Oyster Island - a paradise on earth 

Today’s artefact is about a piece of land, probably a few sq. kilometres in area, which is directly transported to the earth from heaven. At a distance of 11 kms from Karwar mainland, Oyster Rock Lighthouse, also known as Devgad Island Lighthouse, is a lighthouse situated on rocks in Devgad Island. Oyster Rocks are a group of small islands rather rocks - Devgad being the main summit on which the Lighthouse is situated. The Lighthouse was constructed by the British during 1860 CE and was commissioned into service on 25th March 1864 CE. The colonial styled architecture of this light house is really astonishing. The tower has a dome on the top, from where the entrance to the lantern room can be accessed. We did go to top of the dome – from where the light emission happens during the night. There is thick forest growth on this hillock. We had heard about this place in one of our travel forum. Their experience and pictures had inspired us to take this offway adventure.

When we plan a destination – we know what to look out for. But in this case, we had only a few mesmerizing pictures and some scary info from our boat guide. Yet we were looking forward to this adventurous piece, out of our entire week’s itinerary. Reason - probably because it was a less frequented place or we had no idea what to expect out of it. Either of it, we wanted to go and explore the less unexplored. We put in our Vasco-Da-Gama hats and started our journey towards Karwar after a little stint with water sporty Dandeli.

We were on week long self-driving tour which was supposed to end in Goa for the New Year bash. ***Party mode on*** :)  It was 2.5-hour drive from Dandeli. Roads collaborated well with the strong tree-lines all along the way, making the journey beautiful. After passing through variety of forest flora, fauna and water bodies we reached Karwar. We were hungry, logged into a restaurant of an acquaintance, filled our tummies and packed dinner. We were told that there is no food available on the island, so we had pack food and some snacks.  We were already warned as to nothing is available on the island. Working out all the possible permutation and combinations of the required stuff, we got ready for our jaunt. With high hopes and mixed thoughts we reached the slipway (boat

resting place). Guide’s brother greeted us and took us to the nearby safe haven for our automotive. After a good 30 min long wait in the scorching sun, our small boat arrived. Finally we started our wavy oceanic journey in a small boat with 7 of us in it. 4 girls and 3 boatmen. Initial few minutes were delightful, but as we progressed deeper into the ocean, my heart beat started skipping. Water waves were splashing all over my body. I had almost taken a salt water bath. As waves were hitting over me, my fear of drowning increased. Since we were approaching towards the end of the day, the intensity of the waves were high, ocean was getting rougher every minute. Total duration of the journey was around 90 minutes. Those 90 minutes were probably the toughest ones of my life. Me being a non-swimmer, had never felt this captivated ever before.

After the horrendous journey, we reached the shore. Once I landed my foot on the Oyster rocks, all the fear vanished. I was lost in the beauty. We were in a dream land. A small land surrounded by clear water on all sides. No sightings of anything apart from waves rushing towards me. Probably no words can’t do the justice to the scene. Below is the image, where we parked our boat overnight. After trying hard to pull the boat to its hook, we started climbing the small hillock – to the base of the Light house. Once we entered the light house, just threw our bags and started climbing the 5 storey watchman of the seas. We had to rush as the sun was almost immersing itself in the ocean. Didn’t want miss the panorama of Sun and the ocean kissing each other and we were just in time for the sight. After the splendid view, we just stood standstill – wanted to pause the wheel of time, freeze the moment. Nothing in life was more beautiful than that moment. It took away all my wrath, all my fear. Once we got back to the base of the light house, we refreshed ourselves from the salinity. We had whole evening and night to spend. Since it’s a distant place from the mainland – electricity is available only on generator and they switch it off by 10 PM. No mobile network, no electricity makes a man think out of the box. So did we. Started interacting with our guide – trying to understand the of the place and its surroundings. Got to know the nearby islands, their stories, experiences with other guests.

Forgot to mention – an engineer stays at the place for the light house maintenance round the clock. So we did get some info of about light house working. Once it was dark – we trekked down to the ocean again – different side of it though. Seeing the ocean waves in the dark with new moon approaching was a once in a lifetime experience. Then we trekked back – played some music, lit the natural campfire – using dried sticks and leaves – blowing it up using a pipe to maintain the fire. Remembering our grandma’s kitchen days. It was a perfect package for an outdoor out of the way experience.

