Conquerors of Kudachadri... Following Adi Shankara's route...

Adi Shankara.. Perhaps the greatest saints of all time.. Born in Kaladi, Kerala and credited with unifying Hinduism and perhaps reviving Hinduism in the midst of growth of Buddhism and Jainism. My first recollection hearing about him was the first Sanksrit Movie Adi Shankara.. directed by G.V.Iyer. The Song Bhajagovindam by Yesudas still rings in my ears..Adi Shankara credited with establishing 5 Muts around India which were pivotal for revival of Hinduism (A matha (also written math or mutt; maṭha) is a monastic or similar religious establishment in Hinduism .Matha is monastery where one or more sannyasis (renunciate or homeless ascetic) and their followers live.)  So on Lunch Table when Shekarji floated the idea of trekking to Kodachadri, I could not resist. Sarvajna Peetha where Adi Shankara meditated.... on top of Kodachadri hill.. The enticing view of Lingamakki back waters ... Awesome.. couldn't resist. 11-13 Mar.. was locked on as the date... 

3 day trip to Kodachadri, Sringeri, Horanadu, Chikmagaluru. 2 cars.. 7 of us... 
Route : Bangalore to Chitradurga (exit from NH) to Shimoga , Ayanur (left) towards Nagara/Hosanagara and then to Nittur/Kodachadri.. 

I, Rama got up at 4:30 am and started from Marathahalli, we boarded the cab and picked up Shekarji on the way.. 6:15 am we reached NICE road exit and waited for the rest of the folks to catch up. We looked up at the sky and it was like Fire clouds in the sky... Awesome view to start the trip.. 

The first stop at Kamat for Breakfast... Nice Idly Vada and then headed out towards Shimoga. By 12:30 we were in Shimoga and had nice lunch at Samrat Ashok.. By 1 we headed out towards Simha Farms and were there by 3:30pm.. Blissful.. No Network coverage... :)... Aditya (host at the location) was pleasant and greeted us with warm smile.. He walked us through the estate and into the villa/row house.  

The trip to Kodachadri is through the Forest area and there is restrictions for visitors going in. Basically Forest officials want everyone to be down by 7pm or so (before sunset). We decided to get a Sunset view and Aditya made arrangements for the Jeep.. Shekarji warned that the ride will be One Hell of an experience.. .Like a stone kept in a tin Box... And it turned out to be more than what we expected... The driver was ripping through the main roads at 60/70 but once the Forest area started, it was like an off-roading experience of a lifetime.. 7 1/2 km all through hilly terrain .. 

Our first pit stop after 4km uphill for a Photo session break..The sight of Lingenmakki backwarters was awesome.. 

Another 3 km ride and were at the top (till the Jeeps go). There is an Information Bureau and there is a Moolakhetra dedicated to Devi.. There is a small pond from where Souparnika river is supposed to be originating. Another 1.5km treck up through the steep slopes and we arrived at Sarvajna Peetha where there is a small temple dedicated to Saint Adi Shankara. 

We stayed there till almost Sunset and enjoyed the view and the sights and sounds of Nature. Nothing in this world explain the view and the wind blowing on top... 

It took us half the time to trek up and through the slippery slopes we carefully descended to the Moolakshetra. The evening prayers were going on and I just went for a quick Darshan. The drive down was as much fun as the climb uphill... It got dark by the time we ascended half way, but the Jeep drive was merrier as ever... :-).. I don't think it really mattered for him if there was light or not.. It was just intuitions driving the vehicle.. 8 PM we arrived at the based had good shower and then light music followed by Dinner at Simha's.. All Veg .. all home grown items. Taste awesome.. 10 pm, I just crashed on the Bed..

Chirping of the birds is what I remember hearing next day morning.. We had left the curtains open and the view through the large pane of glass made me feel as though this was in the middle of a jungle. We decided to take the walk through the estate and adjacent areas. There was a stream flowing nearby. Most of Aditya's plantation was Coffee, Areca nut, Pepper etc. He also had Plantain, Vegetables also in the farm house. Perfect combination of facilities, peace and harmony.. 

We had sumptuous Breakfast at Simha's the Lemon Rice and Chutney still induces cravings.. The next stop Sringeri. About 3 hours drive and we were at the Sharada Peetha at Sringeri. 

