More and more people joining this movement all over the country.
Two separate Candle march were taken out at 7:30 in the evening during the day-2 of this movement. One silent movement started from the Brigade road junction and continues till Anil Kumble circle, M.G. Road.
The other was from the Freedom park, making round through the M.G road and back to freedom park. The second walking rally was with full of energy, with loud slogans, waving the tri-color up.
For people who are always looking for ways to get out of the city and enjoy some of the scenic landscapes our country has to offer.This is an attempt to provide some weekend drive informationfor all those Bangaloreans, who would want to take weekend drive.
Below is an itenary, which was not planned but just happened, typical Bangalore style!! . If you find any mistakes in the description of places or surroundings, please post them in the comments section, and I will promptly correct them
Below is what I and my friend had done a couple of weeks back, and I think anyone planning for a weekend trip can use this as a guide. This is part 1 of the travelogue.
Places covered in this drive. The below trail shows the destinations and the routes taken.
Day 3 Hassan — > Manjarabad Fort (Sakleshpura) –> Hassan –> Bangalore
It just so happened that my friend was planning to visit his parents in Hassan, and I had called him hoping we could go for a photo shoot, he promptly replies, why dont you just come over to Hassan, we’ll try landscape photography this time. So i thought for a sec, and told him sure why not.
I and my friend met near Mantri mall, Malleshwaram at 3:30 PM on a Friday, and started our journey and 3:45 PM.
Drive to yeshwanthapur, make sure you take the fly over and drive towards nelamangala,the 15 Rs you pay for the toll road is worth it.
Take the exit near nelamangala, and once you take the left turn you should be greeted with the below signboard
From here on this road is fantastic till Bellur, gives you a feel of driving on Bangalore Mysore highway, minus the traffic. Driving on this road, you see several nurseries, if possible, get off the highway, and try to take some snaps if you like.
The landscape is very green and scenic, and you can definitely pull over to take some more shots if you want, but for us,we had to reach my friend’s parents house, so we couldn’t afford to capture the scenic drive. If you’re not in a hurry to reach Hassan, you can even visit Shravanabelagola on the way to Hassan.
There are several toll booth’s on the way, but currently they’re not collecting the fees, as the road work is still in progress. The road till Bellur is very good, beyond that the roads are good, but not great, and in some places it becomes narrow and potholed, and in places become a single lane 2 way traffic (or whatever it is called ) But the roads are generally good overall, with some small stretches which require you to take some extra care.
We reached Hassan at 7:15, i guess this should give you an indication of the road conditions . Here you can stay over in some hotel for the night. Hassan being a commercial area, you are not into the woods yet, so finding good food and accomodation is not a problem.
Day 2:
Next day we left Hassan at 7:00 in the morning, drove to Shettyhalli, which is about 30 KM’s from Hassan. The drive to Shettyhalli again is very scenic, and the rains made the drive surreal. Some of the very memorable things about the drive is the folk around Shettyhalli, this place can give you a glimpse of the lifestyle in places away from the city, particularly kids walking or cycling to school, people waiting for the occasional bus to arrive etc.
The place Shettyhalli is famous for an historic church which was built by the Britishers, the church carries a very European look and feel to it, and it’s a site not to miss, in the Monsoon the Church gets overrun by water, and only a part of the Church is visible and is not approachable. This is because this area serves as the catchment area for a near by dam (dont remember the Dam name , pun intended
Drive a little bit ahead and you get a bridge, from here your get a 360 degree view around the catchment area, and the view from here is out of this world, here you also get to see the cloud cover over the vast and beautiful Western Ghats!
Since our primary intention was to do landscape photography here, we couldn’t get any bird photos, but we chanced upon, sunbirds, hornbills, shikra, Oriental white ibis etc.
Next, from Shettyhalli we next drove to the historic city of Halebidu. It’s about an hours drive from Shettyhalli at about 60 KM’s. You basically have to drive back to Hassan, and from there to Halebidu. You can read more abou Halebidu here. Wiki
The guide’s here are very helpful, and they speak Kannada, English , Hindi, Tamil, Telugu , so no one would feel left out here. They charge 200 Rs, irrespective of whether your a group or an individual.
The tour is quiet informative, and shows the brilliance of the temple sculptors.
If you go off-season that is around July, it is not crowded, and you tend to enjoy and appreciate the place better.
Below are some shots from the temple.
