tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17046288840087198972024-03-13T15:36:00.455+05:30 A lot of wanderings around India, A little around the worldRajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18111356808647662012noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704628884008719897.post-45567006539194545642023-09-24T12:39:00.003+05:302023-09-24T12:41:15.088+05:30Where Are the Horses?<p><i style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Published in Aug 2023 in Volume 1 of “sub:version”,
an academic journal of RV College of Architecture, Bangalore. Theme – ‘Bangalore
as a palimpsest’, featuring various aspects of the city through multidisciplinary
lenses.</span></span></span></i></p><p><i style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yella OK. Cool drink yaake</i>?” (That’s all okay, but why a cool
drink?),</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">exhorted maverick actor Upendra,
plastered over every other billboard in Bangalore in the early 2000s; United
Breweries had launched its home-grown beer, popular today as Kingfisher. I
diligently noted the tagline down – it was now the third sentence in my Kannada
arsenal, after “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kannada gothillaa</i>” </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">(I don’t know Kannada) </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">and “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nimma hesaru yenu</i>?” </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">(What is your name?). </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">I, a new migrant to Bangalore from Bombay, was part of the
great migration of software engineers’ spouses, a Bangalore phenomenon that had
accelerated since the late 1990s.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This was the first
time I didn’t know the local language, but being interested in languages
anyway, I set about integrating with the city’s fabric. The sentences I knew
would only allow me to ask somebody for their name and then replace the cold
drink in their hand with beer; if I wanted more meaningful conversation, I
needed to quickly expand my vocabulary. But where could I find a Kannada
teacher?</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA3UrAsFCT1CCW6hrIZ074egBWFg0ysblN8egE-RYn_APVf2CVy21JfDsqW7LyarG3AJs2lhYRnntXq8Dp2VzQidIgBkNJeJW0-HLHJStoOvXg3Ce5bNy1xiNZurznNSxouc2iOSCuzFwb7RvWNx_3ZuCjCb7A7BXqKOUJLm8c8SnvPrQipRZJOJmN/s2000/DSC_8264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA3UrAsFCT1CCW6hrIZ074egBWFg0ysblN8egE-RYn_APVf2CVy21JfDsqW7LyarG3AJs2lhYRnntXq8Dp2VzQidIgBkNJeJW0-HLHJStoOvXg3Ce5bNy1xiNZurznNSxouc2iOSCuzFwb7RvWNx_3ZuCjCb7A7BXqKOUJLm8c8SnvPrQipRZJOJmN/w640-h426/DSC_8264.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A view of Bangalore from the rock formation at Lalbagh Botanical Garden.</span></td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the part of South
Bangalore where I lived (considered the city’s outskirts in the early 2000s)
and still live in, the crowd was (and remains) cosmopolitan. My apartment
complex – one of the very few in Bangalore then – was filled with the sounds of
Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Marathi and English. My search for a Kannadiga neighbour
proved futile. Determined, I began self-learning - from the radio, auto
drivers, and our domestic help. I soon gained fluency in ‘household chores
Kannada’, but sweeping, mopping, and lamenting over the grease removal
inefficiency of a dishwashing soap were hardly popular topics in social
situations. I needed more.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Radio to the rescue! “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Onde ondu saari kanmunde baare</i>” </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">(please appear before my eyes at least
once) </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">crooned a
love-struck Ganesh in ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mungaru Male</i>’,
a blockbuster movie at that time. I took notes: “the same saree keeps coming
before my eyes”, marvelling at the hero’s capacity to remember a saree, a
quality not usually ascribed to men. Mind you, my context for interpreting
Kannada was through my proficiency in Tamil and Hindi, two languages which did
eventually give me the advantage to learn Kannada much quicker than those who
knew only one or neither of those languages. And Bangalore’s youth largely got
by using ‘Kanglish’, a convenient mix of Kannada and English. But all this also
meant that I was constantly attributing hilariously wrong meanings – many
months later, I was dejected to learn that Ganesh didn’t really remember the
heroine’s saree, and that ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">saari</i>’
actually meant time in Kannada. Learning from songs eventually also proved to
be restrictive because there was a limit to how many people I could profess my
love to, or invite for a midnight rendezvous by the lake.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">‘Auto Kannada’, picked
up during my chats with auto drivers (while clinging to the side-bar of the speeding
auto for dear life, even as Bangalore’s cold breeze decimated my humidity and
heat-acclimatised bones), turned out to be my most impressive progress in the
language. Auto drivers were always happy to talk – about the weather, route shortcuts,
their professional woes, and how inflation in Bangalore had made things
unaffordable for them (an unfortunately true repercussion of the software
boom). They were the ones who taught me the correct Kannada pronunciations of
tricky English spellings of localities like Arekere, Chikpete, Bidadi and Kathriguppe.
Or mouthfuls like Bommanahalli, Sampangiramanagara and Agrahara Dasarahalli,
all of which had far too many letters and syllables than I was accustomed to.
Through these lessons, I learnt that ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">halli</i>’
meant village, ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">kere</i>’ meant lake, and
‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pete</i>’ meant market: it was also a
glimpse into the development of the city’s form and what its focal points were.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieP0vmJs0Bp8F34FxXGLUhZ1_VssvJOhLwSzd0ns-5FA0xrHhBVXf3tlHfwdyxa9MBEAWooaFNzE55trYt8JJ7OFDL-Ag9a4l5EV9bR48LsCYCpo1soM7Mi_JWx8YG3EggiMMSgVrNGZsidZMLxGuuys2i-4jQsC8hkB5wAlGAmyqR80DElB58hWsk/s2000/IMG_20210321_181048-processed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieP0vmJs0Bp8F34FxXGLUhZ1_VssvJOhLwSzd0ns-5FA0xrHhBVXf3tlHfwdyxa9MBEAWooaFNzE55trYt8JJ7OFDL-Ag9a4l5EV9bR48LsCYCpo1soM7Mi_JWx8YG3EggiMMSgVrNGZsidZMLxGuuys2i-4jQsC8hkB5wAlGAmyqR80DElB58hWsk/w640-h426/IMG_20210321_181048-processed.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">One of the many lakes (<i>keres</i>) at Bangalore.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9KY5PvPxjN73LLPOCTllucISsyH7S4eDf1UeykvmqJYK4hN0UIAeR4VNhDX4jqIdeigJ8VKuMK2X5bA_vtSeHB92lDZkxLxt6oW3y6tr_spIUflM0RBc-SSL4ixCOEawqfyurKSanaE8zMjAza5cIieLjCfLlh84zqbgyrkkeN9O6PaDBGtpL1jU/s2000/DSC_5712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9KY5PvPxjN73LLPOCTllucISsyH7S4eDf1UeykvmqJYK4hN0UIAeR4VNhDX4jqIdeigJ8VKuMK2X5bA_vtSeHB92lDZkxLxt6oW3y6tr_spIUflM0RBc-SSL4ixCOEawqfyurKSanaE8zMjAza5cIieLjCfLlh84zqbgyrkkeN9O6PaDBGtpL1jU/w640-h426/DSC_5712.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A gathering space in a Bangalore <i>'halli'</i> (literal - village, but also suburb), now almost never seen.</span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Talking to auto
drivers and eavesdropping on their conversations with fellow-drivers at auto
stands or the very few traffic lights that the city had, I also picked up slang
words and tonalities. The word ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">goobe</i>’
(owl) was extremely multifunctional, and I used the mild expletive liberally
with traffic violators, and as a term of endearment with friends and close
colleagues. I couldn’t quite understand the nuances of the popularly used ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">chatri</i>’ (cunning) though, wondering when
and why I would need to call a person an umbrella, which is what it meant in
Hindi. Of course, I didn’t give such careful consideration to the usage of
words like ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">yeno</i>’ (the belligerent
version of ‘what’), ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">baro</i>’ (an
impatient ‘come’) and ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hogo</i>’ (cranky
‘go’), confidently putting a pile of drawings on my boss’s desk with a casual ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nodo</i>’ (snappy and attitude-filled ‘take
a look’) thrown at him – he turned red and told me how I probably didn’t
realise that ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nodo</i>’ lacked respect,
and was only to be used with friends or youngsters in the family.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As my vocabulary grew,
so did my confidence. I was picking up Kannada’s tongue-twisting tenses and
plurals, and one fine day, having learnt that ‘-<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">galu</i>’ is a suffix for plurals, I eagerly tried it out on my auto
ride home from work. By then, Bangalore’s pot-holed roads were imprinted in my
memory, and I had created a pot-hole map in my head. Wanting to warn the auto
driver about an upcoming, back-breaking ‘three-potholes-of-various-depths’
stretch, I put my knowledge of ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">-galu</i>’
to use. The slow head-turn I received from the auto driver, with a shocked
expression, after I had unleashed “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mundhe
hallagalu barthaidhaare</i>” on him, is one for my history books. Of course,
since he was looking at me and not the road, he missed the potholes, and my spine
suffered the consequences, leading me to admonish him gently: “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">naanu helidhini, alvaa?</i>” (I told you,
didn’t I?). He ignored the admonishment, and equally gently asked me “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">yaavu ooru, maa?</i>” (Which city are you
from, madam?), an indicator that he had guessed that I wasn’t a local. How? I
thought I had nailed it! I was told by a chortling friend the next day that ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">barthaidhaare</i>’ isn’t the way to pluralise
inanimate objects; it is in fact a sign of respect or pluralisation only for
people.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Undeterred, I forayed
into ‘construction Kannada’, a prerequisite for my professional work as an
architect. While working on the design of an international school, my boss
would often drop by my desk to discuss it. For a few days in a row, he pointed
vaguely to a corner of my drawing and asked “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">gode yelli?</i>” (Where are the walls?). I nodded and ignored him for a
couple of days, but could sense that he was slowly getting frustrated, asking “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">gode yelli?</i>” multiple times a day.
Making a presentation drawing with plants, people and other templates was
supposed to be the last stage of the drawing, but irritated by his badgering, I
completed a few things, took a printout, and plopped it on his desk with a
“here are the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">godes</i>!” One look at the
drawing and he thundered. Just as I started fearing for my job, he burst out
laughing - ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">gode</i>’ is Kannada for wall,
and not horses (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ghode </i>in Hindi), as I
had presumed. I felt foolish when I saw the equestrian track in the school
design, which I had peppered liberally with drawings of horses.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This also solved a
huge mystery – during site visits, when fellow-architects would ask the mason
or contractor “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">gode yavatthu
kaththaithiraa?</i>”, it was an enquiry about when the walls were going to be
built, and not my perplexing (and now obviously nonsensical) translation of “When
are you going to tie your horses?”</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">All these linguistic mishaps
did not dissuade me from further attempts at speaking Kannada. I am happy to
report that over the years, my Kannada grew from strength to strength. The day
I was extremely proud of my progress was when a bus conductor asked me if I
knew the bus stop I had to alight at. I nodded and told him in Kanglish, Bangalore’s
lingua-franca, “next stop <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nalli illithaaythini</i>”
(I will alight at the next stop) – a pronunciation that I would have fumbled with
earlier.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I had finally arrived
- at my stop, and in Bangalore.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtDKDUd0TMS7RmE7A4QwtXwEGzmAt0sHEJtZGBSSFN9CUyiKV-ozMuG8owuKAe-w70wrJ604d-TpZ-7hBSgG4a3P9LlqKXt_HWnyB7yVUcLAf7MOr_zrLfdv3hUMsW1dpcNW1Qx2dEv0I6Q4N2u69Sq8q33SUyKKCZhqkqW8Dw9WSYSOOFQzDx7dt/s2000/DSC_8369-crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="2000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtDKDUd0TMS7RmE7A4QwtXwEGzmAt0sHEJtZGBSSFN9CUyiKV-ozMuG8owuKAe-w70wrJ604d-TpZ-7hBSgG4a3P9LlqKXt_HWnyB7yVUcLAf7MOr_zrLfdv3hUMsW1dpcNW1Qx2dEv0I6Q4N2u69Sq8q33SUyKKCZhqkqW8Dw9WSYSOOFQzDx7dt/w640-h360/DSC_8369-crop.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">One of the four watch-towers built by Bangalore's founder, Kempegowda I, in the 16th century. This is at Lalbagh Botanical Garden.</span></td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p>Rajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18111356808647662012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704628884008719897.post-13517100963153559492023-09-23T17:28:00.007+05:302023-09-23T17:28:40.664+05:30Enjoying Nothingness at Nagarahole<p><i style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: #e36c0a; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Published in the 15 Sep 2023 edition of
www.jlrexplore.com, a nature and wildlife magazine.</span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Nagarahole National
Park had decided to take an unannounced, unseasonal vacation. And I had turned
up exactly during that time, in eager anticipation of a forest thriving with
activity. After all, March is a great month – it’s just before the blistering
heat sets in, the forest is still somewhat lush, and there’s a chance to see
the very last of the winter migrants. But to everybody’s surprise, Karnataka’s ‘mango
showers’ arrived two weeks too early, exactly when those of us who were trying
to escape Holi revelries in the city fled to the forest; we got drenched anyway
– the joke was on us.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFce9Bhy4xGV14fumksB28_N96muljqXj0eVc3KswGHorqsJAy-l-ROqo2ZgcyHUpux3yuoiS-_wIWuGjP1z5FKzG9K9psEtu9AgSNHjTEeDOvw9jVfMTrbhE__cB57Pe8rsTQ2iFbY-M7pnAFhBbUxe1bbaAJy5CAWPujIzuBtSjbJxa7Jo-Wbkv/s960/01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Peafowl on a foggy, rainy morning." border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFce9Bhy4xGV14fumksB28_N96muljqXj0eVc3KswGHorqsJAy-l-ROqo2ZgcyHUpux3yuoiS-_wIWuGjP1z5FKzG9K9psEtu9AgSNHjTEeDOvw9jVfMTrbhE__cB57Pe8rsTQ2iFbY-M7pnAFhBbUxe1bbaAJy5CAWPujIzuBtSjbJxa7Jo-Wbkv/w640-h427/01.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Peafowl on a foggy, rainy morning.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So what does that
leave me with, to tell you a story about my three days at Nagarahole? Not much
other than single digits on the sightings list – 1 Barking Deer, 1 Jungle Fowl,
1 Crested Serpent-eagle, 1 White-bellied Woodpecker, 2 Sambar, 2 langur, 2
egrets (where were the flocks?), a few peafowl, and 2 Gaur. I kid you not. Not even
herds of Spotted Deer, usually so ubiquitous that nobody gives them a second
glance. Yes, there were also a couple of elephants, and a fleeting dramatic
incident, but Nagarahole National Park was as thinly populated as an office
between Christmas and New Year.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2EyF7XkvpxGDfBq58q-6jjlF-BuVGBD88szgXLa9D4V4GcioaBmaP-kN7INk2qXJdDrnO3lL9gkWiwKryyZz5PAE20VpD0AZ2vABLDOWqJWznYGurov42Sz-7ODAguTP9I6_oHnVoEx1tiGnkDl_SkuU7EK0GEsKqXkx9JcVQd6DR9BBh1WzjwMZ/s960/02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2EyF7XkvpxGDfBq58q-6jjlF-BuVGBD88szgXLa9D4V4GcioaBmaP-kN7INk2qXJdDrnO3lL9gkWiwKryyZz5PAE20VpD0AZ2vABLDOWqJWznYGurov42Sz-7ODAguTP9I6_oHnVoEx1tiGnkDl_SkuU7EK0GEsKqXkx9JcVQd6DR9BBh1WzjwMZ/w640-h426/02.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">Sambar</span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3iOJlWHtinZS4jkG7NlTuLMvyhbTiMYGBZCHdsNSkgfAPGFhash1erq6Qp5kXXBmTrlWA3sibnoE6otEjrGdXdXSVrMCs7eWOPH-N4Gcn0ZalfjyT6H2bY-zNNKGdbUHaF2r-ICvsrR3Ys-hhTRIzsOxBm-v_hpS4yX5c0B6_gKqLy65mA5lhd8S/s960/03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3iOJlWHtinZS4jkG7NlTuLMvyhbTiMYGBZCHdsNSkgfAPGFhash1erq6Qp5kXXBmTrlWA3sibnoE6otEjrGdXdXSVrMCs7eWOPH-N4Gcn0ZalfjyT6H2bY-zNNKGdbUHaF2r-ICvsrR3Ys-hhTRIzsOxBm-v_hpS4yX5c0B6_gKqLy65mA5lhd8S/w640-h426/03.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">Elephants at dusk.</span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">From two of the bleakest
opening paragraphs possibly ever written, you might have sensed my despondency.
