M for Mussorie
As i mentioned in Up!!, Mussorie was our favorite summer destination. When the temperature became unbearable in Delhi, all you had to do was whine in front of Papa about the heat and a trip to Mussorie was guaranteed. This may sound like Mussorie was our summer capital, that we had umpteen trips to this hill town, but thats not the case. Our trips to M can be counted on fingers, they werent too many. Just that in childhood, if you revisit a place too often then you think that you own it. And for a forgetful person like me, if i can recall a lane or a landmark in a city, it means i have been there enough times. Additionally, in those days not many middle class families ventured out so much to non-home towns. Summers were rather spent with relatives and cousins.
However much i have boasted about the frequent visits to M, i must confess that i have very little memory left of M. Though there are 2-3 peculiar things i remember, because they were...peculiar. For instance, i remember that i do not use to feel uneasy on these long hours trips like i do now. Can be attributed to the fact that i was very young, me and sister could sleep in the back seat of our fiat car, all stretched out; and we didnt had to bother about driving etc. We enjoyed the terrains, we gleamed at the sight of monkeys, we asked the most irritating question ever - kab pahunchenge papa?? We collected moss from the rocks, we were told it was good for our money plant, we collected dried pine fruit, and after collecting one too many, promised our mum that they all will form part of our some handicraft project (obviously, we threw them after we grew old when we realised they were still lying in our cupboards - mums are so right). We invented games on the road, like collecting points on a particularly colored car and seeing who won at the end of an hour. Red yours, white mine. (in those days there werent too many colors on cars anyway).
Another memory is of getting foto clicked in traditional attire. You know those fotographers who coax you in getting just one foto for memory sake. And this attire is as heavy as its accompanying jewellry. And in velvet green, velvet blue, velvet red!!! My sister used to detest it completely, i used to love it. Now, that i have grown up, i realise why she hated it so much. These guys are still good in business, huh. And how!! Once it must have been so hot in Delhi, that almost everyone headed towards M to take a break. So many cars caused traffic jams in M, haha!! And then the petrol pumps ran out of petrol. Clearly, they were not prepared for this sudden attack on their resources. And to our shock and amazement we could spot our neighbours, uncles and aunts, in this queue whom we thought we had left in the heat.
Taal-talk
A trip to Nainital was offered to all who landed themselves in 9th grade in BVB. There was an optional "trekking and mountaineering" course, which couldnt be fitted in Aravalis in Delhi. Some deal was made with some ashram cum mountaineering centre in Nainital, for the "pupils to learn discipline through yoga and trekking!". Everyone loved it, and why not. What could be more sensational than spending 10 unsupervised days with your classmates at the dawn of teenage!! A group of about 40 students, along with some "friendly" teachers headed to Nainital.
The ashram guidelines given to us were no cakewalk. Rules and more rules for even odd jobs like bathing or eating. The first jolt of shock came when the bus carrying us stopped atleast 2 kms ahead of the ashram. It was a steep road up to the ashram. We were school kids, still used to our parents carrying our bags. And here, we were expected to carry our luggage to the ashram - drag, carry or drop. The amount of khoon (literally) and paseena that went into this humongous task made the other tasks look petty. Getting up really early, doing unneccessary yoga, cleaning your dishes, eating bhindi- tamatar (yuck), sleeping at 9!! And not to forget the real purpose - the mountaineering training. Utterly dangerous! But we did it all. Climbing, repelling, river crossing - i had a 7inches long gash on my neck because of the rope one tied to oneself while repelling. Took ages to go, and so did the suntan + grime.
And oh, the lake!! The lake visit is a historical event in my life. It was a day of great revelation. On that day, i awakened to the fact that i have hydrophobia. I cant bear the sight of large volumes of water, with no foreseeable end. Explained my fear for learning swimming, and boat rides. Along with me, another boy did not go for the customary boat ride - no phobia, his mother had made him promise he wont do it!!! Filmy, huh!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Jammu-Katra - VaishnoDevi
Jammu was part of our elective course in BArch. We were assigned to do a "Sustainable Development Plan for Katra" and that is how we landed in Jammu. A classmate of ours, native to Jammu, organised stay of atleast 20 odd students, at his house!! Generous!! And through his contacts, helped us get into the dusty files in dilapidated offices of Jammu MC to help us plan better. Katra is a small town, the base city from where one embarks upon the journey to Vaishno Devi (VD). Its a slowly disintegrating town succumbing to the load of tourists it has to cater to. Like all base towns to famous pilgrims, this one also faces problems of sustainability and co-existence. I had never seen Katra from this perspective. Once earlier, when we had done our obligatory VD trip, we had stayed one night in Katra, ignorant to its pathetic state. Katra didnt excite me much in school, because it was an academic exercise.
