tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13462872425836897352024-03-28T02:34:39.171-07:00Deep's TravelogueDeep Majumderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441918705733399044noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346287242583689735.post-5029811800245652492018-05-24T02:37:00.002-07:002018-05-24T02:40:17.305-07:00Kolkata Kaleidoscope : Chetla Chhoto Ras Bari<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I have always heard of the Chhoto Ras Bari temple but never visited it earlier. I knew it is somewhere very close to our house but was not sure of the exact location. I was thinking of visiting the place for some time but was not able to plan. Then the opportunity came suddenly. I was about to go somewhere else in the morning for my video blog but suddenly it started raining. All others in the family were still sleeping and I had booked a cab already. I was dilly-dallying whether or not to go and then the rain stopped suddenly but the weather was still overcast. I thought why not visit this temple instead and if it starts raining again I can return home quickly. And so I changed the destination. The travel time was only a few minutes and I could have actually walked to the place.<br />
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Once upon a time this place was an important pilgrim route to Kalighat and is dotted with many beautiful historical temples along the banks of Adi Ganga. But now just as the Adi Ganga, or the Tolly's Nullah as the creek is known as today, is deeply silted and polluted and lost it's significance, the temples also stand in ruins.<br />
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The Chetla Chhoto Ras Bari temple complex, located on 93 Tollygunge
Road is one such temple. It is associated with the once affluent Zamindar family of Bengal, the Mondols of Bawali (near Budge Budge), but in today's time is in dilapidated state.<br />
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The path leading to the temple from Tollygunge Road was past an open field where local children were playing football and just outside the main gate clothes were left to dry on the ground.<br />
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The entrance to the walled temple complex has a pediment on four Doric columns and exhibits European influence.<br />
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Beyond the entrance there is a huge courtyard paved with black and white marbles in checkered pattern and on the northern side is the principal temple structure built in traditional <i>Nava-ratna</i> (nine pinnacle) and <i>Pancha-ratna</i>
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The temple is dedicated to <i>Shree Gopalji</i> which is a
manifestation of Lord Krishna. A priest was performing rituals and he told me that daily worship takes place even today, twice a day.
One may visit the temple during 8-10 AM in the morning. <i>Aarti </i>happens in
the evening. <i>Ras-mela</i> or fair used to take place earlier but has stopped for many years. The priest's name is Shetal Chakraborty and he shared his phone number with me and advised to make a prior call if anyone wants to pay offerings. Then he would keep the temple open till 11 AM. He mentioned that he shares the responsibility of priesthood with his cousins but he can be found on most of the days as the others are elderly and sick. According to him the longstanding dispute among the stakeholders of the temple is about to end and the temple can be renovated shortly after many many years.<br />
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On either side of the central structure are six temples each dedicated to Lord Shiva but their condition seemed even more pathetic. These temples are build in <i>Aat-chala </i>style which is again a traditional style of architecture in Bengal.<br />
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There were three plaques available to be seen but they are mostly illegible or written in archaic Bengali which I could not decipher. But according to a reference book I came across, the temple was constructed by Peary Das Mondol in 1847.<br />
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The <i>ghat </i>beside the temple is still present but is dysfunctional and the<i> Adi Ganga</i> is flowing as a pitch black narrow creek with stagnant water and stinking smell.<br />
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I sincerely hope that these hidden gems of Kolkata are restored properly and the history of the city is preserved.</div>
Deep Majumderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441918705733399044noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346287242583689735.post-30115559305848303402018-04-26T20:21:00.000-07:002018-04-26T20:29:54.014-07:00Kolkata Kaleidoscope : Beautification of Kolkata - Painted Movie Posters on Electric Meter Boxes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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While wandering around the Rabindra Sarobar Lake area I discovered a unique beautification initiative of painting CESC electric meter boxes and I thought it is worth sharing in my blog.<br />
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The originally grey and black painted meter boxes are usually littered with torn posters and spitting stains. But here, on Sarat Chatterjee Avenue and adjoining by-lanes, may of these meter boxes have been used as canvas for painting posters related to luminaries who once lived in the neighbourhood. This artistic approach enlightens the citizens about the cultural heritage of the area and helps in reducing the visual pollution of the city of joy.<br />
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Satyajit Ray, the Oscar winning and internationally acclaimed film director who made some of the iconic cult classic films, lived at 3 Lake Temple Road till 1970 and it is then when he made the first Feluda (famous fictional bengali detective also penned by him) flick <i>Sonar Kella</i>. In fact the <i>Sonar Kella</i> poster on Lake Place was the first that cought my attention. And talking of Feluda the image that comes to our mind is that of Soumitra Chatterjee (renowned actor and Ray's protegee), the original and best of actors who played Feluda on screen. Little did we know that he used to live here as well and surprisingly at the same address but at a later time.<br />
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Ray made many more popular movies while staying here like <i>Pather Panchali (his debut film), Charulata, Devi, Nayak, Aranyer Din Ratri and Goopi Gyne Bagha Byne</i>. <br />
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At first I could not find the <i><i>Pather Panchali</i> </i>poster but later discovered it on the back side of the<i> <i>Sonar Kella </i></i>poster on the same meter box.<br />
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<br />
There are a couple of posters dedicated to film director, writer and actor, Debaki Kumar Bose who is known for his innovative use of sound and music in Indian Cinema. The nearby Lake Gardens Flyover is also now named after him.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUuex5bnCEP2OX0kXGcbR95-bPB52essbyLLsFsozk5boxNl5SuKfDJjkG-EYZXknKXhFOfD5BPVMGF1dV7QRFsbwp3vT3zk_5vkkbUaxZgwNEHqvh7xcbgON1RLpbV-FBbX7qMhH1ck/s1600/12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUuex5bnCEP2OX0kXGcbR95-bPB52essbyLLsFsozk5boxNl5SuKfDJjkG-EYZXknKXhFOfD5BPVMGF1dV7QRFsbwp3vT3zk_5vkkbUaxZgwNEHqvh7xcbgON1RLpbV-FBbX7qMhH1ck/s320/12.JPG" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQrLhoBy019M0UWJZ2p9PyIEn7LjQjx1f2FV66-OXRqVn7pJp500Tc9UdKPzsVzhIdtu-CseIzaTVPJNTK2GV4naGF8-Kig-_SVanlTgrbRrCMRE-hTzq3o0yQ5ArbsOkoqT8iuvxibo/s1600/11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQrLhoBy019M0UWJZ2p9PyIEn7LjQjx1f2FV66-OXRqVn7pJp500Tc9UdKPzsVzhIdtu-CseIzaTVPJNTK2GV4naGF8-Kig-_SVanlTgrbRrCMRE-hTzq3o0yQ5ArbsOkoqT8iuvxibo/s320/11.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
We also found one meter box allocated for <span class="st">playback singer, music director and film producer </span>Hemanta Mukhopadhyay who was a resident here and the nearby Lake Terrace Road is now named after him.<br />
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<br />
Famous novelist Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay never lived in the neighbourhood but since Sarat Chatterjee Avenue is named after him, a couple of meter boxes have been dedicated to him. Many of his novels have been converted to blockbuster movies and not necessarily in Bengali.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwwms6TG-hAJo6xYyIfBk48sOZ0ndNb1ShloO4e0mvHu64cvZUj0Pce3vXryQ3uYhpv7240K7a7Eq7vvM_dCDd9m52wy-DjqWe1IOWxCiXcltJvdRukbwHSZtNEu4zDRQnc9y6OeKoyNQ/s1600/10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwwms6TG-hAJo6xYyIfBk48sOZ0ndNb1ShloO4e0mvHu64cvZUj0Pce3vXryQ3uYhpv7240K7a7Eq7vvM_dCDd9m52wy-DjqWe1IOWxCiXcltJvdRukbwHSZtNEu4zDRQnc9y6OeKoyNQ/s320/10.JPG" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPBQtUgDy4N5m3DaqGAcT1FRCGXHYC1ni3Rc83HorybKfgAMlNNe9KmO_dnk0giDjZtssdFpcs8yzkTKMY_AEv1mi4OZBY5trv4tC18pzngcv_jdfSIfhxr1nfQEnuiQOiFHjPlLV7vn8/s1600/9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPBQtUgDy4N5m3DaqGAcT1FRCGXHYC1ni3Rc83HorybKfgAMlNNe9KmO_dnk0giDjZtssdFpcs8yzkTKMY_AEv1mi4OZBY5trv4tC18pzngcv_jdfSIfhxr1nfQEnuiQOiFHjPlLV7vn8/s320/9.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
The last poster that I came across was assigned for industrialist and philanthropist Bhagirath Kanoria.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtF-a3_EEvygWA8poiSsS7FEwaftq9kxsWs7bGjsfAJfQSa5UOl3J5Rrc9hljFkQ11hN9bEGfzhwd3BqY8pSpMt7GCQ5q86UtG20RoATV1Aib6VPbaFmoq4E06qpLvK6ppc644GAPAj9Y/s1600/13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtF-a3_EEvygWA8poiSsS7FEwaftq9kxsWs7bGjsfAJfQSa5UOl3J5Rrc9hljFkQ11hN9bEGfzhwd3BqY8pSpMt7GCQ5q86UtG20RoATV1Aib6VPbaFmoq4E06qpLvK6ppc644GAPAj9Y/s320/13.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
This kind of beautification is very inspiring and I hope similar initiatives are taken all over Kolkata.<br />
<br />
You may go through my YouTube video on this topic here - <a href="https://youtu.be/nmFY1FQGWC0">https://youtu.be/nmFY1FQGWC0</a><br />
<br />
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="320" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nmFY1FQGWC0" width="480"></iframe><br /></div>
Deep Majumderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441918705733399044noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346287242583689735.post-57969714599329104322018-03-14T00:40:00.000-07:002018-03-14T00:40:28.718-07:00Kolkata Kaleidoscope : River Cruise<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Have you ever been on a cruise on Ganga in the heart of the
city of Kolkata? It was one of the late afternoons within a year of our wedding
when my wife and I went for lunch at Floatel, a floating hotel on the Strand
Road which is actually a ship. After lunch we walked to the Millenium Park and during
a stroll in the park noticed a jetty right beside where an exquisitely
beautiful boat was docked. Its shape was that of a mermaid and it was named
aptly the '<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Matsya Kanya</b>' which means
the same in Bengali. There was a ticket counter and on enquiry we came to know
that an evening cruise was just round the corner. We decided to take the ride
and in fact we had to stride really fast to be able to get on the cruise in
time. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Q3uhMsDeh9GQWnW58k1wqZkHBXAokWtuc4AZ1AMTUXn1oa_gfWIGi3bL02XrODXD5jtEqxYs3LRQAlznqDKjjMakQ6S8XUK9pSZroHB8Fv4sTUynTxMr38sSA0kBPcnAxREfjcHyT1s/s1600/DSC00104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Q3uhMsDeh9GQWnW58k1wqZkHBXAokWtuc4AZ1AMTUXn1oa_gfWIGi3bL02XrODXD5jtEqxYs3LRQAlznqDKjjMakQ6S8XUK9pSZroHB8Fv4sTUynTxMr38sSA0kBPcnAxREfjcHyT1s/s320/DSC00104.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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There are two floors on the boat, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the lower one being air-conditioned, which may
be suitable for families with children and the elderly while the deck is open on
the sides which can be reached by a narrow spiral stairway. Wooden chairs are
lined up on the sides along the fence; so you do not need keep standing, and
the upper parts are ornamented with wooden carvings with wooden pillars at some
intervals. You can really enjoy the breeze blowing over the river from the
deck. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5R3Kmp8Clh5yZYpEQN5php44e-W-fa2OBwzXFwFf2ReF6gyjcy11vVb8rl_BM_iaEr_MKM2rEGLCXFkdctGlAe03u7QaV0NJrKosgCUlV42XHO2OgV1aUKCx0FCsIiF_YIB0cMy9RAAk/s1600/DSCN5997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5R3Kmp8Clh5yZYpEQN5php44e-W-fa2OBwzXFwFf2ReF6gyjcy11vVb8rl_BM_iaEr_MKM2rEGLCXFkdctGlAe03u7QaV0NJrKosgCUlV42XHO2OgV1aUKCx0FCsIiF_YIB0cMy9RAAk/s320/DSCN5997.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPICbiPNSRCtWpDtytG-HqCJ1Qwn3jbXTi37p6mbiU_OvF58bt-mYfYa1djaBpvfbkcKdg3UEsa7wZBckBKe_-IGCzttm73BClOG0fGQ0ydk5HL6Nbv-ZiDQMEBso-1-9gTSKvPlT-0KI/s1600/DSCN6002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPICbiPNSRCtWpDtytG-HqCJ1Qwn3jbXTi37p6mbiU_OvF58bt-mYfYa1djaBpvfbkcKdg3UEsa7wZBckBKe_-IGCzttm73BClOG0fGQ0ydk5HL6Nbv-ZiDQMEBso-1-9gTSKvPlT-0KI/s320/DSCN6002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinn7uM1giGt31OgtnXixUmdyRJE-OlFdGY5MVewWHQcrxboF6mUwnTe9qrdukJr93HuQEVIZ2Lo1htkd1oDEf4VAtUMR7qtSZU7RhYqwWPMV_fmMqetnlYyI2eoj1sutS8m11C9c_7Kbw/s1600/1236710_520610791360540_1796046663_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinn7uM1giGt31OgtnXixUmdyRJE-OlFdGY5MVewWHQcrxboF6mUwnTe9qrdukJr93HuQEVIZ2Lo1htkd1oDEf4VAtUMR7qtSZU7RhYqwWPMV_fmMqetnlYyI2eoj1sutS8m11C9c_7Kbw/s320/1236710_520610791360540_1796046663_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The hour long ride takes you as far as the Howrah Bridge on
one side and the Second Hooghly Bridge on the other; in fact the boat passes
underneath the Second Hooghly Bridge. So, if you take the cruise in the late
evening, which we did on another occasion, you will be mesmerized by the illumination
of the Second Hooghly Bridge with the background of the dark sky. While when
there is still daylight, t<span class="textexposedshow">he view of river Ganga and
the ghats on its bank is a treat to watch.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="textexposedshow">The cruise is operated by </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Vivada Cruises </b>and there are a couple
of timings in the evening. As far I remember it cost us around Rs. 300 per
person for the river cruise. <span class="textexposedshow">You may also book the
entire boat for organizing small parties. </span></div>
</div>
Deep Majumderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441918705733399044noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346287242583689735.post-6951095754652671572018-01-10T02:24:00.000-08:002018-03-23T04:01:46.882-07:00Sombre Shimla<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
As a second write up after my long sabbatical from blogging,
I have chosen my family vacation in Shimla. Unfortunately, this time round, the
experiences were not very gratifying.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We visited Shimla in the month of September, 2016 a few days
before my wife’s birthday. It was my third time in Shimla, so more or less I
was acquainted with the city and the places to visit. Since we were flying to
Chandigarh with a change of flights in Delhi, I decided to halt for a day at
Kasauli which is midway between Chandigarh and Shimla. Regrettably it was not a
wise decision for which my wife still finds me guilty. It was quite cold at
Kasauli in the evening and the hotel (<b>Kasauli Castle Resort</b>) was not very warm
and cozy. As a result my daughter June got cold and fever on the very first day
which mired the entire trip with unpleasantness. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thankfully, the anti-biotics prescribed by my daughter’s
paediatrician over phone worked quickly and she started recovering well. The
fever continued for around three days and to be true we contemplated coming
back to Kolkata or Delhi quite a few times in between. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the second day we travelled to Shimla as per plan. My
daughter’s fever was in check with paracetamol but it kept coming back every
twelve hours. We checked into our hotel (<b>Honeymoon Inn</b>) and stayed indoors for
the next couple of days. The hotel was recommended to us by a relative and the
room was comfortable. However, the very steep road that leads to the hotel from
the Mall Road is very excruciating. The car goes only as far as the Mall Road
and one needs to climb this steep pathway to the hotel on foot. For elderly
people with health issues the hotel is not at all advisable. Even it was quite
challenging for me especially when I had to carry my daughter. Our sympathy
went to the poor porters who have to carry so many luggage every day, up and
down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the next two days our schedule was measuring my
daughter, June’s temperature from time to time and giving her the medicines at
the prescribed hours. Also some time went in communicating with the hotel staff
over how to prepare June’s food. My wife even visited their kitchen once to
talk to the chef. June has a tendency of gastrointestinal disorder and we have
to take extra care to see that her food is cooked in mineral water and with
absolutely no spice. We usually carry “<i>seddho chaal</i>” (pre-boiled rice) and
“<i>masoor daal</i>” with us so that a simple “<i>khichuri</i>” can be easily made that can
go with a non-spicy chicken stew. In between, when June’s temperature was down
to normal and she was showing sparks of her usual liveliness, we roamed inside
the hotel and looked at the mountains from different places. We also visited
the club room in the evening where some fellow boarders were trying their hands
in karaoke.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVgw6E5vwmT2KKCkS2e5stCp2-RYdQmQAIG4IDL3gPvaseOO-v-Ykc6_GubCBpA5Hs4sBIRnv6LaFbpU3wtsnOcLKMO3tqZ3UxXeYsTxCikBx6fzxlcdgEUNP2_GwSxGNDO-HAnub44A/s1600/IMG_20160912_160009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVgw6E5vwmT2KKCkS2e5stCp2-RYdQmQAIG4IDL3gPvaseOO-v-Ykc6_GubCBpA5Hs4sBIRnv6LaFbpU3wtsnOcLKMO3tqZ3UxXeYsTxCikBx6fzxlcdgEUNP2_GwSxGNDO-HAnub44A/s320/IMG_20160912_160009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-T19STZ1zoGog0_XagFlX1adnf4VJydesR4WXc78ZUGlEoR3rDqk4cF8wguFL4iZ-laHI3zkprj2L3Uosm0wh4NpK7pfA0ijuW6LdAQ9-Zye7enhS82PxCtDWmmNwqXO5X_5Mn8deTM/s1600/IMG_20160912_160043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-T19STZ1zoGog0_XagFlX1adnf4VJydesR4WXc78ZUGlEoR3rDqk4cF8wguFL4iZ-laHI3zkprj2L3Uosm0wh4NpK7pfA0ijuW6LdAQ9-Zye7enhS82PxCtDWmmNwqXO5X_5Mn8deTM/s320/IMG_20160912_160043.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilNa0KyW0IAwAO8Mtzh1FYsaroV_3teouXcoYE171oGSSWigqD17o1UMjOrUiLvTDo1Sicy3DIRSES8-SmN6NTls-1Tsq8W8ml9YN_MdVWCr-xfo2nvY0scJYdZ7gi8kBg1Jf-VRTDw-w/s1600/IMG_20160915_201059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilNa0KyW0IAwAO8Mtzh1FYsaroV_3teouXcoYE171oGSSWigqD17o1UMjOrUiLvTDo1Sicy3DIRSES8-SmN6NTls-1Tsq8W8ml9YN_MdVWCr-xfo2nvY0scJYdZ7gi8kBg1Jf-VRTDw-w/s320/IMG_20160915_201059.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since my daughter had a history of urinary tract infection,
her doctor advised to get her urine tested to negate any re-occurrence and to be
on the safe side. He is originally from Delhi and insisted that there must be
good facility in Shimla, it being a capital city. So, on the very first day
during checking in, we sought assistance from the front desk of the hotel (<b>Honeymoon
Inn</b>) to help guide us to a good diagnostic laboratory. The reception personnel
assured us but did not provide any information even on the second day. Later on
we found this person (I do not remember his name but he was somewhat bald)
incompetent and exhibited lacklustre behaviour not only on this occasion but on
multiple other accounts. Thankfully, a waiter, who is a local, on hearing our
helplessness, recommended us to visit Kamla Nehru Hospital which was located at
a stone throwing distance from our hotel. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, I visited the hospital in the evening of our second
day’s stay at Shimla. This is the first time I think I have visited a state run
hospital for any kind of treatment and that too in a foreign place but the experience was not bad. I found a
lab run by SRL Diagnostics inside the hospital running in a public private
partnership model. I collected the container and was told to come the next
morning. The next morning it was a challenge to collect the urine of my
daughter, who was barely two years old at that time, in the container and as
such I was a bit late to reach the hospital. By the time I reached the
hospital, I found that the lab has closed and will again reopen in the evening.
But the urine will become stale by then and I have to again collect. I was
feeling helpless and confused. Luckily a local patient told me why don’t I
visit the hospital’s own lab. So again I started searching for the other lab
which was in a different wing. Mercifully, I could find the other lab in time
and was told that the report would be available in the evening. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All these happened on the third day of our stay in Shimla.
June’s fever had receded from the last night and she was cheering up. We thought
of walking down the Mall Road for a while and visiting the famous <b>Shimla
Kalibari</b> to pray for June’s speedy recovery. The temple, built in 1845, is
dedicated to Goddess Kali who is also known as Shyamala. It is believed that
the city of Shimla derived its name from the name of Goddess Shyamala. There is
an obvious Bengali influence in this temple. The priests I believe are mostly
Bengali and even the local traders selling flowers and other worship items can
speak in Bengali. The priest talked with us of all things like where are we
coming from, which locality in Kolkata blah, blah, blah but forgot to caution
us about something important. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Little did we know that our suffering in Shimla was not
coming to an end but a new chapter was about to begin. While we were coming out
from the temple, I was carrying June and my wife, Piu, was carrying the
“<i>Prasad</i>” (sweets). Out of nowhere a monkey came darting down towards Piu at snatched
the bag of sweets from her, hurting her in the process. Had the priest warned
us of the monkey menace she could have put the sweets inside the bag
she was carrying with her. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now although Piu was wearing a full sleeve pullover, her
sleeves were rolled up and she was worried whether the monkey made any contact on her
skin on the arm with its nails. Some locals advised to get the anti-rabies
vaccine and also warned that the vaccine is accompanied with very high
fever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we reached the market area
on our way back we were still pondering on whether to take the vaccine, and if
yes then from where, and whether she actually had any cut mark. A shop which
was just opening invited us to have a look inside. The shopkeeper seemed to be
a very decent man and we shared with him what had just happened to us. Hearing
our story he recommended us to visit a doctor nearby, just a few metres away
from his shop. But there was something in store even in the doctor’s chamber.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dr. Sharma is a senior person with an MD degree in General
Medicine and has some previous working experience in Saudi Arabia or some other
middle east country, I do no not exactly recall. There is a diagnostic set up
as well in his chamber in association with Dr. Lal Path Labs. I think it is a
common practice in many other places as well in Shimla. Anyway, the doctor
seemed to a busy one with many patients in queue and had some children as well among them. We thought it would be a good idea to get the doctor see my
daughter June as well. So we registered both Piu and June’s names and kept waiting.
The wait was long and June was becoming restless. It might be that her fever
was coming back or simply she was feeling hungry. We requested the nurse who
was also doubling up as the receptionist if she could kindly call us ahead of
our schedule. Some of the fellow patients seem to be okay with it. She was
reluctant but did not outright reject. After some more time we requested her
again if she could do us this favour. We also told, it would be difficult for
us to wait further as June has now become more restless. So if we have to wait
for our turn, it would be better for us that we leave. Now the nurse told us
that she could not take such a decision and would ask the doctor himself. After
a little more time she said we can go next to meet the doctor. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Inside the chamber, the doctor was not interested in the
patients or their wellbeing. His first question was where we are coming from.
We told him we are tourists and have come from Kolkata. Then we tried to
impress upon him the fact that how helpless we were feeling in a city far from
our home and how we were contemplating going back midway from our vacation. But
he was not interested in all that. He kept us asking whether it is a common
practice in Kolkata to jump queue in a doctor’s chamber. We hesitated at this turn
of discussion but tried to reason that it is not unusual to let the elderly or
the children see the doctor ahead of their turn. In fact just a couple of weeks
earlier to that event I remember my wife had gone to see a cardiologist in
Kolkata and we happily switched turns with an elderly lady who seemed to be in
distress and the doctor did not even bother to get into the details. But Dr.
Sharma was not impressed. Then he asked me what I do for a living. I said I am
in service. He kept asking what my profession is. I said well, I am an
engineer. He grinned and asked again, so, do you not follow rules in your
profession, in your service, in your city, in Kolkata. We were clueless why was
he grilling us when he could have denied us any preference and we could have gone
back to the hotel. We asked the same. Why have you called us inside your
chamber and insulting us and also our city?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Are you going to treat us or not? You could have easily rejected our
request. And why are you bringing Kolkata into all of this? At this point he
waved his hand and said “Oh! Don’t you teach me how Kolkata is or for that
matter all of West Bengal”. My wife hit back with a prompt and apt reply, “How
bad it may be, it is better than your place”. Dr. Sharma was probably not ready
for retaliation and got angry that he could not relish insulting us further.
His fair face became red and he told us to leave. We tried to remind him that
it is not ethical for a doctor to deny treatment but he was not in mood to
listen and kept on ringing the bell on his table which is a signal to send the
next patient. The nurse looked puzzled and did not know what to do and the
patients waiting outside were also shocked. I murmured to my wife that perhaps
it was better for us to leave after all. I was not sure how good a doctor he is
but I definitely knew by then how he is as a person. Perhaps he is not fit to
be a doctor in the first place. My wife ranted something unprintable under her
teeth and we left. Probably Dr. Sharma had not been said on his face such things
for a long time and definitely he will remember this for a long time to go. My
wife later regretted that she should have recorded the proceedings in her
mobile camera. Later on when the tempers came down we even good-humouredly
discussed that we should bring our predicaments to the notice of our Chief
Minister highlighting how the Bengali pride was hurt without any reason and
without any provocation and she should do something on that on a government
level. Perhaps people like these and events like these demonstrate the fissures
we still have between regions and communities in our country. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However, every cloud has a silver lining and we must not
judge every doctor in Shimla by the conduct of one Dr. Sharma. I visited the
state run hospital in the evening to collect the urine report and thankfully
there were no anomalies and the pus cell count was very low near to zero. I
told the doctor there about the monkey incident and asked for advice. She was
kind enough to listen to what happened throughout the day. She said that the
hospital generally caters to the maternity patients and children and
recommended us to visit the private chamber of another doctor, again in the
Mall road. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dr. Puri is also a senior doctor who used to be associated with a government
hospital and now has set up his own private practice after retirement. His
behaviour was very cordial when he checked my wife Piu. After examining her
arms he found a small cut mark which could have been due to contact with the
monkey’s nails. He advised us not to take any risk and get vaccinated with
anti-rabies. He administered the first of the anti-rabies vaccines then and also
gave her a tetvac injection. He also assured us that the modern anti-rabies
vaccines are usually without any side effects such as fever and detailed out
the schedule of the next anti-rabies vaccines to be taken later. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The following day June had completely recovered and we
decided that we could visit some tourist attractions after all. We booked a cab
from the hotel and visited the <b>Sankat Mochan Temple</b> first which is dedicated to
Lord Hanuman. There are some other temples in the complex as well dedicated to
Lord Rama, Lord Shiva and Lord Ganesha (in a distinctive South Indian style of
architecture). In the late 1950’s Baba Neeb Karori Ji Maharaj spent a few days
at this place and found it very suitable for meditation. In the 60’s his
disciples who included the then governor of Himachal Pradesh turned this place
into a small temple which has grown over the years. The temple has a backdrop
of tall Himalayan ranges which makes it an exquisite view point. Someone was
inviting us to try the food in the “Langar” but we had to skip.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiCScP9a4FyJIckS-FdC_K3vlQ5kYBVm_ayIpV4PRKxsf3-avgjZihLumlIG_1kmFOwXfj0Zwo14zTpB1Gjgbdm1Hrb2yl3Pbssmyju7EghHBrkCINY5j6EqLRehnpQX5VVYTQl3WVl0E/s1600/IMG_20160913_131415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiCScP9a4FyJIckS-FdC_K3vlQ5kYBVm_ayIpV4PRKxsf3-avgjZihLumlIG_1kmFOwXfj0Zwo14zTpB1Gjgbdm1Hrb2yl3Pbssmyju7EghHBrkCINY5j6EqLRehnpQX5VVYTQl3WVl0E/s320/IMG_20160913_131415.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next stop was the erstwhile <b>Viceregal Lodge </b>which has
been now converted into Indian Institute of Advanced Study. The majestic
heritage building was constructed in 1888 as the residence of Lord Dufferin,
the then British Viceroy to India and had been a witness to many historical
events and decisions that changed the geography and fate of the sub-continent.
Located on the Observatory Hill, this sprawling Scottish baronial building was
designed by an architect of the then public works department, Henry Irwin.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8T2SVQO4lrbx3x89YEYF-g1iQ6LU_Vx9uWzRTJDA21uDKpKWOqV8g_bumwpKy2doYgIsIotQoaNCEHCZXzWBTc3fB1RshG3-RftQAPVA8e-cmkQ4vgMB4mFq7qjqH8Z_79O0KCdfFiaA/s1600/IMG_20160913_140436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8T2SVQO4lrbx3x89YEYF-g1iQ6LU_Vx9uWzRTJDA21uDKpKWOqV8g_bumwpKy2doYgIsIotQoaNCEHCZXzWBTc3fB1RshG3-RftQAPVA8e-cmkQ4vgMB4mFq7qjqH8Z_79O0KCdfFiaA/s320/IMG_20160913_140436.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
When
we reached the place and bought tickets for a guided tour inside, we came to
know that the tour will begin only after almost an hour or so and we spent some
time in the lush green lawn and beautiful garden that surrounds the building.
It was very windy day and we felt the chill in the air. Hence after some time
we decided not to take the guided tour anymore and return back to the hotel.
However, to our surprise we could not connect to the driver of our hired cab as
his mobile phone was switched off. We were waiting at the café cum souvenir
shop which worked as the fire station in the bygone era and approached some
office staff and police personnel there to help us out. Luckily we remembered
the vehicle number and they asked the guards to look for the car in the parking
space. After some time we were conveyed that the car could be spotted but the driver
was missing and he might have gone for lunch as what they came to know from
some fellow drivers. They advised us to take the guided tour which had then
started and for which we had already booked our tickets in advance and assured
us that as soon as the driver could be spotted they would let us know inside.
So we joined the group for the guided tour in the middle. The guide was
enlightening the tourists about the history and the importance of the room
where the leaders used to discuss and negotiate the terms of the transfer of
power from the erstwhile British rulers and the following partition of India.
Despite the historical significance of the place, perhaps it is not quite
enjoyable for a little toddler like June and even my wife Piu, who is a student
of history by the way, does feel such historical places without any royal pomp
and splendor, boring and uninteresting. Since I had already seen the place and
blogged about it too, I was trying to be their private guide but after some
time had to give in and decided to wait in the reception hall instead of
continuing with the tour. Thankfully we were informed in a little time by one
of the staffs that the driver has come back and waiting for us and we left the
tour in between while the guide was still showing others around the exquisite
teak paneling and woodwork of the gallery enclosing the reception hall.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Back in the hotel we complained to the reception personnel (the
same inept person mentioned earlier) that how come he could provide us with
such a useless driver who was unavailable for an hour without informing us and
with even his mobile phone switched off and narrated the difficulty we faced
due to him. The driver was even unhappy why we were visiting the temple first
and then the viceregal lodge and not in the opposite order. But we had booked
the car for a definite number of hours without any prior fixed schedule and we
could have gone anywhere. The reception person did not seem to be much
concerned and gave us some lame excuse that he had only booked the car from
some external agency and he had no control over the driver etc. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the afternoon, we visited <b>The Ridge</b> which is a
large open space located along the Mall road. When one walks through The Ridge
one can have a feel of the colonial period with the buildings reminiscent of
the bygone era. Even there are many hotels there which date back to almost a
century. We took a quick lunch in one of the restaurants in one such hotel
which operated as a café in the British period. June who had her simple lunch
back in the hotel earlier enjoyed a chocolate pastry to keep us company.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9jfdX1jm1dLKGJo2BAEvjdHnBJlCuiihb5_x_1IA9JWCcUkA4iD__gji0uwrd-kpKP2BPPeaqhbxekLdx-uTJygpZdCE89BKfdyeqnptDX-lGOIPMvXXqPfoVsnLumnr7ZMkQvtf6Bl4/s1600/IMG_20160915_124842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9jfdX1jm1dLKGJo2BAEvjdHnBJlCuiihb5_x_1IA9JWCcUkA4iD__gji0uwrd-kpKP2BPPeaqhbxekLdx-uTJygpZdCE89BKfdyeqnptDX-lGOIPMvXXqPfoVsnLumnr7ZMkQvtf6Bl4/s320/IMG_20160915_124842.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
We roamed around the Mall and walked as far as the Christ
church but did not go inside. We had hired a pram on an hourly basis for June
so carrying her was not troublesome and in fact she dozed off in the pram
itself after a while. The simple but elegant yellow structure of the <b>Christ
Church</b> is made of stone and brick in lime mortar can be seen from miles away
and is a popular tourist destination in Shimla. It is reputed to be the first
church of Shimla and the second oldest church in northern India. It was
designed by Colonel J.T. Boileau who worked for PWD. The corner stone was laid
in 1844 but it was consecrated only after 1857. The clock was donated by
Colonel Dumbleton in 1860 and the porch was added in 1873.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBvyrZLhVlTMbVF6kaywh4nYYO6uv1E2GGA21aB4PiU-WvsxvkZpGGWQ3O5nsQPgQkLp0DcWbfd_qKJeJtiuWCdNBmeStGZMyM2nFTFuwI0QHSyij54jJgsq67nvVzRjvy3CmW9VHkFGM/s1600/IMG_20160915_121445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBvyrZLhVlTMbVF6kaywh4nYYO6uv1E2GGA21aB4PiU-WvsxvkZpGGWQ3O5nsQPgQkLp0DcWbfd_qKJeJtiuWCdNBmeStGZMyM2nFTFuwI0QHSyij54jJgsq67nvVzRjvy3CmW9VHkFGM/s320/IMG_20160915_121445.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
In the end we visited the <b>Lakkar Bazaar</b> which is a
marketplace adjoining The Ridge. The shops now offer all kinds of stuff but
probably initially it sold only wooden articles and hence the name. Still today
it is said to be famous for its wooden toys but honestly you will find nothing
spectacular or special that you will not find in any other tourist place or
even in a city store selling show pieces. In fact we observed that the woolen
items are far better and almost cost as much with some bargaining in the shops
along the Mall road. The shopkeepers in the Mall road are also much courteous
and well-mannered. For example at one shop which primarily sold wooden toys the
shopkeeper was not bothered to tell us the prices let alone show us all the
items. In another shop we were looking at some wooden cooking utensils and my
wife was looking for a “<i>roti belan</i>” (a rolling pin for rolling kneaded dough of
bread) and asked the shop owner which one will be good. I think this is very
common to ask. She good-humouredly added that she is a naïve in making “<i>chapatis</i>”.
He reluctantly said how come he should know. He does not cook at his home and
then asked sarcastically who cooks in our household if she is inexperienced. Is
it her husband? This not only displayed his rudeness but also gave a hint of
his male chauvinistic mindset that the only place for the women is in the
kitchen and it is not the man’s job to be knowledgeable about cooking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next day was our last day in Shimla as we were scheduled
to go to Chandigarh from where we would take our flight home the following day.
The visit was not a memorable one but may be unforgettable due to exceptional
experiences. My wife who was on her maiden trip to Shimla was not very
impressed with the place and the people but I sincerely hope she will like it
in any subsequent trip that we may make to Shimla. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
P.S. :- The trip actually ended with a bitter experience as well. When
we booked a car for our return journey to Chandigarh from the hotel, we
specifically requested the reception personnel to provide a responsible and
good natured driver. Since the journey takes near to 4 hours, we planned to
start around nine in the morning so that we can have our lunch after we reach
Chandigarh. But it crossed 10 am before we could start. That the driver was
missing (yes again!) when we got ready had a little to contribute to our delay.
