Time: Jan 2007
Place: Udupi, Pajaka, Manipal, Sringeri, Hornadu
Company: Just me!
Highlights:
Prelude: After two years in US, wanted to browse through my fav Indian township. Decided to do a backpack trip, and went without any prior reservations. Probably for the first (and maybe last!) time in my life!
Saturday: Took Friday night bus to Udupi and reached at about 7 am. Kept luggage at luggage counter, shoes at shoes counter and used the public washroom. Took a dhoti and dipped in the Madhwasarovara (temple pool in Udupi) for a quick bath. Darshan was over in minutes. Headed to luncheon room and was surprised that lunch was already being served. Took my seat on the floor and was shocked that they were already serving without putting the traditional banana leaf - meaning food was being served directly on the floor. I was dumb struck, but this was not done only to me - it was for everyone. I realized that it was perhaps one of those days. Anyways. I didn't even have a bottle of water with me to clean the floor. My neighbour thankfully offered her bottle and I quickly cleaned (as best as I could). Very surprised to be eating Rice and Rasam & Sambar directly from the floor. It was soon over.
Temple done, I suddenly thought of visiting Pajaka, a small hamlet where Madhwacharya was born. I had been there many years ago and thought it would be a nice visit. The buses to this village are very rare - like once in an hour. I waited anyways and went ahead with the plan. Reached Pajaka, went to the small Mutt-like place where Madhwacharya is worshipped and within few minutes was back in the same bus stand where I was dropped off. Someone else was there and was surprised to see me, a guy with backpack visiting Pajaka which is like the home of Madhwa Brahmins. She asked me, "Are you learning Sudha paata?" I guess Sudha paata is like an advanced version of Brahministic, Vedic learning equivalent to a PhD in our dialect. I chuckled inward and said no, I was just visiting Madhwacharya's home. Finally the bus came and I headed back to Udupi.
I then had a rendezvous with my Infy friend Divya. She had come from her home in Suratkal. Met her at the bus stand. It was blistering hot. She took me to an ice cream shop where we cooled off with Sundaes. She then took me to Manipal University in Manipal. I was quite taken aback with the advanced city of Manipal. It was as posh as any US city. We did some shopping in the mall and headed back to Udupi. It was time for farewell. She headed back home and I decided to head to Sringeri. Buses to Sringeri from Udupi are rare, so some folks told me to take some bus and get down at Basrikatte to catch another bus to Sringeri. Fair enough. It was a 3 hour ride on the last seat of the bus that climbed mountains. I guess it went via Agumbe because I remembered seeing sunset at Agumbe with my parents long long ago while we were on a trip with my dad's colleagues. Anyways. 8 pm at Basrikatte. A very very small village with hardly one or two dangling bulbs on one or two small shops. Few localites were sitting in front of these shops and looked at me as I got down the bus. They looked at me as if I was a foreigner. I too felt like a foreigner - it seemed so strange except I could talk to them in my own language. But what an adventure. I told them about my trip to Sringeri. They told that a bus will come shortly. I prayed that the bus will come because if it did not, I would be stuck in this small village for the night! Within minutes, a bus came and thankfully it was headed to Sringeri! Boarded that bus and it was a short ride to Sringeri.
Entered Sringeri, quick darshan and I was asked to have my dinner at the temple. It was expansive, with great steel plates! I was so glad to see the plates! Just looking at those beautiful plates, I was so grateful that I made up mind to donate handsomely to Sringeri's Annadhaana Scheme. Dinner done, I slept in a common hall where all devotees slept - directly on the floor. It was utterly cold since I only had one tiny blanket with me. But I slept well.
Sunday: Up at daybreak. Took river bath. Refreshingly cold at such early morning! Darshan done and I was ready to leave Sringeri at 7:30 am. I asked around and got to know that there was a bus to Hornadu shortly. Got the bus and went on a longish ride - almost 4 hours on winding and bumpy road that hardly had any asphalt on it. At 11:30 am, I was at Horanadu. Another of my favorite places. I guess the last time I was here was with my friends after an unbelievable 2-3 days of mountain trekking and life-altering experiences! Just like then, this time too I was glad for the last stop-over before heading back to Bangalore.
Horanadu is an awesome place, the temple is situated amidst the hilly backdrop and has this beautiful scenery all around that is mesmerizing. Anyways. Darshan done, lunch at the temple was just as great as Sringeri. I was all done by about 1:30 pm.
I enquired around and was told that there was no bus right then to Bangalore but there was a bus to Hassan. I got on that bus. It was a red KSRTC meaning hardly any comfort. But then it was an adventurous trip - so why not one more! Reached Hassan in the evening and just when I was getting down, there was a bus going to Bangalore. Got on that one too and this was Rajahamsa, which at that point of time was the luxurious KSRTC bus. Four more hours and I was back in Bangalore.
My first (and probably last) backpack trip. For years and years, I kept remembering this trip. A solo trip is special in its own inexplicable way. An unforgettable & unparalleled experience.
