Travel tales

To Vaishno Devi's abode

This was a trip I had wanted to go on for some time. It is said that you can go there only when the goddess calls you to her abode. Well, my call came and my husband and I trekked the Trikuta hill to reach the cave where the goddess resides.

We began the journey from Katra, a town close to Jammu.  We began our walk at 7 pm and in the May summer heat, this provided us much needed respite from the blazing sun. We began the climb from an area crowded with people and mules. Pilgrims were haggling with the muleteers about prices, those climbing on foot were getting their sticks ready and some were being lifted in a chair like contraption called Palki, onto the shoulders of four men. I had decided to make the climb on foot and so began the three and a half hour arduous journey to the Vaishno devi temple. The food kiosks along the route, the lights and the prayers blaring from the mikes made this journey like one on a regular highway, only this was a steep climb. I had made this trek three decades ago as a school kid with my parents and when I visited this time I could not recognize the place. Today there is a cemented wide road covered by a tin roofing all the way. Amenities like drinking water, toilets, eating joints are available at every turn.

 At places the route is divided into two, one for the mules the other for humans. All along the route, bags full of fodder are kept for the four legged. Cleaning operations continue 24X7 after the mules unload on the path. The halfway stop is the Ardh Kumari cave which we bypassed while climbing. About a kilometer before reaching here, we took the route used by battery operated cars. This one does not allow mules and the cars stop operating after 5 pm. So the crowd is missing. 

The glittering temple complex at night

However, the road is still an upward climb. While halting for a minute to get my breath back and coax my legs to move, I watched those who came down. I couldn’t help feeling a twinge of jealousy. The good thing we did was to keep walking with just a minute’s break at times to catch up on our breathing. Towards the upper reaches, the air was cooler and this made our trek so much better. When we finally reached the temple complex, the area was teeming with thousands of pilgrims. It did not seem like 10.30 at night. The area was blazing with lights and prayers. I really needed to collapse in bed as my body told me it was about to give up. Thankfully we had booked a room at Kalika Bhavan from where we collected our passes for the Aarti the next day and after climbing the last few steps to the room I gave in to blissful sleep.

Next day, we were ushered in the enclosure in front of the cave for the aarti ceremony which began precisely at 6.20 am. The timing is precise because this part of the worship is telecast all over the country everyday at this time and in the evening. By the way, not all can be a part of the aarti. You have to pay Rs 1000 per head to sit in a group of 300 or pay Rs.16000 to sit in a group of 8. After the sermon by the head priest and the chanting from the Upanishads, which we followed along from the prayer books given to us as we entered the hall, we were allowed to take a closer look at the deity. As I entered the narrow cave, to reach the sanctum sanctorum, cold water from the mountain springs dripped on me and the floor was wet. This is an ancient cave and the gods were worshipped as manifestations of nature. Here we have three rounded rocks, known as pindi (around which there is too much of tiling and décor added by the shrine management). The rock formations are aspects of goddesses Mahalakshmi (wealth), Mahasaraswati (learning) and Mahakali (destruction). In fact, Vaishno devi is another name for the goddess Mahalakshmi. We are not allowed to enter the temple carrying mobile phones, cameras, wallets and anything in leather.

After a good breakfast, which might be toned down a bit if you are planning on more climbing, we climbed towards the Bhairon temple, another hour’s steep climb right to the top of the hill. After the four hour sleep the night before, I had some apprehension, but did manage. This trek was really beautiful. The route wasn’t covered on the top with tin sheets, and we walked by the side of a forest in the hills with thick vegetation and a cool breeze. A ropeway is being constructed from the Vaishno devi temple to the Bhairon temple. We were right at the top in an hour and then began our descent. This time we did not have to worry about breathlessness but suffered pain in the knees and muscle pain in the legs. On our way down, we saw the helicopters taking off from the helipad, ferrying pilgrims from close to the Bhairon temple, to Katra. 

We reached Ardhkumari in a little over an hour. This area has a cave where the goddess was supposed have stayed for nine months. Years ago on my visit here, I had entered this cave and had marveled at the narrowness. This time though we did not attempt to enter the cave as the waiting time was long. After a quick halt and refreshments we began the last leg and took another hour and a quarter to reach Katra. The sun was shining fiercely and I was glad when I was inside the car again heading home. For quite a distance I could see the Trikuta hill and I could not take my eyes off from the Ardhkumari temple visible from the road heading to Jammu. Had I really climbed all that way up?

Each day thousands of pilgrims, young and old, make their way to the temple, braving odds. What drives them? This call from the Goddess? 

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