Posts Tagged: travel
…….. where no man has gone before !!!
I have to confess I may be a little obsessed about the hand pulled rickshaws. In each of my trip to Kolkata the thing that stands out amidst a lot of differences between Kolkata and the city that I was born and raised and to any other city in the world that I have ever visited is the hand pulled rickshaws. In every narrow lane in parts of Kolkata where no other form of transport can reach, because of the narrow lanes albeit the place where the rich and elite of Kolkata thrive, there are these rickshaw walas to ferry you. Again I won’t debate the right or wrong of the humanity aspect of the trade but the fact remains that it is the only source of livelihood of many people of India. Personally I haven’t and wouldn’t sit on any one but it being a convenient mode of travel is very popular to travel in these very narrow lanes. I am reminded of the popular quote from the series Star Trek:
“……… to explore strange new worlds…….. to boldly go where no one has gone before”
😀 😀 😀
A new day…… a new beginning…… start of a new year!!! Happy 2015
“This is a new year. A new beginning. And things will change.” ― Taylor Swift
A Foggy hazy morning…… But promises of being a wonderful day and a wonderful start to 2015.
Kolkata depicted…….
In a democracy the poor will have more power than the rich, because there are more of them, and the will of the majority is supreme.
Aristotle
Rickshaw walas taking a snooze
Any trip of mine to Kolkata doesn’t seem complete without a few pictures from the street and particularly the rickshaw walas from the street. The old world charm…… (I am not going to try to justify the right or wrong aspect of the human angle to hand pulled rickshaws because it is the only source of income to many Indians) is unlike any other city in any other part of the world. I took the above pictures on my trip to Kolkata last week….. as the rickshaw walas took some time off between trips to catch up on their power naps. The monochrome effect seemed to bring life to an otherwise lazy picture also lending it the old world charm.
St Francis Church, Cochin.
This is a quaint little church but one of the most visited one in Fort Kochi. It is simple in architecture and looks neither grand nor indulgent. But once you enter it, it transports you to a bygone era. Plus the interiors tell us a very different story from what the exteriors do in terms of its importance in history of Christianity in India. The church once housed the remains of Vasco da gama, a Portuguese navigator and will be linked to him for eternity. The plaque on the outside of the church had the following information about its history and origin.
St Francis Church was the first European church to be built in India within the oldest European settlement of fort Cochin. Presumably it owes its origin to the Franciscan friars who accompanied the Portuguese expedition in 1500 AD. Originally it is said to have been erected of wood but later rebuilt in stone and roofed with tiles by 1516 AD and dedicated to St Anthony. It remained in the order of St Francis till 1663 AD when it came under the control of the dutch who reconditioned and converted it into a protestant church. Again during 1779 AD it was renovated as indicated by a tablet fixed over its facade but continued in the possession of the dutch even after the British control over Cochin in 1795. Till it was voluntarily surrendered to the Anglican communion in 1804 AD. Presumably it was renamed after the patron saint during the later half of the 19th century. At present it has been taken over by the church of south India.
Surmounted by a bell-turret over the gable front, the church, facing west, has an impressive facade with arched entrance and windows flanked by stepped pinnacles.
Here in this church, Vasco Da Gama, the first European navigator from Portugal to India, was laid to rest in 1524 AD until his remains here were removed and taken to Portugal in 1538 AD.
The grave stones of the Portuguese and the Dutch that were removed from the floor of the nave have been refixed respectively over the northern and southern side wall of the church. The earliest Portuguese epitaph here dates back to 1562 AD while that of the dutch to 1664 AD
Some of the heraldic designs and armorial bearings on the tomb stones are of fine workmanship.
A few memorial brass plates and marble slabs erected in memory of important persons in service of the church are later additions adorning the walls.
St. Francis Church is one of the oldest European Churches in Kerala. It is a major landmark on Fort Kochi which was built in the 16th Century AD. The history of this church reflects the colonial struggle of the European powers in India from 15th to 20th centuries. The flood in Periyar during 14th century changed Kochi as a natural harbour and the marine trade become prolific along with KozhiKode and Kannur.
