The Enchantment of Avani
A place can charm . A few enchant. These latter hold within them an indescribable element of mystery , a touch of the occult . Doddagaddavalli is a prime example . But before that was ....Avani . Barely two hours away from Bengaluru, just beyond Kolar , in a very scenic countryside of rocky hills and ponds sits the quiet town of Avani . A place of great antiquity and religious significance , finding mention even in the Epics, believed to be the place where Sita gave birth to her twins and where, too, she was taken back by Mother Earth ie, "Avani " . The Hermitage where Sita lived is situated on the hill top , which has some interesting rock shelters and springs too. But the real attraction of the place is the group of hoary temples, huddled within a fort like compound at the foot of the hill, collectively called The Ramalingeshwara Group and protected by ASI. The individual temples are named after the characters from Ramayana and are a medley of different styles as the...