Archive for the 'India' Category
At dusk we reached the end of the first stage of our voyage through the romantic backwater lagoons and inlets of the Malabar coast. A crowd of brown boys gathered at the jetty, shouting, “Allerpey!”
We got out and sorted our baggage. Then the brown boys saw visions of baksheesh. Nor were they alone in demanding toll. There was the man who took our tickets, and the man who watched the man who took our tickets to see that he didn’t swindle, and the boy who brought the bullock-cart, and the man who brought the boy who brought the bullock-cart.
“Baksheesh! Rickshaw! Allerpey!” clamored the brown coolies. But alas I Allah didn’t pay. We were the victims who had to produce!
In these out-of-the-way parts of India the nervous traveler is apt to get rattled by the constant demands for baksheesh. But it is the custom of the country. He is a foolish man who tries to pay only for services rendered. It is the undeserving who demand baksheesh and get it too, if the traveler is in search of smiles and peace.
After all, the privilege of visiting this country is worth a lot of the fat coppers of Travancore!
It is a moonless night. Our beds are in the garden by the road, where a breeze is floating through the sentinel palms. The voice of the mosquito is heard in the land and the time of the brain-fever bird has come. But we lie safe inside our mosquito-nets and relax in the tepid air, pondering dreamily on the life about us. A bullfrog croaks for a moment, then lapses into sudden silence. By the garden gate pass silent figures sheeted like the Roman dead. A bat looms by. There comes to us the agonized wail of some beast in pain. Then again a sudden silence, as if a throat had been choked. The powers of evil are abroad. A million tiny lives are born only to die again. By fang and foot the tragedy is played. Then from far away comes to our sleepy ears a sound of worship, the murmur of a multitude, the bugling of conches-the people of Brahma are at prayer.
Allerpey is on the backwater from Quilon to Cochin, a flourishing city so unknown to the outer world that even Murray’s voluminous guide-book doesn’t name it.
At Cochin, the pepper port, we are again in touch with the West, for British Cochin is a big and growing commercial center where cocoanut-fiber, spice, “and all things nice” are exported to an annual value of three and a half millions sterling. There are roughly three towns at Cochin-British Cochin, Jew Town, and Ernakulam. The latter is on the land side of the bay that forms a natural harbor, and is the terminus of the railway. It is a clean and prosperous city, with no historical associations but good accommodation for travelers. British Cochin and Jew Town rank among the quaint places of the world.
Two thousand years ago Chinese pirates taught the Cochinese a peculiar way of fishing. They still prefer it to modern methods. There is a contraption of string and bamboo by the quay-side on which a long pole is hinged, with one end inland and the other over the sea. From the sea end is suspended a kite-like affair. This is the net. The other end of the pole is weighted, for the convenience of the fishermen, who lower the net slowly into the sea and then withdraw it with its freight of fishes. The cords and stones with which these machines are hung, and the curious old creatures who work the levers and stare into the net with googly eyes, are like Heath Robinson’s and Rube Goldberg’s cartoons come to life, and are a strange contrast to the Pierce Leslie factory a hundred yards away. From time immemorial this fishing has continued, and until recently at Cannanore, farther up the coast, half the catch of sharks’ fins and one fish were the perquisites of the rajah’s cat, as a curious form of state tax.
Towards the club we come to St. Francis’s Church, shut and locked after the unfortunate Church of England fashion. It is a gray, unimpressive building both within and without, yet venerable for its associations.
This was the first Christian church in India. Here Vasco da Gama was buried on Christmas Day, 1524.
Those who believe that the caste system, India’s social cancer, will ever be rooted out, should visit Cochin. Here there are as many subdivisions among the Christians as there are among the Hindus, and the lines between them are almost as sharply drawn.
According to tradition, the first Christian converts were made nearly two thousand years ago when the Apostle Thomas came to the Malabar coast. Since then climate and tradition have been at work on Christianity, with the result that to-day there are three divisions of the Roman Catholics using the Latin liturgy, but who do not worship together and who are differentiated by name-”The Three Hundred,” “The Five Hundred,” and “The Seven Hundred.” Then there is another Catholic sect that uses the Church of Rome liturgy in the ancient Syrian language instead of in Latin. There are also the Chaldean Syrians, who obey the “Patriarch of Babylon,” and the Jacobite Syrians, who recognize the leadership of the “Patriarch of Antioch,” and the St. Thomas Syrians, who disregard the rule of both Rome and Antioch and elect their own bishop.
The last-named are the “religious Bolsheviki” of Cochin. They call themselves St. Thomas Syrians on the ground that they are the only Christians in India who adhere to the ritual of the apostolic age. They believe in neither confession, absolution, fasting, invocation of the saints, veneration of relics, masses for the dead, nor baptismal regeneration.
As a result of century after century of dispute these sects have petrified into castes, and to-day intermarriage between castes is as uncommon among them as it is among their Hindu neighbors.
In addition to these seven groups there are others who adhere to various Protestant faiths. But by far the most interesting community we find in Cochin is in Jew Town, a quarter reminding us of the ghettos of Warsaw, Constantinople, or N ew York. But such is the effect of India on invading religions that even the Jews are split up into three separate castes, known as the “Whites,” the “Browns,” and the “Blacks.”
As we drive in our rickshaws toward Jew Town we are confronted by the curse of Cochin. A plague hangs over their city, the plague of death by deformity. One out of every ten of the people we pass suffers from elephantiasis, one of the most terrible diseases known to medical science, for it not only destroys the human frame but first distorts it into a thing of ridicule. The disease causes a swelling of the ankles and knees until the legs are the size of bolsters. It is a common sight to see men walking around in what are apparently brown top-boots, their flesh being thus travestied by this hideous affliction. It is cured in several different ways, one of which is for the victim to have the accumulated fat pared down until his legs are of normal size. But not many can afford the operation, or the necessary trip to the distant metropolis of Madras. The afflicted often live and work to late middle age, but their limbs grow bigger and bigger until they reach the limit of elasticity, and the periodic attacks of fever that accompany elephantiasis grow more frequent until at last the sufferers are relieved of their “too too solid flesh.” Fortunately, English bacteriologists have isolated the microbe-a water-borne germ.
A Brahmin, with the gaudy, diabolic-looking trident of Vishnu on his forehead, who is employed as a clerk by the wealthiest Jew shopkeeper, leads us through a maze of crooked thoroughfares until we find ourselves in a narrow street among a stately silent people dressed in long tunics of rich color, waistcoats buttoned tight around the neck, baggy white trousers, wooden sandals, and skull-caps. It is easy to distinguish them from the other inhabitants of Cochin by the locks that hang down in front of their ears.
The two-storied houses on either side of the street are of a style foreign to India, and the faces looking out at us from the shuttered windows remind us of the Rebeccas and J ezebels of Jerusalem. At the head of the street we come to a synagogue, with its tower and the old Dutch clock that has told off the lazy, listless hours of life in this Indian ghetto since the day when the merchant buccaneers from Amsterdam protected these Jews from the horrors of the Portuguese Inquisition.
