Friday, March 29, 2024
Navigating In Nagpur
ON THE TRAIL OF THE GREAT BENGAL TIGER—SAFARI IN TADOBA NATIONAL PARK
Our month ended in the most extraordinary way as Llew and I embarked on a tiger safari to Tadoba National Park that we had planned and booked, almost a year ago. We were joined by our friends, Nafisa and Husefa Nasrullah, whom I have known for decades--they have been my travel companions in Italy, Orissa, Matheran and now Tadoba. Jennine and John Slavin, South Africans, whom we have only recently befriended through my Mumbai Connexions Club rounded off our group. Getting to Tadoba involved a short hour-long flight to Nagpur from where we were picked up in a private car for the two-hour drive to the park. We checked speedily into Taaru Vaan, a privately-run forest resort, where we had en suite rooms that were incredibly comfortable.
No sooner did we drop off our backpacks than we launched on the first of six freezing dawn and boiling hot afternoon safari drives, each of which took place in a different section of the park. Having been twice to Ranthambore in Rajasthan when we were sorely disappointed (not having glimpsed a single tiger), this time we had a veritable feast of sightings for we saw 13 tigers in four days—an embarrassment of riches! It is amazing how well the trackers are trained to recognize deer calls that warn of tigers in the vicinity. They lose no time then in calling each other on their mobiles to identify the exact spot at which a tiger sighting is likely to occur in a park that is 1800 square kilometers in size. For four days, tigers prowled right besides our open-top safari jeeps and allowed us to shoot them at such close quarters that we actually held our breath in awe and respect for these magnificent creatures whose coloring is so complicated and whose stripes make them so distinctive.
We awoke at 5.30 am each morning to have a quick coffee and cookies before boarding the jeeps that took us deep into the frigid heart of the forest—itself a thing of great beauty and constantly changing facets. Although tigers are the main attraction at Tadoba, we saw wild animals galore such as a sloth bear and her cub (adorable!), herds of spotted white deer, large tan-colored sambar deer and a stately group of neelgai (blue deer). There were hundreds of black-faced monkeys called Hanuman langurs, a whole bunch of wild boar and several gaur (massive Indian bison). As for birds, we had our fill of them—any number of hawks and eagles (crested, brown-breasted, etc.), owls, spotted doves, mynahs, and dozens of waterfowl such as mallards, cormorants, terns, loons, ibis, storks, kingfishers, egrets, herons, etc. They crowded the lake side where we also spotted a baby crocodile. I am delighted to say that the Indian Forestry Department is doing a marvelous job in its preservation efforts. Strict rules are followed in the park, and no one breaks them. We’d usually stop for breakfast on the trail in the middle of the morning safari (hard boiled eggs, an Indian item such as vegetable cutlets, aloo paratha, poha, butter and jam sandwiches, hot tea and coffee). Back at the hotel, we had adequate time for rest before we met for a buffet lunch followed by the afternoon safari that began at 2.00 pm. When we returned after sunset, there were tea and snacks awaiting us (pakoras, onion bajjis, kachoris) and just a little later, our lovely group would convene on lawn chairs for sundowners—red wine for Llew, rum and coke for Husefa, G&Ts for the rest of us, as we nibbled on the munchies we had carried. A big dinner brought the curtain down on our days in the wild. We loved every aspect of our travels, not least the glimpses of Maharastrian rural life to which we were treated in the villages through which we drove, the flocks of goats and massive herds of cows we saw as peasants led them to pasture, the wheat, gram and millets fields soaking in the winter sunshine, the machans that are constructed so that farmers could climb up to seek safety from wild animals as many of the tigers—get this—are, in fact, man-eaters! It was hard to forget that in the midst of so much beauty, we were in the territory of wild animals that could get hostile at any moment and turn on us.
The Slavins left early, as John, CEO of an international conglomerate based in Bombay, had an important investors’ meeting for which he had to prepare. That left just four of us in the jeep on the last day, when we had our most memorable sightings: Tigress Bublee making her way to a water hole, all the while crying out for her two cubs that had strayed. She cooled off, lapped water and left roaring as she continued her search for them. All this unfolded before our very eyes as we watched in disbelief. Indeed, tigers revealed themselves to us in varied facets: asleep, clawing at trees, lying on their backs (their hind legs exposed), playing with their siblings, going on the prowl and stalking herds of deer, bathing in water holes and seeking their cubs. On the last day, we had a chance to descend from the jeep and venture into the wheat and gram fields and pluck ripe cotton stalks from cottonfields. It was with much sadness that we bade Tadoba a final goodbye after four blissful days in the lap of Nature.
The Treasures of Awesome Ajanta:
Saturday, March 23, 2024:
The Treasures of Awesome Ajanta:
It was the last day of our travels in the Deccan and we wanted to make the most of it. After a very restful night, we awoke to shower, pack up and get down to Madhuban restaurant for breakfast. Llew’s tummy was behaving better but he still stayed light with just toast and tea while I had a mushroom and cheese omlette, rice kheer (yes, for breakfast), fresh fruit and watermelon juice. Llew checked out swiftly while I walked outside to get some pictures of our lovely hotel. Not too long after, we were in the car with Raju taking us to see the final item on our agenda—the Ajanta Caves.
Exploring the Ajanta Caves:
The journey to the Ajanta Caves from Aurangabad was a long and very dreary one. You pass by basically rural countryside for miles on end. It takes two hours to reach the base and when you get there, there is another short journey in store—this time by the small mini-buses run by the State Tourism Department which take you up the hills for a 20-minute ride for the cost of Rs. 25 per person, one way.
