Kalyani, Melukote

After sumptuous lunch of Melukote's famous Puliyogare, Curd Rice, and Sakkare (sweet) pongal we headed to cool off and doze off a little on the steps of Kalyani. As we approached we could see a huge crowd gathered in and around the Mantapa. A vast black curtain was hanging from the roof to the floor on one side. A few harassed-looking youth requesting the onlookers to maintain a distance. Friend B was quick to say "it's a movie shooting". Without disrupting anything we moved along looking at the scene unfolding, which looked like the actress and her friends were in queue to receive Prasada (sacred food) from the priest. We found a shaded spot on the steps of the Kalyani.

This beautiful pond is one of the biggest and was captured in many Indian movies. It is said the existence of Kalyani is more than 1000 years. It would have gone through various restoration and renovation over a period of time ranging different dynasties. Skillfully done steps leading down to the water. Cleanliness of water is not very good with soft drink bottles, plastic covers, clothes floating over. Bathing, washing clothes or any such activities that pollute the water is strictly prohibited. People who picnic around the area might have the habit of leaving the garbage behind, which ultimately accumulated in the Kalyani.

The Kalyani is surrounded by enclosed corridors on all sides of stony pillars. Most of the pillars are engraved magnificent, however, eroded a little. These were built during the 17th century. The foyers would have provided shelters to hundreds of people in olden days. That is why in all ancient temples one can see at least one pond nearby, which must be the main source of water to perform daily activities. It is said the Kalyani has natural spring water as it was built on granite stone and is linked to the other 107 tanks in the vicinity through a network of canals.

There is an open Mantapa in Octagonal shape on one corner of the Kalyani which was built by Mysore Wodeyars. It has a raised platform on which granite pillars and ceilings are built. Either royal family used to sit here to witness any procession or festivities around the Kalyani or it is used as a stage for cultural performances.

Legendary history (Sthala Purana): Lord Vishnu took the form of the Varaha (boar), dived into the depths of the oceans to rescue Bhudevi (Mother Earth) from the clutches of demon Hiranyaksha. Varaha killed the demon and brought back the Earth from the ocean, lifting Bhudevi on his tusks. In that process few drops of water on his body fell on Melukote creating the Kalyani.

Few junior artists sitting besides us on the steps were talking incessantly about the shooting. From their conversation we get to know the film was "Pailwaan" and the lead actress was Aakanksha Singh. And lead actor Sudeep is scheduled to shoot at the same location tomorrow.

As the sun started dipping behind the horizon casting orange hues we decided to head back home to a relaxed Sunday.

Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple, Melukote

Having seen Melukote Rayagopura and Kalyani in several Indian movies one weekend we thought of visiting this temple town for a day trip as it is located at a distance of 147 kilometers from Bangalore. 

The Route: Bengaluru-Kunigal-Yadiyuru-Nagamangala-Melukote

Even though we left at 6:30 it was a foggy morning in the wintry month of January. We could see some of the vehicles moving in snail's pace while others completely bringing them to a halt. We stopped in Yadiyuru for breakfast to have delicious Mallige Idli (Soft and spongy Idli) and Yellikayi Chitranna (Citron Rice). With the aid of Google map we reached the sleepy town of Melukote around 10:00.

Perched upon the rocky hills of Yagugiri or Yadavagiri this place also goes by the name Thirunarayanapura. Mythologically Melukote was called Vedadri in Satya Yuga, Narayanadri in Thretha Yuga (Lord Rama), and Yadavadri in Dwapara Yuga (Lord Krishna). Yuga in Hinduism is an era consisting of many human years. During Kali Yuga, early in 11th century Srivaishnava saint Ramanuja was forced to leave Tamilnadu due to religious conflicts with Chola Kings. From then onwards he became the patronage of Hoysala kingdom for many years. He influenced the Jain king Bitti Deva to convert to Hinduism, that king is none other than Vishnuvardhana, the creator of magnificent Belur Chennakeshava Temple. King Vishnuvardhana lend a hand to Ramanjujacharya in building the Cheluvanarayana Swami Temple (Handsome God) in Melukote. Legend has it this temple was visited by Lord Rama along with his sons Lava and Kusha in Thretha Yuga and Sri Krishna and Balarama in Dwapara Yuga.

