Lord Shiva at the feet of Kalika Devi

Ever seen any statue of  Lord Shiva where he is being crushed by Kali?

We also hadn't seen any such idol or depiction till we travelled to a remote island in the middle of Kali River near Karwar in Karnataka.

How to Visit?

This picture story takes you to Kalika Devi Temple on an island. Only way to reach the island is by a boat. Boat rides are available from Nandangadda Boat Point 12 kms north-east of Karwar town. See the picture of Navy Veterans wading through knee deep water. We also share a map below.

The other option is to take a longer boat ride from Deobagh Beach side. For the guests staying at Jungle Lodges and Resorts at Deobagh Beach, a boat ride is included in the package. We, few Navy Veterans took the ride in a swanky motor boat. See the map and the video below.

Sharing below a short 12-sec video clip of our boat ride.

Significance

Kali island has a temple and a statue of an angry Kalika Devi crushing Lord Shiva under her feet! Unbelievable, isn't it?

Legend has it that Lord Shiva lies at the feet of Goddess Kali to pacify her uncontrollable rage after the battle with the demon Raktabija. Seeing her destructive rampage threatening the universe, Shiva laid himself in her path. When she stepped on his chest, Kali instantly realized she was standing on her husband, bringing her fury to a halt. See a series of pictures below.

Boat Ride

The boat ride is subject to the weather conditions. We were lucky to get an exclusive ride. It was heartening to see the life jackets for all passengers in good working condition. We had to navigate under Kali Bridge on NH-66 with a long span. The visit to the island has to be timed with the tide timings. The water level on the stony pathway to the island changes with the tide. See the pictures below.

Kali Matha Island

It is a small island. We had to anchor on a shallow patch and then wade through knee deep water. The island also has a 240-metres boardwalk to observe the mangroves. However due to damages, it was closed. Pictures below.

Kalika Devi Temple

It is a small temple with two wells for drinking water. Our guide from the Resort accompanied us to the island. A pujari and his dog stay on the island. The temple has large following.

Deobagh Beach

It is a beautiful beach. As stated earlier, we had stayed at the Jungle Lodges property on the beach. We will bring you an exclusive story on the beach, the resort and the views all around.

Stories of Other Island Locations

Ghumakkad has visited many islands in India and overseas. Sharing below the links to few of the stories of 'island attractions'. Click the link to browse the picture story.

Bhavani Island An Ideal Getaway - Another island named after Goddess Durga. The story shows the tree houses and water sports on the island in River Krishna near Vijayawada.

Laknavaram Lake Resort - Picture story with videos shows you the lake resort accessible through a suspension bridge. Guest rooms are on stilts in water!

Ruins of Ross Island - Picture story of an island just two kms east of Port Blair. The ruins speak to you. The island has since been renamed as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep.

War Memorial on an Island - Picture story of Anjadip War Memorial which commemorates the battle of Anjadip, 1961.

We end with Ralph W Sockman's quote on islands which says, "The larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of wonder." 

Islands have their own attraction. Whether it is a river island or an island at sea, the thrill starts with the boat ride. Do take an island holiday in India. So many locations some of which we have shared above.

In the ongoing vacation season, happy travelling.

Thanks for browsing. Do leave a comment and stay connected.

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ Secunderabad and Karwar/ 18th May 2026

#KaliRiver #KalikaDeviTemple #Karwar #LordShivaAtTheFeetOfKali #Destruction #Rage #Durga #MaaKali #BoatRide #KaliBridge #NavyVeterans #Reunion #DeobaghBeach #JungleLodges #GhumakkadHarsh #ghumakkadhb #Islands #IslandOfKnowledge

Winners KBG-9 Shiva Statue in Pilani

Identifying Lord Shiva's statue evoked enthusiastic response.
We received a range of responses pinning the statue to be in Nepal, Haridwar, Vadodara and Gurugram Highway.
However, the answer to KBG-9 is Pilani. Yes, the statue is located in Pilani but not in BITS campus as many readers pointed out. It is built in a pond talab तालाब opposite the Devi Mata Mandir in Pilani. 

The clue for identification was the chatris or canopies in the picture. An identical statue built by the same sculptor exists on Delhi-Gurugram raod sans the chatris. Many readers from Delhi region mistook it to be so.

Fact file:
Location of the Statue: Pilani
Height: 80 feet from pedestal
Pedestal height: 20 feet
Year built: 2011 or so
Sculptor: Matu Ram Chejara
Twin Statue: On Delhi-Gurugram road by the same sculptor.