Once at the base, you will walk from your parking pot to the mini-bus parking lot through a tiny market place filled with shops. Be prepared to be accosted by persuasive vendors who urge you to come to their shops to take a look at their wares. It was already the off-season when we were there (it is already far too hot for most people) and they are hungry for customers. We managed to dodge them and get into our mini-bus and, about 20 minutes later (after purchasing tickets from the driver), we arrived at the base for exploration of the Ajanta Caves.
The Caves at Ajanta are entirely Buddhist. There are 26 caves in total and they curve beautifully and naturally around a bend in the Waghora river (which was dry when we were there). While in full spate, ie. during and just after the monsoon, it must be wonderfully green and gorgeous at this site. Here too, we had to purchase tickets and could use toilets and other facilities for the area is far better served than the Ellora Caves. The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation runs a fully-staffed restaurant at this venue. Once again, you can expect to be accosted by vendors selling everything from small, cheap souvenirs to pictorial accounts and guides to the Caves.
Among the 29 caves, the ones that are most important and should not be missed are Caves 1,2,16,17,19, and 26. The Caves consist either of viharas (monastries) or prayer halls (chaityas). However, in Cave 1 itself, you will be treated to the biggest attraction of Ajanta, the large scale paintings on the wall—frescoes, really—that depict various deities of the Buddhist tradition. There are details in these paintings, but it is very difficult to see them—for one thing, there is a great deal of natural deterioration after more than 2000 years (they were built around 400-300 BC) and it is also extremely dark inside the caves. Tour guides use their flashlights to throw light on the subjects as they try to explain the significance of each of the painted tableau. But it is a challenge to discern them clearly. It is interesting to note that these paintings are in a very limited color palette—shades of rust, dark red, a bit of orange, some yellow and a lot of brown. They add to the antiquity of the subjects, of course. Some figures are large and some are tiny. You must make sure you do not miss surveying the ceiling as the paintings up there are in a far better state of preservation than the ones on the walls. There is evidence of interaction between Persian visitors and members of these Buddhist courts in the paintings on the ceiling which clearly depict bearded men in flowing foreign robes socializing with Indians. There are heavily painted geometrical discs that are also in good shape—you see these designs on many tablecloths in India even today
The monasteries show the same typical design that we found in Ellora. There are niches that are entirely carved or pianted along the sides while the central deity is always given pride of place in a large niche, usually flanked by guardian deities. Some of the caves are more ornate than others, their carving more elaborate, or more detailed. One of the Caves has two massive elephants in profiled bas-relief guarding the stairs that lead up to the caves. Quite striking indeed. You will come across chaityas or prayer halls that have stupas at the far end—either carved with figures of the Standing or Seated Buddha or left plainer.
Cave 29 is most certainly the piece de resistance. It portrays a gigantic Reclining Buddha (the Buddha on his death bed) and being that it is at the entrance, it sets the tone for what is a truly stupendous artistic achievement—for the entire semi-circular cave is thickly carved along the sides with representations of the Buddha or scenes from the life of the Buddha. It is all jaw-droppingly amazing and I simply could not fathom how such treasures remained hidden for centuries. It was only in the 1840s, that a British official, who happened to be a tiger hunt in the area, wandered by mistake into the area and fell upon the caves. They were then revealed to the world in all their glory—and what a find it was!In many ways, it is good that Cave 29 is the last cave—because it leaves the visitor open-mouthed. Truly, after this Cave, everything else would simply pale into insignificance. By this time, also, the visitor is tired and visually satiated. So, it is good that one then has to find one’s way back to the mini-bus base across a narrow bridge that is part of a short walk back.
bus was waiting for us when we arrived at base. We bought our tickets and 15 minutes later, were at the Ajanta parking lot, trying hard, once again, to doge the persistent shopkeepers who tried to lure us to their shops. We merely bought ourselves a cold drink, used the toilet facilities and got into our car to start the long drive back to Bombay.
Drive Back to Bombay:
It was 3.00 pm by the time we were ready to start our journey back to Bombay. We hoped to get back by 11.00 pm but actually reached home at 12 midnight as we had traffic near Kalyan-Bhiwandi and had a hard time finding the CNG that Raju needed to fuel up our car. For a very long time—what seemed like at least two hours—we were on a spiffy new highway called the Mumbai-Nagpur Highway. It took us past Nasik, Igatpuri, etc. and offered a stunning sunset before it disappeared behind the inky Western Ghats. But once we headed nearer to Greater Bombay (from around Kalyan-Bhiwandi), the traffic got intense and chaotic with large, looming trucks inhibiting visibility. We stopped in that genera area for food as suddenly (after what seemed like miles on the highway with no food courts), a number of modest restaurants materialized, each more gaudily lit than the next. We ate pau bhaji (me) and puri bhaji (Llew) washed down with creamy lassis before we hit the road again. Finding CNG was a huge challenge and caused poor Raju a great deal of stress. Finally, when we did come across a gas station that sold it, the line of cars leading up to it were at least half a dozen strong. This delayed us even further, but we were not in a hurry—after all, we were just going home to crash in our beds. It was Raju we felt sorry for—poor man! Just imagine the tension of knowing you were driving on reserve with no sign of fuel around for miles!
Eventually, when we arrived at BKC, we realized we were at home stretch and about half an hour later, we were safely deposited in front of our building. It was just midnight and we were far more exhausted than we could believe. We thanked Raju for his services, tipped him handsomely and took the elevator upstairs to do just that—crash in our beds! We’d had an incredible trip, but it was good to be back home!
