Exploring Bhopal

Bhopal was my second trip in MP - second in the space of a month after Omkareshwar and Maheshwar. The motivation - none, except for the kicks of travelling and exploring a new place (probably the way Kerouac would put it).

The plan was to start from Mumbai after the Dussehra lunch, reach Bhopal by early Friday morning, explore the city through the day, then Saturday dedicated to surrounds - Sanchi, Vidisha, Bimbhetka - then Bhopal again on Sunday till noon and then return to Mumbai. I'll cover the surrounds in another post, and restrict this one to cover Bhopal through my eyes.

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An empty train - Paradise!!!

I arrived in Bhopal early on Friday morning, checked in with my host - Airbnb this time - and got out to explore. The local bus network in Bhopal is quite efficient by the way, and much much cheaper on the pocket compared to the exorbitant rates of the rickshaws. I took a bus to the New Market, and then a connecting one to Moti Masjid in Old Bhopal. That was my first stop for the day.

Old Bhopal, by the way, is inundated with mosques and for a newcomer it may seem like every other building is some kind of a mosque. The major mosques are the Moti Masjid and the Taj-ul-Masajid (note the extra a, more on that later). Moti Masjid is an imposing structure in all its right and looks over a busy junction. The structure is mostly stone, with a small bit of marble embellishments.

 

The minimal marble work in the masjid

 

A reflection of the corner spires in the masjid pool

After the Moti Masjid, I went through a series of buildings from the days of the Bhopal Sultanate - all of them well past their glory days. The first one was Shaukat Mahal, one of the early residencies of the royalty. This building is a mix of indo-islamic and burboun (french) architecture. The Bhopal royalty had a thread connecting it to the French Burboun royalty - more info on wikipedia. Now-a-days, the building is used as any normal residential building and is slowly crumbling away.

Next up was Moti Mahal. The scale of the outer structure betrays the utter ruins that one sees inside. This place till a while ago housed the Bhopal Post Office. Now, only ruins.Sadar Manzil, the erstwhile court of the Sultanate was converted to Bhopal Municipal Corporation office and was systematically deprived of its glory. The offices have now been shifted, but the damage has been done. Its gonna be a long restoration process, that is if someone is actually willing.

 

The Iqbal Maidan, the centre of Old Bhopal

Overlooked by the Moti Mahal (pink) and Shaukat Mahal (white)

Pic taken from Moti Masjid 

 

The old Peer Darwaza connecting the Moti Mahal and the Shaukat Mahal

 

There are many such old jeeps dotting the landscape near the Moti Masjid

 

The inner artwork in Sadar Manzil

 

Sadar Manzil artwork

 

Sadar Manzil lawn and entrance. 

Upper Lake in the background

I had a quick tea-n-samosa break at the world famous (in Bhopal) Raju Tea Stall. The place was itself in the middle of a face-lift, but the main attraction - the tea - was perfect! Then came the weirdest quest I've ever found me in - searching a restroom in the middle of a busy city. The suggestions of the locals were even weirder - use the wall, the corner of the garden next to a blood bank, and similar ideas. I finally found one in the campus of the sprawling Hamidia Hospital.

Relieved of my misery, I visited the Taj-ul-Masajid. The name literally translates to 'The Crown Of All Mosques' - masjid = mosque, masajid = mosques -and befitting its name it is also the world's third largest mosque. The sprawling building is a bit bland when it comes to artwork, but nevertheless it showcases the grand ambitions of the Bhopal Royalty.

 

The Taj-ul-Masajid - human for scale at right bottom 

 

The main 3 domes of the Taj

 

The more-or-less bland inners of the Taj

Next up, I'd planned the Gauhar Mahal but it was closed till 3pm. So a walk by the Upper Lake ensued, followed by a quick nap in Kamla Park. Another long walk took me to the Indian Coffee House in the New Market Area. An old establishment of the Coffee Board from Jabalpur, the place is famous among Bhopalites for its coffee and dosas. I had a sampler of both  as a light lunch. Worth a visit.

 

The Gauhar Mahal

 

The Upper Lake

 

My lunch at the Indian Coffee House

A Rs100 rickshaw ride from here took me to the museum area near the Shyamala Hills area. There are three museums here, the State Museum, the Tribal Museum and the Musum of Man. I did the three in the same order. These places are simply amazing - especially the tribal museum. I made a mistake of not opting to take the pics; make sure you don't.

