Celebrating Durga Puja in Delhi!!!

According to Hindu mythology, the Holy trinity of Gods – Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva created the divine goddess Durga to vanquish the demon Mahisasur. The goddess Durga represents the unison of the divine forces against the forces of evil and wickedness.

The first  puja in New Delhi  was an effort on the part of the probasi (expatriate) Bengalis living in the city. With Bengalis embracing English education, many had to leave home to serve in different parts of the country during British times. This brought a clutch of Bengalis to the city. In 1911, when Delhi was officially declared the Capital of British India, a good chunk of them came to work in various government offices.

These educated Bengalis formed a close knit community, unhindered by petty professional jealousies. This gave a huge thrust to the annual Durga puja celebrations. At first (in 1910 and 1911), the puja in Delhi was performed by ritually consecrating the 'mangal ghata' - the earthenware pot, symbol of the 'Devi'.

Delhi has a large population of Bengalis and they have settled here over a period of 100 years and even earlier. There are various Bengali societies (called samities) which organize Durga Puja and the oldest celebration go 100 years back!!!

Durga Puja coincides with Navratra and both are linked to the start of winter and harvest time. Navratri, which literally means 'nine nights', a nine day fasting period for Hindus, is observed several times a year but the most significant is the Maha(great) Navtatra at the beginning of autumn.

The dates of Bengali festivals are determined by the annual Panjika almanac, it also determines auspicious days for wedding, bussiness ventures etc. according to the lunar cycle. The Panjika also details how Durga, along with her children Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesh and Kartik will arrive, by boat, horse, palanquin, etc.

Day after tomorrow is the start of the days of religious rituals, then Durga's earthly visit will be over for another year and she'll go back to heaven via an immersion in the Yamuna river.

When Trams plied in Delhi...

 Imagine a scion of the Mughal family like Prince Surayya Jah boarding a tram from Jama Masjid to Chandni Chowk in 1910 or the author of ‘Twilight in Delhi’, Ahmed Ali, doing so as a schoolboy after leaving his residence in Kutcha Pandit. “Trams were introduced in Delhi on March 6, 1908 at the behest of the Viceroy Lord Hardinge” who inaugurated the Tramway Company’s project at the Town Hall. Among those present was the Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India, Lord Marshal. The introduction of the Tramway was an achievement that caused more excitement than even the coming of the Delhi Metro 10 years ago. Lala Hanwant Sahai, who was arrested for the bomb attack on Lord Hardinge in 1912, had mixed memories of the advent of trams when one met him in 1966. He and his teacher (and later martyr) Master Amir Chand had taken part in an agitation in 1907 against the move to introduced trams a year later.

One remembers travelling by tram in 1960, three years before trams ceased plying, while buying pilau from Khan Sahib’s shop below the steps of the Jama Masjid, close to the Hare- Bhare shrine, for the family living in Ludlow Castle Road. It was so easy to board it and just as easy to get down, not as difficult and risky as doing so on a bus. Talking of buses in those days, the longest route was No. 9 from Kingsway Camp to Mandir Marg, later extended to Shadipur Depot. The tram tickets were priced at half an anna, one anna, two annas and four annas (the ticket for the longest route). In four annas, which was one-fourth of a rupee, in those days, one could buy the best parantha in Parantheywali Gali made of desi ghee, along with the sabzi of one’s choice-not just potato curry or aloo rassa. Now even the cheapest parantha costs Rs. 30. Incidentally, it was from a tram that one first saw the dancing girl’s mosque in Hauz Kazi.

There were few women and girls travelling in trams (much cheaper than a tonga or even the humble ekka), but once there were a whole lot of purdah ladies seen in burqas, singing their way to a wedding reception from Ballimaran to Sadar Bazar. The passengers were seated in three compartments, the lowest (which was the most popular), the second one and the high-priced first compartment. The ladies were in the second though some old male members of the family were seated in the higher class. As for marriage guests, it is no secret that some of those (poor cousins?) who attended the wedding of Jawaharlal Nehru and Kamla Kaul in Bazar Sitaram travelled by tram in 1916. For that matter, even a famous hakim like Ajmal Khan occasionally caught a tram to reach his house in Ballimaran, discarding his doli or palanquin. A young woman teaching in St Thomas’ School, Reading Road, once went shopping for a sari in Chandni Chowk by tram and enjoyed the experience as the ride was a smooth and comfortable one, though slow-paced with hardly any chance of the fair sex being harassed or molested-something so common in DTC buses.

