Garhwali Bears with Tiny Bells

Ladakh

Some people live for the fortune, some for power, some for fame, and some to play games. Some say to achieve the purpose meant in their lives blah blah. What are you living for?

I can tell you what I am thinking of. I can tell that because I can think. Or at least I think I can think. I can think because I belong to the great class – the class of Homo sapiens. After all, we are animals (for sure!) with the best thinking process. Or at least we believe so. Why do I digress? Probably to discombobulate.

So, I'm thinking of taking a vacation. Did I hear you ask why?

When I applied for leave, I was asked the same. "Why do you need to go on vacation?" Though I thought, "I'd explain it to you, but your brain would explode," I replied calmly with a smile, "To travel." To that I was asked, "And how much of your earnings do you spend on travels?" I replied, "Only 90%." He would not understand the rest is wasted!

It's quite likely that he suffers from a zygomatic twist in the skull. Or what Dr. Mayer-Briggs would probably describe "analysis paralysis." I'm glad am not into assmosis. Oh wait. That has nothing to do with a donkey. Or ass either. It's more to do with the process by which a few so called humans seem to absorb success by sucking up to the boss rather than working for it. I neither want success nor wish to work anymore. I wanna travel, do you understand, Mr. Mustachioed spittlebug?

I should have asked him, "Tell me, as an outsider, what do you think of the human race?" but I did not. Diplomacy, after all, is the art of letting someone have your way!

So, why do I need to travel again?

• Because I do not want to be yearning so much while admiring mountain photography online while waiting and hoping someone would take me to those places.
• Because I need a change from the shituation I am in. Probably that's why I doodle more than work these days.
• Because I don't want to be thinking about the warm comfort of early death from job stress. Humor may be hazardous to your health. Hey, I didn't refer to mental health!
• Because I don't want to say a superficial hello or how are you doing to people around me right now as I feel I'm lacking patience to listen to their life stories.
• Because there are times when I feel I want to punch, choke, poison, if not flatten an unpleasant colleague's car tyres these days. Trust me, this has nothing to do with Schadenfreude tendencies.
• Because I've started spending my off time thinking about work, the rest of the time I am busy thinking of travelling.

Ain't that sufficient reason? I can be snarky!

I've decided to get moving. Yes, with just a small backpack, a tuque and a good pair of trekking shoes, and with no regard for day time clothes, or night time and no need for swim wear or matching shoes or matching wraps or a matching bag or a hat, or jewelry or make up. Yay!

Travel time. This trip shall be to the Garhwal region of the northern state of Uttarkhand belonging to the Indian side of Himalayas. Uttarkhand borders the Tibetan plateau in the north and Nepal to the east.

A minor part of the Himalayan range lies in Tibet, Pakistan and Burma. A greater portion of the range lies in Nepal, Bhutan and the Indian states of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarkhand. I’ve been to those states earlier except Arunachal Pradesh but I should make many more trips.

So, for now, I'm off to Garhwal, a place with spectacular mountain peaks and valleys that is described as Dev Bhoomi to mean, the Land of the Gods. Garhwal is the place of origin of the River Ganga (the Ganges). Garhwal is a place with a multitude of pilgrimage spots.

Don't look at me to elaborate on that. When it comes to proper knowledge on religious matters, I'm as useless as a condom vending machine in the Vatican. Or as useful as a grave robber in a crematorium!

For me, this trip should be stimulating as I intend to enjoy the culture of the new place, the beauty of nature there, its wilderness, the endless scenery of the rugged mountains and their deep valleys and ravines, the wildlife, camping and trekking and lots of adventure. With rains and landslides common at this time during monsoons, I do not know where exactly I'll end up. However, with the belief that destination is not as important as the journey, I am out to enjoy as much of it no matter where the road leads me.

Speaking of wildlife and adventure reminds me of this public service announcement:

In Garhwal, tourists are warned to wear tiny bells on their clothing when hiking in Himalayan bear territory. The bells warn away most Himalayan bears. Tourists are also cautioned to watch the ground on the trail, paying particular attention to bear droppings to be alert for the presence of Himalayan bears. One can identify Himalayan bear droppings because it has tiny bells in it.

Now do not let that PJ make you angrier than a bear with a sore head!

I wonder now why did a post to convey a short, and hopefully, temporary goodbye to my sweet readers, turn out this long? To that, please answer me first: Why is abbreviation such a long word?

Broca's area is giving trouble today. Enough of gruntling. Logorrhea indeed! Right now I have the feeling that everyone likes me and wants to be like me. At least as far as travels are concerned. Am I right? No? Ah, then I better stop before I am defenestrated.

Won't you wish me well with a small comment? Don't give me the excuse that the keyboard is not attached to your PC, or that the mouse doesn't work! So what if it's not? You can still press F1 to continue. Or press any key to continue...no, no, no, not that one..haha!

I hope to be back in a few weeks. If you need to reach me urgently, please call me on my phoneless cord. Until then, keep smiling my friends. Signing off. Beep-beep!

One Single Impression: Rest

The Humayun's Tomb is located in Nizamuddin East, Delhi. Humayun was the second of the so called six great Mughal emperors, and was the father of Akbar.

At Nizamuddin
Hamida Banu Begum
Ordered construction

A repository
For her beloved husband
And Akbar's father

Splendid edifice
On banks of Yamuna, with
Char bagh style gardens

The Emperor's tomb
With Mughal architecture
World Heritage Site

Humayun's Tomb is
Beautiful mausoleum
Where he's put to rest.