 They told us – they were shocked when they heard 4 girls are coming to the island for a stay and when they told their mother about it, her reaction was – Are those girls mad? I can imagine her reaction. Anyone who hears that might think we are crazy. But trust me – it wasn’t at all scary. It was one of most precious moments we’ll cherish for a lifetime. We had one of our best evenings - laughed, danced, counted the stars, felt the fresh air around, saw the night sky, their reflection on the ocean – totally magical and mystical. Then we had our dinner and it was time for the generator to be switched off. It was dark and silent. We could hear the sound of waves even on top of the hillock. It was time for some rest. It wasn’t a hostel or even a dormitory to be expected for. We slept on the floor gossiping whole night. We had to rise before the sun rises to witness the new beginning. We got up by 5:30 AM climbed the light house waiting for the beautiful sun to rise across the horizon. It was windy at the top and slight orange streaks of light started emerging out, signalling the arrival of the king in queue. What we witnessed, was nothing less than a magic. One of the most beautiful mornings we ever had experienced. The transition from darkness to light was soothing.  After the sun was sharp enough, we came down looking for a nap. But in vain, we couldn’t even close our eyes. After a while we went down to ocean we had visited last night to get the day view. I was spellbound - Crystal blue water and a clean beach is a rare combination in India. But we did find it here. Blue waters flashing themselves to the oyster rocks, as though they trying to communicate them, trying to establish a connect. That reminded me of an infant effortlessly pulling their mom to show something.  Got some amazing captures of the scene. Not sure if these pictures and words can make the justice to the beauty of the island. It was time for pack up and move for our next destination. Our adventure was coming to an end. All good things end - making way for new and better beginnings.

Sunrise - in sequence 

and the sequence continues.... milky ocean

When the sun rays sprayed their magic on the peaceful water, it turned them into milk - ocean of milk. 

Different views of the island.. marvelous isn't.. 

Lastly, we did have an amazing host which made our experience even more memorable. Thank you guys!!! On our return journey, we had a big boat, rather it was yacht – since sea was rough, they suggested not to use the small boat. Lucky enough for me – I was at peace while returning. Another show stopper of the way back was the sighting of the dolphins. We visited the Kurumgad and DevBagh islands enroute to the mainland.

Some information around the light house and other islands near Karwar:

Karwar has an archipelago of islands along the coast of Karwar offering some of the most beautiful coastal beaches, enchanting its natural splendour and arguably the best diving sites in India. Popular islands near Karwar are DevBagh Island, Anjadiv Island, Kurumgad Island, Oyster Rock (Devgad Island), Sanyasi Island, Sadashivgad Island and Madlimgadh Island. Karwar is known for its sparkling azure waters is where there is confluence of the Kali River with the Arabian Sea.

DevBagh Island

The most beautiful of all the islands, it hosts a beautiful resort – Jungle Lodges Devbagh Island Beach Resort. It can be reached by boat from Karwar. The beaches are pristine and private. Thickly populated with green casuarinas trees -  the name literally means the garden of gods. A great spot to watch Dolphins, it is also a popular Water sports destination. Devbagh also had a great influence on Rabindranath Tagore who stayed here in his younger days. He also penned a poem “Prakritir Pratishodh” about this place.

Kurumgad Island

A tortoise shaped island 4 km off the coast of Karwar (it takes a 20-minute motorboat ride to reach this desolate Island). The Island is now privately owned and belongs to a Coffee Planter Suresh Mathias. It was ruled by different dynasties including the Vijayanagar Empire. Atop a hill there is an old Narasimha temple that draws thousands of devotees every year during an annual jatra. An ideal place to spot seals this rock formation according to Geologists was formed from Earthquake activity 300 million years ago. The Kurmagad Island nearby has an old fort and a Narasimha shrine, worth a visit. Great Outdoors Island Resort is situated at Kurumgad Island at 45 mins ferry ride from Karwar.

Sadashivgad Island

This Island is connected with a 1 Km long bridge. This densely populated hamlet is a few kms from the mainland of Karwar. The Island has a famous fort and Durgadevi temple. The fort leads to a hill from where you get great views of the sea and Islands including Devbagh. The fort itself is quite dilapidated and very little remains. Estuary View Resort is an Ayurveda Resort located at on a hill overlooking the Devbagh Island and Kali River at Sadashivgad, Karwar (Karnataka, India).

Anjadiv Islands (Anjadip or Angediva)

With an area of 1.5 sq km, it is the largest of the Karwar Panchdiva chain of five Islands. Anji stands for five in Tamil and it denotes the fifth Island. It is a 30 min boat ride 4 Km. This idyllic Island is home to the Indian Navy. The island has some remains of the bygone Portuguese era, some old houses and Chruch ruins. Portuguese poet Luis de Camoes described it as the "Island of Amours".

Madlimgadh Island

This Island is used as a Picnic spot; both Wild Buffalos and the British have inhabited this small island.

Sanyasi Island

Most of the island resorts provide a complimentary boat trip to the Sanyasi Island. There is an interesting legends about this Island, in ancient times, a sage sought refuge on this island for penance and hence the name.

