What follows is a report on the trip I made with my friends few years back.Fairly long and hope fully tolerable.
Dedicated to the Koel living on the Tamarind tree across my house,
for making my mornings , especially Get_Ready_To_Go_To_Office part.
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HOW TO DO “siddarabeTTa”
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For those Parched souls, Restless muscles and Suppressed desires, following is a step by not so step guide to do siddarabeTTa and satiate one, three or otherwise of the above. Though based on the trip I made with five others, this has no claim to authenticity and has lot of personal prejudices and Long Suspended Now Released Imagination. What this means is those five souls cannot hold me responsible. More specifically none can sue.
To do siddarabeTTa :
1. It has to exist – It does.
2. You have to E. – You do.
3. Desire has to … – Does it? In you? In your Friend?
4. Time has … – It does but do you have?
5. Plan
– Talk to friends
– Finalize the group. 6-8 ideal; less may do; more? go sell fish.
6. Organize.
– Place – Thought it was siddarabeTTa.
– Means.
– Meals.
7. On D-1 contact the goers and brief. Sample mail follows:
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Hello all,
Hope this morn finds you in the best of spirits and pink of health,If not the following details should start you on the route to above:
People:
1.Me (as in my self)
2.Tulika (Deft with a spanner, especially when wheels are around)
3.Pragathi (Her room mate)
4.Anand (Her friend)
5.Naveen Bakshi (My friend)
6.Anju – (His wife, Her friend)
Place:
Sidharbetta ~60 KM on tumkur road. Cave temple on a mountain, big cave inside the mountain. 1 – 1.5 hours of climb?
Means:
Tata sumo. Infosys travel dept.
How:
Assemble at reddy building at 8:40 am tomorrow (Saturday, No lateness please). Will leave as soon as all there. Breakfast enroute. Lunch: Packed from Home. I’ll get roti sabji. Others can decide now and inform the rest. Tulika(Sand W?).Anand you can get some dry snacks like chips, Namkeen, fruits etc. Naveen you can decide and let us…..
Check list:
1. Be in comfortable clothes that stay that way even when wet. Get a raincoat, umbrella, peace of polythene.
2. Shoes. No chappals/sandles.
3. Salt sugar
4. TORCH LIGHT
5. Cuddly stuffed fav. toy or any other life sustaining device like personal medication, Photo graph/picture , statue of a very dear one( tera kya hoga
Tulika? ), lucky charm ….
So long catch you at reddy building at 8:40 tomorrow.
Triply,
J Srinivas.
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Notice how each was introduced. Not necessary if all know every one else.
8. On the said day and time you have to start. You can be 10-15 minutes late. Expected. On Time Chaps will sermonize on importance of time. Expected. Please remember to forget something. No trip is complete sans this.
9. GO.
10. Lose way. Ask people / villagers. A person to People interaction is very important. Especially if none of the six of you know Kannada. Guttaita?
11. Reach the base of the S. You should see a rest house on the left. Should have crossed an arch and should see steps leading up. Else rename the place reached as S and continue.
12. Climb. At least one of you should crib about the futility of going up only to climb down. Coming all the way here and go back home. Waking up every day to go back to sleep.
Leading a whole full filled life and die.
Futile.
Polished firewood.
13. One more says,” I know not why I’m so tired. You say it worries you, it worries me. Just 10 steps Yaaaar and OOOffffPPHHHHoo_ ,, …. “. Her breath has deserted her and she cannot find her left lung. The heart has expanded and occupied that zone.
Dhub. Dhhubb, DDDDDHHHHHHUUUUUUBBBBBBBBB ! ! ! !
[SRNVS]: Donot worry. It is the first fifteen minutes that are the toughest. Later all OK. Else your friends have left you behind.
14. Climb Down.
15. Before that it has to rain. Get wet. Or before step 8 remember to pack umbrella/raincoat.
16. Get the Rhythm and carry on climbing.
16 a, At this stage a bit of show off permitted.
– Your stamina.
– Newly bought sunglasses (So what if it is raining)?
– Ex. Boy friend’s foto G (Guys if you show your X-G.F’s F then be alert, watch your back).
– False teeth.
– True humor.
16 b, Drink.
17. Reach the temple.
There will be an old lady, who will advice to rest and have lunch on the temple premises. Donot listed to her. Go further up. Find a nice breezy spot on the top of the hill. Park. Nice fantastic view. Crack jokes. Open food. Monkeys will chase you down. Pack food. Fast.
18. Reach temple.
While the priest and the lady keep the monkeys at bay, eat. Make sure you offer food to the P and the L. Feed the dog.
The temple is inside a cave and besides the spring. Great. Water is pure. Drink.
The water has that Springy, Tangy, Sharp – Only In The Mountain Springs taste.
Cool. Rejuvenating. Blissful. Hilariously Gurgling.
19. Visit temple. Perform Ganga puja (Rs 5/- only, rest Baksheesh on own your sweet will).
20. Ask the priest to take you inside the mountain.
The mountain itself is made of boulders stacked, leaving space in between for me to explore. We were inside for an hour and a half. Twisting, bending bodies, straining – to hear the rocks talk. Great feeling, so close to nature.
Inside, as the fact of THE MATTER. In the womb of mother of all. In that primitive silence and Day-Twilight darkness. Still. Soft. Quite. Silent.
Afraid to talk aloud lest we disturb a boulder-slumber. Serene.
Apparently you can spend days and cross-places through the mounts.
The dog followed us every where.
BTW shiv-gange near Kolar has similar hills.
21. Come out by five PostMeridian (??). Do what was told on 14.
On our way back those threatening clouds make the risk materialize. The Indian Monsoon manifested its furious glory. Each drop in an Untold, Intuitive,
Gravitational Haste to keep its rendezvous with Earth. Washing. Cleaning. Making mud. The feel of the rainy, Moving-car-wet gale on the left cheek -Terrific. [Do not roll up the windows]. Home. With all those sweet fond memories and slightly aching right toe, say good night to all. The rocks, priest, lady, dog, monkeys, your friends tales, car, songs on car stereo, jokes, part of the lives shared – Past present future. Will forever leave dents on the minds.
Tulika says: It was soo great. So nice. And not futile.
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PS: Count your Cassettes ere the final good night.
Hit the roads 
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