On the Road to Hassan

There were many mindblowing sights along the road to the historical parks near the town of Hassan. I spent a lot of time with my camera/cell phone held up to the window waiting to catch a "new-to-me sight," of which there was no lack.

This fabulous photo was taken by traveler, Connie, from Columbia. Although I also tried to capture it, Connie's was by far the best.

Some of the loads being carried were unbelievable, and would be deemed unsafe in the states. There was often a person precariously perched on top to hold it all down.

Unless one is in the large cities, little shops tend to look like flea markets. Chances are, the goods are overstocks or less than perfect. There's typically no clustering of services or goods as one might find in a mall.

There is always a Hindu deity or shrine about every 50 feet or so. This is the elephant-headed Ganesha, who is seen as the remover of obstacles and the god of new beginnings, wisdom, and intellect.

I'm sure that our tour bus was a novelty for these people. They must have a slightly better income to have their house painted blue.

Their next door neighbor did their laundry today. They have a higher quality roof than their blue house neighbors.The covered ditch could be water or something else.

The primary economy of India is agriculture, on a small scale. Although there are occasional tractors to be seen, the cattle-powered plow is definitely a popular tool.

With wandering paths around the property, the Hoysala Village Resort in Hassan was lovely and well maintained with. Our rooms were nice and clean, but more of a 3 to 3.5 star level, and the wifi was lacking. Customer service from staff, and the food quality were both excellent.

The staff was kind and welcoming.  

Hand washing is a welcome ritual after a long bus ride.

The buffet for every meal was delicious. This smiling sweetie made a large assortment of fresh breads. 

I began to learn what some of these dishes were, but mostly by sight. One of my favorites was Idly, a fluffy, steamed rice flour mound that was topped by an assortment of chutneys or sauces.

Our room was large and traditionally decorated. The bathroom was simple, and there was another room with table and chairs that we didn't use.

With a priest for prayer at specific times, the on-site temple was used by staff and our tour manager.

On the morning that we left, there was a formal prayer service with a touchy brahma bull that some of us dared to pet. Nandi the bull is the preferred ride for the god Shiva and received much attention as worshippers exited the temple. 

The video quality is a bit compromised. Not sure why.

This will be our agenda for 6 Feb 2025.