Category: A2Z 2021

  • Gir: The abode of Asiatic Lions

    Gir: The abode of Asiatic Lions

    Let’s enjoy seashores of the west coast of India and the beauty of Western Ghats as we cross Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra to enter the state of Gujarat. Today, our destination is the one and only abode of Asiatic Lions. Our country is blessed with various geo-climatic conditions. As a result, a wide range of habitats are developed. There are vast grasslands like Banni, evergreen forests in North-Eastern states, riparian forests on the banks of the rivers, mangroves like Sundarban in West Bengal and many more. The forest in Gir Wildlife Sanctuary is a mix of dry scrub land and open deciduous forest.

    Story Time:

    In the 1900s when Nawabs of Junagadh ruled the lands around the forest, they had kept it as their private hunting grounds. It was the time when the number of Asiatic Lions had dropped to an alarming state. Only about a dozen of them were remaining in India. Then British Viceroy brought this to the attention of Nawabs. Understanding the importance of lions, Nawab banned the hunting of lions. By 1920 numbers had improved to 50 lions and by 1936, it increased dramatically to 250 animals. 

    After the independence of India, administration continued to follow the same policies of its predecessors of Junagadh State and in 1965, it became the notified wildlife sanctuary. In 1975, Government declared the area of 150 sq. km. as a National Park and later expanded to 259 sq. km in 1978. Followed by this in 1984, they declared the surrounding area as a wildlife sanctuary creating today’s expanse of Gir Lion Reserve with National Park at core.

    • Asiatic Lion, the king of the jungle
    • Nilgai at Gir by Gaurika Wijeratne
    • Chital in Gir National Park
    • Grey langoor at Gir by Gaurika Wijeratne
    • Asiatic Lion at Gir by Gaurika Wijeratne

    Wealth of Gir Reserve:

    When last counted in 2015, there were 523 asiatic lions living in and around Gir Lion Reserve. However, if you think this is the only beast living in this forest, you are too far of the mark. Hundreds species of plants have created this forest which is a house to more than 38 species of mammals including  Asiatic lion, Indian leopard, jungle cat, striped hyena, golden jackal, Bengal fox in carnivores group, and herbivores like chital, nilgai, sambar, chawsingha, chinkara and wild boar. Over 300 species of birds and 37 species of reptiles have also made Gir Lion Reserve as their home. 

    Maldharis, a tribe of cattle-herders, also used to call this sanctuary their home with few settlements in the region. Even after barricading their settlements by thorns, they used to lose a few of their livestocks frequently. Subsequently, they were rehabilitated outside the National Park boundary. Because of this re-settlement, the regeneration of degraded forest took place and prey density improved. 

    Today, Gir is the only abode of Asiatic Lions. Let’s take care of our environment and try to live sustainable lives and hope the endangerment of species is avoided.

    I am participating in A2Z challenge with Blogchatter and this is my take on day 7 challenge. “G is for the Gir Lion Reserve, Gujrat”. You can find my other posts from this challenge here.

    This is also a part of Blogchatter’s CauseAChatter.

  • Fort Kochi ~ a cluster of colonial legacy

    Fort Kochi ~ a cluster of colonial legacy

    India has a very diverse culture with a wide range of languages, landscape and many other things. Along with that, many foreign cultures also mingled and mixed with Indian culture because of the reasons like forced migration, Turkish and Mughal invasions, colonial rule, etc. Today we are visiting a legacy left behind by colonizers on the coast of Malabar. Fort Kochi, a cluster of colonial legacy…

    Story time:

    Water colour painting of Fort Kochi by unknown artist C. 1800

    Back in the days, when the Rajah of Kochi was ruling, a Portuguese ship landed on his shore. Visitors helped the host king in the war with Samoothiri of Kozhikode. To show his gratitude for the help, Rajah of Kochi allowed Portuguese to build the Fort Emmanuel at the coast of Kochi. They settled in and around the Fort and possessed the land for nearly 160 years. They also built a wooden church which was subsequently rebuilt as a permanent structure. That’s today’s  St Francis Church. 

