Ranganathittu- A wonderful all season bird sanctuary near Mysore

I recently had the opportunity of visiting the spectacular bird sanctuary at Ranganathittu near Mysore in Karnataka. This sanctuary is located at a distance of about 20 kms from Mysore on the Bangalore-Mysore highway.

Layout of the sanctuary

The sanctuary is located in sylvan surroundings. While the entry charges are alright, the charges for boating in a private boat ( having a boat to onself) is very expensive. Camera charges for DSLRs with lenses > 200 mm are Rs 500. Serious birders would definitely have such telescopic lenses. That said, the sanctuary is definitely worth a visit.

Entry charges

A little bit now about the sanctuary itself.

Ranganathittu bird sanctuary covers only 40 acres but is spread across six river islets. The islets came into existence when an embankment was built across the river Kaveri in 1648 by the then King of Mysore, Kanteerava Narasimharaja Wadiyar.

The famous ornithologist Dr Salim Ali when on a visit here observed that these islets formed an important nesting ground for a variety of birds and persuaded the King to declare the area a bird sanctuary in 1940.

The main area where one can see birds is in the river islets itself. Some of these birds can be seen from the shore but for the actual experience one needs to take a boat ride. While a private boat ride is the best if not exactly affordable, a shared boat-ride should also serve the purpose given that a large percentage of the birds here are large water birds that are used to visitors and hence don’t get easily disturbed.

A good DSLR with a decent telescopic lense (70:300) that I used should enable decent bird photography.  Over 170 bird species have been recorded at this sanctuary. In addition to the painted stork, pelicans, cormorants and Asian Openbill stork of which I saw huge colonies including nesting birds and chicks, the common spoonbill, woolly necked stork, black headed ibis, lesser whistling duck, Indian shag, stork billed kingfisher, pied kingfisher, Oriental darter, egrets and herons breed here regularly.

Painted stork in flight

Flying Pelican

Painted Stork in Flight

Painted Stork

Black crowned night heron

Common Egret

Pond Heron

It is an amazing sight to see birds keeping watch and taking care of their young just like we do. Notice the chicks under the storks in the picture below.

Nesting Asian Openbill Stork

Spot billed Pelican

The trees were so full of nesting birds such as pelicans and painted storks that it appeared that the tree had produced these birds the way that trees produce fruits.

Nesting pelicans

Painted storks

Egret in flight

Although there are numerous crocodiles in the water, the boatman informed us that they move away once the boat comes close and that they are not a risk. Nevertheless, I was a little watchful of these terrors of the water.

Crocodile

Pelican in flight

Pelican in flight

Pelican

It was amusing watching the cormorants who turned out to be the most curious of the birds and would all turn their heads in one direction whenever there was a sound or when a boat went by.

Cormorant

Nesting Cormorants

Nesting Cormorants

Painetd stork and Asian Openbill Stork

Pelican family

Asian Openbill stork

Asian Openbill Stork

Nesting Asian Openbill Stork

It was touching to watch the Asian Openbill stork mother feed her young after chewing the fish first to make it soft and digestible for her babies.

Asian Openbill stork with chicks

One good part is that the sanctuary is surrounded by extensive foliage and vegetation. There are beautifully manicured gardens maintained very well by the concerned government department. These areas also attract birds of various species as pictured below:

This pied kingfisher was in a meditative state and allowed me to get really close to photograph.

Pied Kingfisher

 

Magpie Robin

I found myself wondering about the indirect benefits of various actions taken by our erstwhile rulers. For instance, this place exists only because of the dam built almost 400 years ago by the visionary Wodeyar rulers and also through the efforts of Dr Salim Ali. Similarly, I had visited Khijadiya bird sanctuary near Jamnagar in Gujarat last year ( I have a separate blog on this sanctuary) which came into existence because of a dam cum causeway constructed by the rulers of Jamnagar.

The best part about this sanctuary is that there are various types of breeding and non-breeding birds throughout the year. i.e apart from the peak monsoon months between June-August, the sanctuary is worth visiting throughout the year.

Nevertheless, if one is in the Mysore area, this bird sanctuary is definitely worth a visit. Do carry some foodstuff and beverages/water with you though. There are a few stalls selling these , options are however limited.

 

Khijadiya-A paradise for birdwatchers in Gujarat

We also visited Khijadiya bird sanctuary as part of our trip to Jamnagar in February this year. Khijadiya is located about 15 kms from Jamnagar city .

There is no public transport to the place and one will need to hire an autorickshaw. If you wait for sometime, you can also find autos for your return. We borrowed my sister’s two wheeler and my niece Devanshi also accompanied us. We had checked with the efficient Forest Department at Jamnagar (0288-2679357) who referred us to Dakshaben (Cell No 8320691803), the Beat Officer at Khijadiya.

We reached Khijadiya bird sanctuary by 7 am which was also possibly a little late. It would have been great if we had gotten there by 6.30 am. The Jamsaheb ( erstwhile ruler) of Jamnagar constructed two dykes which separated the fresh water lake from the sea water and marshy land. This was about a hundred yeaers ago. These dykes ended up creating a unique sanctuary with diverse ecosystems (fresh water as well as saline) thereby attracting a variety of birds.

