Balaji Temple and Mahabaleshwar

On Sunday (28 August), I'd been to this temple site... which was inaugrated sometime last year, built by the owner of Venkateshwara Hatcheries, Pune (Venky's chicken fame). Its said that this temple is a replica of the temple at Tirumala (Tirupati). I have no idea as I have never been there. But my friend Venkat has confirmed it exactly looks the same (just mailed him the photos). One good thing about this temple is that, there is no ticket system, where one can get a paid darshan... everyone has to stand in the line and take the darshan. The link to view all the photos -

Shri Venkateshwara Temple - Uttara Kshetra - Pune.

I did not go inside the temple. I'd been to this place to show it to my mother's sister and her husband who had come from Chennai, I took them to Mahabaleshwar... where due to clouds they could not see anything, leave apart that they can't walk/trek along the rocks to see each and every point...

I have always hated Mahabaleshwar... as I think there is nothing much for what people go... From each and every point you see the same mountain/river/scenery... just that in a different angle...

At one of the points (before Panchagani), I made the driver stop and took photographs of a waterfall (name was something like Bhilar Falls), where in came a local man saying that he was a astrologer who charges 20-30 bucks for doing face-reading and palmistry. Inspite of refusing, he continued saying that you have bright chances of going to foreign countries, and I replied to him "Mera Bhaarat Mahaan". He thought I'd come from North India and started coversing with his friend what to do now (in Marathi), he was unaware that I was from Pune itself, and I knew Marathi. I continued to take photos, he came up with a new funda... that the year 2006 will be very good for me. I said I am having a good time even now, then again he started off that I have bright chances to go to foreign countries, I replied to him in Marathi this time, "Mala Bhaartaat Raahaycha Aaahe". Now he got aware that I knew Marathi. He was thinking next what to say and then he reached limits of his predictions saying that I will be having love marriage, I replied to him that I neither had interest in love nor the time to think about marriage, but one of the both has to happen sometime or other in one's life and its inevitable. That was the time he realised that he was wasting his time with me and went back on his way!

In Mahabaleshwar, the Panchaganga temple and Swaya Shambu temple (something like that) were the only places we were able to see. Inside the Panchaganga Temple, photography is prohibited. There is a nandi from whose mouth, fresh water which tastes like pure mineral water comes from 5 rivers (hence the name Panchaganga). Wonder if they have some mineral water generating plant behind the temple?? But what is worth observing there is that, the people who work there make the visitors stand, and take the photographs (especially of couples). After all digital technology must reach to every one.

Could get a good view from somewhere near Parsi Point in Mahabaleshwar. The snap is published above.