    One legend also talks about a relation with China dating back to the 14th century. When chinese arrived in the region they felt it was like home and called it “Co-Chin” – meaning “Like China”. They installed Chinese fishing nets which are a common site in Kochi. However, local old Malayalam name for the nerve town of Cohin is ‘Maadan-cherry’ or ‘Mattoncherry’

    You can’t miss these in Fort Kochi:

    I remember my childhood visit to Cochin and seeing those gigantic Chinese fishing nets. However, back then, we hadn’t been to this area. Houses here are the mix of Portuguese, Dutch and British architecture credited to the colonial rule of over 3 centuries. St Francis Church is one of the National Monuments. Once it was the burial place of Vasco da Gama. There’s a long walkway along the coast. You will not miss this one pretty unique and iconic site of two rusty steam boilers on this beach.

    • St Francis Church
    • Walkway on Kochi beach
    • Work by Sue Williamson (Fort Kochi Bianale) Photo by Jenny Mackness
    • Mattancherry church
    • Chinese Fishing Net, Photo by Amit Rawat
    • Steam boilers in Fort Kochi, India
    • Steam boilers in Fort Kochi, India
    Glimpse of Fort Kochi

    However, if you can match the dates of your trip, you definitely should check out the Fort Kochi Biennale started in the year 2012. It is an international exhibition of contemporary art housed in various venues all across area. This COVID-19 pandemic has postponed the fifth edition of biennale twice and is now set to be hosted in November 2021. This could be the best opportunity to visit Fort Kochi and enjoy the colonial vibes of the place if we have cleared through the pandemic.

    For now, let’s stop here for a while before continuing our journey of Incredible India. I will see you tomorrow. Till then, take care and stay safe!

    I am participating in A2Z challenge with Blogchatter and this is my take on day 6 challenge. “F is for the Fort Kochi, Cochin”. You can find my other posts from this challenge here.

  • Edakkal caves: a connection to the ancient world

    Edakkal caves: a connection to the ancient world

    Indian subcontinent witnessed the rise and fall of ancient civilizations. Main action of those civilizations were found in the North-Western parts of the subcontinent in and around Sindhu Valley at locations like Harappa, Mohenjo Daro and Kalibangan etc. Our today’s destination is the proof and the connection to the ancient world dating even further back than Indus Valley civilization. Edakkal caves in Waynad, Kerala are the link between today’s world and the period of Neolithic people. 

    Edakkal caves are ‘rock shelter’ kind of caves. A large boulder is straddling upon a fissure forming these caves. Even the name ‘Edakkal’ literally means ‘a stone in between’.

    Story time:

    As per the legend, Edakkal caves are formed because of the arrows shot by Lav and Kush, sons of Lord Sri Ram. However, credit of the recent discovery of these caves goes to Fred Fawcett, the then Superintendent of Police of the Malabar district. In 1890, he was on one of his hunting trips to Waynad district. He stumbled upon this rock-shelter and discovered it to be the treasure of petroglyphs.

    What’s so cool about it?

    The only site in South India where you can find the petroglyphs carved by Neolithic people. You can reach the caves after a short trek through Ambukutty Mala, a mountain in western ghats. These caves are in the form of two chambers at two levels. The lower is a smaller one with about 210 sq. ft. and 10 m high, while the upper chamber is about 2100 sq. ft. with 18 m high roof.

    Oldest petroglyphs found in these caves are approximately from 6000 BCE. This is a strong evidence of a presence of highly civilized prehistoric settlements in the area. Recently, the State Archeological Department of Kerala conducted a study of the caves in 2009. During this study, they found around 400 signs which depicted the probable connections with Indus Valley civilization. Most important motif found in caves was “a man with a jar cup”. Along with these, there are some engravings in Tamil and Brahmi scripts which are pretty recent in comparison with 8000 years old petroglyphs.

