Tranquil Tripura

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.

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 Tui (meaning water) and Pra (meaning near). Another opinion is that the name originated from the name of its presiding deity Tripurasundari. 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.

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 Inquilab Zindabad and Cholchhe Naa- Cholbe Naa, a scene that has become rare in Kolkata after the overhauling of the left in the last assembly elections. 

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). 

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.

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.

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 ghat 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.

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 charchala roof surmounted by a stupa 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.

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 mandapa with charchala roof surmounted by a stupa 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. 

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.

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 peeths 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 “Chhota Maa”. 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 pedas (sweets) from a nearby shop for offering puja (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.

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.

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. 

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. 

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. 

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^th – 9^th 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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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 panchhi (bird), nadiyan (river) and pawan ke jhoke (wind) but football as well could not be bounded by any border (koi sarhaad na use roke).

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 Kharchi Puja. 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. 

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.

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.

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 Hata-Khunti, 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.

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.

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.

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 Vishwa-Kabi. 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.

Passage through Panchalingeshwar

In 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.



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.

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.

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.

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.



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.




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.




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.

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.




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.



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.

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.

Aura of Ajanta

Ajanta 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.

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.




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.

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.




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.

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.




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.

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.

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.



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.




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.




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.






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.





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.




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.



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.






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.

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.