My TripAdvisor Review No.671: Gurudwara Nanak Jhira Sahib, Bidar, Karnataka.

 Bidar is a small town in the northernmost tip of Karnataka state, and it is about 135 km driving distance from Hyderabad. The road to Bidar is along NH65 till Zaheerabad, and then there is a right turn to Bidar for about 35 km along the state highway. It took us about 3 hours from Hyderabad.

Divine Experience.

The Gurudwara Nanak Jhira Sahib is located in a large well planned campus, and is a beautiful place of worship for the Sikhs. The main Gurudwara is a beautiful building in white marble in the centre of the campus. There is a large satsang hall nearby. There is also a huge 500 room pilgrim’s inn, and engineering college and a 100 bed hospital in the campus.

Since we were visiting during the pandemic there were some restrictions in moving around. We visited the main gurudwara, and then went to the ‘Amrit Kund’, which is the perennial spring (Jhira) discovered by Baba Guru Nanak Dev himself, more than 500 years ago, and tasted the refreshing sweet water emerging from the spring. Free langar is distributed during normal times.

It was a spiritual experience to visit the Gurudwara.

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Date of experience: October 2020

My TripAdvisor Review No.662: Japanese Peace Pagoda, Darjeeling.

Beautiful Buddhist Monastery And Stupa.

Review of Japanese Peace Pagoda

Reviewed yesterday

The beautiful Buddhist monastery and Peace Pagoda is located near the top of the Jalapahar Hill, about 2 km from the Darjeeling Clock Tower. As we entered the gates we first visited a small Japanese temple with a prayer hall on the first floor. It was built by Japanese monk Fujii who was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi. Unfortunately it was closed due to onset of the virus pandemic when we visited. Normally it is open to the public for prayers from 4.30 to 6am in the morning, and from 4.30 to 6.30pm in the evening.

We walked a little further to the beautifully sculptured stupa, also known as the Japanese Peace Pagoda. The pagoda had beautiful gold plated sculptures of the Buddha in various postures and murals depicting some of the events in his life.

The surroundings were very serene and peaceful, with tall pine trees and rhododendron bushes just beginning to flower, and with the majestic Kanchenjunga mountains as the backdrop.

Date of experience: March 2020

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My TripAdvisor Review No.603: Guruvayur Temple (2), Kerala.

Temple Dedicated To Lord Krishna.

Guruvayur Temple is a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Lord Krishna. The presiding deity of the temple is a four armed version of Vishnu, worshipped mainly in Kerala, as Shri Krishna in his infant form.

The temple opens at 3 am in the morning, and there are daily five pujas and three circumambulatory processions of the deity on an elephant, and finally closing at 10 pm at night. There are special timings for senior citizens from 7 am to 8 am and then again from 4.30 pm to 6 pm, without any entry fee. We decided to go for the evening darshan but still had to wait in the queue for about half an hour. We were allowed to go in batches and we joined the general public once we entered the temple. We had a good darshan of the Lord. We had a good minute to view the idol and it indeed seemed that he was blessing us.

There is a strict dress code we had to adhere to. Men can only wear dhotis and nothing to cover the chest. Ladies can wear sarees or salwar kameez, but not jeans or shorts. Cell-phones, cameras and other gadgets have to be kept in the lockers outside for a small fee.

After darshan we went to the Prasad Hall where we were served a holy meal which consisted of a banana, some upma and glass of some sweet nectar.

Date of experience: November 2019

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My TripAdvisor Review No.601: Igguthappa Temple, Kakkabe, Kodagu, Karnataka.

Second Call From Lord Subrahmanya.

This was our second visit to this temple. Lord Subrahmanya had fulfilled many of our wishes after our first visit so we had to come back. The deity is known as Lord Igguthappa by the Kodavas. He is considered to be a provider of food and the one who fulfils his devotee’s desires. During the harvest festival, paddy is first harvested in the fields belonging to the Lord, and only then the people of Kodagu celebrate the festival.

