Kannada translation of Bharatiyar's Achchamillai... Achchamillai...

Attempted a kannada translation of Subramanya Bharati's seminal Achchamillai achchamillai... please post your feedback... bi-lingual friends, will greatly appreciate your comparative feedback. Thanks to Ranjit Easwaran for helping with nuanced meanings of some difficult words and encouraging me to post this here...

ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಬೇಡವೋ
ಅರಿಗೆ ಬೇಡ ಕರಿಗೆ ಬೇಡ ಹರಿಗೆ ಬೇಡ ಅಂಜಿಕೆ
ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಬೇಡವೋ
ಮೂರುಲೋಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಎಲ್ಲ ಎದುರು ನೆಗೆದು ನಿಂತರೂ
ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಬೇಡವೋ
ಹಳಿದು ಜರಿದು ತುಳಿಯಮಾಡಿ ಮುರಿಯಲೆಂದು ಬಂದರೂ
ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಬೇಡವೋ
ಹರಕಲುಟ್ಟು ತಿರುಪೆ ಎತ್ತಿ ಬಾಳಬೇಽಕಾದರೂ
ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಬೇಡವೋ
ಆಸೆಯಿಟ್ಟ ವಸ್ತುವೆಲ್ಲ ನುಚ್ಚು ನೂರು ಆದರೂ
ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಬೇಡವೋ
ತುಂಬಿದೆದೆಯ ಮಾಟಗಾತಿ ಓರೆನೋಟ ಬೀರಲು
ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಬೇಡವೋ
ಆಪ್ತರೆಲ್ಲ ಒಂದು ಸೇರಿ ವಿಷವ ಬಾಯಿಗಿಟ್ಟರೂ
ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಬೇಡವೋ
ರಕ್ತ ಹೀರೆ ಅಸುರ ಸೇನೆ ಮೈಯ ಮೇಲೆ ಬಿದ್ದರೂ
ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಬೇಡವೋ
ಗುಡುಗು ಮಿಂಚು ಸಿಡಿಲಕಾರಿ ಗಗನ ಮೇಲೆ ಬಿದ್ದರೂ
ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಬೇಡವೋ
ರಟ್ಟೆ ಸಟೆದು ಎದೆಯ ಬಿಗಿದು ಎದ್ದು ನಿಂತು ನಿಲ್ಲೊಲೇ
ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಅಂಜಬೇಡ ಬೇಡವೋ
--ರಾಮಾಂಜನೇಯ
ಡಿಸೆಂಬರ ೨೦೧೬

Note: I have added one line each in both the paragraphs that are not part of the original - that gave me a sense of completion in the current context. May the Mahakavi forgive me for the transgression.
#poetry #translations #mahakavibharati #bharatiyar #achchamillai #kannadatranslation #tamilpoetry
Image courtesy: portrait by V.N.O'key from Kamat's Potpourri site

Arjun: Without a Doubt - brilliant book on the Mahabharata by Dr Sweety Shinde

It is rare for a book to captivate me so much that I write a long review on it, much less give it a second read. Dr Sweety Shinde's Arjun: Without a Doubt is one such. Disclaimer before getting into the review proper: the author provide me with a review copy.
I first read the book a few months ago. Having read many “remakes” of the epics, did not have much hopes from this one either, more so since this was about a much explored – exaggerated – reviled character of the Mahabharata: Arjuna. However, the book surpassed all such expectations. I devoured the book in two sittings. A book with such refreshing thought deserved a well considered review after a slower second reading. That didn’t happen for a few months. So, here is my review while reading the book a second time, stopping over passages, spending the time and attention the book deserves.
Overall, the literary style of the author strikes one as amateurish, even unpolished. By literary style, I mean the sum total of language, vocabulary, verbiage, style of writing, phraseology but excluding narrative style. The sentences are simple, far too simple and one wishes the author would have used more polished/nuanced language (not to be confused with flowery language, which I abhor). To give a crude comparison, it is like setting a sparkling diamond in crude brass inlay. The diamond sparkles irrespective, but the overall package in a gold setting would have been that much more enjoyable.
The narrative style deserves mention – it is striking, arresting. First, the author does not start with the usual chronology – birth of the Pandavas, death of Pandu, arrival at Hastinapura, subsequent intrigues etc., Instead, the author assumes a basic knowledge of the epic on the part of the reader (refreshing to find an author who does that!) and intelligence on part of the reader (a very rare approach from an author in the age of “remakes”. Again, very refreshing.) The first chapter opens with Draupadi’s swayamwar, narrated by Arjun. From here, the story is narrated alternatively by Arjun and Draupadi. Draupadi’s narratives are marked with an “**” – simplistic, too simplistic in fact and could have been done better, but the reader gets used to it so we will ignore that.
On the topic of narrative: the author does not find it necessary to explain every single incident of the epic. That shows a lot of maturity: don’t explain every single incident and do a shoddy job with half of them; rather, do a swell good job of explaining select incidents. That is precisely what the author does. I am sure the author researched the epic in-depth before embarking on writing the book. However, she does not find it necessary to show off her knowledge. So we are spared a complete listing of each of Duryodhana’s 99 brothers, for instance. That is again a refreshing change.
Back to the narrative per se. Across these narratives, it is Draupadi’s personality that blazes through, far more strongly than Arjun’s. Indeed, the book should have been titled “Draupadi, who else!” rather than “Arjun: without a doubt”. Drapuadi doesn’t take too long to cast her stamp on us: she does that two pages into the book, in the very first page of her narrative when she says: If seduction was my weapon number one, should I not be taught its antidote? Survival, weapon number two? Teaching me one without the other left me too independent on men… A man! What a way to start! And the gems continue. Consider this conversation between Draupadi and Krishn just a page later, when to demonstrate Arjun’s prowess Krishn gives the example of his shooting the eye of a bird. Draupadi is not impressed. She says:
D: A motionless wooden bird. In war, on a battlefield, the target will not sit still. There will be no time to ponder, think and reflect. What kind of tutor bases his tests on motionless objects?...
Straightaway questioning not only the skill of the archer, but the ability of the teacher as well! And that too one as well renowned as Dronacharya! It doesn’t stop there. In response to Krishn’s earlier statement that Arjun is well suited to be her soul-mate because of his prowess with the bow, Draupadi cuts him with:
D: How does his skill qualify him to be my soul mate? [Reviewer’s comment: Wow!]
K: It doesn’t. It is merely the means to get you.
With this small conversation, the author carves out the personalities of both Draupadi and Krishn. And Arjun too. Draupadi: not a woman to be taken for granted, one who is self assured, is independent in thought and spirit and doesn’t hesitate to let that independence and fierceness show. Krishn: always playing his larger game, moving the pieces as to achieve his larger goal; doesn’t get cowed down even when defeated (clearly, Draupadi had him in the conversation, but he just doesn’t accept defeat! When all else fails, Krishn simply says that Arjun is the perfect match for Draupadi because he “is a nice person!”) And Arjun: he is the piece that is skilled, valuable but without a will / mind of its own. He is the piece that his master moves at will, to achieve his ends: here, Krishn wants him to wed Draupadi and Arjun does the needful. Later in the epic, he does the bidding of Yudhishthir, Krishn.
The author casts her characters in a particular mold – clear, unambiguous definition of personality with a sense of finality – no flitting about here. And the characters stick to that mold throughout the book: a tremendous consistency in characterisation throughout the book – commendable for a debutante.
The conversations are a high point of the book: they sparkle with original thought, wit and intelligence. Continuing the aforesaid conversation, Draupadi declares that if Arjun has to marry her, he better be extra-ordinary. In response, Krishn asks her if she is so perfect? Look at Draupadi’s reply: Obviously. You would not need to marry so many women if you found the perfect woman…
That is a woman who knows herself and is confident of her own personality. Head strong may be, but not one to be cowed down. She might still be bound by the then prevalent societal and cultural constraints, but even within those confines, she is not one to be messed with. Now take this character definition and pass the events that follow – a better understanding of Draupadi emerges: why she did what she did (pardon the language).
Here is where a clear distinction between the characters of Arjun and Draupadi emerges. Arjun is a blade of sharp steel – a blade that never fails to cut its target – a sharp blade that can be wielded as per the will of its master, while the blade itself is passive. Draupadi on the other hand is fire – fire that can be a weapon but one that will burn the wielder himself if not careful. For all its explosive character, fire can be contained, by one who knows how to use. Contain it too tightly and it sputters and dies out; contain it too lightly and it explodes in a conflagration. Krishn, is the wielder – of both the steel blade and the fire, the master’s master!
And that's only the first three chapters! Overall, the author has handled with topic with a lot of maturity, insight and credits the reader with maturity, knowledge and intelligence. That is what makes the book brilliant. Of course, this book will not sell millions of copies, but it will sit on the bookshelves of many readers as a cherished telling of Draupadi's story. For that is what it is!

