Category: Celebrating India

-Rajani Pothineni

Who wouldn’t want to see a tiger at a range of 10 feet away from us?  The majestic  animal is as gracious in its languorous walk as it is in its growl.

Tadoba, spread over 120 sqKms in Maharashtra is also called the “Jewel of VIdharba”. It is also the oldest National Forest of Maharashtra and comes under the Project Tigerumbrella.The Tadoba National Park and Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary together form the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve. The park gets its name from “Taru” the local deity and the andheri river which meanders itself through the forest which gives it the name.  The forest is rich in flora and fauna and a delight for wildlife photographers and naturalists.

A trip to Tadoba is worth its while in Summer.  The nearest railway station isChandrapur, 25 kmsaway  or Nagpur is the nearest airport, 120 kms from Tadoba.  The Wildlife sanctuary is open from November to June 15th only.  Then it is closed for the rainy season and opened to the public only after the roads are repaired.

It is also the most non-commercial wildlife sanctuaries we have in India. Tadoba is very well known among the jungle safaris lovers, wildlife photographers and nature lovers. Only 28 safari jeeps are allowed through the TadobaAndhari Tiger Reserve gate in one session.  There are two safaris per day.  One in the morning at 6.00am and the afternoon one is at 3.  Both safaris last 3.30hours.  All the safaris are accompanied by trained local guides who have the unique knack of tracing and pointing out the flora and fauna of the forest.

The demand for the safaris is such that during the peak season, the safaris need to be booked 28 days in advance!!.  The waterholes and the serene jungle are a treasure cove for bird watchers and there are said to be upto 108 varieties of birds here.  One can watch the Black drongo, the night jar, kingfisher, owls, jungle fowl.  The other animals we can watch are the spotted deer, neelgai, sambar, Indian bison, lots of monkeys.If one is lucky, they may get to watch the sloth bear, wild dogs,  leopard, and wild boars.

There is also the elephant safari which will give a majestic view of the serene jungle from a height.

However, the most attractive feature of the safari is the sighting of TIGERS – the majestic animal and also the king of the jungle.   Since the density of the tigers is the highest in India here, the probability of watching one is more.  With the temperatures soaring at 44-45degrees in April to nearly 55 degrees in May, the chances of sighting a tiger near the water holes is doubled.

There is not much of a choice in the terms of hotels.  There are 4-5 resorts which also serve the 3 times meals at extra cost.  The resorts are all within the walking distance of the gate.   Happy summer safari and a place worth a visit!

“Nearer the city, to the West of Sabzi Mandi, the suburb of the vegetable market, is Roshanara Begam’s garden. Visiting the garden would make you feel a part of the mughal history..roshanara the second daughter of the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan and his Empress consort  Mumtaz Mahal, lies buried in the middle of the garden

The ramshackle tomb, known as Baradari meaning ‘open pavilion’, has a roofless grave surrounded by intricately carved screens made of marble, and a hall, which had apartments with arched openings. The interior of the hall was beautifully decorated with paintings, some of which can be seen even today on the ceilings of the hall.As per history,.Governorship of Gujarat was taken away from Murad,shah jahan’s youngest son, and offered to the eldest and shah jahan’s favourite son Dara Shikoh, due to Murad’s efficiency to control the province. Shah Shuja, the second son and Aurangzeb, the third son had open intentions of seizing the throne for themselves. During this power struggle, Dara Shikoh received the support of his oldest sister ,Jahanara Begum ,while Roshanara Begum sided with Aurangzeb.

Roshanara became a powerful figure when she successfully foiled a plot by her father and Dara Shikoh(her elder brother)to kill Aurangazeb Shah Jahan sent a letter of invitation to Aurangazeb to visit Delhi, in order to peacefully resolve the embittered rivalry amongst the sons for the peacock throne. Shah jahan’s true intentions were to capture, imprison and kill him.When Roshanara got cue of her father’s plan, she sent a messenger to Aurangazeb, outlining Shah Jahan’s true intentions, and warning Aurangazeb to stay away from Delhi.When the war of succession was resolved in favour of Aurangazeb, she quickly became a powerful figure at court.