Noone seems to know just when these people settled in southern India. The history of the early days of the colony is shrouded in the mists of obscurity. The Black Jews, who look much like the native Muhammadans except for their locks, stoutly uphold their tradition that they arrived first. According to one of their legends, the Apostle Thomas landed on the coast of Malabar in the year 52 A. D., and they came seventeen years later.
Some writers believe that the Children of Israel have been in touch with this portion of India since the ships of Solomon came here for their “precious cargoes” one thousand years B. c. Sir W. Hunter, a historian of wide repute, tells us that Roman merchant triremes sailing between Myos Hormuz on the Red Sea and the ports of Arabia, Ceylon, and Malabar, found a Jewish colony in southwestern India in the second century A. D.
But the historians and the antiquarians are unable to agree. Some hold that the Black Jews were the first, while others believe that the White Jews preceded them. The former have a tradition that they are descendants of the J udean-Arabians who are still found at Sanaa in the Yemen, and at Aden. The White Jews laugh at this story and declare that the Black Jews are merely the descendants of slaves whom they bought and afterwards converted and liberated.
One of the rabbis of the White Jewish community told us that Nebuchadnezzar, the haughty monarch who carried the Children of Israel off to Babylon in captivity, extended his empire all the way to Cape Comorin, the southernmost ti p of India, and then exiled the tribe of Manasseh to this extreme corner of his realm. He firmly believed that his people were the descendants of this tribe. A few have names like David Castile (David the Castilian), and this has been responsible for the rumor that they may be descendants of the Jews who were driven out of Spain during the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella.
For centuries these people lived in peace and contentment with their Hindu and Muhammadan neighbors. But with the arrival of the representatives of the first great Christian power to invade the Orient-the Portuguese-their era of persecution began. Great rivalry existed between the Portuguese and the Dutch. The buccaneer dons suspected the Jews of helping their enemies, so they burned their settlements and chased them into the mountains. It was during this time that the records that might have revealed their origin were destroyed. Later on, when the Dutch defeated the Portuguese, the Jews came out of the jungle and with the assistance of their protectors rebuilt their homes and synagogues in Cochin.
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After everyone else had held forth, the general spoke:
“Yes, gentlemen, you have been to strange places.
But have you ever heard of the Black Pagoda?”
We were with Allenby’s army, camped at Deir el Belah on the edge of the Sinai Desert, just south of the old Philistine capital of Gaza. I was putting up for the night at the headquarters of a mounted column and we were sitting in the mess tent after dinner. The inevitable toast “To the King I” had just been drunk in Jewish wine from Richon le Zion, and after the general had passed around a box of Dutch cigars the conversation turned to the topic of far countries.
An Englishman, an Australian, and an Irishman were discussing strange places they had seen. The general was a British officer of the old school, originally of the Bucks Hussars; the Australian, a major in the Imperial Camel Corps; and the Irishman a captain in the Hong Kong-Singapore Battery. They were professional soldiers-had been for most of their natural Iives-e-and always on the move. They talked in the same off-hand intimate way of Basutoland, Malta, Shanghai, Khartoum, and Mandalay as we might speak of Omaha, Denver or Toledo.
“Right-he, sir,” we all said, “and where and what is the Black Pagoda?” Then we hitched our camp-chairs a bit nearer the general’s end of the table and settled ourselves to hear his yarn.
“It was before the war when I was doing my turn in India,” continued our host. “Occasionally we would be given a short leave that was hardly long enough for a voyage to England or even for a decent shoot in Kashmir. One winter, while my regiment was stationed at Mhow, I decided to try ocean bathing-for my liver. Getting a bit crotchety, don’t you know. I had heard a lot about the wonderful surf at Puri on the Bay of Bengal. And there I went. During my sojourn at this sacred Hindu city the local captain of police took me on the most unusual trip I ever made, and India, as you know, is one country where you can go on an unusual journey any day, or any night.
“Borne on the shoulders of muscular coolies, we bounced along on an all-night journey by palanquin. Just at dawn we arrived at our destination, the Black Pagoda, the weirdest and some say the finest of all the temples in India. Many are the strange sights to be found in Asia, but this temple surpasses them all. Why? Well, for the reason that its sides are covered with images, many of them of life size, that depict human beings in the act of committing nearly every sin in the world.
‘Strange, weird things that no man may say, Things Humanity hides away… Cruel things that man may not name, Naked here, without fear or shame’.
“Of course, there are many British officials in India who know of its existence, but few have ever been there -and those who go do not take their wives.”
Then the general gave us such a graphic, detailed description of the Black Pagoda that I returned to my tent there on the plains of Philistia declaring by the whiskers of Samson and Goliath that I would hire me a palanquin and make that midnight journey along the coast of Bengal to the Black Pagoda if my caravel ever touched the shores of mysterious Hindustan.
It was while on a speaking-tour of the world, relating tales of adventures with Allenby and Lawrence, that I caught my first glimpse of India. Here, I realized, was by far the most fascinating of all the countries I had visited. Richard Curle, mining engineer, savant, and friend of Conrad, once wrote a fascinating book entitled “The Shadow Show.” I like that title because it has always seemed to me that life on this planet is indeed a shadow show. And when I saw India I knew that I was witnessing the greatest show of all. I had found Australia and New Zealand fascinating, Africa full of thrills and surprises, and the Far East absorbingly interesting. But India towers as far above them as the Himalayas tower above the Alps. As a spectacle there is nothing like it.
Variety, we are assured, is the spice of life. The country that interests us the most is the one where there is the most variety. At any rate, so it seems to me. And India has variety to the nth degree. It is supremely the land of startling contrast. The southern tip touches the equator. Central India is in the Temperate Zone and is not only a land of mighty rivers and fertile valleys, but also includes vast deserts similar to those of Arabia, Arizona, and the Sahara. Along the northern border of India loom those towering mountain ranges, the Himalayas, loftiest of all the peaks of earth, their summits clad with ice and snow since the dawn of time.
Mark Twain once said that India was the land that all men long to see, and having seen by so much as a glimpse, would not trade that glimpse for all the other sights of the world. He wrote of it as the only land with an irresistible appeal to alien prince and alien peasant alike.
After the World War, when the fiery Clernenceau retired from political life, he announced that there was one country he simply had to see before he died. Romantic India.
The other day in a book about Napoleon I encountered a mention of a dazzling myth, one of those beliefs, half superstitious perhaps, that have fascinated men over the span of the centuries. Napoleon was charmed and tricked by it, and held it in the back of all his dreams. Throughout history, in the higher imaginations of statecraft that same beguiling idea appears again and again. Alexander was motivated by some such intuition. The idea is this: Who holds India holds the world. As a theory of world-politics you can pick it to pieces, but you cannot escape its seductive, glamorous persuasion.