 

The gate of the Tribal Museum

 

A deepmaal at the Museum of Man

I was halfway through the Museum of Man, when is was closing time - 5:30pm. I hitchhiked on a milk-man's moped and then took a bus to the New Market to just while my time away there. A bit of riding around the town was followed by dinner at the 'Winds and Waves' restaurant by the Upper Lake.

Another post-dinner exploration of the Old Bhopal followed, this time with my host for company. The Upper Lake looks gorgeous by night, and so does the Tal-ul-Masajid with its lighted towers. Most of the corners of the old city are dotted with people indulging in their pass times - chess, cards and the likes. We were also lucky to witness a procession related to Muharram next day (not the actual Muharram procession). We returned by midnight.

The next day was spent in Sanchi and Vidisha, so didnt see anything in Bhopal. Again on my last day, time crunch dictated that I could only see the Van Vihar park. The place is like a zoo with larger cages - but not a sanctuary. The best way to see the park is to cycle through it - cycles can be rented at the gate.

 

Ride of the day

 

This hyena seemed to derive some pleasure just going round and round in circles

 

The bear at Van Vihar

 

Tiger ... Van Vihar has 17 in all

 

The lake by the Van Vihar cafeteria

I ended my spree in Bhopal with a quick shopping round at the New Market. Then on to the railway station for my train back to Mumbai.

© Kapil Pilankar

Along The Narmada At Maheshwar & Mandleshwar

The distance from Omkareshwar to Maheshwar is 81kms. Covering this distance in the MP state transport bus, with its numerous halts takes a time equivalent of watching a standard length Hindi movie - the Amitabh Bacchan and Vinod Khanna starer Parvarish as in my case.

Arrving at Maheshwar at about 1:30pm, my first task was too find a place to eat. The only thing I'd eaten in Omkareshwar the day before was the spicy khichadi helped down with loads of curd. I was in better health today, and so I decided to have a better meal, but was quite apprehensive for the quality. Right next to the Maheshwar bus stop is the Gurukripa Bhojanalay. The sight of a Sikh sitting behind the counter was one of the most reassuring things I've ever seen in my life!!!

The next thing after the delicious thali at Gurukripa was to find a place to crash. There were a few places around the bus stand, but I decided to venture near the fort and the Ghats for a better location. I found one to my liking and budget just outside the fort. Maheshwar, being a seat of erstwhile royalty, has quite a few top-end places as well. There's loads of choice.

I set out to explore the place - mostly the fort and the ghats - after a nap at around 5pm, still taking swigs of the ORS. I'd simply say, I love the place. The ghats at Maheshwar are majestic and coupled with the facade of the fort and palace, present a magnificent view. I just casually strolled about the place, taking in the views and noting the splendid pre-modern Hindu architecture.

 

The cenotaphs by the ghats

 

The Raj-Rajeshwar Temple

 

Temple complex of Maheshwar

 

Temple complex  

 

The statue of Ahilyabai Holkar, Maheshwar is greatly indebted to her

 

Temple complex views

 

Guardians

It was then, as I stepped out to the ghats when I saw the most splendid post-sunset light play I've ever seen in my life.

 

The colours of Maheshwar twilight

Dinner followed at Gurukripa again - I was in love with that place. I slept early. I took a round of the ghats again early morning, and followed it up with a breakfast at the Mediterranean themed Labboos Cafe inside the fort. It looked like a good place to chill. These guys also offer accommodation in restored guard rooms of the fort. Should be fun to try some day.

I checked out early in a bid to cover the ghats of Mandleshwar on my way back to Khandwa for my train to Mumbai; actually, Dhamnod is a mere 13km away from Maheshwar with brilliant bus connectivity with Mumbai via the Mumbai-Agra Highway is a better port of entry-exit. Anyway, the ghats of Mandleshwar resemble more of a promenade, though some work is in progress to make it more attractive. I reached the ghats by noon, and the cool breeze blowing there meant that I absolutely had to sit down and soak it all in. I had company of a band of dhol boys who were chattering in a frenzy - mostly fun.

 

The steps and temples of Mandleshwar, with the dhol boys

 
My return journey to Khandwa via Barwaha was spent again in the drivers cabin where I got some conversation flowing and was treated to complementary tea and some friendly advice.

