Travel Tuesday – India through my eyes - Messaging in Mussoorie

 

We have seen messaging on mountain roads, on trucks and lorries and on random boards. But this is interesting . We were walking around Landour, in Mussoorie when I ran into these messages. Interestingly these were printed on bins..now that is a great way to either notice a bin or to read a message !

 

Now that is rather profound !

Flashback 2012 – Destinations

Thank God it is December. I am so waiting for 2012 to get over as it has been a terrible year for me from the word “ Go” . All that I am hoping is that December will change that perspective. Although the year has been rather bad, from a personal point of view – I would not say the same from travel’s perspective. I got to travel less in India, but travelled extensively abroad starting with Cambodia, France, Spain, Poland, Netherlands,Austria, Germany. My only regret is that I could not travel in Turkey although we had a brief stopover at Istanbul – at the airport.

My first trip this year was very special. I went to my village , Kallidaikurichi after almost two decades and spent a lot of time by the river Tambiraparani and took off to see snatches of Kalakad Mudanthurai Tiger Reserve. There were no tigers to sight but the drive was well worth it, as we saw dams like Manimuthar, Papanasam and drove around Manjolai and went up to Kudrevatti. I went on a heritage trip tois  Naanjil Naadu as well. All this was followed by brief trips to Chattisgarh, Ganeshgudi, Masinagudi, Coorg , Pondicherry and then there was a long break until I resumed travelling again to Mysore, Coonoor and Kanatal with Club Mahindra for Conclay. The last trip in November was also very special as we did a road trip with Ford and went to Bekal, courtesy The Taj.We drove through Malenad via Saklespur, to Mangalore, Kasargod and returned via Agumbe, Belur and Hassan . And it was our 10th anniversary as well..

Lets see where December takes me..No concrete plans as yet, but am raring to go..

Meet Mysore artist Venkatesh

It is a busy day and the crowds are milling towards the palace in the royal city of Mysore. I take a detour and enter a quiet part of the city which is wrapped in an afternoon siesta. A light breeze awakens the spirit as I wander around looking for people with a royal connect. A chance conversation with a friend , Vinay from Royal Mysore Walks takes me to the doorstep of an artist , Venkatesh whose nostalgic memories lead us through a fascinating journey as he shares snippets and stories from the lives of his ancestors.
The leafy environments greet me the moment I step into the lane where Venkatesh lives. Tall trees create a canopy as the detour ends into a dead-end. Plump and ripe, the “chakotas” are dangling from the branches of the tree, waiting to be plucked. Venkatesh smiles and ushers us in , while his sister is waiting for us with a cup of tea.

I look around and see in the dim afternoon light . The walls are filled with paintings and sculptures taking you into a different era. A Raja Ravi Varma painting hangs on the wall, but as you look inside, you see a Mysore painting of Krishna dancing on the snake Kalinga . A painting of the deity, Lakshmi Narasimha graces the walls , while the Goddess Saraswati sits gracefully on the other side.
Amidst the medley of Gods and Goddesses are several weapons , that dates back to the Vijaynagar empire . Venkatesh explains that his ancestors who came from those regions were employed in different positions in the royal palace – some of them served as surveyors, while others were personal body guards of the kings.
He tells us that they were referred to as “ Girle Meesai Sepoy” and they looked ferocious with thick curled moustaches that used to spread to their ears. As personal body guards of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar 111, they could walk around barefoot anywhere in the palace and were given the task of protecting the queen. “They wore their turbans or petas ‘round’ , “ explains Venkatesh , adding that they were of a ‘betelnut colour’ and were tied using a fabric that was like an eight metre saree .

Venkatesh’s fascination with the turbans started at a very young age and he learnt the art of tying them from his father . “ Every community or nobility, in fact anyone who had to go to the aramane (palace) had to wear a turban and each of them had its own style . The width of the zari in the peta was based on the grade of the nobility and the person employed in the palace,” adds Venkatesh . Although his family did not look at this as a profession, most people who visited the palace stopped by at their house to get their turbans styled. “ We used to tie them for people during weddings and functions and I styled the bommais (dolls) for Dussehra, especially the ‘pathadu bommais,’ “ he adds, referring to the wooden dolls, also called as Marapachi bommai.
Venkatesh ‘s pride however are the miniatures that he has created – the throne of the Wodeyars, the Ambaari (howdah) that is carried during the procession and a model of the present Wodeyar himself . Wrapped in golden paper after being carved in clay and cardboard, he uses other materials like golden foil and even wires to hold these miniatures together.
The man is a storehouse of stories. He can talk in ease about every style of turban – be it the kings of the Vijaynagar era to the Marathas to the Mysore Maharajas. He then drapes a turban around his head and mentions that it is slightly tilted to a side, as it is believed to be dressed on the lines of Krishna, who is followed by his community , Gollars. He then suddenly breaks into hymns and talks about how the kings of those eras protected their subjects and even their thrones symbolised the same. He narrates an incident when his great grandfather’s grandfather , who was a surveyor at the palace, requested the king to change a line in his prayer. “ My father told me this story . The king used to pray, “let my enemies be vanquished,” But my ancestor asked him to pray “ Let my enemies become friends .”

