Evening at the Jama Masjid

The soft evening air is filled with the fluttering of the pigeons, sounds of children running around in the courtyard, giggles and murmurs from discussions...a gentle wind wafts through the place while you sit down on the sandstone courtyard floor, still warm from the day's sun. The sun gently lowers and the sky turns orange red. The wind picks up slightly and then the muezzin calls the faithful for the prayers. The atmosphere is one of pure simple joy...

The concept of the courtyard as a gathering place for people and families is best illsutrated here. The space is so vast and immense yet is held together by the collonaded verandahs all around, with the ablution pond in the centre and the huge structure of the mosque as the focus. The flying flocks of pigeons create a special ambience - settling down and flying together in groups around the space. There are scores of people - families and children of all ages. A lot have come to pray, some just to sit in the courtyard and collonades and soak up the atmosphere. Children are running around playing. There is a place where the pigeons are fed grains, flocks of birds eating...and being disturbed from their feeding by the running children. They rise up into the air as one. There are people deeply immersed in prayer, facing the Mecca. People from the surrounding bazaars come in for the evening prayers while the muezzin calls....soon the power of the place takes hold of you and you are transported into another world in another age...

Corner tower

The fluttering pigeons in the evening create a magical ambience

Delhi extending into the horizon

Bird's view of the courtyard

Mahabalipuram sojourn

If you are in Chennai, Mahabalipuram makes for a perfect day trip, especially a biking one. As an additional bonus, one can visit the Cholamandalam artist village and Dakshinchitra, which are both on the way. The route to take is the scenic East Coast Road or ECR, which essentially follows the coastline.
Once in Mahabalipuram, one can wander around on foot to the various places of interest. Mahabalipuram was one of the settlements of the Pallavas, during their heydays. After 'chai' from the local tea stall, we first went to a rockcut wall called 'Arjun's penance'. This is a large wall which has been converted into a 3-dimensional canvas of sculptures of tales from the Mahabharata. Nearby are various caves with sculptures depicting different stories from history. The sculptures give a great portrayal of the life of the people, their clothes, accessories, jewelleries etc..
The main attraction is the Shore Temple next to the beach. This beautiful double spired temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and its well proportioned vimana is beautifully set against the deep blue sky. Set back from the water, the grounds are a good spot for relaxation..ie.. if you can find some shade from the sun....

A short distance from the temple are the 5 rathas dedicated to the Pandavas. Conceived off as small shrines in themselves, these granite structures are an interesting composition, with a massive elephant sculpture of elegant beauty alongside.

Light and shade
One can get beautiful all round views of the distant sea from the lighthouse top...but beware of the monkeys there.

There are workshops of stone workers making amazing sculptures on the road just outside the settlement. A visit to one of this will definitely be worthwhile to see the exacting process, skill and precision with which they carry out their works..The sculptures on sale are sometimes so huge that you wonder how it will be transported!!

Whitewater rafting in the Ganges!!

For someone who doesnt know swimming, trying my hand at white water rafting was one of those moments when you listen more to your heart than your head..all the apprehensions (and the quite genuine fear about drowning!) were not quite comforted by all the info I managed to gather...was especially sceptical of those life jackets which were said to allow one to float completely (which in my case was my only line of defense if I were to fall into the water).
Inspite of all these thoughts 'swimming' around in my head, I thought what the heck???...you dont get to do these things daily...so I finally made the leap of faith required and went forward. You can register yourself with one of the innumerable agencies offering rafting facilities in Rishikesh, for around Rs.500 (you can bargain on that). We set out at around 9.30 in the morning - a group of 8 people. Had a fun loving group of college students from Delhi and a retired couple...Actually was calmed down quite a bit when I saw the aunty n uncle joining our group...If they could do it, then so could I...
We set out to the 'base camp' which was like 20km upstream in a jeep with our raft sitting rather clumsily on the roof..the way is absolutely breathtaking n gorgeous...we reached, inflated our raft completely, donned our life jacket n safety helmet...n....got a class from our instructor on things to follow...n also on things to do if one were to fall into the water...he assured us that he didnt know swimming!! n that the jackets are unsinkable...

Thats our team
Thats me

We set off down the river soon.. I must tell you that the Ganges is absolutely gorgeous here...not polluted but crystal clear icy water, surrounded by mountain slopes on all sides...we encountered 5 different rapids of varying intensities, rated on a scale of 1-5 for difficulty...

From the stretches with the gentle flow of water, you suddenly encounter the rapids...honestly they are something to be really experienced!! the raft is tossed into the air one moment and the next you go right down..all the while you are desperatly holding on for dear life n trying to row in between... seriously, theres no substitute for the adrenaline rush!!!

The waters are notoriously swift and strong...yet, you finish one rapid and look forward for the next one, secretly hoping that it'll be bigger than the last!! on the longer stretches of calm water, the other guys in the group jumped into the water and 'floated' along with the raft. Well inspite of not being entirely convinced, I also jumped overboard...n felt the bitting cold of the water!! Well it was quite enjoyable, and as they said the life jacket actually works!!

Thats how the rafts are transported to the base camp...looks funny though

The base camp for setting off

Jumping off the cliff

Well after over 3 hours, we reached back to our starting point near Ram Jhoola and..... was left wanting more!!