Along with the marine and fresh water habitats, there are also marshy lands, mangroves, Prosopis areas, mudflats, salt pans, creeks, forest scrub, sandy beaches, and even farmlands bordering the area. This provides a haven for more than 220 species of resident and migratory birds, including globally threatened species such as Dalmatian pelican, Asian open bill stork, Black-necked stork, Darter, Black-headed ibis, Eurasian spoonbill, and Indian skimmer, and provides birdwatchers with a delightful chance to sight rare birds in large numbers.

We also ended up spotting a large variety of birds. The water body and superb birding reminded us of the marvellous Keoladeo Ghana National Park at Bharatpur in Rajasthan. Khijadiya attracts a variety of migratory birds and hence November to February is the best time to visit.

Black winged stilt

Black winged stilt

Chestnut headed Bee eater

Common babbler

Immature Common Crane

Immature Common Crane

Egret in flight

Eurasian Collared Dove

Eurasian Collared Dove

Fellow birders passing by told us that there was a great White Pelican close by and we rushed to check it out.

Great White Pelican

Great White Pelican

Glossy Black Ibis

Gadwall Northern shoveler colourful male and brown female

Purple Sunbird

Grey Heron

Grey headed Bulbul

Grey headed Bulbul

Greater Short toed Lark

Greater Scaup

The series of surprises continued with one variety of bird after another continuing their display. Khijadiya thankfully has no eateries anywhere in the vicinity. Birders will therefore be required to carry their own water and snacks. There is a watch tower at the very end of the Sanctuary which provides good views of the surrounding water bodies.

Median Egret

Little Stint

Northern Pintail Female

Purple Moorhen

Indian Pond Heron

Jungle Prinia

Laughing Dove

Little Ringed Plover

Little Stint

Purple Moorhen

Purple Sunbird

Purple Sunbird

Rosy starlings

Ruff

Sandpipers in Flight

The best part about Khijadiya is the clear view that one gets of the birds in the water body even from a distance which allows peaceful photography without disturbing the birds. The shots that I could capture of the small bee eater are proof of this given that bee eaters are notoriously restless and fly off with the slightest intrusion.

Small Bee eater

Small Bee eater

Small Bee eater and Chestnut headed bee eater

Small Blue Kingfisher

Small Blue Kingfisher

Tufted Pochard

White breasted kingfisher

White breasted kingfisher

White breasted kingfisher

White breasted kingfisher

White cheeked bulbul

White cheeked bulbul

Yellow throated Bulbul

Yellow throated Bulbul

Yellow Wagtail

The kingfishers in particular allowed perfect shots by remaining still for quite a long time. They reminded me of our very own Kingfisher Mr Mallya who has flown the coop:)

Khijadiya is a must visit for all serious bird watchers. This can be clubbed with the Marine sanctuary at Narara and Bird sanctuary at Gaga which I have covered in previous blogs.

The sheer variety of birds that you get to see and photograph peacefully in their natural habitat make the trip worthwhile.

Gaga Wildlife Sanctuary-Going Ga Ga in Gujarat

We decided to visit the little known and visited Gaga Wildlife sanctuary during our recent visit to Jamnagar in February 2018. Gaga sanctuary was initially set up to provide protection to the highly endangered Great Indian bustard. Since the bustard is not seen here anymore, the sanctuary is not visited by many people. Since the sanctuary was just off the Dwarka-Jamnagar highway, we decided to visit the same. The Sanctuary is in the area of Jamkalyanpur which is about 60 kms from Dwarka and 120 kms from Jamnagar on the main Dwarka Jamnagar highway NH 947.

We checked with the Forest Department at Jamnagar (+91-288-2679357/2552057/2571810)before planning our visit and was advised to check with the concerned Forest officer at Gaga since in their view there was not much to be seen at Gaga. We spoke to Mr Kansangra ( +91 89800 29327) who is responsible for managing the Forest department’s activities at Gaga and he was very warm and courteous. He referred us to Shri Dave (+91 99784 57219 and 94266 73060) who is responsible for conservation activities on the ground and Dave Saheb guided us perfectly from the highway near Bhatiya village and provided accurate directions. Dave Saheb was very helpful and extremely hospitable throughout our visit and we could not have done this trip without his guidance. We came to Jamkalyanpur which is a small village and chanced upon cattle egrets as well as Nilgai ( Blue Bull)

Cattle Egret at Jamkalyanpur village

Nilgai or Bluebull

Nilgai curiously checking out our vehicle

Gaga Wildlife sanctuary does not have any physical boundaries and is spread over 382 hectares of land in and around Jamkalyanpur. There is a water body which is full of water in November-December. The water gradually recedes and was much less when we visited in February. Even then, we could see a variety of birds there including flamingos, median egrets and black ibis.

A pair of black ibis in flight

A pair of Black Ibis in flight

Median Egret

Flocks of flying greater flamingos were a sight to behold.

Flock of Greater Flamingos

Flamingos in flight

Proud Pink Flamingos

Silhouette of flamingos in flight

We were then advised by Mr Kansangra to get into the bushes and undergrowth to spot various varieties of birds. We are glad that we did that and spotted drongos, shrikes, warblers, kites and flycatchers.

