Last Third of PhotoadayMay

I am taking a picture each day in May, for an online photo challenge. Here are the final eleven days of May's contest. For each, I am digging up an old photo for each day's inspiration as well. My first ten days and second ten are available for viewing as well. Finally, a slide show of the entire month's photos.

Indian Fast Food

I categorize Indian fast food into either dhabas or street food. Dhabas are usually road side eateries with a fast food feel. They serve meals, but don't have the ambiance to match fine dining. Street food consists of vendors selling items from a cart or out of a booth. Some of the best food can be found at places that don't even have a sign out front. Anything else is a restaurant, and not really fast food, in my opinion.

American Fast Food Abroad

One of the things I found interesting about traveling last year are the differences in American fast food chains when they are opened in other countries. Consider this bit of dialog from the 90's movie Pulp Fiction:

Jules: You know what they call a Quarter Pounder with cheese in France?
Brett: No.
Jules: Tell 'em, Vincent.
Vincent: A Royale with cheese.
Jules: A Royale with cheese! You know why they call it that?
Brett: Because of the metric system?
Jules: Check out the big brain on Brett!

Bangalore Nostalgia

Memories of Bangalore, originally uploaded by s_w_ellis.

IT World sent me an email with links to the article "19 Weird but Real Gadgets and Gizmos". The Bug Zapper is one widget on the list. In Bangalore they were commonplace and I purchased one for just under $4 USD. Plus, mine plugged into the wall outlet to recharge the batteries in the handle.

Anyway, seeing this item surfaced great memories of Bangalore. Hello to you all in Ozone and at ITPL!

Visiting Bahubali in Shravanabelagola

Bahubali in Shravanabelagola: The world's largest stone monolith at 57 feet

Shravanabelagola, India

Approximately one hundred fifty kilometers west of Bangalore, in the Hassan District of the Indian state of Karnataka, stands the world's largest stone monolith. The statue is of the Jain teacher, Bahubali, and he sits atop Chandragiri Hill in Shravanabelagola. Carved in the tenth century, this statue received the most votes in the Times of India newspaper's listing of twenty candidate sites to become the Seven Wonders of India. Harmandir Sahib (The Golden Temple) and Taj Mahal came in second and third place, respectively.


You can really get an idea of the size of Bahubali with this picture

Bahubali is revered by Jains because he was the first to attain moksha, or total enlightenment and freedom from death and rebirth. Shravanabelagola is a major Jain pilgrimage, and every twelve years the Mahamastakabhisheka is celebrated, where Bahubali is coated in milk, saffron and powdered sandalwood; and given offerings of food and precious metals. The next celebration will be in 2018, so mark your calendars.

Shravanabelagola roughly translates from Kannada to mean "The beautiful pool in the center of town."

Bahubali ( बाहुबली )

Bahubali, or Gommateshvara, was the second of one hundred brothers. His older brother, Bharat, did not appreciate the fact that the land his younger brother ruled over was more prosperous than his, so he decided to take it by force. Soon into battle, it was decided that war would end in too much suffering for both kingdoms, so Bharat and Bahubali should have a contest of strength to determine the victor. Each would hit the other over the head until one admitted defeat. Since he was older, Bharat delivered the first blow, almost knocking Bahubali unconscious. Bahubali, whose name means "arms of strength", realized in mid-swing that if he landed his fist on his brother's head, Bharat would surely die. Already in an attack position, he could not stop because of the warrior code. If he stayed his hand, he would lose his position of power over his kingdom for breaking the Kshatriya attack protocol. In order to save his brother and to maintain his warrior status, he grabbed his own hair, ripping it from his head and struck the ground. Bahubali then gave over his kingdom to his brother and went off to live an ascetic life.


Statue of Bharat on the hill opposite where Bahubali stands

Bharat approached the meditating Bahubali several times, to return the kingdom, and even later to give over both kingdoms. Bahubali was not interested and remained deep in meditation, until he attained moksha. It is said that the statue of Bahubali is really Bahubali. Others say that Bharat fired his bow at the hilltop and the rock split by his arrow took the shape of the statue. The statue atop Vindyagiri Hill in Shravanabelagola won't tell us the true story, neither will the smaller statue of Bahubali's brother on Chandragiri Hill.

Chandragiri Hill


You can see Bahubali on top of Vindyagiri Hill from Chandragiri Hill

Just opposite Vindyagiri Hill, past the sarovar, is Chandragiri Hill. While it does not have a huge statue of a siddha on it, it does have a dozen or so bastis, or Jain temples. I particularly liked roaming around this hill, as there were very few people around. You could really enjoy the scenery, take your time examining the old writing on the rocks and spend time inside the shrines.


One of the many Jain temples on Chandragiri Hill

A few things to note about this day excursion from Bangalore. First, you cannot wear shoes on either hill, so just leave them in the car for the day. Second, there are a lot of steps; repeat, a lot of steps involved getting to the top of either one of these hills. Third, carry some water with you, as there are no vendors waiting to sell you cold drinks at the top of these hills. Finally, carry more water than what you think you would like to drink, as you should remain hydrated.

Click here for more pictures from our trip to Shravanabelagola.

Happy Rajyostava

Karnataka, the state in India where I am living, celebrates turning fifty-three today. Today is Karnataka Rajyostava, loosely meaning "celebrating the kingdom of Karnataka." Festivals will occur throughout the month, but it was November 1, 1956, when Karnataka became a state. Well, technically it was the State of Mysore until the name changed in 1973.

Happy birthday, Karnataka!

