Mangalore Trip Part 4 – Temples in and around Mangalore

Sharavu Maha Ganapathi Temple

We first headed to the nearest temple from our hotel:  Sharavu Maha Ganapathi Temple.

Lord Ganesha is seen in a unique form here with ten hands with Siddhalakshmi seated to his right and lion as his vehicle instead of the usual mouse. History gives a long reason for this and this temple is many centuries old but renovated recently. To put in current perspective, in Kali yuga people are more interested in material gains. Hence it is said that Lord Ganesha appeared in this form to remove obstacles and bestow wealth and prosperity to his devotees.

Kudroli Sri Bhagavathi Temple

This temple is said to be 800 years old and the four temple complexes are renovated with beautiful maroon and gold colors.

Katil Shree Durga Parameswari

This beautiful temple is situated on an islet near River Nandini. This is the only temple that has a live river flowing through it. The river is named after the daughter of holy cow Kamadhenu. The temple main diety of the temple is Sri Durga Parameswari. The temple is in the middle of hills and the drive itself is through lush greenery. The drive to Kateel from Mangalore is around 20 km and takes around 40 mins. You have to go past the Mangalore airport and pass through ghat section.

Kadri Manjunatha Temple

The city of Mangalore itself is on hills. Kadri Manjunath temple is situated on the highest hill in Mangalore. This 9^th century temple is in square shape and has nine water tanks behind it.  It is believed that Parashurama who was living in Sahyadri, killed the kshathriyas who were cruel and donated the lands to Kashyapa. Parashurama threw his axe into the sea and created a place for his penance. Yielding to Parashurama's prayers Lord Shiva appeared to him as Manjunatha along with Goddess Parvathi and stayed at Kadri for the betterment of the world.

There is a natural spring at an elevated location where there is a natural spring. Water comes out of the mouth of a cow shape. This is called the Gomukha. This water is let into nine tanks. People take a dip in each of the tanks which they believe will absolve them from doshas.

There are multiple temples within the compound. There are steps which take you further up the hill and there are many more temples there. This marks the end of our trip to Mangalore.

Mangalore Trip Part 3 – Dussehra in Mangalore

After a refreshing afternoon nap, we set off to check out the local places within Mangalore. Since it was the main festival day of Navarathri, the whole of Mangalore was decked up with lights along major roads. Most of the market places were closed. Couple of local beaches that can be visited are Panambur beach and Tannirbhavi beach. The way to Panambur beach is smeely since there are industries on the way.

The main diety of the city is Mangaladevi. We went to see the temple and the planned festivities. The procession along the streets is famous during this festive time. Royal tiger dance is a popular folk dance during dusshera. Young men form troops, wear tiger costume and dance like a tiger.

After aarthi at the main temple, idols of Navadurgas along with Ganesha and sharada are taken on procession. For this a special chariot is decorated grandly with flowers and lights. This is pulled with thick ropes. The temple arranges for various cultural programmes and these are shown across the city on big screens.

Various tableau decorated in different themes follow in the procession. The procession goes on till wee hours of next day. 

Mangalore Trip Part 2 – Udupi Temple and Malpe beach

Post breakfast we started off to Udupi. There two things that one cannot miss in Udupi – Krishna temple and local cuisine. The weather is relatively hotter. Since we went in end of October, it was pleasant by local standards. Due to Navarathri there was a long queue but the darshan of Lord Krishna made up for all the wait. On the way we get to see the Lord’s Elephant Subadre (named after one of krishna’s wives) and their Gowshala.

Kanakadasa ,a pious worshipper and devotee of Lord Krishna was refused darshan of the lord since he was from a particular community. He stayed in a makeshift hermitage in front of Krishna mutt singing verses in Krishna’s name. There was an earthquake in the night and the outer temple wall cracked such a way that there was a wide enough opening for Kanakadasa to have darshana of the idol. Till today, devotees worship Lord by praying through the same window where kanakadasa was seeing the offerings/Pooja from outside. 

Since cameras were not allowed inside I am posting a pic from official website.

We completed darshan by 11 am. We set off to Malpe beach nearby even though it was close to noon. This being a fishing hub we have to pass the fishermen’s houses to reach the beach. The way is smelly but the beach is beautiful.

Though hot sun on top, the cool breeze of the beach changed our mood. Never ending stretches of white sand, turquoise blue waters, colorful shells, a glimpse of St. Mary’s island, coconut trees along the beach add to the never before seen natural beauty.

