Tag: travel

  • Marina Beach: Longest Sandy Heaven of India

    Marina Beach: Longest Sandy Heaven of India

    Arebian Sea, Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal surround our country by three sides. As a result, we are blessed with more than 7500 km of coastline. Out of this vast coastline, almost half of it is sandy beaches. However, they are scattered all over the coastline. But on the coast of Bay of Bengal, in the city of Chennai, there lies a  longest strip of sandy heaven. Marina Beach. We all have seen many of its aerial shots during the past week as Chepauk Stadium is hosting few matches in the current IPL season. As this COVID is keeping us away from actually being in the stadium and enjoying the beach before the match, let’s visit it virtually through our A2Z bucket-list journey.

    Birth of “Marina”

    Marina Beach is the longest natural beach of about 13 km length. Before construction of the Madras Harbour in 1881, the beach was just a strip of mud. Mudskippers used to be in abundance. As a result of a construction wavebreakers of harbour, the coast witnessed a transformation from muddy strip to the longest sandy heaven of India. The beach fascinated Sir M. E. Grant Duff, then Governor of Madras. He built the promenade along it and named the beach as “Madras Marina” in 1884.

    • A catamaran on the beach
    • Chennai lighthouse, Photo by Amos777eligius Copyright CC BY 4.0
    • View of the beach from the lighthouse, Photo by KARTY JazZ Copyrights CC BY-SA 4.0
    • Marina Beach as seen from the Chennai Lighthouse, Photo by SlowPhoton Copyrights CC BY-SA 4.0
    • Promenade leading to the lighthouse, Photo by Rasnaboy , Copyright CC BY-SA 3.0

    Glory of Marina

    All across the length of Marina, there are many things other than gorgeous sand and roaring sea which attract visitors. Since the independence of India several statues have been placed on the beach. You can see statues of national or local legends like Mahatma Gandhi, Vivekanand, Netaji Subhash, Annie Besent, Thiruvalluvar, Veerama Munivar, Avvaiyar, Kamraj etc. Along with these, there are statues of symbolic importance like the Triumph of Labour statue, Golden Jubilee of Independence memorial pillar and Fishermen at the Buckingham Canal statue etc. 

    At the northern end of the promenade, there are memorials of four former chief ministers of Tamil Nadu,  C. N. Annadurai, M. G. Ramachandran, J. Jayalalithaa and M. Karunanidhi. This part of the promenade is called Anna Square. Just along the Anna memorial, there’s Lilliputian Children’s Traffic Park. There are a couple of swimming pools along the beach. Even the opposite side of the road is interesting to look at. There are buildings and institutions like the Chepauk Cricket Stadium,Dr. Annie Besant Park, the University of Madras, Queen Mary’s College, the Presidency College, Vivekananda House, All India Radio—Chennai, Inspector General of Police Headquarters, etc.

    So, if you plan to go on a walk along Marina, don’t forget to checkout all the things which it has to offer. 

    This brings to the I am participating in A2Z challenge with Blogchatter and this is my take on ‘M‘ challenge. “M is for Marina Beach, Chennai”. You can find my other posts from this challenge here.

  • Kesariya Stupa: Tallest Lighthouse of Enlightenment

    Kesariya Stupa: Tallest Lighthouse of Enlightenment

    India is the birthplace of one of the major religions of the world. Especially the state of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have many important pilgrimage sites which are very important to Buddhist people around the world. Today, we are visiting one of such important pilgrimage sites in the state of Bihar. World’s tallest stupa, Kesariya Stupa.

    Story time:

    On his last journey, Lord Buddha, spent the night at the mound of Kesariya. Here he made a few announcements. He also said that in his last births he ruled as Raja Chakravarti. Later, people weaved stories around these announcements. We can find these stories in Jataka Tales. 

    At this place, people believe that Lord Buddha gave alms bowls to Licchavis of Vaishali. Later, he guided Licchavis to go back to Vaishali and spread the word of the Enlightened there. Licchavis built the first stupa at Kesariya before Buddha attained Nirvana. It was also known to people as “Raja Ben ka Deora”. People used to know it as ‘Raja Ben ka Deora’.

    This stupa has a connection with Ashoka. The Archeological Survey of India discovered the remains of the capital of Ashoka’s Pillar. The stupa which we can see today is dates back to the Gupta Dynasty between 200 CE and 750 CE. Both of the famous Chinese Travellers, Fa Hien and Hiuen Tsang, visited Kesariya and recorded their experiences in their diaries.

    Rediscovering the Kesariya Stupa:

    First exploration of this protected monument of national importance dates back to 1814. Colonel Mackenzie led that exploration. Later in 1861–62 General Cunningham conducted the first proper excavation. Most recently, A.S.I. conducted the excavation under leadership of archeologist K K Muhammad in 1998. 

    Today Kesariya Stupa is spread with a circumference of about 400 feet. It is the tallest Stupa with a height of 104 feet. This makes Kesariya Stupa the world’s tallest Stupa. The World Heritage site of Sanchi Stupa is just 77.5 feet. However, before the 1934 earthquake of Bihar, A.S.I. reports tell the height of the Stupa to be 123 feet and during flourishing times of Buddhism, Stupa was 150 feet tall.

    This brings to the I am participating in A2Z challenge with Blogchatter and this is my take on ‘K‘ challenge. “K is for the Kesariya Stupa, Kesariya, Bihar”. You can find my other posts from this challenge here.

