Valentine's Day. We decided to visit Mother Mary's Shrine at Nagamangalam. Attended morning mass at Holy Eucharist Church and then left for the shrine on the Activa. Ria was not in the best of moods to travel and slept off half-way. But then we stopped at a farm with a little calf and she was wide-awake. I managed to photograph a beautiful bird while we waited there for Ria to finish playing with her friend.
On the way we met Parthibhan from Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) on his bicycle. He was on his way from Bangalore to Kanyakumari and then back to Bangalore via Kerala.
Wished him luck and reached the shrine. As it was a Sunday there was a huge crowd at the Shrine. After drinking the Holy Water we had lunch and then started our journey back. Managed to capture the kingfisher and some other birds. I need to brush up my knowledge regarding birds if I continue this habit of bird-watching.
It was a good way to celebrate Valentine's Day.
Now for the route to Nagamangalam:
From Bangalore to Hosur. Turn right at Victoria Hotel. Take the Hosur-Rayakottai road till you reach J.G. Farms.
On 30th January, 2010, the brightest and biggest moon of the year could be seen from the earth. Read news article here. Viji as usual was excited. Here are a couple of pictures we captured in HSR Layout.Check all the pictures here.
Finally the Hosur Road Elevated Expressway was inaugurated last week. It has been a long wait. 5th November, 2006, when I came to Bangalore to 22nd January, 2010.
We decided to check the fly-over. 26th January, being Republic day and a holiday for us, off we went in the evening. The ride was smooth and it took us about 10 minutes to reach Electronic City from Bomanahalli. The lighting was good though there were no lights on some stretches. There were traffic controllers on the road and vehicles keeping to their lanes.
Celebrated Vijita's birthday on 21st. I had taken a leave but unfortunately Viji had to go to school as it was her subject exams. She came half day home. Ria was all excited to cut the cake and got her best friend Kannan to help her do it. In the evening we went to Infant Jesus Church, Viveknagar, to seek the blessing of Miraculous Infant Jesus. Then had a quiet dinner at Coconut Grove. The appams and fish curry was awesome.
For the past few weeks there is a beautiful companion who watches my every move as I go about my laps in the swimming pool. She is just contented to watch me, having a sip from the cool water of the swimming pool. Sometimes standing on one leg, sometimes taking off to the other side to get a better view. Confident that I will not harm her in any ways. She reminds me of my school P.T. teacher, Sir Sawant, watching us as we played football on the school grounds.
Check the pictures of my cute little friend here
Sab was the one who initiated and Sab was the one who missed it. The planning began in November for our yearly get-together. Sab and I zeroed on Karde. The reason I liked Karde was the possibility of sighting dolphins. Last March when I, Viji and Rianna had been to Mangalore we saw dolphins swimming along the sea-shore at Maravanthe beach and this was what gave Karde the thumbs up. The dates were decided 29th and 30th December, 2009 and Sab also managed to book a home-stay at Karde. We were 10 of us, me, Viji, Harry, Cissy, Jai, Mayuri, Sab and Pav with the bacchas Ria and Valerina. One car could fit 5, so we decide to take 2 bikes along.
One day before we leave, Sab says that his leaves are cancelled and he will not be able to come. No persuasion works, so now its one car with 5 and a bike with 2. The kids go in the car.
