My Pilgrimage to Some Architectural Wonders of Karnataka

Amazing pictures (have always been a fan) and description Biman!

I wish you would have spent a little more time in my city (obvious from my avatar & username), which does have some great buildings too.

Thanks again!

@sidch and Hyderabadi: Thank you both for the encouraging words. I am very happy to know that you liked it.

It was premeditated not to include your city in our itinerary this time. No, the reason was not the agitations taking place that time regarding Telengana. It's because, there are so many things to see itself in hyderabad, that one single day was noway going to be enough. Rather we had to leave it unsatisfactorily, which was never acceptable to me. Hyderabad is in my consideration and I will be included in our itinerary along with Warangal, Nagarjunakonda and some other places.

It may be a little off topic, but I have a story related to your avatar.

Believe it or not, Charminar is the monument I am acquinted with even before Taj. Courtesy, my father who smokes charminar cigarette. And then, I duly followed his footsteps.

I do know of another member here (I've met) who also smokes Charminar.

Charminar smokers are nowadays as rare as snow leopards, although total count of smokers are ever increasing.

Back to original topic: I will be posting a very short portion today and hoping that I will be able to start the second half of our trip comprising of Badami and Hampi from next Mon/Tuesday.

! It's becoming more and more interesting!

Biman,
This thread is so great, it has joined the rank of "stickies".

mesmerising travelogue and photographs, biman
loved the tid-bits of history that you took the trouble to include
thank you.





charms was a great cigarette too loved the denim'y textured packet.


:brishti

Biman, congrats

Thank you TD. It is a privilege to join this elite list.

Thank you Brishti. I was in fact a bit scared that it may bore people. The main concern was what to exclude, rather than what to include.

Sounds like the packet wasn't the only thing you enjoyed.

Thanks, Naveena.

Previous: A Visit to the Local Retreat before We Retreat

Change is the Only Constant:

On our fifth morning in Karnataka, we left Bijapur and started for Badami by train. From train window Gol Gumbaz was fading behind the haze and disappearing into the horizon. And I felt like undergoing a transition period signifying changes in some aspects that determined the places we had been over the earlier four days from the places we were heading to.

We were about to shift our base from busy towns, specifically speaking district headquarters, to their much smaller counterparts whose pace of life keeps constant track with the movement of Sun. From places where Muslim rulers were responsible for their glorious past to places that reached the pinnacle of fame under Hindu monarchy. It was time to get prepared for getting ‘Templed Out’ and for that we needed to temporarily shrug off the hangover caused by overdose of forts, mosques and mausoleums.

Changes in surrounding landscapes and accompanying populace over the course of two and half hour long journey took great care to buffer the cultural shock. We were entering a new world interspersed with rivers, dams and reservoirs. Turbans were replacing Taqiyah as preferred masculine headgear and vintage Indian moustache, Mehendi dyed beard.

Yet, a few things didn’t change at all. We were as thrilled as we had been around 100 hours earlier, were travelling through the same state and our prime attraction was still – architecture.

One more thing remained constant. But that can never be captured using any camera on this planet, not even by the best among them that we posses since birth. It could only be sensed and felt. Yes, it was the people. They were equally willing to help us, inquisitive about our home-town, eager to pose before lens and shy when thanked. We were still feeling at home as we had been feeling earlier.

*Taqiyah: The taqiyah is a short, rounded cap worn by some observant Muslim men.

I was going to say the same! ... Charms was the 'macho' brand in Kharagpur. The Denim pack came later... no?

Don't be. Include more.

PS: More, text for sure ... pictures too, maybe.
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I can recollect a comparatively shortlived brand name "blues filter" that hit market when we were in 11th standard, i.e. in 1998 with a blue denim textured pack.

As far as I can remember, it as from the same house of Charmes. But it became out of market within a couple of years if not less.

Oh you are so young!... reading your narratives, I thought you must be much older than that!!
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Ditto my thoughts! I immediately calculated biman's age and thought 'My god, he is so young !

Yeah, I take back the "-da" ... will be just Biman from now
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