Jammu on the other hand was full of excitement from the time we landed there. A bomb blast at the railway station just a few hours before we were to arrive there. Consequently, minimal options for transport and communication. We walked to the house of this classmate. It wasn’t a pleasant walk on a sunny cold morning since we were tired from the overnight journey and the fear of another blast lingered on. One couldnt call back home since all telephone lines were disconnected, mobile phones were almost non-existent. Roaming around the city after dark was banned. Had to quickly shop for famous walnuts and Rajmah, without the fun of exploring and bargaining. The whole idea was painful at that time, but thrilling when one would narrate it later to other friends and relatives.
And a visit to Katra is a waste without a trip to VD. My first visit to VD was quite painful (as happens with most of us), i had silently promised that i would avoid doing another one. But if the whole bunch of friends are going, then you cant be a coward and stay behind. So i did it the second time also. Just that the second time was less painful, because one knew what one has signed up for. The first visit to VD was with family and another close relative. The elder switched between foot and khacchar. The kids were expected to walk all the way up, which given the age was acceptable. Frankly, the information that the mandir is about 14km from the base didnt bother me in those days. This is because in those days i couldnt comprehend the length of a kilometer. So 14 or 48 would have meant the same. However, these kilometers on hills are exaggerated. I remember i was highly disappointed when we reached ardhkuwari - and was told that this is just the half way. In my mind, i had already crossed 20 kms, if not more. And to admit the rest, in my two visits to VD, i have never dared to go in the cave for ardhkuwari. Some sitting outside the shrine will not hesitate in recalling how one fat lady got stuck because the ceiling is so low, or how one old man couldnt move coz his legs got stuck in the stone - and still encourage you to go. How sadistic!! I have no jigra to land myself in such "tight spots". With full faith and devotion in my heart, i felt Gods will be pleased with my 14km trek and ignore my inadequacies.
After treading those 14 neverending kms, we came to the VD bazaarlane, which houses dharamshalas, puja shops, shoerack shanties, toilets and open bathrooms. And the scene is like any other pilgrim bazaar. People elbowing meeker people to get in line to take bath, to have the first look of mata after curtains have been opened, to get prashad, to get back their shoes from shoeracks, to get back as fast as possible to their khaccharwallah, all in all to get back to Katra asap. It is all so in fast-forward mode, as if climbing all the way up and getting a peek at the shrine was all but a routine to them, chalo ye bhi ho gaya types. Isn’t the whole idea of a pilgrim to rest your mind and think in peace for once. This rushing-rushing to everything is like normal office days na?
Anyhow, we didn’t rush (or did we??) (That’s a nice thing about being kid, your routine is controlled by elders. So all the planning and time-management is left to them while you are left to enjoy the nuisances.) We must have taken the shower, oh yes, the shower in a poorly managed bathroom, filthy and waterlogged. And the chill in the water didn’t help to overcome nausea at the sight of this filth. Then queuing up for darshan, and the cave didn’t intimidate me as much as I had expected. It was the “new” cave, easy walk. And then finally to the garbh-griha, and what is it – “blink and you miss it” darshan of mata. Just a couple of second inside the garbh-griha, no introductions to the goddess, bow the head and off you go. Is that what I toiled for all the 14kms and equal number of hours for????? God I tell you!!!!
Jammu on the other hand was full of excitement from the time we landed there. A bomb blast at the railway station just a few hours before we were to arrive there. Consequently, minimal options for transport and communication. We walked to the house of this classmate. It wasn’t a pleasant walk on a sunny cold morning since we were tired from the overnight journey and the fear of another blast lingered on. One couldnt call back home since all telephone lines were disconnected, mobile phones were almost non-existent. Roaming around the city after dark was banned. Had to quickly shop for famous walnuts and Rajmah, without the fun of exploring and bargaining. The whole idea was painful at that time, but thrilling when one would narrate it later to other friends and relatives.
And a visit to Katra is a waste without a trip to VD. My first visit to VD was quite painful (as happens with most of us), i had silently promised that i would avoid doing another one. But if the whole bunch of friends are going, then you cant be a coward and stay behind. So i did it the second time also. Just that the second time was less painful, because one knew what one has signed up for. The first visit to VD was with family and another close relative. The elder switched between foot and khacchar. The kids were expected to walk all the way up, which given the age was acceptable. Frankly, the information that the mandir is about 14km from the base didnt bother me in those days. This is because in those days i couldnt comprehend the length of a kilometer. So 14 or 48 would have meant the same. However, these kilometers on hills are exaggerated. I remember i was highly disappointed when we reached ardhkuwari - and was told that this is just the half way. In my mind, i had already crossed 20 kms, if not more. And to admit the rest, in my two visits to VD, i have never dared to go in the cave for ardhkuwari. Some sitting outside the shrine will not hesitate in recalling how one fat lady got stuck because the ceiling is so low, or how one old man couldnt move coz his legs got stuck in the stone - and still encourage you to go. How sadistic!! I have no jigra to land myself in such "tight spots". With full faith and devotion in my heart, i felt Gods will be pleased with my 14km trek and ignore my inadequacies.