Then he stopped twice on the way. Once for paying someone whom he owed and in
another occasion he purchased some fruits. And then when it was close to 1 pm,
he asked us whether we should stop for lunch. We politely denied and said we
cannot eat anywhere as we have a child with us and will take lunch only after
arriving in Chandigarh. Then he started to grumble. We told him that he should
reach Chandigarh in an hour but after a little while he parked outside a “Dhaba”
and went to have his lunch deserting us beside the highway. When all reasoning
(and even threating) did not deter the cab driver to have his way, we called
the hotel back in Shimla. But the reception person again was not helpful. First
he tried to evade any responsibility. Then he added well it is indeed lunch
time. It was only after some harsh words and threats that we would write bad
reviews of the hotel that he yielded and assured to do something. Probably
after some communication between him and the driver, the driver came back to
the car, still irritated. Even the driver lacked any sense of direction and
took much time to locate our hotel in Chandigarh. Once he parked outside a
hotel which did not match exactly ours and was in a different sector
altogether. So it can be advised that if you stay in hotel Honeymoon Inn, look
for other options while booking a car.</div>
<br />
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Deep Majumderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441918705733399044noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346287242583689735.post-35902027701167577202017-11-04T14:45:00.000-07:002017-11-05T02:52:45.508-08:00Bangalore Palace<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I have been away from this travel blog for more than 5
years. Not that I have not travelled in the meanwhile, but I did not find the
time to pen down my experiences. So, in a way, this is a fresh start. </div>
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In the year 2015, just after my birthday, we travelled to
Bangalore (from where we later paid a visit to Mysore). Thankfully, the flight
did not pose any problem for my daughter, June. It was for the first time that
my little daughter was travelling. She was just seven and half months old at
that time. With not much to do in Bangalore apart from meeting an old friend and
a relative, we selected the Bangalore Palace as a place to visit one day.</div>
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Situated in the Palace Gardens area, the Bangalore Palace
belongs to the Wadiyar dynasty of Mysore. In 1884, the then Maharaja of Mysore,
Chamarajendra Wadiyar bought the property from Rev. J. Garrett, who was the
first Principal of the Central High School in Bangalore, now known as Central
College. Currently there is a dispute going on for this property between <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Srikanta_Datta_Narsimharaja_Wadiyar" title="Srikanta Datta Narsimharaja Wadiyar"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Srikanta Datta Narsimharaja Wadiyar</span></a>,
the current heir and the Govt. of Karnataka.</div>
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Built in the Tudor style of architecture with fortified
towers, battlements and turrets, the Bangalore Palace is said to be inspired by
the Windsor Castle of Berkshire, England.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_puR12lhRwJ_7inTHXc_z5pgZ2hRyyVddr9ZEF5OIClTVY5uAYE4GPXBiGlUNb3nFB91HqdYHjPNyQ8A3eBoCZxC9vSW-Mh1w9yMP_zukYkwwr2ex7Sn2CS4Q4PaiMmYboeOnY6FkP0/s1600/13022015494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_puR12lhRwJ_7inTHXc_z5pgZ2hRyyVddr9ZEF5OIClTVY5uAYE4GPXBiGlUNb3nFB91HqdYHjPNyQ8A3eBoCZxC9vSW-Mh1w9yMP_zukYkwwr2ex7Sn2CS4Q4PaiMmYboeOnY6FkP0/s320/13022015494.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The palace offers a very comprehensive audio tour which
provides the details of the different sections but I missed most of it as I was
carrying my daughter in a baby carrier sling and had to take out the earphone
in many occasions. I remember the entry fee and camera charges being a bit on
the higher side, particularly if you compare with Mysore palace. I must also
add that there is no one to check whether you are taking snaps or not. Although
I paid charge for my digital camera, I took many snaps with my phone too. The
ambience of the palace is very quiet and peaceful without the hustle-bustle of
the tourist crowd. At least it was lonely when I visited.</div>
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A wooden lift was stationed in the ground floor but I am not
sure if it is still operational or available for the tourists. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZeYJDDMXeyDDfn-3eGqBsuocBIyBZ_JtXrJX8ZfApZivBj-oy_k2FS3tfXjaBCHHLW4b6foC-KbJnm0E9iEw7IifJXuBEYT2rHD-n-BFxEQDWcs546wCddmZI_k4RFdiJOaKVuB4_R0I/s1600/13022015444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZeYJDDMXeyDDfn-3eGqBsuocBIyBZ_JtXrJX8ZfApZivBj-oy_k2FS3tfXjaBCHHLW4b6foC-KbJnm0E9iEw7IifJXuBEYT2rHD-n-BFxEQDWcs546wCddmZI_k4RFdiJOaKVuB4_R0I/s320/13022015444.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A wooden
staircase that is decorated with many paintings and statuettes took us to the
first floor.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-tguSQ8YXG-unenA4ncHtgJrahWJwMNo2T_nziuDT8O3ko7t0PbpkEvpRe5GpGWfRiOd-sJuE6DWMBX2ePBCnKUUZ5tarslrQyDNeVOCT8A_56DJC7p4hyphenhyphenn43pODE_4ZNo53AcllX_iQ/s1600/13022015493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-tguSQ8YXG-unenA4ncHtgJrahWJwMNo2T_nziuDT8O3ko7t0PbpkEvpRe5GpGWfRiOd-sJuE6DWMBX2ePBCnKUUZ5tarslrQyDNeVOCT8A_56DJC7p4hyphenhyphenn43pODE_4ZNo53AcllX_iQ/s320/13022015493.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first floor features the Durbar Hall which is decorated
with stained glass windows, luxurious sofa sets and chandeliers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWtENmnGHwsKSduRHBS_vKpTgBhSfXP2ZF3_X4JBcDFi2hFYS76FipXhe31VdG5gwugbC2tTiu6RTva2poTMmQEm6rIvAMAQQ7mpF64IkYDhq0zUTZO8h-297HvBcb3CYEOdPIgmo095Q/s1600/13022015446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWtENmnGHwsKSduRHBS_vKpTgBhSfXP2ZF3_X4JBcDFi2hFYS76FipXhe31VdG5gwugbC2tTiu6RTva2poTMmQEm6rIvAMAQQ7mpF64IkYDhq0zUTZO8h-297HvBcb3CYEOdPIgmo095Q/s320/13022015446.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Throughout the palace pillars and arches dominate the
architecture along with ornate cornices and motifs. The ceilings are also
ornamented. The striking yellow colour is used generously for the walls including
the Durbar Hall and the Ballroom. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Also displayed in abundance are trophies of elephant hunting
like elephant heads mounted on walls, stools made of elephant feet and vases of
elephant trunks.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYyboq2jqhRoXcOQHIV4pncT8xtJKaUEquJTs5T4TQNOpn0VCfztWYUu3Ee4aZIHBrpe2XvRxeqdpZWHDo5mqGJjKy29rc9Fl_wk2Nl7Izb5UlBVMF1wU7eKbkqMmFOgddK2d5lvl-Fxc/s1600/DSCN6846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYyboq2jqhRoXcOQHIV4pncT8xtJKaUEquJTs5T4TQNOpn0VCfztWYUu3Ee4aZIHBrpe2XvRxeqdpZWHDo5mqGJjKy29rc9Fl_wk2Nl7Izb5UlBVMF1wU7eKbkqMmFOgddK2d5lvl-Fxc/s320/DSCN6846.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The other thing you will notice is a huge collection of
paintings ranging from European art to those of Raja Ravi Varma.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ29o-fyLS7KZqjV4olFMaHIyVFZzGjAwAv_Fx825HwCZpsX6_i2kO6N2dEYMWEbfHcEIKmAiOtaLsP6W4DVSRqyhE55fepqNrGj5R_2I9wwdevLAB-2H9C5iWJ1iMAjf8CY4wcNHdRhs/s1600/DSCN6854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ29o-fyLS7KZqjV4olFMaHIyVFZzGjAwAv_Fx825HwCZpsX6_i2kO6N2dEYMWEbfHcEIKmAiOtaLsP6W4DVSRqyhE55fepqNrGj5R_2I9wwdevLAB-2H9C5iWJ1iMAjf8CY4wcNHdRhs/s320/DSCN6854.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_KGUVHvAWU6-qQdsLouH9VW_T_ZLu4gvtBpsHxxXFbHeoINLPyJYfF2Je7C1wVH8lUT1eBe28w1mqMYHYI1zLrc6cLna5O1_OYp4AHzMDHvxsEcGmP8yCfteq7IJhqCL7zFpomFgaFe0/s1600/13022015451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_KGUVHvAWU6-qQdsLouH9VW_T_ZLu4gvtBpsHxxXFbHeoINLPyJYfF2Je7C1wVH8lUT1eBe28w1mqMYHYI1zLrc6cLna5O1_OYp4AHzMDHvxsEcGmP8yCfteq7IJhqCL7zFpomFgaFe0/s320/13022015451.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is also large collection of photographs chronicling
the different generations of Wadiyar dynasty and other old pictures of Bangalore and Mysore. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wooden furniture, collectibles including porcelain, metal
and wooden figurines and chandeliers adorn the corridors. There are also some curiously
interesting things displayed like a weighing chair for jockeys.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwuXZtqtBJlfxkI7RI8lZW1P1nrdiCdrU1PXh3j_qgAMPi4IiTbtZMl6pY05IuOjitiYQjcpLiuTCg7TGD-6Mq51uucdW5fuVeYM_xwHufT-zaTaTF2b52na4UvRVGynuA7e37AfW6sJg/s1600/collage-2017-11-05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwuXZtqtBJlfxkI7RI8lZW1P1nrdiCdrU1PXh3j_qgAMPi4IiTbtZMl6pY05IuOjitiYQjcpLiuTCg7TGD-6Mq51uucdW5fuVeYM_xwHufT-zaTaTF2b52na4UvRVGynuA7e37AfW6sJg/s320/collage-2017-11-05.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A room was stuffed with personal belongings of the royal
family and also featured a painting of the last king.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPgKeCkda-z4e1jCcFCiSJLAQoqBAiO1tUnS_MCcIWWpRhgxia6dQHhcmAV1lsxP8-SnYJqSXmaRlutrdRz8xrPu-11ZoAUyG2ezw6x-0T89fEaMhSKFVEpTqOQAQhsQTmntl8eahzTw4/s1600/13022015486.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPgKeCkda-z4e1jCcFCiSJLAQoqBAiO1tUnS_MCcIWWpRhgxia6dQHhcmAV1lsxP8-SnYJqSXmaRlutrdRz8xrPu-11ZoAUyG2ezw6x-0T89fEaMhSKFVEpTqOQAQhsQTmntl8eahzTw4/s320/13022015486.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I found two courtyards in the ground floor, one with a
fountain in the middle (that no longer works) and another more colourful decorated
with seats covered with tiles. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf0JHF9GfuhrtfQvgS2BmYzC_IMyWJ_xzcivVNSfqlIJK9hJpN9GBYXyeaTtHYuU_hNoFmW6O8XDceje6CHYuXFZPzPMIdobZAOjjJnPmJfp6cCd5zNOoPnVT89KNK38CMGP5NPIMJvU8/s1600/13022015459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf0JHF9GfuhrtfQvgS2BmYzC_IMyWJ_xzcivVNSfqlIJK9hJpN9GBYXyeaTtHYuU_hNoFmW6O8XDceje6CHYuXFZPzPMIdobZAOjjJnPmJfp6cCd5zNOoPnVT89KNK38CMGP5NPIMJvU8/s320/13022015459.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSArd2CW-1MNigxpGoHp3ESo1dpMiHghFt42ZZ69nDyat9U3eBuR5uznjsO5lyJoHZJKbszBusVfck7hRFcPLaET5Hd_hgEdULvCX3BNAdBlhdibEUoue-enZqg1VXySZ4U3bVctysDgM/s1600/DSCN6853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSArd2CW-1MNigxpGoHp3ESo1dpMiHghFt42ZZ69nDyat9U3eBuR5uznjsO5lyJoHZJKbszBusVfck7hRFcPLaET5Hd_hgEdULvCX3BNAdBlhdibEUoue-enZqg1VXySZ4U3bVctysDgM/s320/DSCN6853.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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The Ballroom, also situated in the ground floor, was used to
hold private parties of the royals. This is also the last section covered on
the audio tour. </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcO7dIKkCeEJ8LZGgnqYk3OvGZ_CVfRNyggy63k5rJPNsW_AgnUDTokhKukKvm29VHYUtlI6p61WLPFayDzykjkCnVsdjH1CC69aJk3R0IHzaWndEybI-4iAVll0ExEtBALvYXs-RATpk/s1600/13022015490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcO7dIKkCeEJ8LZGgnqYk3OvGZ_CVfRNyggy63k5rJPNsW_AgnUDTokhKukKvm29VHYUtlI6p61WLPFayDzykjkCnVsdjH1CC69aJk3R0IHzaWndEybI-4iAVll0ExEtBALvYXs-RATpk/s320/13022015490.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
The expansive grounds surrounding the palace are used for
public events and cultural programs including music concerts by international
artists.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Overall it was a nice experience to visit the Bangalore
Palace. It may not be an extravagant affair like some other palaces from the
rest of the country but it manifests the old charm of royal dynasties pleasantly
tucked into the otherwise modern technological epicentre.</div>
</div>
Deep Majumderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441918705733399044noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346287242583689735.post-91422175005916811322012-07-24T00:34:00.002-07:002012-07-24T00:34:38.445-07:00A Montage of Mongpong and Mungpoo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Monsoon had just hit the city and beat the long tyranny of summer heat. It was a sudden plan to go out and enjoy some fresh monsoon showers amidst uninhibited nature. The sanctuaries had mostly been shut down by then so we decided for a West Bengal Forest Development Corporation cottage in an obscure place called Mongpong. The place is not much heard of but its vicinity to the city of Siliguri was a major reason for selecting it so that in case of any sudden strike by the Gorkha Janamuti Morcha (and there was some political turmoil after the submission of Justice Shyamal Sen Committee report on the jurisdiction of Gorkha Territorial Administration, which the GJM rejected as 'biased and insulting') we could come back without any hassles. I had just come back from my Kashmir trip so I could not afford any more leave and Anirban's planned tour of Sandakphu before that had to be cancelled due to health issues; hence it had to be only a weekend getaway. Anyway, a couple of days are enough for this kind of short trips. In a way, this trip was kind of a consolation for Anirban's earlier futile tour plan. <br />
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It was so late that most of the New Jalpaiguri bound trains were already booked. Fortunately we got the tickets for both onward and return journeys in sleeper coaches and thankfully due to the rains, the days of our travel were not unbearably hot. An AC cottage was booked from the WBFDC office near Wellington Square in Kolkata and the booking clerk told us to inform the caretaker about our arrival time in advance so that he could arrange for our food. WBFDC runs four cottages at Mongpong, all of them named after the names of birds. Two of them are air-conditioned (Kalij and Tragopan) and the rest two (Monal and Cuckoo) not so. We were provided the cottage named Tragopan. In hindsight, I think there was no need to book an AC cottage as we hardly used the AC and also it did not function properly at times. There is a forest bungalow too at the back which is more spacious and more luxurious but that is out of bounds for the general public.<br />
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So after the day's work on Friday, Anirban and I reached Sealdah station to board Kanchankanya Express which arrived at NJP right on time at 8:30, next morning. I had done some enquiry on travel forums and following the suggestions of the experienced travellers on this circuit, I knew that the easiest and cheapest means to get to Mongpong was a Dooars bound bus. We took a shared auto-rickshaw to the Mittal Bus Stand and a Samsing bound bus which was leaving just then. Since both of us had a small backpack each, it was easier for us to avail ourselves of the public transport system. And the bus was almost empty; so it was a pleasant ride. It was drizzling outside and the ride through Sevoke Road with lush greenery on either side was a charming one. Soon we reached the colourful Sevoke Coronation Bridge. Here we took a right turn and after crossing the bridge, Mongpong was not far away. The distance of Mongpong from NJP is around 30 Kms and from the Sevoke Bridge it is only about 7 Kms. <br />
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We got off the bus near a police check post. From there we walked for about 300 mtrs on the right hand side to reach the cottages. It was only 10:15 am but luckily our cottage did not have any occupant from the previous night and Basanta, the friendly caretaker, had already made up the room for us. After freshening up and consuming a simple lunch we ventured out to visit the Teesta river bed which was visible from the cottages. Basanta showed us the way to take to reach the river bed. After an initial steep slope, there was a train track nearby and after that we had to walk on the edges of some farm land and through muddy tracks to get to the river bed. On the way we passed by some generous patches of green fields with sheep roaming around freely and a range of small hills at the background to complete the scene. A few local huts with a few domesticated animals like the cow or the hen were also there. It was amusing to notice that a few locals were playing with mobile phones and clicking pictures of each other. It is indeed true that most people now in our country enjoy using mobile phones even when the more basic amenities are yet to reach them. A lone shepherd was wandering near the river with his herd of cows and an uncharacteristic umbrella to shield him from the sun or may be from the showers. It had been drizzling in the morning and by that time the light was getting faint with overcast condition and patchy white clouds were flying all over. <br />
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Teesta is infamous for its calamitous monsoon floods but it had not swelled up considerably and gone past its danger levels due to slow monsoon. The river bed comprised a large stretch of stones and pebbles with a silhouette of hills in the far side. A rail bridge was at the other end and a train passed by while we were taking rest sitting on a large stone, adoring the flux of Teesta. <br />
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Basanta had advised us to take a path adjacent to the rail bridge on our way back, that would take us to the main road. A few young men were taking bath on the bank of the river on that side and they told us to cross the bridge to get to the main road. In the beginning we were a little apprehensive but then we noticed a few locals strolling mid way on the bridge. A railway personnel was also walking on the bridge probably inspecting some fault as he was carrying a range with him. We asked him whether it is safe to cross the bridge on foot and he said its perfectly alright and he also started walking behind us for some time. Since a train had just passed so there was no possibility of another one passing right then and also there was a manned railway crossing at the end of the bridge which was open. But when he told us from behind that if in case a train comes we should move away from the track and give room for the train to pass, we panicked a little since there was not much space on either side of the track. Yes, there were some extended sections where one could stand without any threat but they were few and far between. We hurriedly walked the rest of the bridge in a brisk pace although there was no sign of any train in the vicinity. Looking back in hindsight it seems a foolish idea to cross the bridge when we could just follow the railway track on the other direction and return to our cottage. <br />
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The other big problem that we then faced was that we had come a long way away from Mongpong and we did not even know that. After walking for a long time along the highway we finally reached the Sevoke Bridge. It must have been about 5 kms that we walked and that too very slowly since there was much traffic on the busy highway and we needed to watch out for the vehicles. <br />
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Just before the bridge is located the renowned temple dedicated to goddess Kali, known as the Sevokeswari Kali Mandir. We made a stop at the temple to regain our lost breath. Anirban was hopeful that we could make all the way back to Mongpong on foot only. May be he was still secretly thinking for his failed trek to Sandakphu but I was skeptical about whether my body could partake another long walk after the day's toil. We tried to catch a bus or a jeep from the bridge but they were too few in number and fully crowded. After some time when I was also starting to think about the walking option, like an angel came along a school bus which was almost empty and it took us to our destination in a matter of minutes. <br />
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Basanta welcomed us with tea and snacks and we realized how hungry we had been after all the walking which we are not accustomed to in our busy city lives. We took early dinner in our room as there was nothing much to do after sunset and we remained mostly confined to our room till the next morning.<br />
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The next day we would check out at noon and the return train from NJP was at nine o'clock; hence the full day was at our disposal. We inquired about possible places to visit and after a brief chat with Tamang, the driver of the car that Basanta had arranged for us, we zeroed in on Mungpoo. So, after taking lunch, we packed our bags and hopped into the Maruti van that Tamang had parked outside the cottage. After crossing the Sevoke Coronation Bridge, we took a right turn towards Kalimpong. From Siliguri, the small hilly town is located about 52 kms away. <br />
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The road to Mungpoo was an enjoying one and as we were moving up the hill, the clouds started playing with us. At one point of time we were completely engulfed with clouds and we were practically driving through layers of cloud and the visibility became very low. Again after some time when we were further up, the cloud cover was beneath us and the hills on the other side looked beautiful emerging from the clouds. When we reached Mungpoo, it had started drizzling and our umbrellas became useful when we got down at the Rabindra Bhavan. <br />
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The town of Mungpoo earned its name for Cinchona plantation and the first Government Quinine factory was set up there in 1864. However the place became famous when the Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore visited the place four times between 1938 and 1940. Tagore used to stay at the residence of his protégé and philosopher Surendranath Dasgupta's daughter Maitreyi Devi, who in her own right is a renowned poet and novelist. Her husband, quintologist Manmohan Sen was then serving the Government Quinine factory and their residence was his official bungalow. Later it was converted into Rabindra Bhavan, a museum containing Tagore's photographs, paintings, writings and other memoirs related to his stay at Mungpoo. Maitreyi Devi had also published a book titled “Mungpoo-te Rabindranath” documenting an account of his stay at Mungpoo.<br />
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Shishir, the caretaker of the museum is an interesting character. In spite of being a Nepali, his Bengali is very good and he has a gripping knowledge on Tagore and his association with Mungpoo. He actually provides tourists a guided tour of the bungalow though he clarified in the beginning that he is just the caretaker. A second group, consisting of a man and a woman were accompanying us. Amusingly, during most part of our stay, Shishir kept playing Rabindrasangeet from his mobile phone speakers creating a perfect atmosphere and surprised us by quoting pieces of many verses from Tagore's vast sea of writings.From him we came to know that during the days of Tagore, the road was motorable only till the town beneath which was 12 kms away and the septuagenarian poet had to be carried in a palanquin and he claimed that his grandfather was one of the carriers.<br />
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Once we entered the bungalow, the first thing we noticed was an arm-chair with a portrait of Tagore on top of it. The bard used to relax on that very chair and observe the lovely view outside. There are many original photographs of the poet decorating the walls of the bungalow. Some of them are with Maitreyi Devi and her sister Chitrita Devi amongst others. Some of the pictures have worn out like the one which is mostly damaged barring the face of one gentleman which Shishir claimed to be Khsitimohan Sen, father of another Nobel laureate Amartya Sen. There are some rare pictures as well like the birthday celebration of Tagore in 1940. It is said that he penned many poems including “Janmodin” while staying at Mungpoo. <br />
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Another room had some paintings drawn by Tagore but they were not originals. Probably it is he who was amongst the first to introduce modern art in India and it is unbelievable that he started painting only after completing sixty years of his illustrious life.<br />
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I remember a funny incident here regarding the other group who came from Kalimpong. A section of the wooden floor of the room was damaged and the caretaker warned us not to go there. He later recounted how one of the wooden planks gave way to a British tourist (who was, well, stoutly built) and how he broke his hand falling down under the wooden floor. While narrating this episode, Shishir referred to the lady from the other group and mentioned that he was even healthier than her. She, who is probably an actress as it seemed from her conversations, was a little healthy no doubt and passed her prime age but she was desperately trying to look young and bubbly and she did not take it well that she was being referred to by someone as not having a perfect figure. <br />
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There were some copies of letters written to and by Tagore during his stay at Mungpoo. One of them, addressed to her daughter-in-law, was an amusing one where Tagore had compared Maitreyi Devi to a dacoit and portrayed himself as a helpless victim who had been kidnapped by her. <br />
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The bathroom contained an innovative bathtub with the option of hot and cold water flowing simultaneously. The study room featured a wooden desk that the poet used and some of his personal belongings like the easel and the colours that he used for his paintings, a paperweight and a pen stand made of bamboo which was designed by Tagore himself. The bedroom consisted of a box bed with a back support, unusual of its time, which Shishir claimed to be designed by Tagore's son Rathindranath.<br />
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The garden outside contains a magnolia and a chhatim tree amongst others some of them were planted by Tagore himself. It also contained a bronze bust statue of the bard.<br />
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Shishir was complaining that the government does not provide sufficient funds for maintaining the place and restoring the photographs which have started to worn out. He did not spare anyone from the ruling party TMC, the earlier Left Front government, Congress party of the centre or the GJM for being callous of not doing enough to preserve the place as it should have been. He told us that even the Viva Bharati did not pay much attention to his pleads of restoring the photographs. He also drew our attention to the fact that there is no electricity in the bungalow now although it was there during Tagore's stay more than seventy years back. He had even approached the Maitreyi Devi's daughter for doing
something for the place. I asked him why he is not approaching the Chief Minister directly who is such an admirer of Rabindranath. He informed that CM paid a brief stop at the bungalow during her visit to Kalimpong but she was surrounded by bureaucrats and party-men all along. But he was hopeful that may be some steps would be taken in the right direction by the new North Bengal Development Minister. What impressed us about the man is his realization that preservation of Rabindranath's memories should be above petty politics and there should not be any Bengali-Nepali devide on this. We seconded him with the reminder that Tagore is called “Viswakavi” or the poet of the whole world and is not limited only to the sentiments of Bengalees alone.<br />
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Before we left, Shishir requested us to write something in the guest book. That itself has some historical significance as it contains writings by some eminent people including Maitreyi Devi and Tagore's daughter-in-law Pratima Devi. <br />
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As we were coming back we stopped for a while at the local monastery which is just in front of the PWD bungalow. Usually I find monasteries to be quiet and peaceful but here there was many people from the surrounding enjoying their evening tea. May be it serves as the community meeting place during weekends. They even invited us to have some tea with them. <br />
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The weekend was meant to be a leisurely retreat but it turned out to be an eventful one but at the same time very enjoying also. I hope that the hills of Bengal remain peaceful in the coming days and political agitations do not mire its charm and the innocence of its people.<br />
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</div>Deep Majumderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441918705733399044noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346287242583689735.post-6239443271390919492012-07-09T22:39:00.000-07:002012-07-09T22:54:33.887-07:00Kolkata Kaleidoscope : St. John's Church<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
On a pleasant morning just at the beginning of winter, I planned to visit St. John's Church, the third oldest and one of the most distinguished churches of Kolkata reminiscent of the British Raj. Saibal and Anirban were my partners in this venture. The church is located near Dalhousie Square in the north-western corner of Raj Bhavan, precisely at the intersection of Kiran Shankar Road and Council House Street. We had to pay a minimal entry fee and a parking fee for our car. It seemed that not too many people visit the place regularly since the bemused security guard asked us whether we were coming from outside the city. Although I have heard that it still holds Sunday services, it is improbable that many people attend those as the church is situated in a largely commercial neighborhood. <br />
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The land on which the church is built was donated by Maharaja Naba Krishna Deb of Sovabazar. The founding stone was laid by Warren Hastings, the then British Governor General of India, in 1784 and the church was inaugurated in the presence of Lord Cornwallis in 1787. It initially served as the Anglican Cathedral of Calcutta and was the first Anglican church in the city. Modeled by architect Lt. James Agg, on lines of the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in England, the church is built with brick and stone and often referred to as 'the stone church'. The portico with lofty pillars and the tall stone spire holding a giant clock along with the imposingly large square base make an impressive architecture. Inside, the main altar is a simple one and to its right is a colourful stained glass window.<br />
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To the left of the altar, hangs on the wall, the famous painting of 'Last Supper' by England based German artist Johann Zoffany. Unlike Leonardo da Vinci's rendering of the painting by the same name, Zoffany's 'Last Supper' has a distinct Indian touch like the sword or the spittoon and even it is believed that some of the disciples of Jesus were modeled on real life Britishers of then Calcutta. The painting was restored in 2010 by the Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan India in cooperation with the Indian National Trust for Art and Culture Heritage. In Fact if my memory serves me right, I came across in the newspapers a few years back that during the restoration part only the identity of the artist was revealed and it was hitherto unknown that he had been to Kolkata.<br />
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All along the walls of the church are memorial tablets mainly of army officers and civil servants besides other prominent citizens of the day. Interestingly many of these tablets too has some Indian-ness reflecting in them. A wooden arching staircase on the right connects the first floor but it is now out of bounds for the general public.<br />
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The church compound also has a cemetery, probably the oldest Christian cemetery of Calcutta and many tombs and memorials of renowned persons are to be found here. Once we exited the church building from the left side, we came across such a memorial dedicated to Lady Canning, the wife of British Governor General and Viceroy to India, set up in 1861. Her name has been made immortal after a popular sweet was named after her in Bengal. Some of the other prominent people whose tombs we noticed included Lord Brabourne, Goveror General and Viceroy of British India. <br />
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At a far end of the ground is located the circular dome shaped tomb of Frances Johnson, a famous wealthy socialite who married four times and died in 1812 at a ripe old age of late eighties. She was popularly known as 'Begum' due to her close association with Amina Begum, the mother of Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, Siraj-ud-Daulah. <br />
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Not far from it, is the mausoleum of Job Charnock, a trader of the erstwhile British East India Company, who is popularly regarded as the founder of the city of Calcutta. Back in 1690, he set foot on the city which then comprised three small villages namely Sutanati, Gobindopur and Kolkata. Traditional belief is that he combined the three villages into the city of Calcutta but this theory is also challenged by many, especially the Sabarna Roy Chaudhury family and there had been a High Court ruling as well contradicting this opinion. Charnock only lived for two more years and died on 10th January, 1692 according to the date on his gravestone. However, from other reliable sources it is evident that he died in the year 1693. This discrepancy is attributed to the old calendar system by which the new year begun in March. The simple white two-storied mausoleum has an octagonal base with a dome shaped roof, arched doors and a balustrade of short peaked arches. The mausoleum, which has an evident effect of Indo-Islamic architecture was erected by Charnock's son-in-law, Sir Charles Eyre and the epitaph is inscribed in Latin.<br />
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Another interesting cenotaph is the Second Rohilla War Memorial, which comprises a circular dome shaped roof supported on twelve Doric pillars and contains a plaque with the names of many British soldiers who were killed in the Second Rohilla War of 1794.<br />
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Also located in the church compound is an obelisk with a wide base which commemorates the controversial Black Hole Tragedy of Calcutta. In 1756, after Sirad-ud-Daulah siezed Fort William from the British, it is said that the prisoners of war were confined in a small and poorly ventilated room and many of them died due to suffocation. John Holwell, who was a survivor of the incident narrated that 123 out of 146 prisoners died overnight. However, many historians have questioned the veracity of Holwell's account and feel that his version is highly exaggerated. Some even rejected the authenticity of the entire episode. Nevertheless, after Robert Clive defeated Siraj in the Battle of Plassey in 1757, Holwell built a memorial near the present day GPO in Dalhousie Square area to commemorate the victims of the Black Hole Tragedy. At some point of time during 1821, the memorial was broken or removed and Lord Curzon during his vice-regency (1901-6) commissioned a replica to be built in 1902 which was later on relocated to St. John's Church compound.<br />
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Contented after spending an hour in the peaceful church where we were the only visitors surrounded by so much history of the city of Calcutta of the colonial time, we stepped out to the busy modern city which is now rechristened as Kolkata.<br />
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<br /></div>Deep Majumderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441918705733399044noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346287242583689735.post-88117567875074417092012-04-18T02:06:00.000-07:002012-04-18T02:06:27.656-07:00Kolkata Kaleidoscope : Bhukailash Temples<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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On the auspicious day of Bengali New
Year, my mother and I went to visit the Bhukailash Temples in
Kidderpore. The temple complex was a little difficult to find as it
is almost hidden in the crowded neighbourhood with many Bhojpuri
speaking people dwelling in the surrounding. The nearest landmark is
the Kidderpore Tram Depot and one should take the road opposite to
the tram depot and then take a left turn and after some more turns
down the narrow lanes, one would reach the temple complex. My mother
remembered that she had visited the temples long back when she was a
child. Interestingly, the place finds its place in a blog of the
renowned author Amitav Ghosh.</div>
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The Bhukailash estate is one of the
oldest zaminder family's palaces dating back to almost 250 years and
is known as the Bhukailas Rajbari. The whole area was spread over
hundred bighas of land but the property was reduced due to extension
of Kidderpore Docks.<br />
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On the bank of a pond, the twin Shiva temples
dedicated to Rakta-Kamaleshwar and Krishna-Chandreshwar were built by
Maharaja Joynarayan Ghoshal Bahadur in the year 1781. Two large Shiva
Linga each about 11 feet high are the reigning deities of the two
temples. The temples look like they have been given a fresh coat of
paint in recent times but the colours seemed a bit too bright and may
be the old worn look which I have seen in some earlier photographs
would have suited them more and be reminiscent of the bygone era of
the Bhukailash zaminders. The temple architecture is that of the a
simple <i>aat-chala</i> which is typical of Bengal.<br />
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Joynarayan Ghoshal (1752-1821) was born in Gobindapore and was well versed in Sanskrit, Hindi, Bengali, Arabic, Persian and English. According to a book, he was nominated by Nawab Mubarak Daulat to serve the provincial councils of Patna, Murshidabad, Dacca and Burdwan. He received a royal grant from the Emperor of Delhi, Mohammad Jahandar Shah and was conferred with the title of Maharaja Bahadur. As per a stone inscription nearby, he also held the post of a superintendent during the tenure of Police Superintendent John Shakespeare and was involved in benevolent activities along with Raja Rammohan Roy and Iswarchandra Vidyasagar.<br />
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<br />The zaminder palace has been ruined and only a few pillars and the inner courtyard and nahabat-khana are reminiscent of the past.<br />
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A temple dedicated to Patit-Paboni (manifestation of Goddess Durga) and built in the year 1782 is situated inside the inner courtyard.<br />
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It is believed that Sadhak Ramprasad visited this temple and it is he who gave the name Bhukailash or Abode of the Gods on Earth. </div>
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<br /></div>Deep Majumderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441918705733399044noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346287242583689735.post-25991884250645202362012-02-13T02:27:00.000-08:002012-02-13T02:31:15.895-08:00Dynamic Day Trips : Sukharia Temples<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The district of Hooghly consists of a
number of old temples symbolizing the Bengal school of architecture
and representing the form of Terracotta art that the region was once
famous for. Sukharia, is one such place we contemplated to visit on a
leisurely Sunday morning.
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The most convenient way to reach
Sukharia is to take the Howrah-Katwal local train in the morning and
get down at the Somra Bazaar station. We took the 7:53 AM train and
the journey to Somra Bazaar took less than two hours (and the train
was running late). The station is a small one and there are very few
means of communication. I noticed a single auto rickshaw, a couple of
cycle rickshaws and a few van rickshaws throughout my stay at the
place and they may not be available outright. After inquiring at a
local stationary shop we had an idea about the place and started
afoot towards the temples. There is an asphalt road circling the
place and there are some proper houses (including many two-storied
ones) and a high school alongside it but once we sidestep it and
enter the deeper tracts, the mud roads are predominant with a few
brick paths in between running around small huts providing a rural
flavour to the place.</div>
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It took us about 15 mins on foot to
reach the Anandamayee Kali Temple complex. The temple complex from
the other side of the nearby pond makes a great view for the
shutterbugs.</div>
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The temple, dedicated to Goddess Kali,
was built by a local <i>zamindar,</i> Bireswar Mustafi, in the year
1813. The main shrine features 25 pinnacles which is not very common
and we marvelled at the terracotta decorations. The images that adorn
the walls are primarily of gods and goddesses and mythological in
nature and some floral designs but if one looks intensely one will
find references to daily life as well such as people sailing on a
boat, <i>babus</i> taking their food and being fanned by women and
even soldiers marching with arms.
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The Kali temple is flanked by two
parallel sets of smaller temples, featuring six temples in each row.
Two out them are <i>pancha-ratna</i> (5 pinnacles) and the rest are
<i>aat-chala </i>(8 roofed).
One of the <i>pancha-ratna</i> temples is dedicated to Lord Ganesha
while all the others are dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple has been
renovated during 1994-97 and may be it was painted afresh at that
time but the terracotta is still preserved. Most probably regular
worships are still carried on as we observed a priest silently
chanting his hymns and performing some <i>puja</i>.</div>
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One has to walk along the banks of the
pond to reach the temple and on the way pass by the ruins of a
<i>zamindar-bari </i>named
<i>Radhakunja.</i> The house
is in shambles now but the lofty columns and the courtyard and
<i>thakur-dalan</i> inside
speak of the architectural masterpiece it once must have been. I
believe this is where the acclaimed director Mrinal Sen shot for
Aakaaler Sandhane in 1980s and most probably the house belongs to the
Mitra-Mustafi family. We entered the dilapidated house to take some
snaps thinking it as abandoned but to our surprise we found that some
people still reside in the first floor of the house. An old lady who
is one of the residents chatted with us for a while from the <i>verandah</i>
of the first floor and asked us where we came from.
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Another
temple of significance is the Harasundari Temple complex. This
<i>nava-ratna</i> (9
pinnacles) is similar to that of the Anandamayee Kali Tample although
it might not have any intricate terracotta decorations. However,
here, two parallel sets of seven smaller temples (two <i>pancha-ratna</i>
and five <i>aat-chala</i>)
each are on either side of the main shrine. This temple was
constructed by Ramnidhi Mitra Mustafi in the year 1814. The complex
is now closed for the general public and is in the process of
renovation. Unfortunately, as part of renovation, the temples are
being cemented freshly and they are losing all the charm and art work
of the bygone era.</div>
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Close to the Harasundari Temple, stands the colourful Nistarini Temple, another <i>nava-ratna</i> temple. It was probably constructed in 1847 by the Mustafi family. This temple is also in shambles and cannot be approached.<br />
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Another
temple in the vicinity is the Siddheswari Kali Temple which is
located beside an old banyan tree. Probably this temple has been
renovated in recent years and is now a popular one but in its current
form it looks like any other temple of the time with no special
features to talk about. It is believed that the river Ganges once
flowed beside the temple but with time it has moved away and all
around we could see only green farm lands.</div>
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</div>Deep Majumderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441918705733399044noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346287242583689735.post-4862834069712086222012-02-06T21:45:00.000-08:002012-02-06T21:51:38.071-08:00Dynamic Day Trips : Andul Rajbari<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It was an impulsive decision to visit
the heritage building of Andul Rajbari. Santanu, Anirban and I
boarded a local train from Santragachhi and got down after a couple
of stations at Andul. From Howrah, it is a half an hour ride by
train.
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The Rajbari, spread over 10 <i>bigha</i>
and comprising more than 100 rooms, can be reached in about 10 mins
from the Andul station in a cycle rickshaw. The building is in
dilapidated state now but the massive structure and lofty pillars
speak of the affluence the royal family must have enjoyed in the
past. It is heartbreaking to witness the neglect and ill-maintenance
which is driving the grand heritage building into ruins. The large
open ground in front of the Rajbari has now been converted into a
football playing ground for the locals.
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Interestingly, the building is still
being used as residence by a handful of people although sections of
it looked dangerously in need of immediate attention. A part of the
building however has been renovated recently and newly painted adding
a contrast to the remaining majority.
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After taking some snaps from the
outside we were a bit jittery about whether to enter the building or
not. At the end, setting aside our apprehension of whether we were
committing trespassing, we did take a small tour inside, and had we
not entered we would have definitely repented afterwards. There is a
small courtyard (may be the erstwhile <i>naach mahal</i>) inside
which has withstood the test of times and still depicts the elegance
and grandeur of the bygone era. The intricate decorations of the
pillars have remained relatively unimpaired and transports oneself to
an altogether different time and the presence of the pigeons flying
around flapping their wings and making intense sound somewhat renders
a haunted feeling to the mansion.
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There is precious little history that
can be found on the history of the palace. A signboard in front of
the building acknowledges that the palace was built in 1834 by Raja
Rajnarayan Roybahadur. However from a website (which is the sole
reference that I came across on the internet) I could gather that the
Andul Raj Family was founded by Ram Charan Roy even before the Battle
of Plassey (1757) and the construction of the palace building was
started by Kashinath Roy. However, I could not crosscheck the
authenticity of the information. Interestingly, in a recent article in
Times of India on heritage buildings, someone with a surname of Mitra
was quoted as one of the descendants of the Andul Raj Family. Not
sure if he belongs to the extended family or whether the palace
changed hands (which seems less probable).</div>
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Just beside the palace building, there
is an old Annapurna Temple surrounded by Shiva shrines. The temple
complex also houses an old cannon (supposedly gifted by Lord Clive as
per the same source mentioned earlier).</div>
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</div>Deep Majumderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441918705733399044noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346287242583689735.post-58964984857974027782012-01-04T02:01:00.000-08:002013-05-02T22:53:42.399-07:00Kolkata Kaleidoscope : St. Teresa's Church<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I first came to know of the existence
of this church when I was invited to a wedding reception of one of my
ex-colleagues. I was a bit surprised at first since he was a Hindu
and it was a reception party and not the wedding itself but when I
reached there I realized that the backyard of the church has been
rented out for the wedding reception. The church building in itself
looked interesting so I came back after a few days to visit the
church along with Saibal, a friend of mine (who was also invited to
that wedding reception party).</div>
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It is a catholic church, formally called St. Teresa of Avila Church, built in the late 19<sup>th</sup> century and located on the AJC Bose Road near Moulali. There is very little information that I could gather on this particular church apart from the fact that it was founded between 1895-97 and was blessed by Monsignor Goethals. The church was renovated about a hundred years later and was blessed then by Mother Teresa. The church was named after St. Teresa of Avila, the prominent Spanish mystic, Roman Catholic saint and Carmelite nun of the 16<sup>th</sup> century.</div>
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The beautiful red building of the
church has an imposing structure and the interesting fact is that
many of the instructions were written in Bengali indicating that it
must be a popular parish amongst the Bengali speaking Anglo-Indian
society. The church also contains a statue of Mother Teresa.</div>
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Deep Majumderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441918705733399044noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346287242583689735.post-67647602752672291112012-01-02T22:10:00.000-08:002012-01-02T22:18:56.143-08:00Kolkata Kaleidoscope : Metcalfe Hall<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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During one of my walks in the Dalhousie
area, the heart of the Kolkata's business centre, I came across the
Metcalfe Hall at the juncture of Strand Road and Hare Street. It was
built between 1840-44, was designed by the city magistrate C.K.
Robinson and was named after Sir Charles Metcalfe, who officiated as
the Governor General in 1835-36 during the interval of the departure
of Lord Bentinck and arrival of Lord Auckland, in honour of his
efforts towards a free press. The architectural showpiece is said to
be inspired by the Tower of Winds in Athens. Thirty lofty Corinthian
columns supporting the massive entablature gives it a classical Greek
look.</div>
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The Imperial Library was inaugurated here by Lord Curzon in 1903 and later on it evolved to National Library and shifted to Belvedre. </div>
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On the eastern side is a huge portico
with wide stairs leading to the hall. The building has been renovated
recently by the Archaeological Survey of India and is being prepared
to use it as a museum, supplementing the Indian Museum at
Chowringhee. When I visited some terracotta tablets and brick samples
were exhibited but renovation was still going on in the interiors.
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</div>Deep Majumderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441918705733399044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346287242583689735.post-77928620406482631812011-12-30T00:32:00.000-08:002012-07-09T22:40:28.408-07:00Kolkata Kaleidoscope : Portuguese Church<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Since this is Christmas time, I decided
to share with you the experience of my visit to one of the old
churches of Kolkata. The Portuguese Church located at the Portuguese
Church Street near Dalhousie Square was set up as early as 1747. The
best way to reach the church is to walk a few paces northwards along
Brabourne Road behind St. Ardrew's Church (which is just on the right
side of Writers' Building).
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However, I came across the place from
an altogether different side. Actually, I along with my friend Saibal
went to visit the Armenian Church but could not locate it although we
spent quite some time roaming around the Armenian Street. No body
seemed to have any knowledge of the church, though I was sure it was
somewhere in the vicinity. One shopkeeper showed me a narrow street
to follow and while he gave us direction I was confident with his
conviction that the street would lead us to the church. But alas it
was an altogether different church that we landed up at. Having said
that we were not disappointed with this church, formally known as the
Cathedral of the Holy Rosary but commonly referred to as the
Portuguese Church.
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When we entered the premises we found a
good many car parked in the compound which was something odd given
the abandoned status of most of the churches in Kolkata. We were
thinking of whether it was any special day but given the fact that it
was a Saturday, it would not have been possibly the day of the weekly
mass. Soon however we realized that the church compound was being
used as a parking space and even there were a couple of hawkers. A
homeless person was sound asleep at the main door of the church
building and the door was closed to our dismay.</div>
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Thankfully one of the doors on the side was ajar and we could sneak into the church. There was no one inside and we had a brief tour of the church of our own. The striking feature of the church is its colourfulness. Most of the other churches that I have visited before are painted in dull white but not this one. The chapel at the centre hosts a wooden statue of Virgin Mary and on either side of it, round stained glass windows adorned the walls. There were many more colourful wooden statues all over the church and wooden panels depicting the various stages of the passion of the Christ decorate the walls. </div>
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All in all it was a good experience. We
were very much impressed with the church. Just hope it becomes more
approachable to the public in general, not only the devout but also
people who like to visit the place as a historical monument and pay a
tribute to its elegance.</div>
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</div>Deep Majumderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441918705733399044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346287242583689735.post-31895726313284927932011-11-07T00:18:00.000-08:002011-11-07T00:18:07.448-08:00Killer Kinnaur - Chitkul<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
On the 26<sup>th</sup> of May, we left Kalpa at 8:30 in the
morning and took the same road back up to Karcham. From there we turned left
towards Sangla. There was a tunnel just beyond the small bridge that we were
crossing and initially we were all excited to drive through the tunnel. However,
when we reached there we saw that it was still under construction and we took
the road around the tunnel. As usual, the road was in pretty bad shape.
Actually from a distance I could not see any road at all. So when our driver
was telling us that we were not going to take the tunnel, I was confused since
I did not notice any road after the bridge except the tunnel way. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our car stopped at a roadside temple for a couple of minutes
which is probably considered auspicious by the local drivers. The priest came
and offered us some <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">prasada</i> and
prayed for our wellbeing and safety. We took our tea break in the market area
of the town of Sangla. The town is quite a big one in the neighbourhood and
most of the tourists stay at this place only and go for sightseeing elsewhere.