So does it sound believable when I say that I still had a marvellous time? Let
me tell you how.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The campus of King’s
Sanctuary, Nagarahole, where I stayed, is almost 40 acres. The sprawling property
has spacious accommodation spread out amidst trees and plants, most of them native
flora. I was piqued by all the sounds I could hear around me, while in my room
or walking to and from the dining area for meals.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsamNfW7CD8-qeMFsABB1oDPmzvVxO5IPxc3hUBa-18nKhz2lcfQm7tSjSu2WppXZksQuN61grddpHGzJtrNTfmgEc3nJhkGRUWIzIiFnc_2fikYmWWop0YIp-4Az5sV4yLMvIeEn4t8aROmKAeSstp-nnTTuEfMQFcqi0imXMcWNQJd--pm_Kukn-/s960/04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsamNfW7CD8-qeMFsABB1oDPmzvVxO5IPxc3hUBa-18nKhz2lcfQm7tSjSu2WppXZksQuN61grddpHGzJtrNTfmgEc3nJhkGRUWIzIiFnc_2fikYmWWop0YIp-4Az5sV4yLMvIeEn4t8aROmKAeSstp-nnTTuEfMQFcqi0imXMcWNQJd--pm_Kukn-/w640-h426/04.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Having had two ‘no-sightings’
safaris since arriving, I decided to skip an evening safari and go on a nature
walk instead. Shekhar was excited to show me around the campus, which
incidentally has been his home for over twenty years. My leisurely stroll began
after a cup of tea, on a promising note - the light was unusually golden for
4:30 pm. This should have portended the rain that was to come, but blissfully
unaware, I chose to enjoy the perks of peering at treetops without any glare. And
we did see a fair bit of activity – Golden Orioles, an Asian Koel pair, and a male
Paradise Flycatcher – to the soundtrack of a Common Hawk-cuckoo, which was
proving to us why its nickname is ‘brain fever bird’. The grass all around us
fluttered with tiny brown birds too skittish to identify.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZf89cbNJ5wqzRhT6FcIypKHB8yR7gMjJuQSgKeyJa82Sjl8L1SDVwUedR9OOpUMWT6GYsG4-y98AUnEZUClnd3qu5P2V1IohzL6UqY_bv-YSmAJeCKqj09rjcgO_4o26dpGiOvZYdhBdWxVEHhxopbfAPgTb3w_vYE9SakWDveS4tKqYl9lO_xJix/s960/06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZf89cbNJ5wqzRhT6FcIypKHB8yR7gMjJuQSgKeyJa82Sjl8L1SDVwUedR9OOpUMWT6GYsG4-y98AUnEZUClnd3qu5P2V1IohzL6UqY_bv-YSmAJeCKqj09rjcgO_4o26dpGiOvZYdhBdWxVEHhxopbfAPgTb3w_vYE9SakWDveS4tKqYl9lO_xJix/w640-h426/06.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">Asian Koel, female</span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Shekhar was thrilled
to know that I wanted to see the flora as well, and birds were soon forgotten,
talking about inflorescences, leaf shapes and how the locals use different
trees and plants. Almost as if on cue, a low, sprawling fig tree appeared. I
had to pause to take it in – straight out of an otherworldly setting, or for
fellow Potter-heads, like the whomping willow. We disappeared into the tree to
enjoy the etherealness. When the tree’s leaves began producing a racket, we
stepped out to investigate and realised that it was raining quite heavily. The thick
canopy sheltered us well from the downpour, but sensing that the rain would
only intensify, we darted to a nearby cluster of rooms. We thought that we were
done for the day, but the birds had other ideas. Tickell’s Blue Flycatchers
chased each other around the central courtyard. The sky rapidly darkened, but
not before it threw up silhouettes of Malabar Grey Hornbills and a Shikra.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhMJ2C8hK6tgmfu4Jw2VVcoH4l-zmvKeFmPpft2U10ACyfXHoF-CSHzUMsnrMEr1sd07Kp1Hejk6hC8LXe0KCK3BMlGcprfF7v7em6wyuOQOcbpY3tA5gEVEjZS0W57VS1EN3rL8ZHisb-R2Hq3E4QOAhboEji0fHQIw5PeZBok9-g4MmDuYujNPug/s960/07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhMJ2C8hK6tgmfu4Jw2VVcoH4l-zmvKeFmPpft2U10ACyfXHoF-CSHzUMsnrMEr1sd07Kp1Hejk6hC8LXe0KCK3BMlGcprfF7v7em6wyuOQOcbpY3tA5gEVEjZS0W57VS1EN3rL8ZHisb-R2Hq3E4QOAhboEji0fHQIw5PeZBok9-g4MmDuYujNPug/w640-h426/07.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Over dinner that
night, I was talking to the manager and one of the naturalists about their
experience of staying in the buffer zone and being in close proximity to
wildlife. I was invited to go on a night walk around the campus. Anyone who
knows me knows that I am scared of the dark. Also, the possibility of whether I
would encounter elephants had me worried; I respect the strength of these
wonderful beings and like to keep my distance from them. Meeting an elephant on
foot is my worst nightmare, but I agreed in desperation only because my upcoming
article about Nagarahole was potentially turning into a bigger nightmare due to
scarce sightings. Armed with dull torches, we set out along the campus’s
perimeter. The worry about coming across elephants turned out to be unfounded,
as the property is fenced all around.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Walking at night
activates all the senses, and especially amplifies sound. The slithering we
heard turned out to be a Green Keelback. The chorus of crickets was a constant
companion. Footsteps other than ours made us jump many times, revealing equally
skittish Spotted Deer. My city vision was sorely lacking, and had it not been
for the naturalist, I would have walked past the Sri Lankan Painted Frog and straight
into the web of a garden spider. There was so much to grab our attention that
we stopped every few steps - to see Wolf Spider-lings, a Cicada nymph, and even
a Whip Spider trying to pass off for a twig. The highlight was seeing radiant bioluminescent
fungi on the barks of a few mango trees.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDBO8c6oPwCm81fVRzSy8-3yB8KlDU9Ph1J-FKNbnTtyPVLkajtR_o5SEbQDFMXInkJWh3wGf2zT7YQJ8ODtFcQW8CBS-pFVkEg4VCW-y8rIsIYEtF1EPE16t-ifZM-0-OGcWqjV7utECkoxjH-JdWXoNv3jj6o-fqQAMr6a1Sh_xv_bC64Ih2lt-T/s960/08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDBO8c6oPwCm81fVRzSy8-3yB8KlDU9Ph1J-FKNbnTtyPVLkajtR_o5SEbQDFMXInkJWh3wGf2zT7YQJ8ODtFcQW8CBS-pFVkEg4VCW-y8rIsIYEtF1EPE16t-ifZM-0-OGcWqjV7utECkoxjH-JdWXoNv3jj6o-fqQAMr6a1Sh_xv_bC64Ih2lt-T/w640-h426/08.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">The well-camouflaged Sri Lankan Painted Frog.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kbO86mNK0qImHvVl6--z192dfRUwaAt8VAeMVWrKmr0JTPGYwQAP90Kqk-TgWMKoit2bTkxc8WPekSTGf-XHKnOoz8i09bfdSRef-L1hbLpkf5kE6X-gu_vtKC_mm_V6PQGzIMcJd5SBptwXNiZ8bdvLNwStYTQIPc5dBtqxqqMD5hmxu9jlcj1I/s640/09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kbO86mNK0qImHvVl6--z192dfRUwaAt8VAeMVWrKmr0JTPGYwQAP90Kqk-TgWMKoit2bTkxc8WPekSTGf-XHKnOoz8i09bfdSRef-L1hbLpkf5kE6X-gu_vtKC_mm_V6PQGzIMcJd5SBptwXNiZ8bdvLNwStYTQIPc5dBtqxqqMD5hmxu9jlcj1I/w268-h400/09.jpg" width="268" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">Bioluminescent fungi</span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">That fleeting dramatic
incident I had mentioned at the beginning? When our starved-for-sightings jeep
saw a peacock, we spent many minutes looking at it intently. It then flew
gracefully and landed next to our jeep, but screeched in shock, and we also heard
a yelp and furious running. The peacock had almost landed on an alarmed,
skulking leopard, and all we saw was its tail disappear into bushes. The third
yelp was let out collectively by our jeep, because we hadn’t realised that
there had been a leopard in the nullah right next to our jeep. Three species
within a few square feet of each other, and quite unusually, we all managed to
shock each other! My memento from this moment is a photograph of “can you see
the leopard that we almost didn’t see?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdDJ8nywP2ljoHsLPeeZendUdDGV_DErfpHjGHCKnwYD483dWCaJ8nQw7IGsvw8isvEmJYrnBYCpZxXcCnqu74-CcdhN6y4hg81RndRu8kliYSocsiotiIA_1PJ1nI6y1FzDri_atfTmFTlCwTWo_y18D3HJDbZQixo-ATNjmX7fU8vJi6k5WYT43/s960/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdDJ8nywP2ljoHsLPeeZendUdDGV_DErfpHjGHCKnwYD483dWCaJ8nQw7IGsvw8isvEmJYrnBYCpZxXcCnqu74-CcdhN6y4hg81RndRu8kliYSocsiotiIA_1PJ1nI6y1FzDri_atfTmFTlCwTWo_y18D3HJDbZQixo-ATNjmX7fU8vJi6k5WYT43/w640-h426/10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A few other jeeps did have
better sightings – a few more birds than I did, and even a whole leopard. But
my experience at Nagarahole reiterates that not every safari in a forest is
“productive”. And certainly, not everybody sights predators all the time. But just
because we don’t see life does not mean that the forest is “bare”. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzccbz9CVXehR-t2ByefHvH1bsYlbmsOz4Y5Yve__iebQNk3Iy4SW75fawUYUCLn9-_Fw2zQSFWxy5o36hKIsW-nbMr9N-J0fazaaorTX1apiPWURpxoC8juxQTWduFYuSNMa5mp02ji25lLX0DXfEli18FtilYyyPxw6us_2eCfNj9653K5sXfHYr/s960/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzccbz9CVXehR-t2ByefHvH1bsYlbmsOz4Y5Yve__iebQNk3Iy4SW75fawUYUCLn9-_Fw2zQSFWxy5o36hKIsW-nbMr9N-J0fazaaorTX1apiPWURpxoC8juxQTWduFYuSNMa5mp02ji25lLX0DXfEli18FtilYyyPxw6us_2eCfNj9653K5sXfHYr/w640-h426/11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">What I’ve also learnt
over the years is that I don’t have to go on a safari to enjoy what nature has
to offer - all I need is to look around me, or for that matter, even within my
city. I know that my story is probably not the best way to convince anybody to
visit Nagarahole. But I do hope that we continue to appreciate the ecosystem,
irrespective of whether or not the forest reveals itself to us. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p>Rajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18111356808647662012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704628884008719897.post-91506196540097131402020-03-27T16:47:00.000+05:302020-03-27T16:47:55.646+05:30Circle of Kindness<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXSwwSraKTnZXP2-yb5Uq6M4u3gB07gEOKiTATRmPo4kGXV6rTBc6euzp3L8asddDS0spW62wCCDgiHjpXkRRpFgk9cHFsotyMY2AR0lNcpRpruUjdpUVsdyJEtvM2Y6wjrRu9inIEA/s1600/DSC_0092-sketch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXSwwSraKTnZXP2-yb5Uq6M4u3gB07gEOKiTATRmPo4kGXV6rTBc6euzp3L8asddDS0spW62wCCDgiHjpXkRRpFgk9cHFsotyMY2AR0lNcpRpruUjdpUVsdyJEtvM2Y6wjrRu9inIEA/s640/DSC_0092-sketch.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the impacts of travelling is that it widens the circle of
people dear to us. It could be argued that most of them were nice to me only
because I was their source of livelihood; be that as it may, I know that it
doesn't take away from the laughter we shared or their acts of kindness.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In times of crises anywhere in the world, and certainly during the
current global coronavirus pandemic, I've been visiting all those people in my mind.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That train driver who stopped an entire train for me when he saw
that I had alighted on an inconvenient platform with my huge suitcase, so that
I could use the train to cross over to the other platform with an elevator.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The family we shared everything with - bathrooms, chores, meals,
bonfires, laughter, and a spectacular view of the Himalaya.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That lady who gave us soup on the house during a thunderstorm and
made calls to a petrol company in a foreign language, when we worried that our
card had been billed multiple times.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Those guides to whom we entrusted our lives as we traversed
treacherous, high-altitude Himalayan terrain for days, accompanied by much
talking and laughter.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That farmer, homestay host, and chef, all of whom gave us free
produce to take home because we had enjoyed it so much.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That air bnb owner who left us wine and cookies in our room, should
we have midnight hunger pangs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That random stranger I nodded at, who stopped and said "gosh,
you are beautiful!", making me blush.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The villager who invited us into her house and plied us with freshly
squeezed sugarcane juice because it was the best her farm had produced that
season.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The sales assistant who sent me to her competitor who stocked more
designs in large sizes, because she wanted me to buy a jacket I loved and not
just because it fit me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All those who didn't speak a word of English, but patiently heard
out my inelegant mix of pidgin Mandarin and sign language as I ordered lunch,
never hurrying me even though there was a long queue.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To all these and many, many, many more - know that I am thinking
about you.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="height: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Rajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18111356808647662012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704628884008719897.post-52885513563510874242019-12-31T20:51:00.001+05:302023-02-11T12:36:48.374+05:302019 Travel Calendar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">2019 turned out to
be one of the most bountiful travel years of my life, allowing me to be itinerant for
two months. It was also the year that brought me the opportunity to explore
three new countries – a rare phenomenon given that I’ve been able to travel
abroad only once in a few years. There were some short trips within India too;
I’ve really begun to appreciate what just a couple of days can do to boost my
happiness and energy. Lastly, this year, more than any other year, I’ve walked
my way around cities like there’s no tomorrow, and climbed my way up countless
steps: reiterating to myself that exploring on foot is what I enjoy the most.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 406.5pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The more I travel,
the more all places feel like home, and the more affected I get by the negative
happenings worldwide. I find myself increasingly struggling with travel-induced
gloom, but it’s a harsh reality that cannot be avoided. I hope that the overwhelmingly
positive memories and experiences I’ve had will give me the courage to step up
and act, whenever and wherever it is needed. Here’s hoping for 2020 to be all
about positivity, inclusiveness, and cheer, focusing on what unites us instead
of what differentiates us.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Jaipur<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I almost turned down an invitation to a wedding at Samode
Palace near Jaipur, because I had another trip being planned for the same date.
Some quick juggling and an awkward itinerary made it work, but it entailed
stressful trips from and to Bangalore airport within a span of hours (those who
know Bangalore will sympathise). Two days spent in the company of much love and
laughter, though, allowed me to tide through the crazy travel. Of course, Jaipur’s
ethereal architecture surrounded by rugged landscapes proved to be the perfect
backdrop for it all. The happiness deposited me in Germany with a smile on my
face, ready to begin my next trip. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZgwwlDkXDgJyuZkBUTvgudmus6YW2U2v1cEkXaKYNiTA07EjGM0PALM6O-_HYm3F8T9QXcB-bmrbreTF-d6JLPfrfqDVakLB6FGcG1Q4_1oPwpFhHw7AqNnkSFiDjX-QDe3n_UF_Eg/s1600/IMG_20190112_150849.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZgwwlDkXDgJyuZkBUTvgudmus6YW2U2v1cEkXaKYNiTA07EjGM0PALM6O-_HYm3F8T9QXcB-bmrbreTF-d6JLPfrfqDVakLB6FGcG1Q4_1oPwpFhHw7AqNnkSFiDjX-QDe3n_UF_Eg/s640/IMG_20190112_150849.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Samode Palace</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Germany<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Thirty five years after my father’s trip to Hamburg,
I expectantly planned my trip, wondering whether the city still remained the
same. Being peak winter—and post festivities—in Germany, there were hardly any
tourists, and I had most monuments and museums to myself or in thin company. Reduced
daylight hours meant that I didn’t add too much more to my itinerary, savouring
just Hamburg, Berlin, and a whirlwind stop at Dresden in two weeks: each city
so different and so vibrant, that they easily filled all the time I had. Germans’
sorcery with potatoes, beer, bread and baked desserts had me craving for more.<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A surprising realisation of the trip was that my thoughts about rules and
straight talk align more with the Germans, than with any other country I’ve
been to so far.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizB_McDcIihMp90q0K4MNAg26cEp13Hil_higzHlPAkt5hg8Dc3OazEgVyqX2ra3QObF9MQw9M7fs13fLBp88OUST5oEs-ZUOZPT3Z0ZGifCGrh_yjzekhtm4Wojy1MHzwkARiEDaBGw/s1600/IMG_20190201_183820.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizB_McDcIihMp90q0K4MNAg26cEp13Hil_higzHlPAkt5hg8Dc3OazEgVyqX2ra3QObF9MQw9M7fs13fLBp88OUST5oEs-ZUOZPT3Z0ZGifCGrh_yjzekhtm4Wojy1MHzwkARiEDaBGw/s640/IMG_20190201_183820.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">A view of Hamburg's harbour-side.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Shanghai<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Unplanned to the hilt and utterly enjoyable is how I
can encapsulate my trip to Shanghai. Casual bantering with a friend who had
moved there just a couple of months ago led me to book tickets on a whim.
Though I had two weeks to spare, I decided to visit only Shanghai: a fantastic decision
in hindsight. The megapolis surprised me with its unique blend of the Orient
and the Occident, and I could have easily spent a couple of more weeks there. My
takeaways from Shanghai included diverse topics like communism, local culture,
city planning and architecture.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">But, for the first time in life, English, which allows
me to sail through worldwide, proved utterly useless. I jumped at the
opportunity to pick up Mandarin phrases, communicating with the incredibly
patient locals using a mix of my inadequate language, sign language, and hilarious
Google translations. And, barring a couple of meals, I stuck to my—what I was
told was pig-headed—resolve to find and enjoy vegetarian Chinese food.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMTYqVOP7-gBx2Y2dXMx2mHX5rs53-oVeXS9IEleGdOa_tU6T8K2PL6nLf3W9QZ_Ft8WhmDl0R2dnn_DIclxLQa4CDIUKYn7eWLNbgBmu255HAW8EmClvkJqtO7XTJ4SE_fBN8rOitQ/s1600/IMG_20190617_165141-01.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMTYqVOP7-gBx2Y2dXMx2mHX5rs53-oVeXS9IEleGdOa_tU6T8K2PL6nLf3W9QZ_Ft8WhmDl0R2dnn_DIclxLQa4CDIUKYn7eWLNbgBmu255HAW8EmClvkJqtO7XTJ4SE_fBN8rOitQ/s640/IMG_20190617_165141-01.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Jade Buddha Temple</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Texas, USA<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">If Shanghai was unforeseen, the trip to Texas was
even more so, and so last minute that it felt like a local trip. Though the travel
was for some family work, I was able to make the most of my five days there,
thanks to my cousins’ enthusiasm - they managed to show me slices of local
life, took me for countless Tex-Mex meals, braved hikes in a state park in the
oppressive summer heat, walked enveloped by the sticky, salty air at a heritage
seaside town, and ferried me long-distance to NASA. Texas also showed me a side
of the USA I hadn’t seen in my 2014 trip: a region in a time-warp compared to
the other areas I had been to. Until I have the opportunity to explore Texas more
deeply, I will remember its 1980s vibe, mom-and-pop stores, expansive farmlands,
pick-up trucks, fast driving, Tex-Mex food, and hearty pies. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDRSfUgw4dY91gysNMKat-zMyJ1AoDf9Vq3kjHsSb155yJt6OuiWgt_GaeTtUgKsoykNLlVtIHju2wVIxtWwZVSeqe8NWCnecgOaWL2RdecG5jeSC8f35Z5mHkItj1yv3n3i_me24Rw/s1600/IMG_20190811_123402.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDRSfUgw4dY91gysNMKat-zMyJ1AoDf9Vq3kjHsSb155yJt6OuiWgt_GaeTtUgKsoykNLlVtIHju2wVIxtWwZVSeqe8NWCnecgOaWL2RdecG5jeSC8f35Z5mHkItj1yv3n3i_me24Rw/s640/IMG_20190811_123402.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Hiking at Bazos Bend State Park.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Pondicherry<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Tired from back-to-back travel, I almost didn’t want
to travel again when friends planned a getaway to Pondicherry, intending to
celebrate two of their birthdays there. Lured by the promise of a relaxed long
weekend, and not wanting to miss their birthdays, hubby and I drove down to
Auroville, where they had rented a small villa. It proved to be the perfect “do-nothing”
holiday, involving talking, laughing, reading, eating and sleeping. Just one
evening, we dragged ourselves to Pondicherry’s promenade for an evening stroll,
sunset views, and gelato. I would easily do this again. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdOJANQQsi2BKH34Qp4MZTQABL1ohiKGxiY6YJf2KAseCE49UwmaPBm9omAvRyWu097RtXEvHYHQxzzIW_e_Eh810zcoX2zWN_wAffdg858-Me06SDIbJTPzUFLl1EeaGPRoyWSb3WSw/s1600/IMG-20190901-WA0002.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="961" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdOJANQQsi2BKH34Qp4MZTQABL1ohiKGxiY6YJf2KAseCE49UwmaPBm9omAvRyWu097RtXEvHYHQxzzIW_e_Eh810zcoX2zWN_wAffdg858-Me06SDIbJTPzUFLl1EeaGPRoyWSb3WSw/s640/IMG-20190901-WA0002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Italy<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">A birthday celebration intended to be in Kashmir
moved to Italy, leaving me tinged with sadness. Though Italy was always
extremely high on our wish-list, circumstances meant that it was a fairly
last-minute change of plans, with just enough time for the visa. As if rising
to the challenge, Italy gave me a birthday to remember! Being an architect and
a lover of its cuisine, Italy was saddled with high expectations, which it met
with aplomb, every bit as wonderful as I had imagined the country to be.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">A little over two weeks took me to Rome, Naples,
Florence and Pienza (Tuscany). Italy frequently overwhelmed me with its art and
architecture, and I realised that I will need multiple trips to enjoy
everything that I want. The food, fiercely regional, still has me salivating at
the memory, and was a strong highlight of the trip. A big credit towards making
the trip enjoyable goes to all the locals we interacted with – giving
suggestions and tips, smiling, always up for a chat, cracking jokes, and going
out of their way to make things for us.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">A classic Tuscan landscape, with rolling hills and Cypress trees.</span></td></tr>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Mumbai<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">It was yet another visit home in December, to catch
up with family and friends - visits that I also use to explore some of the
(what feels like) million things in the city. This time, I took hubby to Bandra
in the Christmas-New Year season, when its bye-lanes are alive with twinkling
lights and an old-world charm. We also walked along Bandra’s seaside
promenades, gawked at the homes of Bollywood stars, snacked on street food all
over the city, hunted down some winter delicacies, and bargained hard at Mumbai’s
street fashion Mecca. Ferrying us all around were the ever-reliable local
trains, the winter making the usually stifling-hot bogies and edgy commuters more
pleasant and even-tempered, resulting in less punching and shoving to get in
and out. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Rajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18111356808647662012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704628884008719897.post-40240324861381810742018-12-31T23:51:00.000+05:302020-01-03T14:11:55.657+05:302018 Travel Calendar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2018 was the year of
mini breaks: trips lasting one to three days. Low on budget and time, I found
myself having to choose between no trips and micro trips. For somebody who
finds 2-week trips short, I surprisingly enjoyed these bite-sized escapades. Throw
in the fact that all these trips were very last minute, and improvised on the
go, and it rings true that travel does teach you a lot about yourself; I never
imagined travelling in a “chaotic” manner, and yet I did.</span></div>
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with a lot of promises. I’m ready to move on from my brief romance with brief
trips, but nonetheless, happy at having learnt about new ways to keep my travel
spark burning.</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Kabini<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This old favourite never disappoints, easily leaving
me refreshed in just a few hours. I didn’t even have to wait until I reached
Kabini for the excitement to set in…just packing my jungle clothes for the trip
melted those blues like nothing else. Add in some safaris with knowledgeable
naturalists, the tranquillity of the forest, and a quick digital detox, and I
returned ready to dive back into routine.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Tranquebar<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On my wish-list for over a decade. Finally, plans
fall into place. A cyclone threat looms large. My car breaks down. I almost
return home. Decide to go ahead without my car. The cyclone passes, but not
before giving Tranquebar a good wash. I traipse around town with my umbrella,
in the rain. Enough said.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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spite of all this, but that’s the charm of Tranquebar.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnlDU_cN83eYSHCJZ530eY6fcluF7AwMYpLkqfRooc32OWMRwWf_ZPV_4I156C5OP_EjyqpkftwXCWZwpHWPjL4xYN55MRVhMRaAhUOVwINyBKP2HoFr-h-kSBRH10Ra2qWxv7910y-w/s1600/IMG_20181006_120928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnlDU_cN83eYSHCJZ530eY6fcluF7AwMYpLkqfRooc32OWMRwWf_ZPV_4I156C5OP_EjyqpkftwXCWZwpHWPjL4xYN55MRVhMRaAhUOVwINyBKP2HoFr-h-kSBRH10Ra2qWxv7910y-w/s640/IMG_20181006_120928.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mumbai<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Visiting home in December—the season that’s as cold
as Mumbai can ever get—I capitalised on the good weather to go on rambles and
guided walks in South Bombay, or “town”, as we call it. Of course, taking the hubby
to discover more Irani Cafes was on the menu, as was the hunt for the best
Undhiyu, a Gujarati winter speciality that’s my favourite. We ended up
deviating for some butter chicken along the way, but the fragrance of Undhiyu
finally led us to culinary heaven. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9jgFB-Bu4G1uoJlZg2X3cqfGj53PV9BuVfpuHm5rvsKW02dyzThvix94Tj89DRsH3eAkl7rH_FKeRWJn_QL9JVTLaAF1Yj_jH8P7Gh10bI1tNMSR1FAkFjcSEbGp7Gc14BJyZHlccUg/s1600/IMG_20181209_184058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9jgFB-Bu4G1uoJlZg2X3cqfGj53PV9BuVfpuHm5rvsKW02dyzThvix94Tj89DRsH3eAkl7rH_FKeRWJn_QL9JVTLaAF1Yj_jH8P7Gh10bI1tNMSR1FAkFjcSEbGp7Gc14BJyZHlccUg/s640/IMG_20181209_184058.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Chennai<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A reluctant visit to attend a family function turned
into the perfect way to sign off 2018. I am slowly discovering fun and exciting
facets of Chennai, and a guided walk around traditional Mylapore kick-started
my first staycation. Shocking relatives by checking into a hotel instead of
staying with them was just the beginning of an exciting weekend. After a room
upgrade in a heritage hotel, some truly fabulous food, attentive and
personalised service, and lots of ‘nothing time’, I understood why staycations
have been gaining popularity. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Rajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18111356808647662012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704628884008719897.post-8119428254806511532018-04-23T16:00:00.000+05:302018-04-23T20:50:00.688+05:30Workshop: An Introduction to Travel Writing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Collaborations are always exciting! Which is why, an offer to create and conduct a travel writing workshop for <b><a href="https://www.wevid.in/" target="_blank">WEVID</a></b>, whose workshops aim at addressing the evolving demands of the design industry, was too tempting to pass up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The widespread popularity of travel has created an enormous platform for swapping stories. Images and words are powerful tools to share your travel experiences with family and friends. The sheer number of travel blogs has also meant that stories get easily lost in the crowd. This workshop offers an introduction to travel writing to those who want their storytelling to stand out, and will help participants write well-crafted and engaging stories that go beyond being just another trip report or blog post. In the age of Instagram and hashtags, long-form writing that sustains interest is challenging. This program aims to fill that gap.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Date : 06 May, 2018 [Sunday]</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Timing : 9 am to 5 pm</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Venue : Innov8 Coworking, Koramangala, Bengaluru</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Open to : Any individual interested in travel writing (18 years and above)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Workshop curator & facilitator: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Raji Sunderkrishnan (architect, writer, editor & photographer)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For registrations, please follow this link: <a href="https://goo.gl/forms/RhVJnRc6u4M7D2243" target="_blank">https://goo.gl/forms/RhVJnRc6u4M7D2243</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">More details at: <a href="http://www.wevid.in/nb" target="_blank">www.wevid.in/nb</a></span></div>
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Rajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18111356808647662012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704628884008719897.post-4087655721867407302017-12-31T17:06:00.002+05:302024-03-12T17:23:18.322+05:302017 Travel Calendar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">2017 brought me my leanest travel year since I began
active travelling ten years ago! Work and family commitments took centre-stage,
leaving me rooted to home. I did miss the sense of excitement and discovery
that travel brings, and I often found myself browsing through old trips’ photos
for some armchair travel and nostalgia.</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The road-trip to northern Karnataka in Jan 2017 was
special, because I have finally seen all the distinct regions of Karnataka, where
I have been living for almost 14 years now. Karnataka’s diversity in landscapes,
wildlife, culture, art, architecture, and food have given me many fond memories
and enriching experiences over the years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Though I have no travel planned for 2018, I am
optimistically looking forward to the year!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">North
Karnataka road-trip<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">This region had been on my wish-list for a long
time, as it promised to be different from Karnataka’s other zones. North Karnataka’s close proximity
to Maharashtra and erstwhile Andhra Pradesh has led to its unique
culture, food, language and clothing. The region is also filled to the brim
with a rich architectural heritage of diverse styles. The 10 days we spent in Bidar-Bijapur-Badami-Pattadakal-Aihole
left me craving for more; so did the mouthwatering local food at <i>khanavalis, </i>traditional eateries in the
region.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXckbWNj3hH5plSSHHfXFH2iOS37HsC_tzHCkLE6VtWbOSqDV_wLpUx10rp3bKzAf6N4uJyDrUKuTuB5gnaCC6uQWj9DkXg5wix0mUHIS0MjEfiJUqpSRzJYZ-QWnfypb_MAQlx9FRfg/s1600/_DSC1410.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXckbWNj3hH5plSSHHfXFH2iOS37HsC_tzHCkLE6VtWbOSqDV_wLpUx10rp3bKzAf6N4uJyDrUKuTuB5gnaCC6uQWj9DkXg5wix0mUHIS0MjEfiJUqpSRzJYZ-QWnfypb_MAQlx9FRfg/s640/_DSC1410.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">An artist paints the Bhuthanatha Temple at Badami</span></td></tr>
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<b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Hyderabad</span></b></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">A serendipitous addition to our itinerary, Hyderabad
fell into place because we decided to access Bidar - the starting point of our
North Karnataka road trip - via Hyderabad, as that seemed to be the best route.