The priest here meets each individual devotee personally and gives them his blessings. Even though we could not speak Kannada he got across to us very well and it felt good to talk to him and get the blessings of the God. He then took us to the kitchen where we received the ‘Maha-Prasad’ in the form of a full meal of rice, sambar and a sweet dish.

The temple is located in a very natural and beautiful setting, surrounded by hills and forests. It is definitely a must visit if you are in the South of Kodagu, and if you are a believer of the Hindu traditions.

Date of experience: November 2019

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My TripAdvisor Review No.598: Guruvayur Temple, Kerala.

Dwarka Of South India.

Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple is a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Guruvayurappan, who is a four armed version of Vishnu, worshipped mainly in Kerala. He is the presiding deity of the temple who is being worshipped as Shri Krishna in his infant form.

The temple is very well organized and functions like a well oiled machine, opening at 3 am in the morning, and there are daily five pujas and three circumambulatory processions of the deity on an elephant, and finally closing at 10 pm at night. There are special timings for senior citizens from 7 am to 8 am and then again from 4.30 pm to 6 pm, without any entry fee. We decided to go for the evening darshan but still had to wait in the queue for about half an hour. We were allowed to go in batches and we joined the general public once we entered the temple. We had a good darshan of the Lord, and I could see his shiny black eyes looking piercingly back to me through the dim light. We had a good minute to view the idol and it indeed seemed that he was blessing us.

There is a strict dress code we had to adhere to. Men can only wear dhotis and nothing to cover the chest. I took off my shirt before entering and carried it with me. Ladies can wear sarees or salwar kameez, but not jeans or shorts.

After darshan we went to the Prasad Hall where we were served the holy meal which consisted of a small elaichi banana, some upma and a glass of some sweet flavoured syrup. After keeping our steel utensils in the washroom we exited the temple.

Date of experience: November 2019

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My TripAdvisor Review No.596: Amaragiri Malekal Tirupati Temple, Arasikere, Hassan District.

Temple Of Lord Venkataramana Swamy or Lord Balaji.

The temple is located about 2 km from the town of Arasikere in Malekal village. It is dedicated to Lord Venkataramana Swamy, also known as Lord Balaji. Legend has it that Sage Agasthya got the darshan of Lord Balaji after praying here for 800 years. Later the ashram of the sage was abandoned.

The actual site where Sage Agasthya performed his penance is on top of a hill called Malekallu. Many many years later a temple was built here by a ruler of Chitradurga who found the idol of Lord Balaji buried under the earth. This is the temple known as the Amaragiri Malekallu Tirupati, and one has to climb 1200 to reach it. The statues of both Lord Venkataramana and Goddess Padmavathi are installed together at the hilltop temple, whereas the idol of Lord Govindaraja Swamy is installed at the temple at the foot of the hill, where the ruler discovered the idol while digging for a pond to supply water to the village.

Many devotees of the nearby places visit this temple instead of going all the way to the main Balaji Temple of Tirupathi, and hence it has come to be known as Chikka Tirupati by the local people.

Date of experience: November 2019

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My TripAdvisor Review No.421: Thirunelli Temple, Wayanad.

Ancient Vishnu Temple.

If you have planned to visit the excellent temples in the Wayanad district of Kerala, then the Thrissilery Shiva Temple and the Thirunelli Vishnu Temples are two of the most divine places to visit. According to the traditional custom you must first visit the Thrissilery temple and then proceed to the Thirunelli temple. Both the temples are located in the midst of the hills of the Western Ghats, near the town of Manathavady, in North Wayanad, but separated by a distance of 19 km.

We visited the Thrissilery temple first, and then drove to the Thirunelli Temple, through deep jungle and forests. Unfortunately, the temple doors were closed when we arrived around 1 pm, and we could not enter the sanctum sanctorum. However, we got a darshan from outside and did a parikrama around the ancient temple. The temple is dedicated to Lord Maha Vishnu. It is located on the southern side of the Brahmagiri Hill in Kerala, very close to the border with Karnataka, surrounded by lush green forests and mountains.

