Rudra Shiva Picture in Orientations Magazine

Hong Kong based Orientations Magazine that focusses on Asian Art for the collectors and connoisseurs of art features a picture from this blog of Rudra Shiva of Tala, Chhattisgarh.

The article by Rachel Parikh talks about the composite art where a larger image is composed of multiple smaller images, both in paintings and sculptures.

Tamil Nadu Tales X: Chola Bronzes

Chola temple trail cannot be complete without the mention of Chola Bronzes, a defining art form of the region and the times of Cholas. I saw Chola Bronzes at two places during this trip, one was at Museum of Art in Maratha Palace, Thanjavur and second was at Egmore Museum in Chennai which has some of the biggest and the best pieces of Chola metal craft. At Chennai, there is a bit of documentation too that explains you the popular forms of deities carved in Bronze and the galleries are in fact organized by deities, so there is one each for Shiva, Parvati, Vishnu, Ganesh et al. A video at the entrance explains the process of making these idols using the lost wax method and the importance of Patina the layer of tarnish that gives the sheen to the metal over a period of time and the one that makes the antique pieces valuable. Method of lost wax in mentioned in the ancient texts and it is a living tradition that is still practiced in the same fashion. Smaller idols are made in solid cast while the larger ones are made in a hollow cast to keep them light. There are two primary metals used: Bronze which is an alloy of Copper and Tin and Panchola which comes from five metals: Copper, Tin, Gold, Silver and Lead.

The origin of Bronze images lies in the urge to take out the Gods in palanquins from the temples. Since this was not possible with huge stone idols, smaller idols carved in metal were light and easy to be taken around and came to be known as Utsav murtis or festival idols. Rules of iconography her followed for metal images just like stone ones. Then it became a fashion for the rich and famous to donate the bronze idols to the temples.

Natraja is the most popular image in Chola Bronzes. This is the dancing Shiva, the presiding deity of the Chola dynasty. In Chennai museum you see some of the most beautiful Nataraja idols. You can get mesmerized looking at them, but for the fact that museum has no facility for you to sit and admire.  After Natraja the next most popular image is Somaskanda where Shiva is depicted sitting with his consort Uma and his son Skanda dancing between them on a platform. Other images of Shiva highlight some aspect of his personality like Chandrashekhar highlights the moon on his head and Gangadhara the Ganga coming out of hair.  Ardhanarishwar with half Shiva and half Shakti is another popular image, here you see the master craftsmanship when the limbs of the two parts are carved accordingly, the female part being smaller and delicate.  Parvati is also carved in her various avatars like Maheshwari, Durga, Kali etc, and her most popular avatar remains Mahishasurmardini – the one who slays the demon Mahisha. In one idol I found her wearing a short garment on one leg and a long one on other, something that I have not seen elsewhere, a designer idol probably. Ganesh, Murugan and Nandi complete the Shiva family. Ganesha is depicted with very long upper body and short legs.  Vishnu also had few idols. One that I found most amusing was in his Varaha avatar with a devi on his lap as he stands on a raised leg. There is a huge image of Sudarshan chakra that again looked quite unique. Most idols stood mounted on the solid metal pedestal that had solid hooks as if to pull the idols using ropes or to tie them up with something.

In general height of the women is shown substantially less than men in these bronzes and they are far more slender. The noses are sharp and head ornamentation is elaborate. Both sexes are depicted with without an upper body garment. The lower garments have quite a bit of experimentation. What stands out is the harmony and rhythm that oozes out of the proportionately carved figures that have gathered a color of their own over a period of time. Enter these galleries like a Rasik and enjoy the beauty of these pieces that only increases with time.

You can buy books on the museum artifacts from the museum shop if the staff obliges you.

A must see if you are in Chennai.