The arrival of Portuguese navigator Vasco Da Gama in 1493,the foreign supremacy over India. The Portuguese Commander Admiral Cabral visited Kochi in 1500 AD and Unni Ramakoil, the then Rajah of Kochi pepermittedim to trade here. In 1503 AD Alphonso Albuquerque was given permission by the Rajah to build a fort at the mouth of the river. The five Friars who accompanied Albuquerque to Kochi in 1503 AD, erected a wooden church dedicated to St. Bartholomew within the temporary fort made with mud and bamboo. Later on the church was rebuilt in stone and tile roofed. The Franciscans raised the present edifice, in the name of St. Anthony in 1516 AD. The first Portuguese navigator, Vasco da Gama’s mortal remains was buried in the church. Later on his son Pedro da Silva da Gama took his mortal remains back to Portugal in 1538 AD.
The east facing Church has an impressive frontage that reflects the typical Portuguese style. The facade with an arched opening and one of the tiers has flanking windows, a bell fry over the gabled front and steeped pinnacles on sides. From 1510 AD to 1663 AD the Portuguese officially called St Francis Church as the conventional church of the order of the St Francis of Assisi. The Dutch made changes in name and structure of this Church and did some major restoration works in 1779 AD. After the advent of the british it was the government Protestant church from 1619 – 46 AD. However, this church was known by the names St Francis only after the substantial restoration and renovation carried out by the British in 1886 – 87 AD.
This is a centrally protected monument under the control of the Archaeological Survey of India since 1923.
Window
This window has seen better days. Days of galore and splendor when it was an item of beauty and covet by many. Today it stands broken, listless, dilapidated and in a state of despair asking for attention and love. I took this in my recent trip to Kolkata. The state of the window today epitomizes the state of many parts of the city of joy…….. desperately longing for some interest to be shown its way. While politicians continue to look the other way, the city slowly deteriorates to a state of fossilized oblivion. The only change that can happen will have to come from the dhoti clad bangali babus on their hand pulled rickshaws. The question is will they take cognisance of the current state of affairs or continue to revel in the glory of the long forgotten bygone Raj.
You don’t really need rabindra sangeet playing at every corner of the road to brighten a person’s day rather a constructive effort to employment generation that will give the youth something to look up to and give the city a fresh new perspective…… a new leash of life. A New Life that is what the city needs to get over its current deteriorating state!!!
Needle-hole point/ Elephant point, Mahabaleshwar.
Mahabaleshwar is a popular hill-station in Maharashtra. Due to its proximity to the metro cities of Mumbai and Pune, it is a popular weekend getaway. This is the pic of one of the points in Mahabaleshwar. One can see a natural rock formation with a hole in between, thus giving the name Needle-hole. The point is also famous for the view of Deccan traps, which looks like an elephant’s trunk. This natural formation makes it a must visit to for all tourists.
I took this pic decades back on one of my trips to Mahabaleshwar. The beauty of the natural formation is exquisite. The rock formation which looks like a needle and that of a standing elephant makes it a natural phenomenon and something beautiful to look for.
Bahubali, Shravanabelagola
On my way from Bangalore to Mysore I took a detour to Shravanabelagola. There I visited the monolith statue of Lord Gomateshwara or Bhagwan Bahubali as referred to by Jains. Shravanabelagola is one of the most important pilgrimage centers in Jainism. The 17.38 meter (58 ft) high monolithic stone statue of the Lord Gomateshwara is located above this hill which is called Vindhyagiri or Doddabetta or Indragiri hill. It is estimated to weigh approximately 80 tons. The hill is about 470 feet above the ground and is one solid rock. It must be climbed barefoot. There are 800 steps to the top cutout in the rock. The climb is hard and tiring. But it is worth the effort. It took us more than an hour to climb the 800 or more stairs but once there and you have seen the beautiful statue of Bahubali you forget it all. The beautiful statue is considered to be the world’s largest monolithic stone statue. It is carved beautifully from a single block of rock with accurate sense proportion and expression.