About 1 km northwest of the temple is a holy mountain stream called the Papanasini. Pilgrims bathe here as they consider the waters of this stream washes away their sins. The temple offers services to immerse cremation ashes in the sacred mountain stream, which then flows to the Kaveri River and into the Indian Ocean.

After our parikrama of the temple we went down to the base of the hill where there were some Udupi food joints which served lunch and snacks. We enjoyed some puttus and wadas with spicy chutney for lunch.

The temple timings are: Morning 5.30 am to 12 noon. Evening: 5.30 pm to 8 pm. Try to go there early morning or late evening, with more chances of spotting wild elephants, gaur, and deer in the forests, if you are driving through the Tholpetty range of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.

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Date of experience: December 2018

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My TripAdvisor Review No.416: Chain Tree of Karinthanandan, Vythiri, Wayanad.

A Ghost Story.

The legend behind the Chain Tree near Vythiri reads more like a ghost story. It is said that a tribal youth, Karinthanandan, guided a British engineer in making a road through Wayanad’s forests. The engineer, however, decided that he did not want to share the glory with his guide and killed the poor young tribal. The dead man’s soul would haunt travellers who passed by the area, until a priest chained his soul to a ficus tree.

The tree is located about 2 km from Vythiri, just before reaching Lakkidi, but we missed sighting it as we were driving to Lakkidi View Point. On the way back we had to make use of G-maps to pinpoint the exact location otherwise we would have missed it again. Then we saw the chain tied and hanging from the tree. Besides the tree there is a small compound with a temple. There is also a wayside tea stall nearby.

One can stop here and pay homage to the poor young tribal man, so that his soul may rest in peace.

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Date of experience: December 2018

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My TripAdvisor Review No.413: Chandragiri Hill, Shravanabelagola.

Memorial of Emperor Chandragupta Maurya.

Chandragiri Hill is the smaller of the two hills in Shravanabelagola, Vindhyagiri and Chandragiri. While the Vindhyagiri Hill is better known because of the giant 58 foot statue of Gommateshwara, the Chandragiri Hill is also considered as holy for the Jain pilgrims, because this hill is where the Emperor Chandragupta Maurya breathed his last. Chandragupta, the founder of the Mauryan Empire, became a Jain ascetic before relinquishing his throne. His tomb is located on this hill, as well as the cave of his guru, Bhadrabahu.

Getting to the top of the Chandragiri Hill involves another climb up another 200 hundred steps. It is not as arduous as the 600 step steep climb up the Vindhyagiri, but after doing the Vindhyagiri we were simply too tired to do the Chandragiri as well. Maybe if we had more time or did the Chandragiri first it may have been possible.

We did get to see a good view of the Chandragiri Hill and the Jain Basadis situated there, from the top of the Vindhyagiri Jain Temple, but decided to spend at least another day at Shravanabelagola on our next visit, so that we could climb the Chandragiri Hill as well.

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Date of experience: December 2018

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My TripAdvisor Review No.412: Shravanabelagola Jain Temple, Karnataka.

Hilltop Temple of Lord Bahubali.

The giant 58 foot statue of Bhagwan Bahubali at Shravanabelagola is housed within the courtyard of the Shravanabelagola Jain Temple atop the Vindhyagiri hill. The statue is the tallest monolithic idol in the world. It is one of the holiest pilgrimage places for the Jain community attracting millions of devotees annualy. The word ‘Shravanabelagola’ literally translates to ‘the white pond of Shravana’ in the local language Kannada. There is a beautiful pond situated at the centre of the town by the same name.

To reach the temple one has to trudge up more than 600 steps from the bottom of the hill. We had to leave our footwear at the stand where the attendant gave us a token on payment of a small fee. There is no other entry fee. It takes about 30 to 45 minutes to go up the steps, stopping many times on the way, as the incline is quite steep. It is better to start the trek up early before the sun starts heating up the ground and baking your feet. There are railings along the way, which helped us to pull ourselves up when the legs got tired. The old and infirm should avoid the climb, but there are palanquins available, carried by 4 porters, and they will carry you up for a fee.