Bay Backed shrike

Bay backed shrike

Black Drongo

Black Drongo

Black Drongo

Black shouldered Kite

Blyth’s Reed Warbler

Striated Marsh Warbler

Streaked Fantail Warbler

Streaked Fantail Warbler

Streaked Fantail Warbler

Striated Marsh Warbler

White throated Flycatcher

We were given a great farewell by a huge male nilgai which kept looking at us for a very long time.

Male Nilgai or Blue Bull

Male Nilgai

Male Nilgai

Gaga wildlife sanctuary despite being not very well known has got various attractions and is worth visiting if one is in the Jamnagar or Dwarka area between November to February. It will be essential to speak to Shri Dave or Shri Kansangra since their guidance will really help with directions and also to have a great trip.

Narara Reef-One of its kind marine sanctuary

I now continue with my blogs on our Jamnagar trip which was interrupted owing to my digression into the Galtaji and Sisodia Rani ka Bagh blogs from my Jaipur trip. Narara reef is located 60 kms from Jamnagar on the way to but off the main road from Jamnagar to Dwarka. Please note that the only way of getting there is using a cab as there is no public transport. The Narara reef is about 55 kms from Jamnagar railway station. PLEASE NOTE THAT GOOGLE MAPS IS HIGHLY MISLEADING WHEN ONE ASKS FOR DIRECTIONS TO NARARA. I have therefore attached an image of the map below. The Narara reef (Shown as point B in the map below) is close to Vadinar village.

One needs prior permission and intimation from the Forest Department at Jamnagar (Phone Nos: 0288-2679357, 2571810). The officials are amazingly cooperative and welcoming and connect you to the Officer in Charge at the Narara Marine National Park whom you are required to intimate and check with as regards the tide timings which need to be kept in mind when visiting as one can visit only during low tide and one needs to get out of the place well before the tide comes in. The officer in charge at Narara when we visited was Mr Hussain ( Cell No: 89800 08663). I had called up and checked with him 15 days prior to our visit for tide timings, a week before to recheck and a day before to remind him as we had requested. We were asked to reach Narara at 7 am sharp on the scheduled date since we had to get out of the sanctuary by 11 am at the latest.

When we reached there, the guards posted there refused to let us in saying that the ticket counter opens only at 8.30 am. I called Hussainbhai on his cell at 7 am and he was kind enough to speak to the guards to let us in and that the tickets could be bought while returning. This speaks volume about the hospitality as well as the practical nature of the people of Gujarat. The ticket costs Rs 50/head for an adult and Rs 20/head for children under 12 years. One also pays Rs 200/still or mobile camera.

There is a lovely marine life interpretation centre at the entrance managed by the Tourism department. While it is not mandatory to take a guide along, I would STRONGLY RECOMMEND taking a guide along as otherwise I can guarantee that one would not be able to spot any marine creatures on one’s own. Guides are available at the entrance to the park near the interpretation centre. I would highly recommend our guide Shabbirbhai(Cell No: 9712346273)who lives in Vadinar village and if you call up and arrange with him, he can come and show you around the marine sanctuary at the appointed time.

Shabbirbhai knew exactly which rock to lift and look under to spot the right kind of marine creature. The Narara marine national park is spread over an area of 110 sq kms . This is within the overall marine sanctuary of 270 sq kms declared along the Jamnagar coast.

Our son Nishant with our guide Shabbirbhai

Mangroves

Breathing roots of the mangroves

At the entrance to the national park at sunrise

Most importantly, one needs to walk in 8-12 inches of salt water for 3-4 hours hence it is critical to wear rainy shoes made of rubber( Some people say sneakers should be good but I can guarantee that sneakers will not work). The kind of footwear that Bata comes out with in their Sandak range for Mumbai monsoons are the best. Shorts, T Shirts, Heavy sweaters ( if going in winter which we did), a bottle of water and of course cameras are a must. Do carry some snacks too if you are travelling with small children the way we did, since there is absolutely nothing available in the area. There are very clean restroom facilities available near the entrance.

Tiny crabs

Shell like marine creature called a telescope

We kept walking in the water. There were rocks underneath which make walking tough. The sea water also makes your legs itch and you really appreciate the guide whose charges are Rs 300/- for a 3 hour tour of an entire family. I would strongly recommend a decent tip given that the guide shows you around with a lot of passion and we realize that he really earns his living, more so when our legs itch and ache after having walked 5-6 kms in the water.

Telescope

Crab inside its shell

Spider crab

Pattern formed in the water

One also comes across numerous migratory birds feasting on marine life at this time of the year. We came across storks, cranes, black necked ibises, common snipes, sandpipers, etc. The guide does not know much about the birds but one can view these as an added bonus if one is interested.

We were shown various types of crabs which would have been a near impossibility without our guide Shabbirbhai since he actually lifted huge rocks to reveal the crabs hiding under them.

Hermit crab

Narara is actually known for its coral reef and is one of the very few places in the world where one can see corals without diving underwater. There are dead as well as live coral. There are numerous water plants including plastic algae which wrap around our feet.

Live Coral

Dead Coral

We found the puffer fish the cutest sea creature. It looks like a toy although its flesh is extremely poisonous. The Japanese treat its flesh as a delicacy since some parts of it are edible. Chefs who can make puffer fish delicacies in Japan are highly sought after since it apparently takes 16 years for a chef to master the art of cleaning and preparing puffer fish without poisoning the customers. Pufferfish poison is apparently as fast acting as cyanide with a person heading heavenwards in seconds after ingesting the same.