Strangest of all the lands of this earth, India is inhabited by peoples who, in outward appearance at any rate, seem to include nearly every race under the sun. They vary in shade from the Untouchables of the south, who are descendants of the black aborigines, to the brown Brahmins, to the Mongolians of the north, and to the Caucasian races that include not only the British rulers but many of the native inhabitants as well.
On top of all this, just to lend more variety and contrast, India is a land of splendor and magnificence far, far surpassing anything to be found in either Europe or America-and at the same time it is also a land of squalor and misery so terrible that the mere memory of it still makes me shudder.
I had thought of India as a country one could see, and be satisfied to come away from, in a month or two. But instead of two months, I stayed for two years. Even then I was not content. I wanted to remain on and on, but unlike Aladdin I had no magic lamp, and one day my chancellor of the exchequer brought me out of my Arabian Nights’ dream with the harsh news that. my wealth in no way resembled either that of the fabled kings of Golconda, or of a present-day Indian maharajah.
To those of us who stop to think about it there is something impressive in the thought that one out of every four people on this spinning planet of ours is a citizen of the British Empire. And when we get that far in our contemplation, it is interesting to keep on for a moment and ponder over the fact that three out of every four people in the British Empire live in India. A thousand years or so from now, when the Muse of History sets down her verdict as to the success of the greatest empire the world has ever known, she will be obliged to measure that success largely by what the British have accomplished among the Oriental peoples of the vast Asiatic peninsula of Hindustan.
I decided to commence my journey at the extreme southernmost tip of the peninsula, right down near the equator. There is no city there, nor had I ever read of any traveler’s visit to that cape. Accompanied by Harry Chase, who had been with me in Arabia, Africa, and Europe during the World War, I sailed down the Red Sea, and then crossed the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean to the island of Ceylon. Here we engaged Singhalese fishermen to ferry us across the strait in their primitive catamarans. Then from Cape Comorin we proposed to set forth on our two or three months’ journey, a journey that lengthened to two years and took us back and forth across India for a total distance of over sixty thousand miles-more than twice the circumference of the earth at the equator-and over a vast country nearly as large as the continent of Europe and inhabited by more people than there are on the continents of Australia, Africa, and North and South America all combined.
Every traveler from the West who visits India should have a guru, a wise man, to lead him about and explain the strange things he sees and hears. Without a guru the European or American who sojourns for a little while in India wanders in a daze and comes away as bewildered as any Alice in Wonderland. But to find your guru when you get to India, ah, that may not be so easy. Ganesha, the Hindu goddess of luck, smiled on me. She may not have given me the ability to see with eyes of understanding, but she did send me a guru. For I was fortunate enough to have a proper teacher who expounded to me many a mystery and perplexity.
In these western parts the custom of learning is to attend the lectures of a professor in a hall. But in India you sit at the feet of an ascetic hermit in a forest, or accompany a wandering yogi as a humble disciple, and your guru expounds to you the secrets of cryptic wisdom. I, metaphorically speaking, sat at the feet of a guru, a yogi. Incongruous as it may seem my guru was neither Hindu, Mussulman, nor Buddhist monk. He was not even an oriental, at any rate not by place of birth or ancestry. He was an Englishman, and a professional soldier.
“Y.B.” was the nickname by which he was known throughout the Indian Army. And most of his fellow officers thought him a bit mad. “Y.B.” would take off his uniform, don the picturesque costume of an Afridi, and wander about like a modern Harun-al-Rashid. Then too, he seemed to be genuinely fond of the Oriental peoples around him and seemed to understand them. Also he was an enthusiastic student of the languages and philosophies of the East. All of which somewhat baffled his beef-eating fellow Britons.
Major Francis Yeats-Brown was the younger son of an English diplomat. Against his will-he wanted to be a poet-he was sent to Sandhurst and trained for the army. The Orient called to him and he became a Bengal Lancer, although every turn of his mind was toward scholarship, literature, and philosophy. But he soldiered well and capably, a slashing cavalry officer in the incessant wars along the Indo-Afghan frontier. When the World War came he transferred to the cavalry of the clouds and became an aviator with the British Army in Mesopotamia. During the advance on Bagdad, not long before the fall of Kut-al-Amara, he flew over the Turkish lines on a hazardous mission to cut the enemy telegraph wires. He did so, but was captured, marched across the North Arabian Desert and after months of captivity made his escape, in the plotting of which he had recourse to a desperate expedient. He took up the smoking of opium to gain the confidence of an opium addicted Turkish commandant.
But affairs military were usually subordinate to “Y.B.” In India he had plunged deeply into the study of the occult lore of the Hindus, Vedantism, yoga, and gained a knowledge of these mysterious subjects as few save native Indians can hope to do. It was this that caused his brother officers to raise their eyebrows and the finger of astonishment. They all seemed to love “Y.B.”, considered him a crack polo player, a gallant soldier, a charming companion, and, as I have said, a bit mad.
Although his charm and drollery are not to be resisted, he is indeed one of the most eccentric fellows alive. And it is his very eccentricity that has resulted in his knowing India as few others do. This is amply demonstrated by a book of his recently published under the title of “The Lives of a Bengal Lancer.” It is perhaps the most extraordinary book ever written about India by a westerner. In it he tells of the strange life he lived and something of the strange lessons he learned in the fabulous land of Hindustan.
Any insight that I may have into the ways and ideas of the mysterious land of India I owe to that sapient, whimsical guru, “Y.B.” I found him equally at home along the Coromandel Coast, near the equator, in the mountains of Waziristan, and in the holy cities of the Gangetic Plain. He had delved into the lives of the people and into the hidden knowledge and discipline of yoga. He was the only western yogi I have ever known.
For months we traveled together, and as scenes of fantasy and mystery unfolded before us he expounded the wise, enlightening, and witty ideas of a British yogi. So whatever of truth and wisdom you find in these pages should be credited to “Y.B.”, the Bengal Lancer who became a yogi.
If you love the hills and if you can rough it out, then the Manali to Leh route is an absolute must. Manali is situated in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, and is just an overnight train journey from New Delhi. Or you can take a flight to Shimla the state capital, and drive from there to Manali. Shimla was incidentally the summer capital of India during the British rule. And Leh is the capital of Ladakh, which belongs to the greater Tibetan Plateau. Though extremely inaccessible, but still, for centuries people have come to Ladakh - the traders from Central Asia, the pilgrims from Tibet, conquerors from Europe and West Asia, and finally tourists from across the world.
If you want to view the stunning lakes, mountains and monasteries of Ladakh, or enjoy the cold and harsh lunar landscapes you can of course fly directly to Leh, which is the highest airport in India. But it is always advisable that you drive from Manali, if you really want to enjoy the true beauty of Ladakh. And also, if you are driving from Manali, you can travel through the Manali-Leh road, which passes through some of the highest passes. It is actually the second highest motorable road in the world where you cross breathtaking altitudes of 5,328 meters above the sea level. The road crosses through four passes, including the world’s second highest motorable pass Taglang La. Incidentally, the highest motorable pass and also the third highest motorable pass in the world is also in Ladakh. Actually the word Ladakh means - ‘Land of the High Passes’, and thanks to Indian Military, these passes have now been made motorable.
