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It's time for our next annual tour, which we did from 13th to 18th January, 2020. We have total 15 people and we hired a 19 seater minibus (we always keep back seat empty as if in case of emergency/illness one can lie down on the back seat and relax).
The route we decided was Home (Payyannur in Kannur District-Kerala) > Kasaragod > Cherkala > Subramanya > Shivmogha > Devanagree > Humpi > Hubli > Belgaum > Goa > Karwar > Gokarna > Murdeshwar > Uduppi > Mangalore > and then back home. Our initial idea was for 6 night stay, but after starting the journey we changed it into 5 night stay as one of our group members had an urgent pre-committed work on 19th Jan, so we decided to reach latest by 18th night or even 19th Jan early morning.
In view of reducing one day from our initial programme, we had to drop Hubli, Belgaum and Uduppi visit hence after Humpi we headed directly to Goa.
We started our journey on 13th Jan, 5 AM and our first stop was at the Cheruvathoor RTO check post to take the permit. It took around 10 minutes to complete the formalities and then we proceeded towards Subramanya. After taking breakfast en route, we reached Subramanya around 10:30AM. We spent around 15/20 minutes for Darshan and then left for Dharmasthala.
Reached Dharmasthala around 12:30PM and some members of our group joined the queue for the Darshan whilst few who already been there waited outside. It took them around 3/3.5 hours to get the Darshan and came out around 3:30PM. (Sspeical Darshan Queue is available by payinig Rs.200 per head).We took lunch outside (do not want to waste more time standing in the Annadanam queue or not sure whether it was still available at that time) and proceeded towards Sringeri.
Since we have not booked any rooms in advance we had to reach early to get some good rooms for our stay. On the way to Sringeri town, we found one hotel named 'Hotel Sharada comforts' in Shankaracharya Circle. Its a newly built hotel (say around 9 months old). We managed to get rooms there. The check out time is 12:00 but this is not a concern for us because in any case we had to check out in the morning.
Must say that Hotel Sharada Comforts were really a comfortable hotel with neat and clean rooms, good parking space etc. They provide complimentary breakfast. The food in the restaurant was very tasty The Manager of the Hotel Mr. D.S. Nayak was very cooperative and accommodating. We thoroughly enjoyed the stay there and left the next day morning around 8 AM.
It was a very calm and chilly morning. We left the hotel and then reached Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri. We all had Darshan there and then walked around the mutt for a while. We left there around 9:30AM and proceeded to towards Humpi. Our idea was to reach Hampi by same day night but it was not possible (we never do the night driving and always try to settle the day by 7/7:30Pm), hence decided to stay somewhere before Hampi to avoid paying high rates for the hotel rooms for late check-in.
(Lake with holy fish)
(Holy fishes - devotees feed them)
On our way, we reached the town Hospet before Hampi (just around 13 kms from Hospet to Hampi). Checked with a couple of hotels, but none have more than 2/3 rooms, and finally we managed to get rooms in Pratap Residency in Hospet town.
Next morning, around 8:30AM, we all left the hotel and proceeded towards Hampi. Reached Hampi around 10.30AM. After parking our vehicle, we engaged a Guide at Rs.1500 for 3 hours (you need little bargaining power with these guides). Important - it is recommended to get a Guide which will be easy to understand the area and with their influence our vehicle can be taken beyond the normal parking area (saving some good walking under the sun).
First he took us to the Ganesh Temple (Sasivekalu Ganesha temple). Sasivekalu Ganesha Temple is a huge statue of Lord Ganesha, carved out of a single block of rock. It is one of the major landmarks in Hampi. Sasivekalu Ganesha is about 8 feet (2.5 metres) tall. The Ganesha is seen in a half-lotus position with four arms. The right and left hand at the upper side holds a goad and a broken tusk. The top right hand of the statue holds a sweet (modak) the left hand is portrayed with a noose. A large mandapa is covering the statue at the top with a rough wall covering pillars around it. The archaeology department has installed a huge sitemap consisting of whereabouts of the place and history of the statue.
Then we visited to Laxmi Narasimha Temple. This temple features the biggest effigy in Hampi, of Narasimha sitting on SeshaNaag i.e. the seven headed snake acting as a shelter to him. The idol of Goddess Lakshmi is placed along with that of Narasimha.The original sculpture had a small figure of Goddess Lakshmi, consort of Narasimha, sitting on his lap. The gigantic statue was vandalized and mutilated in 1565 A.D. during the raid by the Mughals that led to the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire.
(Our group - standing in front of Narasimha - posing for a photo)
The limbs of Narasimha’s statue were broken during the attack. The figure of Lakshmi was separated from that of Narasimha. In the process of destruction, one of the hands of Goddess Lakshmi was broken and even today the broken hand of the Goddess can be seen resting on the back of Narasimha.
