Bangalore was definitely a spontaneous adventure as Tanya and Divya had informed me that Ajit was out for the weekend so I should come and have a girls weekend! Plus, Divya was the last cousin I have yet to see! I happily asked for leave citing medical appointments and to my surprise it was approved, so I set off.
Today, Tanya was at work and Divya was working from home so I called up my adventure buddy in Bangalore and made a plan. I had covered most things in the city from the last time I was here so we had to go a little farther. There are so many nature spots just outside of Bangalore and if you go further there are tons of safaris! I have learnt about all the Indian safaris from the packages we sell at work so it is a bucket list item for later. Noel had suggested Devarayana Durga Hills and I had done some research to find a beautiful peacock temple called Basadibetta Shri Pinchi Basadi and the neighboring lake and hills.
I had assumed Noel was going to drive me but he had decided that it would be more fun to go by bike so he went out and rented a bike. He did make fun of me last time for squeezing him to death so I was intrigued to see how today was going to go. The bike he rented was an actual motorcycle this time not just a scooter and it even had a backrest for me to ensure that I wasn’t going to hold onto him. I felt so badass with my big helmet on taking the streets of Bangalore. Bollywood actress who? Although I think for the Bollywood shot I would probably need to be riding the bike in a lehenga. Stay tuned for that one.
I love bike rides! It is still novel for me so I get a real thrill being on a bike and don’t have to worry about getting motion sickness since there is always wind blowing through my hair. Being on the bike was a different experience and let me appreciate the beauty of the surroundings more. Once we were out of the city, it was a straight highway for about an hour. We passed by tons of beautiful coconut groves, lakes, rock formations, and flowers along the highway. The scenery reminded me of the Hampi landscapes. At one point Noel shouted out “look Aunty P it is the Mumbai local” as a train went by.
Was the bike a better ride than the car? Consensus was no as it was not as comfortable as expected and both of us could not feel our legs by the time we stopped to fill petrol. We also decided that a South Indian breakfast was needed before we embarked on the last leg of the journey. Noel had an Idli vada pav while I had the normal Idli sambar. The breakfast was not that great but at least it only got better from there. The temple was closer than the hills so we decided to start with that first.
The first temple we saw was the Shri Chandraprabhu Tirthankara Vigraha (good luck pronouncing that). It was a tall monolithic statue of the Gomateshwara set on top of a platform. At its feet were a scene of a lion drinking from a lamb and then a lamb drinking from a lion. I pointed it out to Noel that they were switched and Noel explained that it was designed like that to represent harmony of the universe.
Right next to the statue was the Jain peacock temple! The colors were so vibrant and the temple had been built in the shape of a peacock broom. The peacock broom shape had been utilized as in the Jain tradition monks carry a broom made of fallen peacock feathers to remove insects that have fallen in their way so they are not killed. Inside the temple there was a peacock broom showcased in the middle. The walls were covered with various paintings and reliefs all depicting scenes involving the peacock broom. It was dimly lit inside but the art was very beautiful and vibrant colors.
As Noel and I hopped back on the bike to explore the hills and the Mydala Kere lake, we saw a massive flight of stairs leading to what appeared to be another temple on the top of a hill. The Basadibetta Gudi Stairs went straight up the hill and Noel told me that if you managed to make it to the top, they would reward you with a free leaf meal. Noel joked that he would drop me off while he took the bike. I seriously considered the deal but am glad I didn’t since the best views were actually from around the bend of the hill. As we rounded the corner, Mydala Lake came into view and offered the prettiest views. The lake scene was so serene framed by the rocks and hills in the background. Many people had taken their bikes all the way down to the water and entire families were swimming in it. I wanted to just lie on the rocks for a while! I settled for sipping on coconuts while admiring the scene.
We took the bike all the way to the top of the hill to find a very colorful scene. In the center of the temple was a peace tree with four statues placed around it. Around the tree were casts of people seated with their hands together in prayer. Each statue was dressed in a very colorful outfit. The temple area was empty and I soon found out why when I removed my shoes and touched the scorching hot ground.
The 3 Jain temples and hills in the surrounding area were beautiful and well worth the drive! It was a fun adventure and sadly we did not make it to the second place mainly because there were dark storm clouds looming overhead but also because neither of us were up to spend an extra half hour on the bike in the wrong direction. The bike ride was definitely more rough on the return trip and we had to stop for masala dosas on the way to take a break.
Noel wanted to take me to the falooda place he had taken me too but it was too far so we ended up at an ice cream shop called Corner House. They specialize in ice cream so I got a malai kesar kulfi just as the rain started to come down. Noel put me in a rickshaw the rest of the way home and we bid each other goodbye until December! He is also so sweet and I appreciate that he is always down for an adventure and so willingly takes me around.
Commentaires