The Westernmost edge of the Sahyadri Range in Karnataka takes shape in Gokarna before the land mass of the subcontinent surrenders to the Arabian Sea. The west coast is, quite easily, India’s most sought after and lauded sea front.
Goa and Gokarna come to mind instantly when we speak of India’s west coast. Many travel far and wide for just a few days spent in serene afternoons on its sunny shores. Quite a few crave the warmth of the Gokarna sun and the peace of its shore.
There is one and only one esteemed visitor, however, who flies themselves over continents and oceans to winter on these brilliant beaches – the sanderling.
This long distance migratory water bird flies all the way from the Arctic in flocks, to visit the length of the Indian coastline. Their itinerary is widespread as the range of this beautiful bird stretches half the world. They pass through North America, South America, Europe, South Asia, Australia and parts of the Pacific Islands.
Arriving from high Arctic breeding grounds, the sanderling travels distances between 3,000-10,000 kilometers – mighty impressive indeed. They choose to nest on dry, stony regions around wet grounds; ideally between 60 – 800 meters above mean sea level.
It is unfathomable, the distances that the sanderling travels, covering nearly all sandy tropical and temperate coastlines – save Antarctica – each year. Though its winter migration takes it largely to coastal sandy beaches, it has been seen around sandbars, inland lakes, rivers and the occasional mudflat. It definitely prefers rocky shores such the black, jagged rocks of Gokarna.
When in Gokarna, in Indian winter months, you can spot this elegant white and brown bird in varying flock strengths on the shore. Their elegant bicycling style of walking is interesting to watch as each bird hurriedly hunts out little creatures of the sea. They feed on plankton, crustaceans and invertebrates that lap up along with each wave. Their feeding behavior is spectacularly peculiar to watch.
Lifting each black leg in a cycling motion, they dance on the wet beach sand and quickly dip their black beaks around two centimeters deep in the hope of nabbing a crab or two. They can be seeing rushing toward the water as it recedes, or quickly retreating in response to an oncoming wave. This behavior goes to show that the sanderling is a truly adaptive bird.
Want to do an adventurous activity? A trek from Gokarna Beach to Om Beach to enjoy the wild life of the region.
India has an amazing variety of sweets and all Indians love their meal with something to sweeten the tongue and the side effects of spicy food. Every state, town and village and even the villages have their own special court. Many are Pan Indians, while others are regional specialties. The quality of the candies depends on regional ingredients such as water, milk, flour, rice, sugar, gur or molasses, ghee and oil. While Kolkota can be famous for its milk-based sweets, Delhi and Punjab rest their laurels on the sheer quality of ghee and wheat. The south has many sweets made of rice and more than sugar, it is the natural gur that plays a predominant role.
Many places in South India are associated with a certain sweetness. Tirunelveli Halwa is known worldwide for its viscous elasticity and dripping ghee. The word Halwa comes from the Arabic word Hilwa, which means sweet. Halva are usually sweet, rich and full of nuts and nuts. This sweet can shut up! If you put a piece on it, you first fight with its pulling and stretching force and then you really have to chew it! Among the famous creators of Tirunelveli Halwa is the “Halwa Iruttu Kadai” .. literally the halva of the dark shop. This store opened in 1900 and sells the Halwa for a few hours after dark. People are waiting in the queues to buy this sweet and often the stocks of the store are over when you reach the counter. The recipe is a well-kept secret!
Another test that can literally break or break the reputation of a cook and the teeth of his family / guest is Mysore Pak. Made with just three ingredients: Besan or Gram flour, sugar and an infinite amount of pure ghee, you need great expertise to make this modest appearance look sweet. If it does not come out of the wok and fire at the right time, Mysore Pak can become the Rock of Gibraltar! A good confectionery manufacturer from Coimbatore-Krishna Sweets has reinvented and popularized this candy as “Mysorepa” – in fact it is none other than the Besan Ka bartender from northern India with a consistency softer and melting.
The Darward-Peda has risen because of the mass production of this lump of milky pleasure by the Dairy Cooperative of Karnataka. Sweetened milk is reduced to a brown consistency and rolled into balls and squeezed with the thumb. The shelf life of this treatment is longer than that of most dairy products.
Payasam – Sanskrit for milk – is a traditional sweet milk pudding and can vary depending on the terrain. It can be rice, milk and sugar or Chana / Moong Dal, Gur and coconut milk. For any occasion or family event, the banana leaf or plate is first served with a spoonful of Payasam. The Ambalapuzha payasam of the Lord Krishna Temple in Kerala is an incredible dish of sweetness and worship. Vermicelli and Whipped Rice are modern variants added to Payasam or Kheer. The cooks began adding fresh fruit to the milk preparation.
