Souvenir you get to collect if you are touring Karnataka
Souvenirs need not always be purchased. The purpose of a souvenir is to help one get reminded of a place, person, or thing. The best memories do not come from the price paid at the gift shops, rather they come from the small things that came to your hands in your journey. These could be things as simple as a chocolate wrapper to a leaf from a tree.
During my all-India cycle tour, I made it a point to collect a small souvenir from each place I stayed at which I could pin to my diary. As long as you can flip your diary and cherish your memories, whether or not the souvenir is heavily priced or procured from the best gift shop in the town doesn’t matter.
Here is the list of all the souvenirs I collected and the respective memories associated with them.
Tamarind seeds (Traditional game played by kids in villages)
On the very first day of the tour, I happened to play a game of dice with the kids. Dice here is prepared by breaking the tamarind seed into two halves. Using 4 such halves, one can play a wide range of games. Later in the journey, I realized that this is a commonly played game in rural Karnataka.
Chalk piece from a school
On day 2 of the journey, I got the wonderful opportunity to take a class with the kids in a school. Although I took multiple other classes later, this one remains special. What I learnt teaching the kids is something I carry forward even to date. Every single time I take a look at the chalk piece, it brings a pleasant smile to my face acknowledging the right step I took in approaching the school headmaster.
Papad (A dish to be had fried)
A coincidental event brought me to the house of Gurushanth Aradhya on day 3 of my tour. The place had a rich heritage I got to understand only after I was allowed to stay there (Read this article). The dinner I had at his place continues to be one of the best to date. I savoured the homemade papad that Gurushanth sir’s wife kept putting into my plate at my request. On the way out, I made sure I took a small piece of it with me to remind me about the coincidence.
Coconut cover
On the 4th day of the journey, I stayed over at a mud house. Here, Shivamallapa sir had stocked a heap of coconuts inside the room. When I asked him why he had them there, he replied saying “Every coconut that falls from the trees of my farm belongs to others. Not to me. As service, I give them away”. That seemed impressive to me. I took a small piece of the coconut cover with me to get reminded of smart ways to offer service to society.
Arkalwadi mutt
On day 6, I stayed over at a mutt for the first time on the tour. Here I kept a flower handed to me as a souvenir. Unfortunately, I had to discard it as it started to rot. Thinking about this mutt always reminds me of the importance of culture in one’s life (read this article).
Garlic peel
6th day of the journey offered to me an unforgettable experience of meeting an extraordinary human being, Mr Chowdiah. This man had toiled all his life to be able to arrive at a comfortable position in life. Yet, he had garlic piled inside the room of his house (read this article).
Turmeric piece
The host on the 7th day of my journey resided in the Chamarajnagar district. As I saw him clearing the dust from the turmeric pieces, he explained to me that the turmeric in the Chamarajnagar district is one of the best in the world. The fragrance around the place said it all. I took a small piece of it to remind me of how beautiful the fragrance of a natural substance can be.
Coconut tree leaf
On day 8, I planted a coconut sapling at my host, Sathish’s farm at his request. He explained to me that I can feel proud of the fact. There would be a tree in my name for years to come. I felt a moment of pride then. Also, the happiness that in a couple of years, when I return, the sapling would have grown tall.
Sambar seeds
The day before I left Sathish’s place, I asked his mother if I could get anything from her that I can keep as a memory. Her sweetness had caught my heart. Her naivety was such that she took some seeds from a small box and handed it to me. She said these seeds taste well when used for Sambar. This souvenir is a symbol of naivety for me.
Neem leaves
Ugadi which is the onset of the new year in the south was celebrated on the 10th day of my tour. My host Shivamallapa sir took me around to show how it is celebrated at his place. I learnt that people play cards and bet on money the night of the new year. This turned out as a surprise to me as I hadn’t known of such a culture. The next day, while leaving his house, I plucked out a neem leaf from the outside of his house which is usually put up on the day of Ugadi.
Wild curry leaf
Staying with a tribal family called Hakki Pikki tribals on day 11 of my journey, I got to learn about their culture of using plant extracts to make herbal hair oil. More of, I made a close friend with Charan who hosted me at his place. He took me around to show me all the kinds of plants they grow which they use to make the hair oil. To give me a sample of how well the wild-type curry leaf smelled, he plucked over a leaf from the plant and handed it to me. (Read this article).
Chocolate wrapper
There is no better feeling under the sun than having a kid like and respect you. This happened on back-to-back days. On the 12th and the 13th day, two independent kids handed me chocolates. On the 13th day, a group of kids got me different things to munch on and asked me to carry them on my journey. The kind gesture that the kids showed to me stays with me even to date. It is really important to inculcate it at a very young age.