Although a short break, we were able to enjoy a fair slice of the city’s
culinary treasures. I have visited Hyderabad before, and am vaguely familiar
with its tourist attractions, which we decided to skip this time. With my
cousin (who lives in the city) in tow, we spent a couple of days feasting on
Hyderabad’s well-known as well as little-known culinary delights ranging from the
very fiery to extremely sweet. And of course, copious cups of Suleimani chai
and an assortment of breads and biscuits.</span></div>
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Rajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18111356808647662012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704628884008719897.post-88900366121493609922017-11-29T19:45:00.000+05:302018-04-24T17:03:15.765+05:30Nature’s Classroom<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">An unedited version of my story published in the Nov-Dec 2017
edition of asiaSpa India.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I should
have been distressed, but I wasn’t. I should have moped, but I didn’t. I
continued sipping my hot chocolate as though nothing had happened, staring
expectantly through the foggy window for signs of that magical swoosh of green,
the Aurora Borealis. Worried about my lack of reaction to the news, my husband proceeded
to console me by saying that he was hopeful about the storm not setting in the
next day. I cheerfully told him that we should turn back as advised, halfway
into our road-trip around Iceland - the trip I had meticulously planned, the
trip that was all I could talk and dream about since six months, the trip that
was so expensive that I felt pangs of guilt in spite of having painstakingly
saved up for it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">That night,
we were the only guests at a cosy wooden inn at </span><span lang="IS">Breiddalsvik</span><span lang="EN-GB">, a small fishing town in Iceland’s craggy East Fjords.
For that matter, in the week we had spent driving from Reykjavik - Iceland’s
capital - to Breiddalsvik, we had been the only guests everywhere. I am not
exaggerating for effect – we were literally the only two people on the road at
most times, barring at Reykjavik, home to almost half of Iceland’s minuscule
population. In October, at the onset of winter, the weather in Iceland is at
its most tempestuous. So when the locals at Breiddalsvik told us that a ‘don’t
travel for a few days’ warning had just been issued because of a storm brewing all
along our route, we knew it was prudent to turn back. That was a huge blow, but
why wasn’t I upset? The answer surprised me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrClHOpUH3KadQXtYcB9XV91IA3fCNwyRdrMojEVGQslRY2bmvMR1xcqV3v-ULrJ0l6WS2Ojebk8ef6ikfk95-uIA_FyOXm1u6e1PhKuVVaTNvJkf2fGUEIvrM9hsEqVwKcwt2vHJSwQ/s1600/DSC_3320+copy+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrClHOpUH3KadQXtYcB9XV91IA3fCNwyRdrMojEVGQslRY2bmvMR1xcqV3v-ULrJ0l6WS2Ojebk8ef6ikfk95-uIA_FyOXm1u6e1PhKuVVaTNvJkf2fGUEIvrM9hsEqVwKcwt2vHJSwQ/s640/DSC_3320+copy+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Stormy weather in October</span></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Shorn of
creature comforts like luxury accommodation, local cuisine (being a vegetarian limited
me) and ‘branded’ shopping, which sometimes tend to define a travel experience,
Iceland had helped me discover what was important to me. I learnt to live in
the moment, without a plan - quite a challenge for someone who likes to be on
top of things. My definition of well-being changed; I realised that feeling
alive and happy could result from just a consciousness of the world, my
surroundings, and its wonders, including undesirable ones like the impending
storm.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A week ago, a
day after I arrived in Iceland, the Snaefellsnes Peninsula welcomed me with
howling wind that rattled our parked SUV like a cradle. Overcome by fear, I sat
clutching the car door until my knuckles hurt. Our guide had already descended
to the bottom of the hillock, and gesticulated wildly, beckoning me to join
him. Mustering up all my courage, I stepped out into the 25 mps (90 kmph) wind,
the warning for which blinked on the digital display by the roadside, and had prompted
us to stop driving until it subsided. I quickly wobbled down the slope. There,
sheltered from the wind by the rocky drop, I gaped at the deceptively tranquil
sight before me: Kirkjufell, with its small cascading waterfalls. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdQIAYk8u-9d4ZEV7rnckggrDQEwZb35woK4ZsScpHZ-L9uOBmc7upQhLtEX1cxZYjt_eiV8PzBT99wRTWv3fkyazB7_hRIeFDeMKN2aKNM5Mzl-M3AMJNFaU5P3NW5ypDYqhVWeMSw/s1600/DSC_3545+copy+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="1024" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdQIAYk8u-9d4ZEV7rnckggrDQEwZb35woK4ZsScpHZ-L9uOBmc7upQhLtEX1cxZYjt_eiV8PzBT99wRTWv3fkyazB7_hRIeFDeMKN2aKNM5Mzl-M3AMJNFaU5P3NW5ypDYqhVWeMSw/s640/DSC_3545+copy+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The
hill Kirkjufell, with the waterfall Kirkjufellsfoss in the foreground. </span> </td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As the
adrenaline coursing through me slowly mellowed, and my heart ceased to thump wildly,
I wondered whether the threat of danger made one feel alive. The epiphany came
yet another day, when I walked the slippery slopes of a glacier, with crampons
strapped on, every step calculated and purposeful, avoiding crevasses and thin
ice. In spite of the intense concentration, my mind registered both the sheer
expanse of the glacier as well as the delicacy of the lace-like patterns on patches
of frozen ice. Yes, the threat of danger had indeed made me pay closer
attention to my every movement, and details of the landscape, which may have
otherwise gone unnoticed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKkHb7bYI1Kx-epxfTjs3ZR0ImWfYo8dvt00q5xa5CpEzTtrcuXob36dS_-EvcBhoCrk3E7Lige-nne-tD5RZ_ApXO_hVXevGLtWpJ5Zb0bK1xxcuBlE9-y2yLCuknPeipc5eh5lu8ow/s1600/vatnajokull+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="234" data-original-width="1024" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKkHb7bYI1Kx-epxfTjs3ZR0ImWfYo8dvt00q5xa5CpEzTtrcuXob36dS_-EvcBhoCrk3E7Lige-nne-tD5RZ_ApXO_hVXevGLtWpJ5Zb0bK1xxcuBlE9-y2yLCuknPeipc5eh5lu8ow/s640/vatnajokull+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The
summit of the glacier Svinafellsjokull.</span></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Iceland took
me out of my comfort zone, challenged me to rely on cues given by nature, and
reinforced my belief in goodness. A fairly egalitarian society; the refusal to
have an army; the rental company asking me to leave my car with its doors
unlocked and the keys inside so that they could pick it up; museums refusing to
charge us for our second visit because they said they noticed how much time we
spent appreciating each exhibit - through large doses of pragmatism and visual
poetry, Iceland reassured me that a lot is well with the world.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Bobbing in
the hypnotic blue water of the Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa, images from the
road-trip flashed before my eyes. Geysers, bubbling soil, volcanoes, lava
fields, craters, glaciers, icebergs, auroras, and fjords - phenomena that had
merely been words, were now memories. To be in the lagoon’s warm water while
the land around was in winter’s grip was a surreal experience. Slathering some mineral-rich
mud on my face, I floated to the bar for a drink, happy that driving back had
given us more time to spend at the same places, as well as a chance to meet those
who had waved us goodbye days earlier. Our promise of returning another day had
come true, albeit sooner than expected.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A day before
I left Iceland, I stood on the viewing deck of Perlan, an erstwhile water tank
in Reykjavik converted into a public building. The blue ray of light from the
Imagine Peace Tower - John Lennon’s memorial – shot up into the night sky, with
a full moon for a neighbour. Below twinkled Reykjavik’s lights, as though all
the stars had fallen down from the sky. And then, unexpectedly, two green beams
emerged from the moon and snaked across the inky canvas. The Aurora Borealis is
rarely seen unless the sky is clear and dark, yet here it was, defying
convention. The unbridled joy in that moment was a fitting culmination to what
had been constantly reinforced throughout my trip to Iceland: “Allow yourself
to be surprised.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The Aurora Borealis (northern lights) over
Reykjavik. The blue 'Imagine Peace' light, conceptualised by John Lennon’s wife
Yoko Ono, is lit every night from his birthday in October until the day he was
shot in December.</span></span></td></tr>
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Rajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18111356808647662012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704628884008719897.post-3470212724137311552017-05-16T18:22:00.000+05:302017-05-16T19:09:46.102+05:30Sakrebyle Elephant Camp<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: #e36c0a; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Published in
the 15 March 2017 edition of www.jlrexplore.com, a nature and wildlife-specific
website<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We were hunched over next to the
kitchen building, unmindful of the water dripping over our heads from a water
tank which had just<span lang="EN-GB"> overflown</span>, peering in amazement at <span lang="EN-GB">the gigantic reddish growth in the ground. Was it a flower? A fruit?
A vegetable, perhaps? It looked not unlike a cabbage. We had no immediate answers,
and the staff said that nothing like this had ever sprouted before. Lying
prostrate before the wondrous object, I could see beetles and ants move along
the sinuous folds of the reddish bulb, and between the cabbage-like leaves at
its base, emerging coated with fine, yellow pollen. I soon discovered that I
had seen the flower of an <i>Amorphophallus sp. </i>for the first
time.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The <i>Amorphophallus sp.</i><i style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="text-align: left;">with its pollinators</span></span></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When I decided to visit Sakrebyle, I had no
expectations other than that I wanted to get away from the city for some quiet
time. There isn’t much to ‘see’ or ‘do’ in Sakrebyle, and that suited me just
fine. A modestly sized campus, this Jungle Lodges’ property is a relative
newbie, offering cosy log cabins across the road from Sakrebyle’s famous Elephant
Camp. The smallness of the campus ensures that a holiday here is peaceful,
barring the bird-calls that resound from bamboo groves at the edge of the
property.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Log cabins at the JLR property</span></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />Allowing for backyard birding (literally), the
property’s bird-bath offers birds some much-sought-after respite from the
afternoon sun, while you sit behind a screen and enjoy their antics and
birdsong. Even the shy Indian Pitta is said to be a visitor to this bird-bath,
as is the Yellow-browed Bulbul, a Western Ghats endemic. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The hide near the bird-bath</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dark-fronted Babblers, which are endemic to the Western Ghats.</span></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The on-campus flora is home to various butterflies,
bees, beetles and other insects, and the resident naturalists are only too
happy to take you on a nature walk. Some of these nature trails are longer
hikes through the surrounding Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary, weaving though a
mix of dense canopies, shrub-land and grasslands. Along one of these trails, I
spotted a lifer, a Drongo-cuckoo, and was engrossed in observing it. The sudden
trumpet of an elephant from behind us had me scramble away, briskly walking all
the way back to the property. While having breakfast soon after, we saw the
elephant emerge from the trail, a mahout astride it, and realised that it was a
camp elephant.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Scimitar Babbler</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The trekking trail</span></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The aforementioned ‘Sakrebyle Elephant Camp’ is
located across the road from the Jungle Lodges’ property, on the banks of the
Tunga River. Housing elephants which have been captured or born in captivity, some
of them undergoing treatments for injuries, the elephant camp is fairly popular
with visitors to the Shimoga region, especially with children. Watching the
pachyderms being scrubbed clean in the river, sometimes playfully squirting
their mahouts, I was left to deal with mixed emotions. However, understanding
that matters cannot be looked at as starkly black or white, I ambled around the
small camp, watching visitors interact with the elephants, sometimes apprehensive,
but then, reassured by the mahouts, always enjoying the experience.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Elephants being bathed by their mahouts</span></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Having emerged from the river, the elephants were now
being oiled to keep them cool, even as their food was being prepared. They are
fed in an interesting way – chunks of coconut flesh and jaggery are wrapped
into a bundle using hay, which the giants gleefully devour. A few of the
youngest elephants were play-fighting and chasing each other, only to be firmly
nudged by an adult if they got too boisterous.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">With this playful sight as my parting memory, as I
turned to leave, a loud trumpet from one of the young elephants made me jump a
little. Just as an elephant’s trumpet had marked the beginning of my trip to
Sakrebyle, this trumpet signalled the end of my short but memorable time in the
land of elephants.</span></span></div>
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Rajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18111356808647662012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704628884008719897.post-80317948092676756332016-12-31T23:53:00.001+05:302020-06-17T18:00:04.444+05:302016 Travel Calendar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I spent all of 2016 wishing I could travel more, and
feeling that I hadn’t travelled much. Penning these travel memories down has made
me realise that I have indeed travelled a fair bit this year, and a few trips
had actually just slipped under my radar because they were disguised as ‘work’
or ‘wedding trips’ or ‘just going home’. I visited many cities and metropolises
this year, something I don’t do too often, as I seek tranquil places most of
the time. 2015’s food theme did continue strong this year. I also managed to
visit places that had been on my travel wish-list since many years, some
literally since my childhood! To top it all, I finally set foot in the northern
Himalayas, having only travelled to the eastern Himalayas before. What more can
I say? I’m ending 2016 on a cheerful and nostalgic note! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here's hoping that 2017 brings this beautiful world of
ours some much-needed happiness and peace.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ranthambore </span></b><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">National Park</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A last minute travel plan to a national park which is
notorious for being booked out months in advance should logically never work
out; fortuitously, it did! Though my late booking meant that my safaris weren’t
in any of the zones with Ranthambore’s famous monuments, or even the Rajbagh
Lake, this trip gave me a fair idea of the forest’s unique topography. And I
did see one of Ranthambore’s gorgeous tigresses. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My guide to visiting Ranthambore: </span><span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://nomadandabag-guides.blogspot.com/2017/05/ranthambore-national-park-information.html" target="_blank">http://nomadandabag-guides.blogspot.com/2017/05/ranthambore-national-park-information.html</a></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Bharatpur & Chambal</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When wildlife tours to Bharatpur were called
'Magical Bharatpur', I dismissed the description as just another tagline.
Having visited Bharatpur now, I can vouch for the magic, and can say that
'magical' doesn't do the place enough justice. Beginning each of my three days
with foggy rides in cycle-rickshaws at dawn, and ending them with
multi-coloured sunsets, there wasn’t a dull moment spent at the Keoladeo Ghana
National Park. For me, the highlight of the trip was witnessing an
out-of-season mating dance by a Sarus Crane pair; the love they expressed for
each other was – you guessed it – magical! I also visited nearby Chambal on a
day-trip, finally seeing the region’s infamous ravines, the Chambal River, toothy
Gharials, and the endangered Indian Skimmers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Jaipur fell into place by accident, when I decided
to fly in and out of the city while visiting Ranthambore and Bharatpur. Never
one to miss chances like these, I decided to spend a day in Jaipur, for my
first taste of the city which had been on my wish-list ever since I was
enamoured by a cut-out of the Hawa Mahal as a child. A day is way too short for
a holiday, but I thoroughly enjoyed ambling around the old city’s vibrant
bazaars and monuments, gorging on local delicacies which my host had painstakingly
listed for me. And of course, I fell in love with Hawa Mahal all over
again. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Kolkata</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When a friend announced that her wedding would be in
Kolkata, I lost no time in planning an extended trip to the ‘City of Joy’. With
a little over two days at hand for enjoying the city, I splurged to stay at the
Oberoi, in the heart of Kolkata, with all the landmarks just a stone’s throw
away. The city is immensely easy to negotiate by walking, using the metro, or
the classic yellow taxis (my personal favourites), though my friends didn’t
really share my enthusiasm for these slow and rickety behemoths. We visited some of Kolkata’s classic landmarks, enjoyed Park Street’s weekend vibe, ate <i>ghoti gorom</i> while walking along the
ghats of the Hooghly River, and over-dosed on authentic Bengali <i>mishti</i>, which has spoiled any <i>mishti</i> outside of Bengal for us.
Kolkata’s street food was a revelation: delicious, available at every corner of
the city, and light on the wallet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Malnad
region, Karnataka</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I was grumpy during summer, due to my lack of travel
plans because of having just recovered from a back injury. A sudden call from
my wildlife mentor to travel to Sagar and Shimoga districts in the Malnad
region had me bounding out of bed. With promises to my family that I would be
extra cautious about my back, I set out on this four-day trip through lush
forests and rolling hills, appreciating some lesser-known wildlife areas. The
beautiful Jain temple at Nagarabasti, surrounded by verdant vistas, was a find.
It drizzled incessantly throughout the trip; however, the famed Jog Falls was
bone-dry, much to my dismay! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: left;">An account of my visit to the Sakrebyle Elephant Camp near Shimoga: </span><br />
<a href="http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2017/05/sakrebyle-elephant-camp.html" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2017/05/sakrebyle-elephant-camp.html</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mumbai</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Home to me, but an intriguing metropolis to my
husband, Mumbai (still Bombay to me) was a sudden trip in summer. What lured
hubby and sealed the deal was the promise of Alphonso mangoes every day. I used
this opportunity to walk around all my favourite hangouts in the city, with
weary hubby trudging along in the muggy May heat. Exploring the Fort region to
the CBD, Marine Drive to the Gateway of India, Juhu beach to Dadar, I relived
my life as a Mumbaikar. Of course, how could food be far behind? Authentic
Maharashtrian dishes, Irani restaurants, Gujarati food and </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bambaiyya</i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> dishes, we savoured them all, washed down with copious
cups of </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">aamras</i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> and mango milkshakes.
By the end of the holiday, my husband was a convert.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">BR
Hills, Karnataka</span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I’ve visited this forest many times, and the JLR
property at K.Gudi is one of my favourites. Since my husband had never been
there, we decided to take a short break mid-year. The probability of
encountering elephants along the forest’s narrow, winding, hilly safari route
always excites and scares me in equal measure. This trip, to add to our
excitement was the cottage we had chosen to stay in – farthest from the other
cottages, and where leopards are routinely sighted. One of our most memorable
experiences was sitting in our stilted cottage’s balcony after 10 pm, in pitch
darkness, surrounded by bats and fireflies, listening to frequent alarm calls
and the rustling of leaves. Sometimes, the things you can only hear scare you
more than the things you can see.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Chandigarh</span></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For an architect, Chandigarh is something of a holy
grail. When I planned my trip to Spiti Valley, I jumped at the opportunity to
spend a day there. My impression of the city, garnered mostly from school textbooks
and architecture books, now sprung alive. In just a few hours, Chandigarh
bowled me over with its cleanliness, orderly traffic, soft-spoken people, and
joie de vivre. Nek Chand’s Rock Garden was a childhood dream come true, and
every bit as crazy as I had imagined! Seated on the bund at Sukhna Lake, legs
swinging over the edge, surrounded by locals enjoying the tranquility, I could
see why Chandigarh’s residents love their city; I love it too!</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Lahaul
and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My trip to Spiti Valley was one of the highlights of
the second half of the year, and I returned smitten by the beauty of the
region, the stark landscapes, its ever-smiling people, their hospitality, and
their simplicity of life. Spiti is raw nature at its best, and its worst; yet,
the locals embrace everything as a part of life. Involving high-altitude travel
on gravelly roads where traversing 200 kms takes 12 hours, the tranquility of Spiti’s
tiny villages, the sparkling azure of its lakes, and the serenity of its
monasteries are some of the many memories etched in my mind. Since my return, I
remain deeply introspective.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Hampi</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Hampi never ceases to surprise me, even on my third
trip! Having seen some of the main monuments on a ‘fun only’ first trip with a
bunch of friends, and Hampi’s and Daroji’s wildlife on my second trip, I was
third time lucky. With an excellent guide and lovely accommodation in serene Anegundi,
I brought in my birthday just the way I liked it – walking all day through the
treasure hunt that is Hampi, stumbling across picturesque ruins, pristine banks
of the Tungabhadra River, and negotiating through herds of goats. Hampi’s scale
is staggering, and this is the closest I have come to feeling like Indiana
Jones. Hampi’s vast expanse also meant that in spite of the Dusshera holiday
crowds, I always managed to find a quiet spot for myself. </span></div>
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Rajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18111356808647662012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704628884008719897.post-4001438598501519412016-08-04T17:55:00.000+05:302016-08-04T17:55:15.462+05:30Seeking Nostalgia in Kodaikanal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="background: white; color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Published in the August 2016 edition of Discover
India magazine, as 'The Big Misty'.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The fireplace
crackled, spewing out untamed flames, and sparks that spat into the room like energetic
fireflies. I smiled and sank deeper into my easy-chair, cupping a bowl of hot soup.