The main temple is a simple square building with extensive dimensions. Entrance of the temple adorns a triangular tower. Built in Dravidian style architecture the craftsmanship on the pillared corridor is awe-inspiring. As usual we skipped visiting sanctum sanctorum because of the huge crowd.

It is said the temple has a vast collection of precious jewels donated by erstwhile kings of Mysore, which are brought to the temple on festive occasions. And three gold crowns, two were gifted again by Wodeyars of Mysore and one by an unknown person.  

We spent a considerable amount of time appreciating the artisan work on the pillars much to the chagrin of the priests. It was written all over their face how annoyed they were to see group of four loitering around the corridor, appreciating the artistic work with bulk cameras around their neck. We feel they expect some level of devotion and submissiveness from visitors, which clearly we lack.

Just around the corner is the oldest Sanskrit college of Karnataka, which was sadly closed on that day. This “Veda Vedantha Bhodini Sanskrit Mahapathashala” was founded in 1854.

We met few school kids from coastal Karnataka who were on their yearly academical trip. Exuberant and full of life they reminded us of our childhood. Almost everyone in that group wants to become an engineer. We wished them all the best fulfilling their dreams. In 10 to 15 years down the line one of them may visit the same spot, bitten by the travel bug, having conversation with next generation.

Arc de Triomphe, Paris

Before even setting foot on Place Charles de Gaulle we knew for sure that this "Charles de Gaulle" is an important dude in French History. For once their Airport is named after him. He turned out to be French general, statesman, and President of France. Because here at Place Charles de Gaulle we could see Paris's iconic Arc de Triomphe, symbol of France's pride and patriotism. We had been wandering in and around the Avenue des Champs-Élysées for the past two days. But somehow due to lethargy or weariness we could not make it to the Arch. However, we got lucky the third time. After taking a few long-shot photographs we decided to pass through the tunnel under street that would take us near the Arc. Inside the tunnel there was a huge crowd waiting to get the ticket to go to the rooftop. For a few minutes we couldn't decide between whether to stand in the queue or move ahead.

The arch was built between 1806 to 1836 as a tribute to those who fought for France notably during the Napoleonic wars. Napoleonic wars were a series of battles fought between French Empire and its allies, spearheaded by Napoleon I and  European coalition powers funded and led by United Kingdom.

The inner and outer surfaces are adorned with names of generals and all French victories. The triomphe was designed by Jean Chalgrin in 1806. The inspiration to this is Arch of Titus in Rome, Italy. This arch was the tallest triumphal arch till Monumento a la Revolución in Mexico City took over in 1938. This monument literally stands in the middle of the street with a towering height of 164 feet and width of 148 feet.

Our timing was perfect as we get to to witness the relighting of eternal flame at the Tomb of the unknown solider. It is symbolic to honor one soldier as it epitomizes all others who died in battle fighting for their nation. It is eternal because the flame is never put out and rekindled every evening at 6:30 through a small ceremony. We felt so fortunate to see this. It reminded us of Amar Jyothi of India Gate back home.

We get to chat with an Indian couple honeymooning in Paris. The bride was from Mussoorie, India and we were curious to know whether our favourite writer Ruskin Bond still makes his weekly visit to the local bookstore and continues his autographing session. She said mostly he does if he is in pink of his health. The guy used the word "amalgamation" a lot in his sentences. It is not everyday you come across that word in a casual conversation. That is why we named them "amalgamation couple" so we can remember them. 

The Arc de Triomphe stands literally in the middle of the street.  Few boisterous teenagers clicked photos of themselves by placing tripods in the middle of the road with arc as background. We looked into the vehicle drivers' and to our surprise they were all smiling and enjoying the little antics. Oh! The joy of being young and carefree. 

Tips:

Opening Hours:
April-September: 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
October-March: 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Entry Fee: Free
Entry to Rooftop: 12€