June 2008 Desktop Calendar Wallpaper

Saturday, May 31, 2008

The calendar for this month is from Madurai Meenakshi Temple. Click on the image to get it in 1024x768.

Friday Photo: Bhootada Kola

Friday, May 30, 2008

Bhootada Kola - a traditional practice of worship in South Karavali.

Blue Tiger Butterflies

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Reading this brought some old memories when we had stumbled into an army of butterflies outside Bangalore. Amateurs, with a new found interest, we were gallivanting with camera in the arm searching for lakes, birds and the like. Walking aimlessly, we entered into a wooded area with tall casuarinas and were surprised to see butterflies hugging every inch of trees. Here is an image from the days when I had just bought my first and only film camera.



There was another time I had stumbled upon loads and loads of butterflies. Driving through the forests of Bandipur, we encountered and endless stream of Blue Tigers. Now that I recall it, I am craving to see the spectacle again.

Madurai Meenakshi Temple - I

Friday, May 23, 2008

"It will be nice in the mornings," a friend had told me before I left for Madurai. I grudgingly wake up before sunrise, wishing for a few more hours of sleep. The streets are empty but for the watchman of my hotel and a couple of two wheelers that were drifting away slowly. Perfume draws me towards a small coffee-shop manned by a short man with an innocent smile. The coffee is good, and at three rupees, is the cheapest I have had in many years. I had to have another cup.

Life expanded as I walked towards the temple. There is more light and a few shops are already open, but still hardly any people on the roads. A sadhu with a long beard squatted on the approach to temple, wearing bright saffron, his forehead smeared with Vibhoothi. There is just enough light for me to catch the glitter of warmth exuding from his eyes.


West Gopura of Madurai Meenakshi Temple

Repeated chants of 'Om Namah Shivaya' effused by loudspeakers from the temple, indicating that they are already open. Otherwise peace of the morning is disturbed by the continuous chant that is probably on since 5am. It would haunt me inside the temple too, till as late as 8.

Madurai Temple is roughly divided into two major sections - one around Meenakshi shrine to the south and the other around the sanctuary of Sundareshwarar to the North. The eastern entrance has the temple market selling flowers, trinkets, photos and statues of all kind of gods and goddesses. A huge thousand pillar hall which seems to have served a purpose no more than showing off the might of the kings is housed in a corner at the south, which is now converted into a museum. A fort-like high wall encloses all these, with four tall Gopuras one for each direction.


Entering Madurai Meenakshi Temple

The Gopuras dominate Madurai's skyline and their might is evident from far away. As I walk closer, I pain my neck trying to looking up at all the brightly coloured statues covering every inch of the tower. There are goddesses with uncountable number of hands, gods with multiple heads, demons with long canines, dancing nataraja, calm Subrahmanya with blessing hands and men and women of all kind - earthly and celestial. Leaving their bodies which are painted fair or dark, rest of the Gopura are smeared in every conceivable color by the creative brush of the artist. There are clothes red, yellow and white. Crowns are orange and green. Only the armoury and jewellery of gods are allowed to stay sober in color. The space between statues are painted with a shade of gentle purple that is fading, and there is so little of free space that it fails to become the dominant color of the towers.


I think of the engineering capability of those times used for building these complex structure looming several hundred feet high, at a time when the word skycraper would not have been invented yet. The amount of labour used must be phenomenal enough that current day governments and temple authorities might squirm just to imagine the time and effort they have to spend maintaining the structures.


Potramarai Kulam, Madurai Meenakshi Temple

Entering through the West Gopura, I walk along the temple corridor to the east and reach Potramarai Kulam - The Golden Lotus Pond. Southern Gopura, the tallest of the lot dominates the environs of the pond. Sun is just out and the tip of Gopura is bathed in bright light, rest of it still in shade. A large metal lotus in the pond, colored in yellow would have given the pond its name. Water level is no more than a few inches and the floor appears cemented. A small square in the center isolated from rest of the pond is crowded with lilies and houses a metal pillar in the center - another one painted in yellow. A few pigeons fly in and out every now and then, probably enjoying the feel of shallow water on their feet. The otherwise quiet environs of the pond is unsettled only by continuous chants of 'Om Namah Shivaya'.



