Nepal Nuggets II – Mount Everest Top View

Climbing Mount Everest and getting a top view of the world from there is something only a few of us have the courage to achieve. Thankfully, there are easier ways to get a top view of the highest point on the planet. Take a mountain flight from Kathmandu, and take a parikrama or a round around the Mount Everest in less than an hour. It is expensive but still affordable. Every morning many flights take off from the Kathmandu domestic airport, most of them small planes that take you on this joy ride.

Take the early morning flight to get a good view of the mountain range and to be able to identify the various peaks. We took a Buddha Air flight but I assume the services offered would be same across many airlines that operate the mountain flights. Each passenger gets a window seat, so you do not have to fight for the view but since the view is on one side at any point in time, you will have two people sharing the window most of the time. We were given a brochure with a graphic depiction of the peaks, so that you can identify them. One of the crewmembers also goes around pointing you to the peaks. At the end of the flight they give you a certificate that says ’I did not climb the Mt Everest…but I touched it with my heart’.

After half the round there were some peaks that I could identify. How clearly you see the peaks depends on the weather and the clouds, so say your prayers before you buy the tickets. Gauri Shankar is a black and white peak, considered sacred and no one is allowed to climb. I wonder if it is because of the two distinct colors that it is called Gauri Shankar. Melungtse - a double peaked peak makes it stand out amongst the single peaks. Mt Everest of course stands steadily behind a flat mountain, with its prism like three-dimensional peak standing tall. When I looked at it for the first time, being above it, the relative height of the peak did not stand out but I could not miss the majesty with which it stood, like a queen amongst her friends. Next minute I was trying to see if there were any people trying to climb it and shining on those snow clad slants, of course I could not see any both because of height and limited time. 

You can see the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna mountain range when you fly between Delhi to Kathmandu if you choose your seats on the correct side. If it is the right time of the day and the clouds are helpful, you would feel lucky. Do not buy mountain flight tickets from your hotel, they usually charge higher for it. Just step out and buy tickets from any travel agent on the street, the price of the ticket is pretty standard. Indian passport holders get the domestic rates while others have to pay international rates. 

It is an experience to go around this Himalayan mountain range and get a bird’s eye view of it. 

Hyderabad Hues XVII: Birla Science Museum & Planetarium

In the heat of Hyderabad, one afternoon I went to the Nuabat Pahad with a thought to write about everything there – Birla Mandir, Birla Science Museum and the Planetarium. I obviously did not expect much at the science museum and having seen other planetariums, I did not expect anything much different there. Since it was afternoon, I decided to do the museum and the planetarium first. As I reached the ticket window, I figured out there is a gallery of modern art as well, so I bought all the tickets and proceeded for the museum with an aim to finish it before the planetarium show starts. 

Walking towards the museum building, I saw of stone sculptures scattered all around in lawns, in between spaces and making it a cultural space. The museum building is a modern glass and steel building but the path leading to it has pillared wall that brings in the Indian element in the space. I entered the hall to find there are many floors of museum, and decided to start with the science museum floor. It is not really a museum, but an experimental place, where the simple principles of science are demonstrated through simple equipment and processes. Most of the principles that we have studied in school are here for you to see, learn first hand and enjoy. You can play with the equipment, enjoy the illusions, see the colors, float the balls, create patterns, dance in the air and re-live your school days. Most equipment is simple but in working condition. If you cannot figure out anything, ask the helper there he would show you how it works. By the time I finished this floor, it was time for the show at planetarium, which was a usual show that you can skip if you have seen it earlier otherwise it is a good experience to sit back on recliners and look at the simulated sky and take a walk through the solar system, milky way and draw the constellations. 

As I came out of the show I saw a board of Institute of culture and went to check it and was delighted to see a huge library on archeology, art and art history. I was taken to gallery of modern art for more information, where it was a delight to see the displays that very wisely use the available space, and display art through various mediums - a young boy in fiber welcomes you at the entrance, followed by other models in metals and then a stage like place designed with terracotta on the theme of Vishwaroop of Sri Krishna enthralls you. This creation is really impressive and has been done by the artists in situ. A board explains each piece and its part as the vishwaroop of the Lord Krishna. I could spend hours looking at it, but in the interest of time I walked around and saw paintings and was pleasantly surprised to see a painting my Gurcharan Das amongst other noted painters. Curator of the gallery was kind enough to point me to the basement where there was a collection of paintings by Iqbal Hussain – a storytelling style on the themes of Ramayan and Mahabharata using only water colors on paper with amazing vibrancy and clarity. Next time I need to go with more time to see them in detail.