Place: Udupi, Pajaka, Manipal, Sringeri, Hornadu
Company: Just me!
Highlights:
Prelude: After two years in US, wanted to browse through my fav Indian township. Decided to do a backpack trip, and went without any prior reservations. Probably for the first (and maybe last!) time in my life!
Saturday: Took Friday night bus to Udupi and reached at about 7 am. Kept luggage at luggage counter, shoes at shoes counter and used the public washroom. Took a dhoti and dipped in the Madhwasarovara (temple pool in Udupi) for a quick bath. Darshan was over in minutes. Headed to luncheon room and was surprised that lunch was already being served. Took my seat on the floor and was shocked that they were already serving without putting the traditional banana leaf - meaning food was being served directly on the floor. I was dumb struck, but this was not done only to me - it was for everyone. I realized that it was perhaps one of those days. Anyways. I didn't even have a bottle of water with me to clean the floor. My neighbour thankfully offered her bottle and I quickly cleaned (as best as I could). Very surprised to be eating Rice and Rasam & Sambar directly from the floor. It was soon over.
Temple done, I suddenly thought of visiting Pajaka, a small hamlet where Madhwacharya was born. I had been there many years ago and thought it would be a nice visit. The buses to this village are very rare - like once in an hour. I waited anyways and went ahead with the plan. Reached Pajaka, went to the small Mutt-like place where Madhwacharya is worshipped and within few minutes was back in the same bus stand where I was dropped off. Someone else was there and was surprised to see me, a guy with backpack visiting Pajaka which is like the home of Madhwa Brahmins. She asked me, "Are you learning Sudha paata?" I guess Sudha paata is like an advanced version of Brahministic, Vedic learning equivalent to a PhD in our dialect. I chuckled inward and said no, I was just visiting Madhwacharya's home. Finally the bus came and I headed back to Udupi.
I then had a rendezvous with my Infy friend Divya. She had come from her home in Suratkal. Met her at the bus stand. It was blistering hot. She took me to an ice cream shop where we cooled off with Sundaes. She then took me to Manipal University in Manipal. I was quite taken aback with the advanced city of Manipal. It was as posh as any US city. We did some shopping in the mall and headed back to Udupi. It was time for farewell. She headed back home and I decided to head to Sringeri. Buses to Sringeri from Udupi are rare, so some folks told me to take some bus and get down at Basrikatte to catch another bus to Sringeri. Fair enough. It was a 3 hour ride on the last seat of the bus that climbed mountains. I guess it went via Agumbe because I remembered seeing sunset at Agumbe with my parents long long ago while we were on a trip with my dad's colleagues. Anyways. 8 pm at Basrikatte. A very very small village with hardly one or two dangling bulbs on one or two small shops. Few localites were sitting in front of these shops and looked at me as I got down the bus. They looked at me as if I was a foreigner. I too felt like a foreigner - it seemed so strange except I could talk to them in my own language. But what an adventure. I told them about my trip to Sringeri. They told that a bus will come shortly. I prayed that the bus will come because if it did not, I would be stuck in this small village for the night! Within minutes, a bus came and thankfully it was headed to Sringeri! Boarded that bus and it was a short ride to Sringeri.
Entered Sringeri, quick darshan and I was asked to have my dinner at the temple. It was expansive, with great steel plates! I was so glad to see the plates! Just looking at those beautiful plates, I was so grateful that I made up mind to donate handsomely to Sringeri's Annadhaana Scheme. Dinner done, I slept in a common hall where all devotees slept - directly on the floor. It was utterly cold since I only had one tiny blanket with me. But I slept well.
Sunday: Up at daybreak. Took river bath. Refreshingly cold at such early morning! Darshan done and I was ready to leave Sringeri at 7:30 am. I asked around and got to know that there was a bus to Hornadu shortly. Got the bus and went on a longish ride - almost 4 hours on winding and bumpy road that hardly had any asphalt on it. At 11:30 am, I was at Horanadu. Another of my favorite places. I guess the last time I was here was with my friends after an unbelievable 2-3 days of mountain trekking and life-altering experiences! Just like then, this time too I was glad for the last stop-over before heading back to Bangalore.
Horanadu is an awesome place, the temple is situated amidst the hilly backdrop and has this beautiful scenery all around that is mesmerizing. Anyways. Darshan done, lunch at the temple was just as great as Sringeri. I was all done by about 1:30 pm.
I enquired around and was told that there was no bus right then to Bangalore but there was a bus to Hassan. I got on that bus. It was a red KSRTC meaning hardly any comfort. But then it was an adventurous trip - so why not one more! Reached Hassan in the evening and just when I was getting down, there was a bus going to Bangalore. Got on that one too and this was Rajahamsa, which at that point of time was the luxurious KSRTC bus. Four more hours and I was back in Bangalore.
My first (and probably last) backpack trip. For years and years, I kept remembering this trip. A solo trip is special in its own inexplicable way. An unforgettable & unparalleled experience.
