Monsoon travel - 2

I know, putting down my impressions of the travel as not immediate. It became a trifle (no, a lot!) difficult to bring back the scenes in my mind, relive the same sensory experience and same level of excitement.

However, it is a commitment, I had made to myself and I need to see through till the end. Other equally important tasks demanded my attention and time. Right, let me hit it straight - It is an unavoidable delay but I have tried not to make it 'contrived'.

In Maheshwar, looking at the intricate designs on the walls and the pillars of Holkar Fort was out of the world experience. The story of the great woman behind the fort and the history of that place touched the core of my heart for it revealed the care and concern of the people's ruler and her utmost humility. 

Devi Ahilyabai Holkar, despite the personal suffering and loss, rose to be the great queen always attuned to the welfare and needs of her people.

Durbar hall

 Within this beautiful fort, Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar (ruled between 1765 to 1796) had built personal residences, offices and durbar audience hall which stand as testament to her simplicity. Here are some pictures showing her Raj Wada (palace)

entrance to the living quarters

 My imagination just pushed aside the present scenes and noises to a distant blur and there! it was show time!  I could imagine my boat ride along the fort and other buildings in that time long gone past. For a few minutes, scenes flashed past where Kalidasa, Vikramaditya, Bhoja Raja and Rani Ahilya Devi were the characters on the screen. It was a personal interlude! 
In any such historic place, walking the same path as those great people or breathing the same air or being in that environment moves me in an indescribable manner. Here again, Maheshwar or Ujjain and an 'add-on- bonus-Dhar' (the important city and capital under Paramaras during 11th century), Mandu with those ruins engulfed me in a swirl of emotions.
I wish I could share all my impressions of every place we visited, the beautiful archaeological sites we feasted our eyes upon, the solemn and profound Bhasma aarti of Mahakaleshwar, the conversations with the common yet colourful people of the land or the 'never-far-off' magical monsoon! However, I find it a bit strange to write in detail as though I came back from the trip just now! Yet, I wanted to share my impressions very much and feel the thrill of words breathing life into the writing. 
The beauty of the ruins of Mandu - perched on the slopes of the Vindhya, looking down at the Narmada valley on one side and the Malwa plateau on the other - is such a visual delight! If you are one of those people with lot of imagination you can easily do the time travel to slip a few centuries into the past! The winding way up the slopes, the tall domes, arched gateways all against a backdrop of overcast grey sky and an occasional spell of cool showers  -  any one will jump onto the whinnying  horse to join the marching soldiers -"clip-clop-clip"!

Far from the madding crowd

Mandu at an elevation of 633 metres above sea level remained the fort capital of Paramaras because of its natural defences. If the walls of the fort can speak... what kind of stories would unfurl! The frequent wars, love, treachery, espionage, plundering and of course the creation of beautiful structures would tell us about the transfer of the fort and power into Khaljis, Afghan rulers and the Mughals. How can I leave out Roopmati and Baz Bahadur's love story beautifully woven into the folk tradition!

Far from madding crowd

 The icing on the cake was the retreat away from the hustle bustle of all human activities! We could just look out and see the plateau in azure shade.
Like the fragrance of flowers from a distance occasionally gently teasing the olfactory nerves, the images and emotions of those four monsoon soaked days flash in my thoughts. I know, I haven't covered all of those experiences but perhaps it is meant to remain like this - an intricate Rangoli design , left half way- for those of you driven by urge to experience for yourselves!

There are regular travellers on these trips with an insatiable quest for knowledge and an immense passion for seeking out the beauty of the monuments and sculptures who never cease to surprise me. Then, there is the driving force behind all of this interest and she is the one who stokes the fire - the insatiable quest! 
Dr. Chithra Madhavan's enthusiasm and passion for our ancient history, architecture and iconography is so infectious and perhaps you would plan an experience with her!

On the road , moving with monsoon clouds

Sometime, the travels happen quick in succession and then there will be months before another one materialises.  From the end of June to Mid July , I travelled to two entirely different regions, yet, with one underlying bond! 