The prompt for this week at One Single Impression is Rest. More poetry can be found at One Single Impression.

Sploggers

Lately, I discovered some links to my recent posts and when I checked on those I was rudely surprised initially, and then annoyed, to see my entire posts published in other blogs, verbatim and with each and every photograph, under different website owner names. For example:

• Violet Voices
• Addict's Dreams
• Violet Confessions

I’m not really tech savvy so I emailed a friend on this matter. Thanks to his help, I was informed that the above links are those of spam bloggers (also called, sploggers). I was advised to delete the links as soon as possible and I did so immediately.

Apparently the sploggers resort to stealing content in order to fill space on their own sites to attract traffic, and their website has advertisements too, so they must be generating income out of it. It is so wrong to copy, use my blog posts on their site without permission and make money out of it. The simple rule is when a person has not written it, that person needs to take permission from the owner of the contents before anything is copied or reproduced. Copyright infringement is illegal.

By the time I realized what was happening, already 4-5 posts had been published on their site. I consider this to be blatant misuse of my blog posts on their website. It is a matter of copyright violation. I wonder if this will continue and if deleting their back-link will solve the problem or not. Is it like a case of website hijacking?

The author is the copyright holder of all blog posts. No splogger or any person who not travelled, photographed, written and presented a post or done any creative writing can take credit for my efforts. They do not have the authority to publish any of these works on their websites as their own. I do not think a "link back" is sufficient credit for another person's efforts.

Browsing through I did reach blogger's online help site and have submitted the links of these sploggers to them. Now I intend to put up some sort of a copyright notice on my site. I'd like to hear if there is any other recourse available in such cases.

Has this happened to any of you? What have you done about it? I welcome you to share your thoughts on this matter and thank you for your help.

Update:

1. As per advice from my dear fellow bloggers, I've now deleted the links to sploggers.

2. This particular post complaining about Sploggers has also been copied on their website.:)

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

~~~

Plight of Widows in India

Nandan Jha has left a new comment on your post "Why?":

show details 10:53 AM (3 hours ago)

Hmm.

Celine - How much of text of this post, is based out of a first hand experience ? (family, close friend, next door neighbour and likewise)


I have seen many widows (in my family, friends etc) and I have not seen a single case as what is usually described by people, more notoriously by NGOs.

I do not doubt your intent and I have not see enough of world myself but in my personal opinion, if one has to write such clear statements, as in this post, then one should either share that they have a first hand experience (family, close friend, next door neighbour) or should mention thats its mostly based on what they have read on this subject.

~~~

The above is a comment to my post titled "Why?"