The statue of Gommata has curly really nice hair in ringlets on the head and long, large ears. His eyes are open as if viewing the world with detachment. His facial features are perfectly chiseled with a faint touch of a smile at the corner of his lips and embody calm vitality. His shoulders are broad, his arms stretch straight down and the figure has no support from the thigh upwards. There is an anthill in the background which signifies his incessant penance. From this anthill emerge a snake and creepers which twine around both his legs and his arms culminating as a cluster of flowers and berries at the upper portion of the arms. The creepers encircling the arms and legs are artistic and beautiful. The nude north facing, stand upright stone sculpture of Bahubali (Lord Gomateshwara in the posture of meditation known as Kayotsarga, symbolizing renunciation, self-control and subjugation of ego as the first steps towards salvation. The digambara (nude) form of Bahubali represents the complete victory over earthly desires and needs that hamper spiritual ascent towards divinity. The entire figure stands on an open lotus signifying the totality attained in installing this unique statue. The statue is simple, stylish and splendid. The base of the statue has an inscriptions in Kannada as well as the oldest evidence of written Marathi, i.e. devanagari script, dating from 981 AD. The inscription praises the king who funded the effort and his general, Chavundaraya, who erected the statue for his mother.
Legend
According to Jain theology, there are period of happiness and peace called “Utsarpini”, during this period truth and ‘Dharma’ reign. Alternately, during ‘Avasarpini’, truth and goodness decline. During the period of deteriorations and decline the “Tirthankaras” (the realized souls) incarnate in this world and guide people to truth and the right path. There were supposed to be twenty four Tirthankaras in Jain religion – the first one is Purudeva. He is also called Vrishabhadeva or Adinatha. Vrishabhadeva had two wives. The elder queen was called Yashaswathi, she gave birth to Bharata and other sons and a daughter called Brahma. The younger queen was Sunanda; she gave birth to a son called Bahubali and a daughter Sunadri.
Purudeva the first Tirthankara renounced the world. Of his two sons Bharata the elder was crowned the King and Bahubali was crowned as the Yuvraj (heir apparent). But they squabbled between themselves for the kingdom. In the ensuing fight that happened Bahubali succeeded. However, he soon was overcome by grief and shame of seeing his defeated brother. His mind got transformed. He renounced the Kingdom to his brother and retreated to penance and attained Kevalagnana….. or complete jnana. His brother Bharata got Bahubali’s statue erected in Paudanapura. After several years ant hills and mounds covered it. He came to be recognized as Kukkuteshwara. Only the devout could see the image.
The story goes thus Chavundaraya who had heard of the story narrated it to his mother- Shrimati Kalala Devi. Kalala Devi wished to have a darshan of the golden statue at Paudanapura. The obedient son, seeing the intense spiritual favour of his mother, setout on a long pilgrimage to see the golden statue along with his mother and Guru Acharya Ajithasena, and spent a night at Shravanabelagola en-route to Paudanapura. In identical dreams to Chavundaraya and his mother, the Kushmandini Yakshi ordered Chavundaraya to erect a statue. The next morning, as directed in the dream, Chavundaraya shot his golden arrow at the first shaft of the rising sun from the top of Chandragiri hill to the top of the bigger Vindhyagiri hill on the opposite side. Immediately the prophecy came true and the image of Bahubali appeared. Chavundaraya resolved to have an image of the same description installed on the Vindhyagiri hill at Shravanabelagola. Bahubali was 525 arrows tall, that’s why the 57 feet tall statute got made. The sculpture was got carved out of a huge block of granite by the most skillful sculptors of the land under the guidance of Arishtanemi.
Mahamastakabhisheka
In later years, Chavundaraya, filled with the pride of achievement and arrogance, set out to perform the Mahamastaka Abhisheka. But, the anointing liquids – coconut, milk and the five nectars –would not descend down the navel. At that moment, legend goes, Gullikayajji, an old woman presented herself with a little milk in the shell of a white Gullikai fruit. Many derided her but Acharya Nemichandra advised Chavundaraya to invite her. As the humble devotee of Bahubali poured the milk in the shell, it instantly ran down the image, reaching the feet of the statue and covered the hill around. A chastened Chavundaraya then made it mandatory that Mahamastakabhisheka be performed every 12 years for Lord Bahubali. Every twelve years, thousands of devotees congregate here to perform the Mahamastakabhisheka, a spectacular ceremony in which the statue is covered with milk, curds, ghee, saffron, turmeric, sandalwood, silver leafs and gold coins. A helicopter showers flowers on the statue. It is a beautiful spectacle spanning 12 days every 12 years. The king of Mysore is given the honor of the first abhishek. This is usually shown live in most television channels. The next Mahamastakabhisheka will be held in 2018.
(Information courtesy : Wikitravel)
