Over 2000 Km by road, in around 10 days. Stunning landscapes, wonderful people. That sums up our Ladakh trip. But how did it actually work? How did we make it happen? Read on to find out! Leh, the capital of Ladakh , is accessible by air and road. Flying into Leh is the easiest, and time-saving option, while the road is the time consuming one, but with the added advantage of driving past some of the most beautiful landscapes in our country. Each option has much to recommend it, and we chose the road for just one reason – altitude sickness. Altitude sickness was one of my biggest concerns, since I suffer from motion-sickness. Yes, I do travel a lot, but that is despite my condition, and, over the years, have learnt how to handle it. I struggled with it when we visited Nathu-La in Sikkim, and wondered if I would be able to manage a week at the even higher altitudes that we would encounter in Ladakh. This was the reason we stuck to a basic plan, of only 9 days in Ladakh, thoug...
The Sri Kalahasti temple is as important to Shaivites as the Tirupati temple is to Vaishnavites. It is home to one of the Pancha Bhoota Lingams (lingams related to the five elements), it is a shrine associated with a great saint – Kannappa Nayanar; and is also a parihara sthalam – where special pujas are conducted to appease the twin deities Rahu and Ketu. There are several stories associated with the Sri Kalahasti temple, most prominent among which is the one which gives the temple its name. As the legend goes, this Shiva Lingam was discovered in the forest by three animals – a spider, an elephant and a snake. Each of them prayed to the Lord in their own manner. The spider wove a web over the lingam to protect it from the elements, the snake placed precious stones on it to decorate it, and the elephant carried fresh water from the nearby river to clean it up. The three animals were unaware of each other, and each considered himself to be the sole guardian of the lingam. However...