Apart from the neat and clean beach(Malpe beach is called a virgin beach), there are many activities to do. There are many islands nearby. You can visit the St. Mary’s island which is known for its volcanic rocks mostly vertical and hexagonal ones. There is a fort on Daria-Bahadurgad island. There are jets that you can drive or water skiing or para gliding.

My children collected many colorful sea shells. There are restaurants along the beach but mostly sea food on the menu. Being strict vegetarians, we hit the national highway towards Mangalore and stopped over for lunch at a south Indian restaurant.

Mangalore Trip Part 1 - Someshwar Beach Temple

Dussehra holiday time is perfect for planning long drive trips. Hence, off we went towards the west of India which had both beautiful beaches and temples. We managed to cover a few places over three days. I am posting separate blogs for each of the places visited.

We started early in the morning (around 4.30 am) on a Friday and yet got stuck in traffic at Yeswanthpur for an hour. We cursed ourselves for not selecting another route out of the city, but to be honest we dint expect a traffic jam at the under-construction bridge at 5 am in the morning. After few manouvers in the small roads, we managed to wriggle out of the traffic and hit the NH 48 towards Hassan. Route is pretty straight forward.

Bangalore - Hassan - Sakleshpur - Mangalore

We stopped two times – once for breakfast and once near Sakleshpur to admire the nature. Drive was beautiful and roads are good. We reached our Hotel in Mangalore at 1.30 pm hungry for lunch. The Hotel was in the main market area. Being vegetarians we had to search a little bit for veg restaurants. Over the next two days we identified a few and visited those regularly.

Our first visit was to Someshwar beach and temple which is famous locally for its view of sunset. Mangalore to Someshwar via Edapally-Panvel highway took 20 mins since there hardly was any traffic (13 kms from Mangalore). We reached there at 4pm. The temple was closed and we had an hour’s time to spend in beach.

The beach was clean and neat with very few people. The huge rocks in the beach (known as Rudra Shile) there gave a good view of the horizon. We heard that not many tourists know about this beach and hence the crowd is less. Not many shops around. So better carry food/ water. There are red crabs in the beach at some points, hence it is better to be careful before venturing into inhabited places of the beach.

The Someshwar temple is on top of a hillock on the beach. There are steps at the back of the temple which give access to the beach. The temple is considered as one of the 12 sacred shiva kshetras of India. It is known as Rudrapada kshetra. It is believed that the temple existed from the time of Ramayana and it is also believed that Pandavas worshipped here.

There is a Parasuram temple at the corner which gives a beautiful view of the sea. 

We spent our time till sunset there and headed back to Mangalore. The sunset view is just indescribable in mere words. Must see for yourself.

And the drive leads to Melkote..

Monsoon weekend without rain.. the weather is just perfect for a drive. We did not want to go too far since we had only Sunday to explore.

So we decided to head towards Melkote, known as “Badrinath of the South”. It is a town which is more than 1000 years old and is famous for “Vairamudi Brahmotsava” and its tasty Puliogare.

We started at 6 am and were on the Mysore road by 6.40 am. The traffic seemed endless. Though the road is good, you do not get the feeling that you have left the city at all till you cross Mandya. We stopped at Kamat Lokaruchi for breakfast. The route we took was:

Bangalore -> NH 275 to Ramanagara -> Channapatna -> Mandya -> Turn right to catch the old MC road -> Melkote (approx. 140 Kms in total)

After Mandya, do not take the right which has ‘Melkote’ signage. The road is not great. Go towards Pandavapura and then go on to Melkote. It will only add a couple of kilometers to the drive but the road is good.

It is only after you cross Mandya will you start enjoying the rural environment. Looking at the lush Green fields and small villages in between you tend to leave behind the tensions of city dwelling. There are signage all along the route to guide you.

We first went to Cheluvanarayana swamy temple. The crowd was less and the darshan was done within 30 minutes. The Vairamudi Brahmotsava is for this main diety.

Then we proceeded to climb up the hill to go to Yoga Narasimha swamy temple. It is believed that Prahlad himself installed the idol on the hill. It is a small hill with crude rock steps. There are two points from which you can start the climb up: one has 375 steps and the other 220 steps. You can take your car upto the second point so that you can climb up quickly.

The climb is not too steep and we saw quite a few elderly people climbing it with ease. The view from above is breath taking.

There are footprints carved on stone at one of the edges of the hill. Some believe that Lord Vishnu gave up his Narasimha avatar from here.

