Traveller Hoots

With the divine temple tour of Kateel , we felt blessed and bright in hearts. The clock ticked 2 pm, the sun was high and we had to depart from Kateel. Beach and Mangalore are so analogous in Karnataka. Visiting Mangalore without stepping into a beach doesn't sound good. On checking beaches nearby, I found Panambur beach and Tannirbhavi beach Mangalore . Panambur beach is famous and attracts a major crowd on weekends. We wanted to spend some peaceful time away from the chaos of people. So we chose to visit Tannirbhavi beach and a watch tower called Sultan battery which is closely located. The drive Tannirbahvi beach is one of the secluded beaches of Mangalore. It is notable for white silvery sand and spectacular sunsets. From Kateel, We took Bajpe road and en route to Kuloor bridge road to reach Tannirbhavi beach. Though the road adjacent to Gurupura river is narrow, it offered good views of the river as we drove. [caption id="attachment_6152" align="alignnone&qu

A glimpse of Maravanthe beach playing on the mind, the next plan was a quick drive to Mangalore and return back to Udupi.  It was 10:30am when we routed to Mangalore to visit Kateel temple. Since childhood, Mangalore is dear to my heart as I had heard a lot about it from my  Mangalore friends <3 Though it is a black box for me, I had good references to Mangalore culture.  Bhoota kola, Yakshagaana, Dollu kunitha being their iconic dance forms. Also, I cannot stop myself from praising the pathrode and neer dose . Obviously, for non-vegetarians, it is a paradise for seafood. We had an interesting discussion on the various angles of Mangalore among us. Kateel Durgaparameshwari temple is an ancient temple and is the Goddess of Shakti worshipped largely by the coastal areas of Karnataka. As I had observed, most Mangaloreans would have a photo of Kateel devi in their home. So, this had made me curious to visit this temple whenever I would be in Mangalore. Many great personalities visi

Alarm striking 6 am !! Recalling the journey of the previous day [ Udupi Krishna temple , Kere Basadi and Agumbe drive ], I  dismissed the alarm and opened my eyes. A quick walk to the balcony to enjoy the morning bliss. The birds chirping and a calm stream of water. Within few minutes aunty offered me a cup of coffee with a smile to greet the day. Just a perfect morning to wake up for !! <3 Early morning, we had to visit Shwetha' s grandparents at a small place near Kundapura . We freshened up soon and surprisingly Rocky was ready first !! :P This is the other way on all other trips. Anyways, aunty told us to come soon for breakfast. Pradeep and Tharun were still asleep. They would be joining us after we come back. All set and we started off from Brahmavara at 7 am. Drive - Brahmavara to Kundapura An early morning drive on the NH66 highway . The environment was so fresh, and Rocky tuned up his playlist - Punjabi songs on the go !! :D Good vibes! I completely enjoy long drives

It was almost 3pm in the noon. Departing from the scenic views of Varanga , we set out to drive through the Western Ghats. The deadly journey of Western Ghats is known to be the Agumbe ghat section. I had just heard about it and was super excited to drive through these ghats :) Brief on the place : Agumbe is a small village in Shimoga district with approximately 500 people. It is one of the cores of Western Ghats and is a bliss for nature lovers.  It's called as the Cherrapunji of South India - recording the average rainfall of 1000cm in the rainy season. The beauty of Agumbe is ultimately magical in the monsoon . It is famous for the spectacular sunsets during the summer. Another attraction is the Agumbe Rain Research Forests (ARRS) , which is the only rainforest research station in India. It was founded by Indian herpetologist Romulus Whitaker in 2005 when he saw his very first King cobra here in 1971. ARRS managed the world’s first radio-telemetry project on the King Cobra

With Udupi Sri Krishna Temple behind us, it was onward onto Kere Basadi - Varanga, Karkala . This place was on my bucket list for two years. I was impressed by the aerial view of this Jain temple posted on social media. I always felt "That's the place to live amidst nature". The greenery and an outstanding structure in the center of the lake always fascinated me. With the setback of Jomlu theertha falls, my friends somehow reluctantly agreed to visit this place on my words, and hence we were looking forward to exploring this unexplored place in Varanga, Karkala. A brief note on Kere Basadi Kere Basadi is located in Varanga , a small village 26kms from Karkala, Udupi. Varanga is a popular Jain pilgrim center. The village is a home for many centuries old ancient Basadis. The word Varanga is also closely associated with Varangacharita, a novel on fictional prince Varanga to preach principles of Jainism . The main Basadis here are Neminatha Basadi (Here Basadi), Chandranath