We sip more tea and listen to more stories and the conversation moves on towards his current life. Venkatesh who learnt Mysore style of painting at a young age from the erstwhile curator of the palace ekes his livelihood through painting and by teaching the art to several students . He takes us through his technique as he tells us that he has painted on every surface – from wood, to glass, to fabric, to aluminium and even on walls . The colours are prepared naturally at home and he uses natural and vegetable dyes to create them . “ The panchabhootham colours are the main and then I create more colours such as ivory black which is charred cotton mixed with gum. “ he adds. The style is also very distinct with delicate lines and brushstrokes that differentiate it from the parent Vijaynagar style of painting. And then he elaborates on the gesso work, which refers to the gold relief work on the embossed painting.
We see a variety of paintings that he has created- from miniatures to paintings decorating the wall. He recalls with fondness the painting of Govardhana giri that he gave to present Wodeyar king during the Dasamana utsav. His house is a veritable art gallery, but Venkatesh is lost, living in his own world of colours and stones .
This story was published in Spectrum, Deccan Herald last week.

Low cost airlines in India - Boon to Tourism ?

A few years ago, I was very much a part of the corporate world and my media job required me to travel almost every month. And although I used to fly Jet or Kingfisher on work , the obvious choice when it came to travel for pleasure used to be the low cost airlines.

When Air Deccan launched in India almost a decade ago, the tag line was "Simplifly" . They were the first of the domestic airlines to make it possible for almost everyone to fly. I used to fly very often to remote destinations and Air Deccan used to be my preferred airline ; not just because of the prices but they had the best network, flying to small towns as well. In a way, the airline brought in more travelers to these small towns and developed tourism to some extent here.

However, with Kingfisher taking over Air Deccan and Jet buying Sahara, the era for low cost airlines seemed to be over. I was for one, a great fan of Air Deccan. Even with all the delays, they made it possible for loads of travelers to take to the skies.

 Pic Credit - Cliff, Flickr.com

Of late Indigo , Go and Spice Jet have however taken over from the realms of Air Deccan and Sahara.Although the latter is part of the Jet family, I still prefer flying Indigo as am assured of the most basic quality - on time performance. Frills and food on board have never been something I cared for as long as the flight takes off on time and lands on time and there is no turbulence when I fly.

Nowadays I prefer flying the national carrier .I flew Air India for the first time in the domestic sector - from Bangalore to Delhi last month and was amazed at the service and punctuality. I have also flown Indian Airlines several times and their price range is rather moderate and they are pretty much on time too. With Kingfisher flights being grounded, travellers prefer reliable low cost airlines which are sure to take them to their destinations.

I am planning Goa next and am checking Make My Trip to see some competitive pricing and looks like I am already late. The prices have gone up but a few surprises in store. Go Air offers a non stop flight and it is the cheapest , but surprisingly Air India is offering very low prices as well, although it comes with a couple of halts. But then, it is the new years eve and what am I doing here, writing this post when I should be booking the tickets !

Halloween Greetings from the streets of Mussorie

With so many expats and foreign tourists in Mussoorie and around, I could see every shop in the Mall area selling masks for Halloween..

And another Dussehra /Navratri Golu ends

My favourite festival is the Navratri Golu or Dussehra and its the time that I am the most sociable and don the role of a hostess. The last ten days have been the busiest phase and I have had friends and family visit me virtually everyday. It started with me walking down North Mada Street in Mylapore, Madras (Chennai) with my mother for a couple of hours and picking up seven bags of golu bommais or dolls from all over the country.


The theme was Krishna and I had collected almost ten stories of Krishna – from his childhood Leela to the Mahabharatha.

These are some of the stories from my Krishna collection

Kalingavadanam – Krishna defeating the poisonous snake Kalinga that was spreading venom in the Yamuna. Running away from Garuda, Kalinga made Vrindavan his home, knowing only too well that Garuda could not come here. Krishna jumped into the river while playing and the huge snake wrapped itself around his body. He immediately subdued the snake by dancing on its head, crushing it with his weight. The snake, recognising the power of Krishna agreed to leave to its original home, Ramanaka Dwipa, which some people refer to as Fiji .