After treading those 14 neverending kms, we came to the VD bazaarlane, which houses dharamshalas, puja shops, shoerack shanties, toilets and open bathrooms. And the scene is like any other pilgrim bazaar. People elbowing meeker people to get in line to take bath, to have the first look of mata after curtains have been opened, to get prashad, to get back their shoes from shoeracks, to get back as fast as possible to their khaccharwallah, all in all to get back to Katra asap. It is all so in fast-forward mode, as if climbing all the way up and getting a peek at the shrine was all but a routine to them, chalo ye bhi ho gaya types. Isn’t the whole idea of a pilgrim to rest your mind and think in peace for once. This rushing-rushing to everything is like normal office days na?
Anyhow, we didn’t rush (or did we??) (That’s a nice thing about being kid, your routine is controlled by elders. So all the planning and time-management is left to them while you are left to enjoy the nuisances.) We must have taken the shower, oh yes, the shower in a poorly managed bathroom, filthy and waterlogged. And the chill in the water didn’t help to overcome nausea at the sight of this filth. Then queuing up for darshan, and the cave didn’t intimidate me as much as I had expected. It was the “new” cave, easy walk. And then finally to the garbh-griha, and what is it – “blink and you miss it” darshan of mata. Just a couple of second inside the garbh-griha, no introductions to the goddess, bow the head and off you go. Is that what I toiled for all the 14kms and equal number of hours for????? God I tell you!!!!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
UP!!
I went back to my list in the Travelator and picked up destinations which are way above the sea level. Basically this blog will account for my experiences in mountains, indian and not foreign. Common man in India, travels to mountains for 2 primary purposes. Number one, is to chill out. A feature on how to beat the heat this summer in a magazine i was reading recently, listed "hill stations" as one of the heat busters. And very interestingly wrote how, when the temperatures sore high, we wish we were born in mountains than in plains. So true. I remember, in childhood, parents used to drive us to Mussorie to save us from the heat. "Heat" during those days was not even as hot as it is now!!! Number two is pilgrimage. Why our gods have decided to station themselves in non-imaginable-non-reachable-highly-dangerous locations is something i will not question. And why, every year, millions of Indians go to these places to prove their devotion is again unarguable. I say so because i am part of this group. Devotion yes, but in my case its predominantly the curiosity to see the seat of al-mighty. Fascinates me to the core; even the myths and stories on how they (our Gods) went about accidently discovering these hideouts.
Coming back to my list - it includes category A) Jammu - Katra, Mussorie - Nainital, Kasuali, Manali, Chakrata, Ooty (its hilly, right?) ; category B) Rishikesh, Badrinath - Kedarnath - Gangotri, Neelkanth, VaishnoDevi. I will write about them in seperate articles...
Coming back to my list - it includes category A) Jammu - Katra, Mussorie - Nainital, Kasuali, Manali, Chakrata, Ooty (its hilly, right?) ; category B) Rishikesh, Badrinath - Kedarnath - Gangotri, Neelkanth, VaishnoDevi. I will write about them in seperate articles...
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Where there were no chakkars?
Prologue: When i started this blog, i wanted to write about Chakrata. As i proceeded into it, i realised i had so much to say about road trips per se. So i will reserve this blog for the latter function and write another one, which inshallah would be a collection of experiences from most of our hilly tours.
Here it goes......
I am a nervous wreck, when it comes to driving long hours on highways. And if it involves undulating terrains, the nerve thumps 100 times faster. So when my husband proposed that we go to Chakrata, a small hill town slightly north-west of Dehradun for our second anniversay trip, i wasnt much convinced. Considering that our honeymoon trip also involved long hours of hill driving, i was not sure whether we (I, mostly) wanted to repeat the experience. Now, at this point, it is crucial to understand what comprises a "fun-trip" for the two of us. To me, its more of spending time at the destination, whether hillside, seaside or streetside. To my dear husband, the journey is the fun part. And to conclude that a trip to far off place which involves air travel will get thousand thumbs down is an easy assumption. So invariably, we are left with destinations close to Delhi which involves a road trip. Ofcourse, far off destinations are also considered for road trips but they often fall into the "no long chhuti from office" category.