The puffer fish soaks up when in water and can survive outside the water for several minutes without even gasping. What happens is that the puffer fish starts shrinking when outside water and when the fish is soaked in water for about 30 seconds , it puffs up once again. Such a wonder of nature. The puffer fish appears almost comical and one can start a cartoon series on this creature.

Puffer Fish

Ghost crab

Ghost crab in water

Coral under water

Ghost crab

We also came across some cute sea slugs and sea cucumbers.

Nishant with the sea cucumber

Sea cucumber

Colourful sea slug

Nishant with the seaslug

Seaslug

Nishant with the Brittle star

Seaslug in water

Starfish

The octopus was also another highlight of our trip and reminded us of Paul the famous octopus who gained fame by correctly predicting the World Cup winners. We loved the way the octopus squirted colour in the water and changed colour.

Octopus

Nishnat with the Octopus which has now turned brown

Octopus in the water

Octopus

Octopus

Octopus with its tentacles spread out

The finale was the pair of Neptune crabs that we came across which were furious at being disturbed and became aggressive.

Neptune Crab

Pair of Neptune crabs

Neptune crab in all its glory

Our brave son holding the Neptune crab

My wife tired with walking for about 3.5 hours

Neptune crab under water

All said, the Narara marine national park is a wonder of nature which is definitely not to be missed. The time to travel here is between October to March. Although there are often two low tides in a day and one can come here in the afternoon, I was given to understand that picnickers from Jamnagar come here in the afternoon on occasion which sort of disturbs the tranquillity of our experience.

It is indeed a surrealistic feeling walking in 110 sq kms of water with huge ships from the Vadinar port seen in the distance. One feels so small in comparison with the magnificence and might of nature and humbled by the thought that they we are only one of the many wonderful creatures that the divine has created and that it is our responsibility to preserve these wonders for future generations.

Sisodiya Rani Ka Bagh-Serene Oasis of Tranquility

I had mentioned in my earlier blog that I had visited Sisodiya Rani ka Bagh after visiting the beautiful Galtaji Temple near Jaipur. Sisodiya Rani ka Bagh is a beautiful garden built in 1728 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh for his second queen Sisodia. This Bagh or garden is about 5 kms away from Hawa Mahal and almost on the way back from Galtaji to Jaipur and hence can be clubbed.

It is also difficult to get any transport back to Jaipur from this location. I booked an Ola cab which cost me Rs 90 back to Hawa Mahal. I went there around 4.30 pm which is a good time to be there.

The story goes that Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh married his second queen from the House of Sisodiyas of Udaipur. The queen got fed up of the politics in the City palace and Amer and requested the King a private garden cum palace for her where she could live in peace away from the other queens. Maharaja Jai Singh honoured her wish by building this beautiful retreat with its fountains, pleasure pavilions and flowering/fruit bearing trees. There are flowing channels of water which help keep the place cool.

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The Queen was also astute enough to extract a promise from the King that her son and not the first queen's son would succeed him as King. The King modelled Sisodiya Rani ka Bagh on her native place Udaipur and hence one sees a lot of similarities in the colour scheme, architecture and the flowing water. This garden is modelled on the Mughal concept of Chaharbagh or garden of Paradise and hence is neatly laid out in squares with numerous fruit and flowering trees including pomegranate, roses, lemon, etc.

Every available surface is covered with beautiful paintings of the divine love between Radha and Krishna. I also came across local couples trying to enact their own versions of the Radha Krishna love story.

Sisodiya Rani ka Bagh also offers opportunities for bird watching in winter when numerous migratory birds flock there. I came across red vented bulbuls, magpie robins and laughing doves.

This place is surrounded by the majestic Aravalli mountain ranges which have atop them Jaipur’s magnificent forts-Amer, Jaigarh and Nahargarh. Sisodiya Rani ka Bagh is a good place to spend a couple of hours sitting peacefully on the benches and soaking in the peace and tranquillity.

The lane outside the Bagh is also well laid out with beautiful Mughal style buildings. Ghat ke Balaji is another beautiful temple close to this Bagh which is quaint with locals, cows, etc and could be explored.

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To summarize, Sisodiya Rani Ka Bagh is a pleasant place to visit if one has the time. I have been to Jaipur atleast 15 times and seen all the must visit attractions multiple times.( The three forts, Hawa Mahal, City Palace, Jantar Mantar). I therefore decided to check out Galtaji and Sisodiya Bagh this time and would recommend that you go there if you have the additional half day in Jaipur.

Galtaji-Serene splendour near Jaipur

Galtaji located about 9 kms from the Hawa Mahal ( the so called tourist centre point of Jaipur city) is a marvellous complex of temples built by Diwan Kriparamji, an attendant to Sawai Jai Singh II in the eighteenth century.

