July 15, 2008

Tranquil Tuesday



Shot during a boat ride on the River Narmada
Marble Rocks, Bhedaghat




The ‘Narmada’ means
The one who endows with bliss
That’s the River's name

Originating
At Amarkantak Plateau
From Narmada Kund

Sacred to Hindus
Worshipped as mother goddess
Flows through rift valley

Meanders through hills
River flows in rapid streams
Slows its pace on rocks

Through hilly forests
Passes through fertile basin
Gains speed in valleys

Bhedaghat river
Plunges as mighty falls, and
Calms at Marble Rocks

With cool breeze at dusk
Narmada’s poise and beauty
Offers peace and joy


~~~

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

The river looks very still. Makes me think of Guilin in China a bit. I love these cliffs...

Indrani said...

Lovely lines, Celine!

Saibal Barman said...

Read over this sacred hymn praising the holy river !
Another name that Lord Shiva gave her is Reva. Mythologically, the source was a cascading stream that flowed down the meditating Lord as His sacred perspiration. Another version says she was Bhavani ( a form of Parvati ). She is also revered as Maikal-kanya (for being originated from Maikal range ). Incidentally, river Shone also originates from nearby spot and there are mythological reference about Shone, a demi-god and Narmada.
Apart from all mythological anecdotes, it is undoubtedly one of the oldest river courses in the world and its fascinating description in your poetic contribution will certainly inspire many to explore her beauty and the places residing on both the banks for miles of its travel to central India to the west.
Thanks for the image portraying its tranquil flow through dazzling marble gorge too !
Best wishes,

Sameera Ansari said...

I am in awe of the Haiku!!!

How beautifully you have described her,from origin to conclusion.

*Applause*

Nandan Jha said...

There is a song dedicated to this river by a group called 'Indian Ocean' , its not a very popular group but you should be able to find a MP3. The number is called

"...Reva, tera paani Amrit
JhaR JhaR bahta Jaaye Re.."

The album is called "Jheeni" or something like that.

Anonymous said...

Lovely words and even a more lovely picture!

Lakshmi said...

What an Ode to the river..soothing ..

Sujata said...

Beautiful- both words and the image.

indicaspecies said...

Zhu,

Thanks to you, I just checked some pictures of Guilin and they are awesome. I can understand now why Narmada reminded you of it.

Those cliff rocks at Bhedaghat is, in fact, marble!

indicaspecies said...

Indrani,

Thank you.

indicaspecies said...

Thank you for your visit, kind words and the wealth of information that you have provided here on the Narmada.

The Narmada is indeed worthy of all praise!

indicaspecies said...

Sameera,

Thank you very much. You make me smile.:)

indicaspecies said...

Nandan,

I do listen to Indian Ocean and had heard the particular track earlier. Nevertheless enjoyed 'Jhini' again. Thank you for reminding me about it.

indicaspecies said...

Mridula,

Thank you very much. Glad you find it so!

indicaspecies said...

Lakshmi,

Thank you.

indicaspecies said...

Sujata,

Thank you.

Anonymous said...

I cant wait to read about this !

indicaspecies said...

Priyank,

I shall resume writing my travel posts on rest of MP after I return from my holidays. It's time to trek again in the Himalayas! ;)

Anonymous said...

"ma Rewa, taro paani nirmal, khalakhala beheto jayo re..."
goes the Indian Ocean song "Ma Rewa". Do listen to it, one of my eternal favorites.

indicaspecies said...

Priyank,

I love that song, and I like Indian Ocean in general.:)

Unknown said...

:) Aah, I see Indian Ocean has been mentioned already. :D

The boat trip is a very unique experience, with "commentary" from the guide (which never changes, so it gets boring the next time you go there). But most importantly, it's the walls of marble and the river's struggle against them that makes this place such a treat to be in.

I've lived in Jabalpur for 5 years and have visited this place many times, and it never fails to be interesting, especially a trip to "Dhuandar", watching the water rise up in "smoke", falling, frothing, and swirling at the bottom. :)

indicaspecies said...

Yea, the boat trip at the Marble Rocks' serene waters is fabulous and unique too, because I insisted on wearing a life jacket much to the amusement of the locals..lol

Re the commentary..lol
What can I say? There's a touch of humor in it too. The poor guys do their best, both to keep us entertained and with the synchronous rowing, so I got to appreciate it rather than laugh.:P

Dhuandar Falls is fabulous and in fact, in the first place, I planned the whole trip to MP because of Dhuandar Falls and kept adding other places later on. Btw, in those 2 days in Bhedaghat, I made 4 trips to the Falls and that perhaps explains my love for waterfalls.;)