It is decided to begin at 8 a.m. in the morning but then as usual it is 10 a.m. by the time we leave. Jai driving my Fiat Palio and I and Viji on his Unicorn. None of us had a proper breakfast so the first halt is just after Hinjewadi. A round of poha and tea and it is decided that the next stop will be at Mulshi. Its been a long time that I rode a bike but then the bike responds like a gem. The Bajaj M80 is my companion in Bangalore. I and Viji go ahead on the bike so that we can capture some photos on the way. It is easier to stop the bike and click photos than doing it in a car. Cross Mulshi and the Tamhini Ghat, Nizampur and reach Mangaon. The Konkan plains look superb from the Tamhini ghat. A few kms on NH-17 and we stop for lunch. A few kms further at Goregaon we take the road to Mandangad. After Mandangad, Harry decides to ride and I and Viji are in the car. Pune to Dapoli is around 200 kms and we reach Dapoli late in the evening at 5.30 p.m. After drinking tea at Dapoli we start towards Karde. When we are reaching Karde a thought occurs, have we made the right decision coming to this place? The road is bad and narrow. One vehicle at a time. On the right we can see the sea. There are a couple of hotels nearby. Our home-stay is a little further. On reaching the home-stay, our view about the place changes. The home-stay is just 100 meters from the sea-shore and the sea looks inviting. I know that we will enjoy being here.
Its 7 at night when we reach and ask the owner to cook food for us. After a bath, I and Jai ride to Dapoli to arrange for slippers, odomos and some drinks for the night. On coming back we sit together relaxing and then have dinner. Want to wake up early in the morning so that can take the boat for seeing the dolphins.
I wake up at 7. Valerina is awake and so Cissy too is. We go to the beach. But there are no boats on the beach. Come back and all are still sleeping. Anyways Ria wakes up and I take her to the beach. Ria loves the beach and the sea-water. The waves here are gentle so she has a good time. After an hour all are in the sea and enjoying ourselves. We are keeping an eye for the boat but there is none. We can see a couple in the sea ferrying people for dolphin watching. Anyways. just as we are leaving a boat comes but the boat-man says that the sea is getting rougher so no more trips and he would take us tomorrow.
We decide to get ready and go to Harnai to see the sea-fort Suvarnadurg (Harnai). On the way to Harnai we see sea-gulls on the sea-shore and manage to capture some good pics of them. Reach Fategad fort which faces Suvarnadurg. Suvarnadurg is surrounded by the sea on all sides and we have to go to the port to take a boat that goes there. Explore Fategad fort and climb down to the sea-shore. Ria and Valerina are excited on seeing the sea-shells at the base of the fort and are soon collecting them. After spending an hour exploring the fort, we are hungry. On the way to the port we find a restaurant and have lunch there.
On reaching the port, see the Harnai light-house. A boatman agrees to take us to Suvarnadurg for 500 rupees and we get in the boat. The sea is rough and the boat bounces on the waves. A beautiful island with thousands of sea-gulls. What a view! The boatman suddenly says that the sea is too rough and he is finding it difficult to go to the fort. Harry and I force him, inspite of the pleas of Valerina and Mayuri to turn back. He manages to take us to the fort and we have one hour to explore. There are lots of bats hanging on a tree. We also see a crow's nest with a baby crow in it. In fact, we can touch the baby crow if we want to. Wish there was some maintenance that was done for the fort. The way back is smoother as the wind is behind us.
There is an auction of the fish going at the port now and we decide to capture the action. Cissy agrees to cook lobsters and we get 5 for Rs. 350. It is a good deal. We also buy some prawns. The dinner menu is lobsters and prawns curry. On reaching our home-stay, Cissy and Viji cook food for us. I agree to wake everyone up early so that we can go to see the dolphins.
Wake at 7 a.m. and am at the sea-shore. The boatman asks me if we are ready. Go back and wake everybody up. Off into the sea we go to see the dolphins. There are couple of other boats too on the same mission. This makes it confusing. Each boatman tries to take the boat near the dolphins and the dolphins get frightened and disappear. Anyways, after a long wait we manage to see a couple of dolphins. Probably could have seen more if there were no other boats and people screaming on seeing the dolphins. There are so many people who do not understand that animals in the wild are not like pet animals.
Its time to return back to Pune. Harry and Cissy ride till lunch time just before Mangaon and then I and Viji ride. On the way back, take a short cut near Paud through Ghoatavade and see the blue moon. The moon-light guides us back home. Reach home at around 8. We are tired. Sleep and miss the mid-night mass. Wake up in the morning, refreshed. Its a Happy New Year and we are all set for it.
