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the-south-asian Life & Times July-Sep 2011 |
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Sports Tennis Feature Indian
Military Lt Gen R S Sujlana - A Conversation
Royals in
Uniform Art
Adventure 60
Years of Indian
Travel
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Page 3 'Pride of the South’ A Five-Star Time Travel Through karnataka
Day 5 –
Hampi
14th – 16th century AD
Train Station - Hospet
It was an early morning departure for Hampi, the
site of the erstwhile 14th century imperial city of Vijayanagar,
located on the Tungabhadra river in what is now central Karnataka. Now a
World Heritage site, Hampi was a bustling cosmopolitan city in the 14th
century, known for its grandeur, wealth and beauty. Today it lies in ruins –
a virtual open-air museum. Giant boulders, precariously balanced in piles,
lie strewn all over the site, defying the law of gravity.
The
terrain is a result of millions of years of erosion. The silent granite
landscape seems surreal – almost like a set from a Ridley Scott film.
Geology, mythology and archaeology – all are a part of this remarkable
landscape.
Day 6 – Badami
Chalukya Dynasty
A short train journey from Hospet brought us to Badami. As we got off the
coach at the foot of the cave temples, we were warned of theft that happens
habitually to almost all visitors. The thieves were none other than the
local monkeys. They were present in hordes, assessing everybody, scanning
for goodies. Badami is famous
for its four cave temples - hewn out of sandstone on the precipice of a
hill. These are amongst the earliest Brahmanical caves
Day 7 – Goa
It was a perfect way to end a perfect week. Goa’s churches and beaches are
what we saw and savoured. It was a Sunday morning – the churches were busy
and the beaches abuzz. The shops were closed – but not so the liquor stores
– selling the local cashewnut brew called ‘Feni’. Our guide shared some
interesting facts about Goa. Goans do not eat lentils – it is considered
‘prison food’ – because lentils are served only in prisons in Goa! We spent
the afternoon at a beach resort – and the aquaphobic ones amongst us,
ventured out in the village for a leisurely stroll. The houses are colourful
– no colour is considered unusable.
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