Talakkadu

From Dhondenling we retraced to the Kollegal road and stopped briefly under the shade of a sprawling tree for a light snack of idli/chutney and comfortably warm decoction coffee. The distance of 65 Kms was covered in roughly in one & a half hours and we drove through Sargur & Sathyagala crossed the Wesley bridge across the Cauvery - a panoramic view of the rocky river bed, clusters of green vegetation with tiny streams of water flowing languidly downstream. We reached Talakadu around 2.30 post noon and we were ferociously hungry and wolfed down the parothas and aloo mutter which we had packed and brought along.
Talakadu is a desert like ghost town which is largely submerged under sand. Once this town was flourishing and had over 30 temples but the curse of Taladu has reduced this place to a sleepy town with only five temples visible and worshiped - Paataleswara,Maruleswara,Arkeswara, Vaidyanatheswara and Mallikarjuna all shiva lingas believed to represent the five faces of Shiva. Apart from this there is also a Vishnu Temple where the presiding deity is Keerthi Narayana. For more information related to history & legends including the curse of Talakadu you can log onto: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talakadu.The most significant,largest,most intact and ornate of the group of temples here is the Vaidyanatheswara Temple which represents the finest architecture of the Ganga-Chola-Hoysala periods.The bas reliefs on the outer walls of the temple are an incredible feast for the eyes. Possibly built and consecrated originally during the 10th Century and subsequent improvements & expansion carried out in the 14th Century.

The Curse of Talakadu: A version of the story goes that in 1610 Srirangaraya,a chieftain of the Vijayanagara kingdom passed away after a long illness in Talakadu.The custody of the Temple Jewels passed on to his wife Alamelamma, The Maharaja of Musuru at that time Raja Wodeyar sent his army to Talakadu to retrieve the jewels from the widow.Alamellamma gathered the jewels into the folds of her sari and utterred a curse before plunging to her death into the Cauvery to avoid capture.The curse ran "Talakadu Maralagali,Malangi maduvagali,Mysuru doraige makaalilladhe" translated this means " May Talakadu be submerged in sand,may Malangi become a whirlpool,and may the king of Mysuru remain childless".The amazing coincidence is that Talakadu has been submerged in metres of sand and the descendents of the Mysore Kings have never sired a biological child and to this day have been adopting the practice of adopting a legal heir.

Side Views of the Temple clicked from the surrounding pillared pavillion

You can see a profusion of bas reliefs of various gods and goddesses on the pillars and outer walls

The Vimanam above the sanctum sanctorum - the design is a blend of south-north architecture

Vishnu in Hyagrivar Avataram

Yoga Narasimha

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Dancing Nataraja in Bas Relief

Bas Reliefs

Bas Reliefs 

Some amazing shaped tree roots seen in the sandy terrain

Pataleeswar Temple

The Keerthi Narayana Temple - an overhead view

Dhondenling Tibetan Settlement

After three hour drive from on State Highway 948 sans toll plazas via Sathiamangalam forest range, Bannari & the spectacular Dimbum ghat we took a diversion through highway 180 past Germalam to reach Dhondenling. The Dimbum ghat was challenging climb with 27 sharp hair pin bends coming one after the other in quick succession. Heavy vehicles (trucks & trailers) hurtling downhill made the hill climb even more onerous but I was pleased that my driving instincts and reflexes stood me well and I could successfully overcome this rigorous challenge.
The 30 Km drive from Dhimbum to Dhondenling took us through thick bamboo forests and eucalyptus plantations interspersed intermittently with areca nut,banana & maize.
Established in 1974 on 3000 acres of land at Oderpalaya in Kollegal Taluk the settlement now has 22 villages or refugee camps each housing around 22-25 families. Agriculture is the mainstay of the settlement and they cultivate maize,rice,ragi etc To augment their income in winter they resort to knitting and selling of sweaters. Dhondenling has its own school,a hospital and a Tibetan Medical and Astro Institute.The people appear healthy and happy and we saw several young couples moving around in scooters.The most endearing and attractive feature of this settlement are the richly painted monasteries.People appear simple,friendly & leading peaceful lives.`

Snowfall in Boise

Sunday 2 December 2018: Woke up to witness an amazing spectacularly breathtaking phenomenon. Overnight Boise had experienced its first snowfall of the season. The snow had arrived unannounced and the entire landscape was was swathed in white. A magnificent & mesmerizing view outside with snow flakes continuing to fall. This intoxicating view was a bonanza for us, an unexpected bonus as snowfall normally occurs in Boise only around end December or January.We considered ourselves fortuitous.Our unpretentious grandkids were quick to pounce on the opportunity to build a snowman complete with hat scarf carrot & buttons - a heart warming sight.
I scurried around agog with excitement from window to window like a man possessed - entranced, enraptured & enthralled clicking away and capturing stunning & staggering pictures.
Later in the morning we decided to drive through down town and up the Bogus basin - a ski resort located at an elevation of 5000 ft.The drive was captivating - The snow spattered road a bit treacherous with a mix of ice snow and water.The car had a tendency to skid & slide but with the adroit driving skills of the calm and composed Rohit (son in law) negotiated the gradients and the serpentine climb without fear or trepidation.
The views outside were indeed tantalizing - the hills the dales and valleys were all ubiquitously covered in snow. Young kids were attempting to cascade down small slopes on sleds while more audacious adults ascended to greater heights with skis on their shoulders.
We saw confounded squirrels scampering around.The snowfall had caught these animals unawares too - it was too early to hibernate. We encountered fog enroute which reduced visibility. The car occassionally juddered and careened diagonally across the road but Rohit was driving with alacrity and his control was astute.
The atmosphere was suffused, surreal & tranquil.We felt an extraordinary exuberance hitherto unknown. Is this utopia ?