I'm writing my response to the above comment as a post by itself for the benefit of my readers so I can get to hear more views on this topic. This is written hurriedly during my lunch break at work. I'd like to invite comments and I hope, dear reader, you'll feel free to voice out your feelings on this issue.

~~~

Nandan,

Thank you for a very interesting comment. I'm glad you brought up this point. This will give me a chance to share more of my thoughts and some first hand experiences.

If your comment is an indication that I should change my style of blog-writing sticking to writing only on first hand experiences on events or putting a disclaimer that so and so is based on what I've read, then I am afraid that is not going to be so. You wrote about bad tents provided in Dhanaulti, while I wrote about social injustice. We both are free to write on whatever we like and of course, we agree or disagree on those. Please note that poetry and creative writing is one of my many hobbies.

You have not seen a single case you say. You should be glad about that. May I ask if you have lived outside the cosmopolitan city of Delhi?

To respond to your comment, yes, I have had first hand experience of bits and parts of what has been mentioned in my post. I may be presently out of India but I've lived in India for almost 22 years, including in the states of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat, both in villages and cities, and have seen enough. I have seen the best of India but I've also seen poverty, and enough social inequalities going on and I have also seen more than enough injustice meted out to helpless widows too.

And why just widows? And why only within India? I've seen divorced or separated women suffer as well when an attempt is made to make them feel as if they are a burden to the society and so are to be ridiculed at but I shall not dwell on that as I do not want to be side-tracked from the main issue being discussed here.

Among the widows, I have personally seen a Brahmin woman, a little elderly may be but from a well to do family, mind you. I have seen her with my own eyes as to how she used to be in public places without a sari blouse! I was shocked to learn from the the elders in my family on how their customs and traditions prohibited her from wearing a blouse because she was a widow. I have also seen how she had to constantly struggle to keep her simple cotton sari (I recall the dull color too) all the time tucked in place and entwined around her arms so she could cover her modesty. And oh, I feel terrible to share that her head used to be regularly shaved off too! Can you imagine her anguish?

I was young then, yet it shocked me. It was disgraceful. Tell me, is it not a matter of pity that we are a part of the society that still metes out such punishment to a hapless woman just because she is a widow? Was it her fault that her husband died? I still think of her and I particularly thought of her when I wrote the post under discussion.

Later as I grew up, I have come across examples in rural areas. By the way, I've spent my childhood weekends and holidays in villages. Over time, I have also seen this happen among the poor domestic helpers as I moved to bigger cities.

I've started writing recently and I found this a good platform to put my thoughts across. Problems are there everywhere. That's a fact, whether we accept it or not. Let's not be afraid to see what we see. We can shut our eyes tight and pretend there are no problems or we can do something about it. On my part, I've written about it since presently I am far away from home.

Have I done anything about it then? Yes, I have, in my own little ways. I have encouraged those grieving widows, given due respect to them and gently supported them in whatever way I could to help bring about some sort of joy in their lives. In my own way, I have (in fact, my whole wonderful family has) tried to break free of those cruel customs and traditions and not let the unfortunate widows be marginalized and alienated from the society.

I have a powerful positive example in my immediate family to expound on. I am pleased to inform you that my deceased brother's wife, my dear sister-in-law, is a happy woman today and her confident and bubbling personality does not exhibit any sign that she is suffering as a widow. She is still a cosy part of our lovely big family. We (and by this I mean my entire family) have put an end to some age-old and useless customs and traditions, particularly as far as she was concerned. She joyfully took part in all the rituals where widows generally are not allowed to, including participation in the entire family wedding festivities. Those with rigid thinking and a narrow-mind did have objections and a few more wagged their tongues but did we care? No.

Nandan, this post is written to create awareness that widows do have a problem in India. I do not expect a miracle to happen with one blog post. But let's open our eyes and acknowledge such things do happen. If each of us can help in small ways, we can make a difference. I invite you to read my post titled Empowerment. Matters can change if we take individual responsibility. I do not like that you criticize the NGOs in general and call them 'notorious.' Most of them have very good intentions and some do a reasonably good job that you and I perhaps cannot even think of.

Have you seen 'Babul?' A modern movie with a strong message on the emotional plight of a widow. In spite of stiff criticism and opposition from the traditionalists, to think that a father-in-law of Indian society endeavors to encourage his widowed daughter-in-law to try to lead a happy life with another man in her life is a progressive thought. That is called doing something positive for the right cause. That's what we need to do.

Then there is the movie 'Water' that also portrayed the plight of Widows. Simple and realistic. And then there are these goons that raise a hue and cry and protest when movies with such powerful messages are released. Have those protesters done anything positive in their lives towards such causes other than protest in vain?

There is also the fabulously done and beautifully sensitive movie 'Dor' that tries to project the plight of widows in India. It is reportedly based on a real life incident. Why would someone responsible like Nagesh Kukunoor bother with making that movie as recently as 2006 if we did not face such problems in India?

Let me know if there is a single statement in my post Why? that describes what has not happened in India. Can you say with conviction that a young recently widowed girl of, for example, Rajasthan, would not have thoughts like the ones I've written in my poetry? Are bangles not broken? Is Sindoor not wiped off? Is it not true that bright clothes and jewelry are forbidden? Is not mourning made compulsory? So I ask again, Why?

Anyway, in my post, I have clearly mentioned that I am writing about the plight "of 'some' widows in 'certain' parts of India." So it definitely does not mean every widow in India undergoes such suffering and torment.

Nandan, allow me to ask you a question in turn:
Do you have enough experience to make a statement that indicates that the widows in the Indian society are truly respected and enjoy equal status and full individual rights?

I so hope your answer is in the affirmative.

Why?

This post can be reckoned as a continuation of my previous post titled Widow. I have written the poetry here as the sorrowful thoughts of that young Widow.

Never wished anyone bad
Ill-luck, curse, how am I?

Love colours, jewellery
Can’t wear and eat what I wish? Why?

Degraded to dark-room
Why none touch or love me anymore?

Always wished for his long-life
Why am held responsible for his death?

Please understand, I’ve always loved him
Then, why must I suffer for that?

*

With a population of over 1 billion, it is estimated that there are about 50 million widows in India. Mostly in the rural parts of India, widows are looked down upon as disgraceful, unlucky, even cursed.

Girls in India are often married off at a young age, instead of being educated. In case of adverse situations like death of spouse, they usually lack the required skills to support themselves or the knowledge to fight for their basic rights.

In the olden days, widows were expected to jump on the funeral pyre of their husbands to commit a practice called sati. Though the practice was outlawed in 1829, widows still undergo ritual humiliations.

The mark of marriage sindoor that a married woman wears is sometimes substituted in a widow by a vertical ash smear from the top of her forehead to the top of her nose. In extreme cases, a widow’s very presence is considered so ominous that even her shadow is not let to fall on a married woman lest her dreadful destiny befall the other woman!

A widow is quite often made to wear white and to give up wearing fine clothes and jewelry. The unintelligent reasoning is that this is necessary so as to not arouse any carnal desire in other men. In some traditions, they are forced to shave off their heads. Sometimes she is even blamed for her husband’s death. The so called belief then, and probably even now, was that the wife’s bad karma caused the death of her husband.

Widows from joint families are vulnerable to abuse by in-laws and at times evicted from home. The widow rarely succeeds in inheriting her husband’s property which is often usurped by greedy relatives. She is sometimes denied the right to remarry. The poor woman is shunned, and left to live, on her own, a sad life of impoverishment. She is ostracized and is treated as a burden by society. In some cases, widows are not allowed to attend their own children’s weddings because they are so despised in certain cultures!

All this is carried out not necessarily for religious reasons, instead, most likely because of certain savage cultures and traditions!

The 1856 Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act gave women the legal right to remarry and the Hindu Succession Act of 1956 gave women the same inheritance rights as men. Sadly, those rights are not always put into practice. Then there are disheartening clauses like, under Section 2, "a Hindu widow, on remarriage, shall forfeit her right to the property which she has inherited from her husband." I am not aware if this Section 2 has been repealed by the Hindu Succession Act.

But there is hope, thanks to some organizations and social activists who think of ‘service before self’ and endeavour to give status to widows as full-fledged individuals. Dr. Mohini Giri is one of them working on changing the mind-set of the society in this regard.