Roshanara resorted to untraditional and corrupt methods..owing to her greedy nature she accumulated wealth on a large scale, and had also earned hatred of her brother’s wives and people and. Roshanara, who was obliged to remain single, as was the tradition with Mughal princesses, instead took many lovers, some openly, some secretly. Aurangazeb ,being a very strict Muslim, did not approve of  Roshanara’s lifestyle and her greedy nature. He stripped Roshanara of her powers, banished her from his court, and ordered her to remain in seclusion and live a pious life in her garden palace outside of Delhi.As per few historians Aurangazeb poisoned Roshanara  in 1671 when she was caught with her lover in the garden.

In 1923, a European club known as Roshnara Club was established here and is today one of the most prestigious clubs of the capital.

The city of Bombay has always attracted me because of its fast-paced ness, independence and rich colonial history. It is a city to get lost in, to be one with, and yet discover oneself in the process. Bombay’s colonial architecture had a tremendous appeal to me. It is an exciting blend of Gothic, Art Deco, Victorian, Indo-Saracenic and Contemporary styles– tracing the story of the city’s growth from a British trading post to one of the biggest metropolises of the country. And yes, I am going to refer to the city as “Bombay” and not “Mumbai”, as what follows is from the times when the city was called so.

In my quest, I decided to focus on lesser known historical buildings in South Bombay.  I found a Pandora’s box – a store of rich architectural heritage hidden under the chaos of city-life. Against the test of time, these buildings stood by, acting as silent witnesses to the unfolding of the grand story of Bombay.

The above comment is best exemplified by the Watson Hotel located in Kalaghoda District of South Bombay. It is now called the Esplanade Mansion, and is in complete ruins, the rooms being divided and given on rent to shopkeepers, tailors and even families. Built in February 1871 with a “Europeans only” clientele, it was the pride of Bombay. Visiting dignitaries included the likes of Mark Twain and Richard Burton. It is India’s oldest cast iron building, the frame being fabricated in England and put together in Bombay. What remains of the hotel’s grandeur today is only this cast iron frame with the “W” logo peeping out from under the overgrown shrubs and overflowing garbage. The decline was gradual beginning with its sale to another owner and the growing competition from J.N.Tata’s Taj Mahal Hotel in 1903.

I found some other interesting architectural marvels in the same vicinity of Kalaghoda, one of the easiest to spot being the David Sasoon Library. Built in the Venetian Gothic style around 1870, the purpose of the building was to function as a museum and library for the Royal Mint and Government Dockyard. The architectural style combined Gothic arches with Byzantine influences, the desire for lightness and grace in the structure being extremely important. This characteristic is easily visible in the building – being adorned by intricate details and yet not giving the impression of heaviness.
An influential

I found some other interesting architectural marvels in the same vicinity of Kalaghoda, one of the easiest to spot being the David Sasoon Library. Built in the Venetian Gothic style around 1870, the purpose of the building was to function as a museum and library for the Royal Mint and Government Dockyard. The architectural style combined Gothic arches with Byzantine influences, the desire for lightness and grace in the structure being extremely important. This characteristic is easily visible in the building – being adorned by intricate details and yet not giving the impression of heaviness.

An influential banker, Sir David Sassoon, later funded the completion of this building. It is an active library and reading room today.

On the other side of the road is the lane that passes by Rhythm House and leads to another beautiful building contributed by the Jewish Community to the city– The Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue. Another such synagogue stands in the area of Byculla, called the Megan David Synagogue. These buildings hint towards the presence of an abundant and rich Jewish population in Bombay, now no longer so. The former of the mentioned synagogues is an aesthetically pleasing building coloured in aquamarine blue, standing two floors tall. The stained glass windows and carved wooden doors give away the colonial influence. Once there, one should not miss the Kalaghoda Café – a quiet, little nook to escape the heat and the city noise.

