Trip to Dharmastala

13-09-08

'Hey I am planning to go to kukke!' muttered swapna my room mate during my college days. Its been years since we met or chatted. And when we chat, it usually lasts for longer time. When she revealed her plans, me; being a little too much obsessed with trips said 'Yes' instantly.

All this happened months back and i almost forgot about the chat. Last Sunday I got mail from her asking if i am ready, i replied back 'Yes I am!!' We planned to take our friends as well but both of them did not turn up and it was just me and swapna.

We started from Bangalore at 9.25 to Dharmastala. 'BichaDe hue dost' as they say, we chatted and chatted till 12.00 about our lives, what we were,what we are and what we mite be. I was happy to know that her curve was a rising curve form whatever she was when she left the hostel. Mine being a a sinusoidal with an average being a straight line parallel to X axis. Hmm after being exhausted with talking we slept off.

The worst part of the journey was the water trickling on my head, it was raining outside and I was seated near the window, whenever there was a jerk, water used to trickle on my head. So the conclusion is I did not sleep thru the journey although we boarded the Rajahamsa Executive bus.

We landed at Dharmastala at 6.30 and went in search for a place to stay. Almost all the lodges maintained by the temple committee were booked. We were under the impression that there will not be much rush since it is not the peak season but even then almost all the rooms were booked. But the search did not go in vain, we did get a room in 'Saketha' and were handed a key with the # 188.

The room was pretty good with the attached bathroom, beds and spacious as well. It was comfortable and i think 50/- for all these facilities is really good deal. As soon as we settled in the room, swapna had a cosy sleep, in the mean time i got ready. By the time we were ready it was 9.00.

We went to the Netravati river from the room. The means of transport being an auto and the driver took a good 40/-. Later we realised that the place was very near and it would have had taken just 2/- per person if we had taken the bus. :(. Alas People really have made the place dirty :(

And then we stood in the queue for the Manjunatha Swamy darshan, it took almost 45 minutes for us to get the darshan. But yes standing in the queue was fruitful, we got the moola linga darshana with abhisheka and the maha mangalarati darshana as well. The place is really awesome.

We took the prasada, and now i had started feeling little hungry, so had prasad and we headed to surya.

We took the bus to ujire and then a van to surya. It was drizzling already, but it was fun. We had the darshana of rudra sadashiva devaru and then there was place called harake kaTTe.We found out that a person can ask for a harake and if it gets fulfilled he has to come back and give a clay model to the God. For example if a student has a harake to get passed in the exam and if it happens, he has to give a clay note book to the God. There was a huge pile of the clay models over there.The place had a pool and the water was in strange blue colour. It looked awesome..

Then we were back to Dharmastala, had lunch over there. Then we headed to bahubali beTTa, took some snaps, rested for some time and then back to the room.

We were damn tired, had nice sleep for 2 hrs and then journey to kukke......