Majestic Maharashtra III: Sindhudurg, Konkan Coast

Located on the Konakn coast, between Mumbai and Goa, Sindhudurg is a mighty fort as it stands in the middle of the sea that can be approached only via water route. Shivaji built many forts in and around Maharashtra, but this one probably is the most unique and no wonder the only place that has a temple dedicated to him. Literally translated it means the fort in the ocean, appropriately named. There are many points of views from which you can look at this fort.

To begin with it is an engineering marvel. Built in mid 17th CE, on an islet in the Arabian Sea, it took only three years to construct it. Its foundation has been set in molten lead and the ramparts have 75000 kgs of iron in them. Just imagine the strength of the fort, no wonder it still stands strong after so many centuries, despite not having much maintenance effort. The design is such that it is difficult to make out the entrance from the outside, and even if you figure it out after going around the fort, the way into the fort is not straight for the first time visitor. Being an island the biggest issue would have been sweet water for sustaining life inside the fort. There are three sweet water wells inside the fort. I got two contradicting theories about the sweet water – first is simple that they are natural sweet water wells and the other seems more logical that Shivaji had the rain water harvesting system in place and the water from the monsoon was good enough to sustain life inside for whole year. I could not verify which one is true, but to my logical mind the second sounds more likely as the bed around the islet is quite rocky and having a natural well sounds unlikely.

Then, there are things to see inside the fort. There are a few temples, but the biggest one is dedicated to the Maratha warrior and the most revered figure in Maharashtra Shivaji himself. Beautiful trees surround this simple but serene temple. You can go in any direction from the main entrance and climb the thick walls with bastions that define the fort. The condition of the walls is not great, the steps are uneven and there are no safety features installed, no medical facilities seem to be available, so you need to be very careful while climbing. If you climb, you will see the view of the coastline with coconut trees forming the skyline and colorful boats providing the vibrancy with their colors against the different blues of the ocean and the sky. Tarkali beach is also visible from one side of the fort. There are Shivaji’s fingerprints and footprints that are preserved by building a small structure around them. You have to stress your eyes a bit to look at them through the iron rods. Small shops inside sell cold drinks, Sharbats and snacks.

 

There are myths and legends associated with the fort. It is a living fort, even today and few families still live inside it and take care of the temple and other things. Rough roads lead you in various directions. It is said there is an underground tunnel through the ocean that leads to one of the villages on the coast that was closed during the British period. Now we know that most forts have an escape route built in, but to build a secret tunnel to this fort is tricky because it can be discovered very easily by the enemy and blocked. Today no one is able to point where that tunnel is. There is a coconut tree with a branch that also produces coconut; this is an exception, as coconut tree does not grow branches. My logical mind says this must be a hybrid tree. 

Boat ride is enjoyable. Half way on the way, you have rich green beaches on one side and a majestic fort on the other with many rocky outgrowths peeping out of the water and colorful boats plying back and forth. Standing on the walls of the fort is like being at the edge of the earth with water all around you, while you stand on a firm place. 

If you are in this region, this is a must visit. 

Malaysia Marvel IX: Visiting a traditional Malay house in Melaka

Last year around this time I was in Malaysia, and I had two wonderful days in Melaka, the heritage town that has origins of Malaysia in its folds and will always remain in my mind as the red town, as most of its buildings are in rust red.

On a small island formed at the turn of the river Melaka, I saw some beautiful houses in pistachio green with red slanted roofs. Out guide sensed the curiosity and took us to visit Sentosa Villa, a traditional Malay house, almost 100 years old and still managed by the lady of the house. Haji Fatima is a few years younger than the house that was built by her grandfather. She takes us around the house and points to various things around the house.

House stands on raised platform and you reach the entrance through a flight of steps passing through some usual and some not so usual plants. Entrance leads to a central courtyard much like traditional Indian houses with rooms all around it. The pictures of the family prominently adore the houses and it was amusing to see the portrait of the lady in her younger days, with the shyness of youth on her face vis-à-vis a wise and mature look that she carries now. There was a wall full of music records and Fatima told us that they are the music albums of her brother who was a musician. There were elaborate beds with traditional linen on them. Every part of the floor was covered with colorful carpets. Two chairs under a canopy looked special and special they were as they were used during the marriage ceremonies to seat the bride and the groom. There were old machines like an almost rusted typewriter and tons of crockery collected from various parts of the world, the family was sure a rich one. A lounge like place was created for the visitors to go through the family albums.

