My Celebrating Holi …the MANAGE way!!!

Students start pouring in at the venue for holi celebrations. It may be customery for some to enter the class late but here they make it a point to come on time or even before time, ’cause it is time to revel not just in the various hues of gulal but also to revel in the colours of life and the bliss that it offers. Venue…..poolside. Replete with colours, a patch of land in the corner specially prepared with the right consistency of slush to wallow in!!! Other than the coloured water in the swimming pool ,a hose consistently supplies water for Holi revelries. Also at another corner is a table with refreshments.For those dying to take the earliest plunge there are no rules for the day….for the reluctant breed like me there are set rules. .Senior girls would not spare any of the junior girls. They are forced out of their hide-outs,soaked in buckets of coloured water ,faces smeared with colours and taken out to the specially dug out pit full of slush and dumped into it.Then the earth coloured unidentifiable entities are thrown into the adjoining swimming pool, to help them wash off the mix of mud and colours.The effect of the entire series of events is such that once you regain your breath you're on the look -out for batchmates who deserve a similar fate ! Inhibitions and reluctance is all washed off with the splashed coloured water.We play Holi till we are overcome with fatigue and then make way to grab whatever is left of the refreshments.With this the Holi revelries come to an end ,leaving students scrubbing there faces hard to remove the colours from their faces to regain their identity!

A Trek to Remember !!!

