Sandalwood Forest

'We should have got a packed lunch with us' I said to myself, probably for the nth time. It had been more than an hour since we had left the waterfalls to go to the forest. The road was beautiful, affording us a view of the deep valley below. At one point, we stopped the car and stood looking at the silent deserted valley below. There was literally no one around except us, our driver and a woman looking for drywood somewhere down the valley. I would never have thought this possible anywhere in India. Small villages appeared at regular intervals but none of them seemed to have any restaurants of any kind, just houses and churches.

I sometimes wonder what the lady manning the shop at one such village must have thought about us. There was some kind of checkpoint up ahead so the car had slowed down. It had barely rolled to a stop when we jumped out and headed for the shop. I have never been so delighted at the sight of chocolates and biscuits. We bought 5-stars and Perks and started eating even before we made it back to the car. Either that or the driver could no longer ignore the rumblings sounds our stomachs must be making because he said that he knew a place where we could have lunch.

Marayoor

Marayoor was a village, slightly bigger than the ones we had come across en route. And there was a reasonable-looking restaurant, Sandal Breeze Hotel, where someone actually greeted us at the door. I dreaded the prospect of facing another thali meal. Though it felt as if I could devour an elephant or two, I knew a Thali is simply not my cup of tea :-) Fortunately they didn't seem to have that kind of compulsion but when I asked for their menu, the server looked puzzled. He ran off to fetch someone. That manager explained to us that since the hotel was opened recently they don't have the printed menu as of now. Hmm, a new hotel....that explains the greeting at the door. The server rattled off whatever was on offer. Chicken Biryani seemed like a safe bet so we ended up ordering that. It wasn't gourmet but it wasn't bad either. It had all the trappings of a biryani - chicken, boiled egg, masala and rice. Okay, fried onion was missing but it was seasoned well and the meat was cooked right. So no complaints. The price was ridiculously low. Now that the lunch was done, we started for the forest.

What comes to your mind when you hear the words 'Sandalwood Forest'? Rows and rows of the trees and the breeze heavy with their heady aroma, right? I knew it would be too good to be true. So here's the deal - it's a regular forest interspersed with Sandalwood trees. Just look out for the trees with a darker bark. The road goes right through the forest so you can get down and take up a small jungle trail on either side of the road. We did and walked for a considerable distance. The path appeared well-trodden but I don't think many tourists must be coming here. In a way it was good. I was rather tired of the crowd that we had run into at practically every place we visited the day before and in the morning. This solitude was a welcome one. Already the thought that we would be leaving tomorrow was weighing on my mind. It seemed well nigh impossible to tear myself away from all the peace, quiet and beauty that I had got immersed into for the past 2 days. Mumbai seemed like a planet from a distant galaxy, light years away. A place I didn't want to return to.

With a heart that was growing heavier by the minute I started our journey towards the last place on today's itinerary - Muniyara Caves.

Luckom water falls

First, a word of caution to the visitor - if you can't stomach the sight of topless men with potbellies frolicking about in water, give this place a miss. Unfortunately, no one warned us. In a way I am glad they didn't because it is a beautiful waterfall - gallons of snowy-white water, frothing, gurgling, rushing about in a hurry, the rays of the late-morning sun glittering at its edges. You feel energized, you feel fresh and you feel younger.

I had this sudden urge to go wade through the water just to be able to feel its rush, its touch against my skin. But there was a warning that the water level could rise at any moment. I am not sure if the people already in water had read it but I sure wasn't going to take any chances. I just dipped my toes in a small stream on our way back. The water was ice-cold. There was no way I could have waded in.

There are a couple of shops selling biscuits, chips, juices and beverages. But if you are looking for ice-cold beverages you might find yourself out of luck. Many of the shops don't have electricity.

2 places visited, 2 more to go - Sandalwood Forest and Muniyara caves.

The Botanical Garden

We had seen this park/garden the day before but when the driver had asked us if we wanted to visit, we had declined. It seemed like a good idea to begin the 2nd day's sightseeing with this park.