I was enjoying every bit of the cold weather, having arrived here from the scorching
plains. Just a few relaxing hours in Kodaikanal had afflicted me with a languor
that was quickly becoming second nature. As my hosts spoke animatedly about
life in Kodaikanal, their favourite long walks, secret nooks, and scenic views,
it became abundantly clear that I had a battle on my hands to shake off my slothfulness,
if I wanted to explore Kodaikanal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sepia-tinted
photographs and meticulous black-and-white sketches from the 1800s, dotted all
over my hosts’ living room, enticed me with the promise of pristine landscapes,
fleet-footed Nilgiri Tahrs and Sambar deer in grasslands, and humungous Gaurs
surprising me at road bends. As a compulsive nostalgia seeker, the thought of attempting
to experience 19<sup>th</sup> century Kodaikanal immediately caught my fancy,
and soon, I was consumed by the idea. So I pored over the photographs and
sketches, noted details, and armed myself with directions and tips from my
hosts, to help me recreate the memories held by these images. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2tTuhY3RDtI/Vs_lIkeD_aI/AAAAAAAAErE/0X5JpwVs6n8mLnL5S9aEtR4lah_-Ec5UACPcB/s1600/_DSC6291.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2tTuhY3RDtI/Vs_lIkeD_aI/AAAAAAAAErE/0X5JpwVs6n8mLnL5S9aEtR4lah_-Ec5UACPcB/s320/_DSC6291.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Morning dew on my window</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The next morning, I forced
myself out of the snug comfort of my quilt, only to be greeted by the croaking
of cicadas. When I left at 6 am, there was barely enough light to discern and
open the padlock on the property’s gate, while simultaneously trying to prevent
their resident pet from running out with me.
Kodaikanal had not yet awoken from its slumber, except for a dimly-lit
tea shack from which wisps of smoke emanated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">From its viewpoint, Kodaikanal
Lake was seen shrouded in mist, which had coagulated over the water like gigantic,
unruly candy floss. All around, trees emerged, many of them distinctly pine and
eucalyptus. The sunrise vista was like watching film slowly develop in a
dark-room: monochromatic at first, segueing from </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18pt;">pastel pink to </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18pt;">sepia, with the
other colours choosing to reveal themselves only an hour later, as I drove back
past the viewpoint. The lake’s shape as seen from here corresponds exactly to
its 19</span><sup style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18pt;">th</sup><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18pt;"> century photograph. Not much has changed in the view,
barring low roofs of Kodaikanal town peeking out from between layers of trees.</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LEnZ66szozA/Vs_k-2EzTSI/AAAAAAAAEq8/ok66NYFOs2UQ82wCQJuzo1DrxQCRwOhPgCPcB/s1600/_DSC6189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LEnZ66szozA/Vs_k-2EzTSI/AAAAAAAAEq8/ok66NYFOs2UQ82wCQJuzo1DrxQCRwOhPgCPcB/s320/_DSC6189.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Pillar Rocks lay at
the end of a long, winding drive from the lake’s viewpoint; save for a couple
of houses, the road was deserted. Crepuscular rays streamed in through thickets
of trees, from which I heard langurs swinging. I was shaken out of my reverie
by the appearance of a barricade - the road hadn’t yet been opened to vehicles
for the day. I approached Pillar Rocks on
foot, with heightened anticipation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1IzQpWczRbEsYqeV1oq5lryJvoHbbydA7Uiukwml5_bMhbtT4e_qDf-RaVj2FEVF5ZfbgigkCuhz3vDUGDsIYlp-XZ2Bba1b9uwHQjbSNvDcOInWoaxxhyphenhyphenhXNfk96SgpzM8j-ZRhQg/s1600/pillar+rock+sketch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1IzQpWczRbEsYqeV1oq5lryJvoHbbydA7Uiukwml5_bMhbtT4e_qDf-RaVj2FEVF5ZfbgigkCuhz3vDUGDsIYlp-XZ2Bba1b9uwHQjbSNvDcOInWoaxxhyphenhyphenhXNfk96SgpzM8j-ZRhQg/s320/pillar+rock+sketch.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Pillar Rocks sketch by Douglas Hamilton, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1862</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 18pt;">. <br />Source: Wikipedia. Larger image: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drawings_by_Douglas_Hamilton#/media/File:Douglas_Hamilton,_Pillar_rocks.jpg" target="_blank">click here</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18pt;">The two separate pillar-like
rocks from the sketch now stood a little less distinctly, the 150 years that had
elapsed having allowed plants to grow over the rocks, reducing the gap between
them. The grasslands of yore were also overgrown. There were no gambolling
Tahrs or Sambar, and the metal railing all around the viewpoint kept
threatening to make my time-travel difficult.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The valley, however,
lived up to its promise of being mist-filled, revealing parts of the escarpment
of the Palani Hills on which Kodaikanal is situated. A howling, bone-rattling
wind made my jacket and gloves redundant, but helped clear the clouds; the sky then
turned a picture-postcard blue and gifted me the sight of Pillar Rocks crowned
by the setting moon. When I said gifted, I meant it – just a few hours later, eager
visitors to Pillar Rocks saw nothing, as fog hid the rocks until the next sunrise.
My hosts had been right in egging me on to leave before dawn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Enthused by how my morning
had panned out, I was less averse to exploring ‘modern’ Kodaikanal and decided to
see the picturesque lake up-close. The lake is the focal point of life in
Kodaikanal, for residents and visitors alike. With restricted vehicular
movement on the road encircling the lake, it comes alive with cyclists whizzing
past, people chatting, residents jogging, and couples enjoying quiet strolls.
With the lake on one side and many palatial heritage buildings lining the
other, the lake road exudes an old-world charm. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The sight of bicycles
brought out the child in me and I spent a greater part of the afternoon
giggling over our clumsy tandem-bike riding skills, while resolutely cycling
around the lake. To perhaps continue kindling the child in you, the boat clubs
have ensured that most pedal-boats have gigantic cartoon characters built on
them. With Mickey Mouse for company, I pedalled across the lake to one of its
quieter arms. Families had turned up in droves to enjoy the pleasant evening;
in spite of the crowd, the large size of the lake allowed me to have a piece of
Kodaikanal to myself. And I had to admit - the Kodaikanal of today had provided
me with as much excitement and relaxation as the Kodaikanal of the past.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">That didn’t stop me
from resuming my pursuance of the next black-and-white photograph, though. Dolphin’s
Nose, so named because of the shape of the rock overhanging the valley, promised
an interesting trek, and I decided to undertake it early the next day. The
narrow trail took me past bustling hutments, cheap lodges with bewildering Hebrew
signage, refreshment stalls, and locals gathering firewood, before meandering
through trees and losing all sight of habitation. Which is why, it startled me to hear a voice
behind me say “photo, madam?” barely ten minutes after I sat near the edge,
lost in quiet contemplation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Once an Enid
Blyton-esque picnic spot for Kodaikanal’s residents, Dolphin’s Nose now attracts
many visitors who enjoy posing in the ‘Titanic pose’ at the very edge. A few
enterprising photographers not only orchestrate photogenic poses, but are also
equipped with instant printers to give you copies within minutes. Upon my
refusal, the photographer too sat down to admire the view. Coaxed by him into experiencing
the feeling of sitting at the actual end, I slowly overcame my fear and swung
my legs over the edge, hands gripping the ground next to me for dear life. Though
decades had elapsed since my reference colonial era photo had been taken, Dolphin’s
Nose still felt like the end of the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If Dolphin’s Nose
whetted my appetite for more solitude, Berijam Lake surpassed it. With highly
restricted access to the lake, you are almost guaranteed to be the sole
individual there if you time it right. The long drive to the lake passes
through precariously surviving shola-grasslands; I was pleased because it
increased my chances of spotting wildlife, if not the elusive Tahrs. Mist
engulfed the road for quite some time, considerately lifting at just the right
viewpoints. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Berijam Lake sat in the valley like the grand prize at the end of a
journey. To stroll and sit at the water’s edge, surrounded by hillocks and
dense clusters of conifers, with no sign of ‘civilisation’ in sight, made it
the perfect end to my quest for nostalgia. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Driving back from
Berijam Lake, lamenting that it was time for me to leave Kodaikanal, I passed
the golf course. Despite being mid-day, mist rolled over its gentle undulations,
even as a lone golfer persistently played his game. </span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qYUS8kAkUvo/Vs_lM19DgII/AAAAAAAAErE/ODiq6ewUtqQQifr5VJvL_7mRDaFJBm5pwCPcB/s1600/_DSC3077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qYUS8kAkUvo/Vs_lM19DgII/AAAAAAAAErE/ODiq6ewUtqQQifr5VJvL_7mRDaFJBm5pwCPcB/s640/_DSC3077.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">That is when it dawned on me - the 19<sup>th</sup>
century still existed in Kodaikanal: in its pristine landscapes, its capacity
to offer solitude, and its flair for surprising you. And then, almost as if to
chide that obsessing about the past wasn’t healthy, Kodaikanal drops a misty
curtain on it all, nudging visitors to experience its present – its people, its
lake, and its activities. I realised that Kodaikanal morphs into what you seek
from it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Rajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18111356808647662012noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704628884008719897.post-73914823538180614702015-12-31T16:53:00.000+05:302020-06-17T18:01:13.513+05:302015 Travel Calendar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">‘Short trips’ was
this year’s recurring theme, making the best of my sparse holidays and sparser travel
money. If the last two years had been
about discovering the joys of road-trips and solo travel, this year led me
down a new path – food trips. Having always been a foodie, enjoying regional
cuisine whenever I travelled, this year’s trips took this passion to new
heights – trips where we ate like there was no tomorrow, hunting down the
tastiest local specialities a place had to offer. I had more than enough food
to savour, despite my supposed ‘drawback’ of being a vegetarian. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In between gorging
on food, I photographed these delicacies, resulting in outright bad photos at
first, but improving slowly by the next trip. This has made me want to better
my food photography skills, something I’ve resolved to practice next year; not
your glossy, studio set-up food photos, but photographing food on the streets.
I love how travel brings such new challenges my way!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">With a trip already
planned for the first month of 2016, I sign off excitedly for this year,
wishing everybody a very happy, healthy and travel-filled 2016. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Madurai</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I travelled to
Madurai by chance, as my husband, who spent a few years living there, wanted to
visit the city to re-live his childhood memories. The trip quickly snowballed
into a larger agenda, of also enjoying Madurai’s famed food. <span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The city takes
its title of '<i>thoonga nagaram</i>' (the town that never sleeps) very
seriously, buzzing from the wee hours of the morning, well into the night.
Catering to the teeming mass of people are hole-in-the-wall eateries and
road-side vendors, with a wide array of meals and tiffin items. While meals
include a lot of non-vegetarian dishes, tiffin is predominantly vegetarian, and
can be a meal in itself. Madurai's residents have a discerning palate,
which reflects in the food they prepare, and it is almost impossible to get bad
food anywhere in the city. I ate my way through Madurai tiffin, which offers a
mind-boggling variety of dishes and beverages: from popular dishes like kotthu
parotta and idli to unique local items like jigarthanda and thennangkuruthu.<span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Kodaikanal</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The best way to
atone for indulging in such excesses at Madurai was to walk it off, I thought.
What better way to do that than to spend a few days at nearby Kodaikanal?
Kodaikanal’s crisp winter weather and laidback weekday disposition proved to be
the perfect setting for rambling walks, energetic cycling around the Kodai Lake,
and a sweaty hike to Dolphin’s Nose. Our determination to not focus on food, however,
was thrown out of the window thanks to our gregarious home-stay hosts, who
broke our resolve with every lip-smacking meal they cooked for us. All the food sent us scrambling for more
walks, and we returned to Bangalore refreshed by Kodaikanal’s charm and natural
beauty.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Read about this trip:</span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <a href="http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2016/08/seeking-nostalgia-in-kodaikanal.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2016/08/seeking-nostalgia-in-kodaikanal.html</span></a></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Kabini, Karnataka</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This quick jaunt to Kabini
in the monsoon was intended as a rejuvenating break after a strenuous first
half of the year, and to celebrate hubby’s milestone birthday. As usual, Kabini
lived up to its promise. Threatening clouds loomed, but it never rained hard
enough to foil our plans. Four safaris into the forest, short walks around
Kabini River Lodge’s campus, and contemplative sessions gazing at the Kabini
reservoir got us fully recharged for the latter half of 2015. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Delhi</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Dilli ki sardi</i> was
something my friend would often poetically rave about. I decided that it was finally
time to experience it first-hand, inviting myself over to my aforesaid friend’s
home. Research prior to the trip had armed me with a list of over 40 eateries
to visit, many serving winter specialities, and I lost no time in dragging my
friends along for the food mania. Over three days, we systematically chomped
our way through the list, walking for hours through Old Delhi, seeking out
nondescript push-carts and not-marked-on-any-map eateries, all serving some of
the cheapest, freshest and most delicious food I have ever eaten. When we could
walk no more, we took breaks at some of Delhi’s lovely monuments, catching
forty winks and resting our tired legs, only to resume our mission soon after. Not
for the faint-hearted, this trail!</span><br />
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Rajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18111356808647662012noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704628884008719897.post-81985088318736420052015-11-01T12:00:00.002+05:302023-02-15T18:46:17.305+05:30Wild Postcards from Sri Lanka<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="background: white;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="color: #b45f06;">An unedited version of my story published in the November
2015 edition of the in-flight magazine, JetWings</span><span style="color: #b45f06;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></i></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="color: #666666;"><i>I furrow my brows, as the ringtone interrupts my hectic deadline.
The number displayed on my mobile is unknown, but I continue to stare –
something about it beginning with +94 seems deliciously familiar. I answer.
Silence. Just as I return to furiously typing out the remainder of my email, it
rings again. I absently answer the call, only to be greeted by rapid-fire talk
in a language I don’t understand. Then it comes back to me, rusty as the memory
is, from months of disuse. I get up from my chair, smile at no one in
particular, and say “ayubowan.” </i><i>The
relentless chatter pauses. “No Sinhala,” I continue, like I’d repeated for three
weeks, many months ago. The voice begins talking in an endearingly halting and
lilting Hindi, “Main Prasanna bol rahaa hoon.” I can hear a smile, a shy smile.
“Aapka letter aaya.” Instantly, my deadline is all but forgotten.</i></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Sinharaja Forest Reserve, in south-west Sri Lanka, is the
country’s only surviving primary tropical rainforest. Its pin-head size belies
the fact that more than 60% of the flora and fauna found here are endemic to
the region. Due to this high endemism, the forest has been declared a UNESCO
heritage site.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Prasanna
was my eyes and ears in Sinharaja, where the earth was as slippery as grease,
and battalions of leeches clung to every human who dared brave the incessant
rains. The sky flickered between innumerable shades of grey, and could barely
be glimpsed through small gaps in the tall, dense rainforest canopy. The
highlight of my trek was witnessing a mixed-flock hunt, with raucous drongos,
frisky babblers, belligerent Blue Magpies, and even the dignified trogon, feasting
on worms and insects emerging from the rain-battered earth. The forest trail
yielded birds, fungi, flowers, snakes, and lizards of such varieties, that we
were constantly surprised at every turn; even the endangered Purple-faced Leaf Monkey
revealed itself on my last evening at Sinharaja.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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the end of each tiring day in the forest, I’d return to my room at Martin’s
Simple Lodge, a place which is exactly as its name suggests, swapping sightings
and experiences with fellow birding enthusiasts while savouring refreshing tea on
the terrace overlooking Sinharaja’s dipterocarps, or while nonchalantly
plucking leeches off our persons by the communal tap. The owner, a former guide
and a wealth of information, is a man of few words; what makes him smile
though, is visitors’ childlike enthusiasm at having seen a Red-faced Malkoha or
a Ceylon Frogmouth up-close, in the forest he holds dear.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"Sinharaja’s villages don’t have pin-codes; how will my letter be
delivered?" I’d asked, while saying goodbye. Prasanna just smiled, answerless. I
needn’t have worried: the letter, along with photographs of Sinharaja, had
reached him within a week of my convincing my neighbourhood post office that I
was not ‘wasting eighty rupees in postage’. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i><span style="color: #666666;">“There is an error in your identification” Prasanna says, alluding
to the contents of my letter, “This is a Purple-faced Leaf Monkey, not a Bear
Monkey.” I apologise sheepishly for my rookie mistake. The mention of the Bear
Monkey, though, swings me along to another place, another day.</span></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Horton Plains National Park, located in Sri Lanka’s central
highlands, is the country’s only montane grassland and cloud forest. Due to its
high elevation, fog and clouds deposit a large amount of moisture, creating a
unique ecosystem of moist grasslands, swamps and wetlands. The endemic flora and
fauna have evolved to suit this peculiar habitat. Ohiya is a convenient base
for exploring Horton Plains. However, due to extremely limited accommodation
here, most visitors prefer to stay at the popular hill station Nuwara Eliya, almost
two hours away. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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mountain railway at Ohiya snakes through dense foliage, from which peek
colourful tin roofs. An occasional curlicue of smoke from a cooking fire is the
only sign of habitation. Hiking along the tracks brought well-preserved,
century-old sleepers and metal components my way. I was also rewarded with an
encounter with the endemic Bear Monkeys, cousins of the species in Sinharaja. Over
twenty of them, jumping from branch to branch, with a wary eye on me, looking improbably
like monkeys with bear ancestors - to think, I wasn’t even within the national
park boundary yet! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Horton Plains National Park, the 9 kilometre trail meandering across
grasslands, seasonal ponds, over undulating rock, sometimes gravel, and finally
through dense forest, can be completed in 3 hours. However, stopping to admire bright
orchids and gnarly trees, while looking for Bear Monkeys and elusive birds,
meant that my trekking time doubled. My guide and I trekked anti-clockwise,
beginning at the grasslands, moving on to Baker’s Falls, Large and Little
World’s Ends, and finally, through dense vegetation. <br /></span><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q-qfoOhM11c/VfB8V1F11nI/AAAAAAAAEYI/hxQ-kcNGs90/s1600/_DSC0905.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q-qfoOhM11c/VfB8V1F11nI/AAAAAAAAEYI/hxQ-kcNGs90/s320/_DSC0905.jpg" width="213" /></a><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Old-man’s beard, a
characteristic of Horton Plains, festooned all the trees in the last stretch,
whose trunks and branches were also decorated with lichen and moss. A Sri
Lankan breakfast of <i>rotti</i>, jam, and
bananas, devoured while staring into World’s End, added to the air of
fulfillment and quiet contemplation; the sheer escarpment here offers views till
the coastline, on one of the rare clear days like that day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="color: #666666;"><i>I sigh, looking at the digital clock on my computer screen. The
sun has long set, and I’ve been caught up in Sinharaja and Horton Plains. A
flick of the switch illuminates the room. The paperwork on my desk lies
un-tackled, held down by a pebble, smooth and rounded, as grey as the sea was
that </i><i>day. With
white specks, as white as the sand looked, reflecting the sun’s generosity
beating down on it. There I go again, carried along by a wave of
memories.</i></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Mirissa, a tiny fishing village in southern Sri Lanka, attracts
visitors for two reasons: its laidback, picturesque beach and its whale-watching
trips. Since it lies at the southernmost tip of the entire Indian subcontinent,
whales migrating east to west must cross Mirissa. The abundance of food in the Indian
Ocean makes it a favourite with these cetaceans, and even the otherwise-elusive
Blue Whales and Sperm Whales are routinely spotted. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">At 5:30 am one morning, travellers gathered at the whale-watching
agency’s office, upbeat at the prospect of guaranteed sightings of whales and
dolphins. I, however, couldn’t bring myself to ignore the knot in my stomach,
as I don’t take well to open seas. On the two-decked boat, all around me was
laughter, anticipation and colourful life-jackets. The tantalising omelette
station on board was crowded; just an hour later, the boat’s only restroom
would be; so too the railing on the deck, with nauseous travellers bent over.
Despite having resolutely stayed away from breakfast, I could feel my innards
churning - quite an indication of the roiling Indian Ocean. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">By the time we returned to shore after six hours at sea, we had
become a statistic – the only boat in forty days to not sight a single whale. I
held on to precious, fleeting memories of the dolphin pod we had seen,
unfortunately far enough to look merely like grey flotsam. The next afternoon, travellers
were agog at having spotted multiple whales. One had even breached the water,
excited voices told us. All I could do was close my eyes and picture it, the
waves lashing Mirissa’s beach adding sound to my thought. I smiled, as my
imaginary Blue Whale emerged from bluer waters, magnificence personified. For
this, I will brave the Indian Ocean again someday, I decided, sanguinely.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i><span style="color: #666666;">“Wapas aaoge tab milenge” is Prasanna’s parting shot. He knows Sri
Lanka’s allure – you just MUST return. Sometimes, that’s all it takes to
travel in time – a call you hesitated to take. </span></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Rajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18111356808647662012noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704628884008719897.post-4452394477392919172015-09-02T17:15:00.000+05:302020-06-17T18:02:07.674+05:30Looking Beyond the Taj<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="background: white; color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">An unedited version of my story published in
the September 2015 edition of the in-flight magazine, JetWings</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Swooshing through the
sandstone maze of monuments, the 16<sup>th</sup> century slowly crept up on me
- I saw first-hand the genius of Akbar’s thought-process, the meticulousness of
Shah-Jahan’s embellishment, and the flamboyance of generations of Mughal Emperors.
