Sigandoor

The best thing I loved about Signadoor is that the Chudeshwari Devi temple is almost located in thick forest sans any commercial activity. Located near Sagara and just a short distance away for the famed Jog falls, reaching this place is no easy.
One has to take a launch to cross the river Sharavati and then a drive in the woods to reach the place. Serene Atmosphere and tranquility prevails all around.

The dried stumps makes the scene all the more attractive

The Chudeshwari temple nestled in deep woods

Aihole

The architecture at Aihole is termed as the cradle of Hindu temple architecture. Artisan are purported to have experimented here before evolving the rock cut concepts and the full fledged Chalukayan style and probably the later Rastrakutas sytle.
As is the truth with all tourist places, the main complex is of interest and the rest in and around the place remains in ruins unvisited, un preserved. I wish the authorities could do some thing to demarcate these precious monuments which will automatically bring in people.

Some shots of both the main complex and the village...


Did Edwin Lutyens visit Aihole ? Was this inspiration for the Parliament house?



Shiv ling fascinates me. Yes, it is a quiet simple structure but all the same it can be fashioned in many forms. I have been making it out of the chapatti dough and clay for myself in my childhood and later for my kids. Until recently they would run to me to fashion one out of dough each evening.
You could see them in many forms many a thing qualify to look like a ling, but this one below is something I had not seen earlier or imagined ,

A ling more like mortar pestel .

There are many temples all around the village of Aihole. Sad, it does not interest the tourist one such complex in the heart of the village.

Nice place to park the bullock cart and store firewood.

Ancient and the new co-exist perfectly. This must have been a grand structure

Nice place for a smoke in royal style?

Banvasi_ the ancient city of Kadambas

Banavasi, touted as the ancient city next only to Varanasi is today a town of population less than 5000. It was during the rule of Kadambas this kingdom acquired its great heights and the words of poet Pampa which made Banavasi all the more famous (for Pampa’s exact lines see http://www.banavasibalaga.org/laanchana_en.html ). A sleepy village nestled in the western ghats, the principal attraction is the Madhukareshwara Temple, is a quiet place in spite of the town having a history of more than 2000 years. Many dynasties are reported to have added their own stamp to the temple complex and it was fascinating to learn that Shantala- The dancing queen had challenged the famed Allam Prabhu in the very precincts of this temple.

Exquisitely carved elephants at the entrance

Temple Precincts

This Probably is the spot where the Hoysala queen Shantala danced, with the imposing nandi in the backdrop

A very intricate work on a stone cot, captured partly

Can't say for sure how old this figurines could be but was just wondering if the style reminds of Dandiya

A solitary bird

Last time I posted a couple of birds, Rajkumar and Arun were kind to identify it, from their data given this one is probably from the family of erget.