Sravanabelagola, Halebid, Belur: Solo Indian Woman Tripping V2.0

"I was born very far from where I'm supposed to be. So, I guess I'm on my back home."

A few months after my first solo trip, the 'travel alone' bug started gnawing at me again. So this time, after recommendations from fellow travelers and a couple of guide books I zeroed in on Sravanabelagola, Belur and Halebid for my next trip. But this time as I was planning I remembered the stares from my last trip alone, the questions about where my family was and why I was travelling alone and did I not know how unsafe it could get? So I kept postponing this one as the thoughts kept popping in and out of my head, till one Saturday I woke up and thought well that’s what people do right? Question! That’s what humans do. Why should I give into others’ concerns? So I just packed a couple of items and set out early that morning to the Majestic bus stop to catch the next local to Hassan.

With a few hours of a wonderful early morning ride on a not so wonderful rickety bus I got off at Hassan, my base camp for the weekend. Thankfully, the bus stopped very close to (I believe) the only liveable hotel around and as I entered the building, thus began my series of questions and answers for the weekend.

After satiating my hungry stomach and some astonished locals’ curiosity I set out on my first sight for the weekend; Sravanabelagola. It is around forty-five minutes away from Hassan by bus and then when you reach there, the walk up the Vindhyagiri Hill takes another twenty minutes (but it feels like someone has been pumping oxygen out of your lungs for hours at a stretch!!). The town is centered around a white tank (bela kola) which gives it the name. The Vindhya Hill to the south of the tank houses the over 17m high statue of Gomatesvara, which is believed to be highest monolithic statue in Asia. The huffing and panting up the 650 steps is made worth it when you see the statue and the expression of peace on his face. 

                                     

The impressive Gomateshwara statue

                                      

                                      

Murals on the temple walls

Tank around which the town is centered

The other hill, Chandragiri which is the smaller of the two has more areas of interest from a historical point of view. There are 576 inscriptions on the rock, which is the most on a single site in India and they date from the 6^th to the 19^th century speaking of a dozen different dynasties.

Chandragiri Hill

                                   

Next up on the itinerary were the Yadava temples at Belur and the Hoysala temples at Halebid. Both are around thirty minutes away from Hassan, but it is advisable to check out Belur first and then Halebid as there are more frequent buses from the latter back to Hassan.

The most famous site in Belur is the Chenna Kesava temple. Though the entire temple and the sanctum is not in very good shape but it’s good enough to study the intricate carvings for hours.

Chenna Kesava Temple, Belur

Halebid on the other hand is in almost pristine and untouched condition even after a thousand years behind it. The best part is the finely carved temples which are so intricate and precisely done. One can just sit at the courtyard for hours and try to read the stories that the carvings tell. And when the sun gets too much to bear just go inside the temple and the latticework allows just the right amount of air and light to let you continue your contemplatives, unperturbed.

Intricacies at Halebid

After Hampi, this was another wonderful weekend going back in time and being alone just lets you soak in all the history even deeper.

Shipping up to Boston!!

“Journeys are the midwives of thought” ~ Alain de Botton

With the last weekend of the American summer and a couple of hundred dollars to spare, I decided to take a weekend trip from New York to Boston. Only armed with the knowledge that the city is known for the best university in the world, I landed up unaware, waiting to be wowed and yes Boston did wow me and how!

Packed with ample doses of history, all of which can be covered on foot, a charming combination of the old and the new and almost predominantly a student atmosphere, Boston is the perfect cocktail of a city!

With less than 48 hours at hand to discover the city, I mentally prepared myself to torture my limbs and enthrall my mind and following are some of the most enjoyable parts of the Boston weekend!

 Freedom Trail: The walk able size of the city and one of America’s first historic walking tours makes Boston a history-loving-budget-traveler's paradise! A red brick lined path connects 16 historical sites and guides one through two and a half centuries of America’s most significant past. Among my favorites were the USS Constitution and the Charlestown Navy Yard, Faneuil Hall and the Granary Burial Ground.

The USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world and it lives up to every word spoken about its grandeur and strength! The Faneuil Halll started as a marketplace and a hall for meetings where several patriots made inspirational speeches. The hall still houses a bustling market place.

The USS Constitution in all its glory

                                                   

At the Charleston Navy Yard

      Quincy Market: Just the word ‘market’ makes me feel what a bee feels as it get drawn towards a flower’s nectar (!) and with that strong inclination I stopped by at Quincy market to check what it had to offer. The market is a gigantic food court with several small eateries, kiosks selling jewelry and souvenirs and magicians and gymnasts performing tricks and acts to entertain the forever swelling crowd.

One of the many eateries at Quincy Market

 Samuel Adams Brewery Tour: A beer sampling tour makes any trip worth the visit and the one at Sam Adams surely did not disappoint! The tour involves a comprehensive overview of the different ingredient used, the whole process of brewing a beer and all the details involved, culminating into a beer sampling session where visitors get to sample different kinds of beers brewed and concocted at the brewery. We were lucky enough to also sample the Sam Adams beer for the 2013 Oktoberfest! 

The heady tour!

      Harvard Yard: Taking a stroll around the premises of the most storied institution of the country helps zone out all the noise and only focus on how to ace the next exam and come back as a student!!

Harvard Square 

Boston’s marvels can be seen anytime, anywhere just strolling down the small alleys or jogging by the river in front of MIT. Its quaint yet cosmopolitan at the same time, so much so that you don’t even need two whole days to fall in love with it and yearn to go back again!!