As promised I am back after celebrating Irish Christmas and Boxing Day. I am about to end my sojourn in Great Britain only to watch the final day of Boxing Day Match in India. Lets hope we can give them a fight that has become so rare against them in last 5 years or so. I enjoyed to an every possible extent the exotic beauty of Northern Ireland so cold and dark but yet a place to remember. I have been fortunate to have found good number of Indians here mainly Vilas and Nitin and they did every possible thing to make my life happier here. I can never forget the Christmas gift from my boss, Michael Wood exploration of the Trojan War.
I will really miss the Lagan river, River side office, Holiday Inn and my work place. Thank you Belfast and thank you all my newly made friends here.
Now back to my first love i.e. Cricket, we have got yet another opportunity to make a World Record and lets hope the Fabulous Four will prove to be the nemesis of the Australians. Hats off to the Indian Captain who had a remarkable Test match so far.
Once again a year is passing and we are galloping towards an even year. My heartiest condolences to the People of Orissa and to Mohatarma Benazir Bhutto who died a typical subcontinental politician's death as experienced by Mahatama Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Premdasa, Muziburrrahman and many others. May Pakistan rise from the Ashes as the mythical bird Phoenix. I wish my all avid blog readers and fellow countrymen "Happy New Year" and to Team India a Regular Good Luck.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
My Trip to Angles Land
Belfast an inspiration of Jonathan Swift's Gulliver Travels, Belfast where the grand Titanic was made and where the people say "Titanic build by Irishmen sunk by Englishmen" is currently my home and I am so far enjoying the quite and beautiful, cold and serene, tranquil and mannered stay here. My Trip to Belfast (Capital of Northern Ireland, a province of UK) is quite a memorable trip not because of the fact that this is my first trip but of the fact that I have learned a lot by just observing the manners and culture of the Irish people. My current employer is a big UK giant and thus I got this opportunity to visit its one of the many offices in UK.
I reached Belfast via London on 11th December and I am here till post Christmas. I am in love with this place. This place looks like a Beethoven's symphony created in utter bliss. And being an Indian it gives me a sort of inspiration, a sort of energy to make our country a better, organized and enjoyable place to live. The light in day appears only for 7-8 hours and sun can rarely be seen in this period, the weather is absolutely chilling with an average temperature varying from 3 to 9 degree centigrade and velocity of wind varying from 20 to 40 kilometers per hour so an ideal condition for swing bowling. India is travelling to its much hyped down under tour and now its time for her much vaunted, famed batting line up to stand and match the attack of Hayden, Gilchrist, Ponting, Clarke and Hussey hook by hook, pull by pull, sledge by sledge.
Marry Christmas to all of you, signing off till the Boxing day.
I reached Belfast via London on 11th December and I am here till post Christmas. I am in love with this place. This place looks like a Beethoven's symphony created in utter bliss. And being an Indian it gives me a sort of inspiration, a sort of energy to make our country a better, organized and enjoyable place to live. The light in day appears only for 7-8 hours and sun can rarely be seen in this period, the weather is absolutely chilling with an average temperature varying from 3 to 9 degree centigrade and velocity of wind varying from 20 to 40 kilometers per hour so an ideal condition for swing bowling. India is travelling to its much hyped down under tour and now its time for her much vaunted, famed batting line up to stand and match the attack of Hayden, Gilchrist, Ponting, Clarke and Hussey hook by hook, pull by pull, sledge by sledge.
Marry Christmas to all of you, signing off till the Boxing day.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Tour de Hampi Part 2
After taking a good sleep of 8 hours and having continental breakfast we started for the lands beyond Tungabhadra river(Ancient India had known it as Pampa). The ferry wala takes 5 INR to take us across the river but for foreigners the rates are 15 INR per person. The land after crossing Tungabhadra is known as Kishkindha. The same land that had its glorious kings in Bali and Sugreev and God Hanuman (as mentioned in Ramayana).
The birth place of Hanuman is situated at a height of 591 steps(as counted by yours truly and Divya Alok Agarwal) on a hill top. Its around 80-90 meters from the ground level or may be more but our stamina has its limits but atlast we managed to get the top in nearly 30-40 minutes and they say that it can be easily done in 10 minutes even by the octogenarians.
