Coffee Nirvana

Magadi, now a small hamlet near Bangalore, was once the home an refuge of Kempegowda – the man who built a fort in Bengaluru and placed it on the map as an important trading centre.

However, Magadi, just like Bangalore is much older. It is famous for a temple built for ‘Magadi Ranga’, the Lord Ranganathaswamy, built during the time of Cholas.

As one enters Magadi, a street on the right lazily meaders towards the temple. The temple complex is typical of those times. At the right of the entrance is a kalyani with steps leading to the water. The courtyard is quite spacious, reminds one of the bygone era, where temples just like any public buildings were built with much importance to its design and architecture; unlike the temples that spring over footpath in the city today.

One has to leave the footwear near the entrance. Don’t expect old world charm from the folks here. They are very wise and would be happy to share the money that a city dweller brings in. Everyone from the lady who ‘guards’ the footwear to the gurkha and finally even the priest is out to get a few rupees.  Only the Lord stands mute amidst this religious marketing.

As I entered the inner courtyard, the inner gopuram was clearly old styled and different to the colourful outer one. Many temples have mixed architectural styles that show how the temple evolved during the patronage of kings during different periods.

Inside the garbhagriham, to my surprise the usually reclining pose of Lord Ranganatha is standing upright here! The priest then enlightened me that this Lord was ‘Pashchima Venkateshwara’, ‘west facing Lord Venkateshwara’.

The Lord here, however, was alone. The Goddess, Padmavathi was worshipped in a different garbhagriha. At the back of the main deity was a small reclining deity of Lord Ranganatha, who has made the place more famous than the standing lord. A boy priest gave me theertham(holy water) and mentioned that the idol keeps growing – atleast that’s what he has heard from the older ones. Hence the name ‘Belayo Ranga’ (growing Ranga). The explanation seemed to me more convincing about the priest than the Lord! The idol is so small that even the lord here has one leg folded!

No one knows the reason why this temple is more famous for the small idol of Ranganatha rather then the main deity. There is a story that this place was hastily renamed during the time of Tipu Sultan’s reign who knew only the famous Ranganatha who presided in Srirangapatna, his capital! Of course like all charming stories, it has no facts, atleast not that I know of. Here’s a link from Alemaari‘s blog that i liked.

Once a bustling town that flourished under Kempegowda, the place Magadi is now a sleepy town famous for its history. Don’t expect a flourishing tourism industry here like Hampi. Its an ideal place for a picnic or a hike in the nearby hills of Savandurga. For a decent meal, one has to come back towards the Bangalore City which is not more than an hour by car. One could also try Ruppi’s Resort off Magadi road, near the Dodda Alada Mara (Big Banyan tree).

The old Hyderabad area, the shopping centre around Charminar is a photographer’s paradise(apart from being a shoppers’ dream). The busy market area, the colour, the vibrancy will make a photographer go into a clicking frenzy, especially with a weather more pleasant than Bangalore(this was post monsoon time in 2009).

But with a cranky 3 year old, I could just take a few shots from a flying auto(still have to get used to hyderabad’s rickshaws) that raced through the area.

I have uploaded some photos of the area. In case you call them bad, try clicking snaps crouched in the back of an auto with a eager infant wanting to click some on his own.

The colourful Market Square.

I like the bright orange dress.

Charminar, a first glimpse.

I wonder how the area looked like when this structure first came up. Did the market sprout around the structure or the other way round?

A Bollywood message or a simple design on the auto?

“In this water, I invoke the presence of divine waters from the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Saraswati, Narmada, Sindhu and Kaveri”

As a kid, I have heard my father recite this shloka (hymn) everyday before he took a bath. However, I had hardly realised the importance of this Vedic hymn at that time.

Rivers are an important source for the development of any community. Around the world, almost every famous city in the past or present are by the banks of a river. In India, we consider all our rivers as divine and worship them. Even the word ‘India’ is derived from  the  word ‘Indus’ or ‘Sindhu’.

As I grew older, from the school’s social studies curriculum I learnt that the Indus Valley civilizations – Harappa and Mohenjodaro – lie in Pakistan. My knowledge of the region was also very vague. I knew that their big cities like Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad were similar to our cities and the rest , I assumed, consisted of feudal gun-toting tribesmen. That was before I read this book.

I bought Alice’s book since I had been told that it was a ‘best seller’ in the travel category. The book chronicles her Indus river journey and describes in detail the history, culture and important events that took place on the banks of this ancient river. As a historian and traveller, Alice leads one through different periods of history and its significance to the sacred Sindhu River – the bedrock of our very ancient civilization.

In the initial chapters one learns the importance of Pakistan’s low caste Hindus (Shudras) who keep the sewers clean in the fabric of Pakistan’s society. The chapter then describes the period of vivisection of India and Pakistan and reveals the stories of the refugees. At this stage, it did not speak much about the river itself. However, as one reads further, it becomes quite clear on what Alice is trying to achieve. She provides the socio-political events as a context to explain its impact on the Indus. Going through the travails of Sindh, the follies of the British and the power struggle in present Pakistan government, the tale is so absorbing that one feels that he is a silent spectator during the Pakistan’s  evolution.