    Let’s appreciate this connection with our very ancient ancestors and halt here for the day. Tomorrow will be one more exciting destination to visit and enjoy. Till then, sayonara…

    I am participating in the A2Z challenge with Blogchatter and this is my take on day 5 challenge. “E is for the Edakkal Caves, Waynad District”. You can find my other posts from this challenge here.

  • Dharur Fort: Gem from an unexplored area

    Dharur Fort: Gem from an unexplored area

    It’s a second leg of our Incredible India!!! bucket-list journey after first Sunday break. Today we are visiting a historic place which stands witness to a very large part of our history. We are visiting an old fort of Dharur (धारूर) which is in Latur district of the state of Maharashtra. This is a gem from a comparatively unexplored area of Marathwada.

    I would like to mention a very amazing treasure trove of information about forts in Maharashtra at the very beginning of this post, TreKshitiZ. You will find very nicely documented, indexed information on their site. I don’t remember when I stumbled upon this site for the first time, but I have been using it at least for a decade now whenever I need any information about Maharashtrian forts. Credit for the photos which you will see in this post goes to them. 

    Story time:

    Back in the days of Satvahanas, Dharur rose to become an important market town on a major road to Satvahana capital city, Paithan. The Rashtrakuta dynasty followed the Satvahanas and ruled the region. Understanding the vitality of Dharur as a market town, they built a fort called “Mahadurg” for its protection. They just piled stones on top of eachother and built battlements and walls. 

    Subsequently, Kalyani Chalukyas, Devgiri Yadavas and Bahmani Sultanate ruled the region. After the fallout of the Bahmani Sultanate in five different factions, this particular region came under the influence of Barid Shah of Bidar. This region witnessed frequent battle action during the volatile period that followed after that. Baridshahi of Bidar succumbed to this volatility, and Adilshah gained control over Dharur. 

    Kishwarkhan from Adilshah court constructed a new fort at the same place of the Mahadurg using stones of the old one in 1567 CE. This is the fort which still stands the ground. Just a couple of years after that, Nizamshah took charge of the place in 1569 CE and in 1630-31, Mughals took control of Dharur. 

    Later it fell in the hands of Nizams of Hyderabad and remained in their control except a brief period of Maratha rule till the accession of Hyderabad principality to the union of India.

    Panorama of Dharur Fort (Photo courtasy: TreKshitiZ)

    What not to miss:

    Dharur Fort has a straight access from Dharur town as both of them are at the same level. However, the fort has a natural protection of the valley from the remaining three sides. This is a very unique combination in itself. 4.2 m wide and 4.5 m deep mote secures the side with straight access.

    There are two walls protecting the fort with battlements at regular intervals to mount the defances. One of the battlements houses the mint started by Mughals. As a memorial to the capture of Dharur fort, they issued a coin. This mint produced Mughal coins for almost the next hundred years. There are two major water tanks with the names of Godi Dindi (गोडी दिंडी) and “Khari/Solapur Dindi” (खारी/सोलापूर दिंडी). There is a dysfunctional “Hamam” with decorative water faucets. We can see a few guard rooms, a couple of mosques, a temple and ruins of various palaces in this fort. Fort also houses a few Percian inscriptions scattered around

    Fort was inhabited till the Indian Independence. As a result of this, it’s in a pretty decent condition. Marathwada region is not famous for tourism but this fort is a gem from this unexplored region. You can stay in the town of Ambejogai or Parali Vaijanath. Both of these are important pilgrimage sites of Hinduism and have good accommodation facilities. Please plan to visit this place and share the word about this.

    Photo courtasy: TreKshitiZ

    Adisjournal or me personally don’t have any claims of copyright over the photos you see in the post. I am a fan and frequent user of a wonderful trekshitiz.com to which these images belong. 

    I am participating in the A2Z challenge with Blogchatter and this is my take on day 4 challenge. “D is for the Dharur Fort, Latur District”. You can find my other posts from this challenge here.

