Coorg Calling

In August we were in Leh Ladakh .November in Coorg. What a contrast. In Ladakh we moved from one barren hill to another barren hill. We climbed up hills and we climbed down hills. Hills bare and brown, high and broad, hills of different hues and colours. Brown, grey, black, reddish, some purplish, with not a speck of green anywhere except sparse shrubs, one and a half feet high with small yellow and mauve flowers. At such times you have a feeling of being lost in the wilderness, trying to find your way but end up bumping into another hilly range. But Coorg—GREEEEEN in all its splendour. Not a bit of any barren hill you can sight but only tree tops in different shades of green. Cool to the eye, soothing to the nerves. Big trees with spreading branches reaching out to the blue skies, acres and acres of tea and coffee plantations. You look down, green meets your eyes, and you look up, green foliage looks down upon you.

We rush to Europe, Africa, different continents, say “wow” to their scenic beauty, get overwhelmed by their meadows, mountains, rivers and forests, but we have hills and valleys, more beautiful, more enchanting, more capturing in our own country. Coorg, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, North East and our own Switzerland—Kashmir. We can see and see and see and keep on seeing and never have enough of it. Narrow roads ,Some kilometre down the muddy road a small gate, a small house, in an around few more houses , some concrete , some thatched, few small shops, a man walking down with an umbrella, few chattering school kids (only noise indicating the presence of other families around),a dog crossing the street , distant call of a cow to its calf ,faint voices, that is all. 

When night, it is pitch dark with only the head lights of your vehicle showing the road. At a distance light flickers in a house, you hear the strains of music but no house in sight. You wonder if there is any life at all anywhere. How do people live here! (Question that can come only from a city bred), what’s their life like? Only when in Madikere you feel, yes there is civilisation around. Funny, in the city you want to run away from the hustle bustle, hurry and when you find it away in the hills you are looking around for familiar sights of the city---the lights, the noise, the rush, and the people. If you are at one of those five star resorts ( there are a few of them)you are into modern civilisation with—bar, swimming pool, restaurants serving you Chinese, Italian, Thai , Lebanese ( also Punjabi),badminton and squash courts , indoor games ,dance floors, luxury rooms et al welcoming you to be in yet another mini city away from your city. If holiday means the above to you, then go ahead Coorg is waiting for you in the most modern setting. 

 
There are a lot of homestays. Becoming popular by the day. They have lovely names too. ‘Bird’s Nook’, ‘Nature’s Bounty’, ‘Cosy Nest’, to name a few. They look peaceful as they are off the beaten track, away from the madding crowd. All of them invariably have a verandah for you to sit and enjoy your morning cuppa and let the green serenity seep in, get lost in your favourite book or just sit and stare. As a couple having nothing else to occupy your mind ( wife: the maid is late again, oh should not forget to buy oil this evening , put the winter stuff back etc etc),(Husband: That Swamy has started acting smart, Email to Delhi office without fail, next week there are going to be people from Korea – do the necessary Etc ,Etc.) you may share incidents from your honey mooning days or laugh at- how you goofed when you tried making kheer or how he would fumble while lifting the little one from the bed. They will be your precious moments you will recall again and again even after your Coorg vacation has come to an end.

Visit the roaring Chelavara falls. When you see it, you can feel both nature’s beauty and its fury. White froth and foam flowing down with a thunderous sound obliterating all other sounds as if saying ‘Here it’s only me’. Way down you can peer and see it as a stream making its way among rocky mountains .Climbing down is difficult and climbing up even more difficult and the icing on the cake is if it is raining with the slippery mud under your feet .

Chelavera Fall 

 

 Slippery rain soaked pathway to water fall

ChomaKunda hills are two kilometre away from Chelavera water falls .It is fog covered, looks like a snowy peak with the green cover of trees.