I sit on the steps leading to the pond watching sun rays slowly light up more and more of the southern tower. A sign posted on a pillar next to me, and directly opposing the Gopura and the lake, proudly proclaims its location as 'Photo Spot'. The corridor around the pond is colored to life with bright Rangoli. I sit quietly on the steps and observe life in the temple, and watch people walk back and forth with tiny pooja baskets. Time moves uneventful and I am lost in non-thought till a man comes and decides to disturb my moments of solitude. He tells me that I should go around the temple and visit the shrine before sitting here, and offers himself as my escort. I politely try to shrug him off with a lie, telling him that it is all done already, but he is not ready to move. I then resort to ignoring him which works fine, and I am back to non-thought mode.



Sun seems to move up really fast, and it was strong and bright all over before 8am. The recorded chants of 'Om Namah Shivaya' are replaced by someone singing carnatic music accompanied by Mridanga and Nadaswara. I am keen to linger here, but the rising sun eventually forces me to move. I hear sound of anklets behind me which grow stronger on approach, and become unusually intense as it gets closer. Turning around, I see walking behind me is not a damsel in dancing costume but the charming temple elephant striding with her Mahout. Finding an excuse to leave my seat of comfort,I walk behind the elephant like excited little children in a village who would run behind a motor car.


A woman lights a lamp for Nandi

I stroll further, exploring corners of the temple and put myself in the shoes of observer of life in the temple. A small statue of Nandi is lit with dozens of tiny wick lamps releasing gentle orange flames. Women keet walking in, prostrate in front of Nandi to light a lamp, smear their forehead with a tiny dot of kumkum from the Nandi and move on. A statue of Ganesha keeps watch of people going in and out of the sanctuary of goddess Meenakshi.


Premises of Meenakshi Shrine

The inner prangana(courtyard) is heavily criss-crossed with steel barricades meant to enforce a queue. Garish metals stand out amidst the stone walls and structures of the ancient days. Bright railings of stainless steel, tastelessly installed gold plated coverings for stone pillars and a Nataraja in silver stand out among the dark walls and dimly lit interior. The sanctum is lit only with gentle orange hues of flickering wick lamps that surround the deity. Devotees, only a few in number stand in line to receive prasada and take their time gazing at the deity. There is no rush or hurry. The evening pooja draws a decent crowd that just about fills the inner courtyard and justifies the barricades to some extent.

Coming out from the Meenakshi shrine, I walk forward to the enclave of Sundareshwarar.

To be continued in Part II

A Multilingual Communication

Thursday, May 22, 2008

When I was visiting Madurai a few months back, I knew there would be language problems. You can travel all over North India, talk Hindi and survive. Even in remote parts of Rajasthan where a few old men speak only Marwari, there is no dearth of Hindi speaking population. Pahadis in Himachal and Garhwal switch between Hindi and local tongue effortlessly. But things are much different once you drift southwards.

The deeper you head into any of the southern states, less easier it is to find people who speak a language known to wider audience. It better be Kannada, Telugu, Tamil or Malayalam in their respective territories. So Tamil it had to be when I was in Madurai - a language I did not speak.

I caught a rickshaw from the bus-stand to take me to Meenakshi Temple. That part of the communication was easy. "Meenakshi Temple," I told him, and he responded with a short "fifty," using the English word.

Further on, I would have been happy to sit silently in the backseat, waiting to be dropped at the temple. But the rickshaw driver had other ideas. He smelled more business, and had to act. He made a short talk as he drove towards the temple, most of which I did not understand. But what I could do was pickup words from his generous mix of English and give it a meaning. Besides, being neighbours, a Tamil fellow can grasp bits of Kannada and vice versa. And so began the conversation I did not wish to be a part of.