My idea of celebrating an occassion, or enjoying "having fun" has more to do with the state of mind - peaceful, clutterfree and de-stressed. Now long hours of road journey not only makes me nervous, but also introduces a whole array of disastrous scenerios, panic situations and uneasy feelings in my brain - not to forget the uninvited stomach pains, which to a great extent dampens the spirit of vacation - but for me, just me. Husband on the other hand feels superbly thrilled and excited. His vacation starts the very moment he decides on a destination, and the mode to approach it. God, only if i had his nerves!!! And what i fail to understand the most is why, and WHY do we have these trips for romantic occassion (honeymoon, anniversary). Why cant we like other couples, hold hands, embark a plane, be greeted by a pretty women, get a welcome drink at the resort, lay by the poolside and click some happy moments. Why is it us who have to start at ungodly hours, drive on bumpy roads, at times no roads, be inch close to screeching trucks, tag behind buffalo carts, walk steep distances from parking to the hotel, get bitten by bed bugs (coz small hillitowns wont have 5stars na!!) and hit the pillow early because tomorrow will be another adventurous day. The whole idea of driving leaves me unenthused, to say the least. The halo of romance and love in the air goes poof!!
But to give devil its due, and to lift my spirits at the end of any long journey up the mountains, there is always the breathtaking scenic beauty, the love of my life beside me and some surprise snow :). No choice but i have to admit i love it and i know when i say i love it, it means another hillside trip in the coming.
Here it goes......
I am a nervous wreck, when it comes to driving long hours on highways. And if it involves undulating terrains, the nerve thumps 100 times faster. So when my husband proposed that we go to Chakrata, a small hill town slightly north-west of Dehradun for our second anniversay trip, i wasnt much convinced. Considering that our honeymoon trip also involved long hours of hill driving, i was not sure whether we (I, mostly) wanted to repeat the experience. Now, at this point, it is crucial to understand what comprises a "fun-trip" for the two of us. To me, its more of spending time at the destination, whether hillside, seaside or streetside. To my dear husband, the journey is the fun part. And to conclude that a trip to far off place which involves air travel will get thousand thumbs down is an easy assumption. So invariably, we are left with destinations close to Delhi which involves a road trip. Ofcourse, far off destinations are also considered for road trips but they often fall into the "no long chhuti from office" category.
My idea of celebrating an occassion, or enjoying "having fun" has more to do with the state of mind - peaceful, clutterfree and de-stressed. Now long hours of road journey not only makes me nervous, but also introduces a whole array of disastrous scenerios, panic situations and uneasy feelings in my brain - not to forget the uninvited stomach pains, which to a great extent dampens the spirit of vacation - but for me, just me. Husband on the other hand feels superbly thrilled and excited. His vacation starts the very moment he decides on a destination, and the mode to approach it. God, only if i had his nerves!!! And what i fail to understand the most is why, and WHY do we have these trips for romantic occassion (honeymoon, anniversary). Why cant we like other couples, hold hands, embark a plane, be greeted by a pretty women, get a welcome drink at the resort, lay by the poolside and click some happy moments. Why is it us who have to start at ungodly hours, drive on bumpy roads, at times no roads, be inch close to screeching trucks, tag behind buffalo carts, walk steep distances from parking to the hotel, get bitten by bed bugs (coz small hillitowns wont have 5stars na!!) and hit the pillow early because tomorrow will be another adventurous day. The whole idea of driving leaves me unenthused, to say the least. The halo of romance and love in the air goes poof!!
What I am also capable of, is, transfering my anxiety to the co-travellers. If the co-travellers happens to be driving the car, then god only bless him/her. Over time, i have learned to control my "break", "dekho", "aaaieeee", "mummyeeee", "What WAS that" and all the hindi swear words. But in spirit, they still build adrenaline inside me and mirror the horror on my face. A constantly instructing-on-driving co-traveller is the worst form of humiliation for anyone who is driving, good or bad. And i know this because i drive and i hate it too. Husband once gave me a serious warning (he is not known to be very serious so when this one came i knew he meant it) which starts scrolling in my brain as soon as i take my seat. Still, fear control hi nahi hota.
Interestingly, i consider myself a traveller (haha) and i should, by definition, be enthusiastic enough to savour any adventure which poses itself during travel. Fulfilling other aspects of travelling comes easy to me. Those around me know i am superbly organised, will have everything one can ask for during the travel, if not, i can improvise. I dont feel nausea or chakkars on winding roads. I can blabber continuously to entertain (or i feel i do). I can sing songs (pathetic though they may sound), i can dance (to my amusement) and i can offer small snacks (i am always prepared)! So basically, hardware-wise i have proper control, software-wise i fail. By software i mean whatever i explained in the first two paras which one should have which i cant muster.
But to give devil its due, and to lift my spirits at the end of any long journey up the mountains, there is always the breathtaking scenic beauty, the love of my life beside me and some surprise snow :). No choice but i have to admit i love it and i know when i say i love it, it means another hillside trip in the coming.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
City of Joy
A cliche' title. What else would you call a city which is nothing but a place for joy. Aptly enunciated. Calcutta is the east-est I have traveled in India. The city is historically very important to our nation. When Britishers first landed in India, they made Calcutta their capital. And so started the evolution of British India - the customs, the speech, the architecture, and the mannerisms. Building in this city are magnificant, awe-inspiring, very colonial. But the way they are integrated into city's fabric, by citizens, by culture, is nothing but truly Indian. For instance the grounds in front of Victoria memorial. In good old days, the Queen must have made them with the purpose of strolling or brunches (I suppose), but today they are affectionately utilised by boys and urchins as cricket grounds, or football is it?