Thanks for following me on this amazing exploration of Incredible India! We feel deeply privileged that we have the opportunity to traverse this country at leisure, to bite into it, as I were, one little chunk at a time, and to marvel at its ancient mysteries.
Until next time, may the road rise up to greet you!
A Day of Fantastic Sightseeing—Historic Daulatabad Fort, Grishneshwar Temple, The Incredible Elegance of Ellora Caves.
Today was a very strenuous day as it included three major sites. We woke up fully refreshed after a good night’s sleep in a very comfortable bed, and while Llew showered and got dressed, I put together the notes we would need for our day of vigorous sightseeing. Llew stuck to toast and tea while I treated myself to the hotel’s breakfast buffet. I ordered a mushroom and cheese omlette, but while it was being prepared, I had a small bowl of birschersmuesli which is my regular breakfast at home. With my omlette, I ate a chicken sausage and baked beans to make it a half (if not a full) English breakfast. I washed it all down with glasses of watermelon juice. I also took two bananas for Llew to eat as his tummy still needed binding. With our breakfast done, we called for Raju, our driver, and set off at 8.30 am for our first port of call, Daulatabad Fort.
TExploring Daulatabad Fort:
TDaulatabad is the town and the name of the fort that sits perched high on a conical hill that is 200 meters high. It is a vast complex and would once have constituted an entire township in itself. It was built in the 11th century by the Yadava dynasty of the Deogiri hills—in fact, the entire area was once known as Deogiri. The vast complex comprises elements of military engineering, amazing town planning, a unique water management system and Hindu and Islamic architectural marvels. Constructed entirely of black basalt, you will be struck by the fact that such feats were possible in the 11th century.
TFounded by the Yadavas, in the 11th century, it was annexed by the Khilji Dynasty in the 12th century and came under the control of Muhamad-bin Tughlak. He renamed Deogiri Daulatabad (Abode of Wealth) and moved his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad in 1328. Hence, during his reign, it was a thriving township with vigorous trade and an enviable lifestyle. It changed hands several times as power struggles in the North continued until finally, by the 1600s, it came under the control of Akbar and Shah Jehan until the Marathas wrested control of it before it was purchased by the Nizam of Hyderabad. Daulatabad was also once an important center of religion as Sufism spread from this point.
TThe defence system consists of two moats that encircle the property—a wet one that was filled with crocodiles intended to kill enemies, and a dry one. Inside, there are a series of gateways, entrances and exits that are completely confusing and were designed to puzzle and expose enemies. Very few invaders had any chance of taking control of the fortress—so strategically had it been constructed and so well did it function.
T Once we bought tickets and entered the gates, we were quite impressed by how well the main sites of interest were sign posted. In fact, overall, the place is very well-maintained and is preserved by the Archeological Survey of India. There are lovely little carvings on the walls and ramparts of the Fort and you need to ensure you do not miss the tiny architectural and decorative details. Following signs, we arrived at the Saraswati Stepped Well which is quite the most unusual structure and one we have not seen anywhere else. It traps water at the base but to get there, there are superbly hewn steps on all four sides—almost like the ghats seen on river banks of the Ganges.
TNext, we walked along the broad and long walkway that, in medieval times, would no doubt, have been lined with shops as traders hawked their wares. The central avenue reminded me very much of the main thoroughfare in the excavated city of Pompeii in Italy. One of the places that was signposted along this route was the Bharat Mata Temple and we are so glad we took a detour to climb the stairs of a small gateway to enter the complex. Inside, the complex was huge—a Jama Masjid of sorts that, apart from the large, open space, combined a vast number of distinctly Hindu features such as pillared columns as seen in Hindu temples as well as minarets and domes as seen in Islamic mosques. There is a Hindu shrine today at the very end, but it was very evident to us that at various times, this has served as both a Hindu and Muslim place of worship.
TAs we walked along that wide pathway, we came upon the Chand Minar (Moon Tower) that readily resembles the Qutb-Minar in Delhi. I was not mistaken. It is one of the best specimens of Persian architecture in India. Built by Sultan Al-ud-din Bahamani (Ahmed Shah I), it was constructed in memory of his victory over Gujarat in 1445. He was a great admirer of the Qutb Minar that had been built in Delhi by his predecessor, Qutb-din-Aibak, and he wished to have a similar structure made in this fortress. The Minar or Tower has four floors and each has a viewing gallery encircling it. It is constructed in stone but was then faced with decorative tiles in lapiz lazuli and ochre—some remnants of which can still be seen on the outside. Unfortunately, a recent suicide has closed entry into the tower to visitors. We walked around it and found the place mobbed by a large family of black-faced grey monkeys who were congregating around the only expanded bit of shade available as the sun was already quite hot and comfortable.
TWe left the Minar and Llew walked towards the Cannon Courtyard which was on the opposite side. I enjoyed the shade and a cool drink of water. Llew took many pictures of the courtyard which was encircled by cannons in various sizes that had all seen duty during various phases of the wars fought in the centuries when the fortress was an active bastion of defence.
TWalking further up the pathway, we arrived at the actual Gates of the Fort. There is a small museum at this point but we did not stop to look at it as we had other places to see before it turned too hot. The shrine to the Sufi Saint is way at the summit of the hill and we soon realized that we would not be able to hike all the way to the top (although hiking is very much one of our joys). We climbed just a few steps to actually get into the fort before we sat for a while to get a drink of water and then begin the long walk down and back to the entrance.