It's a pretty huge area with lots of open spaces, greenery and flowers about. But what caught our attention were 3 separate groups - each containing a couple (newly-wedded from the looks of it!) and a photographer. The photographer would stop occasionally and ask the couple to pose against a tree here, a bush there. And some of the poses were so comic (to put it more plainly, suitable only in Hindi movies!) that it was all we could do not to burst into peals of laughter. I have no idea why would someone want to spend time, money and energy to do something like this. But hey, it takes all kinds to make this world, right?

Okay, so there isn't much to do here if you are not the 'can-wander-aimlessly' type. As soon as we left the couples and their photographers to their own devices, there wasn't a soul in sight - a sight for the sore eyes, at least for someone coming from a metro. So you can enjoy walking in solitude, play on the set of swings attached to 2 big trees, sit on the benches and listen to the bulbuls as they sing about in the trees. In short, just while away the time without wondering about where you have to go next. I badly needed this.

There is a shop just before the entrance/exit selling the usual suspects - halwa, homemade chocolates, sandalwood soaps and medicinal oils. As we had decided to visit the Munnar market place on our way back in the evening we just took a look and left.

Stop chasing wrong things in life so that the right things can get a chance to chase after you

- Seen on a board outside a church

There was activity in the adjoining cottage, I could certainly hear voices and they were not that of the housekeeping crew. When I stepped into the garden I saw a teenage girl occupying the chair in front of the other cottage. She was wearing a burqa but no Hijab (cloth covering the face) and was staring at me with frank curiosity.

"Hi" I said.
"Hi" she responded and smiled.
"You came just now?" I knew the question was rather inane but anything to break the ice.
She nodded but added, to my dismay "No speak English".
"Oh" I was disappointed.
Before I could ask her if she could speak Hindi she asked 'Can you speak Arabic?'.

I hope my face didn't register the surprise that I felt at these words. Why on earth would I, an Indian and a Hindu at that, would speak Arabic? Then I realized that I didn't have my bindi on my forehead - the telltale sign of a Hindu.

So I shook my head to indicate I didn't and asked her where she is from. Turned out  she was from Saudi Arabia. 'You from India?' she asked and I nodded this time.

Then we both fell silent. I knew there were thousand things I wanted to ask this girl but language can be such a cruel barrier. So we both just sat there till it got dark, each wrapped in our thoughts.

As the last rays of the setting sun faded, the prayer call rose from the valley below and for a few moments at least everything seemed just right with this world.

Mattupetty Dam & Echo point

I have only this much to say to you - if you want to include Mattupetty Dam in your sightseeing, make sure you find out what the timings for boating are. Unfortunately for us, our driver informed us that boating would be closed for the day by the time we make it there when we were already on our way. So we just strolled along the banks of the dam, took a cursory look at the shops lining both sides of the street and turned back.

An unexpected bonus on our way to the dam was the sighting of a trio of "wild" elephants near the roadside. :-)

Nothing much to see at the Echo Point as well except for a lot of tourists and their photo-sessions. There is something to be said about the lack of civic manners of Indians but I will refrain from saying much here. We didn't spend even 10 minutes here.

If shouting some inane phrase at the top of your voice and hearing its echo is not something that excites you, then give this place a miss.

We made a pit-stop at Saravana Bhavan for tea and headed back to Ambady. I was already looking forward to relaxing in the back garden.

Anaimudi, Munnar

Our next stop for the day was Anaimudi which Google tells me is South India's highest peak at 8841 ft. The other attraction here is Nilgiri Tahr - a goat-like animal that is endemic to the Nilgiri Hills. The driver stopped the car in front of a government tourist office in a market and told us where to get the tickets. He said that we will have to travel the rest of the distance in forest department's minibuses as private vehicles are not allowed to ply on Anaimudi. I was happy to oblige as that meant less pollution and traffic at the site. This joy was short-lived though as I did see 1-2 rickshaws there later.