Bombay’s day-to-day life holds a storehouse of historical buildings – in the form of movie theatres, libraries and coffee houses. The most well-known of these being the Eros Cinema, situated at Churchgate, built around 1935-38. It is in the Art Deco style as is evident from the cylindrical spire with rings around it. It used a range of materials from Red Sandstone from Agra to Black Marble and Gold. Other than Eros, the first of Bombay’s Art Deco cinema theatres was Regal Cinema (Colaba) and the Metro Cinema (Princess Street), built and run originally by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), now transformed into a multiplex.

Another section of south Bombay abounding in Colonial Architecture is Horniman Circle, in the Fountain District. Originally called the Elphinstone Circle, it was renamed to commemorate the Editor of The Bombay Chronicler, Benjamin Horniman. The area houses a large garden originally called the Bombay Greens (now The Horniman Circle Gardens) constructed in the Neo-Classical style, surrounded by commercial buildings. Most interesting are the elegantly curved Neo-Classical buildings built in accordance with the turn of the streets. Some of the buildings today house leading banks, international brands like Hermes and India’s first Starbucks Coffee Shop.

Overlooking the Horniman Circle Gardens is the Asiatic Society of Bombay, located in the Town Hall. The Society has had associations with the Royal Asiatic Society of Britain, and the Literary Society of Bombay, but is today run by the Central Government. The library boasts of a huge collection of rare manuscripts, two original remaining copies of Dante’s “Divine Comedy” being one of the most valuable. The Town Hall that houses the library was built around 1804, around the same time of the formation of the Literary Society of Bombay. Its architecture is heavily influenced by Greco-Roman style evident in the eight Doric columns, a large flight of 30 stairs leading to the loggia, topped by a cornice and frieze at the entablature.

Bombay has been the cultural hot-plate of India since its birth for reasons of inter-continental trade. This cross-cultural germination is as evident in the architecture as much in the lifestyle of its residents. Bombay today is home to a cosmopolitan crowd, ranging from the old “bawa” reminiscing about days gone by, to the French traveller who fell in love with the city at first sight.

Intriguing about Bombay’s history is how its heritage lies hidden amongst our everyday lives – moving along with us, changing with the times, fulfilling their present duties. Today they serve all kinds of purposes – from police headquarters to lavish restaurants for the rich to homes to the poor.

It is only when one stops awhile to ponder, one sees how these buildings mean so much more – like those old Banyan trees which have stood at the same place for years, seen a People grow and die, and when you look up at those strong branches and dropping roots in awe, they look down at you with a knowing smile.

