Misty Predicament

Mahabaleshwar is a hill-station, well known to all those who are the residents of Maharashtra State and for us, who are the residents of Pune, or those from Mumbai, it is destination to travel, the moment we get too tired of the routine and need a quick and a predictable place to spend a relaxed weekend. It is located in the Sahyadri Hill Ranges and actually is a vast plateau of 150 square Kms and is surrounded by valleys which give the tourists a scenic view from all around it. There are "points" which are the spots of some most scenic visuals. It is located about 200 Kms from Pune and the winding drive is always refreshing. Mahabaleshwar is also very famous for its strawberry plantations and most of the tourists savor strawberries, directly from the farms and also a variety of strawberry milkshakes, ice-creams and pulps.There are now giant manufacturers of Jams, crushes, jelly and juices in Mahabaleshwar , who send their products all over India. Mahabaleshwar is also famous for honey and mulberries.
It so happened that we went to Mahabaleshwar one weekend at the end of February to rest and relax. We reached there at about 11.30 am on saturday morning, spent some time moving around and  enjoying the resort ambiance and after about 3.30 pm we went swimming. As we started swimming we realized that it was drizzling a bit and the surroundings have turned a little misty. It was a beautiful weather. We got tired after swimming and decided to drive to the market as our resort was somewhat out of the main city. The market place of Mahabaleshwar is a happening spot of the hill-station. It has many small eateries, selling fast food and also all the goodies made up of strawberries. It is also very well known for hand made leather goods like shoes and handmade bags. We reached the marketplace, strolled for a while, enjoying the hustle -bustle of the street. We did not have  much to shop since we had visited the place many times. At last, we, by about 7 pm decided to drive back to the resort. It is really a very amusing aspect of the small towns of India ( even the tourist places), that the streets, barring the markets become absolutely lonely and dark after sunset. So was it, that evening at Mahabaleahwar. It had become quite densely foggy too. We started driving back and after driving for 10 mins, when the resort gate was not seen, we suddenly realized that probably we had taken a wrong road. There was fog ahead, no person to ask the directions and to add to it the head lamps our car seemed awfully weak. That time I could not help thinking that who was the stupid engineer who sold the car to us and told us that the car lights were fog lamps. We could really see nothing ahead of us. When we tried to take a turn, we realized that the road had a valley on one side  without railing and dense forest and marsh on the other side  and so it was dangerous to turn around, in case we would fall in the valley or get caught in the marsh, if we go back too much. We almost froze on the place. We ultimately decided that we have to sit in the car, either until we see someone or until day break.  We had to even shut the car windows for the fear of wild animals like foxes and jackals. We sat for about half an hour with our parking lights on , in case some bus or truck or another vehicle comes, by any chance, it does not hit us.
But our luck was really on our side that evening, because we saw an old fellow passing close to the car and immediately stopped him. First we asked him which road we had taken. He told us that we had taken a road to Pratapgadh fort and had come about 2 Kms ahead of our resort and that man was actually a waiter from our resort. He put his torch on, and helped us turn around and finally we reached the resort. But for that half hour, we were so frightened that remembering it, still gives a chill down the spine.
It was one travel experience that had gone slightly wrong. We still visit Mahabaleshwar, still enjoy the weather and the goodies but never travel out there in the fog ....                              

Nicholas Roerich Museum

After our visit to Simla, we dutifully, and on right time, decided to take our journey to the most coveted destination of our Himachal Pradesh tour and that was, Manali. As you come closer to Manali, you are greeted by the river, Beas, and it actually runs beside the road winding through the hills, as if escorting you to Manali. From every corner of Manali, when you lift your head up, you cannot miss the snow capped mountain peaks even during summer. The first spot that the tourists want to visit is the Rohathang pass and the Rahala falls which we can see  at just 16 kms of our climb to the Rohathang pass.The Rohathang pass is located 3979 mts above the sea level.
After taking in the breathtaking views of the climb to the Rohathang pass, which had opened, just on the day prior to our visit, but was closed due to a land slide, that are pretty common there. We had one full day at our disposal and so we decided to visit Naggar, which is a small town on the western banks of the Beas River. It was the capital of Kullu until 1460.  There is a castle here, that was built by Raja Sidh Singh of Kullu and it has now been converted to a Heritage Hotel since last 100 years. The heritage hotel has the western Himalayan architecture and it is absolutely an art lover's and an architect's delight. As you stand on one of the balconies of the castle, you can get the panoramic view of the Kullu valley and the snow capped mountain peaks, as well as the Beas river.
The artistic attraction of the town of Naggar is the NICHOLAS ROERICH ART GALLERY.The day we went to Naggar, the weather was at its best. There was a cool breeze and a drizzle off and on.  The rain was not enough to drench us and welcome, as it made the climb up to the Roreich art gallery pleasant and less tiring. Our taxi driver left us at the foot of the hill where the art gallery is located. The narrow road goes up, first steep, and later winding gently. The little snack joints selling tea and tit- bits line the road on the right side and when we feel cold, having tea at the stalls is a heart warming and a tranquilizing experience. We were in a hurry as we were eager to visit the art gallery, so while climbing up, we did not allow us to be lured by the tea and the snacks and steadily walked up.  The first hall that we came across was actually rented by  some foreign national who had taken photographs of Ladakh. The photos were nice but the masks that were collected from all the parts of the world caught my fancy and I could not help taking the photo of the collection.( we lost the sd card of our camera while coming back and so now all this comes only from my memory. Only photos that remain with us are the random and impulsive clicks on the mobile phone camera).
Well , then came the hall specially for the paintings of Late Nicholus Roerich. The art gallery is well maintained with plants of  colourful flowers which brighten you up, even before you enter the art gallery. The art gallery displays amazing paintings of the Russian painter, Nicholus Roerich, which he had painted while he stayed in Manali and made it his home.The paintings are of the  Himalayas in myriad moods and really make an art lover's day. My day was made here.I could not take my eyes off  each and every painting that presented the Himalayas in a unique mood.