It was around 12:30, when we were about to leave Halebidu, so we decided to have lunch and from there drive directly to Chikkamagalur. You should not have trouble finding a decent place to eat in Halbidu, or you can drive directly to Chikkamagalur, being a commercial area, you have better options for food, but then seriously what is the fun in eating in a chaotic city when you can eat some of the delicacies prepared by the Village folk, trust me it’s worth it, we did it, and it was cheap!! [Do it at your own risk though]
We drove from Halebidu — > Chikkamagalur –> Mullayanagiri (Highest point in Karnataka at 1,930 metres)
It takes about 90 minutes to reach Mullayanagiri from Halebidu, we decided to skip Belur. Once you reach Chikkamagalur, your greeted with the city chaos, try to find your way out of there, ask people for direction to Mullayanagiri, and people should start pointing you towards the foot of the Western Ghats.
Once you enter the Ghat section, take extreme care while driving, it is definitely fun, but dont drive recklessly, respect the place and the conditions and other drivers, you will enjoy the place.
The drive to Mullayanagiri, is quiet an exhillarating experience, the place goes from good visibility to zero visibility, there were instances when I couldnt see anything beyond 5ft and we had to drive watching the road which was lit by our Car’s headlights, and hoping that the road doesnt end with a cliff in another 5 feet. Since we were being extra careful, we had kept our camera gears aside, and we were making sure we were safe.
A view from inside the car, while driving.
This shot was taken when we were approaching the peak, as you can see, there are no barricades on the side, and the visibility can get very low.
Couple of points to keep in mind while driving near Mullayanagiri, keep your head lights ON. This was also my first time driving in Ghat section, and people usually are courteous (unlike what you find in City traffic), because of the nature of the drive. People are willing to give you the right of way, in case they feel it is safer to let you go.
Mullayanagiri is usually foggy, irrespective of what time you go, so dont hurry in planning to get there early in the morning. We were also planning to go there early in the morning :p , until a local suggested otherwise.
Once you reach Mullayanagiri, there’s man made stairs which will take you to the highest point, we couldn’t get there because the weather was really bad, and the low visibility wasn’t helping either.
Below is a video from the top.
As you can see, we couldnt get to the the top, as it was very windy, you can see that I had to grab my iPhone towards the end, as the wind was too strong and it was blowing it away
From Mullayanagiri, we decided to return to Chikkamagalur, as we drove back and reached the fork, where you take a left to reach Baba Budan Giri and right to Chikkamagalur, we thought what the heck let’s go to Baba Budan Giri also, it takes about 45 mins to reach Baba Budan Giri, the drive is similar to what it’s like driving to Mullayanagiri, only that the roads were a bit bumpy here.
Below is the footage of the drive to baba budan giri, and of Baba budan giri itself. The entrance to the cave was blocked due to maintenance.
To be honest, I had never visited places like Mullayanagiri and Baba budan giri in my life, what I mean to say is the low visibility and the incessant rains in these places, this is something that i had experienced for the first time in my life. And i am sure even experienced guyz would continue to be left in awe of the beauty of these places.
From here, we returned to Hassan, and decided to call it a day
Day 3
On Day 3, we decided to go to Manjarabad fort, this place is about 65 KM’s from Hassan, and is situtated in Sakleshpura.
Manjarabad fort was supposed to have been built by Tipu Sultan, as a strategic defensive point.
The road to Manjarabad fort is again good, some roads are twisty, and require you to be careful while overtaking. Ask for directions to reach Manjarabad fort, it shouldn’t be very difficult to find the place. Once you reach Manjarabad fort, park your vehicle, get some junk food if you want in the local shops around here , as you’re going to hike for about 10 to 15 mins to reach the Fort. The hike is safe and easy, if you can even call it a hike that is , there are also stairs at the base of the fort, so be ready to get tired on your way to the top, again this shouldn’t be very tough.
Below are some photos from Majarabad fort.
We spent around 2 hrs here, and decided to get back to Hassan, at Hassan we had our lunch at 5:30 PM, in a Dhaba relaxed for some time, and decided to start for Bangalore at 6:30.
On our way back our tyre rim had been damaged due to which the Tyre had lost all the air, so we had to stop in the highway, and change the tyre, we lost a good 40 mins because of this. We reached Bangalore at 10:30 PM.
Next day we got back to work
This was a very pleasant and happening trip, nothing was planned, everything was decided on the go, so it was even more fun.
