A favourite of the locals, Mahakuta is a group of temples with a lovely water tank amidst them called Vishnu Pushkarni. Located near Badami, Aihole and Patadakal which have many wonderful heritage ruins – it is nice to spend time in this temple space that has heritage ruins and live traditions. (my Badami blog post is here) Two of the biggest temples are Mahakuteshwar and Mallikaarjuna, both are Shiva forms. Maha means great and kuta means group. So, Mahakuta means a ‘great group’ referring to the many shrines and temples in the space. If you prefer to watch a video, here is my vlog on Mahakut ..read more

As I was writing my blog post on Badami, it reminded me of my experience in Hampi, a decade back. When I looked at the blog posts I had written for Hampi, I realized that the most impactful place I visited on that trip was not mentioned anywhere. This is natural because I had always been very hesitant to talk about my spiritual experiences. And this Anjaneya Hill, birthplace of Hanumanji was definitely a powerful experience which I would be hesitant to talk about at that time. Now, however, I am quite forthcoming to share my experiences. Thus, this blog post on Anjaneya hill, most likely Hanum ..read more

In March, during the Holi festival, I began researching Narasimha, the 4th avatar of Vishnu. I thoroughly enjoyed going down this rabbit hole and wish to share my findings with you today! What started this journey was the Holika dahan bonfire. For a large part of India, the Holi festival involves lighting of a sacred bonfire to which devotees offer sweets and medicinal herbs (know more about my Holi experiences in this audio track). This activity is celebrated as Holika dahan (or killing of Holika in the Prahlad story) symbolizing the triumph of good over evil. For those who aren’t aware of th ..read more

On 15th Jan 2023, the second 112 ft Adiyogi Shiva statue was inaugurated at the newly established Sadhguru Sannidhi ashram in Chikkaballapur, roughly 70 kms from Bengaluru city. Since then, many people who had always wanted to visit the Adiyogi, but never ended up going on a trip to Coimbatore, got a chance to visit the Bengaluru Adiyogi. They wonder whether the Coimbatore Adiyogi is any different? Other devotees planning their trip wonder whether they should visit Coimbatore or Bengaluru on their first Adiyogi visit? I will answer these and more questions in this blog post. I also published a ..read more

Are you planning for your first or nth girivalam pradakshina around Arunachala? Here I have listed out a comprehensive preparation checklist for you to use. Being prepared would help you get the best experience of the Girivalam and avoid difficulties like exhaustion, dehydration, injuries and so on. If you don’t know about the Arunachala Girivalam, please refer to my introduction blog post about it: https://maproute.in/discover-the-girivalam-circumambulating-the-sacred-hill-of-arunachala-in-tiruvannamalai-tamil-nadu/ Taking Up a Spiritual Practice Before a Pilgrimage Before you embark on a pil ..read more

Due to the unravelling of some personal connections, I happened to find out about a lesser-known Nath Tradition sub-path called the Nimbargi Sampradaya. It is also referred to as the Inchegeri Sampradaya. This blog post tells you about a specific line of yogis that have happened in this sampradaya & provides map location of the major spots associated with them. You can easily plan a pilgrimage trail covering these spots. The last yogi covered in this lineage is the widely known and respected Nisargadatta Maharaj. Is Nimbargi Sampradaya Actually Part of Nath Tradition? I put a quick post ea ..read more

The Nath sampradaya is known across the country, though it is a bit of an enigma. Some say it originated from Shiva himself. While others say it originated from Dattatreya. Moreover, sources suggest that the “siddhas” (who exactly are they?) are part of the Nath Sampradaya. This blog *tries* to give you a quick intro to this sampradaya. Since, I am writing specific posts on some of the Nath Yogis and sub-paths, I thought it is good to have this primer for readers who aren’t acquainted with this yogic lineage. The NavNath Sampradaya Nath sampradaya is also called the Nav Nath tradition because ..read more

There is one primary reason I hear when I ask “why solo travellers are not allowed a room in the traditional dharamshalas?” That is: “they might commit suicide“ Yes. I am serious. They might commit suicide. Like people never travel alone. The only ones who do are frustrated souls. And most likely if we give them a room of their own, they would commit suicide! It is actually so funny. If it didn’t cause a little bit of difficulty for me – I would have laughed it off. Solo Folk Can Stay in Dorms This ONLY applies to room stay. A lot of these traditional dharamshalas do have dorms – usually separ ..read more

Shirdi has been a major pilgrimage center for devotees from across India in all walks of life. Here is my detailed guide to help you curate your experience of your Shirdi trip. A pilgrimage done with some understanding of the spots and stories of the place can often be a LOT more transformational. So, I hope this guide helps you notch up the impact of your Shirdi yatra. Firstly, Why is Shirdi Famous & Who is Sai Baba? Records suggest that Shirdi was like any other non-descript town until Sai Baba chose to spend his life there. At the age of 16, a young boy was seen in this town. He spent s ..read more

The advent of winter season leads to interesting flurries in the food scene of Gujarat. In this blog, I am sharing with you the change in the Gujarati kitchens when the winter vegetables like Tuver & Papdi arrive. What kind of dishes are made… so you can plan to try some at your Gujarati friends place or at a Gujju restaurant ? Gujarat’s Favourite Winter Greens: Tuver & Papdi  One big addition in the food menus of winter is the arrival of green vegetables like tuver i.e. pigeon pea and papdi i.e. green flat beans.   These are green Tuver seeds ready to be cooked and eate ..read more