However, on recommendation of some of my friends, I had booked our
accommodation in Chitkul which is a small village with a few lodging options. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We filled ourselves with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pakoras</i>
and sweets along with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">desi chai</i> in a
small but clean tea shop. Whatever we had eaten in the breakfast had already been
digested and we anticipated having a late lunch at Chitkul as there was still
some distance to cover.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The view of the
Baspa river and the mountain range was enchanting from Baspa. It lifted our
spirits all the more thinking about what we would have in store at Chitkul. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZq7w19ElZnpHsJGYzq9DTCYgka2l-09SI4j9ygvlhGIjWGD8I3aVDWWMPlPbDcni1x7ihSNP3-DhSHpmKnA2iVx89nipbLwMKH2UtiiUDwgFMyGh8JTfYlUBZhKtggxZDW-Aii7z3DU/s1600/DSCN3618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZq7w19ElZnpHsJGYzq9DTCYgka2l-09SI4j9ygvlhGIjWGD8I3aVDWWMPlPbDcni1x7ihSNP3-DhSHpmKnA2iVx89nipbLwMKH2UtiiUDwgFMyGh8JTfYlUBZhKtggxZDW-Aii7z3DU/s320/DSCN3618.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The view on the road from Sangla to Chitkul was awesome. And
although the road was narrow, it was in a relatively good condition. And there
was hardly any traffic on the route. I was sitting in the front beside the
driver and tried hard to capture the surroundings with my lenses. The view was
changing at some times ranging from lush green trees on the mountains to dry
and barren places with boulders and stones lying all around. The temperature
was also a pleasant one. In fact I kept my windows down and caught a little
cold. On the way we noticed some nature camps which provide tourist accommodation.
Our hotel was however further up. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho5eXEJpCYfCNqgbClT4ROHDdszyBslRPL9NNgVdUAvidanBwPni9CFb2z-HeKw862e4-kL2fpWWri2ES_94jWlXYqxBiCFRS89WzTsvnb-HtDeNb1Y82NbA2V7Yz5H7YSIzDRKRf_Xvg/s1600/DSCN3627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho5eXEJpCYfCNqgbClT4ROHDdszyBslRPL9NNgVdUAvidanBwPni9CFb2z-HeKw862e4-kL2fpWWri2ES_94jWlXYqxBiCFRS89WzTsvnb-HtDeNb1Y82NbA2V7Yz5H7YSIzDRKRf_Xvg/s320/DSCN3627.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Initially, we had booked Hotel Shahenshah
which is owned by the same person, Sandeep Karar, who runs the hotel Rakpa
Regency at Kalpa. Since there was a large tourist group (whom we noticed at
Kalpa itself), he requested us to stay at Panchali Resort, which is also owned
by him. Panchali Resort is the last hotel at the end of the
motorable road. However, what we heard over there is that the road would be
extended a further 25 Kms. So, new hotels would crop up I guess closer to the
mountain range. The hotel had an exquisite view of the mountains. Once we
opened the windows of our room, there was nothing between the mountain and us.
However, the cleanliness and service of the hotel was not good. Also, food options
were limited and there was a huge delay between the time we ordered and we got
our food. Perhaps they were also running short of staff. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEcadV3WxeSK6n9J2M9YxFh5y-0tKe2S1-KcVKCqruVlC5FC-XRjzC8TFx3TQZ8bychENS8mfQrobEMNWPozMzgbs8lKIbm2-yscXJUabYxiF67C0tfJDpjodmdaf7SR79nAl3F6PhLA/s1600/DSCN3651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEcadV3WxeSK6n9J2M9YxFh5y-0tKe2S1-KcVKCqruVlC5FC-XRjzC8TFx3TQZ8bychENS8mfQrobEMNWPozMzgbs8lKIbm2-yscXJUabYxiF67C0tfJDpjodmdaf7SR79nAl3F6PhLA/s320/DSCN3651.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After having lunch and a little rest, we went to the
riverbed in the late evening. The clear blue water of the Baspa river
surrounded by the mountains and the snow covered peaks at stone throwing
distance formed a breathtaking view. In fact back at the hotel, people told us
that the place was not far from the Tibet border, Chitkul being the last
village. The river water was very cold and it had a good current too. The
riverbed was studded with small pebbles and large stones and we rested for a while on
those stones taking in the superlative beauty of the place. There was a school
nearby. We envied the location but at the same time pitied for the students who
have to come so far away every day. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEvcIacVag0WBe0Ir8ANJzDSkHOEpICD-gt8dd2hjKKtdr8loJXyEBLnOL2gIz7f7IyRpJBlc02vIyFG9zHG9MjttVfugbNXawrKy3Cu9yJNods3Uv5wGFYumLE7QTgfzH3dZ1-iGvkwc/s1600/DSCN3638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEvcIacVag0WBe0Ir8ANJzDSkHOEpICD-gt8dd2hjKKtdr8loJXyEBLnOL2gIz7f7IyRpJBlc02vIyFG9zHG9MjttVfugbNXawrKy3Cu9yJNods3Uv5wGFYumLE7QTgfzH3dZ1-iGvkwc/s320/DSCN3638.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2b8I-qh39fA2MuGdF4iHNT0e6yghPwwejs09mwsvmL57IJUkRbRQ0-yjap4fscT8corEVh3-nlr-c_3WJepkF7CD-vSjp0NJWsr1-lM2fOzI8N0ZHJJknjw-WrHMSsON3FIqHX9IYQSo/s1600/DSCN3647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2b8I-qh39fA2MuGdF4iHNT0e6yghPwwejs09mwsvmL57IJUkRbRQ0-yjap4fscT8corEVh3-nlr-c_3WJepkF7CD-vSjp0NJWsr1-lM2fOzI8N0ZHJJknjw-WrHMSsON3FIqHX9IYQSo/s320/DSCN3647.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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When it was time to return, I proposed to take a different
route which I noticed further up. Only Bappa agreed to accompany me in this
adventurous detour. Now the only question was how to go up and be on that path.
We started to follow the way what seemed to go up and meet our target path but after
some time we were kind of lost and doubted whether it was the right way. After
some time we met a local man with a cow. He assured us that we were on the
right track and when we enquired whether the path was tough, he commented that
even his cow could use that comfortably. Our confidence was restored and we
continued our walk but the path was becoming all the more difficult with little
waterfalls in between and it was tough to breathe as well. Anyway I have a
breathing problem and the high altitude was taking its toll. I was feeling sorry
for Bappa. Though he has healthier than me, but he was also feeling exhausted
and he had only agreed to come with me so that I am not alone. We stopped for a
while and contemplated whether we should go back. When we looked back we did
not find any one of the team so they must have returned to the hotel already.
Just then we noticed two young girls coming down. They were not locals but
tourists. They were confused whether they could go down to the river following
that route. We told them we have followed that route from the riverbed itself
so they could continue walking down. And they assured us that we would find the
way back to the hotel if we continue moving up. We were encouraged that if they
could do it so could we and started walking upwards. But after some more time
we were again confused as we could not find any way further. We stopped for a while to
catch some air as we were breathing heavily by then. Ultimately we found our
way back to the hotel amidst the cultivation land which was being prepared for
step farming. On our way back we met some military personnel from Indo-Tibet
Border Force, who were returning to their check posts at the Tibet border. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje9rZdZNhUMlI9brxc9-nt4gGye9mkQ0McwUg4em8BkYjzsmjUoFhoBHhsSwdd129bBiIao3KjyuILWEj4ekEbYDOxuSr6kfOfHd1FTpmvKD77kYiqOhyHFCqFakr38IUeBYqaNKJ5jAI/s1600/DSCN3662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje9rZdZNhUMlI9brxc9-nt4gGye9mkQ0McwUg4em8BkYjzsmjUoFhoBHhsSwdd129bBiIao3KjyuILWEj4ekEbYDOxuSr6kfOfHd1FTpmvKD77kYiqOhyHFCqFakr38IUeBYqaNKJ5jAI/s320/DSCN3662.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /></div>
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When we finally reached the hotel we found the other members
of our group worried and anxious as a long time had passed and the fact that
they could not contact us over our cell phones (there was no mobile tower) made
them more tensed. They were a little bit comforted they were told by those two
girls that they had met us some time before. We found Mukherjeekaku had returned to
his room much earlier as he was not feeling well. Even Chhotomasi was having
some breathing problems. I on my part did not disclose that I experienced some
spasms myself and went to my room to take rest. During night I was running a
mild temperature and Chhotomasi rebuked me for my bravado. I was disheartened and
agonized by the fact that my body did not respond positively to the small trek
and was worried about how would I go to places which involve fair bit of
walking in hilly terrain. </div>
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The next day was the last of our sojourn in the Himalayas.
We took our way back to Kalpa from where we boarded the return train, halting
at Narkanda in between for the night. It was time to bid goodbye to the
picturesque Kinnaur and return the routine chores of city life. </div>
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</div>Deep Majumderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441918705733399044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346287242583689735.post-81277058158590789592011-11-02T09:05:00.000-07:002011-11-04T01:03:27.780-07:00Killer Kinnaur - Kalpa<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We left for Kalpa on the 24<sup>th</sup> of May after having
an early lunch at Sarahan. The road
looked dangerously appealing being curved out of the mountain walls, at times
with hanging cliffs over head. The beautiful Baspa river was flowing beside the
road on the other side but the water was still muddy. After some time however,
the road condition deteriorated considerably and our bodies became stiff and
pained absorbing the shocks. I have read before, in trip reports of some travel
forums that the road between Wangtoo and Karcham was particularly bad. However,
the road after Karcham did not provide us any relief either. In fact it was
worse; the road was broken at many places due to landslides and too narrow for
comfort. </div>
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Major construction was going on at Karcham where a major dam
is located and probably the cement and the dust made the water of river Baspa
muddy, since after Karcham the water was blue and clear. The road for Sangla
took off on the right and we continued straight ahead towards Kalpa. At places,
the road was so narrow to commute that long queues of cars resulted. A few
times our car came so tantalizing close to the edge of the road that some of us
cried aloud cautioning the driver. Although our driver had a rock steady hand,
he too became tensed a couple of times and requested us not to panic. In fact,
afterwards, he admitted that on those occasions he was a bit nervous as well. </div>
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When we reached Reckong Peo, the district head quarters of
Kinnaur district, we knew we were not too far from our destination. After driving
further up for some more time when we finally reached Kalpa, it was 5 o’clock
in the evening. We had booked Hotel
Rakpa Regency in advance and were delighted with the view it offered. A friend
who had earlier stayed at the hotel mentioned that Room 406 has the best view
and Runa and Abhishek had the good opportunity to occupy that room. However, I
think the corner room that I stayed at had an even better view of Kinnaur
Kailash. Surprisingly, the owner of the hotel, Sandeep Karar, is a Bengali from
Howrah. Most of the staff, except the manager, was Bengali as well.
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Kalpa is known for its golden apple orchards and beside our
hotel itself there were a whole lot of apple trees but unfortunately it was not
the time for apple harvesting.</div>
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After evening tea, I went for a leisurely stroll along the
deserted road. Suddenly I heard a
strange hymning sound followed by some drum beats. It was near the Hotel
Kinnaur Villa. I was trying to figure out the origin of the sound and after
some time realized that it is coming from a small hut up in the hills. It was
quite far away and hidden behind the trees, so at first I could not locate it.
Actually, it seemed some people were dancing to the mystic tune in some ethnic
dress. Probably it was some sort of ceremony. I noticed some stone steps going
upwards from the road and an idea crossed my mind that I might try to go nearer
to the place to comprehend what it was all about. But the steepness of the steps
was disturbing me and I found no one in the vicinity to ask how far the path
leads up to. Meanwhile, it started drizzling and suddenly the temperature
dropped considerably. I decided it would be wise to return to the hotel and not
get wet since I am susceptive to cold. Back in the hotel, I found my folks were
getting apprehensive about my delay and the fact that they could not reach me
over my cell phone (there was no tower) made them tensed. </div>
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The next day, we woke up early but there was no spectacle of
sunrise to speak about. It was cloudy to begin with and the sun abruptly came
out from behind the mountain range. However, as the day progressed, the sun
shone brightly and apart from Kinnaur Kailas, Parvati and Shivling peaks were
clearly visible. The Kinnaur Kailash peak appeared so close that it seemed as
if we could just reach out our hands and touch it. Chhotomasi mentioned that its
shape is similar to Mt. Kailash near Manas Sarovar and hence the name. While we
were zooming in our lenses to take closer snaps, we observed a black spot in
the white snow that covered the mountain range and it changed position a few
times. It seemed larger than to be possibly any bird and the hotel staff told
us it was still not the time of the year when trekkers go around. So, it
remained a mystery to us. Chhotomasi jokingly declared that it must be some
Yeti then. </div>
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At breakfast we noticed a really large tourist group coming
all the way from Bengal and there was pandemonium all around. The manager of
the group was shouting all kinds of directives to his own staff who were
running around doing all sorts of errands. After breakfast, we went to visit
the nearby Rodhi village. From a local shop there we bought some walnuts at
really cheap price. The view of the other peaks (which were out of sight from
our hotel) from that place was also fascinating. So, we were dumbfounded when
some tourists were complaining about the place arguing that there is nothing to
see. Now, what else does one need; one can behold the majestic Himalayas all
around and still people grumble! </div>
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A short cut path from the village led us to the monastery we
noticed from the balcony back at our hotel. The actual village of Kalpa is
probably located around here. We noticed many local small huts but surprisingly
most of them were under lock and key. Not sure if that was because the people
had gone to work or they had moved to some other place. The monastery was small
and nice and comes with the traditional Buddhist prayer rollers. </div>
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In close proximity to the monastery, resides a Durga temple.
It had some intricate woodwork and it was queer to see those wooden dragons
decorating a Hindu temple. The temple was unfortunately closed and we could not
see the deity. However, back at the hotel, I noticed a picture, which was some
amateurish replica of an old and celebrated picture, illustrating the temple
and the original painting was done more that hundred years ago. </div>
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The weather changed drastically in the afternoon and there
was a heavy downpour restricting us to the interiors of our respective rooms.
Even in the evening, when the rain stopped, it was still very cloudy and the
wind was chilly. Since we could not go out for a walk, I spent some time in the
terrace but soon it became so cold that I had to return to the warmth of my
room. From the balcony, I could see a thick layer of cloud down below where the
monastery was located and soon the cloud engulfed the entire hamlet. </div>
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The rest of the night was uneventful except for the drop in
the temperature. I was literally shivering when we went to take dinner in the
ground floor. The fact that I was not carrying any heavy woollens was upsetting
as my jacket was not giving me much comfort. One of the Bengali staff who is
from the Burdwan district told us that the hotel is entirely covered with snow
in the winters and remains closed from the end of November until March, and
when they come back in March they have to clean the thick layers of snow and
how painstaking a job that is. Luckily the next morning the sun was shining
bright and after having breakfast we started our journey to Chitkul.</div>
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</div>Deep Majumderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441918705733399044noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346287242583689735.post-57936102370464135522011-10-18T23:43:00.000-07:002011-10-18T23:43:48.209-07:00Killer Kinnaur - Sarahan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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After the initial stopover at Shimla, our real tour started
on 23<sup>rd</sup> May as we got ready to drive to Sarahan. We had booked a
tempo-traveller with 12 seats from Shimla for the rest of the journey back in
Kolkata itself via Diamond Tours and Travels. However, the one that reported to
us had its back seats facing sideways and the worn out tyres looked ominous for
the dreadful roads which awaited us. After an animated argument, it was finally
changed but only after intervention of the original tour operator. Since this
furore continued for almost an hour, our journey also started late. The newer
tempo-traveller was in excellent state and the driver was also a good one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The credit goes to Runa and Chhotomasi for doing
all the hard talk and ensuring us a comfortable journey. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The road until Narkanda was in an appalling state but the
view outside alleviated all discomforts. After Kufri we first noticed the snow
capped mountain peaks. And there after the pine and fir trees were keeping us
company. We had a meagre lunch at a roadside eatery after Narkanda and in the
afternoon reached Rampur. The stretch of road between Narkanda and Rampur was
first-rate.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTnl4kNGw4mQ8t-KeZNHF7HqLxKV8BTCnFbtXn4McI4ech2bn-UwgtCiuPJL-BnQbT5APYpxXEUkSNxBY9_R6pQ8wb22Iva6VudJO20ZBcOXEnQC_hewbfsHzU254xCLf6tgNM1IKpRLY/s1600/DSCN3482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTnl4kNGw4mQ8t-KeZNHF7HqLxKV8BTCnFbtXn4McI4ech2bn-UwgtCiuPJL-BnQbT5APYpxXEUkSNxBY9_R6pQ8wb22Iva6VudJO20ZBcOXEnQC_hewbfsHzU254xCLf6tgNM1IKpRLY/s320/DSCN3482.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Rampur (135 Km from Shimla on NH 22) was once the capital
city of the princely state of Bushahr and is now one of the biggest commercial
towns of Himachal Pradesh. We stopped for a while to visit the Padam Palace
which was located amidst the hustle-bustle of a busy market area. Only Bappa,
Abhishek, Chhotomasi and I ventured out to visit the palace and the rest
preferred to wait in the car but we were not disappointed. The near century old
palace was built by Padam Singh and the large edifice made of stone and wood
with a sprawling lawn is a place worth visiting. The second floor of the two storied
building has intricate woodwork with floral designs and the front door is
beautifully designed with glass fittings. Unfortunately one cannot go inside
the palace as it remains locked. Later we came to know that since the palace is
still a private residence of Virbhadra Singh, the erstwhile King and presently
a cabinet minister of the central government, entry is subject to permission
only. And a normal tourist cannot obtain permission I guess since there was no
office in the vicinity. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI9IS376sFbeUX6kpYCFghUZI8tZU88ashsDV4inAd37MNnVwli1Cjm03HlN6KHbIrrVd5PgLiXFjU1tU20cgDXydVooXPlA0bCeQM2hA_GKUh0DSFbXuRvHHnYap5-IAbFHcR5YY7C2Q/s1600/DSCN3486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI9IS376sFbeUX6kpYCFghUZI8tZU88ashsDV4inAd37MNnVwli1Cjm03HlN6KHbIrrVd5PgLiXFjU1tU20cgDXydVooXPlA0bCeQM2hA_GKUh0DSFbXuRvHHnYap5-IAbFHcR5YY7C2Q/s320/DSCN3486.JPG" width="231" /></a></div>
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After Rampur, we had the Sutlej flowing by our side for the
rest of the journey but we were puzzled that unlike rivers in the mountain, it
was muddy. Probably it was due to the work going on for a hydel power project
that was coming up. When we reached Sarahan finally, it was around six in the
evening. After checking into the hotel, we made a brief visit to the Bhimakali
Temple which just beside the hotel. However, I had to wait in the courtyard and
could not enter the abode of the deity as I was carrying many leather items and
camera and did not have a headgear. On the way back to the hotel I bought a Kullu
cap and Chhotomasi bought some designer jackets as gift items. </div>
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The HPTDC hotel, Hotel Shrikhand, was located in an
excellent position with exquisite view. At first we thought staying at the
guest house inside the Bhimakali Temple itself. I had read in some fellow
traveller’s trip report that they have the best view in Sarahan and comes at a
cheap price as well. But it was already booked when we inquired by calling a
Rampur number. While waiting in the courtyard I made a sneak peek into what
seemed to be the temple guest house. The arrangements looked basic and our
hotel did not seem to provide any less view of the mountain peaks, but I am not
absolutely sure on that. Trehan Guest House was our next choice and we even
booked rooms in that hotel. But then Runa’s friend who visited the place last
year and stayed at Trehan’s gave us some very negative feedback of the place
and hence we cancelled that booking and booked the tourism hotel. Luckily the
tour operator forgot to charge us any cancellation cost. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM76Cn_-HnM7JhBR8YZfPn8Oo4M9fHmxFXXG-FcSJYfLXhUadrf6PNkaPoJFYEbSGH5qExjBb5Tr3GAmqfLVYJxZ-KszkVktnEFq11RabJxLwykO9Lta9TdA_KVyg21T1HsGDNMoBjLUs/s1600/DSCN3544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM76Cn_-HnM7JhBR8YZfPn8Oo4M9fHmxFXXG-FcSJYfLXhUadrf6PNkaPoJFYEbSGH5qExjBb5Tr3GAmqfLVYJxZ-KszkVktnEFq11RabJxLwykO9Lta9TdA_KVyg21T1HsGDNMoBjLUs/s320/DSCN3544.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The next day the alarm went off at five o’clock in the
morning. Although we could not behold sun rise as such but the golden orange rays
of the morning sun burning down the snow capped peaks and watching the mountain
ranges changing their colour from mystery blue to milky white was mesmerising. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shrikhand and Kartikeya are the eminent peaks
that are visible from here.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFo-hHLXnOzuUSxnIRjvFk6GZJXn1bKPkebHhq9FOgb6PVoxZNzdRnImoBXc81k6lRHyFftl0UmnPhAAr-l_0QabCyaVqbIsO4IIP0a-M_opkxMFj2u8c_nPrrIXi2_NagZrvGdOCWBOA/s1600/DSCN3506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFo-hHLXnOzuUSxnIRjvFk6GZJXn1bKPkebHhq9FOgb6PVoxZNzdRnImoBXc81k6lRHyFftl0UmnPhAAr-l_0QabCyaVqbIsO4IIP0a-M_opkxMFj2u8c_nPrrIXi2_NagZrvGdOCWBOA/s320/DSCN3506.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNH6ZGOz_OXdra0mfiFefllQIIQrbsK4-WsJ1o2PBMghjJWLKmSdju52wM6aU4H4GbXmGnWVMG611bvEDDVFG2moioigwTQWzkBBMJBBPalcMEJTeNtaNK0zQd1O2IM6NDv3WQ-JYgWU/s1600/DSCN3502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNH6ZGOz_OXdra0mfiFefllQIIQrbsK4-WsJ1o2PBMghjJWLKmSdju52wM6aU4H4GbXmGnWVMG611bvEDDVFG2moioigwTQWzkBBMJBBPalcMEJTeNtaNK0zQd1O2IM6NDv3WQ-JYgWU/s320/DSCN3502.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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When the sun was out properly we visited the Bhimakali
Temple again. This time round I was only carrying the camera which I deposited
before entering the main temple building. The newly bought Kullu cap served as
a perfect headgear. The goddess Bhimakali is consecrated at the top floor of
the three storied building and one has to watch one’s head while moving up and
down the narrow stair cases. </div>
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The temple is dedicated to the presiding mother goddess Bhimakali
of the former princely state of Bushahr and the town of Sarahan which was
earlier named as Shonitpur was the capital city of this former princely state
before it was moved to Rampur. According to a legend the temple is associated
with the Daksha-Yagna incident when the ear of Sati fell at this place and
became a place of worship. It is accordingly considered as one of the 51 Hindu <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">peeths</i>.</div>
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The temple built with stone and wood manifests conspicuous woodwork
with carved designs. That apart the mere location the temple itself amidst the
mountains is fascinatingly magnificent and perhaps has no parallel. </div>
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After breakfast, we went to a view point and while others
returned after some rampant photo sessions, I stayed back to take some snaps of
the temple from this side. The temple looks all the more beautiful from here as
the mountain ranges form the backdrop and one can have the full view of the
temple. To have a better view, I took off the road and entered a private
property which looked dilapidated and abandoned. Though there was a main gate
locked down, one could easily sneak through by a side gate which was open. I
was getting curious to explore more but then it was getting late and I was also
worried that I might be charged of trespassing.</div>
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After an early lunch it was time to say good bye to Sarahan
and start for Kalpa. The food was wonderful which adds to the terrific location
of Hotel Shrikhand. </div>
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According to a legend, it was believed that the country of
Kinnaur was the Kailash mentioned in Puranas, the abode of Shiva. In fact Lord
Shiva disguised himself as Kirata for some time at this place. The town of
Sarahan, once the capital city Shonitpur, is considered the gateway of Kinnaur and
we were delighted to be on our way to behold the Kinnar Kailash.</div>
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</div>Deep Majumderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441918705733399044noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346287242583689735.post-15348978337588723202011-09-29T08:50:00.000-07:002011-09-29T08:50:48.036-07:00Killer Kinnaur - The Trip Begins at Shimla<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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People of the plains, during summer, incline to escape from
the heat to the pleasant cool shadows of the hills. This year we thought of
visiting the Himachal but decided to avoid the overtly touristy circuits and
were looking for newer and relatively peaceful destinations. Taking into consideration
the holidays and available vacations of all the people concerned, we zeroed in
on the Kinnaur belt. This time round our group was also a large one comprising
10 persons and we had a tough time booking accommodation and transportation.
Thanks to Runa and Chhotomasi for taking all the trouble.</div>
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In the evening of 20<sup>th</sup> May, we boarded the
Howrah-Kalka Mail and reached Kalka on 22<sup>nd</sup> at 4:45 AM. In the rush
of getting off hurriedly we left behind in the train the box of sweets we
carried specially, from Kolkata, and we lamented for the misfortune time and
again for the rest of the tour. I had handed over the box after boarding the
train so I was trying to evade responsibility<span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>.
The fact that our seats changed after Delhi was also a reason for the
misplacement. I would like to share a trick to fellow travellers from Kolkata
at this juncture. There are very few tickets available on the Kalka Mail; only
10 AC2 seats to be precise. So one can book from Kolkata to Delhi and then
Delhi to Kalka on the same train and the tickets from Delhi are available on
the same day itself. </div>
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From Kalka, we had to arrange for transportation since we
did not pre-book any car. Actually at first we thought of travelling in the
narrow gauge toy train to Shimla but did not get any ticket. So, finally, we
set off to Shimla in two cars, one Innova and one Indica. It cost us a total of
Rs. 3300. On the way we had our breakfast with tea and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">aloo-parantha</i> at a roadside <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">dhaba</i>.</div>
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When we reached Hotel Oceen in Shimla, we had to wait for a
little while since our rooms were not yet prepared. However, the staff
co-operated with us and ensured that our wait was not a long one. The room was
not that great but we already knew that before and anyway we would only stay
for one day and start for Kinnaur the following morning. After having breakfast
and freshening up, we decided to have a tour of the city. Most of us had
visited Shimla before barring Runa, Abhishek and Rishi. Again, we booked two
cars to move around the city.</div>
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Shimla, at an altitude of 2205 metres, was the summer
capital of British India and still has a colonial nostalgia. It has been a
popular hill station for long and over the years the number of tourists
visiting the city has only increased. Also, it is now the capital city of
Himachal Pradesh; so there are many office buildings as well. </div>
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At first, we went to the Sankat Mochan Temple, dedicated to
Lord Hanuman. There were some other temples as well in the complex dedicated to
Rama, Shiva and Ganesha. The calm and peaceful surroundings must facilitate
meditation of the devout. From the terrace at the back side of the temple, one
can have a lovely view of the lush green hills. I remembered taking snaps at
that place during my earlier visit, about 10 years before. The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">laddoos</i> distributed as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">prasada</i> were delicious and I went back
again to have some more of it. Nearly 60 years ago, Baba Neeb Karori Ji Maharaj
spent a few days at this beautiful place and his desire of a temple to be built
at the place was materialized a few years later. The story and the pictures of
the Baba reminded me of another temple near Ranikhet which I visited last year.
It was also built by the devotees of the same Baba. </div>
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The next place to visit was the erstwhile Viceregal Lodge
which has been now converted into Indian Institute of Advanced Study. The
majestic heritage building was constructed in 1888 as the residence of Lord
Dufferin, the then British Viceroy to India and had been a witness of many
historical events and decisions that changed the geography and fate of the sub-continent.
Located on the Observatory Hill, this sprawling Scottish baronial building was
designed by an architect of the then public works department, Henry Irwin. The
south facing entrance portico leads the visitors to the reception hall. Facing
the main entrance is a grand fireplace which must have been renovated later on since
it comprises the national emblem of India curved in wood and has a large
photograph of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on the top of it.</div>
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The gallery was decorated with an exquisite teak panelling
and the guide told us that in case of any fire, the wax coat of the woodwork
melts and water sprinkles by itself. </div>
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To the left, is located the erstwhile ball room and dining
room, with gorgeous Belgian chandeliers, which has been now converted into a
library containing more than one hundred thousand books. We were told that the
dining room once boasted of an enormous dining table with a capacity to seat 70
guests at a time, but the table has been relocated to the Rashtrapati Bhavan in
New Delhi.</div>
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Way back in 1888, this Lodge had electric light and the
guide showed us the German switches which are still operational. Beside the
reception hall, there was a closed room where the agreement on transfer of
power and partition of India took place. It has been now converted into a
conference room and since some conference was under way, we could not visit the
room. </div>
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However, we did visit another room which was probably used
as an antechamber where leaders used to wait before discussions and
negotiations. A round table joined at the middle, perhaps metaphorically signifying
the partition, adorns the room. The room also comprises some lovely portraits
including those of Lady Elgin and Lady Minto and the ceiling is decorated with
intricate wood carvings. </div>
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The Billiard Room, next to it has been converted into a
photo gallery with a piano at one end and the huge presidential chair at the
other. A 185 year old clock, made in Holland, is displayed in this room and it
is still functional. It needs to be wound up once in a week and the peculiar
thing about it is that it shows the moon position in the sky along with time
and date. </div>
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It was astounding to know that a staff of 800, including 40
gardeners, were employed here at one time. The Lodge remained the summer retreat
of the President of India after Independence until it was handed over to the
Indian Institute of Advanced Study in 1965. It is said that Dr. S.
Radhakrishnan, the then President and a leading philosopher and writer himself,
was instrumental to this effect. </div>
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Bappa had been saying from the beginning that he had visited
the Viceregal Lodge during his previous vacation in Shimla. But it turned out
that the place he was actually referring to was the place near Kufri where the
Shimla agreement was signed between India and Pakistan in 1972. So, it was a
pleasant surprise for him as well.</div>
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While we were waiting for our cars, after the guided tour of
the Viceregal Lodge and after roaming around the lush green lawn and well
maintained garden for a while, we sneaked into the Court Gallery which
comprised an exhibition of photographs. It was just round the corner beside the
erstwhile fire station which has now been converted into a cafe and souvenir
shop. There was also a swimming pool located there. Beyond that was out of
reach for the tourists.</div>
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When we reached the Mall, the first thing we visited was the
Christ Church. It is reputed to be the first church of Shimla and the second
oldest church in northern India. It was designed by Colonel J.T. Boileau who
worked for PWD. The corner stone was laid in 1844 but it was consecrated only
after 1857. The clock was donated by Colonel Dumbleton in 1860 and the porch
was added in 1873. The simple but elegant yellow structure made of stone and
brick in lime mortar can be seen from miles away and is a popular tourist
destination in Shimla. The interior is quiet and peaceful and the stained glass
windows, depicting the virtues of Faith, Charity, Hope, Fortitude, Patience and
Humility, are attractive. However, when we were coming out we noticed some
ruckus, resulting from someone’s pair of shoes being stolen, which was
contradictory to the usual calm. I was astonished in the first place about the prerequisite
of removing one’s pair of shoes before entering the church, as I do not think
there is any such obligation in Christianity. </div>
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The walk along the Mall road accentuates the one-time
colonial presence of the British in Shimla. Even the day to day office
buildings such as the municipal office or the mayor’s office are reminiscent of
the bygone era. People strolled around leisurely while some enjoyed a pony
ride. Bappa treated all of us with ice cream and after a while in the middle of
some confusion we got isolated in small groups and with mobile network not
working for some, it was some time before we could all reunite. </div>
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The day being a Sunday, many of the shops were closed.
However, we did shopping to our heart’s content in the remaining shops which
were open. While some of us bought gift items, others procured woollen
pullovers under the perception that they are cheaper in the hills. </div>
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In the middle of the whirlwind shopping, we made some time
for lunch at a Punjabi restaurant which Bappa and Poulomi had visited during
their earlier visit to Shimla. </div>
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After a sumptuous lunch and a tiresome shopping spell around
the Mall, we started off towards the famous Shimla Kalibari with heavy legs and
the steep road was making it tougher for us. The serene temple was built in
1845 and is dedicated to Goddess Kali who is also known as Shyamala. It is
believed that the city of Shimla derived its name from the name of Goddess
Shyamala. It was nice to see notices written in Bengali so far away in the
hills and even the hawkers outside the temple understood Bengali. Perhaps Kali
being a popular goddess in Bengal has its effect on the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bangaliwana</i> of the temple. We were told that the temple was earlier
located in the Jakhu hills but was shifted by the British to this place.</div>
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Evening was uneventful as we did not go out and took rest in
the hotel punctuated at times with tea, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pakoras</i>
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">adda</i>. The actual tour of the
Kinnaur circuit would begin from the next day after the initial stopover in
Shimla and we were all excited and were engrossed discussing the minute details
and intricacies of the planning.<br />
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Deep Majumderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441918705733399044noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346287242583689735.post-7953708924252036012011-09-08T11:31:00.000-07:002011-09-08T11:31:15.606-07:00Tranquil Tripura<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Independence Day holiday gifted us a long weekend and my
friends and I planned a short trip to unwind ourselves. At first we thought of
north Bengal and Sikkim but later relocated our plans to Tripura anticipating
rains would ruin our holiday in the hills. Air tickets and hotels were booked
in accordance. However, as our day of journey commenced, Kolkata itself was
engulfed by depression and heavy rainfall and the weather forecast for Agartala
was not very soothing either. In fact when we reached the Kolkata airport on
Saturday morning it was raining like cats and dogs outside and our Indigo
flight was delayed by 15 minutes due to low visibility. But once we reached
Agartala the weather was much better and a bright sunny day welcomed us to the
small and beautiful state tucked away in the north east, the last bastion of
the communists in India.<br />
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Tripura, a former princely state shares an international
boundary with Bangladesh on its three sides and adjoins Assam and Mizoram on
the east. Altogether 185 royal rulers
had ruled Tripura and in 1949 it acceded to the union of India through a
treaty. A brochure published by the state tourism mentions that the name
Tripura has its origin from two Tripuri words namely <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tui</i> (meaning water) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pra</i>
(meaning near). Another opinion is that the name originated from the name of its
presiding deity <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tripurasundari</i>. We
were astonished to know that the total population of the state is just over 35
lacs, much less than that of the city of Kolkata itself.</div>
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As we were walking out of the airport (one needs to walk
down the distance between the runway and the airport building) we found a small
kiosk of the tourism department which redirected us to the prepaid taxi booth.
However, we learnt quickly that no taxi would be available on that day as there
was some kind of strike and demonstration. We took an auto-rickshaw (one with
doors unlike its counterparts in Bengal) to the hotel and on the way noticed a
rally with the comrades carrying red flags and shouting <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Inquilab Zindabad</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cholchhe
Naa- Cholbe Naa</i>, a scene that has become rare in Kolkata after the
overhauling of the left in the last assembly elections. </div>
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Hotel City Centre, the budget hotel that we booked from
Kolkata via a travel agent was a big disappointment. The room was grimy, food
was cold most of the times and not palatable and service was lacklustre. On top
of it, it charged us handsomely for the extra person and levied 25% tax on the
room rent (something that is put in place by the state government). Actually
the auto driver had told us on the way that there were many other good budget
hotels around and there was no need to book in advance. From the hotel itself
we booked a car for sightseeing and the car cost was also exorbitant (a
combination of a fixed component and per km rate). </div>
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After a while a red Indica arrived to pick us up and our
first destination was the Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary, located at a distance
of 28 kms from the capital city of Agartala and on the way to Udaipur, the
ancient capital of Tripura. The first thing to take notice of is that the road
was in excellent condition for majority of its length. Yes it was narrow, only
2 lane, but was not bumpy with all those potholes that we are so accustomed to
in Kolkata. I inquired our driver about how efficiently the state government
under Manik Sarkar operates and from his monosyllable replies I got the idea
that the state lacks industrialization initiatives and has less job
opportunities as a result of it but overall the government is doing a
creditable job in terms of building infrastructure and social development.</div>
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With a total area of 18.53 sq km, Sepahijala came into
existence in 1972 and was accredited to a sanctuary in 1987. When we reached
the place there were not many visitors, only a handful of locals. Although it
is named a sanctuary, but most of its habitats are kept in cages or even if
they are kept in open spaces, they are surrounded by dry moat and high walls
resulting in a zoo like ambience. The
first species that we came across were vultures and then emu birds. After that
we noticed the famous spectacled langur, pig-tailed macaque and capped langur. But
they were so far away, separated by open dry moats, that I could not take any
good snap. However, later on we found some spectacled langurs in close by cages
and they happily posed for us to take pictures. Also present in the zoo, were
lions, bears, cheetahs and clouded leopards amongst others. Most of them were having
their after lunch nap. The last cage that we came across contained a couple of
hoolock gibbons and they did some wonderful acrobatics in our honour. One
amusing thing we noticed was that a common monkey which was roaming around freely
outside continuously irritated the gibbons confined within the cage. So, to irritate,
infuriate and aggravate someone who is already suffering, is not unique to
human beings alone. In front of every cage, the name of the species was
displayed in Bengali, English and a peculiar language which we later came to
know as Kokborok. It is the local Tripura dialect and the script is almost
similar to Bengali and yet we could hardly pronounce it.<br />
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Our next destination was Neer Mahal, the royal summer palace
built in the middle of Rudrasagar Lake. From Bishramganj the road diverts. The
road on the right takes off towards Neer Mahal while the road straight ahead
goes to Udaipur. When we reached Neer Mahal, we first went to the Sagar Mahal
Tourist Lodge to order our lunch and then headed towards the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ghat</i> from where the motor boats ferry. It
is a fascinating view as the boat approaches the palace in the middle of the
lake. Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya constructed the palace in 1930
perhaps inspired by the Lake Palace of Udaipur in Rajasthan and the palace was
christened as Neer Mahal by none other than Rabindranath Tagore. The palace
illustrates Mughal school of architecture with copious dome shaped minars and
although the walls are now not that well maintained, it still depicts the past
royal grandeur of Tripura. The strong breeze blowing through the royal bedroom justifies
its choice as the summer palace of the Tripura royalty. Besides, there are
hawa-mahals, dancing rooms and a garden as well. Light and sound shows are
organized in the evening but we could not wait that long.<br />
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When we reached Udaipur, it was already evening and sunlight
was getting dim. So we decided to visit the non-functional ancient temples
first. Udaipur was the capital city of the princely state of Tripura before the
monarchy shifted its capital to Old Agartala. It is known as the city of
temples for its numerous ancient temples but most of them are now without any
deity. The deities were also transferred to Agartala during the capital shift. The
first temple we visited in Udaipur was the Gunavati group of temples. The
temple in the north was built by Queen Gunavati, wife of Maharaja Govinda
Manikya, in 1668. The other two of the triplet of temples do not bear any dated
inscription but their architectural resemblance indicates them to be
contemporaneous. The temple architecture characterizes a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">charchala</i> roof surmounted by a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">stupa</i>
like structure. The temple complex is maintained by the Archaeological Survey
of India and it was locked down, so we could only look at it from outside the
fence.<br />
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The next temple we visited was the Bhubaneswari Temple, by
the bank of river Gomati, also constructed by Maharaja Govinda Manikya in the
year 1660 and exhibiting similar architectural structure of a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mandapa</i> with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">charchala</i> roof surmounted by a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">stupa</i>
like structure. The temple is immortalized in Rabindranath Tagore’s famous
play, Bisarjan. This temple also is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of
India but the fence here was without any lock. Our driver, Pinku, took a snap
of all three of us, Srimanta, Anirban and I, in front of the temple with dusk
setting in, in the background. A few paces away from the ancient temple, a
makeshift temple has been built up where goddess Durga is still worshipped.
