Kerala Chalo Kerala!!

Go Kerala !!!
Small things can make a big difference. The new facelift for Trivandrum Rajdhani was a welcome change from some our very dreary looking trains of Indian Railways. The entire train looks like a brochure of verdant Kerala with Kathakali dancers , pachyderms of Periyar , Waterfalls and other typical Kerala scenes painted on the entire train. The staff well dressed in impressive new uniforms and the food and services are much improved ! . Hardly any plastic wrapping. What a great way to advertise Kerala around the country . I could see kids leaving a roadside game of cricket in some Haryana town to come rushing to see the colourful train chugging slowly in the fog. People had smiles on railway platforms. We had roses , newspapers and neat white bed linen wrapped in brown paper envelopes in my first class compartment. Mamta Didi !!Urrey baba ! Ki Bhalo lagche!!!!! Parantu this was sponsored by Kerala Toursim and Kumari Selja inaugurated it. Now we have senior Tour Manager Parveen Paul posing for it!!! Way to go Kerala!

Mahajyotiling the worst Kailash Yatra Company

What a brilliant idea to show case Lord Shiva's abode in a more orgainsed way. Afterall who says that you necessarily have to rough it out as a pilgrim, believer, non believer, photographer , adventurer or whatever else motivates you to see Him ,

.Or you do not need need Mr Know all tour Manager ( Shadow CEO of Mahajyotiling & part Shivji himself!) who talks of other tour operators in the filthiest language and assaults members of his entourage while family members applaud.

Yes Kailash Manasarovar Yatra is certainly not for wimps but certainly clean toilets , clean beds and cleaner camping sites definately do not hurt either. The entire Manasarovar area is an open toilet even though from far it is probabaly one of the worlds most stunningly beautiful spots.

Dont ever make the mistake of of using Mahajyotiling!!!Complete team of jokers! From chief Patron & pervert S Akhtar to Ramesh Nayak & Prakash Lohani etc.Clueless asses.What a waste of time& money!

Paranthewali galli

One of the pleasures of being an Indian and a total carnivore helps you to stop at any kebab shop or roadside eatery without any worries of Delhi Belly . We put our faith in many fellow quack doctor friends who say down it with a stiff rum( R.U.M Regular Use Medicine) in the evening and the bugs get too tipsy before they can do any damage to your innards.

Over the last 20 years we have tried roadside eateries from Jaiselmer to Jorhat and from Kargil to Kanyakumai. Of course the Paranthewale Galli in our very own Dilli cannot be missed atleast for the sheer history of its surroundings. Even if there are own desi mulitinationals like Haldiram doing brisk business in resurgent India they dont have pictures of Nehru and Shastri to adorn their walls.

Honestly the food there is not extraordinary but it has a certain purani dilli flavour and enough desi ghee oozing out to make you guilty!! who cares live for today and enjoy.......

Mehrauli where time stands still

Thursday, November 19, 2009

MEHRAULI MAGIC & CORNUCOPIA

Nothing explains Mehrauli better "DELHI MAGIC & CORNUCOPIA" !!! Good old Medieval fun means find time to catch on some street food,drink & great laughs and appreciate anything from monuments , to the flower market or just roadside bovines lolling around has been a truly rewarding experience for me. So much to offer in such a crowded place from 11th century monuments and to find people in another time warp. Step a side a few hundred metres on the Mehrauli Gurgaon road you are repulsed by the stream of cars hurtling down to and from mother of all good gaons !! Gurgaon- The epitome of upwardly mobile ishtyle and Mall -Shawl ,Chicken -wicken,d aru -sharu, Party-sharty, Daanes ( dance!) -Waanes !!!!. Hey techie folks of "badgaon" step back in history, take a breath and smell the roses .......Err..... besides kebabs, peanuts and golgappas of ancient and thriving Mehrauli!!! Small pleasures in this big bad world of Dilli . Cornucopia my friend!!!!!!!!!

Nizamuddin ki Seher

Another great day of crazy experiences!! A young lady friend from Darjeeling accompanied us and was mistaken for a Japanese tourist!! So des neeeee!!! Is Japani ki tho mahenga ticket lagega!!!! Then ofcourse its not surprising that the word Khana (food) is confused with Khanan. Why else would lesser mortals with big appetites go to Nizamuddin?