Imagine travelling to places like Ujjain and Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh (MP) and back to characteristically a Tamil land.along Kaveri with paddy fields, coconut groves and temples as the hub of all socio - cultural activities!  

Back in February itself, the idea of a trip to MP slipped into the thoughts of our travel planner. Yes, that is an easy guess! I was hooked then and there!

summer rains, thunder showers or the occasional downpour caused by cyclonic depressions  - all passed us by, the people and land of Tamil Nadu while we we were looking at all the fast moving black clouds with deep longing!

As monsoon was advancing northwards into MP from Maharashtra, we flew into the sunset over Indore. It is in southern edge of Malwa plateau and been an important political and commercial centre and the seat of Holkar ruler.It has temples,palace and other buildings of historical interest.
Hey! if you are a foodie, the street food of Indore would pull you straight to Sarafa Bazaar.Then, it was just a transit camp for us!!    

    

                                                                              

When you plan to make your trip to the central plateau region, don't miss out on Poha Jalebi, Mawa Baati, Butte ki Kees or the typical Indori namkeen. My God! as I visualise the entire street coming alive by night (it is a midnight bazaar, you know!), mmm.... the delicious tangy and spicy aroma just wafting close to me. 

(Psst... Don't forget to share that experience with me!!)

I am going off the intended path! Night halt at Indore was followed by our first leg of our journey by road to Omkareshwar and then to Maheshwar. 

From the moment we boarded the bus at Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar airport at Indore,the bus with the most helpful and efficient driver with his assistant were responsible for the comfortable journey by road in the winding roads going up and down the plateau.

The journey to Omkareshwar started beautifully with the befitting salutation To River Narmada. Dr. Chithra Madhavan, gave a narration of the different stories associated with Narmada along with other evidences from travel accounts of people from other lands  - like the second century Greek geographer, Ptolemy's description of Narmada. He referred to it as " Namade' or 'Namadas'. 

When Chithra chanted the Narmadastakam, it created the right ambiance to pause and think of this land being blessed with such rivers. Looking out of the window, I could feel and smell the monsoon clouds gently moving over the area. Ah... What a way to begin the journey!

"सबिन्दुसिन्धुसुस्खलत्तरङ्गभङ्गरञ्जितं
द्विषत्सु पापजातजातकारिवारिसंयुतम् ।
कृतान्तदूतकालभूतभीतिहारिवर्मदे
त्वदीयपादपङ्कजं नमामि देवि नर्मदे ॥१॥"

Meaning:1.1: (Salutations to Devi Narmada) Your River-body illumined with Sacred drops of Water, flows with mischievous playfulness, bending with Waves,1.2: Your Sacred Water has the divine power to transform those who are prone to hatred, the hatred born of Sins,1.3: You put an end to the fear of the messenger of Death by giving Your protective Armour (of Refuge),1.4: O Devi Narmada, I Bow down to Your Lotus Feet, Please give me Your Refuge.

The 'chandas'/prosody or the pattern of rhythm and sound of the verse is so captivating like the flow of the river that we repeated the verses after her. It felt so good on the tongue to roll,twist and pronounce the words. The river was previously called Nerbudda. She is also known as Rewa as mentioned in the Puranas. She is called thus because of the leaping motion through the rocky bed (being swift and agile).As one story goes, she is born out of the perspiration from Shiva;s body due to his intense meditation. The pebbles rolling on the river bed are collected and worshipped as Banalingas'. These naturally formed smooth stones with some unique markings on them are considered auspicious. 
Walking on the roads leading to the Shiva temples, I found shops lined on both sides with the huge spread of these stones for sale. (Though we were told the story of Narmada on the very first session, it took sometime for me to realise the connection!!) 

 


We passed through some really laid back villages where time seems to stand still. Looking outside at the passing villages, the colourfully clad women, the peoples' innocent and open curiosity made the morning bus trip all the more fascinating. 