~~~

This post is written to bring to attention on the plight of some widows in certain parts of India. For some cheerful news, I invite you to read my post on Orchha wherein I have given a glimpse of how successful and liberated some Indian women are.

Excerpt:

How could I discuss my thoughts with her on matters like though a majority of women in India think and live a kind of life like she did, there is, however, a small percentage that are thankfully liberated and have been so successful that they have won several accolades in every imaginable area - to choose a few fields like in politics, sports, justice, music, activism and service, brains, beauty or films or a combination of them, or for that matter sheer selfless social service.

Khajuraho, Mastery in Architecture

Madhya Pradesh diagram (borrowed)

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word Khajuraho? Most likely the answer is going to be Temples or specifically, Erotic Temple Art.



The one of a kind Khajuraho Group of Temples is the main attraction of Khajuraho, however, there is more to the town than this. I shall write about my travels to the other interesting places of Khajuraho in subsequent posts. For now, I wish to devote this entire post to my experiences and impressions on the fascinating temples of Khajuraho.



The Legend

The story of Khajuraho is that in a burst of passion, the Moon God enticed the beautiful Brahmin girl, Hemavati, while bathing in the Rati one evening, resulting in the birth of Chandravarman. Harassed by society, the unwed mother sought refuge in the dense forests of Khajuraho where she was both mother and guru to her young son. The boy grew up to become the founder of the Chandela dynasty.

When he was the ruler of the land, Chandravarman had a dream where his mother implored him to build temples that would reveal all aspects of the human passion and fantasy to the world and in doing so bring about a realization of the emptiness of the human desire. Thus began the story of a fervent artistic desire for the construction of the first of the temples, and successive rulers added to that which resulted in the Khajuraho temples.

The History

It is said that artifacts from the middle and late Stone Age and Neolithic Age have been unearthed in Khajuraho so its history can be traced to prehistoric times.

The name Khajuraho is derived from the Hindi word khajur meaning date palm tree. It was once the city that was the capital of the Chandela Rajputs, a Hindu dynasty that ruled parts of India from the tenth to the end of twelfth century. It is said that there have been other Chandela rulers, who have been the patrons of the Khajuraho temples and instrumental in developing the art and the sculpture there. Some of them are Harshadeva, Yashovarman, Dangadeva, Jayavarman etc. Sadly, by the time the temples were completed, the Chandela dynasty had sunk into oblivion.



It is fascinating to learn that these elegant medieval temples of the finest architectural styles were unknown to the outside world as they were probably forgotten among the forests for centuries following their abandonment. They were accidentally rediscovered recently.

Over a span of about 100 years, about 85 temples were presumed to have been built of which now only 22 stand!

My Memoirs and Khajuraho Today

In December 2007, I took a taxi from Orchha via Alipura to reach Khajuraho as I written in my previous post here.



The temple town of Khajuraho apparently seems no different from any other temple city of India. Right from the time I reached till I departed days later, I found it to be like any other tourist town, catering to the needs of the locals and tourists alike in a comfortable and casual manner. Nevertheless, the quaint little town is unique for it is a place with a rich cultural heritage. Already a hot tourist destination, most likely its popularity ranks following that of the Taj Mahal of Agra.



As I reached and checked into the MP tourism hotel, the sun was preparing to set. All the same, I quickly got ready to catch a glimpse of the famous temples before it would get dark. After a few hurried inquiries at the reception desk and being assured that the place was safe to walk back in the dark, I set out on a brisk walk of 20 minutes to reach the popular western group of temples. I need not have rushed as I had two full days to explore the place at my own leisurely pace. But, as usual, I got restless in wanting to explore the moment I reach a new place and so tried to grab the opportunity to do so even in the fading lights of the day. This is one of the first few sights that I could capture that late evening through the closed gates.



The next two days were like being in a dreamland. I do not think I can even begin to describe the awe that I felt about the Khajuraho temples. If I start, I could go on endlessly into details of my own impression of the mastery and intricacy of the beauty of each temple, but that would mean thousands of words.

The architecture of each of the Khajuraho temples is magnificent. The elegance of the carvings is an achievement excelling in sculpture work and can rightly be called a merger of the science and art of architecture. To explore and admire what can be justifiably described as the pinnacle of Indian art and design was an overwhelming experience.



My first observation was that almost all the temples are built on a high platform. Constructed in the Nagara style of architecture between 950 AD and 1050 AD, these temples are in a reasonably good state of preservation and the Archeological Survey of India's dedicated effort for their conservation at Khajuraho should be appreciated. It is no wonder that these temples are listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.



The mainly Hindu and Jain temples of Khajuraho, scattered over an area of 15 kms or so, are grouped into three geographical divisions: western, eastern and southern.

I found the 11 temples belonging to the Western Group of Temples the most attractive. That included admiring the biggest Kandariya Mahadeva, the awesome Lakshmana, and the Chaunsat Yogini, the Matangeshwara, the Chitragupta etc.

Following that, I had a long walk to reach the Eastern Group comprising of the Adinath, Ghantai, Parsvanatha Temples etc and this way, could be in touch with a bit of the local feel of the place. Among the Eastern Group, I found the grandeur of the the Adinath the most impressive. I had published a picture of it in my previous post here.



I could not make it to the Southern Group of Temples as I kept getting attracted to the Western Group of temples time and again, and finally actually ended up making four trips there. Each visit was a wonderfully different experience.