In 1921 the popularity of trams was said to be at its highest but soon after there was a general strike in which the tramways were also badly affected. The 1921-22 strike probably led to rethinking and introduction of city buses for an expanding Delhi a decade or so later, initially run by the Scindia Gwalior bus transport company (if one is not mistaken). At its best the tramway company had 24 trams that linked important parts of Old and New Delhi. In 1947, when the refugees from Punjab and Sindh flooded Delhi, trams ran jam-packed as many of them were eager to pay obeisance at Gauri Shankar Mandir and at Gurdwara Sis Ganj, opposite the Fawarra (fountain), named after Lord Northbrook. Obviously there were many Sikhs among them, carrying swords, spears and shields, something the local populace found intimidating, until their fears were calmed by the tram conductors who welcomed the opportunity as heaven-sent for good profits.

Dr. Ausaf Ali, who had come to Delhi from Allahabad in 1954 to join Maulana Azad’s Message weekly and later Hamdard, recalls that as a bachelor he would often travel by tram to Rui Mandi and eat kaleji (liver) and roomali roti at the shop of a man with only one eye. He had lost the other one probably in smallpox.

At a function attended by the U.K. High Commissioner, Sir Michael Arthur, at Nicholson Cemetery some years ago, O. P. Jain of INTACH, disclosed that as a young man living in the Walled City he frequently travelled by tram. But to go to Rouse Avenue, then considered a lovers’ lane by young people, he had to use a bicycle, which also came in handy for carrying a friend on the front or back of it, depending on his or her closeness with the biker.

That was the era when motorcycles were so few that they could be counted on the fingertips-and cars too were scarce.

Ahmed Ali in “Twilight in Delhi” devotes some space to the tramway which linked Lutyens’ Delhi with “the old world charm of Shahjahanabad and the lush greens of the Town Hall”. In those days the Town Hall was the focal point, for after the tramway was launched from there it was to the Queen’s Garden (now it has reverted to its original name Roshanara Garden) behind it that many went for picnics on balmy winter afternoons, cool summer evenings or rainy monsoon days. But came December 1963 and the tramway stopped operating, much to the regret of many. The girl Marion, who went to buy a sari in it, was perhaps the most disappointed, along with her companion, who had braved the crowd with her near Fatehpuri, (the starting point of the trams) one memorable Diwali day.

Weekend Getaway...Orchha...