There is NO public transport available to get there hence the only options are autos which you fix up for a round trip since you do not have any options for getting back to the city. I took an OLA cab from Chandpole( This cost me Rs 200/- for a one way trip). Chandpole is the last stop on the Jaipur metro and I rode the Jaipur metro with a view to studying the same. Incidentally, this Jaipur trip of mine was a work trip where I had conducted a workshop on Smart cities. I had the second half free and was flying back later that night hence decided to visit Galtaji as well as Sisodia Rani ka Bagh which I will be covering in my next blog.

The place is dedicated to the Sun God Surya however there are other temples including the Sitaram temple, the Krishna temple, the Balaji temple, the Hanuman temple and a South Indian style temple in the same complex.

The place is in the middle of a reserved forest with beautiful bird life. The five kms trek from Sisodia Rani ka Bagh to Galtaji is really worth doing if you are fond of bird watching. I did this trek while returning to Sisodia Rani ka Bagh. I spotted numerous varieties of birds including peacocks

I also spotted laughing doves seen in the next picture

The foliage and scenery on the way is also spectacular

I also came across numerous babblers more commonly known as the seven sisters since they hate being alone and are normally found in groups of seven. I have included their pictures below

The highlights of my bird watching were of course the red vented bulbul shown below…..

….. as well as this magnificent Rufus treepie

Coming back to the temple, the temple complex is open from sunrise to sunset although I would not advise staying there until dark unless you have a transport waiting to take you back to Jaipur. Also, the sanctum sanctorum of the main temples are closed between 1-4 pm every day.

One does not need a ticket to enter the complex although one needs to buy a pass costing Rs 50 for the use of a still camera or cell phone camera. They are quite strict about this and I saw people photographing without this pass questioned and stopped throughout the complex.

The complex is set in a valley with the main temple having two ends of a deep ravine as its walls as shown below.

The complex reminded me to a large extent of Udaipur given the cream coloured temples that are actually built like palaces.

The temple palaces are covered with Mughal style domes, intricate jalli or trellis work in stone and beautiful miniature paintings. Rajasthan has this concept of treating many Gods/Goddesses as Kings and Queens and hence housing them in palace style structures instead of temple style structures. Lord Krishna in his rich person’s avatar ( Nagar Sheth avatar) is also housed in temples styled like grand mansions ( Haveli meaning mansion hence Haveli mandirs) throughout Gujarat and Rajasthan.

The story behind Lord Krishna adopting the guise of a rich merchant is that there was a very poor devotee of Lord Krishna called Narsinh Mehta in Gujarat. He needed to marry his daughter off and did not have the money ( In India, the bride’s parents end up bearing almost all the wedding expenses). Narsinh Mehta hence prays to Lord Krishna to help him with his daughter’s marriage. Lord Krishna adopts the guise of a rich merchant and comes and gives him a cheque ( called a Hundi in India in olden days) which he encashes and gets his daughter Sonbai married off decently.

Hence the concept of Nagar Haveli or Mansion/Palace style temples in Gujarat and Rajasthan.

In addition to various court and war scenes, the miniatures depict scenes from Lord Krishna’s life .

The story behind Galtaji goes is that there was a sage or rishi named Galav who underwent a strict penance for 60000 years and the God blessed him with abundant water , proof of which is still there in the form of three pools or kunds at different levels which are reputed to never turn dry.

The Top most pool

The third or the lowest pool

Kids bathing in the middle pool

I have always been amazed by the fact that clouds as shown below are always part of miniatures in Rajasthan. This may be possibly because of the fact that Rajasthan is so dry and hence clouds and rain are the stuff that fantasies are made of here.

The complex is a place where one can spend a couple of hours very enjoyably and possibly even more. The only thing to watch out for are the monkeys. They are all over the place and hence Galtaji is also sometimes called the Monkey temple. One needs to be very careful if one is carrying food etc which is not advised. Also, don’t look at monkeys directly in their eye ( avoid their gaze if you can) since this provokes them. Also, don’t photograph them unless they are atleast a hundred feet away.

I have learnt all this the hard way since I was attacked by a monkey at the UNESCO World Heritage site Pattadakal in Karnataka in 2014.

These temples are also visited by numerous locals who also tie threads to a particular spot while taking a particular vow and come and untie the same when the vow is fulfilled.

I saw this crazy guy attempting to enact Dharmendra’s tank scene from the Hindi movie Sholay which all my Indian readers would be familiar with.

This beautiful complex is definitely worth a visit in case you are in Jaipur. This complex as well as the Sisodiya rani ka Bagh ( The Sisodia ( dynasty) Queen’s garden) can be covered in half a day ( 4-5 hours) and takes you back into another era and way of life.

Jamnagar-The Jewel of Kathiawar

We had travelled for a few days to Jamnagar to my sister’s place since this was a long overdue visit. We also decided to go around to various places in the city and surrounding areas given that this was winter and the climate was wonderful. We started out with Jamnagar which is itself known as the Jewel of Kathiawar and I fully agree with the description given that the city has numerous beautiful heritage monuments, hospitable people, yummy food and of course the famous Bandhni or the vibrantly coloured Indian fabric prepared using the time consuming knot, tie and dye technique. Jamnagar got its name since it was a fishing centre for pearls in ancient times.

We started out with the famous Jain temples, Adinath and Shantinath Jain Derasar ( Derasar is the Gujarati name for Jain temple)which have superb carving and painting work on marble. Although the temples were closed since we went there around 4 pm and were told that they open only around 6 pm, the exteriors were well worth a visit.