Pinku informed us that funds are being raised to construct a grand temple
there. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK8fw2L-Zdp0RLRu0LJN4hT6ejDaH-0kloOgXM2EEYdHQ2N3WaBjuQDZtWHMNPIU5eTQwDLnqdRueggrWwQz5WJtJgaIO3zu0w1w3RXv60Yw067fB9wJGI__0D34_37VWEIG48SONxcEU/s1600/DSCN3734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK8fw2L-Zdp0RLRu0LJN4hT6ejDaH-0kloOgXM2EEYdHQ2N3WaBjuQDZtWHMNPIU5eTQwDLnqdRueggrWwQz5WJtJgaIO3zu0w1w3RXv60Yw067fB9wJGI__0D34_37VWEIG48SONxcEU/s320/DSCN3734.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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On our way back from Bhubaneswari Temple, Pinku stopped for
a while near a Shiva-Kali temple where lord Shiva and goddess Kali are
worshipped in a relatively modern structure with two abandoned ancient temples
in the backward.<br />
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The last destination of the day was the Tripurasundari
Temple. The temple stands on a tortoise shaped hillock and earns special
veneration as it is considered as one of the 51 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">peeths</i> of Hindu religion. There are two idols installed in the
temple; the larger one is that of the deity Tripurasundari and the smaller one is
known as “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chhota Maa</i>”. The temple
designed in the model of typical rural Bengal hut with a square shaped sanctum
was built by Maharaja Dhanya Manikya in 1501. The place was then known as
Rangamati and was then the capital of Tripura. Legend goes that in a revelation
in dream Maharaja Dhanya Manikya was ordered to bring the idol of
Tripurasundari from Chattagram (now in Bangladesh) and install here. It is also
believed that when the capital of Tripura was shifted to Agartala, most of the
deities were also shifted but the idol of Tripurasundari could not be
moved. We bought some <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pedas</i> (sweets) from a nearby shop for
offering <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">puja</i> (worship) and ascended
the flight of steps to the temple. There were many devotees present even though
it was late evening. After our visit to the temple, our driver Pinku took us to
a large lake named Kalyan Sagar adjacent to the temple, dug by Maharaja Kalyan
Manikya. There were a few tortoises and fishes aplenty swimming around. Pinku
informed us that they are not caught and killed since the lake is considered as
holy.<br />
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On our way back to Agartala, it was quite dark and we dropped
Kasba Kalibari from our original itinerary. Pinku asked us about our plan for
the next day and inquired whether we would need his service. However, our plan
was to take the rail route to Unakoti and accordingly we had booked chair car
tickets from Agartala to Kumarghat and planned to take a cab to Unakoti from
Kumarghat railway station. Pinku did not comment but only smiled learning our
desire to take the rail route and we comprehended the significance of his smile
only on the next day.</div>
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The scheduled departure of the train was 6:45 AM and we
checked out of the hotel dot at six o’clock. We were lucky to get an
auto-rickshaw just outside the hotel but soon were bewildered when the auto
driver told us that the train might have already departed from Agartala station
and advised us to try the next station instead where it is scheduled to arrive
at 6:15 AM. We fell in a dilemma half believing his conviction and being half
sceptic about the absurdity of the possibility but ultimately we decided to go
to Agartala station. When we reached the station, a train was already waiting
in the platform full of passengers and it made us apprehensive since as per the
railway website the first train to leave from Agartala was the 6:45 AM train.
We looked around and did not find any chair car compartment at all. It enhanced
our anxiety further. A group of ticket collectors were chatting in a corner and
we approached them for guidance. A middle aged man amongst them checked our
ticket and, to our dismay, told us that all trains from Agartala had been
cancelled due to security reasons and a special train (the very train that was
standing in the platform) had been sanctioned to run once in a day and that too
was about to leave in a few minutes’ time. He advised us to cancel our ticket
and book fresh tickets. Since ours was an e-ticket, we could have cancelled it
online only; but a kind official scribbled on it that the train had been
cancelled and also put a stamp on it. However, I did not get back any refund till
date as I could not cancel it online within the stipulated time. Hence I had to
pay for a journey on a train that had been cancelled by railway itself. Hope
Indian Railway would rectify its procedure and refund automatically in future
for similar circumstances. </div>
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We let the train go mainly due to my insistence as there
were no more seats available and since I was not keeping well I did not
entertain the idea of travelling in a passenger train standing for 3-4 hours.
After coming out of the station we had our morning tea and called up Pinku, our
driver on the previous day. He assured us that he would arrange a car for our
trip and call us back. However, when we called him again after quite some time,
he offered his apology for not being able to arrange any car. Next we called up
the reception of Hotel City Centre and asked for their assistance in booking a
car for our Unakoti trip and instructed them to send the car to the station
itself to pick us up. While we were waiting in the deserted station, we watched
all the auto-rickshaws leaving the station complex one by one. A lone person
was keeping us company. We learnt that he was from Midnapore in Bengal and had
been waiting for a train to Lumding for last couple of days. He also informed
us that long distance buses are also not plying. We were getting worried as
time was passing by and no car reported. We kept calling the hotel staff and
they kept assuring us that the car would reach any time. In the meantime we
took some pictures of the attractive milk white railway station building which
is constructed as a replica of the palace in Agartala city. In fact the palace
is in much worse state. </div>
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The car finally arrived and our much anxious wait ended. We
cruised through NH 44 which stretches to as far as Shillong via Guwahati. The
road though narrow was in excellent state and our elderly driver had a steady
hand. After having lunch near Kumarghat, when I was beginning to doze off in
the back seat, we observed, in front of us, a Maruti Van slip off the road and
hit a tree. The lady driver and her fellow passenger in the front seat were
thankfully alive but they were bleeding. They were attended to by a couple of lorry
drivers who stopped at the spot but our driver continued without halting and
only stopped at the police station a couple of kms further away to report the
accident. As a police team was sent off for help, we went on with our journey
to Unakoti. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYNUG1tu_mTVaYcyeoZ-s-EKUSrb59eATS3XSnDVs7A0AU1RzjlGfTrbYiiU3k8iaIoVdK9d9MtOsbYu9D40pri7hwZVFbWLCvNCUk1Ht_861RhU23kzmp2NYEbX0JwMO2iDmQqzO6dlk/s1600/DSCN3742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYNUG1tu_mTVaYcyeoZ-s-EKUSrb59eATS3XSnDVs7A0AU1RzjlGfTrbYiiU3k8iaIoVdK9d9MtOsbYu9D40pri7hwZVFbWLCvNCUk1Ht_861RhU23kzmp2NYEbX0JwMO2iDmQqzO6dlk/s320/DSCN3742.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Unakoti means one less than a crore. At about a distance of
178 kms from Agartala, the site is an archaeological wonder. It comprises
colossal bas-relief rock carvings datable to 7<sup>th</sup> – 9<sup>th</sup>
centuries. The bas-relief sculptures of Shiva depicting only faces can be
considered as the largest in size of its kind in India. The faces represent
tribal features both in decoration and anatomy. Three gigantic rock-cut figures
of Ganesha with a spring flowing right on them is another important sculpture
worth mentioning. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigCNNao8XEpSsGt_AhERUxNsEtpCPFcapUl6WPRtrQSkNtbVKkh4HXxbzqhYX2TXvDfFvhm5OctyBxvpfJXeJ5abhZhjWaun3ki819hwLAW7akyrgSUvKQK1fnRu_4okOBW2D972XuTyE/s1600/DSCN3745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigCNNao8XEpSsGt_AhERUxNsEtpCPFcapUl6WPRtrQSkNtbVKkh4HXxbzqhYX2TXvDfFvhm5OctyBxvpfJXeJ5abhZhjWaun3ki819hwLAW7akyrgSUvKQK1fnRu_4okOBW2D972XuTyE/s320/DSCN3745.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgul4-jW1WuYio94xxkET-I6cWVTY_7V-sEu5ERTYaAtPSqHllUxw5dgR-ZqH0ofRYR0FAPfdy13YQH_P6EoaAoaUFQSKkNXrgKrDNgkutZR3sAA8q3TNJ1m6G4ph_T3vzZOoNbXjSWE/s1600/DSCN3756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgul4-jW1WuYio94xxkET-I6cWVTY_7V-sEu5ERTYaAtPSqHllUxw5dgR-ZqH0ofRYR0FAPfdy13YQH_P6EoaAoaUFQSKkNXrgKrDNgkutZR3sAA8q3TNJ1m6G4ph_T3vzZOoNbXjSWE/s320/DSCN3756.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The legend goes that a group of gods and goddesses, a crore
in number, were travelling to Varanasi lead by Lord Shiva and they took refuge
at this place during night. The next morning, Shiva woke up and found others
still sleeping. In his rage Shiva turned all deities into stone. Hence the name Unakoti, signifying one less
than a crore stone figures. However, the figure one less than a crore is a
massive exaggeration. And the story does not hold true due to the fact that
there are figures of Shiva himself. </div>
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The stone stairs running around the site is full of moss at
places and I slipped a couple of steps once. Thankfully I did not hurt myself
apart from bruising my hand a little and for the rest of the time, I was
extremely careful. The stair near the Ganesha figures was the worst of the lot.
The entire place was quiet and peaceful barring a few tourists. A group of boys
were enjoying a bath at the spring near the Ganesha figures. Moving up and down
so many steps was taking its toll on us, and probably since I had a fall in
between, my legs were feeling extremely weak. So I was relieved when we came
back to the car and headed for the Unakoti Tourist Lodge in Kailashahar.</div>
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Like most tourism hotels run by government, the rooms at
Unakoti Tourist Lodge were well maintained and the food was palatable. However,
since I was suffering from acute acidity and indigestion I ordered a safe and
plain diet. The hotel did not even charge us for the extra person. The lady
manager of Manipuri origin chatted with us for a while and took offence when
Srimanta imprudently asked her how come she speaks English so fluently. She informed
us that she knows many languages including a little bit of Bengali and that she
was a graduate and got the job through TCS i.e. Tripura Civil Services. We told
her jokingly that TCS means an IT giant from our perspective.</div>
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The next day was Independence Day and the national flag was
hoisted on the terrace of the hotel. Local children were invited to the
celebration and greeted with chocolates. Though we were late for the occasion
we got our share of the chocolates. On the previous evening, we noticed the
border between India and Bangladesh a few yards away from the hotel. So before
checking out we made a brief visit to the border. On this side was a road along
the barbed wire and on the other side was cultivable land. A peasant was
ploughing up his land with the help of a couple of bulls on the Bangladesh side.
A football field shared its boundary with the border a few metres away. Our
driver told us that many a times, the ball lands on the other side during play.
So we knew that not only <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">panchhi (bird)</i>,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nadiyan</i> (river) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pawan ke jhoke</i> (wind) but football as
well could not be bounded by any border (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">koi
sarhaad na use roke</i>).<br />
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On our way back from Kailashahar, we stopped by the
Chaturdash Devata Temple (temple of fourteen gods) in Old Agartala, which is 6
km away from the present capital city of Agartala. According to history,
Maharaja Krishna Manikya shifted his capital from Udaipur to Old Agartala in
1770 after being defeated by Shamsher Gaze. The images fourteen gods were
transferred at the same time from two temples beside Tripureswar Bhairab Temple
in Udaipur to this newly built temple. I am not sure if they are the same
couple of abandoned temples that we noticed beside the temple dedicated to
Shiva and Kali in Udaipur where we stopped for a while on the first day of our
tour. In 1840, the capital was again shifted to present Agartala but the images
of the fourteen gods were retained back. To our dismay the temple was
completely closed. I have never heard that a temple remains closed due to
Independence Day holiday. A lone police guard was patrolling the temple complex
with a rifle. When our driver informed us that the gods remain hidden from the common
public since the idols are very precious, we were more perplexed but the fact
reduced our disappointment. He further told us that the only time the images
are visible is on the occasion of a special worship know as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kharchi Puja</i>. The worshipping includes a
combination of Vedic and ethnic rituals performed by a group of priests known
as Chantai and the chanting is in a language which is neither Sanskrit nor the
Tripuri dialect Kokborok, but a secret mantra known only to the priests. </div>
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The ruins of an old royal palace were still there opposite
the temple. Our driver let us know that no one lives there anymore and before
renovation the place was full of deadly snakes.</div>
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When we reached the capital city of present Agartala, we passed
by the Ujjayanta Palace. The Indo-Saracenic building with Mughal style gardens
was built in 1901 by Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya. The palace has three
domes, each 86 feet high. I was under the impression that the palace is now
used as the assembly house of the state of Tripura, but our driver informed us
that a new assembly house has been constructed recently. However, the palace
was in shambles and was under renovation much in contrast to the imposing white
structure seen in the brochures. The palace is accessible for the general
public but was closed on that particular day due to Independence Day holiday.</div>
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We went for a stroll in the evening to have a feel of the
city. An amusing observation we made was that there are no traffic lights on
the roads and the traffic police still control with hand signals. There is a
shopping mall known as City Centre at the heart of the city where we roamed
around for a bit. We also visited a nearby handloom store to buy some gift items
made of bamboo for which Tripura is famous. Then at 8 o’clock we went for
dinner to a restaurant named <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hata-Khunti</i>,
recommended by our driver, which serves strictly Bengali food. We were the only
guests when we arrived, may be since it was so early by Indian standard, but
throughout our meal also no other guest appeared. Srimanta apprised us the
benefits of early dinner, probably making him acclimatized with the European
lifestyle appropriate with his soon to be overseas stay. The food was good, at
least the best we had during our stint at Tripura.</div>
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The next morning, we had nothing to do before we take our
return flight. So we thought of visiting the Agartala Museum which was not far
away from our hotel. Since there was still some time left for the museum to open,
we decided to eat something first as we did not have our breakfast. We made
another peculiar observation that there are not many fast food centres or small
eateries where one can make a quick bite. Even in moderate shops carrying a
long list of food items very few are actually available. We had the same
experience a couple of hours later when we went for lunch. Even at noon, many
restaurants were not functional and again at the place where we finally had our
lunch, we were the only guests. May be the people of Agartala do not eat out
much.</div>
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The city museum was a small one comprising some artefacts
and sculptures from ancient times, not necessarily from Tripura. The top floor
of the two storied building displayed some paintings of the royal rulers of
Tripura. The attires of the later Maharajas had a tint of colonial reflection.
The paintings of Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya and Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore
Manikya were most conspicuous amongst them.</div>
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Before I end my trip report, I would like to mention a
couple of experiences. First, the small 48-seater propeller Air India plane was
a unique experience; never had the opportunity to board one before. It was
reminiscent of the retro movies. And lastly, the way in which the Tripura
government has promoted (feeling sorry for using the word but cannot ignore the
fact that newer generations have mostly become unfamiliar to his work) Rabindranath
Tagore is utterly commendable. There are numerous billboards carrying his
pictures and his quotes throughout the state. Feeling pity for the chief minister
of Bengal for being labelled overdramatic (yes, I am guilty of criticising at
times as well) for naming a few projects and places after the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vishwa-Kabi</i>. Tagore had doubted whether
his work will have relevance after hundred years but hope he will have the same
significance in our lives for many more years to come.</div>
</div>
Deep Majumderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441918705733399044noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346287242583689735.post-59740412295745488422011-05-02T10:46:00.000-07:002011-05-02T11:18:38.960-07:00Passage through PanchalingeshwarIn the month of April, there were a couple of back to back long weekends and we decided to benefit from the opportunity and treat ourselves with a weekend trip. The gang was supposed to be the same as our previous endeavour in Maharashtra, but Santu dropped out after some dilly-dallying. The substitute we worked out for him also backed out at a later stage and ultimately the team comprised the troika of Srimanta, Anirban and I. Initially, we planned to stay one night each at Panchalingeshwar and Chandipur, but were told at the OTDC office at Lenin Sarani that we need to book at least two nights at any place which in effect meant that we had to stay at one place only and we chose Panchalingeshwar over Chandipur, which is more popular between the two by the way. <br /><br />On the morning of Poila Baisakh (15th April), the first day of the Bengali new year, we started our journey by boarding the Falaknuma Express which leaves Howrah at 7:25 AM. Dhauli Express which leaves at 6 o’clock would have been a better choice in terms of saving some more time but then none of us are early risers and that option was struck off as impracticable. We reached Balasore at around 11 o’clock and hired an auto-rickshaw to take us to the OTDC Panthanivas at Panchalingeshwar. After some bargaining, we struck a deal at 300 rupees but it still seemed a bit over priced. <br /><br />After an hour or so, we were at the door steps of the Panthanivas, which is located at a distance of 35 Kms from the railway station. The road was good for most part of the journey, sparing a few bumpy stretches near the culverts. The last mile was off the highway and was an ill-maintained narrow stretch. The place turned out to be more remote than we had imagined and barring a shop-cum-eatery just opposite the OTDC hotel, we found no other sign of civilization in the vicinity. <br /><br />After we checked in, we soon headed to the restaurant for lunch, as we planned to go out in the afternoon to explore the place. Contrary to our expectation, the hotel was bustling with tourists and probably all of them were Bengalis. Many of the groups had come in their own vehicle, by road, and the parking was full with all kinds of cars. The lunch was okay and we decided to take rest for a while before going out. Slowly, the sky grew dark with clouds and just when we were to leave, it started showering. Over time, the intensity of the rain increased with thunderous lightning. After some more time the hails started pouring in and the lush green lawn in front of the reception area was covered with a white sheet of hails. I had never in my life witnessed such a hail storm from so much proximity and the kids were ecstatic and started collecting the hail balls drenching themselves in the process, much to the annoyance of their parents. <br /><br />Finally when the rain stopped after more than an hour, we stepped out and headed for the temple. A few minutes’ walk later (around a kilometre and a half) we reached the temple. Some temporary shops were put up on the way, probably dealing in Puja offerings for the devotees, but most of them were closed at the time we visited. The reason might be the heavy showers which had just stopped or simply because it was an odd time for temple visit. One has to take more than a couple of hundred steps to reach the temple of Lord Shiva. Actually, there is not much of a temple to comment on as the five Shiva lingas are enshrined within a rock and a stream flows on the top of it. So one has to feel the pancha-linga rather than see them. A man helped us by showing where to keep our feet and where to put our hands to reach out and feel the five lingas. From him we came to know that only in the heat of the summers, when the stream dries up, one can actually see the pancha-linga. After much hardship and after drenching much of our clothing in the water of the stream, which was flowing with greater vigour after the shower, we could feel two or three of the lingas and restrained from overstretching ourselves. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9uqoCjGPBOLKwPvWJuFhqEFPH4Fb_OnIxcL19PXKy-ER01PYqVnJJMSsbndVXuvLSP2ZXDR8lSA8MqZJi5t_9BcI0xPyftL_Uk40PYsjSNvvu8Zagb0LgZIVWFnHtZ441rBxiwvzM54U/s1600/DSCN3373.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9uqoCjGPBOLKwPvWJuFhqEFPH4Fb_OnIxcL19PXKy-ER01PYqVnJJMSsbndVXuvLSP2ZXDR8lSA8MqZJi5t_9BcI0xPyftL_Uk40PYsjSNvvu8Zagb0LgZIVWFnHtZ441rBxiwvzM54U/s320/DSCN3373.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602181173009991090" /></a><br /><br />An amusing spectacle that we noticed on the way was a video shooting taking place just where the steps to the temple started. Not sure whether it was for a small budget Oriya film or for television, but the cast was not inspiring at all. One of the male leads, who was giving shot puffing away a cigarette in style and then romancing a girl, was so average looking that Srimanta insisted that he should give it a chance by volunteering himself in place of him.<br /><br />After the temple visit we thought of visiting a nearby lake which I had read about in one of the travel sites. The staff at the hotel reception had told us that we would need to walk for a couple of kilometres to reach the lake and gave us a rough direction but we were kind of lost after a while and after inquiring some of the locals, the path that they showed looked ominously narrow to take us anywhere. In the process, we came across The Roopark Village Resort, which is the other alternative to stay at Panchalingeshwar. It comprises some mud huts which bring an earthly impact and the resort is located in the middle of a tribal village. However, we were wondering, whether any car can go that far or the tourists need to walk for some time (with their luggage) to reach the resort. The caretaker of the resort showed us the way to the lake but since it was already evening we could not have come back before dark. Hence we shelved the plan to visit the lake on that day and returned to our hotel.<br /><br />There was nothing much to do back in the hotel after having a cup of tea with lovely pakoras, apart from idle gossips. One can sit back in the garden chairs in the lawn and enjoy the surroundings. The OTDC Panthanivas is located at a wonderful spot just beneath the Nilgiri hills and there are some weird shaped rocks and their jagged protuberance adds to the beauty of the place. I had lost signal in my cell phone as soon as we reached Panchalingeshwar and only in the night, the towers came back and along with it came back the routine of work life as I had to make a few important calls pertaining to my office work.<br /><br />Next day we planned to visit Chandipur. A local agent in the hotel tried to convince us to go to a jungle trip instead, with him in the Kuldiha forests but we stuck to our original plan. Additionally, we decided to pay a visit to the Jagannath Temple and Palace in Nilgiri. Since the town of Nilgiri is within 10 Kms from Panchalingeshwar, we did not book any car and decided to avail ourselves of local conveyance. The reception clerk informed us that we would get trekkers (shared jeeps) from the main road but he seemed a bit skeptical about the idea. After a sumptuous breakfast with puri-bhaji we strolled to the main road (about a kilometre and half away from the hotel) and in no time a trekker arrived. However, it was already full and we were contemplating waiting for the next one and overhearing our conversation, a local shop owner advised us not to let go that one as the trekkers were few and infrequent. But the question was how we would fit in, in an already crowded jeep. The answer was simple; we had the entire top to suit ourselves. This was a one of its kind experience for me. I had never sat on the top of a moving vehicle and although the iron frame of the carrier acted as a support it was still unnerving. Thankfully, the trekker was moving in a slow pace and Anirban (he could see the front and I was facing the back) was alerting me when we reached the bumpy stretches or the turns. After some time a policeman stopped the trekker and had a chat with the driver and noted down some thing in his pocket notebook. Not sure what transpired in their conversation but we were asked to come down and travel the remaining part by hanging on to the iron bars at the back of the jeep and balancing ourselves on the iron frame that acted as the foot step. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfk_WrdZA4IbXHpLwyascm1USYECequb-nxNPWizO2DCCT3q-BViJOWHsJSJaV6tuzEkaeOBKHpQCCcPPwMO6P_O1Q-iHTKzwcRFUY0xHE69bmx-Vpp9aShUljMPuCyRsSlG0i31RsNvA/s1600/DSCN3379.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfk_WrdZA4IbXHpLwyascm1USYECequb-nxNPWizO2DCCT3q-BViJOWHsJSJaV6tuzEkaeOBKHpQCCcPPwMO6P_O1Q-iHTKzwcRFUY0xHE69bmx-Vpp9aShUljMPuCyRsSlG0i31RsNvA/s320/DSCN3379.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602181199588314546" /></a><br /><br />When we reached Nilgiri, the temple was still closed and hence we decided to visit the palace first. In a travel blog I had read about the Nilgiri Palace but no one near the temple complex (including the police constables) could tell where it was located. There was an old building in dilapidated state just beside the temple which seemed to belong to some erstwhile feudal kings and it actually turned out to be the Niligiri palace. We did not consider the Nilgiri kings and the palace to be much awe inspiring but neither did we expect it to be in ramshackle. And sadly, there is no attempt of any conservation. The palace was built in 1898 by Raja Shyam C.M. Harichandan. Part of the palace building which is in relatively better condition is being used as a school. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDtNdFkierrre4fiW0yuEf0vy5uSSuMwVdiDm7SxdTy9e8PQKmctRcE233CjZGgQQhRGTvNP2Ax2PJtqWfFsJDcLR9inC7MoOoeDJEDWv2jYy5_EGj5axxHoTBDjygQbeVewR9FcxI94/s1600/DSCN3388.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDtNdFkierrre4fiW0yuEf0vy5uSSuMwVdiDm7SxdTy9e8PQKmctRcE233CjZGgQQhRGTvNP2Ax2PJtqWfFsJDcLR9inC7MoOoeDJEDWv2jYy5_EGj5axxHoTBDjygQbeVewR9FcxI94/s320/DSCN3388.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602181196091304994" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_4UuZgNM8Ll91stuO0e-LkR9adryAIqA8DY70ZgVVMBxruycaMqAqTTqfZfSarG7ujHeliHvtq4EcMBr9lnZ6WXBR5AMZ_JWzg7axdx6t0si2U6KAgF_MEmlt6tqe-Y-a7TQjdx-ioA/s1600/DSCN3386.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_4UuZgNM8Ll91stuO0e-LkR9adryAIqA8DY70ZgVVMBxruycaMqAqTTqfZfSarG7ujHeliHvtq4EcMBr9lnZ6WXBR5AMZ_JWzg7axdx6t0si2U6KAgF_MEmlt6tqe-Y-a7TQjdx-ioA/s320/DSCN3386.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602181191784179250" /></a><br /><br />After exploring the palace, we came back to visit the temple which had opened by then. Although it is not a large temple, it must be a popular one is what the impression we got from the crowd presence. There were huge idols of Jagannath, Subhadra and Balaram inside the garva-griha and mural paintings decorating the walls of the temple. In fact I found another temple nearby which also bear rich ornamentation of beautiful paintings. The paintings may not be strictly professional but possess adequate artistic qualities. And then there were the even smaller roadside temples or the village temples and most of them were adorned with either paintings or figures of animals such as lions. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIQ6Zd3p3sb_QwU9uH16JAa2Acrj0WEVY1awFZE7qTMgrY5mcNzy7FpDN2OEOLsIA30r4DkaIEHX4p-zqHIqN4iqicqeRixUEWPqNh7lgBMHXBwsDU3p4omaPRFXUooOy0YbUFJAg1uk/s1600/DSCN3382.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIQ6Zd3p3sb_QwU9uH16JAa2Acrj0WEVY1awFZE7qTMgrY5mcNzy7FpDN2OEOLsIA30r4DkaIEHX4p-zqHIqN4iqicqeRixUEWPqNh7lgBMHXBwsDU3p4omaPRFXUooOy0YbUFJAg1uk/s320/DSCN3382.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602181182664282898" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbee0u6j0AVNHg6VMlz1X7B0tKezqueHwhJF5PDL-61f6i7_F9cFGSuL6PpXByVv4s_pfX3o3lpMQvdVpj8mj_xyFi3h9kGd5gCNk-n4H0cyw2tZnx8yWcK2th47XR9_VHVpwD1PqLz40/s1600/DSCN3396.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbee0u6j0AVNHg6VMlz1X7B0tKezqueHwhJF5PDL-61f6i7_F9cFGSuL6PpXByVv4s_pfX3o3lpMQvdVpj8mj_xyFi3h9kGd5gCNk-n4H0cyw2tZnx8yWcK2th47XR9_VHVpwD1PqLz40/s320/DSCN3396.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602184177091256626" /></a><br /><br />The town of Nilgiri is probably one of the bigger towns in the district as we found a Hospital, offices of bureaucrats and even Lok Adalat. From the marketplace we booked a car for the rest of the day and drove down to Chandipur which is located about 40Kms further away from Nilgiri. It cost us Rs. 650.<br /><br />We reached Chandipur at around 2 o’clock and had our lunch at the OTDC Panthanivas in Chandipur. The Pomfret fish served at the lunch was huge but the preparation and the fish itself did not taste that good. The hotel is situated at an exquisite location just beside the sea shore. It is said that during high tide the sea comes right at the doorstep of the hotel. But right then the sea had retreated a few kilometres. This is the curious characteristic of Chandipur Sea. Since I was in shorts and slippers it was easier for me to walk along the shore and into the sea as the water level was only ankle high. Others had to pull up their trousers to avoid being wet. There were conches of different sizes lying around and all kinds of sea shells on the way and we looked with childish excitement if we could find any pearl. We even came across some star fishes which were trying to hide in the sand as we approached them. After the long walk we finally came to the place where we could see the actual sea. From the distance the muddy and dirty sea waves actually looked like a sand bank. And there was a fence of a kind with bamboo sticks, so we did not proceed any further and started to return towards the shore. After resting for a while on the cement benches on the bank and enjoying coconut water it was time to go back to our hotel at Panchalingeshwar. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyzRzIkKuHymCyl3_u5Wukc3h2uZJyO66iGwFyeNuDnBJydZlQq6vkhfY-2WIDgeTrpvqvhecz4nfGhqrJKmSXeWacNoqOoNsOMlmvx1wL6rFFy9GklGE-Zm3WhlndiXxkmm-coWX_tgA/s1600/DSCN3416.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyzRzIkKuHymCyl3_u5Wukc3h2uZJyO66iGwFyeNuDnBJydZlQq6vkhfY-2WIDgeTrpvqvhecz4nfGhqrJKmSXeWacNoqOoNsOMlmvx1wL6rFFy9GklGE-Zm3WhlndiXxkmm-coWX_tgA/s320/DSCN3416.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602184183300156978" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgXCQlPSx3nf_3qZ9flefP2bHvP4_qs6z73vtoKj6tqGFtU8ZIxWBiYZpbPiocZ7YnCyYu4XAu8-wFeAy4YrI3Qtiot5uQMXVwNIrLTHRG1D7GgNXz6rhPnrPruL9HJkwe_5zIFS1JbU/s1600/DSCN3420.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgXCQlPSx3nf_3qZ9flefP2bHvP4_qs6z73vtoKj6tqGFtU8ZIxWBiYZpbPiocZ7YnCyYu4XAu8-wFeAy4YrI3Qtiot5uQMXVwNIrLTHRG1D7GgNXz6rhPnrPruL9HJkwe_5zIFS1JbU/s320/DSCN3420.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602184199188754498" /></a><br /><br />In the morning of the last day of our trip, we decided to have another go at the lake that we could not locate on the first day. We should have started real early but got delayed and set out after nine. The lake is known as Khumkote and it used to be the place where the Nilgiri kings used to hunt. This time we were sure of the way up to a point and then found out the rest part by asking the locals. In the process we passed by a good many tribal huts and it was interesting to find someone listen to a Bengali song in radio sung by the nightingale Sandhya Mukherjee. Unlike the earlier day, when we were being continuously followed by stray dogs, we did not see any one of them that day. Perhaps on the other day, they were hoping that there was food in the bag that we were carrying. After two days of rain, the sun was shining brightly and we started to sweat heavily. The head gears supplied from Srimanta’s collection of hats were of some help and when we found a tube well on the way, we drenched our handkerchiefs and put the wet handkerchiefs around our necks. It was a very long walk and it did not seem to come to any end. I think we walked for at least three and a half kilometres before we finally reached the lake, and what a disappointment it was. It was a small water body with a structure of a watch tower and perhaps a temple engulfed in the water. There was no great view. It’s a different matter that after so much exhaustion our expectation level was much higher. In short, it was not that impressive and not worth the trouble. If someone attempts to go, one should start in the early morning so that the sun is not so hot and the journey does not become so much tiring. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMJ0Ex2J4Ce6pIvE1z5fpfvzss5RXkt7bnIz7F_OM0bm1iS7C4jtRA6EdP7BXFN4civ6wO7X2uXUe4TFwFy_jQNQVveKtO_qAFz9UcwW-sAo9Lnga8XxIKzoxv3Zba7fnC0xTTYY9H-HQ/s1600/DSCN3422.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMJ0Ex2J4Ce6pIvE1z5fpfvzss5RXkt7bnIz7F_OM0bm1iS7C4jtRA6EdP7BXFN4civ6wO7X2uXUe4TFwFy_jQNQVveKtO_qAFz9UcwW-sAo9Lnga8XxIKzoxv3Zba7fnC0xTTYY9H-HQ/s320/DSCN3422.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602184187127337010" /></a><br /><br />After taking some rest in the cool shade of a bamboo tree with a mild breeze caressing our worn out bodies, we turned back as the time to check out of the hotel was approaching. When we reached our hotel, our T-shirts were completely drenched in our sweat and the thought of lying down on the bed for a while away from sun under the fan kept driving us. <br /><br />It was time to return to Balasore and take the Falaknuma Express back to Kolkata. The small weekend trip was not perhaps overwhelming but it provided us a fulfilling break from the stress and strain of everyday life of the week days.Deep Majumderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441918705733399044noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346287242583689735.post-25335890794968157212011-04-04T03:34:00.000-07:002011-04-05T23:21:18.181-07:00Aura of AjantaAjanta was the last leg of our cave tour of Maharashtra. Due to our not so great experience with the bus ride from Ellora on the previous day coupled with the fact that the Ajanta caves are located far away, near to 100 kms from Aurangabad, we opted for a car drop to Ajanta, or rather the MTDC resort at Fardapur which is 1 km further up from the Ajanta caves. There is another MTDC hotel at Ajanta T Junction which is closer to the caves, but we did not get any accommodation there when we booked. After breakfast, we left Aurangabad in an Indica with the driver for our journey, Mazhar Khan (9960505623) and the drop to Ajanta cost us 1200 rupees. After checking in to the hotel we immediately went to visit the caves with an understanding that we would have to skip lunch that day, again, now three days in a row, after Daulatabad and Ellora. <br /><br />The Ajanta caves, inscribed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1983, were excavated in a horse shoe shaped bend of a rock overlooking a narrow stream named Waghora. In 1819, a British officer, John Smith, accidentally discovered the caves.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGW6UBH827b3WxoRcH7Fr8ZhYh4r8OacyAQyNI3ZtcZbfo77v-ovzIt5hrUZTOJ7ukGF0BdwB-CXvcGs09rIAQPUdtt4dapDowJN5RZQH9T7wyqvVk2RrvTo9nkmWkJIjM-Pw10P1yaxE/s1600/DSCN3262.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGW6UBH827b3WxoRcH7Fr8ZhYh4r8OacyAQyNI3ZtcZbfo77v-ovzIt5hrUZTOJ7ukGF0BdwB-CXvcGs09rIAQPUdtt4dapDowJN5RZQH9T7wyqvVk2RrvTo9nkmWkJIjM-Pw10P1yaxE/s320/DSCN3262.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592053297262896034" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpK71xQdbRsfhOKMng8vtvSOsnDwJE7amdXaZrXUKMnjJrtuuEP8EzuxtnIeS0bUoJMV_9d7Nss-SoPjDKMTdOAO9960ZponUEWH97BZQCL6fRtbcCo-K0MeuiOpU-Yma_jz_xp8XzatQ/s1600/DSCN3367.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpK71xQdbRsfhOKMng8vtvSOsnDwJE7amdXaZrXUKMnjJrtuuEP8EzuxtnIeS0bUoJMV_9d7Nss-SoPjDKMTdOAO9960ZponUEWH97BZQCL6fRtbcCo-K0MeuiOpU-Yma_jz_xp8XzatQ/s320/DSCN3367.