Poli comes from Thanjavur. Polished Pooran is a thin crepe filled with dal and sugar and pureed Gur and flavored with cardamom and nutmeg powder. This dish was introduced to the south by the Maratha invaders and became an integral part of South Indian cuisine. In the border areas of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, near Kerala, there are pancakes filled with Ubbuttu or Coconut and Jiggery. Po-Pois-Poal-fried in a reduced milk-rich sauce is a variation of this polish.
The flat rice and jiggery paste flattened and fried into balls, the adirasam is also a dish shared with the marathas. It takes an important place in religious celebrations. The Somasi or Gujjia or Karjikkai Fried Crescent is filled with the sticky mix of dal, sugar, nuts and raisins – is another sweet Indian pan that is famous all the southern states.
Chettinad has a traditional and rich cuisine. Their paniyaarams have many avatars and small dumplings dipped in a sweet sauce, coconut milk and paal paniyaram milk is a pudding to dying. Padirpheni is a local paste of angel hair that is crisp until a mixture of almond milk is poured on it. Phathirpheni is especially popular in Karnataka. He is also called Chirotior Surul Poori. Pathiri is the version of Kerala.
Kozhukkattai in Tamil Nadu is immediately associated with Lord Ganesha. It is a momo or a sweet dumpling of rice flour and stuffed with a walnut
Hassan, a very old city is known for its monument trail of fabulous Hoysala Temples. The climate is cool and pleasant very similar to Bengaluru.
Magic of Hassan
1. Chennakeshava Temple
Chennakeshava Temple completely overwhelms any traveler thanks to the beauty it emotes. It’s a magnificent work of art and a stunning example of the temple architecture and have been proposed under UNESCO’s World Heritage sites.
2. Manjarabad Fort
Manjarabad Fort is a star shaped, beautiful fort enveloped by dense greenery in the Western Ghats. The drive up to the fort, through deep forest, is as mesmerizing as the destination. Manjarabad Fort is a well-known destination for weekenders and travelers keen on hiking and trekking.
3. Shettihalli Church
Shettihalli Church was named after the village and now it stands derelict reminding us of the past colonial days. During the onslaught of monsoon, the river rises, submerging the Shettihalli Church with only the topmost spires being visible. It is not a well-known destination at all and remains tucked up, enjoying its anonymity.
4. Gomateshwara Temple
Gomateshwara, the monolith statue of Lord Bahubali, situated on the top of Vindhyagiri Hill is located in Sharvanabelagola. The world’s only monolithic stone statue of this proportion has been carved out of a single stone preserving its proportions and expression. It’s an awe-inspiring sight to stand at the base of the statue which overlooks the plains below Chandragiri and Vindhyagiri hills.
5. Eshwara Temple
Eshwara Temple in Arsikere is a dedication to Lord Shiva in a modest and much smaller dimension than most of the grand temples strewn all across the region. Though smaller in size, it is known to be one of an exquisite example of Hoysala temple architecture.
While the tour is considered a daily activity, the night owls are not all lost. There are many monuments in our country that are open at night. In addition, their appeal is more intense and the charm of the sunset and the darkness even more accentuated.
6 Indian Monuments that lure at night
Temple of Somnath, Gujarat:
This temple in Somnath is one of 12 Jyothirlings of India. Freely translated, Jyothirling means the radiation of Shiva Linga. A famous religious center, the Temple of Somnath, stands out at night during the Arathi evening. A show of light and sound, “Jay Somnath,” depicting the journey of the Temple of Destruction by the Persians to their present restored state, follows the Arathi.
Victoria Memorial, Calcutta:
This colossal white marble building on the shores of the Hooghly River, with its lush gardens built by the British, has a different aura at night. When illuminated by lights, the building looks ethereal with the gentle reflection of the Hooghly River.
Mysore Palace, Mysore:
This Taj Mahal from Mysore will definitely come out more when the lights are on. Come on Dasara, the shine rises with more than 96,000 lights used for about two months.
Golden Temple, Amritsar:
In Amritsar one has the impression that the golden temple never sleeps. It still sounds sacred prayers and resonates with a liveliness you can never beat. It opens at 2am, but this time may vary by month.
Amber Fort, Jaipur:
The Amber Fort lies in the hills and is a manifestation of the Rajputs and their manners. The beauty of the fort is awakened by the lights at night. As a bonus, a show of light and sound, written by the famous lyricist Gulzar, takes place near Lake Maota of the Fort.