So we bought our tickets and boarded the first in the group of buses standing in front of the office. The bus filled up in no time and soon we were on our way. The drop in the temperature was immediately evident but wasn't harsh enough to warrant fishing out any warm clothes. We were taken to the top and disembarked there. The weather was a curious mix - it was sunny enough to miss wearing a cap but the air was cold. The valley at present was shrouded in mist or low-lying clouds, I couldn't decide what. I was overjoyed at the first sighting of the Tahr. But later realized that they are a pretty common site here. We could also see the plants of Neelkurinji (Strobilanthes  Kunthiana) that bloom once in 12 years and are natives of the the shola forests in the Western Ghats of South India of which Anaimudi is a part. Alas, no flowers were in bloom right now for us. :-(

As we reached the top, the mist/clouds suddenly parted giving us a panoramic view of the valley below. A small waterfall came cascading down the peak. We could see groups of people climbing but no one had yet reached our level so we had the entire landscape to ourselves. We listened to the water gurgle merrily in a shallow pool as the sunlight played off its edges, marveled at the beauty of the wild flowers that sat basking in the morning glory in clumps or all by themselves, talked to the Tahrs as they frolicked about without giving us a second glance, watched the lazy clouds wind their way through the valley and sat there savoring, once again, absolute peace and tranquility.

Of course, from where we were sitting we could also see the serpentine queue waiting for the return buses and hence started climbing down reluctantly. As we waited we decided to have an ice-cream. The attendant at the shop kept the wrapper and handed the ice-cream to us. I didn't mind it one bit as I know tourists cannot be trusted not to throw garbage around.

Fortunately, the wait for the bus wasn't tiring. Within no time we were back to the market. The driver told us he knew a good place where we could have lunch and so we left immediately.

Unfortunately, I don't recollect the name of the restaurant where we had Thali meal that afternoon. I liked almost all the items in it but the quantity of rice scared the hell out of me. I don't personally know anyone who can consume so much of rice in one go :-) I moved the bowl of rice out of the thali even before I began to eat.

With a full tummy we started for the rest of the two stops in our itinerary - Mattupetty Dam & Echo point.

अर्ज किया है.....

कभी उदास बैठी हो तो बताना
हम फिरसे दिल दे देंगे खेलने के लिये

(Forwarded)

Crossed Swords: Pakistan, Its Army and the Wars Within - Shuja Nawaz

The Half Gallon Quarter Acre Pavlova Paradise - Austin Mitchell

Bijapur (Ekaant, Epic Channel, 6 August, 2015)

Bijapur, located at a distance of about 400 Km from Hyderabad was called Deccan's Florence. Its history starts somewhere in 11th-12th century. It was called 'Vijayapuram' then. The Bahamani dynasty ruled it from 1347 onwards. 'V' is pronounced as 'B' in Farsi and hence 'Vijayapuram' changed to 'Bijapur'.

The first Adilshah of Bijapur, Yusuf Adilshah (1489-1514) was related to the Ottoman dynasty which had the custom of killing the younger son at the time the elder one is crowned as the King. But Yusuf's mother could not bear to watch her younger son die and hence shipped him from Iran to India. He was raised under the care of an officer in the Bahamani dynasty in Bijapur and later ascended the throne.

At the time of his death, his son Ismail was still underage. The prime minister of the kingdom tried to usurp power but Yusuf Adilshah's wife Punji Khaatun (who was a Maharashtrian by birth) didn't let his plans come to fruition. When the prime minister's son tried to do the same Punji Khaatun defeated him and made sure that her son Ismail was crowned the king.

Ismail's son Mallu Adilshah turned out to be a weak ruler. Moreover, he was a tyrant. Finally, his relatives forced him to abdicate throne. Mallu Adilshah's brother Ibrahim and after him his son Ali Adilshah were the successive rulers. Ali Adilshah built Gagan Mahal but sadly only its remains exist now.