I went back to the science museum building and went to the basement to see the archeology gallery. I was again impressed by the collection, its maintenance, its display and the helpfulness of the staff. I began with the gallery of personal collection of Nirmala Birla that included porcelain collection of household items and dolls. The doll collection is huge and some of them are limited edition. A full display of white dolls will mesmerize you. The Lladro Porcelain collection is worth admiring, I specially loved the colorful Spanish lady in a standing pose. The ivory gallery is also amazing and includes everyday use objects, paintings, carved deities, and stories carved in whole tusks. The there are collections in jade, cut glass, wood, mother of pearl, bidri work, metal work. There were objects from around the world like Chinese jade tabletop and folk figures, Japanese flower vases and some African displays. Each display had proper lighting and clean objects places in a manner that you can fully appreciate them, indicating a regular maintenance. 

Archeological gallery has stone sculptures, potteries, iron objects, terracotta figurines excavated from the places in the region like Kurnool, Warangal, Krishna District, Mehboobnagar, Karimnagar. There is even a child fossil to see. There are engraved pillars with half medallions, sculptures of Jain Teerthankaras some of which are in dark porous stone, a stupa made of towering Teerthankaras, various Saptamatrika panels, Yakshini, Bhairava, Surya and Vishnu figures. Smaller sculptures have been wonderfully displayed on small altars on the wall. Wooden gallery has a huge carved model of the temple gopuram with a Dashavatar door. There are other carved panels with themes like gajalakshmi, doors, carved pillars, bell stands with Yali figures and padmavalis, all in dark ebony color. Bronze gallery has the famous south Indian bronze collection, and the displays are categorized on themes. There is collection of Tanjore paintings with some half finished ones, Deccan or Wanaparthy miniature paintings, Kalamkari paintings, handwritten manuscripts including one on horses in Gurmukhi besides the Ramayana, Bhagwata, Kalpasutra, Yajurveda in Devanagiri and Firdausi Shahnama in Arabic. There are some palm leaf manuscripts as well. Then there are Ganjifa cards, collection of ancient locks and other everyday use items and a mandatory gallery on arms that I always tend to skip. 

On one of the walls there is stupa re-created out of the actual broken pieces of a stupa and I found it very tastefully done. I was really impressed by the upkeep and the management of these galleries. The security guards were not only courteous but knew about the collections. In fact as they spotted me looking attentively at the objects, they made sure that I have seen the most peculiar items. In the Natraja display I almost missed a peculiar price where the Natraja is upside down balanced on his left hand, and the guard made sure I noticed it. Another one showed me a scene depicted on the ivory paintings and the mythological stories carved in them. They also knew the patrons i.e. the Birlas and would tell stories about them like when they come, where they stay, what they do. Rarely in India have I found employees so engaged with the employer and the work!

Top floor of this building houses a dinosaurian with a life size display of a dinosaur, much like you see in natural history museums. There are a few fossils of trees and dinosaurs that are also on display. Next floor houses two dioramas – one of Antarctica and the other of underwater excavations for the lost city of Dwarka. You can know about underwater archeology a bit here. 

I think this is a gem of a place with a misplaced name. Why do they still call it a Science Museum, when it has a brilliant collection of ancient art, modern art and archeological artifacts? Unfortunately they do not allow any photography and even their website has very limited pictures. 

A must visit for everyone living in or visiting Hyderabad.

Discover Delhi XXXIV: Visiting the Parliament

Budget season is when everyone in the country is looking at the parliament, anxious about its impact. The plans may have to change, some things may get added to the shopping list while others may get dropped. While looking at visuals of the parliament house in media, I got reminded of my visit to Rajya sabha last year and I realized I have not written about it. This is not a tourist destination, but let me tell you it is in no way less fascinating than any other tourist destination in the city.

