Chalo Kantara

 

Chalo Kantara

Idea conceived by Jaydeep: Amit, Deepak, Jaydeep and I, have been together since 1st Std., in school, that’s almost 50 years! In one of those light moments in November, 2025, we decided to visit my hometown near Mangaluru to experience the culture, food, nature and some unique Events like Khola and Kambula associated with south coastal Karnataka, specifically known as Tulunadu. Before we knew, Jaydeep had booked the KSRTC bus tickets, to and fro, for Dec.1st. week. Next some days passed by in planning, booking, researching the place and ensuring that nothing is ignored. ‘Happiness is found along the way more than the Destination’ was said by an enlightened soul and we went the exact way by fully enjoying the complete process of Planning.

Travel by KSRTC: On 5th December, 7:30 pm, we boarded ‘Ambari’ (KSRTC Sleeper Bus), anticipating a fun-filled 3 days. Joking, sharing, teasing each other for a couple of hours, we slowly went into our shells. Each of us comes from a different background. Jaydeep a Chartered Accountant, I a Restaureur, Deepak into Investments and Amit an Entrepreneur, with Age 54 years and different family backgrounds, but from the same City, Pune, and studied in Karnatak High School, uptil 10th Std. 

Landing: The Bus was 2 hours late. After enjoying the sight of the beautiful shores of the early morning Arabian Sea, we got down at Hotel Vijaya Bhavan, Padubidri, for Breakfast. Our Innova with Mr Pradeep (Driver) was already waiting for us. After a sumptuous breakfast, we set out for Coconut Creek, Kinnigoli, our Homestay for the next 2 days.

Coconut Creek: As we reached Coconut Creek, Shobha, our host, was waiting at the doorstep with a welcoming smile. It was a bungalow with a lot of space, huge rooms with attached baths, a beautiful garden with Coconut and betel nut trees and silence, ensuring peace all around. After getting fresh we excitedly started our Task 1 - wearing a Veshti! 

Veshti: “Veshti” is a traditional unstitched garment for the lower body widely worn by men in South India. It is similar to the dhoti and is an integral part of the region's cultural attire. I was the only one knowing how to wear it and hence took over the leadership! Deepak had a ready-made Veshti with Velcro hence making it simple for him. Amit after umpteen attempts finally decided to hold the top of the Veshti with a Belt. Jaydeep was the one who dared. He learned the traditional way to tie the Veshti. After a photo Session in the campus of Coconut Creek, we set out for Kateel Temple. 

Kateel: Shri Durga Parmeshwari Temple at Kateel village is the most devotional one for the Tulunadu people. It is situated on a River with a spiritual environment all around. It was a Saturday hence not very crowded. After a Darshan of Amma(Shri Durga) we set out for our Task 2 …. towards my family’s Nagasthana. 