Auto Driver: tamil tamil tamil tamil sightseeing tamil tamil tamil

Naturally it wasn't hard to see what he was trying to say. But my challenge was to respond to him in a way he could understand. Realizing that my best bet was to use Kannada than any other language, I got down to speaking as though I am in Bangalore, or giving him short one-word answers.

Me: no

I tried to cut the conversation and keep it as brief as possible, but he would not give up.

AD: tamil tamil tamil tamil rooms tamil tamil

Me: kannada kannada kannada meenakshi temple kannada kannada

The conversation went on this way till we made it to the temple. He kept opening up every few minutes and had something or the other to say. And I had to stay alert to catch a few familiar words to help me interpret him. Even after we made it to the temple and I paid his bill, his last words were still the same - "tamil tamil tamil tamil rooms tamil tamil."


Things was much easier when I was on the way out from Madurai and looking for a bus to Kanyakumari. The rickshaw guy I hired to reach the bus-stand was silent, but a travel agent caught me once I was there. To my delight, this man spoke Kannada to a decent degree, but it was to become a cause of my problem later. He insisted that I buy a ticket from him for a bus that was bound to depart an hour later. But I was least interested in it till I saw the bus - I did not want to look like a fool with a ticket in hand for 10am bus if buses kept departing at 9.30, 9.45,.. Or even worse, last thing I wanted is to make the 6-hour journey in a dilapidated rickety.

So I asked him to wait till the bus comes. It was 9am, and the bus was scheduled to leave at ten. But he wanted to finish my business in a hurry, so he get away in search of others.

"Bus has come," he told me in excellent Kannada, "come to our office, I will give you the ticket."

"Show me the bus," I demanded.

"Bus has come baba," he replied pretending a resigned look, "you take the ticket now."

I never understand why he was hesitant to show me the bus, and that made me a little suspicious. I poked him further and insisted on seeing the bus - "no ticket till you show me the bus."

"Bus has come," he again said in a desperate push, "you see, the bus has come at 9.45".

I then realized where the problem was - it was his Kannada. Talking to me at 9am, he was confusing the tenses, saying that the bus has arrived at 9.45am. I laughed, and eased his tension by finally buying the ticket from him a little later.

Birds in Bangalore

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Ask everyone, and they say Bangalore has changed a lot in the last few years. There are more buildings everywhere, more roads, more people, unbearable traffic and the like that come with unchecked growth. Lakes are shrinking and green cover around the city is making way to gleaming modern structures. But Bangalore still remains a favourable destination for many, and fortunately it has remained so with our feathered friends too. Between December and March last winter, pelicans had made their annual trip to the lakes in the city, and so did migrant Drongos and Swallows and the like.


An Ashy Prinia at Madiwala Lake.

The green patches and the lakes around the city have always housed many species of birds through the year and host a lot more during the winter months, when migratory birds flock in from the cold regions in the north. Like everywhere else, their habitat is shrinking in Bangalore too. But still there are many places in and around the city that can charm a birdwatcher with plenty of variety.


An Ashy Crown Sparrow Lark near Jigani

Keen eyed birders have always been finding places that are teeming with many species of birds. Many water bodies like Hebbal Lake, Madiwala Lake, Yelemallappa tank and Hoskote Lake attract large migratory birds in drones during winter. Nandi Hills occasionally throws up surprises with unlikely birds like Malabar Whistling Thrush or Blue Capped Rock Thrush.