You may not know that as a citizen of India you can visit the parliament and see the proceedings of the house from the public gallery. Children below the age of ten are not allowed, but anyone above that age can visit. The process to visit is documented here on the Rajya Sabha website. Google devta did not help in locating a similar document for Lok Sabha but I think the process may not be different. You need to know a member of parliament or an official of the Rajya Sabha to be able to visit the house. They will apply for a visitor’s pass for you on your behalf, using which you will be given access to the house. There are many galleries on the first floor of the house, above the hall where the members sit. Apart from public gallery meant for general public there are five other galleries.  Press Gallery is obviously meant for media personnel. Distinguished visitor’s gallery meant for legislative members, spouses of the parliament members and other distinguished public figures. Lok Sabha member’s gallery is for the members of the lower house to witness the proceedings of upper house. Special box is meant for governors of the states, guests of the president and visiting heads of states. Official gallery is for the government officials who need to participate in the house discussions. As an ordinary citizen you get to sit in the public gallery, which has seating capacity of 160, and usually a pass is issued only for one hour that is specified on the pass.

Though you can see all the proceedings live on TV through almost static cameras, and keep yourself appraised of what our elected members are doing, but being there in the same space as them is an experience in itself. The most fascinating part for me was the formal protocol followed by the members. They all address the chair of the house, which in case of Rajya Sabha is vice-president of India, and they speak to each other through him or her. It is almost a school classroom kind of environment where students seated on their uniform red benches are not allowed to speak to each other and they must communicate through the teacher. Another fascinating feature is the headphones where you can switch the language in which you want to hear the proceedings. There are live interpreters sitting somewhere, I could not make out where, and they interpret the spoken word almost instantaneously for you to hear. This is important, as most members tend to speak in their chose language that may not be understood by others. Just my choosing the right number, you can hear the content in your chosen language. I also liked walking around the pillared corridor that we all recognize so well. The place is grand with its broad corridor running around the building with verses written in few places.  Large image of Mahatama Gandhi in the lawns is sure to catch your attention and it makes you wonder if things would have been different if he was present in blood and flesh instead of stone.

I must tell you about the security gates that you have to cross to reach the public gallery. You are not allowed to carry anything with you – no mobiles, no cameras, no pen and paper. Nothing except may be a wallet with only cash in it. There are counters available where you can leave your stuff but it is better to leave it in your car or at home. Just take yourself. You will be screened at various places, on every floor by a security officer. You will be instructed that you must sit straight, you cannot cross your legs or put them one upon the other, or put them on the chair and restrict your movements to the minimum. In case you happen to do any of these unconsciously, be sure someone will come and tell you to behave yourself. You are obviously expected to maintain silence and listen to the noise your selected members are making downstairs.

During my visit it was the Question hour that was going on and after few questions the opposition staged a walk out. We got to see many political leaders and a couple of business leaders and film stars. As a token of our visit we were given a Rajya Sabha greeting card. As I walked out of the building, it was like a first hand learning of something that we have known since the days of our first social science lesson in school.

Nepal Nuggets I – Durbar Squares

Think of Nepal and the first thing that comes to your mind is the snow clad Himalayas. If you force yourself to think beyond this glory of Nepal, you think of Casinos that attract a lot of tourists to this country followed by our Nepali security guards, who are synonymous with security agencies in our country. If forced to think about the cultural heritage of Nepal, you may come say ok, there is Pashupatinath temple, holy for all Hindus. Not many have heard of the Durbar Squares of Nepal and those to me are the cultural high point of Nepal, a living heritage. Durbar squares of Kathmandu valley are in fact a UNESCO world heritage site. There are three durbar squares in the Kathmandu valley, all of them are quite similar and yet have individuality. Traditionally a durbar square used to be the residence of the king and also the center of the town. It had the king’s palace, the deity of the clan and other temples in an open space, followed by the residences of the important people and then by those of citizens. The roads coming out of the Durbar squares had the markets and the open spaces had the long corridors, temples had elaborate steps, all the spaces available to the people to roam around, to sit and chat and to mingle with others. These were social spaces just on the outskirts of royal family’s palace. You have to spend sometime in these squares to feel the intimacy that people would have shared with the royal family. Though there is a distinct difference in the social hierarchy that is highlighted by the state of buildings but they are physically and hence I assume psychologically close enough to each other. Even today all these durbar squares are living spaces with no restriction on locals to enter and use them. However tourists have to pay a fee and paste the ticket on them to say that they have paid the entrance fees, as there are no formal entry and exit gates. You can see the durbar square fading into ordinary houses as you move away from the center. Some places have now been converted into art centers where Tangkha paintings and other local arts are promoted. Some palace parts have been converted into museums housing the artifacts of royal families and excavated articles from region. Most temples are still practicing, and are fiercely guarded. Some allow only Hindus to go, and most do not allow photography. 