Areca nut spadix
I had the wonderful opportunity to witness a huge event where an entire village came together to celebrate a festival at a village called Kavu in the Mangaluru district. Here, the spadix of an areca nut tree was handed to each individual as a Prasad from God. To help me remember the event of such big a magnitude, I am holding this as physical evidence. The event went on till day 17, on which day as well I got the same thing as Prasad from God.
Sambar leaves plucked from the forest
I stayed at Kavu for a good 5 days on my journey. It was an extremely happening place. On the 15th day of the journey, I visited a house where I was impressed by its architecture (read this article). On visiting the attic, I got the fragrance of these leaves a couple of meters away. I was told that the leaves were plucked from the forest which is attached to their farms. I immediately took a small piece of it.
Passion fruit stalk
On day 16, I ate a remarkable fruit called passion fruit. As tiny as it looks, eating that makes lemons taste sweet! It was the most interesting experience in my life concerning a fruit. I consumed the pulp of a whole lemon after just eating one centimetre-sized passion fruit.
Turmeric powder wrapped in a banana leaf
On day 18 of my tour, I got to see buta kola for the second time in my journey (read this article). The buta wished me well for my journey and gave me some turmeric wrapped in banana leaf as Prasad. As a memory of observing such a traditional event, I keep this as a separate souvenir in my bag even to date.
Paper that was used to pack food for the journey
On the 19th day, I finally left Kavu. The best experience I had of the place was eating all the tasty food that my host’s mother prepared. She even packed some food on my request to aid me in my journey. The thing I noticed about the entire family was that they refrained from using plastic. Coming from a hardcore farming background, they respected soil, which meant they omitted plastic. To help me remember all the nice food I ate and the presence of mind to omit plastic, I kept this as a souvenir.
A small piece of the water bottleneck
A person I had met at Madikeri was kind enough to book me a room at Udupi looking at my WhatsApp status that I was looking for a stay at Udupi. For the first time on the tour, I got to reside in a hotel room. Although it made my life seem extremely comfortable, this was the first time in the journey I felt the most discomfort. I had feelings of doubt and worry for the first time on the tour. To help me remember the incident, I plucked the cap of the bottle that was in the lodging room and pinned it to my book.
Signature of a kind man
On day 21, I met Mr Sanjeev Naik, a Udupi-based cook (read this article). He was the most humble person I came across on the tour. Coming from an extremely poor background, he took me home and offered me tea and biscuits. A heartwarming gesture. It is not what you have, it is what you can give with what you have. A lesson for life. I immediately asked him to write his name in my diary. With great difficulty, he penned his name there.
Tasty sweet dish
On day 22 of my journey, I stayed at a remote location in reserve forests (read this article). My host was a cook and he prepared some sweets in no time on my arrival there. The sweet reminds me of my pleasant stay at the forest limits where there was such peace to the extent that even phones had no network.
Flower offered for God
Accidentally, requesting food from a group of people who were cooking it at a school, I got to stay over with a group of Yakshagana performers that day (read this article). That day, I learnt quite a bit about the traditional event of Yakshagana. It was an interesting experience to sleep over on their bus at the night. The fact that everyone there was a nomad similar to me, living off a box added to the essence of the experience.
Grapes stalk
On day 24, I stayed in a mutt called Akshobhaya mutt. The love I received here from the Swamiji and the priests at the mutt, I hadn’t received until then in the journey. It remains the most serene place and the most lovable place I stayed on my journey after 40 days. Balagaru Swamiji was so sweet to me that he handed me 5000 rupees wishing me on my journey and a bag filled with dry fruits which I continue to eat even to date. People there eat only Satwik food and I was given grapes for snacks in the evening during my stay. I kept the stalk of it as a memory of the Swamiji and the beautiful place I got to reside for a day.
Cool drink can lid
On day 25 of my journey, I pulled by a bus stop as it was too sunny to bear. The very day police constables were on duty the entire road I was travelling on. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bonmai had to pass over the road at work. One lady constable from Davangere gave me nice company. She spoke with me throughout and offered the food and cool drink that was handed to her. I felt that was an extremely heartwarming gesture. Why would a police constable who is struggling in the heat of the sun hand over her food and a cool drink to me? She said such was the nature of people around at the place. Outsiders first and themselves next. The incident made me learn a thing or two.
A spicy edible leaf
Days 26 to 28 saw two important events happening in my journey. One, I met a naturalist (read this article) and two, I met a person living in a forest he built with his own hands (read this article). Interestingly both their names were Nagaraj!
As the naturalist took me around a couple of acres of land he has built a forest on, he showed me all the varieties of plants there were planted there. He made me eat a wide variety of fruits. But the one that I felt most anomalous was this leaf that you could pluck and eat straight off the plant. It tasted spicy yet very good at the same time.
