12 Dec

Trip to Haridwar By Car from Delhi

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There are many small but good restaurants are there. We decided one Punjabi Restaurant in front of Jai Gurudev Ashram and enjoyed our meal there. In the evening we went towards local temple and visit Chandi Devi Mandir. We hire Auto which is famous with the name Vikram, as the Auto is from Vikram company. We have to change the second auto from the main raod intersection towards Chandi Devi. Their we have to pay the entrance fee and Cable Car fee. We rach at the Mandir premises from where we have to stand in the line to board the cable car as the Mandir is situated at the top of hill. It was a breath stiopping moment at the top of hill. Akmost the whole Haridwar city and river ganga basin is visible from there. We participated in the evening puja there and fed some chanas to monkey. Here monkeys are very naughty, they snatch the eatable items from the visitors.

After darshan we returned back to Har Ki Pauri and attended Evening Pooja there. Har ki Pauri was very crowded and it was very risky with kids to go near the ghats. So we decided to view the prayer from the foot over bridge and after prayer plan to visit the Ganga river from the close. Evening prayer and the environment were very devotional. Many persons on the foot over bridge start chanting Gangaji Aarti. After end of the prayer much priest start moving towards crowd with Aarti Jyot and every one get a chance to take the arti darshan from the close.

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अमृतसर में अटारी – वाघा बार्डर

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हम जब शाम को पांच बजे स्वर्ण जयंती द्वार पर पहुंचे तो सारी बैंच पूरी तरह से ठसाठस भरी हुई थीं।  जब मैने द्वार पर खड़े बी.एस.एफ. के अधिकारी को प्रेस पास दिखाया और कहा कि मुझे आगे जाने दें तो उन्होंने वी.आई.पी. लाउंज के लिये प्रवेश द्वार 3 की ओर इंगित किया और कहा कि आप वहां कोशिश करें।  मैं उधर भागा पर वहां कोई सुनवाई नहीं हुई !  वहां विदेशियों और कुछ वी.आई.पी. महिलाओं, युवतियों और बच्चों को जाने दिया जा रहा था।  अतः फिर वापिस भागा और स्वर्ण जयंती द्वार की सीढ़ियां चढ़ कर वहां पहुंचा जहां पहले ही मानों पूरा हिन्दुस्तान आकर सीटों पर जमा हुआ था।  अपने कैमरे के लिये मुझे जो सर्वश्रेष्ठ स्थान उपलब्ध हो सका वहां जाकर मैं खड़ा होगया।  बड़ा ही मजेदार दृश्य सामने था।  स्वर्ण जयंती द्वार से लेकर पाकिस्तान वाले द्वार तक तिरंगा झंडा हाथ में लेकर भागते हुए जाने और वापिस आने के लिये महिलाओं की लाइन लगी हुई थी।  उनको बी.एस.एफ. के इस अभियान के संयोजक एक अधिकारी तिरंगे झंडे देते थे और भागने का इशारा करते थे।  युवा, प्रौढ़ और यहां तक कि वृद्ध महिलाएं भी बड़े उत्साह से तिरंगा हाथ में लेकर पाकिस्तान की सीमा तक भागती हुई जाती थीं और फिर वापस आती थीं।  हज़ारों की संख्या में दर्शक गण भारत माता की जय, वंदे मातरम्‌,  हर-हर, बम-बम नारे लगा कर उनका उत्साह-वर्धन कर रहे थे।  दर्शकों के उत्साह का आलम कुछ ऐसा था मानों वह वृद्ध महिला नहीं बल्कि पाकिस्तान के बैट्समैन को आउट करने के लिये भारतीय क्रिकेट टीम का बॉलर दौड़ रहा हो। पन्द्रह मिनट तक यह कार्यक्रम चलता रहा फिर महिलाएं, युवतियां और स्कूली बच्चे डांस करने के लिये अपनी अपनी सीट छोड़ कर सड़क पर उतर आये।  पन्द्रह मिनट तक धुआंधार कमर मटकाई गईं और जनता गला फाड़ – फाड़ कर अपने उत्साह का प्रदर्शन करती रही।  सबसे मजेदार बात ये थी कि पाकिस्तान वाले गेट के उस पार भी एक स्टेडियम नज़र आ रहा था जहां तीस-चालीस दर्शक बैठे हुए दिखाई दे रहे थे।  इस ओर हज़ारों दर्शकों का अदम्य उत्साह, नारेबाजी और कान के पर्दे फाड़ देने लायक शोर और उधर केवल मात्र तीस – चालीस दर्शक! अब अगर ऐसे में पाकिस्तानी हुक्मरान डिप्रेशन का शिकार न हों तो क्या हों? मुझे तो लग रहा था कि पाकिस्तान वाली साइड में बैठे दर्शकों का भी मन कर रहा होगा कि हिन्दुस्तान वाला कार्यक्रम देखें पर अनुमति न होने के कारण मन मसोस कर रह जाते होंगे।