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591974676389801186" /></a><br /><br />The group of 30 caves is renowned for its murals and these exemplary paintings are the best specimens of Tempera technique of Indian art. After chiseling out the rock surface, layers of clay mixed with sand, earth and other organic materials were applied and coated with lime wash. Over this surface bold outlines were drawn and colours and shades ranging from red and yellow ochre, terra verte, to lime, kaolin, gypsum and lapis lazuli were applied. The chief binding material used was glue. The main theme of these paintings is the depiction of the Jataka stories. Though there are some beautifully carved sculptural panels as well in some of the caves, the main attraction of the Ajanta caves is its paintings and it’s a pity that many of them are in a dire state and in some of the early caves nothing substantial has survived. We found restoration work undergoing in some of the caves but from the conversations of some of the fellow tourists, who had visited the caves earlier, it seemed that the conditions of the paintings has deteriorated much in the last twenty - thirty years. I sincerely hope that the generations to come would not be deprived to get the opportunity to marvel at this amazing art work. <br /><br />Out of the 30 Buddhist caves of Ajanta, only caves 1-26 can be visited and there is no proper access for caves 27-30. Out of these caves 9, 10, 19 and 26 are Chaitya-Grihas (prayer halls) and the rest are Viharas (monasteries). In date and style, the Ajanta caves can be divided into two broad groups. 6 caves belong to the earliest phase of Buddhism i.e. Hinayana sect which dates back to the pre-Christian era. This includes caves 9 & 10 (Chaitya-Grihas) and caves 8, 12, 13 & 15A (Viharas). Cave 10 is the oldest amongst them dating back to 2nd century B.C. The newer caves of the Mahayana sect were excavated primarily during the period of the Vakatakas around 6th century A.D. Caves 1, 2, 16 and 17 displays the best coloured wall paintings of the Vakataka period. One solitary Rashtrakuta inscription is found in cave 26 indicating its use in the 8th century A.D. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglPORfQvcSDWfax6ZBeOBrRcaiRaSTy5vKSzB2Ir2jdC0J-H1SXaNEkp4ZylzrZ2FRyLz1xg0lZQqEi3uX1nLyNGZ71yOcsw0gCma2YKAnh7hhh4Ws4Tmfs6mTvBm3trSVo5Wl3IoEE-g/s1600/DSCN3266.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglPORfQvcSDWfax6ZBeOBrRcaiRaSTy5vKSzB2Ir2jdC0J-H1SXaNEkp4ZylzrZ2FRyLz1xg0lZQqEi3uX1nLyNGZ71yOcsw0gCma2YKAnh7hhh4Ws4Tmfs6mTvBm3trSVo5Wl3IoEE-g/s320/DSCN3266.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591676912588486242" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQkyDLiBewEh89ahzUOnUh5mBU8msN31ChLHaCWALWlX8aKP3E5YAaoiNUz4kpQtAiMpMXw4iA4_j6efo2-cVboYf7thcQatZvVoBq-HjKIKxiNxNiYdT9_1n7YusyKJam6sIsxPeWhM/s1600/DSCN3265.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 246px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQkyDLiBewEh89ahzUOnUh5mBU8msN31ChLHaCWALWlX8aKP3E5YAaoiNUz4kpQtAiMpMXw4iA4_j6efo2-cVboYf7thcQatZvVoBq-HjKIKxiNxNiYdT9_1n7YusyKJam6sIsxPeWhM/s320/DSCN3265.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591676901813893874" /></a><br /><br />Cave 1, the first cave, built on the eastern end of the horse-shoe shaped scarp, is one of the finest Mahayana monasteries of Ajanta, handsomely ornamented with profuse paintings and comprises an open courtyard, verandah, hall sanctum with antechamber and cells. The world famous painting of Bodhisattva Padmapani is located in this cave. Bodhisattva Bajrapani is another well-known and important painting of this cave. <br /><br />At the left side in the verandah, there is a famous sculptural panel depicting Prince Siddhartha’s journey which changed his course of life. The sanctum at the rear end has a sculpture of Buddha in preaching posture symbolizing his first sermon at Sarnath. Below, at the centre of the pedestal, there is a wheel flanked by two deer. The wheel represents Dharma-Chakra and the two deer symbolizes the deer park at Sarnath where Buddha preached his first sermon to five disciples. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB08hIzWCIK22CrO3LvfVTykDSC7e_aPwFRY1VYw9rscQ3NE5SkD9zklSsvVsaFFesE0fvyF2M7fh7bVjDZDdPM5_bOobK63JpfJsTVr3TJV5Lo2kQDA86eufBFinhZ3EF5W1nH-_G1AE/s1600/DSCN3268.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB08hIzWCIK22CrO3LvfVTykDSC7e_aPwFRY1VYw9rscQ3NE5SkD9zklSsvVsaFFesE0fvyF2M7fh7bVjDZDdPM5_bOobK63JpfJsTVr3TJV5Lo2kQDA86eufBFinhZ3EF5W1nH-_G1AE/s320/DSCN3268.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592013786718572946" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiOlJbSBssulSgtHIIJvkVy9umvEMMoXsq9n-C3a4f8yv1Wm_mlS8dNV2OWGoP1Xv8CeHBYn9OPxLHmJ5qK5z7ze7SH0kwpPN4OdCSejKe-KDhh4xaF0Z_v1aZTkPqsXSLYH5IPcIm6bw/s1600/DSCN3275.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiOlJbSBssulSgtHIIJvkVy9umvEMMoXsq9n-C3a4f8yv1Wm_mlS8dNV2OWGoP1Xv8CeHBYn9OPxLHmJ5qK5z7ze7SH0kwpPN4OdCSejKe-KDhh4xaF0Z_v1aZTkPqsXSLYH5IPcIm6bw/s320/DSCN3275.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592013790130653266" /></a><br /><br />Cave 2 is also lavishly painted although many of the paintings have been eroded away and it is difficult to understand the stories behind the paintings from whatever has survived. The cave has a panel depicting the birth scene of Siddhartha. The ceilings are beautifully painted with geometrical and floral depictions. <br /><br />Most of the caves at Ajanta are devoid of bright light and also flash photography is prohibited inside the caves for better preservation of the paintings. As such it becomes very difficult to take snaps of and sometimes even behold the paintings in the dimly lit caves. I remember a funny incident when I was concentrating for a long time on taking a photograph of a painting, which was still intact, in high resolution night mode without flash and another gentleman beside me, without paying heed to the instructions put up by the authorities and also reiterated by the guards, happily used flash. And the guard immediately ran towards us and started rebuking me and by that time the other man silently moved away. At first I was taken aback but then I confronted him in such a harsh voice (probably because he startled me just when I was going to press the shutter) for picking on the wrong man that he was surprised in turn and apologized. <br /><br />The barricades formed to restrain the visitors from touching the wall paintings, at places, further hinders taking good look at them and even the sculptures especially when there are pillars in between. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1qi471ECRp04xQN1sOFLJUWgvindJCTfvD0YSphxtd5xVodGbF5HVle9MzV6GqJH8tH8C6s6xW6N1bwPoPBm7YLyc_WS6TCSSGXK4hEYmTnLt2uZp_VpoJ3e3I4Hu5C4cntjPZx75gg/s1600/DSCN3286.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 223px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1qi471ECRp04xQN1sOFLJUWgvindJCTfvD0YSphxtd5xVodGbF5HVle9MzV6GqJH8tH8C6s6xW6N1bwPoPBm7YLyc_WS6TCSSGXK4hEYmTnLt2uZp_VpoJ3e3I4Hu5C4cntjPZx75gg/s320/DSCN3286.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592020055151122642" /></a><br /><br />Cave 6 is the only double storied monastery at Ajanta and is famous for the combination of painting and sculpture. The painted inscription on the wall of the upper hall mentions that it was a gift by a monk named Taranakirttana.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjtW1mBkl-NrQx4WUVV6E3t-R37fiOrlkqAiz_4L-lhyphenhyphenZ8xDfyMUN_e2SanaVz0ml9HzexgrXSqESns6QtcpzKEul39vsK8-_s6JgMCIH2KUPPVW-mDm4nt-vOL7GAjAX4WC6Ha27tuD0/s1600/DSCN3290.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjtW1mBkl-NrQx4WUVV6E3t-R37fiOrlkqAiz_4L-lhyphenhyphenZ8xDfyMUN_e2SanaVz0ml9HzexgrXSqESns6QtcpzKEul39vsK8-_s6JgMCIH2KUPPVW-mDm4nt-vOL7GAjAX4WC6Ha27tuD0/s320/DSCN3290.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592020049460363826" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1i00j0IIwVSPyIJkbTeaIUbmYeej_hPZS9FnmYszaggi7gLtaDQWdesyF0dRog6hi3MpW8HYU7RjO0lDrVYITN_pDtzm3bA7JSYqGjBh5fOZ-SxQrBcFs327dkxSH9_u7spAfpRfKZbo/s1600/DSCN3301.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1i00j0IIwVSPyIJkbTeaIUbmYeej_hPZS9FnmYszaggi7gLtaDQWdesyF0dRog6hi3MpW8HYU7RjO0lDrVYITN_pDtzm3bA7JSYqGjBh5fOZ-SxQrBcFs327dkxSH9_u7spAfpRfKZbo/s320/DSCN3301.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592020063193577682" /></a><br /><br />The sanctum with profusely carved figures and lit up with a yellowish tinge was creating a havoc on the surroundings and we spent quite some time there, sitting on the floor, so that we could be left alone for a while. Santu was in his usual humorous self and remained seated in a mock meditation posture. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO75V9xSkxpKLYGVKhahRyii3qz7t2APnFzwOzX9xb7M4MOPxoLDps0UVDb6aqdC1qkWagiquZhyg0V30RCiPeiZrRUw6bstizRhzFDUumS9iUa3FCMlAI8GhzXS_70fOlFd5gy8KYT7g/s1600/DSC01055.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO75V9xSkxpKLYGVKhahRyii3qz7t2APnFzwOzX9xb7M4MOPxoLDps0UVDb6aqdC1qkWagiquZhyg0V30RCiPeiZrRUw6bstizRhzFDUumS9iUa3FCMlAI8GhzXS_70fOlFd5gy8KYT7g/s320/DSC01055.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592020057247982322" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7G_uqb_HL_KSNwMkAJi9mN1pDE7ecsjrpoCryUUsUosFXdZ047TOa6pBjkGBLzlIZihsnc4dxGuUyKLMfGCNSQDBtfYmPpktn-Kk_RfyrR7E-R37KynbDsNLn7iNxmfUmmLfHolztQ5U/s1600/DSC01054.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7G_uqb_HL_KSNwMkAJi9mN1pDE7ecsjrpoCryUUsUosFXdZ047TOa6pBjkGBLzlIZihsnc4dxGuUyKLMfGCNSQDBtfYmPpktn-Kk_RfyrR7E-R37KynbDsNLn7iNxmfUmmLfHolztQ5U/s320/DSC01054.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592021911989436658" /></a><br /><br />Cave 9 is one of the earliest Chaitya-Griha of Ajanta belonging to the Hinayana sect of Buddhism and datable to 1st century B.C. The usual nave, apse and pillars of Buddhist prayer halls are present in this cave. The globular Stupa at the centre of the apse on a high cylindrical base is plain and devoid of any image of Buddha unlike the Mahayana prayer halls. Most of the paintings have been eroded away in this cave but some of the pillars still are adorned with images of Buddha and floral decorations. Cave 10 is another Chaitya-Griha belonging to the Hinayana sect and is the oldest cave at Ajanta datable to 2nd century B.C. On the basis of inscriptions, the cave was excavated by the gifts made by Vasisthiputra Katahadi, Kanahaka of Bahada and a monk named Dharmadeva. The Stupa is the largest at Ajanta and is plain and hemispherical in shape. The importance of the cave lies in the fact that it contains the earliest specimens of Indian paintings. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcR9eniZCprTtR8aJfe5L-j685weF8Huq0DygZvpqLL89lDK0xsN2DaYcDepNwNcMjcUS_jk_c7Y81_GymjmoVIXtSChvNDiNtaxY8rPXjh_uxF6r2C-uNQmJk2OlYcmawGczxGJm2nRQ/s1600/DSCN3305.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcR9eniZCprTtR8aJfe5L-j685weF8Huq0DygZvpqLL89lDK0xsN2DaYcDepNwNcMjcUS_jk_c7Y81_GymjmoVIXtSChvNDiNtaxY8rPXjh_uxF6r2C-uNQmJk2OlYcmawGczxGJm2nRQ/s320/DSCN3305.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591690936901458834" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRU10Lueu8yhALUTrsk5tS9QA81qI99iJJ9T8BsSUGrKe_czlDhb-dRrpu_QWd_XCd5LvksORuL_smOZmv4mz47sP827wzfbyVwbzhDGifOewYO1zODLU_tpmhNS8mOyfp1XF4LcjoUG4/s1600/DSCN3307.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 234px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRU10Lueu8yhALUTrsk5tS9QA81qI99iJJ9T8BsSUGrKe_czlDhb-dRrpu_QWd_XCd5LvksORuL_smOZmv4mz47sP827wzfbyVwbzhDGifOewYO1zODLU_tpmhNS8mOyfp1XF4LcjoUG4/s320/DSCN3307.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591690933259392210" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtiyIqK0vP18poHL_mHjt9rcqjZch-IwY2FIVWod8FpAasBbFEEchMqOoiv2rrMqAXlHh5UBkrT4pz40d39EkviAmrbmz_LAr2ufFRrqgBECE6rVaYOIAK7kmdY3QF09pWZt60vqzQaBI/s1600/DSCN3309.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 222px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtiyIqK0vP18poHL_mHjt9rcqjZch-IwY2FIVWod8FpAasBbFEEchMqOoiv2rrMqAXlHh5UBkrT4pz40d39EkviAmrbmz_LAr2ufFRrqgBECE6rVaYOIAK7kmdY3QF09pWZt60vqzQaBI/s320/DSCN3309.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591690940782343538" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpck2A9wgbvQhN-yW6792T9RpBgoaTCbBaAHFT1anFyd35WDi2c5IxbjiA9dWpg7-N3HZn9II8LT-XxM38z-oZgX4KjQog6WkFskGO0d4xvYps7-lCYabS2O-jEpOoxCUGLW04tkPjJk/s1600/DSC01057.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 208px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpck2A9wgbvQhN-yW6792T9RpBgoaTCbBaAHFT1anFyd35WDi2c5IxbjiA9dWpg7-N3HZn9II8LT-XxM38z-oZgX4KjQog6WkFskGO0d4xvYps7-lCYabS2O-jEpOoxCUGLW04tkPjJk/s320/DSC01057.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592038762903684978" /></a><br /><br />Cave 16 is the largest and finest monastery at Ajanta. An inscription on the walls of the verandah mentions that it was a gift by Varahadeva, a minister of Vakataka King Harisena. Two large elephants are carved out at the entrance of this cave welcoming the visitors. It contains some of the masterpieces of paintings like the Dying Pricess, Miracle of Sravasti and Sujata offering Kheer to Buddha. There are also some ingenious paintings of Jataka stories. The ceiling ornamented with floral and geometric designs creates an impression of a fluttering shamiyana. Cave 17 is another magnificent Mahayana monastery consisting of famous paintings of Apsara, Flying Indra, Make-up Scene and Jataka stories. On the doorframe is a panel with seven Mortal Buddhas along with Maitreya. A Brahmi inscription on the wall of the courtyard records the excavation of this cave by a feudatory prince under Vakataka King Harisena.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx0xfc19AJJk05FEvsD5d9B3r7wnSUoXasyMsbPQ2r13WRB_f-ldoIiB69yM2f-OxZ0nwU4IbtymuY-YEKvKe2ZVlzU_-U8_1nQ2LlEhuZncXfdXpbwQyLtF-3-cr1u_Jun-gaP-Ew1Xs/s1600/DSCN3313.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx0xfc19AJJk05FEvsD5d9B3r7wnSUoXasyMsbPQ2r13WRB_f-ldoIiB69yM2f-OxZ0nwU4IbtymuY-YEKvKe2ZVlzU_-U8_1nQ2LlEhuZncXfdXpbwQyLtF-3-cr1u_Jun-gaP-Ew1Xs/s320/DSCN3313.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591692089974244354" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG__bme_nnmJs7QtXpsb1AfJOSA4GgTpdAYRifOQr__zZov6tZMLxzKVmQIeg2vQRmabag1hju3KqrIm5_Rhv9XTZZ9SE4rZ6KBdoy0gYCRtQ9zIKq2JxyalqtTW6jCBgJXq_x94sHgGg/s1600/DSCN3320.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG__bme_nnmJs7QtXpsb1AfJOSA4GgTpdAYRifOQr__zZov6tZMLxzKVmQIeg2vQRmabag1hju3KqrIm5_Rhv9XTZZ9SE4rZ6KBdoy0gYCRtQ9zIKq2JxyalqtTW6jCBgJXq_x94sHgGg/s320/DSCN3320.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591692087682710594" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbZ3CwoLUhQSNS79kNzmW8TjmTqu0mvJQgW6hmSyaYHG0hfTMVzqkF2DppN4a88pDLvDP-YrKZoRSzg6CL8ZSQozzHW5DCw7dl1TSNsVuDCuxavZCuD7M1SeAGbJMPENJJEPv-Hyp0c0/s1600/DSCN3321.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbZ3CwoLUhQSNS79kNzmW8TjmTqu0mvJQgW6hmSyaYHG0hfTMVzqkF2DppN4a88pDLvDP-YrKZoRSzg6CL8ZSQozzHW5DCw7dl1TSNsVuDCuxavZCuD7M1SeAGbJMPENJJEPv-Hyp0c0/s320/DSCN3321.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591690930093375618" /></a><br /><br />Cave 19, a small Mahayana Chaitya-Griha is considered one of the most perfect and proportionate specimens of rock-cut caves of Ajanta. This cave was also a gift from a feudatory prince under Vakataka King Harisena. The façade with its intricate ornamentation stands out as one of the finest. The interior walls are also exquisitely decorated. The chapel contains a panel depicting Nagraja with his consort and the Stupa and pillars are intricately carved with figures of Buddha. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWHIpnWl57z1_0u2O5FVc6W6BEYUYyfc4J4R_qaiWXrs_x5zM5j2KpUgss20ugBNibTtnHM2e-B8uHr1MVScFzufWNYdQVPBbLBbmw3SrscVkgwz3zbeqitJC6GxtzH5sjGDtFWDcPiQ/s1600/DSCN3325.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWHIpnWl57z1_0u2O5FVc6W6BEYUYyfc4J4R_qaiWXrs_x5zM5j2KpUgss20ugBNibTtnHM2e-B8uHr1MVScFzufWNYdQVPBbLBbmw3SrscVkgwz3zbeqitJC6GxtzH5sjGDtFWDcPiQ/s320/DSCN3325.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592053298632755602" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfH0pOHI_jwZpym9EQzesPj4vLj7kMOqEI3_pAorjiAQFsxLeiGQD5gXRfdeOzUVa-UOBfr2mV3GBLQXujjpFcPt_34ty-YS0bJLzyXQCAqTB1IKSdjG8zV3fi2QI0tsiQGmFItJlcpQg/s1600/DSCN3329.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfH0pOHI_jwZpym9EQzesPj4vLj7kMOqEI3_pAorjiAQFsxLeiGQD5gXRfdeOzUVa-UOBfr2mV3GBLQXujjpFcPt_34ty-YS0bJLzyXQCAqTB1IKSdjG8zV3fi2QI0tsiQGmFItJlcpQg/s320/DSCN3329.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591692099643709138" /></a><br /><br />The last cave that we visited was cave 26. This magnificent Mahayana Chaitya-Griha is an immortal work of art and sculpture. It was a gift of various devotees like Buddhabhadra, Bhadanta Gunakara and Bhikshu Sanghamitra and dates back to 6th century A.D. The façade has an imposing Chaitya window, but due to restoration work it was almost covered when we visited. A spacious forecourt, pillared verandah with two side porches and an apsidal hall comprises the Chaitya. The Stupa at the centre of the apse is beautifully decorated with figures of Buddha and other motifs. The pillars and the walls sustain much of the intricate sculptural panels. The lighting inside the cave is also smartly done imparting an awe-inspiring character to the surroundings which easily captivates the visitors. Unlike many if the other caves, one can look at the sculptural panels from close proximity. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJAmbAZbwlA3nzAnKeeQudr5nvfBljMxMaWP_W5hNvXXXRJ3BIuYL6jEijTXRcFeyVVCh4Y4ECuBQaDXicuA66IYwvKP3c-DIiwlIw-MRnpUSSmTucrcpGtsb6-bpnz-v1OCkgKquW_q4/s1600/DSCN3347.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJAmbAZbwlA3nzAnKeeQudr5nvfBljMxMaWP_W5hNvXXXRJ3BIuYL6jEijTXRcFeyVVCh4Y4ECuBQaDXicuA66IYwvKP3c-DIiwlIw-MRnpUSSmTucrcpGtsb6-bpnz-v1OCkgKquW_q4/s320/DSCN3347.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591692095272870658" /></a><br /><br />On the left side of the hall there is an immensely important and famous sculptural panel of Mahaparivirvana of Buddha. It comprises a colossal figure of reclining Buddha on the verge of his nirvana with a calm face expressing true bliss and satisfaction. Below the disciples are mourning and above the celestial beings are ecstatic to receive him in heaven.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1r1snqt13zrpwcYru0YjnJtoa-B5BWcJueZb-bjNK1sJY4GemS9HdyxznalGLEncodLlu8RW0lgrAbCfhWYCBGcjS4CCWuAFJ3Ri7mhsdxg0TCU0vvjpOhuR_1KY11Tam3pNd3ud0zFg/s1600/DSCN3345.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1r1snqt13zrpwcYru0YjnJtoa-B5BWcJueZb-bjNK1sJY4GemS9HdyxznalGLEncodLlu8RW0lgrAbCfhWYCBGcjS4CCWuAFJ3Ri7mhsdxg0TCU0vvjpOhuR_1KY11Tam3pNd3ud0zFg/s320/DSCN3345.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591689671509003954" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0vQiWL4pdonIY3c9hni7zQIOcAvr9np4BB5RVYLoXV1tUSpkQtLHal39LuVm7q1euoOvJ6a2yuH7wgUOkauMmRnteIIcZmEfnD4Wd-zTliUFKRgZSDsG1syHDzz1x0k7c2CMacccdUIA/s1600/DSCN3348.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0vQiWL4pdonIY3c9hni7zQIOcAvr9np4BB5RVYLoXV1tUSpkQtLHal39LuVm7q1euoOvJ6a2yuH7wgUOkauMmRnteIIcZmEfnD4Wd-zTliUFKRgZSDsG1syHDzz1x0k7c2CMacccdUIA/s320/DSCN3348.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591689676251168898" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5JzfeYHLIFWyP7iQvxdIqoR_Z_gcZeUxTAOs8jUXMVrVqzI3no3Z2jIc9GuqJBUvrRD-JP_cw4Vg1Lwqb17yawYyggGgmxkUQ_Zuv7hH_QhsncJIqw3hVlMnQLeP3btGp5Sw9u65Ns7s/s1600/DSCN3359.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5JzfeYHLIFWyP7iQvxdIqoR_Z_gcZeUxTAOs8jUXMVrVqzI3no3Z2jIc9GuqJBUvrRD-JP_cw4Vg1Lwqb17yawYyggGgmxkUQ_Zuv7hH_QhsncJIqw3hVlMnQLeP3btGp5Sw9u65Ns7s/s320/DSCN3359.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591689681679215762" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwP6HNYY1K2Pl9JqL4wIFEv7a-Q7bJ_EItmZRH0yDQVWrOox4yOMA3p75kPqcYu6XWGIUqUXaDPurD9BHgBfk-cprl71eZ28S5oCPr4jzp-WtQOFtrszMtAhWBVcI-MHzpb2EeIWc8s4/s1600/DSCN3360.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwP6HNYY1K2Pl9JqL4wIFEv7a-Q7bJ_EItmZRH0yDQVWrOox4yOMA3p75kPqcYu6XWGIUqUXaDPurD9BHgBfk-cprl71eZ28S5oCPr4jzp-WtQOFtrszMtAhWBVcI-MHzpb2EeIWc8s4/s320/DSCN3360.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591689683499975122" /></a><br /><br />Unlike Ellora we had to enter most of the caves at Ajanta without our shoes and when I came out of the last cave I could not find my pair. Although there was a similar looking pair of Woodland shoes at the place where I kept mine, but they were smaller by a good couple of numbers. Thankfully an elderly man who was the rightful owner of that pair arrived soon and it appeared that he had mistakenly taken mine instead of his own. <br /><br />After visiting the caves we took a stroll towards the stream and there was also a way with a flight of steps which lead to the view point from where John Smith discovered the entrance of one of the caves. There were quite a few hawkers trying to sell show pieces around that region. When we came back to the main entrance via a small bridge, we took a tour of the bustling small market which sells all kinds of gift items and show pieces. A restaurant run by MTDC was also located there but to our dismay nothing to eat was available. As the sun was slowly setting into the horizon, for the first time in our entire Maharashtra tour, we felt a few shivers of cold. As we were returning to our Fardapur resort, the feeling sunk in that our eventful and enjoyable trip has come to an end. We would be traveling to Bhusaval in the morning of the next day and boarding the Gitanjali Express taking us back to Kolkata.Deep Majumderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441918705733399044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346287242583689735.post-42653895482039252182011-03-17T00:42:00.000-07:002011-03-29T02:02:15.648-07:00Enchanting ElloraThe World Heritage Site of Ellora caves are located at about 30 Kms from the city of Aurangabad. The 34 caves belonging to three religious faiths – Buddhist, Hindu and Jain, excavated out of the Charanandri hills represent the epitome of Indian rock-cut architecture. <br /><br />We knew from our previous day’s excursion to Daulatabad that the buses plying to Kannad from the city Aurangabad would stop at the Ellora caves and likewise we went to the central bus stand in the morning after we had our breakfast. However, there were far too many people at the bus stand on that day, probably because it was in the morning and it became extremely difficult to board a Kannad bound bus. Although the buses were frequent, but no sooner than any one of them came, people from all directions were rushing in towards the gate and even ensuring seats by throwing luggage through the windows. On one occasion we even witnessed people letting small children into the bus through the windows. So even though I was amongst the first few persons who could board one of the buses after struggling at the gate, I found all the seats were already taken. Santu was able to capture two seats in one of the other buses but we had to persuade him to come down and wait for the next bus. Some touts approached us when we started looking for alternate transportation, but all the auto rickshaws and taxis around the bus stand were offering a packaged tour of Aurangabad, Daulatabad and Ellora which did not suit us since we were only looking for a drop at Ellora. Fortunately, two buses on the same route to Kannad came within a very short span of time and we were able to board the second one and got comfortable seats. However, when the bus ultimately started its journey it was packed to full house and the persons who were standing (including some middle aged ladies) argued that the two-seaters that we had got ourselves can be shared by three. Luckily the journey was not long and we reached our destination in just a little more than an hour.<br /><br />We were looking for a guide at the entrance of the cave complex after buying tickets for ourselves. I had heard that there were not many guides available and one can only book the guide whose turn it is. Finally one guide arrived and told that the guide charge was Rs 700. But he had some conditions. He would only show us around 4 caves which we thought far too low. Though we knew that it might not be possible to visit all the caves, especially with the guide but we decided to at least cover the important ones and the number 4 seemed a lot less. Additionally, he informed that since he was booked for a large party of tourists which was scheduled to show up in a couple of hours, he could be with us only for an hour and a half. We took a call and decided to go solo without a guide. The choice proved to be proper afterwards since we spend more time than the guide allotted us for the entire tour, in the Kailash temple itself. An informative guide book purchased at much a lesser price served us well in our endeavour. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAABfNZPzUei98YetjBisFpbaw_VlQul4s2NE1Zf39PGA_xOlPpHhMGky2nycxd70ZRdKvrV5LpOQ9esFgh1-NIaaGkKrHL2is1_LILCWyPMvFHdIWMrdMQcdbuAEREr_SYEmxV-oeSAc/s1600/SNB20991.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAABfNZPzUei98YetjBisFpbaw_VlQul4s2NE1Zf39PGA_xOlPpHhMGky2nycxd70ZRdKvrV5LpOQ9esFgh1-NIaaGkKrHL2is1_LILCWyPMvFHdIWMrdMQcdbuAEREr_SYEmxV-oeSAc/s320/SNB20991.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588990809294950658" /></a><br /><br />The first cave we visited was located just in front of the entrance beyond a lush green lawn. It was named cave 16 better known as the Kailash temple, the largest and most renowned of the caves of Ellora. This giant chariot shaped temple was carved out of one single rock and has no parallel in the whole world. It is an astounding fact that the artisan of that time only had chisel and hammer to carve out this outstanding piece of art. The creation of the temple which has a dominant Dravidian architectural style is credited to have started under Dantidurga (735 – 757) and major work was done during the reign of Krishna I (757 – 773), both belonging to the Rashtrakuta dynasty. It is believed to take more than 200 tears to complete the temple and required removal of 2 lac tons of rock.<br /><br />A large and beautiful panel of Gajalaxmi seated on a lotus and surrounded by four elephants, symbolizing the prosperity of the Rashtrakutas, greeted us as we entered the temple.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2YRZjVEHbbC9tVUzRZ-tSgTqBi0c7d5hlDH2C7n6-9z08RSN9IzgdpeN_dIyc88JEO5b1jDITOv7BhoblJFfOnh9tGtwq8KyxrHxAkwiVO0-FqwcQiSlcMs3sqa280vMaVqdBLIf_5s0/s1600/DSCN3128.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 215px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2YRZjVEHbbC9tVUzRZ-tSgTqBi0c7d5hlDH2C7n6-9z08RSN9IzgdpeN_dIyc88JEO5b1jDITOv7BhoblJFfOnh9tGtwq8KyxrHxAkwiVO0-FqwcQiSlcMs3sqa280vMaVqdBLIf_5s0/s320/DSCN3128.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584952902347596802" /></a><br /><br />As we started our tour of the temple from the left side, we went passed the panel of three river goddesses Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati, symbolizing purity, devotion and knowledge respectively, and were taken to a wall adorned with minute carvings depicting stories of the Mahabharata. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3mAwxnMhMfnGzDJvKYIdlDyAmiFC4JamQy8vfvrYl2HKKJTyvjHltSFqtuBblsNeyDMfSDumScOZ5u_2oaxmAj6tbTfFCBb04B_u6AhOXHAN3gi-QW6q5Y0H14dnIUYlKkDK25MxRGI/s1600/DSCN3158.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3mAwxnMhMfnGzDJvKYIdlDyAmiFC4JamQy8vfvrYl2HKKJTyvjHltSFqtuBblsNeyDMfSDumScOZ5u_2oaxmAj6tbTfFCBb04B_u6AhOXHAN3gi-QW6q5Y0H14dnIUYlKkDK25MxRGI/s320/DSCN3158.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584952886795376610" /></a><br /><br />Next we found a row of elephants and lions (resembling somewhat like the British symbol) but most of them were unfortunately worn out. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1Sq_vjkgnhvzQx_ZAiT8u5LjUEl9LX9CkTEBwtIIGgfk7DmMP4sWQq3H8FPeAwWen9F0lUwBybZjpuFOzdPqShhgzxTwA7vCHmw_tvlRcVdHKc0yLSeYuR4S5RA8xpLV9Pl79ljvFFs/s1600/DSCN3140.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 107px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1Sq_vjkgnhvzQx_ZAiT8u5LjUEl9LX9CkTEBwtIIGgfk7DmMP4sWQq3H8FPeAwWen9F0lUwBybZjpuFOzdPqShhgzxTwA7vCHmw_tvlRcVdHKc0yLSeYuR4S5RA8xpLV9Pl79ljvFFs/s320/DSCN3140.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584952877699924962" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEaAO6ARe2rLOkgAxePtoNSUJbRF0-UKjZgDWVwonBWyE79xIqkUvSUo4KykFpA1pbz9ZOx4u-lcoPO_0RNFP1yVLk-75b1w-Xure16AyDaxMp2dNRYGMAyRlSaqhlpKhRTGSF78yINaQ/s1600/DSCN3155.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEaAO6ARe2rLOkgAxePtoNSUJbRF0-UKjZgDWVwonBWyE79xIqkUvSUo4KykFpA1pbz9ZOx4u-lcoPO_0RNFP1yVLk-75b1w-Xure16AyDaxMp2dNRYGMAyRlSaqhlpKhRTGSF78yINaQ/s320/DSCN3155.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584952868320730930" /></a><br /><br />In the courtyard, on either side of the main temple, there are two elegantly carved lofty victory pillars or “Dhvajastambhas” (17 metres high) reflecting the supremacy and power of the Rashtrakutas and two giant elephants (with missing trunks) facing the pillars.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnczkENin0vHp_Tklmy8WfNmjGZwic8RXWRDJ8F_Ro722mGIcI2nXqr52of_ClGSzSwYtTNlKasEQ4usDs6oiwPyKFGrbaQ2fyCpleD-jYfuo5ZkiJ-R9HS1qTtnrWrrFIwq4zHv4eNE/s1600/DSCN3136.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnczkENin0vHp_Tklmy8WfNmjGZwic8RXWRDJ8F_Ro722mGIcI2nXqr52of_ClGSzSwYtTNlKasEQ4usDs6oiwPyKFGrbaQ2fyCpleD-jYfuo5ZkiJ-R9HS1qTtnrWrrFIwq4zHv4eNE/s320/DSCN3136.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584952861971686242" /></a><br /><br />Next we strolled for a few minutes along the elevated corridors circumambulating the main temple and decorated with innumerous panels of delicately carved out structures. There was another set of panels even further up in the multistoried temple complex that we explored next. We also visited the panel depicting Ravana shaking Mount Kailash before we entered the main temple. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1_0VQ3kDrllKMnjC8XFDQICs-ajoNF6xMGd1J7us9DLJ3Tjn6ZfdMVC_hkc2OS17K0wKXzNeeipbJH-HY_f0MmlSYIy8FZ-ja8UJCfzAvwHYKCnx0kQ_Pl0o3UHHplrsMmRTcAeRWuI/s1600/DSCN3151.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 261px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1_0VQ3kDrllKMnjC8XFDQICs-ajoNF6xMGd1J7us9DLJ3Tjn6ZfdMVC_hkc2OS17K0wKXzNeeipbJH-HY_f0MmlSYIy8FZ-ja8UJCfzAvwHYKCnx0kQ_Pl0o3UHHplrsMmRTcAeRWuI/s320/DSCN3151.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589005104914307698" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7RKtbuMiSasmoqa064jCY7rB7oCPW5vyk8DqXHx6XNiL3rtcjxacXcpj52ellSATvAsoJ3qXeo1GvSK9J4Lm6gykE-y4BRaaPD2h53-gTq0eFMSb9_szevyayUCs9DVh62ELq6is7nz8/s1600/DSCN3159.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7RKtbuMiSasmoqa064jCY7rB7oCPW5vyk8DqXHx6XNiL3rtcjxacXcpj52ellSATvAsoJ3qXeo1GvSK9J4Lm6gykE-y4BRaaPD2h53-gTq0eFMSb9_szevyayUCs9DVh62ELq6is7nz8/s320/DSCN3159.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589005112581594418" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYM6RTDssJl3UsGg8pZTkO3ywC0jaaD0R9yszCFzPN1H4dVxjIemXN2j88nQrZjaLFqVYmOcdlUEEgsdiWnwmz1g81p4P6Yfst4hFd8fsZ0N8ez8N3f0AJE5St5fZo79TC90WcwutgN2U/s1600/DSC02821.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYM6RTDssJl3UsGg8pZTkO3ywC0jaaD0R9yszCFzPN1H4dVxjIemXN2j88nQrZjaLFqVYmOcdlUEEgsdiWnwmz1g81p4P6Yfst4hFd8fsZ0N8ez8N3f0AJE5St5fZo79TC90WcwutgN2U/s320/DSC02821.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589005120681894722" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8txVdEXgxUk030du-V1QjDaSWvxs40D9JuRwYJ3mWhfdfrnupS1PGSZ0uwSJlb2iyHyxbPblEmXShxy0W4N2z6O4vK3bhQTYfzmjU8ko304p7nmzlj2BZfcKDOYCLdGvP46_oZcLu9gE/s1600/DSCN3170.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8txVdEXgxUk030du-V1QjDaSWvxs40D9JuRwYJ3mWhfdfrnupS1PGSZ0uwSJlb2iyHyxbPblEmXShxy0W4N2z6O4vK3bhQTYfzmjU8ko304p7nmzlj2BZfcKDOYCLdGvP46_oZcLu9gE/s320/DSCN3170.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589005115070251570" /></a><br /><br />Finally we were in front of the main temple, cut out of a monolithic rock isolated from the surrounding rock, excavated from top to bottom and designed to resemble Mount Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva. The temple had been plastered and painted after its completion and although most of it is now worn out, the remaining white plaster especially at the top imparts increasing similarity to the snow capped Mount Kailash. <br /><br />A flight of steps took us to the Nandi Mandap which is common to any Shiva temple. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkw6khVuFJMXjwURQzd-MQCFGswAXDY-pG-W9RjLFl3gVLeHEAzR2tbUrIXkawlWEFGSOOmNZY95JkDOX7d-tOmtGUZ02zAJh0-XkpXfRYezuUxfDlUSAOlfxF212A7qYZmmyWOdac0iw/s1600/DSCN3165.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkw6khVuFJMXjwURQzd-MQCFGswAXDY-pG-W9RjLFl3gVLeHEAzR2tbUrIXkawlWEFGSOOmNZY95JkDOX7d-tOmtGUZ02zAJh0-XkpXfRYezuUxfDlUSAOlfxF212A7qYZmmyWOdac0iw/s320/DSCN3165.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589012221854233570" /></a><br /><br />After crossing a pillared hall and an antechamber we finally reached the sanctum of Shiva shrine. The parapet walls, plinth and ceilings of the sanctum, antechamber and hall are covered with intricate structures from the Hindu mythology. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVQsTrMl_i7CwkGIrdaZ7TrN-VHvEemUWGevlUPij6kC01PL-flAGJTNQmPUWl8QEYc772Fl0KUpv6BnOpe7fMt3Vinb5jOQTsk_1msLcXdZphAfMK60oMD5CePe5O77Tu0zAwlHB0pEM/s1600/DSCN3166.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVQsTrMl_i7CwkGIrdaZ7TrN-VHvEemUWGevlUPij6kC01PL-flAGJTNQmPUWl8QEYc772Fl0KUpv6BnOpe7fMt3Vinb5jOQTsk_1msLcXdZphAfMK60oMD5CePe5O77Tu0zAwlHB0pEM/s320/DSCN3166.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589037050492609106" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKlmx6Fu2MLOwOspQFdT8_NyZiUu6SfE1QwPsvc9ME2eDi97KgzDJeQdB-Tz82wHp2laQltVgGAteIkaO3bLnUNxZngFFEv8BC5BfcSGt-9lVSuf9dknUfqznkiCYW_n8q2_cJSILUEgg/s1600/DSCN3172.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKlmx6Fu2MLOwOspQFdT8_NyZiUu6SfE1QwPsvc9ME2eDi97KgzDJeQdB-Tz82wHp2laQltVgGAteIkaO3bLnUNxZngFFEv8BC5BfcSGt-9lVSuf9dknUfqznkiCYW_n8q2_cJSILUEgg/s320/DSCN3172.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589015599604393282" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJkT6VgVR821MVAHyG2ACWSYLF6drmAv_bjXXb9c9xVtcX77FtYURVnxT2Bf82Mpi2Y2xf_nbLujqL9j5c2LS_dhlot912WhOyVgVsdGTnqcH7zHLAXFdw86BWlfsttseEZy5gyYlZNU/s1600/DSCN3178.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJkT6VgVR821MVAHyG2ACWSYLF6drmAv_bjXXb9c9xVtcX77FtYURVnxT2Bf82Mpi2Y2xf_nbLujqL9j5c2LS_dhlot912WhOyVgVsdGTnqcH7zHLAXFdw86BWlfsttseEZy5gyYlZNU/s320/DSCN3178.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589015606746226562" /></a><br /><br />We could have spent a further long time at this fascinating cave itself but we realized that we have already spent close to two hours exploring the Kailash temple and it was time to move on. <br /><br />After coming out of cave 16, took the road in the left. The next important cave on that side was cave 21 also known as the Rameshwar temple. Here the Nandi bull is installed on high pedestal in front of the cave.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNzClKQcPn2uOy_seF8hqAdIu2ZUF4RkTX2kxUHZ2e12JvjIUH_ZiBbMz2ma8c4N-Mp1YrCdyK0UMhwSMbH7F-4exEFEDuDDf_vi1qWKSm73WWm001H5U72-baWDEaBn20oCDQTNkZVEg/s1600/DSCN3183.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNzClKQcPn2uOy_seF8hqAdIu2ZUF4RkTX2kxUHZ2e12JvjIUH_ZiBbMz2ma8c4N-Mp1YrCdyK0UMhwSMbH7F-4exEFEDuDDf_vi1qWKSm73WWm001H5U72-baWDEaBn20oCDQTNkZVEg/s320/DSCN3183.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589037942900190642" /></a><br /><br />Two gracefully carved panels, one of Ganga and one of Yamuna are at two corners and the cave also has a panel depicting the episode of Ravana Shaking Mount Kailash. Most probably in this cave only we noticed a strange panel comprising a skeleton like structure. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvcSFkKtvPAdql5z2GjigHPQXRT0Y7Cyo4S-PUxdVQVblPkQiZunbII0q-SnFXdNZnsSJEHtbGiBBduakEiMBz7h68k50XAHo-TggvrYKl9HQtmwEBYCHQWJDYrXEAQZadKHewBKHq3M/s1600/DSCN3189.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvcSFkKtvPAdql5z2GjigHPQXRT0Y7Cyo4S-PUxdVQVblPkQiZunbII0q-SnFXdNZnsSJEHtbGiBBduakEiMBz7h68k50XAHo-TggvrYKl9HQtmwEBYCHQWJDYrXEAQZadKHewBKHq3M/s320/DSCN3189.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589037068152201154" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJwS537PuYp_jDwfZLk1R6gUj9-RxtHrVJX84FJh-GBZQG4-9fCGUNYUqAPcaoIcLc0huxvF14553WRpNnVwr8NHOOyjDstiVda-XMckjDtHsEXf3a6mVxrPNItXrFeX2yuKpXJEwJMAU/s1600/DSCN3188.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJwS537PuYp_jDwfZLk1R6gUj9-RxtHrVJX84FJh-GBZQG4-9fCGUNYUqAPcaoIcLc0huxvF14553WRpNnVwr8NHOOyjDstiVda-XMckjDtHsEXf3a6mVxrPNItXrFeX2yuKpXJEwJMAU/s320/DSCN3188.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589037056279184914" /></a><br /><br />Another important cave and the last of the Hindu caves is cave 29, also known as Dhumar-Lena or Sita-ki-Kahani after a beautifully cut figure of river goddess Yamuna mistakenly named as Sita. One of the imposing and finest of the Hindu caves, cave 29 stands out due to its sheer massiveness and giant sculptures with intricate details. <br /><br />The main hall is divided in to a central nave and two aisles and can be entered through three porticos on three sides. Each entrance has a pair of seated lions on the steps.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQcBwT59D6iN_Fd2bEHj7mQPbuzBLUyj7XdcuhvGNrin_l2-vH4fT6fUEurzUWb_tRD-t6qypxbSAAh5VA2PlEYNbjwvMlk5y4gYEKsfRIeyrNwtV61sVWP9DHQXzHFANjadQcLx6wx1c/s1600/DSCN3198.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQcBwT59D6iN_Fd2bEHj7mQPbuzBLUyj7XdcuhvGNrin_l2-vH4fT6fUEurzUWb_tRD-t6qypxbSAAh5VA2PlEYNbjwvMlk5y4gYEKsfRIeyrNwtV61sVWP9DHQXzHFANjadQcLx6wx1c/s320/DSCN3198.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589041968593320066" /></a><br /><br />Amongst the famous sculptures of this cave are undoubtedly the Marriage Ceremony of Shiva and Parvati and Ravana Shaking Mount Kailash.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9YOSwPYr7H4bTuij7wSYm-kenfKoe9Xd7ZclXfafoFCaQvNsv4lRk9bbPOv6ItaRapzN8narFp-sh_Lf1cJc0IQxDVnPVp-P-xE4aGGdAVjSzwyhgxtL16pgiIWAA22JSFgiidzUrvY/s1600/DSCN3206.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9YOSwPYr7H4bTuij7wSYm-kenfKoe9Xd7ZclXfafoFCaQvNsv4lRk9bbPOv6ItaRapzN8narFp-sh_Lf1cJc0IQxDVnPVp-P-xE4aGGdAVjSzwyhgxtL16pgiIWAA22JSFgiidzUrvY/s320/DSCN3206.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589041983284852466" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGo2LfYyHde7NLhJ6WjXTHYzJtt7UXbim7idmNlY9nnWpHiT85JZ8FP_qz1LBQlTfo6dj8LMBkeJGDYPxZYzxjVrYMXmjC4IPvfyIya-F3tKluLuCyndXRWyJ238nKobxwy2epatQ8M6o/s1600/DSCN3210.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGo2LfYyHde7NLhJ6WjXTHYzJtt7UXbim7idmNlY9nnWpHiT85JZ8FP_qz1LBQlTfo6dj8LMBkeJGDYPxZYzxjVrYMXmjC4IPvfyIya-F3tKluLuCyndXRWyJ238nKobxwy2epatQ8M6o/s320/DSCN3210.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589041974011881362" /></a><br /><br />There is a gorgeous waterfall on river Yelganga by the side of this cave and a flight of steps with a corridor running around it. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrvzCBaIaZxajr3HLqxILvybj47WYToNy1i1CCF_UEVftyYZjZvHAp3xbrNPkSz5RKVYBoXCh8ucJBQhow0vil1SHErfNxOZ2n0fDLynZBVBIG6W1k542ZAKVRjzI3gZY541EY3Vu7rk/s1600/DSCN3208.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrvzCBaIaZxajr3HLqxILvybj47WYToNy1i1CCF_UEVftyYZjZvHAp3xbrNPkSz5RKVYBoXCh8ucJBQhow0vil1SHErfNxOZ2n0fDLynZBVBIG6W1k542ZAKVRjzI3gZY541EY3Vu7rk/s320/DSCN3208.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589041991595123490" /></a><br /><br />Caves 30-34 belong to the Jain faith and are located almost one and a half km apart from cave 29, the last of the Hindu caves. We had to speed up our pace since we were running late and the winding road was tiring us. On one occasion we even took a short cut to save some time and energy. The fact that we only had a few packs of biscuits as lunch and were running low on drinking water was not inspiring at all.<br /><br />Cave 30 is known as Chhota Kailash but the excavation could not be completed. Cave 31 is also incomplete. So, the first of the Jain caves that we visited was Cave 32, also known as Indra-Sabha. This two storied cave temple dedicated to the Digambar sect of Jainism dates back to 10th-11th century and is so named because the Matanga (god of wealth) figure was mistakenly identified as Indra. There is a lofty pillar and a giant elephant at the entrance, which according to me resembled similar structures of the Kailash temple; so at first we mistook this cave to be the Chhota Kailash.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4NjsSTYYpOhtEkjbsa-m2qxS26idXogxhef1PxpMlicvS2A3UeZM13Q1s-Ckr6js9dXLGRhCcB5xFeYO76hZJ6wkV1vLvNnI-XzK3Ze1-29Dj60XpggHlfdQHncFn_HxSbvD87fDH05g/s1600/DSCN3212.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4NjsSTYYpOhtEkjbsa-m2qxS26idXogxhef1PxpMlicvS2A3UeZM13Q1s-Ckr6js9dXLGRhCcB5xFeYO76hZJ6wkV1vLvNnI-XzK3Ze1-29Dj60XpggHlfdQHncFn_HxSbvD87fDH05g/s320/DSCN3212.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589087926903970450" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqKSwA6a8YIjUvU4l56wlskn8oIUXuaJL4y1TMhmuaThR8HNj7CIfpPKxYg29kS16nhnF-kTxNOSxRz-vKWzk5vlmSi0USgpfWAd4N4hw0tUNrkpETwK1WWCkjq7bFkjru4oX1aPnRMz4/s1600/DSCN3213.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqKSwA6a8YIjUvU4l56wlskn8oIUXuaJL4y1TMhmuaThR8HNj7CIfpPKxYg29kS16nhnF-kTxNOSxRz-vKWzk5vlmSi0USgpfWAd4N4hw0tUNrkpETwK1WWCkjq7bFkjru4oX1aPnRMz4/s320/DSCN3213.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589087929660248018" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBzvhSKeNAIBUl1Qbc6k-r7IbY7qK1ScuhyphenhypheneHoauIGQkYxlVqEP8YbdrOgcsj02_QUbbw5Rh-0tGAT-y8d6IwHlPzm7nptFR3BtmseC-sE_ympjABwOxF4TF84bbz6piaDDPQ_1z3oQI8/s1600/SNB21088.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBzvhSKeNAIBUl1Qbc6k-r7IbY7qK1ScuhyphenhypheneHoauIGQkYxlVqEP8YbdrOgcsj02_QUbbw5Rh-0tGAT-y8d6IwHlPzm7nptFR3BtmseC-sE_ympjABwOxF4TF84bbz6piaDDPQ_1z3oQI8/s320/SNB21088.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589087933605618498" /></a><br /><br />Cave 33, known as Jagannath-Sabha dates back to the same period as the earlier cave and is also dedicated to the Digambar sect of Jainism. The upper floor of the cave was skillfully carved with sculptures of Jain deities. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8_7mKr_hMpquHQet0HvFRQa3Azgv4Od7B9x82BW-lV_CoYLfybWdrTvzUwAdL_GuZ2y0yH97WtxtWnzLGZBzEltVkPcPXgjSt0jpPLvvUKhfriN81VE0iQ59r3SCKkaZx6LDKwr95Hg/s1600/DSCN3214.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8_7mKr_hMpquHQet0HvFRQa3Azgv4Od7B9x82BW-lV_CoYLfybWdrTvzUwAdL_GuZ2y0yH97WtxtWnzLGZBzEltVkPcPXgjSt0jpPLvvUKhfriN81VE0iQ59r3SCKkaZx6LDKwr95Hg/s320/DSCN3214.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589090331260566626" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEial1VvTtUNUUaGK_BMfjWKfeKUxFTjebxBhuzCnZT2k78HOZ2L7zR1oJh8BrL_mzWUkKN6PeaMKa_NQOlpgYQyzSVhuYvryD_RpJy4zmHX9Y2gGg_uc6Oty9WWCQxlbaJ0kDKtSaOrGfE/s1600/SNB21101.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEial1VvTtUNUUaGK_BMfjWKfeKUxFTjebxBhuzCnZT2k78HOZ2L7zR1oJh8BrL_mzWUkKN6PeaMKa_NQOlpgYQyzSVhuYvryD_RpJy4zmHX9Y2gGg_uc6Oty9WWCQxlbaJ0kDKtSaOrGfE/s320/SNB21101.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589090328212078098" /></a><br /><br />After completing visiting the last of the Jain caves, cave 34, we decided to proceed to the other end and start visiting the remaining caves starting from cave 1. We had to cover close to 2 Km to get to the other end, that too in brisk pace since the day was coming to the end. Thankfully, once we reached the main entrance near the Kailash temple we could rejuvenate ourselves with cold drinks from the hawkers plying around there.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxFoK473QHbXnO9fHfIaef6WtffBb_mAMQLXTef8Ny6AfNcRgHbM6i9FXqcZ2bd__M8rDL3kuwGQOg2WwHPYnwMu8IvRi1t9-sP3a0hZri4SjVKTBz6HTQrNxsUwXD8JPY2t_vCFRuYF4/s1600/DSCN3243.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 234px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxFoK473QHbXnO9fHfIaef6WtffBb_mAMQLXTef8Ny6AfNcRgHbM6i9FXqcZ2bd__M8rDL3kuwGQOg2WwHPYnwMu8IvRi1t9-sP3a0hZri4SjVKTBz6HTQrNxsUwXD8JPY2t_vCFRuYF4/s320/DSCN3243.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589411575020423570" /></a><br /><br />The Buddhist caves are the oldest amongst the Ellora group of caves and many of them are simple monasteries without extravagant carvings. However, no one can ignore their architectural proficiency and engineering skill. For example in cave 5, the largest of the monasteries, the spacious hall has no columns supporting the ceiling and long benches are carved out of the floor for studying and dining purpose or caves 11 (Do Taal) and 12 (Teen Taal) resembling modern multistoried apartments. It is difficult to fathom the farsightedness of the architects of 8th century to come up with this kind of structural design. Interestingly although both the caves 11 and 12 are three storied, the ground floor of cave 11 was unknown for some period and hence the name Do Taal was popularized. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0FibmaCu58Mup6WZRVDcaX94Sz0ihmSVskJ1p6XlF4FhGnAaH9wV8g6m06I5AS1YW1fbsqboezGcszBxrDmflYBAEg5BHD6PzBqlv2D4iT4bpf9RPE1116NX2Wbb_Gva0WV4BbLQdUis/s1600/DSCN3224.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0FibmaCu58Mup6WZRVDcaX94Sz0ihmSVskJ1p6XlF4FhGnAaH9wV8g6m06I5AS1YW1fbsqboezGcszBxrDmflYBAEg5BHD6PzBqlv2D4iT4bpf9RPE1116NX2Wbb_Gva0WV4BbLQdUis/s320/DSCN3224.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589411588106774482" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9HcAVlSoZt64yj7lWNdRmbG9XzWRtES-pJAohdcoZ2XMhX9GIP21BtAzUBS2orZPvQtILmVI1jroFZzIO1QfR15clpb0XsDph1zsZVzetEIUGfIUXVTdfeq3W9P6Eqffk_ZOH4MG5gqQ/s1600/DSCN3253.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9HcAVlSoZt64yj7lWNdRmbG9XzWRtES-pJAohdcoZ2XMhX9GIP21BtAzUBS2orZPvQtILmVI1jroFZzIO1QfR15clpb0XsDph1zsZVzetEIUGfIUXVTdfeq3W9P6Eqffk_ZOH4MG5gqQ/s320/DSCN3253.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589418230545642658" /></a><br /><br />Cave 10 or the Vishwakarma cave is the only Chaitya-Griha (prayer hall) and the most renowned amongst the Buddhist caves and features the usual nave, apse and octagonal pillars of Buddhist caves that we were acquainted with in Nasik. The unique thing about the cave was the echo it was generating for even faint sounds. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiF9oI4_yj_VSecH8Wdv2N0Zhi36cAnVLTFXpVNOCbmtpIoDgxYGfLl-WeGCFq43bINEEYZHbliRxbsBbbxi7vypJu-X4EvyeEa53HZzuBa14IF14jEHj9giQ6JS1SJWP77WdLLPoVTXo/s1600/DSCN3252.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiF9oI4_yj_VSecH8Wdv2N0Zhi36cAnVLTFXpVNOCbmtpIoDgxYGfLl-WeGCFq43bINEEYZHbliRxbsBbbxi7vypJu-X4EvyeEa53HZzuBa14IF14jEHj9giQ6JS1SJWP77WdLLPoVTXo/s320/DSCN3252.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589411568058515426" /></a><br /><br />Another important Buddhist cave is cave 6 which serves as a junction and the entrances of caves 5 to 1 and cave 9 are through this cave.<br /><br />A group of monks from some South East Asian country were present in one of the other caves and while some of them were offering their prayers, others were looking around the awe inspiring artwork and were busy clicking snaps of the caves. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVyUtDfdZNvlC70vgUeUjIkdG5EXuS6_VsXfVOgf9Wg0f6kd26YqnmaFpPORbT-vbbZFWt7Q5QYpIOfft61WxEVm-UmIqQ56Mq0cr9h4PW3vwjKY1_Zj3HFbhLWzEk3nw66Ef7OP5G_E4/s1600/DSCN3246.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVyUtDfdZNvlC70vgUeUjIkdG5EXuS6_VsXfVOgf9Wg0f6kd26YqnmaFpPORbT-vbbZFWt7Q5QYpIOfft61WxEVm-UmIqQ56Mq0cr9h4PW3vwjKY1_Zj3HFbhLWzEk3nw66Ef7OP5G_E4/s320/DSCN3246.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589411580773821490" /></a><br /><br />After completing our tour of the Buddhist caves we visited the remaining Hindu caves. Cave 14, also known as Ravaan-ki-Khai again depicts the sculpture of Ravana Shaking Mount Kailash, which is a popular theme at the Ellora caves. Cave 15, also known as Dashavatara cave, is also another important Hindu cave which is a double storied structure depicting various incarnations of Lord Vishnu. <br /><br />After an exhilarating and demanding day’s tour we were looking forward to some good food and sound sleep. However, we were not that lucky as the previous day when we got hold of an empty shared auto from Daulatabad and had to opt for the crowded bus to Aurangabad. An elderly lady of foreign origin lost her shoes in one of the caves and was wandering around bare footed in search of a shop where she could buy herself a new pair of footwear. We caught a glimpse of Hotel Kailash, which is located just beside the cave complex and where unfortunately we could not stay as all the rooms were booked. It is here, where Feluda and Co. stayed in the Ray thriller Kailashe Kelenkari. <br /><br />The bus ride back to Aurangabad was a pathetic experience. It was only I who got a seat for the entire journey, thanks to my friends. Still I was feeling claustrophobic with so many people in the bus and the fact that all the windows were closed, perhaps because the wind was a bit chilly in the evening. A gang of local boys were passing all kinds of weird comments mainly on the foreign tourists and one of the foulmouthed was even teasing a lady with the sleazy chartbuster “Sheela ki Jawani”. Santu was engaged in a brief altercation with the group and I was hoping back in the last seat to reach Aurangabad soon, so that we could escape this cacophony. Perhaps Aamir Khan should more often do the awareness campaign – “Aathiti Devo Bhava”.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJHt5Tg2d_esJKQGObiVS3e1b5_r_pezMk7sAbvGnhnz4euPQTWb_LG4Aquy1NeHmEGs8Bn_NBBz0o821i9Rv0auCJD8dHUs_4kxXs7-eajNIr_YfgBTcZv00ZMqefpC8cNX3bX1vqC8/s1600/DSC02887.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJHt5Tg2d_esJKQGObiVS3e1b5_r_pezMk7sAbvGnhnz4euPQTWb_LG4Aquy1NeHmEGs8Bn_NBBz0o821i9Rv0auCJD8dHUs_4kxXs7-eajNIr_YfgBTcZv00ZMqefpC8cNX3bX1vqC8/s320/DSC02887.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589411585986573858" /></a>Deep Majumderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441918705733399044noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346287242583689735.post-71833577087254729562011-02-25T00:02:00.000-08:002011-03-14T22:37:08.144-07:00Daunting Daulatabad<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_8fYKWRtEKbCR7EMRgzt5ZJ6rFkMQWjojfN8IDUGAxBe9tPYjQ73jn-vC2IjTg1D4ZkRkNgEfA3o-VhHhueGlz6vLqbxjGe_NKHIuO5UlUJYGNfEIZWDluUlB4M4AscXPjUvq0SNMtw/s1600/DSCN3084.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_8fYKWRtEKbCR7EMRgzt5ZJ6rFkMQWjojfN8IDUGAxBe9tPYjQ73jn-vC2IjTg1D4ZkRkNgEfA3o-VhHhueGlz6vLqbxjGe_NKHIuO5UlUJYGNfEIZWDluUlB4M4AscXPjUvq0SNMtw/s320/DSCN3084.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577542344634804226" /></a><br /><br />Dalutabad was a day trip from Aurangabad. We went to the central bus stand to take a bus to the Daulatabad Fort which is merely about 14 Kms away from the town of Aurangabad. We inquired some people and the information we got that none of the buses ply to Daulatabad. When were feeling a bit clueless, one of the bus conductors advised us to get into a bus headed for Kannad. Daulatabad would be on the way and we would have to explicitly tell the conductor of the bus to alert us when the bus reaches Daulatabad. We had to struggle a bit to get into the bus and while the others were busy acquiring seats, Santu stayed at the gate to talk to the bus conductor. After around three quarters of an hour, we reached Daulatabad. On the way, the bus stopped for a while at Khuldabad, where the tomb of Mughal Emperor Aurangazeb is situated. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihxeqd_lfcBjFI_LBXevuQ8sDMYE-ugcyF6LzIeUHaJX2Qjb7QOo5QSvU6dXZSdGAAQioqcH1y8o4R9ll5JiSvb5ryIBN_9wLMNzMYhbqSPxZIYEueNPompdg6c69Gxc-b9zvYYVa1GqI/s1600/DSCN3096.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 275px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihxeqd_lfcBjFI_LBXevuQ8sDMYE-ugcyF6LzIeUHaJX2Qjb7QOo5QSvU6dXZSdGAAQioqcH1y8o4R9ll5JiSvb5ryIBN_9wLMNzMYhbqSPxZIYEueNPompdg6c69Gxc-b9zvYYVa1GqI/s320/DSCN3096.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577536879822533874" /></a><br /><br />The giant and imposing fort built on a 200 metre high canonical hill was founded by the Yadavas in the 12th century and the place was originally known as Devagiri (The hill of Gods). After various attacks, the fort was annexed by Alauddin Khilji and in 1328, Muhammad bin Tughluq, the then Sultan of Delhi, shifted his capital here and renamed the place as Daulatabad (The Abode of Wealth). The Daulatabad Fort has a long history after that and it changed hands in quick succession. It was controlled by the Bahamani rulers for a while before it was captured by the Nizam Shahis of Ahmednagar who made Daulatabad their capital. Mughal Emperor Akbar captured the fort in 16th century but it was surrendered again to Ahmed Nizam Shah of Ahmednagar and remained with them until 1607 when after the fall of the Nizam Shahi dynasty, the fort passed into the hands of Malik Amber but his successors were overthrown by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1633. After the death of Emperor Aurangazeb, the Nizam of Hyderabad too control over Daulatabad in 1724. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl-32jxtS7gCKPmMm8BgUmzYNqq-dp39t-wFYij6sdWSTxFS5B1TaOjOKYJImKHreEKxDj_aB7Qafxl1bxI4339N-a9FvIFOCbgN8nF205H4GKuUjjFOGfzrpiEQd6SbSWO-mMC7bssro/s1600/Collages.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl-32jxtS7gCKPmMm8BgUmzYNqq-dp39t-wFYij6sdWSTxFS5B1TaOjOKYJImKHreEKxDj_aB7Qafxl1bxI4339N-a9FvIFOCbgN8nF205H4GKuUjjFOGfzrpiEQd6SbSWO-mMC7bssro/s320/Collages.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577540683291294482" /></a><br /><br />Just after the entrance, near the Aam Khas gate, quite a number of cannons of different makes and sizes, made of both iron and bronze were displayed. A notice put up by the Archeological Survey of India mentioned that apart from the indigenous ones, a couple of cannons cast in Amsterdam were also found here. <br /><br />The Daulatabad Fort comprising a rare combination of a land fort and a hill fort has a complex defense system. It has two moats, one dry around the fort and another wet around the citadel. The fort also boasts of three walls of fortification. The first, Amberkot, surrounding the old town was planned for the common people. Mahakot, the second line of defense, with four lines of enclosure walls and innumerous bastions and ramparts, served as the residential area of the higher class of the society. The gates were strategically built so that they were not opposite each other and hence the practice of breaking doors open by elephants would not work here. Kalakot, the third line of defense with double line of fortification, zigzag gateways and strategic positions of gun-turrets, was the royal residential area with a huge palace complex. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmdE6ezOYyJgtvcTITFJdglGuyNFOWWsW-UBfJ3XWnWpq5tB-j8eMkAkkYSHQzzvxvT8gAtU7t9ZhhqFzai7VjekQMKeN_Ig9DZUfoZ8IKI8FCx4M3mvk0juKZC2D_XwG8kdTAtUAje6k/s1600/DSCN3098.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmdE6ezOYyJgtvcTITFJdglGuyNFOWWsW-UBfJ3XWnWpq5tB-j8eMkAkkYSHQzzvxvT8gAtU7t9ZhhqFzai7VjekQMKeN_Ig9DZUfoZ8IKI8FCx4M3mvk0juKZC2D_XwG8kdTAtUAje6k/s320/DSCN3098.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577536870644847698" /></a><br /><br />After walking a few minutes we came across a 110 feet high victory tower known as the Chand Minar. The pillar was constructed to commemorate the victory over Gujrat by Alauddin Bahamani in 1435. It served both as a watch tower and a place of call for prayer. Sadly, people are not allowed to climb the pillar any more. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AtuZKkZlvicdaJ3UFiqeTjsflRhy0hdz3NGp2OAMP3tkz5JXukkcFgue-sI1n_MkFjLsq2KEj3zt-rNyMqmDZU-laPV4yC5P4JrEOI3_hE_mvZPsAmRPojva1BycXiSzU8DYpPICSvM/s1600/DSCN3102.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AtuZKkZlvicdaJ3UFiqeTjsflRhy0hdz3NGp2OAMP3tkz5JXukkcFgue-sI1n_MkFjLsq2KEj3zt-rNyMqmDZU-laPV4yC5P4JrEOI3_hE_mvZPsAmRPojva1BycXiSzU8DYpPICSvM/s320/DSCN3102.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583897023362724482" /></a><br /><br />Just after the Chand Minar was a large open courtyard with a temple dedicated to Bharat Mata.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULNt6wvkQR4YeBsWeC0uymkPHoaT7R13b4lVc6yO4xvpyKVU_iU-GL3sEUCm0n_LyC00CWOGo0t_pnj5onXdlKLhojR7h5YUPf52X6hgAjblod3-NTqS_buyRr6R2fasaPczoLN4m-wk/s1600/DSCN3106.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 243px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULNt6wvkQR4YeBsWeC0uymkPHoaT7R13b4lVc6yO4xvpyKVU_iU-GL3sEUCm0n_LyC00CWOGo0t_pnj5onXdlKLhojR7h5YUPf52X6hgAjblod3-NTqS_buyRr6R2fasaPczoLN4m-wk/s320/DSCN3106.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577536875703321778" /></a><br /><br />Further up the way is located a double storied building called Chini Mahal. Once it was laid with blue and yellow enamelled tiles but now it is in a dilapidated state. The palace was used as a royal prison and it was here that Abdul Hasan Tanashah, the last and powerful ruler of Golkonda was imprisoned till his death by Emperor Aurangazeb.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyt6KLd41CzTojs-4xBWC7pzaqsiTbUSYxQ0oND3Cb7PPHlMOKRg24I5uSF4L1O96yik7WDhug8nrzRLyxDBrSsXJ518blJCEhEEpEs2DXPW7GM4G_p5PWowt7O-fHCKNjSXbBp15XFVo/s1600/DSCN3109.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyt6KLd41CzTojs-4xBWC7pzaqsiTbUSYxQ0oND3Cb7PPHlMOKRg24I5uSF4L1O96yik7WDhug8nrzRLyxDBrSsXJ518blJCEhEEpEs2DXPW7GM4G_p5PWowt7O-fHCKNjSXbBp15XFVo/s320/DSCN3109.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577541904686926034" /></a><br /><br />We were moving more or less effortlessly up to this point but after some more time I was experiencing a little breathlessness and the legs seemed to be suddenly heavier. We came across a small bridge over the wet moat, which had become green with moss. It was disheartening to see the plastic waste thrown rampant into the water. We also noticed a cave like structure where a medieval saint Swami Janardhana Swami attained Samadhi. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVuj9__bc07rWUTpdJ8-uEO-uyDIpIDHG6NIyBY4pZMPr8mcR3Y9_QJ9FUB6zmsGQMWUlHOB2-Uqfr0pZT8Ih09JXKu4g-dhgHwsdq3iW4V31Rpl2sQFsglPYb0nQRB9WJM8w6cnuqys4/s1600/DSCN3113.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVuj9__bc07rWUTpdJ8-uEO-uyDIpIDHG6NIyBY4pZMPr8mcR3Y9_QJ9FUB6zmsGQMWUlHOB2-Uqfr0pZT8Ih09JXKu4g-dhgHwsdq3iW4V31Rpl2sQFsglPYb0nQRB9WJM8w6cnuqys4/s320/DSCN3113.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577541908472856018" /></a><br /><br />On our way we passed through a dim lit passage infested with bats and emitting a strangely bad odour. There was yet another passage known as Andheri (Dark Passage) which was pitch dark and one could only step in with the help of a guide carrying a “mashal” (a crude kerosene-lighted torch). The labyrinthine passage couple with darkness was set as a trap for the enemy intruders and was virtually impassable. <br /><br />After some more time I was breathing more heavily and decided to take rest for a while after every few steps. A group of local school children were merrily running around and I felt ashamed panting with exhaustion. The citadel at the top of the hill was visible from there and that helped me not to give up my pursuit. But none the less I was having serious thoughts about my fitness level. Hunger and dearth of drinking water was adding to the woes. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUWoWXJY0Oxu3LeG0Jhl1X6NS2zKkSqJEQFbiXQbMwOx49qrymzFSZCeumzLKB0sMHL9kJJijOG5IAZ1KO98FXpwbNfLKuX4V2VbHjhz-QFXTmfRNcgGS-GQNDR4GD025dwCzrQUsPdY/s1600/DSCN3118.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUWoWXJY0Oxu3LeG0Jhl1X6NS2zKkSqJEQFbiXQbMwOx49qrymzFSZCeumzLKB0sMHL9kJJijOG5IAZ1KO98FXpwbNfLKuX4V2VbHjhz-QFXTmfRNcgGS-GQNDR4GD025dwCzrQUsPdY/s320/DSCN3118.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577541912698411794" /></a><br /><br />Finally, we reached the palace at the top and had the few packs of biscuits we were carrying. The drinking water had also finished by that time. The gentle breeze blowing at such a height was soothing our weary bodies and we rested there for a while. A group of squirrels were wandering around us in search of some food. It was surprising to see how close they came in contact with the human beings, since in the city or the campus of my alma mater college, where there were many squirrels, they always run away in fear whenever they see any human approaching. Perhaps, so far up in the hills they are still innocent and ignorant about the evil intensions of humans. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqetG55GzWjPJ-mfmyNBVTdZMghIzQajzprrSyUda-47nY6YwAWrDHu5yg6ZhTADBMpIhVBf5fEUedwkSLwEKlpgpQhr9DIH8VtGk1AvGhkUoAUO9SoTyDmQ_f8-YNLDx8i-df7nh_Fo/s1600/DSCN3121.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqetG55GzWjPJ-mfmyNBVTdZMghIzQajzprrSyUda-47nY6YwAWrDHu5yg6ZhTADBMpIhVBf5fEUedwkSLwEKlpgpQhr9DIH8VtGk1AvGhkUoAUO9SoTyDmQ_f8-YNLDx8i-df7nh_Fo/s320/DSCN3121.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577541912295891362" /></a><br /><br />When I thought I had at last climbed to the top of the fort, we found that there was a flight of steps going further up. And when we reached that terrace above we found another narrow stairway going still further up. It seemed there was no end of going upwards in the massive fort. Given that we had come that far, we decided to go the last mile as well though our bodies were totally worn out by then. The steps were so narrow that only one person could use it at a time. Finally we were at the topmost point of the fort. It was probably the last strategic rampart adorned with huge cannon. We remained seated there for a while enjoying the magnificent view of the town from there until our hunger got better of us and we started climbing down (which was much easier) hoping to feast on a good meal when we reach the town.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_T321tEDulKV4q_s8nmzAjSucIBOK00ZDB_UELxnXsGFUlgVdoCmZM7b95JU9yOxGfernnzgLCoZh6c649Gqjvfj4hRVEM7d6MLMvsdopYiY2PkxsyNZciafVzh6CmnEKqdA2doVVC9s/s1600/DSCN3122.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_T321tEDulKV4q_s8nmzAjSucIBOK00ZDB_UELxnXsGFUlgVdoCmZM7b95JU9yOxGfernnzgLCoZh6c649Gqjvfj4hRVEM7d6MLMvsdopYiY2PkxsyNZciafVzh6CmnEKqdA2doVVC9s/s320/DSCN3122.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577541918133098754" /></a>Deep Majumderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441918705733399044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346287242583689735.post-52228284453126728942011-02-21T01:11:00.000-08:002011-02-24T23:54:59.891-08:00Amiable AurangabadAurangabad was the second destination in our Maharashtra cave tour and the gateway for Ajanta and Ellora. We boarded the Tapovan Express from Nasik Road station around ten o’clock in the morning and reached Aurangabad just after one in the afternoon. There was a huge crowd at the station and we had to literally elbow our way out. We took an auto and proceeded to our hotel. The magnitude of tourists justified why there had been a paucity of hotels. The tourism hotels were already booked when we tried back in Kolkata. On the internet, a few private hotels were available but at exorbitant prices. On my persistence Santu had booked two rooms at the Gymkhana Club hotel at Rs. 2400 per room per night for the first night only. He was confident that we will find an alternative accommodation on the spot for the next two days, but I was a bit jittery. <br /><br />In the end, it turned out to be a good decision that we did not book the Gymkhana Club for all the three days that we were scheduled to stay in Aurangabad. When we entered the hotel (located on the way to the airport), it looked awesome from the exterior. But when we checked in, our assessment was completely shattered. The were all kind of things in the corridors, there were dirt and loose ends of hairs everywhere inside the rooms, the couches and chairs were stained, there was no soap in the bathroom and I was even not sure if the toilet had been cleaned and disinfected before we checked in. I called up the room service to complain and their excuse was that the entire floor was booked the previous day for a wedding and hence the mess up. A couple of men arrived, a short while later, to clean up the rooms yet again but it did not improve the room condition by a great extent. We had breakfast in Nasik in the morning and did not have much to eat afterwards, so we were almost starving. It was distressing to know that lunch would not be served at that hour. All that we could have was some snacks and tea; that too was not very tasteful. <br /><br />At four o’clock we left the hotel, took an auto and headed towards the Bibi Ka Maqbara. Aurangabad flourished under Malik Ambar, the Prime Minister of Murtaza Nizam Shah of Ahmednagar, who made it his capital in 1610. Before that it was a small place named Khadki. Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb made it the Deccan capital in 1653. Our auto driver was an eccentric one who kept making wisecracks on the city and its people. He was entertaining us with his terrible singing and we felt as if we were in a karaoke show. He was wandering around in all directions and it even appeared to us that he was taking a lengthy route than required (though he did not charge much). Santu was giving him some competition with his equally bad singing. The dreadful part was that he was passing all kinds of comments to the female pedestrians and motor cyclists and was coming up with impromptu Bollywood songs on them. We feared that he might end up being beaten up for eve teasing and we were contemplating how we should escape in that case. Thankfully we reached our destination without any untoward incident. I can not help but mention the amusing photos he had put up inside his auto. In one of them he was standing smartly in between the two superstars Shahrukh Khan (in a stylish suit) and Salman Khan (in his signature topless avatar). The photograph was superimposed of course. The second one was more hilarious. It showed him in the middle blessing two other images of him on the two sides. It was proof enough of how much weird and crazy a man he was.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqFTejtOZxfQroYi3V39Ol9Jhl9LspVsgzRnqtX2OMAhSeVClaQZIzAgzt-WJxOjZPsBuWBaVwdPVJjBsZVyu9n9-b9We_XRaeTX4VGH6NU26f9NK2u8uDUElpBeEQCSD5kMu5wTqIN8/s1600/DSCN3011.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqFTejtOZxfQroYi3V39Ol9Jhl9LspVsgzRnqtX2OMAhSeVClaQZIzAgzt-WJxOjZPsBuWBaVwdPVJjBsZVyu9n9-b9We_XRaeTX4VGH6NU26f9NK2u8uDUElpBeEQCSD5kMu5wTqIN8/s320/DSCN3011.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576068838212668098" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibMN6hnalqkeH56D1OcBnHGniwthsdO-4CeDlCv7KiC1YXa2ZBiESn412J6avLM7rRSKoyGO-G9yoK0-Vk959z95Y4KVAuXY-z-55Yso0ap8-rwrODaHpsjJEOU8LEWojG0iyN9y9yug4/s1600/SNB20843.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibMN6hnalqkeH56D1OcBnHGniwthsdO-4CeDlCv7KiC1YXa2ZBiESn412J6avLM7rRSKoyGO-G9yoK0-Vk959z95Y4KVAuXY-z-55Yso0ap8-rwrODaHpsjJEOU8LEWojG0iyN9y9yug4/s320/SNB20843.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576076237936893954" /></a><br /><br />Bibi Ka Maqbara is the beautiful mausoleum believed to be constructed by Emperor Aurangzeb’s son, Prince Azam Shah, in memory of his mother Rabia-ul Durrani alias Dilras Banu Begum between 1651 and 1661. The mausoleum, designed and constructed by Ata-Ulla, an architect and Hanspat Rai, an engineer, is built at the centre of a high platform with four minarets at the corners and resembles the Taj Mahal of Agra. But unlike Taj Mahal, only the dome and lower body are made of pure marble and though there is some intricate ornamentation, it is no match for the majestic Taj Mahal in terms of artistic splendour. The pavement, pool and kiosk leading to the mausoleum also remind one of the Taj Mahal. The Mughal Garden was not preserved well and the mausoleum was undergoing some maintenance work and the rear side and the dome were enveloped with iron bars. The grave inside was simple, with a flight of stairs going down from the base platform to the grave (the entrance being guarded by a locked iron gate), and some people were throwing money inside. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCd7mXpAoFmIk4sO05jTAWVUuMZoInMBeMiTYRaOsVtUKf1kpNvaImXAysunW_BG_fmst7Mb17E7FiYoQYBXYCnP3fU60Z0u7iLUtkooB3z0L5gONl6c5A6QKqZtYjVAFz00uxm5JO2G0/s1600/DSCN3021.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCd7mXpAoFmIk4sO05jTAWVUuMZoInMBeMiTYRaOsVtUKf1kpNvaImXAysunW_BG_fmst7Mb17E7FiYoQYBXYCnP3fU60Z0u7iLUtkooB3z0L5gONl6c5A6QKqZtYjVAFz00uxm5JO2G0/s320/DSCN3021.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576068847972972754" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7wbrkMx2ZBjR-SPVAT7bdTFmN9rIap9t8nNWOqEU1BJnsiM3vKZeZiz2gNHI0p0osfcgTE8HgVPj5RWK9q3JXT2shDMoELBfO4Eb3anGVIC0c0Smop2Hzjj0uEkqRfhXwDXcCVkUyi8/s1600/SNB20837.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7wbrkMx2ZBjR-SPVAT7bdTFmN9rIap9t8nNWOqEU1BJnsiM3vKZeZiz2gNHI0p0osfcgTE8HgVPj5RWK9q3JXT2shDMoELBfO4Eb3anGVIC0c0Smop2Hzjj0uEkqRfhXwDXcCVkUyi8/s320/SNB20837.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576076229282857762" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBu_J243O_-h_OKaP4Z31F9BnJCegUISqcFZDoinL9IYyRAAdUkZ8aSg9ThCJapSW3sBD-WPmBYcA1j8dWzyqn7R1ExunoArjxbJ-W-B5efPONuYrsorexvxb6Ts1BBUO4-uHB-8LMzjY/s1600/DSCN3012.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBu_J243O_-h_OKaP4Z31F9BnJCegUISqcFZDoinL9IYyRAAdUkZ8aSg9ThCJapSW3sBD-WPmBYcA1j8dWzyqn7R1ExunoArjxbJ-W-B5efPONuYrsorexvxb6Ts1BBUO4-uHB-8LMzjY/s320/DSCN3012.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576068843962916338" /></a><br /><br />We spent some more time in backyard watching the sun go down behind the walls of the complex before we bid good bye to the Taj of Deccan. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnVAmsYyrEv1ufM2VIYyE5gLVMVnW1R7PUMzQhHQqNLR0pIrOrh6RKUQclfAyy2wxZj7x_EXBeYTyIJ0QxHOazanQlbCe896JVXIQl0DgMfPMSvu9gtcEBA6QQWjlScoPrNh8z_GB0jE8/s1600/DSCN3031.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnVAmsYyrEv1ufM2VIYyE5gLVMVnW1R7PUMzQhHQqNLR0pIrOrh6RKUQclfAyy2wxZj7x_EXBeYTyIJ0QxHOazanQlbCe896JVXIQl0DgMfPMSvu9gtcEBA6QQWjlScoPrNh8z_GB0jE8/s320/DSCN3031.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576068849800246850" /></a><br /><br />Now we were left with the big task of searching down a hotel accommodation for the next two days of our stay at Aurangabad. We took an auto from outside the Bibi Ka Maqbara and told the driver to show us some decent hotels in the heart of the city. We were prepared for enduring a tough time but the experience turned out to be more excruciating than we perceived. The first couple of hotels had rooms available but neither the rooms were good nor the room rents were acceptable. In another hotel, the reception clerk showed us a room which was already occupied by some people (who were not present at that time) and their things were scattered all over the place. We rejected that hotel primarily because of security concerns. After visiting a couple of more hotels we found one which was quite nice. It was located near the Anjali Talkies and there was a fine temple of Khadakeshwar (dedicated to Lord Shiva) in the vicinity (that we visited on a later day). Actually Santu inquired some local people in the streets and someone recommended this hotel. The manager of the hotel told us that he would confirm availability of rooms over phone in an hour. Perhaps he was trying to evade paying the auto driver money for bringing customers. However, he did not call up that day and when he finally called on the next day it was too late.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3sv7iLI2iGiVZKFnN3Cvo6iwVYzISe7hG9ZBlBYXPVGlFAu5rR8TeUDez2J5Ax3ky-P8NaPZYojLKacX_AO-KLxksulNob4DO1vE802Aazl4rWdIU2BBTOzpaNVBkZOF86JX3JHa2xY/s1600/DSCN3123.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 277px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3sv7iLI2iGiVZKFnN3Cvo6iwVYzISe7hG9ZBlBYXPVGlFAu5rR8TeUDez2J5Ax3ky-P8NaPZYojLKacX_AO-KLxksulNob4DO1vE802Aazl4rWdIU2BBTOzpaNVBkZOF86JX3JHa2xY/s320/DSCN3123.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576394806361777650" /></a><br /><br />By this time the tout was showing to come out of our auto driver and he was desperate to book some hotel or other for us and he even admitted that he would end up making some extra money that way. The issue was that he was inclined to take us only to the hotels of his choice where probably he would make more money. And even in some circumstances when we asked him to wait outside, he would end up accompanying us into the hotel. I remember one hotel where there was a notice board in the reception area proclaiming that they do not indulge in bargaining like other hotels because they are confident that their services are much more superior to others. Later when we checked the rooms they were so poor that we could only laugh at their boasting of providing unparallel amenities. Shortly we paid off the auto driver who had started to nag and started on a wayward mission on foot. We came across some good hotels but there were no rooms available. Santu was primarily entrusted with the task of finding a decent hotel since it was he who was of the idea that we could book any hotel on the spot very easily. He and Srimanta knocked on all the hotels that we came across on our way while Anirban and I simply followed suit and even we lost them after some time. But no agreeable hotel, not even the star rated ones had any room available. By then our hunt for hotels had completed nearly three hours and it was taking its toll on us. We were physically exhausted apart from being terribly frustrated. Finally we booked two rooms at Hotel Venkateshwara at Rs 1200 per room per night. It was not very good to be honest but we were tired of searching any more and did not believe that we could get hold of any better room even if we continued our search. We had a pathetic dinner in a nearby restaurant and returned to the Gymkhana Club for a good night’s sleep after an arduous exercise which was no less than an exploration. <br /><br />After breakfast we came back again to the hotel, checked into our rooms and started for the Aurangabad caves. Aurangabad has its own group of Buddhist caves which were curved out of the hills in the 6th and 7th century A.D. They are situated further away from Bibi Ka Maqbara but we could not visit them the previous day due to lack of time. The road leading to the caves bifurcates at a place with 5 caves on the left and the rest on the right side. The two groups of caves are almost half a km apart. We first visited caves numbered 1 to 5 which are located on the left side.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcAeu-fTuRlY97Fxuww7L-1eEmK-u5ENhMGSXVK6Z1Bacc1rLnqTv8MrZyAEkzqwGzwGff7Or6dN98n-hLHKWanDlgdtrzGjwb8QCUBH-TRm50Lbno1f4nwb6iZjcJ2wmoBMiC-ujtcgc/s1600/DSCN3066.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 315px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcAeu-fTuRlY97Fxuww7L-1eEmK-u5ENhMGSXVK6Z1Bacc1rLnqTv8MrZyAEkzqwGzwGff7Or6dN98n-hLHKWanDlgdtrzGjwb8QCUBH-TRm50Lbno1f4nwb6iZjcJ2wmoBMiC-ujtcgc/s320/DSCN3066.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576069880665323986" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTd_dP45V2W78n2sFiw2JRufdNRnR1CppYxzuvpBYkFkffBosgf7YZEiLcbHS-1rC478xu6ajE9uwGBJ3z-oIlapZJ7ERzVRtm53F-6HqDnh2D7YjBu7O8P5AGaN-8-p9i8Q0MH5apY0/s1600/DSCN3054.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 118px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTd_dP45V2W78n2sFiw2JRufdNRnR1CppYxzuvpBYkFkffBosgf7YZEiLcbHS-1rC478xu6ajE9uwGBJ3z-oIlapZJ7ERzVRtm53F-6HqDnh2D7YjBu7O8P5AGaN-8-p9i8Q0MH5apY0/s320/DSCN3054.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576069877011096258" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUaXO50K_mbfhLgv2BJL_ew1sGCXFFGdtxoW6y_9aISlD8lWA52mbOMA1YmliZcjCBooorKvtPCvRpgXRxTCUQ5_Oy0KQZavHtWnrTcHU6DsXvcz7lbaWwAwhyphenhyphenwsDYg9DIFueaJTcGnZQ/s1600/DSCN3068.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 174px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUaXO50K_mbfhLgv2BJL_ew1sGCXFFGdtxoW6y_9aISlD8lWA52mbOMA1YmliZcjCBooorKvtPCvRpgXRxTCUQ5_Oy0KQZavHtWnrTcHU6DsXvcz7lbaWwAwhyphenhyphenwsDYg9DIFueaJTcGnZQ/s320/DSCN3068.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576069873688989858" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_v9BAD8Tij-t_uWRWcKkywXDYKtWim7d5u9KbfK6xG7o29nWUMSZYoFXMaC5FClToaUZEJS8vrp4ieePdrlRub1Yph87ih6jpPAg8mV9uLRgkMzj1v6RLJmZSOjTxUihkZK3_aHHY5Ro/s1600/DSC00823.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 174px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_v9BAD8Tij-t_uWRWcKkywXDYKtWim7d5u9KbfK6xG7o29nWUMSZYoFXMaC5FClToaUZEJS8vrp4ieePdrlRub1Yph87ih6jpPAg8mV9uLRgkMzj1v6RLJmZSOjTxUihkZK3_aHHY5Ro/s320/DSC00823.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576076243795174898" /></a><br /><br />Although nothing much was mentioned in the tourism website about these caves, we were much impressed with their spectacular artwork. Our cave experience was getting better place by place and we were very excited about what Ajanta and Ellora would have in store for us. We were the only tourists who visited the caves at that hour so it was very peaceful. Even our auto driver bought his own ticket and accompanied us to the caves. Later he confessed that though he had lived in Aurangabad for some years he had not visited the caves up till then. One of the caves (probably Cave 3) is a Chaitya Griha (prayer hall) with the usual apse surrounded by the octagonal pillars. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYciNk3abZyRmVo1msnYUXVGXwnUYi5Gp_THaRUYiqeUJP2j6CwhWYxdXbXOD4TsuL82RF9ph_hvD2htqBXMOjr4G_UJFaR3TaR80T4nF5urLxW59NZTq19sVqA6R1jKisEoxdNOkdamM/s1600/DSCN3055.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYciNk3abZyRmVo1msnYUXVGXwnUYi5Gp_THaRUYiqeUJP2j6CwhWYxdXbXOD4TsuL82RF9ph_hvD2htqBXMOjr4G_UJFaR3TaR80T4nF5urLxW59NZTq19sVqA6R1jKisEoxdNOkdamM/s320/DSCN3055.