Sharadara Peetha was also established by Saint Adi Shankara and it is one of the 5 Matha's that he had created. We spent another hour in the temple also visiting Adi Shankara's temple. We had Lunch at the temple and was on our way to Horanadu. Google lead us through an estate route and that turned out to be a bad choice.. In retro, we should have taken the Balehole route. SH27 route. We did a quick visit to Horanadu temple and were on our way to Chikmangalur. Little did I realize that Horanadu temple has also got a significance with Saint Adi Shankara. He had installed the main deity and also created a Stotra/Hym in her praise. 

We arrived at Chikamagalur late in the night and rested. Though we planned a short trip around Chikamangalur, we could not due to vehicle breakdown. The stay at Chikamangalur club was pretty good. After a 4 1/2 hour drive on Sunday, we were in Bangalore. 

All through out the journey, the thought that run my mind (and most of my friends mind) was how 1200 years back a man from South India traveled across the whole of India (probably outside), learned so many things, taught so many..  established Mathas at different corners of the country dedicated to different Gods in Hinduism which are still revered.. All this before his death at a young age of 32.. A Gigantic achiever at 32.. I bow to thee.. 

काशाभांशुक_भासुरां प्रविलसत्_कोशातकी_सन्निभां

(Salutations to Devi Kamakshi) Who has a Green Parrot which Shines like the Colour of the Kasha Grass, She Herself Shining Brightly like a Moonlit Night

Bangalore to Mysore Conqured!!!

"You will never know your limits unless you push yourself to them"

For long the yearning of a long (a day long to start with) ride had been there with me. Bangalore and Mysore, two historic cities separated by 140 km. No better day to do a cycle ride than Gandhi Jayanthi.. 2nd October.. The Route : Kanakpura -> Malavalli -> Mysore.  Riders: Dell Colleagues I, Sumanth and Ravi.  Sekhar and Rama offered to follow us on car, just in case we needed a recovery vehicle.

Work on the Cycle in the meanwhile.
Purchased a carrier for the cycle - 25 Kg support. Unfortunately, I realized that it cannot fit in my Cannondale because of Disk brakes, so mounted them on Schwinn. Next up checking the tyres and the brakes. The emergency accessories like spare tubes, Spokes, etc. Now the medicines, the nutrition bars, the chikkis and water.. everything settled.

It gives me butterflies in the stomach when I think of rides and little did I sleep on the previous day. Added to that the recovery from Flu was not quite fast as expected. We started at around 5:45 from Bangalore. On Dot, Sumanth and Ravi were there..It was drizzling and little did I realize what I was upto.. By the first 10 km, the slush and water had got into my shoes..It was soaking wet.. But the ride was awesome.. light drizzle, wind in the ears and ease of movement..

Perhaps it was the excitement of the first long ride or the music in my ears..I did not notice the time and the kilometers for the first 40 km, till we reached Kanakpura.. Breakfast at local hotel.. Idly and Vada..

Little did I notice the extent of damage the rains had on my cycle and my attire. From Kanakpura the uphill climbs started and from an average speed of close to 23kmph, we came down to 18kmph. Another couple of water breaks and  The third break near a coconut grove to have yummy Coconut juice.. Next big town - Malavalli, Time: 12:30 pm.. Another 48 km to go .. 12:00 Noon and the sun was beating down hard. We slowly cruised through the bike lanes on the highway, but were getting exhausted pretty son.. 

Shekar and Rama on car, caught up with us few kilometers after Malavalli. I took time to change my socks and little did I realize of the damage from early morning rains.. The water had crept in and my feet was completely soaked up to White..

We took a break for lunch at Kiregavalu Santhemala .. ensured that we ate very less, yet sufficiently hydrated.. We took a break under the coconut trees . School children looked at us like aliens from outside world who strangely enough spoke their language..

After 1/2 hour break we started around 2:30pm towards Mysore. Bannur seemed close yet far away.. The bums had become numb.. and breaks every 10 km..

The last 15km was challenging with lots of up and down.. The road and the traffic also became intolerable. 5 pm and here we were touching the outer ring road of Mysore.. We rode directly towards Cosmopolitan club which is close to the railway station.