Most of these mind-blowing temples are adorned with endless rows of intricately carved sculpted figures. The emotions of a woman have been exemplified in those stone sculptors – from her simple and smiling face of innocence right up to her seductive expressions and poses. Sculptures depicting a woman brushing her hair, applying eye make-up or dancing with joyous unconstrained poses are portrayed in detailed artistry. Most of the sculptures show ordinary course of everyday life events like scenes of action of dancers, musicians, warriors, hunters, potters, other ordinary folks and also animals. And yes, a small percentage of it with eroticism engraved on its walls in the form of sculptures.



The erotic sculptures of Khajuraho temples can be shocking to those not prepared. Khajuraho temple art was a shock to me too, though not for the eroticism in the art, instead, for the incredible beauty in that temple art. The cliché that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder is pretty relevant here. The same object may appear different to different people. Anyway, what is indisputable is that these sculptures have gained the attention of art lovers all over the world and are often a topic of discussion to many.

Someday, I wish to write my thoughts on those "erotic" sculptures and shall, hopefully, do that when I can put my feelings on this matter into meaningful words. For now, I am highly impressed with the temple art there. Though I have admired intricate temple art in quite a few places in India, I can confidently say that what is revealed in Khajuraho surpasses all that!



Other Reflections

Khajuraho's local food is predominantly vegetarian, but non-vegetarian food is available on request. The market area has a number of hotels, restaurants, coffee shops and some good souvenir shops selling a variety of local handicrafts, books, and many other interesting items, all reasonably priced. December, when I travelled, is a pleasant month to be in Khajuraho.


There is a folk and tribal dance festival called Lokranjan held in the second week of December every year but I missed it by a few days. There is also another Dance Festival held in late February every year. From the details I've gathered on it, I'd recommend it to those who wish to travel there to include it in their itinerary. I wish someone had informed me about this before I travelled to Khajuraho. Can you imagine dance performances presented in a surreal setting of gorgeously illuminated temples? I can not think of another venue that could be more befitting than these temple grounds to witness a cultural festivity of that magnitude.

Sound and Light Show

That evening at 6:30 pm, I attended the Light and Sound Show held at the garden grounds of the Western temple group. It was a visual treat that lasted for almost an hour and it elicited the life and times of the Chandela kings. The Show details the construction, history and importance of the splendid Khajuraho temples from the tenth century to the present times. As at the Gwalior Fort, Amitabh Bachchan does the narration with his deep baritone voice.



Other Attractions of Khajuraho

Khajuraho has other interesting places to offer like the Ajaygarh Fort, the Kalinjar Fort, Dhubela Museum for those who are interested in the regal and cultural splendour of the place. There are picturesque waterfalls, lakes, rock formations, national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and other charming spots for nature and wild life enthusiasts. Some of the places of interest that I enjoyed in and around Khajuraho are the Raneh Falls, the River Ken Nature Trail, the Ken Gharial Sanctuary, the Pandav Falls and Caves of Panna, and the Panna National Park and Panna Tiger Reserve.



How to reach Khajuraho

Khajuraho is accessible by road, rail and air. By road, Khajurao is approximately 620 kms southeast of Delhi, 400 kms southeast of Agra, 175 kms southwest of Jhansi, 90 kms from Alipura, 50 kms from Chattarupur, and 45 kms from Panna. By rail, Jhansi and Mahoba are the nearest station. Khajuraho has an airport of its own, with flights connecting the place from Delhi, Agra and Varanasi.

Khajuraho, Masterwork of Craftsmanship

Adinath Temple of the Southern Group of Temples

A temple of the Western Group of Temples

Doorway

This Haiku is inspired by the prompt of this week Doorway provided at One Single Impression.

Doorway of palace
Built to welcome Mughal king
Of medieval times

To commemorate
Bundel King's coronation
The Mughal arrived

Though of different faith
Their friendship knew no limits
That's commendable

May their example
Of tolerance, concordance
Teach us those virtues

Jehangir Palace is said to have been built to commemorate the arrival to Orchha of the Mughal Emperor, Jehangir, for the coronation ceremony of the Hindu Bundela King, Raja Bir Singh Deo. More details can be found in my post titled An Evening in the Medieval Town of Orchha where this picture was published under My Memoirs.

To Shine On, After A Sequel and The Post of the Day

I do not usually decorate my blog with Awards, but this radiant Award was not something that I could refuse, especially after having been so lovingly invited to claim it from San's blog. Thank you San.

For participation in Sameera's contest, I was given the "I Equalled A Sequel" below and according to Sameera, my entry titled Donation was an "excellent effort" and "the few words spoke volumes."

It was fun participating though no one was selected as a clear winner of that contest.

Nonetheless, I was pleasantly surprised when David presented me with the Post of the Day Award for the same post.

Above all, what filled my heart to the brim were the many lovely comments and beautiful messages of encouragement from my dear readers for the same post. Thank you!

Alipura, On the way to Khajuraho

I had the pleasure of sharing a taxi to Khajuraho with C of UK and F of Germany, a lovely couple that I met in Orchha.

The journey was uneventful and included the usual sights of crowded buses, or for that matter any mode of transport packed to the brim and overflowing, and herds of cattle that have the right on roads. They act as natural speed breakers for speeding vehicles!

On a separate note, cow protection is a sentimental issue of the Hindu religion. Human to cattle bond is linked to compassion that brings with it other principles such as ahimsa and vegetarianism for Hindus. King Ashoka, who converted to Buddhism, was known to be the first person to put compassion into action by caring for animals in need and is said to have set up animal shelters.



Anyway, to get back to the road journey, someone aptly said: The drivers need good brakes, good horn, and good sense!

