Bawali Rajbaari, West Bengal

On Sunday, I visited the Bawali Rajbaari here in West Bengal. Roughly 30 kms from home, located just on the outskirts of Calcutta, this is an ancestral home which is being remodelled as a weekend getaway. The work is still under progress but the opulence for there for all to see.

40 is the new 30

So, here's the deal. I'm already past 30. But I firmly believe that these '50 places to visit in India before you're 30' are worth experiencing at any age.

Hence, here's a mini-bucket list, if you will. I plan to finish visiting these 50 places by the time I'm 40.

As it turns out, I've already finished a few:

1. Kolkata (Well, I live here. So...)

2. Vaishno Devi temple (Been there as a kid. Although, wouldn't mind the trek again)

3. Orissa Konark Temple & Surfing Lessons (Did the former when I was a kid, so maybe another trip beckons. Did the latter just a couple of months ago)

4. Go to Gokarna and do nothing. (Oh how I miss the tranquility!)

5. Experience local trains in Mumbai. (Oh how I miss the mad rush!)

6. Bombay to Goa road trips (Did many of those. ;) )

7. Chandni Chowk Food trip (This was done in 2007 when I went to Delhi as a Management Trainee)


How many of these places have you visited and experienced?

Agra

Last weekend, I was in Agra to attend Herbert's sister's wedding. The fact that this wedding brought together so many college friends was an added bonus.

Bulla and Budhau came over from Calcutta, Pauki came from Bangalore and yours truly took the Agast Kranti Rajdhani from Bombay. Also joining us from Delhi were Rohit and Daddu.

Short trip, majorly sleep deprived.. But it is a special joy to meet old pals and wish a friend's sister all the best for a happily married life ahead.

From L to R: Budhau, Pauki, Traveller, Herbert, Rohit, Bulla, Daddu and Herbert's Jijaji

Tarakeshwar Trip - 13th May 2007

Tarakeshwar is a village approximately 80 kms from Calcutta. It is a site of pilgrimage for the Shiva devotee as this is where a major temple dedicated to the Lord is situated. The rush of pilgrims to this place during the holy Hindu month of ‘sravan’ (or ‘saawan’ as folks from northern parts of this country would call it) is worth admiring.

I myself have been fortunate to have walked a couple of times to Tarakeshwar. On those occasions, we travelled by train from Howrah to Seoraphuli, a suburb of Calcutta where the ghats of the Ganges are considered to be particularly holy. Once there, we collected water from the holy river in two earthen pots and suspended them by ropes to either end of a bamboo stick, which we then carried on our shoulders all the way to Tarakeshwar. The distance of 40 kms from Seoraphuli to Tarakeshwar was covered barefoot (as is the custom), which usually takes 10 to 11 hours, inclusive of the numerous breaks that one must take for resting the feet and taking a bite to eat.

However, last Sunday’s scheduled trip to Tarakeshwar was bound to be special. First, I was going to Tarakeshwar after a good two years. I was waiting rather eagerly for making a trip that I have made innumerable number of times. Second, the ‘adventure’ bug had bitten both, me and Chatur (my good buddy Prashant Chaturvedi) and we wanted to do things slightly differently.

I guess it all started when Dada put the idea of travelling to Tarakeshwar on his bike. Although he said he couldn’t make it, he had absolutely no qualms about me taking his bike. With that idea, I’d called up Chatur. Chatur was immediately gung-ho about the whole idea, but there were speed breakers ahead.

One, Dada’s bike has a Maharashtra number plate, and on a highway, that itself increased the chances of our papers being checked. And since I don’t have a license to ride bikes, that could spell trouble.

Two, Chatur’s sister’s friend also wanted to come along. Chatur’s sis, Vandana, had already said she wanted to come with us. That made five of us: Chatur, Bulla (another great friend, whose real name is Ravi), Vandana, Vandana’s friend and me. Two bikes, five people…problemo.

Hence, we decided to chuck the bike-ride idea and had almost convinced ourselves to a more conventional 7:25AM train to Tarakeshwar on Sunday morning. That was till Saturday evening.

Chatur gets a brainwave around 6 on Saturday evening and asks me if we could ask my Dad to allow us to drive to Tarakeshwar in our Santro. “Not bad,” I thought. I convinced Dad and I called up Chachu to ask for directions. (‘Chachu’ is our family driver; he’s been with us for almost 30 years now. I’ve never called him ‘Driver’ or even ‘Driver ji’. It’s always been ‘Chacha’ until around class 9 when I decided ‘Chachu’ sounded cuter. :D ).

