Adhvagat

14/04/2017

Ramanathaswamy Temple
A Hindu Temple dedicated to the Lord Shiva is located on the island of Rameswaram in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Considered as a holy pilgrimage site, it is also one of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples. The temple has the longest corridor among all the Hindu temples in India. According to Ramayana, the Lingam of Ramanathaswamy is believed to have been established and worshipped by Rama, an avatar of the Lord Vishnu, to absolve the sins created during the Ramayana war at Sri Lanka. There are two lingams inside the sanctum - Ramalingam, built by Sita is made from sand and is residing as the main deity and Vishwalingam is the one brought by Hanuman from Kailash.The temple has 22 theerthams/tanks where devotees bathe before paying their respects to the presiding deity.

Legend has it that Rameswaram was one of the last stops of Rama and Lakshmana in the Indian peninsula before they constructed a bridge to cross over to Lanka and battle Ravana. On his way back, having defeated Ravana and rescued Sita, Rama stopped by again to seek forgiveness from Shiva for having killed a bramhin (Ravana). Since Rameswaram didn’t have any lingams, he asked Hanuman to get one for him. With time running out and no sign of Hanuman returning, Rama followed the advice of the elders and requested Sita to create a lingam out of sand. Meanwhile, Hanuman returned with a lingam from Mount Kailasa and was upset at seeing Rama worshiping another one. Rama assured Hanuman that he would worship the one he brought first. Thus, even though the temple has two lingams, the vishwalingam receives preferential treatment to this day.

Complete trip details can be found in the below link.
https://www.facebook.com/theadhvagat/posts/394175890950922

This photo has been captured by our fellow Adhvagat, Sanjay Indiresh.

30/03/2017

For the month of March, we have selected our teams most favourite place.

This place is an abandoned town at the south-eastern tip of Pamban Island of the state of Tamil Nadu in India.

Adhvagat - Place of the Month is Dhanushkodi.

This place has pristine blue waters, white sands that stretch undisturbed for miles, breathtaking sunsets and sunrises along with a lure of Mythology. The place is uninhabited since the 1964 Cyclone and hence it's also known as the GHOST Town.

Location on Google Maps - Dhanuskodi

https://goo.gl/maps/2m4ctL9zibD2

The place is just 21 km away from Rameshwaram. To reach Dhanushkodi you can take a bus from Rameshwaram which will drop you off at the check post from there you can hire a jeep.

The myth or reality, depending on what you believe, is that "Ram Setu" or "Adam’s Bridge" was built by Lord Ram during his conquest on Lanka to rescue Sita from the evil Ravana. According to the Ramayana and local folklore, Lord Ram broke the bridge with his bow and arrow at the bequest of the new king of Lanka after the war. It is this story that gives the town its name "Dhanushkodi", dhanush meaning bow in Sanskrit.

Since the place is very close to Sri Lanka you cannot stay at this place for a long time. The town used to have a railway station and you can actually see the ruined railway station along with the railway tracks. There is an abandoned church in this city. You can also see the famous Rama Setu stones which float in water at this place.

Other places you can visit near Danushkodi -

Rameshwaram - Rameshwaram is one of the holiest places in India and is located on a beautiful island.

Some famous places you can visit in Rameshwaram are
Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple,
Kothandaramaswamy Temple,
Agni Theertham,
Pambam bridge and Ariyaman Beach

How to reach Rameshwaram

By Air: Take a flight to Madurai Airport which is approx. 170 km away from Rameshwaram city and hail a cab from here.

By Train: The Rameshwaram Railway Station is directly connected to all major stations like Madurai, Chennai, Coimbatore, Thanjavur, & Trichy. Various kinds of trains such as superfast, express and mail trains ply from here.

By Road: A road trip to Rameshwaram would be nothing less than exciting and refreshing, given you’d be driving on the smoothest of roads over a long bridge. The city is well connected with major cities like Chennai, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, & Thanjavur. One can also take a bus from Madurai which is 169 km away by road.

Our trip plan :
We had planned a 3 day trip from Bangalore -
From Bangalore we took an overnight train to Kanyakumari. Next day we saw places in Kanyakumari and then took a over night train to Rameshwaram. Then we visited Dhanushkodi on the 2nd day by hiring a jeep from the hotel and paid 1500 for the jeep. Spent the whole day in Dhanushkodi. The third day we took an auto and visited all the famous temples of Rameshwaram and took an over night bus to Bangalore.

The trip cost was - 3500rs per person.

If you are interested to visit this place and explore, kindly contact us.

Some of the photographs are captured by one of our Adhvagat Sanjay Indiresh.

