Though Badami is more famous for its cave temples, I liked the visit to the Shivalaya temple better. Situated on the hills on the northern shore of Lake Agasthya, it faces the cave temples on the southern shore. The trek up needs a bit of an effort, but the experience so much makes up for it. This particular early morning, the clouds did not play along for the dramatic sunrise we expected, but the twilight was serene. The fresh spring leaves felt juxtaposed by the gnarled tree & the rugged landscape, but it indeed had a beauty of its own :)
Munnar is a mesmerizing hill station located in the Idukki district of Kerala. Munnar derives its name from the 3 rivers that confluence here. Rolling mountains, moving mists, flying clouds, rich green slopes & trees swaying to the cool mountain breeze - it all transports one to a mesmerizing magical world !
Pushkarni or kalyani – by themselves are an work of art. But this one by Hoysala Kings (in 1163 A.D) – is probably a milestone in the art of constructing Pushkarinis. The details in the work is amazing. This beautiful sacred pool of water is situated in a small village called Hulikere (Huli means tiger and kere refers to a pond), 5 Km from Halebeedu. Surrounded by lush greenery, the water can be reached via the descending stone steps. Locals say that the sanctums and sanctuaries of this pushkarini represent the 12 Zodiac & 27 stellar constellations. This particular day, there was not much water in the pushkarni, but the golden morning sunlight flooded the place and made it even more magical.