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Lucknow Lights

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Two centuries ago when the Nawabs were driving around in their horse drawn buggies they would give way of right to the horse drawn buggy of the fellow Nawab, both on their way to Hazratganj for shopping. This was perfectly normal in the true spirit of Pehle Aap (after you) culture of Lucknow. After all, that was the era of leisure, languidness and laid back, aptly depicted in Satyajit Ray’s ‘Shatranj ke Khiladi’.

Times have definitely changed now. Goons – elected or otherwise – sitting in their Endeavours, with number plates emblazoned with their self-christened designations, pressure horns on full blast, bulldoze their way through the crowded streets. Of course the number plates do not carry registration numbers and the horn has to sound the loudest. Few moments caught in this decibelly deafening din will bring in the worst headache and probably convulsions. Guantanamo Bay authorities could play this cacophonic recording and the Al-Qaeda inmates would start singing like canaries instead of paying royalties to music companies for playing their metal rock.

You are startled and jump off the street when you hear a truck horn, only to see a motorcycle whizz past you. In Punjab, your vehicle needs to be shod with the flashiest alloys. In Lucknow, people get turned on by going sadistic on your ears. It is auditory mayhem on the roads.

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Qutub Shahi Tombs-An Empire Rests Here

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The Qutub Shahi tombs have a unique place in the history of Deccan and India as buried here are the rulers of Deccan from 1518, till Aurangzeb captured the Golconda fort by deceit and took the last emperor prisoner and shifted him to Daulatabad. So except for the seventh king Tana Shah (Abdul Hasan Qutub Shah), the previous 6 rulers and other members of the royal family are resting here. F

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जादू मानसून का : जब छत्तीसगढ़ ने ओढ़ी धानी चुनरिया !

जादू मानसून का : जब छत्तीसगढ़ ने ओढ़ी धानी चुनरिया !

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भिलाई से रायपुर होती हुई जैसे ही ट्रेन बिलासपुर की ओर बढ़ी बारिश में भीगे छत्तीसगढ़ के हरे भरे नज़ारों को देखकर सच कहूँ तो मन तृप्त हो गया। मानसून के समय चित्र लेने में सबसे ज्यादा आनंद तब आता है जब हरे भरे धान के खेतों के ऊपर काले मेघों का साया ऍसा हो कि उसके बीच से सूरज की रोशनी छन छन कर हरी भरी वनस्पति पर पड़ रही हो। यक़ीन मानिए जब ये तीनों बातें साथ होती हैं तो मानसूनी चित्र , चित्र नहीं रह जाते बल्कि मानसूनी मैजिक (Monsoon Magic) हो जाते हैं। तो चलिए जनाब आपको ले चलते हैं मानसून के इस जादुई तिलिस्मी संसार में । ज़रा देखूँ तो आप इसके जादू से सम्मोहित होने से कैसे बच पाते हैं ?