Hill Covered with Fog 

& it's green surroundings

There is the Nalakanda palace built in 1798, was used by the kings as a summer palace first and later as a place of hiding from the British. Chikkaveera Rajendra took refuge here before being overthrown by the British. The entire structure is made of wood. As you enter, on your right is a stone carved Mandapam, about six feet by six feet, now all worn out by wind and rain. As per the care taker – it was used for weddings. Paintings adorned the inside walls of the palace .They were in poor state .It had two floors. Balustrades, windows, tops and sides of doors were beautifully carved in teak. You get down a fight of wooden stairs into a room which became pitch dark once the door was latched. It was used as a hiding place. As you come down there is a small square window like opening which showed people approaching the palace and fire without you being seen. Situated at the bottom of the highest hill it is invisible to ordinary eyes hence the best place to keep your family safe from enemies.

Nalakonda palace entrance with Marriage mandapam 

Painted ceiling of palace 

Wall Painting

Thodiyandamol temple is another place of visit. Situated high on a hill is another example of old south Indian Temple architecture. Huge courtyard with the pillared temple in the centre and the sanctum sanctorum deeper inside. Except for the pujaris no one else is allowed. Only a distant Darshan is possible .It is Murugan, known there as ‘the deity of food’. It was built by King Lingarajendra in the year1810, known to fulfil the wishes of its devotees. We were given lemon rice, avial, moong barfi and coconut paysam. Children there travelled everyday one and a half kilometre up and down to reach school. Being so used to our comfortable ways of life we often forget to count our blessings.

Thoditamand temple.

At Talacauvery you get to see The Brahmagiri peak and the birth place of river cauvery. At the confluence of the three rivers Cauvery, Kanike and Sujyoti is the Bhagandeshwar temple and many other shrines of God and Goddesses.Dubare elephant camp tour gives you an opportunity to be closest to the biggest of the cow family- the elephant. The same tour also takes you to the second largest Tibetan camp, the beautiful Golden temple.


At Virajpet club Mahindra offers you a plantation walk of 45 minutes (I don’t know if it is available to outsiders).You can get a fair idea about the flora and fauna of the place. They lecture on coffee plantation, the two types of coffee seeds Costa(Cheaper one) and Arabica ( the expensive variety and more aromatic too ), how they are processed how ---------trees are grown along with them for shade and holding the soil, the pepper plants , Avocado ( the expensive and very useful fruit which looks very unappetising). Coffee and tea are never uprooted but are shorn fully for new growth. Some of them can be as old as 40 years.

Arabica Coffee Tree.

If you don’t want to pack so much of activity that is fine too. The scenery, the greenery, the peace and serenity are more than enough to give you your money’s worth. So plan, here is a place which gives you a chance to be away from the madding crowd and be with nature. Go judge it for yourself. 

Sikha was able to say the above because of the 2 young boys - 

• Asim - her part time official photographer and full time husband who turned the blogs from reading in prose to vibrant travel accounts.
• Varun - her part time tech-help center and full time son-in-law who being from the advertising world thought this to be a cool thing to help with .

Please leave your comments below , would love to know what you thought of my above experience .

Kacch Ka Karishma

Bhuj –The north western most part of Gujarat is 8-hour drive from Vadodara. Tea, lunch and breaks included. With the Rann festival, the roads are divine. You reach Bhuj, the driver and the driven (whatever sense you take it …smirk) are fresh enough to take a walk around the city after a strong ‘Kacchhi’ chai. 

The city is small, few roads, lanes crisscrossing and the Hamirsar lake right in the middle of the city, the old part of the city. Shops, restaurants, small eating joints, vegetable and fruit sellers with their carts. Very quickly you have a fair idea about the place. The distances being small just engage your legs and enjoy the small city called Bhuj.

In Bhuj: A detailed, patient tour of Prag Mahalis a must. Detailed because displayed are numerous articles of historical value and patient because see in detail the rich culture that it has restored through the ages in spite of devastation of the earth quake in 2001. 

Prag mahal palace was built in the 1860’s and 70’s. It has arches, colonnades, and timber roof. Deep passages, massive staircases, coloured tiled floors are its unique features. Khemraj ji was the founder and it was built to commemorate the coronation ceremony. The Darbar hall has moulded ceilings and huge Venetian chandeliers. The hall has a collection of hunting trophies.