Her journey is in reality as a set of travelogues interspersed with history. The volume of her travels is so huge that each chapter can become a story by itself. Whether it’s the rise of Sikhism or Buddhism or Islam on the banks of the river or the conquests of Alexander or Ghazni, the river becomes an important backbone to every tale.

Until she explained the similarities between Islam and Buddhism – intense religious learning, non-idolatry worship– one could have never believed that such a concept can exist. Swat, a place that has become a victim to Taliban was once known as Uddiyana, an ancient thoroughfare of trans-Asian Silk Road. This and many other similar facts unfolds the roots to early Vedic and Buddhist history of India. In fact, if  the Taliban had read this book they would never have destroyed the huge carving of Maitreya Buddha in Swat.

The famous Alexander and Puru’s battle on the banks of Indus has been often told with glorification of either of the great Kings. A much distorted (read Americanised) Hollywood movie, where Alexander speaks with a North American accent, was released a few years back. To understand the actual facts on how Alexander met his match at the Indus river and used his military tactics to defeat Puru’s huge army is a captivating tale in this book.

The migration of early Vedic civilizations from the Indus to the banks of Ganga, a more fertile region, the tempting but unsubstantiated claim of the Aryan-Dravidian theory and the distorted theory that the Aryans were early migrants from Europe depict the extent of research that has been done for the book.

As she travels further north into the vast spaces of Tibet and Ladakh in her quest to seek the source of Indus, civilizations and cultures are left behind and the river and the landscape takes over. The Indus is Senge Tsampo (Lion’s mouth) here, her guides are Drokpas, the terrain are mountains and valleys.  The last few pages narrate the end of her journey, to the source of a river that was known as ‘Saaransh’ (flowing for ever) in the ancient Vedas, and ends with a warning that the river might be ‘dammed out of existence’ due to man’s costly mistakes.

You can’t read this book in a day. Nor can you finish reading it just one time. Close the book now. I can guarantee that you’ll reopen it; maybe to read about a tribe or history of a conqueror or life of a Wajiristan’s tribal or about the ‘older than vedic age’ and yet surviving Kalash culture or about the Indus river herself. Awards or no awards, its a very spellbinding tale of a river that gave a name – India – to our country.

Growing up in a traditional Brahminical family in Bangalore, this temple had always been ‘Kote Kovil’ for me. If I had known its history and significance to the city then, I’d have been too awed to step into it!

The Kote Venkataramanswamy temple, stands squeezed between the busy street and the sprawling gardens of Tipu’s Summer Palace in Bangalore.

Built in 1695 during the time of Chikka Deva Raya, the temple has witnessed a 300 year-old tale of the city. This was the period of the Mysore rulers, the Wodeyars,  purchasing the city from the Mughals and fortifying it. The word ‘Kote’ means Fort in Kannada language. Once the seat of Royalty, thetemple now stands in the commercial nerve centre of the city.

Tipu Sultan

During the brief rule of Tipu Sultan, a Palace was built adjacent to this temple. This was not exactly due to religious tolerance. Those were the days when the Kings were treated as God and it was usually the norm in those days to built the palace near the city’s temples. Tipu merely followed this norm!

The Temple has a huge Gopuram built in typical Dravidian Style. The passage leads to a mukha mantapa, navaranga, and an inner garbha griha (sanctum sanctorum). Though it has been a Vishnu temple since Wodeyars’ rule, there are some claims made by  scholars that the temple is much older and with Shaivite origins. The basis for this statement is the Girija Kalyana (Parvathi’s marriage to Shiva) carvings on the outer walls of the temple; which is rather odd in a Vishnu temple.

As I came out of the temple, I was also blessed by another ‘venkataramana’ at the entrance.

However on Vaikunta Ekadashi day, I dont think even this Venkataramana will have time for a photo shoot. In an otherwise busy street, devotees form huge queues to visit the Lord on this auspicious day.

The Dharmaraya temple and its Karaga festival is explained in every history book’s chapter on Bengaluru’s culture or heritage. However the city being a mix of many cultures performs many other lesser known and very old temples & festivals. My next few posts will be an attempt to unravel them.

I will start the series with this post on Tulasi Thota, behind Chikka Lalbagh in Balepet-Akkipet area.

The temple’s two main deities are Lord Krishna and Rama. During March April every year the area sees a ‘Brahma Rathothsavam’ for Lord Krishna and Ramothsavam for Lord Rama.

The main deity of this temple is Lord Krishna, in the classic picture, as a child with a cup of butter. The age of this temple is a mystery. While one source says the temple was built in 1844 by Sri Chamaraja Wodeyar, the ruler of Mysore, another source mentions its age to be much older.

Read the rest of this entry »

In the days of yore, it was the Maharajas who patronised temple building during the height of their powers. Mahabalipuram, Hampi’s Virupaksha, Ashoka’s Sarnath pillar are a few examples. Now that we have a democracy, I thought that the mantle is taken over by our politicians. After all, ‘Government’s work is God’s work’, declares Vidhana Soudha. But I guess it’s the NRIs who are the neo-Kings. With financial support from Non-Resident Indians, the state government plans to renovate 500 temples in Coastal Karnataka and Udupi. A welcome move considering that even now, in many small villages, economies revolve around the temples. Read on.