Teachers who made a difference

Right through school and college, I have been lucky to have had excellent teachers.  Principal Balasubramaniam from primary school was a disciplinarian - sir, if I have to ever create a character who is a principal, he will be modeled after you.  Gayathri Miss from Class VII for the excellent way in which she taught science and Brinda Miss from Class V and Class VII for math.  TKS, who taught geometry in Class X for instilling a sense of order and aesthetics that holds me in good stead even today.  TKP and VSS - english professors in college, and the best that I have come across.  Prof. KRN standing as a colossus, who taught accounts for most of my college years - I am truly indebted to you sir.
There are however four teachers who have had the maximum impact and moulded my character.  I am indeed blessed to be touched by their presence.

Mamatha Miss
Samaja Seva Mandali.  Class VII.  Social Studies.  Those days social studies meant history, geography and civics.  Mamatha Miss joined our school in that year and she was actually a replacement for another, who was more popular.  It was because of her that we we realised there was a world outside our own small Class VII.  Be it current affairs, world events, contemporary history beyond what was covered in text books, she exposed us to it all.  She taught us to question, to think and to seek.  Most important, she instilled that thirst for knowledge, a thirst that is yet to be sated.  I hope it never is.  Thank you Miss, for making me realise my place as a responsible citizen.

L Hanumanthiah
Vijaya High School.  Class VIII - Chemistry.  Class X - Physics.  Let me be honest.  LH was not popular with most students because he did not 'dictate notes'.  Nor did he care whether you kept a '200 page single ruled book' for classwork or a '100 page single ruled book' for homework.  He never gave any.  Nor did he read out ever from the text book.  In a class of 45 minutes, he taught the prescribed syllabi for 30.  He had completed the 'portions' three months before allotted time.  The 'kudumis' hated him.  His stories from the US bored the rest.  I looked forward to the stuff he discussed beyond the syllabus.  In the pre-google, pre-internet, pre-computer era, he was the only source of information.  It was from him that I learnt of teleportation, ESP, the Bermuda Triangle, Atlantis, quantum physics, developments in science and a whole host of other things.  He taught us to question, to think and to seek.  Thank you sir, for making me a thinking individual.

R Ravishankar
Vijaya College.  I B.Com - Business Mathematics.  III B.Com - Financial Management.  RS literally stormed into our college life.  During our I and II PU, he was on deputation to another college.  Already a senior lecturer, he was working on his P.hd and was in running for a teaching position at IIM-Bangalore.  A strict disciplinarian, he brooked no nonsense in class.  If for example he had asked everyone to bring the log tables to the next class, you had to.  Those who didn't, were asked to leave the class.  No excuses.  No exceptions.  His teaching was so impactful, that the concepts remained long after the academic years.  The grounding I received in Financial Management helped me during my MBA, nearly a decade later and still helps in my investment banking career, nearly a decade and a half after we walked into his class.  I still have the class notes from then.  He challenged our understanding of the concepts constantly, never letting us take things at face value.  He taught us to think, to be challenged and to respond to the challenge.  Thank you sir, for the solid grounding in concepts of finance and for instilling the confidence to respond to challenges.

K Rama Nayak
Vijaya College.  II PU, I B.Com, II B.Com - Accountancy.  Accountancy is synonymous with KRN.  He used to kid that anyone who simply sat through his classes would pass the exams.  That was no joke.  Spurning offers to teach at foreign universities, he taught for nearly three decades at Vijaya College, churning out thousands of students grateful to him for the grounding in accountancy.  The training he imparted helped hit the ground running during my subsequent CA training and career in accounting and audit.  One of my first assignments passing out of college was to prepare the monthly accounts of a services company.  But for the training in college, I would have been at sea with that assignment.  There was something more he taught - not by speech but by actions.  Hard work, discipline, to be the best in whatever you did and above all, hope.  Hope that no circumstance is so bad that you cannot rise from it.  His life is a study in these.  Thank you sir, for teaching accountancy and teaching us how to live life.

Thank you sirs, ma'am, for everything. Words truly, are not sufficient.

Book review: Em and the Big Hoom

Read Em and the Big Hoom by Jerry Pinto, thanks to my dear friend AN
This book is not a tear jerker - surely, the people in that house cannot wake up every morning and cry for 25 or so years, can they? Em's condition becomes a 'part of life', but yet, it tears their life apart. Though in a strange way, it is what keeps them together. When Em dies of a heart attack in the end, the son wonders, 'what now?' For those who have never known a normal life, can life be normal ever?
A beautifully written, un-pretentious, honest book. Breath of fresh air, did I say?
who lent the book. An absorbing read, finished it in one sitting. Though I am a bit sceptical of books that talk of personal crises, this was a wonderful book! Written in an autobiographical tone, Jerry Pinto describes growing up with Em - a mother who is manic depressive, bi-polar and in short, in the author's words "Mad". Without being melodramatic or overly sentimental, Jerry Pinto takes us through the life of a boy growing up in a middle class Mumbai home with a mother who has a psychiatric condition, a father - the Big Hoom who is the pillar holding the family together and an elder sister Susan. With mercurial wit suffused with feeling and not self pity, the author makes his story your own. When Em discusses her sex life with an adolescent son, your face turns as red as his. When the son does not want to go home, you understand. When the son, who loves his mother dearly, calls her a 'disgusting bitch' you understand. When Em has a cancerous growth on her tongue and she makes her children promise not to tell the Big Hoom, and they don't - you understand.

Historical Saga of Chitradurga by Ta.Ra.Su. - Part 1: Kambaniya Kuyilu

History was just a 'subject' when I was growing up.  The history of Karnataka was limited to the few pages in standard text books that recounted briefly the names, years of reign and key achievements of prominent kings of the dynasties that ruled Karnataka.  The stray Amara Chitra Katha comic on one or two such rulers (largely restricted to the very famous such as Krishnadevaraya) added slivers of information.  Names of the dynasties, starting with the Shalivahana and Ganga and ending with the Wodeyars and the names of one or two famous kings in each completed the cumulative knowledge of Karnataka history.