Most interesting piece in the house was a huge gong that I believe was used for celebrations and announcements. Banging it three times is supposed to bring luck and the lady makes sure she treats you to some luck in her house. Sentosa Villa has also received award from Malaysia Tourism for being the best tourism attraction and it is proudly displayed in the house.

How I wish, we could convert some of our traditional Havelis and Deodis too were into such beautiful tourist attractions, that would helped generate employment as well as preserve heritage.

Malaysia is well connected with most major cities in India and all Indians citizens require a Malaysia Visa to visit the country.

Andhra Adventures XI: Honey Making at Araku Valley

As we were roaming around Araku Valley from one water fall to another, on one side of the road we saw some blue boxes lines up in what seemed like uncultivated land. We stopped to find out what they were and right there on the road a vendor was selling honey in small plastic bottles and when asked where does he get the honey from, he pointed to the same blue boxes. With some interpretation help, we asked him to show us the boxes.

These boxes are mini honey making factories. There are wooden frames stacked up inside the boxes and the honey bees are attracted to them. Over a period of time the frames are filled with honey and bee wax. These boxes are kept covered from the top unless the bee-keeper has to examine or take out the frames. There is a small hole at the bottom of the box that is meant for the bees to use for entering and exiting the box. 

I was scared when the bee-keeper just took out a wooden frame from the box and held it with his bare hands to show it to us, but he was absolutely cool about it. He told us that each box can yield 5-7 kgs of honey in a month’s time, and is a pretty profitable business though a small scale one. I thought it could be a good employment generation opportunity for people in this area as flowers are in abundance making it a viable place for honey making. The boxes are portable so they can be shifted to various places and need not occupy any prime cultivable land. The labor required is also not high though some skill may need to be developed to handle the bees.

We picked up a bottle of honey, said thank you and I was happy to learn about another small business that can be done in a very eco-friendly way without much investment. This is how each travel enriches me with unexpected experiences.

Majestic Maharashtra II: Bibi Ka Maqbara, Aurangabad

Bibi ka Maqbara at Aurangabad, Maharashtra is often called the Taj of Deccan or an imitation of the original Taj Mahal in Agra. It does look similar to the Taj Mahal and why not, the ladies belong to the same family and the one lying at Taj Mahal is the mother-in-law of the one lying here in Aurangabad. 

While the similarities between the two mausoleums have often been spoken about, let me point out some differences between the two:

1. The most visible difference is the size. Bibi ka Maqbara is about one third of the size of Taj Mahal. You would almost feel that someone has squeezed the Taj and kept it here, or may be this was the model that was built before the fine Taj was actually built.

2. Taj Mahal is completely built in pure white marble that shines through while only a small part of Bibi ka Maqbara is built in marble, and the rest is lime plaster with stuccowork on it. The marble for both the monuments came from Rajasthan and Agra is obviously far closer to the source than Aurangabad.

3. Taj Mahal stands by the river Yamuna, while Bibi ka Maqbara has a backdrop of small hills of the rocky Deccan plateau.

4. Minarets of Taj are round and tapering at the top while those of Bibi ka Maqbara are octagonal and almost straight.

5. The actual tomb lies below in both but the one at Aurangabad can be seen by the visitors and has lot of money thrown over it.

6. A husband in the memory of his wife built the Taj while a son in the memory of his mother, i.e.Prince Azam Shah, built Bibi Ka Maqbara for his mother Dilras Banu Begum who also happened to be Aurangzeb’s wife.