Architecture of Calcutta is much talked about - both Indian and colonial, and I will not delve into it much. What we can list here is some of the places which one should be visiting when in Calcutta - Victoria memorial for sure, Ramakrishna Ashram, Dakshineshwar temple, Belur Math, Kalighat temple, Townhall. Ramakrishna ashram has intricate carving and silence all around it. The location is strategic - its on the river bank. Across the river stands the elegant Dakshineshwar temple, which reminds me of the white and red border sarees commonly worn by Bengali women. The ghat (man-made) at the Ramakrishna Ashram must be really popular with young couples or peace-seeking people, for obvious reasons. We were there during the day and even the harsh sun couldn’t discourage many visitors from occupying the ghats. The two bridges, Howrah bridge and the New Hoogly bridge (Vidyasagar Setu) are also worth a ride.
We stayed at Hotel Big Boss, which was at Rawdon Street, now called Sarojini Naidu Sarani. Its claim to fame is its vicinity to La’Martinere’s School. Keeping with the national trend, Calcutta too has rechristened many of its streets from English to Indian. There is a Shakespere Sarini (sarini would mean street or road), which is the cultural street as they say. Many a theatres and art houses are located on this street. What is particularly amazing about Calcutta is that almost all the streets or roads, even lanes are mini markets. The “shopping zone” has indefinite boundaries in Calcutta. And on these streets, one finds the true spirit of Calcutta – people…..loads of them, smoking people…something that we totally detest in Delhi, yellow taxis…. nerve-racking callous drivers, traffic…chaos….jams…diversions, hand-pulled rickshaws…a sickening site, trams…. true heritage.
The first time I went to Calcutta, I was recommended to do the Heritage Tram Tour. http://www.calcuttatramways.com/events.htm. Its an enthralling experience. As the tram makes its way into the lanes and bylanes of the city, one sees old and dilapidated buildings, encroachers on pavements, house of Tagore, careless people walking right in front of tram, and the tram driver braking hard making the wheels squeek and roll with a grinding sound!! But the bumps and old ragged seats of the tram doesn’t dampen the spirits, at least I felt enriched by experiencing this alternative edifice of this city. I suppose the steamer ride on hoogly will offer an equally exciting experience.
Talking about streets and markets, Gariahat market is one of the biggest and richest (in terms of choice and variety) in Calcutta. There are upscale shops like Kanishka where you can treat your eyes (and pocket) to very classy and trendy Bengali sarees. They have traditional stuff too. Right next to similar upscale shops are the small makeshift shops, where you can pick good cotton stuff at very reasonable (and highly negotiable) prices. Swabhumi, a crafts bazaar kind of place has been recently opened in New town to cater to the growing need of art loving urban citizens.
Food and sweets make up for what the Bengalis really are. Flurry’s, an old colonial type coffee house is supposedly the must-visit, must-have-breakfast joint in Calcutta. There is 6 Ballygunge Place which is an old house transformed into a hotel. Here one must try the Luchi, Radhabhalobhi and baked Sandesh. Equally famous is the night life in Calcutta. Walk on the Park Street to take a plunge in one of the busiest pubs / clubs / restaurants scene in India. There is the famous but not so satisfying “Saurav’s”. Mukambo and Tangra rate high in Chinese cuisine. AND for the world famous, mouth-watering sweet delicacies of Bengal, visit Balaram Mallick in Bhawanipur (its most authentic).
Once touted as the most polluted city in India (i am not sure of the status now), Calcutta has lots on offer. If one is looking for real relaxation then this would be the place. It is a city which one would want to visit again and again. Not only to buy the beautiful cotton sarees, but also to absorb the "culture". Much is said about the artistic inclination of Bengalis, their flare for long and tardy political discussions and their always-growing fascination with theatre. It is an organic city. Ofcourse, there is salt lake and all the new townships with sky-touching residential towers, which make up for the new face of the city. I spotted huge malls on my way to the airport and i was wondering whether this should be the future of all our cities. Or whether we would love to remember Calcutta as what we saw through the Tram ride. For sure its a question of heritage versus development. And i would rather people have better living conditions than sticking to their heritage houses. But i do hope that 5years from now, if i visit Calcutta again, i still get to ride in the Tram and see those old colonial buildings which makes up for the most of character in Calcutta. (I am sure the Bengalis will differ here and say Calcutta is much more than just trams!!!). To which i would say, yess yess lets explore that too :)
Architecture of Calcutta is much talked about - both Indian and colonial, and I will not delve into it much. What we can list here is some of the places which one should be visiting when in Calcutta - Victoria memorial for sure, Ramakrishna Ashram, Dakshineshwar temple, Belur Math, Kalighat temple, Townhall. Ramakrishna ashram has intricate carving and silence all around it. The location is strategic - its on the river bank. Across the river stands the elegant Dakshineshwar temple, which reminds me of the white and red border sarees commonly worn by Bengali women. The ghat (man-made) at the Ramakrishna Ashram must be really popular with young couples or peace-seeking people, for obvious reasons. We were there during the day and even the harsh sun couldn’t discourage many visitors from occupying the ghats. The two bridges, Howrah bridge and the New Hoogly bridge (Vidyasagar Setu) are also worth a ride.
