Skip to main content

Featured Post

The Vaishnodevi Experience 2023

My first trip to Vaishnodevi was unimpressive. Climbing was hard, and it only served to highlight how badly out of shape I was, while my in-laws managed to cope so much better. Further, I hadn’t quite realized that the cave experience wouldn’t be the same as I had imagined, since the original cave was only opened at certain times a year, and that we only entered a newly created tunnel, one far easier to access, and hence more manageable with the crowds that thronged the mountain shrine. The resulting experience at the shrine, for barely a fraction of a second, hardly compared to what I had expected / imagined / heard about. So, for me, Vaishnodevi was like any other temple, nothing to write home about, something that was reflected (though not explicitly mentioned) in the blog post I wrote then.

Monsoon in Goa

Two women and a child, at Goa, in the monsoons – quite an unusual combination, right? That was me, my mom, and my son, making the most of our unexpected monsoon break to take some time off. It was the first time in Goa for my mom, the second for my son, and my third trip to the state…. Expectations were mixed, especially when we were greeted by heavy rains, which continued through our stay there. What did we expect? It was the monsoon after all!! As it turned out, the rains showed us a different side of Goa, which none of us had expected to find.

Samhith with my mom on Varca Beach, Goa



We visited all the normal tourist places, but the rain seemed to add another dimension to each of them. Come along with me, and let me show you Goa, as we saw her, in the monsoons!

Creatures of the sea

The monsoon seemed to bring out the best and the worst in the beaches. The tides were higher, and it wasn’t really safe to swim, or to try our hand at some adventure. However, the rough tides brought along with them, creatures from far, far away… from hermit crabs to starfish, Goa’s beaches abounded in them, during our visit. We spent hours marvelling over the many types of shells, and all the colours they came in… and of course, brought many of them back with us. What my son remembers the most, though, is the sight of starfish brought in by the tide, burying themselves in the sand….

Starfish

Creatures in the wild

We tend to associate Goa with beaches, not with forests, but the state has not one, but three wildlife sanctuaries. During our trip, we drove through two of them… the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary, and theBondla wildlife sanctuary, and both were big surprises for us. While the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary is the largest one in the region, and appears to be a dense jungle, with massive efforts on to protect and conserve the ecosystem, the Bondla Sanctuary is the smallest, and is an effort to bring the forest closer, to the people, especially kids. Its biggest attraction is a small zoo. While we are not big fans of zoos, and were sceptical at the idea of visiting a zoo, even within a sanctuary, I have to admit that the zoo here is well maintained, and the animals seem to be well cared for. Even as we were admiring the Royal Bengal Tiger in its enclosure, my son spotted a Giant Wood Spider on a tree nearby. You never know what you will find, if only you look!

Giant Wood Spider, at Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary

Rain soaked Heritage


Chapel of St. Catherine


The churches of Old Goa are among the most popular among tourists. The rain, however, managed to keep many of them at bay. Not us, though! We made the most of the rain by staying inside and exploring them at length, from the beautiful paintings inside the Church of St. Francis of Assisi , to the less known and lesser visited Chapel of St. Catherine.

The back side of the Church of St. Francis of Assisi


The popular temples of Goa, like the Shantadurga temple and Mangeshi temple, were on our list too, and we sat for a while by the rain water filled temple tanks, breathing in the peace and quiet.

Temple tank of the Shantadurga Temple


However, what we relished most was visiting ancient temple located within the dense forest – the Tambdi Surla temple. I have written in detail about this temple before, so I will try not to repeat myself, but this temple, in the pouring rain, surrounded by the jungle, is an experience which makes Goa in the rains unforgettable!

The rain, it is said, rejuvenates. It clears out the old and brings forth new life. That’s just what we needed, and exactly what we found, in Goa, in the monsoon.

This post was originally published on the Club Mahindra Blog. You can read it here

Comments

  1. Wonderful read Anu Akka..hope that you remember me :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great stuff Anu, really enjoyed this. We have a place in Goa but can only open during season (otherwise we're flooded!), what a shame!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lovely pictures!! I have just been there this July in monsoon. It was awesome :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow, have gottu explore the wildlife sanctuaries!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Loved the temple here. Got to explore Goa other than the usual tourist circuit.

    ReplyDelete
  6. you are good storyteller anu.. keep on writing good stuff..

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks so much for stopping by. Please leave a comment for me so that I will know you have been here....

Popular posts from this blog

Gokarna Part II – The Five Lingams

We continued our Gokarna trip by visiting four other Shiva temples in the vicinity, all connected to the same story of Gokarna. The story of Gokarna mentions the Mahabaleshwara Lingam as the one brought from Kailas by Ravana, and kept at this place on the ground by Ganesha. (See my earlier post- Gokarna – Pilgrimage and Pleasure). However, the story does not end here. It is believed that, in his anger, Ravana flung aside the materials which covered the lingam- the casket, its lid, the string around the lingam, and the cloth covering it. All these items became lingams as soon as they touched the ground. These four lingams, along with the main Mahabaleshwara lingam are collectively called the ‘ Panchalingams’ . These are: Mahabaleshwara – the main lingam Sajjeshwar – the casket carrying the lingam. This temple is about 35 Kms from Karwar, and is a 2 hour drive from Gokarna. Dhareshwar – the string covering the lingam. This temple is on NH17, about 45 Kms south of Gokarna. Gunavanteshw

The Havelis of Bikaner - A Photo Post

The lanes are narrow , twisting and turning amidst buildings old and new. Crumbling old structures with intricate workmanship stand side by side with art deco buildings, and more modern constructions, which follow no particular style. Autos, bicycles, motorcycles and vans rush past, blowing their horns as loudly as possible, while cows saunter past peacefully, completely unaffected by the noise. In the midst of all this chaos, children play by the side, and women go about their chores, as we explore these by-lanes of Bikaner, and its beautiful Havelis. Facade of one of the Rampuria Havelis

The Power of 8 - The Ashta Dikpalas and Ashta Vasus at Khajuraho

The four cardinal directions form the axis on which a temple is built, and are thus the basis of temple architecture. Leading from them are the eight directions, which are believed to be guarded by the eight guardians, or Ashta Dikpalas . In the temples of Khajuraho, great care has been taken by the sculptors to carve the Ashta Dikpalas on the walls, both inside and outside. They not only guard the temple, but also look over us as we circumambulate the shrine, protecting us by their presence. They are augmented by the Ashta Vasus , celestial beings which represent natural phenomena. Together, they enhance the idea of the temple as cosmos, enfolding within it, all the aspects of nature, both, on earth, as well in space.