There is a small temple on the top of the hill dedicated to Lord Hanuman signifying his birth place. It was a great experience and that can not be described. This is really a rarest of rare honour to visit our beloved God's birth place. The descent from the hill was as always an easy
exercise.
After paying our tributes to Hanuman we started for a place called Chintamani (about6-8 kms from Hanuman Birth place). This is the place from where Lord Rama had shot down King Bali by his arrow as told by the old lady residing in that place. She told us that Bali and Sugreev were fighting near a mountain on the other side of the Tungabhadra river when Lord Rama shot him down. Its really an unbelievable thing to walk through our childhood books
and finding them true to every scintilla. Near to this place there is an old building (rather ruins of palace) of Tara (queen of Bali). She also told us that some arrows of Lord Rama are still there and one can easily find the bones of Bali at a place near to Chintamani. Due to exigency of my companions we missed that opportunity. This place was the last leg of our journey.
One thing that i was staggered to observe was the number of foreign tourists. They constituted around 90% of the total tourists or may be even more and this clearly suggests that we Indians do not respect our treasures and history. After taking delightful lunch at Laughing Buddha we started for our shopping and then to Hospet and from there to Bangalore by BUS. All credit for making this itenary a grand success goes to Saugata, Ravi Bhushan and Divyalok.
Hoping for a next tour and i think that might be Ram Setu, when I can not say?
The birth place of Hanuman is situated at a height of 591 steps(as counted by yours truly and Divya Alok Agarwal) on a hill top. Its around 80-90 meters from the ground level or may be more but our stamina has its limits but atlast we managed to get the top in nearly 30-40 minutes and they say that it can be easily done in 10 minutes even by the octogenarians.
There is a small temple on the top of the hill dedicated to Lord Hanuman signifying his birth place. It was a great experience and that can not be described. This is really a rarest of rare honour to visit our beloved God's birth place. The descent from the hill was as always an easy
exercise.
After paying our tributes to Hanuman we started for a place called Chintamani (about6-8 kms from Hanuman Birth place). This is the place from where Lord Rama had shot down King Bali by his arrow as told by the old lady residing in that place. She told us that Bali and Sugreev were fighting near a mountain on the other side of the Tungabhadra river when Lord Rama shot him down. Its really an unbelievable thing to walk through our childhood books
and finding them true to every scintilla. Near to this place there is an old building (rather ruins of palace) of Tara (queen of Bali). She also told us that some arrows of Lord Rama are still there and one can easily find the bones of Bali at a place near to Chintamani. Due to exigency of my companions we missed that opportunity. This place was the last leg of our journey.
One thing that i was staggered to observe was the number of foreign tourists. They constituted around 90% of the total tourists or may be even more and this clearly suggests that we Indians do not respect our treasures and history. After taking delightful lunch at Laughing Buddha we started for our shopping and then to Hospet and from there to Bangalore by BUS. All credit for making this itenary a grand success goes to Saugata, Ravi Bhushan and Divyalok.
Hoping for a next tour and i think that might be Ram Setu, when I can not say?
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Tour de Hampi Part 1
Continuing our Quest of the Holy Grail we "The Fab Four" decided to visit the ruins of the greatest Hindu Empire of South India as inked by the European travellers and Historians in 14th, 15th and 16th Centuries after Christ. Divya Alok, Saugata, Ravi Bhushan and yours truly started for Hampi on the last friday.
In order to reach Hampi one can go either by taking a train(Hampi Express that starts at 10:30 PM from Bangalore and reaches at 7:20 AM at Hospet) to Hospet (a town around 14 km from Hampi and around 458 km from Bangalore if you go by train and 350 km if you take BUS) or by Bus. We took the train and reached Hospet at around 7:40 AM. We took an auto for around 120 INR and in 40 minutes we reached our destination "Hampi". Its very easy to get a guest house or so called hotel in hampi if you have money, nevertheless in 400-500 INR you can get a decent(Some people may doubt this word) room for a night stay.