Orchha is small hidden gem in MP, which in all probability you would not have heard of.It is the second capital city of Bundelas and had flourished in early 17th century. Like most kingdoms, Orchha is the cornerstone of legacy left by the Bundela dynasty.It is small town that you can cover mostly on foot, but what is amazing is the fact that the town exists among the palaces and temples. So from wherever you are, you get to see the beautiful chataris, which are typical of the local architecture, creating a beautiful skyline, making it picture perfect. Orchha has palaces, fort, temples, samadhis in form of chhataris, beautiful Betwa River, a nature reserve and interesting stories. All the buildings give a kind of burnt look, as if the heat of central plains of India has left its marks on the buildings.
The most visited places in Orchha are Raja Mahal and Jehangir Mahal. Raja Mahal built by the Bundela king Madhukar Shah, is relatively simple externally, but has some exquisite paintings in the bedrooms of King and the main queen Kunwar Ganeshi. The legend has that the King was the worshipper of Lord Krishna while the queen was a devotee of Lord Rama. She dreamt of making a temple of Rama in Orchha and she went all the way to Ayodhya to get Lord Rama. She sat on the banks of river Saryu in Ayondhya and finally lord Ram came to her in the form of a small kid. As she tried to get him to Orchha, Rama had few conditions like she will have to take him to Orchha on foot, and wherever she keeps him in Orchha first he will stay there and not move from there. It took the queen some 12 years to get the idol from Ayodhaya to Orchha, while the king engaged in building a huge temple that would be visible from the queen’s bedroom. When the queen reached Orchha, the temple was still not complete, so she kept the idol in the palace kitchen and thought she would shift it to the new temple when it is completed. But she forgot the condition that Rama had put, and when the temple was complete and the queen tried to shift the idol, the idol refused to move. So the kitchen was converted into the temple and the new temple was dedicated to Lord Vishnu, and is now known as Chaturbhuj temple. Looks like in all eras it was the lady of the house who decided the faith to follow. People in Orchha worship Ram in form of king and believe him to be the King of Orchha. They believe that Ram comes to Orchha every morning and goes back to Ayodhya every evening. Both the temple and the Raja Mahal are preserved as they are not very old, but they could definitely be far cleaner than they are.
A new museum, Saaket, showcasing the different forms of paintings from across India is being built by Adiwasi Lok kala academy. This is located in what was once the Baarood Khana of the fort. As of now it has Madhubani of Bihar, Chitrakathi of Maharashtra, Kalamkari and Cheriyal Pattam of Andhra, Patua of West Bengal and Patta of Orrissa. All of these depict the scenes from Ramayan, glorifying the reigning deity of the town, Lord Rama.
Jehangir Mahal is a palace that was built for mughal king Jehangir, who visited Orchha for a day and stayed in this 236 roomed palace along with his troops. It took 22 years to build this place where the guests stayed only for a day. There was a sheesh mahal also that was a part of this palace, which has been converted into a hotel now. Jehangir mahal has been built in a fusion mode and depicts motifs that can be attributed to Hinduism as well as Islam. Walls have been painted using blue and green color representing the two religions and depicting the co-existence of these faiths in the times of Bundelas. The carvings on the sandstone doors and around the structure are all a mix of two types of architecture. While the domes are round in shape like Islamic buildings, but on top of that you would find lotus and peacocks representing Hinduism. The co-existence of both signs can be seen all around the structure. From the top floor of this 3 storied building you can get a view of the town of Orchha and also see the extent of the fort all around, along with some ruined buildings and Rai Praveen Mahal, which was a palace dedicated to the legendary dancer of the kingdom. From the top you can see the dancing platform where she used to regularly perform.
There is Lakshami temple, which is built very interestingly in the shape of an Owl, a rectangular temple which looks triangular from most angles as the main entrance is placed on one of the corners of the rectangle. There are some of the most amazing paintings of Orchha that are painted on the walls and roofs of the galleries of this temple. There are paintings made with vegetable colors and there are scratch paintings, which are made by scratching a pre-painted wall, usually done in red and white color. The paintings depict scenes from Ramayana, Mahabharata, lives of local kings and scenes from India’s first freedom struggle in 1857, indicating that the temple paintings were updated regularly by the local kings. Climb on top of this temple and you would get the view of Orchha through its delicate arches, again making it a picture perfect view. Do not miss the beak of owl on top of the entrance gate, built to make temple look like an owl, a vehicle of Goddess Lakshami.
The chhataris on the banks of River Betwa are the samadhis of Bundela kings and their families. This is the only place where I have seen samadhis of Hindu kings, and typically built in a variation of tombs. Most of the chhatris are 3 storied and built in Panchayatan style with peaks built in Nagar style of temple architecture. There are palaces, temples and baithaks dedicated to the Bundela kinsman Hardaul, who committed suicide to prove his innocence in an alleged affair with his elder brother’s wife. I met a woman who comes there and worships outside his temple everyday from morning to evening and believes that anyone who prays to Hardaul, gets anything that he or she wishes for.
Something that guide books never mention about Orchha is the nature trails that exist on the other side of Betwa. You can cross Betwa through a low bridge built on it, which you can walk on almost as you walk out of the town. There are various small trails that you can take and walk across the jungle, through Orchha nature reserve. There is river rafting also conducted by the MP tourism on Betwa, though I could not see much white water around the town, but probably they take you somewhere where there is some.
If you like history, picturesque locations, riverside and a bit of nature and hospitality, you must visit Orchha...

Lodi Garden...

Lodi gardens, spread over 90 acres, is a hot spot for morning walkers. This pristine patch of green is dotted with architectural delights from the 15th and 16th century and on Sunday mornings it becomes the best place for picnickers! The city’s picnickers come out in full force to enjoy some winter sun and the ruins come alive with people having a great time. Just watching people is enough to keep me interested for hours, but there are lots of things to do besides as well!

Chilly winter mornings are the best time to visit the garden. All you need is a rug, a flask of hot coffee/tea, a picnic basket, a book- if you want to relax and jumping around and rolling in the grass is not your idea of fun. Carrying games is a great idea too, especially if you are planning to go with kids. We had a ball of a time running after a Frisbee, but that’s when I realized how bad my hand-eye coordination really was! But the kiddies had more options than me. One bunch of kids actually set up a mini game of croquet! Sheesh, whatever happened to good ‘ol Frisbees and hula hoops!

Apart from the fun and games, it’s a lovely setting with birds, squirrels and dappled sunlight! And if you get tired of lolling around, you can always explore the myriad tombs and climb up the walls of the ruins to get a view of your surroundings!

So what are you waiting for!? Visit it this weekend and share your pics with us. We’d love that!

Jalebiwala...Chandni Chowk...

