Aarti, who had come with us for the earlier visit on the ‘Tour of Less Known Hoysala Temples’ writes her experiences from the trip.
Drove straight to Doddagaddavalli, where we spent close to an hour.. A temple that marks the reign of Hoysala Dynasty, each pillar telling a tale… After a tour of the place, we all assembled in the hall near the entrance where Lakshmi and Arun gave us a peek into the history, and some insights into the rulers and the Dynasty..
Read the full story on Aarti’s blog.
The tour is now sold out. Thank you all for the overwhelming response. Stay tuned for the next dates, or do send me an email at arunchs a-t yahoo d-o-t com, if you would like to be informed of the next schedules
Regular visitors here would know of the guided tour that Lakshmi and I have been planning. It is about visiting the less known, but charming places that were built by the thousand year old Hoysala Kings. Besides the guided visits, the participants will learn about the history and know about the origin, evolution and collapse of the Kingdom. After a very successful beta trip that received great response, we are now kicking off the tour. The next departure is on the weekend of July 4th. Details of the tour below. Please email me at arunchs a-t yahoo d-o-t com or call Arun/Lakshmi at 9880006460/9902070689 to register for the tour, or for any questions. Look forward to seeing you travel with us!
Tour – The Less Known Hoysala Kingdom
From Bangalore – July 4th 2009, 6.30am
Do you long for the feel of the rain brushing against you? Do you relish being out when it rains? And would you enjoy a dose of history to go with the freshness of the monsoon?
Then come and join us for the rainy-season edition of the tour of ‘Less Known Hoysala Kingdom’. We are heading to the fringes of Malnad. See the only Hoysala Temple that has not one but four shrines. Visit the beautiful tank with small shrines all around the water, surrounded by coconut trees in a quiet village. See the remains of the ancient town of Dwarasamudra strewn with carved rocks in a large open space.
Join us on the trip to see the heritage of Hoysalas beyond the tourist map. Learn about the history, evolution and end of the dynasty as you travel.
In addition, stay in the verdant surroundings of a coffee estate. Spend a pleasant morning in the countryside before continuing on another serving of history.
Tariff
* 2 days and 1 night
* Rs.3,850 per person, all inclusive on twin sharing basis
Tariff includes all meals, transportation from Bangalore in AC vehicle, stay at a spacious and comfortable resort inside a coffee estate and guided tour at all destinations.
To register for the tour contact
Lakshmi – 9902070689
Arun – 9880006460
Email: arunchs a-t yahoo d-o-t com
Itinerary
* Pickup from MG Road on Saturday morning at 6.30am
* Stay at a resort near Belur
* Return to Bangalore by Sunday night (Drop off at home)
Places Covered
* The temple with four shrines at Doddagaddavelli
* Belur
* Halebeedu
* Ancient town of Dwarasamudra spread around Halebeedu
* Hulikere Tank
* Belavadi Temple
Testimonials from participants
* “very informative, and a wonderful experience… “
* “The places chosen to visit were too good. I have been there several times before but had seen only the main temples both at belur and Halebeed.”
* “the trip was fantastic”
* “Didnt have to bother about anything. Everything was taken care of well”
The Resort
After sitting in a cramped vehicle for 14 hours traversing through stomach churning and backbreaking mountain roads that climbed above 15,000 feet in many occasions, it was near midnight when we arrived in Leh. Leh appeared like a typical tourist town at first sight. There were long lines of tourist cabs that had completed the day’s shift and resting at their designated layover. There was still a lot of life at the bus-stop despite the late hour, mostly consisting of drivers and passengers who had just arrived. A few people approached us, offering a room for the night or a taxi into the town.
Not wanting the hassle of searching for a place in the middle of the night, we had booked ahead at a family run guesthouse. But we had no clue about the orientation of Leh and the location of our guesthouse. It was too late to call and check. Hiring a cab was the best available option. It did not take long to find taxis. “Sankar,” I called out, and “One fifty,” came the response. Having no idea about the right fare, we took a shot in the dark and bargained for Rs.50. That was all the money I had in my pocket! But no one was interested in a negotiation. It the middle of the night, we were not in a position to wait for a willing driver or look for alternate options.
Having foolishly forgotten to draw money when we left Manali 5 days ago, we were now nearly penniless. I had Rs.50 left in my with me after paying off the cab that took us to Leh from Keylong. We hired a cab for the quoted price, explained him of the situation and asked him to take us to an ATM first. Sirin, the cab driver, did not seem like a happy man that night. He was unsure if the ATMs would be in working condition. The first one we visited – an SBI ATM at the market had downed the shutters. The second one was a J&K Bank ATM that did not work.
Sirin agreed to drop us off at the guesthouse and collect his money next morning. But he grumbled all the way, and did not make any attempt to hide his unhappiness as we drove to Sankar Village. We had earlier refused his offer to take us to a guesthouse run by his friend. And then he was made to drive around in search of a place he had never heard of, for customers who had no money to pay. Obviously he was not having a great day. But he looked a lot more cheerful when we met him to pay his due on the next afternoon. He smiled casually and said “I have trusted you with my money yesterday, you must hire me for all the local sightseeing!”
When we did arrive at the guesthouse, it turned out to be just about 2km from the bus-stop. At Rs.75 per kilometer, it was the maximum I had ever paid for a cab raid anywhere in India. We woke up our hosts who had shut for the day, apologized for having to disturb them in sleep, and finally checked into end the very long day. We discovered next morning that we were staying in a delightful guesthouse.