Travel Tales 4

Daulatabad Fort

On the way back from Ellora, I visited the Daulatabad Fort. I was exhausted with the long day at Ellora no doubt but the opportunity to see this heavily guarded fort was too much to resist. Daulatabad fort has a special history. It has been occupied by eight kingdoms, viz., Yadava, Khilji, Tughlaq, Bahamani, Nizamshahi, Mughal, Asafjahi and Marathas before it became a part of independent India.

Amberkot

This place was known as Deogiri (the abode of Gods) and ruled by the Yadavas in the 12^th century. Then followed three invasions by the Khiljis which ended the Yadava rule and began the rule of the Sultanate of Delhi.  Mohammad-bin-Tughlaq decided to make this his capital when he shifted the capital from Delhi. He named it Daulatabad. It’s another matter that he had to return back to Delhi very soon.

With the Sultanate growing weak, a power struggle in the Deccan led to Hasan Gangu, a General with the Sultanate, establishing the Bahamani kingdom. This kingdom broke up into five and Daulatabad came under Nizamshahi of Ahmednagar. The Mughals came and Shah Jehan captured this fort. His son, Aurangzeb made it the capital of the Deccan. After the power of the Mughals dwindled, it passed on to the Nizam of Hyderabad, founder of the Asafjahi dynasty. The Marathas occupied the fort for two years during the Nizam’s rule. In 1948, along with Hyderabad, this fort too became a part of independent India.

Ramparts

The fort stands atop a hill, the sides of which are so smooth that it is impossible to climb the fort from the sides. The fort has two moats, one which surrounds the fort and is dry, while the other surrounds the citadel at the top which is filled with water. There are three huge gates or ramparts you have to cross to enter this fort. The rampart, known as Kot are named Amberkot, Mahakot and Kalakot. Each one was heavily guarded.  As you walk from Amberkot towards Mahakot, you cross the area which was once Daulatabad town.

The moat full of water

 You then reach Mahakot, the entry to the citadel and there are 8 gates to cross. These gates are strategically designed so that the enemy cannot simply break open the barrier using elephants. Then you come across the moat filled with water. 

A Cannon guarding the fort

If you do cross the moat and Kalakot, you encounter the dark passage or Andheri. This passage is in complete darkness and the stairs are not symmetrical. More often than not, the enemies slipped and caused a stampede. Light filtering into the cave misled the enemy into thinking that this was the much sought after opening and led them straight into the moat infested with crocodiles. For those looking for another way out, stones were pelted from above. Still others who found their way out, stepped right on to a huge hot pan kept outside the exit. Besides these tactics, there were canons placed strategically. The enemy had no way of escaping. It is said that the fort fell into enemy hands only because of treachery. 

Chand Minar

The Hathi haud (tank)

The fort has several water tanks to look after the water supply which is scarce in this region. The Chand Minar commemorates the rule of Hasan Gangu and is seen rising majestically just before the entry to the citadel.

Dilwale

Movie Review

I heard a rumour - Shahrukh Khan now-a-days acts in movies only directed by his friends.  A rumour mind you, because I am sure a man who has been in this industry for a long time knows that a good friend and a good director do not necessarily go hand in hand. 
By all means act in mindless movies directed by buddies but please do not release it for the public who might just watch it expecting some kind of entertainment, instead of a two hour plus headache!!!
What is this movie, Dilwale??? Did everyone lose sense of what a story should be or how one delivered dialogues, or move towards more natural acting?? 
The garish over the top set, the strange lack of chemistry between Shahrukh and Kajol, and my total disconnect with the movie led to a very miserable two hours plus. Though I did enjoy one song, and to enjoy that I simply needed to shut my eyes.

So a good hearted mafia don, Kali, (hero), falls for the enemy'daughter, Mira (heroine) who stabs him in the back. Later, she falls in love with Kali and both are happy, when the enemy decides to kill Kali and his father. Showdown-- Mira sees gun in Kali's hand while enemy dies. No explanation required. She shoots Kali. End of Act I. 
Years later...  Raj, our hero, escapes the bullet and works as a car modifier, hero's 'mentally retarded' brother, (I thought he was) falls for girl who turns out to be Mira's sister. In between, Boman 'King' Irani pops in as a comic drug lord.
What a story!! And yes, the pictuesque locales with the cutout poses by the lead pair is really really jaded.
Another mistake I made -- I saw this movie a day after I enjoyed Bajirao Mastani.