Manali to Leh is a 485 km drive and is covered in 2 days. But this road is open only between June and September, in other times it is non-motorable even for the military. As you leave Manali you will first reach Rohtang Pass which is a very popular tourist destination in India, and then you will move to the cold desert areas of Lahaul-Spiti in Himachal. The landscape starts to get barren once you cross the small settlement of Keylong. And then you come across hairpin curves, dirt tracks, glacial streams and the occasional landslides. Almost for the entire 2 day drive the rivers that will give you company are roaring Beas, Chandra, Bhaga and Indus.
Be prepared - the road is sure to tax you. Sometimes the Oxygen levels become so thin that you can start to get a headache. This is the first sign of Altitude Sickness. If you are coming from the plains, always stay a couple of days in Manali to acclimatization before you venture deeper.
Most tourists stop over at Darcha for lunch on the first day. After Darcha you will be crossing the Lungalacha Pass and then you move in to the incredible Rupshu valley. As you move from this desolate land, you approach Baralacha La, which is sure to blow your mind. From here you move on to Sarchu Serai, which is where most travelers in this route halt for the night.
The next morning is another early start. Today you will be crossing the second highest motorable road in the world at Taglang La. The first stop over is at Whisky Nullah where you get absolutely pure water in natural form. You will also meet the Indus, which has been witness to one of the oldest civilizations - the Indus Valley Civilization.
You will know that you are closing in on Leh once you have reached the Moray Plains. The gateway to Ladakh from Manali is at Upshi. Once you have reached Leh, make sure that you have complete rest for a day because the road is extremely demanding. Plus you can also acclimatize with the high altitude.
Stretching over an expanse of 87.5 sq km in the Himalayas between 3360 and 3900 meters, and carpeted with more than five hundred varieties of exquisitely beautiful flowers, and surrounded by snow-capped mountains in the Indian state of Uttaranchal, is the legendary Valley of Flowers or the Nandan Kanan (Playground of the gods).
Situated within the Chamoli Garhwal region of Uttaranchal, the Valley of Flowers offers a panoramic view of the Himalayan peaks all around - the Gauri Parbat (6590m) and the Rataban (6126m) looming high over the eastern horizon; Kunt Khal (4430m) to the west; Saptsring (5038m) towering over the south, while the 6479m high Nilgiri Parbat stands guard at its northern boundary. Surrounded by some of the highest peaks in the world, this is a place of tremendous unspoilt and virgin natural beauty. The Valley of the Flowers has been declared a National Park in 1982 and is now a protected site. The valley is also home to some of the most endangered species like the snow leopard, musk deer, bharal, mountain sheep and the Himalayan black bear.
Apart from flowers that include Himalayan orchids, poppies, rhododendrons, primulas, daisies, geranium and many others carpeting the ground with their profuse bloom, flowering plants like calendula, aconitum, gentians, etc. that are used in preparation of medicines are also found in the Valley of Flowers in abundance.
The location of the Valley of Flowers has been a closely guarded secret with the local pundits or religious gurus till 1931 when a British mountaineer, Frank S Smythe and his companions lost their way to the base camp while returning from an expedition to Mt. Kamet, and stumbled into the valley. Mists clearing, they were astounded to find themselves sitting pretty amidst a flowery bed. Fascination drove Smythe to revisit the place in 1937 and in the following year, he introduced the place to the world in his book, ‘The Valley of Flowers’. And thus the place was appropriately named. It was “a valley of peace and perfect beauty where human spirit may find repose”, he commented.
Most of the flowers in the valley appear as the snow melts after the long winter months. During the monsoon (July-Aug) there is a burst of blooming flowers all over the place when butterflies come alive with their ethereal colors, and the Himalayan avifauna starts breeding. It surely resembles at such times the real playground of the Gods. However, unwarranted human intrusion has created many problems in the recent past and to safeguard the unique natural heritage of the place, unauthorized trekking, camping and related activities have been banned within the Park area since May 1980.
Organized treks to the enchanting Valley of Flowers National Park begin at Govindghat, a tiny hamlet in Uttaranchal that can be reached from Rishikesh and Badrinath. In the trek you will come across breathtaking landscapes against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains and glittering glaciers. Thereafter, the trail narrows to gradients and rock faces till it reaches the Park through forests. At times, it gets pretty tough and the weather in the high Himalayas is often unpredictable. Nevertheless, a trek to the Valley of Flowers is worth all the hazards to reach the “Playground of the Gods.” It sure is a lifetime experience. A testimonial of the tremendous beauty of the Himalayas.
Bodh Gaya is the ultimate pilgrimage destination for Buddhists where people from all over the world come to visit. It is located 113 km’s south of Patna, which is the capital of Bihar in Eastern India.
Bodh Gaya is famous for its association with Goutama Buddha, the fonder of Buddhism who attained Nirvana or the ultimate release from the cycle of reincarnation, sitting under the Bodhi Tree in a secluded part of the place. The small town of Bodh Gaya near the main city of Gaya is one of the four holiest cities in Buddhism and attract thousands of Buddhists who come to visit and pay respect to the sacred place every year. Tropical in climate, Bodh Gaya gets fairly hot in summer (April to June) though the winter (October to February) is pleasant and comfortable. So most people prefer to come here in the winter months.
A pilgrimage trip to Bodh Gaya centers round the intricately carved Mahabodhi Temple that has a large gilded image of Lord Buddha that is believed to have been built around 3rd century BC by the mighty emperor Ashoka. Bodh Gaya has also been accredited the status of a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992 - it is today recognized as an ancient seat of culture and religion.
Buddhists from a number of countries including China, Japan, Korea, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Nepal have created their respective temples and monasteries here in reverence to the Lord. Pilgrims also come to visit the Bodhi Tree for its association with the great event. It is here that Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. Although the tree has long been dead, the present one is a descendant of a sapling that was presented by ardent devotees from Sri Lanka decades ago. The Archeological Museum in Bodh Gaya is another center of interest for the pilgrims as it houses several ancient artifacts related to the original Mahabodhi Temple.
Temples and monasteries built around the Mahabodhi Temple by artisans and craftsmen from countries like Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Japan, China, etc. reflect the architectural style, exterior, interior decoration and idols of their respective countries. Buddha’s idol in the Chinese temple is more than 200 years old and has Chinese traits in it, while Japan’s Nippon Temple resembles the structure of a pagoda. The Thai temple is an exact replica of a place of worship in Thailand, complete with golden tiles and a curved roof. The temple built by the Nepalese look similar to the Buddhist temples you will come across in Nepal.
Apart from being a significant Buddhist pilgrim center, and an archeological site, Bodh Gaya is also renowned for the various meditation courses that are offered by numerous foundations and organizations. The courses are mostly conducted in the winter months.