Omkareshwar is an island formed by Narmada. Crossing the river and going across the bridge over the river was such an exhilarating experience. Think of us all coming from such a water - starved land and used to dried up river beds to look at a broad expanse of water flowing!! 
The monsoon winds were a welcome add-on value. All over India, literature and art go into overdrive celebrating the magical monsoon, not without reason.  Entire land - from the smallest creepy insects to huge elephants, from the short shoots of grass to the tall and broad trees, birds and human beings would be awaiting the moment when the dark clouds move in with the slight cool and wet wind and let go of the first drops of water. Yes, we all know the excitement and the relief when the first drops hit the parched earth. 
How would I not cheerful! The vast open lands that we crossed with the hint of forest at a distance, ploughed fields ready for the new season or lined with young saplings - Oh! I feel inadequate to express the beauty of all things around or my sense of gratitude , feeling blessed to be amidst all these! Then, wouldn't that be your feeling too, living in India?


The darshan of Omkareshwar, one of the the 12 Jyotirlingas was brief and fleeting as would be the case in all the pilgrim centres of the country. We should have a certain frame of mind to look at the crowd, the long hours of standing and jostling by all kinds of people around.
We had to find which parts of the building were from around 11th or 12th century and which were modern. The older pillars, of course captivated us with the embellishments. 
 

The ambience of the place, however, cast a spell on me with the name of Shiva resonating everywhere.
There is a cave below the temple along the river Narmada known to be where Shankaracharya met his Guru, Govindapada.  
  

I could imagine the chanting of the beautiful verses of 'Nirvanashtakam composed by Adi Shankara in front of guru Govindapada as a response to his question," Who are you?" (It is believed by many that the verses were composed by Shankara on that occasion.)
" मनोबुद्ध्यहंकार चित्तानि नाहं न च श्रोत्रजिह्वे न च घ्राणनेत्रे । न च व्योम भूमिर्न तेजो न वायुः चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ।। "
It can be translated to mean as follows:
"Neither am I mind, nor intelligence,
Nor ego, nor thought,
Nor am I ears or the tongue or the nose or the eyes,
Nor am I earth or sky or air or the light,
But I am Shiva the all pervading happiness"
   What an incisive and astute analysis of Advaita philosophy!
                                      

The above pictures show us going down into the cave where Govindapada met Shankara and the statues of guru and Shankara coming to meet him when Narmada gave way for him.

While walking out on the bridge, we gave in to temptation and bought spiced cucumber pieces and sweet and tart Jamun fruits. Mmm...wasn't that delicious! I enjoyed it more when many of us could share and enjoy that simple fun. 

Then there is Mamleshwar (Amreshwar) temple, right opposite Omkareshwar temple on the south bank of river Narmada. Mamleshwar is considered the original Jyotirlinga and both Omkareshwar and Mamleshwar are considered to be two halves of one Jyotirlinga. This 10th century temple is known for intricate carvings.

We had our lunch on a highway restaurant and moved to our second base - Maheshwar. As was the pattern, we got our brief introduction to the history of Maheshwar (The one aspect all of us knew very well is about the Maheshwari weave and the exquisite light weight sarees. Is it a surprise when majority of us are women?).

By the time we reached the city and our resort - a beautiful place on the banks of Narmada called Narmada Retreat - it was early evening. 

 


Yes! it is count down to Operation Maheshwar!   The exciting part of the evening began! We squeezed into 2,3 autos and straight went to the textiles shops to
indulge in a shopping spree!
Maheshwar had remained a major centre for hand loom weaving since 5th century and later under Holkars, enjoyed a royal patronage. Legend says that Rani Ahilya Bai appointed special team of craftsmen from Surat and Malwa region to weave a nine yards saree to gift to a royal guest. since then, the saree became a great success among the royal and aristocratic women. Now the weave has become popular not only within the nation but in the international market as well for its subtle hint of elegance combined with glossy finish and light weight. I know, out there, there are sighs of pleasure and expectation!  Hey! some of you may be in possession of a saree or two. 

Enjoy the colours here and be sure to get them and feel the softness of the weave soon! 
When you visit the fort, you will see the intricate designs on the walls as panels and do they look familiar? You are right! The motifs and designs on the textiles are a reflection of the beauty on stones.