We stayed at Hotel Big Boss, which was at Rawdon Street, now called Sarojini Naidu Sarani. Its claim to fame is its vicinity to La’Martinere’s School. Keeping with the national trend, Calcutta too has rechristened many of its streets from English to Indian. There is a Shakespere Sarini (sarini would mean street or road), which is the cultural street as they say. Many a theatres and art houses are located on this street. What is particularly amazing about Calcutta is that almost all the streets or roads, even lanes are mini markets. The “shopping zone” has indefinite boundaries in Calcutta. And on these streets, one finds the true spirit of Calcutta – people…..loads of them, smoking people…something that we totally detest in Delhi, yellow taxis…. nerve-racking callous drivers, traffic…chaos….jams…diversions, hand-pulled rickshaws…a sickening site, trams…. true heritage.
The first time I went to Calcutta, I was recommended to do the Heritage Tram Tour. http://www.calcuttatramways.com/events.htm. Its an enthralling experience. As the tram makes its way into the lanes and bylanes of the city, one sees old and dilapidated buildings, encroachers on pavements, house of Tagore, careless people walking right in front of tram, and the tram driver braking hard making the wheels squeek and roll with a grinding sound!! But the bumps and old ragged seats of the tram doesn’t dampen the spirits, at least I felt enriched by experiencing this alternative edifice of this city. I suppose the steamer ride on hoogly will offer an equally exciting experience.
Talking about streets and markets, Gariahat market is one of the biggest and richest (in terms of choice and variety) in Calcutta. There are upscale shops like Kanishka where you can treat your eyes (and pocket) to very classy and trendy Bengali sarees. They have traditional stuff too. Right next to similar upscale shops are the small makeshift shops, where you can pick good cotton stuff at very reasonable (and highly negotiable) prices. Swabhumi, a crafts bazaar kind of place has been recently opened in New town to cater to the growing need of art loving urban citizens.
Food and sweets make up for what the Bengalis really are. Flurry’s, an old colonial type coffee house is supposedly the must-visit, must-have-breakfast joint in Calcutta. There is 6 Ballygunge Place which is an old house transformed into a hotel. Here one must try the Luchi, Radhabhalobhi and baked Sandesh. Equally famous is the night life in Calcutta. Walk on the Park Street to take a plunge in one of the busiest pubs / clubs / restaurants scene in India. There is the famous but not so satisfying “Saurav’s”. Mukambo and Tangra rate high in Chinese cuisine. AND for the world famous, mouth-watering sweet delicacies of Bengal, visit Balaram Mallick in Bhawanipur (its most authentic).
Once touted as the most polluted city in India (i am not sure of the status now), Calcutta has lots on offer. If one is looking for real relaxation then this would be the place. It is a city which one would want to visit again and again. Not only to buy the beautiful cotton sarees, but also to absorb the "culture". Much is said about the artistic inclination of Bengalis, their flare for long and tardy political discussions and their always-growing fascination with theatre. It is an organic city. Ofcourse, there is salt lake and all the new townships with sky-touching residential towers, which make up for the new face of the city. I spotted huge malls on my way to the airport and i was wondering whether this should be the future of all our cities. Or whether we would love to remember Calcutta as what we saw through the Tram ride. For sure its a question of heritage versus development. And i would rather people have better living conditions than sticking to their heritage houses. But i do hope that 5years from now, if i visit Calcutta again, i still get to ride in the Tram and see those old colonial buildings which makes up for the most of character in Calcutta. (I am sure the Bengalis will differ here and say Calcutta is much more than just trams!!!). To which i would say, yess yess lets explore that too :)
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Travelator
travelling - i can say i like travelling. like most of us, i too have experienced my share of travelling with parents, as kids. or in school and colleges. but after taking up my present job, my touring graph has gone up and high. not only within India, but outside too. so i say, i like travelling. some people have excellent memory and they can throw names of places, restaurants, dates even related to their travel. i am not so gifted. i sometimes have flashes of images in my mind and then i sit and think for hours, damn, which place is this???? or when a friend or a relative is visiting a city which i have already set my foot on, then i struggle to think of nice restaurants or the bazaars which i had been to, or the famous chaatwala. at times, this is really frustrating. most of the times, its embarrassing.
