Oberbaum Bridge Berlin

2015 has been a great year in my travel space as I took baby steps to explore the big wide world. Not that sacrifices weren’t made as I had to make few compromises by putting down my paper after working for thirteen years in the software industry. But travel has taught me something very important that my daily job failed to do – to  live every moment to the fullest. The ride hasn’t been easy as I have had to face the chill wind couple of times in my solo travel ventures….

Fishermen mending their nets

Sweat trickled down my back. Officially summer hadn’t yet arrived but Dakshin Kannada created by Lord Parashurama who had thrown an axe from the top of the Western Ghats to reclaim land from sea was showing early signs of the onset of summer. Part of the erstwhile Madras Presidency it was later merged into the state of Karnataka. This region is said to be steeped in history as Greeks and Romans visited its shores for trade. It is told linen, ivory, cotton and betel nut was exported to…

Guthu House in Pilikula

The Bunts have their origins in Mangalore, the popular ones being Aishwarya Rai and Shilpa Shetty. Most today are in the restaurant business and run these eateries in Mumbai.  I came across many Bunt houses in the hamlets around Mangalore during my stay in Dakshin Kannada.

St.Marys-Island

An edited version of this article was published in Pune Mirror as Seaside Diaries As I scanned around I could see the Gurpur River meandering through coconut groves while steamers and boats bounced over it. I was atop Sultan Battery an edifice built by Tipu Sultan to contain the entrance of warships through Gurpur River. Though it is a simple watch tower it looks like a miniature fortress with musket holes for mounting canons. I had reached Mangalore the day before and was enjoying every bit of its cultural extravaganza.

Villas of Summer Sands

I walked barefoot on the sea shore of Ullal. It had been quite late by the time I arrived in Ullal and the sun had already set leaving behind glimpses of its existence with the scarlet smeared sky. I found the coastline across Dakshin Kannada very clean and less crowded. Good for me I preferred staying in the company of nature avoiding the hustle and bustle of hawkers, vendors and tourists. Well I was in Summer Sands a forty year old beach resort that is situated on the shores…

Kaup Beach

I had reached South Kanara or Dakshin Kannada which was part of the erstwhile Madras Presidency. Mangaluru or Mangalore was earlier called Mangalapuram after the presiding deity of the city Mangaladevi. Part of the coastal Karnataka region Mangaluru is a melting pot of various communities like the Brahmins, Christians, Jains, Muslims, Tulu and Bunt. A learning center with numerous colleges and renowned universities like the Manipal has made this destination a major hub for  education. Financial institutions like the Vijaya Bank, Syndicate Bank, Corporation Bank, Karnataka Bank and Canara Bank…