Fort Jaisalmer, Jaisalmer:
Another fortress that attracts during the day, but still attracts attention at night, is the Jaisalmer Fort. The vision of the fort, shining with the light under a clear night sky, remains in the memory of eternity.
Yes, the night attracts with many monuments to visit. To replace these sunglasses with a jacket, the night is young!
The most famous garden in the state is the Brindavan or Vrindavan Garden of Mysore. There was a time in the 60s and 70s where all the songs around the tree were portrayed among the lovers in these gardens, beautifully lit in rainbow colors and fountains bubbling to different heights. These gardens were designed in the Mughal style of the Khalmir Shalimar Gardens. It is in Mandya District and part of Krishnarajasagara Dam is built over the Kaveri River. It is a main attraction of Srirangapatna, the capital of Tipu Sultan Brindavan Gardens, KRS Dam, Mysore
The plan and execution of this garden was started in 1927 and lasted 5 years. The Krishnarajasagar Dam, one of the country’s first dams, was built by engineer Sir Sir Visvesharaya during the reign of Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, a great lover of gardens and parks. The Maharaja Dewan, Sir Mirza Ismail, designed the enchanting garden. This garden is so popular that it attracts almost 2 million tourists every year.
Brindavan Gardens, Mysore
Just below the dam you can stroll through the beautiful gardens that stretch across 3 terraces on each side of large artificial lakes called the South North Courtyards. All kinds of beautiful flowering trees give the gardens a lot of charm. The garden has carvings of animals created by shaping and cutting shrubs. The pergolas in the shade of vines and gazebos make it a charming place. The musical fountains that light up every evening in the colors of the rainbow break into melodic music and resemble real fairy tales. The gardens include a 75-hectare fruit tree and 2 horticultural farms, Nagavana (30 acres) and Chandravana (5 acres).
Back in Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka is called Garden City. In Bangalore, there are many public gardens that are among the best in the country. You can not separate the Bangalore image from Cubbon Park and Lalbagh.
Lalbagh or the Red Garden is a botanical garden that houses India’s largest collection of tropical plants and has four separate entrances. The garden was originally commissioned by Hyder Ali, the ruler of Mysore, and later supplemented by his son Tipu Sultan. The garden design was imported from Mughal and Tipu trees and plants from many countries. The foundation of his iconic house, modeled on the London Crystal Palace, was laid on November 30, 1898, by Prince Albert Victor. On the two special national holidays, the 26th of January (Republic Day) and the 15th of August (Independence Day), there are two annual flower exhibitions. There is a beautiful little lake where many species of birds live. The gardens, which were created in the 18th century, were the first turf clock in India and the largest collection of rare plants of the subcontinent. The rock with the Kempegowda tower is in the middle and it has a complex irrigation system for irrigation. A geological monument to the formation of peninsula gneiss is also a tourist attraction in the gardens.
Lal Bagh, Bangalore
A visit to the “Janapada Jaatre” in Lalbagh on the second and fourth weekend of the month is a wonderful cultural experience with traditional costumes and musical instruments. This popular fair features folk dances, music and plays from all parts of Karnataka.
The 400-year-old Hebbal Kempapura Lake (1537) was founded by Kempe Gowda and is a bird sanctuary within the city. The Bangalore Bird Watching Club meets here and pictures of more than 350 species of birds have been spotted in this park!
Ulsoor Lake is an important lung area and one of the largest lakes in Bangalore. It stretches over 123 acres and has several islands that make a great backdrop for sunsets and sunrises. It has navigation facilities, a children’s playground and fountains making it a fun destination for family outings.
Cubbon Park, across from Vidhana Soudha, stretches over 300 acres, has beautifully landscaped lawns and flowering trees. Planned and created in 1864 CE, this beautiful wooded place is a paradise for joggers and walkers. The playground offers entertainment and recreation for children. Near Cubbon Park is the Nehru Children’s Park (Bal Bhawan) and the aquarium. A tug-chug train meandering through the area is a popular activity for children and adults.
Do you want to learn more about Cubbon Park?
In Hubli the Indira Gandhi Glass House Garden is a place of fairy tales. Made entirely of glass, it resembles that of Lalbagh Gardens, Bengaluru. The glass house has huge lawns and an ice rink. The flower shows are beautiful. Discover the musical fountain that plays on weekends and holidays.
Garden of the glasshouse, Hubli
Mangalore Lalbagh is located about 3 km north of Hampan Katta. It is a happening in the city with many restaurants and restaurants. The Mangalore City Corporation is here.
In Karnataka, in towns and villages, you will find neat private gardens that are a rush of color. In March, the trees on the streets burst in beautiful flowers and you can see yellow, orange, purple and red flowers lighten the landscape. Roses in this state are something special!