A Blue Capped Rock Thrush in Nandi Betta


A Purple Rumped Sunbird at Hebbal Lake

It is a pleasure to watch those birds colouring up the periphery of the city. There is plenty of beauty, melody, action and even humour in tailing the birds. There are many things attractive, like the pleasant whistling call of the Dronogs, graceful flight of Gray Herons or of Barn Owls, and bright colors and the beauty of Blue Capped Rock Thrush or Parakeets. And then there is some interesting action to watch in the skies when a gang of crows manage to chase away much larger and powerful Kites - a frequently observed scene in the city's skies. If the crows do this in the city, smaller birds like Black Drongos perform the same acts of bravery in the greener areas outside the city. Watching a paradise flycatcher fly past and its unusually long tail that looks very out-of-place and trying to keep up with the flight of the bird can be comical.



A Paradise Flycatcher in Nandi Betta


A River Tern in Ranganthittu

When the thirst to see more of these beauties overpowers the Bangalorean, there is always Ranganathittu bird sanctuary just two hours away from the city. Ranganathittu is an ocean of joy for any bird lover, with its swarming population of birds of both migratory and resident kind. The ever-present River Terns on the rocks along Kaveri never fail to amuse their visitors. The dense population of large birds like Asian Openbill, White Ibis and Spoonbill always manage to entertain people who have never seen those big birds in such numbers.


A gang of White Ibis in Ranganthittu


A Rose Ringed Parakeet at Hebbal Lake

Indeed all is not well with the city that is growing rapidly. Like in other cities of the world, Sparrows have long since gone away. Lakes are shrinking and Painted Storks that were once common in Hebbal Lake are not seen as often in the city. Rosy Starlings that came in large numbers to a tree near my house have not arrived in the last two years. It is only likely that their numbers keep coming down in the years to come. There have been many initiatives from the concerned people to save the city’s birding hotspots from destruction, and let’s join them and hope that all that work bears fruit, and these winged beauties continue to flock into the city as they have always done.


A Tickell's Blue Flycatcher in Nandi Hills


A Purple Moorhen at Hebbal Lake

Information

Popular birding hotspots in and around Bangalore: Lalbag, TG Halli reservoir, Rampura Lake, Hoskote Lake, Indian Institute of Science, Valley school, Turahalli minor forest, Nandi hills and Banneraghatta National Park. Ranganathittu bird sanctuary, two hours drive from Bangalore is a great place to see huge flocks of migratory birds in winter.

For more information on birding Bangalore, join the Bangalore's most popular birding group bngbirds. They regularly meet fortnightly for birdwatching sessions around the city.

Photo Essay: Lakes, Streams, Waterfalls, Rivers, Sea,..

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Water bodies have a charm that pulls them to me intently. I can spend endless hours sitting on a rock, dipping my legs into the gentle flow of the river. The sight of a clean and pleasing lake or a river fills me with an urge to get into it for a swim, or to sit on its bank and while away my time. Sound of waves in a lonely beach after sunset, or song of a river or waterfall give me a pleasure that I can't describe. Would I have a choice, I would live next to a river, not too far away from the sea and go swimming the first thing every morning. Some images of the magic of water -


An unusual view of a section of Jog Falls - India's tallest Waterfall.



Ramanganga flows quietly on a cold winter morning in Corbett National Park



Kappad beach near Kozhikode, in North Kerala.



A nondescript stream near Chikmaglur.



A small pond with fresh and clean water from a spring in Mahakoota, a small temple village.



Muthyala Madu, a small waterfall that comes alive in the rainy seasons, just outside Bangalore.



Long and empty beach at Gokarna, a small town in Karnataka.



Mattupetty Dam, Munnar, Kerala



Samiti Lake is a picture published often here. At almost 14,000 feet near Goecha La, Kanchenjunga National Park, Sikkim.



Hirekolale Lake, Chikmaglur.



Chandratal Lake, Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh.



A frozen lake at Goecha la, Kanchenjunga National Park, Sikkim.



Shivanasamudra Waterfall, Karnataka.



Tungabhadra River at Hampi, Karnataka.



Chandra River, Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh.



And finally, Ganga at Rishikesh.

Friday Photo: Sunset Ridge

Friday, May 16, 2008

Thadiyandamol, Coorg.