Shahrukh, please have a little consideration for your audience. Maybe there are a few who are still waiting for a Chak de or Swadesh.

Bajirao Mastani

Movie Review (Hindi)

To be quite truthful, I did get a little biased with all the negativity I was hearing about this movie, how it had moved away from the truth and how the greatness of the Peshwas had been put down. 

Once I saw the movie, I really appreciated it. I did not remember the historical figure, Peshwa Bajirao I or the reality of the Maratha empire. What remained with me was the scintillating story of Bajirao, a straight forward and valiant General and his love for his land and his love for Mastani.

I think Ranveer Singh is one of the actors to look out for in the near future. He literally scorches the screen with his presence. Both Priyanka (as Kashibai) and Deepika (as Mastani) have done justice to their roles and Tanvi Azmi played the strong matriarch to the hilt.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali really knows how to create magic in every shot. The end was superbly shot. The cavalry galloping into the water and the Peshwa trying to fight them off is a scene I will keep revisiting.

A must watch just to remind us of the magic that is movies.

Angry Indian Goddesses

Movie Review

First of all, each of the actors was brilliant. 

Second of all, there was a tightly edited script that did not let you look at your popcorn. 

It began with quite a bang with each goddess showing her capabilities, not as sexual objects as the men would want them to be, but as individuals who could take charge.

We have a photographer, a businesswoman, an activist, a singer, a housewife, a maid, a struggling actress and a little girl. Friends gathered to celebrate a marriage and each one helps in building the story of the angry goddesses. 

I loved the way so many issues were integrated into this movie. Activism against mining, same sex marriage, legal hassles related to crime, drugs and depression, infertility, women in Hindi movies, single moms and finally rape and murder – each of these issues scorched the screen. The camaraderie and the squabbles among the women livened things up. 

Thank you Pan Nalin for this story, though I would like to know why the image of Kali remained blurred. 

But no matter, our Angry Indian Goddesses took over and gave Evil quite a chase.

Travel Tales 3

To Ellora....

Ellora is an hour’s drive from Aurangabad. What was surprising for me was that Ellora involved more walking and climbing! 

Buddha flanked by two Bodhisattvas

34 caves are divided between Jain, Buddhist and Hindu caves.  Caves 1 to 12 are Buddhist caves where 11 are viharas and only one is a chaitya. These were created between 700 and  800 AD. Each cave is massive and similar in design to the caves at Ajanta. The viharas are very spartan giving an idea of the simple living the people believed in.

Shiva slaying demon Andhakasur with Parvati by his side

Caves 13 to 29 are Hindu caves dedicated mostly to Lord Shiva though we do see glimpses of Vishnu, Ganesh, Durga and Parvati and Laxmi. The sculptures are simply exquisite!

The entrance to the Kailashnath temple

The Kailashnath temple which is cave no. 16 is no doubt the most mesmerizing. The entire temple has been cut out of a single rock and has many storeys to it. Carving began right from the top and worked downwards as the main shrine of Shiva took shape in the upper storey.  The entire temple is said to symbolize Mount Kailash, the abode of Shiva. 

A monolithic pillar at Kailash

Mahishasurmardini

Various pantheons of gods and goddess adorn the walls. But it is mainly about Lord Shiva since it is his abode. There are two monolithic pillars rising in the centre under the open sky, something akin to the Ashoka pillar. This temple was constructed under the patronage of the Rashtrakuta kings in the 8^th century.

The Indra sabha dedicated to Mahavir

Cave nos. 30 to 34, dated 9^th century AD, belong to the Digambar sect of Jainism which is older than Buddhism.  These caves have intricate decoration on pillars and walls and sculpted images of the Jain Tirthankaras, including Mahavir, Parshwanath and Gomateshwar. 

Next stop --- Daulatabad Fort

Travel Tales

To Ajanta...