Mughal Architecture has left us with a heritage of buildings which were not
only monumental in their appearances, but also poignant in their inspirations; buildings were built as dedications to people, as symbols of love, or as
re-creations of a world far away, a world they left behind in Persia. Their
architecture, though, was not an imposition on the milieu that existed – the
Mughals seamlessly blended and adapted local styles to create architecture that
was aesthetically appealing as well as climatically and geographically
sensitive. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Akbar, the most
prolific architect amongst Mughal emperors, has left behind a treasure trove in
Agra – a treasure his successors added to. Agra, to most, is synonymous only
with the Taj Mahal. Though not begrudging the Taj its status, I feel for
visitors who miss out on what is undoubtedly the largest collection of
monumental Mughal Architecture in a region – Agra, Sikandra and Fatehpur Sikri
– an Agra beyond the Taj Mahal.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Agra Fort<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Early evenings add
their own glamour to the red sandstone, setting them aflame. One of the rare
forts built on level ground, the Agra Fort looks deceptively easy to breach. Completed
in 1573 AD, Akbar and his team designed the semicircular fort over the ruins of
an existing fort called ‘Badalgarh’. The Yamuna runs parallel to the chord of
the semicircle, and was tapped by Akbar for beautiful river-side panoramas from
all the buildings lining that edge. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The non-river-facing
side is where visitors enter from, through the Amar Singh (Lahore) Gate. A
steep ramp leads from this gate to the inner gate, but the unexpected work-out
was made more bearable by my guide peppering the walk with history and
anecdotes about the crocodile-infested moats, the Peacock Throne, and the
emperors’ opulent lifestyles. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Of the fort’s four
gates, the Delhi Gate – the biggest - can only be brought alive through your
guide’s stories, as it falls within the inaccessible area of the fort being
used by the Indian military. Built by Akbar as his formal entrance, a moat had
to be crossed using a drawbridge, to reach the Delhi Gate. From there, the
inner gate ‘Hathi Pol’ was reached after a 90 degree turn, so that enemies’
elephants couldn’t run straight through the outer and inner gates to break them
down, as was frequently done in battles. Such was the architectural genius
employed, which, with other stratagems like a double rampart separated by the
12 m deep moat, 70 feet high walls, forward-sloping lower ramparts to prevent
scaling, and massive turrets, made the fort impregnable. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2BPb9QdiKUY/Vcr8Yvw2thI/AAAAAAAAEFo/oO6olvxI-iM/s1600/DSC_7915-processed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2BPb9QdiKUY/Vcr8Yvw2thI/AAAAAAAAEFo/oO6olvxI-iM/s640/DSC_7915-processed.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The ramp leading into the fort, from Amar Singh Gate</span></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Written records sing paeans
to the 500 buildings built within, by Akbar. However, his progeny Shah Jahan
demolished many of them to make way for his marble buildings – a later
evolution in Mughal Architecture. Some of what was spared by Shah Jahan was
destroyed by the British in the 19<sup>th</sup> century, to construct military
barracks. Only about 30 of the buildings are said to have survived today. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What sets the
architecture of the Agra Fort apart from other forts is the presence of
expansive, manicured gardens and lawns. Also, the buildings have an interesting
mix of architectural styles – Akbar’s initial designs were heavily inspired by
the architecture of Gujarat and Bengal, while Shah Jahan used the Indo-Islamic
style. Breaking convention, a lot of the surface decorations are non-Islamic -
dragons, elephants, and birds - as opposed to the sanctioned calligraphy. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Jahangiri
Mahal, with one of the fort's many lawns in the foreground.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Faint strains of visitors’
chatter and history lessons doled out by copious tour guides followed me
through the buildings: Diwan-i-am, Diwan-i-khas, Jahangiri Mahal, Bengali
Mahal, Moti Masjid, and Seesh Mahal. At Mussamman Burj, my last stop, a strain
of melancholy was added to the air – this octagonal, multi-tiered marble tower
was where Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb; the tower which
probably added to his longing by offering views of the Taj Mahal in the
distance; the tower where he breathed his last in 1666 AD. The delicate floral
inlay work in the Mussamman Burj almost mocked the harshness of Shah Jahan’s
situation. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The
Taj Mahal and Yamuna, as seen from Mussamman Burj, where Shah Jahan was
imprisoned.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Walking out of the
fort on this poignant note, I looked up at the ramparts one last time. Embrasures
(slits) and machicolations (openings) lined the wall, for soldiers to shoot from
or throw objects on marauding armies without being shot at in return. Below these,
my eye caught remnants of intricate blue and white mosaic work. Had I been a soldier
in the marauding army, I most certainly would have been killed by hot oil
falling from a machicolation, whilst admiring the craftsmanship!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Fatehpur Sikri<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In 1569 AD, childless Akbar
was blessed with Prince Salim, as prophesised by the Sufi saint Salim Chisti.
As a token of his respect, Akbar built the Mughals’ first planned city at Sikri,
and decided to make it his capital. Named Fatehabad, the city later came to be
known as Fatehpur Sikri. One of the most ephemeral capitals of the Mughal
Empire, Fatehpur Sikri was Akbar’s audacious dream – a dream that he lived in
for 12 years between 1572 and 1585 AD. Audacious, because, defying conventional
wisdom, the city was built on a rocky ridge away from any source of water.
Though Akbar did build an artificial lake and devise efficient water supply and
drainage systems, Fatehpur Sikri had to be abandoned due to water shortage. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Built entirely using
local red sandstone, the architecture of Fatehpur Sikri, as of the Agra Fort,
is an assimilation of Persian, Islamic, Hindu and even Jain styles, to create a
style that has come to be identified with Akbar. The city was designed to meet
all needs – administrative, living, religious, and pleasure – and each of the buildings
had unique architectural tweaks. Like how the residences of Akbar’s Hindu and
Muslim wives reflect their backgrounds. So does Birbal’s house. Administrative
buildings like the Diwan-i-am, Diwan-i-khas, the treasury, and the astrologer’s
seat are fairly nondescript, with the exception of my favourite element – the
central column in the Diwan-i-khas. Embellished with bands of carvings, it
culminates in a head of 36 serpentine brackets supporting a circular platform
where Akbar sat, which is connected to the first floor level via stone
walkways.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Birbal's
house at Fatehpur Sikri, built in a distinctly Hindu style.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The
central column and bridges inside the Diwan-i-khas.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Breaking the sedate
architecture of the administrative buildings is the informality of the pleasure
and entertainment buildings – with ornate carvings of birds, animals and very life-like
grapes and pomegranates. It wasn’t too difficult to picture royal ladies
giggling from the ornate 5-tiered Panch Mahal, staff moving at Akbar’s command
on the <i>Pachisi</i> (ludo) squares inlaid
in the courtyard’s floor, or even musicians performing from the floating
platform over Anup Talao’s pool – so evocative was the architecture. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fAZzlhdm1Bc/VctExMilKSI/AAAAAAAAELs/jsTKknaIVyw/s1600/DSC_7794-processed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fAZzlhdm1Bc/VctExMilKSI/AAAAAAAAELs/jsTKknaIVyw/s640/DSC_7794-processed.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Pachisi squares inlaid in the courtyard, which was played using live courtiers.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g1i8GMuwVEk/VctE2qN5JWI/AAAAAAAAEMU/BLxDhWXNlMs/s1600/DSC_7836-processed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g1i8GMuwVEk/VctE2qN5JWI/AAAAAAAAEMU/BLxDhWXNlMs/s640/DSC_7836-processed.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Anup
Talao, with its central platform.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My guide had saved another
of my favourites for last – the behemoth that is Buland Darwaza. 180 feet high,
equivalent to an 18-storeyed building, this victory arch was added in 1576 AD
to commemorate Akbar’s successful campaign. I walked up the steep steps leading
to the gateway, which magically transitioned to human scale as I entered the
Jama Masjid. Salim Chisti’s white marble tomb within the masjid brought me full
circle – face to face with the man for whom this entire city was built.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-764SCXDFOT8/VctE468W0OI/AAAAAAAAEMs/tAbukTVjnws/s1600/DSC_7900-processed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-764SCXDFOT8/VctE468W0OI/AAAAAAAAEMs/tAbukTVjnws/s640/DSC_7900-processed.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When Jahangir
re-inhabited Fatehpur Sikri for a couple of years during his reign, to escape
from the plague at Agra, it was the last time the city was ever occupied. Its
sparse usage has made it one of the best-preserved collections of Mughal
architecture, besides endearing itself to people as the birth-place of the
legends of Akbar and his courtiers, the <i>navaratnas</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Akbar’s tomb at Sikandra<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Agra-Mathura
highway to Sikandra snaked through some of the most populated belts of Uttar
Pradesh; as vehicles belched noxious fumes into the already insufferable heat, I
wondered how Akbar rests in peace amidst this cacophony. As if on cue, a
massive, red sandstone gateway came into view; with every inch of it covered in
colourful geometric and floral inlays and mosaics, topped with white minarets,
the gateway held promise. Its architectural elements were precursors to the
inlays at Itmad-ud-Daulah and the minarets of the Taj Mahal. The gateway proved
to be a portal to another world – leading on to lush gardens which attract
antelopes, monkeys, peacocks and other birds. The highway was now a distant
memory.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Sd4qigkUmdA/Vcr8Wt7qFrI/AAAAAAAAEFY/1lorS0jLOOI/s1600/DSC_7734-processed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Sd4qigkUmdA/Vcr8Wt7qFrI/AAAAAAAAEFY/1lorS0jLOOI/s640/DSC_7734-processed.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Entrance
Gateway to Akbar's tomb, with ornate inlay work.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In accordance with the
Tartary custom of building one’s own tomb, Akbar set about its construction in
1600 AD. Unfortunately, he passed away in 1605 AD, after completing his tomb
and laying out the gardens in the typical <i>char
bagh</i> pattern. His son Jahangir took over until its completion in 1613 AD. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Broad, paved walkways
with channels and pools (which once had water) lead from each of the four gates
to the stepped, 5-storeyed red sandstone building. The uppermost storey is in
white marble – Jahangir’s signature touch to the design. An unusually squat
building by Mughal standards, its linearity adds to its distinctive character,
which is enhanced by the presence of arcaded verandahs on all storeys, as well
as kiosks capped by cupolas (<i>chhatris</i>).
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IufaxWeCMBU/Vcr8Vg4vL-I/AAAAAAAAEFQ/XjpcttNAbDg/s1600/DSC_7722-processed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IufaxWeCMBU/Vcr8Vg4vL-I/AAAAAAAAEFQ/XjpcttNAbDg/s640/DSC_7722-processed.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">View</span></span><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"> of Akbar’s tomb with the
paved walkway, water pools and water channels.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The interior of the
building sends mixed signals – I was greeted by strikingly rich stucco work in
blue, red and gold, only to move through a narrow, white-washed passage, to a white-washed
room with the false cenotaph. The mystery of the severe interiors was solved by
my guide - Jahangir is said to have brought his ostentatious design
sensibilities to the tomb’s interior design; unfortunately, only bits of the
stucco and none of the precious-stone inlays survived, as the tomb was heavily
looted and disfigured during the reign of Aurangzeb, by rebel Jats. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Jaalis</span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"> (lattices) in sandstone, pre-dating and competing with the finesse of the marble lattices at the Taj Mahal and Itmad-ud-Daulah, lend a delicacy to the architecture, which lingers with you.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GVx8T9w0r3I/Vcr8Toi9AJI/AAAAAAAAEE4/wmghxwRHTr8/s1600/DSC_7714-processed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GVx8T9w0r3I/Vcr8Toi9AJI/AAAAAAAAEE4/wmghxwRHTr8/s640/DSC_7714-processed.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">One
of the surviving examples of the elaborate ornamentation executed by Jahangir
within the building.</span></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6o8CIMxemug/Vcr8UQkuKiI/AAAAAAAAEFA/S13XeK6j9W0/s1600/DSC_7716-processed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6o8CIMxemug/Vcr8UQkuKiI/AAAAAAAAEFA/S13XeK6j9W0/s640/DSC_7716-processed.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">White-washed interiors of the tomb.</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Itmad-ud-Daulah<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Driving across the
Yamuna is an exercise that demands your patience, but rewards you well. This
little-visited area of Agra is home to a landmark building which marked the
transition of monumental Mughal Architecture from its first ‘sandstone phase’,
to its next, which was marble architecture. Pint-sized Itmad-ud-Daulah packs
quite an architectural punch with its design and detailing, envisioned and
executed lovingly by Jahangir’s wife, Empress Nur Jahan, for her deceased father
Mirza Ghiyas Beg. A Persian Amir in exile, Ghiyas Beg had been a Wazir in
Jahangir’s court and was conferred the title of Itmad-ud-Daulah (pillar of the
state). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This marble tomb is a
predecessor to the Taj Mahal, and is said to be its inspiration too. To reflect
her father’s love for Persia, Nur Jahan borrowed heavily from Persian
architectural and interior decoration styles, while adding Indian elements like
<i>chhatris</i> and <i>kalash</i>-shaped finials. The dome-less building set on a red
sandstone plinth within a <i>char bagh</i>
garden, has hexagonal towers in each corner. The overall proportions and
ornamentation of the mausoleum led to it being nicknamed ‘Jewel Box’ and ‘Baby
Taj’. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y3r4JoKpVN4/Vcr8KXLFHtI/AAAAAAAAED8/AZQqVq5Wmf4/s1600/DSC_7540-processed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y3r4JoKpVN4/Vcr8KXLFHtI/AAAAAAAAED8/AZQqVq5Wmf4/s640/DSC_7540-processed.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The building’s white
Rajasthani marble surfaces are covered painstakingly with floral arabesques and
geometric motifs using inlay and mosaic techniques. One sees the extensive use
of the <i>pietra dura</i> technique with
semi-precious stones, which was later employed at a much larger scale in the
Taj Mahal. Another important architectural milestone is the polychromatic
nature of the ornamentation. Jahangir’s influence can be seen in the choice of
Iranian motifs like wine goblets, bouquets and cut fruits. Don’t miss the
beautifully painted dome when you enter the tomb. It’s worn out, but still
displays some of the original colours – brilliant blue, turquoise, red and
gold.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HTF8_-xNpnU/Vcr8NPq-8qI/AAAAAAAAEEM/yDRJGasht5g/s1600/DSC_7546-processed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HTF8_-xNpnU/Vcr8NPq-8qI/AAAAAAAAEEM/yDRJGasht5g/s640/DSC_7546-processed.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Marble jaalis are used
strategically to create tailored light and shadows within, presenting a solemn
air in contrast to the almost cheery exteriors. Cheer we must, though, for this
path-breaking example of the second phase of Mughal Architecture. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SdomnWNAY2g/Vcr8JufHgqI/AAAAAAAAED0/9c1uZO9ZUmE/s1600/DSC_7535-processed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SdomnWNAY2g/Vcr8JufHgqI/AAAAAAAAED0/9c1uZO9ZUmE/s640/DSC_7535-processed.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">***</span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Architecture
is the least esoteric way for people to understand a time-period – it doesn’t
require knowledge of exotic languages needed to interpret written text, nor does
it need familiarity with technical details of art. Architecture conveys
messages across centuries without the need for sharing common ground. Agra
offers you tête-a-têtes with Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan; it is up to you to
accept the invitation.</span></span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Information & Tips:</span></span></b></div>
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</span><br />
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<a href="http://nomadandabag-guides.blogspot.com/2013/01/agra-information-tips.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">http://nomadandabag-guides.blogspot.com/2013/01/agra-information-tips.html</span></span></a><span style="color: #b45f06;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
Rajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18111356808647662012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704628884008719897.post-10191327159727182132015-08-01T14:48:00.001+05:302023-02-15T18:52:06.368+05:30Thadiyandamol Trek: the ground beneath my feet<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i><span style="background: white; color: #b45f06;">An unedited version of my story published in the August 2015
edition of Outlook Traveller</span></i></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnrugTOundIZp-4oYwdQRh02agYPtjmKpRu__8WKxnQICL5ktmhiEUeR-9PfWBSG0rcZ0KFcGPW0O3kelNhrcTsMpyELjQVimAhQfNNz55trtDfkN5fAvju9yuWYoQHXx9-uUxpzdajQ/s1600/Panorama+4-peak+near+drosera.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnrugTOundIZp-4oYwdQRh02agYPtjmKpRu__8WKxnQICL5ktmhiEUeR-9PfWBSG0rcZ0KFcGPW0O3kelNhrcTsMpyELjQVimAhQfNNz55trtDfkN5fAvju9yuWYoQHXx9-uUxpzdajQ/s640/Panorama+4-peak+near+drosera.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">A view of the summit of Thadiyandamol</span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">“Oops, sorry!” </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">was a
phrase I found myself constantly repeating throughout that day, as I dodged
people. All around me was the clackety-clack of trekking boots and poles, as
trekkers marched past in twos, threes, or fours, nodding at our group in
greeting. I almost felt guilty for not being purposeful enough - for not aiming
to reach the peak quickly - unlike those walking on. A few broke their march-past
to peer into whatever bush we were peering into. They’d see nothing, and walk
away with an indulgent smile and a slow shake of their head. Some, seeing me
sprawled on the ground, stopped to enquire if I was injured and needed help. </span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Thadiyandamol, Coorg’s highest peak at 5724 ft (1748 mts), is a favourite; enjoying its beautiful vistas and summiting it is on most trekkers’ wish-lists. Timing the trek too is important to many. I, however, had decided to stop and smell the roses - or the Kurinjis, in this case. What if I didn’t look at the views around me, but at the ground beneath my feet, for a change?</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Udtr-XTdsNA/VL9XwfQ4bkI/AAAAAAAAD0M/qJ55CSxYoqk/s1600/_DSC0530.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Udtr-XTdsNA/VL9XwfQ4bkI/AAAAAAAAD0M/qJ55CSxYoqk/s640/_DSC0530.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">The endangered Blue-eyed bush frog, also known locally as 'Neel-netra', endemic to the Western Ghats</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Rf6INmXIj0/VL9X9BXEUqI/AAAAAAAAD2E/UlYI2eIYn9E/s1600/_DSC0817.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Rf6INmXIj0/VL9X9BXEUqI/AAAAAAAAD2E/UlYI2eIYn9E/s320/_DSC0817.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">An endemic snail - the colourful 'Indrella ampulla'.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I was in Coorg just
on the heels of the monsoon, when an errant painter seemed to have run amok
with his bucket of green. Life-forms were undergoing changes on Thadiyandamol,
after the invigorating rain. Somewhere, a frog croaked to attract its mate. Yet
elsewhere, a snail moved at, well, snail’s pace, glistening raindrops riding
piggy-back on its shell. Picture-postcard streams emitted clichéd gurgles as
they swooshed around egg-smooth pebbles and seeped into parched crevices. A
plant that flowers once in twelve years awaited us, while a carnivorous plant lay
waiting for its next prey.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">A cold, damp morning
found our group of five at the beginning of the trekking route, in an open
clearing in the rainforest canopy, through which we locked eyes with an ominously
cloudy sky. Surrounded as the clearing was by some of the tall primary forest
trees which had survived human brutality, this area instantly became the object
of our affections. Rain the previous day
had made the ground slushy, and the morning stillness now reverberated with
sounds of the earth sucking our shoes in, followed by the curt popping of shoes
being released. Alert leeches scanned for heat and blood, clinging tenaciously
as we tried to prise them off. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fb0Rx_bxiJI/VL9XxpGiMqI/AAAAAAAAD0U/b8RnHFZ17Ys/s1600/_DSC0545.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fb0Rx_bxiJI/VL9XxpGiMqI/AAAAAAAAD0U/b8RnHFZ17Ys/s640/_DSC0545.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">The initial path of the trek</span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i26YHi-wtDA/VL9X-uEDSFI/AAAAAAAAD2U/wmvp0PeMZKM/s1600/_DSC9212.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i26YHi-wtDA/VL9X-uEDSFI/AAAAAAAAD2U/wmvp0PeMZKM/s400/_DSC9212.jpg" width="400" /></a><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">In a corner, a burst
of purple perked up the forest floor – Impatiens nodding away in the gentle
breeze. These bright flowers grow near water or in moist conditions, and are
endemic to the Western Ghats, of which Thadiyandamol is a part. An iridescent
damselfly and a sluggish snail later, our naturalist urged us to move ahead,
only because we needed time at hand for completing the trek before either the
rain appeared or the sun disappeared; at worst, both. If we made good time, we
could be slower on our way back, he promised. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tvHHnL7JADI/VL9Xyzh2ggI/AAAAAAAAD0c/fvJcloihKaA/s1600/_DSC0576.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tvHHnL7JADI/VL9Xyzh2ggI/AAAAAAAAD0c/fvJcloihKaA/s640/_DSC0576.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">The bright Impatiens. The ferns seen in this photograph are also typical of rainforest</span><wbr style="background-color: white;"></wbr><span style="background-color: white;">s.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 18pt;">The vistas along the
trek route were undeniably captivating; as we moved first through rainforests
and then through shola-grasslands, we were hard-pressed to look elsewhere. But
then, a sudden flash of colour would catch our eye, or that very faint call
would have us perk up our ears, and a search would ensue. The vegetation along
the path varied – some stretches had trees and plants densely packed on either
side, revealing spiders, grasshoppers, frogs or orchids, if we knew where to
look. Other stretches opened up on the valley side, offering sweeping panoramas
of the shola-grasslands, a characteristic forest type of the region, which
lends the hills the appearance of being cloaked in patterned green velvet.</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">These grasslands brought
us a variety of wildflowers and a surprise! Every twelve years, Kurinji plants
flower en masse, draping the hills with a purple carpet, a phenomenon which
currently relied solely on my imagination to visualise it. To help me along,
however, a couple of stray Kurinji had decided to be the delinquents of their
tribe, eliciting a jig out of me. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UJ8VXsLzdpU/VL9X4ZHxE_I/AAAAAAAAD1U/sGtT8nWepi0/s1600/_DSC0681.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UJ8VXsLzdpU/VL9X4ZHxE_I/AAAAAAAAD1U/sGtT8nWepi0/s640/_DSC0681.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Kurinjis, or </span><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">Neelakurinjis,
seen here in their habitat, with a dragonfly hovering over. These distinctive
purple flowers led to the Nilgiris being named so – blue mountains. </span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y3b_vAyohPE/VaiZXYS93WI/AAAAAAAAECE/vb-YamD0Nu0/s1600/_DSC8683.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y3b_vAyohPE/VaiZXYS93WI/AAAAAAAAECE/vb-YamD0Nu0/s400/_DSC8683.jpg" width="400" /></a><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The sudden
calls of the Bright-headed Cisticola – a bird as tiny as its name is long – was
all that was needed for our entire group to first break into a jig, and then a
jog, as we tried in vain to keep up with the hyperactive bird. By then, the sun
had reached its pinnacle, it had begun drizzling, and we had just reached past the
mid-point, identifiable by a big boulder on a fairly level ground. A
deliciously cold stream soothed our aching feet, as we energised ourselves with
lunch and some well-deserved rest before the steep and rocky last leg of the
trek.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aeDv04Kr6Wo/VL9X6Gtw26I/AAAAAAAAD1k/yhQtDgwgpEw/s1600/Panorama%2B2-way%2Bto%2Bthe%2Bpeak.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aeDv04Kr6Wo/VL9X6Gtw26I/AAAAAAAAD1k/yhQtDgwgpEw/s640/Panorama%2B2-way%2Bto%2Bthe%2Bpeak.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">A view from the latter part of the trek, where the sholas give way to grasslands</span><wbr style="background-color: white;"></wbr><span style="background-color: white;">. Trekkers, seen to the right, are a small blip in the vast landscape.</span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yS30L3qHExE/VL9X7Vq1T0I/AAAAAAAAD10/1hk_yBxuglI/s1600/_DSC0766.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yS30L3qHExE/VL9X7Vq1T0I/AAAAAAAAD10/1hk_yBxuglI/s640/_DSC0766.jpg" width="424" /></a><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Nearing the summit,
we stopped yet again. Sure, it helped us catch our breath from the climb, but,
more importantly, it brought us face to face with our most prized sighting –
the carnivorous plant, Drosera. Calling it a ‘sighting’ is probably a stretch –
the species found here is smaller than blades of grass, barely discernible to
the naked eye. The ingenuity of a plant this size is mind-boggling – rather
than being easy prey, it is actually a predator. Each ‘leaf’ has glandular tentacles which are
topped with globules of sticky secretion. Assuming these to be dew, insects get
stuck to the plant, ending up as its food. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">We would have missed
all this drama, had we just trekked past. Lying down on the ground had lent a
new perspective – meeting Thadiyandamol’s inhabitants. They hear the grasslands perform a
synchronized sweep in that manic, midnight wind. They live under a sky which
stars light up with different patterns each night. They witness Thadiyandamol disappearing
into the morning mist, only to emerge slowly later, leaving early-bird trekkers
sighing at the poetry of it all.</span><br /><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xa-8ZHklusY/VL9X0XhVoBI/AAAAAAAAD0s/XTTqi3j7KFM/s1600/_DSC0602.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xa-8ZHklusY/VL9X0XhVoBI/AAAAAAAAD0s/XTTqi3j7KFM/s640/_DSC0602.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">Robberflies, mating</span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Back from the trek, lying
supine on our guest-house’s terrace, we plucked leeches off our clothing –
sometimes stomachs and necks too - with the nonchalance of seasoned ground
crawlers. My energy now draining as fast as the setting sun, I succumbed to the
evening breeze lulling me into a slumber.</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 18pt;">In my mental map of
the trek route now are numerous landmarks; what was at the beginning of the
trek just an indistinct swathe of green, now has memories imprinted on it. To the