How to reach Karwar:

Bangalore to Karwar is 521 km by road. There are plenty of buses plying between the two cities. By train it is 772 Km. There are 2 direct trains from Bangalore to Karwar - Yeshwanthpur - Karwar Express (16515) and Karwar Express (16523). There are plenty of stay options available in Karwar - not an area of concern at all.

I personally feel Karwar has been underrated. It has so much to offer for a tourist. Its pristine waters, beaches and beach resorts are the ones to look out for. I would love to go back to this peaceful haven any given point. I hope I was able to do some justice to the beauty of this place. Anyone interest in visiting the place please do let me know, I shall share the contact number. 

Badami – through the words of Badami Rashmi

Badami: Sounds like a dry fruit name? isn’t it? (Badam)

But reference here is to a little archaeological town in northern part of Karnataka in Bagalkot district. I proudly say, that my family tree begins from here. It is famous for its rock cut structural temples. It is located in a ravine at the foot of a rugged red sandstone on the banks of Agastya lake. Archaeological survey of India has declared Badami as protected site. It’s also is in the process of acclaiming “World Heritage site” status by UNESCO. Pattadkal near Badami is already on the list. It is also believed that name Badami has come from colour of its stone (Badam -Almond).

The town was formerly known as Vatapi. The name Vatapi has origin in the Vatapi legend of Ramayana relating to Sage Agastya. There were two demon siblings Vatapi and Ilvala. They used to kill all mendicants by tricking them in a peculiar way. The elder Ilvala would turn Vatapi into a ram and would offer its meat to the guest. As soon as the person ate the meat, Ilvala would call out the name of Vatapi. As he had a boon that whomsoever Ilvala calls would return. Vatapi would emerge ripping through the body of the person, thus killing him. Their trick worked until Sage Agastya countered them by digesting Vatapi before Ilvala could call for him, thus ending the life of Vatapi at the hands of Ilvala. Two of the hills in Badami represent the demons Vatapi and Ilvala. As per scholar Dr. D. P. Dikshit, Jayasimha the first Chalukya king, established the kingdom in 500 AD. His grandson Pulakeshin I built a fort at Vatapi. Aihole was named after a merchant guild known as Ayyavole Ainuravaru who lived in the area. An inscription record of this king engraved on a boulder in Badami records the fortification of the hill above "Vatapi" in 544. Pulakeshin's choice of this location for his capital was no doubt dedicated by strategic considerations since Badami is protected on three sides by rugged sandstone cliffs.

Badami has eighteen inscriptions, among them some inscriptions are important. The first Sanskrit inscription is in the halegannada (old Kannada) script on a hillock which dates back to 543 CE, from the period of Pulakeshin I (Vallabheswara), the second is the 578 CE cave inscription of Mangalesha in Kannada language script and the third one is the Kappe Arabhatta records the earliest available Kannada poetry in tripadi (three line) metre. One inscription near the Bhuthanatha temple also has inscriptions dating back to the 12th century rock-cut temple dedicated to the Tirtankara Adinatha.

Badami is famous for its sandstone cave temples. The rock-cut cave temples were sculpted mostly between the 6th and 8th centuries. The four cave temples represent the secular nature of the rulers then, with tolerance and a religious following that inclines towards Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Cave 1 is devoted to Shiva, and Caves 2 and 3 are dedicated to Vishnu, whereas cave 4 displays reliefs of Jain Tirthankaras. From an architectural and archaeological perspective, they provide critical evidence of the early styles and stages of the southern Indian architecture.

The first cave is the oldest of all the caves. It is made of red sandstone and has a hall with numerous pillars and a square shaped sanctum hollowed in the control back wall. There are paintings of amorous couples on the ceiling. Other sculptures include Shiva and his wife Parvathi with a coiled serpent and the 18 armed Lord Nataraja in 81 dancing poses. Beside him are Nandi, dancing Ganapati, etc. There is a neatly carved perfect figure of Mahishasuramardini and several other rock –cut dwarf images of kubja ganas, Nagaraja or snake king, Vidhyadhara couple, etc., are on the ceiling. Deep caverns with carved images of the various incarnations of Hindu gods are strewn across the area, under boulders and in the red sandstone.

Second Cave temple is dedicated to Vishnu (also known Trivikrama) portrayed as Krishna and Varaha  - with one foot mastering the Earth and the other to the sky. On its front are the guards or dwarapalakas holding lotus in their hands. East and West walls of the cave have large images of Bhuvaraha and Trivikrama. On the ceiling are engraved Ananthashayana, Bramha, Vishnu, Shiva and Asthadikpalakas.