Govardhanagiri – The symbolic lifting of the Govardhan Giri or hillock by Krishna refers to his defeating the ego and wrath of Indra, the King of the Devas and the Lord of rains . Krishna requested the villagers to stop special rituals for Indra who in turn flooded the entire village. Krishna lifted the mountain with his little finger, protecting the entire village from the rains.

Ural Krishna – Yashoda , angry with Krishna tied him up to a grinding stone . The boy effortlessly dragged himself towards the trees in the courtyard , while the grindstone gets stuck in the gap between two trees. He strikes down the trees and releases Nalakubera and Manigreeva, the sons of Kubera who were cursed by Narada.

Andaal singing Thiruppavai – Andaal or Kodhai as she was called was so devoted to Lord Vishnu that she wanted to marry him. She offered garlands to the Lord only after wearing it first herself to see if it was suitable for him. In her fifteen years of life, Andaal composed the Thiruppavai in praise of Krishna , where she picturises herself as a Gopika.

The collection further increased with a gift from my mother – a beautiful idol of Sringeri Sharada and I picked up a Durga idol from Mysore, besides a few more dolls from Malleswaram in Bangalore.

The golu will be dismantled tomorrow and all the dolls will be packed for next year. As per tradition, one of them is already lying asleep, signifying the end of the festival.

For details on Golu, you can read my previous blog post, Come Home to my Golu and my article in Yahoo . I also made a quick visit to Mysore and here is my diary portrayed in vignettes. I leave you with a video of a concert in Mysore, during the Dussehra festivities.

A concert in Mysore

The lights of Mysore – Happy Dussehra

 

Bringing home the Ganesha

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A little girl is putting finishing touches to the Ganesha that she is hoping to sell from the streets of Malleshwaram, Bangalore. I love the festival but the loudness is a bit jarring to the ears. Please celebrate Ganesha with a little concern to the environment also.

A weekend getaway to the Nilgiris

I had been dreaming of the Nilgiris for the last few weeks. They kept surfacing in my conversations and thoughts. So I decided to head out there this weekend. I am going to be in Coonoor and hope to roam around if the weather holds. I have no agenda and I hope to just relax and take it easy . See you guys next week and have a great weekend.

 Backpacker has loads of updates and stories coming up for you this week ; so stay tuned. Ciao !

Travel–Some of my best lessons have come from the road

In my journey called life, I have had several teachers holding my hand, shaping my beliefs, strengthening my resolve, inspiring me to push my boundaries and helping me to learn from my mistakes. From spiritual gurus, to family , to tutors at educational institutions, to some friends and mentors, I have had many teachers. And yet, some of my best lessons in life have come from my journeys on the road. And I would like to share some of them with you.

1.Travel has helped me to shape my attitude to a large extent in the recent years. It has taught me a wee bit of patience, tolerance and an ability to take things as they come. It has made me self reliant and independent and has helped me develop a quick presence of mind and grasping power.

2. Many a time, when things go beyond me, travel has helped me to realize to accept the situation as is. It has given me confidence, a bit of resilience despite the many anxieties and the panic attacks that I have faced in life or while travelling. I am still learning to live and deal with all my fears and insecurities, but travel is helping me to shed some inhibitions along the way.

3. It has humbled me. When you walk into a large square full of people or visit an ancient monument or gaze at a mountain from the valley, you realize you are a speck in the universe. A dot whose worries and joys melt with the elements. It helps you to realize that your big ego lives and dies with you.

4.Travel has given me a strong sense of grounding rather than a fake sense of achievement or pride. It has helped me realize what I can do, what I cannot and has helped me to live and accept it. It prepares you for the best and worst in life. It helps you realize that even if you fly business class, you have to deal with turbulence.

5. Of course , travel has helped me to merge with the milieu ; I try to blend in , but I still retain my individuality. Travel has taught me to experience ; it is also adding a little layer called “experience” to me.

6. It has opened doors, widened my vistas and has given me a sense of both reality and fantasy. It has made me empathetic, rational at times and has woken the dormant “me “.

7.Travel has given me a strong sense of balance. It has taught me to be on my guard and not to try foolhardy things in the name of adventure. I push my limits, only when  I understand my body and mind completely. I have also tried to understand the atmosphere and the sensibilities around me, before attempting anything new.Travel however has also made me learn something new at every step. It has made me try new things, explore new vistas and push me beyond some boundaries.

8.Travel has taught me to accept and understand change. It has taught me to live with it. It has helped me realize that everything in life is transient, even this moment as I explore something new. It has taught me to be a bit flexible and adjust, which is a bit trying at times. It has also helped me realize that plans can always change at the last minute and I should go with the flow.