We stopped by at Alipura Palace for refreshments. It is a good stopover for anyone travelling on this route. Khajuraho is approximately 90 kms away from Alipura.

The Alipura Palace was the home to Raja Manvendra Singh and his family. The Palace walls are decorated with old trophies and souvenirs that gives a good insight of the royalty of the Bundelkhands. Alipura heritage dates back to 300 years with its ancestors being rulers of Panna for several decades.

Empowerment

This post is inspired by Spiritwoman, a blogger I stumbled across last month, who made me realize, while exchanging comments at this post, that the world is not wicked.

We're empowered
To change the world
No excuses
For lack of solutions
Take individual responsibility
For what's happening

It must be an objective
Not an ideal
To have a world
Without war
Not fear nightmares
Instead make peace a reality

Let's contribute to world peace
With our actions
Let's believe in ourselves
And start right…now!

You must be the change you want to see in the world.
- Mahatma Gandhi

We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.
- Mother Theresa

Related posts:

• Donation
  
• Widow
• The Gift
  
• Fifty-Five Fiction

India Travel Blog

Arun at India Travel Blog is writing an exciting Walks in India series. Some of the interesting places that he has already covered are:

• Old Delhi
• Rishikesh
• Varanasi
• Jaipur
• Shimla
• Auli
• Khuri
• Pondicherry
• Gokarna
• Hampi
• Along
• Orchha
• Thekkady

Please visit Arun and you are sure to like his blog. I'm an ardent fan of Arun's photography.

Tranquil Tuesday

In lush forests of
Bandhavgarh National Park, live
Playful chinkaras

Grazing on gold grass
Oblivious of future, dwell
These spry spotted deer

Blogoversary

Fugoversary
=========

I've had a busy week. Had intended to write a good post on my blog anniversary but the day is almost up and I have no choice but to quickly put up a few words now.

On this day, Fugue is celebrating a year in the blogworld and I'm glad. Fugue is still an infant and I hope it will grow into a fine blog some day. No matter how it has turned out so far, I've enjoyed this year of blogging. I look forward to developing this bond with you in the virtual world in times to come.

Indicaspecies' first blog post dated June 23, 2007.


My infant and moi...

I'd like to reiterate what I said in my hundredth post recently:

I wish to acknowledge each and every person who has visited my blog. For keeping me going, for dropping by, for leaving your footprints in the form of appreciation and encouraging comments, and your friendship, I thank you. It's been lovely knowing some of you beyond the blog through emails and phone calls and its truly great meeting like-minded people, thanks to this blog.

Blogging has been an interesting journey for me. Dear reader, I want to emphasize how equally interesting it has been to visit your blogs where I have discovered a variety of awesome posts with pictures. That has been a delightful experience for me.

Please join in the celebrations...

- Celine

Melody

This Haiku was inspired by the prompt of this week Melody provided at One Single Impression.

This photo was published earlier in my post titled
Symphony by the Sea.

Brightness, warm colours
Melody of chirping birds
Welcome, brand new day

Hello

An extract from my post on Palace of Datia:

"As I got down from the taxi at the Datia Palace, a little local girl in a not-too-clean white frock and dishevelled hair said 'hello' in a soprano-type sweet voice."

Hello from Datia

For those interested, a ready list of posts on the twin cities of Datia and Orchha:

1. Transience or Permanence
2. An evening in the Medieval Town of Orchha
3. Ostensibly Orchha
4. Palace of Datia
5. Of Bundelas and Mughals


Next travel post: Khajuraho

Tranquil Tuesday

Shot during my travels to the Nubra Valley of the Himalayas:

Cool, serene, pretty
Himalayan Sumur has
Snowy mountain peaks

Related Posts:

• Khardung, the Pass and the Village
• Panamik, and its sulphur springs
• Hundar, Retracing the Silk Route
• Diskit, a village in the Himalayas

Transience or Permanence

The theme provided by One Single Impression for this week is Transience or Permanence.

Transitory life
Cenotaph of an old king
Permanent landmark

An Evening in the Medieval Town of Orchha

Though I normally break travel posts into different parts, here I have tried to fit details of my travel to Orchha in a single post. I wonder if this method is preferable.

The Legend

I would like to begin this post with an interesting story of the Bundelkhands. The Bundelas were a warrior tribe of the Rajputs. War, blood, and sacrifice were the keywords to describe Bundelas and they became a symbol of valour. There is a legend that there was a young Rajput prince who agreed to offer himself to the Vindhya goddess, Vindhyavasini.

Though there are varying versions whether he actually sacrificed himself or intended to, what’s important is that the goddess was pleased with his devotion, and she named the Prince Bundela, a translation of which is: giver of drops (to mean, one who offers drops of blood). How true or not this story is, one thing is sure that the Bundela life and Rajput history of India testifies to this act and the Orchha Bundelas came to be known as the chiefs of the Bundela clan.

History of Orchha

Orchha is a small town in Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh state, India. The Rajput Bundelkhand clan ruled over Orchha for more than two centuries.

When the Tughlaqs, who were ruling Delhi in the 15th century, pushed the Bundelkhand kings out of Garkhundar, it is said that the Bundelas retreated to the remote regions of Orchha.

Orchha is believed to be founded in early 16th century by the Bundela Rajput chief, Raja Rudra Pratap Singh, who was the first King of Orchha. Of the succeeding rulers, the most notable was Raja Bir Singh Deo who built the exquisite Jehangir Mahal. Bir Singh Deo was a favored commander of the Mughal Emperor, Jehangir. Those times during his rule between 1605-1627 is believed to be the golden age of Orchha.