The next morning, the skies were clear and the cast had gathered at my house for what turned out to be a beautiful outing. As luck would have it, Vandana’s friend couldn’t make it due to some reason.

We drove past the Vidyasagar Setu (the second Hooghly bridge) and onto the Kona Expressway. Next, we were on the Calcutta-Delhi highway which forms a part of the Golden Quadrilateral. The road was simply awesome! Bulla obviously had butterflies in his stomach, being the guy who prefers listening to Jagjit Singh numbers to Aerosmith. But Chatur and I were absolutely ecstatic when I managed to touch 120 kms/hour on the speedometer. The Palsit-Dankuni stretch was awesome and there were regular stretches during which we had a clear vision of the 2-3 kms ahead of us. A beautiful day, clear skies, morning sunshine, cool wind in your hair, friendly road conditions and the company of great friends…what else could one ask for?

We had left my house at 7 and we reached Tarakeshwar by 9:15.

(The entrance to the temple)

We met up with the local priest who has been helping my family conduct prayers at Tarakeshwar ever since I can remember the place. We washed our hands and feet at the ghat and were then led inside the dark and extremely crowded sanctum sanctorum. The place was chaotic with all the shouting and chanting of Sanskrit shlokas. Add to that the smoke emanating from the ‘agarbattis’ (incense sticks) and the smell of fresh flowers offered to the Lord, and the picture of the place is complete. Somehow, serenity and calmness engulfs you even in the midst of all this.

We offered our prayers at the Shiva Linga the temple and then at Kali Ma’s mandir right next to the main temple.

(From left: The priest, Bulla, Chatur, Vandana, Me)

Puja completed, the hungry quartet headed for the local shops where we treated ourselves to hot samosas. Our angry stomachs quietened down a bit and we headed back home. Somewhere on the highway, we stopped to quench our thirst at a street-side vendor who offered freshly extracted cane juice. Little did we know the kind of delight that crushed ice in a glass of cane juice can bring on a hot summer afternoon. :)

We were back on the Palsit-Dankuni expressway, and this time I decided to check how high up I could take the needle on the speedometer. As I glanced around and saw that we had a completely empty stretch ahead of us, I pushed the accelerator as far as I could. Absolutely confident of the safety factor, I kept pushing well past the 120 km/hour mark (my previous fastest ever) and eventually managed 140 km/hour. Woohooo!!

(A great capture of the Vidyasagar Setu that Chatur took on his cell phone. I'm actually using this as my desktop wallpaper currently.)

Rejuvenation

Like I mentioned in the last post, an unlikely group of 7 got together and decided they needed to take a break from their hectic presentations-placements-PPT-schedule filled MBA life and go for a vacation. The destination was Mount Abu in Rajasthan, a five hour drive from Ahmedabad.

Each traveller spent the night preceeding the travel in his/her own unique fashion. Bodo Bhai played Counter Strike and Age of Empires all night, the Whale went off to sleep (as promised), the Dolphin finally dozed off to sleep (not as promised), Debby was up all the while whereas yours truly drifted off at 4 after typing this post.

I woke up at quarter past 5, and the entire group assembled in front of the boys hostel by 6. Only after greeting each party member in the shivering cold did we realise that the car had still not arrived. In the yet dark, early hours of the day, we decided to wait for the car at the University main gate.

In front of the boys hostel
(L to R: Mini 'Dolphin', Whale, Debby, Piranha, Bodo Bhai, Shark)

The car finally arrived somewhere around quarter to 7 and we were on our way. We stopped for breakfast at this dhaba off the Ahmedabad-Mehsana Expressway. The piping hot aloo-paratha were yummmm to say the least (my stomach growls an approval more than 84 hours after the breakfast). The extra helping of butter and the mast chai that we were served only made us want to NOT leave the place in a hurry.

At the Dhaba

A deadly combination of an hour of sleep the previous night followed by the wonderful breakfast was enough to put me off to sleep in the car. I woke up minutes before we crossed the Gujarat-Rajasthan border. And of course, the moment we crossed the police check-post, we could spot one shop after another proclaiming the availability of alcohol (Gujarat being a 'dry' state).

