I am usually a backpacker hence i don’t carry many things while traveling. But there are few of those that I cant miss.

1. Digital Camera : is number one on my list. I don’t have to give reasons right?

2. Mobile with camera and browser: I usually carry my k750i which can act us my quick (or back up) camera. The camera of k750i is pretty decent. Won’t believe? check these pictures from streets Kolkatta. I also use my mobile to keep in touch with friends and family. You might think thats an obvious function of mobile. But when I am traveling I avoid making more than one call per day and usually keep in touch with friends using internet. Hence good browser/apps is necessary. I use opera mini and some Java applications. Read the rest of this entry »

I was doubtful till the last minute about the weather. Unseasonal rains pouring in and around Bangalore were the main cause for my worries. But thankfully weather was on our side till the last minute. We started quite early reaching the Kamat Lokruchi by 9. Our target was to reach Melkote by 10, which we achieved.

Lake on the way to Melkote

Melukote (map: 12.65,76.67) in Pandavapura taluk of Mandya district, Karnataka, is one of the sacred places in Karnataka. The place is also known as Thirunarayanapuram. It is built on rocky hills known as Yadavagiri or Yadugiri overlooking the Cauvery valley. It is about 30 miles from Mysore and 97 miles from Bangalore.

Route: From Bangalore after Mandya on Mysore state highway take a right turn after Mandya town. Its around 20kms from the highway. The roads are pretty decent.

There are two temples at Melkote. Yoganarasimha swami temple on the top of the hill and Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple.
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Ranganatittu is an outstanding bird sanctuary near mysore ( map of Bangalore to Ranganatittu). The water out of KRS forms tiny islands around 12 kms outside Mysore and these islands are the main breeding spot for birds.This Sunday morning we drove to Ranganatittu to shoot some birds. Here are some pictures from that photo shoot


I used regular Sony camera with 12x optical zoom. All the pictures were shot in sport mode. I am not sure if SLR would have made any difference. Please go through the pictures and give me your suggestions/comments.
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Yes, Its meeting the people during the travel which gives me kick. They are the best part of my travel life. Traveling alone gives you that rare chance of meeting strangers. Low cost student/youth hostels are the best place to catch other travelers. Its the best place to hear good stories at the cost of by two chai.

I met many on the road. A guy from England who was traveling alone in Asia taking off from his work. I met this high school teacher (don’t remember her name) from Finland in Udaipur. She introduced herself as the lady from land of Nokia. I had to tell her that I know Finland for a different reason! To my surprise she knew Linus and she started speaking about Indian IT personality who owns a big IT company in Bangalore. Being an Infoscion it was not difficult for me to guess . In Jaipur I met these two wonderful people on Govt bus stop. We traveled together the whole day. It was just pure fun to exchange our feels about each others nation (India, US and Italy). Read the rest of this entry »

Talakadu is a small town on the banks river Kaveri. Its about 180+ KMs from Bangalore. Talakadu is known for its temples burried under the sand dunes.
According to a legend curse of a woman “May the town of talakadu be always covered with sand, may the kings of mysore always remain without heir ” caused the down fall of the this capital city of Ganga Dynasty (350-999 AD). In the above image you can see remains of main temple gopuram. Read the rest of this entry »