Palampur beats: February 2017

Konarak and Jagannath cast a spell

Puri

“Here [Konarak] the language of stone surpasses the language of human."
-Rabindranath Tagore

Puri (Odisha) is a not-so-big, laid-back town but abuzz with the din and bustle of tourists and pilgrims arriving and leaving in large numbers. It is dotted with hotels, resorts and lodges catering to all pockets, big and small. The ‘city road’ is unkempt and narrow and rather hazardous for a pedestrian. The Oyo room I stayed in with my better half was uninspiring but passable. After some food and rest, we hired a cab and headed straight to the 13^th century wonder- the Konarak Sun temple dedicated to Sun god, about an hour’s drive (35 Kms) from Puri. The road was excellent and the rich, green forest on both its sides made the journey more delightful. Further on, on the right one could catch glimpses of the vast expanse of sea and the beaches through the foliage- all bewitchingly beautiful. But alas! The leftovers – plastic bags, cups, plates and what not! – that the unscrupulous picnickers and revellers had littered those splendid beaches with, made me squirm and fume in anger and shock. Are we basically a shabby, dirty people? For, no one in his/her right mind would even dream of fouling these pristine, sun-washed sands and such clean and clear waters.

Konarak, a 'World Heritage Site', is stunningly awesome. It takes one’s breath away by its sheer magnificence and grandeur. The stone carvings on its walls depicting lissom and lithe figures of amorous women and men in various erotic postures mostly based on our classic, ‘Kamasutra’, make one marvel at the amazing creative genius of those workmen. And you earnestly wish those masters of art materialised before you so you could fall at their feet and say, “You have been no ordinary mortals. What great heritage you have left for us. How dearly we wish, your unparalleled skill and unique craftsmanship had endured the ravages of time and been passed on to the present generations as well.” The beauty and wonder of this ‘poetry in stone’ overwhelms you with pride over our great ancient Hindu religion - so liberal, so all-encompassing, so inclusive - where women and men enjoyed freedom and equality of status and lived life to the fullest. Where sex was not a (sinful) forbidden word but an aspect of celebration of life; where there were no restrictive moral codes, no man-made fetters and shackles to constrict the free human spirit and stifle the broad, rich sweep of the greatest of religions: Hinduism. How sad that subsequent inroads and intrusions by the orthodoxy of the Muslims, then the Church and the Hindu fundamentalists and clergy crippled and distorted it to its present insular form: the so-called Hindutva.

After going round the temple for a couple of hours with helpful inputs provided by our pan-chewing guide we returned to our Oyo room in a state of trance.

Early next morning we visited one of the greatest of temples so much revered by us Indians: the well-known Jagannath built in the 12^th century. A visit to this temple is one of the Char Dham pilgrimages we Hindus are supposed to undertake during our journey of life. Again, the immensity of its size and the stone carvings on its great, high walls - all awesome - are something that makes visiting it a sublime, soul-stirring experience. But getting to have the darshan inside the sanctum sanctorum is no cake walk. You have to contend with the pandas and make your way through the milling crowds. We were lucky. We had bumped into three kindly Bengali gentlemen- the ‘bhadralok’ from Kolkata (and made friends with them) during our train journey to Puri. Ably led by their captain, the tall and affable Mr Utpal Kar, we could overcome our scare and dread of a possible stampede and were able to have the darshan and pay our obeisance. Being at the head, he muscled his way through and made it all possible for us. And to boot, they also had us join them for a sumptuous breakfast at their fine guest house on our way back, rounded off by an unforgettably delicious Bengali sweetmeat, 'Chenapora'. We owe them our heart-felt thanks and look forward to having them visit our hill state (Palampur included), beautiful in its own way.

The Konarak Sun Temple

Stone carvings of Konarak

Yours truly at Konarak

With my Bengali friends after visiting Jagannath and feeling blessed

***

Going Northeast...and loving it:

Guwahati

Always there, this river, which is never still,

And every night and day, how strong it flows,

It does my thirsty soul with pleasure fill,

And sets my thoughts on peace, and my ‘being’ glows.

- Ernestine Northover

My two-week sojourn to the fabulous Northeast is just over. The first port of call was Guwahati, the land of the famous Shakti Peeth Kamakhya, splendid Bihu dance, exquisite mekhela chadar, the grand and mighty Brahmaputra river, warm, lovely people… and of course the lyricist-singer-poet-filmmaker Bhupen Hazarika- the much loved and revered figure in Assam. A quiet wave of surreal bliss ran through me to find myself in a city of such unique features, and above all, situated beside one of the greatest rivers of India. Surely, what the majestic Dhauladhar is to us Palampurwallas and Himachalis in general, the Brahmaputra is to Guwahati and the Assamese. But with China reportedly making dams over it in their own country from where it originates, there are genuine fears of the river’s flow and volume getting significantly reduced: it already has, I was told. If that happens, it would be a death knell to the economy, livelihood and the very existence of all the cities dwelling on its banks as Brahmaputra is the very lifeline of the Northeast. As regards the Bihu dance, I was late by a few days to witness and savour its nuances and graceful movements, but had a good glimpse of it at the Kaziranga National Orchid & Biodiversity Park devoted to preserving the art and cultural heritage as well as the biodiversity of Assam. The 21-dish thali there was a delight as also the orchid garden though most of the orchids were not yet in flower. Mekhela chadars (akin to sarees) are unbeatable and a woman clad in one is irresistible! At a wedding that I attended, looking at the beautiful Assamese women with each one of them excelling and outclassing the other in her mekhela was a sheer feast for the eyes. Besides being graceful and elegant, another fine feature of these is that they are light and easy to wear. Overwhelmed, I couldn’t help making a light-hearted remark to one of my acquaintances at the wedding: "I don’t believe in ‘rebirth’, but should it happen, I would love to be reborn and marry in Assam!!!"

Assamese are warm, affectionate people, as I said before. It was a delight to spend time with them, enjoy their hospitality, and feast on fish of all kinds in different kinds of preparations and gorge on delicious desserts... of course all washed down with hefty swigs of whiskey!

A trip to Kaziranga with a night’s halt at the luxurious Borgos was very refreshing and indeed an icing on the cake. Our party could see the One-horned rhinoceroses busy grazing from an amazingly close range, as also wild elephants, deer, beautiful birds with large seembal (silk cotton) trees spreading the incandescence of their red blossoms all around adding to the wonder and mystique of this great national park.
And who doesn't know Assam's heartthrob Bhupen Hazarika? Walks there any Indian whose heart doesn't dance to the haunting beauty of the song:"Dil hoom hoom kare...?" I am sure none.

After a week’s stay at Guwahati, Puri in Odissa was the next destination. About that, and much else, in my post next week please.