Flower Sellers inside K R Market.The central courtyard was a bustle with vendors and customers, striking their bargains.
The “Paytay, Kotay, Kerey, Thota” of the walk !!!
The “Paytay”, roughly translated, means “commercial centre”. The Krishna Rajendra Market area definitely continues to be one, from the time, approximately one hundred and fifty years ago, when it was designated as a commercial area. It remains, even today, a bustling hive of trade.
Apart from other businesses, K.R. Market, part of the old city area, is an important centre for those who buy flowers on a wholesale basis. Roses, ‘kakda’, ‘mallige’, ‘kanakambaras’, ‘sevanthige’, asters, ‘chendu hoo’ and ‘rudrakshi chendu hoo’ are bought from wholesale flower market (‘hoovina mandi’) and other places like Hosur, Timmapura, Salem and Tiruvannamalai of Tamilnadu, Nelamangala, Doddaballapura, Anekal, Chikkaballapura, Hebbal and Kumblahalli of Hoskote District.
Colorful !!!!
We are here to buy & sell !!!
Pay me !!
Close up for you !!!!
Close Up 1 !!!
These ladies are the playing most imp role, after this job they have 1 more job serving their families.
Busy sellers !!!
If the business goes well then you can see the smiling faces….
Happy faces !!!
Fine say bye to flower market its time for me to take to the other part of K.R. Market – Vegetable market….Many small traders stay around the wholesale market. The farm vegetables and fruits are shipped in by middlemen/wholesalers. They control the market and the prices. The farmers get very little, especially, when they grow a surplus. The retailers pick up their needs everyday starting 4 a.m., and carry their stuff to the various neighborhoods. Many small vendors work on a day to day basis borrowing money from loan sharks at rates of interest around 10% per day!
Man with proteins !!!!
Lighten it up !!!
He was very busy in sewing the sacks & packing up the vegetables, he made his free time & posed for my camera….
Maamoo !!
These guys dont have retirement plan, pension plan etc… they have only one plan that is ” BE HAPPY WITH WHAT WE HAVE FOR TODAY “….
I dont have retirement !!!
Even i dont have retirement plan !!
Ah man, this old guy was very active in his activities, in which smoking is also a active activity which he does regularly…
Smo..KEY !!!
Fun time to relieve their stress..
Fun tym !!!
They took their tym to pose to our cams with a smiling face..
Posing tym !!!
Here comes our capsicum Raja….
Indha Capsicum Endhu !!!
Today’s rounds are done with this, i’m damn tired & i’m going.. you guys read my blog……
Bengaluru has been photographers’s paradise providing versatile shooting opportunities within and around the city. There are plenty of places for photographing birds, beautiful landscapes, the gardens, the lakes and the action-filled streets. The street photography is always intriguing; every time you walk the same street you will get to see a different action and different elements in it. One such street, called as Pottery Town, is a good place for creative photography. I walked this street a couple of times, which is just a KM away from the Cantonment Railway Station, Bangalore. I got opportunities to click the live action of the pottery. The pot making is such a fascinating thing. Not sure if there is anyone in pottery town who teaches this art but surely there will be some place in Bengaluru for this. You can actually get into the house and shops of potters and photograph while they make pots; click the pottery items in their shops. During the Ganesha festival and Diwali this street will be busy with buyers and there will be a lot of work happening giving you an excellent opportunity to photograph. Surely the visit to this place for photography would be satisfying and when you head back home, you would be already planning for your next visit to this place.
Few photographs taken during my visit:
A pottery work hangs from the roof
A potter sips a cup of tea watching the crazy photographers outside
Our pavements (or footpaths or sidewalks) are very interesting places. No bland stretch of tiles or cement for us; we have a rich variety of life teeming on our footpaths (indeed, I often think they are called footpaths because the local Government makes them a foot higher than the road…so they are not meant for the easy use of pedestrians, but for people to earn their livelihoods on space-without-rent!)
I walked to Jayangar 9th Block a few days ago, and got…
The “alteration” tailors.
They set up shop with their treadle (note, no electricity..very green!)machines, and for a pittance, will mend tears and do all sorts of stitching and alterations. Here are two of them, right outside a shop selling cloth:
The silver polisher.
These people, too, set up their wares just outside jewellers’ shops, and are willing to polish your silver, do small repairs to your jewellery, and assay any pieces you bring to them (they, too, use no electricity, but the age-old tools of the trade.)
