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Junagadh is an exciting town to explore for the tourists with an eye for architecture and a taste for history. It was an important city during the regimes of Mauryean and Gupta dynasties in 300 to 200 BC and early AD. Post-independence, it was again in prominence and tested the skills of ‘Iron-will’ Sardar Patel, when its eccentric nawab refused to merge his small state with India and insisted to be part of Pakistan. Pages after pages of Indian history books are filled with references to this town as it refused to fade out from the memories of both the time and the history.

Junagadh’s places of tourist interest are all in a fairly compact busy market area. It is fun to amble through its narrow streets that reveal their hidden pan-Indian treasure at every corner – the sight of the skyline broken by the domes, Disneylandish spiraling minarets, old Buddhist caves, Jain and Hindu temples, bold gothic archways, an old fort, the mansion of the nawab and many intricately carved wooden doors and windows. The rich cultural heritage of Junagadh is evident in its landmarks that have the political and religious influence of its various rulers.

However, I remember Junagadh more as a town of simple and honest people.
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My skepticism of the media flared up “Telangana issue” had been forcing me to procrastinate a long pending visit to the beautiful city of “Hyderabad”, but the persistence of a long time close friend, Smiriti, gave way and finally I boarded the Hyderabad bound Indigo flight.

The Hyderabad city has witnessed the rise and fall of many dynasties. It was during the rule of the Qutub Shahis that the city flourished and many palaces and beautiful monuments and forts were built, which added to the beauty of the city. Hyderabad was previously known as Golconda. Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah of the Shahi Dynasty named it Hyderabad. It is said that he fell in love with a humble courtesan named Bhagmati. He named the city Bhagyanagar after her. After they got married, she changed her name to Haider Mahal and that is how the city was named Hyderabad. Literally translated, Hyderabad means the “city of Haider”. Hyderabad flourished during his reign extensively as it became an important trading zone for all the merchants coming from Asia and Europe.

It gives a food for thought “when did the religious divide start within us?”. Since time immemorial people from various religions have been thriving peacefully all along. The heritage of Hyderabad depicts the most astounding peaceful relationships and tolerance between individuals from various religions co –existing together in harmony. The Muslim kings had Hindu queens and courtesans. So why are we fighting on such trivial issues today when it never ever mattered way back in our civilization?

mahakali temple and masjid adjacent to eachother- golconda fort

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A brief business trip to Agra culminated in my seizing an opportunity to visit the most magnificent structure built on earth in the name of “love for one’s beloved”! It was a drive of 200 kms on the Delhi-Faridabad highway to Palwal – Mathura and then finally Agra. The best option is parking ones car in one of the shopping complexes(for me it was Sanjay Place, which was the venue for my meeting), and taking a cab or an auto to the Taj. Navigating through the narrow and crowed streets of Agra, which reminded me of our Chandni Chowk in Delhi, it was unbelievable that the destination was such a majestic monument, actually one of the elegant jewels of India.

The breath taking elegant Taj Mahal

The winter breeze was refreshing, the atmosphere crisp. Speeding on the way to Ahmednagar, several windmills waved at us. Past a ‘ghat’ section we were now in the open flat land of Marathwada. Both sides of the road lined with farmlands reaching the horizon, the journey was smooth, thanks to the fabulous road condition. Crossing Nagar and then Aurangabad, we were again in the land of farmers, cotton flowers, jawar and sugarcane and not to miss the divine flowery mustard and sometimes most rewarding flowerscapes of bright orange zendu (marigold).

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