Travel Tales with Apurva

Of all the countless books I have read, Hubli (Hubballi) and its narrow lanes that lead to beautiful, ancient houses built on the architectural design of southern India still fascinate me. 

That is because Hubli (Hubballi) is the backdrop for many of Sudha Murthy’s books, and I am an avid reader of most of her books. I was first shown the world of books and stories through her book, so yeah, visiting this place is special and important. 

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The first novel that I picked up, read, laughed through, cried, and learnt a lot through was Gently Falls the Bakula by Sudha Murthy. I must have been around 15-16 years old at the time I first read it. It has shaped a lot of how I think, behave, and make choices, too. I guess it’s true, the books you read and the company you keep influence you a lot!

While the story revolves around Shrimati and Shrikant’s friendship, marriage and the life they built. It did made me think about a lot of things, especially how not to shrink as a woman in Indian patriarchal society.

No, this wasn’t the start of my rebellious phase, but rather a small sampling shooting upwards the bright open sky while laying its strong roots in the ground. The seed ? To never abandoning my dreams or self-worth for anyone.

I won’t give away much of the book’s spoilers; you can read it if you want to know. ☺️

Coming back to Hubli (Hubballi). From what I have read it is a historically rich city now located in Karnataka, India. It’s ironically also known as “Chota Mumbai” for its commercialization and rapid industrialization. And for someone like me who is born and brought up in Bombay, I would like to visit this city, just for the experience!

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It’s dual city- Dharawad; is also mentioned a ton of times in most of Sudha Murthy’s books, so that’s on the list too! 

In my mind, Hubil (Hubballi) is a quiet city that has serene lakes where you can sit for hours, ancient temples whose chimes and chants you can listen to during evening prayers as you pass by them, and ofcourse, the food! 

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Other easy-to-read, travel/coffee table books that I would recommend:

Three Thousand Stitches

Wise and Otherwise

The Old Man and his God

How I taugh my grandmother to read (Yes, I know it’s a kids’ fiction, but don’t all adults have an innocence and warmth of a child in their heart?😄)

One day, when I go there, I will update this blog. But till then, here’s me putting this blog out as an open letter to the universe to make this happen! 

Until next time, 

Adios!