The person who lives in the forest he has built had 5 books published to his name. He gave a copy of each. I took a small piece of writing from one of the books as a memory of meeting the flamboyant character.
Thoughts alone
Day 29 and 30, I resided at a mutt called Hierekal Mutt at Haveri. For the first time in the journey, I observed poverty. I had absolutely nothing to take back from the place except the 100 rupees that the Swamiji gave me from there. Some of the events that happened there disturbed me mentally as it was a switch from all the better places I was coming from. Soon, I got used to it.
Banana peel
The next couple of places I would go to were all poverty-stricken in some sense. I visited a famous Mailarlingeshwara temple at Guddadapura. I hadn’t seen that amount of begging all my life! I saw people forcing the devotees to give money to them. Disturbed by the event, I met a lady constable there and told her that I wanted to write a complaint letter if there was such an option to do so. She helped me with it.
Despite such rampant begging, one person who as well begs there saw me feeling disturbed and got me a whole bunch of bananas. He didn’t provide me with the opportunity to say no. He made sure I accepted it.
I was told that God provides mysteriously for those who seek. It was one beautiful learning. I wasn’t sure who was the beggar there!
A piece of paper from a kids’ notebook
On day 32, I stayed at another mutt called Hukkeri mutt. The trend didn’t improve here too. I saw that poverty and literacy are intertwined. Where there was poverty there people were more impulsive and lacked basic knowledge.
As the mutt was also a hostel for kids, I got to make friends with two kids Prabhu and Anand. Both dropouts from college. Both challenged me that nobody in the hostel would know the names of more than 3 states in the country. Their impulsivity while speaking with me saddened me. That day, I stayed over at Prabhu’s room and tore a small piece of his handwriting from one of his books to remind me of the sad plight of these people.
A note from my host (Ankush)
On days 33 and 34 of the journey, I stayed over at a staunch Krishna devotee’s house (read this article). In two days, I shared more conversations on spirituality than I had in my entire journey. There was a lot to give and take. To get reminded of all the conversations we shared, I asked Ankush to pen down anything he likes in my book. He wrote ‘Krishna is the only lord of the world’.
Thoughts alone
On day 35 of my journey, I got to stay at the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Dharwad. I was given a private room with an attached washroom. Every minute counted. I enjoyed the alone time and the privacy I got after many days on the trip. I had constantly been on the move for a long time in the journey and needed a desperate break. The fact that I was only offered one night’s stay saddened me in some sense diminishing the fun of the moment. I learnt a great deal that day. To enjoy the present not worrying about the next. I now know that the mental journey is also like my physical journey. Sometimes the roads elevate and sometimes they lower. It is important to enjoy both.
Signature from a security guard
On day 36 of my journey, I stayed at a mutt called Mrityunjaya mutt at Dandeli. Here, the security guard of the place quit chewing tobacco at my request (read this article). He shared his life stories with me and I enjoyed listening to them thoroughly. Before leaving the place the next day, I asked Somashekar sir to add his signature to my book.
Name of the mutt cut from a poster
The private room that I was looking for on day 35 of the journey, I got on days 37 and 38. I arrived at the auspicious mutt of Ullavi, where Chennabasaveshwara, a legendary character had cremated himself voluntarily at the age of 25 in the 12th century AD. The mutt was located deep in the forest of Anashi. I was handed keys to a private room where 2 whole days I rested and recovered both mentally and physically. The serene location headed me inside out. I took a small cutting from a flyer and pinned it to my book as a mark of learning patience and avoiding complaints.
Stamp at the police station
On day 39 of the journey, I requested to stay at the Police station and got the same. It was an interesting experience. Everyone kept pampering me. Of them, Miss Triveni and Dondubai told me that I reminded them of their brother and handed me 500 rupees. The day before leaving, I had my book sealed at the station to remind me of the same.
Soap box cover
On the 40th and the final day of my tour, I stayed at the house of a police constable whom I was recommendation from my previous day’s stay. Here, I was received warmly and shown hospitality of the highest order. Nilan More ma’am made sure I felt as comfortable as possible in this remote place of Karnataka called Majali. She handed me a fresh soap box and told me that I need to take a shower before sleep and that I would enjoy it. Something I had been missing throughout my journey. I kept a small piece of paper torn from the soap box as a souvenir from the last day of my trip.
I am a 31 year young PhD graduate who has decided to travel the length and breadth of India on my cycle, to document the journey of meeting a vast array of people. In my journey, I intend to understand the characteristic features of the people of this nation and categorize them based on their demographics, age, profession, gender, traditions, and cultural differences.
Awesome wrap up of karnataka. As you go on further I wonder how you will carry stuff as the weight will be increasing state by state. I guess you will be entering a neighbouring state. Good luck and take care