There is a watch tower in the centre with clocks on all four sides atop the tower you have an aerial view of the city of Bhuj. The arches had first brick coloured sand stone, then yellow sand stone followed by green marble and last yellow sand stone again. Each corner, every stretch was so beautiful that it was difficult for my husband to decide what to and what not to photograph. Digital days saved him so, went ahead clicking all that he saw.

 Rani Niwas was built 450 years ago. It was heavily damaged by the earth quake and now it is not open to public viewing. What could be seen from outside showed exemplary architecture, designs so beautiful, Filigreed jharokas, pillars, pillar bases, the terrace, the wooden angles holding the terrace were exquisitely carved in wood. What remained in spite of the earthquake was breath taking, then how beautiful it was before the quake you can well imagine and feel proud of the legacy left behind.

                                                                                                                                    

  Aina Mahal:  in the Prag Mahal compound was built in 1740 by Lakhpat ji. He as a unique combination of a poet, musician and military prowess. Pillars and ceilings show beautiful wood work with studded mirrors. It houses the oldest museum built in 1877 Things to look for are----Brass palki inlaid with precious stones , the last ruler Maharana Madan Singhji ’s own minted coins with ‘Jaihind’ printed on one side and his name on the other, old type writing machine, exquisite ivory inlaid jewellery boxes, armoury room standing proud, witness to many wars , the fiercest being the war of 1819 exhibiting swords, axes, spears , pistols and guns. 

                                                                                                                       

               

 Plants (dry)preserved and    displayed with their botanical names, glass paintings –both Chinese and reverse style, the regions currency—gold, silver, and brass with denominations and their equivalent to the British rupee. E.g., Dholedo, Dhinglo, Kori.4 silver koris were equivalent to one British rupee.

Mina Mahal:A part of the Mina Mahal is the king’s bedroom. Each year a new bed was made and the old auctioned off. The present exhibit has legs of gold. The bedroom mirror boasts of gold plating. As per our guide the walls had gold plating and the creepers and flowers sculptured on it were embedded with precious stones originally. The rosewood carved doors were pieces of art. Such fine wood work should be very rare. Minutely carved ivory door looked more like painting on paper. That was the finesse of the work. 

                                                                                         

Embroidery, now framed and preserved as panels showed needle work par excellence which gave the impression of painting rather than hand embroidery.

The music hall showcasing various musical instruments .The ceiling displaying that many chandeliers, the walls having that many mirrors was an excellent way of lighting a hall when there was no electricity .Candles in the chandeliers would be reflected in the mirrors which would lighten up the hall and make it look beautiful too. Farmans of Mughal rulers, British official letters were mounted on walls. If you have the time, it is good to read a few as you get an idea how rulings and orders were sent to rulers of smaller states. Do not miss the 47 feet nib painting depicting ‘Nag Panchami’ starting with the procession and ending with the puja. There is a gold crafted fish, believed to be holy, presented by a Mughal emperor to a Kachchh ruler. A gold and diamond studded shield presented by Mughal emperor Alamgir II also adorns the museum. 

The palace: Everything is grand and great, but don’t forget the following –  The typical durbar hall- huge rosewood table, silk upholstered carved chairs, expensive chandeliers, tinted designed glass windows, yellow sandstone and green marble floors. A baby carriage, stuffed heads of hunted animals, a huge Belgian mirror covering the whole wall in the dining hall, whose quality and clarity still shows, the Maharanis dressing table with a chest of drawers and a huge Belgian mirror 5 feet by 8 feet whose crystal clarity dazzles your eyes.

The tower with 83 steps takes us to the top from where the whole of Bhuj city can be seen. The last ruler Maharana Madhav Singh ji in 1948 signed a treaty with the Indian Union by which Kutch became a part of ‘C ‘state, i.e it came directly under the Indian government.