Be careful about the monkeys in the temple on the hill. They tend to snatch anything and everything. It started to rain soon after and we had a hurried downhill walk.

Right outside the Cheluvanarayana swamy temple, there are vendors selling the famous Melkote puliogare and curd rice. These are must-haves there. They also sell the readymade masala of puliogare.

Must visit places nearby:

Cheluvanarayana swamy temple, Rayagopura, Yoga narasimhaswamy temple, Sanskrit college, wildlife sanctuary and lots of ponds.

We could not make it to the wildlife sanctuary this time, but there is always a next time.

Kalam Ko Salaam

Words and thoughts escape me as I start this blog. With great difficulty and heavy heart, I force myself to concentrate.

Just like most of us, I heard of the man only after his name came up as Presidential candidate. I was amazed to know about his achievements and felt happy that India is also becoming a land of opportunity where a boy from a small village can be on the path to become the President. I started to read books written by him and about him. His 'Wings of Fire' gave wings to my dreams. His vision for the country helped me in visualizing a better country for my children. The more I came to know about the man, the more I wanted to know.

Some say it was his hard work, some say it was his destiny. Whatever the reasons attributed, there is no doubt that it was he who influenced the destiny of many others.

When he came to IIM Bangalore to give a lecture, it was an opportunity of a lifetime for many of us. As he outlined his vision for India, his question was: “Why don’t we aspire to make our children civil servants?” He could be the reason for some of my batch mates going into civil services after completing MBA. We were inspired to dream after listening to him.

His way of giving back to the society was his interaction with children whom he considered the torch bearers for the vision he had for our country. Everywhere he went, he met children with warmth and that is how he passed away. I cannot imagine any other way he could have spent his last moments in life.

I am honored to share my birthday with him. I can never become 10% of what he is. But he has inspired me to DREAM and I can only hope that I inspire at least one person’s life through my deeds in my lifetime. I pray for his soul and for his vision of India which he could not see fulfilled. Our true tribute to him would be working towards achieving his dreams for us.

“Dreams .. is not what you see in sleep

 Dreams .. is the thing which doesn’t let you sleep” – APJ

Must visit Sripuram temple in Vellore

One of the most beautiful ‘man-made’ temples is Golden Mahalaxmi temple in Sripuram,Vellore. I say man-made because unlike some other historic temples, the diety has no history or fable attached.

The drive from Bangalore via krishnagiri is pure pleasure if not for the frequent tolls which sometimes test your patience with the long queue of vehicles waiting. We had to go through 4 tolls.

Bangalore -> Hosur -> Krishnagiri -> take left towards Vaniyambadi -> Vellore

If you go through the Vellore town, the route is very confusing. You can ask the locals for way to Sripuram. After a while you can see the signages. There is another route without touching the Vellore town. But for that you have to watch out for Sripuram signage on the right near Abdullah puram.

This temple warrants a visit purely for its beauty. The temple is situated in a large compound. The free darshan will take minimum 3 hrs since they make you walk through a last queue complex. Special darshan costs Rs 250 per adult. This is faster and you can complete the darshan within an hour. Nothing is allowed inside except the wallet with money.

The first thing that you see after entering the complex is the thoranas and a well maintained garden. The main complex is in the shape of star (Sri chakra). The temple is in the middle of a round pond (reminds of golden temple of Amritsar). The walls of the temple are covered with gold and so is the diety. The whole complex is a beautiful piece of art with intricate designs.

It is said that around 1500 Kilograms of gold was used for this temple. There is a special lighting system which makes the temple glitter at night.

We started at 5.30 am on a Saturday, reached the temple by 8.30 am. Started back by 10 am and reached Bangalore well in time for lunch.

One can also visit the Vellore fort on their way back which is not too huge but will  still take an hour to cover.

Short trip to Chikka Tirupathi

End of May brought small showers to Bangalore. In anticipation of a good monsoon this year, we decided that we should go for a quick trip to temple nearby before schools start for kids. Since we stay towards east of Bangalore, we thought that a trip to Chikka Tirupathi would be ideal.

Unlike other trips, we started a bit lazily without any hurry. Had early breakfast at home and started at around 8.45 am. Thanks to the newly built flyover after Bellandur, we zipped to Sarjapur in no time. It is 30 kms from Bellandur and took us around 45 mins to reach.

Bellandur circle -> Wipro office -> Sarjapur -> Take left towards Hitech Telecom City -> onto NH 207 -> Take right near Mugalur, Keep on NH 207 -> near Jagadenahalli

You can see the temple gopuram from the road. Not much rush though it is a Saturday.