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576069887212199170" /></a><br /><br />In the second group, Cave 7 is the most elaborate and famous. In fact it is the only cave about which some information was put up by the Archeological Survey of India. The monastery has a pillared verandah and cells circumambulating the square sanctum in the centre. The immaculate sculptural panels include images of Avalokiteshvara and Padmapani and some dancing deities. <br /><br />In one of the other caves (probably Cave 6) it was interesting to notice a Ganesh idol beside a Buddha figure. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGnXXrG-Dj2TzYTx2GetJj1YZNJgnTvkvEXO_2Lr1fAf9vpr5aO6whwXKYfgRPrO98BsW-mkuY-UN77pqZ-P6kHPkK-zqGK76MuPO41UMLN1nzR70WttV973vsgCkfftH4NtVIdPmHLY/s1600/DSCN3063.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGnXXrG-Dj2TzYTx2GetJj1YZNJgnTvkvEXO_2Lr1fAf9vpr5aO6whwXKYfgRPrO98BsW-mkuY-UN77pqZ-P6kHPkK-zqGK76MuPO41UMLN1nzR70WttV973vsgCkfftH4NtVIdPmHLY/s320/DSCN3063.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576071056886095842" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTjR3BLcepFjgH5-32KED4g5H4qTiH55brLNTUVmp8rXOA-wqfhF7YkrXyLs1OUGlqdlFuJ5NhqX2ifS8MhrlYNOKVmgNAond1YEP12_c18-zL3JnORG7oMfVb4ELRWOGHWRDCUpRunU/s1600/DSCN3064.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTjR3BLcepFjgH5-32KED4g5H4qTiH55brLNTUVmp8rXOA-wqfhF7YkrXyLs1OUGlqdlFuJ5NhqX2ifS8MhrlYNOKVmgNAond1YEP12_c18-zL3JnORG7oMfVb4ELRWOGHWRDCUpRunU/s320/DSCN3064.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576069889618349362" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8SZf6lEbE0Ay_iDczpKDP7slbVpgvcpYNOiZ6jmQWjBAo91fAdpO-89ksNXQ88fZCRKXkZExFwxwFxKF1qveLWYtfEo6ABNTvUoQJbIQ6yagGz6SojlvipqbXfTxX-bEORpNSr5R0HM/s1600/DSCN3039.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8SZf6lEbE0Ay_iDczpKDP7slbVpgvcpYNOiZ6jmQWjBAo91fAdpO-89ksNXQ88fZCRKXkZExFwxwFxKF1qveLWYtfEo6ABNTvUoQJbIQ6yagGz6SojlvipqbXfTxX-bEORpNSr5R0HM/s320/DSCN3039.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576071067659155650" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPfHWGMg8G3Mj4Ayh4yIFuFY8e9IGI3l6ey33lklS9PIRhCCrkKiFGg_LLtbCYCpG0FyRh81XKvuMcFtjcXxjkEWaI6vfnuOg5hKK1CUIcPxzp6Nh9bbJPLgqgA0hY-nSCp8yrnLKdxxo/s1600/DSCN3075.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPfHWGMg8G3Mj4Ayh4yIFuFY8e9IGI3l6ey33lklS9PIRhCCrkKiFGg_LLtbCYCpG0FyRh81XKvuMcFtjcXxjkEWaI6vfnuOg5hKK1CUIcPxzp6Nh9bbJPLgqgA0hY-nSCp8yrnLKdxxo/s320/DSCN3075.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576071063290353602" /></a><br /><br />We came out of the caves and spent a few moments capturing the barren beauty that surrounded the hills. On the other hand the hills themselves were not devoid of vegetation and we even noticed some cows roaming on the steep slopes of the hills and eating grass. It astonished us how they walked up to that height and how they were balancing themselves. A few more tourists were turning up and it was time for us to move on. The breakfast we had had a couple of hours earlier had been digested by then and we planned to have lunch first and then set out for Daulatabad. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhyhbCYrorhIty_e0ZxjSZTdgdu6MR3VVUhlFFH1Sfp4OFXqFFjYdab00_RvSwUVfjlBNZaJbcXEy_FGOwuaqQGGsZUnnIlB1mpPltb4EMZiwjma63uqtks4YOg_rPCzMVDcySTgT3_Y/s1600/DSC00851.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhyhbCYrorhIty_e0ZxjSZTdgdu6MR3VVUhlFFH1Sfp4OFXqFFjYdab00_RvSwUVfjlBNZaJbcXEy_FGOwuaqQGGsZUnnIlB1mpPltb4EMZiwjma63uqtks4YOg_rPCzMVDcySTgT3_Y/s320/DSC00851.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576076896393060370" /></a>Deep Majumderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441918705733399044noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346287242583689735.post-45951837052147342412011-01-17T21:47:00.000-08:002011-02-24T23:52:56.066-08:00Numinous NasikChristmas always provides a good time for vacation, since there is less work pressure, at least till I have clients based in the US (I sincerely hope to have the same opportunity next year also :-)). Srimanta and I went to a lovely trip of Gwalior, Orchha and Varanasi during the same time, the previous year and decided to visit the caves of Ajanta and Ellora this time round. To spend a few more days out, we expanded our itinerary and included Nasik as the starting place of our tour. I must admit, Savi and Madhu’s travel blog, 10yearitch.com, provided some wonderful inputs for this tour and following their posts, I became interested about Nasik which is otherwise not a very happening tourist spot. <br /><br />The tour planning was not without any worry or initial hiccups. Firstly, there was a question mark on Srimanta’s availability as he was outside the country. However, he confirmed that he will return home a week before Christmas. Santu and Anirban became the other members of the tour gang and there were issues with them as well like whether Santu would be joining us from Mumbai and Anirban who was serving his notice period would be granted the leave. Thankfully, all of us could ultimately make the trip and the trip became more interesting and enjoyable this time with more people.<br /><br />However, due to the indecision about who would be really going and who may miss out due to unavoidable circumstances, we could not book any hotel until about a week before the trip and at that time we felt the heat as we found a real scarcity of hotel rooms (at least the MTDC ones which we initially planned to book). Santu suggested looking for hotels on the spot, but I was apprehensive due to the fact that it was peak tourist season in Maharashtra. The Diamond Tours & Travels whose office we visited for booking MTDC hotels could not even book any private hotel for us in Nasik. Luckily I got a good deal on cleartrip.com and booked Hotel Rama Heritage and it turned out to be the best hotel in our entire trip.<br /><br />We boarded the HWH CSTM Express in the afternoon of Friday, the 24th of December and we spent most of the journey playing cards. Anirban was carrying a deck of cards and just like hostel days we were so much engrossed playing 29 that we stopped in between long hours of play only for taking meals and toilet breaks. The train was right on time. We reached Nasik Road station in the evening of the following day and took an auto to Hotel Rama Heritage. It was a really good value for money experience. I booked two rooms at Rs. 1500 per room per night and even got near 30% money back from cleartrip.com later on. Just after we checked in, the hotel staff brought us some complimentary Christmas pastries and it set the tone of our pleasant stay at the hotel for the next couple of days.<br /><br />The next morning, after the complimentary breakfast at the hotel, we took an auto to the Pandavleni caves. The auto left us at the foot of the Trivashmi hills, about 8 Kms from the city of Nasik and we climbed some steep steps to reach the caves. There were in total 24 caves dating back to 1st century B.C. and 2nd century A.D. The tourism website mentioned that the caves were home to Jain saints like Tirthankara Vrishabdeo, Veer Manibhadraji and Ambikadevi, but we found many Buddhist sculptures as well and one of them seemed to be the Mahanirvana of Buddha. A notice board put up by the Archeological Survey of India which maintains the place mentioned about inscriptions in the caves belonging to the period of Satavahanas and Kshatrapas but most of them except for a few caves had been eroded away. <br /><br />Cave 13, an important cave in this group is the earliest of the caves and is a Chaitya Griha (prayer hall). All others are Viharas (monasteries). Caves numbered 3,8,10 and 23 are the other important caves. We had anticipated that we would be mesmerized by the caves of Ajanta and Ellora in this trip, but we thoroughly enjoyed these caves as well and it marked a good start of the tour. They reminded me of the Elephanta and Karla caves that I visited during my brief stint in Mumbai in 2006. The Chaitya Griha comprised the usual nave, apse and octagonal pillars and wood-like carvings over the doorway. Many of the sculptures were in good condition but undoubtedly many more had been looted away or vandalized with the passage of time. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfT7r3L6SrN0B1ot6PBidh9ua7czn6aGyKywTF6MN523SlqIkz_oLEVYBz_Y2AcBob70fmE-W9vd9iObIaNmbNqdUL08o3pGfXfe3X4WlbH7wQR4e4Uin20OIfkKabWcipeDT9Gv23SDk/s1600/DSCN2922.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 261px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfT7r3L6SrN0B1ot6PBidh9ua7czn6aGyKywTF6MN523SlqIkz_oLEVYBz_Y2AcBob70fmE-W9vd9iObIaNmbNqdUL08o3pGfXfe3X4WlbH7wQR4e4Uin20OIfkKabWcipeDT9Gv23SDk/s320/DSCN2922.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563453335059050322" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_1V4xkZFek7ZGf7bQSH1ChLY6ZGcKvutqau45UE3WQFo3VHQFmFiYNJWnJURymeHgdDqVoghhbx1W4ZJzX5wdJEeTWGpdGY6yITs3-P1PAr88fAYbWal7hfXhEMuHY8CFO6BIzK7SZPQ/s1600/DSCN2921.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_1V4xkZFek7ZGf7bQSH1ChLY6ZGcKvutqau45UE3WQFo3VHQFmFiYNJWnJURymeHgdDqVoghhbx1W4ZJzX5wdJEeTWGpdGY6yITs3-P1PAr88fAYbWal7hfXhEMuHY8CFO6BIzK7SZPQ/s320/DSCN2921.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563453321507024066" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZslTKmDVY4ombcDW3nA5EzuJGWtCwEnAzUIrs8DVZlCkZwdzRj64Qyb6tLyLnYf9CGXgvetV6VUO6H4G_UTS1Unyv7bykWO-6_UBbdg6THEhUqA0T6ur1NddPluWveEQjMTgKLXWgaGg/s1600/DSCN2920.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZslTKmDVY4ombcDW3nA5EzuJGWtCwEnAzUIrs8DVZlCkZwdzRj64Qyb6tLyLnYf9CGXgvetV6VUO6H4G_UTS1Unyv7bykWO-6_UBbdg6THEhUqA0T6ur1NddPluWveEQjMTgKLXWgaGg/s320/DSCN2920.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563453317771163442" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLSmZUDfCOaJIgyWUx80TtKLaI_WHJN1RAsV-OcFnUeoNhPgFNNkaDWFtJQb87uO6Fb0btp4rVvpQ8li9KKFcwf509atKo4RyBy-SDMHycwVwDx_4994PG4ca4RDvDvK5khNISTzYlfcU/s1600/DSCN2929.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLSmZUDfCOaJIgyWUx80TtKLaI_WHJN1RAsV-OcFnUeoNhPgFNNkaDWFtJQb87uO6Fb0btp4rVvpQ8li9KKFcwf509atKo4RyBy-SDMHycwVwDx_4994PG4ca4RDvDvK5khNISTzYlfcU/s320/DSCN2929.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563454622133278002" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigb4BogV4zZXnBstLumZG5Jr5wfayYQZDQfRUf2ovxkwgn60lKRAAUaRQqkDwE19cfnnaDxe3eAkiMK7JuwLC5uZSCYKDB0WK4GPXP-T9XYuq7SWS4Nn6AmlSSnz1ozl29sNAmVT-S0Cw/s1600/DSCN2918.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 177px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigb4BogV4zZXnBstLumZG5Jr5wfayYQZDQfRUf2ovxkwgn60lKRAAUaRQqkDwE19cfnnaDxe3eAkiMK7JuwLC5uZSCYKDB0WK4GPXP-T9XYuq7SWS4Nn6AmlSSnz1ozl29sNAmVT-S0Cw/s320/DSCN2918.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563453310652123074" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6289Zj5gVJkZO0hs9hd1V1gUVzc1Ak1lBDxK6jj_I5ZCpuLtrAJfLkBz2G_fYh-fxFP75Mwp_USXa9YqPHuBWyhrQ0Xho4vHCOAC8bBZwBSfMbz9kByIXaIZl3pHTrnPYonkPei4e5s/s1600/DSCN2928.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6289Zj5gVJkZO0hs9hd1V1gUVzc1Ak1lBDxK6jj_I5ZCpuLtrAJfLkBz2G_fYh-fxFP75Mwp_USXa9YqPHuBWyhrQ0Xho4vHCOAC8bBZwBSfMbz9kByIXaIZl3pHTrnPYonkPei4e5s/s320/DSCN2928.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563453337212624530" /></a><br /><br />Now as we were walking along the caves we stopped from time to time taking pictures of the sculptures as well as ourselves and with four cameras you can well imagine the time we spent on the photo session. And then people were taking snaps with and without sunglasses (I was the only one who had no choice but to stick to my pair of spectacles) and Santu was busy showing off his newly gym-acquired biceps and Srimanta kept bringing out his collection of caps (throughout the tour). In the midst of all this Santu suddenly realized that he had lost his camera bag somewhere in the caves and that brought the sleuths out of us. We checked the photos in each of our cameras and were certain that he left the bag at a stone carving of one of the caves while some one else was taking his photo and forgot to take it back. Now the question was which cave was it. After consulting some more photos which were taken just after that photo we could finally identify the cave and revisited it. The bag was lying peacefully at the very place that we anticipated along with our tickets and we made Santu promise to treat us to celebrate the discovery of the lost bag. The fact that Santu actually treated us later on (though he at first tried to play it down) and that the bill was far more than the cost of the bag would help us remember the incident for a long time :-)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHEegYN97hLIB5D0ZaiM8vK0hL_hyphenhyphentNd3x3DShCYesMTYqxGVE1a_kv2ByeS1VVNn5IYN0ANWOOQ-JFiDIBZIk7a8UFgkcuyBO5p2Gnb1YOsh5iAsLBfe2dwLvL4czgDQkdNJ0wgPvWMA/s1600/DSC00709.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHEegYN97hLIB5D0ZaiM8vK0hL_hyphenhyphentNd3x3DShCYesMTYqxGVE1a_kv2ByeS1VVNn5IYN0ANWOOQ-JFiDIBZIk7a8UFgkcuyBO5p2Gnb1YOsh5iAsLBfe2dwLvL4czgDQkdNJ0wgPvWMA/s320/DSC00709.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563452161098117442" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRimC78G3WRaQcEL7_JvuKTF4RwOLghB0DONxcky3-OHSmzgdW8q8svSR6VB76GwKjG5Wgd2sqJj5nzTGpmTlaGbO79_pPyNo_CUw5AjSfmubvprwCzWffeatVWWVKAVPLOvKsBXbwao/s1600/DSC00699.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 298px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRimC78G3WRaQcEL7_JvuKTF4RwOLghB0DONxcky3-OHSmzgdW8q8svSR6VB76GwKjG5Wgd2sqJj5nzTGpmTlaGbO79_pPyNo_CUw5AjSfmubvprwCzWffeatVWWVKAVPLOvKsBXbwao/s320/DSC00699.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563452155972298434" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3dFIfYjudsuVzIv1ro5Ioqaf2SmvTxMJ6Na22jiMs5toKwsAIxCSKK9za_PAqzyvqahUaAqmCTXZpu-A6_zwCcjdXiYUE5xDWKq0pGZURBmva3AxDWYIbSLxi0hA93sRSC8UyAV7Iy6Q/s1600/DSCN2931.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3dFIfYjudsuVzIv1ro5Ioqaf2SmvTxMJ6Na22jiMs5toKwsAIxCSKK9za_PAqzyvqahUaAqmCTXZpu-A6_zwCcjdXiYUE5xDWKq0pGZURBmva3AxDWYIbSLxi0hA93sRSC8UyAV7Iy6Q/s320/DSCN2931.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563452146046243122" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS7YomopW__ItPuDd7UWg_sCJ3VHEvp0YncG3oZwkdl-Ex_QoMldwoSV9Wv4-oWahNtxgUI2Rzu4FjqRz6JO1d5N2NqGM74zRFhYgtT8ig7bndj_aSFS9Hwkl1wBLvp14NSJAxqriui7s/s1600/DSCN2905.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 284px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS7YomopW__ItPuDd7UWg_sCJ3VHEvp0YncG3oZwkdl-Ex_QoMldwoSV9Wv4-oWahNtxgUI2Rzu4FjqRz6JO1d5N2NqGM74zRFhYgtT8ig7bndj_aSFS9Hwkl1wBLvp14NSJAxqriui7s/s320/DSCN2905.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563452146205484034" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6n0L9NPVe2WT-3yk7CctuapsKTM6TlMwiTRj-oOUoqCeblcCZLMOs8ssXS1W0CCYQONw7_iejA031KVgSwqEbeNo1oaSVWu7RQjuQnpz-zd8qJLaIPXwAnN0FMYkzW66nnN6dEI4M84w/s1600/DSCN2938.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6n0L9NPVe2WT-3yk7CctuapsKTM6TlMwiTRj-oOUoqCeblcCZLMOs8ssXS1W0CCYQONw7_iejA031KVgSwqEbeNo1oaSVWu7RQjuQnpz-zd8qJLaIPXwAnN0FMYkzW66nnN6dEI4M84w/s320/DSCN2938.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563454625826189826" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPpxgue1Qm8i-vbT6eRltKeTjeSc7lPjG8CoqjczQ7cj65tUISAnZNU21VfKvEfBTbL6aPN6gTb-dn2A9WXCxFe0N9ORw1Qwx0ntQvOFESaCpcIIo3b7WeQqbMTimtev_8em3wbm7NASk/s1600/DSCN2942.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 195px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPpxgue1Qm8i-vbT6eRltKeTjeSc7lPjG8CoqjczQ7cj65tUISAnZNU21VfKvEfBTbL6aPN6gTb-dn2A9WXCxFe0N9ORw1Qwx0ntQvOFESaCpcIIo3b7WeQqbMTimtev_8em3wbm7NASk/s320/DSCN2942.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563447649812907538" /></a><br /><br />After visiting the last of the caves, we rested for a while and watched the beautiful tableland across the hill that housed the caves, before we went down and visited the stupa styled Buddha Vihar located just at the bottom of the hills. It was a bit confusing to figure out the entrance of the Vihar. It has quite a massive dome in the centre and contains a huge golden statue of Buddha in the middle of a large meditation hall. The fascinating thing about the hall was that it created echo of the slightest of sounds, even of tapping of fingers. A photographer (who might be someone associated with the Buddha Vihar) was requesting people to maintain peace and not to make noise. However, quite a few people seemed to amuse themselves by the reverberations of the little sounds they were making and some of them were even coughing deliberately. At first I was wondering who would be paying that guy to take pictures at this kind of a place but to my amusement I found many groups (some of them being quite big to be an entire neighbourhood) assembling together to take group photos. After spending some time there, we moved on to the Dadasaheb Phalke memorial, which was located right next to the Buddha Vihar.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxnHjgoq2CekTYoewmF05pDuVU9R8n_NnkOZWOtU3apoj6hGMd0ZZVPMSUPoY3_vpAm94a2Dr4s2QUj0f2xCiahiZ055TEwlQA3g3jtRiroG6fF4QFJ90KtT583C4ps4muYJpM1qoicu4/s1600/DSCN2943.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 205px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxnHjgoq2CekTYoewmF05pDuVU9R8n_NnkOZWOtU3apoj6hGMd0ZZVPMSUPoY3_vpAm94a2Dr4s2QUj0f2xCiahiZ055TEwlQA3g3jtRiroG6fF4QFJ90KtT583C4ps4muYJpM1qoicu4/s320/DSCN2943.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563447646337370418" /></a><br /><br />Dhundiraj Govind Phalke better known as Dadsaheb Phalke is known as the pioneer of Indian cinema. His debut film Raja Harishchandra (1913) is India’s first full length feature film. In his career span of 19 years he made 95 movies and 26 short films, mainly based on mythological stories of India. Today his name is associated with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, instituted in 1969, the birth centenary year of Dadasaheb Phalke by the Government of India for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema, and is considered the highest award one can achieve in Indian cinema. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZGJ0Vp6zWRNQZ60DZWchrP2cQgWOcoL4t-SEnuYN3Xn5RDlISeB6clWfzp1iVd4d74ZbKHmlbiGskret684wKbJNEAjty27fNFZVO54Xu7plJRfZK3_EWHbiCYmnhMCprF0-bV382VU/s1600/DSCN2945.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZGJ0Vp6zWRNQZ60DZWchrP2cQgWOcoL4t-SEnuYN3Xn5RDlISeB6clWfzp1iVd4d74ZbKHmlbiGskret684wKbJNEAjty27fNFZVO54Xu7plJRfZK3_EWHbiCYmnhMCprF0-bV382VU/s320/DSCN2945.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563404387348073314" /></a><br /><br />The memorial hall displays posters of Indian cinema right from the time of Raja Harishchandra to the most recent ones, like Lagaan, Swades and even Koi… Mil gaya.<br /><br />Actually we had a tough time to locate the memorial hall. We first inquired about it from the local security men and they told us that it was closed as it was a Sunday. But when they pointed out the hall and suggested that we could still peek through the window panes, we found out that it was some other exhibition hall displaying archeological artifacts. Then when we mentioned that we were actually looking for the hall that consists of cinema posters, they realized the mix up and showed us the right hall. All the time it was extremely difficult to converse with them since they were speaking mainly in Marathi with a little bit of Hindi in between. <br /><br />One can circumambulate the hall and see the posters in a chronological order starting from the earliest films and slowly moving on to the later ones. We could recognize the films and the artists only when we came to the period of Raj Kapoors and Dilip Kumars and Dev Anands. The posters of the major films of that era that I remember comprises Kabuliwala, Saheb Biwi aur Ghulam, Hum Dono, Naya Daur, Do Bigha Zameen, Bandini, Shree 420, Mother India and many more. Then were the posters of late 60s and 70s like Dev Anand’s Guide, Amitabh Bachchan’s Deewar and Kabhi Kabhie, Rajesh Khanna’s Aradhana and Anand and Sanveev Kumar’s Koshish. There was a section for the parallel cinema movement as well with posters of films like Paar and Ardh Satya. On the other end, posters from the movies of nineties and the new millennium were displayed. Though there were many standout films of recent times, still I would say that the selection of newer movies could have been a little bit more careful since there were a few forgettable movies finding their way in the hall.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6fv7gJPiNDHP2ieozISwAsd_egEDLSzuBHQkVfFAvmuOowMi50FE2gay__8DWNgfypL8ZaIVChyrhwIjnZn6ompOqjs3Gno2IIKG00ktoYHZRneZ4Dfg1bamIOc5NOrSI0K01aLB_rM/s1600/Collages_1_2.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6fv7gJPiNDHP2ieozISwAsd_egEDLSzuBHQkVfFAvmuOowMi50FE2gay__8DWNgfypL8ZaIVChyrhwIjnZn6ompOqjs3Gno2IIKG00ktoYHZRneZ4Dfg1bamIOc5NOrSI0K01aLB_rM/s320/Collages_1_2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563411158845015682" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzh-1eNYI0_BBT136aIQFNz9yjyQb8TzIyclBisjf-TmhxA8gaBANVKsax-Xz1uVOYkccv-4aYo7YIhyHbZPbk1r5d8ceSMBIiIjxeNVQHs70kx2iOi_vB3CqcqQYI_1fX9ltkqIY4jY/s1600/Collages_1_1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzh-1eNYI0_BBT136aIQFNz9yjyQb8TzIyclBisjf-TmhxA8gaBANVKsax-Xz1uVOYkccv-4aYo7YIhyHbZPbk1r5d8ceSMBIiIjxeNVQHs70kx2iOi_vB3CqcqQYI_1fX9ltkqIY4jY/s320/Collages_1_1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563411150746128258" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9tBBHCiwNTHPpgSvBca-xW_Uh8euBt48pAjAsq073eWrJfSdIvu8t01j9H84hkH3qmaNCXYqzr2q2U3tmuIjGm68Vu9X8iQ-l5hzVnG8Y77ic0hTs0VgRjmdv2cHJbEk1VtKR6j53H-U/s1600/Collages_2.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9tBBHCiwNTHPpgSvBca-xW_Uh8euBt48pAjAsq073eWrJfSdIvu8t01j9H84hkH3qmaNCXYqzr2q2U3tmuIjGm68Vu9X8iQ-l5hzVnG8Y77ic0hTs0VgRjmdv2cHJbEk1VtKR6j53H-U/s320/Collages_2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563408948864019602" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHEwiJ9E1mCNzbhW-RH3fU4mE0knKvdzuPDqFS2t5v9M5WZ5KSVeHYjpQVbpFBvYo7KYru-e9Sre3mrA4274v_xTAH_fPJL7xxe5_fcSo4oefC5c12a-DXgQbj66-EQEdCZ7omvgW6gGY/s1600/Collages_3.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHEwiJ9E1mCNzbhW-RH3fU4mE0knKvdzuPDqFS2t5v9M5WZ5KSVeHYjpQVbpFBvYo7KYru-e9Sre3mrA4274v_xTAH_fPJL7xxe5_fcSo4oefC5c12a-DXgQbj66-EQEdCZ7omvgW6gGY/s320/Collages_3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563403017224267746" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6ijVzJeKWRl_J4SELQBN4BSnyLfSBH_TwsHcTXvO7ChrPRmTwdyPoG3H3N5u-NJQI5kaorc1fH2TLc4cPLAwY6ycMB6hvQjT4ijhKNY395udZHPvnz_h0NtbitFvvDlscQunfgJmLC8/s1600/DSCN2969.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 185px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6ijVzJeKWRl_J4SELQBN4BSnyLfSBH_TwsHcTXvO7ChrPRmTwdyPoG3H3N5u-NJQI5kaorc1fH2TLc4cPLAwY6ycMB6hvQjT4ijhKNY395udZHPvnz_h0NtbitFvvDlscQunfgJmLC8/s320/DSCN2969.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563412290656370994" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp96C8IQJK2TFSHjxo5KfKovqKr5F3Jlr3_Jfg-MZ9ffzAiuDzKPOllpda4GKKMZziH4EX9C0asH60Xqw5Qxtt2s4rlq2w2ZVZkIMyqW0j3Kh8WX1LY7UfwYM53PJzbZWYWrFc1-PPJAI/s1600/DSCN2948.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp96C8IQJK2TFSHjxo5KfKovqKr5F3Jlr3_Jfg-MZ9ffzAiuDzKPOllpda4GKKMZziH4EX9C0asH60Xqw5Qxtt2s4rlq2w2ZVZkIMyqW0j3Kh8WX1LY7UfwYM53PJzbZWYWrFc1-PPJAI/s320/DSCN2948.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563412296220814594" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLr3g5thFeKd9VAMRcMiCKssPrqk4gw6tGbIVzqqOaa4dTqK0yZ0j88axrJq51N7I_OhRmiw6xaNphyphenhyphen-hr2xZRiI0lGoVvoSeaa4nLur0baqk4J3xekJKu0efNvAkHitBpBXKS8u0DjpE/s1600/DSCN2967.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLr3g5thFeKd9VAMRcMiCKssPrqk4gw6tGbIVzqqOaa4dTqK0yZ0j88axrJq51N7I_OhRmiw6xaNphyphenhyphen-hr2xZRiI0lGoVvoSeaa4nLur0baqk4J3xekJKu0efNvAkHitBpBXKS8u0DjpE/s320/DSCN2967.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563412286747829666" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nygzMDYfimSlE8KNuo3VOOO4MalD1hC_3KNlogH3V0N1TcQeg49JA72zFUtK9BP3beH4wh3TIHxC0NdKwGg3MPaFfzGeQxmCx0TVpSUlm88-AtvlD_AtcrL05EpMW_R5PWbsYIA_hlQ/s1600/Collages_3.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nygzMDYfimSlE8KNuo3VOOO4MalD1hC_3KNlogH3V0N1TcQeg49JA72zFUtK9BP3beH4wh3TIHxC0NdKwGg3MPaFfzGeQxmCx0TVpSUlm88-AtvlD_AtcrL05EpMW_R5PWbsYIA_hlQ/s320/Collages_3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563405170360123602" /></a><br /><br />At the centre of the hall, a section was dedicated to the three blockbusters of three generations considered to be the milestones of Indian cinema, namely Mughal-E-Azam, Sholay and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_L0nu5JTHRLD6JCr2iSXD_pkeqb9f0INinm2ohLIwScilIvkg0oK4XeANCfYZn1K3U1Eygo5pETWz1qx_dVQuA4mWulh_NJHZEdPEv3FikGzw6cAko3mfi4_ZaWPaiMYuR8AWRiN8G7A/s1600/DSCN2947.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_L0nu5JTHRLD6JCr2iSXD_pkeqb9f0INinm2ohLIwScilIvkg0oK4XeANCfYZn1K3U1Eygo5pETWz1qx_dVQuA4mWulh_NJHZEdPEv3FikGzw6cAko3mfi4_ZaWPaiMYuR8AWRiN8G7A/s320/DSCN2947.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563404407650446066" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7e_EAE9dTamhikQQ-bXurNdV6NlWsRzlURPBdwrhOcd54tl-ChnSzCMvmgXk-fJCsLVTzbZHEd5W9fN1lrtNxkwYM-31Pnv9hQABQAFbIhASyR6JGb84T81iv_5jjgADu2Q3u2dwtj1s/s1600/DSCN2946.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 233px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7e_EAE9dTamhikQQ-bXurNdV6NlWsRzlURPBdwrhOcd54tl-ChnSzCMvmgXk-fJCsLVTzbZHEd5W9fN1lrtNxkwYM-31Pnv9hQABQAFbIhASyR6JGb84T81iv_5jjgADu2Q3u2dwtj1s/s320/DSCN2946.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563404394919275986" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4tHH9hDkZsnwIA9FouwS_4vyLVQgR9-BeiPWFx8fE6rhHSroBdJ82ZENpJ6W2UpJVFbvmwchbZx51qCH8sfMOCVVP_iTkuMc5zakZdAOSJZu8sRq0GVD3rrnH8kAnO7yV9nz4XZmaIC8/s1600/DSCN2961.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 219px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4tHH9hDkZsnwIA9FouwS_4vyLVQgR9-BeiPWFx8fE6rhHSroBdJ82ZENpJ6W2UpJVFbvmwchbZx51qCH8sfMOCVVP_iTkuMc5zakZdAOSJZu8sRq0GVD3rrnH8kAnO7yV9nz4XZmaIC8/s320/DSCN2961.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563404411955522306" /></a><br /><br />After we completed our tour of the Dadasaheb Phalke memorial, we had our lunch in a nearby hotel. The bearer who served us turned out to be a Bengali and it was nice to order in our native tongue in a place far away from our home. Our next destination was the pilgrimage spot at the heart of the old city of Nasik and we asked him for directions. He advised us to take a local bus to Panchvati. So we came back to the main road, had a paan each from a nearby paan shop and waited for the bus which arrived shortly. The surprising thing I noticed was that the bus conductors in Maharashtra gives out custom printed tickets from a small portable printing machine they carry which are not like the bundle of pre-printed tickets that we are accustomed to with bus conductors in Kolkata. <br /><br />Panchvati is a significant holy place in Nasik and the legend goes that Lord Rama stayed there for some time with his wife Sita and brother Laxman during their 14 year exile. After reaching the place and inquiring with a few locals we realized that the whole area in general and not any specific spot is known as Panchvati. <br /><br />We decided to visit the Ramkund first, where it is believed that Rama and Sita used to bathe. A holy tank was built at the place in 1696 by Chitrarao Khatakar and even today innumerous pilgrims gather there to take a holy dip. We even noticed some people to drink the holy water though it did not seem to be hygienic as the tank water was not very clean with people bathing all over and offerings of the devout scattered every where. Hindus, even today, immerse the ashes of a dead person in the holy tank so that the dead person attains moksha or liberation. The ashes of eminent personalities like Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi have been immersed here. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1gtmVWyMi19Xj8zQEfAkzdHkZPEbglgEjce3TaWNvSyKjVMKqfDj1xnmwYmjL-jKpNIg2tTRBmVazjW_CR6SYZ89nbLiK_fdc5GegIhVfBt8qdG3QtMYp14krDAJZIBqvV13M73kH9Q/s1600/DSCN2971.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1gtmVWyMi19Xj8zQEfAkzdHkZPEbglgEjce3TaWNvSyKjVMKqfDj1xnmwYmjL-jKpNIg2tTRBmVazjW_CR6SYZ89nbLiK_fdc5GegIhVfBt8qdG3QtMYp14krDAJZIBqvV13M73kH9Q/s320/DSCN2971.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563458281707401490" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUhOnJWrnysaaEWigJFfuFuMzFI4r1C3GehFktzdbL-W5S3TcPFp_1PdlZx2pNvFmi7LxDYo8ynKP6qgCP9JV5Bp3bJmLbagLhue-kzKRAOsDjte6sUOkzScJCMM-vS8Un6uDO3lRyOho/s1600/DSCN2972.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUhOnJWrnysaaEWigJFfuFuMzFI4r1C3GehFktzdbL-W5S3TcPFp_1PdlZx2pNvFmi7LxDYo8ynKP6qgCP9JV5Bp3bJmLbagLhue-kzKRAOsDjte6sUOkzScJCMM-vS8Un6uDO3lRyOho/s320/DSCN2972.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563458275931730226" /></a><br /><br />I took a walk around the tank and through the middle of the vegetable market that is situated just beside the tank. There were countless small temples along the ghats and a few larger ones in the vicinity. A group of elderly men in typical Marathi attire were chatting around one of the temples. Beside another, a few middle aged women were singing bhajans. I stopped there for a few minutes to listen to them. Though I could not follow most of the words, the music was very appealing and created an impact together with the surroundings. Some women were washing clothes in another part of the tank and the already washed ones were spread out for drying on the steps of the ghats. And some young men were flying kites which is fast becoming a rare sport in the cities. I think I had spent more time than I anticipated wandering about the ghats and my friends began to call me up and asked to return to the place where I left them. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPU8GW4uEt_Mthxfim0pZBija1xGHaKgN1P337_0_Sz35o4S9l3vDZzLfFOm58VWEz0ApvdWOygs2WXQijHvQ99AmbH_oNtICteFfsUcKU7pdsElP-CLlnV6B_sscxc-6SdU0MqLtYEU/s1600/DSCN2978.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 296px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPU8GW4uEt_Mthxfim0pZBija1xGHaKgN1P337_0_Sz35o4S9l3vDZzLfFOm58VWEz0ApvdWOygs2WXQijHvQ99AmbH_oNtICteFfsUcKU7pdsElP-CLlnV6B_sscxc-6SdU0MqLtYEU/s320/DSCN2978.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563458285431162226" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvS5rdlDBCiNZGZHHjDGSullRIa_v36uqV4wWdnevAVXg5-E9fPZesseRK-MHflA53ymH-Oulmwn-HZFZSmWZk2WLtBdGDKWfuvH5mZTt0uFjDvnk5mlV655PXNyWeA33sytw8qJNY9s/s1600/DSCN2980.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvS5rdlDBCiNZGZHHjDGSullRIa_v36uqV4wWdnevAVXg5-E9fPZesseRK-MHflA53ymH-Oulmwn-HZFZSmWZk2WLtBdGDKWfuvH5mZTt0uFjDvnk5mlV655PXNyWeA33sytw8qJNY9s/s320/DSCN2980.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563458294561991858" /></a><br /><br />From the Ramkund, we took a narrow road to the Kalaram Temple which was built in 1794 by Gopikabai Peshwa. The word Kalaram literally means black Rama. The idol of Lord Rama was built with black stone from the mines of Ramsej hills and hence the name. Unfortunately photography was not allowed inside the temple. En route, we visited another temple called the Goreram Temple. Here the idol of Lord Rama is made of white stone which alludes to the name which literally means fair or white complexioned Rama.<br /><br />Next in our itinerary was the Tapovan. The name suggests a place for meditation. We skipped the Sita Gumpha, a cave like structure from where it is believed Ravana kidnapped Sita. It was not easy to get any conveyance to the Tapovan from the Kalaram temple complex. The autos were charging an exorbitant amount not appropriate for the meagre distance and we decided to walk. It would not have been possible to walk the entire distance but luckily we got an auto after walking only for a few minutes at a much cheaper rate. The place comprises lush greeneries with the Godavari flowing by its side and offers a tranquil spot to the religious minded people, but like all the holy places it too has opened up to shops selling all kinds of merchandise associated with religion. At the top a very trendy statue of the trio of Rama, Sita and Laxman has been built and it was forming a pleasant silhouette against the setting sun. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoeuoYvB4w2NB4jZPzmANny35xppFFWwJQW74VuHDmEbDBROi_JewaLMhyNwD53oGah9fgNHp6eQH2hyphenhyphensyC_t-uvrDBAvhpoLUp6zhUQNfo3A1JHMEESr_b3eNJvCTJo18d2UlhYYEoPU/s1600/DSCN2982.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoeuoYvB4w2NB4jZPzmANny35xppFFWwJQW74VuHDmEbDBROi_JewaLMhyNwD53oGah9fgNHp6eQH2hyphenhyphensyC_t-uvrDBAvhpoLUp6zhUQNfo3A1JHMEESr_b3eNJvCTJo18d2UlhYYEoPU/s320/DSCN2982.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563459228645540690" /></a><br /><br />The next day we went to visit the Trimbakeshwar Temple which is more than 30 Kms away from the town of Nasik. We took a bus for the journey and the ride was peaceful. Trimbakeshwar is one of the 12 jyotirlingas dedicated to Lord Shiva. Legend has it that Gautam rishi performed a rigorous ritual here and being pleased with his devotion Lord Shiva brought down to earth the sacred rivers of Ganga, Gautami and Godavari. Right behind the temple, rises the Brahmagiri hills and one can trek up to the source of river Godavari. <br /><br />There was a long zigzag queue with iron pillars in between at the entrance of the temple. Srimanta and Santu decided against standing in the queue, so only Anirban and I went ahead after depositing our cameras and mobile phones with the others. It was only after about two hours we could enter the temple complex. The ordeal of standing in the long queue turned out to be more painful than we had anticipated and the bright sun and bare feet were making it worse. But the bigger discomfort was the fellow devotees many of whom were rampantly breaking lines or making the place more dirty throwing off residues of foods. We were relieved when we could ultimately enter the premises but were equally disappointed when we noticed that the queue continued right till the main temple structure. Suddenly there was a rush of urgency as someone cried out that the temple doors would be closed soon and it actually happened a few minutes later. There was an announcement that the temple had been closed for Tantrik Shivarchan. We inquired a few people in the queue about how long the ritual would take and there were diverse answers; someone mentioned it could actually go on for hours. Many of the devotees had taken seats on the ground and started chanting devotional songs. Thankfully there was a shade at that place but by then we had suffered enough agony and wanted to go out. To add to our woes there was an exceedingly irritating man right behind us in the queue and his conversations with Anirban was fast snowballing into a verbal spat. But even if we wished to break away from the queue, it was extremely difficult to do so. At the end we could come out of the queue by jumping more than a couple of iron bars. At first the others considered our acrobatics as part of the plan to move ahead in the queue (the man I just talked about passed the most lewd comments) but when they realized that we were actually trying to break free, they became quiet. So now we came in close proximity to the hundreds of years old temple structure and we regretted that we were not carrying any camera. We admired the work on the outer walls of the temple and looked for a way out of the complex. But wait, we were again outwitted since there was no way out and the entire compound was surrounded with iron barricades. Finally, we approached a police constable and pleaded to him that we were not feeling well and do not wish to wait till the temple doors were opened again. He moved one of the barricades and we squeak in and left the temple complex much to our relief. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVo_zkhBV8etQKSuue5qD6zGSg_dCk1GeRTcwnjxsHPOxG0ky3irRZFcuTovRjUzqypV_9txaNpZTfdhyphenhyphenI_Gjdv83SONE4Li-b9sfqo5VhiY32Wf2hp3wDmKJdQLQ3rx9_u-hUpJrEip0/s1600/DSCN2984.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVo_zkhBV8etQKSuue5qD6zGSg_dCk1GeRTcwnjxsHPOxG0ky3irRZFcuTovRjUzqypV_9txaNpZTfdhyphenhyphenI_Gjdv83SONE4Li-b9sfqo5VhiY32Wf2hp3wDmKJdQLQ3rx9_u-hUpJrEip0/s320/DSCN2984.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563456961493958706" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTVMd34BG5EAs6Ww24H8qjfsd0M-d-GVVrj_qRNDWrpdI36pp6IaCrO6aJIhOBAu8ubjDDFJ9MUaaWJyAx8wqKSvDyh4hvY0k7Djs_rsO7tO_jH2ktwDMxKGkFtCiOtGZ5ePMVQ0dZFmQ/s1600/DSCN2986.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTVMd34BG5EAs6Ww24H8qjfsd0M-d-GVVrj_qRNDWrpdI36pp6IaCrO6aJIhOBAu8ubjDDFJ9MUaaWJyAx8wqKSvDyh4hvY0k7Djs_rsO7tO_jH2ktwDMxKGkFtCiOtGZ5ePMVQ0dZFmQ/s320/DSCN2986.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563456957998677682" /></a><br /><br />From the outside of the temple complex we took and auto to the Coin Museum, which is located about 10 Kms from Trimbakeshwar, near the Anjeri hills and on the way to Nasik. I had read in the tourism website that the Indian Institute of Numismatic Studies was established here in 1980. However, we found that it is not being run by any Government body but a private trust under the chairmanship of K.G. Maheshwari. I was always interested in coins and have a numismatic collection myself, so I made it a point to visit the museum especially as it is only one of its kind in Asia. The museum has a well documented record of Indian numismatics (with articles and photographs) staring from the prehistoric times to different ruling dynasties of various parts of India, coins from the times of Delhi Sultanate and British India and even post-independence coins. It was a little disappointing to see more replicas than real coins but then most of the collection was formed by private donation (majority coming from Mr. Maheshwari himself). Mr. Maheshwari is also an accomplished photographer and has donated many photos taken by him which comprises an entire section. We were granted permission for taking a few snaps for ourselves but ended up taking innumerous.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-l8YczO78wNzT3JaxzC63BHE1YR2h50Ohw-G5pAIRogof6_Si4g-xD8-uBuhFKfX7qqm8xx5TJh-rdHWP8kQ_DyRgHT9mBG2y9tvQS8gc1F-pvp4lcJPj5ICGuI3XPzxLjfM4OksdfkM/s1600/Collages_4.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-l8YczO78wNzT3JaxzC63BHE1YR2h50Ohw-G5pAIRogof6_Si4g-xD8-uBuhFKfX7qqm8xx5TJh-rdHWP8kQ_DyRgHT9mBG2y9tvQS8gc1F-pvp4lcJPj5ICGuI3XPzxLjfM4OksdfkM/s320/Collages_4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563460692928282786" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1YEU2V1In6THWvO3ioF5wHdCdTPRAkQN7lD5INXEkiOhJ9KBsreYaRszrZj8H1LCxsST0CodSjfvuV57LNcRJ7eEY2dEz3NxUuaL1Cm8Qk4CjxtMdow3Pn-wHpiuO3Y7TdcbRFoDBeg/s1600/DSCN2993.