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Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy.
I'm your host, Thomas.
Thanks so much for being here.
Tonight, I'll be guiding you on a relaxing journey through some of South India's most beautiful scenery.
You'll wander through a tiny village and visit the UNESCO site of Hampi in the Indian state of Karnataka.
Thanks so much to Lottie for writing this lovely tale.
Before we get to our story, let's take some time to relax our bodies and prepare for deep, restful sleep.
If you feel the desire to do so, move your body in any way you need to feel even more comfortable.
For the next few moments, it might be helpful to lie flat on your back, allowing as much openness in the chest as possible, so that you can breathe fully and deeply.
We'll gradually work our way towards that idyllic, sleepy feeling by grounding ourselves in the present moment, with the breath.
Start by placing your hands comfortably on top of your belly.
Feel the warmth of your palms against your stomach.
Take a deep breath in and feel your belly expand.
And when you're ready, breathe out slowly feeling your belly sink down.
As you start to relax, take a few more breaths in and out.
With each breath, imagine you're letting go of the day.
Feel your eyes becoming heavier and your body softer.
Let your focus drift away from the breath now as you listen to my voice.
There is nothing you need to do.
This is your time to unwind, rest, and drift into deep sleep.
So now you're relaxed.
Let's begin our journey.
It is early morning and you are lying on a bed inside a bamboo hut.
The mattress beneath you is firm and sturdy and you can feel it aligning your back beautifully.
You notice the ceiling of the hut It slopes on either side to make a point in the middle.
This ceiling has been built with all natural materials.
You can see the supporting wooden beams composed of long slender tree branches.
The bark has been stripped and they've been sanded smooth.
These beams make a structure like a lattice and you marvel at the craftsmanship.
Large mats of woven bamboo have been laid over these beams to make the room and the walls surround you.
You look closely and admire the handiwork.
Just like a woven basket.
Thin strips of bamboo have been crisscrossed over and under each other to make a flat sheet.
Everything is the color of golden straw, except the black stone floor beneath you.
It is so peaceful and relaxing to lie in this room surrounded by natural materials.
Then you notice the tiny gaps in the bamboo that let in the morning light.
The whole room seems to glow a pale orange.
Breathing in deeply, you notice a comforting earthy smell.
The air is fresh and slightly cool against your skin.
You swing your legs off the bed and place your feet on the smooth stone floor.
Above you, the ceiling fan whirls, sending soft waves of fresh air over your body.
You listen to its gentle whirring sound for a while, comforted by its movement.
Then you stretch your body savoring the satisfying feeling of using your muscles.
You spread out your arms and flex your fingers.
You notice your clothes for today hanging on a row of hooks.
They are loose comfortable and made of light cotton.
You move over to them to fill their texture with your fingertips and then you dress slowly.
When you are ready, you open the door, stepping out into the morning You take a deep breath.
The sky is blue but milky, and the sun is soft, bathing everything in a buttery light.
In front of you is a garden of banana trees.
You can see their wide vivid green leaves moving against each other in the breeze.
Here and there, nestled in the trees, are bunches of green unripe bananas that seem to hang like natural chandeliers.
The morning light filters through the garden, illuminating the leaves it touches.
You smile as you take in the sense of wonder and gratitude for waking up to this beautiful view.
Slipping your feet into your most comfortable sandals, You notice the sound of tropical birds somewhere in the distance.
This is such a peaceful place, you think.
You step away from your bamboo hut onto the fine golden gravel and head for the road that you can see just beyond the trees.
As you pass under the banana leaves, you feel the cool of the shade on your skin and smell the scent of damp earth.
There's a faint rustling of a breeze in the leaves.
Once you step out beyond the banana trees, you reach the road and feel the shift from gravel to tarmac under your feet.
You look around.
To your left are a few tiny homes, all painted in different colours.
To your right across the road, is a scrubby landscape of rocks boulders, grasses and lush rice fields.
The sun glitters on the pools of water underneath the rice plants and makes a mirror for the white stalks that are scattered across the fields.
But the crowning feature is the gigantic, ruined aqueduct that runs from the edge of the road out into the landscape.
It's a beautiful structure with tall arches and rocks that are weathered smooth and crumbled in places.
It's easy to imagine the aqueduct in its working days, supplying Hampi with vital water for its residents.
You begin to move towards it.