In recent years, the stray thirst for information was whetted by wikipedia which needless to add is quite basic.  Unfortunately, the glory of Karnataka's history is lost to most kannadigas themselves.  The dormant thirst to understand our past glory surfaced while reading books by Bhyrappa (Aavarana) as well as the well researched and outstandingly presented popular work of historical fiction on Genghis Khan - the Conqueror series by Conn Iggulden.  It was with a sense of shock I realised that there is little available history, leave alone historical fiction on the antiquities of kannada heritage.

In that pervading vacuum, Ta.Ra.Su. stands tall as a beacon of light.  In addition to the well known eight volume historical fiction series on the paleyagars of Chitradurga, he has also penned historical novels on Amoghavarsha Nrupatunga (titled Nrupatunga) of the Rashtrakutas, on Vishnuvardhana (titled Hoysaleshwara Vishnuvardhana) of the Hoysalas, as well as novels on Chavundaraya (titled Shilpashree) who commissioned the monolith statue of Bahubali at Shravanabelagola.  He is also the author of Hamsageethe, on the life of a singer in Chitradurga when it passed from the paleyagars into the hands of Haider Ali.

Ta.Ra.Su. as he is popularly known is Taluku Ramaswami Subba Rao's pen name. A giant in kannada literature, he has penned over 60 works, many of which have been made into critically acclaimed and commercially successful movies. Naagarahaavu, Hamsageethe, Chakrateertha, Chandavalliya Thota are just a few of his novels that have been made into popular movies.

Hailing from Chitradurga district in Karnataka, a place with a long history, many of Ta.Ra.Su's novels including those with contemporary social themes are based in Chitradurga. A prominent writer of the pragathisheela style of writing started by Aa.Na.Kru., Ta.Ra.Su. was an early master of the historical fiction genre. The pinnacle of his writing career was Durgastamana, based on the last Madakari Nayaka who died defending Chitradurga against Haider Ali. That novel got Ta.Ra.Su. the Sahitya Akademi Award posthumously. Durgastamana is the culmination of a 8 volume series on the paleyagars of Chitradurga. The first in the series is Kambaniya Kuyilu.

Literally meaning 'Harvest of Tears', Kambaniya Kuyilu narrates the events that occur after the death of the second Madakari Nayaka in 1674 C.E. The events that follow the death of Madakari Nayaka II occupy about four lines in the chronicles of Chitradurga's history. Ta.Ra.Su. himself mentions in the foreword that he has used this little information to weave the tale narrated in Kambaniya Kuyilu.

The plotline itself is straight forward. Madakari Nayaka II is the youngest of his father Kasturi Rangappa Nayaka's three sons. Since his elder brothers pre-deceased his father, he ascends the throne, bypassing his brother's sons. This creates dissatisfaction among the dalavayi's i.e., the commanders of the army. The dalavayi's want the successors of the eldest son Sarjenayaka to ascend the throne since Sarjenayaka was a brave warrior who had fought alongside the dalavayi's in prior wars. They feel slighted that neither the royal family nor the ministers consulted them in choosing a successor.

Some twenty years later, Madakari Nayaka II dies without an heir. Ideally, Sarjenayaka's eldest son Lingannanayaka should have ascended the throne. However, Madakari Nayaka II had suspected that the dalavayi's were conspiring to increase their own power and Lingannanayaka would only be a puppet ruler in their hands. Therefore, he intends to adopt his youngest wife's brother Obannanayaka. However, for certain reasons, he does not complete the adoption formalities. Before dying, he expresses his wish in private to his youngest queen and Bhuvanappa, his chief minister, that Obanna should be the next king. However, in the absence of an express statement or will, it is not an easy wish to execute, in the face of opposition from the Dalavayi's who have reared their head again.

The youngest queen convinces the chief queen Obavva Nagati not to commit sati and to ensure that Obanna ascends the throne. All other queens commit sati on the dead king's pyre. Obavva who until then had remained aloof from the politics of the palace, takes on the responsibility to fulfil her dead husband's wish. She is helped by the chief minister Bhuvanappa. In the meanwhile, the dalavayi's led by Desanna and Muddanna are restless, since they fear that even this time, their wishes will not be considered. They want to see Linganna on the throne.

Anticipating opposition from the dalavayis, Bhuvanappa advises Obavva that as the chief queen, she has the right to complete the adoption formalities and the son so adopted will have the legal right to ascend the throne. He also advises her to have an open chat with Linganna. Obavva takes Linganna into confidence and deftly convinces him to relinquish his right to the throne in favour of Obanna. She also asks him to guide Obanna who is only 16 years old, in ruling the state. This he accepts and in return, Bhuvanappa relinquishes his position as chief minister in favour of Linganna.

A public announcement to the effect is made and this time, Obavva seeks the opinion of the dalavayis. Desanna airs his opinion that they would prefer Linganna to ascend the throne, but accepts Obanna when Linganna himself declares that he has relinquished his inheritance in favour of Obanna. This satisfies Desanna.

However, the junior dalavayi Muddanna is not happy. He is ambitious and bloodthirsty. His plans to make Linganna the puppet ruler foiled, he renews his claim that if Linganna relinquishes, it is his younger brother Chikkanna who should inherit the throne. Unlike the wise Linganna, Chikkanna is easily swayed and accepts Muddanna and his henchmen's support. This angers the elder Desanna, who is ultimately assassinated by Muddanna. Muddanna is declared a traitor and a prize put on his head.

Muddanna and Chikkanna hatch a devious plot and under the pretext of surrendering to the new king and accepting his overlordship, Muddanna assassinates Obanna. Unable to bear her failure to execute the wishes of her dead husband, Obavva commits suicide. Bhuvanappa is also killed in the melee alongwith other palace loyalists. The book ends on this sad note.

In line with the pragatisheela style of writing, Ta.Ra.Su. uses simple language in an almost poetical way. The text and narrative is crisp and evokes the emotions that the characters undergo. For example though they all agree that it is proper for Linganna to ascend the throne, their anxiety to see Obanna ascend the throne in fulfilment of the last king's wishes, is portrayed in a convincing manner. The conversation that Gauravva, the youngest queen has with Obavva, the chief queen convincing her not to commit sati, but instead live on to fulfil the dead king's wishes is poignant. Obavva's seeking Linganna's promise to forfeit his right to the throne and Linganna's promise are heart-touching. Kasturi Nayaka, Obanna's personal bodyguard and Girija, Obavva's hand maiden entrusted with the task of protecting Obanna, the bravery with which they carry out their task, Kasturi Nayaka's disappointment at having failed in his task of protecting Obanna, ultimately driving him to commit suicide, are heart rending scenes. The calm demeanour with which Obavva single handedly accosts the rebelling army and humbles them when they ask for more gifts makes one wonder at the sagacity of the woman who grew into her role so well, even without any prior exposure to politics! The savagery of Muddanna, even when he is having an apparently normal conversation with Desanna, is blood curdling.

All this is the magic woven by the pen of Ta.Ra.Su. He recreates the scenes so vividly, without resorting to extensive descriptions, that the reader is transported to the world of Chitradurga, in the sixteenth century! He makes the reader experience every event, the emotions, the fears and the anxieties that the characters go through. Character construction is excellent - the author brings out the inner strengths and frailties of each character, in a manner that the reader understands and empathises with. The plot itself is taut and does not sag at any point, a sure page turner.

A must read for every lover of kannada literature and history. Unfortunately, there are no translations available. Hopefully someone inspired by the magic of Ta.Ra.Su.'s pen will take up the onerous task. Until then, this treasure will unfortunately be limited only to the kannada readers, who I hope, will re-discover this classic.

