Page 109 - sandesh
P. 109

t was one of the most exciting moments in
                                                                    my life. I had just received a flyer from school
                                                                    for a trip to Bengaluru - Hampi - Badami and
                                                               Imy parents, after seeing my enthusiasm and
                                                                delight, agreed to send me. I was going to be part of
                                                                a group of P4 students and three teachers who had
                                                                volunteered to take care of us. To our excitement, we
                                                                even learnt that our respected Headmistress would
                                                                join us for this trip. Instructions and advice – my
                                                                mother went on with her ground rules but I was
                                                                busy in my own world - imagining the freedom to
                                                                spend all this time with my friends and with my
                                                                newest possession, a Nikon camera.
                                                                Day 1



                                                                        ags were packed and we were ready to go,
                                                                        leaving on a jet plane. Our parents dropped
                                                                        us early morning to school where two
           P4 Trip                                              Bbuses and our teachers were waiting for us.

                                                                Although the thought of staying without my parents
                                                                for the next 4 days was playing on my mind yet
           to Bengaluru –                                       there was also the zeal and fervour to experience this                                        Day 2

                                                                school trip, the first for me. We boarded our flight
                                                                and reached Bengaluru in about three hours. The
           Hampi-Badami                                         school had arranged special meals for us and I really                                               irst on our itinerary was the Vijaya Vittala Temple, which is the most
                                                                                                                                                                    extravagant architectural showpiece of Hampi. The temple is built in the
                                                                enjoyed having the chicken noodles for breakfast. We
                                                                started our trip to Hampi, an eight-hour road trip, in
                                                                                                                                                                    form of a sprawling campus with a compound wall and gateway towers.
                                                                video coach luxury buses. The arrangements in the                                            FThere are many halls, pavilions and temples located inside this campus
                                                                bus were superb with delicious food and movies. On                                            including that of Lord Hanuman, Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. Our next stop
                         our way, we glanced at beautiful views of the countryside, which was very clean and green.                                           was at Lotus Mahal, where Queens in the ancient era, took rest during summer
                         I clicked many pictures capturing the scenery and a few snaps of sheep, goats and cows on                                            months. To our surprise, the wells where the Queens bathed still had water in
                         the way. We arrived at Hampi around 9 pm, checked into our hotel rooms and had dinner.                                               them. The exemplary carvings on the pillars and walls including those of birds
                         Everyone was exhausted on this first day, which ended with a good night’s sleep.                                                     and art works were very fascinating. It is also believed that the mahal is air-cooled
                                                                                                                                                                                                             and maintains its temperature
                                                                                                                                                                                                             during summer months. Within
                                                                                                                                                                                                             the same compound as the mahal,
                                                                                                                                                                                                             we visited the stables used for
                                                                                                                                                                                                             royal elephants. We observed
                                                                                                                                                                                                             small openings inside the stables,
                                                                                                                                                                                                             which were used to provide food
                                                                                                                                                                                                             and water to the elephants. We
                                                                                                                                                                                                             concluded our day at the famous
                                                                                                                                                                                                             Virupaksha Temple which is part
                                                                                                                                                                                                             of a group of monuments at
                                                                                                                                                                                                             Hampi, a designated UNESCO
                                                                                                                                                                                                             World Heritage Site. Here,
                                                                                                                                                                                                             Headmistress ma’am gave an
                                                                                                                                                                                                             offering of coconut and flowers to
                                                                                                                                                                                                             the temple panditji. We returned
                                                                                                                                                                                                             to the hotel and celebrated a
                                                                                                                                                                                                             fellow-student’s birthday along
                                                                                                                                                                                                             with dinner.


         Sandesh 2016-17, Volume 1                                                                                                                                                                                          Sandesh 2016-17, Volume 1  109
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