 

My bus ride ...

It was about 4pm by the time I arrived at Khandwa and had almost an hour at my disposal. So I decided to visit the second most visited place in Khandwa after the railway station - Kishore Kumar's birthplace. This now dilapidated structure - Ganguly House, Gowri Kunj - was once privy to the innocence and joy of Kishore Da's childhood. I met the caretaker there - an old man of seventy - who recounted the old days when Kishore Da would frequent the place. I gave him a small tip and returned to the railway station to while my time off till the train arrived.

 

I should've taken a selfie here ... this looks like a mugshot of the poor guy

 

Ganguly House - Gowri Kunj

My first trip to MP was about to come to an end. I'd seen quite a bit, I'd learnt quite a bit - more about myself, than anything else. I'd be back soon, there's a lot to know in MP.

© Kapil Pilankar

A Recovery In Omkareshwar

Post moved to One Of The Road - One Of The Road is a proper travel blog maintained by me. Thanks :)

Around Ratnagiri In A Day

Post moved to One Of The Road - a travel blog.

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Exploring Sarve, Part 5 - Bibi's Legacy

My second day at Sarve was spent mostly idling around the village and talking to some of the villagers about Sarve.

The original plan was to watch the sunrise from over a small hill at the northen end. That was junked as soon as I realized that I had overslept. My Pune mates had already departed due to some work back home and I was to myself for the day. After a quick breakfast at Mt. Kifayat’s house, Nasir escorted me back to his own house where Mr. Sabir was already waiting for me.

The sun was up to and the sea-breeze was yet to pick up. We decided to start the warm day with a walk along the shore northwards, and then return via the main street. One of the prominent landmarks of the shore is the skeleton of a whale that had beached here a few years ago. The sheer size of the skeleton is amazing. This one is probably bigger than the one kept in the Ratnagiri aquarium.

A whale vertebra

Further north, we came upon a natural pool that was completely taken over by a herd of buffaloes. Our presence was duly resented and we started our way back.

Moooo ...

I departed Sarve after another hearty lunch with a combination of bike ride, hitchhike and bus ride.

The way back home

Bibi:

One of the persons we met on our way back casually spoke about Bibi Mukadam as one of the famous people from Sarve. The name never registered in my head, until Mr. Sabir brought up the topic again during lunch at this place. According to him, Bibi Mukadam lived in the village in a political exile from her homeland of South Africa where she was a prominent part of the anti-apartheid movement under Nelson Mandela. She was also a friend of the late Mrs. Indira Gandhi, who had visited her at Sarve during her Prime Ministerial days without any security detail. I made a note of this story with a point of exploring in detail once I got home.

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Born as Ms. Ayesha Bibi Dawood in Worcester, South Africa,  she later married a seaman Mr. Yusuf Mukadam from Sarve, India. The details of her life are well documented by the South African government ( Link 1 ; Link 2 ). This is a very exciting discovery, especially since there is hardly any mention or knowledge that such a person existed and made a remote corner of our country her home for most of her life.

Recognition by the Government of South Africa

Mr. Sabir’s words ring out clearly here: “She lived among us as one of us. Yet when one was around her one could feel greatness exude from herself. The way she carried herself clearly marked her as a prominent person. Yet, we did not know who she was. Nor did she ever tell herself.”

Bibi returned to the country of her birth in the 1990s. After her death, a steady trickle of journalists from South Africa happened to make their way to Sarve. That’s when the real magnitude of her greatness dawned on the people. Yet today her story is not well known even in Sarve.

Let’s hope for the best – for Bibi’s legacy and for Sarve…

© Kapil Pilankar

Exploring Sarve, Part 4 - Of Fishes and Govinda

Our evening at Sarve was flowing along as we chatted about our lives, our work, our worlds and our universe ... a full 42 conversation. the lazy flow of the evening was interrupted when Mr. Sabir asked us to get ready for the activity of the night - fishing!

Something Fishy ...

We accompanied him as he went to check on his net that he had cast neat the shallow pools. Wading through knee deep water, we made our way to the net. There was a fish, locally called ‘hausa’, which was caught in the net. It has a sharp dorsal fin equipped with a sting that hurts like that of a scorpion’s. Mr. Sabir carefully untangled it from the net and kept it on the dry rocks nearby, while we continued onward to inspect the rest of the net.

