Ranikhet

Ranikhet- Why should Boys Have All the Fun

After lots of discussion and last minute planning we decided to visit Ranikhet as it was the only feasible destination for weekend vacation  We left Delhi at 6 pm in evening although we thought that we will leave maximum by 4 pm .

Ranikhet is a small hill station in Almora District of Uttarakhand. Unlike, Shimala and Manali, it is less populated and urban. In fact a perfect place to spend your weekend.   

 Four of us, all girls along with our driver left for Ranikhet. Driver was quite lucky to get a chance to drive a car full of young beautiful girls. All of us were super excited about the trip. Since we work in the same office so we gossiped about office, almost about each and every team member and when we were done with this interesting long conversation, we started enjoying the silly songs played by our silly driver. That was one amazing night of gossip, song and dance. After that when we were exhausted, two of my friends dozed off to sleep and I and one of them were wide awake almost whole night to enjoy the beauty of the full moon light and that too in mountains.

We reached Ranikhet by 5 am and then we started our mission to look for a hotel. At 5 am in morning most of the hotels were closed and people were sleeping. So, it was only after 6 am and a lot of failed trials we managed to get the hotel- The Moon Palace. We got a nice room with an amazing view. We freshened up, took a small nap, ate breakfast and after spending some time in the garden area of the hotel enjoying flowers and scenery we left the hotel for the city’s visit.

Our first destination was The Golf Course. The green meadow of the golf course at such an altitude is simply awe- aspiring. After a long photo session, we headed to Chaubhatia Garden famous for their extensive orchards of tasty apples, peaches, plums and apricots. We spend the evening in our hotel playing Ludo and eating Maggie as the sunset was followed by the hailstorm. The view from our hotel balcony was simply soothing and refreshing.  

It’s wonderful to explore the sharp paths going up and down, the public gardens just above the bus stand, the small stalls selling maggie and tea.

Next day after breakfast we headed to Almora and because of our over-smart driver who did not bother to ask the way, we got lost in the hills. It proved to be a blessing in disguise, we crossed some beautiful unexplored rural villages of the hills. We were so mesmerized with the refreshing cool breeze and nature’s beauty that we neither talked much nor clicked photos. We were just spellbound with the striking views of hills. I got to know that there is lots of diversity in hills also. I always visualized hills in a particular way, but this road journey broke my misconception that all hills look same. I love the small houses made of slates, the varieties of flora and each and every bit of the rural hill station. Fog clad mountains, beautiful stream with crystal clear waters, lovely woods spread over green veiled valleys, traditional cottages, virgin forest, each and everything that came to our eye sight was simply mesmerizing.

Suddenly we saw beautiful scenery and got out of our cab. It was a splendid view. On one side of the road was a highland and on the other side there was a spring of water. Two of my friend jumped on the highland and they got so very excited that they started dancing, what a delightful moment it was. After that craziness we went to the spring of water and spent a long time in photo session. We were behaving as if we are birds freed from our cage, in a way all of us are caged in our daily monotonous life. When we were done with a lot of madness and photo session we got back in our cab and headed to Almora.

But by the time we reached Almora it was already evening and it was time to return. By that time we were quite contended with our long road journey in hills. We halted at one stunning landscape to enjoy our sunset. Needless to say the view was simply hypnotic. After this we decided to leave for Delhi as our driver was already getting irritated by us. Though we started soon after the sunset we were able to see the beautiful night of hills.  When we crossed Bhimtal we were quite spell bound to see the beautiful lake on a full moon night, it was again simply awe-aspiring. And this was the last visual delight of our trip.

Silvery nights, bright and colourful days, lovely woods spread over green veiled valleys, distinct smell of nature and refreshing breeze are some of the amazing memories I have of that trip. And of course the girlish giggles, gossip and instant decisions was a distinct part of that amazing trip. I am sure we are going to cherish this enjoyable all girls trip all our life. 

Beautiful Stories

Those Beautiful Stories

Missing those bright mornings 

Those careless time

Those girly giggles

Those stupid fights

The grass were greener

And flowers were fresh

Interwoven in my memories

Are those beautiful stories

Those moments could never come back

No matter how much I look back

But I have lived there once

With full cheerfulness

SAFDARJANG TOMB

SAFDARJANG TOMB

It happened on one boring Saturday afternoon. I was just browsing through the net and reading and a dear friend called up and asked me to meet. It was a perfect opportunity to do away with my boredom, so I asked her to come to Safdarjang Tomb. A place I have been planning to go for long. Like many remnants of Delhi, today Safdarjang Tomb is lying unnoticed in the western end of Lodhi road. I went there long time back to interview one of the archaeologist regarding Mughal architecture but could not actually visit the tomb. So, this was the perfect opportunity for me to plunge in.   