  The steps in the above picture can be seen on the unique 'pallus' as five stripes (three coloured and white, alternating running along its width.
Gearing up for a shopping expedition? The experience is enhanced when we see the intricate design on the walls of the Fort, palace walls and temples. The next day, we roamed around the fort, listened to the story of the determined, brave and compassionate ruler - Devi Ahilya Bai and experienced her humble yet an all pervading presence in her palace. 
                                                                                   
Moving through the lands blossoming under the monsoon rain has a magic of its own! You too, get ready to soak in the experience!

Looking at my young days through the eyes of my seven year old.granddaughter

Going back to the place where I have learnt my first steps, where I picked up my first friend (who is still my best friend after about 6 decades!), where I experienced the joys, hopes, dreams, disappointments of being a young girl - always brings a nervous excitement in the pit of my stomach. Sure, you must be feeling such emotions when you visit your town/city, right?

Normally I prefer to walk the streets of the main city alone, while scenes of the past would be flashing on the mental screen - the busy school days, going to different book shops for buying the text books, just running out of the house to hop on to city bus;no 1 (bus stop was just bang outside our house, you know?) to go to college, the evening meeting with my best friend to discuss all world issues(!!), the summer holidays and rushing to watch the procession of the temple festival, the jasmine blossoms all around - in the vendors' baskets, adorning the hair of young girls and women of all ages, on the decoration of the God and goddess, Cows with their calves running along narrow lanes, milkmen milking the cows in a street corner,
 graceful women with skin glowing like polished ebony with chunk of gold on the big holes on their ear lobes (the jewellery is known as 'Pampadam in Tamizh.) swinging in tune with their swaying hips and oh! the unique sing-song sound and accent of the Madurai Tamizh - would carry me effortlessly through the winding lanes.

Now, in response to a long time urge, I travelled to my native place, in the exclusive company of my granddaughter(Kailu) who is going to be eight in a few months. The road trip  from Tiruvannamalai crosses at  least 4 districts, moves across Kollidam, Mani muthar and Vaigai rivers (only in name!) Stories from the past about the rivers in spate, the coconut groves along the banks flowed forth;all around  on the highway, the distant mountains and the chipped off rocky hillocks were telling the sad story of human greed and indifference to all other beings in nature.
I pointed out many things along the way to Kailu which she would have seen from an earlier trip. The cab driver caught on the mood of story time and listened to many of them and contributed his share even. 

All the new highways usually go round cities and towns avoiding the busy city centre. So ring roads and bypasses, it is! We certainly miss out on the characteristic sounds, smells and the people of these towns and cities but gain in comfortable travel. However, as we bypass a city, on the far left or right, we see the life from the city spilling out in so many ways. There are tall buildings, mountains or temples, that mark the towns, visible on the highway. "Here we are!, I excitedly pointed out to Rockfort and Srirangam as the typical identities of Trichy to Kailu. 

Hey, it is story time once again! The rockfort structure with cave temples at some height has a Ganesha temple perched on top. We can see the steps leading to the temple and the temple on top from afar driving down the highway. There is a Shiva temple at the base of this structure which has lot of interesting stories associated with it but one that I love is the one that describes the God as   Mathrubhootheswarar/'Thayumanavar' meaning 'Being mother as well'. 
Then like a slide show, the old route between Trichy and Madurai flashed in my mind - the huge banyan and tamarind trees on both sides of the road, the town or village square with people moving about their chores, the early morning breeze, an occasional  small tea shop with thatched roof on the side of the road and the excitement of the beginning of a term break and spending the days with my parents. 
Mid route stops (towns)like Kottampatti and Viralimalai now are far to the right of highway. it was like an exercise of comparison -  'This place, that day'. 

Remember, the driver was an active participant in the story telling exercise! So, he too shared his experience of driving on the highway or the temples he had visited as part of his driving job. Kailu with her incessant curiosity was lapping it all up with one expert grown up comment, " I was so sleepy that my eyes could not remain open; but the conversation was so interesting that it kept me wide awake."