9.Travel has helped me to break some prejudices. I am still trying to accept things unconditionally but I have learnt to drop baggage and let go of some unwanted weight along the way. On a different note, I have to learnt to pack light and travel with whatever I have with me , keeping functionality as the thumb rule 

10. Most importantly travel has made me discover a new facet of me. I am my best companion when I travel. It has helped me to understand me as a person and live with my frailties and foibles.

I hope to be healthy always and be on the road all the time and keep learning, discovering..May this journey never end ..

Come September

Come September and the seasons change in most parts of the world. And loads of destinations come into the “season “ phase as well. The monsoons will soon get over in most parts of India but it has left behind a lush green country. Readers of this blog are in for a lot of stories this month . We will visit Valparai again and I will publish stories from Naanjil Naadu. In the international scenario, we will visit Asia and Europe . Local festivals and memes like Skywatch and India through my eyes series will continue as well.
The furore around Ganesha festival has already hit the streets of Bangalore and I see large idols of the deity all over the place. While I do soak in the energy here, I feel the idols should not be dumped anywhere and everywhere on the streets and pavements . We should ideally have a designated place – maybe a playground in each area where stalls can be set up . The streets have become a mess with garbage and Ganeshas both sharing the same space unfortunately.
Meanwhile , August was a great month on Backpacker and I thank you readers for visiting my blog. Stories on Madras did extremely well as the city celebrated its birthday. Its been three years since my last visit to Singapore, but many of you are still interested in my post on the country. Dussera may be a couple of months away, but a lot of you search for golu bommai and land on my post on Navratri. In fact I just picked up a few kondapalli bommais (dolls)for the coming festival. And finally, I always see Chola trail being very popular. I wonder which of these posts will continue to be on the top of the charts in September . So look forward to more of your visits this month. Happy reading, sharing and commenting ! Would love to hear from you.

And yes, I may be travelling too if all goes well..Fingers crossed !

Offbeat India - Vattakottai

A Dutch naval officer leads an army against an Indian king, only to be defeated by him. The story however does not end there. The king, impressed by the foreigner hires him and makes him a commander in his own army . The Dutch officer then trains the Indian army, builds forts and even helps them defeat their local and international rivals in war.

You would probably read about these kinds of stories only in India, even if it is set more than 300 years ago. This story, which may seem more common in multinational companies today was set in the 18^thcentury when kings and queens ruled over India and the Europeans were knocking at their doors to establish trade and to eventually take over power.  I am speaking of the stories relating to the Travancore – Dutch wars that were set in the 18^th century. The king is Travancore Maharaja Marthanda Varma and the Dutch naval officer is Eustachious De Lannoy who was with the Dutch East India Company before switching loyalties.

It is a beautiful day with perfect cotton candy clouds floating over the clear blue sky. The seas surrounding us is calm as it gently caresses the shore. A lone tree stands , its dead branches almost touching the sky. In the distant horizon, we can see windmills dancing to the tune of the breeze. I am at Vattakottai, a circular sea fort built on the coast near Kanyakumari, by De Lannoy for Marthanda Varma.  Standing from the ramparts, I look out into the picturesque view of the Western Ghats encircling the oceans – the Bay of Bengal on one side and the Arabian Sea on the other.

Vattakottai was one of our destinations  as  part of the heritage Naanjil Naadu tour where we explored the monuments left behind by various dynasties in and around Kanyakumari and Nagercoil.  The Venad kings started their reign over Travancore from this region before moving  base . Even today the ancient Padmanabha palace ringed in by the Western Ghats stands as the testimony to the origins of the dynasty. It is believed that the ruler Marthanda Varma dedicated his kingdom to his family deity Padmanabha and Padmanabhapuram lost its significance when the capital was eventually shifted from here to Trivandrum in the 18^thcentury .

As we enter the granite fort, the outer walls greet us with the symbol of two elephants with a conch shell, but the fort itself is neither imposing nor formidable. It just seems like another nondescript hidden destination that lets the eye gaze at some of the most beautiful vistas around.  It was believed that one can see the Padmanabhapuram palace from here, but all I can see is a fabric of blue – the sky and the sea seems to merge.  The coconut trees grace the shore, as some parts of the wall jut out into the sea . And as many folk lores say, a tunnel was supposed to have been built here too , but one wonders where ,  as the fort seemed isolated , surrounded by waters.  

A huge open courtyard, probably a parade ground leads us to a flight of steps with a ramp. We look down from the walls , built at a height of almost 25 feet and the sea greets us.  The British apparently destroyed the fort in a much later battle , but today, Vattakottai stands in memory of the Dutch commander who had served and trained the Indian army under the Travancore kings.

