Hebri | Agumbe

The month of June was hectic. I had a lot of catching up to do with friends and cousins. I visited a friend's farm, and as he does every year, he gifted me a sack of mangoes from his orchard. One Sunday, my friend, his son, and I also trekked up Shivagange. The place was crowded, but it was still an enjoyable outing.

During a visit to another friend's house, we made a trip to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Ulsoor. The place is beautiful. The ashram is housed in a palace that was donated to the Ashram. We took a tour of the building and its peaceful surroundings.

One of my students from last year's Grade 10 batch invited me to her Arangetram performance. She did an outstanding job, and we spent the evening immersed in the beauty of Bharatanatyam. I also got to meet a few students from last year's batch. It is always a pleasure to meet my students. Speaking to them made me want to return to the classroom.

I then drove to Surathkal and spent a wonderful week with my parents. During my stay, I attended a few family functions, took my parents to watch two Malayalam films—Drishyam 3 and Balan the Boy—and made a trip to Hebri and Agumbe with my mother, sister, and niece.

In Hebri, we visited two ancient temples—the Ananthapadmanabha Swami Temple and the Shri Ardhanarishwara Temple. At Agumbe, after enjoying the viewpoint, we stopped at the Shri Venugopalakrishna Temple. The idol there is truly beautiful. An elderly man at the temple narrated its history to us. As we continued talking, he opened up about losing his wife a few years ago. She had passed away in her sleep one night, and he believed it might have been a side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine. He also mentioned that he had a few relatives in Surathkal. The temple priest, we were told, is 96 years old.

On our way back, we stopped in Hebri for lunch at Bhatra Hotel. The food was simple but delicious. Close by, a local cook has opened a small shop called Bhatra Holige. The holiges, sweets, and jackfruit chips there were excellent.

From there, we drove towards Karkala and visited the Varanga Lake Jain Temple. Visitors are allowed into the lake complex only after 3:30 p.m. Boat rides are also available, making it a pleasant place to spend an evening.

During one of the family functions at a relative's house, my in-laws were also visiting. After the function, I took them to the tmeples in Kateel and Polali. Since it was a weekday, both temples were relatively empty. After a quick darshan at both places, we stopped at our home before dropping them off in Mangaluru.

When I returned to Bengaluru, I carried back plenty of jackfruit for friends and family. More than the fruit itself, I am a big fan of the seeds. They can be used to make rasam and several other dishes, and they are absolutely delicious. Dosas made from semi-ripe fruit are a treat to the palate. 

The rest of the month has been occupied with my online classes and editing my Manaslu trek videos. I need to finish all my work before heading back to the mountains tomorrow. Another exciting trek awaits me.