ADHVAGATI

Not in my looniest dreams had i imagined that i would some day walk into a live volcano. But i did........I know that sounds like a stretched fantasy yarn. But if revise our perceptions about volcanoes and re-educate ourselves in descriptions, such a claim will not sound so daft after all. In our country volcanoes never figure in normal, perceived geography. They are in text books, fairy tales, sometimes in newspapers, and always evoke the mental association with the image of a perfectly conical mountain,furiously blowing its top in a blaze of red, orange and yellow illumination. Thats the standard "live" volcano ; and it was just such an image that popped in mind's eye when we heard that there was a friendly, neighbourhood "live volcano" about two hours away from where we lived in Sumedang-Bandung, Indonesia. And it being the biggest tourist attraction of the region, we just couldn't give it a miss. It last erupted in 1983 and exhibited some half-he...

Nitty-gritty info first: Himavad Gopalaswami Betta is the highest peak in the Bandipur Range. Located in Chamarajanagar Diatrict, on Mysore-Ooty road, about 75 Km, from Mysore. There are strictly adhered to timings for visits into the protected sanctuary. 6AM to 5pm. Overnight stay at hill top is prohibited. A toll is collected at the base of the hill. MERCIFULLY, there are no snack vending shops on the hill.But an ugly sarkari architectured circuit house, which looks abandoned. Strict instructions to avoid littering of plastic waste are posted near the car park and the temple, but, sadly, some visitors choose to disregard this injunction. I wonder at their sensibilities or lack of it.How can anyone bring himself to throw a wad of garbage into such a heartstoppingly beautiful and pristine lap of nature after going oooh-aaah at the scenic vistas all around ? Sigh ! Himavad .The name says it all. Eternally covered with fog and mist. When the veils of mist shift and sweep away, a gran...

A visit to Kelaniya was entirely Upali's idea. Our Sinhalese tour escort swept aside all our meek protestations of " oh no, not another buddha temple !" with a firm, almost dictatorial , remark : " You come to Colombo and not see Kelaniya Mahavihara ? We are going. " Mercifully, it was only 8 kms. outside Colombo. And i was glad we visited. ...(And Upali was glad that i was glad) The magnificent vihara complex, with a typical " heaped paddy" type of stupa ( called the Dhaanyakkara pattern ) , is spread over 1o acres of brilliant green grassland , the main shrines standing atop a mound -accessed by a flight of steps ending in archways that faintly resemble portugese architecture. The Shrine is built of sandstone which, in broad daylight looks creamy and smooth. The outer walls are encrusted with friezes showing frolicking Ganas ( dwarves), swans , elephants and the Devalas,( deities like Ganesha, Vishnu, Ganga, Katragama ( General Skanda), Vib...

Life with a restless , itinerant spouse can be unsettling sometimes. One is never able to put down roots and one is forever living in a nomadic tent, forever planning for a future life of permanence. But there are great perks. One can tag along to see places one would never think of calling a tour operator for. Personally speaking, Timbuktoo has always been on the desiderata list. And Mali was almost within reach when we made home in Lagos. But we never did visit it. However, was fortunate to get a view of a cousin-city ,the closest to the "Timbuktoo feel " - KANO, the nerve centre of the Northern Hausa dominated provinces of Nigeria, situated by the River Jakara . Lagos was an upscale metro even then ( 1980s), Kano was startlingly different, though it had an airport and an Industrial Estate. Most parts were within the ancient city walled ( a crumbling mudfort, whose sad remains still stand here and there) with squat brown and gray mud houses and narrow alleys...

Footloose. Wanderlust. Movement. Oor-valam. Exploration. Like someone said, when asked why climb the mountain, -"Because It Is There. " So, see the world because it is there. Like the vedantins are fond of saying, without the Beholder, there is no Jagat . I cannot remember a time when i wasn't on "Trips". Off we went in Father's car, knowing not where to and caring not about the whens and hows. It was a refreshing way to "discover" places . To see with uneducated eyes is a great boon. When you dont know what to expect, even the mundane seems wonderful. Its like developing baby-eyes again. This innocent sense of wonder is missing today, because of the plans we make, the advance bookings we are forced to do, the tips of travel we gather from the internet before embarking......for gods sake, even the bathroom faucet which i am going to use tonight at my destination site is familiar, already seen in the i-brochure ! Such advance preparation may make ...