Starting July, I am starting a new series called Offbeat India. It will include stories, photo-posts, my columns - Inside Story published in The Hindu among other posts. This was published in my column in The Hindu Metro Plus recently. 

Skywatch Friday - A scene in rustic India

A vignette of life in rustic life . To see more skies across the world, visit Skywatch

Birding diaries - Crested serpent eagle in KMTR

I was driving through parts of Kalakadu Mudanthurai Wildlife Reserve in Tirunelveli last January. Located very close to my native village, Kallidaikurichi, this is one wildlife reserve that I would like to revisit again. We did not see much wildlife, but we managed to spot this crested serpent eagle there

And the eye of the eagle, although I wish that little green spot vanishes

Skywatch Friday - Sunset in a barren field

There is beauty in barrenness. Many a time I have stopped in the middle of a road journey while journeying through obscure villages just for moments like this. 

This was photographed while driving through some cotton fields in North Karnataka. To see some amazing skies around the world, visit Skywatch. And if you like my photographs, you could join me on my Travel Page on Facebook.

Skywatch this Friday - My native village

I belong to a village called Kallidaikurichi, located down south in Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu. Ringed in by the Western Ghats , the River Tambiraparani flows here while KMTR - Kallakadu Mudanthurai Tiger Reserve is located barely a stone's throw from my village . Picturesque, the region is surrounded with forests, waterfalls, rivers and streams. I visited the Manimuthar waterfalls and the waters later get collected in a large dam. The entire journey is a feast for the eyes, but here is a little stream formed by the waters before it flows into the reservoir.

To see more beautiful skies around the world, visit Skywatch.

Skywatch Friday - An evening in Parangipettai

Parangipettai is just another fishing hamlet on the Coromandel Coast. But centuries ago, it had another name and an identity - Porto Novo. It was then a colony of the Portuguese who had set up a trading post initially but later ruled parts of India. This Skywatch we visit the shores of this erstwhile port. The entire jetty that we see here was once a thriving port , but today we see no evidence of the same

To see brilliant skies around the world, visit Skywatch

Incredible Trains of India

India. Incredible India! 1.2 billion people. Crowded. Very crowded. The main transportation system is the rail ways built over a hundred years ago by the Brits. Victoria Station was a masterpiece of its time. It was built as a new railway station on the location of the Bori Bunder Station in Mumbai in 1887 to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. In March 1996 its name was changed to the present name in honor of the Maratha warrior King Shivaji. From 2004 it is a UNESCO site. In 2008, the station was featured prominently in the Academy Award winning film, Slumdog Millionaire.

The station was designed by the consulting British architect Frederick William Stevens. He earned the commission to construct the station after a masterpiece watercolour sketch by draughtsman Axel Haig. The final design bears some resemblance to the St. Pancras railway station in London. This famous architectural landmark in Gothic style was built in ten years. On 26 November 2008, two terrorists entered the passenger hall of the CST, opened fire and threw grenades at people. The attackers killed 58 people and injured 104 others. In the next day everything was ready to use. India can't leave without trains.

I love the picture of this postcard. I love the station, the cabs of India (I have a small one as a souvenir), the red buses. I love the postcard. Its quality is amazing, like an expensive European card.

18.94,72.8353 Click for Google Maps or use numbers on your GPS to navigate.

Wikipedia For more information, links, pictures and many more Wikipedia is the perfect site to be informed.

Official Site For visiting information (like fees and open days and times) use the official site.
India For travel information, the official site of the National Tourist Board, is the perfect location.

Sannathi - A Stupa and Samrat Ashoka

Last December I visited Sannathi where a stupa from the Ashokan era (3rd century BC) is getting restored. The prized treasure here is the portrait of the Emperor himself which was unearthed . I was told that this was the ever portrait of the king discovered with the incription " Raya Ashoka" carved on it..Here is the photofeature that was published in Yahoo.com . I wrote a detailed story in Deccan Herald a couple of months ago.

 

This heritage week, we celebrate more heritage sites across India.. I have been always fascinated by lesser known destinations, especially on heritage and cultures and will be sharing some of the stories and photographs from these sites. 

Happy Holi !

Say it with flowers and colours..wishing you all a very vibrant and Happy Holi..here is welcoming the spring, right from my garden ..these are flowers - marigolds and dahlias that bloomed today and we have some roses, hibiscus, jasmines and the "kanakamparam " - is it called the firecracker flower ?

By the way did I hear someone saying where is the spring ? Getting a bit hot under the collar as summer is already here..take out the bhaang I say :)