The eventful past of Bodh Gaya is documented by many including the Chinese traveler, Huen Sang (Xuanzang) in the 7th century. According to him, the place was at the heart of Buddhist culture for centuries until it was destroyed in the 13th century by the Turkish army. As in the earlier days, people throng Bodh Gaya in respectful reverence during the full moon day in the month of Vaisak (April-May) that is observed elsewhere too as the august day of Buddha Purnima.
If you have not been to the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia, you can very well decide to come to Maldives - and rest assured, the beauty is no less.
Atolls form when an underwater volcano tops, surrounded fringing reefs sink into the ocean or the sea level rises around them. The fringing reefs grow gradually, forming circles with lagoons inside in the form of islands. The Maldives, where the word Atoll originated, is a group of such coral islands, sitting atop an ancient volcanic mountain range off the coast of India. Since most of the atolls are composed of coral reefs and sand bars, they attract a wide variety of marine life that includes colorful tropical fish and larger predators who come in search of them. The crystal clear water adds charm by way of displaying the amazing world of tiny marine creatures playing in the knee-deep water. The climate being tropical and the swaying palms providing the ideal shade, it requires but little imagination to see that such an island is a heaven on the earth.
There are altogether 26 atolls in Maldives that have been divided into twenty administrative districts and a capital city is at Malé. The atolls in Maldives vary in dimension and class too. Sometimes, there are hundreds of island in an atoll, and while most of them are not inhabited, some are fairly populated. Haa Alifu atoll is at the extreme north and Seenu atoll is at the extreme south, and the islands there are lived in. The largest atoll in the Maldives and perhaps in the world is Gaafu Alif while the smallest is the Gnayivani atoll. Maldives is a very small and peaceful country, and so thousands of people come to visit. But sometimes traveling between the various atolls can be a bother, because the distance from one atoll to another can be quite big. And so sea planes and bigger vessels cover the greater distances. A small boat is called Dhoni and a Dhoni is a great option for island hopping within an atoll.
The atolls of Maldives attract people from all over the world for their ethereal bliss, coral beaches and the temperate climate. An assortment of hotels, resorts and retreats complete with private swimming pools and seaside bars and restaurants welcome visitors from far and abroad. Cruising could be another interesting pastime while in the Maldives. And the atolls are particularly delightful for all diving enthusiasts. You can choose between a diving safari and a relaxing cruise through the atolls. Since most of the cruise vessels are equipped with professional diving equipment and are staffed with qualified diving instructors, diving could be a pleasurable experience even for the beginner. Alternatively, you can opt for snorkeling in the atolls.
A word or two about the luxuries afforded by some of the five or six star resorts hotels and spas in the Maldives. Tourism is restricted here and so, no more than one resort per island is allowed here. And some of the resorts are really world class - the Hilton, Taj and others… many of the atolls offer the ultimate in luxury. But the prices can be a bit steep for the budget traveler. There are cheaper city hotel options as well in the capital Malé from where a tour of the atolls can be organized.
Jungle Lodges of India, some belonging to the government while others privately owned, offer excellent accommodation and full board. They are mostly located within National Parks, Tiger Reserves or close to the wildlife sanctuaries. They are strewn all over India, catering to various catagories of tourists, both national and international and are usually of two types - standard jungle safari lodges and luxury jungle resorts.
Here are a few jungle lodges of India that stand out…
Claridges Corbett Hideaway
Named after the legendary hunter of man-eating leopards and tigers in the Himalayan foothills, Jim Corbett National Park is one of the finest wildlife parks in India that is home to a multitude of flora and fauna. The Park being set in the natural surroundings is the perfect retreat for wildlife enthuasists and nature lovers.
Claridges Corbett Hideaway near Ramnagar (5 Km from the Park) offers excellent accomodation with all modern amenities and services. It is a four and a half hours journey from New Delhi and is connected with very good roads.
With terracotta style huts built around a pleasant orchard on a bluff overlooking the river, the resort has 40 spacious guest rooms. All double-bedded rooms are air conditioned with running hot and cold water available in attached western style toilets. Rooms are fully furnished with refrigerators. Being close to the Corbett National Park, this resort is the natural choice of many visitors. The resort serves clean and healthy continental food and is also known for its suberb Indian cuisine. A pool-side bar well stocked with branded Scotch and French cognac is an added attraction to this remarkable luxury jungle resort.
Tuli Tiger Resort in Kanha
The lush green meadows, lofty sal and bamboo forests are the ideal habitat of tigers in Kanha National Park, located near Jubbalpur which is an overnight journey from new Delhi. Sighting a tiger here is quite common, perched high above the elephant back. There are quite a few tantalising jungle resorts in or near the Tiger Reserve where a stay may become memorable.
Situated in the heart of Kanha, the Tuli Tiger Resort beckons all animal lovers. With the warm adventurous feeling of camping amidst wild animals in an Indian forest with complete security and best of comforts, this jungle resort has all modern amenities including air conditioned cottages with attached baths. A vast waterbody that extends to about 80,000 sq.mts makes the eye travel to far and remote where it meets a rivulet, ultimately joining the main river called Banjar. Facilities include open air barbeque and traditional restaurant serving Indian and continental dishes.
Periyar Jungle Resort
Situated within the confines of the lofty western Ghat mountains in the Southern Indian state of Kerala, Periyar National Park & Tiger Reserve is one of the most captivating wildlife parks in the world. The Taj Garden Retreat is set in a three and half acre estate of coffee, orchards and spices at the periphery of the Periyar National Park. It is nestled above 2,700 feet high on an escarpemnt with excellent view of the neighboring hills and dales.
Cottages built on stilts are elegantly furnished with private mini bars, CTV with satelite programs and international direct dial facilty. All rooms have private balconies overlooking the misty hills or the surrounding lush green foliage. Facilities include multi cuisine resaturant and ehtnic bar overlooking lush green hills and stocked with fine selection of wines, cocktails and liquer.
With the mighty river Bramhaputra as its northern limit and the range of Karbi hills in the south, the Kaziranga National Park extends to well over 430 sq kms on the river’s south bank in the Indian state of Assam. This is where the Indian one horned rhinoceros can be found in most numbers, thanks to the efforts of wildlife wardens and the Park’s exclusive security arrangement. This endangered species, almost on the brink of disaster a few years back is now thriving well.
Kaziranga was a swampy, malaria ridden inaccessible wetland where local hunters had their hay day till 1905, when the government (then British) under Lord Curzon voiced his intention to turn it to a Reserve. By then, the rhinoceros population in the area had dwindled down to a mere 14 and the slaughtering continued unabated. However, the declaration was finalized soon and the area was officially closed to hunters in 1908. In 1950, it was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary and in 1974, accorded the status of a National Park. Kaziranga, in the local Karbi dialect means ‘where the mountain goat has got the water’.
