Go Goa!

I went to Goa in February-2011 but some things kept me from writing about it…I don't know whether I should call it my laziness or writers block :p

This time (again) I stayed at Colva beach. I love this beach for its liveliness and for the shacks. Colva is neither very crowded like Calangute nor deserted like Miramar. Very safe even for a walk at night. Have not heard of any untoward incidences and receptionists of the hotels where I stayed, assured me that it is quite safe.

Colva is a clean beach and the town is quite green. I got to see a glimpse of it from the top when I went up in parasail. What an experience..

This time I wanted to visit the Old Goa church – Basilica of Bom Jesus. I was impressed by the way it is maintained.

In the church next to Old Goa Church there is a museum and I would recommend you all to spend some time there. I showcases the history of Goa and houses the oil paints of all the governors of Goa. In this museum one can also see the old currency notes introduced in Goa. Funny to see a Rs. 30 note :)

Then the good old Panji church. I am sure if you have been to Goa then you must have seen this church. The symmetry of this monument is striking.

While at Colva beach I captured this snap and the crow in the frame (left side) made it interesting shot.

For me Goa is an excellent place to relax.. dip your feet in sea waves, walk in the soft sand, try those floral shirts and most importantly be lazy :D

Have you been to Goa? What is your story?

Kudal Sangam and Almatti Dam

 

After visiting Bijapur we proceeded to Kudal Sangam. It is a holy place for people who follow Lingayat faith. Also three rivers namely Krishna,Malaprabha and Ghataprabha culminate at this place. The holy samadhi of Basavanna, founder of Lingayat faith lies on river bed. A huge hollow pillar is constructed and the Samadhi lies at its bottom. A staircase leads to it.

360 degrees view of Kudal Sangam - A holy place in Karnataka state,India

Kudal Sangam

A 360 degrees view at Kudal Sangam

From there on we proceeded to Almatti Dam which is built on river Krishna. It is not allowed to enter the Dam premises due to security reasons but the surrounding area is beautified with many gardens. The greenery in the area is very much soothing.

The nearby garden is must see. With a very nominal fee one can see the superb creativity employed in its creation. There are many life like sculptures in this garden… so many beautiful flowers .. a lake with boating facility.. It takes about an hour to enjoy this garden.

Some links for more information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kudalasangama

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almatti_Dam

Gol Gumbaz of Bijapur

A couple of months back I visited the Gol Gumbaz at Bijapur in Karnataka. I was at Solapur, visiting my relatives when this plan of going to Bijapur took shape. We started early in the morning. In about 3 hours or so we entered the Bijapur town. The Gol Gumbaz is visible right from the city entrance. It is very impressive structure built by Sultan Muhammad Adil Shah (AD 1627 –57). Sultan’s tomb lay beneath the floors of this structure. And he started its construction as soon as he came to throne. I was amazed by the sheer size of this monument wondering how in those old days they managed to construct it!

Though it looks like one building, the front cubical block is actually a museum and Gol Gumbaz is behind it. The monument itself is a huge cuboid with a dome on top. And this dome is one of the biggest in world.

The experience at the whispering gallery was awesome. One clap, one shout and 10+ echoes. It is simply amazing. Once again I could not help but think how could the engineers in those days conceptualized, designed and constructed this monument with such acoustic properties. It clearly indicates the advancement of architecture in those days.

At present the Gol Gumbaz is protected by Archaeological Society on India. The tickets worth just Rs. 5 per person help them to protect this site of historical importance.