Escape To Thekkady, Kerala

Periyar Reserve, Spice Gardens, and Lake Safaris make Thekkady the ultimate Kerala escape, which can easily be combined with nearby Vagamon for a complete regional itinerary. 

This beautiful detour was an addition to our Vagamon weekend trip. Because our visit to the Periyar lake safari was unplanned, we had to wait in line for spot tickets and could only secure seats for the afternoon cruise. Yet, every journey holds its own unique charm, and this impromptu drive to Thekkady was no exception. 

Leaving behind the misty meadows of Vagamon, a scenic 1.5-hour drive covering roughly 45 kilometres via Elappara and Kuttikkanam took us down a winding, roller-coaster road framed by lush green streams and rolling tea estates. Nestled in the stunning Cardamom Hills, this area perfectly blends wild nature with agricultural beauty, where local spice plantations sit right next to the deep, protected Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary.

To reach the safari itself, visitors must leave their private vehicles at the Anavachal Parking Area and board the mandatory forest department shuttle buses. These eco-buses transport you directly through the protected forest zone to the boat landing and back. 

The highlight of this travel circuit is the 1.5-hour boat safari on Periyar Lake. This sprawling 26-square-kilometre artificial reservoir was formed in 1895 after British engineer John Pennycuick constructed the Mullaperiyar Dam across the Periyar River to divert water to drought-prone regions. This historic project submerged a dense river valley, leaving behind the iconic dead tree trunks that still poke above the water's surface today and transforming the man-made lake into the vital heart of a thriving forest ecosystem.

Cruising these waters gives us a front-row seat to wildlife gathering at the shoreline, making it highly likely to spot herds of wild elephants, sambar deer, gaur (Indian bison), wild boars, and smooth-coated otters. The lake is also a haven for vibrant birdlife like darters, egrets, and kingfishers resting on the submerged trees. 

To experience this smoothly, my advice to travellers is to plan a comprehensive itinerary, touring aromatic cardamom and pepper plantations and watching traditional Kalaripayattu martial arts in the evening. 

The park schedules five daily boat departures at 7:30 AM, 9:30 AM, 11:15 AM, 1:45 PM, and 3:30 PM, with the 7:30 AM morning slot being the absolute best for spotting animals in the crisp air. Because seats sell out rapidly, booking tickets well in advance online via the Periyar Tiger Reserve official website or the KTDC platform is highly recommended, costing around ₹150–₹255 for adults plus separate sanctuary entry and shuttle bus fees. 

The Chariot of the Sun, Konark, Odisha

Our visit to the Konark Sun Temple was part of a wedding trip to Odisha, and our tight itinerary could only squeeze in a few hours at this magnificent monument. 

Yet, the moment we approached it, we were met with an unparalleled visual treat. The entire structure is sculpted from Khondalite and Chlorite stones that beautifully shift colors in the changing sunlight, turning from a dusty golden amber in the afternoon to a deep, dramatic bronze at twilight.

This sensory masterpiece is a class apart of 13th-century engineering. Built around 1250 CE by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty, the temple was erected to celebrate his military victories and assert his right to rule. Today, every square inch of the temple walls reads like a piece of "poetry in stone," featuring remarkabe carvings of celestial dancers, royal hunting processions, mythical beasts, and uninhibited erotic art.

The Sun temple structured like a chariot, is most famous for the brilliant harmony of art and astronomy. Its seven rearing stone horses symbolize the days of the week, while its twenty-four monumental wheels act as precise astronomical sundials that also represent the twelve months and signs of the zodiac. 

Historically dubbed the "Black Pagoda" by European sailors, the temple’s massive two-hundred-foot main tower collapsed over the centuries due to shifting coastal sands, severe cyclonic storms, and the loss of a mythical central magnet that legends say held its iron beams in perfect balance. Following sixteenth-century military raids and subsequent abandonment, the structure fell into dereliction. To prevent the complete collapse of the surviving assembly hall (Jagamohana), British engineers stepped in and filled its interior entirely with sand in 1901.

Beyond the shifting sands, a haunting local folklore hangs over this monument—the legend of Dharmapada. 