Getting Lost

Thursday, May 15, 2008

"To get to Lepakshi, turn left at Kondikonda on Bangalore-Hyderabad highway," said an informational posted on the internet. But Kondikonda was such a small place that they did not even have a sign naming the village. Or if it did exist, it must have been masqueraded by movie posters or went into hiding behind tea shops and trucks spread haphazardly near the road.

Consequence to not seeing a sign was obvious - we kept driving further in search of our destination. But time was on our side. There was no hurry to reach the place and we did we have any designated time to get back to Bangalore. We drove at ease, stopping at will where we felt like, spending time along lakes and fields that we kept seeing along the road. It was many months since the monsoons had departed, but subsequent showers had kept the lakes alive and filled with calm and clear water. Paddy fields had just been churning out slightly grown saplings in shallow stagnations meant to keep them green. When we eventually found our way through some circuitous twists and turns, we were drunk from a abundance of scenery that made our unintended deviation worthwhile.


When we lost our way to Lepakshi...

There are many a times I have lost my way and wandered in wrong directions during my journeys. I have ended up wasting time and searching for the way in such occasions, but a lot of times it has also lead to something interesting. Stumbling upon picturesque countryside near Lepakshi is just one such incidence. And then there are times I have wandered aimlessly without having a destination, and without knowing where to go. Places I have stumbled this way have often made my journeys memorable and eventful.


When we lost our way to Lepakshi...

But there are also times when I did worry about having lost the way and worried about not getting back on track soon. While trekking up Goecha La, I was walking alone and inadvertently took a path that I presumed is my way up. I did not spot anyone for next fifteen minutes on that path - be it my companions or porters which made me wonder if I am on the right path. Loosing my way in those high mountains where terrain can be harsh and weather is cold is not exactly my idea of fun, but I kept my calm. The bridle path I had taken had a few wild flowers and green surrounding, and I pressed on slowly, stopping every now and then to take pictures and enjoying the silence of the mountains. One of our porters found me before I had gone off too far, but the moments of solitude that I had spent among the unknown trail was pleasant and delightful.



When I lost the way in Sikkim...

The best moment of getting lost happened to me in Gokarna, when we wandered along its hills and beaches. We were searching for a path that should have lead us to the town, but instead found us away from the road, on a rocky shore lashed by the waves and chocolate brown boulders with crabs scurrying on them. It was devoid of people but for a lone fisherman who did not seem to be bothered about not having any catch, but went on throwing the thread farther and waited with no hurry for a fish to catch the bait. It was our moment away from the tourists, restaurants, boats and activities of the beach; it was our own moment with the sea on one side and rocky hill on the other, letting us into the real beauty that Gokarna is.


When we lost our way in Gokarna...

Another occasion that I often recollect is loosing our way once when we were trekking in the Sahyadris. I still don't know where exactly was this - a friend of ours who lived in the region had taken us to a place that even he did not know well enough. We walked at will, climbed higher and higher and went into grasslands at the peaks where few people seemed to venture. It was rainy season, and turned foggy in later half of the day. We had wandered far away from the known path and could not find a clue about our way back in the fog. But it was a beautiful day in the mountain amidst green grass, wild flowers and no human presence. We were fortunately equipped well and ended up spending the night in the middle of the forest against our will. It was a cold and wet night and was not the most comfortable sleep I have had, but the memories of the day still remain fond. Were you ever woken up in the middle of the night by alarm call of a wild boar at close vicinity that found intruders in its territory?

Not every account of getting lost has been equally delightful. Driving through roads stretching out of Ooty trying to discover its places not in tourist map, we had lost our way a countless number of times and sometimes had to abandon our search. Trying to climb Kumara Parvatha on a rainy day, we could not figure the way ahead in fog and had to return without reaching the top. We had ended up driving many unrewarding additional miles in Wayanad for having chosen the wrong road.