I love Jalebis, many people have confessed cheating their daily diet routine sometimes. They may not be high on the health food list, but who can resist a hot fresh jalebi? Not me, especially on a cold February morning. But I'll confess this to you: I love jalebi so much, I'll eat them even in July. You must have eaten Jalebis many a times at different place and would have loved the taste also. However, all things being equal, the best Jalebis  in Delhi may well be at Jalebi Wala in Chandni Chowk only.

Jalebi Wala has had a facelift in the last couple of years--new sign, etc. I liked it better before. But it's still well worth checking out, because the jalebis there are outstanding.  Old Delhi jalebis are different in subtle ways from what you find elsewhere in Delhi. You can find Jalebi Wala on Chandni Chowk, between the Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib and Red Fort, it's on the right if you are walking toward Red Fort.
 
Jalebi Wala is fairly a simple places. No AC, no need for plastic forks or spoons--fingers are sufficient. And if you look at it, Old Delhi is a pretty green place. High population density in cities means more room in the countryside for farms and forests. Also, Old Delhi is full of non-motorized transportation.  But there's a larger point I want to make. Sure, jalebis are unnecessary. They are a luxury. But a little luxury is good for us. It's the five star hotels and airlines that will ruin the world in the long run. Jalebis? We can live with them forever!!!

Coronation Park, Delhi...

On 12 December 1911 , two important declarations were made by King George V and his wife Mary here in the Coronation Park, Delhi. First,  that the Capital of British India would be shifted from Calcutta to Delhi, and the second was about  annulment of the Partition of Bengal. They also declared that India would now be ruled directly by the King and Queen of England, thereby ending the rule of the East India Company.

Here is the date with history :

1877: Coronation Park becomes venue of Delhi Durbar, when Queen Victoria was proclaimed the Empress of India.

1903: Celebrates the accession of Edward VII.

December 11, 1911: Hosts Delhi Durbar, commemorating the coronation of King George V as Emperor of India. Representatives of all the princely states attended the function.

After 100 years the park is a “graveyard of statues” as conservationist A.G. Krishna Menon describes the site of Dilli Darbar. Neglected, forsaken and in dirt Coronation park is a nightmare to get to. Sixty feet tall figure of King George and all others lies in 57 acre ground around him. Local people play cricket there and the ground is full of camel thorn shrubs, plants growing on the plinths of statues, rubbish heaps and construction work by Archaeological Survey of India to restore the glory. No one wants to reawaken the unpleasant memories of more than two centuries of British colonial rule and we find it foolish to celebrate the 100 years of Delhi when it was finalized only in 1927 and inaugurated in 1931.

Beating Retreat 2013...

We got the opportunity to witness the Beating Retreat ceremony at Vijay Chowk in Delhi.

This ceremony is held every year on the 28th(full dress rehearsal) & 29th(main event) of January and it marks the official end of the Republic Day celebrations. It had been a cold day and chill comes down as the sun slowly dips into the western horizon.

The different groups of bandsmen in uniforms were ready by the scheduled time of the program. Soon the Tricolour was unfurled with the first sound of the drums and Vijay Chowk resonating with the notes of our National Anthem as people stood up in respect.

The President takes his/her seat with the three Service Chiefs seated behind her.

There were camels decked in colorful attires with men seated on their backs and stood on top on both sides of the North and South Blocks. They looked so disciplined as they stood still without making any movements at all. Soon horses came along with the motorcade of the President and took their positions.

As the national flag fluttered with the soft cool breeze, the band started playing. Everything is so organized and time bound and disciplined that the function started right on time. The ceremony opened with a parade by select contingent of Armed forces band. The next one hour was filled with music and sound created by the drummers, trumpeters, buglers, bagpipers, the brass bands, the bagpipers, which impressed all those present for the ceremony. Two new tunes were played this year for this occasion.

As the buglers sounded the “Retreat”, the flag was lowered and people stood up to catch a glimpse. And then the bands started marching up the Raisana Hills with the sound of the favourite tune, “Saare jahan se accha”. The camels and horses were seen moving away and disappearing from sight.

When we thought the ceremony had come to an end, there was something very spectacular that caught the eyes. Dusk had descended and light was fading and at that moment, all on a sudden, the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Parliament, the North and South Blocks suddenly lit up. They were decked up with thousands of electric bulbs. This was indeed a moment that I can never forget...hypnotizing moment. The lights kept people looking at the buildings as though they have been mesmerized by some charm or spell.

There was heavy security and commandos were perched on tower tops close by There was four checking points before getting seated. From the place where we had our seats, the view was very good. It was so patriotic and how long it will last in my memory I don't know...but surely I’ll tell my grandchildren about it...