I had a real nice hot water bath and had a crocin for the headache and was all set.. We walked around through the city and had a nice coffee at the Devaraja Urs Road..

From Left to Right : Dileesh, Rama, Sumanth, Ravi, Sekhar
Dinner at Kings Court.. However too Spicy for our liking... Crashed in bed at 10 pm without a clue... :)....

The next day morning, we got up at 6:30am and decided to head out towards Ranganthittu bird sanctuary. Situated (island) on Cauvery river, it is one of the beautiful sights and place for migratory birds. The guide informed us that the best time to visit is Dec-March where the migratory birds arrive.

By 10 am we came back to Mysore and had a really sumptuous breakfast at Mylari..
http://www.tripadvisor.in/Restaurant_Review-g304553-d1200166-Reviews-Vinayaka_Mylari-Mysore_Karnataka.html

The smell of Dosa and the taste of Chutney still rings in my mind..

We decided to pack the cycles back to Mysore on train. Unfortunately Shathabdhi express (the train on which we booked) did not have Rake van. The cycles had to booked on a succeeding train. Riding on Shathabdhi was a really good experience. The only thing missing was an air hostess.. It was clean, it had enough leg space between chairs.. 6pm at my home.. Home sweet home..

As I look back at the ride, I realize it symbolizes journey of life.. We are enthusiastic when we are young - just like our ride through till Kanakpura (first 30%) where we ripped through and tough towards the end - like the Bannur Mysore stretch (last 15%).. But then again what helps you sail through the difficult times is Courage and Good company.. The ride was fruitful because Sumanth and Ravi (and I) never gave up. It was successful because when one of us was down the other just egged on. It was successful because like life... We had a Purpose.. To Persist, to win and push yourself to the limit.... Now I believe it (and anything) can be done..


Ready reckoners for long ride - Courtesy - Sumanth...

1.      Map Route  - Hard Copy/ Google Map

2.      First AID kit

3.      Medicines – Pain Killer, Fever, Stomach Upsets

4.      Food – Candy bars, Chocolates, Chikkis, Butter Milk, Have Coconuts on the way

5.      USB Chargers – PowerBanks, Chargers,

6.      Drinks – Gatorade, Glucose Packets we can carry if any, Min 2 Bottles

7.      Cycle –

a.      Puncture Kits, Repair kit tools, Spokes, Spoke bars

b.      Tube 26” – 2 Spares

c.      1 Extra Cycle Shorts & Shirt

d.      1 Pair of Socks

Finally, LOADs of Positive Energy ;-)

Trance.... Goa Style...

A Serene evening with the waves rumbling hitting high on the rocks like a drummer in a rock band playing a soft music. and you sit on the beach with soft rock listening to the rumbling sea ... looking at the moon.. time stands still... Trance... or Inner Peace as they say in Kungfu Panda...

The Quest for Goa was ever looming for the four of us. I, Deepak, Arun and Nishanth.. I cannot say that for my brother Jithesh who has rode to Goa umpteen number of times.. and so we call him "Periya Swamy". after the Guru swamy cult associated with Shabarimala Ayyapan pilgrimage.. To the extend that my wife and Deepak's wife asked him to take care of us during the ride.. as first timers... a.k.a Kanni Swami..

Long weekends are always good opportunity to get out of Bangalore.. Hang out and have fund.. And so the locked out dates were 2nd to 5th Oct 2014. 3 Bikes.. and a car.. Interestingly the hunt for the last person was a real fun with my cousin dropping out.. Luckily Nishanth came onboard otherwise I would have been one of the pillion riders in the bikes. My car - Etriga was the recovery vehicle and luggage bearer for the 3 riders. Arun rode from Chennai to Bangalore on 1st afternoon and rested. After a quick check of bikes, I and my brother went to Maria mess had nice Porotta... Alarm time : 4:30am.. check out time 5:00 am

Anxiety ... anxiety caught hold of me and I wasn't able to sleep.. I got up twice.. Finally 4:30 am alarm.. Bikers saddled up by 4:50 am.. I and Nishanth 5:00 am start..  First shock of the day.. Exit toll at Yeshwanthpur, Nelamangala, Kyatsandra .. 20 Minutes per toll... So many cars.. so many folks wanting to get out of Bangalore..

