Maruth was my guide who took me to a curious rock formation called Sidlaphadi. The name roughly translates as a cave created by lightning. Sidlaphadi is not a cave, but a bridge connecting two rocks, under which you can easily pass through. Maruth could well be a brand ambassador for Surf Excel.
Sidlaphadi
With a stadium 10 times the size of a football field, taking pictures of a polo match is not easy. You just have to wait for the players to come closer to where you are standing. And when they do get a little closer, you have to quickly fire away as much as you can, trying to keep focus on the swiftly moving horses. But when they get very close to the boundary where you are standing and shooting from, they are too close for comfort to shoot – it is time to be alert, not to shoot!
One of the things that surprised me during the game was the absence of a goal keeper. I asked about it to my friend, an expert player himself. He confirms that there will be no one guarding the poles, and helpfully adds more information – “coming on the way of a horse is a foul.” I can understand why. Being on the way of these galloping horses can be a foul so costly, it would be remembered lifelong.
The cave temples are the best known structures in Badami. But nothing beats the grand setting of Bhoothanatha Temple. It is a great place to sit and listen to the sound of splashing water, watching the mild sun of the evening reflecting in the lake.
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