Reaching Siddavatam: Day 3 saw us getting up early (7 am) to drive towards the Siddavatam Fort, Rajampet, from Kadapa, where we had stayed overnight. It was built in 1303 AD by the River Pennar and indeed epitomized the 'Pearl of Pennar' trail. This is the right time to visit the fort before the sun … Continue reading Siddavatam (Pearls across Penna Series) #Day 3 (Part 1) ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
History
Vistas of Vidarbha: Nagpur and Beyond (Part1) ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Nagpur: The city of Bhonsles, Gonds, Oranges, and more! (In this article I describe the GI tagged Nagpur Oranges, the Zero Milestone, The Civil Lines buildings, the Chitnavis Wada and Rukmini Temple in the old Mahal area) Located in the eastern part of Maharashtra, the Vidarbha region is also known as Berar and it shares … Continue reading Vistas of Vidarbha: Nagpur and Beyond (Part1) ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Temples of Mavinkere and the Hoysala Temples in Malnad Region, Karnataka ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
A 5 am departure from Bangalore and we were on our way to the Hassan District of Karnataka on the National Highway 75. It was seat of the Hoysala Empire which at its peak ruled large parts of south India from Belur as its early capital and Halebidu as its later capital during the period 1000 - 1334 CE. It has … Continue reading Temples of Mavinkere and the Hoysala Temples in Malnad Region, Karnataka ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Temples of Bangalore- Kote Venkataramana Swamy Temple ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
The Kote Venkataramana Swamy Temple, near the K R Market, Bangalore, brings back a lot of childhood memories of when I would accompany my grandmother during many Vaishnava festivals, especially Vaikuntha Ekadasi. One of the oldest temples of Bangalore, it has a lot of history associated with it. In 1686, the Mughals under Aurangzeb won … Continue reading Temples of Bangalore- Kote Venkataramana Swamy Temple ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Pearls Across Penna Trail – Day 1 (part 2) Venkatgiri Weaves and Venkatgiri Fort ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Satiated after a Andhra thali lunch at the Hotel MGM Grand, Srikalahasti, our next stop was the town of Venkatgiri. This is a town in the Tirupati District of Andhra Pradesh. History of Venkatgiri: Venkatagiri was originally known as Kalimilli till the 17th century and was ruled by Gobburi Palaiyakkarars (or Polygars as the British called … Continue reading Pearls Across Penna Trail – Day 1 (part 2) Venkatgiri Weaves and Venkatgiri Fort ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Guest Blog: Pithe-Puli; Traditional Bengali Desserts to cherish all year long
Note to Readers: On the eve of Holi, Sojourn with San brings you a 'sweet' compilation from Bengal by Aparna Ghosh. Aparna Ghosh is a brilliant poetess who expresses her feelings largely through Hindi poetry. Her poetry has received accolades and appreciation on various online forums and have been published in popular newspapers and anthologies. … Continue reading Guest Blog: Pithe-Puli; Traditional Bengali Desserts to cherish all year long
Visiting my roots: Gorur and Kittane ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Returning to your roots is always an emotional journey. That is why this last article of 2021 is special to me. I hope you – my dear readers - will find it interesting too. Towards the end of May 2020, I lost my father and was a day late for the last rites, as flights … Continue reading Visiting my roots: Gorur and Kittane ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Counting the Shivalingas at the Koti Lingeshwara Temple ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
By the time we finished the trek at Avani Betta, it was lunch time and we found a nice place enroute to spread our picnic hamper. Rest assured, we used all reusables and packed up everything, leaving no trash behind. After lunch it was a good 40-minute ride to a village called Kammasandra to visit … Continue reading Counting the Shivalingas at the Koti Lingeshwara Temple ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
The Avani Betta trek- Birthplace of Lava and Kusha ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
After you are done visiting the Ramalingeshwara temple, you cannot miss the trek to Avani Betta. It is an easy trek- one that I could easily do in a saree!! You can park the car on the road where you begin the trek. Just before the trek, there is a more recent temple in granite … Continue reading The Avani Betta trek- Birthplace of Lava and Kusha ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Yoganandeeshwara Temple atop the Nandi Hills ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
From Bhoganandeeshwara Temple in Nandigrama, and then to Muddenhalli, we make our way to Nandi Hills to visit the Yoga Nandeeshwara Temple in particular. This temple is the abode of Shiva in his form as a Yogi or ascetic. This temple was built atop the hills by the Cholas and was later taken over by … Continue reading Yoganandeeshwara Temple atop the Nandi Hills ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
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