Mumbai-Dandeli-Yana roadtrip: in the lap of nature...

Did a fabulous 5 day trip from Mumbai – Dandeli – Karwar – Mumbai, visiting Yana and Gokarna inbetween. In all, covered 1,600 kms. So here goes…

(Don't mind the team-bhp logos on the snaps - had originally posted the travelogue on team-bhp.com here.)

Preparation: team-bhp, google maps and a lot of route tips, special thanks to ampere and ravi bhat
Equipment: i20 Asta that has done 30,000 kms, camera and a crazy mind that thinks the idea of a relaxing holiday is to drive 300 kms everyday

The idea of the trip started with a wish to visit Yana (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yana,_India). During the route planning, decided to stay at Old Magazine House, Ganeshgudi in Dandeli forest and another stop at Karwar. To make the drive more relaxed, divided it into two parts: Part 1 was to drive to OMH, spend a couple of nights and then on to Karwar, spend a night and cover Gokarna and Yana either before or after. Plan was to drive down from Karwar to Mumbai in one stretch, so that the trip would take only 4 days. A rather amusing incident changed those plans and ended up spending 5 days!

For the first part of the drive from Mumbai to OMH-Ganeshgudi, decided to take the NH4 upto Belgaum and then turn off into the Khanapur Road. The route was: Mumbai – Belgaum – Khanapur – Ramanagara – Ganeshgudi. Mumbai-Belgaum was on NH 4. Having driven on NH4 before, and experienced the traffic on Pune – Satara – Kohlapur and in order to reach OMH well in time, decided to get an early start, at 3.00 AM. It was only me and my wife, who is also an excellent navigator. I was so excited about the drive that I could not sleep at all the previous night!

So off we started at 3.20 AM and in no time hit the Mumbai – Pune Expressway. Having very little highway driving experience in the dark, I kept the speed to a reasonable 80 kph. This stretch as always was a breeze. The road got progressively bad after Pune and the stretch upto Satara surprisingly had several potholes. Thanks to the early start, we completely avoided the nasty two wheeler traffic on that stretch. By the time we reached Satara, it was already light and the speed thereafter shot up to 90 – 100 kph on an average. The only bottleneck was the small ghat road after Satara where for some unknown reason, there was a massive traffic jam. Vehicles had stopped for almost a kilometer. It cleared up after about 20 minutes or so and we lost that much time. Decided to take a breakfast stop before Kolhapur. Last time we had stopped at a Food Mall in a defunct Reliance petrol pump about 35 kms before Satara that was decent, so decided to stop at the same place. We were there by 8.45 AM. Unfortunately, the food was pathetic and we had to cancel the order. Stepped into Sai International – a self service style restaurant a couple of hundred meteres away and was surprised by the excellent food and spotlessly clean toilets (they have an attendant who hands you liquid soap and tissues, full five-star ishtyle!). Had a good fill of idli, vada, dosa etc., though I prefer to eat light on long drives and we were back on the road by 9.45. We then crossed the border into Karnataka. If the NH 4 in Maharashtra is good, in Karnataka it becomes spectacular. It is 6 laned, with tall shrubs on the divider, wide service roads along the entire length that prevents most local traffic spilling onto the GQ and what a road! Forget potholes, there are no bumps either! Such a pleasure to drive.

Before Belgaum we got off the GQ and turned into Old PB Road / College Road, onto Rani Chennamma Circle and onward to the Khanapur Road. Tanked up on fuel after RC Circle and was surprised to have clocked a mileage of 20 kmpl! The road upto Khanapur was good, but between Khanapur and Ramanagara it was quite bad – lots of potholes, pretty deep ones and big stones lying on the road. But it was not a very long stretch and after Ramanagara, the road again became excellent. After Khanapur the Dandeli forest starts and what a dense forest it is! The scenery is fantastic and in some parts, the road runs close to the Supa Dam backwaters. Didn’t stop much here, but here are some pics of the excellent road, dense forest and a snapshot of the backwaters.


We reached OMH by about 1.30 PM and had informed the resort people in advance of our late arrival and to keep lunch ready for us.

OMH is a jungle resort run by Jungle Lodges and Resorts, managed by the Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka. The place is a bit innocuous, and one has to drive atleast 200 – 300 mts on a gravelly stretch from the road to reach the resort. Nestled literally in the middle of the forest, the place is a treat! Lush forests all around, chirping birds everywhere (this is a spot frequented by serious birdwatchers), excellent service. The place has no TVs, no room service, no AC, and not much ambience in the rooms. But then again, if this is what you want, better stay at home or at a 5-star right! We fell in love with the place immediately. Here are some images of the resort.

Had a heavy meal of the freshest, tastiest and healthiest stuff. Caught a quick nap and explored the place. The place is fabulous – they only have 4 – 5 cottages and one dormitory. Being the middle of the week, there was only one other room occupied. Also, there is mobile network only in one small square in front of the kitchen which we promptly labeled ‘The Networking Square’! Of course, it was such a joy not to be disturbed by calls all the while! Incidentally, a tree fell on some electric pole nearby and there was no power supply for 24 hours! They used to run the generator for preparing and serving lunch, dinner, breakfast only! That again was great – the peace, the quiet, the sounds of the forest, the pitch dark of the forest… a fantastic experience!

We got up early the next morning to go birdwatching. Inspite of this not being the peak of the birding season, spotted about 40 different species of birds, the Great Malabar Squirrel, a viper etc., Some pics (not very good quality, to my great grief) attached.




Unfortunately the water from the Supa dam was not yet released, so we couldn’t do white water rafting. Also, due to the SC ban on tiger tourism, we couldn’t do any jungle safaris to spot the big mammals: elephant, leopard, deer etc., This was a real dampener, but we decided to enjoy the forest instead. The ban though was lifted a day after we returned and hope to do another trip for the safaris 

So instead of the safari, we did a coracle boat ride in the Kali river (I think) and spotted a large group of Great Indian Hornbill and a variety of other water birds. We also went on a trek into the forest, where we came across a bear hole, this giant spider and reached the top of a hillock to get this fabulous view of the Supa Dam backwaters. The place is so beautiful we didn’t feel like coming back.



I must say the staff at OMH are fabulous: based on our breakfast order the first day, they immediately understood our preferences (for eg., I don’t like onion in my omelette) and got exactly what we wanted the next day without even asking! Such service is expected in high end resorts, but in one managed by the Govt., wow! They also helped us to plan our route to Karwar: they made enquiries with local drivers and advised that the route via Anshi was patched up and very good, except for a 3 – 4 km stretch. We decided to follow their advice.

The next day we did more birdwatching and then it was time to head towards Karwar. Based on the advice of the OMH staff, we took the Ganeshgudi – Joida – Kumbharwada – Anshi – Kadra – Sadashivgad – Karwar route. The drive is about 100 kms and most of it is through the densest forest imaginable. This is the same Dandakaranya mentioned in our epics – forests so thick that sunlight does not touch the ground! And it was true! In several stretches, the canopy of dense trees prevented sunlight from reaching the ground! We were very hopeful of spotting a leopard or atleast an elephant, but could only spot a huge cobra leisurely crossing the road! The road itself is in very good condition except fo the the 6 km stretch between Kumbharwada and Anshi where there is literally no road, there are only rocks and stones on the road. Few pics here.