The route : Bangalore -> Tumkur -> Chitradurga -> Hubli -> Dharward (few kmw before take a left) -> Alnavar -> Ponda -> Pajim -> Calangute ->Anjuna

Our first break was few kilometers from Tumkur where we had breakfast. That is when Deepak realized that the screws /nuts and locks of his Enfield have come off.. a Red tape fix is all what takes.

Next break at Hubli bye pass. We waited for the riders for about an hour. After few minutes of break we were our way.. Passing by was a bunch of Triumph riders… We were in deep anticipation but we knew that if the traffic was anything to by, Goa was going to be crowded..

Next stop at Hotel Hill View which is a family owned restaurant.. again a large bunch of folks .. we had fried rice and curd rice. Next stop after crossing the border on top of the hills.. and the then wind down towards Goa.. Check post entry – 250 Rs. Per car.. We reached Ponda at around 6:00pm and had a tea break. From there on till Anjuna was a crawl…  9:00pm we were at Guru shack which is owned by Jithu’s riding friend Swapnil. His family has been based out of Anjuna for long and owns the place.  

We unsaddled, went to the room freshened up  and went directly to Guru shack.. raised our legs on top of the floor.. looked up to the sea and just stared at the waves.. for almost an hour.. nothing words spoken between the 5 of us.. just the waves.. and the moonlight..  

Ideal dish to start off.. Barbeque chicken.. wow .. Yummy .. at 12 we started to walk around the breach.. There were night parties at Hippies, Lilliput, Curleys. We walked for around 2km through the beach to the end of the beach. At Curleys the party was on.. lazer lights flowing all over.. dance floor completely full.. on the beach there were fishermen families selling cheese Omelets burger.. we walked back to our place .. 3pm we went to bed.

Cock a doodle do... a misty morning... 8am on a Friday morning.. Tea time.. we head to Cafe H2O .. Vicky was there. we ordered Poached eggs. 

Next up Breakfast at Curleys.. Yummy English Breakfast.. Bacon, salami , fried eggs .. for folks like me who avoid red meat, there is option of chicken...  Yummy.. we walked around the beach on the rocky terrain 

After a bit of rest in the afternoon, we decided to try out Baga for the famous Fish Curry meals at Brittos. To our surprise, 1 1/2 hour of waiting at the Hotel... so we decided to try out another food joint.. we found a relatively free restaurant and tried out fish curry meals. 

Next up .. Chapora Fort.. The view is simply spectacular from top.. The setting sun and the beautiful Vagatore beach 

Dinner at La Franza.. We looked for Chicken/Pork Vindaloo but could not find.. Finally we settled for Chilli Prawns.. Yummy dishes again..

Again we followed the same routine ... the walk up to Curlys and the Friday night party. we topped it off with Cheese Omelet Burger.. Yummy.. Then again the walk back towards Guru Shack.. with the waves rumbling over the rocks..

The next day morning it was time for Tea at Guru's shack.. just enjoying the beach view..

Breakfast @ Cafe Liliput.. again delicious English breakfast..


after a good sumptuous Lunch at Guru, and that is where we met Guinness Book of World Record holder and Contender for Strongest man in India MontyStar Agarwal ..



















we left for Vagator beach.. had a swim in the beach and then spent the evening enjoying the sunset..

After we came back to Anjuna, The thought that the next day morning we need to ride back to Bangalore was large in our minds.. But then there was also the guilt... The guilt of not having tasted Goan Fish Curry meals at Britos. May be there will be next time, that was the thought in some quarters... But if we are here let's do it.. Jithesh said.. So we decided to ride to Baga and try out our luck.. We were lucky this time, we got a table in 45 minutes time.. And I have to tell you the taste of the Fish Curry still remains in my taste buds...

 

It was Night as usual once we were back in Anjuna.. roaming around the beach. walk up to Curleys and back.. thinking about the good time we had in Goa... Just the real fun..

The next day morning, Tea was at Cafe H2O.. Met Vicky for the last time.. had tea, mint tea and Poached eggs..Thanked him for the wonderful hospitality.. He wished us a safe ride back.. and hoped could meet again.....

After a shower, We saddled up and started on our way back to Bangalore. Where can we have breakfast.. Lila Cafe.. 

