Don Curry and the Jain Priest

Don Curry gives up - that would have been the title of today's report. For the first time on his long journey, he actually considered surrender. When he saw his destination on the horizon, he thought only one thing: you will never make it! At least not at the end of a long day...

The day had started with noticeable cold. Indian hotels generally skimp on insulation, and they usually don't provide warm blankets either. So when the temperature drops to 7°C at night in February at an altitude of over 2200 m, the guest has a problem. Don Curry couldn't remember the last time he woke up from cold, but here in Ooty it happened in the middle of the night. He eagerly wrapped himself in the wide blanket and apparently did not die of freezing - he certainly heard the alarm clock at 6:30 am. Stepping into the icy bathroom was no pleasure either, but at least the shower had hot water, even if only as a thin stream. He preferred to skip breakfast in the unheated restaurant, especially considering the long journey ahead of him.

First, he had to descend from the heights of the Nilgiris to the lowlands of Mysore: 36 hairpin turns allowed for this route. Then he had to cross two national parks, the Mudumalai NP in Tamil Nadu and the nearby Bandipur National Park in Karnataka. Countless axis deer lined the road, but unfortunately, no other wildlife appeared.

The first actual destination of the day was the Hoysala Temple of Somnathpur. The next day, Don Curry would fully immerse himself in the unique culture of the Hoysala dynasty. Here in Somnathpur, on the edge of their former domain, one of their temples had managed to survive completely and intact over the centuries - Don Curry took this small but magnificent structure as an appetizer for the much larger Hoysala temples in Belur and Halebid, which he would visit tomorrow.

Next, he went to the river island of Shrirangapattana, near Mysore. The Muslim rulers of Mysore, Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan, fortified this island and made it the new capital from which they fought against the British armies - for a long time, with great success. The Friday Mosque served as their first target, which Tipu Sultan built as part of the city's fortifications; once again, Don Curry quickly found an older gentleman by his side who led him into the mosque located on the first floor and to other noteworthy places on the premises. Nearby, a simple memorial stone marks the place where Tipu Sultan died defending his fortress against the British cannon fire.

Don Curry could already feel that he was missing breakfast: his stomach reminded him with a growl. Various guidebooks praised the restaurant of the Maruya River View Hotel on the island - Don Curry wanted to check it out. The view alone made him choose this restaurant: it was built as a shady veranda directly above the banks of the Cauvery River, providing splendid views of the rock-strewn riverbed. The culinary offerings could certainly match this splendid setting, and the fact that Don Curry was even served a Kingfisher Strong beer made him truly blissful. In the end, they even offered him a small dessert on the house - which moved this restaurant up to the top of his list of lunch spots. Feeling strengthened and satisfied, Don Curry now dedicated himself to the true highlights of the island: the richly decorated Gumbaz represents the mausoleum of the sultan's family.

Many Indian Muslims still pilgrimage here to worship Haider Ali, his wife, and above all, Tipu Sultan, whose grave is covered with a tiger skin.

Not far away stands the Daria Daulat Bagh, Tipu's magnificent summer palace, which is made entirely of teak wood and whose walls are covered with huge murals depicting historical scenes. To protect the frescoes and wood from the Indian sun, the palace is constantly covered with green plastic tarps, which makes it look rather ugly from the outside. However, the interior, which unfortunately cannot be photographed, testifies all the more to the artistic sense and joie de vivre of the famous ruler. A small museum also provides information about Tipu Sultan, his family, and his history.

Don Curry had already seen, admired, and enjoyed so much today. But one destination was missing. He immediately saw it as Prince approached the small town of Shravanabelagola; for this destination was literally outstanding. From a distance, Don Curry spotted a mighty hill, and above this hill, the head and upper body of a powerful statue: Bahubali, the tallest monolithic statue in the world, standing at almost 18 m high, carved out of the rocky peak of the 960 m high Vindyagiri Hill in the year 980. After Prince had parked at the foot of the hill, there was no sign of the statue anymore: only the first few hundred steps, hewn directly into the rock, leading up the hill - a total of about 700 steps. Don Curry had actually planned to visit this Jain religious sanctuary no matter what, but in view of the crowd on the steps, the lush outdoor temperatures, and the late hour - it was almost 5 p.m. already - he knew he couldn't make it: you will never make it! At least not today! So he gave up on his plan.

Nevertheless, he still wanted to have climbed a few steps up this mountain. However, he had to give up his shoes first, as the entire hill was considered a sacred place. He was surprised to see that most Indians were getting socks from specialized vendors, as the stone steps tended to heat up considerably during the day. But after four weeks in India, Don Curry's soles were hardened - literally - and he only wanted to try a few steps anyway.

So he set off barefoot. He quickly passed the first Indians, but soon the irregular steps and the effort of the steep ascent also became difficult for him. However, the steadily more magnificent view provided sufficient compensation. From down here, Bahubali couldn't be seen at all, but after some time, the first of the 4 path temples came into view. Don Curry decided to reach at least this first goal. After two breaks in between, he finally stood in front of the path temple. Unfortunately, it was completely scaffolded and could not be entered, but the second temple wasn't too far away. Brave, Don Curry continued to trudge, audibly panting by now. From the second path temple, there was a fantastic view of the second significant hill of Shravanabelagola: Chandragiri Hill with its numerous ancient Jain temples. In a cave there, in the 3rd century BC, the famous first Maurya Emperor Chandragupta Maurya is said to have fasted to death after his voluntary abdication.

Newly motivated by the incredible panorama before his eyes, Don Curry felt ready to tackle the third path temple. Somehow, his body quickly got used to the effort demanded of it, and his feet also had no problem with the hot stone steps. When he looked from the third temple towards the summit, he saw Bahubali's head almost within reach. There were only a few steps left to the fourth path temple, which was already on the edge of the summit plateau, as Don Curry found out to his great surprise.

Suddenly, he stood in front of him after all, the 18 m tall, completely naked Bahubali, who represents an important prophet of the Jain religion. The figure is surrounded by dark corridors where Don Curry discovered significantly smaller statues of other prophets. In front of the giant figure, a few Jains had gathered to worship the prophet with melodious songs; there was also a white-clad Jain priest ready. The priest waved Don Curry over and explained some details about the history and significance of the mighty figure. When asked, he also mentioned that the - only held every 12 years - major cleaning ceremony is coming up next year, during which the entire statue will be drenched with turmeric oil, sandalwood paste, sugarcane juice, saffron, and other - mostly precious - ingredients. At the end of the conversation, the priest blessed Don Curry and even allowed him to take a photo.

Don Curry quickly descended the approximately 700 steps, retrieved his shoes, bought a resonant singing bowl from a Tibetan arts and crafts dealer, and surprised the waiting Prince with the news that he had actually been to the top.

Don Curry couldn't tell if Prince really believed him, as Prince had long since started heading towards Hassan, where Don Curry had pre-booked a hotel for the night. Once again, he used room service, but this time he only ordered 2 sandwiches and a beer. He quickly washed his dirty feet and fell into a restful sleep after this long and exhausting day. He had actually made it...