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  Nagasthana: Nagaradhane (Serpent Worship): This ancient tradition involves the worship of snakes, which are seen not just as deities but as protectors of the land, households, and ancestral lineage. The Tuluva community places great significance on preserving these sacred spaces, which are vital for the local ecosystem. My cousin, Harishchandra was waiting for us midway to guide us towards the Nagasthana. After meeting him, we had a pleasant experience of drinking raw coconut water at a wayside shop. We then reached the Nagasthana and had the Darshan. Now we set out for our Task 3 … towards the Daivasthana.
• Daivasthana: "Daiva stana" in Dakshina Kannada refers to a place of worship or shrine dedicated to "Daivas". In the local Tulu language, "Daiva" means spirit or deity, and "stana" or "sthana" means place or abode. These places are central to the unique and vibrant folk traditions of the region, particularly Bhootaradhane (spirit worship), which is a significant part of the local culture. My family’s Daivasthana is situated in the most peaceful of places with complete silence all around. I someday hope to spend an entire day at this place. We then set out for Task 4 …. lunch at Harishchandra’s place, my Papa’s home.
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• Papa’s home: My Papa’s home is situated on the edge of a Rice field, with a Well, a Cow shed, a vegetable garden and hens all around. Here, we again had Darshan of Deivasthana and Nagasthana. Harishchandra, along with his wife, younger son, elder daughter-in-law and a cute granddaughter had prepared a voluminous lunch. Banana leaves were laid down and food was served on it. The menu included Kori Rutti, Veg subji, Chicken Biryani, Raitha, Fried Fish, and Ice cream as the sweet dish. With a heavy stomach, we waved off Harishchandra’s family to rest for some time and then set out for Task 5 … witnessing the Sunset at Kapu Beach. 
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  Kapu Beach: Kapu Beach is a beautiful one with a Lighthouse. We travelled through a road alongside the beaches from Padubidri to Kapu having an awesome view all around. There were some clouds on the horizon hence we could not enjoy the Sunset totally, but had a wonderful time making us forget the hectic schedule throughout the day. As the twilight entered the darkness we left for Coconut Creek to have a well-earned rest before we set out for Task 6 … witnessing Bhootha Khola. 
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• Bhoota Kola: The Bhootha Kola was at a place, Katipalla, which was close to the town of Suratkal. We didn’t have much appetite, hence had light snacks at Hotel Sadanand and had the delicious Gadbad Icecream here. Excitedly, we started for Katipalla to witness Kordabbu Bhoota’s Kola. Bhoota Kola (or Bhootaradhane) is a vibrant, centuries-old ritualistic spirit worship and folk art from the Tulu-speaking coastal regions of Karnataka, India (Dakshina Kannada, Udupi), where performers, in elaborate costumes and makeup, channel local deities (Bhootas or Daivas) into a trance-like state to provide blessings, guidance, and resolve community issues, involving intense drumming, chanting of oral epics (Paddanas), and dramatic dances. For the next 3 hours, we were amidst the most sacred of environments with about 3-4 thousand people coming to have a Darshan and witness the Bhoota Kola. After a long tiring day, we were half asleep but still were rejuvenated when the Kola began. Now, one of our main purposes of visiting Tulunadu has been completed. We ended our busy day and had a deep sleep at the Homestay. The next day was to start early at 6:30 am for our next Task 7 … Kayaking! 
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• Mulky Kayaking: 5 km from Kinnigoli is Mulky, where the Shambhavi River meets the Arabian Sea. At this point, there is a Backwater and a Virgin Beach across. At the shores of the backwater, a kayaking point is established and a young man, Karan, an Engineer with a passion for Adventure sports, was our guide for the Kayaking experience. Deepak and Jaydeep together and Amit and I in another Boat, we shored across the lake to reach the Virgin Beach on the opposite side. As we got down from the boat and walked across, we witnessed the Beach, which might be one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Long stretch of white sand with only us and not a single soul on the entire stretch! With a heavy heart, we left the place, kayaked back, took leave of Karan, for our next Task.. no. 8….. a Tulunadu breakfast! 
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• Kinnigoli breakfast: Pradeep, our driver, took us to New Swagat Hotel, in Kinnigoli for breakfast. Here we had, Gunda, Mude & Kadle Bajil, unique items in Tulunadu recipes. Filling our heart and soul at Mulky shores we had a stomach full of breakfast and set out for our next Task … no. 9 … Kambula
• Kambula: "Kambula" most commonly refers to Kambala is an annual buffalo race held in the Tulu Nadu region of India. It can also refer to a town in South Africa and the Battle of Kambula that took place there, or a specific lion pride in a South African game reserve.  The Kantara movie had the hero, Rishab Shetty, making an Entry with a Kambula race. Among all our tasks, Khola and Kambula were the star attractions. Pradeep took us to the venue of Kambula but sadly, the race was completed the previous day itself. Luckily, Pradeep, through his sources, found out a place where the Kambula practice was going on. Here we witness the most interesting part of our trip, the Bullock Race. You won’t believe the speed at which a human runs along with the bullocks, on mud, with ankle-deep water. It was an exhilarating sight. We then moved on to Task 10 … Soans Farm.
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• Soan’s Farm: After getting fresh we set out for Moodbidri. Here, a century old Nursery, spreading across 100 acres with Pineapple as its speciality, Soan’s Farm is situated. We were lucky to meet Mr Soans himself. He too shared a lot of interesting things about his Nursery and treated us to the most tasty Pineapple juice.  We then moved on to Task 11 .. Lunch at ‘Machli’.
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• Machli: Mangaluru off late has developed a unique type of Hotels serving fish. On a Thali they serve Rice, Fish curry, an authentic veg subji, pickle and then you can order a range of fried fish of your choice along with it. Another sumptuous lunch at ‘Machli’ in Moodbidri and we returned to our Homestay. 
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• Kapu Beach: Another experience of Sunset at Kapu, but this time around, without the clouds. A marvellous site of sunset, pure, colourful and gorgeous. I asked god…"what have I done to witness so many heavenly moments in such a short span of time?" Dinner was a short affair before we went to bed, all ready for our Task 12 .. morning walk at my village. 
  