Drove into Karwar and I made a foolish mistake! We were booked at the Devbagh Beach Resort again managed by the Jungle Lodges. Due to some incorrect directions I received, I drove right onto the beach! About 200 metres on the sand and I realized I made a mistake. Stopped the car, called the resort for futher directions and by then, the wheels of the car had sunk into the sand. Put the car in reverse but to no avail! Only ended up digging up myself deeper. I was now in deep trouble. Literally! A couple of fisherfolk tried pushing the car, but it would not budge. Tried to put wooden planks but that didn’t help either! By then, lost mobile signal also! Had to run a couple of kilometers, get directions as to where exactly I was – if I don’t know where I am, how do I ask for directions on how to get where I wanted to go! Called the resort for help and asked them to send a jeep with rope. It took them almost 30 minutes to come – that’s when I realized I was way off! They had brought a Scorpio with 4 staff members. Took them to the beach where I had left the car and my wife guarding the car! When I reached there, I was shocked! My wife had managed to attract the sympathy of the village folk, who thought what a stupid husband she must have, to drive a car on the beach! Anyway, the resort is also connected by the beach and two staff members had come to assist from that route. Very thoughtfully, they brought a bottle of water since it was quite hot! What service! Again, completely unexpected from a Govt. run enterprise, but hats off! So, it turns out that by the time I came back, the village fold brought a contraption that is used to drag the boats on to the beach. A rope is tied to the car and it wound around a pillar fixed to a platform that that has a long lever. Four men turn the lever, the rope winds around the pillar and the pulley effect (horizontal) gives great torque that managed to drag the car back quite a bit. The Scorpio then came to rescue and pulled the car rest of the way out. Unfortunately, my efforts to pull the car back in reverse in the first instance dug it in so deep that the bottom of the car banged against the sand. Had to get that fixed and I lost one day.

We drove to the ferry point in the staff Scorpio and reached the resort. Again, the place is out of the world. Imagine a long beach, lined with a pine forest and cottages in this picturesque setting. The place is excellent and ambience much better than OMH. They have AC (need to, can get quite warm), but no TV. But who’s complaining! They have not yet started water sports, so spent a lot of time on the beach and also hired a cab to visit Gokarna temple. We had lost so much time that we thought we may have to skip Yana. This was sad, since that was to be the highlight of the entire trip. The next morning we went dolphin spotting and saw lots of dolphins, some of them jumping out of the water. Managed to get some decent shots of these amazing animals as well as my first decent shot of an eagle in flight. Some pics here.



It took some time for us to collect the car, almost afternoon, basic servicing done and we knew we had lost time and there was no way I could reach Mumbai the same day. We either could halt in Karwar one more night or start driving and stop either at Belgaum or Kolhapur. Decided to do Yana on the way and what a good decision! We got route tips from the resort staff and they suggested we go on the Yellapur road. I was also told that some part of the road is not very good, but an i20 could handle it. So off we went, first on the Panvel – Kanyakumari road, turned off 5 kms before Ankola into the Hubli via Yellapur road. After about 20 -25 kms we reached Mastikatte. After 2 kms, there is a bus stop and a road leading to the right. Turned right here, crossed a bridge and came to the Hosakambi forest check post. Turned left here and simply followed the signboards (kudos to the Govt. for putting up lots of clear, unambiguous signboards) to Yana. The last stretch of the ghat road (about 4 – 6 kms) is a nightmare. The road is narrow, a little more than single lane road, very very steep, and absolutely no road. Only loose stones, dirt, gravel all over. My brave Berry (that’s what I call my car) managed to pull through without a scratch and we reached Yana. What a sight! It is simply out of this world and straight out of Lord of the Rings! It is almost like staring at Sauron’s tower at Mordor! We explored the place well and however long we stared at the place, it was not enough! Truly spellbinding! Some pics here.



It was now time to head back home. We backtracked upto the Yellapur road, drove on Yellapur road. Stopped at a Shanbag restaurant before Yellapur for a quick snack. We were planning to take the route via Haliyal directly to Belgaum, but were advised that the road has lots of speedbreakers for 50 kms, so go via Hubli bypass onto NH4. Decided to do that. The road passed through the fringes of the forest and we saw another large cobra crossing the road! There were also signboards warning of wild elephants crossing, but unfortunately, did not spot any. The Hubli bypass is a nightmare of a road, narrow and in extremely bad condition for almost the entire 20 -25 km stretch. By the time we were on NH4 it was already very dark. Drove on the GQ in the dark, but thanks to the good road quality, could do decent speed of 100 kph. Thought I will drive all the way to Mumbai at night, but it was too stressful. So decided to stop at Belgaum. A quick internet search revealed that Hotel Ramdev on the Old PG Road just off the NH 4 is good – thanks to Tripadvisor! Stopped there, got a good room and had a good rest. Started at 6.45 the next morning, stopped at our favourite Sai International for a late breakfast and we were at home in Mumbai by 2.30 PM, for lunch! What a trip that was!

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Rajasthan Day 2: Jaisalmer - golden sands and blue skies

What a way to get introduced to the city of golden sands!  As the train chugged into the desert, a couple of dust storms greeted us - filling the interiors of the bogie with a dust haze!  In no time, there was a thin layer of sand everywhere: on the floor, the seats, on the luggage, and even on the late risers blissfully asleep!

The Jaisalmer station itself is tiny and quaint, with a few chaiwallas and other sundry snack vendors.  A couple of cups of steaming hot masala chai kept us warm while we waited for our ride.  The plan was to spend a couple of nights in the desert and then head into town for the heritage experience.  We were, yet again, struck by the amazing hospitality of these wonderful people.  Every place in our journey was made special by one or the other person, that made the vacation special.  If it was Gaurav Singh Rathore, our guide at Jantar Mantar, it was the very affable and shy Ambu Singh, who literally assumed the role of our butler for the duration of our stay in the desert.

M chose Rajasthan Desert Safari (RDS) for our stay in the desert.  The place is about an hour's drive out of the city and we were immediately greeted with vistas of arrow shot straight roads, with sparse vegetation as far as the eye could see.  We were immediately taken in by the clear air, and the quietitude all around.  Surely an escape from the everyday cacophony that is Mumbai!  Since it was already lunch time by the time we arrived, Ambu Singh (who I addressed as Ram Singh throughout our stay and being the nice guy he is, he refused to correct me; and henceforth, he will be referred to as Ram Singh!) laid out a spread of the finest Rajasthani food.  There was the standard dal-baati-choorma, gatte ki sabji, string beans (I forget the local name) and several others that were a blur of paneer, ghee and butter.  Who can argue with local logic: 'we have scarcity of water, therefore we cook food in ghee and butter...!!!'  Ram Singh was sorely disappointed that we did not have more than two helpings of each dish!

Galloping over the dunes... bone rattling but certainly, fun!

Once the afternoon heat subsided, it was time for the mandatory camel ride.  Our camel was bizzarely named Michael Jackson (!) and was a four year old male.  Our desert guide led us to a less frequented part of the dunes where unlike the famous SAM (pronounced 'sum') dunes, where there are more people than sand!  M and I had a blast  rolling down the dunes and had loads of fun.  My guide took the camel for a short gallop, unfortunately with me on it: by the end of it, my bones were rattled!  On the way back, we got a glimpse of the famous Sam dunes - they were swarming with people and were we glad we didn't go there!

Quick tip: it's generally a bad idea to carry expensive photography equipment, the desert sand is so fine, you are sure to need a trip to the service centre thereafter!  Even if you have to carry your DSLR, make sure you  don't change lenses in the desert and have a ziplock bag handy to stash the camera in, when not in use.