- Shubhasree Purkayastha

In almost 20 years this was my first one month long vacation which I spent in hot yet cool environs of my mountainous native place in Kokan. But as the day to return to Mumbai neared, I could sense my longing to be in Mumbai, especially to visit my favorite hangout place Colaba Causeway.
Colaba Causeway being a cultural and art hub with galleries, theatres, museum and residential areas that are backed by historic references, the place offers attractive, modern and trendy fashion fiesta with its pavement shopping galore that sell clothes, junk accessories etc attracting both Indian and tourists. One can not only hop and shop a whole day on these streets and study the place of old world charm that still holds stone-walled buildings, attractive squares, but along with it the one place that arouses taste buds to try out traditional and cultural cuisines that are offered at restaurants and cafes which are of our grand dad’s age or little more than that. At last, a day after my arrival in Mumbai I landed up there and felt like a fish taken out of water for a few minutes and put back again in water before it suffocated. A fish in me survived! I decided to explore all the eaters and restaurants that I could in a day’s time. I started with the square ahead of electric house and walked in a lane which has New Martin Hotel.
Seafood is always a healthy option for non-vegetarians and if it is from New Martin Hotel then everything becomes fair in dieting and over-eating! New Martin Hotel, at Strand Road, near Strand Cinema offers a Goan style seafood. Fresh fishes from Sasoon Dock include salmon, Bombay duck, mackerel, king fish, lobster, butter fish, gold fish, black promfret, octopus are the most loved varieties served hot either steamed, in curry or simply crispy fried. The ‘Sole-Kadhi’; a sweet and sour juicy preparation made from blend of kokum, green chilies and coconut juice is simply lip smacking! Fish, Sole-kadhi and rice is a complete meal that leaves you full and compels you to stroll after your stomach cries for little empty space to feel light.
Walking down towards Fort becomes interesting as we move watching and collection antiques and other things from the pavements. Cinema poster at Regal cannot be skipped and also a look at Lal Bahadur Shastri’s ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’ slogan below his statue. Taking a left turn I visited National Gallery of Modern Art and after a long time I was back in my artist’s abode, watching the thoughtful paintings by legendry and new artists. It was just 4.00 p.m when a come out of the gallery, feeling fresh by being in air-conditioned gallery, but within seconds the sweltering heat and humidity caught me and I decide to go back again on the street of Colaba Causeway. The pavements have juice stalls where you get fresh fruit juices in minutes. But instead of going in for fresh fruits I urged to be a sporty and spirited with the chilled bear and some cool snacks, so which would be better place than Café Mondegar? Just down the block of Regal Cinema, I entered the ever crowded café and took a seat near entrance door (Luck was kind to me on, so I got a seat there). Café Mondegar has its own charm instead of being jam packed at any time of the day. With the best jukebox, cartoons on walls and carefree crowd it seems worries and bothers are afraid to enter here. Chilled bear is its specialty. The Chinese and Continental cuisines and snacks are preferred over Indian dishes. Nonetheless French fries are all time munching favorites with dudes who want to enjoy drink only with nominal munch. My spirits uplifted and feeling cool down my nerves I strolled back on the street. It is interesting that every lane, by-lane and road here leads to something interesting, worth watching and not to forget appetizing! I decide Gateway of India as my next destination. The cool breeze of Arabian Sea and huge Taj Mahal hotel on the opposite end has always been exciting for me. The fortress like Gate though built to welcome Queen Victoria, always gives me an illusion that it is there to welcome me (Wow! What a grand welcome I think to myself) and then there are these ‘Chana jor garam’ vendors who sell gram flakes with little tangy chili powder and a dash of lime. Though it is a cheap road side snack one cannot hold back the desire to have at least on serving. And also you cannot miss on Jumbo sized glass of fresh sugarcane juice.