Badavilinga Temple, Hampi – A Shrine for Shiva
Badavilinga Temple is a wonderful temple in Hampi dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Hindu deity Shiva is worshipped in the form of a Linga in this temple. The Badavilinga temple is located near the Lakshmi Narasimha Temple. It is believed that the temple has been in existence since the period of the Vijayanagara Empire. Devotees come here from far and near to worship the Shiva Linga. The Shiva Linga has a large pedestal that is circular in shape. It is the yone pitha of the Shiva Linga. This circular pedestal draws into an outlet, also known as pranala. The pedestal of the Shiva Linga stands on a bed of water. This is due to the fact that the shrine always remains filled with water as a water channel flows through it.
Then he took us to the Old palace of Vijayanagara Empire. Though most part of the temple is destroyed, still there are few remains of palace we can see.
Lotus Mahal- It is one of the fine architectural designed palaces that are uniquely identified by its lotus look like structure. This glorious building is within the Zenana Enclosure, a segregated area that is used by the royal women of Vijayanagara Dynasty.
The Lotu Mahal is otherwise called the Kamal Mahal or Chitragani Mahal. It’s remarkable and unmistakable design is the main highlight of the palace. It is one of only a handful few astonishing building in Hampi that had not been damaged or destroyed amid the attack on the city.
As the name given to the palace is because of the shape it resembles. The balcony and the passages covered with a dome that looks like an opened lotus bud. The central dome is also carved as a lotus bud. The curves of the palace are given an Islamic touch while the multi-layered roof design is moreover related to Indo style of buildings. The style and designs is an inquisitive blend of Islamic and Indian way of architecture.
The palace is a two-storied building, well-structured symmetrically. It is surrounded by a rectangular wall and four towers. These towers are also in pyramidal shape giving a lotus-like structure visual. Around 24 pillars are present to support the arched windows and balcony of the palace. The walls and pillars are carved beautifully with patterns like sea creatures and birds.
Elephant Stables - The Elephant Stables in Hampi is one of the major tourist attractions of the ruined village. The stables are also one of the least destroyed structures of Hampi. The stables comprise of a long building with a row of domed chambers. The chambers were the resting place of the royal elephants of the Vijayanagara Empire.
The Elephant Stable was used to provide shelter for the royal elephants of the Vijayanagara Empire. The elephant stable is located in the area that lies just outside the Zenana Enclosure.
It is one of the very few structures that have not suffered extensive damage during the Mughal attack on Hampi that led to the downfall of the Vijayanagara Empire in 1565 A.D. The ancient stable is a major attraction among the tourists even today.
We have finished our sight seeing at Hampi by around 1:30PM and then proceeded towards Goa. We reached Hubli around 6PM but decided to drive some more distance so that the next day drive to Goa will be less and we can reach Goa in the afternoon.
We reached Dharwad around 7Pm and found a hotel en route - Hotel Galaxy Residency, P. B. Road, Dharwad.
We checked in there without wasting any time. This hotel also looks new with good/small, clean rooms (tariff: Rs.800 for double room and Rs.550 for single room both non-Ac). There was a restaurant just opposite this hotel (Al-taj group of Restaurant) and we all had dinner there. The restaurant also new one and the food there was very good and tasty and not that expensive. Everyone in our group enjoyed the food there.
Next morning, around 7:30AM we left the hotel and proceeded to towards Goa. Though the distance to Goa from Dharwad is only around 130km, we could reach Goa (Mapusa) only around 3:00Pm (of course we have taken time for breakfast and lunch en route). One of our senior members knew the Hotel Braganza, Opp KTC Bus Stand in Mapusa and we managed to get rooms there. Though very congested area, the rooms were very good but our driver faced more difficulty to find a parking for his mini bus also the hotel has no provision to provide accommodation for drivers.
We stayed two nights in Goa (same hotel) and seen a couple of beaches including Dona Paula, and couple of Churches, including the Basilica of Bom Jesus and finally some shopping for the ladies. We all well aware that less than 1.5 days is not enough to explore /enjoy Goa, but we have no other option but to leave Goa on 18th of Jan i.e. the 6th day of our tour. We left Goa on the morning (6AM) of 6th day and proceeded towards Gokarna
We visited Mangueshi Temple in Goa enroute and we all had Darshan there. We spent around 10 minutes there and then proceeded further. Reached Gokarna around 11:30AM. The temple was crowded hence we decided not to go inside the temple for Darshan which would have taken much more time as we had to cover long distance (enable for us to reach our home on the same day) as such just prayed from outside and then left Gokarna.
Our next stop was Murdeshwar where we reached around 4PM. Spent around 30 minutes there and proceeded towards our destination. Except Tea break in between we drove direct and reached Mangalore around 8PM. We all had dinner at the Kairali hotel in Mangalore. That was our last stop of the tour and around 1AM on 19th Jan, we all reached our sweet home's.