The vegetable seller:
Clad in yellow-and-red, this vegetable seller sits nonchalantly on a chair in the middle of the road. His dress proclaims that he is soon going on a pilgrimage.
Oh, well, this one is not really ON the pavement…but I couldn’t resist a shop that has licence to kill…dirt!
Of course, very often, our pavements do not encourage living or making a living, but may help you into death:
This Bus Day, on the 8th April, 2011 is SPECIAL because the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka along with his cabinet colleagues, Government Officers & Officials, Film Stars and Cricketers will travel by Bus!!!
As ministers, officers and other celebrities take the bus, leading by example, they need to be encouraged in their effort to support daily commute by public transport. How can you participate?
It is requested of you, as citizens of Bengaluru, to spare your precious time by accompanying BMTC officers at important nodal points in Bengaluru to assist the above mentioned commuters to travel by Bus between 8.30 AM – 11 AM and/or 5 PM – 8.30 PM. Refreshments will be provided. If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out the survey form below:
So I’ve registered myself….let’s see what I am asked to do, and what happens! It’s going to be interesting, and I am rather tickled by the concept that eminent people cannot take the bus without assistance!
Whole world was looking at India and India done it. We should find ourself lucky that this happened during our life span. So its not a big deal to sacrifice the sleep for a night and celebrate to the fullest.
Celebration in Bangalore, what could be the better place than MG road. seeing the liveliness, it was difficult to believe, really it was 2:00am, or its just 8:30 in the evening.
Full traffic jam all around, starting from Anil Kumble circle till where the view goes. Mass of people on road with all patriotic slogan, hugging each other, dancing and what not.
Sky balloon with light is flying high. There were multicolored crackers as well, coloring the sky.
Tricolors of different sizes on many hands. Becoming a part of that, need to believe, Cricket is a good means to unite us as a singe religion and is called ‘Indian’.
The Red beauty running on the Bangalore roads was launched in the city by BMTC for hassle free commutation. Named as “Vajra” these are air conditioned buses plying from one part of the city to another. With these buses the commutation for people using public transport service has become comfortable. They well connect the city. Though the prices are little high, the daily passengers prefer to use this because of the comfort of travelling. You can get monthly passes which is quite reasonable.
Vajra Volvo Buses
These buses also ply from Bangalore International Airport(BIA) to the different parts of the city. These are the “Vayu Vajra” buses making the transport to the airport cheaper and safer. Be it in the midnight, early morning or in the noon these buses run for 24 hours. So no hassle of booking taxi and paying them 600 bucks. With the minimum fare of 130 INR and maximum of 240 INR you can reach the airport.
The BMTC has tried to come up with innovative things like newspapers on the volvo, breakfast service while on commutation to your office but unfortunately this didn’t work out.
Apart from these red, majestic Volvo buses there are newly introduced look alike Tata Marcopolo air conditioned buses though they can’t match the beauty of the Vajra buses, has a cheaper fare. Bangalore really has a good bus service be it the these AC buses(Vajra, Vayu Vajra or Tata Marcopolo) or the Big 10 (this runs in the outer ring road) or the normal Pushpak service connecting the city very well.
More Info on the timings, route and fare of the buses at BMTC website.
Bangalore – Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) also called NICE road is a 4 to 6 lane private highway that will connect the two important cities of Bengaluru and Mysore. Early morning bike ride on NICE road is awesome. Scenic beauty on both sides of the road. There are no traffic jams. You can find snails in few places of the road. I managed to take few nice pics. A beautiful temple and goddess statues can be seen when you travel from PES college junction towards bannerghatta road.
If I bring any outsider to K R Market, he will curse himself at first glance. Its a lovely, old and the first market of Bangalore. People won’t mind even if you fall on the road here. A “super fast” moving market which sells flowers, meats and many more. The question is “when does this market open ?” – Actually it never closes.
I will not say this is a great place for photography but if you want to find life, just go for it. Have extra coverage for your camera too . This photo was taken at 4.00 AM early morning. You many find it lonely but in the upcoming post, you can see the crowd at opposite side of it. Taken without Flash to get the old-night feeling, low shutter speed, tripod and high ISO to get grains and light too.
[Do it at your own risk though]
, there are also stairs at the base of the fort, so be ready to get tired on your way to the top, again this shouldn’t be very tough.