A little background on the temple: The main diety is Prasanna Venkateswara Swamy. Agni, Lord of Fire, lost his brightness due to the curse of Takshaka, King of snakes. It is said that Agni, did penance for Lord Vishnu at this place to get back his brightness. The grateful Agni then installed this idol.

The idol at Tirupathi has the right palm downwards called ‘vaikunta hasta’ whereas in Chikka Tirupathi, the right palm is upwards called ‘abhaya hasta’. There are no separate temples for the two devis of Lord. 

After darshan, we stepped out to check out farmers mandi with fresh vegetables right beside the temple compound. Loaded with fresher and cheaper veggies, we returned home by noon.

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....

Whom should I trust?

Everyone has similar opinion on the Delhi gang-rape case. It has touched most of us and got us into thinking. But personally it got me scared. The profile of the rapists has rattled me. I used to think that I am safe inside four walls of home/ office. But I realized that there is a hidden monster in those who are seemingly harmless. I now dread to interact with my milkman, paperboy, postman, courier guy, security guard at home and office, vegetable vendor, shopkeepers, auto/ cab/ bus drivers, etc. The fact is that women are surrounded by men at all places. The incident has induced prejudice in my mind against all those men I interact with usually. Who knows what thoughts are lurking behind their smiling facades?

Most of them are illiterate. They don't read newspapers every day. They might not have televisions at home at all to know what is happening around them. They have least knowledge and regard for laws. I am not sure how amending laws would change their psyche. Even if laws are made, what respect does anyone have for them if one is sure to get away using loop holes in the implementing system? Literate eve teasers have little respect for any lady on the streets. Some of them come from affluent families as well. It is not that they are unaware of their deeds. It is just that they are unafraid of the outcome. Strict and quick implementation of whatever the law is the one of the major ways to bring fear into those who think that they can get away. There will always be those extreme cases against which women need to guard against.

A broken trust is difficult to mend. No law on paper would bring back the trust in a hurry. Everyone in the society should work towards making every woman feel secure and safe no matter what time/ place she is in. Passers-by (including us) should have the concern for strangers and come forward to help. The web of 'I, me, myself' that we have built around us should be broken to include those in our surroundings. That, I think, is a huge task which is not going to be completed in a hurry. It will take a generation time for that awareness to come.

One day trip to Lepakshi

We packed our lunch and set out on a winter Saturday to visit the place named Lepakshi which has many legends and artworks associated with it. We went on the NH7 past Bagepalli checkpost till RAXA Academy. There is a left turn towards Lepakshi 50 meters from the academy. The sign boards along the way lead you to the place. The road from RAXA academy though not in the league of NH is decent enough.

The famous Nandi (Basavanna) greets you at the beginning of that small place and tells you that you are just beginning your archeological journey. From a particular spot beside the Nandi statue you can see the cobra's head that is guarding a linga behind the main temple.

The actual temple compound is few meters away. It is on a small hill called Kurma Saila (Tortoise hill) which got its name due to its shape. We parked our car near the steps and went up to the temple.

The main diety is Lord Veerabhadra who is considered as the incarnation of Lord Shiva. Legend says that when Sathi devi jumped into the fire during Daksha yagna, Shiva in anger, tore off one of the locks of his hair and threw it. It fell in Lepakshi and incarnated as Veerabhadra swamy. 

There are also idols of Lord Vishnu, Goddess Durga and other dieties within the main sanctorium. All these are inside small caves. What amazed me was that people of various religious faiths came with children to take blessings. The architecture of the temple is amazing. There are carvings on the roof as well as colored paintings dating back to 16th century. 

The temple is built on various carved stone pillars. One of the attractions is the hanging pillar which is joined to a stone column to the roof and is hanging at half an inch distance from the ground.

Behind the temple is the statue of a large cobra covering a linga. Legend says that serpents waited here for Garuda to return with Nectar from heavens. Another legend has it that the Naga of the Nagalinga was carved out of a single stone by sculptors while they waited for their mother to prepare lunch. 

There is a large footprint in stone in the temple compound supposedly of either Godess Durga or Maa Sita. Some call it 'Durga Paadam' or 'Seethamma paadam'.

The temple compound is full of various sculptures and mantapas built on pillars. Though some are ruins, they still have inscriptions of Kannada, Telugu and Sanskrit.