It is said that 1,200 artisans labored for twelve years but could not fix the temple’s heavy crown stone (kalash). Facing execution by the king if they failed, the chief architect’s twelve-year-old son, a prodigy named Dharmapada, secretly climbed to the peak under the cover of night and solved the structural puzzle. Yet, to protect the craftsmen from the king's wrath and ridicule, the young boy leaped from the temple's summit into the river below, trading his life for their glory. Locals whisper that the main tower ultimately fell because it was built upon the tragic tears of Dharmapada's sacrifice.

Today, this long-sealed monument is undergoing an extraordinary revival. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has commenced a delicate project to extract the century-old sand using non-vibrating mechanical tools and robotic trolleys. By safely relieving the immense internal pressure and installing a hidden steel framework, scientists hope to prevent an internal cave-in. Through this high-risk mission, archaeologists aim to protect the surviving architecture, discover hidden 13th-century panels, and finally decipher the exact physical causes behind the tragic fall of Konark’s grand tower.

As twilight faded and the first evening lights began to glow against the stone, the grand silhouette of the temple left a timeless impression. In its quiet majesty, Konark stands as a connect between the terrestrial and the cosmic—a stone chariot frozen in place, yet carrying the eternal spirit of ancient India forever forward into the light.

Belur & Halebidu, Karnataka

Our trip in March took us west toward Karnataka. Our destination was of newly crowned UNESCO World Heritage Sites known as the Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysala.

To truly appreciate these monuments, one must understand the fierce political and spiritual landscape of medieval South India. History says, a hill chief named Sala founded the Hoysala dynasty around 1060 CE in the Western Ghats. For decades, the Hoysalas lived as vassals to the Western Chalukya Empire. But everything changed when King Vishnuvardhana, a brilliant military strategist broke the shackles of subjugation by winning a legendary victory over the mighty Chola Empire at Talakad in 1116 AD. To permanently etch this triumph, Vishnuvardhana shifted the empire's focus from bloody warfare to mind-boggling artistic expression, commissioning the legendary Chennakeshava Temple. This kicked off a golden era where 12th-century artists treated dense grey soapstone not as rigid rock, but as soft, yielding wax.

Our journey began in Belur, sitting peacefully on the banks of the Yagachi River, where the star-shaped Chennakeshava Temple rises as a breathtaking tribute to Lord Vishnu. Stepping onto the wide stone courtyard instantly draws us into a maze of unbelievable detail. The 42 celestial dancers, or Madanikas, adorning the outer eaves, showcase precision. From a damsel admiring her reflection in a mirror to a panicked dancer shaking a lizard off her clothes, the craftsmanship is detailed enough to reveal individual stone beads, delicate fingernails, and entirely hollowed-out jewelry.

Chief among these is the famous Gravity Pillar, a massive stone column engineered to stand entirely on its own weight—so precisely balanced that guides can slide a thin piece of paper completely underneath it. Nearby stands the mesmerizing Narasimha Pillar. This intricately carved marvel once rotated freely on ball bearings, and it remains so densely blanketed in miniature deities that visitors practically need a magnifying glass to fully appreciate its microscopic grandeur. 

Next, a short drive through the rustic countryside bring us to Halebidu, the magnificent former capital once known as Dorasamudra. Here, the Hoysaleswara Temple stands as a massive, twin-shrined Shiva temple that feels less like a building and more like an endless, open-air art gallery. Even though past invasions left it roofless, the sheer structural genius on display takes your breath away. Walking along the base of the outer walls, we are flanked by an unbroken band of carvings stretching for hundreds of metres, featuring over 2,000 uniquely detailed elephants symbolizing strength, alongside lions for courage and horses. 

Guarding the entrances are two colossal, highly polished Nandi bulls, carved from single blocks of stone so perfectly burnished that they reflect light like smooth black glass. Just a short walk away, inside a walled complex holding three beautifully preserved Jain basadis (temples) and a hidden, geometric stepped well whose stone stairs sink elegantly into the earth.

Walking among these monuments makes us realize that the Hoysala masters did not just build places of worship; they left behind an interactive library of ancient life, fashion, engineering, and storytelling. It becomes profoundly clear that empires inevitably may crumble, dynasties fall, and rulers fade into the pages of textbooks, true art—trapped in grey soapstone nearly nine hundred years ago, still speak vividly to anyone willing to stop and listen.

Our long-time wishlist to visit this land of the Hoysalas finally got ticked off. It's truly a journey that bridges the gap between raw history and breathtaking art. The stones of the Hoysalas tells us a story that will be etched in our memories forever...