The approach to Kaziranga is superb. The ride is comfortable and smooth, undulating tea estates alternate with forest and rice fields on either side. Along the horizon you can just about see the Bramhaputra in the distance. Soon, a turn off leads to the Kaziranga Wild Grass Resort. Gracefully built in the colonial style, the Wild Grass is a simple, elegant rural Inn, surrounded by silence, greenery and an ambience of real relaxation. The place is said to lure visitors even when the Park remain closed during the rainy season for its tranquility and excellent service. The resort arranges elephant rides and jeep safaris within the Park and trained mahouts locate rhinos within a remarkably short time. There are many other resorts inside the forest and outside as well.
Seeing the Rhino and the Tiger from atop the elephant is an incredible experience. You can get extremely close to the animals and reach out to inaccessible areas that a vehicle cannot go to when you are riding an elephant.
Apart from rhinos, Kaziranga boasts of wild buffalos and herds of wild elephants. Also seen are wild boars, porcupine and the king of the Indian forest, the Tiger. Crested serpent eagle and the gray-headed fishing eagle can be seen idly circling above the marsh land while the swamp partridge, bar-headed goose, Bengal florican storks, whistling teals and herons are sighted early evenings. Pelicans are also found occasionally within the precincts of Kaziranga.
Daybreak at Kaziranga is a breathtaking transition from cold gray to brilliant gold. Gilded grass turns to green as the nip in the air ebbs and a new day dawns on the grassland. As graceful silhouettes against the glowing horizon, swamp deer trot past the herd of wild buffalos wallowing in mud when tea is served in your room.
Evenings under the star-studded sky are ethereal. With glasses in hand, tourists relax around the campfire, startling at the sudden trumpeting of an elephant nearby. As the night wears on and the silvery moon climbs higher on the horizon, the awe-inspiring roar of a roaming tiger from the distant woodland seem to fill the very air you are breathing.
Best time to visit the Park is between November to April. The nearest airport is at Jorhat.
Shillong, situated at an altitude of 4,908 ft (1,496 m) above sea level is the capital of Meghalaya, one of the smaller states of North-Eastern India. It is also the district headquarters of East Khasi Hills. Over the years Shillong has grown in size and significance in its own traditional way from a mere village in its formative years to an important city of North Eastern India. It now has a population of approx. 260,000. Shillong had been the capital of undivided Assam till January 21, 1972 when it was re-christened as the capital of the newly formed state of Meghalaya and Dispur became the capital of Assam.
Shillong had been the summer capital of Eastern Bengal and Assam for many years. In 1874, on the formation of Assam as a Chief Commissioner’s Province, it was chosen as the headquarters of the new administration because of its convenient location between the Brahmaputra and Surma Valley and more so because the climate of Shillong was much agreeable than tropical India. In fact, Shillong is subject to vagaries of the monsoon. The monsoons arrive in June and drench the landscape till the end of August. It’s warm, and sometimes humid, during summers but winters get quite cold. October-November and March-April are supposedly the best months to visit Shillong. However, on a broader level, Shillong is blessed with very agreeable climate round the year.
According to popular legend and folklore, the city has derived its name from “Leishyllong”, the Supreme Being who is said to be dwelling on the forested Shillong Peak, standing 1,965 mts. above sea level, overlooking the city. Shillong has one of the largest golf courses (the world’s wettest) in Asia and the golf course is called “Glen Eagle of the East”. It is also considered one of the best in India. It is situated in the center of the city, close to the polo ground and witnesses many golfers from all over the world every year who come here to test their skills.
It enjoys the rare distinction of being one of the few natural golf courses in Asia. Not only is the Shillong course scenic and enjoyable, it is also challenging. The course is a veritable dream-come-true for golfers looking for exotic and challenging courses for their favorite sport. It is set in an undulating valley peppered with pine and rhododendron trees. The tight fairways, carpeted with a unique local grass, which hardens the soil, are difficult to negotiate. The number of out-of-bounds streams that crisscross every fairway makes it all the more trying. Obstructions come in the form of bunkers, trees and rain.
A group of British Civil Service officers introduced golf to Shillong in 1898 by constructing a nine-hole course. The present 18-hole course was inaugurated in 1924. The longest hole is the 6th, which is a grueling 594 yards. So if playing some stimulating golf in the perfect climate is on your mind, there’s only one place to head for. Pack your clubs, call your cabby and call up your travel agent. Get ready to discover “The Scotland Of The East”.
While in Shillong, do make it a point to visit Cherrapunji, which is the wettest place in the world. Also visit the stalactite and stalagmite caves of Tura.
Get ready to take a dip in the Arabian Sea this time. Walk along golden beaches, sometimes bustling with activity and sometimes serene, feel the warm caress of the sand under your naked feet, soak in the sun as much as you want and let the cool breeze from the Arabian Sea make life worth living. Welcome to Goa!
Goa is India’s second smallest state in terms of area (after Delhi) and the fourth smallest in terms of population. It is located on the west coast of India, in the region known as the Konkan, and is bordered by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and Karnataka to the east and south. The Arabian Sea bounds it to the west. Panaji (Panjim) is the state’s capital, and Vasco-da-Gama (Vasco) its largest city.
Portuguese merchants first landed in Goa in the 15th century, and annexed it shortly after. The Portuguese colony existed for about 450 years, until it was successfully taken over by India in 1961.
Goa is internationally renowned for its beaches and is visited by hundreds of thousands of foreign and domestic tourists each year. In fact, Goa has become one of the most popular holiday destinations for travelers and tourists from the Occident. Take a walk along its almost unbroken 100 km coastline of beaches and you’ll see why. If the pleasure of the sheer walk doesn’t thrill you enough, take time to look around and you’ll be awed at the venerable cathedrals of the bygone era (in Old Goa) and remnants of Portuguese architecture, while sipping on some “Feni”, the locally produced alcoholic beverage made from cashew fruits.
Mention Goa to anyone who’s been there, and you’ll remind him of its warm, inviting, near-tropical beaches. And while the rest of Goa - its culture, food, inland scenery, and cities - are all well worth visiting, Goa’s beaches are what makes it one of India’s major tourist attractions, attracting an officially-estimated 2 million visitors each year. “Palolem” is Goa’s southernmost beach, about 35 miles south of Panaji. The beach is strikingly beautiful with its white sand on a blue bay hemmed in by two headlands. Locals will offer to take you out in small boats to watch the dolphins. Believe me, it’s worth it!
If you’re looking for more solitude, the lonely beach of “Agonda”, just north of Palolem, is an excellent choice. It is edged by palms and casuarinas, with a large hill sitting to the south.
Among the safest beaches for swimming is the “Bogmolo” Beach, just south of Panaji. Interestingly, it was among the first of Goa’s beaches to be discovered by tourists.
Goa has a unique blend of cultural diversities with a charming East-West mix. Bulk of the visitors you’ll find in Goa are from different parts of India, but the quarter-million from abroad have an influential role to play because of their spending capacity. Among the foreign visitors, and increasingly among a section of young visitors from India, Goa is currently renowned for its electronic music parties and of course, the plethora of enjoyable activities on its beaches.