people I meet, my conversations about ‘The bush where we saw the orange
orchid’, ‘that puddle where the frog was half-submerged’ or ‘that rotten trunk
where the sparkling fungus grew’ may sound like ramblings of an unhinged mind, but
to me, they are indispensable parts of my Harry Potter-esque Pensieve, taking me back to
Thadiyandamol. To that exact spot and that exact moment in time. To relive the
trek, until I add new memories and markers from my next. </span><br /><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ae5hu3XrH64/VL9YAxhW_1I/AAAAAAAAD2s/wA8n5Pk7RfY/s1600/_DSC0893.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ae5hu3XrH64/VL9YAxhW_1I/AAAAAAAAD2s/wA8n5Pk7RfY/s640/_DSC0893.jpg" width="422" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Some trees at the base of Thadiyanda</span><wbr style="background-color: white;"></wbr><span style="background-color: white;">mol yield surprising varieties of fungi, like this one</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4mg7y-rd678/VL9YBQT6oOI/AAAAAAAAD20/UnmvRTrwB_E/s1600/_DSC0913.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4mg7y-rd678/VL9YBQT6oOI/AAAAAAAAD20/UnmvRTrwB_E/s640/_DSC0913.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">The area around Thadiyanda</span><wbr style="background-color: white;"></wbr><span style="background-color: white;">mol is host to a variety of butterflie</span><wbr style="background-color: white;"></wbr><span style="background-color: white;">s, and their colourful caterpilla</span><wbr style="background-color: white;"></wbr><span style="background-color: white;">rs can often be spotted feeding on suitable plants.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">For information about the trek and my tips, read this: </span><br />
<a href="http://nomadandabag-guides.blogspot.com/2015/08/thadiyandamol-trek-information-tips.html" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">http://nomadandabag-guides.blogspot.com/2015/08/thadiyandamol-trek-information-tips.html</span></a><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="line-height: 18pt;"></span></div>
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Rajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18111356808647662012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704628884008719897.post-69678481209060647612015-02-17T11:22:00.001+05:302022-07-24T20:15:57.859+05:30Celebrating Bangalore’s Trees<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Written about a ficus tree at
NGMA, Bangalore, to accompany a photograph by </span><a href="http://kalyanvarma.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Kalyan Varma</span></a><span style="color: #b45f06;">, displayed as the
centrepiece at the 2nd edition of </span><a href="http://neralu.in/" style="color: #b45f06;" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: none;">Neralu</span></a><span style="color: #b45f06;">, Bangalore’s annual tree festival</span></span></span></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtNGyUsuTLfMqAUq7x9cVzK5FSJIctWVXvRl5n8fv7rgd99SpsSIoilFetD4eiNPqYv_9o2kJJ-41a_9LTZLrB6KTkTPR8jZ9auWlEHeHc6gRxOAclzC7WDsF5xnzdAY0clxSJb5wjrA/s1600/tree+1.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtNGyUsuTLfMqAUq7x9cVzK5FSJIctWVXvRl5n8fv7rgd99SpsSIoilFetD4eiNPqYv_9o2kJJ-41a_9LTZLrB6KTkTPR8jZ9auWlEHeHc6gRxOAclzC7WDsF5xnzdAY0clxSJb5wjrA/s1600/tree+1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo copyright: Raji Sunderkrishnan</span></td></tr>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I was different. I could sense it.</span></b><br />
<b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></b>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Each time my roots were clipped, I didn’t
buckle and fall. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I moulded myself differently. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I sought the sky. My connection with the earth
changed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">But I found a way to stay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">It
made me different. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I saw it in the eyes of the gardener who tended
to me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I heard it in the whispers of the people who
saw me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I felt it from looking at the trees around me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I
told myself - “So what if I’m different?”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">So what if children don’t swing from my roots? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">So what if people don’t worship under my
canopy?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">My
heart is the same as any other.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I love it when you come seeking the patterns I
make on the ground.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Shade, you call it. <i>Neralu.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I love sheltering the nuts the tiny squirrels trust
me with. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I love the feel of an aching back resting against
my gnarled trunk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I wish I could make your pain go away. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I am
always back-lit, photographers say.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I say I’m shielding you from the harsh sunlight.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">The sun is always behind me. I have your back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Come, enjoy a nap beneath me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I promise you - you won’t need a photograph to
remember me by. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Don’t
judge me by my appearance. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I have the same love to give you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I make you look up - at the sky beyond me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">A sky you sometimes forget to look at.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">It’s
been over 100 years.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I now see love in your eyes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">My difference no longer makes a difference.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">You love me as you love any other tree.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">For that, I love you even more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I’ve
learnt from my life. I wouldn’t swap it for anything.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">It’s okay to be different. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">People will eventually love you for who you
are. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Even if they don’t, keep standing tall and
proud. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Be there for them when they need you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Give them your love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Don’t give up when your wings are clipped; find
a way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">And reach for the skies. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<br /></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">This over-100-year-old ficus tree at the National
Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Bangalore, is one of the many beautiful trees
found in Bangalore. Whether you are a nature lover or are simply looking for a
different experience in Bangalore, tree walks can be an enjoyable and off-beat addition
to your itinerary. These are usually informally planned on weekends, by the
city’s active naturalist community. However, planned tree walks can also be
booked at: </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.bangalorewalks.com/html/green-heritage-walk.html" target="_blank"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #b45f06;">http://www.bangalorewalks.com/html/green-heritage-walk.html</span></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">or</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.intachblr.org/parichay.php" target="_blank"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #b45f06;">http://www.intachblr.org/parichay.php</span></a></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Both agencies are highly recommended: for visitors to
Bangalore, as well as locals looking to know their city better.</span></span></div>
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<br />
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<br /></div>
</div>
Rajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18111356808647662012noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704628884008719897.post-11252172418133546782015-02-11T16:56:00.003+05:302023-02-11T13:01:30.593+05:30Celebrating Shade<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br /></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">A short note about shade, written to accompany a large print of a photograph by </span><a href="http://www.naturelyrics.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Ganesh Shankar</span></a><span style="color: #b45f06;">, displayed at the 2</span><sup style="color: #b45f06;">nd</sup><span style="color: #b45f06;">
edition of </span><a href="http://neralu.in/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06;">Neralu</span></a><span style="color: #b45f06;">,</span><span style="color: #b45f06;"> Bangalore’s annual tree festival</span></i></span></span></div>
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<br />
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</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xFT0NN99YK6_p0pdvAH_2qCJ2I8piVRfTkrvwNJcgHyCDf2dyYsiMX8Bka56w-ZW9q7a1H6pkEBpRXsSBgAcvSK41PmjXssEJPUNu87PqpbtmLbR5NnFDyUfbWEFi_46tN-0hwvk9g/s1600/_DSC6034.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xFT0NN99YK6_p0pdvAH_2qCJ2I8piVRfTkrvwNJcgHyCDf2dyYsiMX8Bka56w-ZW9q7a1H6pkEBpRXsSBgAcvSK41PmjXssEJPUNu87PqpbtmLbR5NnFDyUfbWEFi_46tN-0hwvk9g/s1600/_DSC6034.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">The shade of this tree at Halebidu, Karnataka, attracts a lot of afternoon visitors</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></span>
<br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></span>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;"><span>Shade</span> </span></b><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="line-height: 18.4px; text-align: justify;">is why </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Sonali chooses that large
Gulmohar to stand under, preferring to run the short distance to the actual
bus-stop once she spots her office bus rumbling down the dusty road each
sweltering morning.</span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">Neralu</span></i></b><span style="line-height: 115%;"> is
what makes Basavaraja smile and take off his sunglasses, as he drives through a
stretch of highway surprisingly lined with tamarind trees, which embrace each
other across the otherwise-barren route.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">Chaaya</span></i></b><span style="line-height: 115%;"> from
the colourful semal tree is what tempts Bijoya into playing a few more rounds
of hop-scotch, not heeding to the sternly clanging recess bell.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">Tanal</span></i></b><span style="line-height: 115%;"> is why
Kuttan relaxes under a cluster of coconut trees when he returns from a hectic
morning of fishing, sitting there to eat lunch, keeping an eye on his boat
moored on the beach.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">Savali</span></i></b><span style="line-height: 115%;"> helps
complete Nitin’s summer afternoon fun, of stealing mangoes from Bhonsle kaka’s
orchard and slurping the pulp out of them, seated under the very same tree.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">Nida </span></i></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">is
what draws Gowramma to the banyan tree for a spot of gossip with friends, after
a tiring day walking around parts of Kakinada, selling home-made <i>khajas</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">Chaanv </span></i></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">is what
makes the Banbehi tigress at Bandhavgarh crawl into a bamboo grove in the
afternoon, to escape the unforgiving summer sun.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">Nizhal </span></i></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">is
what momentarily cools down Senthil’s blistered feet, as he seeks refuge after
hopping across the scorching stones at the Madurai Meenakshi Temple in the
afternoon.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">Saaya</span></i></b><span style="line-height: 115%;"> gently
nudges Ismail’s eyelids shut, and he naps unawares, though he only meant to
rest under that Neem tree for five minutes before he pushed his guava cart
ahead.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Celebrate shade in all its forms.
Celebrate Neralu.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><br /></div>
</div>
Rajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18111356808647662012noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704628884008719897.post-22225782632073145972014-12-31T22:58:00.000+05:302020-06-17T18:04:25.585+05:302014 Travel Calendar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 18pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 18pt;">I’d discovered the
pleasures of road-trips last year, despite being an anxious road traveller.
This year, my romance with asphalt, dust and gravel continued. However, 2014 also
led to newer discoveries and experiences - surprise, surprise – solo travel!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I know what you’re
thinking: solo travel isn’t very unusual or path-breaking for many travellers.
So, why the hullabaloo? For starters, despite being in my thirties, I’ve never
taken a holiday without company. Let alone holiday, I’m the kind of person who is
uncomfortable eating alone at a restaurant. And though I love my moments of
solitude on holidays, I enjoy having just the right company in that solitude,
to chat with or share experiences with. Now, having overcome my misgivings and travelled
solo, I would happily do it all over again. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On the whole, travel
has been very sparse in 2014. I miss those years when I travelled almost every other
month. However, this break from travel was probably a blessing in disguise – it
allowed me to process my backlog of images from last year, as well as write
many stories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Sri Lanka</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This was a
long-awaited trip to celebrate a momentous milestone. The date for this was
hence set in stone – Jan 2014. After a lot of discussions based on our
interest, weather suitability in Jan, ease of getting a visa etc, hubby and I
zeroed in on Sri Lanka. This misleadingly tiny island effortlessly sustained
our interest for 3 weeks, during which we explored west, south and central Sri
Lanka. Lovely weather, incredibly friendly locals, scenic landscapes, fiery local
cuisine and lots of outdoorsy activities left us with lingering memories. Hiring
a car and driving around Sri Lanka was one of the best decisions we made; it
was a great way to experience local culture and make serendipitous discoveries
at nondescript little villages and towns.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZtvxUGvf2lE/VKQvKcgMnLI/AAAAAAAADzk/HEK45uPh8i8/s1600/Sigiriya%2Bpanorama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZtvxUGvf2lE/VKQvKcgMnLI/AAAAAAAADzk/HEK45uPh8i8/s1600/Sigiriya%2Bpanorama.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My story about wildlife in Sri Lanka: </span></o:p><br />
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2015/10/wild-postcards-from-sri-lanka.html" target="_blank">http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2015/10/wild-postcards-from-sri-lanka.html</a></span><br />
<o:p><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p>
<o:p><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">USA</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">An emotional
brother. A benevolent visa officer. Generous parents. Timely summer break in
the college I teach at - these sudden turn of events gave me 5 weeks of a
much-unexpected holiday, beginning with my brother's graduation. To be frank, USA was nowhere in the top half of my
travel wish-list. However, after crisscrossing the country solo, visiting
Atlanta, San Francisco, Yosemite National Park, Chicago, Philadelphia, the
Poconos, New York, Boston, New Jersey, Atlantic City and New Hope, I ate humble
pie – I thoroughly enjoyed the country! I napped in parks, fought pizza wars in
Chicago, star-gazed in Yosemite at midnight, stood through the sun-roof of a
speeding car, fought over that last cronut, got drenched in fog in SF, pub-hopped
in Boston on a weeknight, lived on a couch in New York, and made jam using
berries I plucked – a few of the varied experiences I had. Travelling by
intercity trains and buses allowed me to strike up interesting conversations. I
walked for an average of 8 hours every day, exploring each city. This, I think,
is the primary reason I enjoyed this trip – the experience on foot is unlike
any other. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Dubare, Coorg</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This was my
umpteenth visit to the region of Coorg. I didn’t have high expectations from
this trip, based on glimpses I’d had of Dubare. Staying by the river Cauvery, I
sought out the lesser-known experiences Coorg had to offer. And, Dubare proved
to be a pleasant surprise – a little bit of river, some wildlife, a few
dilapidated monuments, and lots of lore and coffee.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hlzz3OjXjW8/VKQvJmrcseI/AAAAAAAADzc/6I2erLnhTSQ/s1600/_DSC5690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hlzz3OjXjW8/VKQvJmrcseI/AAAAAAAADzc/6I2erLnhTSQ/s1600/_DSC5690.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Read about this
trip: <a href="http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2014/12/a-river-runs-through-it.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2014/12/a-river-runs-through-it.html</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Rajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18111356808647662012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704628884008719897.post-20997887257393306712014-12-02T13:11:00.001+05:302023-02-15T18:54:33.236+05:30A River Runs Through It<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="color: #e36c0a; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Published in
the 01 Dec 2014 edition of www.jlrexplore.com, a nature and wildlife-specific website.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Nanjaraja, the king of Nanjarayapatna, had many
enemies. In a dream, he was told that his troubles would vanish if he built a
temple in a day. The task seemed impossible, but if anybody had a chance of
doing it, it was the masterful Chola architects. They were pressed into service
and set about achieving the deadline, working through the night. An errant
rooster crowed earlier than usual, and the Chola builders left, assuming it was
daybreak. A bridge - presumably across the river Cauvery - remained unfinished.
Nobody knows if Nanjaraja’s fortunes reversed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Fast forward five hundred years - Tipu Sultan’s
pillaging army found neither gold nor gems in that temple, known as
Veerabhadreshwara temple. Uninterested, they left it half-destroyed, saying “We’ll
return another time to do this”, or, “We’ll come <i>dubara</i>”, giving Dubare forest its name.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gw3PiZdLMDo/VHqoCu8ApII/AAAAAAAADwA/6RRpwTnKcmg/s1600/_DSC5979.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gw3PiZdLMDo/VHqoCu8ApII/AAAAAAAADwA/6RRpwTnKcmg/s1600/_DSC5979.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">The
ruins of Veerabhadreshwara temple on the road leading to Dubare</span></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">A couple of centuries after Tipu Sultan, I packed my
suitcase with equal disinterest; I threw in a few long-pending books, confident
of finishing them that weekend. Being a seasoned, four-prior-holidays-in-Coorg
veteran was reason enough for me to have my nose up in the air - I’d already
had a ‘stay in a home-stay’ holiday; I was also done with my ‘pamper yourself in
one of Coorg’s resorts’ holiday; I’d also had the rather rare ‘stay with your
coffee plantation owner friend’ weekend. All the famous sights had already been
seen – Bylakuppe, Abbey falls, Raja’s seat, Omkareshwara temple, elephant
bathing at Dubare, Talacauvery. Why, I’d been on a trekking holiday to
Thadiyandamol too. I sighed, kicking myself for not planning to go to a new
destination. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Of course, lying around reading books with an
endless supply of coffee can never be too bad, I consoled myself. My other-half
(henceforth OH) had no such motivations for returning to Coorg; he staunchly
refused to join me. I unabashedly lied to him, promising we’d spend all three
days exploring facets of Coorg we’d never seen before. As we waited by the
Cauvery on the bank opposite the Dubare Elephant Camp, for the Jungle Lodges’
boat to pick us up, I wondered how much time I had before my deception was
exposed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NLn0Pn5nwww/VHqn8yAcOsI/AAAAAAAADvQ/I1g1DutUjrQ/s1600/_DSC5913.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NLn0Pn5nwww/VHqn8yAcOsI/AAAAAAAADvQ/I1g1DutUjrQ/s1600/_DSC5913.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">The
landing dock at JLR Dubare, by the Cauvery</span></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Three days later, OH gently steers our car over a
bad stretch of road, to prevent the cheap liquor bottles filled to the brim
with luscious Coorgi honey from clanging into each other and breaking. I glance
at him for a ‘holiday indicator’ expression that is usually writ large at the
end of each trip - a broad grin is plastered over his face.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><i>Me:</i></b><i> Enjoyed
breakfast today, huh? You’re smiling.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><i>OH:</i></b><i> Yeah, the
neer dosas were melt-in-your-mouth. And, I’m going to miss this coffee! (glaring
at a honking car and frowning) Well, we better get used to our return to the
urban jungle.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><i>Me:</i></b><i> So you’re
glad you tagged along? You almost didn’t!<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><i>OH:</i></b><i> I frankly
didn’t expect the cottages at the JLR property to be set by a peaceful side of
the river. I was half-expecting screaming crowds - bathing elephants or boating
- right outside my room. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><i>Me:</i></b><i> I agree; this
was a pleasant surprise. And who knew the forest began in their backyard! I was
more thrilled with our morning walks than the jeep safaris, though. Once Putta
Naik reassured me about being on foot in elephant territory, the plants,
spiders, damselflies and other critters had my undivided attention. I’ve never
spent ten minutes watching a spider spin its web!<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r2opUy7MPmI/VHqn7sqjSxI/AAAAAAAADvI/m8OVJoICpns/s1600/_DSC5908.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r2opUy7MPmI/VHqn7sqjSxI/AAAAAAAADvI/m8OVJoICpns/s1600/_DSC5908.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">A
nature walk in Dubare, with the river for company</span></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><i>OH:</i></b><i> (braking
suddenly) We’re almost at the turnoff to Chiklihole…are you sure you don’t want
to check if the view today is better? <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Chiklihole, a reservoir, is one of Dubare’s little-known
secrets. When we’d visited the day before, the weather had been moody. The
water was a still, lacklustre sheet, with a mist-covered backdrop. The grey
monotone of both the sky and the reservoir offset the vivid colours of the
fishing coracles - not your quintessential picture-postcard vista, but,
dramatic enough to command attention. The clouds, unfortunately, decided to
deny us the spectacular sunset the locals had raved about. I could have spent
many hours shooting the breeze, seated on the coarse stones of the humongous
embankment, except, OH had dragged me away. For a good cause, though; I would
have missed the fish auction if he hadn’t. Grown men running at break-neck
speed, all for snapping up some fish, is not an everyday sight. At one point,
two men almost got into blows over a beauty; egged on by their respective
friends, they persisted for many minutes, until the fishermen intervened to
seal the deal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WWhZFdN87BI/VHqn0shz46I/AAAAAAAADuI/P4bMzomnL4k/s1600/_DSC5595.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WWhZFdN87BI/VHqn0shz46I/AAAAAAAADuI/P4bMzomnL4k/s1600/_DSC5595.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Fishermen and their fishing coracles, at Chiklihole reservoir</span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dqu_YVtrdrc/VHq3wu-QpHI/AAAAAAAADys/wM9qy8l9nhU/s1600/_DSC5736.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dqu_YVtrdrc/VHq3wu-QpHI/AAAAAAAADys/wM9qy8l9nhU/s1600/_DSC5736.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><i>OH:</i></b><i> (recollecting
the fish-war) The locals sure seem to love their fish!<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><i>Me:</i></b><i> Fish, and
spices! Remember, Harsha showed us those deceptively small Gandhari chillies in
his plantation? He was horrified when I said I wanted to taste one; he quietly
steered me away from those bushes.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><i>OH:</i></b><i> (laughing)
You would have been blinded like Gandhari, had you eaten one. I’m glad you
forced me to visit a plantation – I feel like a pro, being able to tell the
difference between Arabica and Robusta. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0CY45sDrii4/VHqnyCnm5oI/AAAAAAAADtw/NCOWmWDcKJI/s1600/_DSC5542.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0CY45sDrii4/VHqnyCnm5oI/AAAAAAAADtw/NCOWmWDcKJI/s1600/_DSC5542.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Coffee beans, in various stages of drying</span></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Not only was OH happy, spurred by Harsha (our guide),
he had even plucked fresh pepper, vowing to make some pickle once home. Harsha and
his family invest a lot of time and energy looking after their coffee plantation,
like many Kodavas do. It isn’t easy,
despite having sprinklers for watering the plants. Keeping them pest-free and
harvesting the beans when just right is hard work. Not all creatures are pests,
though; their plantation is home to a host of critters which are welcome – we
spotted giant wood-spiders and well-camouflaged toads too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mbH16gOsxD4/VHqnzPwJlsI/AAAAAAAADt4/1-tLBGp1AW8/s1600/_DSC5566.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mbH16gOsxD4/VHqnzPwJlsI/AAAAAAAADt4/1-tLBGp1AW8/s1600/_DSC5566.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Camouflaged toad in the coffee plantation</span></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><i>Me:</i></b><i> Until
Harsha told me, I didn’t know that spiders were such an integral part of coffee
plantations.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><i>OH:</i></b><i> For that
matter, wildlife seems so inseparable from Coorg. Even if you are not looking
for wildlife, it finds you. Like when you saw an Indrella ampulla on the compound
wall of a devara kadu.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><i>Me:</i></b><i> Or when I
narrowly missed stepping over the bracket fungi in the devara kadu at
Chettalli. I’m so happy we could see a few of these sacred groves.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I hadn’t known about <i>devara kadus</i> until I read an article some months ago. These forest
patches have survived the onslaught of development, as sacred groves. Some remain
in their primal form under trees, while others are being ‘developed’, with
small temple-like structures being built. This trip had allowed me to peek into
this spiritual side of life in Coorg. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iAisIxWWi6g/VHqn4R77wRI/AAAAAAAADuo/KhAJkJCyXtg/s1600/_DSC5691.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iAisIxWWi6g/VHqn4R77wRI/AAAAAAAADuo/KhAJkJCyXtg/s1600/_DSC5691.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">Bracket fungi and a stream, in a </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">devara kadu</i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"> by the road, at Chettalli</span></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><i>OH:</i></b><i> The next time
we visit, we must time it to witness ritual dances at these devara kadus. Or probably visit in March, when the grand
puja is conducted at the Veerabhadreshwara temple - with priests coming from
all over Karnataka, it promises to be festive.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><i>Me:</i></b><i> I wouldn’t
mind another visit. I still need to experiment with photographing star trails.
