Bhuvanagiri - Birthplace of Sri Raghavendra Swamy

Mantralaya is one of the holy places in India and many people visit this place every year. Mantralaya is the place where Madwa Saint Sri Raghavendra Swamy entered the brindavana.

However many people do not know about the birthplace of Sri Raghavendra Swamy. When I was searching for that info, I got to know that Bhuvanagiri is the place where rayaru was born. Upon further researching, I got to know that this place is situated in Tamilnadu state near Chidambaram.

When I recently did Tamilnadu tour, I visited this place as well and this post is to share some info about this sacred place.

Bhuvanagiri is situated around 10kms from Chidambaram.


The house where rayaru was born still exist and the mruttika brindavana is constructed here where daily pooja happens.

House

Inside House

Surprisingly, a certificate is issued validating the birth place of rayaru based on the records found and the same information is inscribed on a stone inside the house.

Certificate

How to reach and where to stay:

It is easily accessible from Chidambaram. Chidambaram has plenty of options for stay and food. It does not take more than 30mins to reach this place from Chidambaram.

New Year Greetings!

When I look at 2015 from the blogging perspective, I have not made any improvement compared to 2014. Though I posted very few posts, majority of them were related to the travel. Of course, I got a very good feedback on the posts as it helped fellow travelers to plan ahead.

However, I am optimistic about 2016. I'll be more active and would share useful information. Recently I did my longest drive ever covering more than 1500kms around Tamilnadu. Perhaps, I'll begin 2016 year with a few posts of that trip.

Wishing you all a very happy, prosperous and successful New Year!!!

Pearl Valley - picnic spot near Bangalore

Pearl Valley (Muthyalamaduvu) is a picnic spot near Bangalore. It is approximately 42 kms from Bangalore. A small stream of water descends on the slope making it a water fall.

How to reach:
From Bangalore you have to reach Anekal. In Anekal, at Tilak circle take right. When you spot a petrol bunk, take right and that road leads to Pearl Valley.

En route Pearl Valley

Pearl Valley:
You have to descend good number of steps to reach the water fall.

En route water fall

The place is surrounded by greenery. It looks very serene.

Greenery

Water fall is formed by a small stream of water.

Water Fall

Do note these points before you decide to go to this place:

• There are quite a number of steps. This place is not for elders and people who have leg pains.
• No food is available at Pearl Valley. You need to carry food and water.
• However, there are plenty of monkeys who are not only scary but also fearlessly snatch food from people. Opening a food packet at Pearl Valley is not advisable unless you know how to tackle these monkeys.
• This place is good if you are looking for a long drive and to spend a couple of hours away from Bangalore traffic.
• Petrol bunk is available at Anekal which is approximately 5 kms from Pearl Valley

Bangalore features in Top 15 IoT Cities in the world

Another feather in cap for Bangalore City. It is listed in Top 15 Internet of Things (IoT) cities in the world! It is the only Indian city to be listed. And Wipro is also named in this article. Check this article for more details.

Mahabalipuram Kanchipuram Vellore Travelogue

After my first ever long drive to Kodaikanal, the mind was still thinking on another long drive. This time we decided to go for a short trip with parents. This post is about 1 night 2 days trip to Mahabalipuram, Kanchipuram and Vellore from Bangalore.

New Year Greetings!!!

Wish my dear readers a very happy, prosperous, and successful New Year 2015.

I'm hoping to bring more interesting contents in 2015. I was not very active in 2014 but I am sure I would be able to post more useful contents in this year.

NICE Road Bangalore and Chocolates

Title might sound completely unrelated, but of late there is a strong connection between NICE Road (Bangalore) and chocolates. This is pretty evident for frequent travellers on NICE road.

Between some points, the toll fare for 2 wheelers are like 13, and 23. If we are not giving exact amount to the toll booth, we'll get chocolates in return as change!

Specifically, we get Kopiko chocolates (not sure why this was chosen). Sometimes we get one, sometimes two or even three chocolates depending upon the change we are supposed to get. And each chocolate cost Rs. 1/-.

Very initially when I got, I just ate this chocolate. Later realised that NICE Road company is not only doing road business but also selling chocolates forcibly. Next time onwards, I started keeping those chocolates and in my next trip, I would return these chocolates instead of coins! Yes, this raised eyebrows of toll keepers but they had no choice to not to accept it back. And this chocolate has become official coin for transaction on NICE road.

End Note: Luckily my kid does not like this chocolate, hence I can keep this safely and return back.