Moving on I take a road behind Taj Mahal Hotel and enter the by- lane where there is Baghdadi restaurant just next to Bade Miyan. It’s a family style, non- air-conditioned restaurant famous for large sized Khaboos roti that can be eaten with mutton or chicken. But personally I prefer chicken preparation whether masala gravy or simply grilled. It’s awesome and fulfilling, but my girlfriends hesitate to come there as they find very odd sitting there and feel its little average in terms of service and hardly find any woman relishing meal over there.
Bade Miyan! What to say about it? It is Mumbai’s world famous road-side most sought after non-vegetarian joint. It’s a fun to take a new visitor to its location during day time and again in evening. During day time it is closed and the lane is comparatively quiet only with some shop owners and pedestrians hurrying for work. Located on a few feet away from Taj Mahal, it does not make any impression all through the day but ….come evening and the Bade Miyan projects its popularity. The lane is adorned with line of cars parked on the side and its makeover is like that of a fair. The three to four carts of Bade Miyan parked in line are full of Seekh Kababs, Chicken Egg Roll, Bhuna chicken, Chiken- tikka roll and not to side line-  Rumali rotis! The atmosphere of mass enjoyment and chit-chatting people hogging together even post-midnight makes the place unique. It simply amazing being there and offers Value For Money. So all those who love to be alone yet be crowded with people this is the one place you should never miss when you are in Mumbai and close to huge Arabian Sea.
For all those who love organized setup of restaurants, with proper formal service and air-conditioned dining hall and attractive walls and seats  you have Delhi Darbar that stands on the opposite side of the main road and adjacent to Electric House. It has Indian cuisine. Very well set-up, great service and above all great North Indian food. Simply have meals to heart’s delight.
On its left on the same side of the road is a small Café Olympia. It is my most favorite place to dine. It is very old café and legendary painter M.F.Hussain’s favorite place. There is nothing unusual or unique about this place. It has old world charm with the teak wood chair and tables with white marble base. A non-air-condition, simple café, is famous for its morning breakfast of Kheema Pao. It’s relishing to have it hot with a cup of Irani style tea or chai. The taste of this specialty and Mughlai dishes served here have not changed with times. The food is tasty and cheap. You can have a sumptuous meal within Rs 250. The rotis, Mutton masala, Chicken masala with additional Shorba if you want, great tasting Biryani, Aloo parathas or simply Tandoori chicken I love every dish served here. The waiters are soft spoken and never delay in serving. As you sit upstairs and watch all the staff bend in reverence to Allah during Namaaz time, you too admire their spirituality and feel peace within. Both Indians and tourists love it. In fact, my friends who are settled in foreign countries do visit Olympia when in India, Mumbai. To end the meal the best dessert you can opt for is Pudding, served in a simple plate with no garnishing. Also observe that on the counter there are Uncles in stainless white robes, they are owners of course, but I sometimes smile and think even the men on counters have dress code…
On the opposite side of Olympia stands more than 150 years old Leopold Café which came into being along with Café Mondegar, both built by Iranians. Leopold Café is always bustling mostly with tourists from all over the world. They chill out there with chilling beer and snacks. The dishes are bland but suits foreigners’ taste. It has some age old printout of ads of wine, food and also has paintings. After 26/11 attack, it has an addition of bullet marks on walls and glasses that attract people towards it.
Other attractions for foodies are the Ming’s Café, Café Churchill. Ming’s Café serves some of the superb Chinese cuisines and Café Churchill I like for its cozy atmosphere, fish and steaks.
For hygiene conscious people who want to enjoy Chaats, Paani puris, Paav-bhaaji Kailash Parbat is the right place. You can also have some vegetarian delights. Punjabi curries like methi matar malai, Paneer Mutter, Chana masala, Chole Bathure, Club Sandwich or Thali, different kinds of Lassi, Samosas and sweet dishes like rasgulla, gulab jamun and fresh fruit juices etc. Also one can try snacks at Gokul. For formal and quiet ambience enter Picadilly and have some peaceful, undisturbed dining experience.
The talk of food and food joint has wavered me from my writing about my day spent at Colaba Causeway, but I don’t mind. Even if I am not a Hotel Management graduate, I still have good taste for food and luckily I am able to serve my artistic instincts and appetite in the same area. Hope you too have and enjoy soon…

