SOULspace

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...

How can I refuse a very tempting offer? An opportunity to tell stories, breathe in some wonderful village air and an open invitation to bring the kids along... I grabbed it with both hands!! An opportunity to share my passion for stories, books and and storytelling with children in a remote village near Tirunelveli came to me through a friend. Please drop into this website to see what a single woman and her passion has created https://sites.google.com/site/yokesociety/ The busy Tirunelveli junction was conspicuously clean compared to the bedlam and dirt that one encounters in large city stations. To my son's delight we were received by our 'driver', who had come in an extra large (I mention this, as I had a huge suitcase and bag and they were packed neatly and comfortably into it!)  auto rickshaw (a share auto-as it is called in Chennai)  to ferry us to the village of Kodaganallur. I kept my eyes pealed trying to soa...

  We were at the Bada Imambara at Lucknow. Amazing building and amazing people behind the building. Why would some one want to build such a majestic structure? Add to that the Bul Bulaiya, that is the maze which runs through the walls and pillars, and runs through 3 levels. The guide tells us there are 1000 ways within the maze,but only 1 way is the right one to get us out of it! It appears that man will do anything for posterity and this is definitely an example of that. You and I can enjoy the quirks of the moneyed class as they leave behind monuments and minarets for future generations to explore and savor. This building brings to my mind the innumerable photos of SRK's palatial house Mannat floating around the cyber world. Then there is even our own favorite batsman's new pad...with foyer designed like the interior of a conch shell!! It's true, google around and you will find it. And what about Ambani tower? ..what about it...mmm....surely that is one monument waiting ...

Travel is by itself an amazing way to connect with yourself and the world that you live in. Any one who travels and loves that feel of packed bags and constant move will understand what I say. Traveling in India is by no means easy. It is easier nowadays, yet one never knows what to expect. Bookings have to be done much ahead of time, availability, comfort, route so many factors to be looked into depending on where we want to travel, and how far. I love driving around. Don’t be mislead, I don’t do much highway driving, not so comfortable with those high speeds. I would rather have my husband drive me around (that’s the ideal situation as he drives superbly!), but a driver from the local travels will do too!! If we travel by our own vehicle, then we are better off, especially when it is done with kids…the breaks can be taken as and when they, or we wish. Driving around in your own car seeing places is the ideal way to travel! We have done some interesting travel by road, even carrying ...