The temple is very good, and there are many idols and carvings of the Jain Tirthankaras inside the temple. The statue of Bahubali is the centre of attraction. Photography is not allowed inside. Jain monks perform their rituals and penance in absolute silence at the temple. Every 12 years a ritual known as the ‘mahamastaabhisheka’ is performed, in which the Lord is adorned with thousands of liters of milk, ghee, curds, saffron and gold coins, by thousands of devotees. The last one was in February 2018, and the next one will be in 2030.

The view from outside the temple compound is very beautiful. We could see the lovely rectangular pond, and the Chandragiri hill on the other side of the town of Shravanabelagola.

Restaurants and food stalls are located at the base of the hill. Drinking water and toilet facility is also available. It is best to drink some tender coconut water before and after your trek.

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Date of experience: December 2018

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My TripAdvisor Review No.411: Vindhyagiri Temple, Shravanabelagola.

Temple of Lord Gommateshwara.

The giant 58 foot statue of Bhagwan Bahubali at Shravanabelagola is housed within the Vindhyagiri Temple atop the Vindhyagiri hill. To reach the temple one has to trudge up more than 600 steps from the bottom of the hill. We had to leave our footwear at the stand where the attendant gave us a token on payment of a small fee. There is no other entry fee.

It takes about 30 to 45 minutes to go up the steps, stopping many times on the way, as the incline is quite steep. It is better to start the trek up early before the sun starts heating up the ground and baking your feet. There are railings along the way, which helped us to pull ourselves up when the legs got tired. The old and infirm should avoid the climb, but there are palanquins available, carried by 4 porters, and they will carry you up for a fee.

The temple is very good, and there are many idols and carvings of the Jain Tirthankaras inside the temple. The statue of Bahubali is the centre of attraction. Photography is not allowed inside. This temple is one of the most important pilgrimage sites for the followers of the Jain religion. Jain monks perform their rituals and penance in absolute silence at the temple. At the exit you will be asked for a donation, and you may contribute at your discretion.

The view from outside the temple compound is very beautiful. We could see a lovely rectangular pond, and the Chandragiri hill on the other side of the town of Shravanabelagola.

Restaurants and food stalls are located at the base of the hill. Drinking water and toilet facility is also available. It is best to drink some tender coconut water before and after your trek.

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Date of experience: December 2018

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My TripAdvisor Review No.410: Bhagwan Bahubali (Gommateshwara) Statue, Shravanabelagola, Karnataka.

One of the Seven Wonders of India.

The 58 foot statue of Bhagwan Bahubali at Shravanabelagola was voted by the readers of the newspaper ‘The Times of India’ as the first of the Seven Wonders of India on August 5, 2007. Now there are statues taller than this in India, but when you think that this statue was sculpted more than a thousand years ago, and is still considered to be the World’s tallest monolithic statue, then the title seems more befitting to this colossal rock-cut statue of the Lord Gommateshwara Shri Bahubali. The town of Shravanabelagola is one of the most important tirthas for the Jain community.

We had just visited Halebeedu and were returning to Bangalore so we decided to stop at Shravanabelagola on the way. It was an 80 km drive from Halebeedu, and took us an hour and a half. It is best to visit early in the morning as there are more than 600 steps to climb, without any footwear, so you can end up with roasted feet. 10 am is the outer limit in winter, but even earlier in the summers. It takes between 30 to 45 minutes to reach the top of the Vindyagiri Hill where the statue is located. There are palanquins carried by four porters for the old and infirm devotees, though I would feel ashamed to be seen in one.