the year 2010 has been quite extravagant in terms of travelling. if i recall correctly, then from May up till November, i have been on move each month. this is not regular for a person like me, with a profile which doesn't ask for compulsive travelling to projects or partners. another factor is sasural being situated in another city. that makes up for at least twice a year outing, and visit to new towns.
being an architect and planner (not having put it to practice though), i am an avid collector of maps and guides. makes my life easier in cities. i like to explore cities on my own. its kind of suffocating for me to be in a city and not knowing how am i placed geographically . for almost all the cities i have been to, i have a map, a collection of tickets for temples and museum etc., SIM cards of various nations!!!, general touristy info, magazines and other stuff. they say the best way to recall is to write. so, i will write about cities, i have been to. a compilation of my experiences, situations, food habits, people's behaviour, fashion trends. this will require lot of scratching of my brain cells, i will also cheat and look up google for erased memories and poke my co-travellors for finer details.. i think this the least i can do for myself. "i would love to read these when i get old. it will bring back fond memories".
step one in this direction would be to compile a list of places i have visited. second would be to select destinations for reporting. this will not include places which i have frequented most in my lifetime, unless there is a stupendously exciting experience attached to it. otherwise the whole series will amount to a book. third is to review all memorabilia attached to this destination and file them in a scrapbook. last would be to rewind and write. let us begin by listing the places, with some categories for easy sorting:
a) foreign destinations:
- bonn -berlin-freiburg- frankfurt-stuttgart-paris-koln 2007
-new jersey - new york-chicago-philadelphia 2008
-bangkok 2008, 2009
-jakarta 2006
-singapore 2008
-shanghai 2010
-colombo 2006
-manila 2010
b) in India (touring)
-jammu
-manali
-dehradun-mussorie
-ambala -kasauli-chandigarh
-mathura-agra-vrindavan
-gwalior
-meerut
-bareilly
-chhibramau
-kanpur - lucknow-gorakhpur
-nainital
-bharuch-ahmedabad-ankleshwar
-jaipur-amber-udaipur-nathdwara - chittorgarh
-bikaner
-mumbai -pune -goa
-solapur-hampi
-bhopal - khajuraho-jhansi-orchchha
-ooty -bangalore-madurai -chennai
-hyderabad
-calcutta
c) in india (piligrimage)
-gangotri-kedarnath-badrinath
-haridwar-rishikesh –neelkanth
-katra-vaishnodevi
-ajmer
-dwarka-somnath
the year 2010 has been quite extravagant in terms of travelling. if i recall correctly, then from May up till November, i have been on move each month. this is not regular for a person like me, with a profile which doesn't ask for compulsive travelling to projects or partners. another factor is sasural being situated in another city. that makes up for at least twice a year outing, and visit to new towns.
being an architect and planner (not having put it to practice though), i am an avid collector of maps and guides. makes my life easier in cities. i like to explore cities on my own. its kind of suffocating for me to be in a city and not knowing how am i placed geographically . for almost all the cities i have been to, i have a map, a collection of tickets for temples and museum etc., SIM cards of various nations!!!, general touristy info, magazines and other stuff. they say the best way to recall is to write. so, i will write about cities, i have been to. a compilation of my experiences, situations, food habits, people's behaviour, fashion trends. this will require lot of scratching of my brain cells, i will also cheat and look up google for erased memories and poke my co-travellors for finer details.. i think this the least i can do for myself. "i would love to read these when i get old. it will bring back fond memories".
step one in this direction would be to compile a list of places i have visited. second would be to select destinations for reporting. this will not include places which i have frequented most in my lifetime, unless there is a stupendously exciting experience attached to it. otherwise the whole series will amount to a book. third is to review all memorabilia attached to this destination and file them in a scrapbook. last would be to rewind and write. let us begin by listing the places, with some categories for easy sorting:
a) foreign destinations:
- bonn -berlin-freiburg- frankfurt-stuttgart-paris-koln 2007
-new jersey - new york-chicago-philadelphia 2008
-bangkok 2008, 2009
-jakarta 2006
-singapore 2008
-shanghai 2010
-colombo 2006
-manila 2010
b) in India (touring)
-jammu
-manali
-dehradun-mussorie
-ambala -kasauli-chandigarh
-mathura-agra-vrindavan
-gwalior
-meerut
-bareilly
-chhibramau
-kanpur - lucknow-gorakhpur
-nainital
-bharuch-ahmedabad-ankleshwar
-jaipur-amber-udaipur-nathdwara - chittorgarh
-bikaner
-mumbai -pune -goa
-solapur-hampi
-bhopal - khajuraho-jhansi-orchchha
-ooty -bangalore-madurai -chennai
-hyderabad
-calcutta
c) in india (piligrimage)
-gangotri-kedarnath-badrinath
-haridwar-rishikesh –neelkanth
-katra-vaishnodevi
-ajmer
-dwarka-somnath
Sunday, September 26, 2010
CWG Fiasco
i will pull no punches here, and it will be a long comment column and some would think i have gone insane...but man...do i care!!i too have had enough of CWG - blatant media reporting, blogs, lunch room discussions, corruption cases, misuse of power and resources, general inconvenience blah blah blah। I totally accept things are not happening the way they should be and as a nation we are not putting up a good picture. Too bad. Full Stop.