So after having regular mundane work we started for the ruins. The HAMPI ruins are located between mountains one one side and Tungabhadra river(This was known as Pampa in ancient India). Hampi was also known as Pampa in ancient India. We took cycles for rent (40 INR per cycle for the entire day) as they are very handy there. One can take bikes and scooters too if he has got enough money. We travelled and travelled for almost 6 hours on the tight seat bicyle and that effort culminated in a huge pain in our as***. The ruins are spectacular and one can only curse the victorious Muslims armies of the surrounding kingdoms of the great Vijaynagar empire for these ruins. Just to brush up historical facts the Vijayanagar empire was founded by Harihara and Bukka in 1336 AD and it had reached to its pinnacle under the reign of a great king Krishnadeva Raya(1509-1529). This great empire was famous in whole world for its grandeur, richness, temples and its architecture and this capital was claimed as the most grandest city of the world in those times. But as they say after the prosperity comes
the adversity so in this case also that came. In the water shed year of 1565 this great empire was pillaged to dust by the Muslims confederacy of Deccan sultanates. Vijayanagar army had a portion of Muslims as well but this portion joined the ranks with the invaders and thus that resulted in that great pillage.
Nearly every temple and building is destroyed even in the ruins no one can deny the grandeur of "Hazar Ram Temple", Krishna Temple, The Pushpkarini and the carvings on the rocks and mind it this is one of the finest carvings one can ever see. The only temple that is still in function (as far as we have learned) is the Virupaksha temple and this temple is situated in the Hampi main bazar itself. It has sanctum sanctorum dedicated to lord Shiva and it possess one of the finest stone carved pillars and a typical south Indian architecture. We finished
the day by taking our dinner and after cycling for almost 20-25 kms and i guess even Lance Armstrong had never cycled in such a place.
Next part will include our journey to the other side of the river, the Kingdom of the Bali and Sugriva and the birth place of our beloved God Hanuman.
In order to reach Hampi one can go either by taking a train(Hampi Express that starts at 10:30 PM from Bangalore and reaches at 7:20 AM at Hospet) to Hospet (a town around 14 km from Hampi and around 458 km from Bangalore if you go by train and 350 km if you take BUS) or by Bus. We took the train and reached Hospet at around 7:40 AM. We took an auto for around 120 INR and in 40 minutes we reached our destination "Hampi". Its very easy to get a guest house or so called hotel in hampi if you have money, nevertheless in 400-500 INR you can get a decent(Some people may doubt this word) room for a night stay.
So after having regular mundane work we started for the ruins. The HAMPI ruins are located between mountains one one side and Tungabhadra river(This was known as Pampa in ancient India). Hampi was also known as Pampa in ancient India. We took cycles for rent (40 INR per cycle for the entire day) as they are very handy there. One can take bikes and scooters too if he has got enough money. We travelled and travelled for almost 6 hours on the tight seat bicyle and that effort culminated in a huge pain in our as***. The ruins are spectacular and one can only curse the victorious Muslims armies of the surrounding kingdoms of the great Vijaynagar empire for these ruins. Just to brush up historical facts the Vijayanagar empire was founded by Harihara and Bukka in 1336 AD and it had reached to its pinnacle under the reign of a great king Krishnadeva Raya(1509-1529). This great empire was famous in whole world for its grandeur, richness, temples and its architecture and this capital was claimed as the most grandest city of the world in those times. But as they say after the prosperity comes
the adversity so in this case also that came. In the water shed year of 1565 this great empire was pillaged to dust by the Muslims confederacy of Deccan sultanates. Vijayanagar army had a portion of Muslims as well but this portion joined the ranks with the invaders and thus that resulted in that great pillage.
Nearly every temple and building is destroyed even in the ruins no one can deny the grandeur of "Hazar Ram Temple", Krishna Temple, The Pushpkarini and the carvings on the rocks and mind it this is one of the finest carvings one can ever see. The only temple that is still in function (as far as we have learned) is the Virupaksha temple and this temple is situated in the Hampi main bazar itself. It has sanctum sanctorum dedicated to lord Shiva and it possess one of the finest stone carved pillars and a typical south Indian architecture. We finished
the day by taking our dinner and after cycling for almost 20-25 kms and i guess even Lance Armstrong had never cycled in such a place.
Next part will include our journey to the other side of the river, the Kingdom of the Bali and Sugriva and the birth place of our beloved God Hanuman.
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