Every stone on the way, each distinct plant, tree, small village that lie on the way has a great social, historical cultural story cached deep within, waiting for the right person to tap open the doors to that wonderful world - be it the glorious and prosperous days of Pandiya rule or the turbulent time of power rivalries, marching of the Turkish army and attack on temples or the heroism shown by ordinary people in saving the cultural, religious and artistic legacy from the onslaught or the time of Nayak rule when there was a beautiful blend of Shaiva and Vaishnava traditions of worship. 
By the time we shared some stories, we had come to the  bridge over Vaigai river and there! the noises, dust and the smells of whole sale fruit market swamped our senses. I could even show her the house where I had spent my first 22 years of life  (Sad, the house had been demolished and boarded up)
Kailu is open to experience new places with her own perception and over the two days stay, she has concluded that she likes the place! I tried to draw her attention to the way Tamizh is spoken there - she couldn't pick out the nuances but could sense the difference. 
She was a trooper to walk some distance and stand for an hour and more for Darshan of Goddess Meenakshi. We stayed in a simple Yatri Nivas (a Marvadi boarding house run as a charity). There will be at least 50 to 60 travellers from northern parts of the country daily, on a pilgrimage in groups. So it is a simple boarding house with a courtyard in the centre. No, nothing exotic or 'branded as typically Rajasthani or from a Tamil village, you see. A simple one but serves the purpose of that open space.
Once you step inside the building, all the hustle bustle of the city outside magically disappears. 

I wanted to show her the Thirumalai Nayak Mahal (palace), (was constructed as a residence for the king in 1636 CE) but, she got tired and it was getting late; so had to leave it for some future trip.  I know, the palace would look familiar to many of you if you are an avid movie watcher. Keep guessing, friends, it is very easy!



She lapped up the sights and sounds around the temple and My God! her excitement was so endearing when she ran around the shops selling craft items, accessories for stitching and bangles and bindi shops in Pudhumandapam! Items of similar type heaped in one place is such a delight for a shopping venture. However, I can't help thinking about the beautiful carvings and fine architecture that are hidden and taken a backseat to commercial interests. Then, there is the other side, isn't there? Small entrepreneurs, crafts persons, petty shop owners and many others are to be given an alternate and suitable space to move their ware from this Mandapam and it is a tough job, no doubt. 
Ah... I am meandering, again! This is about the past meeting the future and letting fresh air and light into that old room with layers of depth and character, right? 
She was contemplating, experiencing every moment with a 'here and now' approach. In my enthusiasm, if I start on my story telling spree (Should I say, non stop lecture??), she very clearly would stop me. That girl, she knows her mind and she sets the pace. Fair enough, won't you say? She needs time to work through each of the stories, sights and my feelings associated to them, so she indicated, it is one after the other! 
But I had kind of transmitted to her, the happiness, being surrounded by love and affection and the quest for finding the story behind every thing - at least it looked to me like that.  I showed her my school, the road I used to walk to go to school and the shops where we would crowd in the beginning of academic year to get our text books. Such an uncanny insight she has of the human emotions that she had caught the underlying motif woven into the story of that young girl, 50 years ago  - one of a care free life with lot of friends and a warm household where'things were happening' all the time. 

How do I know that? She started sharing about her friends, her happy moments, adventures and trips with occasional appreciative comments about the city, people and friends there. She wondered, whether I keep in touch with any of my college friends. I told her that I was able to meet only one friend who has a granddaughter like her. She nodded her head with a thoughtful expression. I know all these small details are to get a complete picture of the time/life that she has put in corner of her fertile imaginative mind. 

Those grandparents out there must feel the way I feel, I think. I felt like a young girl revisiting those days with this young one who is such an old soul. Some moments were beyond words but etched deep within my heart. I know, Kailu too had her special moments. With another promise to myself that there will be another exclusive trip for the two of us, we started our journey back.

The irony of my greatest passion going hand in hand with that big aversion of mine!