This year take a vacation of your lifetime. Come off the beaten track. Come to Kohima and visit the cemetery of a division of British soldiers that laid their lives, fighting against the Japanese. The wonderful epitaph erected over the graves of 1400 soldiers and thoughtfully preserved by the British War Memorial Committee says.
When You Go Home
Tell Them Of Us And Say
For Your Tomorrow
We Gave Our Today
Kohima, popularly known as the Switzerland of the East is a sleepy little hill station situated at an altitude of 1495 meters and is the capital city of Nagaland, a tiny North eastern state in the Indian peninsula where an epoch battle was fought between the British army and the Japanese soldiers during the Second world War. Kohima is less than 3 hours drive from the airport at Dimapur through scenic roadways. Fairly good hotels with neat and clean furnishing are available en route. Cuisine preferred are mostly continental though local food may also be sampled.
The state of Nagaland is a narrow strip of mountainous territory lying to the east and south of Assam, north of Manipur and west of Mynamar. Meandering streams, high mountains, deep gorges and silent valleys together with a rich variety of flora and fauna has set this tiny state apart from the rest of India. Curiously enough, it is the only state in India where English is the official state language. No less than sixteen groups of Tibeto-Burman tribes inhabit the state whose arms are as colorful as their dresses. For sight seeing, a couple of days should be enough. Taxis and three wheelers are available throughout the day and a trip to the War Memorial and the cemetery will cost very little. A visit to the State Museum may be quite rewarding as relics of ancient Naga culture are preserved here with care and concern. Clay models of Naga warriors and their weapons are displayed in the Museum in a backdrop of wooded hills and terraced paddy fields. However, no orientation is made anywhere of the Naga Headhunters who once created terror in this close-knitted yet multi-tribal land of Nagas.
Another historic site not to be missed in Kohima is the Khonoma Gate, opening into the village of the namesake where the British once fought with bullets against the Nagas armed with rusty swords and poisoned arrows and were defeated. This is around ten kilometers from Kohima and the place is still remembered as a site of valor and courage for which the Nagas are well known. Another distinctive feature of Khonoma is its paddy fields. These terraced crop-growing fields yield at least twenty different varieties of paddy or rice during each cultivation phase and the produce is collected in twenty different containers for marketing to the plains people. It is common custom for the village elders to taste each different type of rice after harvesting that is celebrated with much éclat and fanfare.
Eastern Himalayan Mountains surround Kohima in all directions. A day’s journey to the Japfu Peak, 3048 meters above sea level is indeed worthwhile. Japfu is the second highest peak in Kohima from where a panoramic view of the town is absolutely enchanting. Mokokchung and Zunhebote, located at a distance of 160 and 150 kilometers respectively from Kohima are two picturesque small townships at high altitude, the earlier being the cultural center of Ao Nagas.
Jungle Lodges of India, some belonging to the government while others privately owned, offer excellent accommodation and full board. They are mostly located within National Parks, Tiger Reserves or close to the wildlife sanctuaries. They are strewn all over India, catering to various catagories of tourists, both national and international and are usually of two types - standard jungle safari lodges and luxury jungle resorts.
Here are a few jungle lodges of India that stand out…
Claridges Corbett Hideaway
Named after the legendary hunter of man-eating leopards and tigers in the Himalayan foothills, Jim Corbett National Park is one of the finest wildlife parks in India that is home to a multitude of flora and fauna. The Park being set in the natural surroundings is the perfect retreat for wildlife enthuasists and nature lovers.
Claridges Corbett Hideaway near Ramnagar (5 Km from the Park) offers excellent accomodation with all modern amenities and services. It is a four and a half hours journey from New Delhi and is connected with very good roads.
With terracotta style huts built around a pleasant orchard on a bluff overlooking the river, the resort has 40 spacious guest rooms. All double-bedded rooms are air conditioned with running hot and cold water available in attached western style toilets. Rooms are fully furnished with refrigerators. Being close to the Corbett National Park, this resort is the natural choice of many visitors. The resort serves clean and healthy continental food and is also known for its suberb Indian cuisine. A pool-side bar well stocked with branded Scotch and French cognac is an added attraction to this remarkable luxury jungle resort.
Tuli Tiger Resort in Kanha
The lush green meadows, lofty sal and bamboo forests are the ideal habitat of tigers in Kanha National Park, located near Jubbalpur which is an overnight journey from new Delhi. Sighting a tiger here is quite common, perched high above the elephant back. There are quite a few tantalising jungle resorts in or near the Tiger Reserve where a stay may become memorable.
Situated in the heart of Kanha, the Tuli Tiger Resort beckons all animal lovers. With the warm adventurous feeling of camping amidst wild animals in an Indian forest with complete security and best of comforts, this jungle resort has all modern amenities including air conditioned cottages with attached baths. A vast waterbody that extends to about 80,000 sq.mts makes the eye travel to far and remote where it meets a rivulet, ultimately joining the main river called Banjar. Facilities include open air barbeque and traditional restaurant serving Indian and continental dishes.
Periyar Jungle Resort
Situated within the confines of the lofty western Ghat mountains in the Southern Indian state of Kerala, Periyar National Park & Tiger Reserve is one of the most captivating wildlife parks in the world. The Taj Garden Retreat is set in a three and half acre estate of coffee, orchards and spices at the periphery of the Periyar National Park. It is nestled above 2,700 feet high on an escarpemnt with excellent view of the neighboring hills and dales.
Cottages built on stilts are elegantly furnished with private mini bars, CTV with satelite programs and international direct dial facilty. All rooms have private balconies overlooking the misty hills or the surrounding lush green foliage. Facilities include multi cuisine resaturant and ehtnic bar overlooking lush green hills and stocked with fine selection of wines, cocktails and liquer.
What do Tenzing Norgay, one of the first two men to set foot on Mount Everest (on May 29, 1953), the World Heritage Himalayan Railway (chosen by UNESCO) with its quaint little toy trains, and some of the finest tea in the world, have in common? Its Darjeeling, the undisputed "Queen of the Hills", situated some 665 km’s. away from Calcutta (now Kolkata) in Eastern India.
Mark Twain once said of Darjeeling that it’s "the one land that all men desire to see, and having seen once - by even a glimpse - would not give that glimpse for the shows of the rest of the world combined."
And nothing could be closer to the truth.
In 1835, Darjeeling was given to the East India Company by the King of Sikkim. It became a popular resort for the British who wanted to escape the sweltering heat of the plains and seek cooler comforts in the north. The town of Darjeeling today occupies an area of 11.44 sq. kms. and has a population of about 100,00. The name Darjeeling itself has two parts to it - ‘dorje’ meaning ‘thunderbolt’ and ‘ling’ meaning ‘place’. So Darjeeling is ‘the Land of Thunderbolts’. However, the serene beauty of the place will have you believe otherwise. The snow-capped peak of the Kanchenjungha in the lap of the lofty Himalayas afar, the sleepy villages shrouded in fog, the lush tea-gardens dotting the landscape, the smiling Sherpa children - Darjeeling, it is said, refuses to age even after a thousand glimpses.
