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Every cell of my body was feeling alive. I was driving through the Western Ghats in the south of India. The monsoons had washed off every ounce of dust visible to the naked eyes. The black asphalted roads meandered through the shaded green tropical forest on either side. The mosses and lichens covered the forest from floor to roof. As I lowered the windows of my car, the smell of freshly sifted mud waded through. I put my hand out and felt the moisture on the back of my palm. The forest was alive. Sounds from insects and birds and the silence from the predators. The 60 odd kilometers of drive was mainly through this jungle with only my car in the visible distance. The morning sun hadn't woken up the sleeping villages I found along the way. I reached my destination Kundadri situated 60 kms away from the temple town of Udupi in time for the sunrise at 6am. I parked my car in the allotted space and walked up the short flight of stone paved stairs that led to the top of the peak. What I found there was beyond my imagination. The black granite hilltop looked like it was emerging from the fluffy white and grey clouds. The sun hadn't yet made an appearance but a small stone temple located on this hilltop glowed from where I could see. A shallow pond of water shone like slabs of emerald was nearly arranged on the surface. I stood there for a while seeing the clouds as far as my eyes could see. I could imagine myself walking over it. Kundadri was dedicated to the preaching leaders of the Jain community in the 17th century. The walls of the temple bears the statues of some of these sages. The calmness that echoes around leaves your soul feeling largely satisfied. Best time to visit this place is between September-December. If you are around, don't forget to try the local food which is delicious and th locals are always very welcoming and helpful. The nearest airport is Mangalore international airport about 120kms from the site. I recommend that you drive from the airport as the drive is also very scenic.