I am unhappy with the results this time, but we should get clear skies once this
monsoon passes. You really missed experiencing midnight by the river!<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I had spent many hours at night waiting by the
river, hoping for the skies to clear. The riverside took on a different
character, as the cobalt blue of dusk slowly turned inky. With people tucked
away in their homes and hotels, a permeating silence descended on the Cauvery -
one that allowed me to hear the gentle sloshing of the currents. Curious to see
how the transformation progressed, I awoke at 2 am, only to find the landscape
mist-covered and eerily beautiful, bathed in bluish-white moonlight. Though it
felt too spooky for a walk, the cottage’s balcony had been perfect to lounge
in, at that time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hu5XIPCG39M/VHqoBcXKTAI/AAAAAAAADv4/pz9IXq5sLzw/s1600/_DSC5975.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hu5XIPCG39M/VHqoBcXKTAI/AAAAAAAADv4/pz9IXq5sLzw/s1600/_DSC5975.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">River-side
cottages at JLR Dubare</span></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><i>OH:</i></b><i> (smiling) I
may have had the energy to wake up in the middle of the night, if I hadn’t
spent all evening chasing you around Madikeri’s buildings. You architects are
magnetically attracted to buildings, aren’t you?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><i>Me:</i></b><i> (embarrassed
and defensive) You enjoyed those monuments as much as I did! The Madikeri
fort’s upkeep is a little disappointing, but walking on the moss-covered ramparts,
taking in the town’s views, made up for it. Very few visitors seem to enjoy it,
though.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><i>OH:</i></b><i> And even
fewer visit Gaddige. The tombs may be decrepit, but their location is
beautiful. So is some of the architectural detailing.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yEjuu2lY9vE/VHqn3RyfX2I/AAAAAAAADug/LnXfJmLgj4I/s1600/_DSC5668.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yEjuu2lY9vE/VHqn3RyfX2I/AAAAAAAADug/LnXfJmLgj4I/s1600/_DSC5668.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">Moss-covered Madikeri Fort</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xX0O7f5j9hE/VHqn2X3mHZI/AAAAAAAADuY/9dRtig3runs/s1600/_DSC5656.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xX0O7f5j9hE/VHqn2X3mHZI/AAAAAAAADuY/9dRtig3runs/s1600/_DSC5656.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">Kings’ tombs, called ‘Gaddige’, set on an elevated patch of land in the middle of bustling Madikeri</span></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><i>Me:</i></b><i> (laughing)
Spoken like an architect’s husband! If only I were born a century ago, we could
have lived in a gorgeous ‘Ain Mane’. We were lucky to even stumble upon one of
these ancestral houses – most have been demolished to make way for newer homes.
<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dzR_MwQLK-E/VHqn5CjpJaI/AAAAAAAADuw/wBg6n12BAp8/s1600/_DSC5723.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dzR_MwQLK-E/VHqn5CjpJaI/AAAAAAAADuw/wBg6n12BAp8/s1600/_DSC5723.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A typical Kodava ‘Ain Mane’</span></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Unlike Tipu’s demolishing soldiers who never
returned, OH sheepishly agrees that Coorg definitely merits repeat visits. He still
needs to ride down the Cauvery in a coracle. And, Putta Naik, our naturalist,
has promised to show us many more critters and interesting insect-behaviour
within the Jungle Lodges property. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gZEOiJUqIww/VHqn6qQRaRI/AAAAAAAADvA/d5aTxDTSpCE/s1600/_DSC5879.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gZEOiJUqIww/VHqn6qQRaRI/AAAAAAAADvA/d5aTxDTSpCE/s1600/_DSC5879.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A leaf-hopper, seen during a nature walk</span></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I, however, had ended my holiday floating in a
coracle amidst cheery, bright water lilies, past the resort’s <i>gol-ghar</i>, waving to OH, who had opted
for a head start on breakfast. There, in that coracle, I reminded myself - even
as a by-now-five-holiday veteran, I have more to seek out in Coorg, if I do
come, ‘<i>dubare</i>’. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">P.S: My books did not see the outside of my
suitcase. Coorg had had the last laugh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rk-VA5PDwZA/VHqn_cSa7GI/AAAAAAAADvo/5kYIwvgRoeg/s1600/_DSC5967.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rk-VA5PDwZA/VHqn_cSa7GI/AAAAAAAADvo/5kYIwvgRoeg/s1600/_DSC5967.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Water lilies and a dragonfly</span></span></td></tr>
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Rajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18111356808647662012noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704628884008719897.post-68756767870602205212014-11-25T16:19:00.002+05:302020-09-16T12:40:39.559+05:30A Sliver of a Memory, a Smile, and a Prayer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-idcnZChU3EE-c-03fy3L3tvfNfI_gaHn1STiH18N2a74mR8PJU9baSmVN-XKQ3WXyhW3SoFIrdbGLwmyqhx7TJsROcRUPFwYivUtj07ot1UyR-TarZp-sjhKLTzeyEh4_TMMjaVRFQ/s1600/DSC_0158+copy-01.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-idcnZChU3EE-c-03fy3L3tvfNfI_gaHn1STiH18N2a74mR8PJU9baSmVN-XKQ3WXyhW3SoFIrdbGLwmyqhx7TJsROcRUPFwYivUtj07ot1UyR-TarZp-sjhKLTzeyEh4_TMMjaVRFQ/s640/DSC_0158+copy-01.jpeg" width="428" /></a></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It was many moons ago.</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Yet, this memory unfailingly visits every
winter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The fire crackled deliciously against an inky
blue sky. Lured by the promise of heat, I’d move in too close, only to have a
delinquent strand of wool from my sweater singe with a hiss, pushing me back in
alarm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i>Amma</i> - the matriarch of my Lepcha host family - </span>and I were having a conversation.</div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">We paused often, to sip some potent <i>chaang</i> and nibble on hot <i>pakodas</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Her arthritis bothered her, she said; the cold weather
didn’t help. She was disdainful that she now sat on chairs. A rug on the floor
had been her favourite perch. "I felt connected" she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I spoke about my visit to Gurudongmar Lake, a
spiritual journey for the locals. <i>Amma</i>
wondered if the weather hadn’t been too inhospitable. "Even we don’t visit in
winter." </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">"Did you pray for a son?"</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I burst out laughing. <i>Amma</i> joined me with a full-throated laugh, her crinkled skin folding
into an intricate origami. The rarity of her laughter brought one of her daughters running. She
smiled and placed her palm on <i>amma’s</i>
shoulders, before returning to the kitchen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i>Amma </i>spoke the language of the
Lepchas. And only that. I, the traveller, spoke English and Hindi. And only that. </span>Yet we conversed each evening, by the fire - the
only time she allowed herself a break from chores. Mt. Khangchendzonga, benevolent to her children and
ruthless to those who trespassed, towered over us.</div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Yes, this memory unfailingly visits every
winter. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Dzongu - a region ravaged by the construction
of a hydel power plant, yet, tenacious.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Khangchendzonga - the guardian mother of
Dzongu, and the Lepchas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Dzongu, whose river was soon to be silenced,
disappearing underground to provide electricity for bustling cities far, far
away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I, living in one of those bustling cities,
often wondering whether Dzongu survived.</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Unfailingly, every winter, it comes back to me.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
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Rajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18111356808647662012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704628884008719897.post-18425210674904288952014-11-01T10:00:00.001+05:302023-02-15T18:57:24.830+05:30Kambala: Race of the Titans<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i><span style="background: white;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">An unedited version of my story published in the November
2014 edition of Outlook Traveller</span></span></i><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">The starting gong is
sounded. Sharad’s staccato mumbling drones on in the background “1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-1-2…”
Sitting on my haunches, I feel my heart start to thump - slowly at first and
pounding soon after. My camera’s cross-hair aligned perfectly in front of me,
my hand subconsciously fires shots in rapid succession. The commentator is
narrating second-by-second happenings at a pitch which is getting higher by the
minute, and may soon be heard only by canines. My brain sends me urgent signals
to get up and run, but my legs remain rooted. Sharad’s mumbling has reached a
furious crescendo as he yells “Oh, come on! 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9…faster!!” Through
the viewfinder, I can see the hitherto dot-like man and bullocks run towards
me, growing larger by the second, until I can see details of the bullocks’
ornaments. Sweat pouring down my forehead in rivulets and my palms sweaty, my
eyes widen - fear finally strikes.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">“About time,” thinks
my brain, jostling my legs into action. I spring up like a gazelle—fear
endowing me with a surprising nimbleness—and run for dear life, without looking
back. People around me are running too, in all directions. We hear thunderous
applause and much screaming. I stop, look back and wipe my face. The adrenaline
rush makes me return to my spot; I sit on my haunches yet again. Sharad’s hand
fiercely grips the timer, ready to press the button yet again. We both squint
at the horizon, in eager anticipation of the next run.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I was witnessing a Kambala—a
race run by bullocks with their runners, a sport born out of seasonal farming
schedules—with mixed feelings. The animal rights proponent in me told me that I
should be shunning it. The culture enthusiast in me was piqued by the rituals
and the sheer muscle-power involved. Eventually, not wanting an experience coloured
by judgements, as often happens to a person from an alien social context, my
first avatar was vetoed out.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Southern coastal
Karnataka, also known as Tulu-nadu locally, is predominantly a fishing and farming
belt, growing paddy, to be precise. Paddy is harvested October onwards, with
sowing beginning from March, leaving fields cyclically bare between November
and March, when farmers take a break from their hectic schedules, and
apparently often pass time by running their bullocks in the slushy fields. Why
wait for the farming season to pause? Even at the end of a long, tiring day,
they would sprint home together, in anticipation of much-needed rest. A related belief is that the bullocks are
made to run in their fields to thank the gods for keeping them in good health, and
hence, capable of running. Yet another theory is that bullock racing evolved as
a royal pastime, many centuries ago. Whatever the origin, in its current
avatar, Kambala also doubles up as a competitive sport. There are various categories
of races: to qualify, a bullock pair and their runner run together to aim for
the fastest timing, or, two pairs with their runners compete against each other
on parallel tracks. Because the races are held in paddy fields, often in tracks
specifically built for the purpose, they are a long walk away from the nearest
road. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">This path, donning a festive look with stalls of food and games, throws
many a curious sight my way. Drums herald the arrival of teams from other
villages, dressed in bright team T-shirts. Their lorries form impromptu dressing
rooms for their bullocks, the stars of the show, being lovingly massaged and painstakingly
ornamented, using mirrors, feathers or coloured rope.<span style="color: #0070c0;">
</span>Nearby, a couple of men don the grease-paint, readying themselves for
their dance later in the morning, which symbolises chasing evil away. </span></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Families make a day of the festivities, but strangely, most women seem to
disappear before they reach the Kambala track; with such few women spectators,
a lot of the locals are inquisitive about my presence, with many going out of
their way to make me comfortable.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Though Kambala isn’t
as commercialised as you’d expect, it has definitely grown beyond the erstwhile
humble prizes of fruits, coconuts or other farmed goods; cash and gold often
change hands nowadays. Good runners are sought-after and lead a life of
prestige - Sharad, who is timing his brother’s race, has a lot of hopes pinned
on him. These runners—lithe, well-oiled, and sporting jealousy-inducing toned
bodies—power their way through the slush, holding sway over the proceedings
like nobody else.</span><span style="color: #0070c0;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">As I’m speaking to
Sharad, a sudden, deafening trumpet behind me startles me out of my skin.
Amidst peals of laughter from the crowd, I turn around to photograph the
offending musician, who offers me a split-second sheepish grin before solemnly launching
into an upbeat melody accompanied by other assorted trumpets, bugles, and even
a <i>nadaswaram</i>. An intrinsic part of Kambala,
music entertains people during breaks: breaks, because readying these massive water-buffalo,
each weighing a few tonnes, for their run, is no mean feat. In these gaps of almost
ten minutes between races, the bovines are led down the finishing slope towards
the starting point, with much fanfare and music. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Rapid-fire Tulu orchestrates the frenzied activities around the starting
point - words of encouragement to teams readying for their run, soothing words
to buffalo being cooled down post-race by jets of water, and the breathless
words of the previous race’s runner, quickly discussing his performance with
his team. Amidst this cacophony are seemingly grinning buffalo, as a referee
intently takes stock of the bovines’ teeth—yellow, brown, black, sometimes,
missing altogether—and makes a quick decision categorising the animal as junior
or senior. </span></span><br /><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Only senior buffalo are considered privileged enough for certain races; a
roar from the crowd tells me that one such category, where the runner balances
himself on one leg on a cube of wood tethered to the buffalo’s yoke, is about
to begin. Even as I gape at the acrobatics involved, water gushes up as a jet
through a hole in the block, spraying spectators in the bargain. The jet has
touched one of the many banners tied across the track as height markers,
declaring the team victorious.</span></span><br /><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">As the sun slides
its way to the horizon, peeking occasionally between swaying palm fronds, unnaturally
strong yellow floodlights are pressed into service to simulate daylight. Races
continue well into the relaxed Saturday night. On Sunday afternoon, once the
champions have been crowned, a weary crowd will head home, some jubilant, some dejected,
but all having savoured the Kambala. The triumphant runner and his glittering
trophy will probably be hoisted on the winning team’s shoulders for a boisterous
victory lap around the track. A few runners and buffalo owners will be a couple
of lakhs richer. Yet, somewhere deep down, Kambala remains a village pastime.
If you steer clear of the larger Kambalas, you can travel back in time – where
the bond between the runner and his bullocks is palpable, where competitors
also share camaraderie, and where the entire village turns up decked in their
festive best.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I turn away from the
glare of the floodlights and see them there – three friends running into the
setting sun, words unspoken, yet, in perfect sync; their emotions saying it all
- a friendly slap on the back here, a joyful splash of water there, washing
away the sweat from the day’s toil; the air echoing with their audible
breathing and the heavy thudding of five pairs of legs; Kambala, in its primal
form - nothing more than man and beast enjoying a run.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-fyRxutkZJZk%2FVDbSRohPXII%2FAAAAAAAADtQ%2FKigGNHzx7cY%2Fs1600%2F24.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fyRxutkZJZk/VDbSRohPXII/AAAAAAAADtQ/KigGNHzx7cY/s1600/24.jpg"-->Rajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18111356808647662012noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704628884008719897.post-72778825756799954652014-05-31T10:32:00.001+05:302023-02-15T19:04:33.538+05:30Juggling Identities<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.7969px;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">An unedited version of my story published in the June 2014 edition of Outlook Traveller</span></i><br />
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<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">The temple bells toll
in the distance: a distinct, metallic clang of bronze. “What a trendy bikini,” I think, as two girls
walk past, suddenly rendering my swimsuit woefully out-of-fashion. Nearing
sunset, the sea now resembles molten lava. I hear a yoga mat being dusted. I
look up to see its owner - a middle-aged Caucasian with long, shocking-white
hair and beard, tanned like a carrot from the sun, sporting <i>rudraksha</i> beads and aviators – done with
his yoga for the day. My mobile rings: my auto driver says he’s waiting for me
at the top of the hillock. If I want to see the evening <i>aarti</i>, I’d need to leave right away. I polish off the last slice of
my Hawaiian pizza and gulp down my drink. Half an hour later, I join a snaking
queue outside the crowded Mahabaleshwara temple. The heady fragrance of jasmine
fills the air, occasionally mixed with the stench of cow dung, as cows sporadically
relieve themselves. The bells toll even louder now, and people fold their hands
in devotion, chanting prayers, occasionally crying out the lord’s name.
Suddenly, the queue begins to frantically compress and shove; the door to the
sanctum has just been opened. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">A cow ponders worldly
matters at Om beach, un-distracted by revellers. The name Gokarna means ‘cow’s
ear’ and has a mythological story to back it.</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">One of Gokarna's quirky residents.</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">A couple of days
ago, driving into Gokarna, the highway gradually narrowed until my car got stuck
trying to enter a crowded, one-car-width road. As I inched ahead, panic-stricken,
the human tide parted to make way, squeezing between my car and open gutters on
either side of the road. I was afraid somebody would fall in or that another
vehicle would come along. The road did slightly widen after a while. Another
vehicle did drive past. Gutters continued lining the road. The swarm of people
remained. Yet, we all squeezed in to fit into that road. That’s what Gokarna is
all about – coexistence.</span><br />
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<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">By the time I drove on,
took an incredibly difficult turn into an even narrower road to my guest-house,
slipped on omnipresent cow dung and almost fell into a gutter, I was ready to
leave. I only stayed because I was too scared to drive out again. Yet here I
was, walking a couple of days later, seasonedly squeezing myself between a </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">car and the dreaded gutter, making way for somebody
else’s arrival into Gokarna.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--OGd6gUqFHs/UU7MLSG01uI/AAAAAAAACqI/coPSs0G9yw8/s1600/_DSC5106.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--OGd6gUqFHs/UU7MLSG01uI/AAAAAAAACqI/coPSs0G9yw8/w264-h400/_DSC5106.jpg" width="264" /></a><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">A typical Brahmin house</span></td></tr>
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<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">If Gokarna were a
person, it would’ve been dubbed schizophrenic; it has two facets – a pilgrimage
centre drawing hordes of devotees, and beaches attracting equal droves of
flower-children. The former is called Gokarna Town while the beaches are simply
known as Gokarna. </span><span class="gphoto-photocaption-caption"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">The town was a
bastion of orthodox Brahmins, until it began attracting hordes of non-Indian
visitors seeking spirituality, yoga, meditation, and its many virgin beaches.
Today, almost half the people seen in Gokarna are foreigners.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">An aerial view of Kudle beach, with Om beach around the<br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">cliff to the left and
Gokarna beach around the </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">cliff <br />to the right.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 18pt;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">An aerial view of Om beach</span></td></tr>
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<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">For most visitors,
their holiday begins and ends at the beaches. Most pilgrims confine themselves
to the temple town. Both are neatly separated by a series of hillocks. Only one
beach straddles that gap: Gokarna beach. Accessible by a short walk from the
temple, this is where pilgrims unwind at the end of their temple visit; the
women bashfully dip their toes in the water, while the men and children let
loose. This beach is also where rituals for last rites are performed; Gokarna,
aka Dakshin Kashi, is considered one of India’s seven holiest ‘places of
salvation’. On the very same beach, you sometimes find beach bums who have
strayed a bit too far from neighbouring Kudle beach, a part of the ‘beach
Gokarna’ side. I, in fact, was attempting to straddle the divide in my own way:
I’d chosen to stay in the town and visit the beaches from there. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">Beach-bums walk the
rocky promontory from Om beach to Half-moon beach, even as a person meditates
under a coconut tree at sunset.</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">Om Beach is popular
with locals and visitors alike. And, with bovines too.</span></span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></td></tr>
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<span class="gphoto-photocaption-caption"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Very little gives away the fact that Kudle
beach is located in a temple town: tourists sun-bathe, play frescobol, canoe,
swim in the clean, blue waters, or idle in one of the many shacks. Om Beach on
the other hand, is popular with pilgrims too, attracted by its shape – an inverted
Om - a religious symbol. This lends it an air of virtuous fun, preferred by
families trying to avoid the possible culture-shock at Kudle beach. Boats
moored here ferry people to Paradise and Half-moon beaches, whose camps and
wild parties, disallowed nowadays, make Om and Kudle beaches seem tame in
comparison.</span><span style="color: red;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vCQJDNhWyYI/UU7MM4zsvzI/AAAAAAAACqU/0lPkkycpr00/s1600/_DSC4829.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vCQJDNhWyYI/UU7MM4zsvzI/AAAAAAAACqU/0lPkkycpr00/s1600/_DSC4829.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Tourists play 'frescobol', a Brazilian beach game akin to table-tennis, on Kudle Beach.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">Om beach is most
crowded in the evenings, when the glorious light tinges everything orange.</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Town is their antithesis. It buzzes feverishly from as early as 4 am, well into
the night. All activity centers around narrow, winding 'Car Street'; homes
jostle for space with tiny shops selling musical instruments, trinkets, sarongs
or yoga essentials. Graffiti and street art co-exist with the colourful local
architecture. Car Street’s surprisingly bohemian<span style="color: red;"> </span>flavour
is much like Goa in the 1970s, though it progressively wanes towards the end
where Mahabaleshwara and Maha Ganapati temples become the street’s focal
points. The former temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, seen here in the form of
an <i>atmalinga</i> (a piece of Shiva’s
soul). The latter, to Shiva’s son Ganesh, </span>who is said to have deceived
Ravana and prevented him from fleeing with the <i>atmalinga</i>. The boy-Ganesh statue here is unique, in that it is
two-armed and in a standing posture. <span class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">The
temple chariot sits not unlike a UFO, in between cars and minivans from which
hundreds of pilgrims emanate, to seek blessings at both temples.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span class="gphoto-photocaption-caption"><br /></span></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-127vqLj9bww/UU7ML_yNHoI/AAAAAAAACqM/cm9lCPizOk8/s1600/_DSC5109.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-127vqLj9bww/UU7ML_yNHoI/AAAAAAAACqM/cm9lCPizOk8/w640-h422/_DSC5109.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t8n9Eh051w0/UU7MKffXEnI/AAAAAAAACqA/q9hYkG5wovo/s1600/_DSC5101.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t8n9Eh051w0/UU7MKffXEnI/AAAAAAAACqA/q9hYkG5wovo/s1600/_DSC5101.jpg" width="266" /></a>
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<span class="gphoto-photocaption-caption"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Shops selling swimwear, spaghetti tops or
bongos, strangely congruous amidst shiny brass-ware and devotional
paraphernalia, lure you along Car Street.<span style="color: red;"> </span>As you
gingerly step around a painstakingly-drawn <i>rangoli</i>
outside the swimsuit shop, it reiterates why though reminiscent of Goa, Gokarna
can never become Goa’s replica; the temples ensure that. Some locals do speak
of resentment setting in, at their town degenerating due to immorality. In
general, however, there is a nonchalant acceptance of foreign visitors, most of
whom are mindful of not hurting local sentiments, and attempt to blend in. In
fact, some seem more local than locals themselves.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gWBuQcZ-C-k/UU7MJ3eN4mI/AAAAAAAACp8/acIuzGIOrxo/s1600/_DSC5094.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gWBuQcZ-C-k/UU7MJ3eN4mI/AAAAAAAACp8/acIuzGIOrxo/s1600/_DSC5094.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="gphoto-photocaption-caption"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Under the cover of darkness, Gokarna Town
morphs into a laid-back twin of its daytime avatar. Most locals head home,
while pilgrims vanish. Blackened aluminium kettles bubble away on tea-carts, supplying
everybody’s favourite evening glassful. Sudha’s, which not only stocks books in
a plethora of global languages but also offers to ship them to you should your
backpack be full, becomes a hotbed of discussion. In the multi-hued, dim
lighting Gokarna seems to favour, the vagaries of that afro hairstyle, the Om
tattoo, or that tongue piercing make for a people-watchers’ paradise.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O7d09MMnNds/UU7MHEZ1hbI/AAAAAAAACpo/RcVSlNjwoXI/s1600/_DSC5052.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O7d09MMnNds/UU7MHEZ1hbI/AAAAAAAACpo/RcVSlNjwoXI/s1600/_DSC5052.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">An old, Indian-style
barber shop has a foreign visitor. The unintentional saffron colour of the
cloak reminds you of Gokarna's status as a temple town. All this makes the
photograph redolent of Gokarna's duality.</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I-pJlv59hyA/UU7MHjIWBNI/AAAAAAAACps/8W1RrtF7UzM/s1600/_DSC5065+copy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I-pJlv59hyA/UU7MHjIWBNI/AAAAAAAACps/8W1RrtF7UzM/s1600/_DSC5065+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">Enjoying hot
tea by the roadside.</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q6x4BNimHNQ/U2DNNSHMkfI/AAAAAAAADJA/QzBRlPhp7YE/s1600/_DSC4715.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q6x4BNimHNQ/U2DNNSHMkfI/AAAAAAAADJA/QzBRlPhp7YE/s1600/_DSC4715.jpg" width="400" /></a>
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<span class="gphoto-photocaption-caption"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">My last morning in Gokarna, I awaken much
before the sun does, have a 5 am breakfast, and don’t find any of it odd;
Gokarna has effortlessly sucked me into its routine. Dolphin-watching hadn’t
been fruitful the evening before, so I’ve decided to try again. Did I forget to
mention it? Amongst all the things Gokarna offers, glimpses of curious beaks,
slender fins and flexible torsos are a given; if you are lucky, acrobatic
breaches from the water too. Boats are available from Om and Kudle beaches, and
boats-men double up as guides on hour-long trips. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">As our boat returns towards Kudle beach, we are
surrounded by shoals of tiny, silver-coloured fish, jumping in sync with the
boat. While photographing them, I hear the bells toll, a reminder of where I am
- not on a beach holiday, but at a temple town. Ahead lies pristine Kudle
beach, where shacks are just beginning to open for the day. A few
early-swimmers’ heads bob alongside us. So am I not on a beach holiday? Or, is
it a temple holiday? </span>I seem to be constantly flitting between the two, my
memories from both intertwining to form a crazy, unconventional holiday memory.