TIt took us over an hour to explore this fort, even though we did not actually climb to the top. However, the architectural elements we noted, the vastness of the space, the sheer antiquity of it all, was so striking that we are so thrilled we made the time to see it. It is these treasure that make our travels in India now so completely fulfilling and exciting.
T Stop—Grishneshwar Temple:
TThe Grishneshwar Temple is very important to Hindus and was the reason why we attempted to visit it. In point of fact, it has one of the strictest security systems we have seen anywhere in the world with CCTV cameras everywhere. Footwear is to be left outside and no mobile phones or cameras are allowed inside—not even if you promise not to take any pictures.
T is a long driveway leading up from the parking lot to the temple. Along the way, there are little shops galore selling everything from temple offerings (flowers, garlands, fruits, vegetables, etc.) to toy shops to keep the kiddies amused. We followed all the required protocol and entered the temple only to find ourselves in one of those winding mazes that you see at the airport when you are heading to the airline counter to check in. It was ridiculous to have to follow those curves and bends as there was hardly any crowd at all. Still, once we found out that the line was not moving, we inquired what had happened and discovered that we have arrived exactly at the hour when everyone goes for a lunch break. It was hot and we lacked the spiritual zeal to keep standing in that line for a whole hour. We, therefore, bowed out and asked a security man to let us out—which he did by asking us to squeeze through an opening in the barrier. Luckily, both Llew and I are relatively slim and we managed to do so quite easily! The guard was very kind and allowed us to go ahead of everyone else (although we asked for no such privileges and would gladly have left the temple right away). As things stood, we did get a chance to go into what looked like a very ancient temple with a medium-high gopuram (or tower) and in the sanctum sanctorum, we saw the priests performing the aarti. A few minutes later, we left the temple and got back into the car and, after having a cold beverage from one of the make-shift stalls outside, we got into our car and drove just five minutes to the entrance of the Ellora Caves which was the piece de resistance of our day.
TExploring the Astonishing Ellora Caves: The Ellora Caves were the highlight of our day. They are truly remarkable—both for their antiquity and the artistry and
Tcraftsmanship that resides in them. They are filled with sculpture (some of which might have been painted originally). There are no paintings as such here—these can be seen at the Ajanta Caves.
TWhat’s most interesting about the Ellora Caves is that there are three distinct groups to them and each group represents a different religion—the majority are Hindu, a lesser number are Buddhist and just about five of them (found a good mile away from the main caves) are Jain. This proximity of caves representing three major Indian religions is great evidence of the religious harmony that existed in India in the ancient era. There are guides available to take you on a walking tour of the caves and there are several vendors selling beautiful souvenir brochures and books filled with pictures of the carvings, if you would like to buy one. We had our printed notes with us (obtained from the internet) and armed with those, we explored the caves.
TEllora is all about carvings. They were done over a period of two centuries and are created in rock-cut cave temples. This means that each cave was carefully hand cut (probably using the most rudimentary of tools) to create a hollow. Once the hollow as large enough, the decorative carving detail was begun. Needless to say, since these caves are representative of religious zeal, they feature a large number of gods and goddesses in the Hindu pantheon. However, the largest of them and the highlight of this complex is the Kailasa Temple.
TEncircling the Kailasa Temple:
TThe Kailasa Temple is a massive complex that consists of prayer halls, individual prayer cells (all richly carved), twin towers (in two different, but twinned sections of the temple), etc. The wonder of it all is that the carving of the temple was begun from the top (of a rocky hill). Carvers then made their way down to the floor of the temple. All along the sides are corridors (or cloisters) with multiple niches. In each of these niches, there is a carved deity from the Hindu pantheon, sometimes alone but often accompanied by a bevy of other sacred characters. Many of the carvings are in poor shape or have been deliberately defaced—we see this on faces and chests of female deities. I could not get over the lovely carvings of elephants in various poses interspersed occasionally by a rather stylized lion carved with conch-like shells for a mane. If you walk besides the temple, you are dwarfed by its size. But aside from the large carvings, my eye was repeatedly caught by the smaller carved details of elephants or deer or apsaras (beautiful angel-like women) that were nondescript and would not have caught many visitors’ fancy. There was a couple of life-sized elephants but their trunks have suffered damage, unfortunately. Lots of people were milling around taking pictures of the various sculptures and the temples and, of course, we joined in too, unable to stop ourselves from taking pictures of everything so that our cameras could hold on to what our memories would soon lose.
TBy the time we finished with the Kailasa Temple, it was already more than an hour. We still had the rest of the Buddhist Caves and the Jain ones to cover—so we hastened towards them.
TInside the Buddhist Caves:
TThe Buddhist Caves at Ellora adjoin the Hindu ones. They are completely different from the Hindu caves as they were a sort of living complex of the ancient world. They were essentially monasteries that served as places of worship as well as living quarters for Buddhist priests as well as ones in training. As such, the Cave complex known as Teen Taal is a three-storeyed structure carved entirely out of a single massive rock. It has three floors each reached through an internal flight of stairs. Inside the complex, as you move from floor to floor, you are completely struck by the size, quantity and beauty of the works that represent scenes from the life of the Buddha as well as the Buddha seen in a variety of his avatars. You will find the Buddha enshrined in niches at the far end of each cave, often flanked by guardian deities, as we had seen all over Japan’s Buddhist temples.
TOther parts of the Buddhist cave complex consist of stupas or prayer halls with wonderful stone beamed ceilings (all carved out of large single stones) together with galleries from which one could receive a view of the proceedings down below. There are ornate carvings on the exterior walls and the little chapels along the side that sport the same elaborate design and decoration. It really is very very impressive, even breathtaking, and you will be continually struck by these masterpieces of great works staring you in the face at every turn. Incidentally, there are 35 caves in all, but there are a few that should not be missed. If you stick with just those, you will find the excursion very manageable, and you will not have missed anything significant either.