We were browsing through a friend’s facebook snaps when we came across snaps clicked during an expedition to Mullayanagiri, the highest peak in Karnataka. A casual remark followed “Wow, wish we could trek there” and this is how the trekking idea took birth. This was followed by numerous efforts to google the best trekking route, lookout for becoming a part of the BMC’s trekking group and all related efforts and enquiries at BMC ,in addition to one point of time when we almost lost hope of any such plan materializing. Ultimately it was decided that we would venture out on our own and hire a local guide to help us out with the route. All thanks to one of the Awesome Foursome , who being a Kannadiga and with contacts at Chikmagalur made it all the more easy.Also the unrelenting attitude of the others to not let the opportunity get out of hand in spite of uncertainty, helped in the plan actually taking shape. And this is how it all began!!!
So the AwesomeFoursome set out on an excursion which was to start with a trekking trip to Chikmagalur and was to come to an end with a visit to Tirupati followed by Sri Kalahasti.
Chikmagalur is a beautiful town located in the foothills of Baba Budan Giri Hill Range. The name is synonymous with verdant forests, scenic views, beautiful waterfalls, coffee estates and charming temples tucked away in the mountains and said to be a trekker's paradise. Chikmagalur district is a misty mountain territory home to the highest peak in Karnataka , Mullayanagiri,1930 metres AMSL.
Our trekking expedition started towards Mullayanagiri and on the way we visited a coffee estate .Further on the way we witnessed pristine scenic beauty. The hills with hues varying from different shades of brown and green interspersed with rocks made it a picture perfect locale. The steep topography made it a really challenging climb. Also on the trekking route were fresh water springs gushing with cool and rejuvenating water.
It was a perfect blend of scenic locales and wonderful company. The Awesome Foursome oozing exuberance with the very thought of venturing out on a trekking excursion. The destination being Mullayanagiri. We foursome all abuzz with life and ofcourse our trademark characteristics of optimism, pessimism and moderation with dollops of confusion, thoroughly basked in the nature’s glory. Every moment that we spend in that trekker’s paradise brought us even closer to nature as we soaked up all the scenic beauty that reflected from each of nature’s entity.Be it the multi-hued mountain ranges,the dense patches of green,the dark shaded rocks jutting out infrequently or the gushing spring water.Every aspect of nature that we encountered had but to offer us rejuvenation,peace of mind, beauty in its pristine form and a soothing gush of cool wind in every breath that we drew in.
Though the litter by trekkers at some places and certain patches in the hills rendered barren by forest fires were a sore to the eye, yet we looked at the good and the promising side of the experience. Oh how unmindful we had been of the steep slopes that we trekked through in that rush of adrenaline and energy! Now we look back in awe at what we have actually achieved. Nothing could hinder us ,not the steep topography, not the fatigue, neither the fear of heights, complete lack of human existence around us nor the scare of having lost the way when we were a couple of kilometers away from the summit! We kept moving forward, encouraging one of us who was fatigued out to give it her best ,and surprisingly she did manage to do just as well ! We took breaks for photo shoots to capture the breathtaking sights of the hills and the dizzying heights as a souvenir and also as evidence that we could actually make it to the summit! We replenished our energy with bars of chocolate and poppins and the cool pure water that we filled from the natural springs on the way.
On the way to the summit we reached Sitalayyanagiri where a temple is located and in its vicinity we could see two large Raths constructed as a part of annual celebrations at the temple. A short stay at the place and we further resumed our trekking.
After hours of trekking, sprang In view the seemingly unending flight of steps that led to the temple at the summit of Mullayanagiri. With the destination within reach ,the joy of having made it to the top made us spring to our feet and out of the blue energized us to reach the top of the stairs. Infact the boost of energy was such that we even raced with each other as to who could make it to the summit first!
Once at the summit, the view was breathtakingly beautiful. In that gigantic expanse of space I stood higher than the mighty hills around me. However small my existence may have been at that point of time but my determination to scale the peak and my ability of having achieved that did fill me with the feeling of pride and self-contentment not to forget mentioning the bliss of being in the lap of mother nature.
Even the fatigue could not come in the way of smiles on our faces when we glanced down from the summit with a brew of feelings somewhat akin to having won a battle. After the darshan at the temple on the summit and the prasadam we made our way back to base.The climb downhill was a much easier task.Newer fronts were now left for us to explore as we headed for Dattatreya Peetha .
The peetha is a small cave shrine on top of Baba Budangiri hills and is devoted to Guru Dattatreya( an incarnation of the 3 Supreme Gods - Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma )and Sufi Saint Baba Budan and is revered by both Muslims and Hindus alike. It has been controversial due to political and religious tension over its status as a syncretism shrine.
Our next destination was Manikyadhara, a fall, which under the sun’s rays gleamed like a stream of diamonds and from which it derieves its name.
Having reached the town,we now headed for the Chennakeshava Temple at Belur,about 25 km from Chikmagalur located in the Hassan District. It is an absolute masterpiece of Hoysala architecture with the temple walls and facades adorned with splendid and intricate carvings of animal and human forms and filigree work.
As the sun started setting we made our way to the Yagachi Dam around 10 km fro Belur ,to capture the setting sun against the backdrop of the water of river Yagachi.. It was a picture perfect location. After having seen the sun set, we made our way back to our lodge where we put up for the night .
The next day we headed for Bangalore from where we boarded the bus to Tirumala.
The Sri Venkateswara temple located on the seventh peak, Venkatachala (Venkata Hill) of the Tirupati Hill is reportedly one of the richest and the most flocked by devotees. We visited various teerthams like the Akasaganga Teertham , Papavinasanam Teertham , Chakra Teertham , Sri Venkateshwaraswami Padalu at Dharmagiri amongst others.This was followed by a bus journey to Kalahasti.
Sri Kalahasthi Temple is considered as the Kailash of the south or Dakshin Kailash. Srikalahasthi is around 40 kms from Tirupati and considered as one of the panchabootha stalams (temples celebrating Lord Siva as the embodiment of the primary elements).
The wonderful trip had come to an end. We boarded the train back to Hyderabad from Renigunta. Tired though we were towards the end ,yet we could not help talk over and over again about the moments spent and various instances that we came across during that period. Now back at Hyderabad we are back at planning another trip…………

Hey Sis, I just spared a thought for you !!! :)

The laziest, clumsiest, weirdest creature

That ever walked the earth;

The seemingly indifferent, I-don’t –care- for- you,

Just- me attitude ever evinced ;

Meet Miss Sophistication with

An inborn proclivity for everything chic and branded ;

On a compensatory note.........

Never openly expresses her feelings,

But anybody who knows her will agree to the fullest that;

She has the most beautiful heart,

The beauty that eventually reflects on the face.

But still I sincerely hope that

No one’s ever condemned to have a sister like her.................

................because I want this antique piece

ALL BY MYSELF!

Proprietary rights (expiration date-the end of my lifetime)

Sorry people only I deserve her!