It wasn't long before we left behind the simple driving pleasures one experiences on a highway and were on the long and winding roads which led up to Abu Road. Once past the main town, the road, cut into the mountain-side, only got steeper. The constant twists and turns made the Dolphin experience motion sickness and we had to shift her to the front seat and also request the driver to go a bit slow. Of course, the driver being a driver, paid no heed.

We did stop at a point on the way up to take in the beauty of the valley.

As you can see, the view was breathtaking

Bodo Bhai takes a break

The Dolphin smiles

On reaching Mt. Abu, we checked into Hotel Lake View, so named because it looks over 'Nakki Lake' (I later learned that the lake is named so because it was believed that the lake was dug by the nails of the Gods; so 'naakhun' --> Nakki). The wooden panelled room, the comfortable bed, the oh-so-inviting 'razaai' was just too much for me and I was promptly off to sleep. :D

I woke up for lunch ordered from the hotel kitchen. Though the lunch turned out to be unsatisfactory, the others in the group decided to take a rest. They had been out exploring the nearby areas while I was sleeping. I decided it was time to go out on a small adventure of my own.

I went up to Toad Rock, named thus because of the shape in which the rock, atop a hill, is in.

Toad Rock

In order to reach Toad Rock, one has to climb a flight of stone steps cut into the mountain. It was a good exercise running up those 200 odd stone steps and soon I had to take off my woolen jacket and tie it around my waist. The view of Nakki lake and the surrounding mountain range was beautiful and I doubt even those more adept at words than me can describe the magnificence of it all.

An hour later, I joined the rest of the gang at the hotel and we decided we must go boating on the lake before it got too dark. We spent a jolly half an hour in the paddle boats, although I must complain, Bodo Bhai cheated and poor moi had the strenous job of paddling harder than required by a single person paddling in a team.

Bodo Bhai, me and Mini 'Dolphin' wait for our boat
(Can you spot Debby posing like a maharaja?)

After our boating expedition, we went off into the main market to try and see if we could buy something to take back home. I escorted the ladies to a Khadi Gram Udyog Shop that I'd spotted earlier to help me buy a kurta for myself. The Dolphin, expectedly, quickly made her exit and left it to Bips and the Piranha to help me choose the kurta. [Unfortunately, we couldn't find anything decent, even after 20 minutes of going through the pile of kurtas. :(( ]

We had dinner at a nice restaurant and were back in the hotel room by 10, if I remember correctly. They were showing the Amitabh Bachchan-Akshay Kumar starrer 'Aankhen' on TV, and even as the Whale was watching it, I was already snugly fitting myself in the quilt. And before long, my heavy eyelids bid goodnight to the world.

The next morning we were faced with a very simple plan of action. We were off to this mandir on top of a hill and the view from there was absolutely UN-BELIEVABLE !!!! We had the most enjoyable time taking in the view, and also had a gala time teasing the Whale. :D

This was perhaps the most hillarious part of the entire journey. While the Whale posed for a pic dressed as a Rajputana maharaja, Bodo Bhai set up his digicam. Now, while the Whale thought that he was posing for a pic, Bodo Bhai was actually recording the entire scene, with me commentating in the background !! The look of confusion on the Whale's face was worth a million bucks when we told him we were actually recording him moving about in that funny dress.

The Whale


As seen from Mini Dolphin's mobile cam
(Doesn't he look as if he is in mid-air?)

Also, on our way down the same hill, we stopped at this place where we fed the fishes in a lake and then explored the nearby terrain. I was on a complete high (literally and figuratively) climbing the treacherous rocks.

On that hill, all by myself, I was nearest to complete peace. I was completely focussed on the next step that I needed to take. And for good reason. A wrong step here or there would've sent me hurtling down the cliff. At some places, a mistake would've perhaps only landed me with a hard thud onto the stony surface below, but at other places, there was nothing except the valley far down below. I'm not sure it would've been death, but it would've surely led to heavy injuries. But somehow, I felt the concentration strangely relaxing. ALL my energies and thoughts had to focus on what was to be done next. I could not, for a moment, let my thoughts wander to my parents, my ex, my studies or to my friends who were down below exploring some other part of the hill. It was, like I said, the most purified form of meditation; complete thought control.