TBy this point, the sun was very hot and we could not face the thought of walking for over a mile to see the Jain caves. Luckily, we saw an E-vehicle stop from where we could hop into a buggy that would take us to the next venue. For a fee of Rs. 30 per passenger, we could board it (it looks like a large golf buggy) and off we went. It was indeed a very long ride to the Jain Caves, but we were there in about 10 minutes.
TExploring the Jain Caves:
TThere are only five Jain Caves at Ellora, but they are all equally noteworthy. Jainism’s founder, Mahavira, is the person depicted in stone here together with the teachers or Tithankaras that accompanied him in his mission. He was contemporaneous with the Buddha and shows a lot of the characteristics that we call the ‘lakshanas’ or signs of the Buddha such as the elongated ear-lobes, the ‘ush nisha’ (bump in the head), etc. There is one cave that is particularly note-worthy in this cluster of caves—it is known as Chotta Kailash (or Little Kailash). It is just as wonderful as the Hindu one, if on a much smaller scale. It too has a life-sized elephant as well as life-sized depiction of a contemporary male in the style and fashion of the era, in an exterior corner on the second floor. In the main shrine, Mahavir is depicted flanked by guardians. You can climb up to the upper floor here too so that you can admire the intricacy of the sculpture without craning your neck.
TFinally, Cave 29:
We re-entered the buggy and this time, we were driven another five minutes away to Cave 29, which actually turned out to be the most magnificent of this Jain Group of caves. It is huge, as might be expected, and was filled with massive tableau-like sculpture that seemed to depict whole scenes from Hindu mythology. In addition, there is a shrine in this cave that holds the shiv-ling. It is open on all four sides and each of the four sides is flanked by huge sculpture in the form of guardians. A large number of uniformly-placed pillars or columns support the entire structure and give it the sense of a huge prayer hall. This was the only cave we saw that was full of bats and it was eerie as they kept hissing and whistling and made me want to get out—really creepy!TBy the time we were ready to leave this cave, the buggy was waiting outside for us. We hopped into it and in five minutes, we were back at the main spot from where all exploration of the three sets of caves begins. It was not long before we called our driver and told him to pick us up from the entrance, but not before I spied some really gorgeous crystal stones being sold there for very reasonable prices. I picked up an amethyst beauty that weighed a ton as well as a much smaller one that was equally lovely. I had seen these crystal stones in Morocco, but had regretted not to have picked them up there. This was really inexpensive and I was really happy to have it.
TDrive Back to Aurangabad and a Very Relaxing Evening:
TThe drive back to Aurangabad took about half an hour. It left us with enough time to take a quick nap in our rooms before we freshened up and decided to go out to some place for dinner rather than staying put in the hotel itself. Before leaving for dinner, we had drinks in our hotel as we had carried wine and nibbles with us. A quick consultation on Lonely Planet led us to a pure vegetarian restaurant called Bhoj that served Rajasthani-Gujarati thalis. We called Raju and told him to meet us at the porch of the hotel and we were off. Bhoj was about a fifteen minute drive from our hotel, but we found it easily enough.
TDinner at Bhoj for Rajasthani-Gujarati Thalis:
TWhen we entered Bhoj, we did not find it crowded at all and were immediately seated by the very attentive staff who welcomed us warmly. Before we could even straighten up in our seats, a whole assembly line of servers materialized at our table and began piling food into our thali! There were at least seven of them who filled each little bowl with a variety of curries and dry vegetable dishes that we found really amazing. Plus, there were three types of rotis (Bajri rotis, plain rotis and puris)—all of which were fresh and piping hot. Rice was also served—again, two types: khichdi (with daal added to it) and plain rice with hot melted ghee poured on it. There was also aamras—which is squeezed fresh mango pulp! It is usually eaten with puris. So we had our first taste of the famous mangoes of India and we were thrilled. As is the case with Gujarati food, sweet and savory dishes are served at the same time and on the same platter—the idea being that every one of your taste buds is activated at the same time! We were hungry enough that we demolished our meal really quickly and relished every bit of it. As the evening progressed, large groups of people entered the place and were all swiftly seated. The wait staff told us frequently that everything was “unlimited” and that we could get more of everything! But, for one thing, we are small eaters and for another, there was just so much to eat that we did not ask for anything more than what was initially provided—and that too was too much for us! Overall, a really great meal. I should add that cumin water (called Jal Jeera) was provided to accompany the meal as was a very simple dessert—made with semolina, it is called sheera.
TReplete with our meal, we got back into our car and drove straight to our hotel where we had a really relaxing evening before calling it a night.
TUntil tomorrow…
Friday, January 26, 2024
Strolling Around Mahabaleshwar Market and Boating on Venna Lake
Saturday, January 13, 2024
Strolling Around Mahabaleshwar Market and Boating on Venna Lake
After another comfortable night and good, hot showers in our hotel, we got dressed and decided to go and meet the day—our last one in Mahabaleshwar. Having passed several times by Café Peter at the corner of the street in which our hotel was located, we figured it would be a good place to have a hearty breakfast. And we were not mistaken. Café Peter was wonderful!
Breakfast at Café Peter:
Given that Mahabaleshwar is all about strawberries at the moment and given that Café Peter serves wonderful Continental food, I was pretty certain we’d get excellent waffles with strawberry compote at this place. How delighted I was, therefore, to see a sign advertising their Strawberry Waffles and, of course, without any hesitation that was what both of us ordered.