Karde is a quiet village, perfect for spending some time away from the city. The beach is just great, one of the best that I have seen. One should definitely go for the dolphin ride. Harnai with its auction market is exciting. The ride to Suvarnadurg and Suvarnadurg fort too is great.
About a year ago, we heard about the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, about a couple of kilometers from Hosur. I and Vijita wanted to visit it. There were a couple of people who had heard of the shrine but directions on how to reach them were confusing. Also searching the internet for information did not yield any results. This is my attempt to provide an information on the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes at St. Mary's Nagar, Nagamangalam.
Nagamangalam is on the Hosur-Rayakottai State Highway. There are a couple of ways to reach it:
When coming from Bangalore, reach Hosur and cross the Hosur fly-over. On the flyover, you will be able to see the Hosur Main Bus stand on the right. After the flyover ends, take the right turn at the first junction. You should be able to see a petrol pump and Victoria Hotel. On this road, take the first left and you are on the Hosur-Rayakottai road. Nagamangalam is about 22 kms from here.
This is the junction where you need to take the right after the Hosur Fly-over
The Victoria Hotel should be seen when you take the left
This first left turn taken after the Victoria Hotel will get you on the Hosur- Rayakottai Road. The building seen is a temple and should act as a landmark. If you go straight, you enter the Hosur Market.
The Sign Board where we have to take a right turn on the Hosur-Rayakottai Road.
When coming from Bangalore, before the Hosur fly-over take a right for the Denkannikottai road. You will reach a cross-roads where a left leads to Kelamangalam. Take this left till you reach Nagamangalam. Check here for pictures and directions for this route.
Another road that has been suggested is - Bangalore -> Attibele -> TVS Road -> Rayakoteah Road -> Kelamangalam -> Nagamangalam -> Church.
Saturday and Sunday: 11.00 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. (Rosary, Mass and Adoration)
On every Second Saturday: Car Procession: 10:00 a.m.
Healing through Prayer Service: 11.00 a.m.
Followed by Mass and Adoration
The following extract is from a pamphlet that was distributed during the Feast of Infant Jesus, Viveknagar, Bangalore on The Origin of the Miraculous Water from our Lady of Lourdes. courtesy L. James Mary & Family)
On 19th May, 2008, Rev. Fr. Joy Oonnukallell OSB, Rev. Henri Bonal M.E.P., Rector of St. Mary's Church, Rayakottai and Mr. Periyanayakam, a traditional Christian devotee from Kelamangalam, gathered together in the J. G. Farm to discuss about the Chapel which they had constructed in honour of Our Lady of Lourdes. They were discussing where to fix the Holy Cross and the statues of Our Lady of Lourdes and and St. Alphonso. Around 8 a.m., while they were discussing about the place, Mr. Prabhakaran, a worker in this farm, dug the soil in the farm. Suddenly there was clear and pure water gushing out of the hole that he dug. This pit was only one and half deep. Mr. Prabhakaran had no intention of digging a water pond. Astonishingly, a 660 feet deep borewell dug nearby earlier had failed to yield any water. This pond is the same big pond that we see at the shrine today.
Seeing this water, Rev. Fr. Joy felt an extra-ordinary shock. He felt and told Mr. Prabhakar that the water was something special. Father gave this water to a 25 years old young worker on this farm, who was suffering from diabetes for a long time. The worker used to take 2 doses of insulin injections per day. He drank this water for one and a half month and his sugar became normal and he was completely cured from his disease. Now he is not taking insulin or any other medicines. This was the first miracle done by God with this water.
After this incident a lot of miracles happened with this miraculous water in and around the village and other places. Miraculous cures were witnessed patients suffering from diabetes, blood presure, cholosteral, skin diseases, ulcers, cancer, heart problems, chikungunya, joint pains, arthritis, T.B., family problems, etc., by drinking this water.