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Blue sky country

Kinnaur-The land of apples (Part 1)

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On day 3, before starting off for Sangla, we were in a dilemma on whether to make the short trip to Hatu peak or not. As we had to reach Sangla before it was dark, we decided to skip Hatu peak, which is about 8 KMs from Narkanda. Thus, we hit the NH22 directly and road conditions being good, we reached the town of Rampur in about 2 hours. We refuelled the Ertiga here and noted a mileage of 15-16 KM/Litre in hilly road conditions.  After, Rampur, the highway, which was once known to the British as the Hindustan-Tibet road, leads you further on to Jeori before entering the district of Kinnaur at Chaura. After entering Kinnaur, the road, cut into sheer rock, rises steeply above the Satluj River. It follows the Satluj and is one of the most vertiginous roads in the whole country offering a spectacular view of rugged mountains.

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Dancing Peacock at Nahargarh Fort, Jaipur

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Nahargarh Fort is perched on a hill overlooking the city of Jaipur. Best time to go there is early in the morning. It is a pleasant half hour drive from downtown city. There is a lush forest on both sides of the winding road. Drive slow to take in the greenery and sounds of the forest. People can be seen jogging and cycling. Birds chirp and peacocks give out their shrill cries when they see you approaching.

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A Day trip to Fatehpur Sikri from Delhi

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There are 4 things to see in Fatehpur Sikri fort complex  Buland Darwaza, Fatehpur Sikri Fort, Tomb of Salim Chishti, and the Panch Mahal.All these places are architectural marvels of that time.The paintings on the main fort structure are exceptional.Many movies like Pardes, mere brother ki dulhan etc were shot here.

The Dargah of salim chisti was the best thing after Buland Darwaza which is the highest in the world The magnificent size of the buland darwaza was eye catching ..there are about 100-150 stairs then the gigantic structure called Buland Darwaza. Akbar later built the fort here and Jahangir did the marble art on Salim Chisti Dargah .In salim chisti dargah one can pray and can tie a knot to make a wish.As Akbar also wished for a child here and his wish got fulfilled.Even today people make wishes here.

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Mystical monsoon visit to Nahan, Paonta Sahib and Dakpatthar – Part II

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There was a stretch of over 5 kms with heavy traffic jam for a brief half an hour well into the middle of our journey just before we reached Roorkee. We had no inkling as to what cause the whole furore. But then 1 hour of slow snail-pace driving and we came to the action point. And almost all of a sudden, we realized we were driving into what seemed like a muddy pond. A lot of on-lookers were standing in higher and safer grounds on both sides of the road. And they were hooked on to the passing vehicles enjoying the drivers’ and passengers’ consternation in the hope of experiencing the cruel enjoyment of seeing a water-logged stranded car with helpless passengers inside. At least 50 odd two-wheelers were seen tugging along their vehicles wading through waist-deep mud and slosh with little children in festive clothes sloshing and pushing the two wheelers from the back, yelling and cheering each other.

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गढ़वाल घुमक्कडी: रुद्रप्रयाग – कार्तिक स्वामी – कर्णप्रयाग

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उपर के नज़ारों ने शरीर को तरो ताज़ा कर दिया था, इसलिए उतरते वक्त ज़्यादा समय नही लगा और उतरते ही पैदल यात्रा आरंभ. कुछ एक किलोमीटर ही चले थे कि दोस्तों को थकान लगने लगी, सोचा चलो जो साधन मिल जाए आगे तक उसी मे चल पड़ेंगे. अब चलते चलते हर एक आगे जाने वाली गाड़ी को हाथ दिखाकर रोकने की कोशिश करते रहे, पर सब बेकार. किस्मत से थोड़ी देर बाद एक ट्रक आता हुआ दिखाई दिया, आधे मन से इसे हाथ दिखाया और ये क्या! ट्रक तो थोड़ा आगे जाकर रुक ही गया था.

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