  • Cellular Jail – Beacon of Remembrance of Sacrifice

    Cellular Jail – Beacon of Remembrance of Sacrifice

    For the first two days, we travelled to masterpieces of Dravidian and Gothic Architectures in the state of Tamil Nadu. Two beacons of faith – each for Hindus and Christians. Our today’s destination is a Beacon of Remembrance of Sacrifice. Cellular Jail, Andaman. This place constantly reminds us about the sacrifices of our freedom fighters, tortures they endured at this ‘Kaala Pani’. British Raj incarcerated many notable freedom fighters like Batukeshwar Dutt, Bikram Ghosh, Yogendra Shukla, V.O. Chidambaram Pillai and Savarkar Brothers in these infamous torture house. Currently, India honours this place as a National Memorial in memory of these freedom fighters.

    Story time:

    Right after the suppression of revolt of 1857, Britishers executed most of the revolutionaries. However, they exiled surviving revolutionaries for life on the remote island of Andaman to cut their ties to the mainland. They even started calling it as ‘Kala Pani’ to threaten them with loss of caste, resulting in social exclusion over a Hindu belief of ‘Sindhu Bandi’ (ban on overseas journey). Population of prisoners increased to around 1000 from the initial 200 prisoners in the first 10 years.

    • HQ of Ross Island Penal Settlement
    • Construction of New Jail

    As the independence movement picked up pace towards the end of the 19th century, the number of prisoners shipped to Andamans increased significantly. Which triggered the building of a new prison complex starting in 1896 which was completed in 1906. It was the same period when harsh punishments and intense labour started to be a part of ‘punishment of transportation to the Andaman Islands’

    Harsh punishments and labour

    When prison actively held prisoners, they had to undergo intense labour like running the oil mills, pulling the coir thrades by hands etc. Failing to complete the task or obey the orders, offenders were thrown in solitary confinement or subjected to harsh punishments like flogging, reduced diet, suspension in an iron suit, etc.. Many prisoners took a route of hunger strikes to protest against such barbaric punishments. To break these strikes, officers of the British Raj took extreme measures and tried forcefully feeding them with tubes. Because of this few of them died by “Drowning in milk”. 

    • Oil mill
    • Flogging frame

    These horrific punishments continued till 1939. Beginning of World War II forced to empty just. Later for a brief period of one and half year, Indian National Army occupied and governed the island till the surrender of Japan at the end of World War II

    Architecture:

    As I mentioned earlier, construction of prison buildings started in 1896 with puce-coloured bricks imported from Burma. It continued till 1906. Building had seven radial wings connected with a central tower used by guards to keep watch on all prisoners. Jeremy Bentham’s concept of Panopticon inspired the design of this jail. These seven wings comprised a total of 696 cells of 4.5 by 2.7 metres spread over three stories. There are no dormitories in the jail. The building is so designed that every cell faces the back of the other cell. As a result, communication amongst prisoners impossible. Cellular jail derived its name from these solitary cells.

    What not to miss:

    Today, only three wings are standing as a beacon of remembrance of sacrifice with a status of National Monument declared by the Prime Minister of India in 1979. There is a small museum depicting various punishments and hard labour activities which those prisoners went through. There’s a light and sound show in Hindi and English narrating and showcasing the trials and tribulations of the inmates along with guided tours of the complex.

    Today, let’s halt at this place and pay our homage and respect towards these freedom fighters and begin our journey northwards tomorrow.

    I am participating in the A2Z challenge with Blogchatter and this is my take on day 2 challenge. “C is for the Cellular Jail, Andaman”. You can find my other posts from this challenge here.

  • Basilica of our lady of good health: A place that rose to the glory

    Basilica of our lady of good health: A place that rose to the glory

    This bucket-list journey started with the magnificent Chola legacy of Airavatesvara Temple, Darasuram. Our today’s destination is not far away from it. Merely 80-85 km towards east of Darasuram, there’s a small village of Velankanni. This coastal village is the house of our today’s “Incredible India Attraction”. The Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health is a Marian Shrine on the coast of Velankanni. Built in the Gothic style of architecture, this shrine is a major pilgrimage for Christians in India. 