In Bhuj :- If you are the shopping- type, the house - maker type, wear- the- latest type, change -the- look - of-your-house – and –self type there is a treasure of things to buy. Cotton, woollen, handicrafts, Bandhej: Saris, dresses, Ghagra-cholis, drawing room sets and bedroom linen. Outside the palace there are narrow streets, which also is the main market. The streets were crowded, cramped on either side by shops selling all that you are looking for. Grocery, gifts, shawls ,dresses, juices , fruits , vegetables, artificial and silver jewellery, paintings , you ask for it and it is there for you to take, at a price of course ( please bear my poor sense of humour )Added to these there were two wheelers, street side hawkers, carts and everything else. How your time flies walking down the streets you will never know. This walk down is total entertainment. There are quite a few restaurants in the city to choose from including Sankalp for those for whom the morning idlis are a must. Have the Kacchhi Dabelis.  ‘Bhuj ke dabeli jo khaya woh pachtaya, jo nahin khaya who bhi pachtaya’ Another taste to take away with you are the Bhuj pedas. A speciality of the place. Bhuj pedas- round, brownish, slightly hard and last for 15 to 20 days minimum. Ideal for you journey back home.

Around Bhuj City:- Kachchh Museum: It has an excellent collection of pictures, archaeological finds, weapons, textiles, musical instruments, hunted stuffed animals and more.Swaminarayan Mandir: Bright wood carvings depicting Lord Krishna and Radha. when Swaminarayan was in Bhuj he sat over here.                                                                                                                                     

 Away from Bhuj:-Mandvi: One of the most beautiful beaches of Gujarat. Usually crowded as it is spot of local outing. Festival days are best avoided until and unless watching the kacchhi crowd is also in your agenda.

 Vijay Vilas palace: Rajput style palace built of red and yellow sandstone was built in 1927.It has---A banqueting table for 21, Belgium glass windows in a verandah which has a bullet hole to test the strength of the glass—it was a clean hole and no cracks. There is a fountain and stage in front of the palace where the royal family and friends  enjoyed  evening stage performances. The stone architecture, the filigree work of the jharokas, the inlay work of the creepers on the walls, the wooden furniture and other artefacts and displays will make you proud of our past legacy and the life styles of our kings and rulers.      

                                                                                                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                          

Narayan Sarovar: As legend has, it was created by Lord Vishnu by touching the land with his toe to overcome drought during the puranic times. It is one of the five holy lakes of Hinduism. The others being, Man Sarovar, Pushkar, Pampa and Bhubaneshwar

                                                                              

 Koteshwar: It is at the western most part of India. Here the vast dry land meets the vast sea. There is a mention about this land ‘between the Indus river and the Arabian sea’ by the Chinese traveller Huen-tsang. The story behind the temple --- Being happy with Ravana’s prayers he was given a Shivling, which when established in lanka would make him ‘Ajar –Amar’ i.e. he will become disease less and immortal, also he should not by any chance place the Linga down. The deities feared this as it would make Ravan all powerful. But a blessing given cannot be reverted. So Brahmma took the guise of a cow and got himself stuck in theslush during low tide and God became a human being trying to extract the cow. While flying back to Lanka with the Shivling Ravan saw the plight and descended to help the man and his cow. Forgetting the condition (of not putting down the linga) he placed the linga on the earth and helped the person and his cow. Later when he turned to pick up his linga There were ‘Koti (crores) lingas’. Hence the name ‘Koteshwar Mahadev’. He couldn’t recognise the one that was given to him, therefore picked any one among the Koti lingas and thus losing the blessing of being ‘Ajar and Amar’.

Lakhpat: It is famous as the rest place of Gurunanak Ji before travelling to Mecca. Peer Ghaus Mohmmad, a mystic, was buried here. The carvings on his mausoleum has to be seen and the adjoining water tank is said to possess healing powers. The nine domed Sayyed Pirshah’s mausoleum has intricately carved doors, windows and jaalis.