There are some monuments and temples on the way up, and you get a beautiful view of the surroundings from the hilltop. Photography is not allowed but many tourists could be seen taking snaps with their cellphones and cameras. The statue itself was covered by bamboo scaffolding due to maintenance being carried out since the last ‘Mahamastabhisheka’, which was in February 2018. It is held once every 12 years, and the next one will be in 2030.

The statue is worth visiting at least once in your lifetime, but many more times if you are a follower of Jainism. There is no entry fee, but you have to pay for a token at the footwear stand, and the monk in the temple will ask for a voluntary donation, as per your discretion.

Shravanabelagola to Bangalore was about 145 km, and took us about 2 hours 30 minutes to drive.

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Date of experience: December 2018

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My TripAdvisor Review No.409: Sri Veeranarayana Temple, Belavadi, Karnataka.

Amazing Temple.

The Sri Veeranarayana Swamy Temple is located at Belavadi, a sleepy village about 12 km from Halebeedu, and 29 km from Chikmagalur, in the Indian state of Karnataka. The temple is one of the largest Hoysala temple monuments. Belavadi village is also said to be the place where the Pandava prince Bhima killed the demon Bakasura and protected the village and its people.

The Sri Veeranarayana Temple is more than 800 years old and was built by the Hoysala King, Veera Ballala II. While the temples at Belur and Halebeedu are known for their sculptures, this temple is known more for its architecture. This is a three shrine, alternately known as ‘Trikuta’, Vaishnava temple with images of Lord Vishnu in three different avatars, Sri Veeranarayana in the centre facing East, Sri Venugopala facing North, and Sri Yoganarasimha facing South. The temple pujari himself guided us around the temple and helped us have a nice darshan. The temple is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India.

One of the unique properties of this temple is that on the day of the summer solstice, 23rd March every year, the morning sun directly enters the Garbagriha from the entrance door, which is at a distance of 270 feet. The pillars of the temple are lathe turned and have a shiny appearance.

Many tourists visit the main temples of Belur and Halebeedu, but very few care to visit Belavadi, firstly because it is a bit off the main tourist circuit, and secondly very few know about it. So there are no crowds at this temple, and we got a very good experience of the peaceful village life in Karnataka.

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Date of experience: December 2018

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My TripAdvisor Review No.408: Belavadi, Chikmagalur District, Karnataka.

Sleepy Village With Amazing Temples.

Belavadi is a sleepy village about 12 km from Halebeedu, and 29 km from Chikmagalur, in the Indian state of Karnataka. This small village has two amazing temples, the Veeranarayana Temple, which is one of the largest Hoysala temple monuments, and a Ganapati temple, the main deity of which is known as the Udhbhava Ganapati. Both these temples are worth visiting. Belavadi village is also said to be the place where the Pandava prince Bhima killed the demon Bakasura and protected the village and its people.

The Veeranarayana Temple is more than 800 years old and was built by the Hoysala King, Veera Ballala II. While the temples at Belur and Halebeedu are known for their sculptures, this temple is known more for its architecture. This is a three shrine Vaishnava temple with images of Lord Vishnu in three different avatars, Sri Veeranarayana, Sri Venugopala and Sri Yoganarasimha. The temple pujari himself guided us around the temple and helped us have a nice darshan. The temple is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India.

We then walked down to the Udhbava Ganpati Temple, a couple of hundred metres from the Veeranarayana temple. It is a small Ganpati temple, with a natural rock formation in the shape of a Ganapati which has manifest itself (swayambhu), and is still growing slowly (udhbava). Here also the temple priest helped us have a good darshan and performed a puja for us. This temple is maintained by the Sri Shankaracharya Mutt of Sringeri.

There are many other smaller temples dotting the village. The atmosphere of the village is calm and serene, with many trees and farms surrounding it. The villagers were busy with their farming and processing activities, and taking their livestock down for grazing. I could not resist the temptation to take some pictures of the quaint but clean little village of Belavadi.

Many tourists visit the main temples of Belur and Halebeedu, but very few care to visit Belavadi, firstly because it is a bit off the main tourist circuit, and secondly very few know about it. So there are no crowds at Belavadi, and we got a very good experience of the peaceful village life in Karnataka.