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 162px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1YEU2V1In6THWvO3ioF5wHdCdTPRAkQN7lD5INXEkiOhJ9KBsreYaRszrZj8H1LCxsST0CodSjfvuV57LNcRJ7eEY2dEz3NxUuaL1Cm8Qk4CjxtMdow3Pn-wHpiuO3Y7TdcbRFoDBeg/s320/DSCN2993.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563460849969363218" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3NHesC5JQTYy26hw8aNMsF5jU40Xpc_2wxazaHmI02bUv_AkpERrshkZC8_Pgt0xgN1BomsmZpVFRwpBpnZ0P-mDsRbFIDrhBRaUJ6wfYEluijsZticsTHdPW28HUI_dD6wDqFJIki0/s1600/KG_Collages.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3NHesC5JQTYy26hw8aNMsF5jU40Xpc_2wxazaHmI02bUv_AkpERrshkZC8_Pgt0xgN1BomsmZpVFRwpBpnZ0P-mDsRbFIDrhBRaUJ6wfYEluijsZticsTHdPW28HUI_dD6wDqFJIki0/s320/KG_Collages.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574977505831094242" /></a><br /><br />The auto driver who drove us to the museum had advised to take a bus from there back to Nasik. He mentioned that though most of the buses were non-stop, they would stop if we indicate to stop them by waving our hands. We were waiting at the nearest bus stop and observed that buses plying on the opposite route were actually stopping when someone waved his or her hands. That bolstered our confidence. But to our bewilderment, none of the buses on the way to Nasik stopped even though we were waving our hands vigorously. There was no option of auto or taxi as well, as we were stranded in the middle of a highway. Suddenly Santu waved his hand to stop a small truck and it actually stopped and the driver asked us to hop in. We were astonished at first but later on we understood that it is a common alternative form of transportation (as some more men boarded and alighted in between) and the truck driver was not doing us any great favour but actually charged us for the journey. It was a bit awkward in the beginning but after a while we started enjoying the experience and we would remember the near 20 Km unusual ride for a long time to come.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhREUQ4Ou6wXNGpYPamtInfpAFIGOobTlaxqGznTdJwMImmIA1CLNmXMwlAm9faWhXxmOSs2_kvlYc2HKtIYEm-XR4kG4_LJhXozg-sO6AluMcEWauwRDuCDTYke_zJop7dsHcIW2DImpY/s1600/Truck_Collages.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhREUQ4Ou6wXNGpYPamtInfpAFIGOobTlaxqGznTdJwMImmIA1CLNmXMwlAm9faWhXxmOSs2_kvlYc2HKtIYEm-XR4kG4_LJhXozg-sO6AluMcEWauwRDuCDTYke_zJop7dsHcIW2DImpY/s320/Truck_Collages.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574977511746865106" /></a><br /><br />We came back to Nasik in the afternoon and after having lunch from a restaurant near the bus stand, we started for the Sula Winery. A number of winery has grown up around Nasik giving it the name of the wine capital of India. Sula is the oldest of the lot and the most renowned. We were looking for an auto to take us to the winery and after tough bargaining (mostly done by Santu who was our leader for monetary negotiations) we settled to pay Rs. 400 for taking us to the winery, waiting for a couple of hours and bringing us back to the city. The winery located in the outskirts of Nasik (about 20 Kms away from the city), comprises a vineyard and wine factory started by Rajeev Samant back in 1996. First harvesting was carried out in 1999 and the first wine hit the market in 2000. We booked a tour of the winery at Rs. 150 per head and the tour started at 4:30 PM sharp. Such a tour takes place every hour starting from 11:30 AM and the last tour of the day starts at 5:30 PM. Our guide Akshay gave us a brief introduction of the winery and started the tour from the vineyard that stretched out in front of the office building. They have large acres of vineyard at a distant place as well. We noticed rose plants in front of the vineyard and found out that their purpose is to detect any disease that may affect the grape plants, since rose plants are more susceptible to such diseases. The wine grapes are smaller and sourer than table grapes and there are separate vineyards for red and white wines. The crushing machines are also separate for the two varieties of grapes. Akshay enlightened us that in red wine the skin of the grapes are also used and hence the colour. Next he showed us the cellar where huge steel drums are used for fermentation. Maturation of wines is done by storing them in French oak barrels but Akshay revealed that the wines produced by Sula are mainly “young wines” matured at most for a couple of years unlike the aged wines of abroad. The tour ended in the testing room from where we could observe the bottling facility behind large glass windows. As a part of the tour we were invited to taste 5 of Sula’s popular wines (a very small quantity although) of varieties sparkling, white, rose and red. Later on we spent some time in the balcony adjoining the tasting room on the first floor looking over the vineyard and the sun setting behind the adjoining hills created a wonderful impact. One can buy a few bottles of wines from the winery itself as gift items. There is a restaurant as well attached to the winery and I had read many good things about it, but we could not wait for dinner and returned to our hotel in the evening. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkVy-iVTyjSuVhzv4wysvTVPSnmhvjb2nm66UhBmBX9ApgCKAwfaQBD5fM0WxIb7SNXWqpFkMO5oTiTgjKlpFMfYG93Y7qw44rPckF8hUf5Y-fJAAnXuGnWQskEJF8qeh-RlAzP3UevD0/s1600/DSCN3005.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkVy-iVTyjSuVhzv4wysvTVPSnmhvjb2nm66UhBmBX9ApgCKAwfaQBD5fM0WxIb7SNXWqpFkMO5oTiTgjKlpFMfYG93Y7qw44rPckF8hUf5Y-fJAAnXuGnWQskEJF8qeh-RlAzP3UevD0/s320/DSCN3005.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563456218269702994" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrn7OgxPaWmQkag_CZaVm6swoXWf3SzFidsDfrFOJtM_QIZo75YXo1LAqpQfNvBsVEl8s7geo5MyZCXbE9K2CaxsHX0HS0QeeY3ccSO2KRGmgdjpMIs7a_aJmcWddC-v6T4094uYBot8/s1600/DSC00760.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrn7OgxPaWmQkag_CZaVm6swoXWf3SzFidsDfrFOJtM_QIZo75YXo1LAqpQfNvBsVEl8s7geo5MyZCXbE9K2CaxsHX0HS0QeeY3ccSO2KRGmgdjpMIs7a_aJmcWddC-v6T4094uYBot8/s320/DSC00760.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563458257411685410" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeg_Q4wcql25zGBi3qf6Qw7OiksiqiEFAAlr_yuBTDszfV_Zx_OpotTdOdsoFa2ALGOfaCc_zlN3SnTBdn0NqBi3NYTqzXxaoy_T0GqMYJgToFuk-3HkK3qZIWt4u2K1OJy2-nYcuxeno/s1600/DSC00756.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 296px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeg_Q4wcql25zGBi3qf6Qw7OiksiqiEFAAlr_yuBTDszfV_Zx_OpotTdOdsoFa2ALGOfaCc_zlN3SnTBdn0NqBi3NYTqzXxaoy_T0GqMYJgToFuk-3HkK3qZIWt4u2K1OJy2-nYcuxeno/s320/DSC00756.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563456215821537762" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ULK6YOQ61kTbE-5nhWjaxgojklD_A1oKcEtd9_zc6R4AU1bzGPLanCn9qteG-N-yx743hlpl7KRQXEhY5L7UFy1jGE0DgMvPpVBl4yculPMi327v07WjHuvNeXTsQJA1G5JV9-KNalk/s1600/DSCN3000.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ULK6YOQ61kTbE-5nhWjaxgojklD_A1oKcEtd9_zc6R4AU1bzGPLanCn9qteG-N-yx743hlpl7KRQXEhY5L7UFy1jGE0DgMvPpVBl4yculPMi327v07WjHuvNeXTsQJA1G5JV9-KNalk/s320/DSCN3000.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563456228598722610" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3A8Vq9KxtfFeBg7SCAjP4SO485ILsyluO8V181skg9Z_ftudzVIzf_7Uy2ZCS5HtPCDc-IAxS4EY0W5zMxFb6Z6jTDPggIgc9pnU-FOtc_oq8GmZJRqByk5vPgq9TDjLP9ULKolQ8Ao/s1600/DSC00765.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3A8Vq9KxtfFeBg7SCAjP4SO485ILsyluO8V181skg9Z_ftudzVIzf_7Uy2ZCS5HtPCDc-IAxS4EY0W5zMxFb6Z6jTDPggIgc9pnU-FOtc_oq8GmZJRqByk5vPgq9TDjLP9ULKolQ8Ao/s320/DSC00765.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563456211197017650" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-_8dxppI-jtDkBn8Oy3CBKBHl1VQHQA0WbM5bz5bC_ImgL7ZYVtDc7xoifz1zLTOJ3B7iFYT5iG5Pj0nbVjysYMKBgclyIuvkoOCY9_m_a-OXQL0-IJu00FTX-J7MOa85rd1FLs7hMkE/s1600/DSCN3003.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-_8dxppI-jtDkBn8Oy3CBKBHl1VQHQA0WbM5bz5bC_ImgL7ZYVtDc7xoifz1zLTOJ3B7iFYT5iG5Pj0nbVjysYMKBgclyIuvkoOCY9_m_a-OXQL0-IJu00FTX-J7MOa85rd1FLs7hMkE/s320/DSCN3003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563456221991693202" /></a><br /><br />The satisfying stay at Nasik had come to an end and the next day we were scheduled to start for Aurangabad. We enjoyed the beginning of the tour more than we expected and hoped that we would come to see more delightful places in the days to come.Deep Majumderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441918705733399044noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346287242583689735.post-2840040006857370632011-01-05T00:28:00.000-08:002011-01-17T02:11:43.200-08:00Hearty Himachal : Dharamshala & DalhousieHimachal Pradesh was the last leg of our tour during the Puja vacation. We had a few choices to pick from as our destination after Amritsar. While I had a liking for Dharamshala, Runa was keener on Dalhousie. At the end, we included both in our itinerary. Though it became more hectic, with one day to spend at each of the places and involved long journeys everyday, it was worth to explore or at least touch upon as many more places as we could in the short trip.<br /><br />From Amritsar, we started early for Dharamshala. We thought the more than hundred kilometre stretch till Pathankot would be an easy ride as it is a national highway, but the road was full with potholes and we experienced a bumpy ride throughout. To add to our woes, the weather was playing foul and there had been constant drizzle and sometimes outpouring rain as our companion of the journey. The car was moving more slowly due to the rains and the temperature dropped substantially due to the chilly wind. <br /><br />After we reached Pathankot, there was less than a hundred more kilometres to traverse. As we were moving up towards Dharamshala, the weather was becoming colder. Soon we reached Lower Dharamshala and found all the shops and offices closed. It turned out to be some holiday due to Balmiki Jayanti. The Kangra Art Museum located in the heart of the town, Kotwali Bazaar, was also closed. We also went past some kind of war memorial just before we entered the town, but did not bother to stop by. As we drove towards McLeodganj, our driver showed us the Dal Lake but there was no water at all and he explained to us that some kind of construction work was going on in the lake. I must also mention here that somewhere I read about an Anglican church called church of St. John in the wilderness, built in the mid nineteenth century and comprising a memorial of British Viceroy Lord Elgin, being located between Forsytheganj and McLeodganj. During our journey I noticed a graveyard and a little walk into the woods must have taken us to the church. But ignorance of our driver on there being any church coupled with the bad weather restrained me from pursuing. We had our hotel booked at Naddi, which is further up than McLeodganj and our driver advised to stop by the Dalai Lama Temple en route. Though it was late afternoon by then and we were starving, we decided to comply as it seemed difficult to get down in the evening in such weather. <br /><br />We drove past a couple of monasteries but our driver told us that he was taking us to the main monastery, Tsuglagkhang, also known as Dalai Lama’s Temple. Ever since McLeodganj became the official residence of His Holiness Dalai Lama, a large Tibetan community has made this place their home and the place is often referred to as Little Lhasa. His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 after a failed uprising in Tibet against communist China and was offered refuge by the Government of India in Dharamshala and later on he set up there the Government of Tibet in exile. It was not any special day, so we did not have any chance to get a glimpse of Dalai Lama. I think, the fact that in some of his interviews he had hinted of him being the last Dalai Lama (though that has not been his consistent view), and the possible shift in diplomatic relationship between India and China raises some uncertainty on the future importance of the place, though it may well continue to be a centre for Buddhist culture and tourism.<br /><br />When we got off near the Tsuglagkhang temple complex, it was still drizzling and it was very cold. The first thing that caught my attention was a signboard pledging the release of Gendhun Choekyi. On May 14th 1995, HH Dalai Lama recognized him, then a 6 year old kid, as the 11th Panchen Lama and on 17th May, he along with his family was taken in by the Chinese government as political prisoners and till today no one knows their whereabouts. The place was nearly deserted and we were not sure which way to proceed. A Tibetan woman who was selling momos showed us the way and soon we reached a memorial pillar made of black stone commemorating the Tibetan martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the Tibetan cause. We took a narrow lane from there to reach the temple complex. I believe there must be some other entrance since that lane was too narrow to be fit for entering a temple complex of such significance and visited by a multitude of devotees.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZooiK2jZ3sgysgoPFZHNzGH8jQg1vjo_BaUNY7ZdH7Vp46StG7Dr97VFc9P_sUwy3J1d-_RSmFbEPnK1JyThU2mPxiXQGu7YZsCz7qRpnT2zzrQGVakvemBQ3U8uscSqOFod_Hyh2qxg/s1600/DSCN2655.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZooiK2jZ3sgysgoPFZHNzGH8jQg1vjo_BaUNY7ZdH7Vp46StG7Dr97VFc9P_sUwy3J1d-_RSmFbEPnK1JyThU2mPxiXQGu7YZsCz7qRpnT2zzrQGVakvemBQ3U8uscSqOFod_Hyh2qxg/s320/DSCN2655.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559007498460451554" /></a><br /><br />To our utter disappointment we found the complex almost empty barring a couple of monks, meditating in front of a wooden structure lit up with innumerous candles, and most of the temples were also closed. So all we could do was to peek inside the temples and catch some glimpses through the glass windows. After a few minutes a monk arrived and let us enter one of the temples, named, probably, the Kalachakra Temple. There was a fearsome image of Kalachakra embracing Visvamata. There was probably also an image of Avolokitesvara. I must confess that I do not have any knowledge of Buddhism but what baffles me is that apart from some of the images, like probably Shakyamuni, I have witnessed some really intimidating images in some of the Buddhist monasteries that I could not quite correlate with the peaceful and tolerant picture that comes to mind when one thinks about the Buddhist religion. Please forgive me for my ignorance if I have just said something stupid. I pledge to do some research the next time I plan to visit a monastery. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQyDd0kUYQ0escexiBvwouOCsYEuShoXYpK35m_87AUVmfdM-SIunpQt5v1Bil8qcwiupibx5wZk4h0NBoE_9RyFjlEEqzgRUIXiwukFoE_5Fr9UH7mZyPWKzEnbySAyQeixvQgbwkfy4/s1600/DSCN2660.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQyDd0kUYQ0escexiBvwouOCsYEuShoXYpK35m_87AUVmfdM-SIunpQt5v1Bil8qcwiupibx5wZk4h0NBoE_9RyFjlEEqzgRUIXiwukFoE_5Fr9UH7mZyPWKzEnbySAyQeixvQgbwkfy4/s320/DSCN2660.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559007498894411458" /></a><br /><br />Before going to our hotel, we made another brief halt; this time at the Bhagsu Nag Temple which is a Hindu Shiva Temple. This place was also deserted at the time we visited and we had to remove our shoes to enter the temple and walk on the wet (from rain) marble floor barefooted. That sent us shivers through our spines. There is nothing much to describe about the temple, but it is indeed a well-known one. The temple is patronized by the Gurkha Rifles and the temple holds special significance amongst the Gurkha community. A picturesque waterfall is located at a couple of kilometres' walk from the temple. But due to the bad weather, we went only as far from where we could have a look at the waterfall from a distance. <br /><br />By the time we finally reached our hotel, we were literally starving and the first thing we did was order a sumptuous lunch. The hotel had an exquisite location with the snow capped Dhauladhar range rising just from behind the hotel. The hotel personnel informed us that snow was not very common at that time of the year and the peaks had been covered with snow only for the last couple of days. So it must have been our good luck.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmV9uvy5AN_6U0RQEJephJWpPZ6xpNkNVB1vjrOQUxD0Jns1fN5pRSyOex9OVZXOUeNDOvrTAmcr-0FN8lw_pHdWyxhlCtj2oII475PjwhZeKfhdE2UibbtPfu_MOpo5FFM0X-uZQJoo/s1600/DSCN2688.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmV9uvy5AN_6U0RQEJephJWpPZ6xpNkNVB1vjrOQUxD0Jns1fN5pRSyOex9OVZXOUeNDOvrTAmcr-0FN8lw_pHdWyxhlCtj2oII475PjwhZeKfhdE2UibbtPfu_MOpo5FFM0X-uZQJoo/s320/DSCN2688.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559007508445647170" /></a><br /><br />After a very late lunch, I ventured out to have a closer look at the mountain range. The rain had stopped by then and the weather looked much better. However, the others were too much tired and I had to go out alone. I took a narrow trail that went down from the hotel and walked gently for about half an hour with no one in sight but only the majestic mountains accompanying me. I had to stop at last as the road ended abruptly into some private property guarded by locked iron gates. I was wondering how wonderful it would have been if we could have stayed at the beautiful bungalow that stood on the other side of the iron gates. With no other way around, I had to return back. By this time the sun had started setting in, bestowing an orange-ish tinge to the snow capped mountain range. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcA-4ZGCVOZTcbbK5651uJBmFtLSHAj3w8uL2YOvZhAuq5SANkCzxA3zLXwuqVNuR8ZYJR9psqhY_7uH2qMZ1ZyownaG6SA2O3u0qSUfYVz8wnQ-JS3TsruivQizJQnYtrb1dTE1ZuwI/s1600/DSCN2696.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcA-4ZGCVOZTcbbK5651uJBmFtLSHAj3w8uL2YOvZhAuq5SANkCzxA3zLXwuqVNuR8ZYJR9psqhY_7uH2qMZ1ZyownaG6SA2O3u0qSUfYVz8wnQ-JS3TsruivQizJQnYtrb1dTE1ZuwI/s320/DSCN2696.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560443536125998306" /></a><br /><br />I came back to the hotel after having a lovely cup of tea at a small tea stall just in front of the hotel. The slow setting of the sun was a treat to watch from there and when I was back at the hotel, the mountain range was engulfed with a blue-ish cover of night. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1wwcDxCye_0WOJLG9LTHFK6FgTz6lAYk0zwZH9Ybe6WKjJmxy6V4OtI_6npEto4cSDtwIlYlQmtjoI6EWpNnaXLp84nETiu-CxidzQigDIcOGQBjwRbeOIaNtTHgVCR3meR811bvmdQ/s1600/DSCN2704.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1wwcDxCye_0WOJLG9LTHFK6FgTz6lAYk0zwZH9Ybe6WKjJmxy6V4OtI_6npEto4cSDtwIlYlQmtjoI6EWpNnaXLp84nETiu-CxidzQigDIcOGQBjwRbeOIaNtTHgVCR3meR811bvmdQ/s320/DSCN2704.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559007514499918114" /></a><br /><br />My room had a good view of the mountain range but it was still better viewed from a common balcony which was located just beside my room. After dinner I locked my room and went to that balcony (which usually remained closed due to the strong chilly wind) to see the elegant effect of moonlight on snow (it was close to a full moon day) and while I was unmindful, someone closed the door of the balcony and locked it from the other side. Thankfully, I was carrying my mobile phone with me so that I could call up Runa and Abhishek to come to my rescue; otherwise I would have frozen in the cold. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjApqMzDZGOk7noOJ7Kbc1GjCU-INWbsMCa-ry1WUt5jJxU9Cnn8932z1cAbsf2J3TY5v-3m8WIjjkXDnaijqcHPT8m5K237d89aPOeM6P_bsWIHLD1fJdxWu79hXR1jEP3jOrplxDJyIE/s1600/DSCN2709.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjApqMzDZGOk7noOJ7Kbc1GjCU-INWbsMCa-ry1WUt5jJxU9Cnn8932z1cAbsf2J3TY5v-3m8WIjjkXDnaijqcHPT8m5K237d89aPOeM6P_bsWIHLD1fJdxWu79hXR1jEP3jOrplxDJyIE/s320/DSCN2709.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559008361653424498" /></a><br /><br />I woke up early in the morning but there was no sunrise point as such there and when the sun came out finally, or was rather visible from the place, it was well into the morning. However, I could observe, with joy, the change in colour of the mountain range, as time went past, from sleepy blue to foggy white and then shimmering in the bright sunlight. As the sun was slowly coming up, its rays first lit up the peaks and gradually the whole range was incandescent with dazzling white snow. We took the same trail that I had pursued the earlier day, but this time only for a few yards until we reached a view point, took some quick snaps and then checked out of the hotel, bidding goodbye to the lovely little place called Dharamshala.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQmxD7IYYGlzZVQZg_RTOG7hGT8ynPFAV2-b09DdfgXJdkXBl_WIu2ZO_4vfjAGJqn81K63Oq7W3PaByW2KZPkvWBSJUrMnEn52UhtFt8UYOLy6OnCUo0Ez-DNv0KKWj61WmUVOFOQ5dE/s1600/DSCN2715.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQmxD7IYYGlzZVQZg_RTOG7hGT8ynPFAV2-b09DdfgXJdkXBl_WIu2ZO_4vfjAGJqn81K63Oq7W3PaByW2KZPkvWBSJUrMnEn52UhtFt8UYOLy6OnCUo0Ez-DNv0KKWj61WmUVOFOQ5dE/s320/DSCN2715.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559008365606643522" /></a><br /><br />The next place on our Himachal itinerary was Dalhousie, but we thought of visiting the Kangra Fort before that. We researched the place from the list of places of interest near Dharamshala and it seemed to be a good option and feasible too since it was only 20 kilometres away. However, our driver grumbled at the prospect since it would be a little detour for him. Now this is the problem that I have faced a few times now. Even when one has a private vehicle booked for the entire trip, the drivers are reluctant to deviate even a little from the itinerary that is proposed at the beginning. What’s the point in having then a private vehicle at all? Thanks to the efforts and negotiating skills of Runa (and a call to the tour operator in Amritsar who booked the car for us) the driver at last gave in to our wish and sped off towards the Kangra Fort. I remember him showing us the picturesque cricket stadium of Dharamshala from a distance but quite not recollect if it was on that day or the previous one. <br /><br />The fort was built by the Katoch dynasty rulers and its origin can be traced back to the ancient Trigarta kingdom. A bulletin outside the fort informed us that the fort was taken in by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1009 and was captured by Muhammad Bin Tughluq in 1337 and again in 1351 by his successor Firoz Shah Tughlug but it was not until 1662 that it was permanently triumphed over, when after a fourteen month’s siege, it was conquered by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. Following the Mughal decline, Raja Sansar Chand II was successful to recover the ancient fortress of his ancestors in 1786. But after he came into conflict, first with the neighbouring hill chiefs, then with the Gurkhas and lastly with Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab, he was compelled to surrender the fort. The fort remained with the Sikhs till 1846 when it was made over to the British along with the surrounding hills.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKg_ftzBH7rOfGVvhF6ZkFC1A5qR_dGIKbi1pIk0LGj8vGj3eAXfQRWEkDgtRymLUqR6krZEYYsET5_n8SKF3B135xAs7vUEh2EsipfGSGyiySZSns-v_pFLAeIUG7xmwrMGyNFmEetk/s1600/DSCN2719.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKg_ftzBH7rOfGVvhF6ZkFC1A5qR_dGIKbi1pIk0LGj8vGj3eAXfQRWEkDgtRymLUqR6krZEYYsET5_n8SKF3B135xAs7vUEh2EsipfGSGyiySZSns-v_pFLAeIUG7xmwrMGyNFmEetk/s320/DSCN2719.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559008363478421906" /></a><br /><br />We walked along the passage that started from the initial arched gateway and after passing through some other gates and some flights of steps, we finally reached the top of the fort. From my experience at some of the other forts around India, I would say it is not that gigantic as some of the others and less tiring but in the Himalayas, it is probably the largest and certainly one of the oldest in India. Along the way, I noticed some defaced images of what seemed like Hindu goddesses that may have been vandalized during the Muslim period or it may have been ruined in the course of time as well (I heard the place suffered some serious earthquakes) and at the top there was a wall still engraved with beautiful sculpture and design. Alongside there was a temple where prayers were being offered. Surprisingly, it was a Jain Temple of Sri Adinathji. I wonder whether the Kangra rulers belonged to the Jain sect. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMm32whbrZXYDCHaTFdNx5OwgIKfcKqchS58NFdnfITwjWmHceo2r23itJyquMD0qztz2VSHBezglSKUg80jnmP54ocsp9Y-G81O_sp_p7I3FlI2dhSLcBGdgjdWRefBxLFiJbDYPKlIk/s1600/DSCN2736.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMm32whbrZXYDCHaTFdNx5OwgIKfcKqchS58NFdnfITwjWmHceo2r23itJyquMD0qztz2VSHBezglSKUg80jnmP54ocsp9Y-G81O_sp_p7I3FlI2dhSLcBGdgjdWRefBxLFiJbDYPKlIk/s320/DSCN2736.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560879523927943858" /></a><br /><br />Before leaving, we visited the ASI maintained museum that is located within the fort complex and which houses figures of deities dating back to the 9th century, coins, paintings and even stone tools from the Paleolithic age.<br /><br />We reached Dalhousie in the late afternoon and checked into our hotel near the Gandhi Chowk which hosts a statue of Mahatma Gandhi. After a very late lunch (on the second consecutive day) we went out to have a look around the town. This time round, Runa accompanied me but Abhishek and Rishi stayed back exhausted from the day’s toil. Our driver first took us to Panchpula, which was supposed to be some kind of spring or waterfall and a picturesque spot as had been described in the tourism website. However, it did not seem to attract any appeal at all, may be due to lack of water. What attracted us more was a Kashmir handloom store and the invitations from its salesmen to have a look at their “Chingu” blanket. It is a special kind of blanket made of Pashmina wool. At the very onset the salesman declared that they do not actually sell Chingu blanket but rather lease them for five years and at the end of five years their men would collect them from our homes and would refund us seventy percent of the cost of blanket. Not only that, they would also offer us five more free gifts along with the blanket at no extra cost. The funny way in which the salesman kept repeating “<span style="font-style:italic;">not only these, we will offer you yet another gift</span>” and showed us the gift (ranging from blankets made of rabbit wool to shawls and bed-covers) reminded me of the hawkers who sell ten combs for rupees ten or five pens for rupees five in the local trains and show them to the passengers one by one. The salesman explained to us that these “Chingu” blankets are actually made up of coarse Pashmina wool and only after some use they would be fit for weaving the famous Pashmina shawls. That is why they would be collecting them back at the end of five years. The reason for this is that the earlier method of collecting Pashmina wool by killing the animals is banned and now only coarse wool is available which is cut off from the animals. We left the shop buying not the “Chingu” blankets but some shawls as gift items.<br /><br />Next, we went to the Subhash Chowk where a statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose is located. Netaji had spent some time in Dalhousie back in 1937 recuperating from ill health and during his sojourn drinking water from a nearby natural spring helped him recover. It is now known as Subhash Baoli. The disappointment at Panchpula along with some not so good review of the Subhash Baoli in some tourist websites restrained us from going over to there. Instead, we went to visit St. Francis’ Church. It is a century old, catholic church which bears the old British style of architecture. But, frankly, there is nothing much to mention. That is why we did not bother to visit St. John’s Church which has a similar architecture and is located near the Gandhi Chowk. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGyarakbp1aeh_kxQVcOwhyJ-Oe3vAtM5te8h_wQyxIXPOkVMdV7DCm1noJyBBoaF_f66-VP1NjPLDT0JoptlfB-kVi9SAqbbI7EfiE-0sLcAOh7i-E43auL_X0s2p4Atqqjydwdsjnqw/s1600/DSCN2748.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGyarakbp1aeh_kxQVcOwhyJ-Oe3vAtM5te8h_wQyxIXPOkVMdV7DCm1noJyBBoaF_f66-VP1NjPLDT0JoptlfB-kVi9SAqbbI7EfiE-0sLcAOh7i-E43auL_X0s2p4Atqqjydwdsjnqw/s320/DSCN2748.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560879532608438050" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjtSb81q26oNQ97l9nqdWu1_2Eetc2V972K3qtR7nwMrYuFN9diz-YR3XqdMs5A95oSw_JRs5SsZjGnAs2WKyq9A5AQ5-LPPY6jE3t8ZwSfF8YvInq9w3tmrGxoWd1FHT3kj8Nkc8hps/s1600/DSCN2747.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjtSb81q26oNQ97l9nqdWu1_2Eetc2V972K3qtR7nwMrYuFN9diz-YR3XqdMs5A95oSw_JRs5SsZjGnAs2WKyq9A5AQ5-LPPY6jE3t8ZwSfF8YvInq9w3tmrGxoWd1FHT3kj8Nkc8hps/s320/DSCN2747.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560879524986111282" /></a><br /><br />Our driver had taken a break of thirty minutes after taking us to the Subhash Chowk, but we did not take as much time to visit the church. We spent the remaining time helping ourselves with some lovely momos and hot coffee from a nearby cafe. It felt nice to have something hot in the cold weather. <br /><br />After an uneventful evening and night, we checked out of the hotel in the morning and headed towards Khajjiar. <br /><br />Khajjiar is about 22 kilometres away from Dalhousie. En route we stopped at a view point to take some snaps of the beautiful valley and the snow capped mountain range. There was one road spiraling off towards the wild life sanctuary at Kalatop. Our driver mentioned that the road to Khajjiar usually remains closed in the winter due to heavy snow. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0UW0bAPqqzhCQ173XTInqxDLLSO9wQ4202wQLLQoWm5njVYDKRc-MXx6jGwNbga3K7NMKGeaekAv8NqFFZPtQLc24VWQlAOtnWBrVTphaTPLx5NJCI-9Tbk2xJA4Z7ibMzpqQfROs4Y/s1600/DSCN2752.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0UW0bAPqqzhCQ173XTInqxDLLSO9wQ4202wQLLQoWm5njVYDKRc-MXx6jGwNbga3K7NMKGeaekAv8NqFFZPtQLc24VWQlAOtnWBrVTphaTPLx5NJCI-9Tbk2xJA4Z7ibMzpqQfROs4Y/s320/DSCN2752.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560879533409389634" /></a><br /><br />We reached Khajjiar just after noon and decided to have lunch first. This was the first time in three days that we were having lunch at proper time. The Chinese food at the nearby restaurant was mediocre but one could try to enjoy them forgetting the Chinese names and rather treating them as Indian dishes with a few uncommon spices and sauces. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3EM3c83b4I29HzIFBg1iSUbXjG9qcbc3kt3_ntimUyKAyfzMrIVvbQuLFDgZmMfhXz4oyZZQazH8E-4W1das6nSSCNWTwudphXcejwFyTJCJuIYjGvBSSzhuCe7uQM8tO0t3M2zTVS6A/s1600/DSCN2763.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3EM3c83b4I29HzIFBg1iSUbXjG9qcbc3kt3_ntimUyKAyfzMrIVvbQuLFDgZmMfhXz4oyZZQazH8E-4W1das6nSSCNWTwudphXcejwFyTJCJuIYjGvBSSzhuCe7uQM8tO0t3M2zTVS6A/s320/DSCN2763.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560881524012992082" /></a><br /><br />Khajjiar is a mesmerizing glade with a circumference of about 5 kilometres surrounded by thick deodar forest and has a small water body in the centre. Perhaps at some point of time boating was done but the pool was not in a good shape then and the water oozed out into the nearby grassland had resulted in a marshy surrounding. Though the place attracted an abundance of tourists, it was big enough to allow one to be just with oneself and find one’s peace, especially at the farthest corners where there were very few hawkers to bother. There were a large number of hawkers infesting the frontal part of the glade ranging from people selling food items to photographers and even men offering horse rides. The unusual part was that every horse had a name imprinted on its neck or back and the names varied from Shan to Badal to John to Sikander etc. etc. Runa posed for one of the photographers in ethnic Himachal attire and even Abhishek joined her for a couple of snaps sporting a round Himachal cap. While they were waiting for the photographs to be delivered, I went for a leisurely stroll across the ground. It was in fact much bigger than I had anticipated at first and by the time I completed my circumambulatory, it was very tiring. A few groups were playing cricket in the middle, so I had to keep a cautious eye so that I did not get hit by the odd ball. The other amusing thing I noticed was these large air-tight plastic spheres which comprised small inner spheres in the centre through which people could somehow snuggle in and remain there in suspended position such that they were able to breathe free in the void of the inner sphere, and then they were rolled on and on. I was wondering how much they were enjoying their roller-coaster ride. <br /><br />We left in the late afternoon bidding goodbye to the charming glade of Khajjiar where supposedly the summer camp scenes of the Bollywood blockbuster “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” was shot and our next destination was the town of Chamba. I had read in some travel posts about a gigantic Shiva statue in the vicinity and since I had inquired about it from our driver earlier, he made sure to halt there on the way. Some Jagadamba temple was being constructed at that place, but the main attraction was the 81 feet high statue of Lord Shiva which looked like it might be made of copper. The massive statue in front of the snow capped mountain range had a fantastic effect. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio7VdjLj7qLLmPodKhefG4p7zi8laMagVTV80id2NZ2yaPtF4R7NTTVrof-WOyN7Q8Ab9xtWDi7CMl7rPO4qyq_uucUOd_ZzGAu2MeC_3Uj6LMcjln1h-sLSRegSjMwi5shfGFhU9G4JE/s1600/DSCN2769.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio7VdjLj7qLLmPodKhefG4p7zi8laMagVTV80id2NZ2yaPtF4R7NTTVrof-WOyN7Q8Ab9xtWDi7CMl7rPO4qyq_uucUOd_ZzGAu2MeC_3Uj6LMcjln1h-sLSRegSjMwi5shfGFhU9G4JE/s320/DSCN2769.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560881523870677234" /></a><br /><br />Chamba is a former princely state and dates back to 6th century. The 24 kilometres’ distance from Khajjiar was covered in less than an hour’s time. Once in the town of Chamba, we first visited the Bhuri Singh Museum named after Raja Bhuri Singh of Chamba who ruled during the early twentieth century. The museum was inaugurated in 1908 with J. Ph. Vogel as the founding curator. The museum exhibits murals, painted doorways, wood and stone carvings, paintings, photographs and portraits, war-drums, masks and scriptures among many other items. Some of the artifacts are from the Rang Mahal and the State Kothi of Bharmour. There is also specimen of the famous Chamba Rumaal. I also noticed a sliver “hawda” and large cannons. There were stone tablets with inscriptions in Sharda, Bhoti and Takri scripts and paintings from the Basohli, Kangra and Guler school of painting styles.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlj6DJipxcVNpxQlZmGi6oc3pOKI9XuVfOFxoCbZv6C4p42E9POEiK1UW_nAq6bk8xwUWXyKG1BemLR6hjlBVC9WcxSryezkS6LBtajaWRtEZZLvLGmb5ErD6RGyIsk3a8J_kZSxhmAA/s1600/DSCN2773.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlj6DJipxcVNpxQlZmGi6oc3pOKI9XuVfOFxoCbZv6C4p42E9POEiK1UW_nAq6bk8xwUWXyKG1BemLR6hjlBVC9WcxSryezkS6LBtajaWRtEZZLvLGmb5ErD6RGyIsk3a8J_kZSxhmAA/s320/DSCN2773.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560881532717588642" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmbLDfIhpp4Gcj3pLDzCAMWjUVZHGLgil1naFuIad_sbNy5uXT6tf7Cy4faB1dHedyHh6FfJr6pP1LO5CB3cx4bt9B7xkKoCP6QMeGsG6QksNgFyhULUWliwoXx7tGa39b8GvRKFjsxtE/s1600/DSCN2774.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmbLDfIhpp4Gcj3pLDzCAMWjUVZHGLgil1naFuIad_sbNy5uXT6tf7Cy4faB1dHedyHh6FfJr6pP1LO5CB3cx4bt9B7xkKoCP6QMeGsG6QksNgFyhULUWliwoXx7tGa39b8GvRKFjsxtE/s320/DSCN2774.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560881530204461266" /></a><br /><br />Not far from the museum is located the Laxminarayan Temple Complex, the oldest temple in Chamba. Actually at first we could not really make out the way in the middle of the market and entered a narrow by-lane following the direction of a little girl. But then somehow we found our way and reached the entrance of the temple complex. The complex housing six "sikhara" style main temples dedicated to either Shiva or Vishnu and several smaller shrines was founded in the 10th century by Sahil Verman. The main idol of Lord Vishnu is made of a rare marble and has a radiant appearance. Wooden “chhatris” and tiles adorn the top parts of the shrines, perhaps to ward off the snow. It was a great photo opportunity to capture all the six "sikharas" in a single photo frame, but the obscure location of the temple coupled with the unhelpful light and shade of the evening (and also perhaps my limited acumen as a photographer) restricted me from taking one. <br /><br />We spent some time in the market afterwards enjoying tea and sweets and when we returned to our car finally, we found our driver very worried. It appeared that he had called Runa’s mobile phone a few times but she had left it in the car itself and blissfully forgotten about it. The cause of his worry was that we were getting late for our journey to Pathankot from where we were to catch a train and we found out that we had miscalculated the distance of Pathankot from there. Thankfully, we reached the Chakki Bank railway station (located outside the town of Pathankot) well before the scheduled time, though we had to travel a fair bit after sundown. The tour had come to the end. We would be taking the overnight Jammu Rajdhani to New Delhi and a flight back to Kolkata. We would be going back to the usual, mundane, regular, boring life and what was more agonizing was that I would have to resume office the next day itself. I hoped that I would be able carry the image of the beautiful tranquil Beas flowing between mountains, viewed from the last tea break on our journey, for a long time even after I come back home.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_gww6HyHH17UDQ8J57VmmeG75647eULmt855r3w-p0m5AmlZ4yNdd2h1ARKQf_RpX-J9vX5aI7PzTYStusRhFoog9k_hLYbACuTf-oIn6aZ2-aWDeCh353lpl3b7_ltL8aDRH49RKMJk/s1600/DSCN2780.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_gww6HyHH17UDQ8J57VmmeG75647eULmt855r3w-p0m5AmlZ4yNdd2h1ARKQf_RpX-J9vX5aI7PzTYStusRhFoog9k_hLYbACuTf-oIn6aZ2-aWDeCh353lpl3b7_ltL8aDRH49RKMJk/s320/DSCN2780.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560881538813813474" /></a><br /><br />P.S. – The Jammu Rajdhani was my worst Rajdhani experience but the new airport in the capital was awe awakening and as good as any of the airports I have seen abroad.Deep Majumderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441918705733399044noreply@blogger.com172