But just heading off in a direction without knowing what is coming has more often been eventful than not. My first and only encounter with wild dogs(dhole) happened when we wandered aimlessly on the roads of Wayanad. Walking on Babadudangiri, we took an unknown detour and stumbled on a picturesque alternative route against the much travelled one. An impulsive decision to go beyond the last point of tourists in Manali lead us to an unknown place that was a riot of efflorescence and greenery. Such memories are many, and they keep pushing me to go further and look up to places not in the tourist map. Undoubtedly, there are times when such explorations have yielded nothing, but it is always worth the trouble when I look back at all the cherished moments that were a result of straying way.

Jaipur Old City, may their souls rest in peace

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

It is a sad development. May peace prevail and may the souls of the departed rest in peace. I called a friend from Jaipur early today, and the Pink City appears to be calm.


The walls of Pink City

Book Review: Ladakh - Crossroads of High Asia

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Author: Janet Rizvi
Publishers: Oxford University Press
Pages: 264

Janet Rizvi's book on Ladakh provides comprehensive information on every aspect of Ladakh - the life of it's people, history, geography, religion, culture and economy. It is meant for people with serious interest in knowing about the region and understand the local culture and way of life, or to the non-casual traveller who is keen to get a detailed understanding of his or her destination before travelling. It can even serve as a guide, not in terms of where to stay and what to see, but giving in depth knowledge of every place visited.

The book is divided into chapters related to geography, history, culture, present day Ladakh and religious affiliations. Each chapter can be read independently and it should be easy to skip sections that the reader may not be interested in. How-ever, names from history are repeated in many chapters, making reading the chapters on history worthwhile. If a good introduction to everything related to Ladakh is what you are looking for, look no further than this book.

Photo Essay: Qutub Minar, Delhi

Monday, May 12, 2008

I spent a quick evening wandering around Qutub Minar in Delhi, while I was on my way to Rajasthan a couple of months ago. We did not have much time, and spent the evening wandering in the enclosure, without trying to know much of the history or intricacies of the monument. So I don't have anything to say on it, and it makes no sense to describe something in words when there are pictures to do the talking. Here we go.


Map: Location of Qutub Minar in Delhi





















The last picture - I was about to take a picture of this plaque for my records before leaving the place. This little girl, I don't know where she was, came and stood right in front of it as though she is posing, and gave a shy, innocent smile. She stood there hardly for a second or two while I quickly clicked.

The Himalayas on India Travel Blog

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Summer is the time to be in the mountains. And if Himalayas are in your mind, look no further than India Travel Blog for bounty of information. There is much stuff on Indian Himalayas, from as far east as Arunachal Pradesh to Himachal Pradesh. Kashmir/Ladakh is one place missing, but be assured that you will have all-you-want-to-know information on Ladakh before the arrival of next summer. Here is the list.

Images

* Himachal
* Auli - 1, Auli - 2
* Rishikesh
* Corbett National Park
* Sikkim
* Arunachal Pradesh


Goecha La, Sikkim

Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim

* Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh
* Eaglenest National Park, Arunachal Pradesh
* Yumthang Valley and Gurudongmar Lake, Sikkim
* Goecha La Trek, Sikkim


On the way to Tawang

Uttaranchal - Garhwal and Kumaon

* Corbett National Park, foothills of Kumaon
* Skiing and walking in Auli, Garhwal

* Foothills of Rishikesh and Haridwar and Rajaji National Park.


At Auli

Himachal

* Lower regions - Shimla and around
* Manali and around
* Lahaul and Spiti
* Kinnaur and around


Chandratal Lake in Himachal Pradesh

Touts at Shimla - Finding a hotel at the Mall Road

Saturday, May 10, 2008

The first time I arrived in Shimla, I drove there with a few friends who were locals. I was given sufficient advice on where to find accommodation and at what budget. Since they knew I am a budget traveller, they politely suggested a place away from the mall, somewhere a little far from the center where tariffs were not high.