The Hampi kingdom was destroyed in 1565 and Bijapur had a big role to play in that. Of course, Bijapur's boundaries extended considerably as a result of this event. Ali Adilshah passed away in 1580 but had no children. So there was a mutiny which was successfully quelled by Chaand Bibi (originally a princess from Ahmednagar). Her son Ibrahim Adilshah became the 6th Adilshah. His rule is considered as the Golden Period of Bijapur's history. He was a secular ruler. The songs from his book 'Kitaab-e-Nauras' were based on Hindu instruments. During his reign, Bijapur established good relations with the Mughal empire. Akbar's son Daaniyaal was married to Ibrahim Adilshah's daughter. A lot of arisans migrated to Bijapur during this time and it started being called the Agra of Deccan. The Rauza (which means a Makavbara or a Mausoleum) that Ibrahim Adilshah built was this Agra's Taj Mahal.

His son Mohammad Adilshah was the 7th Adilshah. The Mughals had given him the sobriquet of 'Shah'. He built the famous Gol-Gumbaz. The construction techniques that were used in its construction cannot be seen in any other building in India. The structure is balanced on 8 arches and contains his grave at the center.

An eerie story, or legend, is associated with Bijapur or specifically with a place called Saath Kabar and Afzal Khan, a general in the army of the 8th Adilshah, Ali Adilshah. It is said that he was in the habit of consulting his astrologers before undertaking any assignment. When he consulted them before going to meet the Maratha King Shivaji Maharaj, they categorically told him that he will not be able to survive the meeting. Afzal Khan brought all the womenfolk in his Zananaa to this place. The well that can still be seen in his area used to have water at that time. He simply threw all of them down the well. Two of the ladies were able to see through his plan and tried to make a run for it. One was able to escape while the other one was captured again. He had 63 wives in total. As per my calculation, 63 - 2 = 61 so I wonder why the place is called Saath Kabar (60 graves).

Despite sending his army over many times, Aurangzeb was unable to conquer Bijapur. Finally, he attacked the kingdom himself in 1625. The 9th Adilshah Sikandar, who had ascended the throne at the tender age of 4 years, was still very young at that time. Though he fought back valiantly he ultimately lost to the Mughals. It is said that silver handcuffs were put onto him as he was brought before Aurangzeb. He bowed thrice before the King and then was thrown into the prison. That was the end of the Bijapur kingdom.

The mausoleum that the 8th Adilshah, Ali Adilshah, tried to build for himself but could never complete, locally known as Baaraa Kamaan or Ali Ka Rauza, still stands as a mute witness to the tale of this kingdom.

Asirgarh (Ekaant, Epic Channel, 23 July, 2015)

Do you know which fort is famous as The 'Unconquered' One despite having been lost in the battle no less than 3 times? That would be Asirgarh - 320 Km from Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. The legend has it that it is named after a person called 'Asa Ahir' who built it at the turn of the 14th century. It is also possible that the name has its origin in the word 'Asir' which in Farsi means 'Fort'.

Its first ruler was Malik Farooqui. His son, Nasir Khan, a very ambitious guy, wanted to take this fort at any cost. He sent a message to 'Asa Ahir' that his family is under attack and he wants to find a safe place for his womenfolk. 'Asa Ahir' allowed him to use the fort for the purpose. But it were not the women but Nasir Khan's soldiers who came to the fort in the Palkhis. As soon as they got inside they killed 'Asa Ahir' along with his soldiers and conquered the fort. Yes, this story sounds eerily similar to that of Troy, isn't it?

Nasir Khan built houses inside the fort for the soldiers and common men alike. This fort has a unique architectural feature - there is an underground floor. So the ditches that can be seen on the floor of the fort are actually openings that are meant to provide light for this underground facility. Of course, no one is allowed to go there now. Actually this fort is built over about 60 acres and consists of 3 forts on 3 different levels. But I couldn't quite catch their names. This meant that anyone attacking the fort would have had to fight the army stationed at 3 different locations. There is a mosque in the fort and 3 reservoirs with facility to harvest rain water.