The Magnificent Basantapur Durbar Square in Kathmandu

The Kathmandu area has three Durbar squares , one each at Basantapur ( in the heart of Kathmandu), Patan ( about 7-8 kms  from Kathmandu) and at Bhaktapur ( 15-20 kms from Kathmandu)

Each of these Durbar squares was witness to a flurry of construction by the respective kingdom and is home to palaces, temples and other structures. Each Durbar Square is grand enough and has enough structures to merit a separate blog which is how I will be covering these squares.

At the entrance to Basantapur Darbar Square

The Basantapur Durbar Square (BDS) was the worst hit during the recent Nepal Earthquake. Many of the buildings have been badly damaged or have collapsed. Photography is not very easy given that there is scaffolding in most places. Despite all this, the place is worth a visit and one gets an idea of how beautiful BDS must have been in its heyday and prior to the earthquake.

The entrance to BDS also has the Indian restaurant Aangan to the right which offers decent vegetarian Indian cuisine and did much for our starved taste buds.

The badly damaged Gaddi Darbar built in the early nineteen hundreds

Intricate wood carving – a prominent feature of Newari architecture

The front view of Gaddi Darbar

Woman selling plates made of leaves

The Kasthamandap used to be a wooden temple after which Kathmandu gets its name. This structure was built using wood from a single tree. Originally a community hall, Kasthamandapa eventually became a temple dedicated to Gorakhnath. The Kasthamandapa was totally destroyed in the recent quake.

Children in a contemplative mood amidst the ruins of the Kasthmandapa

Commercial cum residential building near the Kasthamandapa ruins

Street vendor selling momos and a local  snack called samebaja made of raw beaten rice

The snack called samebaja is an acquired taste given that it is made of raw flattened rice  ( chivda), fried potatoes and raw salad greens. The raw flattened rice gave me a stomach ache.

The main attraction of Durbar Square is Hanuman Dhoka Palace Complex. The striking palace was named in honor of the monkey god, Hanuman, and a statue of the unusual deity stands at the main entranceway. The palace is decorated with elaborately-carved wooden windows and panels and houses the King Tribhuwan Memorial museum and the Mahendra Museum. In 1672, during Pratapa Malla’s reign, an image of Hanuman was placed in front of the portal to keep away evil spirits and disease. The figure still looks threatening though centuries of anointing with mustard oil and cinnebar (vermilion) have eroded its features. The lion in particular reminds you of the British empire’s symbol and in some ways appears extremely funny.

The

The Jagannatha temple near the palace is a must see for its superb erotic carving along the upper edge of the lower most roof.

 

Erotic carving at the Jagannath temple

Statue of Kaal Bhairav

The above frightening statue of Kaal Bhairav was carved in the 6^th – 7^th century, found in the jungle in the 17^th century and established in Basantapur Durbar Square

The handicraft market at BDS has a range of attractive stuff. Extensive bargaining is however a must.

Handicraft market at BDS

The Gaddi Durbar, was built using European architectural designs. The Rana Prime Ministers who had taken over the power but not the throne of the country from the Shahs Kings from 1846 to 1951 were highly influenced by European styles

Gaddi Darbar

One unusual custom in Nepal is the Kumari, the living Goddess. The Kumari is thought to be an incarnation of Durga. She is a pre-pubescent girl. She is selected by priests when she is 3-4 years old. Once she starts menstruating, a new Kumari is selected.

Eligible girls are Buddhists from the Newar Shakya caste (the clan to which the Buddha belonged) of silver and goldsmiths. She must be in excellent health, never have shed blood or been afflicted by any diseases, be without blemish and must not have yet lost any teeth. Girls who pass these basic eligibility requirements are examined for the battis lakshanas, or ‘thirty-two perfections’ of a Goddess. Some of these are poetically listed as such:

A neck like a conch shell
A body like a banyan tree
Eyelashes like a cow
Thighs like a deer
Chest like a lion
Voice soft and clear as a duck’s

In addition to this, her hair and eyes should be very black, she should have dainty hands and feet, small and well-recessed sexual organs and a set of twenty teeth.

The girl is also observed for signs of serenity and fearlessness (after all, she is to be the vessel of the fierce Goddess Durga) and her horoscope is examined to ensure that it is complementary to the King’s. It is important that there not be any conflicts as she must confirm the King’s legitimacy each year of her divinity. Her family is also scrutinized to ensure its piety and devotion to the King.

Once the priests have chosen a candidate, she must undergo yet more rigorous tests to ensure that she indeed possesses the qualities necessary to be the living vessel of Durga. Her greatest test comes during the Hindu festival of Dashain. On the kalratri, or ‘black night’, 108 buffaloes and goats are sacrificed to the Goddess Kali. The young candidate is taken into the Taleju temple and released into the courtyard, where the severed heads of the animals are illuminated by candlelight and masked men are dancing about. If the candidate truly possesses the qualities of Taleju, she shows no fear during this experience. If she does, another candidate is brought in to attempt the same thing.

As a final test, the living Goddess must spend a night alone in a room among the heads of ritually slaughtered goats and buffaloes without showing fear. The fearless candidate has proven that she has the serenity and the fearlessness that typifies the Goddess who is to inhabit her.