It is the strange association of music with the modern technology in my life for about the last eight years. In silent and subtle ways, technology has crept into the most joyful moments of my life - listening to music. In the rustle of petals, the whoosh of the wind, the rush of the waves breaking on the shore, chirping of the birds, drip drip of water from the taps, the sing song call of vegetable and fruit vendors and even the sounds of cooking I enjoy music. (Aren't there some daily sounds music to your ears? I know you have a list. Pause and enjoy them, friends.)

The story, however is not about waxing poetic!! As a very natural development in this part of the country (Tamil Nadu), I was initiated into Carnatic music from a very early age. Sing? Yes, I can and love giving solitary performances, unhindered by any one within the house, of course. More than that, I love listening to concerts, attending live performances when I can. So there is that constant thirst to listen more and learn more about the techniques and nuances of the Ragas, swaras, Alap and compositions. It is very common in many households to see all the family members listening together. Yes, it is a great bonding caused by music.

I had such great moments of sharing with my parents, particularly my father and my grand uncle. With gentle breeze of early summer nights, sitting in the veranda with a transistor playing the music (live and recorded broadcasts from AIR), life seemed one total bliss. Even as the artist hums a light outline of the raga, Appa would recognise the raga and would also guess what composition would follow. And when the artist would start singing the composition(most of the times it would be what my father had guessed), there would be a child like smile lighting his face that had been so clearly etched in my memory.
"So what is this story about the 'dreaded technology' ?"- I can sense your impatience! Coming to that in a moment.
Those were the days when I was trying to befriend technology; making an effort to be self sufficient with certain basic skills needed for daily dealings and my 'love - hate relationship with technology began. I ventured out into social media with lot of caution clicking something, exploring a new site and slowly learnt about groups. I  clicked to join a media group meant exclusively for Carnatic music and felt thrilled when I was accepted. I was proud and humbled as well to be part of learned discussion about carnatic music, its nuances and techniques.

There is a weekly concert streamed through their radio and on special occasions, thematic concerts will be webcast. I have been enjoying good music along with enhancing my knowledge about the compositions, their meanings, the distinct feature of each raga, other technical and theoretical aspects of Carnatic music. 
Shruti and laya, I know. But then, I get to learn about briga, gamaka, jeeva swara and nyasa swara, kaarvai and many others during the course of their conversation while listening to the concerts. That is the 'icing on the cake', don't you think?
(Kaarvai is holding onto a particular swara for a longer interval of time;
Jeevaswaras are the quintessential swaras which lend life to a particular raga;
Gamaka is the shake, grace, embellishment given to particular swaras(instead of plain notes) to add to the beauty;
Briga is a speedy rendition of a particular phrase of a raga;
Alaap or alaapana is the abstract essaying of a raga - elaborating the raga;)

I am still faced with many challenges in my relation with technology; it is moody with sudden non responsiveness and closing off during an important task. But to give credit where it is due, I have moved on from being an unwilling partner to being a close acquaintance with technology. 

When I got an opportunity to listen to Thanjavur S. Kalyanaraman's concert in Radio web Carnatic with all the expert comments from group members, I remembered the association between technology and music and no other moment can be more apt!
He observed the sounds with an analytical approach and loved to experiment with swaras, ragas or the way the musical sounds originate. AS his sister mentioned, he tried "to identify the originating position of the seven swaras in the human body."
What more? He adopted a scientific method to teach his students singing pitch perfect ragas and music.  He was way ahead of his times. With his melodious voice, in depth knowledge of the classical music, passion for experimenting and perfection, his music was just magic! 

This evening's concert was equally a gem and the ragas  - surutti, Kanada, Thodi and Shanmukapriya - glided with a gentle sway here and an energetic sweep there; teasing me flirtatiously sometime or engulfing me in their warm folds!
Don't worry, folks. I am not going into too much technical or theoretical aspect of the music. Anyhow, that is for a critical analysis and I simply want to enjoy good music and share it with you people. 

Good music in any form appeals to me and I think it does to all of you guys. I do visualise the music and it will be like scenes of a movie running one after another -  tall distant azure mountains, a vast blue sky with puffy white clouds, gurgling water of a clear cold stream, the distant coconut palms gently swaying in early summer breeze... there are more. Care to join me, next time?