We started our ride back by around 12 Noon... Leaving "Ponda" was a special feeling for us.. After a brief stop over at the Goa check post, and an uphill climb, we reached the top of the hills and then the ride back.. All this while, weather gods had been kind.. but it changed all of a sudden.. Heavy rains slowed us down.. Bikers were badly hit.. trees were falling on the road, near Alnavar.. The riders were fully drenched.. to the extend that they had to move to a new pair of dresses after Hubli. 

Brief stop over at Kamat (beyond Hubli) for Dosa and then by 6 we were on our way again.. It continued to rain.. Car halted at Anagodu and waited for the riders to join .. It took them approx 45 minutes to join.. After a brief stop over at Chitradura toll, the last stretch towards Nelamangala and then to Home.. We reached home by around 2:30am.. Before I went to I felt the trip was made memorable not by the places we visited but by the team we had.. the brotherhood that we shared.. . we are already planning for the next ride.. this time we will not do it during weekends/holidays.. Goa experience cannot be explained.. it has to be experienced.. Goa is simply Trance....

Recommended places 

• Curley's at Anjuna
• Guru's Shack at Anjuna
• Lila Cafe
• Britto's at Baga  
• Chapora Fort

My Request for travelers to Goa

• Please do not visit Goa for Paneer Butter Masala... Indulge in the local cuisine.. Enjoy the local taste.. 
• Do not get bothered by what others do especially foreigners.. they don't care about you.. enjoy the atmosphere.. enjoy the beach, enjoy the music, meet fellow travelers,  enjoy the time.. be in trance.. 
• Don't go to Goa because alcohol is cheap and don't make a mockery.. have sense.. 
• Eat anywhere... you can trust the food.. even if it is in a local eat out.. You are close to the sea so the fish will never be stale. 
• Goa is laid back.. especially for serving you food.. don't be anxious about food.. it is not fast food.. It take time to prepare 
• Walk through the beaches in the night.. Night life is simply amazing.. 
• Locals - villagers are very helpful. Season is their lively hood .. They will be tolerant to a large limit. During season most of them open small retail outlets, tea, coffee shops in front of their home. They are Inviting you to their home.. respect their hospitality and have gratitude. 
• Hire a scooter . never a taxi.. Goa has narrow roads, scooters will save a lot of time.
• Don't go to Goa to see a lot of places (and the same applies everywhere you go).. it is not how many places you visit that matters, but how much can you enjoy each place/food joint.. 
• Shacks are not cheap.. Shacks are experience.. 
• Throw away your watch/mobile.. Time will stand still...

My Biggest gratitude to my lovely wife for taking care of kids while I was away on the trip.....

Thigh Five....

Bengaluru are you Ready... shouted the Anchor.. Are you Ready Bengaluru... Yes. Yes.. Yes... Yes.. Shouted the crowd assembled at the full packed Sree Kanteerava Indoor stadium sitting at the basin of Sampangi Lake... 4000 plus crowd brimming and overflowing like a Beer Mug!!!! But why are they so passionate to watch.. what are they cheering for? Are they cheering for Saina Naiwal the ace Indian Badminton champion.. is it Sachin Tendulkar the God of Cricket who is being felicitated or is it some Dance/music event for which Kanteerava stadium has been leased out... Here stepped up Mantra a.k.a Puranjith Das Gupta our Anchor with a charming young lady and announced... "Thigh five..." let the play begin... To the tears in cheerful tears in my eyes... I shouted "Yeahh.....". Call it the underdog syndrome... It took me a minute to realize that Kabaddi has come a long way from being a game played in villages of India to the center stage in the world... Kashiling Ramachadra Adake, Surjit Narwal, Anup Kumar, Rakesh Kumar, Shabeer Bapu, Rahul Chaudhary, Dharamaraj Cheralathan, Jan Kun Leen from Korea are household names. 

Kashi with his fans...

India has been Kabaddi World champions for time immemorial. So much so that there are Bankers, Police officers, Weight lifters who quit their jobs and joined Kabaddi as a professional sport. Earning a meager salary/endorsement and thriving on jobs offered by public sector. It has taken ages for it to come to the forefront. And importantly, what has made it a success now. I call it Strategic Marketing

Dr. Kotler.. father of Marketing describes Strategic Marketing as 

Create - Product Management

Communicate - Brand Management

Deliver Value - Customer Management 

to a Target Market - STP.. Segmentation Targeting, Positioning (partially)

At a Profit - Revenue Model et al. 

