Prof. Shiva C. Aithal is a senior Professor in Microbiology at DSM College, Parbhani, who was raised from his KG to Ph.D. in Parbhani, yet his roots lie in Udupi, a town in coastal Karnataka. For over three decades he has taught, researched, written over twelve books and numerous scientific research papers, and cooked with equal conviction, managing college classrooms, research laboratory, and a family-run Udupi hotel. His stories, which he has experienced first hand, blend the precision of a scientist with the sensitivity of a storyteller, reflecting a life lived between Petri dishes and Plantain leaves. "Southbound Roots & Routes" is his affectionate tribute to two worlds that shaped him, academia and hospitality, and to the enduring humour and humanity found in both.