The waffles were large and crisp and covered with sliced strawberries in a lovely flower-petal fashion that made it look too good to eat. It came with a small pot of strawberry flavored whipped cream but no maple syrup. I asked for some honey and was quite delighted when they could provide it. It made an extraordinarily hearty and most delicious breakfast with hot chocolate (for me) and coffee (for Llew). We took our time over breakfast as we realized that we had up to 2.00 pm to fill as that was when we intended to start our return journey to Bombay.
Strolling Down the Hill to Find Stone Cottage:
The first item on my agenda was an attempt to find a house called Stone Cottage as I remembered my Mum telling me that she and my Dad had spent some wonderful summers there before I was born when they were guests of my Aunty Anne who used to rent the place for a whole month at a time. I had passed by a hotel yesterday called Stone Villa Hotel and I felt sure that this place was, at the very least, in the vicinity of the cottage.
Here, too, my instinct served me well. Just one cottage before we reached the hotel, we passed by a house called Stone House—it was, in fact, adjoining the hotel property. I felt certain that this was the place in which my parents had spent those summers in the 1950s. I requested the watchman to allow us to saunter around the place and came to the conclusion that part of the property (that which was covered with fruit trees more than half a century ago), had been sold to the hoteliers who now run the hotel next door. At any rate, I was very pleased to take pictures of the place and to walk in the footsteps of my parents’ youthful days.
Shopping in Mahabaleshwar Market:
Having accomplished this mission, we made our way to the market to do some souvenir shopping. The shops were just opening for the day and, in no time, at all, we were able to buy boxes of fresh strawberries, mulberries and raspberries plus two walking sticks. These too were bought out of nostalgia as my parents had bought twin sticks over seventy years ago—they happen to be sticks which I now own. I decided that I would buy two similar sticks and I was thrilled to find them and add them to my collection in my umbrella stand—similar sticks just seventy years apart! And, of course, we could not leave Mahabaleshwar without buying strawberry jam and fruit gummy sweets and armed with all these buys we called Ravi, our driver, to the market so that he could help load our buys into our car.
Back at our hotel, I was further delighted to find that the shoemaker had, true to his word, sent a person to deliver my pair of brown tan sandals. I was even more pleased to find that they fit me perfectly and were exactly as comfortable as I had hoped they would be. All these purchases went into the booth of our car before we made our way back to the market.
Visiting Nells Hotel and the Church of the Holy Cross:
were two other places I wanted to see before we left the market area: one was Nells Hotel in which my parents had stayed when they had last visited Mahabaleshwar together with my brother Russel and my daughter, Chriselle in 1991 or 1992. They had described it as a lovely place, perfect for young families with whom it was very popular at the time.
Nells Hotel is right in the heart of the market—so, very convenient for families who do not have a car at their disposal. However, it looked pretty run down from the outside and I had the feeling that it no longer operated as a hotel. The face was badly in need of maintenance and there was no one around from whom we could make any inquiries.
Just next door to Nell’s Hotel is the only church in Mahabaleshwar. It dates from 1831 when it was first established and is called the Church of the Holy Cross. It is cute and small and well-maintained. Imagine a small country church somewhere in the English countryside. This little church reminded me of those. Llew and I paid a short visit inside as the church was open and found out that there are regular Sunday services conducted inside.
A few minutes later, we were back in our car heading down the hill towards Venna Lake for the last item we wished to accomplish and the last experience we wanted to have.
Boating on Venna Lake:
Boating on Venna Lake is one of the most popular activities in Mahabaleshwar and although we were there, off-season, there were loads of people making their way down to the pier and at least a dozen boats of various kinds on the water. We opted for a thirty-minute boat ride with an oarsman as neither one of us fancied getting stuck in the middle of the lake as a result of our poor rowing skills!
Accordingly, we were in a private boat with a lovely rower called Ismael (for Rs. 600) who chatted away to us throughout the ride and filled us in on the history of the hill-station and the changes that have been wrought over it by time. The quiet serenity of the lake (but for his occasional chatter) is a good enough reason to spend a morning messin’ about in boats and I would highly recommend it.
I must also say that, apart from boating, horse-riding is a popular pass-time in the hill-station and that there is a dedicated segment of open land, adjoining the lake, where riders can have a turn on a horse—either with or without an attendant. My cousin Blossom informs me that her brother, my cousin Brian, who became a very competent polo player, learned his horse-riding before reaching his teens, right here in Mahabaleshwar. I thought that was an interesting aspect of family lore. Llew and I did not do any horse-riding as I was not too impressed by the fact that it was only in that little segmented area that one could ride. In Matheran, another Maharashtrian hill-station, where I have actually ridden a horse with my friend Nafisa, just three years ago, the horses take you all over town as well as into the jungle—a really splendid experience (even if it results in a sore backside for the next three days!).
Return Drive to Bombay:
With the last item on our agenda successfully accomplished, Llew and I were ready to hit the road and get back to Bombay. We’d had a really terrific three days and we were so pleased that our little break from the city had proven to be so successful.
We left Mahabaleshwar at 2.00 pm and enjoyed the drive down the mountains back to the plains. There is not much to say except that Poona was still dizzying with its suburban high-rise development and once past it, we were in the thick of slowly increasingly Bombay traffic. We stopped a little ahead of Lonavla to get an early dinner at a Burger King (lovely to have the occasional burger) and then we drove straight back home. We reached Bandra at about 8.15 pm which was a perfect time really as our journey was wonderfully comfortable and relaxed and we could go straight towards an early night.