    Story Time:

    Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health at dusk Photo by Koshy Koshy Copyrights CC BY 2.0

    This Basilica is dedicated to Our Lady of Good Health and is attributed to three miracles attached to the area around it. Oral tradition of the stories of two apparitions of the Virgin Mary and the saving of Portuguese Sailors from the storm in Bay of Bengal are the only source of these miracles as there are no historical written records about them.

    First apparition of the Virgin Mary dates back to the mid 16th century. Local shepherd boy was on his milk delivery duty. A woman holding a child asked milk for the little one to a shepherd boy. Boy moved to his next delivery after giving some milk to the woman. When he completed the delivery, he discovered the milk jug was still full with fresh cool milk. Then, a small shrine was built at the place of apparition called Matha Kulam, which means Our Lady’s Pool.

    Second time, Virgin Mary appeared in front of a crippled buttermilk seller boy asking buttermilk for the little one in her hand. Answering her request, the boy gave some buttermilk. Woman then asked him to go to the next town and meet a gentleman there. After reaching there, ask the gentleman to build a chapel in her honour at that location. As soon as he started the journey, he realized that he is no longer a cripple. They quickly built a thatched chapel in the honour of Our Lady of Good Health (Arokia Matha in Tamil).

    Third miracle occurred to the Portugues Ship sailing from Macau to Sri Lanka. The ship got caught in a horrific storm in the Bay of Bengal. When sailors prayed to Virgin Mery under her title “Star of the Sea” storm subsided. As a result, all 150 sailors reached the coast and as a thanksgiving rebuilt the shrine to Our Lady of Good Health and continued enhancing it in their subsequent voyages.

    • Gothic Architecture of Basilica Photo by Krrishnah Copyrights CC BY-SA 4.0
    • Right side of Main Chirch Photo by BrownyCat Copyrights CC BY 3.0
    • New extension to the Basilica Photo by BrownyCat Copyrights CC BY 3.0
    • Matha Kulam (Our lady’s pool) Photo by Muzirian Copyrights CC BY-DA 4.0

    Architecture:

    This Basilica is a classic example of a place rising to glory with time. Started with just a thatched chapel, Basilica is currently standing in its glory of Gothic Architecture. Currently, the Shrine Basilica contains three chapels, as well as Our Lady’s Tank, Church Museum, Priests’ Residence, Offering Center, Stations of the Cross, Stations of the Rosary, Shrine Mega Mahal and Vailankanni Beach. This magnificent white Gothic building has red-tiled roofing.  It witnessed many extensions like one one southern side in 1928 and the northern side in 1933. Latest extension included a new two storied church with 28 m high dome and 25 m Gothic spirals to accommodate multilingual pilgrims. This extension took place in 1974-75.

    Significance and Pilgrimage:

    HH Pope John XXIII granted the status of Minor Basilica to this shrine on 3rd November 1962. through an Apostolic Brief. He also aggregated it to the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome.

    Annual festival takes place between 29 August to 6 September. This is the time along with Christmas Velankanni Basilica draws maximum pilgrims. As a result, “the Lourdes of the East” is a suitable title for this place. Annual festival has many rituals like  mass, novenas, flag-hoisting and carrying a ‘palkhi’ of Mary in a procession. Procession is the major event. Only women are allowed to pull the first car while the statue of Mery is in the last car of the procession. The car of the Mery is the most decorated one in the procession. People of other religions also take part in this procession. Many pilgrims shave their heads and perform ear-piercing. Both of these are Hindu traditions. Hence, this is a very significant site of pilgrimage displaying the meeting point of two major religions of the world – Christian and Hindu.

    At this point, the day 2 of our journey comes to the halt. Let’s just enjoy this white Gothic architecture and have a good night rest. Tomorrow is one more exciting day of this journey.

    I am participating in A2Z challenge with Blogchatter and this is my take on day 2 challenge. “B is for the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health, Velankanni”. You can find my other posts from this challenge here.