Rajasthani fold musicians hold us in thrall

Back at camp, they had organised a cultural evening, with traditional dancers swirling to the tune of desert instruments: kar-taal, being the highlight of the day.  It was sad to see the tourists milling about, more interested in their drink, than savouring the beautiful notes that these desert musicians churned from their instruments.  To add insult to injury, some of tourists gave a generous tip of Rs 10 to these artists, some of whom have represented India in international fora!

We relished the folk music, with M and I occasionally deciding to try our hand with the dholak!  After a while, most of the tourists had departed and the musicians actually asked us to sit closer, so that we could hear them better, and they could sing songs of our choice!  What more is there to say!  Lal mori, hichki, kesariya balam and many more.  After several hours, it was time for them to leave, but they promised to come back the next day, and sing some of the more famous and rare marwari songs!

Meenal tries her hand at the Nagara

A jugalbandi with the kar-taal!

 All the while, our dear Ram Singh was in the background, waiting to unleash a many course meal, which of course, we happily partook.  Soon after, the drone of vehicles disappeared, the voices died down and all that once could hear was the whistling of the wind, under a pitch black sky dotted with thousands of stars, many many more than one can see in the cities...

The sun sets on yet another wonderful day in the desert...

Rajasthan - beginning of a memorable vaction

It all started with figuring out vacation ideas; considering that we would be travelling in December, colder climes were naturally ruled out.  M had been wanting to do Rajasthan for a while, so we decided that the land of golden sands it would be, since anytime after March and the place would be scorching.

Since the tourist season starts mid-December, we decided to plan our trip in the first week, before the hordes start pouring in.  The days would be pleasant, the nights chill but not freezing and the crowds, few.  We only had about a week on our hands, so the planning had to be meticulous - not crowd the itinerary with too many places to visit, yet not miss out on the must do spots.  The credit again goes to M for a perfectly planned holiday - right from what to see, where to stay, what to eat, which taxiwalla to call etc.,!

For starters, Rajasthan is a state that has endless possibilities: forts, deserts, wildlife parks, luxurious palaces, spread across many must visit places such as Jaipur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Ranthambore... Considering my shutter happy nature and the need for a relaxed holiday, we decided on Jaipur, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur.  No more.

For details on the planning bit, do's and don'ts, refer to M's blog.  My blog is not meant to be a travel-diary, but a collection of the impressions gathered during that fabulous one week.

As we landed at Jaipur Airport at 7.30 AM, the captain's welcome message shattered some typical 'tourist myths' about Rajasthan, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Jaipur; the temperature outside is a pleasant 17 degrees..."  Wow!  So Rajasthan, is not really the 'perpetual 50 degrees oven!'

Jaipur is a beautiful city, with broad straight streets, swept clean, shrouded in the morning chill - very welcoming.  It's a fairly green city too - disappointing tourists who assume that all of Rajasthan is only sand!  This is also the city of beautiful palaces - Jal Mahal and City Palace for instance, forts - Amer and Jaigarh, astronomical observatory - Jantar Mantar, lakes, markets.  The people are friendly and affable, willing to guide the lost tourist.

Hawa Mahal, in the soft golden light of the morning sun

Our first stop was the Hawa Mahal - most readily recognised icon of the Pink City - so called because the erstwhile Maharani Gayatri Devi ordered the denizens of the inner city to paint their building in pink, so as to lend the place an exclusivity!  We reached just in time to catch the golden rays of the early morning sun bathe this exquisite structure in an ethereal glow.  Shopkeepers across the street were very willing to let us take shots from their terraces for an access charge of '10 rupee per head only'.  "We charge phoren tourists 100 rupee saab..." the chowkidaar of one of these vantage viewpoints confided.  He was also more than happy to click our pictures.

One of the many exquisite jharokas...

Quick tip for photographers: reach the place before 9.00 AM and use a wide-angle for excellent shots of Hawa Mahal - the early morning rays provide excellent frontal lighting.  Get on the terrace of any of the shops for eye-level shots.  Telephoto zooms are pretty much useless unless you want to take shots of parts of the structure.

Is this the kind of view the veiled queens and princesses
would have had, of the street below?

We were blessed with a bright sun, no clouds and a clear day: really, excellent conditions for photography.  It was interesting to see busloads of foreign tourists - mostly European and Orient, go gaga over the place - surely, a structure so grand constructed just to let the purdah-bound queens and princesses watch royal processions in relative seclusion must be a rarity.

After spending more than an hour gawking at the place, we finally proceeded to breakfast, at the interestingly named Balaji Restaurant, for a snack of hot parathas, dahi and pickle.

 The entire city seemed attuned to tourists - the grandfatherly shopkeeper who starts twirling his generous moustache as soon as two Koreans with cameras slung around their necks approach; the otherwise bored snake charmer who plays his 'been' and wakes up an equally bored cobra to life the moment an excited European couple approach, cameras on the ready; traditionally decked up women who are willing to pose for photographs with you for a payment of '50 rupee only'... The welcome change ofcourse is that none of these tourist friendly people pester you with their wares...

Intricately designed Peacock Gate

The diwan-i-khas, straight out of a
period movie

The next stop was the nearby City Palace, the current residence of the erstwhile rulers, descendants of the Sun and heirs of the Kachawaha dynasty.  Part of the palace has been converted into a museum, with standard exhibits of royal furniture, apparel, weapons and utensils.  Of particular interest was the Peacock Gate, the northeast entrance to the inner courtyard.   Delicately adorned with peacock motifs, the entrance arch is a sight to behold.  The other three gates to the courtyard are stunning too, decorated with motifs of waves, lotus and roses.  The Palace also has on exhibit huge silver urns, 5.2 ft tall, 340 kgs heavy and with a capacity of 4000 litres, meant to carry Gangajal for the king, on his journeys!

Samrat Yantra - largest sundial in existence

Next came the Jantar Mantar, the place that we had been most looking forward to!  Constructed by Maharaja Jai Singh II, this is one of the five observatories that he built, and the best preserved.  We were lucky to get an excellent guide, and spent over an hour understanding the working and purpose of the various instruments here.  The precision with which these instruments have been calibrated is amazing.  The Samrat Yantra, the largest sun dial in the world, gives the local time to a precision of 2 seconds!  The experience of being able to actually see the shadow move across the marked marble counter is exhilarating!

Close up of the dial - the shadow on the white marble
is calibrated to a precision of 2 seconds!

 Our guide explained in great detail how each of these yantra's (instruments) worked.  He was equally thrilled to find tourists that are inquisitive and interested in finding out more about the place.  To his utter surprise, we refused to click any snaps while he was explaining, reserving that for later.  What was surprising though was that as we neared an hour and half of 'guide time', he was keen to leave us and look for fresh catch.  Apparently, most guides in Rajasthan limit time with each tourist batch to not more than 1.5 hours, something we would encounter at the Amer Fort as well!

Our next stop was the Amer Fort, the location from which Jodha Akbar was shot.  En-route, we made a quick stop at the Jal Mahal, now restored to its past glory but sadly, out of bound for tourists.  Managed to get a few shots of birds gliding over the surface of the lake, fishing for... what else.... fish!

Majestic Amer Fort, reflected in the moat below...

The Amer Fort is a magnificent structure, but before that, we made a stop at the Jaigarh Fort, the Amer Fort's twin and constructed to accomodate the growing needs of the main fort.  The primary attraction at Jaigarh was the Jaivan, the largest cannon ever made.  With a barrel 20 ft long and a bore 11 inches large, the cannon has a range of over 40 kms (the Bofors howitzer, by comparison has a 6 inch bore and 35 km range).  The cannon however, has not seen any action, having been fired only once, a test shot at that.  In that sense, I prefer the Mendha tope of Daulatabad Fort, the second largest cannon and the Kalal Bangdi of Murud Janjira.  These cannons are battle scarred, intimidating and have character.  They look you in the eye with a 'dare mess with me?' attitude.  The cannon of Jaigarh was a disappointment.

