Tripping Back ! :)

Well, I am back after a long hiatus! Much as I hate saying this , but I did commit the cardinal mistake of sacrificing my blog at the alter of work . But thanks to all you people for your subtle and not-so- subtle reminders about updating my blog - I am back finally!

4 months since I last wrote , the world had been pretty much the same .Indian cricket continues to be a heady mix of glamour and money, Sonia Gandhi continues rebuffing Rahul Gandhi's claim to the PM post, Deepika Padukone continues to be the next IT girl , Hillary & Obama continue with their mud slinging , Sunil Mittal is still the richest man in Britan, Rakhi Saawant continues revelling in controversies, and I still haven't met Johnny Depp !

Personally too ,things have pretty much been static , of course if you discount the crazy pace of work that hijacked my idyllic existence.

But amidst all the chaos of teleconferences, meetings , buckets of coffee and never ending mails that threatened to crash my mailbox, I did find time for a quick trip to Belur -Halebedu .To the unaware Belur is located in the Hassan District and was the early capital of the Hoysala Empire ( remember reading about them in our History books ?! No ? Neither do I! Was never my History teacher's favourite ! ). The Chennakesava temple which was build by king Vishnuvardhana is the main tourist attraction. The place is amazing to say the least. I am a huge sucker for ancient and historical buildings and things and this temple was a huge delight. The dancing stone figurines are an example of artistic fineness and the attention to details is simply mind boggling.

Inside the main temple complex, there is a stone statue of Queen Mohini, who apparently was the most beautiful of all the queens of the King Vishnu. Her face , they say was exactly one seventh her body , which in olden days was a sign of a good physique. Needless to say , Mohini ji also attracted some modern day male followers both Bharti & Firangi, who just did not want to leave the place. Sigh ! Some women have all the fun !

The temple in Halebedu is also a treat to watch and we tripsters had a field day posing away to glory, check my videos to see some of the exploits. There is a small lake adjacent to the temple , where boat rides are given for a small fee that will take you past a small island where you can see some birds.

All in all t’was a great break from the hectic city life and in case I have inspired some of you to grab your rucksack and head towards Belur , here are few useful tips :

• You might want to hire a guide once there , otherwise you will find it hard to understand the story and meaning behind the statues.
• Make sure you leave early , so that you reach the first temple mid morning when the sun is not so hot
• The sun is blazing after mid morning , so sun glares and hats are recommended and ladies don't forget your sun screen lotion , you'll sure need it.
• Make sure you take the boat ride in Halebedu, its a lovely & calming end to the whole experience.

So there you go, my first post after months and I already gave you a place to add to your travel list. I am kind ..Ain't I ! :)