That's all for now. Thanks for reading.
The route we decided was Home (Payyannur in Kannur District-Kerala) > Kasaragod > Cherkala > Subramanya > Shivmogha > Devanagree > Humpi > Hubli > Belgaum > Goa > Karwar > Gokarna > Murdeshwar > Uduppi > Mangalore > and then back home. Our initial idea was for 6 night stay, but after starting the journey we changed it into 5 night stay as one of our group members had an urgent pre-committed work on 19th Jan, so we decided to reach latest by 18th night or even 19th Jan early morning.
In view of reducing one day from our initial programme, we had to drop Hubli, Belgaum and Uduppi visit hence after Humpi we headed directly to Goa.
We started our journey on 13th Jan, 5 AM and our first stop was at the Cheruvathoor RTO check post to take the permit. It took around 10 minutes to complete the formalities and then we proceeded towards Subramanya. After taking breakfast en route, we reached Subramanya around 10:30AM. We spent around 15/20 minutes for Darshan and then left for Dharmasthala.
Reached Dharmasthala around 12:30PM and some members of our group joined the queue for the Darshan whilst few who already been there waited outside. It took them around 3/3.5 hours to get the Darshan and came out around 3:30PM. (Sspeical Darshan Queue is available by payinig Rs.200 per head).We took lunch outside (do not want to waste more time standing in the Annadanam queue or not sure whether it was still available at that time) and proceeded towards Sringeri.
Since we have not booked any rooms in advance we had to reach early to get some good rooms for our stay. On the way to Sringeri town, we found one hotel named 'Hotel Sharada comforts' in Shankaracharya Circle. Its a newly built hotel (say around 9 months old). We managed to get rooms there. The check out time is 12:00 but this is not a concern for us because in any case we had to check out in the morning.
Must say that Hotel Sharada Comforts were really a comfortable hotel with neat and clean rooms, good parking space etc. They provide complimentary breakfast. The food in the restaurant was very tasty The Manager of the Hotel Mr. D.S. Nayak was very cooperative and accommodating. We thoroughly enjoyed the stay there and left the next day morning around 8 AM.
It was a very calm and chilly morning. We left the hotel and then reached Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri. We all had Darshan there and then walked around the mutt for a while. We left there around 9:30AM and proceeded to towards Humpi. Our idea was to reach Hampi by same day night but it was not possible (we never do the night driving and always try to settle the day by 7/7:30Pm), hence decided to stay somewhere before Hampi to avoid paying high rates for the hotel rooms for late check-in.
(Lake with holy fish)
(Holy fishes - devotees feed them)
On our way, we reached the town Hospet before Hampi (just around 13 kms from Hospet to Hampi). Checked with a couple of hotels, but none have more than 2/3 rooms, and finally we managed to get rooms in Pratap Residency in Hospet town.
Next morning, around 8:30AM, we all left the hotel and proceeded towards Hampi. Reached Hampi around 10.30AM. After parking our vehicle, we engaged a Guide at Rs.1500 for 3 hours (you need little bargaining power with these guides). Important - it is recommended to get a Guide which will be easy to understand the area and with their influence our vehicle can be taken beyond the normal parking area (saving some good walking under the sun).
First he took us to the Ganesh Temple (Sasivekalu Ganesha temple). Sasivekalu Ganesha Temple is a huge statue of Lord Ganesha, carved out of a single block of rock. It is one of the major landmarks in Hampi. Sasivekalu Ganesha is about 8 feet (2.5 metres) tall. The Ganesha is seen in a half-lotus position with four arms. The right and left hand at the upper side holds a goad and a broken tusk. The top right hand of the statue holds a sweet (modak) the left hand is portrayed with a noose. A large mandapa is covering the statue at the top with a rough wall covering pillars around it. The archaeology department has installed a huge sitemap consisting of whereabouts of the place and history of the statue.
Then we visited to Laxmi Narasimha Temple. This temple features the biggest effigy in Hampi, of Narasimha sitting on SeshaNaag i.e. the seven headed snake acting as a shelter to him. The idol of Goddess Lakshmi is placed along with that of Narasimha.The original sculpture had a small figure of Goddess Lakshmi, consort of Narasimha, sitting on his lap. The gigantic statue was vandalized and mutilated in 1565 A.D. during the raid by the Mughals that led to the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire.
(Our group - standing in front of Narasimha - posing for a photo)
The limbs of Narasimha’s statue were broken during the attack. The figure of Lakshmi was separated from that of Narasimha. In the process of destruction, one of the hands of Goddess Lakshmi was broken and even today the broken hand of the Goddess can be seen resting on the back of Narasimha.