On your left are the homes of the village.
Each house has been carefully painted in a pastel pink, blue or green.
The goldish red earth around them has been swept and brushed lovingly, leaving each home with a tidy garden area.
Women in brightly colored cotton dresses draw patterns on the ground with white sand.
You watch the sand stream out from their fingers in perfect lines which are looped to create circular geometric patterns.
This art form is called Rangoli and is used to bring good luck and prosperity to homes and businesses.
Continuing your walk, you see some animals.
Sweet natured dogs with long faces come to see what you are doing, wagging their tails, and majestic, mild-tempered buffaloes turn from their breakfasts of straw in order to watch you.
Their tails flap and swish, and their mouths chew mechanically.
You see that a dirt road branches off the main road and sweeps past the aqueduct, So naturally you begin to veer towards it.
As you wander along this dirt road, you gaze up at the aqueduct, struck by its size and age.
You notice the small flowers and grasses that have taken refuge in its crumbling walls.
The road continues, so you keep going too.
It leads you over a small bridge of sand that slices between marsh-like fields.
Long, reedy grasses shoot out of muddy water and around flat orange rocks.
Nestled in some parts are white fluffy reeds as tall as a man that crown the landscape and sway elegantly in the light breeze.
The scent of damp soil and dry leaves reaches you as you continue on the road.
You breathe it in, savoring the nature that is all around you.
The ground then begins to slope up, bringing you onto a rocky plain.
The road cuts through it, sweeping around to the right, and you keep following it.
All around you, large boulders are dotted among yellowing grass and tall, willowy trees.
Morning birdsong greets you and when you turn towards the sound, you see tiny birds with bright red feathers at their throat.
To the left, beyond this dry, scrubby terrain, are more rice fields.
The lush emerald green colour is dazzling, stretching out into more countryside.
Arching up from the edges of each rice field are graceful palms with clusters of coconuts in their branches.
You continue on the road, which twists and turns, until you hear the sound of running water.
You quicken your pace and take a final turn to find yourself on the bank of the river, the Tungabhadra.
The water is calm at this time of year, the river running lazily through the landscape like a wide snake.
The ground smoothly slopes down, but stone steps have been carefully placed along it to help people navigate it.
The road joins the steps, guiding walkers down to the river's edge, where a tiny tin boat awaits ready to ferry passengers to the other side.
But this river is not what makes you stop in wonder and take a deep, steadying breath.
On the other side of the water, a magnificent temple stands tall, reaching into the sky.
It's the same orange and gold color as the rocks around you.
Built in South Indian style, it reminds you of a multi-tiered wedding cake.
Its beauty and majesty create an aura of sheer wonder.
This is Virupaksha Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It is a Hindu temple built in the 7th century in devotion to the god Shiva.
You take a moment to appreciate its age and beauty.
The sound of the river seems to hold you there in this moment of wonder, and you can feel the comforting warmth of the sun on your skin.
Your eyes begin to take in more of the opposite side.
Large stone steps have been cut into the riverbank like platforms.
Small temples stand here and there, as well as the same wide flat rocks that you have seen on this side.
Flights of small stone steps run from the riverbank and up to the temple.
You can see people making their way to the river, or simply sitting and talking.
You know it is time to explore, so you begin to walk down the steps towards the little boat.
As you reach the river, you smell the scent of fresh water mingled with the floral perfume of incense smoke.
You cast your gaze around and see people on the large flat rocks by the river's edge.
At their feet is smoking incense.
You are filled with a sense of curiosity and reverence, for this is considered a holy river.
You step towards the boat and are greeted by the kind smiling faces of its driver and assistant.
They help you on board, and the boat rocks slightly as you step into it.
The men guide you to the simple metal benches in the centre, which are covered by an awning.
You sit in the shade and feel the movement of the water beneath you.
As you sit on the boat, you are filled with a wonderful sense of peace that seems to come from the nature all around.
In drips and drabs, More passengers climb onto the boat.
Everyone greets you with a warm, friendly smile.
Then, when the boat is almost full, the assistant unties the thick rope keeping it ashore and the driver starts the engine.
The boat chugs slowly across the river, navigating around the boulders and rocks that rise out of the water.
The closer you get to the other side, the more curious you feel about the temple you'll soon be seeing.
But then, you are destructed by the sight of women wading in the river.