Each of the Durbar squares has their own Kumaris. While we did not have a darshan of the Kumari at BDS, we visited the Kumari house at BDS.

Inside the Kumari House

Check out the rickshaw puller snoozing in the winter sun

At the entrance to the Kumari house

Outside the Jagannath temple

Bright wooden masks for sale

Statue of the royal couple witnessing the happenings in the square

Any guesses for what the beautiful building in the picture below is being used for?

Believe it or not , this is the post office at BDS

Fleet Street at BDS was a hangout for the flower children or hippies in the swinging sixties. ( Remember ‘ Dam Maro Dum’ from the Hindi movie Hare Rama Hare Krishna?) Although not much of its former self remains, it is still worth a leisurely stroll and has interesting cafes, book and handicraft shops

Fleet Street, the erstwhile hangout for hippies

The best way to explore BDS is on foot and we spent close to five hours here checking out the various attractions. One can actually sit in the courtyard of temples in the winter sun and enjoy the world go by. One only wishes that the earthquake had not wrecked such damage on this priceless Unesco World Heritage site.

Pashupatinath-A Jyotirling and UNESCO World Heritage Site

We commenced our trip to Nepal with a darshan at the Pashupatinath temple, one of the twelve jyotirlings or most sacred shrines of Lord Shiva. The Pashupatinath temple is one of the seven groups of monuments nominated as a World cultural heritage site by UNESCO.

It was a freezing 6 degree celsius when we went there on a December morning. There were numerous pilgrims there though with a large number from India. The temple itself is open only to Hindus although non-Hindus can visit the other buildings in the complex including the burning ghats.

The main temple of Pashupatinath is a building with a bunk roof and a golden spire.It is located on the Western bank of Bagmati and is considered a masterpiece of Hindu architecture.

It is a cubic construction with four main doors, all covered with silver sheets.

The two-storied pagoda style roof is made from copper and is covered with gold. This richly decorated temple with wooden sculptures is believed to make wishes come true. One of the most astonishing decorations of the temple is the huge golden statue of Nandi – Shiva’s bull.

The western bank of Bagmati also hosts the so called Panch Deval (Five temples) complex, which once was a holy shrine but now serves a shelter for destitute old people.

Numerous religious buildings are also located on the eastern bank of Bagmati, most of them are devoted to Shiva. The majority of these buildings are small single storey constructions made from stone.

Photography is strictly prohibited inside the temple. The Shiva Linga or phallic representation of Lord Shiva at Pashupatinath has four faces of Lord Shiva, one facing each direction and with a seperate entrance from the sanctum sanctorum. The western face is normally the only one kept open . We were fortunate to get a darshan from all four directions since these were kept open at the time for a special pooja.

It was interesting to sit on the steps post our darshan and watch the witness of religious fervour and Nepalese culture. There are numerous monkeys within the complex and one needs to keep a strict watch for these.

There is also another shrine with 525 shiva lingas ( this is within the main temple) which one can walk through and is worth a visit.

The complex itself has numerous other buildings and monuments worth checking out from outside. There are two distinct parts of the complex -the first one being the temple part and the second being the burning ghats section.

Lions as typically seen in temples in Eastern India

Pilgrims from Gujarat performing a special pooja outside the temple

It is believed that those who die in Pashupatinath Temple are reborn as a human, regardless of any misconduct that could worsen their karma , hence one finds several people also coming here to spend their last days.

Pashupatinath means ‘ Lord of the creatures’. There are numerous legends associated with this temple. One of these is as under

The Pandavas defeated and killed their cousins — the Kauravas in the epic Kurukshetra war ( the Mahabharata) They wished to atone for the sins of committing fratricide ( i.e killing their own brothers or gotra hatya) and Brāhmanahatya (killing of Brahmins — the priestly class) during the war.

They therefore handed over the reigns of their kingdom to their kin and left in search of the god Shiva and to seek his blessings. They started with the holy city of Varanasi (Kashi), believed to Shiva’s favourite city and famous for its Shiva temple. Shiva however wanted to avoid them as he was deeply incensed by the death and dishonesty at the Kurukshetra war and was, therefore, insensitive to the Pandavas’ prayers. Shiva therefore assumed the form of a bull (Nandi) and hid in the Garhwal region.

The Pandavas thereafter went to the Garhwal Himalayas  in search of Shiva. Bhima, the second of the five Pandava brothers, then standing astride two mountains started to look for Shiva. He saw a bull grazing near Guptakashi (“hidden Kashi” — the name derived from the hiding act of Shiva). Bhima immediately recognized the bull to be Shiva. Bhima caught hold of the bull by its tail and hind legs. But the bull-formed Shiva disappeared into the ground to later reappear in parts, with the hump emerging in Kedarnath, the arms appearing in Tunganath, the nabhi (navel) and stomach surfacing in Madhyamaheshwar, the face showing up at Rudranath and the hair and the head appearing in Kalpeshwar. The Pandavas pleased with this reappearance in five different forms, built temples at the five places for venerating and worshipping Shiva. The Pandavas were thus freed from their sins. It is also believed that the fore portions of Shiva appeared at Pashupatinath, Kathmandu . Since the head of the bull ( Shiva) emerged at Pashupatinath, the temple was named the same i.e the Lord of the Creatures.

