SOULspace

It started with an owl, that we spotted at Chitradurga fort. He actually had a friend with him. Such a loving pair. We also spotted some animals that were not alive. This carving dates back to pre-historic times. Prominent outline, but I wonder why it hasn't been preserved better? Spot this guy. A very agile and quick gecko, I could get only one shot, as he suddenly scuttled under the rock and did not emerge from there again. The Red headed parrot; a lovely close up. I realise how quick we need to be in order to capture wildlife...  As this one swiftly walked away from camera focus This patch of green had many egrets While I thought this reclining serpent was a nice addition to our menagerie  This big guy flew from right under my nose and onto a wall A Hoopoe hopped beautifully before us, as we leisurely captured him to our hearts content!  There is so much pl...

A sense of peace prevailed here. Having driven from Bijapur back to Badami, through a road which is seldom followed by tourists, we gazed with awe at the ethereal beauty of the Badami Caves. The journey here was an adventure in itself and I whole heartedly thank my husband for pushing himself, taking change in his stride and getting us to this place safely It was touch and go.  We left Bijapur late, around 3.30pm. Light fades fast in November and a sense of urgency prevailed as we had to get to see the cave temples before closing time and we had no clue whether it was 5, or later.   People are extremely nice and helpful here, and as we pressed on, asking for directions to get to Badami, one vehicle driver, decided to take a detour and guide us himself. That saved us an hour!  We really did not know if we were heading in the right direction...but we reached finally. The town was a hustle-bustle and though we could see rocky crags we c...

The initial plan was to head to Badami/ Aihole/ Patadakkal, but I wanted to see the Gol Gumbaz, so we thought we could do a quick trip to Bijapur and then head to Badami..and just hop and skip and jump to the rest. Not possible in one day, I realised too late. The roads are good, excellent stretch from Hospet to Bijapur, but the city itself is dusty and languishes in gray tones . The entire stretch is filled with patches of lovely sunflower fields, a real treat to see. I actually saw how the sunflower raises itself towards the sky and slowly bends down, at the end of the day. Bijapur was done on a Tonga. Actually the plan was to just see the Gol Gumbaz and the Ibrahim Roza. But this very enterprising Tonga wallah said he would show us 5 important features, so I fell for the bait.  We clip -clopped through this dusty city, trying not to fall off the tonga, and also trying not to smile sheepishly as the Tonga criss-crossed, left to right and back again...

Hampi is a photographer's delight, but I won't bore you with them all. Each of these pictures though, have a story to share, so come with me and see them through my eyes... Here is my Son, cleaning sand off a carving of two people prostrating in front of the King's Balance. We teased him, saying that he is either going to become a great archaeologist or a great sweeper  Here is another picture of a fighter. I totally loved this carving. Look at the posture, the gentle curve of the torso, and the slight weight placed on the right foot. The keen expression and fisted hand. I can feel the spirit of the fighter, his intent and focus. To think it is a carving on stone, by a nameless man, who has left behind a bit of his vision, perspective, and creativity for posterity, it  is truly a work of art. I get goose pimple to think that a stone from the 14 th century is being admired by a modern woman and her family in the 21st century, isn"t this what scie...

To see Hampi in a day...was the plan. So having reached Hospet from Chitradurga, we checked into this hotel called Malligi, a must stay for those on a comfortable budget. Very clean and comfortable, friendly and honest folks. My only crib was with the food...available in plenty, but was a little too oily and spicy for my taste...but hey manageable.  Having read about the Hampi Kingdom, and its glory under KrishnaDeva Raya, my daughter was keeno-queen to see everything especially the Chariot (one of 5 in India) at the VittalaRaya Temple. But we had to do a lot of getting in and out of the car while our guide took us from one monument to another. Though I had seen all of this before, it still fascinates me when I realise that no number of visits can get me any where near to exploring this immensely huge city that existed in the 14th century. It's like a time traveler from the 29th century who decides to explore Delhi...or Mumbai...or even Chennai. Wow, w...

Stories are journeys, and every journey is a story...stored in our memory to be recounted to those who are willing to listen. A long pending desire to re-visit Hampi along with my children and the first stop was Chitradurga Fort. We were following the same route that we had taken around 12 years back. Back then was a different car, my mother in tow and as for me, the expectant mother of 5 months. Nothing had changed, a sense of deja-vu prevailed and like a ghost that revisits its haunt, I stood at the exact spot we had taken a picture back then, and here it is for you to see; I seriously believe the guides here need a crash course in storytelling. They just state facts, though that's impressive, I cannot connect with rocks and boulders and forts and structures if there are no stories. Of course for all those who have visited Chitradurga, the story of Obavva Kindi will be familiar. It does take our fancy, to hear and see where this brave woman, wife of a soldier, sin...