A part of the fort was used for punishing criminals and contained deep ditches with rods inside them into which these criminals would be hurled. The lucky ones would die immediately but the unlucky ones would get their bodies torn and be condemned to a slow and painful death.

The fort also contains a Shiva temple. People say that Ashwathhama who was condemned to roam the Earth forever for killing Draupadi's sons and her brother comes to this temple early every morning to offer white flowers to make amends for his sins.

The Farooqui clan ruled the fort for 200 years. Mughal King Akbar had to come himself to conquer it. He wanted to make this fort a base for his attacks on Deccan. But the then ruler Bahadur Khan refused to help him. Enraged, Akbar decided to teach him a lesson but knew that the fort cannot be conquered in a straightforward battle. He came to know of a tunnel inside the fort and used it to conquer the fort.

Another version of the same incident goes like this - Akbar invited Bahadur Khan for talks and had him arrested. When his commander Yakub Khan came to know of it he sent his son Mukarrab to get him released. But Akbar killed Mukarrab. Grief-stricken, Yakub commented that this fort will not be conquered easily by anyone. God Himself will have to descend to earth to capture it or it will happen because of a betrayal. Truer words were never spoken. The Asirgarh never saw any battle after this. The Nizams ruled the fort later but that happened because he agreed to pay 2 years' worth salary to his soldiers and bribed other officers. After the Maratha-British battle, the British came into the possession of this fort in 1818. The fort still contains the graves of the British who died here. The British turned this fort into their governance center and built structures like court house and jail. This jail was later used to house Indian freedom fighters. Though the British described the fort as one of the strongest Indian forts, they didn't hesitate to demolish many of its security features.

In 1947, the last of the British left after India became independent and the fort was deserted.

Tea Museum, Munnar

If there was one place which wasted a lot of our time and money, this Tea Museum would be it. I had visited a tea factory before in Ooty and wasn't too keen on visiting another one. We had purchased tea there but on returning home had found that its end product was as different as chalk from cheese - nowhere close to the rich brew that was served to us in the factory. One of my friends later told me what her Ooty driver had told her - that the factory people sell mixed tea to tourists. This museum, however, belongs to the Tatas so I hoped that they would not resort to such gimmicks. And it was en route anyways. So we decided to visit and then regretted doing so.

The entry price is pretty steep and considering what's on offer, should be called what it is - fleecing. Once inside you can roam about in 3-4 rooms which house equipment and photos from the old times. A guard informed us that a documentary could be viewed in another room but we politely declined. After this we, along with other tourists, were herded into a room which contained a long trough full of tea leaves. A man close to retirement age greeted us and started lecturing on various health benefits of drinking tea. I am not sure when exactly he switched from saying that none of us knew how to make tea to commenting that our forefathers were able to successfully empty their bowels because they spent close to 10 minutes inside the toilet. I don't know about the rest of the tourists but I didn't want to listen to this 'crap' after having a hearty breakfast. The guy then fished out a flask that he had tacked onto his waist and proceeded to enlighten us about the way the Chinese and Japanese make green tea using it. We listened politely, and patiently, for a while and then simply walked out.

The shop selling many varieties of teas was busy and absolutely chaotic. It took us more than 15 minutes to get them to show us 2 types of teas and another 10 to make payment. I had come very close to giving up on the whole process more than once during that half hour. As I paid for my purchase, I was astonished to see that the guy standing next to me had purchased stuff to the tune of Rs. 3600 - including 2 of the flasks that the guy lecturing us had so eloquently praised as harbingers of good health. This guy cannot be from this planet, right? Well, turned out that he was not an Indian - probably from someplace in the Middle East, if the language that he was speaking in was any indication.

If I had any hopes of having a cuppa strong aromatic tea the way we had in Ooty, they were soon dashed when I saw that they were selling dip-tea for Rs.5. Without another word, I turned on my heels and walked out.

So here is what I would say without mincing any words - if you ever land in Munnar, give this museum a miss.