Aria, Maravanthe and Boat Pooja

On our way to Murudeshwara, we stopped at Maravanthe to take some pictures. Maravanthe is a nice place some 12 kms from Kundapura town. Maravanthe is scenic because it has got Arabian Sea on one side and Souparnika river on the other. NH17 passes right in between.

 An additional surprise was in store for us.

Close to the shore, about half a dozen boats were circling around in the sea, bursting crackers. Boats were decorated, with lots of people in them. We stopped to check with locals to find out what is going on. We were told that it is their way of offering pooja to sea goddess, for giving them their livelihood. 

Padukone is a town nearby. Deepika Padukone and Prakash Padukone have their roots here. Padukone is a partial island. It is connected by land but that route is fairly long. A more popular means of travel is by boat across the river Souparnika. I remember crossing the river in these boats during childhood. Nothing much has changed since then. Even the rates remain almost unchanged.  If you wish to take a joy ride in the river and not just cross it, then boating facility has come up of late. A varaha temple is also located on the banks of the river. For now, leaving you with pictures.

Later in the day we took the road route to Padukone, which was another adventure by itself.

Nearby: Ottinene beach * Kodachadri * Murudeshwara * Manipal Endpoint