As I have already indicated in a previous post, there is one such interesting phase of history when the friendship of Bundelas and Mughals gave the Bundelas a special role in the politics of the region during the reigning period of Mughal Emperor, Jehangir and Bundela King, Raja Bir Singh Deo.

However, following that golden age Raja Jujhar Singh rebelled against Shah Jehan whose armies almost ruined Orchha and occupied it from 1635-1641. Now what has remained of Orchha is beautiful reminders of its majestic past.

Orchha and its twin city, Datia, were the only Bundela regions not subjugated by the Marathas in the 18th century.

Jehangir Palace

There are historical accounts that Jehangir visited Orchha to attend the coronation ceremony of Raja Bir Singh. Raja Bir Singh built the grand Datia Palace (also called Jehangir Palace) and also built the major landmark of Orchha, which is also called the Jehangir Palace, to commemorate the visit of Jehangir to Orchha in the first half of the 17^th century.

Jehangir Palace

For a better understanding of this post on Orchha, I would recommend my reader to have a look at my post on Datia entitled Of Bundelas and Mughals. Here's a quick ready reference:

Akbar captured Orchha in 1604 and deposed Raja Ram Chand, Bir Singh's eldest brother. It is said that Bir Singh, an errant chieftain himself, beheaded Abul Fazl during the battle in Badoni (midway between Gwalior and Orchha) and sent his head to Salim (a young Jehangir). It is also alleged that this was done at the prompting of Jehangir, who was susceptible in those days because of his dalliance with Anarkali who apparently had irked Akbar to no end. In his memoirs Jehangir declared that it was Abul Fazl who had abused Akbar's mind so that he turned away his love for his son.

Anguished at Fazl's death and to challenge Bir Singh's audacity, Akbar tried to have Bir Singh captured. Bir Singh teamed up with Jehangir, who by then was rebelling against his own father. Bir Singh and Jehangir apparently shared distressing moments before they both ascended the throne. Interestingly, when Jehangir was imprisoned on his way to Kabul by one of his own generals, Mahabat Khan, it is alleged that Bir Singh's youngest son, Bhagwan Rao, came to his rescue and liberated him. As a token of gratitude, when Jehangir ascended the throne, he made Bir Singh Deo the ruler of Orchha and the Bundelkhand region.

Jehangir Palace, Orchha

If the Jehangir Palace in Datia was considered unique for it was never used as a residence by any king or his descendents, then it is equally interesting to note that Jehangir stayed in the Jehangir Palace of Orchha just for a day!

My Memoirs

I explored Orchha in December 2007 on my way to Khajuraho after my visits to Datia and Jhansi.

I was informed that I reached Orchha as the taxi waded through a narrow dusty road and the first scene that caught my eye in the distance was the ancient Chaturbhuj Temple against the backdrop of the beautiful Jehangir Palace. The temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu's four armed reincarnation and hence the name Chaturbhuj Temple, was built during the days of Raja Bir Singh Deo. Orchha town had a rustic look about it.

Chaturbhuj Temple

What followed was a quick drive through the streets of Orchha, and then onwards to a solid island of rock surrounded by the River Betwa. After an approach provided by an arched bridge over the River, I reached Sheesh Mahal, the place where I had made a prior booking to stay overnight.

At Sheesh Mahal

Orchha has two hotels run by the Madhya Pradesh state tourism: one, the Betwa Retreat amidst beautiful surroundings across the Betwa River, where I passed by later that evening. The other is the Sheesh Mahal in the quadrangular courtyard where the Jehangir Palace and Raj Mahal are situated.

Musicians

The Sheesh Mahal is palatial and caters well for tourists. At its entrance is a board with the words Athithi Devo Bhava written on it, a Sanskrit phrase to mean a guest is the reincarnation of God. Raj, who manages the hotel and claims to be a descendant of the Kalchuri dynasty, was a gracious host at the Sheesh Mahal.

As soon as I reached Orchha, I went about exploring the place with a kind and helpful guide, Mishraji. I started with the Jehangir Palace, brief details on its history are mentioned above. Jehangir Palace is one of the most attractive monuments built at a height, and the view from there of the soaring temple spires and cenotaphs gives the Orchha town an enchanting look.

The architecture of the Jehangir Palace is of the Bundelkhand style (an interesting fusion of Mughal and Rajput styles) with the free mix of domes, symmetrical plans, surface decoration etc and I found it is similar to the architectural style of Fatehpur Sikri.

One of the doorways, Jehangir Palace

My next visit was to the Raj Mahal. Raja Rudra Pratap started the construction but his son, Bharti Chand continued. The final touches to this Palace were added by Raja Madhukar Shah, the predecessor of Raja Bir Singh Deo. It is alleged that Madhukar Shah, who was defeated in a battle by Akbar, won Akbar's friendship and respect and used to frequent the Mughal court dauntlessly sporting the banned tilak on his forehead. Akbar, being the secular emperor that he was, may have made him feel welcome!

Raj Mahal

A smaller palace nearby is the Raj Parveen Palace built in honour of the poetess, dancer, musician and the beautiful paramour of Raja Indramani. A thought: Why did Indramani not marry her? There is this legend that Akbar was so enamoured by Parveen's beauty that she was summoned to his court. She, however, so impressed the Mughal emperor with clever words to express her purity of love for Raja Indramani that he sent her back safely to Orchha!

