Last week, on Nov 14th, we decided to go for a one day trip. The plan was to visit Nanjanagud, then Mysore Chamundi hills and few temples in Mysore city. From there to Srirangapattana and Melukote. And back to Kunigal by evening.
We started from Kunigal as planned early sunday morning 5.15. On the way comes a place called Huliyur durga which is famous for a fort on hill top built by Kempegowda the founder of Bangalore. And to add more to that, this is the place where I spent my first 10-11 years of my life. I was thrilled to travel via Huliyur durga after a very long time almost after a gap of 7-8 years.
As soon as we reached the outskirts of the town, I was able to recognize familiar places. First came the Mandi gudda means Kneecap hill when literally translated to English. This hill is still outside the town, approximately 2 KMs from the town center and is a small hill which is maximum 250 ft. high greets you when you enter the town from north.Our dad used to take us (both myself and my sister) to this place every morning during holidays. We used to jog from our home to this hill, do some exercises spend nearly some 2 hrs of time and jog back to home. The road from the town center to Mandi gudda — had tree on bothe sides of the road and as soon as you come out of the town there were green fields on both sides. But I was disappointed to bald road sides all trees cut down.
And then came our play ground everyone used to call that ground as Ball field. This is the place where all of our friends used to meat in the evening and play. It was just opposite to our house. Our house was on the left side of the road and ground on the other. Whenevr there is a cricket match on TV, we used to compare our Ball field to Lords and Eden garden. Now, I literally searched for the good old field. There was no sign of any field over there totally covered by buildings and it looked very small too.
We moved further, there came the bus stand behind the stand was the old temple and few familiar shops, few houses of my good old friends. And then came my primary school where I studied for 4 years. The building half it was newly constructed. The long rods of the low windows of the old school building reminded me of our head master Nanjappa Sir great majestic personality with a great voice. Sometime I can still here his voice in my mind. After the primary school, came the hospital, police station and then the high school where my sister studied and my father taught.
Every nook and corner of the town looked new to me except for the two huge hills on the southern side of the town Kumbhi betta and Hemagiri betta as usual they were standing there and smiling at me witnessing the changes happening over there for thousands of years.
And then we came were out of the town, me stunned to see new Huliyur durga, holding camera in my hands which I was didnt took any snaps in that old familiar but unknown place.