This was for the agencies involved who are doing things wrongly or not doing anything. what are WE doing, except for criticing. Nothing.
i have debated this with friends, colleagues, relatives. I understand the general apathy. and i am totally with it. BUT what i dont like is remarks like "the games should be a flop..tab maza aayega inko", "we dont deserve these games", "indians are good for nothing" "india has been too ambitious to take on something like this" or what mani shankar aiyar said..insensitive!! i hate these comments and hate every person who is making these comments. and i also have stopped liking these frequent blogs and writeup on "sharamnaak" performance. whats the harm in being ambitious, a country which is just 60years old is trying to match international level, whats the harm???? ya, like all of us, i too have list of things that could be done, ideally. but too bad, i am not in games OC!!should i even start with what indians are capable of doing??? dont we have other things to talk about????why repeat and repeat and repeat our dissent.why?and btw, let me also tell you, that nobody other than delhities are so charged about CWG.the rest of india isnt even bothered.
i have two more problems, one im a patriot (and i have all reason to be, i love my country) and two, im a positive person (sorry, i cant help it). my contention is, so ok, things are bad, much has been said, but now that the games are nearing, lets atleast keep our spirits high, stop making long faces, see the positive effects (ok, we have to take a magnifying glass to do so, but why not). when u have a wedding at home and preparation go awry, do you feel good about the sinking prestige of the hosts or do you rise and help?? i am not comparing the events, i am comparing the emotions. people, guests are coming to my city, and i want to see them go back happy. i can even imagine people chating with tourists on the poor state of india and the works. bcoz they want to earn brownie points with goras and they feel its totally cool to bad-mouth one's country.
i want to appeal to people, somethings are not in our hands like OC, but a lot of other things are. why dont we work on that. lets be smiling hosts so that people dont go back to their countries and say, “you know..delhities ARE very rude people”, or offer help for directions, information, whatever!!
i am not sure how many of us know what went behind munich olympics or beijing olympics, but if you know i bet you'll thank god - for the least we are going through.
this maybe my last discussion, comment, read on anything related to CWG. unless something profusely instigating comes up. from now on, i will groom myself to become a "wonderful and a proud host".
This was for the agencies involved who are doing things wrongly or not doing anything. what are WE doing, except for criticing. Nothing.
i have debated this with friends, colleagues, relatives. I understand the general apathy. and i am totally with it. BUT what i dont like is remarks like "the games should be a flop..tab maza aayega inko", "we dont deserve these games", "indians are good for nothing" "india has been too ambitious to take on something like this" or what mani shankar aiyar said..insensitive!! i hate these comments and hate every person who is making these comments. and i also have stopped liking these frequent blogs and writeup on "sharamnaak" performance. whats the harm in being ambitious, a country which is just 60years old is trying to match international level, whats the harm???? ya, like all of us, i too have list of things that could be done, ideally. but too bad, i am not in games OC!!should i even start with what indians are capable of doing??? dont we have other things to talk about????why repeat and repeat and repeat our dissent.why?and btw, let me also tell you, that nobody other than delhities are so charged about CWG.the rest of india isnt even bothered.
i have two more problems, one im a patriot (and i have all reason to be, i love my country) and two, im a positive person (sorry, i cant help it). my contention is, so ok, things are bad, much has been said, but now that the games are nearing, lets atleast keep our spirits high, stop making long faces, see the positive effects (ok, we have to take a magnifying glass to do so, but why not). when u have a wedding at home and preparation go awry, do you feel good about the sinking prestige of the hosts or do you rise and help?? i am not comparing the events, i am comparing the emotions. people, guests are coming to my city, and i want to see them go back happy. i can even imagine people chating with tourists on the poor state of india and the works. bcoz they want to earn brownie points with goras and they feel its totally cool to bad-mouth one's country.
i want to appeal to people, somethings are not in our hands like OC, but a lot of other things are. why dont we work on that. lets be smiling hosts so that people dont go back to their countries and say, “you know..delhities ARE very rude people”, or offer help for directions, information, whatever!!
i am not sure how many of us know what went behind munich olympics or beijing olympics, but if you know i bet you'll thank god - for the least we are going through.
this maybe my last discussion, comment, read on anything related to CWG. unless something profusely instigating comes up. from now on, i will groom myself to become a "wonderful and a proud host".
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