Humayun's Tomb

Who would've thought that there would be a structure similar to the Taj in pretty much all respects??(except the marble ofcourse!)..well, tucked away in a corner in the Nizamuddin area in Delhi is the tomb of emperor Humayun. This can rightly be said as the precursor to the Taj. The proportions are slightly different but the overall effect is no less imposing than that of the Taj. I particularly liked the combination of white marble & red sandstone, which is done pretty neatly...

The elements of symmetry, perspective, attention to detail, magnificient jaali openings, monumental scale, sense of place.....the simple beauty of the building is delightful.

You must give it to the Mughals for making a statement.

Somehow, for me personally, I actually liked the Humayun's Tomb more than the Taj Mahal(oops..!!). Must be 'cause of the larger colour palatte..I think the Taj is much more of an idea, the romantic story of the emperor who built the monument in memory of his wife....is that what makes it 'more' special? If you kinda overlook those facts, somehow the Humayun's tomb made more sense to me as an aesthetic composition. Of course the Taj is much more refined in terms of its proportions, approach etc, mainly as it was built a lot later when the mughals had perfected their craft. However, the 'blunt' beauty of the Humayun's tomb has a special appeal.

Amritsar Diaries

What can one say about the Golden Temple?? It is something that has to be experienced..to be felt, to be soaked up...The rays of the morning sun adds fire to the already brilliant dazzle of gold...there are scores of families, mostly Sikh families, who come to the temple in the morning for a dip in the holy pond. Sat there on the marble steps of the pond for over an hour soaking up the atmosphere...didnt knew how time flew..

Early morning sun sets the gold ablaze...

Reflectionzzzzz....

Devotee taking a dip in the holy pond

Getting inside the actual temple accross the pond is a pretty time consuming process. The access is through a single walkway over the water. There is such a huge crowd always because of which the progress is extremely slow..sure is a good test for your patience...but more to the point, we reached the temple after spending almost 3 hours in the que..but the wait was well worth it...the interiors are so rich and permeated with the holy chantings and singing...even if you are not a Sikh, you can feel the divine presence inside...and, there are some really beautifull marble inlay works...

A Temple Guard

One of the things that strike you most is the brilliant range of colours present...especially of the people...the white marble around the pond acts as a brilliant backdrop for the myriad colours- the gold of the temple, the innumerable bright colours of the people's dresses and ofcourse the different colours of the turban...all in all it is a visual treat...

The community Kitchen or the 'Langaar' is truly one of the most simple yet truly brilliant idea for serving the people. Here everyone is given free food irrespective of caste, creed, religion or social status, thus helping in bridging the glaring gaps in our society. One has to see the amount of people making use of this facility to really comprehend the scale of operation..It is said that on any given day, close to 20,000 people have food here!!! The food is the basic roti chawal with dal n sabji, yet is really tasty. The amazing thing is that inspite of such a huge number of people taking part, the place is really neat and clean. The food is free but one may offer his services in the kitchen or for cleaning or even can contribute voluntarily donation.

This particular concept which has been implemented sucessfully for so long left me wondering how it may be replicated on a larger scale, benefitting people all over the country? We may then perhaps ensure that no one goes to bed on an empty stomach....

Parathewale gali - Delhi

Any trip to Delhi is incomplete without travelling to Chadni Chowk and its famous 'Parathe wali gali'. This is a trip of pure gastronomic delight..(of course one has to turn a blind eye to all those calories sometimes)...anyways, tucked into a small narrow lane in Chandni Chowk is the place of Parathas...the variety here is pretty amazing considering that its just the common parathas that are turned into so many avtaars...

Here, you find the fare from the ubiquitous Aloo paratha to Meethi paratha, Gajar paratha, Gobi paratha, Paneer paratha, Mixed paratha...etc...etc to the more 'exotic' ones like the Kaaju paratha, Badaam paratha, Kishmish paratha.....the list is never ending...phew!!!
For the more strong willed or should I say strong 'palatted'?, one can try the 'Mirchi' paratha which is absolutely hot!!! A single trip will not be sufficient to savour the different items on menu...Am planning another trip soon...

A Mix paratha

Thats the kitchen on the street

Check out the menu!!

Dharamsala & Mcleodganj

Went to Dharamsala & Mcleodganj during the Diwali hols...Was the fulfilment of a long held desire....The first thing that strikes you is the totally Tibetan atmosphere once you reach Mcleodganj. This is a place where the Tibetan government in exile is residing, where the Dalai Lama is residing...There are plenty of tourists around, taking in the beautiful mountain views and the crisp mountain air...

Lady selling momos

A local lady knitting

The serene interiors of the Monastery

I was pleasantly surprised to see that inspite of the large influx of tourists, the place and the people still are not spoilt by the 'spoils' of tourism, the ills that come along. The people still retain a sense of calmness and hapiness in the simple things.

Nightfall

Shadowzzzz...

The prayer wheels in the Norbulingka Institute

One feels real admiration for these people, admiration for their cause - for the preservation and continuity of their culture. Inspite of being uprooted and displaced from their homes and their country by a more powerful force, their quiet and dignified struggle to ensure that their culture doesnt die out is something to be marvelled at. Inspite of all the unjusts meted out to them they dont seem to harbour any hatred. Is it because of their religious faith? Or is it their inherent nature?
The place certainly is just too beautiful and pristine, with winding mountain roads, tall coniferous trees, the coolness, the clear blue mountains fading far away into the horizon....This combined with the ambience of the place and the people, just creates one of the most enchanting places. You can actually experience Silence in all its forms....

The mountains

The mountains turn a shade of red at sunset.

The path down to the monastery