Winners:
We congratulate the first three winners of KBG-9:

1. Dr Umesh Dhyani, Former Prof BITS Pilani and author
2. Ms Ruchi Bhargava a BITSian and teacher
3. Dr Jyoti Iyer Mathur, a BITSian and Professor Georgia Tech USA

We would also like to mention Prashant Jade and BC Jayaprakash who gave one of the earliest answers as 'BITS Pilani'.

More than 200 readers participated in KBG-9. We thank each one of them. Many of them said that KBG is becoming addictive! We are humbled.

Although Ghumakkad has plenty of pictures for future KBG contests, but your ideas are most welcome. Do mail us.

Thanks for becoming a Ghumakkad!

-   Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 10th March 2019/ hbindia@gmail.com

#kbg #kaunbanegaghumakkad #shiva #statues #travelindia #natgeoindia #planetmindia #photowalks #wandertrails #contests #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #shivastatuePilani

KBG-9 Where is this Statue?

Yesterday was Shivratri.
Media was flooded with posts on Lord Shiva, his attire, colour of his skin, the snake around his neck, river Ganges emanating from his head and so on.
Ghumakkad follows up with next edition of Kaun Banega Ghumakkad Contest KBG-9 dedicated to Lord Shiva.

There are thousands of statues of Lord Shiva across India. Can you identify the above statue - where is it located? How is this statue different from the rest? Clue is in the picture itself. Of course the picture is shot by Ghumakkad.


As earlier, first three winners get featured in the next story!
Get cracking!

     -   Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 5th March 2019/ hbindia@gmail.com
#kbg #kaunbanegaghumakkad #shiva #statues #travelindia #natgeoindia #planetmindia #photowalks #wandertrails #contests #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh

Tibet in Karnataka

Tibet in Karnataka-- 2500kms away? Yes, that is how you feel when you visit the Tibetan Monastery in Coorg! Ghumakkad was there sometime back. Picture story for you.

Credit goes to both—the Tibetan settlers as well as the erstwhile rulers of Mysore State—for the ‘Golden Temple’ Namdroling Monastery in Bylakuppe, Coorg. Once inside the Tibetan village, you can’t differentiate whether you are in Tibet or Karnataka—2500 kms apart. See the map below.

The name ‘Golden Temple’ comes from the golden dome visible from far as you traverse the hilly approach road. The Monastery is a must on Coorg travel circuit-- for its beauty, architecture, remote location and self-discipline! See the picture and the signboard ‘Please keep silence’.

The nunnery is located one km away from the monastery. But the art work and architecture are the same.

The monastery gets thousands of visitors every day and more on the weekends. There is no entrance fee. Parking, a shopping area and paid rest rooms are 200 meters away. See the collage of pictures.

The multi-tier pagoda is truly majestic. See both pictures below.

 

‘Padmasambhava Buddhist Vihara’- the main prayer hall is open to visitors. It has intricate art work—in the interiors as well as exteriors.

The gong inside the monastery is also painted artistically.

The monks act as guides for tourists—see Neeta Bhatnagar asking questions to one of the monk-guides.

The paintings on the wall depict the life story of Gautam Buddha गौतम बुद्ध .

The next painting of a devil—what with skull cap and skull necklace—reminded us of the ‘Tandav’ तांडव dance by Lord Shiva in Hindu mythology.

Whereas this one portrays a more somber and composed mood.

Next two pictures show dance-and-romance sequence. Those who have been to The Sun Temple in Khajuraho, do you see a thematic similarity?

The next picture captures the signature line at the bottom of a wall painting. Wonder if it is the name of the painter or some other meaning? Any reader willing to educate us is welcome.

Art work on exterior walls/beams is equally impressive. Next three pictures show the exterior art work.

‘Beauties in Sixties’—both Neetas and Jaya seem thrilled with the exterior art work.

Even the structural beams are painted so elaborately.

The adjoining prayer hall has seven statues of Lord Buddha. The floor is so clean and shining that you can see the reflection of the statues!

The monastery is a blend of modernity and ancient traditions. See the dish antennae on roof top!

The monks maintain a perfect figure. See this tall and lanky monk walking in the monastery.

Before the visitors exit the monastery, in the outer compound there is a scale model of the township as it was conceived. See the detail.

As we bade good bye to the Golden Temple monastery, it left an imprint on our minds.

If you wish to visit Bylakuppe monastery, just drive down south from Bangalore via Mysore. It is a 5-hour drive considering the number of speed breakers between Bangalore and Mysore! Once in Bylakuppe, the monastery will not disappoint you.

Ghumakkad's earlier stories on Coorg can be browsed at:

Dubare- Where Cauvery creates Magic  

Coorg- Go Golfers Go!

Thanks for browsing! Your feedback/experiences are welcome, as always.

                Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 14th June 2015