23 April 2022 - Gorur Trip

6:30 am, 23rd April 2022, Harish and I started for Gorur, a small village in Hassan district of Karnataka, about 180 Kms from Bangalore.

It was a slightly misty morning and the 3+hr drive was lovely with a short break enroute at Paakashaala for some hot crispy vada-s, puri-s and kesari-bath...the freshness of the kesari with small pieces of pineapple gave us the perfect start for a day that turned to be satisfying and uplifting.

We reached Gorur, known in earlier times as Gokarnapuri at about 10 am, welcomed with a hot cup of coffee by our friend and host of the day Sri. Seshadri Iyengar, we then proceeded towards Hemavathi river, which was flowing easily without a hurry, the sluice-gates from the upstream dam were raised just enough to allow the water to run gently.

The water was so pure and cool, with fishes nibbling at the heels so gently but in a hurry, allowing us to relax and enjoy the flow but not get too comfortable and sloppy. The weather-God went along with the gentle flow of the river, affording us indulgence of about an hour of refreshing bath that only flowing rivers offer.

Gorur Yoga Narasimhaswamy temple on the banks of Hemavathi was the first stop, we offered our prayers at the 700+yrs Hoysala temple, before walking 300 mts to the ancient 1600+ yrs Paravasudeva Temple which was the location for the festival of the day. We joined eminent vedic scholars and devotees in chanting Upanishad-s, Sooktha-s, Sri Rudram and Chamakam. The vibrations from these chants within the temple sanctum was pure and blissful, it was a special day for one of the senior residents of Gorur whose birthday was celebrated by his near and dear in a grand manner that reflected respect and love for elders and was a manifestation of our rich culture and heritage.

An elaborate lunch was part of the festivities and we enjoyed the sumptuous and tasty meal to the fullest...later in the evening we visited the famous Gorur water reservoir and dam, the sheer vastness of the dam structure left us speechless.

Earlier that evening we visited the house of Goruru Shri. Ramaswamy Iyengar, the famous Kannada poet whose many works have been enjoyed by kannadiga-s world-over, I recall watching a b/w Vishnuvardhan starrer Bhootayyana Maga Ayyu based on a short story of the same name by Shri Goruru.

Empty roads greeted us during our drive back to Bangalore, which was fast with the only break at Hotel Dhruvatare for a light dinner.

All in all it was day that promised to be hectic but turned to be relaxing and fulfilling.

Photo Album here