After Aurangabad, I set out for the Ajanta Caves. Took about 3 hours as I had taken the longer route via Daulatabad and Khuldabad (where you can visit Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb’s tomb). I climbed some steps cut into the hills, took a turn and there the panoramic view of the caves spread out nestled amidst such beauty! 

The View

30 caves cut out from the steep Sahyadris with the Waghora river curving below. And this was done from 200 BC till 650 AD when this area was abandoned. The last few caves have been blocked probably for safety reasons. I began my exploration from the 26^th cave, the last one that tourists are allowed to access. Only thing missing was a detailed write up on every cave. It would have made things easier instead of relying on the guides who earn their living giving the historical background of the caves which sometimes are quite imaginative!! Though Ajanta is known for its paintings, the sculptures is not to be overlooked.

Chaitya

 Though Ajanta is famous for its paintings based on the life of Gautam Buddha and the Jataka tales, the paintings are fast disappearing and what is left is difficult to see in the dark. Some lighting arrangements have been made though. Five of the caves here are Chaityas or temples and the other 25 are Viharas or monasteries.

There is a story to the present state of paintings. Apparently an Italian team was called in for restoration work on the paintings in the 1920s. With the best intentions, this team with their experience in their country, coated the paintings with shellac as a protective covering. Unfortunately, over the years, shellac darkened in the hot and humid climate and the luminosity of the paintings was lost. Removing the shellac is proving to be difficult for ASI. 

The ceiling and wall paintings - or what is left of them

Besides, the lakhs of visitors who visit the caves increase the humidity levels. People are also known to be uncaring and go about touching the paintings. Both of these are reasons we might not have the paintings for long.

Also, centuries ago, when the artists completed their work, the monks inhabited these caves for prayers, studies and living. The oil lamps and incense they burnt, covered the paintings with soot. Now after excavation, the soot is being removed and experts feel this is harming the paintings underneath. 

Bodhisatva - Padmapani

Bodhisatva -Vajrapani

Caves 1, 2, 16 and 17 are the ones where some paintings are still intact. These just show us how much of this wonderful art we are missing today. The entire caves were filled with paintings too exquisite to be described. The walls and the ceilings glowed with yellows, reds, whites, blues, greens and blacks. All the colours were mineral based except for the black which came from lamp-black.

The murals depict Buddha as a youth, as a prince, as a monk and finally as an ascetic surrounded by people and nature and I was glad to be there to just take in all this beauty. This just cannot be explained so easily. I wonder at the dedication of the artists who spent hours in the dark caves, perhaps using metal sheets and water to reflect sunlight onto the walls or even using lanterns to help them paint, reaching every nook and cranny and the ceilings, filling them up with their dedication and love.

Travel Tales

Aurangabad and more ....

It took me about five hours by road from Pune to Aurangabad via Ahmednagar. Reached before lunchtime and after a good lunch (a veg thali) set off to take a look at the city of Aurangabad. Not a city, I would say a large town, which is defined by its chowks (crossings) and Darwaze (gates).

My first stop was the Biwi ka Maqbara (the Wife’s Tomb). This is the mausoleum of Aurangzeb’s wife, Rabia-ul-Durrani and was built by Aurangzeb’s son, Azam Shah. It has a striking resemblance to the Taj Mahal and is known as the Taj of Deccan. 

Entrance to Biwi ka Maqbara

Taj of Deccan

The next stop was the Pan Chakki which is a water mill. Yes, this is a mill that is driven by water and was used to grind wheat more than 200 years ago. Underneath the grinder is a fan that rotates by the force of water released into the tank. An engineering marvel, the water is carried through earthen pipes from the underwater springs of the nearby hills. 

The waterfall at Panchakki

The grinding stone

The ancient banyan tree

The water was forced over a high wall and a waterfall is created that falls into a huge water tank. In one corner lies the panchakki with the hidden fan underneath.  The tank is full of fish. I saw the grinder still rotating. Many many years ago, it was used to grind grain to feed  the devotees visiting  the dargah in the premises. A huge banyan tree, more than 500 years old, stands next to the tank providing shade even today!

Next Stop --- The Caves of Ajanta