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Date of experience: December 2018

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My TriAdvisor Review No.407: Basadi Halli: Halebeedu, Karnataka.

Jain Temples of Halebeedu.

There are three Jain Temples (basadis), very near the Kedareswara Temple in Halebeedu, less than half a kilometre away from the Hoysaleshwara Temple. We walked from the Hoysaleshwara temple to the lane where both these temple complexes are located. They are the lesser known temples hence very few tourists come here, and we got a very quiet and peaceful darshan of both.

Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana followed the Jain faith before he converted to Vaishnavism, a sect of Hinduism. However his queen, Shantala Devi continued to be a follower of Jainism. These temples were built in the 12th century, during and immediately after their reign.

There are three Jain basadis in this temple complex. The largest one is the Parshvanatha Basadi, with an 18 foot monolithic statue of the deity. The Shanthinatha Basadi has an inner sanctum with the 18 foot monolith of the Shanthinatha deity. The Adinatha Basadi is the smallest one with the image of the deity Adinatha and the Hindu goddess Saraswati. The monolith of Bahubali, which was earlier present in this temple, in now displayed outside the Halebeedu museum.

The most noteworthy point in these temples are the shining lathe turned pillars, which with the right angle of lighting and some polishing, enables you to see your own reflection.

This Jain temple complex is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India, and now proposed to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

It is definitely worth a visit, and no less spectacular, along with the other temples of Halebeedu and Belur, near Hassan.

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Date of experience: December 2018

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My TripAdvisor Review No.403: Hoysaleshwara Temple, Halebeedu.

Magnificient Temple With Intricate Carvings.

Hoysaleshwara Temple is a 12th century Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is the largest monument in Halebeedu, which was the former capital of the Hoysala Empire. It was sponsored by the King Vishnuvardhana. During the early 14th century Halebeedu was sacked and plundered by the Muslim armies of the Delhi Sultanate, whence it fell into a state of ruin and neglect. Halebeedu literally means ‘old camp or capital’. The territory was later taken over by the Vijayanagara Empire.

The Hoysaleshwara Temple actually consists of two twin temples of the same size with their sanctums opening east, facing sunrise. The sanctum of Hoysaleshwara (the King), and Shantaleshwara (the Queen, Shantala Devi), both have a Shiva linga. Outside, on the east both temples have a smaller shrine, each with a seated Nandi, facing the lingas. Further to the east of the southern Nandi is a 7 feet high Surya shrine facing the Nandi.

Many other shrines are missing, and some of the carvings and idols can be seen in the ASI museum located in the same compound. There are many exquisite carvings and friezes on the platforms and walls of the main temples. The temple carvings and walls have been done with soapstone, which is soft when quarried, but hardens over time.

The Halebeedu temples, along with the Kesava temple at Belur, have been proposed to be listed under UNESCO World Heritage sites.

The temple premises is open from sunrise to sunset. It is best to visit the temple early in the morning when there is less of a crowd, and the climate is cooler. Later bus loads of school and college children arrive from the nearby institutions for a study tour cum picnic, along with the other tourists. There is no entry fee, and parking is available outside the temple premises. Guides and booklets are available from the vendors at the entrance gate. Do bargain for a better price.

Photography is allowed inside the temples as well, except in the sanctum sanctorum. Footwear has to be removed before entering the temple. There is a huge garden around the temple premises where one can enjoy a serene stroll on the neat green lawns and under the huge old banyan trees.

There are refreshment stalls outside as well, and proper restaurants and shops are just a hop, skip and jump away in the town of Halebeedu. KSTDC runs a lodge by the name of ‘Mayura Shanthala’ just across the road, which has a restaurant as well.

This heritage site of India is a must visit, along with the Kesava temple at Belur, about 17 km away, and Shravanabelagola, about 80 km towards Bangalore.

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Date of experience: December 2018

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