Meenakshi Temple & Bannerghatta Park

It was my friend Mahesh's idea to go on a drive during the weekend. We decided on Meenakshi temple on Bannerghatta road. Sundar joined us. At 11:00 AM, three of us took off on two bikes. 

We reached the temple in just half an hour. The temple is constructed by the same trustee that runs the Madurai Meenakshi temple. Of course, this is a miniature version of the original master piece. But what pleased me the most about this place is its serene atmosphere. I loved the place for the divinity it generated in the midst of busy, hectic Bangalore life.

After spending some time at the temple, both Mahesh and I agreed that the journey had to continue - not back home but to some place further ahead. So we decided to go to Bannerghatta Biological Park. We had to convince Sundar, which wasn’t that difficult. Therefore, we continued our journey. On our way to the park, we got lost by taking a wrong turn that would have led us to Annekalu. But that road (seemed less taken) and was even more exciting. It made me want to flee away on a long journey, to some unknown place, where no one knows me and I know no one. The idea of going on a never ending trip seemed like fun. Sundar was the first to figure out that we were heading in a wrong direction and gave us a call. So we had to return back to the reality of two-day weekend.

Bannerghatta Park was a surprise. We took the Lion-Tiger safari. In a minibus we drove around the Lion and Tiger Parks. Few tigers walked very close to the bus. A white tiger stole the show. Lions were dull, probably sleepy after a good meal.

After Lunch Walk

I am Cool, I am Different

After that, we took a tour of the zoo. We were disappointed by the maintenance there. Crocodiles looked as though they were on diet. Monkeys looked sad; there was a dirty duck pond which probably has not been cleaned for a decade. In spite of the crowd, in spite of fairly reasonable entry fee, if this is the case, then it definitely needs some investigation. I would love to see this place developed as it is truly a treat to have a national park, so close to one of the major cities of our country (Only 22KM South of Bangalore).

Look at my new shoes!

A Drop Of Water Please

All in all, it was a great trip. Bannerghatta road has plenty of nice Dhaba’s. So we treated ourselves with some good food along the way. Well that was a short, unplanned trip, yet for me a special one for various reasons. Every unexpected journey is special for plenty of reasons, for what is seen, heard or felt. At this point, I recall a thought that had once come to me – “It’s not the place where we go or what we see that makes a journey memorable, but it’s how we feel at that particular moment, is what makes it special.”

Weekends Up!