Lunch was at yet another franchise of the ubiquitous Balaji!  It appears that instead of water, Rajasthani's use ghee and butter to cook their food in.  Our waiter was severely disappointed that we did not consume more than 2 servings of the mildly sweet choorma, that goes with dal-baati-choorma, or multiple servings of the heavy gatte ki sabji.  "Saab, aapne to kuch bhi nahi khaya..." he complained after we had consumed what we thought were elephantine quantities of the 10 course (or was it 14?) meal.  This is a Rajasthan standard - these nice people are disappointed if you don't eat the equivalent of 4 people!

Restoration work in progress at the Sheesh Mahal

 The last stop was the majestic Amer Fort, standing sentinel, aloft on the vast desert plains.  Several popular Bollywood movies, the recent one being Jodha Akbar, were shot here.  Contrasted to our experience at the Jantar Mantar, the guide at Amer was a disappointment, pitching more about gems, astrology and the like that would no doubt draw the attention of the foreign tourist, but not fort-o-holics like us.  The Amer Fort has mostly seen peaceful times, as the rulers, the Kachwahas, were on friendly terms with the Mughals and then with the British.  The striking part of the fort though, is the Sheesh Mahal, the palace of mirrors, embellished with mirrors imported from Belgium, that still retain their sheen.

Tiny mirrors of all shapes and sizes, set in artistic patterns adorn the walls and ceiling, throwing off slivers of light in all directions.  One can only imagine the magic the place would have created, reflecting in thousands, the flame of a single lighted lamp...  This surely must have been the inspiration for the pyaar kiya to darna kya song in the epic Mughal-e-azam.  The ceiling and walls are covered in delicate marble carvings that are translucent to the touch, with elaborate paintings of creepers and flowers, and with tiny mirrors set in delicate patterns.  The courtyard has a beautiful garden, set in octagonal patterns interspersed with fountains.  Cool water was circulated through the walls and lattices, giving a respite from the desert heat.  One can only imagine the splendour of this place at the peak of its glory!

View of Ganesh Pol from the fourth courtyard...

The terrace of the fort has a huge courtyard, to one end of which the Ganesh Pol, leads to the Sheesh Mahal.  The entrance arch here is dedicated to Lord Ganesha, and is therefore adorned with motifs attributed to the Lord.  The courtyard itself is immense and we were lucky to be there at the close of tourist hours, when the place was near deserted and the place afforded terrific photographic opportunities.  Minarets and domes, arches and pillars, set against the backdrop of a clear blue sky, and a photographer had to get shutter happy!

Glimpses of Amer Fort...

Majesty of the Amer Fort by night...

It was now time to head to the sound and light show at the ramparts - an hour and half filled with retelling of fort lore.  Very well put together and excellently presented, the show is a must see for those interested.

Photographic tip: Make sure to visit the Amer Fort towards the end of the day, so that you get time at the Sheesh Mahal and Ganesh Pol courtyard devoid of tourists.  Also carry a tripod - the approach road to the fort with the moat and lake below have excellent photographic opportunities to capture the fort reflected in the water below.

Dining at the very exclusive 1135 AD

Apparently, the standard time to tour the fort is 45 minutes, with some curious tourists stretching it to over an hour.  When we met our driver after spending over 4 hours at the fort (not counting the sound and light show), he exclaimed that this has been his most boring outing to the fort!  Imagine his surprise then, when we declared that we wanted to go back into the fort!  Not for sightseeing, but to the restaurant 1135 AD.  The restaurant is inside the fort, at the second courtyard level, passing right in front of the Sila Devi temple.  Strongly recommended for the ambience, excellent food and exceptional service; it was an experience, sitting atop the fort at dusk, with only the sound of the wind blowing over the ramparts for company, enjoying a leisurely dinner.  We certainly felt like royals!  The credit for finding this gem of a place and arranging for us to have a private dinner goes to M!

After an eventful day, it was finally time to pack the cameras and bid goodbye to Jaipur, as we headed to the Golden City of Jaisalmer!  That's for another blog!  Watch this space...

M for Muse...

Got this excellent shot of M, probably my best portrait shot to date and certainly the slowest shot without tripod that I have taken.  Yes, this is a half second exposure shot with bare hands, no tripod, no monopod, no support of any sort for the camera!  First the shot and then the story behind the shot...

The shot...

EXIF:

Lens: Canon IS 18-55 IS

Aperture: f/4.5

Shutter: 1/2 (yes!)

ISO: 800

Focal length: 35 mm

Flash: No

Tripod: NO!

Post processing: None

Now the story...

The setting

Unlike other years, spent this diwali in Mumbai.  On a whim, decided to head to Nariman Point on the last day of diwali to enjoy what we expected would be a spectacular display of fireworks all over the Queen's Necklace.  We arrived a tad too early and spent the first couple of hours soaking in the cool sea breeze and panoramic views of the Queen's Necklace, lighted up in all its festive finery.  A brightly lit up Saifee Hospital was the shining pendant to the glittering necklace.  Spent time munching on the famous Mumbai sandwiches and clicking shots of Nariman Point and the fireworks around.  The white glow of the sparklers and flower pots provided just the necessary soft lighting with the dark sea as the background for the perfect portrait.  The gentle breeze and randomly streaking rockets threatened to spoil the shot, but then, what's life without a little excitement!

The muse

The ever willing M ofcourse!  Since I didn't want a 'posed' look, just told her not to make any sudden movements, make only slow movements and that too in installments, so that I would get enough window to shoot a slow portrait.  M obliged, though at some discomfort, given how active and restless as she is!  Goofed up the first one by not setting the monochrome mode, but got it right in the second one!

The shot

Though I never expected it to turn out half as good, the result surprised me.  There were several challenges to start with.  The first problem was the light - it was nearing nine in the evening and there was a lot of stray light all over the place: from sparklers, rockets, blazing flower pots, headlights of passing vehicles and even from the streetlights.  Thankfully, managed a moment when all these had taken a break!  Next was the background.  Though we were at the far end of Nariman Point, just across from NCPA, the glittering lights of the curve of the Queen's Necklace threatened to play spoilsport.  Managed to find a spot with M seated on the seawall and me standing on the bench a level below, to get the right angle and have any afterglow of the Queen's Necklace below the range of the lens.  Luck played a large part, in not sending any stray rockets to the background.  The third and the biggest problem was the shutter speed.  Earlier shots in aperture priority resulted in 5 - 10 second exposures, which are impossible without a tripod and certainly a disaster as far as portraits are concerned.  Had to set a relatively high ISO (against my liking), at 800, beyond which I  believe the noise ruins photographs, particularly those with stark contrasts and dark backgrounds.  Set the aperture at 4.5 - alas I don't have a high speed lens and this is the widest I can open up to at even a 35 mm focus and shooting mode to Manual, to prevent the shutter from going off to long exposures.  Set the white balance to auto and shutter speed to 1/2 second.  I thought I was all set, but given the low light, AF failed to lock in and kept hunting.  Had to set the focus to Manual and had trouble getting an exact focus (the 18-55 is not the best of lenses for MF - I'd rather do that with a rangefinder, but the likes of Leica are currently  out of my budget range!).  That explains the soft focus, which actually is good for portraits!  The glow from the sparklers provided sufficient soft lighting and finally hit the shutter release.  Was lucky enough that my hands stayed steady for just the required moments and luckier further that the shot turned out decent enough...