Advice from senior citizen.....Yeh kya dargah mein aake aap sirf khane ki sochte hein?? Chalo Age ....market mein biryani wagera doond lena!!

We were looking for the tomb of Abdul Rahim Khan, Khan-i-Khanan, which lies on the east of Mathura Road, opposite Nizamuddin's shrine. A regent of Akbar, he knew several languages and composed couplets in Hindi under the pen name Rahim and died in 1626-27 was the one who translated Babar's Memoirs from Turki to Persian. Food for thought indeed even without a morsel of khana !!!

Further down Mathura Road, lies the Barapula Bridge. A thriving vegetable market has taken over the bridge with a chaotic overhead construction by speedy Norwegian technology and pure Indian garbage all over!!! Our photo expeditions are immediately welcomed with inquisitive questions. Foto kis 'channel' ke liye hain? MCD se aye ho kya? Garib ke pet mein kyun lath marthe ho? Hum tho police ko tho dehte hi hain har maina!!! Quite an impressive bridge all the same.The word 'bara' means twelve and 'pula' means piers and the structure derives its name from the twelve piers, which support the bridge. The bridge has eleven arched openings and a 2-meter high minaret surmounts each pier. According to an inscription on one of its arches, Mihr Banu Agha built the Barapula in 1621-22. Agha was the chief eunuch of Jahangir's court. The bridge is 14 meters in width and over 195 meters in length and is very near the Nizamuddin shrine. Jumping over vegetables, goats rickshaws and muck we managed quite a few decent pics!!! Cornucopia meri jaan !!!!

Relics of the Raj

The Mughal Emperors of India bestowed upon themselves seemingly appropriate grand and pompous titles such as `Kings of the World' & Shadows of God'. Attracted by the Mughal wealth and splendor, European traders and entrepreneurs found their way to the fascinating Indian sub-continent. India was till then believed to be the richest country in the world.

By the mid 18th century (1757) the British East India Company slowly and gradually gained commercial and military control of the Mughal Empire, while subdued Mughal Emperors continued to live powerless but luxurious lives in magnificent palaces. There was much discontent among Indian rulers over annexation of their territories and the divide and rule policies of the British and many parts of North India were rife with rumors and suspicions. However, the lack of the feeling of Indianness, among the masses that were ruled by various princely states prevented the formation of a united opposition to British rule.

The undercurrents of rebellion by the Indian Sepoys ( sipahi in Hindi meaning soldier) festered over a period of time owing to various harsh steps taken by the British and in 1857 when some measures hurt religious sentiments it took the shape of a full rebellion against British India control.

On this tightly packed tour you will be visiting significant palaces, forts, monuments and cities of the Mughal period which was witness to The Mutiny -the uprising against British control. It was a crude and brutal war, with both sides resorting to what will now be described as war crimes. In the end, however, in terms of sheer numbers, the casualties were significantly higher on the Indian side. There are many tales of cruelty, cowardice, heroism and self-sacrifice on either side. Much has been debated ever since Mangal Pandey sparked the revolt or The Rising as to whether this was a war of independence or just a revolt firmly crushed by the British but the truth is that the British continued to rule for another ninety years only to be subdued by a non violent struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi.

This journey takes you down that period in history when Delhi was not yet the capital of India but the seat of the fading Mughal Empire , when the British East India Company was to hand over the controls directly to the Queen, Meerut where the rebellion started, Lucknow which was then the most splendid city of India, Kanpur the scene of many bloody battles and Agra an important historical city with the crowning glory of Mughal architecture the Taj Mahal a poem in white marble, mesmerizing you with a story of an undying love.

Mutiny 1857 March 2010

A voyage of Discovery to trace the Relics of the Raj. A unique tour for connoisseurs of British History and Victoria Crosses awarded in battles of the 19th century. Experience the fast vanishing remnants of the great uprising. A journey with experts in this field such as Rajesh Rampal who authored the book on thuggies called the Divine Stranglers. Parveen Paul- Freelance tour manager who is a keen student of this subject and compliments it with her vast knowledge of the culture and heritage of India . Arguably they are India's best Duo for Mutiny Tours along with the fine back up team from Oasis Excursions. Join-in Mutiny and Battlefield tours for March and October 2010!!!!!