But my stay in Shimla was short - just for a day in transit. I wanted to stay close to action, see the town, eat and drink well during my short stay. Mall road it had to be, and I was willing to shell out a little more money for some extra comfort. I was dropped close to the mall and was suggested of convenient places to stay, and everything looked simple and easy, even when it was slightly above my usual budget.

I left the town next evening, travelled to further north and came back Shimla ten days later. This time I was on public transport and was on my own. A friend, this time not a local, who was with me had taken off to see Chail, leaving me with the ordeal of finding a room in Shimla.

We needed a place only for the day, to rest a bit from the long journey and freshen up before leaving for Delhi in the night. Since we weren't going to be there for too long, I decided to stay off mall road but find something in the periphery. At the same time I did not want to stray too far from the town as that would mean too much commuting for everything - to book bus tickets to Delhi and a flight further to Bangalore and even for some decent food.

What started as a search near the mall turned out to be a nightmare of interaction with touts. I was wandering with a big backpack which gave away my identity - the potential bakra with no reservations and in search of a place to stay. Touts fell on me with glee all over the place and sucked my blood to the last drop.

The first man who asked if I wanted a room followed me despite my denials. A firm 'no' to his question was hardly a deterrent. He was there every time I looked back. He just waited for me to pick a place, and then he could go and claim his commission pretending to have taken me there. A couple of requests to leave me alone, and pretending to be angry at him made no difference. Finally I decided to confront him and see what would happen. I stopped, put my bag down, turned to him, smiled and said -


"Is there something you want from me?"

He did not seem to be ready for this question. This was totally new and he did not have a ready response. He appeared startled for a second, put his guard back on again and meekly shook his head.

I smiled again and said, "is there something I can do for you?"

No words came from him again, and his confused face just responded a silent no.

Finally I said, "in that case, can you please lave me alone and not bother me?"

He did not say a word, turned around and went away. That was one man escaped from, but I figured he was the most gentlemanly of all the people I was to meet later. The search for a decent hotel was not easy and fruitful. Nearly every hotel in Shimla seems to be up to making some quick buck in the peak season of summer.

The first hotel I found quoted me a price that seemed just about reasonable. But the surprise came when I asked him to show the room. It was a small dingy make-shift room built under a staircase, and hardly had any space to stand. Add to that, there were no windows or ventilation of any kind. It was so small, even if you put pigs there, they would die from claustrophobia.

I moved further, walked a bit and found another hotel that seemed to be newly built. The rates were slightly higher than the previous guy, but still a little lower than what I found at the mall. The room had a window alright and was large enough for two people, but there were other problems. Sheets were stained in all kind of colors, they were probably there unchanged since the days of first guest at the room. The room was dirty and reeked of cigarettes. It seemed more like a place suitable for all kind of illegal activities. I fled.


Mall road is where all of Shimla's action is - cultural activities, restaurants and a place to sit and kill time. Hotels here are far from value for money in peak season. Accommodation is expensive, and there are no decent budget hotels.

And when I fled out of the lodge, I was followed by a dozen touts who were waiting outside for their catch of the day. Two of them, wearing clothes that looked like that of porters, took charge of me and offered to show me to a hotel. Predictably I said 'no, thank you.' But one of them was a great orator. He spoke with a strong and convincing voice, and gave me a small lecture even while I kept saying 'no' repeatedly.

"I will show you a good hotel," he started his rant, "you see, I will only get Rs.10 as commission from the hotel owners. Let me also make a little bit of money today. It won't make any difference for you. Let me carry your luggage. Pay me only Rs.10 for that, no more. Ten rupees from you and ten rupees from the hotel owner is all that I am going to make and you will get a good hotel to stay."

He spoke at length even as I tried to ignore him. He spoke with such a convincing voice that it was hard not to agree. Shimla's lanes are usually sloping, and it is not easy to walk for long with a heavy backpack. I was also beginning to get tired, and his offer to carry my backpack sounded tempting. I relented.

