Caught Grinning - 36

See this perimeter-guard having a nice peaceful morning-nap at 11:23 am! One would think he probably was all alert during the previous night's guarding duty!! Wish you all a very happy new year 2014!

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This is a series posting such picture(s) I captured at many different places. You can click on the picture(s) to see a bigger version. Click here to view all 'Caught Grinning' postings under this series.

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Thanjavur trip

We made this one day trip to Thanjavur a.k.a. Tanjore on 26th Dec 2013. We traveled by Train from Bangalore. It is a small place so the local travel was best done by hiring auto-rickshaws from each location. We stayed at a hotel that is slightly away from the town area. It was a calm and nice location on the Pudukottai road. 

Overall it was an interesting trip, the highlight being that of Big Temple, a.k.a. Brahadeeswara Temple / Brihadisvara Temple / Peruvudaiyar Kovil / Raja Rajeswara Temple. The other places in Thanjavur, including Maratha Palace, Sarasvati Mahal and other museums around were all in a bad state and craving for maintenance. It appears like the responsibilities to take care of these historic pieces of importance have all been disowned by all the concerned people. It was a pity to see these priceless ancient structures in pathetic shambles.

Places

Here are the places we visited during this one day trip and the ticket rates.

1) Big temple - Entry free; Footwear storage Rs 2 per set
2) Archeological department common entrance - Entry Rs 10 per head; Still camera free for Indians
    [Save the ticket; the same ticket holds good for some the other entrances spread in the area]
       i) Royal Museum - Entry Rs 2 per head
      ii) Rajah II Serfoji's Hall, Sadar Mahal Palace - Entry Rs 4 per head; Still camera Rs 30 for Indians
     iii) Maratha (or Mahratta) Palace Darbar Hall - Use the common entrance ticket
     iv) The Art Gallery - Rs 7 per head; Still camera Rs 30 for Indians
       v) Sarasvati Mahal Library - Entry free
      vi) Bell Tower - Use the common entrance ticket
      vii) Sharjah Mahdi - Use the common entrance ticket

Map

Here is a link to the Google map of places we visited during our trip with legends used in this map pin-ups.
     A = Thanjavur Railway Station
     B = Hotel
     C = Big Temple
     D = Maratha Palace
     E = Saraswathi Mahal Library
     F = Sharjah Mahdi
     G = Art Gallery
     H = Bell Tower

Note that D to H (except F) are all in one place and you can walk from one to another within the complex and you do not need to go around on the streets as seen in this map. Only F is about 300-400 meters walk on the nearby street.

Big temple

The huge 216 feet tall main tower of the Big temple complex will surely inspire awe to anybody. The sheer size and height of the tower makes one agree that the engineering skills even in the 11th century were probably superior to what most engineers in India possess today. The big Nandi facing the main shrine is gigantic. There several paintings on the roofs and walls in the mandaps and corridors here. Most of them spoiled naturally or man-made spoiling when they have tried to actually restore them! Tonnes of inscriptions, said to be Sanskrit and Tamil are seen all over the walls. There are multiple small shrines, towers and sculptures around the main shrine. There are hundreds of Shivalinga statues in the peripheral corridor construction as well. You need a clear couple of hours minimum if you are to go through each structure and admire them. The place is well maintained. The place is also vast and hence even if there is some crowd it does not baffle you.

Others

For all the rest of the places, what can I say. They have so much importance and content in them but the sheer bad state of maintenance and the dirty surroundings made us hesitantly feel how soon we can leave the place. The rest of those places (Maratha Palace, Saraswathi Mahal Library, Sharjah Mahdi, Art Gallery, Bell Tower) are all in one place that is about 2 KM away from the Big Temple. So once you reach there it is just making entry with tickets at each place and walking around the darbars, sculptures, structures, statues, memorial halls, towers, etc. Spend a calm couple of hours if you can ignore the sight of bad maintenance, and you will still carry a good memory out from here.

The pictures below should give you more vivid details.

Caught Grinning - 35

That is, Use Bell!!!

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This is a series posting such picture(s) I captured at many different places. You can click on the picture(s) to see a bigger version. Click here to view all 'Caught Grinning' postings under this series.

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Caught Grinning - 34

This was some time mid last year. As I was pulling over to park the car on the road-side in Basavanagudi, I spotted this hen couple (!) happily resting on this sand pile. I actually clicked these two pictures in a gap of 1 minute, and I was quite close, only some 8-10 feet, in front of them.

