Here is the dried grass in the foreground, the greenery of the woods, and the water that is headed towards Talakalale Balancing Reservoir.
Even the Sun chose not to be too harsh upon this benign landscape and descended behind a hillock to make way for the night.
Huklu was one such place suggested by a friend who could provide no other details, except that it was a charming little place worth a visit when I happen to be in the vicinity. Besides, it is located on the backwaters of Sharavathi. So I decided to venture out on my own. From Bengaluru to Sagara and then on to Kargal, I continued further along the Bhatkal Road. I enquired at a small tea shop, continued for another 3 km, took a righ turn & then a left, and soon I was in a village called Melina Huklu.
When your object of interest is over 130 km long, it's quite natural to come with a list of attractions along its length… some prominent, many others quite minor. Some others don't even make it to the list! In fact, the list depends on who is making it, which means, most lists are incomplete. If you look at it another way, the list keeps evolving, like the river and its environs.
Huklu is indeed unpopulated beyond a point and all the life forms make the most of the tranquil ambience.
The main entrance faces the backwaters which is just a stone's throw away, and the location makes for a wonderful place for meditation.
This Kuteera was dedicated to the use of His Holiness on the occasion of Rama Navami.
Further down the road, I found an isolated but neatly decorated hut built for the exclusive use of Swamiji on the banks of the backwaters.
The dried up grass in the neighborhood which forms an inadvertent background to many a landscape photograph looked resplendent here in an unusual lighting. For once, I let it be the sole object of a photograph!
The locals guided me to the Mahaganapathi Temple. To you & me, the place may seem a bit remote, but if you stay around and observe the temple parish, you'll realise it's quite popular! The standing Ganapathi idol is well adorned as per Agama sciences and diligently worshipped. The temple is patronized by Sri Raghaveshwara Swamiji of Sri Ramachandrapura Math. As I went around the temple, I discovered that the backwaters lay just behind the temple.