Thanks for following me on this short expedition to Mahabaleshwar. These brief excursions have certainly whetted my appetite for more exploration in venues not too far from Bombay and we are already thinking of our next one. vUntil our next trip, thanks for armchair traveling with me!
Exploring the Highlights of Mahabaleshwar--The Hilltop Fortress of Pratapgad, the Towering Lingmala Waterfalls and the Many ‘Points’
Friday, January 12, 2024:
Exploring the Highlights of Mahabaleshwar--The Hilltop Fortress of Pratapgad, the Towering Lingmala Waterfalls and the Many ‘Points’
We devoted the day to exploring Mabi’s highlights and after a very restful night and a very modest breakfast of idlis with sambar and chutney (provided by our hotel from the South Indian restaurant next-door), we told our driver Ravi (who stayed with us for the duration of our stay) that we were all set to drive to the first site on our agenda: Shivaji’s hill fortress of Pratapgad.
The Hill Fortress of Pratagpad:
Pratapgad is the most famous of the Maratha leader Shivaji’s many hill fortresses. It is located 24 kms (roughly 12 miles) away from Mahabaleshwar and it took us 45 minutes to arrive at the spot after driving around more hair-raising hair pin bends up and down the mountain slopes that offered stunning views of the plains below. Pratapgad is renowned for the great victory that Shivaji had over the Moghul leader of the Bijapur Sultanate, Afzal Khan (a general of the Adil Shah dynasty) on November 10, 1659. Shivaji’s victory established Maratha power in the Deccan and prevented what is now the state of Maharashtra from coming under Moghul rule. This is the main reason why Shivaji is such a celebrated hero among Maharashtrians. Apart from the stirring history (which, in itself, is a very good reason to visit this venue), its setting is simply glorious. The fort is constructed on the very summit of one of the highest hills which afforded the Maratha armies a powerful vantage point from which to be warned of marauding enemy armies. It’s thick black basalt stone bricks which form the main construction material have stood the test of time quite brilliantly. As in all hill fortresses, you can drive up to the base where you can park your vehicle after which you are expected to climb up at least 200-300 steps. I do believe that Lohargad Fort which we climbed last month during our visit to Lonavla was far higher and involved much more climbing. By comparison, Pratapgad seems less challenging. At any rate, I was very grateful for my hiking boots which provide superb ankle protection from twists and sprains and also allow me to grip the rugged ground while providing tremendous security.Once we were at the summit of the fort, we realized that there were a few spots to traverse. Guides are available at the base and they state that they will take you to 13 different spots once up on the summit. However, their commentary is either in Hindi or Marathi and we preferred to use our notes to help us negotiate the area.
As in the case of all tourists, we passed by the main gates that have large wooden doors plus canons to denote forms of defense. As we climbed every higher, we loved the bracing quality of the mountain air and clean, unpolluted freshness. We followed the saffron flat that took us up a wide and steep set of stairs to get to the very top where we were, quite delightfully, treated to a young boy who mouthed a lengthy tribute to the great Maratha leader. He was obviously on a school field trip and had been well-trained by his elderly, male teacher who looked deeply pleased with himself and with the tremendous talent of his pupil. Understandably, he got a great ovation when he finished. With this lovely bit of theatrical performance done, we followed the teacher with a few of his pupils to the opposite set of stairs which led up to a temple. There we found a small souvenir shop where I was actually able to buy a magnet of Mahabaleshwar—much to my delight. Cold drinks and snacks were available in the little eatery at the top and a temple bell kept ringing every time someone entered it. We spent about 45 minutes at the summit before we made our way down again. I have to say that the place was mobbed. It happened to be a holiday weekend and the number of school children that were on field trips was quite amazing. Overall, Pratapgad was an excursion that is certainly well worth taking and I was glad to receive a lesson all over again that brought back to mind my history lessons of my school days.
On to the Lingmala Waterfalls:
I do not remember visiting the Lingmala Waterfalls but since it is now touted as a chief attraction in Mahabaleshwar, I told Ravi, our driver, to take us there next. He used his GPS to drive us back to the town which we crossed in order to find this place. All along the drive back, we were fascinated by the views of Pratapgad mountain that seemed to follow us almost until we arrived at Venna Lake.
The Lingmala Waterfalls are apparently seen at their best during the monsoon season or just after. At this time of the year, it is barely a trickle as it is watered by the river that cascades over a towering cliff to empty into the gorge below. Once you park your car in the parking lot, you are asked to pay Rs. 100 per visitor to get to the site from which you can actually see the falls. It involves a long hike of at least half an hour each way, but the path is beautifully constructed out of local red laterite stone and you pass by wild vegetation that makes you feel fully enveloped by the arms of nature.
About ten minutes into our hike, we arrived at the lower level of the falls which involve two streams that are not very high but offer good photo opportunities. A further half hour later, we did arrive at the spot from which you can actually see the falls that cascade abut 500 meters into the green valley below. Sadly, the natural landscape is today dotted with luxury hotels such as the Courtyard by Marriot which, in my opinion, robs the scene of quiet serenity that one hopes to find in the hills. We did not spend too long at the viewing spot—just took some pictures and then started the long hike downhill.
Once we had finished with the fort and the falls, we were ready for some lunch and we found it in a very small eatery en route, where we opted for the Prawn Thali. This turned out to a mound of rice, two chapattis, prawn curry and about five fried prawns. Really nothing to shout about, but it satisfied our hunger that had built up steadily after our grueling physical exertions of the morning. After lunch, we drove back to our hotel where we decided to take a short nap of about an hour before setting out again, This way, we avoided the sun at its hottest and also got the physical rest we needed.