While in both the pictures the hen was never bothered about me at all and she continued to have her head buried into her neck peacefully, the cock though looked at me straight in the first instance, but then again, he too went to sleep casually closing his eyes when I clicked the second one!!
 

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This is a series posting such picture(s) I captured at many different places. You can click on the picture(s) to see a bigger version. Click here to view all 'Caught Grinning' postings under this series.

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Caught Special - 36

Here are some Caught Special pictures from our trip to Andaman mid last year.

Where: Andaman Water Sports Complex, Port Blair

When: 06/May/12, Sunday, 02:39 pm.

What: A moist frame of scenic view.

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: Rose Valley Resorts, Port Blair

When: 07/May/12, Monday, 08:25 am.

What: A sleeping boat!

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: North Bay Island, a.k.a. Coral Island, Port Blair

When: 07/May/12, Monday, 10:01 am.

What: Dense trees trying to hide the light house.

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: North Bay Island, a.k.a. Coral Island, Port Blair

When: 07/May/12, Monday, 12:54 pm.

What: A boatman waiting with the other islands in the backdrop.

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: Rose Valley Resorts, Port Blair

When: 08/May/12, Tuesday, 06:41 am.

What: A nice frame at the dining hall.

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: Sea Shell Resort, Havelock Island

When: 08/May/12, Tuesday, 11:07 am.

What: A happy nap in the sunshine with a great beach-view behind.

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: Sea Shell Resort, Havelock Island

When: 08/May/12, Tuesday, 11:15 am.

What: On the way to his fishing day of office in the seas.

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: Sea Shell Resort, Havelock Island

When: 08/May/12, Tuesday, 11:19 am.

What: This visitor is getting dropped at the resort.

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: Kala Pathar Beach Havelock Island

When: 08/May/12, Tuesday, 04:03 pm.

What: With a great view around, exploring the beach creatures was fantastic.

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: Kala Pathar Beach Havelock Island

When: 08/May/12, Tuesday, 04:04 pm.

What: A holiday trip to the beach!

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: Sea Shell Resort, Havelock Island

When: 09/May/12, Wednesday, 05:14 am.

What: Sunrise above the receded low-tide seashore.

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: Sea Shell Resort, Havelock Island

When: 09/May/12, Wednesday, 05:18 am.

What: Sunrise with silhouette of the thatched roof gazebo sit-out and the resort trees.

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: Sea Shell Resort, Havelock Island

When: 09/May/12, Wednesday, 06:55 am.

What: This guy is having a nice morning sandscrub for his back!

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: On the way to Elephant Camp Beach, Havelock Island

When: 09/May/12, Wednesday, 09:02 am.

What: A scenic capture of this old light house with it's beautiful reflection on water.

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: Elephant Camp Beach, Havelock Island

When: 09/May/12, Wednesday, 09:28 am.

What: Dry fallen tree's striking beauty of this scene in the backdrop of clear blue seas.

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: Elephant Camp Beach, Havelock Island

When: 09/May/12, Wednesday, 09:36 am.

What: Scenic, hang-around the dry fallen tree, rinsing the feet in the clear blue waters.

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: Elephant Camp Beach, Havelock Island

When: 09/May/12, Wednesday, 11:10 am.

What: Boatman trying to anchor, for a coral view stop, aboard this glass-bottom boat.

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: Elephant Camp Beach, Havelock Island

When: 09/May/12, Wednesday, 11:10 am.

What: From the boat anchored for coral view, the island in an ominous-looking cover of rain cloud.

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: Sea Shell Resort, Havelock Island

When: 09/May/12, Wednesday, 02:07 pm.

What: Picturesque lilies after short rain shower.

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: Sea Shell Resort, Havelock Island

When: 10/May/12, Thursday, 10:03 am.

What: The mangrove tree with boats passing by in a scenic backdrop.

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: Radha Nagar Beach, Havelock Island

When: 10/May/12, Thursday, 11:54 am.

What: The deep blue sea with fresh white waves along the shore and the dense green tree-covered island.

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: Radha Nagar Beach, Havelock Island

When: 10/May/12, Thursday, 11:55 am.

What: The loan log of wood in the backdrop of the scenic blue sea and the sky.