  

  
  
  
  
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• Village walk: Kinnigoli is at the border of my village Athur. Both my Mom and Dad have their home in the same village. Whenever I visit, I enjoy my morning walks to the hilt. I made sure that my soul mates, too experience the blissful journey. We set out for the morning walk at 6:30 am covering a good 6 km before coming back for Task 13 .. my Mom’s home. 
  
  
  
• Suragiri: Situated near my Mom’s home is a Temple called Suragiri. We visited the sacred place with me sharing some old stories about my childhood experiences whenever we visited with my parents.
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• Amma’s home: At my Mom’s place, my cousin’s family, Sadanna and Shakilakka were waiting for us. We were served the most tastiest of Dosa and Chutney along with raw coconut water.  We had a bus to catch in the evening at Udupi and hence we set out for our final Tasks .. no. 14 .. visit to the Temples Marigudi and Kunjarugiri. 
  
  
  
• Marigudi: We decided to visit Marigudi Temple at Kapu on our way to the Udupi Bus Stop. Marigudi is Goddess Mariamma’s Temple. Recently renovated in a grand way, we happened to attend the daily Puja standing near the Goddesses ' feet. The recent renovation has happened in a grand way with the one-tonne Bell at the Entrance being a major attraction. 
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• Kunjaragiri: Kunjarugiri Temple is situated at the top of a hill which is just 5 km from Udupi. This ancient temple, believed to have been installed by Lord Parashurama himself, is dedicated to Goddess Durga (Kunjar Amma). We could practically see the entire Tulunadu from one end while the Arabian Sea can be seen from the other end. 
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• Ratnakka’s feast: While at Shankarapura we visited my wife, Sarita’s sister, Ratnakka who stays in the same area. Ratnakka is an adorable person whom I always make a point to visit. Ratnakka, who was informed of our visit the previous day, had made an elaborate Menu for lunch which included Kappa roti, Semige, Chicken kabab, Kori rutti, Payasam and much more. Though we had decided to have a light lunch before travelling, we couldn’t resist and left her place with an overfilled stomach. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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• Allwyn Sweets: Visiting Tulunadu and not purchasing Banana chips is a crime. We then shopped at Allwyn Sweets and completed all our tasks as planned. 
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• Tadgola: After having coffee at Hotel Kidiyoor we started for the Bus Stop. Jaydeep had this urge to eat the Tadgola which in English is known as ice apple or palmyra fruit, through our journey, but couldn’t have it. As we reached the Udupi Bus Stop, we found a vendor selling Tadgola, just outside the Stop. This incomplete cycle of ours too was completed and we had the Tadgola too. 
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• Return journey: The Bus arrived on time. After a tiresome 3 days, we had nothing to do but sleep. We arrived in Pune on time at 7:30 am. After exchanging pleasantries we parted ways thus ending a superb tour. 
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• When the trip was proposed by Jaydeep, it was not possible for me, but I cooperated. I assumed some spiritual reason for even the thought to have conceived. It actually turned out to be that way!  Though it appeared to be a fun, experiential tour, for me it was a deep spiritual one. The discussions, the jokes, the old memories resurfacing, some intellectual talks, some foolish chats and investing time with each other were a loving life together. There is nothing better than investing time with your childhood buddies where you can be yourself. These three days will stay with me for life!