We came across the following group of singers at the entrance to Pashupatinath , a couple of whom were blind and we gave them some money. After close observation, we realized that these ‘singers’ were actually lip syncing to recorded songs as there was no movement of the vocal cords. We felt cheated but were also alright with parting with a small sum given the overall level of poverty in the country

‘Singers’ at the entrance to the temple

There were also numerous seekers of alms who made for colourful pictures

We found the eastern part of the complex namely the burning ghats on the banks of the river Bagmati fascinating. I will certainly sound hypocritical when I say that photographing funerals should not be permitted. I tried to intrude as little as possible by photographing as little as possible and that too with a 70:300 lens from a great distance.

 

Women making garlands in the temple

The Pashupatinath temple complex is definitely worth a visit when in Kathmandu. The architecture is simple yet very charming, the culture and traditions endearing and the overall atmosphere makes one feel at harmony with the universe. The burning ghats make us realize that death is the final destination for all of us and we must derive as much meaning and  contribute as much as we can to the world around us in the journey called life.

Jai He- a tribute to Indian art at Mumbai airport

We had traveled to Nepal in December last year. While the Nepal trip will be covered in subsequent blogs, I have attempted to cover our journey from Mumbai to Kathmandu in this blog with a focus on the fantastic art exhibition at T2 international terminal of Mumbai airport.

Jai He is an over 3 kms long installation of art works representing the close to 5000 year history of Indian art and culture. There are over 7000 works of art by 1500 artisans and a fair number of antiques and heritage objects as well.

I was very keen on checking out this installation ever since this terminal opened in 2014 but never had the opportunity. Therefore when my wife and myself traveled to Nepal, we made it a point to provide a good hour or so to admire these exhibits.

Jai He is a labour of love put together by curator and art expert Rajiv Sethi and encouraged by the Reddys of GVK.  The terminal is itself designed in a manner based to represent the peacock in terms of the peacock plumed type roof and also the motifs on the carpet.

A board at the airport above with a list of Gujarati snacks which is testimony to the large number of Gujaratis travelling abroad 🙂

The exhibits include Tanjore paintings, china mosaics, fabulous wood work, totem poles and modern exhibits depicting ancient legends such as the Pushpaka Vimana ( a type of aircraft mentioned in Indian mythology)

Model of ancient flying aircraft

Chinese Mosaic along one wall

Painting showing the 900 plus Jain temples at Shetrunjuya hill at Palitana in Gujarat

Woodworked jharokas or windows as seen in old Indian homes

Flying cows

Brilliant Tanjore paintings made with gold leaf and semi-precious stones

Showcasing the old to modern modes of urban transport in India

Tribal art showing a fish with wings and resembling an aircraft

Bronze swings or jhoolas on which idols are kept for worship

The sheer variety and beauty of the objects de art on display is so overwhelming that one feels that one is in a great international museum rather than an airport and that flying is an activity incidental to the place and that the main purpose is art. T3 at Delhi where we reached to take a connecting flight to Kathmandu does not even begin to compare once you have enjoyed the experience at T2 in Mumbai. T3 was however beautifully decorated with displays for Christmas and the New Year and I have captured some of the festive spirit in the pictures taken below at T3 in Delhi

Dance mudras or expressions with the hand in Indian classical dance at T3 in Delhi

Jingle Bell Jingle Bell, Jingle all the way

After a much delayed flight to Kathmandu, we were finally on our way and had some fabulous views of the Himalayas on the way. A point to make here is that as per the Bureau of Immigration in India, Indian children under 18 years of age can travel by air to Nepal with only a photo ID such as a school ID card in case he or she is accompanied by one or more parents with valid passports.

We were forced to cancel our son’s ticket at the last minute since his passport had expired and we  missed seeing this. Also, Air India true to its incompetence, refused to confirm this simple fact although the Bureau of Immigration , Delhi did confirm this and we did not want to take a chance.

View of the Himalayas from the aircraft

We finally reached Kathmandu after a 15 hour air trip from Mumbai courtesy Air India . Air India should be the last airline of choice as the service is only going from bad to worse. We had a similar 15 hour return journey .

We did have a comfortable stay at the Hotel Tibet in Kathmandu although there were challenges aplenty as regards food, road blockages, etc during our trip to Nepal given the Madhesi blockade at the time. More about these in subsequent blogs.

Hotel Tibet in Kathmandu

Jai He is an exhibition that will cater to about 40 million passengers a year. Contrast this with the Louvre’s 10 million visitors per annum or the British Museum’s 6 million visitors and this will possibly be the most visited art museum in the world albeit restricted to passengers. We admired the way this has been done with a free hand being given to the curator Mr Rajiv Sethi by the Reddys of GVK.

There is a similar set of exhibits in the arrivals section of T2 albeit much less in number although more modern in terms of themes based on Bollywood, etc. My request is that anyone passing through this terminal needs to provide atleast an hour to admire these art works that have been put together so lovingly.

JAI HE !!!

P.S: All Air India flights out of Mumbai including domestic flights depart from T2 and hence in  case one has the inclination,the time and is willing to risk flying Air India, one can take a domestic flight with Air India and check out ‘ Jai He’.