17/03/2017

A land without ruins is a land without memories; A land without memories is a land without history. Shetihalli Rosary Church, a 30 min drive from Hassan leads you to this breathtaking ruined site that overlooks the Hemavathi reservoir built by French missionaries. The church is now an abandoned place and has become a hot spot for film makers in recent times. During monsoons, you can take a coracle ride to see it half submerged!

Here is a short video of our trip:
https://youtu.be/sAbYlSMPuEA

17/03/2017

Adhvagat - Place of the Month: Gundal Dam.
Here is a short video of our bike ride to Gundal Dam.
https://youtu.be/TMbS89xMcSs
PS: uploaded in 4k resolutions so do watch it in the 1080p at least.

For trip details, check this post : https://www.facebook.com/theadhvagat/posts/379060395795805

Gundal dam is around 160 km from Bangalore and 80 km from Mysore. Its located 4.5km from Kollegal on the Satyamangal road. Best time to visit is from August ...

13/03/2017

We are sure you've heard of Pub hopping and most of you would be doing it this weekend. But have you ever done island hopping? You read it right! You can walk to this island which is 100m away from the main island. Dharmadom Island is an uninhabited island covered with coconut palms and dense bushes sits beyond the confluence of Anjarakandy and Thalassery rivers. From the sandy beach of Dharmadom, this island is set off from the mainland by rivers that surround it on three sides and the sea on its western side. You can wade to the island at low tide. And what more? You can take a boat ride to a few more islands further than this!

Here is a short video of our trip.
https://youtu.be/ZX5QUBUBgUg

For trip plans to this place contact us.

28/02/2017

We have decided to feature one offbeat place every month and that will be the "Adhvagat - Place of the Month". We will provide all the information you need to plan your trip.

So this month's "Adhvagat - Place of the Month" is a small dam near Kollegal which goes by the name Gundal Dam.

Gundal dam is around 160 kms from Bangalore and 80 km from Mysore. It's located 4.5kms from Kollegal on the Satyamangal road. Best time to visit is from August to March.

Location on Google Maps- Gundal Dam
https://goo.gl/maps/rAsdKX7kvmH2

While going you can take the Bangalore-Mysore highway and turn at Maddur towards Malavalli. At Malavalli continue straight on the Mandya-Belakavadi road till Kollegala and use Google maps from there to reach the place. (There are two routes to Gundal Dam and one of them takes you on an off-road path for around 3-4kms).

While heading back to Bangalore you can take the Kanakapura-Bangalore road.

The dam is situated next to the forest reserve which explains the good views. Since very few people visit this place, it's really peaceful.

Other places you can visit along the way -
Gaganachukki and Barachukki falls.
Taksham Monastery, Dhondenling(one more amazing place).
If your heading to B.R Hills then you can visit Gundal dam on the way.

Our trip plan -
We left Bangalore at 5 am and reached Maddur by 7 and had breakfast at the famous Maddur Tiffany's and then went to Gaganchukki falls. We skipped Barachukki falls as there was no water and headed straight to Gundal dam. Spent an hour and a half near the dam and we went to Taksham Monastery. From the Monastery we headed back to Bangalore via Kanakpura road. We had our lunch at a small hotel in Dhondenling and reached Bangalore by 6 pm.

Total distance covered was 400kms. 3 of us went in two bikes.
Petrol - Rs. 1000 per bike.
Food - Rs. 250 per person.

Here is a short video of our trip.
https://youtu.be/TMbS89xMcSs

Kindly let us know if you need any more information or if you would like know more about our future posts.

13/02/2017

Maharashtra’s mystical and most well-kept secret is the Lonar Lake, thanks to a meteor hitting earth over 52,000 years ago. This is the Earth’s largest and only hypervelocity impact crater in basaltic rock. The temples around the lake and the stories related to them is an experience you must not miss. This gorgeous lake is just a 4-hour drive from Aurangabad.

22/01/2017

Kudremukha, Karnataka's 3rd highest peak.

16/01/2017

Rameshwaram is the edge of the country having stunning sceneries and friendly inhabitants. Breathe in the fresh air and soak up the amazing silence. Such enchantment is something special to witness.

02/01/2017

Spectacular valley formed by the river "Pennar" that cuts through the hills and the fort which sits majestically on top of the gorge attracts every traveller. This haunting combination of nature and man made architecture is said to be "the hidden grand canyon of India", Gandikota.
Happy new year! May a year full of travelling and new experiences begin for all of us!

29/12/2016

Rewards make you exceptional!
Rewards make you recognised!
Rewards make you peculiar!
Yes, it is the first milestone for our efforts as we are recognized by the GoPro company. We are pleased to announce that our cover pic bagged a whooping 2000 US Dollars as the token of appreciation.

Thank you and we look forward for your continued support.

Captured by : Sumanth Holla

GoPro

15/12/2016

Golkonda, an outstanding example of brilliant engineering and magical architecture. It's a beautiful citadel and a fort.