We walked together for a couple of hundred meters to the hotel he intended to take me to. I decided to play smart, stopped him at the gates of the hotel, and told him -

"ok, thanks for showing me the hotel. I will also pay you the hotel owner's part. Here is twenty rupees and let me go in myself."

I assumed I was being clever, but this man was no mild character like the previous guy. He spoke again in length, assured me that he will find me the best room and I would have nothing to loose, and pushed through without letting me talk any more.

The rooms here were no better. I was shown to a carpeted room without a window, which had a dingy inhospitable smell. I complained to the manager of the smell and he graciously offered to kill the smell by spraying some cheap perfume which smelled worse. I made no attempt to hide my dissatisfaction, and was quickly lead to another room which was no better. I walked out, followed by my smart talking porter whose voice had now changed from a friendly tone to displeased one. Nevertheless, he offered to take me to a neighbouring hotel which looked not very different from the previous one. I was having enough of this run, and refused it without even deciding to take a peek.

I was now tired and frustrated of all the running in search of a hotel that offered no frills, but is just clean and airy. I decided to return to the hotel where I had stayed ten days ago. It was a little expensive, but clean and spacious, had large windows and enough circulation. Most important, they did not encourage touts. But I was now a more than a kilometer away from there, and was unwilling to walk that long on the slopes with my heavy backpack. So I again turned to my smart talking tout for assistance and asked him how much he wanted to take my backpack there.

By now our man had realized he is not going to get his commission booty. He grew impatient and shouted aloud - "what kind of a transaction is this?" then paused for a second and said "that will be hundred rupees." I don't know what the right price would be, but I had no intent to pay a rude man ten times more than what he quoted when he was acting nice. I picked up my backpack and walked. They did not follow me any further.

My ordeal was not to end there. Another man who was silently watching the whole scene tailed me now and asked if I wanted a room. As usual, I said no and he kept persisting. Just a few minutes on my way, I saw a 'hotel' sign and stopped by to inquire. The tout followed me. They had rooms available that were clean, had a window and the price was reasonable. But the manager said the tout behind me was a problem.

"He did not bring me here," I said, "you need not bother about him."

But it so turned out these touts are stronger than they appear. The manager seemed worried that he may have to pay a commission. He asked me to hang on when I said 'let's go and talk to the guy'. I waited for sometime, but nothing seemed to be happening. There again, I went out for a talk with the tout, trying the same trick I did with the first guy.

Me: Is there something you want?
Tout: umm.. no.
Me: Is there something I can do for you?
Tout: umm.. no.
Me: So why are you following me?

Our man had no answer but he was shameless enough to stay on anyway. I tried harder.

Me: Do you want some tea? Come let's chat for sometime over tea.

He remained silent, but now his face showed signs of confusion. There was a small restaurant nearby and I offered to take him there for a cup of tea. He gave a half-smiling, half-confused look and shook his head, but remained there watching me and giving me a 'I am shameless' look. Finally, I had no idea what else can be done to him, resigned to my fate and returned to the hotel reception.

After nearly fifteen minutes, the manager came back looking tired but smiling, looking as though he came from a battle hard won. He had managed to chase the tout away.

"He demanded for four hundred rupees," said the manager wiping his sweat, "it wasn't easy to send him away."

It was amusing for me to know that these people feared the touts, and felt obliged to them. I had always presumed that small to mid-range hotels had an amiable relationship with touts, and they would have a reasonable code of conduct and interdependency. But in Shimla, it looked like touts ran the show. Who knows, they might even have a union or a strong muscle to defend their cause.

Finally I got my room at the price we had agreed earlier. But even today I have no clue if this price included tout's commission, and if the manager really sent him away without any payments.

The Ganga Dream

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

One of my long standing dreams has been to swim in the Ganges.

I have been along the Ganga in various stages of her flow. When she is a youthful energetic self - agile and swift when coming down from