Kali dungar: or the black hills. It is the highest point of Kachchh. The desert and the sky mingle at a distance and become indistinguishable from each other. Pakistan is just 20 Kms away.at the top is a 400-year-old Dattatray temple. It was devastated during the earth quake so now a modern temple stands I its place.

On this hill is the magnetic hill. It is indicated by a board. Our car travelled nearly one and a half Km with the engine shut off. While travelling green fields with  yellow mustard flowers and the bundings  with their swaying coconut palms bring you memories of Punjab and kerela. Travelling towards Kalidungar  ,the land is hostile ,infertile and full of bavaltrees, The roads going  up and down hill so much that often the car ahead of you will disappear into the valley.    Travelling towards the Rann it is vast stretches of sandy land as far as the eyes can see. Same country and so many varied landscapes.

                                                          

The great Rann of Kachchh is a salt marsh located in the Thar desert of Gujarat. It is 30,000 sq. km in area. Many have a mistaken notion that the Rann was a vast expanse of white sand. But it is a salt pan. Dhordo village has become a place of tourist attraction for being the largest salt desert in the world with a white sheen. Miles and miles of salt. Salt on the surface and slush below. You stop one and a half Kms away and walk the distance to the great rann. There are camel carts to transport you in case you need them. Breezy. the strong sun above you, the salt all around you, mirages making you feel you are surrounded by water, the wonders of nature stun you.

                                                                                                      

                                                                                                       

Do visit Bhujodi 8 Kms away. You can watch weavers, Tie and dye artists, block printer at work. There are roughly 1200 ‘Vankar’ community people engaged in the textile handicraft production. Ashapura crafts, Shrijan are non-profit organisations which help them to market and earn better.

The Rann festival is a collection of large number of tents owned both by Gujarat Tourism as well as private people. There is entertainment at night consisting of local artists presenting dances which show the costumes, depict the culture, back ground, stories of the region. The tents are expensive. If you can afford it then nothing like it or stay in Bhuj and visit the centre in the evening. It also has a shopping area with many stalls selling clothes, artefacts, kacchhi and mirror work, wood and clay work, natural and bio medicines, leather articles and many more. Eating joints serving Gujarati, kacchhi, Rajasthani and of course the inevitable Punjabi food is present. 

Green fields. Rocky hills, vast deserts and bordered by the sea, that is Kachchh for you in all its variety and beauty. Is Kachchh now on your itinerary of next visit? If yes welcome. 

If still pondering --- go for Kachchh without doubt. There is much more to Kachchh than that meets the eye.         

Sikha was able to say the above because of the 2 young boys - 

• Asim - her part time official photographer and full time husband who turned the blogs from reading in prose to vibrant travel accounts.
• Varun - her part time tech-help center and full time son-in-law who being from the advertising world thought this to be a cool thing to help with .

Please leave your comments below , would love to know what you thought of my above experience .

Jambughoda Visit

Kabhi Jambughoda Bhi Aake Dekho !

Message for husbands : When it is a NO for the latest movie , a bigger NO for that favourite sizzler in her favourite restaurant , when it is a NO , NO, NO even for shopping , then get ready ---She needs a change . Whisk her away for a small weekend . Away , near home but away from home .

Message for wives: The minute he suggests this , pack your bags and get into the car even before he honks .Forget your laundry , milkman , maid , garden , grocery shopping , everything . They can wait . But this impulsive planning won’t .

So -------- GET , SET …..GO.

Behind every successful man there is a woman –100 % true. Behind every successful ( not always but we can always hope ) travel writer ( if I can call myself that ) there are two men , one who clicks the photographs and the other who aligns the pics and the prose to give the final shape to the article .Thanks to Asim , my husband and my son-in –law Varun . Itna toh banta hai. ( I still need their services , you see )

People living in and around Vadodara has this lovely get away called Jambughoda—forest reserve and sanctuary . Combine it with half a day at Champaner , declared a world heritage sight . You just need two days ---it will be funfilled with relaxation and togetherness.
About the location , direction , road , Google map will help you .

