GOD, GABBAR AND A GLADIATOR - RIDE TO RAMDEVARA BETTA

On a lazy Sunday morning, i turned off the alarm and covered the blanket over my face. One hour later, i realized my friend was waiting for me to pick him up. It was ride day.
I called him up and apologized, only to realize that even he had woken up just now. Thanking God for this coincidence and our laziness, a bath and flush later, i put on my gear and made my way to Jeevan's place. Picking him up, we hit the Bangalore-Mysore Highway, SH 17.
The traffic surprisingly was less, given a Sunday. The usual crowd from Bangalore to flock the eateries on the Highway was picking up. Marveling at how 24 people fit into a Mahindra Trax, we gobbled down idlis and coffee at Maddur's bus stand. The KSRTC added to our Sunday adventure by almost mowing us down.

Ramdevara Betta. Ah! its the very Ramgad of Sholay, the stuff legends are made of. The abode of Thakur and Gabbar, where the curvaceous Basanti rode a tonga, and Jai showed how awesome a friend he was.
Yes, there is a God too and various stories associated with it too.
A detour next to Ramnagara police station, and we arrived at the entrance. The parking fee was only 5 bucks. The steps to the top start right from the parking. Some kids started to pester us for money. I thought i will lose them by climbing fast.Three hundred steps later, they were still pestering me. It was exhausting and i marveled at their resilience. I offered them a pack of biscuits and they scampered to pester the others.
The temple was not crowded. It has a few hundreds to its age. The priest told me that the lake below is called Seeta Kere. Till date, no one knows how deep it is. Many have ventured to find out, and never returned.
Ramdevara Betta also houses a vulture conservation project. I guess it has something to do with Jatayu, the mythical bird. We could not spot any though.
The Mysore-Bangalore Highway was visible from the top. Volvos resembled mini buses that you get to play with at the Exhibition. The weather was perfect. We found some teens celebrating a girl's B-day party with cake. We were right there, but were not offered any. I promptly went to those pestering kids, asked them to gang up, told them about the cake and left. I guess the B-day party had lots of uninvited guests!
Right opposite the temple, is the hill of the Seven Sages. It does look like seven sages are standing in unison. We could spot a team of trekkers trying to scale up. When we made our way to the back of the temple, we found a passage which led to more amazing views. Till the horizon, we could only see rocks and hills, and vast lands. Of all the times i've taken the highway, this view, this moment was the best. Time had no relevance at all.
We found unusual passages and caves. One passage between rocks had steps carved into it, and looked like it led straight to hell. They were steps carved into the face of another rock. The view would have been great, if you could gather the courage to go up. The railings had rusted and in some places, it had come loose. One slip and the vultures would be gathering your pieces.
Lord Ram had stopped at this place. So did Ramesh Sippy and the Sholay crew. We did not find any film remnants, but we did find Veerus' and Basantis' hiding behind the bushes. They was no Gabbar in this script. She was no longer tied between poles, but was in the embrace of her beloved. They scampered when they saw us and hid their faces. Well, i guess we broke their bubble of romance.
We left the place with loads of memories and those pestering kids waved us goodbye. A lunch at KFC and a coffee at Cafe Coffee Day completed the journey.

THE PESTERING KIDS

SEETA KERE

AFTER A DRIZZLE

GOT ENOUGH COURAGE TO CLIMB THAT?

THE SEVEN SAGES AND THE TEMPLE

THE ENTRANCE

HIGHWAY OF MANY PLATES

That's cardamom. And that's green chilly. And that is undoubtedly McAloo.
The sights and sounds on SH 17 are replaced by flavors such as the above and many more. What was once a treat to watch is obscured and even invaded by gastronomic greed.
Nowhere would you find the colors our fields and soil are imbibed in. Lush green and dark brown. You can never get enough of the fresh air that hits you. The road is a biker's delight, except for the speed breakers. Tourists coming for the first time by road to Mysore, or going to the dreamland of Karnataka, are spell bound by the beauty of our fields. Hey, the sight of women harvesting the crop, and bullocks filled with it, is any urbanites cure for sore eyes.
When i first saw a signboard on the field, advertising McDonalds, KFC and Cafe Coffee Day, i marvelled the ironic situation. Global giants, high on making us fat, advertising on a freshly tilled land by a hardworking farmer. I'm not sure if any of our local produce goes into these chains.
The farmer's have realized that this a moolah making oppurtunity. Along the road, you will find large tracts of land covered in ash and mud. This serves as the foundation for roadside eateries. They have cropped up faster than what is sown. Every farmer has built one. From tea and biscuits to dosas and meals, it is a Highway of many plates.
The first tragedy, which is pan-India, fertile soil being lost to the industrial economy. In this case, the hotel industry. The second, the loss of beauty and tranquility of the highway. It resembles an exhibition of sorts. An ugly display of a growing need. Money.
This is one business where the farmer, hopefully, does not depend on any middle man. The stall is his own. It supplements his meagre income. Or even better, the entire land is sold, which pays for the engineering and medical seat for his son or daughter, either in Mysore or Banglore.
Most of these eateries are open throughout the night. It is not uncommon to see KSRTC buses lined up by the road, with drivers discussing the profit margins of the empty Volvos. The TV goes on in the background, courtesy set-top box. The tea is served from behind caged counters. Unlike America, tea on the highway is much more precious than liquor.
There are many speed bumps on the highway. The view on either side was the only saving grace. Looks like we have too much on our plate to enjoy anything.