By Tathi Premchand

An age-old tradition with a new perspective of developing heritage tourism of Orissa

Orissa (Odisha) which has been Kalinga of Mauryan age and Utakala of Mahabharata fame offers a delicacy of prosperous cultural as well as natural heritage in form of splendid architecture and magnificent beaches. The historical significance of this place lies in the fact that it completely transformed Mauryan emperor Ashoka after the massacre of Kalinga war, and the warrior became a great disciple of Buddhism.
Heritage of Orissa both tangible and intangible is fruit of the golden era, which, still stands today as evidence to a glorious past. The temples of Orissa are essential part of tangible as well as intangible cultural heritage of the state.

Amongst many splendid and marvelous temples of Orissa, the temple of Jagannath Puri holds a prominent place. Constructed during 11th -12th Century A.D in the reign of imperial Gangas the temple also known as Purushottam Jagannath is dedicated to Lord Vishnu’s incarnation as Lord Jagannath. It has been the centre of art and culture of Orissa, the culture that once developed with the community and the rituals and festivals, along with the idea of pilgrims has put a lot of emphasis on the integrative role of the temple. It can be put forth that its living traditions and the legacy which is carried forward for thousands of years has contributed to the development of heritage tourism of the state to a large extent. One such example is the grand Rath Yatra or car festival of Jagannath Puri which takes place every year during the month of mid June or first week of July. The Rath Yatra festival is part of the rich cultural heritage of Orissa and upholds age old tradition in its living form.
The popular belief behind the origin of this chariot or car festival is that every year during the month of Ashadh (June-July) the divine trinity i.e. Lord Jagannth (Krishna), his elder brother Lord Balabhadra, and their sister Devi Subhadra leave the temple in three ornate chariots for nine days to their aunt’s abode in Gundicha temple. Devotees pull the chariots all the way along the Grand Road of Puri to the temple. It is believed that divine trinity pours blessings on those who pull the chariots. Lakhs of devotees coming from long distances throng the temple to view the grandeur of spectacle.
The whole cycle of the car festival consists of the following rituals: (i) The Bathing Festival or Snana Yatra, (ii) Anasara, (iii) Netra Utsab, (iv) Naba Jaubana Darsana, (v) The ceremonial procession of images which is otherwise known as Pahandi, (vi) Sweeping of the floor of the chariots by golden broom by Gajapati maharaja of Puri, it is also known as Chherapanhara,(vii) Stay of the Deities in Gundicha Ghar for 7 days, (viii) The return journey of Gods which is known as Bahuda Yatra and (ix) The final return of lord Jagannath to the temple.

As far as heritage tourism of the state goes the car festival is one such major religio-economic activity which has contributed to the revival of intangible cultural heritage. Tourism is regarded as the driving force and promoter of cultural heritage, a medium of cultural conservation, and a source of revenue and employment generation. Since ancient times pilgrims from all over India used to come every year to witness the procession and pilgrims gradually developed relations with sevayatas of Sri Jagannath temple.  They have been warmly attending the pilgrims and making all sorts of arrangements for them for the convenient Darshana of deity and the whole procession. Traditionally the sevayatas or temple priests are responsible for the promotion of Jagannath Dham. The priests of Jagannath Temple were sent across various parts of the country to propagate the glory of Lord Jagannath. At the same time they were entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining the flow of visitors and pilgrims. To the present day and time this tradition is being followed consistently. This has been the strategy to spread the splendor of Lord Jagannath and the temple, in addition people were persuaded to visit Jagannath temple and car festival. It can be said to be the present day marketing strategy to develop heritage tourism.
Earlier there have been separate priests or pandas responsible for separate groups of pilgrims flowing into temple from various states of India. They would guide the pilgrims during their visits to Puri, moreover they were well versed with the language of the particular pilgrim group assigned to them. All the native Pandas with this pilgrim business regularly used to visit these areas and promoted Jagannath cult as well as the destination.

With passing time a number of new systems developed and more and more organizations and Government Departments got involved in the marketing. Marketing helps to create new customers by way of first identifying their needs and then trying to satisfy these. Since, Sri Jagannath Temple Administration, with the cooperation of State Administration as a whole, organizes the Car Festival as a super event, State Tourism Department, India Tourism and various other Travel and Tour Operators try to market the event at various levels.

Since Car Festival is a living and a mega traditional event, it offers an exotic tourism product. The Temple Administration wholeheartedly organizes the event and takes care for its publicity. In fact Temple Administration has produced the chronology and sequence of the Car Festival well in advance and circulates it to all outlets set up in India. State Tourism Department and Orissa Tourism Development Corporation are major source for marketing of the mega events under the heading “Fairs and Festivals”. Although the activities of the organizations are well planned but not noticeable at the state level. As far as wide publicity is concerned, it needs a combined effort to market the destinations as well. The whole destinatioin which offers the beautiful art and architecture along with endless numbers of interpretations, legends, folk tales and history of this place, can be combined and amalgamated with this event. This combination in itself will boast of an exciting heritage tourism package.

Ragini Bhat