Journey through Golden Quadrilateral Part 4 (Sriperumbudur to Belgaum)

As I move from Chennai, I reach Sriperumbudur, the site of assassination of the then prime minister, Lt. Rajiv Gandhi. The very spot now has a memorial. Moreover, it is the site for many big conglomerates including Hyundai Motors, Dell, Nokia etc.

Then I reach ‘Benaras of the South’, Kanchipuram, the saree capital of Tamil Nadu, which has numerous temples including Vaikunth Perumal and Kamakshi Temples. The city itself depicts the splendour of Pallava and then Chola Dynasty, which is easily observable in its culture. The silk sarees are famous all over the nation. Then a small detour to the towns of Arcot and Ambur, the ‘addas’ of ‘Nawabs and Biryanis’ giving a royal feel of Dawats of the rich-class strata.

As I move ahead, I see a large monolith, comparable in size to Ayer’s Rock, in the town of Krishnagiri. The city is a natural resort in the form of Krishnagiri Dam and Reservoir, with its lush green landscape providing a suitable weekend retreat. The city was also where Tipu Sultan had defeated the British once upon a time.

I reach my fourth most significant checkpoint, the ‘Silicon Valley of India’, the ‘Garden City’, the ‘IT Hub’ – Bangalore. Developed and established by a popular military statesman, Kempe Gowda from the original fort, the city has turned out to be the sanctum sanctorum of software industry in India. We may see an entire ‘Electronics City’ devoted for hardcore technological activities performed on a daily basis. We may also observe a hint of Mysorean royalty in the palaces, fort and Lal Bagh. It is no more a city in Karnataka state, but more a cosmopolitan showcase of developing India.

The land becomes less green as we move deeper into the Deccan peninsula. Large boulders of rock abound the mountainous terrains in the plateau, giving an admiring identity to the local landscape. I reach Chitradurga, the stone fortress, which is said to be the abode of Hidimba and Hidimbi, the latter of whom married Bhim according to Mahabharata.

I try my hand on Benne Dosa, a famous south-indian delicacy having its origin at Davangere. I also try Dharwad Pedas in Hubli-Dharwad, the twin cities old enough to engulf an entire millennium. I finally find my resting place in Belgaum, the city of Rani Chenamma, who led revolt of 1857 from south India. The place is much famous for Dudhsagar Falls, on of the tallest in India and also as a gateway to the Konkan region.

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