Our final stop before making our return to Ahmedabad were the Dilwara temples. Now, Bodo Bhai and Bips refused to step inside the temples since they'd had a non-vegetarian lunch. On the other hand, Mini 'Dolphin' simply didn't want to go. Her logic ? "I'm tired !!" Uff !!! This girl can be so silly at times.. :P

Anyway, I bribed her with the promise of a Cadbury's if she came along. And tell you what, she would've missed something all right !! My only logic in going in was that I'd read about this place as a kid in history books at school. Having come so close, I didn't want to miss out on the opportunity. Who knew whether I would ever again get to visit this place at all !!

To tell you something honestly, friend, this was the best decision I have taken in a long, long time. The structures made out of marble in these temples were simply out of the world !! Our jaws literally dropped when we saw the intricate work done on the ceilings and the arches. The Whale, Dolphin, Debby and I couldn't stop wondering how the artisans had carved out such beautiful figurines. Everything, from the soldiers, the ceilings, the elephants, the horses to the kings, was beautiful beyond belief. Like Debby observed, it seemed as if the artisans were looking for an avenue to express themselves and these slabs of marble were the only square inches where they could find the freedom to do so.

Tired by the day's efforts of climbing up cliffs, chasing each other up stone-steps and marvelling at the beauty of the temples of Dilwara, we returned to the car for the journey back home. Content and smiling, we piled into the car, carrying with us anecdotes and pics to carry us through till the next vacation.

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And oh, by the way, I had to finally buy Mini the Cadbury for visiting the Dilwara temples, although she admitted she would've regretted not going. You didn't think she would let me off the hook that easily, did you?? ;)

The Dhari travelogue

I scribbled down the following lines in my diary during my visit to my native village, Dhari. Thought I'd share it with you folks to tell you how I spent my birthday (1st October) and the day after...

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Date: 30th September
Location: Bapu Nagar, Ahmedabad
Time: 9:30 pm

Left the hostel at 7 pm and reached Bhai's shop at 8:15. Had something to munch, though I'm certain I'll again feel hungry sometime during the night.

Currently just waiting for the bus to arrive. Expected time? 11pm. That leaves me to wait all alone for the bus for an hour and a half. Just spoke to Dad again. He's extremely upset I couldn't collect the birthday card that he'd sent (with much trouble). I tried explaining to him how it was impossible for me to do so since I was out in the city since early in the morning and by the time I returned to the institute, the receptionist had already left on account of it being a half day.

All the same, I LOOOVE MY PARENTS !! Nay...I worship them. :)


Date: 1st October 2006
Location: Shri Narbeswar Mahadev Mandir, Dhari
Time: 7:35 am

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME !! :D

I reached here approximately 15 minutes ago. At once, I felt relieved of all pressures and tensions that have been harboring in my tormented mind the last few weeks. I felt a sea of calm wash against me as soon as I stood with my folded hands in front of the temple.

Spoke to Mamma and Pappa at around 6. They sounded pleased; I do not know whether it was because they wished me early on my birthday or because I'd managed to wake up early on my own, being the lazy bum that I am. ;)

Btw, guess what? There's Airtel and Hutch network in this village now, but no Reliance. It is going to be a peaceful two days.


Date: 2nd October 2006
Location: Shri Narbeswar Mahadev Mandir, Dhari
Time: 10:45 am

My eyes opened at quarter to 5 today morning. I had adjusted the bed last night so that I could see the mandir even as I was lying down. Hence, the first sight to greet me today was that of the mandir and the puja that was in progress (the pujari bapu here gets up at 4 and starts the daily puja at around 4:45 - 5 am).

I had slept at around 11:30 last night, surprising since I'd woken up from my 'afternoon' nap at 7. I'd had my meals the day before at Dhiru Kaka's house in the village. Although the meals comprised of regular stuff (roti, aloo ki sabji, kheer, kadhi etc.), it was a much refreshing change from the McAloo Veggie at McDonald's or the heavy butter-rotis and paneer at Madhurya (a restaurant near the college).

Anyway, as I lay awake in the bed at 5 in the morning, I recollected that the milk that I'd requested for Puja wouldn't be here till around 8. I went back to sleep, only to wake up at 9. I quickly had a bath and proceeded to the mandir. Once I sat in front of the shiv ling and closed my eyes in prayer, I lost all track of time. When I opened my eyes after a 108 chants of the "Om Mrityunjaya Mahadev" shloka, I saw some people from the village who had come to visit me waiting outside. I asked them how long they had been there. They said that they arrived around 20 minutes ago. I checked my watch. I had been meditating non-stop for an hour and a half.