We inquired around for Lepakshi handicrafts but were disappointed. We were told that the designs of carvings were photographed and all crafts/ sarees were made across the nation with Lepakshi's name. A lost opportunity for the local people to encash their fame. We had a good walk around the compound and headed our way back in search of a spot to have lunch. We found one near the fields at the outskirts. Post lunch we headed back to Bangalore.

I did not upload all the pictures taken. It is a place that one should visit and experience.

Parenting Classes

Yep, you read it right and guessed it right. Training classes on how to be a parent (and I thought that you became a parent as soon as you gave birth to a child). If you want to know more about this, then read on.

The pre-school of my son has sent an invite to a special program that they are conducting for mothers. It a workshop on how to learn and make your child learn (duh !!). The few days before that I saw an ad in the newspaper that a leading pre-school chain is conducting parenting classes for new parents of children as young as 5 months.

Earlier new mothers had their mothers and few other elderly ladies of the family to fall back on for suggestions on child-rearing. I guess that nuclear families do not have that much of network and hence would search on internet or rely on friends for advice. Now-a-days attending workshops by third-party is increasingly becoming common. But attending a certification course on parenting is taking this to another level (what's next? graduation ceremony for parents, perhaps !!)

Being from a country where family relationships are an integral part of life, I find the whole thing shocking and funny. I guess it is common in the west where professional approach is expected in everything (starting from pre-natal classes). Various causes and reasons are attributed to this trend of parenting classes. But I find all of them difficult to accept.

For me parenting is all about enjoying and cherishing every moment of your time with your children. Child-rearing in more intuitive than any science. The moment you take the little one in your arms for the very first time, you are hooked for life and become protective. No one needs to tell you specifically that you don't dangle a new born like a ragged doll. Maternal instincts are by far more precise than any other prediction systems in the world. Of course, there are times when you feel lost and seek advice. But then, one receives advice in India even without soliciting. The moment two mothers meet, we exchange notes about children and give suggestions for each others' problems. When an aunt visits the household and inquires about children, the tips received from someone who has reared children are priceless.

I find it difficult to listen to best practices from a complete stranger who has not even met my children and does not know about the environment of my house or about my family. Personally I prefer speaking to my granny any day about my children than to those so-called experts of child psychology.

I understand that my children belong to a different generation. Life is not what it used to be in my childhood. I also admit that sometimes I fail to understand my children. Despite that I do not agree that someone else has better knowledge about my daughter or son. I will call up my granny or mother or aunt or doctor when the need arises. I will argue with my children when they become teenagers. I will be frustrated while communicating with them. I will lose sleep over the future of my kids. I will do all this and more, since it is a battle which has been going on for generations. It is an integral part of my family and it will remain so. And I intend to live through and cherish all those moments.

'You don't need a title to be a leader' - Mark Sanborn

I played the agony aunt to a friend of mine recently. While telling her that her life is not a total waste, I quoted from the book by Mark Sanborn. For anyone who want motivation in small pieces, "You don't need a Title to be a Leader" is a must-read. It is a small book and does not take much time. The writing style is simple and full of real-life examples that one can relate to. Sanborn made it a point to select very common people with uncommon qualities. Even though a summary might not do justice to the book, I would like to highlight few portions which might tickle your thoughts.

To begin with, a leader is defined as someone who wishes to shape his/her life and positively influence the life of others. This kind of leadership can be exhibited by anyone anywhere.

The best take away from the book is Six Principle-based Skills that everyone needs to acquire:

(1) Self Mastery

You needs to master yourself before you expect anything from others. Self-mastery is based on 3Cs: character, competency and connection.

(2) Focus

Focus and determination lead you towards success. You need not be smarter or more qualified. If you focus on right things and are determined to face whatever hurdles come your way, you are sure to reach wherever you want to go.

(3) Power with People

A true leader acknowledges that his/ her accomplishments are due to the efforts others. Leaders 'earn' their followers through their actions, unlike managers who enforce compliance on those who work 'under' them.

(4) Persuasive Communication

Leaders are always understood by their audience. They communicate in order to understand and to be understood.

(5) Execution

Leaders have high Implementation Quotient. They have results and accomplishments to show as proof of their thoughts and ideas.

(6) Giving

Leaders always give and serve. They expect the least from others.

The book is sprinkled with examples of ordinary people who through their actions are bringing about a change in the environment around them. They are not exactly changing the world, but they sure are making a difference to the lives of around them.

The book sure makes you start thinking 'Am I a leader? Or do I just have a title?'