</span><span class="gphoto-photocaption-caption"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">I smile as I alight - I’d never know. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Rajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18111356808647662012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704628884008719897.post-61665613457982682532014-04-09T11:52:00.000+05:302020-06-17T18:13:35.993+05:30Egypt: Pyramids<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">My article on Egypt’s pyramids has been published in Yahoo Lifestyle’s
travel section, on 1st April, 2014. </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This article is an edited version of my blog post, which can be read here, along with links to more stories and tips from Egypt:</span><br />
<br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2012/03/in-search-of-pyramid-of-my-dreams.html" target="_blank">http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2012/03/in-search-of-pyramid-of-my-dreams.html</a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Rajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18111356808647662012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704628884008719897.post-3877809116290474122013-12-31T18:09:00.000+05:302020-06-17T18:17:29.338+05:302013 Travel Calendar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<![endif]--><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b></b><b></b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The irony of 2013 –
I always imagined that being self-employed would give me a lot of time to
travel, but, reality was that it left me with neither time nor money. In a
flash of brilliance, I planned a few trips around a timeshare membership which
had been lying unused for aeons. This was my saviour for the year, as it
allowed me to enjoy a few vacations without pinching my pocket. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The other defining
characteristics of this year’s holidays - most were road-trips, some were
work-related travel and one was so spontaneous that I’m still surprised I went.
My trusty 9-year old car was a constant companion for more than 35 days on the
road this year. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I can’t be sure what
the rest of 2014 has in store for me, but, I’m beginning the new year with a
much-awaited trip; yet another road-trip. From being a paranoid road-traveller,
I’m discovering how having the right company on a road-trip can make it my
favourite way of travelling; hands-down. </span></span>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Karnataka & Goa road-trip</b></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">18 days and 2300 kms
- I enjoyed my first-ever road-trip so much that it set the tone for the other
holidays this year. Restricting my travel to a section of coastal and North-west
Karnataka, 18 days gave me enough time to soak-in the flavour of the region. Of
course, with Goa being just a hop-skip-jump away, we couldn’t resist a few days
in South Goa before returning to Karnataka. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R_YgRcbDAXI/UsK3Htv3G0I/AAAAAAAADDU/N0Mqw0FbYnA/s1600/_DSC4163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R_YgRcbDAXI/UsK3Htv3G0I/AAAAAAAADDU/N0Mqw0FbYnA/s640/_DSC4163.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A sneak peek at my myriad
experiences in Karnataka, which I now call home: </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2013/02/january-on-wheels.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2013/02/january-on-wheels.html</span></a></span></span></div>
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<div style="line-height: 18pt;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Other stories from this trip:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<div style="line-height: 18pt;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2014/05/juggling-identities.html" target="_blank">http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2014/05/juggling-identities.html</a></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2014/11/kambala-race-of-titans.html" target="_blank">http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2014/11/kambala-race-of-titans.html</a></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For planning your trip, read the trip log here:</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18pt;">
<a href="http://nomadandabag-guides.blogspot.com/2014/04/karnataka-road-trip-trip-log.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">http://nomadandabag-guides.blogspot.com/2014/04/karnataka-road-trip-trip-log.html</span></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 18pt;">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Bhadra</b></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I’d visited Bhadra
for the first time as a part of my Karnataka road-trip. When some work took me
back there, I was only too happy to go. Though working meant that I could not
go on any safaris, I enjoyed every minute of spending time by the water,
surrounded by the raucous calls of hundreds of River Terns nesting and
hatching. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uzdC7ZG22iY/UsK3IY2fufI/AAAAAAAADDc/_h6j8iRIUHQ/s1600/_DSC7790-light-crop-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uzdC7ZG22iY/UsK3IY2fufI/AAAAAAAADDc/_h6j8iRIUHQ/s640/_DSC7790-light-crop-web.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Read about Bhadra here: <span style="color: #b45f06;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2013/10/bhadra-still-water-still-mind.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2013/10/bhadra-still-water-still-mind.html</span></a></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Chasing the monsoon</b></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A <a href="http://www.ficusmedia.com/opening-act-of-monsoon-2013/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #666666;">friend</span></a> was on
assignment in South Kerala, awaiting the onset of the South-west monsoon. One
particularly tedious day at work, the photographs she kept sharing with a bunch
of us led to furious planning during the lunch break. Tatkal tickets and a quickly-packed
bag of monsoon gear in hand, two of us set off to join her, without a return
ticket; the most whimsical I’ve ever been. The next five days were spent chasing
the monsoon; rather, chasing the chaser of the monsoon. This impromptu trip has
given me one of my most memorable experiences - watching the monsoon wall move
towards land whilst standing on a deserted fishing beach, soon being smacked on
the face by piercing rain and uninhibitedly jumping and screaming in the
ensuing storm, soaked to the gills. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6EKLN6nOWiU/UsK3JBXPboI/AAAAAAAADDk/SYk_nehssfM/s1600/_DSC8107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6EKLN6nOWiU/UsK3JBXPboI/AAAAAAAADDk/SYk_nehssfM/s640/_DSC8107.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Read about
some of my other monsoon experiences: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2013/09/under-my-umbrella.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2013/09/under-my-umbrella.html</span></a></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Kerala road-trip</b></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I returned to Kerala
towards the end of the monsoon. This time, the trip revolved around a
long-standing desire to see the famous snake-boat races of Kerala. We drove long-distance
from Bangalore, through Cherai, Alleppey, Kumarakom and Thekkady, for 11 days. Disappointingly,
the organisation of the Nehru Trophy boat race left much to be desired, though
the sheer muscle power of the rowers kept me spellbound. I also discovered that Thekkady is no longer
the pristine, quiet forest it used to be, in my memory from 15 years ago.
However, the night trek through the Periyar Tiger Reserve despite a sprained
foot, a gravity-defying Kalaripayattu performance and emerald monsoon vistas made
the trip worthwhile.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8amy3xAGSNE/UsK3J-ZdkkI/AAAAAAAADDs/TuEVQn7Jex0/s1600/_DSC9054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8amy3xAGSNE/UsK3J-ZdkkI/AAAAAAAADDs/TuEVQn7Jex0/s640/_DSC9054.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0LWKuE2RLtE/UsK3KouPMlI/AAAAAAAADD0/HR8qSKkzDYI/s1600/_DSC0189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0LWKuE2RLtE/UsK3KouPMlI/AAAAAAAADD0/HR8qSKkzDYI/s320/_DSC0189.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Bandipur</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Two back-to-back
trips to Bandipur on work gave me the opportunity to spend time in a forest I
hadn’t visited that often before. The proliferation of Lantana and Parthenium
has reduced the visibility of the forest floor, but, birds, plants and insects gave
me more than enough to focus on.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Hogenakkal Falls</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">‘Niagara of the east’
or ‘smoky rock’ – whatever you choose to call Hogenakkal Falls, it does make
for an enjoyable day trip from Bangalore. The river Cauvery winds her way
across the two states fighting over her, creating a spectacular cascade on each
side. The ‘Karnataka falls’, the ‘Tamil Nadu falls’, coracle rides through picturesque
gorges connecting them, oil massages by the water and fresh, fried fish sold by
enterprising vendors – Hogenakkal has options to keep everybody happy.</span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PuVTQuAVWwY/UsK3LlB0lrI/AAAAAAAADD8/aHF_yVuYBpo/s1600/_DSC0407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PuVTQuAVWwY/UsK3LlB0lrI/AAAAAAAADD8/aHF_yVuYBpo/s640/_DSC0407.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The 'Karnataka Falls'</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Thadiyandamol, Coorg</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Coorg’s highest peak
deserves its own special trip. And, no amount of time will suffice. Four days
spent on and around Thadiyandamol revealed the profusion of life it supports –
birds, reptiles, fungi, flora and other fauna. It also made us very aware of every
joint and muscle we possessed, the sad fallout of sedentary city life. But, to
share the pain, to hobble around together, to make exciting discoveries at
every turn, to pluck leeches off ourselves each evening, and to lounge around with
coffee and snacks after a very exhausting day, were a bunch of friends. It made for a very memorable birthday. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jg1DTUCZL3M/UsK3MaTISsI/AAAAAAAADEE/VsUNn8gQbXE/s1600/_DSC0681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jg1DTUCZL3M/UsK3MaTISsI/AAAAAAAADEE/VsUNn8gQbXE/s640/_DSC0681.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Kurinji, Sholas and a dragonfly, at Thadiyandamol</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Read about my Thadiyandamol trek, here:</span></div>
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange; line-height: 24px;"><a href="http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2015/08/thadiyandamol-trek-ground-beneath-my.html" target="_blank">http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2015/08/thadiyandamol-trek-ground-beneath-my.html</a></span></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Read about other trips to Coorg:</span></span></div>
<a href="http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2014/12/a-river-runs-through-it.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2014/12/a-river-runs-through-it.html </span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2012/01/coorg.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">http://nomadandabag.blogspot.com/2012/01/coorg.html</span></a></span></span></div>
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Rajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18111356808647662012noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704628884008719897.post-11216333970869932012013-11-28T18:10:00.001+05:302020-06-17T18:22:27.975+05:30Coasting around Iceland<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>A version of my photo-essay
published in the March 2013 edition of <span style="color: #b45f06;"><a href="http://nomadandabag.blogspot.in/2013/03/winters-wonderland.html">OutlookTraveller</a></span></i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“Take
a U-turn. You are driving on the sea!” she shrieks, for the fifth time. I stop,
sigh and peer through the windscreen. A foggy darkness stares back at me. I
roll down the windows and look out; there’s water to the left. And, more water to
the right. As the howling wind conducts an ominous orchestra, I begin to sweat
profusely despite the bone-chilling winter day. I was destined to die on the
first day of my Icelandic road trip. A tear glides down my cheek as I watch two
beams of light pierce through the thick fog; “Hope I’m at least off to heaven”,
I think. </span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Suddenly,
I realise there’s a car attached to the light. It shakes me out of my stupor. I
call and wave madly for it to stop but it whizzes past. Having partially
gathered my wits, I look at the paper map on my lap; it distinctly shows a road
there. I consider the possibility that the GPS may be wrong. If a car did
emerge from the ‘water’, there should be a road ahead. A nerve-wracking
half-hour drive later, I reach a small village where I’m reassured by the
kindly man at a cafe that my destination for the night lies not far. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Just
earlier that bright, sunny morning, I’d set off cheerfully from Reykjavik,
Iceland’s capital. After driving a while on Route-1, Iceland’s arterial ring
road, I’d veered off to see a few towns by the coast. Lunch overlooking the Atlantic
and a visit to a lighthouse later, I’d continued along this less-trodden road,
intending to join Route-1 a little ahead. They say that Iceland can show you
all seasons in a day and they weren’t joking. While I was at the lighthouse,
the blue sky and the sea had churned violently and turned grey, accompanied by
squalls. The road snaked along the coast, close enough for the ocean to spit at
me. To the left of the road were eerie lava fields, under which lay buried
people and villages from centuries ago. I’d never seen such a dark 3 pm in my
life. That is when the GPS-lady first announced that I was off-road. This day
was a sign of how my holiday in Iceland was going to be unlike another.</span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Tiny
Iceland is akin to a huge exhibition by Mother Nature, showing off all her skills
across genres.<span style="color: red;"> </span>The live geography lesson
includes the hot – geysers that erupt from the earth, coloured, hot mud that
smells like rotten eggs, volcanoes both dormant and active and lava fields
looking deceptively benign; the cold – glaciers you can trek on, lagoons with
bobbing icebergs, breeze that rattles every bone in your body; and the gigantic
– jagged fjords, thundering waterfalls, massive craters and super-jeeps to
manoeuvre them. Driving along Route-1 requires intense concentration because
these sights frequently induce jaw-dropping and brake-slamming. The only
constant is the tree-less landscape and people-less isolation.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In this
series of images, I’ve focused on just the coastal route, saving the Icelandic hinterland
for another story. Instead of visiting in summer, like most do, I’d chosen to
visit at the onset of winter. Warnings about the rain & fickle weather had me
meticulously planning for months. As I helplessly watched my plans wash away, I
followed the itinerary Mother Nature unravelled for me.</span></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital, is beautifully
perched by the ocean against a backdrop of Mt. Esja. Its skyline refreshingly
low-rise, the star of the city’s architecture, Hallgrimskirkja, shines through.
I spent ten days enjoying the lively, pedestrian-friendly city, at both the
beginning and the end of my road-trip.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A8yAGML_900/UpSHu00mq5I/AAAAAAAADCo/Bcdq8Uf99ow/s1600/3-hallgrimskirkja.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A8yAGML_900/UpSHu00mq5I/AAAAAAAADCo/Bcdq8Uf99ow/s640/3-hallgrimskirkja.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The design of Hallgrimskirkja, Iceland’s
largest church, is inspired by basalt column stacks which are characteristic of
the country’s geology. Its stark design takes on other-worldly tones,
especially when the skies are dark and menacing. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If the church’s architecture is unique,
so are the numerous sculptures and installations throughout the city. A reflection
of Reykjavik’s talent-pool is one such installation, the Sun voyager sculpture.
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">Not
to be left behind, Nature is one of the foremost artists in Iceland. One of the
highlights of my trip was witnessing the Aurora Borealis (northern lights).
Usually visible close to the Arctic circle on dark nights and in clear skies, I
least expected any activity on a well-lit night over a brightly-lit city. But,
one full-moon night, as I was atop Reykjavik’s erstwhile water-tank Perlan,
this display had me jumping with joy. Also adding to Reykjavik’s skyline is the
blue ray of the 'Imagine peace tower', lit in memory of John Lennon from
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o9_qwxbFgto/UpSHdHmSllI/AAAAAAAAC-U/rNrRWfVRCaA/s1600/snaefellsnes+copy+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o9_qwxbFgto/UpSHdHmSllI/AAAAAAAAC-U/rNrRWfVRCaA/s640/snaefellsnes+copy+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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Reykjavik, has a ‘Lord of the rings’ feel to it. The vast openness, punctuated
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isolated. And, quiet. And, windy.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0tfN98D27Jw/UpSHdsBa7UI/AAAAAAAAC-g/aoIujr2rtvU/s1600/DSC_3545+copy+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0tfN98D27Jw/UpSHdsBa7UI/AAAAAAAAC-g/aoIujr2rtvU/s640/DSC_3545+copy+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Braving winds that rocked our 4-wheel
drive like a cradle, and stinging rain, we persisted in our attempts of
photographing the stormy weather near the mountain Kirkjufell, seen here in the
background.</span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Driving along the Reykjanes coast, south
of Reykjavik, we had deceptively good luck with the weather. But, as we
explored this light-house at Gardskagi, the weather flipped 180 degrees. And soon
after, in the ensuing storm, the incident with the GPS-warning occurred, as we
were driving towards Selfoss.</span></span></div>
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feels like - mountains & waterfalls are almost-constant companions along
one side of the road, while the other side switches from the sea to lava fields
to beaches. <span class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">Here, sheep, farms &
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named Kirkjubaejarklaustur.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One of the tallest waterfalls in Iceland,
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wHRrtPqenJo/UpSHq5nja1I/AAAAAAAADCY/594tDgqRTFc/s1600/5-vik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wHRrtPqenJo/UpSHq5nja1I/AAAAAAAADCY/594tDgqRTFc/s640/5-vik.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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trolls who could not reach land before dawn while on their ship and hence, turned
into stone at the first touch of sunrays. Together, these three elements form
one of the most distinctive landscapes in South Iceland.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">Pocket-sized
Vik is an important town in South Iceland, housing just 300 people, seen here
on a rainy day from its beach. The solitary building to the right is the town's
church. An incomplete rainbow adds some colour to the rain-drenched village.</span></span></span></div>
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vistas like this are fairly common, with most hills and mountains dotted with
moving, white fur-balls – Icelandic sheep. Also seen languorously grazing the
sparse winter grass are the very unique Icelandic horses.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Icelandic
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gjxFA5fREis/UpSHp3cKBYI/AAAAAAAADCQ/8qOzSylB8Oc/s1600/7-lava+field.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gjxFA5fREis/UpSHp3cKBYI/AAAAAAAADCQ/8qOzSylB8Oc/s640/7-lava+field.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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at Eldhraun belie an unimaginable 18<sup>th</sup> century catastrophe - An
almost-simultaneous eruption of over 135 craters at nearby Laki led to death,
destruction and the formation of over 500 sq.km of lava fields. Here, moon-rise
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which lies the active volcano Katla.</span></span></div>
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introduce ice into the picture. Right next to Route 1!</span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AAPiTOZugQY/UpSHkaazloI/AAAAAAAADBw/dc86nkz1uuI/s1600/11-glacier+hike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AAPiTOZugQY/UpSHkaazloI/AAAAAAAADBw/dc86nkz1uuI/s400/11-glacier+hike.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Hiking on a glacier - one of my favourite
moments in Iceland. Re-learning how to walk strapped with crampons, you
struggle to avoid crevasses even as you goggle at marvellous ice formations. The
ice-axe is a lifesaver as it adds a much-needed extra leg. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The summit of the glacier Svinafellsjokull
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The frequency with which your heart skips
a beat, it seems like driving in Iceland should come with a health warning. The
glacial lagoon Jokulsarlon appears along Route-1 with a suddenness that once
again catches you unawares. And this, before you’ve barely recovered from the
experience of driving alongside glaciers. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The icebergs here are ideal to play ‘name
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arrow. Contrary to popular perception,
icebergs are not always white; older icebergs are browner as they gather soil
and sediment from their movements. The younger the iceberg, the whiter it is.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This turf-roofed wooden church at Hof,
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architecture and is one of the few surviving buildings in the style.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-acrhoMvNF2o/UpSHmfxmMLI/AAAAAAAAC_4/eV8MA_7rkQY/s1600/DSC_4798+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-acrhoMvNF2o/UpSHmfxmMLI/AAAAAAAAC_4/eV8MA_7rkQY/s400/DSC_4798+copy.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">During my stay at farms across Iceland, other
distinct elements I noticed were garden ornaments and dolls, such as these.
Their bright colours and ingenious designs brought some cheer to cold, gloomy
winter days. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IWMJ0f9kQEs/UpSHnDD6n8I/AAAAAAAADCA/KqfcAHa1nH4/s1600/4-east+fjords.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IWMJ0f9kQEs/UpSHnDD6n8I/AAAAAAAADCA/KqfcAHa1nH4/s640/4-east+fjords.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Before moving a little inland in the
north, Route-1 winds around Iceland’s craggy east coast, leading to the
Eastfjords. More secluded than many other parts of Iceland, the beauty of the
fjords leaves you short of breath and adjectives.</span></span></div>
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dating back to the 18<sup>th</sup> and 19<sup>th</sup> centuries.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Standing at the mouth of a fjord, looking
at tiny villages scattered around like match-boxes, you feel inconsequential in
nature. We headed as far east as Breidalsvik, before the weather changed
overnight and forced us back along the southern coast, all the way to
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Curious to know more about Iceland, our trip & our itinerary? Read on:</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">About Iceland & Our experience:</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://nomadandabag-guides.blogspot.com/2013/01/iceland-our-experience.html" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">http://nomadandabag-guides.blogspot.com/2013/01/iceland-our-experience.html</span></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Itinerary, useful information & tips:</span></b></div>
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Rajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18111356808647662012noreply@blogger.com2