The rains and winter are appropriate times .Sitting in your cottage verandah with an empty mind and watching the rain is something that we hardly get to do . The hotel will provide you with that hot cup of coffee plus the bhajias for your children , or else drive out , there are road side bhajia stalls , which serve you the same , hot and tasty ( and much cheaper too). Or , in the winter , just wrap a shawl around and laze with the sun on your back and your long-time-not-read paper back in your hand . Nights you can hear the pitter patter of rain drops or feel the still of night in the forest . Pin drop silence with occasional sound of a passing vehicle faraway . It is as if there is only you in the world.

The roads are good , winding , forests on either side , tall trees ,the green foliage is so cooling to your eyes and your system .Now and again you will pass small villages with playing children , a one room school building , tube well by the road , cattle , a shanty shop, a shepherd with his flock ,his colourful turban five times bigger than his head, women folk standing and watching your car pass by .
                       

                                              Jambughoda Forest

Places to stay : - You have government Eco –Tourism centres . They are at Dhanpuri, Bhat and , Targol. They are comparatively cheaper and therefore very affordable. Cottages –both A/C and Non A/C , but be ready for ordinary bed , bedding , bath and cleanliness .Carry a little of bed linen if you are particularly finicky . They are not the stuff you see on the TV –India’s top ten hotels etc. etc. But they are clean .Situated on hillsides you can see green treetops , monkeys , peacocks and bird of different species . For this you have to be an early riser .

Their food is simple and whole some with the Gujarati flavor . You get Gujarati Chai , Poha , Ringan – Bataka ni shak , Makai roti , Khichdi , Kadhi .Menu remains 90% same ,only the sabji changes. Again , all relatively cheap . Doesn’t pinch your pocket . Other places food is costly, variety is more. But ofcourse cost is a relative term. 4 to 5 luxury hotels . Vananchal is on the higher end , but good , if you have children -5 to 15 years of age .There is a swimming pool, rope ladders , swing bridge ,merry –go-round , horse riding, trekking facilities , good restaurant and more. Caravan Sarayi is on the same lines , but much quieter , more close to nature at the foot of a hill. No concrete rooms but caravans to house you with all the modern facilities .

  

                                                          Caravan sarai Lawn 

The Maharajah’s palace , a part of which has been converted into a resort is coolly shaded with a lot of trees , peaceful all around . More suitable for people who want to be on their own. You can hear the sounds of the jungle uninterrupted.You order and the food is freshly cooked for you.

  

                                                            Jambughoda Palace

Every place has guides who will take you trekking into the jungles , morning and evening . You can walk by the edge of the water of the dam . Birds you get to see are hornbill , teel , cranes , black ducks . It is fun walking in the jungles . The peace and the quiet is all pervading . It is safe too. It is safe but a guide is a must , other wise losing the way is quite possible .

Are you the religious type ? One who doesn’t forget his hanuman chalisa once a day . Then ‘ Jhand Hanuman ‘ ( well known) is just 12 kms away . Again winding , rough roads between forests that you will find refreshing, provided you ignore the bumpy ride . ‘ Jhand Hanuman ‘ is 21 feet , carved on the wall of a hill , why it is there and who created it, I did not get the answer . You will like it . A religious visit or a piece of sculpture which ever way you look at it you will not regret the ride after the visit . Also because there are two more epic old sites to see.

Few steps further is the ‘ Draupadi Kuva ‘ ( well), created by Lord Arjun ’s bow when Draupadi was thirsty and there was no water to be found in the jungle . Walk another half a kilo meter to look at ‘ Bhim Chakki ‘ , the stone grinder used by Lord Bhim to make flour . Mythological belief , may be true or may not be , but one wonders who made , who used ,who installed it in this wilderness. I call it wilderness now, what could it have been then ? Worth a thought.

                          

                                                      Bheem Chakki

Way back, stop at CHAMPANER ---Declared world heritage site .