Basantpur Durbar Square is more popularly known as Hanumandhoka because of the large number of monkeys in this complex. Till very late this was the place where the king’s coronation used to take place. This square also houses the Kumari ghar, the house of the Nepal’s principal living Goddess. If there are enough tourists, the guide will signal and the Kumari will come out to give you a glimpse of her. There is one building in this square with a colonial architecture, which stands out in the cluster of otherwise traditional Nepali architecture. 

Bhaktapur is an old town and is considered the cultural capital of the region. This square actually has three squares. You see the first one as you enter from the main gate called the Durbar Square. Past this is Taumadhi Square, which has the magnificent five-storied Nyatapola temple dedicated to Siddhi Laxmi along with a three-storied Bhairav temple. The steps leading to the temple have huge figurines of animals on both sides. From the top storey of the temple you can get a bird’s eye view of the town. Behind this square is a potter’s square where you will see rows of pottery lying in a square and potter’s wheels around it. 

Patan Durbar Square is famous for it’s Krishna temple. It is built in grey stone in Nagar or North Indian temple architectural style and is a practicing temple. There is a shining brass image of Lord Krishna on the first floor of the temple and has carvings of usual Hindu themes on the outer walls. Other attraction of this square is the Golden temple dedicated to Buddha. You can walk across the square and it’s by lanes and you will see so many big and small temples, stupas, Lingas that beauty is the life that exists around them. They are not monuments that have to be preserved for tourists but they are a part of everyday life of the people living in and around them. 

The architecture of buildings in Durbar squares are typically Nepali that borrow a lot from the Pagoda style. Finely carved wooden windows adorn the walls of most buildings. In fact Kathmandu was originally called KashthaMandap or a hall made of wood. The carved wood can be all over the durbar squares and in curio shops where the miniature versions of the Nepal windows are sold. The dark colored carves wood looks beautiful against the red palace and temple walls. While you can read about the history of Durbar Squares and Nepal, see the living heritage as people use it today as they would have used it in the past. See the locals selling their art and craft to the tourists, see the small vendors selling food, see them interacting amongst themselves as the tourists sprinkled between them move around. The chaos, the sound of children playing on the steps of closed temples, sights of brick, wood, metal and stone all come together to create a cultural identity for the place. You have to sit here and soak yourself in it to feel it to absorb it. 

Discover Delhi XXXIII: Mehrauli Archeological Park

When you say Old Delhi, image of Shahajahanabad pops up and you want to head there for its Paranthas and other delicacies. But hold on, that is not the oldest living area of Delhi, it is only 400 or so years old. Mehrauli has been a living area for more than a millennium. And this longevity means that it has been witness to all the known history of Delhi, and sure you find imprints of all times in this small living village of Delhi. You can see the imprints of Jain city Yoginipura, of Tomars, Chauhans, Khiljis, Slave kings, Lodis, Mughals and British. To create the imprint of post independence India ASI carved out Mehrauli Archeological Park as a tourist hot spot. Though not sure of many tourists visit it, in spite of being so close to Qutub Minar Complex, but it is definitely a place that I recommend to all history enthusiasts and nature lovers. 

This park was a living village till sometime back, and villagers were moved out and some conservation work done on the some of the ancient monuments here. Traditionally this place is known as Jamali Kamali, after the sufi saint whose mosque is located here. Unfortunately there are no guides here to explain you the structures and give you the stories, unless you are going with some walking tour groups. Still move around and you would see nature and history interspersed with each other. There are tombs of Balban and Khan Shahid and when you look at the ruins of these, look at the early stage Indo-Islamic architecture. The arches are basic and gateways still have the beam and lintel, as the knowledge of making arches was not there with native workers. See the stone used and how it has managed to survive all these years. 

Little ahead is Rajon ki Bauli, a step well that was meant for the masons working on these sites, it usually sounds like a step well belonging to the kings. A little ahead of this in the Mehrauli village is Gandhak ki Bauli. These step wells were the native method of preserving water in an area, which does not have a direct water source like a river, though a canal used to pass through this area and there is a spring in Mehrauli village even now. The water levels have gone down a lot now so all these step wells are dry. If you wonder what are these long pillars corridors and rooms around the stepwell, well these step wells were social spaces as well or shared resources. So people used to meet here, sit in the cool air around water on hot days and rooms I assume would have taken care of any guests like traders who would be visiting the area. This is a beautiful Bauli and if you are tired after walking around in the park, you can sit here and relax.

