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The city of Kolhapur

It had been days that I had planned for the visit to the city of Kolhapur, not only because it was near to Belgavi but because of my subject in college "Architectural Design". The plan to visit the city started off when my professors gave me a site in Kolhapur in which I would be proposing a design for a business hotel. Being an architecture student, the site on CAD wasn't satisfying for the understanding of the contexts in and around the sites. I checked the weather forecast of Kolhapur and started off towards the city on my bike. The rain as always greeted me with it's beautiful shower which started irritating me whilst riding my bike on the highway. As the sky started to clear up, I started to notice the mountain ranges that were tagging along the roads. It was a beautiful and a sunny day as I was riding with the winds. As I stopped for a break, I happened to glance at my bike. Realizing that it was covered with mud due to the prominent rains of Belgavi. I decided to have a pit stop at the city of Nipani. This is how my bike shinned with all its beauty while it was getting washed.

The heavenly feeling that I got by looking at my angel spic and span. Now the distance between the city of Nipani and Kohlapur wasn't far. So within a jiffy I had entered the city to notice the greenery that surrounded the city. The first thing that I did when I entered the city was to visit the "Mahalakshmi temple" which is quite famous as it is considered the residing place of the Hindu Goddess Devi Ambabai and also because my mom was adamant with me visiting the temple. But the temple greeted me with a beautiful archway that was constructed many centuries ago. I couldn't click pictures here as the weather wasn't in favor of me clicking pictures, but I did manage to click a pic of a dog which was near the entrance of the temple. 

The temple wasn't as crowded as my mom told me it would be. But a must visit place for everybody. After my religious visit, I moved towards my site which was my sole purpose of visit and was siting for hours just observing the surroundings and the contexts that would influence my design. It got too boring as the rain god again started pestering me. I had noticed on my map that there was another place nearby Kolhapur which was like a hill station. I proceeded towards it to realize that it was an amazing decision that i had taken. The beautiful curvy roads that led to the top of a hill. I parked my bike on the side of the road to just observe the beauty of nature.

As I entered the city of Panhala, I was greeted by the statue which stood at the center of a circle. The beauty didn't seize to amaze me more and more. I felt that I had come to a different place that I had never expected so near to me. Gradually as I reached the top, there was a point where we could observe the scenery that is hidden behind the city and the fort that is built on a hill.

These images potray what I saw with my own eyes. The spooky part was when I noticed the fort. It was in my vision about 2 minutes ago and then I realize that the clouds are passing through it.

as you can observe it in the image. As the day was coming to an end, it was time for me to head back to my abode. But on the way back I clicked some pictures which showed the beautiful things that a person can observe while travelling to Panhala.

The path that we travel may not always be right, it may be the least traveled path taken by people, but always know this, no great things come out of ordinary thinkers. The things we think out of the way gives rise to much beautiful things. I end my travel diary to Kohlapur with the note that "It is not the end, but it is the start of another new journey that awaits us, craving to be explored and relished".

Small journey to the beautiful city of Gokak

The weather of Belgaum lately had been quite bad as it was raining heavily. My eyes open up to realize that it was 8:30 in the morning and that I had just missed out on my first class of the day. Then it struck to my mind " don't count your chickens before the eggs have hatched" implying that I shouldn't make plans to attend class because that wouldn't happen and I happened to glance out of my window to just see the amount of downpour happening. But to my surprise the weather outside was bright and a beautiful sunny day, inspiring me for a long ride to a city nearby which I have yet to explore. At 10:15 I get off my bed. The scenario was quite funny when I think about it now, a brush in my mouth, pulling up my pants as if I were late for a meeting, grabbing stuff which I would require for my journey as though the world was about to end. Still in the hangover of my sleep, trying to make sense of what I was doing. Then realized that it was 10:40 already. Grabbed my bike keys and raced out of my room towards my bike. The journey of my day started off at 10:45 AM. Making my way through the morning traffic of the city I reached the road which connected the city of Belgaum to Gokak. As I was on my way, it started to drizzle, which made me go on a slower pace. travelling about 20 kms from Belgaum, at about 11:20, I stop at a beautiful location which was the first scenery of my journey.

As I continued my journey, I had to pass through a series of villages. Observed various fields of plantations. Asking directions for Gokak became quite interesting as I was travelling further as people would smile and tell me the road from which I should travel. To be frank didn't know if they were smiling and telling me or was it something that I had worn which stood out. Moving ahead I stopped at a point where the skies started to clear off. I was real excited to watch clear skies as I hadn't seen them for around 2 months in Belgaum. 

Just a few kms away from my destination, The eagerness started to build in me as to what I would find discover in the city of Gokak. As I entered the city areas, I was greeted with the view of the whole city.

The falls was at a distance of 9kms from the city. The roads towards the falls had beautiful curves which felt amazing to ride my bike on.

Alas I reached my destination "The Gokak Falls"

Though it might not be much, but it was a beautiful scene to me as I had the thrill of bunking a class just for my adventure.

I returned from Gokak and reached Belgaum back at 3:30 PM.

These are some of the pictures of my journey back from Gokak to Belgaum.

A little about myself

I was born in Hosur, a small town in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Belonging to a family background of doctors and Air Force men. Always dreamed of travelling around the world to explore the mysteries that are yet to be unraveled. But life hits us hard at many points, to face all of it and to chase my dreams is what I do right now. After completing my 12th in Bangalore, I realized that I needed a field in which I could travel more, use my creativity, give a sense of meaning to what I do. That was the moment I entered the field of architecture. The creativity, the ideas, the expressive ways in which we could portray what ever that we thought of in the forms of our design. But being an adventurous type, architecture has led me more into the areas of my interest to another level. Unlocking my potentials to travel and get into another field of beauty that is photography. No matter what I do, photography and travel never seize to amaze me As everyday is a new experience to live in. Now that the interest is built, the fear developed in the mind ‘what if my family does not accept the field I want to enter?’ But one fine day it struck to me that I do not have a second life to live, not which that I know of. I should live this life to make a difference not only to my life but to other lives which surround me on a daily basis. My family would be happy to know that I would be chasing my dreams and I will be happy in the way I live. Each day is an amazing gift that we have received. It is just the beginning of my journey and there be 100’s of memories that I would make. I will explore this world, make it a better place to live and to make a difference which would make others happy. no matter what the differences that we have between us by skin color, by language, by religion or even by gender, One thing I do know is that we all are united together by the language of our hearts

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