  • Jallianwala Bagh: in Remembrance of Barbaric Massacre

    Jallianwala Bagh: in Remembrance of Barbaric Massacre

    India’s freedom struggle is full of stories of ultimate sacrifices since early days of 1857 revolution till the Independence Day of India. At some points, barbaric massacres tarnished our history. Kanpur witnessed one such black day during revolutions 1857. 102 years before on this day of 13th April, Amritsar saw the horror unfolding during Baisakhi Mela in Jallianwala Bagh. Our today’s destination is the memorial of Jallianwala Bagh.

    Story Time:

    As a result of the arrest of two leaders Satyapal and Saifuddin Kitchlew, agitation grew amongst the public in April 1919. Peaceful protest was planned on the day of Baisakhi, 13th April. Acting Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer, banned all meetings suspecting massive insurrection in Amritsar. However, he failed to disseminate the information about the ban. Many villagers gathered in the Jallianwala Bagh to celebrate the festival of Baisakhi and to protest the arrest of their leaders peacefully. 

    Then, General Dyer entered from the main corridor with his troops and took place on raised banks blocking the main entrance behind them. Without any warning, he ordered to open fire on the crowd who had gathered in the Bagh. Firing continued for about ten minutes and ended only when they almost got out of ammunition. 

    Later while filing the report, General Dyer states, “I have heard that between 200 and 300 of the crowd were killed. My party fired 1,650 rounds”. On other hand, Seva Samitee reports,  of 379 identified dead and approximately 1200 wounded. Whereas Indian National Congress claims over 1000 deaths and 1500 injureds. Because of such gross negligence about reporting the casualties in the massacre, we will never know the exact number of martyrs fallen that day. This incident shocked Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagor. He renounced the knighthood saying “such mass murderers aren’t worthy of giving any title to anyone”.

    Monument: in remembrance of martyrs 

    Flame Monument Photo by Nonica Datta

    Soon after the massacre, a trust was formed in 1920 to create a memorial at the site. After independence, in 1951, Government of India declared the site as a ‘memorial of national importance’. Later in 1961, a martyr well monument designed by architect Benjamin Polk was inaugurated. There are several plaques telling the accounts of events that followed that day. One such plaque is at the bullet marks ridden wall. It reads as follows:

    The wall has its own historic significance as it has thirty-six bullet marks which can be easily seen at present and these were fired into the crowd by the order of General Dyer. Moreover, no warning was given to disperse before Dyer opened fire which [sic] was gathered here against the Rowlatt Act. One Thousand Six Hundred and Fifty Rounds were fired.

    As a result of these barbaric actions of General Dyer, a wide spread Non-Cooperation Movement got strength and it marked the beginning of the last leg freedom struggle of India.

    This brings to the I am participating in A2Z challenge with Blogchatter and this is my take on ‘J‘ challenge. “J is for the Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar”. You can find my other posts from this challenge here.

  • Hampi: Ruins of Glorious History

    Hampi: Ruins of Glorious History

    Our Incredible India witnessed some glorious empires in history though ruled by various dynasties, they maintained the form of an Empire. In the north, we had an Empire of Magadh, and Delhi Sultanate.

    Central India witnessed the rise and fall of the Maratha Empire while the South saw the rise and fall of Yadavas of Devgiri. But, today’s story is about another Empire from South India and our destination is their capital city. Hampi of Vijayanagara Empire.

    Story time:

    In 14th century India, an empire rose to power in the Deccan plateau. Brothers, Harihar and Bukka Raya from Sangama Dynasty, put the foundation of this empire which rose to the pinnacle of glory in the time of Krishna Deva Raya of Tulava Dynasty. But before that, the empire witnessed two coups and power changed hands from Sangamas to Sulavas and subsequently to Tulava Dynasty.

    Krisha Deva Raya during the reign commissioned many of the important monuments of Hampi. It was the world’s second biggest city of mediaeval era following Beijing. It was prosperous and wealthy attracting travellers and traders. We can find the descriptions of Hampi and the empire in chronicles of Persian and European travellers (especially Portuguese)

    • Garuda Chariot at Vitthala Temple, Photo by Sriharsha
    • Beauty of Hampi
    • Ugra-Narasimha Photo by Dnyaneshwar Vaidya
    • Virupaksha temple
    • Matanga Hill photo by fraboof
    • Ruins of Hemakuta hills, Hampi by Siri Iyer
    • Elephants stable

    Never miss these at Hampi:

    Ruins of Hampi cover around 4100 hectares. It is near modern day city of Hospet. There are hundreds of spots you can visit and enjoy the glorious carvings, architecture and sculpting from the golden days of Vijayanagara. However, there are few of them which you can’t afford to miss. There are main temples like Virupaksha temple, Achyutaraya Temple, Krishna Temple, Vitthala Temple etc. You can see the ruined market area adjacent to all these temples. In Krishna temple, the shrine of Ugra Nrusinha or Laxmi Nrusinha is one you should definitely check out. Shrine or temple of Nrusinha is a rare thing in India. Garuda Chariot from Vitthala Temple complex is donned with intricate ornate carvings.

    Along with these, there are several hill temple complexes. At some spots, you can reach only if you take a ride on famous Coracles, the circular boat. The Archaeological Museum of Hampi is also a good documentation center. It provides us an idea about the glorious past of the VIjayanagara Empire.

    Today, let’s roam in these ruins and try to imagine the golden days of Hampi when its street used to be bustling with crowded markets.

    This brings to the I am participating in A2Z challenge with Blogchatter and this is my take on day 8 challenge. “H is for the Ruins of Hampi, VIjayanagara District”. You can find my other posts from this challenge here.

  • 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.