Off to see the “Points’-- Wilson, Echo, Sunset, Lodwick and Arthur’s Seat:
Other than Pratapgad Fort and the Lingmala Waterfalls, Mahabaleshwar is renowned for its stirring mountain views that are best seen from various ‘points’ as they are called in India’s hill-stations. We instructed Ravi to take us to a few of these points and the first one we saw was Wilson Point which turned out to offer nothing to write home about.
We then followed signs and arrived at Echo Point which was quite similar. It was not long before we realized that if you’ve seen one point, you’ve seen them all. That was when we decided to go to Lodwick Point as I had seen pictures of it and it seemed to be distinguished from the others by the presence of a monument that seemed to marks its history.
Accordingly, we followed directions (most of the points are well signposted) and arrived there to find it quite a popular site. Apart from its views of the grand majesty of the mountains, touched appropriately by the setting rays of the sun, we saw large bands of monkeys here. They provided lovely entertainment as we watched their antics. We found them to be much less aggressive than monkeys in most other venues—but, of course, they are still wild animals and one has to be cautious around them.
It was also at this site that I found the father-son team that made the most beautiful footwear, much of which was exhibited even as they actually worked together on crafting pairs of sandals. I could not resist trying them on and ended up buying two pretty pairs—one in red leather and the other in tan brown. However, as he did not have my size in the tan color, he offered to deliver the pair to my hotel by 11.00 am tomorrow. I was thrilled as I really did like the design very much.
This purchase was accomplished, of course, only after we had actually walked along the long and well-marked path that took us to the actual lookout point where the monument to General Lodwick is located. From the plaques that recount the history of his exploration, we learned that he was the first European to set foot in the hills of Mahabaleshwar in 1824. His reporting about the salubrious climate of the venue, led to the establishment of the Mahabaleshwar Sanatorium—a place that was popular in the early 20th century when tuberculosis was raging on the plains. It was also interesting to note that the original monument that had been set up in colonial times had been struck by lightning, but that the efforts and donations of Mahabaleshwar’s hoteliers had led to its reconstruction. This little tidbit of history was a wonderful means by which to understand how and why the hill-station developed into the popular holiday resort it was in the mid-20th century when most Bombayites could not afford to travel overseas and sought venues close by to take a break. Many corporations invested in holiday homes for their employees so that thousands of people flocked to Mahabaleshwar in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Although the place has fallen somewhat out of fashion (with the affluent looking for far more fancy sites in which to take their vacations), it is still popular among lower income families who enjoy the scenery and the modestly-priced restaurants.
Off to Visit Arthur’s Seat:
With Lodwick Point well explored, all that was left for us to do was to get to the most popular of the ‘points’ in Mahabaleshwar—Arthur’s Seat. I had presumed that the place was so-called because one of the mountains possibly resembled a seat. However, it turned out to have a rather tragic story associated with it. It turns out that one of the officials of the British Raj, Sir Arthur Mallet, lost both his wife and daughter when they drowned in the River Savitri that flows through the hamlet. He chose this point to sit and meditate over his loss as it offered a good view of the river flowing away into the valley below.
Situated at a height of 1470 meters, as in the case of the other points, here too, there is a great deal of walking and climbing past the car park to get to the viewing platform that juts out into the valley. To our good luck, we arrived at this point, just as the sun was setting behind the Western horizon and we were treated to a quite arresting sunset as twilight descended over the hills. In this spot too, the place was inundated by school children on field trips. They come in large coaches that are parked a distance away—so that as you climb to the look out, you pass by hundreds of noisy and highly excitable school kids. It was all fun and I enjoyed their energy as we made our way to the spot where we stood to take pictures against the mountains and the slanting rays of the just-set sun.
After sunset, however, darkness descends pretty quickly in the mountains and the vendors lose no time in packing up their wares and dismantling their make shift stalls that sell strawberries, cucumbers, mulberries, raspberries, gooseberries, etc. We too hurried forward and we did not fancy the idea of having to negotiate the hairpin bends of the mountains in the darkness with just the headlights of our car providing illumination. About a half hour later, we were back in the market area and were through with our sightseeing for the day. It is amazing how much we managed to see and how much ground we covered.
Dinner at The Sizzler Place:
All that was left then was for us to pick a place for dinner and we decided to go to The Sizzler Place which is reputed to offer the best sizzlers in Mahabaleshwar. It is right in the market, exactly opposite the bus depot which was less than a ten-minute walk from our hotel. We dismissed our driver, Ravi, for the evening and told him that we would go out and get some dinner and return to our hotel on our own. All that was left was for him to get his own dinner and then meet us tomorrow morning after breakfast.
The Sizzler Place was also empty when we got there (about 8.00 pm) but it filled up by about 9.00 pm as Indians clearly eat their dinner late. We started off with a Corn Coriander Chicken Soup that was very good indeed before opting for a Lamb Sizzler which came with the works. There was a large helping of mashed potatoes ad a good sized helping of a variety of grilled vegetables and plenty of meat for the two of us to share the dish quite comfortably indeed. With the accompanying sauces—barbecue, pepper and mustard—we had a truly scrumptious and very filling meal and decided again to forego dessert as all we could think of was walking back to our hotel and having a really good night’s sleep.
Our second day in Mahabaleshwar turned out to be just wonderful and we were thrilled, above all, with the lovely weather and the low-key charm of the place.
Until tomorrow…