The Nicholus Roerich art gallery.

Devika Rani's Portrait

                                                 From here, we took a  took a small road down to his residence.The road is lined with Deodars and pines and the sides of the roads, all full of grassy slopes and some lovely flower beds. There were also small benches, in case, you want to just relax and enjoy nature.The house was a lovely wooden structure, painted white. We went up the stairs of the house and stood on the balcony and again the view of the valley from here was bewitching. I imagined Nicholus Roerich, painting in his balcony and was suddenly  filled with envy for the great man and smiled. They have closed the house with glass windows in such a way that you can get a nice view of the rooms in the house. We saw their rooms, neatly arranged. One attraction that an Indian cannot miss, is the room and the portrait of the first lady of Indian cinema, Devila Rani who was Nicholus Roerich's son's wife.
Sir Nicholus Roerich was a multifaceted personality with keen interest in archaeology and the person who brought about the Roerich Pact, which is a pact signed by multiple countries, and agrees upon the safety of art and the archaeological sights of every country, during wars, and gives every piece of art and archaeology  in every country, that has signed the pact, a non aligned status, and so immune from attacks.He was a poet, a prolific write and a person inclined to scientific thinking,  particularly chemistry. He had a lab set up over there in the place, where now, is a museum. He was a deeply philosophical and a spiritual person and had a unique perspective, where the subjective and the objective united and the cultures too, merged in one single truth.  Here are a few lines that caught my fancy
.
                                                 Only yesterday I knew much,
                                                  but it became obscured in the course
                                                                                              of the night.
                                                  Indeed, the day had been long.                                                  Long and dark was the night
                                                  Then came the fragrant morning.
                                                  Fresh and marvelous it was.
                                                  And, illumined by the new sun,
                                                  I forgot and was deprived of that
                                                  which I had accumulated.

Paintings of Sir Nicholus Roerich

 The last part of the Roerich museum is a cultural gallery, that is situated at the top and again you have to walk up, and yet again there was that mild drizzle, steps lined with grassy slopes, the pines and Deodars , with benches for resting and a hike up that did not tire, but rejuvenated. The museum had art work and antiques from other artists and cultural display of Himachal pradesh.

  I did not want to leave this place and desperately wanted to stay longer. This time, while climbing down, we did take a tea break at the stall on the side of the road. It was refreshing and I thought to myself that the next time I visit, I would find a place close to the Roerich  Art Gallery , visit the place every day, watch the paintings, ruminate about them, try to see them through  Nicholus Roerich's eyes and also search my own vision of the Himalayas in various moods. I promised  myself that and on my way back, lost the SD card of my camera, giving me a reason to visit back, for all practical purposes.( most of the photos from this write up are from the internet, since the internet is replete with images of the gallery).    

It was an unforgettable visit for me.

Yana

In my visit to the state of Karnataka,after spending time at Karwar and Murdeshwar on our return journey via Belgum, there was a surprise destination waiting for us.About 60 kms from karwar and 40 kms from Sirsi, there is a small forest named Yana. There are two huge rock formations at the top of the hills which are a part of Sahyadri hill ranges in Karnataka.
As we reach the foot of the hills, we have to park our vehicles in the parking lot provided by the KPTDC and buy a ticket to visit the place and then, starts your enchanting short trek up the hill to the rock formations. As you stroll through a narrow natural path, you are in the middle of the forest on both the sides. Tall evergreen trees line both the sides of the path, along with the creepers and small flowering shrubs. If you can take a break off and on, you can also see some lovely birds and butterflies.As you walk, you can hear the gurgling and bubbling of a brook by your side all the while till you reach the top.

The walk up the hill is refreshing and enjoyable if you are an enthusiastic trekker but a word of caution for those who are old and cannot walk uphill, it is better to be careful and avoid climbing.
The two rock formations are called as the Bhairavashwara shikara and mohini shikahra, of which the former is 120 meters high and the later is 90 meters high.They are made up of dark black limestone.Bhairaveshwara Shikhara, there is 3 metres (9.8 ft) wide opening in the rock face that leads in to a cave. Within the cave, there is a bronze statue of Chandika, an incarnation of the goddess Durga. The cave has a swayambu ("self manifested") Shiva Linga ("symbol of Shiva") over which spring water trickles from the roof of the tunnel overhead. Emerging as a small stream, called the Chandihole, it eventually merges with the Aghanashini River at Uppinapattana. Devotees from among the local people see the emergence of the river as Gangodbhava (emerging Ganges)
The Shivlanga formation can be explained by geological phenomenon of STALACTITE and STALAGMITE formation which is the the roof and the floor of a cave formed by dripping limestone

There is also a mythological story about these Yana Rocks.It is said that Bhasmasura once after a very difficult penance got a boon from Lord Shiva that when he places his hand over anybody's head that person will be converted into ashes in seconds.So Bhasmasura wanted to test his powers by placing his hand over the lord himself.So Lord Shiva had to run for his life and so he summoned Lord vishnu for help,who took the disguise of a dancer called Mohini,and Bhasmasura was instantly infatuated by her. He agreed for a dance challenge with her. She ,very cleverly in her dance moves told Bhasmasura to put his hand over his head and in an instant Bhasmasura was converted to ashes True of not but ,a clever story indeed.
We thoroughly enjoyed the trek up and at the top, had wonderfully and refreshingly cool coconut water and started our trek down.Yana is certainly a must visit for all of those who are nature lovers ,want to know the geological reasons behind these natural phenomenon and a lovely mythological tale for enjoyment on the way up.