Badavilinga Temple, Hampi – A Shrine for Shiva
Badavilinga Temple is a wonderful temple in Hampi dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Hindu deity Shiva is worshipped in the form of a Linga in this temple. The Badavilinga temple is located near the Lakshmi Narasimha Temple. It is believed that the temple has been in existence since the period of the Vijayanagara Empire. Devotees come here from far and near to worship the Shiva Linga. The Shiva Linga has a large pedestal that is circular in shape. It is the yone pitha of the Shiva Linga. This circular pedestal draws into an outlet, also known as pranala. The pedestal of the Shiva Linga stands on a bed of water. This is due to the fact that the shrine always remains filled with water as a water channel flows through it.
Then he took us to the Old palace of Vijayanagara Empire. Though most part of the temple is destroyed, still there are few remains of palace we can see.
Lotus Mahal- It is one of the fine architectural designed palaces that are uniquely identified by its lotus look like structure. This glorious building is within the Zenana Enclosure, a segregated area that is used by the royal women of Vijayanagara Dynasty.
The Lotu Mahal is otherwise called the Kamal Mahal or Chitragani Mahal. It’s remarkable and unmistakable design is the main highlight of the palace. It is one of only a handful few astonishing building in Hampi that had not been damaged or destroyed amid the attack on the city.
As the name given to the palace is because of the shape it resembles. The balcony and the passages covered with a dome that looks like an opened lotus bud. The central dome is also carved as a lotus bud. The curves of the palace are given an Islamic touch while the multi-layered roof design is moreover related to Indo style of buildings. The style and designs is an inquisitive blend of Islamic and Indian way of architecture.
The palace is a two-storied building, well-structured symmetrically. It is surrounded by a rectangular wall and four towers. These towers are also in pyramidal shape giving a lotus-like structure visual. Around 24 pillars are present to support the arched windows and balcony of the palace. The walls and pillars are carved beautifully with patterns like sea creatures and birds.
Elephant Stables - The Elephant Stables in Hampi is one of the major tourist attractions of the ruined village. The stables are also one of the least destroyed structures of Hampi. The stables comprise of a long building with a row of domed chambers. The chambers were the resting place of the royal elephants of the Vijayanagara Empire.
The Elephant Stable was used to provide shelter for the royal elephants of the Vijayanagara Empire. The elephant stable is located in the area that lies just outside the Zenana Enclosure.
It is one of the very few structures that have not suffered extensive damage during the Mughal attack on Hampi that led to the downfall of the Vijayanagara Empire in 1565 A.D. The ancient stable is a major attraction among the tourists even today.
We have finished our sight seeing at Hampi by around 1:30PM and then proceeded towards Goa. We reached Hubli around 6PM but decided to drive some more distance so that the next day drive to Goa will be less and we can reach Goa in the afternoon.
We reached Dharwad around 7Pm and found a hotel en route - Hotel Galaxy Residency, P. B. Road, Dharwad.
We checked in there without wasting any time. This hotel also looks new with good/small, clean rooms (tariff: Rs.800 for double room and Rs.550 for single room both non-Ac). There was a restaurant just opposite this hotel (Al-taj group of Restaurant) and we all had dinner there. The restaurant also new one and the food there was very good and tasty and not that expensive. Everyone in our group enjoyed the food there.
Next morning, around 7:30AM we left the hotel and proceeded to towards Goa. Though the distance to Goa from Dharwad is only around 130km, we could reach Goa (Mapusa) only around 3:00Pm (of course we have taken time for breakfast and lunch en route). One of our senior members knew the Hotel Braganza, Opp KTC Bus Stand in Mapusa and we managed to get rooms there. Though very congested area, the rooms were very good but our driver faced more difficulty to find a parking for his mini bus also the hotel has no provision to provide accommodation for drivers.
We stayed two nights in Goa (same hotel) and seen a couple of beaches including Dona Paula, and couple of Churches, including the Basilica of Bom Jesus and finally some shopping for the ladies. We all well aware that less than 1.5 days is not enough to explore /enjoy Goa, but we have no other option but to leave Goa on 18th of Jan i.e. the 6th day of our tour. We left Goa on the morning (6AM) of 6th day and proceeded towards Gokarna
We visited Mangueshi Temple in Goa enroute and we all had Darshan there. We spent around 10 minutes there and then proceeded further. Reached Gokarna around 11:30AM. The temple was crowded hence we decided not to go inside the temple for Darshan which would have taken much more time as we had to cover long distance (enable for us to reach our home on the same day) as such just prayed from outside and then left Gokarna.
Our next stop was Murdeshwar where we reached around 4PM. Spent around 30 minutes there and proceeded towards our destination. Except Tea break in between we drove direct and reached Mangalore around 8PM. We all had dinner at the Kairali hotel in Mangalore. That was our last stop of the tour and around 1AM on 19th Jan, we all reached our sweet home's.
That's all for now. Thanks for reading.
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