 

There is a controversy that Taj Mahal was probably a Hindu temple by the name Tejo Mahalaya while there is no such controversy associated with Bibi ka Maqbara that was built ab initio. 

Of the similarities involve the sheer resemblance between the two with same Char bagh style gardens around the monument. The same family of course built both memorials for the women of the family, almost one after the other in mid 17th CE. The Jaali work here is as intricate as in the most mughal monuments and is probably their signature element. At Aurangabad, the Jaali work around the tomb lends an elegant beauty to the simple grave covered with green cloth. There is limited inlay work and one ceiling with geometric pattern is quite intriguing.

This is probably the biggest and may be the only built monument by the Mughals in South or Deccan. May be they were trying to re-create an Agra in Aurangabad, may be the grandson attempted to outdo his grandfather by building something similar or may be better or may be they were just trying to keep a family tradition alive. 

More than anything else, I think they left the stories behind for us to talk and wonder about.

Click here for Aurangabad Hotels.

Hyderabad Hues XXVI: Discovering Kesar Chai at Nayaab Hotel

One fine afternoon, a friend and me set out to explore some parts of Old Hyderabad. We were actually visiting an old library, the state of which almost sent us into depression, so we quickly crossed the river Musi before the sun went down and stopped at the Nayaab Hotel for a cup of tea. Now Irani Chai is something that you hear all the time in Hyderabad, and people love to have it with Osmania biscuit that has a peculiar taste of salt in its basic sweet nature. To be honest, I am not fond of either the Chai that is too milky for my taste, or the biscuits, as I do not like to mix sweet and salt. So, as my friend ordered his tea, the hotel owner came and asked why am I not having the tea and I told him the same. He said let me get you something that you would love to have and came the Kesar Chai on table. It was reddish in color and was definitely different and better than the Irani Chai.

I got curious as I had never heard of Kesar Chai anywhere and even after living in Hyderabad for almost two years now, this is the first time I tasted this Chai. So the young Omer took me to the kitchen and showed me how the Irani Chai and Kesar Chai were made. Irani Chai is made in these huge degchis or pots that are constantly on fire. For Kesar Chai the concoction is made like coffee with tea powder generously mixed with Kesar. To this concoction hot milk is added when a customer places the order. This milk comes only from a particular dairy to maintain the consistency of taste. In fact he corrected me that Nayab is a teahouse and not a hotel as the board outside suggests.

An interesting coin drop desk caught my eye and I thought how creative we used to be before the era of standardization. Now that the interest was up, he took me around the first floor of the hotel where there are low tables for families to sit around and eat, another unusual and unique feature I was to discover about these Old Hyderabad hotels. They were customized for the local tastes and habits rather than expecting customers to come and adept themselves to the western style of eating. I thought that is quite cool. This floor still showcases the original paintings that were put when the hotel was built along with a very symmetrically organized switchboard. Looking at two different parts of the hotels I was curious what kind of customers primarily come to the hotel to which Omer smiled and said ‘ Yahan Gaali Galauj se lekar Aap Janaab – Sab Aate’. i.e. people with abusive tongue to the most sophisticated one – everyone comes here. I loved the way he summarized the range – based on the kind of language people use as a measure of class and not anything else that we as society usually like to categorize people into – money, vehicle, dressing up, caste, religion – nothing – your language is what defines your class.

I was then shown the main delicacy served at the hotel – Paya. Interestingly, the oil in which Paya is fried also sells like hot cakes. He showed me various bakery items they make and spoke about the 5 Gs (Gosht or Meat, Gehun or Wheat, Ghee or Oil, Garam Masala or spices and Gota as in the rod used to make it) of Haleem, a dish that is primarily made during Ramzaan only. Can not say too much about these being a vegetarian, but I enjoyed the small conversation with young Omer and wish more and more businessmen have that kind of passion for their businesses, it will keep both them and their customers happy.

I definitely came out as a happy customer and the blogger in me was happy to have found something to write about.