Laxminarayan Temple entrance area

Thereafter I went to explore the famous Laxminarayana Temple. Mishraji was kind enough to take me along to the outskirts to reach there. The temple is impressive and houses an attractive range of Bundela paintings. There are vibrant murals encompassing a variety of religious themes and the ceiling of this huge ancient temple is beautifully decorated.

Laxminarayan Temple Murals

So much so was the association of Bundelas and Mughals of those times that I was surprised to learn that the entrance to the Laxminarayana Temple is diagonally located and aligned with the Jehangir Palace on the opposite side of this little town!

On the way back from Laxminarayan Temple, I stopped by at this cutely painted house and as I proceeded to photograph it, the woman of the house, on her own, stood at the doorway and posed for me.

Orchha dweller

I greeted her with a namaskar from afar as I did not wish to get too close to intrude on her privacy. It did feel good to see her smile and her hand wave in acknowledgment of my presence.

As the day was to end soon, it was then time to rush to the area where the popular 14 Orchha cenotaphs (Chattris) were located. Except for Raja Bir Singh Deo's cenotaph which is like a palace located in the flow of the River Betwa, all other cenotaphs are in the form of temples and are situated close to the river bank.

Orchha Cenotaphs

Most of the cenotaphs have a melancholic look about them, with some of them surrounded by weeds. It made me get a feeling that I was in the middle of a city of museums.

Orchha Chattris

Following that, minus Mishraji, I walked around the market place of the quaint little town of Orchha. It was fascinating to see public walkways having background of imposing monuments of the past.

Another Orchha monument

I came across quite a few sadhus (ascetic holy men) wearing varying shades of saffron robes carrying some sort of musical instrument or the other.

Sadhus

I wondered if they get to enjoy the music of life differently having to live on another level altogether because of their religious devotion.

During a brief inquiry at the market place with a roadside vendor, I had to shift my attention to a family who showed interest in me by starting off with broad smiles. I guess soon they found me easy to approach as I communicated with them in Hindi. Within a short time and without any request on my part, the woman went on to explain quite a bit about her personal life including how committed she was to her family and how much of care and efforts she invests in tending to her children. Perhaps she found me friendly enough to want to share those details, and in return, I mostly smiled and nodded adding some polite and relevant words.

A Family in Orchha

Here was a woman who sweetly thought the world of her family and considered domestic matters as her top priority! What could I say in return? How could I discuss my thoughts with her on matters like though a majority of women in India think and live a kind of life like she did, there is, however, a small percentage that are thankfully liberated and have been so successful that they have won several accolades in every imaginable area - to choose a few fields like in politics, sports, justice, music, activism and service, brains, beauty or films or a combination of them, or for that matter sheer selfless social service.

Then it was delightful to try out some aloo-tikki (vegetarian potato escalopes) from one of the road side stalls. That was delicious and served with a yummy sweet and tangy tamarind sauce with bits of coriander leaves sprinkled over it for garnishing.

Food stalls with Chattris in the background

From then onwards it was a feeling of awe for the rest of the evening exploring one place after the other. I recall passing by the Rama Raja Temple and further on into the areas housing palaces in the background and the "wind-catching" towers of the old times named Sawan-Bhadon by the locals. Looking around and getting absorbed in the history, sights, sounds, smells and stories of the various palaces and temples dotting Orchha was an interesting experience.

Near Saawan-Bhadon, the wind catching towers

I had presumed a day to explore Orchha would be sufficient but I was mistaken. At the end of the day I wished I had more time to spend there. Then I would not have missed out on attending the popular aarti at the famous Rama Raja Temple, where Ram is supposedly worshipped as king and not as a god, or exploring more of the fine paintings at the Raj Mahal or taking a leisurely stroll that I so wished for along the River Betwa and satiate my interest to take more photographs of the reflection of the Orchha Chattris in the River Betwa.

Most people who have been to Orchha describe it as a nondescript town but just as the very word Orchha means hidden, I found that the town did have a lot of hidden wealth about it starting from its interesting history to its rich architectural heritage. Therefore I had named my previous post as Ostensibly Orchha.

At the end of the day, I got a feeling that I was captivated with Orchha's splendour. It appeared that on this medieval town, the hand of time has rested lightly and the palaces, temples and the monuments built by its Bundela rulers have still retained much of their beauty. Few tourists are troubled to visit such small places as Orchha. Those who are endowed with an inner sense to appreciate the tranquility of the place, its rich history, its reminders of the majestic past as seen in its monuments can see its hidden treasure, and come back fulfilled. There is a certain romance about Orchha which makes me wish to revisit this city of museums.

Orchha Fort Complex at dusk

It was delightful to watch the change in hue of the Orchha monuments at sunset. I walked back to the Fort Complex when it got dark to continue enjoying the rest of the evening with the festive atmosphere of the Sheesh Mahal with live music and dance at its dining area. Little did I know then that the night was still young and much more was to follow. A state Minister was due to arrive that evening and there was to be a cultural program at the Betwa Retreat. No way would I miss that.

How to reach Orchha:

On the Jhansi-Khajuraho Road, 15 km from Jhansi and then about 10 km on the left is Orchha. Travel enthusiasts can easily make a trip to Orchha from Jhansi. Gwalior to Orchha is 110 kms. Nearest railway station is Jhansi (16 km), which is on the mainline from Delhi-Bombay and Delhi-Madras. Gwalior airport is about 110 kms while Khajuraho airport is approximately 170 kms from Orchha.