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: Corbyn's Cove Beach, Port Blair

When: 11/May/12, Friday, 04:19 pm.

What: Sand-stirred waters of a rough sea.

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: Sea Shell Hotel, Port Blair

When: 11/May/12, Friday, 06:06 pm.

What: Night view of Port Blair city from the roof-top.

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: Chidiya Tapu, Port Blair

When: 12/May/12, Saturday, 01:47 pm.

What: Southern-most tip of South Andaman.

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: Chidiya Tapu, Port Blair

When: 12/May/12, Saturday, 02:14 pm.

What: Fallen dry tree making a perfect perch to sit in a calm and serene sea-view setting.

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: Chidiya Tapu, Port Blair

When: 12/May/12, Saturday, 02:20 pm.

What: Sunlit glisten on the surface of the vast open sea.

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: Sea Shell Hotel, Port Blair

When: 12/May/12, Saturday, 05:00 pm.

What: This lone boat moving past our sight pretty quickly.

How: Sony Cybershot W320

Where: Sea Shell Hotel, Port Blair

When: 12/May/12, Saturday, 05:00 pm.

What: This majestic cruise ruling the bay.

How: Sony Cybershot W320

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This is a series of Caught Special pictures that I captured at different places.
Click on the picture(s) to see a larger version.
To post your comments about this, click here.

To see all postings in this Caught Special series, click here.

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Around Bangalore: 9 - Balmuri

Destination: Balmuri / Bulmuri a.k.a. Balmuri falls on Cauvery river

Direction: South-west of Bangalore; near Mysore on KRS Road, turn right on Yedmuri road.

Type of place: Water spot; Mini waterfall formed by check-dam wall on River.

We visited last on: 03/Jan/07, Wed.

Suitable for: A day trip.

Best seasons to visit: Not suitable during heavy rainy season when the river flows full.

Distances
      * 138 KM from City Railway Station to destination.
      * 148 KM from Central Silk Board to destination.
      * Turn right after Srirangapatna on Ranganathittu Birds Sanctuary road, and turn right on KRS road.
      * Drive towards KRS dam, turn right at Yedmuri arch and drive 2.3 KM to reach Balmuri.

Route maps on Google
      * From City Railway Station: Click Here.
      * From Central Silk Board, Hosur Road: Click Here.

Timings: Open only during daylight timings.

Weekly off: Typically none.

Food
      * No good restaurants at Balmuri. There are some at Srirangapatna that is about 15 KM before Balmuri.
      * Better to carry food along; there are many tree shades at Balmuri to stop and eat the food carried.
      * There are some small shops at Balmuri.

Specialties
      * The drive from Bangalore is nice on the highway up to Srirangapatna.
      * 8 KM after you turn right after Srirangapatna is a single track road till KRS road.
      * KRS road is better, and again the last 2.3 KM after the right turn at Yedmuri arch is a village road.
      * If the river is not flowing very high, the walk on the check-dam wall is fantastic.
      * There are also some spots downstream where you can get in knee-deep water and enjoy.

Travel Tips
      * Do not get into water if it is flowing high / rough; also, watch-out for swirls. Rivers are always risky.
      * Many people go deep into the water; very risky. Do not venture out-of-boundary.
      * There are spots that could skid your feet due to moss. Watch-out.
      * Mid-day could be hot, so carry your caps, hats and umbrellas.
      * Carry change clothes as you are bound to wet your dress.
      * Do not forget to carry your stock of juices and drinking water, you will need lots of it. 

Photos [03/Jan/2007]

When it was dry [26/Feb/2006]

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You can click on the picture(s) to see a bigger version.  

Click here to view all 'Around Bangalore' postings under this series.

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Note: This is a series where I post details and tips about some day-trip locations around Bangalore. You would note that, the date of our visit to some of these places was quite some time back, so some of the detail need not be currently valid. However, I think the major part of the information will still be useful to readers. Do check around by phone or other means about these places to know the latest details and then make your plan. Enjoy your travel. Have fun.

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Caught Grinning - 33

While I was driving home from work a couple of days ago, below the elevated highway, this railway coach was traveling royally into Bangalore city! The license plate showed a NL registration. I wondered, what a long difficult road journey this lone rail coach must be having on this truck...!

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This is a series posting such picture(s) I captured at many different places. You can click on the picture(s) to see a bigger version. Click here to view all 'Caught Grinning' postings under this series.

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