Third cave temple dates back to 578 AD. The façade of the cave is nearly 70 feet wide, with carvings of ganas on the plinth. It contains examples of Deccan art, illustrating the culture and clothing of the 6th century. It is dedicated to Vishnu, and is the best and the biggest of all. It has splendid giant figures of Paravasudeva, Bhuvaraha, Harihara and Narasimha. All these statues are engraved in a vigorous style. An inscription found here records the creation of the shrine by Mangalesha in 578 AD. There are some paintings on the ceiling and the style indicates maturity but has lost its original dazzling colour. The bracket figures on the piers here are some of the finest.

Fourth cave relates to 6th century Jainism. There is a carving of the Tirthankara Parshvanatha (with a serpent at his feet). Mahavira is depicted in a sitting posture. The pedestal contains an old Kannada inscription of the 8th century A.D. which registers the death of one Jakkave. Scores of Jain Thirthankaras have been engraved in the inner pillars and walls. In addition to it, there are some idols of Bahubali, Yakshas and Yakshis. Some scholars assign the cave to the 8th century.

Bhuthnath Temple facing the Agastya lake

Other places of interest:

On the north hill, there are three temples, of which Malegitti-Shivalaya is perhaps the oldest temple and also the finest in Badami, and has a Dravidian tower. Out of the two inscriptions found here states that Aryaminchi Upadhyaya, as the sculptor who got this temple constructed and the other dated 1543 speaks of the erection of a bastion during the Vijayanagara rule. The lower Shivalaya has a Dravidian tower, and only the sanctum remains now. The town also has Agasthya Tirtha, temples of Goddess Yellamma, Goddess Banashankari, Mallikarjuna, Datttreya and Virupaksha. Bhuthanatha group of temples are most important in Badami. Badami fort lies west of the Bhuthanatha temple, atop a cliff right opposite the Badami cave temples. The entrance to this temple is right through the Badami museum. It is a steep climb with many view points and dotted with little shrines. The path is laid with neatly cut stone, the same that adores all the architecture around. Banashankari temple - popularly called Banashankari or Vanashankari, since it’s located in Cholachagudda in the Tilakaaranya forest on the outskirts of Badami. The temple was built initially in the Dravidian architectural style. The rebuilt structure is in the Vijayanagara architectural style. The temple is enclosed by a high wall on all sides. The temple also has a beautiful kalyani which is locally called as Haridra Tirtha, a corrupted version of the name Harishchandra Tirtha. The pond is enclosed with

stone mantapas (halls) on three sides. Banashankari jatre ('jatre' means a “fair”) is held as a religious cum cultural festival, at the temple precincts every year on the occasion of the Rath yatra, for a period of about three weeks starting from the day of Rath yatra. Its starts on 8th day of Pushya masa - Bandhashtami day, a Palleda Habba or the Vegetable Utsava or festival is also held on this day. 108 varieties of food items (called ‘bazi’ in local language) made of vegetables are offered to the deity. The festival also marks another unique event namely, the Teppotsava (the boat festival) held in the temple tank. During this event, parents use boats made of banana stems to ferry newly born children blessed by the grace of the goddess around the pond seeking good luck to their children. 

Malegitti-Shivalaya temple

Badami is surrounded by many offbeat pre-historic places like Hiregudda, Sidlaphadi and Kutkankeri (Junjunpadi, Shigipadi and Anipadi), there we can see the rock shelters megalithic burial sites and paintings.

We all have heard the famous hymn “Vatapi Ganapatim bhaje” in Hamsadhwani raga by the composer Muthuswami Dikshitar. The idol of Vatapi Ganapati was brought from Badami by Pallavas, which is now in the Uthrapathiswaraswamy Temple, near Thanjavur of Tamil Nadu.

Another interesting fact: the climate has made it a safe haven for the monkeys of south India. Tourists often flock to Badami for the opportunity to see monkeys interact in a natural environment.

Looks like a staircase to heaven.. it's the climb to the caves

Mallikarjun Temple

Weather:

The temperature ranges from minimum 23 degrees to 45 degrees during summer and from 15 to 29 degrees in winter. The rainfall of the area is 50 centimetres. Best time to visit is between low humid season from November and March.

How to reach Badami:

Criteria	Place	Distance
Nearest airport	Belgaum	150 kilometres
Nearest railway station	Badami	0
Nearest major railway junction	Hubli	130 kilometres
Shortest distance from Bangalore	Bangalore	450 kilometres

Badami is reachable from Bengaluru by a 12-hour bus ride, or by a direct train "Gol Gumbaz Express (train# 16535)" or with a combination of an overnight train journey from Bangalore to Hospet followed by a short bus ride from Hospet to Badami. Another option could be from Bangalore to Hubli (8–9 hours) and then a bus ride from Hubli to Badami (3 hours). Local transport in Badami is by Rickshaws, tongas and city buses.

View of  Badami from the caves

References: Encyclopedia and online websites.