Darjeeling situated some 2134 meters above the sea level, with a splendid range of natural beauty provides a wide variety of activities from leisurely scenic walks and popular sightseeing to more grueling activities such as trekking and river rafting for the adventurous. There’s so much to do while you are in Darjeeling. A visit to the Tiger Hill, standing 2590 meters above the sea level, at daybreak will simply take your breath away as you witness the mesmerizing sunrise over Mt. Kanchenjungha, which is among the tallest peaks in the world.
Then take a walk to the beautifully exotic Japanese Peace Pagoda, the unforgettable Ghoom Monastery (Ghoom also boasts of having the highest railway station in the world), ride the train around the engineering marvel of the Batasia Loop, catch wannabe mountaineers in training at the Tenzing Norgay Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, lose yourself among the orchids at the Lloyd’s Botanical Gardens and pay your homage at the Dhirdam Temple, built in the style of Katmandu’s Pashupatinath Temple.
The Senchal Lake, located some 10 Kms. away from the town and supplying water to the local population, is a place of great beauty in itself. The hub of activity of the city is centered on the Mall, which has a variety of shops, restaurants and hotels. A pony ride along the beautiful walkways around the Mall will remain etched on one’s memory for eternity.
Darjeeling, in the final impression, emerges as a collage of rocks and forests, trickling streams and gushing waterfalls, deep gorges and steep mountains and a most diverse universe of flora and fauna. It takes just one visit to realize the truth of Mark Twain’s words: "…would not give that glimpse for the shows of the rest of the world combined."
If there’s one place on the planet that reminds you of true eternal love, it must be Agra and its most famous architectural structure, the Taj Mahal. For a memorable romantic holiday that will remain etched on your memory forever, come to the place that epitomizes true love and unflinching devotion for the whole world.
Situated by the banks of the river Yamuna, Taj Mahal is a sheer poignant poetry in marble, one of the most extravagant monuments ever built in the name of love. Over the ages, the Taj Mahal has emerged as a grand tribute to the timelessness of art and love. Built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1652 in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, the Taj Mahal has immortalized their love for posterity and now stands as an emblem for its purest form.
It is said that the main architect of this piece of marvel, Isa Khan, came all the way from Shiraz in Iran. Relive the love story as you fix your eyes upon its pure white marble shimmering silver in the soft moonlight, exuding a shell pink glow at dawn and at the close of the day, or taking on the tawny fiery hue of the majestic sun. The Taj serves as a symbol of eternal love where the heartbroken Shah Jahan was finally put to rest alongside his beloved Mumtaz. History has it that soon after its completion, Shah Jahan was deposed and put under house arrest at the nearby Agra Fort by his son Aurangzeb. According to legend, he spent the remaining days of his life gazing through the window at the Taj Mahal. At that juncture in his sad life, there were just two things - the Taj Mahal and the memories of his beloved departed wife, Mumtaz. Upon Shah Jahan’s death, Aurangzeb buried him in the Taj Mahal next to his wife, the only disruption of the otherwise perfect symmetry in the architecture.
Apart from its symbolic significance, the Taj Mahal is also considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements of Persian, Indian and Islamic. It’s interesting to remember that while the white domed marble mausoleum is the most familiar part of the monument, the Taj Mahal is actually an integrated complex of structures.
The Taj Mahal is often described as one of the seven wonders of the modern world. Millions of tourists have visited the site, making it one of the most popular international attractions in India. It is also popular choice among honeymooners. It has featured in countless works of art, including literature, music, paintings, cinema, fashion and more, as an emblem of eternal beauty.
Truly enough, the Taj is an embodiment of a kind of love that refuses to die with age, a perennial saga of amour that started with the Mughals and will probably continue as long as humanity will.
Sunderbans - Worlds Largest Mangrove Forest - Abode Of The Hungry TigerThere is no other way to depict the glare of a Sunderban Royal Bengal Tiger excepting through William Blake’s famous lines - “Tiger! Tiger! Burning bright/In the forest of the night.”
The intensity of the fierce eyes, the majestic stare of the burning eyeballs and the look of sneer and contempt make this formidable feline an outstanding royal entity. If you are a wildlife enthusiast or even a nature lover, you must come and visit Sunderban Tiger Reserve to face this king of Indian jungles in its own domain. For it is said, the Royal Bengal Tiger is at home here in the Sunderbans - some even feel that the tiger behaves differently here, and so is unpredictable.
Set in the delta of the Ganges and the Bramhaputra, the two mighty rivers of India, the largest estuarine delta in the world, the Sunderbans is awash with innumerable streams and rivulets where the tide rules. Also, the largest mangrove forest in the world, Sunderbans is home to many species of animals, birds and reptiles. The Royal Bengal Tiger stalks supreme over this delta where he is the undisputed king.
Spreading over a series of densely forested islands and salt-water channels, Sunderbans is home to the spotted deer, wild boar, rhesus monkeys, jungle cats, civet cat, herons, kingfishers, monitor lizards, egrets, white-bellied eagles, Olive Ridley turtles, estuarine crocodiles, river dolphins, water monitors, King Cobras and around 270 Royal Bengal Tigers, and surprisingly, many among them are man-eaters. Migratory birds fill the marshes during winter and the early mornings are alive with the shrill screeches of the whistling teals.
Some say the man-eating habit is due to drinking salt water, there being perpetual dearth of sweet water and scarcity of open space to stalk prey animals. Cubs being fed on human kills could also induce adult animals to become man-eaters.
There is no motorway inside the forest, and the only way to see wildlife is by traveling in motorboats or launches. The West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation (WBTDC) has guided tours, usually covering two to three nights on board steamers and launches for viewing wildlife. Chances are that you may see the king in action right from the deck of the steamer.
Since Royal Bengal Tigers are adept in swimming, the launches are anchored in mid-river during the night and armed patrols keep constant watch at the shoreline for the security of the passengers and crew. There are watchtowers at several places where tourists are guided through heavy gauge wire nettings to ward off accidental tiger assault.
How to reach
Only 130 km’s from Calcutta, it is connected by road to the nearest jetty from which a hired boat takes tourists to a Tourist Lodge within the Reserve.
Where to stay
The only available accommodation is the state run Sundar Chital Tourist Lodge at Sajnekhali that has boarding and lodging provisions for 50. Amenities are quite basic actually but since it is within the forest, and the tiger with its mysteries surround you always, it does not work as a handicap.
Permits for foreigners
Permits are available from the office of the Forest Department in Calcutta.
Best time to visit
The forest is open for visitors from October to March. However, winter months are considered best, as the tropical heat is minimal then. So, a visit between the months of December and February are ideal for Sunderbans.