Brindavan Gardens

Its always the same. New York residents would have hardly said hello to the ‘lady with the torch’ on the Liberty Island. Londoners would not even have spared a cursory glance at the Big Ben or any other landmarks of their famous city. I received a typical French rebuff when I asked a young Parisian the way to Eiffel Tower in my best broken French.

Predictably, though I have spent many happy days as a child in Mysore and have made Bangalore my home, my trips to Mysore have been very infrequent. Last weekend’s visit was not just a nostalgic trip but also an introduction of this city to my wide-eyed toddler. Steeped in History, Mysore is famous for its royal grandeur, wide paved roads and a laidback lifestyle. Apart from its palaces, Mysore’s two other most popular tourists destination are its Shalimar-inspired Brindavan Gardens and the Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens; popularly known as Mysore Zoo. My visit to the city was after nearly a decade. The two places had undergone a complete transformation that the places were as new to me as it was to my kid.

The KrishnarajaSagar Dam also known as KRS and the adjoining Brindavan gardens, is situated around 18 km from Mysore. The reservoir and the terrace styled garden were shining examples of engineering and beautification thanks to the efforts of the two famous Dewans of Mysore Kingdom, Sir M Viswewaraya and Mirza Ismail. The Gardens are open to public on all days from 6 am- 8pm, whilethe musical fountain show, which is the highlight of the visit, is between 6.30 – 8.30pm everyday. The garden is mughal-styled; Sir Mirza was possibly influenced by Kashmir’s Shalimar Gardens that he wanted to recreate it in Mysore. And when you are tired walking all around this 60 acres of sprawling greenery, the snack corner provides some much needed grub(chat, ice-creams, gobi manchurian, soft drinks) and an earful from the microphone of the over enthusiastic marketing.  A note to cheer all Bangaloreans, the parking space is huge, so dont worry on that front.

My early memories of Mysore Zoo were as a kid to a small smelly place with lot of caged animals. But the Zoo today has undergone a complete transformation. The place is eco-friendly. Visitors are advised not to bring in any plastic. There’s a search at the entrance and the plastic bags are replaced by paper bags at the Zoo’s expense. Once mostly caged animals now roam in huge open areas surrounded by trenches. There are guided tours in an open vehicle that resembles an elongated golf cart for those who cannot walk the entire stretch. It was heartening to see the elephants, both Indian and African, after the infamous poisoning episodes at the Zoo a few years back.

To reach the Brindavan Gardens

Take the KRS Road near the City Railway Station. It takes an hour to reach the place; the last stretch is in a very poor condition. The Musical Fountains are the hightlight of the Gardens and the show is during 6.30 -8.30 every evening. Entrance fee for adults – Rs 15/-, children – Rs 5/- and camera charges are extra.

To reach Mysore Zoo.

The Zoo is 2 km from the Mysore Palace, in the city. Follow the sign boards to reach the place. The Zoo is  open from 8.30 – 5.30 on all days except on Tuesdays. Admission fee for adults – Rs 25/-, children(5-12 years) - Rs 10/-, camera charges extra.

Bangalore is growing radically and is as cosmopolitan as Mumbai. Many a Bangalorean would be surprised to know that this city has always had a multicultural history, just like Mumbai. To know more about Bangalore, its heritage, culture and places that one could visit around the city, read my articles published in CitizenMatters, an online Bangalore publication. Read the latest article. Check the publications page for links to my other articles.

Since its conception in 2005 by Arun Pai, I always wanted to go on these walks – more out of curiosity than any real inclination to know about the city. What can one know about Bangalore since it has a very young history. Bangalore city was planned and created by Kempegowda, a local chieftain in 16th century. It housed a British cantonment colony in the 19th century and its famous Gardens – Lalbagh was conceptualised during the reign of Tipu Sultan, a muslim warrior with a love for roses. Apart from this, I couldn’t think of anything worth a mention.So, it came as a pleasant surprise that we could discover a lot about the city’s history in a short walk on MG Road. Some quiz questions to churn your grey cells and induce you to discover in the walks.

• Did you know that there is a Victoran house with a tennis court on this busy commercial MG Road? With soaring real estate prices, it’s really commendable of the owner to maintain his private space on the most commercial of all streets in Bangalore.
• The building facing ‘The Estate’ on Dickenson Road has a unique history – connected to electricity. (I have worked in ‘The Estate’, but never knew this building’s significance)
• Have you given a thought to the statue facing away from Mayo Hall? What is his significance?

To find the answers to these and discover other interesting facts in the city’s tale, take the Victorian Walk with the Bangalore Walks guide. The walk starts from Trinity church and ends at St Marks Circle and is a short distance of 2 km. The pace is relaxed and it ends with a sumptuous South Indian breakfast at a venue with fantastic view. The venue name is not revealed till the end.