Quili Qutib Shah’s tomb that was converted into a retreat by Metcalfe is a typical tomb from outside. Inside it was converted to act as the dining hall and there were lot of small structures added to make it living quarters. The most talked about structure Metcalfe’s canopy or folly here is a small canopy on top of a hillock that was added just to create the old world for the place is not an original structure from the park. This canopy though is a good vantage point to view the wonders of this park.

Early 16th century Jamali Kamali mosque is the best-known monument of this park, it has the mosque of Saint Fazalullah or Jalal Khan. I read an interesting story about his conversion from a Jalali i.e. an angry saint to a Jamali i.e. a loving saint. It is said that at this Kamal or magic happened at this place and hence the place came to be known as Jamali Kamali. Another story says that another saint names Kamal was responsible for converting Fazalullah, hence the name. Whatever may be the story but visit the tomb of the saint inside the mosque compound to see Delhi’s best-preserved tile work. The colorful work will hold you for sometime as you hardly expect the color in those surroundings. See the influence of Rajputana as Jharokhas on outer walls. 

Apart from this there are trees and lawns with no visible signs of modern day. You can do long walks here and if lucky you can see some birds too, specially the peacocks. Do visit this gem in your own city. 

Travel Stories I: My World through your eyes

Traveling is more than site seeing and looking around unknown people. It is about our interactions with the place that most of the times come through our interactions with people. These interactions leave you with new insights, an expanded worldview, a peep into the minds of people who have a very different life than yours and sometimes a memory that lingers on forever. I love to talk to people who are not like me, say vendors on the streets or taxi drivers or co-passengers in trains. They show me their world; I sometimes just sit back and listen, sometimes I ask curious questions and sometimes I flirt with their curiosity.

It was November of 2004, and I was on way to Hampi with a friend. We were booked in the second-class compartment of the overnight train that goes from Bangalore to Hampi. All excited about my first trip to the world heritage sight, with tales of Tenali Ram ringing in my head, I was reading all I could on the destination till I fell asleep with the guide book in my hand. I got up early morning and sat by the window observing the landscape. The lady on the opposite seat got up and went through her morning routine before she settled in the opposite window and exchanged a smile with me that started the conversation. She was a middle-aged middle class woman probably in her 50s, wearing a pale orange traditional Gujarati Sari, a big Bindi on her forehead, red clip in her salt and pepper hair and long dangling jhumkas. I figured out that she lived in Chennai and was visiting an ailing relative in North Karnataka. Her face still stands crystal clear in my memory. After exchanging the usual where are you going, how long is your visit, what is the purpose of the visit, where do you live and what do you do, she got curious about me. I was not visiting family, a male member did not accompany me and I looked too ordinary and yet too confident to her. But since I was answering her questions, she slowly kept asking the questions. She asked me about my education, about my job and wondered if I was nor scared of living in a big city like Bangalore all by myself. She asked me how big is the house that I live in, do I have a maid to take care of the house, do I have a cook?

Gradually she was inching towards the basic question she had in her mind ‘How much do I earn?’ She kept skirting around the question and as I kept answering the questions in a way that gave her hints but no direct answer. Now, the curiosity had peaked and she popped the question, with an unsure expression on her face ‘How much do you earn?’ I asked her to take a guess. She avoided the answer as did not want to offend me by being away from the mark and was not sure how I would react. I kept smiling to comfort her, and kind of challenged her to go ahead and take a guess. She smartly said ‘It must be very good’, and I promptly said ‘Yes, it is very good, if that helps you to guess’. She finally threw a figure that she had stretched as much as she could, and was an outer limit in her mind.

It was about a fifth of the actual amount and when I told her to multiply that figure by 5, she did not believe me; she thought I was joking or dreaming or I have gone mad. She did not say anything but her expression said ‘Come on, you want to fool a simple woman’. I left it at that, but it threw open the differences between her worldview of women and mine. Over time it become my favorite tale to narrate when speaking about gathering insights while travelling.

Once I was narrating this to a friend, and he pointed out that she must be thinking if you earn more than this then why the hell are you travelling second class. Then, it struck me, yes, that would have been an important input that would have gone in her calculations.

Well, Lind Goodman says Scorpios love to travel Incognito, and I could not agree more with her.