One Happy Street

Today I did a bit of shopping and had an hour to kill before my clothing alterations would be complete. During that time, I wandered down some side roads and took photos of the local people. A small group of kids wanted their photos taken and that was all it took: I was taking nothing but photos of these kids until I left. Now, usually I take a photo of a kid and then show the image immediately, never able to give a permanent copy nor email a digital file. Since this street was fairly close to where I live, I decided to do something a bit different.

After finding a fair number of good photos, cropping and creating montages, I then made several print copies to be distributed. I went by a store and picked up a bag full of candy, and with printouts in tow, revisited the same street. The kids were going crazy for the chocolate; no surprise. But, the adults were ecstatic about the photos of their children and grandchildren. However, no one was more happy than me.

I have promised the kids (all yelling out "Uncle" trying to get my attention) that I shall return in a few days. This time, I think there will need to be two bags of chocolate.



Couple is pleased with the printouts of the photos


Click here to see the other photos.

Nandi, Lead the Way

Nandi Hills is just outside Bangalore by about sixty kilometers. You see, sometimes you do not have to travel far to have a great motorcycle ride and see something spectacular. The view from Tipu's Drop, looking down from the mountain to the plateau, is something to see, even on a hazy day.



Eight kilometers to Nandi Hills


Jain Temple

On the way, we stopped at a Jain temple, on the outskirts of Bangalore. This temple has ceased construction for reasons the guards did not know, but it was under construction for about ten years and is used for active worship. It is built in the Rajasthan tradition and has extremely nice marble work for its temple flooring. No photos are to be taken within the outer wall, but a guard wanting money for coffee allowed me a couple in exchange for a few rupees.



Marble floor of the Jain temple




Inside the walls of the temple grounds


The Hills

Anjali took some photos from the back of the bike, which turned out great. Here is what we saw on the way up.



Starting to see some hills




Large hill in the distance




Looking up to Tipu Sultan's Drop


Picnic

That morning, we threw some toasted bread, cut cucumber and some spicy cashews into a bag as a snack to share on the way. Halfway up the winding roads leading to the top of the highest peak of Nandi Hills, we stopped to eat.



Stopping roadside for a snack


It was hard to capture just how crazily winding the roads are, but here are some photos of the traffic coming up and down the hill.



Bikes coming down from the peak




Slight bend in the road going up the hill


Let's Take It From The Top

Ah, the view.



View from Tipu Sultan's Drop




Looking down on a bend in the road


Monkey Business

One thing you will see a lot of on Nandi Hills are the monkeys. Lots and lots of monkeys!



One monkey family




Rickshaw driver




Uninvited guest in a parked car


Getting Lost

Part of the fun of taking a trip without being completely sure where to go is when you get lost. The course we took home was not the reverse of our way to Nandi Hills, but we managed to find our way by stopping every so often and asking for directions. The ride there took just over one hour. The return took an extra hour, but we got in some added ride-time that way. The total journey gave us five hours away from home, a nice walk up many steps, an awesome view of the villages below the drop and a long bike ride. A great day, to be sure.

Coffee Trails in Coorg

On the eastern side of the Western Ghats is wonderfully-green district of Karnataka known as Coorg. Taking about five hours by car, this is a great weekend getaway from Bangalore. Within Coorg is Orange County, a resort on the grounds of a coffee plantation. Away from traffic noise, cell phones and Internet, this place provided a great way to enjoy long walks, quiet meals and uninterrupted conversations.



Everything is so green in Coorg


A Village Walk

After getting checked in, Anjali suggested a walk down to the river. We were only a short strut to the banks of the Chauvery. Stopping there, you could hear nothing but bamboo cracking as the gentle breeze would come and go. Not ready to head back into the confines of the resort, we pressed on down a road, through a small village.



Chauvery River


Every kid in the village was eager to say hello, but that was all they would say. Whether they were shy or did not understand us when we spoke, a quick acknowledgment was all we got before they would turn away and go about their prior activity. One young girl eyed us taking a picture of a napping kitten and she proceeded to follow us holding that kitten, calling out "photo" and then smiling. Anjali took a photo of her and the girl was all smiles.



Girl uses kitten to get photo taken




Kids enjoying lunch


We walked quite a distance before hitting a main road and then heading back.

More Walking

After a great supper and a delicious breakfast, there was not much to do but go for another walk. This time, we explored the coffee plantation.



Coffee


Orange County is filled with walking trails. There are so many crossed paths, you would think it is a maze. But, all roads lead back to the lodging and the comfort of some iced fresh lime soda. If you are a bird watcher, this must be the place to be. Posted throughout the area are signs showing which birds can be observed at which time of year. Funny thing, all the signs ended exactly the same way, with "Sighted: Jan to Dec". I guess you can see every variety of bird there at any time.



Why not just say "Seen Year-round"?


Perhaps it was our thirst for something cool between walks, but we never drank coffee while staying on the coffee plantation. Coleridge would have likely written:

Coffee, coffee, every where,
Nor any drop to drink

Little Tibet

Coorg is also home to the Tibetan Golden Temple, a Buddhist monastery. After leaving the coffee plantation, we decided to visit before trekking back to Bangalore.



Tibetan Golden Temple in Coorg




Using cola as decoration




Inside the temple


Tired from walking and walking and walking, we really were not too crazy about a long drive back home, so we decided to break up the return trip with a stop in Mysore to watch the light show at Brindavan Gardens.

Power Failure

We chose an excellent vantage point from which to watch the lit fountains of the garden. The Elephant Bar of the Royal Orchid Hotel gave us a great view, chilled wine and yummy appetizers. Just as the show started and the lights came up, there was a power failure. The electricity never returned to the garden, but we enjoyed our travel break just the same.



Us at the Elephant Bar