavu which fitted the bill. This temple is on the way to Meenakshi temple on Bannerghatta road. So we drove down on a Saturday evening having collected enough information about the way from various sources. The road is not a well laid one and you get the feeling that you are driving towards a village.

The Ramalingeswara cave temple is 2000 years old. It is said that sages used to perform penance inside the cave. The main deities are Lord Shiva and Rama, Sita and Lakshmana. There is also an idol of Lord Krishna. The entrance as you can see on the side leads to a cave. Anyone whose height is more that 5 ft 3" needs to bend as long as they are inside. Even at the entrance there are stone slabs which may hit your head if you are not careful. Every first Sunday of the month, satyanarayana puja is performed here.

On top of the cave there is a footprint which is supposed to be that of Hanuman. I do not know the story behind it, but I will find out some day. The locals say that the cave was a part of a hill which now disappeared thanks to ‘urbanisation’. Also the land which belonged to the temple is now used by a school.

When we were inside the priest was performing the last puja of the day. The power went off and the cave was lit only by the diyas near the deities and the harathi. It gave an eerie look to the whole temple.

A transquil and well kept place. A memorable trip.

Terror in Life

This is on the occasion of serial bomb blasts in Bangalore (25/07/2008) and Ahmedabad (26/07/2008).
The events show the vulnerability of common man’s life. As such life is difficult due to rising inflation, increasing power cuts and scarcity of basic resources like water. Now even walking on streets has become difficult.
It makes me wonder about the sadistic pleasure some people get out of terrorizing others.
Cant really blame the governments or the officials or intelligence bureaus. With a huge population, how many policemen are required to check and ensure law and order? One look at the crowded bus stations or railway stations will tell you the futility of any such attempt. That is why terrorists have easy access to any corner of the country.

Then there are others who look to make a quick buck. There are some who vandalize shops in the area after blasts or riots. There are some who try to have fun by spreading rumors. I would say they are no less guilty than the terrorists.
On the other hand, there are others who help children reach home safely in the middle of chaos. There are those who ensure that the injured are taken to hospital.

Probably the only way we can ensure our own safety is to become model citizens ourselves. Each of us should ensure that our actions do not hurt others physically or otherwise. We should obey by the law at all times. We should ensure that any deviation is reported. Terrorists are not born suddenly. They are among us/ within us.

Is that enough, you may ask. No it is not. But at least, we are helping the law and order system in the country by not adding further complications in the midst of chaos.

As for the cause of chaos itself, as long as there are inequalities there will be outbursts of every kind whether right or wrong. Some other time on this.

As of now let me pray for the safe recovery of all those injured.

Mysore trip

I am back with another travel story. This time it is Mysore and Srirangapatnam. This is not my first visit, but it is my first blog about it.

The drive to Mysore from Bangalore was fabulous. Ever since the new highway was made the traffic is flowing smoothly. I remember my first drive to mysore – we saw umpteen number of accidents on the way and it took us more than 6 hrs to reach. This time it took us around 2 hrs that too because we were driving by ourselves leisurely.
We went straight up the Chamundi hills. You do not realize the altitude till you take a peek down the hills. The drive is lovely with greenery surrounding you. Nothing has changed in the temple premises since 1993 when I first visited Mysore. The surroundings have been preserved amazingly. Ditto for the palace which looked very familiar and as beautiful as I remember when I visited it last in 2001.

Once a sleepy town, Mysore is slowly wearing the colors of a vibrant city thanks to a number of IT firms which made it their home. It is still a tourist hot spot which is evident from the fact that you find several people offering to be your guide at every junction.

What has changed is KRS dam which is now dry most of the year. The musical fountain in brindavan gardens was a wonder back in 1993 and people flocked to take pictures of the gardens where many a famous movies were shot. Now not many venture that side as the gardens are devoid of all those lovely flowers. And now musical fountains are everywhere and no longer a wonder.

Srirangapatnam has not grown much despite the tourist traffic. But one can make out the newly placed sign boards for tourists marking important places.

There were quite a few places I wished we had time to stop. All in all a lovely way to spend a Sunday.