The Big Naked Statue

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So headed over to Hassan and arrived at 2am.

Found a hotel...a bit expensive but at that time in the morning I couldn't be bothered trekking around the town.

The next day I was on a bit of a mission to see masses of stuff. Despite this I didn't head off until 10am!

First stop Sravanabelagola....The place with the big naked statue, which apparently means Monk on the White Pond. It's a really important Jain Pilgramege site. The statute is of Gomateshvara, a Jain deity. Apparently it's said to be the world's tallet monolithic statue. It's a very impressive and religious place. Every 12 years there is a massive pilgramage there. 2006 was one of those years...but it happens in January. However for the next few months Sundays are dedicated to the pilgramage and loads of people come and visit and pour coconut oil, yogurt, ghee, bananas, jaggery, sandalwood, milk and saffron over the statue, then they sit around of the specially constructed platforms (built to cope with the sheer numbers of people). It was a bit of a hike up the hill but worth it.

Next stop back to Hassan to get a bus to Halebid and then onto Belur...more temples of the Hoysola period...so masses of intricate carvings. Managed to do it all by public bus so didn't cost much at all. Eventually got back to Hassan at 9.00pm, packed up and headed to the bus stand to get a bus to Madikeri. Bus was due at 10.30pm but didn't arrive until 2.00am. The wait was pretty entertaining though as there were loads of pissed up Indian blokes...one particularly funny chap just kept talking crap and giggling...so things not much different from anywhere else in the world there then. Sometimes it's hard enough to understand these guys never mind with a skin full of whiskey inside of them.

The bus journey to Madikeri was ok...bit rough...at around 5.00am the bus filled with loads of women taking all there fresh vegetables to market. So the aisles of the bus were teeming with the smell of fresh corriander, carrots and a whole host of other veggies....great but not that great at 5.00am. I understand you have to pick them in the middle of the night so that they survive the journey and are ready for the markets the next day.

I had decided to stay at a homestay in Madikeri to see what that was all about vs the guest house. I had phoned him in Hassan to tell him I would be arriving at 3.00am, he had agreed to pick me up, but with the bus delay, despite my calling and leaving a message with his brother to say I would be late, the poor guy was sat there for 2 hours waiting. Later I discovered despite living in the same house, he and his bro weren't talking...shame, the bloke was really cool, a real eccentric eco warrior...who was the luckiest git I've met!

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Photos

Sravanabelagola
Bahubali Statue

Channekshava Temple
Belur