Creating Value

Value is all about what is perceived by the viewer/young customer. And to create Value for him, as a fearless, short 40 minutes package which keeps your interest.. No breaks.. no frills.. just pure thrills .. Excellent viewing experience at the ground with lighting, facilities, played all around India. Value as an Aspirational sport...which is physical  There is lot of physical contact in the game, there is spectacles like Kashi's Vertical Hanuman Jump to get ring of defenders.. 

There is lot of Super Human things.. thrills frills, drama that is created like a Soap opera and the packages is short and sweet for 40 minutes with very few advertisement breaks unlike the IPL equivalent which is prolonged for 4 hours.. This is the era of burgers and instant coffee.. Youth wants instant entertainment in a very short time interval.. 
Co-branding was used extensively with Movies like Kick from Salman Khan and Singham 3 from Ajay endorsing pro Kabaddi

Ajay Devgan doing Thigh five in Singham 3 Movie commerical

Communicate Value

Youth of India are Geek's, they use the latest technology, are well connected and are Brand conscious. Social Media was extensively used to create awareness and communicating the value. Player pages emerged.. to the extend that Bengaluru bulls had a website come up. 

Twitter, Facebook, web pages, Mobile apps name it .. it was there.. 

Logos, taglines, all look integrated. For example.. Bengaluru bulls had their T-Shirts in Red, a Red color bull charging, the tag line said "Fully Charged" and written in Kannada language as "Fully Charge Madi".. Localization strategy was evident. 

Star Sports was signed in as the Broadcasters and they pitched in 15 seconds advertisements that created interest featuring kids, youngsters. i.e. it generated curiosity. 

Delivering Value

Three main challenges which they overcame

1. To make Kabaddi an aspirational sport, 

2. Ensure a good stadium experience and 

3. Catch the attention of a new generation of TV viewers. 

The value was created by using  state-of-the-art technical equipment that included 14 cameras - ultra motion cameras to accentuate the smallest details of Kabaddi action, crane cameras for dynamic overhead shots and a number of slow-motion, steady and hand-held cameras that also focused on crowds. 

Professional services were used from across the world, Israel, US, UK to create the whole Package. There was lot Personalization also done with player meets, up close and personal settings at malls etc. 

Target Market 

The Youth of India. The 55% of India's working class and growing, set to become the youngest Country in the next 5 years. 

Profit

Just to compare and contrast, Yuvraj Singh the cricketer who got the highest Bid in IPL got 14 Crores ... Rakesh Kumar, Indian Kabaddi Captain got 12.8 Lakhs as the highest bid. 

Clearly the spending was on Marketing and basic infrastructure, as well as using state of the art technology. Another key aspect to be notes is that The ticketing was outsourced to Kyazoonga - clearly they knew that this was not part of the "Core value proposition" for Pro Kabaddi. 

Success

Just to prove the point about the success... 

1) TV ratings for the opening night Kabaddi games were higher than World Cup football opening night... Isn't that AWESOME....

2) Times of India one of the leading newspapers in India wrote "The power of live television has reignited interest in a forgotten sport (Kabaddi) among millions of viewers."

The league has been a run away success from online point of view. Twelve hours into the league, it received about 140 million impressions on Twitter and saw substantial Facebook activity, too. While various celebrities tweeted their in-stadia experiences, some posted 'signature selfies' at the venue like Amithabh Bachan, Ajay Devagan, Regional Movie stars like Venkatesh etc..

India has risen.. shed its inertia and accepted Kabaddi wholeheartedly.. No matter who wins the finals ... And I am really happy for players like Rakesh Kumar, Kashi, Sandeep, Ajay for without Pro Kabaddi.. they would have lived their life of be-wilderness.. Kabaddi has been the true winner.. Hats off... or shall I say Thigh Five to you !!!!..

Amithabh bachan doing a Thigh Five

Arise... Awake.. and Stop not till the Goal is reached --- Swami Vivekananda....