Bus Rides, and Temples, and Beaches Oh My

We woke up early to the cool breeze of an overcast day.  After having breakfast with our homestay families and our daily Yakshagana practice, we boarded a bus for a 90 minute ride north to Shri Murudeshwar (twisted Shiva).  Upon arrival, we ate at a nearby restaurant raised over the Indian Ocean with a beautiful view of the coast.  While we ate, some played card games like exploding kittens, ERS and Magic.  

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​After the delicious lunch we gathered under the shade of a giant Shiva statue, the second largest in the world to be exact, Krishna gave us a brief summary of Hinduism and their beliefs.  We took a brief chance to journal about local leaders and what we thought make up the qualities of a leader before heading inside the Shiva where Krishna explained to us the story of this specific location with the help of the beautiful sculptures.  

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Next, we headed down the hill and into the main temple where many Hindus visit as part of a pilgrimage to worship.  Inside, everything was plaited with gold and had beautiful architecture.  Our time ended with trip to the top of an 18 stories towner, Gopur (Main Gate) to enjoy a beautiful view of the water and the Shiva statue, and temple. 

​“Beach, here we come!” The sun was low and covered by clouds, but we were ready to enjoy. The soccer ball flew around the sand and the waves rolled over our heads. We played in the water, ignoring the microscopic jellyfish that gave mini-stings for 30 minutes.  To our dismay we were called out of the water. but we had our best ANCHOR of the trip under the sunset on the rocks.  

​On the bus ride home we blasted some Indian pop music and had a massive dance party.  Unfortunately we were greeted with rain, thunder, and lightning.  The plan was to go see a professional Yakshagana performance at a temple in a close by village, but we were skeptical the rain would put off the performance.  As some started to doze off back at their homestays, the rain let up so we had to get everyone rallied for our late night.  We were fortunate enough to see a glimpse of the dusk to dawn performance and it helped paint a picture of our upcoming dance just one short day away.