Champaner ---The village where Mehmood Beghda built mosques of architectural quality –to be seen to be believed . He was called ‘ BEGHADA ‘ because he conquered BEY ( meaning two in gujarati ) GADH ( Fort ) ----the Junagadh fort and the Pavagadh fort .He attacked seventeen times to , finally defeated PATE RAJPUT to earn the title .

SHAHRI MASJID is in the main village . The city gate is the main entrance . It is a long corridor hall with many carved pillars . KEVDA MASJID There is a cenotaph in front of the two minarets . The architecture style is Indo Islamic . There are thirty pillars to support the structure .

EK MINAR MASJID is special because it has only one minar which is unusual .On a big raised platform there are a few graves , broken pillars around . The standing ek minar is a living example of excellent carving.

                

                                           Ek Minar Masjid

MOTI MASJID a little away . You can walk down but a drive would be better . Once again a mosque of architectural beauty . Do not miss the JAMI MASJID .Visited for Friday prayers .They say it was a temple before , Mehmood converted it into the Jami Masjid . The masjid shows the hindu lotus , chain with lamp , the kalpa vriksha , which stand testimony to the fact that it was a place of hindu worship . Jain symbol of the banana flower , jain flag is present . So it is a beautiful conglomeration of hindu , muslim and jain architecture. The main gate is a beautiful example of filigreed walls . 

You wonder , what people were they, who could create such beauty in stone . What was that gift that helped them to achieve such perfection . There was some forty students from a college of architecture , drawing the building from different angles . I peeped into some note books . They all started off with good detailed sketches but after some time they became rough sketches , shading and lines which gave an idea of the structure but not the perfect picture. If , we today did not have the skill and patience to put it in pencil and paper , it is beyond our imagination how they cut , chiseled and smoothened stone into such designs centuries ago with no modern tools and mechanisation . All the carvings so beautiful and strong to stand the test of time . 


                        

                                                      JAMI MASJID

The huge entrance to the Jami Masjid is flanked by two exquisitely carved pillar.You look and wonder. You wonder and look again .You thank the modern contraption called camera which helps you to capture such wonders . Inside , the prayer hall has two hundred and thirty two pillars. As per Ganpat , our local companion , it is almost impossible to count the pillars because one gets confused not knowing whether a particular pillar was counted , missed or counted twice .There is a seperate place for women to pray . Just look around feel the beauty created in stone . You will not even realize how spell bound you have become .


                

                       Intricate Carvings at Jami Masjid entrance



              

       JAIN Architecture at ceilings of JAMI Masjid . All the masjids have a well and tank for ambulations before prayer . See the spherical step well called HELLIKAL VAV. 

               

                                           HELlICAL VAV

MANDVI or the custom house is a pillared hall with arched doorways , entrance in the middle and raised platforms on either side where officials sat to collect the taxes . It also serves as a separator of the common’s living areas from the royal enclosure .The circa style architecture is seen here .

PAVAGADH houses the Mahakali temple atop the hill. From the bottom to the top is a three hour climb . Many undertake it as a vow . Otherwise transport is available till Macchi , that is half the distance .Then you can use the rope way or go up by foot .Shops on either side keeps your eyes engaged so you don’t feel the climb. But at the end is the test of your heart and knees--- a steep climb of two hundred and twenty two steps and you are in the presence of Mahakali Maa. On top of the temple is a Masjid . If you take it as peaceful coexistence of two sects it gives you a feeling of togetherness and human bonding . Only seven arches of the Original Champaner fort is located on the Pavagadh Hill. 


                

                                                  Pavagadh Hill





               

                               Mahakali temple at Pavagadh top

Climb down with your family. End the lovely sojourn and head home refreshed . You will like this diversion so much , you will be surprised , while you are steering your car, you are already planning the next trip.

Sikha was able to say the above because of the 2 young boys - 

• Asim - her part time official photographer and full time husband who turned the blogs from reading in prose to vibrant travel accounts.
• Varun - her part time tech-help center and full time son-in-law who being from the advertising world thought this to be a cool thing to help with .

Please leave your comments below , would love to know what you thought of my above experience .