The Hausa

Here we found a few crabs and one water-snake which were also caught in the net. Mr. Sabir gave us a lesson crab-catching. The only way to safely catch a ‪crab‬ is by gently pushing the head so that it just stops in its tracks and then carefully bundle the ‪‎claws‬ in. In such a position they are mostly harmless.

Crab catching

We returned to the house with our catch - ‘hausa’. That fish would fetch about Rs. 150-200 if sold to the Kunbi casts people. Kolis and Muslims will not pay even Rs. 10 for it, we were told.

Older catch - hausa and boi - now frozen

Gooovindaaa re Gooopala ...

We had a light vegetarian dinner after which we made our way to Mr. Kifayat’s house, where we were to spend the night. His house was at the other end of the village and the short walk almost seemed like a guided tour of the village itself. Another relaxed session of chatting ensued - this time our religion and beliefs were added to the general mix. This session lasted till almost midnight, when we again left the house to attend the Janmasthami celebrations at the village temple.

We made our way to the temple and were greeted by the Sarpanch and other elders. The ex-Sarpanch sat with us and gave a brief account of the village conditions and customs. A quick cup of black tea was served as the puja began with the priest narrating a dramatic account of the birth of Lord Krishna. The fervor of his pitch steadily rose as the time of Lord’s birth drew near. The main aarti started sharp at midnight. This was followed by a short procession of village kids dancing along to ‘goooooooovindaaa re goooopaalaaa …’.

We joined the fun and were quickly drenched as the villagers threw bucket after bucket of water on the kids and by extension us too.

After a while we excused ourselves and returned back to Mr. Kifayat's house for some much needed rest after a long but fun day.

© Kapil Pilankar

Exploring Sarve, Part 3 - A Hidden Cascade

We are at Mr. Sabir’s place after the seeing the viewpoints. He has to attend an urgent meeting in the village and takes our leave. Shortly, Nasir and Jamil, sons of Mr. Sabir and Mr. Kifayat respectively, make an appearance. Nasir, as described earlier, studies in the local ITI. They are to guide us to a waterfall located about 30 minutes inland. Mr. Sabir’s youngest daughter, Mantshaa, would also accompany us.

The waterfall is to the south-east of the village. We cross the small stream just beyond the last of the houses that is fed by the waterfall and ascend along the left (southern) bank. The path makes its way gradually in to the thick forest. We pass a small waterfall along the way followed by a small meadow of pink wildflowers. The forest is denser from here on.

Pink bloom

Out path is blocked twice by huge spider webs under which we duck to pass through.

The spider guardian

The path has overgrown bushes throughout. Nasir has carried a sickle for precisely this task and clears them. The path, it seems, was not used frequently.

Clearing up the path

The roar of the waterfall announced its proximity before we had an opportunity to see it. Even then, the waterfall had us in awe once we saw it. Water fell heavily from a stream for about 100 feet into a pool of clear water. The pool was not too deep and was safe for a quick dip. Behind the waterfall, the waters had carved out a very cozy cavern.

The waterfall and the small cavern

We lazed around the waterfall for a good part of the hour before our guides decided it was time we moved on. The waterfall belonged to the forest folks after dark - peacocks and other birds, deer, boar and leopards.

A view from the cavern

After descending about halfway through the trail, our guides asked us to halt for some time and promptly disappeared along a side trail. Waiting for about 15 minutes, and hearing their not so distant voices, got the better of my curiosity and I decided to follow. To my surprise, I saw Jamil halfway up a coconut tree, trying to desperately scythe free some fresh coconuts for the lot of us. Nasir, wearing jeans, belted instructions from below. It was quite a scene.

Caught in the act ... 

The duo returned with their loot of one coconut for each of us. i tried my luck with scything open one, but it ultimately had to be done by Nasir.

Nasir scything coconuts

Jamil in action

As we returned to the main road, the sun had already painted the sky crimson-orange as it prepared to set. We sat down on a grassy knoll to watch the view as peacocks kee-oik-ed in the distance.

Evening colours

The setting sun

By the time we returned to Mr. Sabir’s house, the last of the evening light was cast over the horizon. We freshened up and settled down for a lazy evening chat.

Twilight by the sea ...

© Kapil Pilankar