Wearing bright saris of every colour imaginable, they move into the water, letting it come up to their knees.
The material of their saris, pools and billows.
The women hold their hands to their chests in prayer, with their eyes closed.
They seem to be overcome with peace.
Then they dunk themselves into the water three times, coming up for air in between their hair plastered to their heads and their clothes dripping with water.
They are performing puja or prayer.
You take a moment to respect their practice, feeling a portion of their peace.
Then you feel the boat bump against the rocky bed and you realize that you have arrived.
Everyone gets to their feet and helps each other out of the boat onto the dry, warm rocks.
You follow the fellow passengers over the rocks and begin to climb the large platforms that take you up away from the river.
Finally, you reach the stone steps that rise up steeply.
You climb them eagerly, listening to the sound of people chattering around you.
There is a sweet smell in the air that reminds you of caramel and fresh apples.
At the top of the steps, you realize that it's from the sugarcane juice vendors.
They stand with their wooden carts pressing sugarcane with old-fashioned metal machines for groups of customers.
Once you've reached the top, you step out onto the path and raise your eyes to see Virupaksha Temple.
It seems even more majestic and beautiful than before, towering into the sky.
Each tier has been richly decorated with exquisite carvings of gods and goddesses.
You cannot help but feel amazed and moved.
You begin to walk towards the temple, noticing that more incense is burning here.
Sandals are scattered by the entrance, temporarily abandoned because visitors must enter the temple with bare feet.
You slip off your own sandals feeling the stone beneath you.
It is surprisingly smooth and pleasantly warmed from the heat of the sun.
You pad through the entrance of the temple and into a large courtyard lined with low pillared buildings.
Here you have a perfect view of the main temple.
You stare up with a sense of wonder, and then you notice the monkeys which crouch on the walls and scamper around the courtyard.
You decide to follow them as they lead you around the complex.
Each part of the temple is in use and decorated with beautiful carvings and inscriptions.
You let yourself drift around, simply taking in the atmosphere of this ancient place.
Before you know it, your feet have led you back to the entrance.
You slip into your sandals and look out in front of you.
A wonderful sense of peace permeates your being, along with a comforting, lazy feeling of tiredness.
You catch sight of a yellow and black auto rickshaw.
On its side is a sign for a guesthouse and restaurant.
Without question, you know that it's the right place to go.
So, you make your way towards the rickshaw.
The driver has a kind smile and he invites you inside.
You climb in happily, taking a seat on the padded back bench.
The driver starts the rickshaw and the engine sputters into life.
The warmth of the day has arrived in full now, so you are grateful for the cooling breeze as the rickshaw drives along.
You sit back and look out of the open sides.
Hampi and its many temples pass by.
Your driver explains that Hampi has many more sights to see.
It is like an open-air museum.
You smile at the thought of exploring all of it.
But at the same time, you can feel how sleepy you are.
The view of the temples shifts into one of green rice fields and coconut trees.
This area is like a jungle, and the shade of the leafy trees is cool and inviting.
The narrow road twists and turns and the driver continues until you reach a cul-de-sac with a large bamboo-style restaurant that sits in the shade of a mango tree.
The rickshaw pulls to a stop.
You pay your driver before stepping out.
Then you stroll towards the restaurant where more friendly faces greet you.
A member of staff leads you through the structure and out to a garden shaded by more mango trees.
Hung between the trees are hammocks of soft lilac, peach pink and vivid orange.
A wave of gratitude sweeps over you.
This is exactly what you need.
You choose a hammock and make your way over to it.
Climbing in, you feel the supportive material against your body.
As you lie down in the hammock, your entire body seems to soften with happiness.
It feels so good to take the weight off your feet.
Above you, The canopy of mango trees glows with the light of the sun.
Small birds flit between the branches, and a light breeze moves through the garden.
Your eyes begin to droop.
You can feel them closing, heavy with tiredness.
Gradually, you let them remain shut, and your breath becomes slow and soft.
Your limbs seem to be melting into the hammock.
You are so comfortable and relaxed.
The images of your day revisit you lazily.
The sight of the aqueduct, the green leaves of the banana trees, the gentle river and the magnificent temple.
Gratitude flows through you and you let out a long, satisfied sigh.
Then, without further ado, you surrender to your tiredness.
In the cool shade of the mango trees, you allow yourself to be carried into a deep and restful sleep.