If you liked the result, do post your comments.  If you didn't, I'd like to hear more about how the shot can be improved, so do post comments!

Mumbai road trip

For a change, decided NOT to go on a long road trip on a long weekend. Instead, we decided to explore places in Mumbai. And so, on a wet saturday morning, M and I set off, to look up spots in South Mumbai. The first stop was the Church of St John the Evangelist, popularly known as Afghan Church.

Tucked away in a quiet corner of Colaba, close to Navy Nagar, Afghan Church is a Presbyterian Church built to commemorate the dead of the 1838 Afghan War. The imposing spire, rising to a height of 60 mts that was once visible to ships docking in the harbour, is now dwar

fed by high rises all round. Surprisingly, the church itself is in a derelict state, opening only for mass on sunday mornings. Since we went on a saturday, the church was sadly, closed to visitors. There wasn't even a caretaker to be found. The precincts were immacu

lately kept, and the facade was imposing. Since the main entrance was locked, we missed seeing the famed stained glass windows - apparently the largest in India. Will come back on a sunday morning post monsoon and post pics. Pic courtesy here: googlemaps/panoromio

From the Afghan Church, we proceeded to Kala Ghoda, to the Jehangir Art Gallery. There were several solo exhibitions on, mostly abstract paintings. Also on display were sculptures by an artist who works with mixed media: fibreglass, brass and metals, clay etc., I am sure there are people that appreciate modern art, but sadly we were not those. Hence a quick tour and exit, to Samovar Cafe.

Samovar is a quaint cafe attached to the Art Gallery, immortalised in the Basu Chatterjee movie Chhoti si baat, starring Amol Palekar, Vidya Sinha, Ashok Kumar (as the unforgettable Col. Julius Nagendranath Wilfred Singh) and Asrani. An open corridor running down an entire length of the gallery building is cloistered and converted into a narrow cafe, with rows of chairs on either side of the aisle. Since it was early noon, there wasnt much crowd save for a solitary foreign tourist. Sadly, the menu did not feature chicken-a-la-poos, though it did list kheema paratha and dahi vada. The menu had several delights for the maansaahaari, such as mutton samosa, chicken patty etc., We settled for the spicy cheese-veg roll, veg sandwich and the mango lassi. The staff were extremely courteous, efficient and quick, though on a lazy sunday morning, I'd rather they were slow! The ambience was enhanced by the background music - a collection of fusion music titled Chitra, by Venus. The staff even obliged us by getting us the CD cover when we enquired about the album!

From Cafe Samovar, we headed to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, formerly The Prince of Wales Museum (strangely, an internet search turns up a large number of hits for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Sastu Sangrahalaya!) Surprisingly, the museum attracts a large number of visitors, from within and outside Mumbai. The visit began on a high note, munching on slices of kandmool - a juicy tuber supposed to be good for digestion.

The museum authorities permit use of a camera, without flash ofcourse, on payment of a small fee. Unfortunately, we had not carried the camera, hence, no interesting images from the visit. The museum building has an imposing facade: set in the Indo-Saracenic style, the structure draws from Islamic and Deccan styles.  The structure itself would be an object of study for architecture enthusiasts.

The teeming crowds actually surprised us - who would expect Mumbaites to turn up at a museum on a sunday, rather than some mall!  Anyways, it turned out that most of the visitors were tourists from other cities - Chennai, Kerala, AP, Rajasthan, UP etc., The excitement of the crowds was palpable!
Interestingly, a significant part of the collection is donated by Sir Ratan Tata (son of Jamsetji Tata), his wife Lady Navajbai Tata and brother Sir Dorab Tata.  Many artefacts donated by the family are priceless: jade artefacts, antique furniture, jewelry, sculptures - there's something from the family in every section of the museum.  In fact, it is surprising that the museum was originally called The Prince of Wales Museum and not The Sir Ratan Tata Museum!  Yet another example of the Tata family's selflessness in  service of the greater public good.

The audio guides available for Rs 100 give a pretty useful introduction, though we found the explanations for the sculpture section (dominated by mythological themes) fairly basic.  The central hall, formed by the cavernous dome, is awe inspiring.  The dome itself is inspired by the Gol Gumbaz of Bijapur - probably the largest free standing dome in the world.  The ground floor has an eclectic collection of jade figurines, ivory sculptures, jewelry and an entire section devoted to ancient sculptures, that easily took most of our attention and time.

The sculpture section
This houses sculptures from various Indian temple sites as ancient as  200 BC to as recent as 1600 AD.  For the mythologically and historically inclined, like us, this is a treasure trove.  What it lacks in quantity, it more than makes up in variety.  Spending more than an hour browsing the collection, we made a few startling observations.  For instance, most of the scupltures of the feminine, be it goddesses or dwarpalikas, upto almost the 15th century, are portrayed with a yagnopaveetam, the sacred thread.  Though it is a known fact that the scriptures nowhere prohibit women from chanting the Gayatri or undergoing the thread ceremony, the recentness of the depiction was surprising.  A couple of artefacts were wrongly labelled and we did have a good mind to speak to the curataor, but by the time were done with the exhibits, exhaustion overtook us and forgot about it.  One of the exhibits that caught our attention was a life size Durga made entirely of dried plantain bark.  The featuring and attention to detail was spell binding.
The central hall houses several smaller artefacts and trinkets, of which the jade collection was the best.  Carved jade cups so delicate that they are translucent, jade jewelry, carved jade boxes and keepsakes... one can spend the rest of the day gazing at these.  There are carvings of ivory and wood, mostly Goan, at this level too, but none can match the breathtaking beauty of the jade word.

The first floor several sections - an extensive collection of Indian miniature paintings, one of the largest collections of Indian coins, and an assortment of arms and armour, various wooden and ivory artefacts.
The collection of miniature paintings is very extensive and showcases the different styles prevalent in various regions of the country.  We quickly moved to the coins section.  The history of coinage is traced with specimen from each phase.  There are coins from the pre-Mauryan period, through the various dynasties across India and right up to the 'Company' issued coins of the 18th and 19th centuries.  We were already running short on time and hence couldn't spend enough time here - probably another visit dedicated just to this section.
Exquisitely carved wooden and ivory furniture are placed all over the first level.  Most of these feature delicate filigree work as well as inlay work in metal and semi-precious stones.  Most are donated by the Sir Ratan Tata family.
The section on European and contemporary art was closed for renovation and was sadly, out of bounds.
It was nearing closing time and we decided to make a dash of the natural history section.  Though it was saddening to see magnificent animals killed and stuffed for display, two specimen caught our attention.  The first was an Indian rhino, in all its magnificent hulk, standing five feet tall toe to shoulder: never imagined that a rhino could be this huge.  The second was a bison that M found immensely handsome and dashing - I had to agree.  Though only a display, the bison had the calm commanding look that women swoon for, helped in no small measure by the huge bulk of atleast six foot tall.
It was now officially closing time and the guards started herding the laggards out.  We made a quick stop at the museum bookstore and picked up a couple of books on the Indus Valley civilization and ancient Indian coinage.

It was almost six in the evening and we were ravenous, the small Samovar lunch long since digested.  Headed to Delhi Durbar for a hearty meal, which turned to be not a great experience.  Un-responsive staff, slow service, dysfunctional AC were only a few of the complaints.  A quick repast later, we headed back home.  Surely, there is more to Mumbai than just her malls and shopping high streets....