Known as the “The Last Flicker in the Lamp of Mughal Architecture”, this monument is not visited by many tourists today as most of us don’t know about it. I am sure it is not even listed in many websites that show places to visit in Delhi. This magnificent monument was completed in 1754 as a memorial of Mirza Muqim Abul Mansur Khan, popularly known as Safdarjung by his son Nawab Shuja-ud-Daulah of Awadh. Safdarjung was the prime minister of Muhammad Shah who was a Mughal emperor from 1719 to 1748. In fact, it was Emperor Muhammad Shah who gave him the title of 'Safdarjung'.

If you have been to Humayun’s Tomb, you can definitely find resemblance in its architecture.  Safdarjung's tomb represents the last phase of the Mughal style of architecture. The tomb of Safdarjung was built in red sandstone and buff stone. There are two graves here, one of Safdarjung and the other is of his wife's. The square central chamber of the mausoleum is surrounded by eight rooms all around. Since it is not much visited by people, it is quite peaceful as compared to other monuments of Delhi.

Today, though this monument is lying unnoticed, it is one of the beautiful reminisce of the royal Mughal era. And definitely worth a visit for all those who want to take a glimpse of   Delhi’s glorious past. 

Kai Po Che

The simple yet effective story, wonderful camera angles, superb background score coupled with brilliant acting by newcomers made this film a worth watch. After a long time (since Barfi) Bollywood has churned out a real good cinema.  Kai Po Che is an effective and interesting adaptation of Chetan Bhagat’s Three Mistakes of My Life.

The characterisation of all the three protagonists is done very vividly. The protagonists look like real characters, people with whom we can relate, people who are real. Not having well-known stars in the film has worked in its favour by giving it a freshness that is detached from typical Hindi films. Rajkumar Yadav, Amit Sadh and Sushant Singh Rajput Ishan perfectly jelled in their respective roles and made the narrative even more wonderful. Sushant Singh Rajput, one more gem of my home town remains the heart of the film.

The first half of the film is an endearing tale of friendship and male bonding as each friend tries to help the other. The second half is a sensitive portrayal of how the Bhuj earthquake in 2001 and then the Godhra riots of 2002 change their lives and relationships forever.

There is no Bollywood type fighting from the bad man, no larger than life sets and no actual song and dance sequence. The film revolves around three real characters and how they react and respond in different situations to achieve their dreams and aspirations.  Many people are referring it as coming of age cinema.

The film unties the madness that most citizens of our country have about cricket, politics and the effects on the process of growth and the ethos of the country. There's no over-the-top, filmy, dramatic dialogues, instead, those in the film sound very realistic and genuine.

Songs like “Meethi Boliyan” and “Manjha” gels very-well with the flow of film and that is what touches your heart.

Anay Goswamy’s camera work made the film look much richer and beautiful. The camera work is simply amazing. Each and every shot is very well framed and imbibed in the story to bring out the correct emotions. The first half of the film has beautiful backdrops, to portray the dreams of the three friends. And the second half of the film that shows the harsh realities of life is also captured in the subtle camerawork and cinematography. The use of handheld camera adds to the sense of both simmering intimacy and rising tensions. Either it is the beautiful landscape, narrow lanes, the naturally lit house of Omi, the gloomy shades of earthquake or orange glooms of Godhra massacre, every shot is a treat to its viewers.

The portrayal of the Godhra massacre is sensitively handled and the fear and brutality of the moment is conveyed without resorting to costless bloodletting. Similarly the uncontrolled cheerfulness of the moment after an Indian cricket teams wins a match is portrayed with equal realism.

Thought-provoking, moving and ultimately heart-warming, Kai Po Che! is what great cinema is made of.

Madhubala

Every February, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. A candle light dinner, soft music, dim lights and a romantic movie are the main ingredients for a special and fun-filled Valentine's Day celebration.  Keeping in spirit of the festival today I thought of writing a blog on this special day.

 Well, its not going to be about over-hyped love or this over fantasized feeling. But about a special person born on this day, the day that is celebrated as the day for loved once. Mumtaz Jahan Nehlavi better known as Madhubala - the eternal beauty was born on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1933. Perhaps was no coincidence with such a birthday that Madhubala would grow up to become one of the most beloved romantic actresses of India. But her life could not share the happy endings of many of her films.

The first image that comes to my mind whenever I think of her is a shot from the song- Mohe Panghat Pe (from film Mughle-azam) when she unveils herself and we see a close-up of her face. She has an unmatched beauty and the most beautiful actress of all time.

Her first film that got immense success was 'Mahal' in 1949 with another legend of Indian film industry-Ashok Kumar. After that she became a very successful actress of Indian film industry. Later on she acted in many successful films as Mr & Mrs 55, Amar, Kal Hamara Hai, Shirin-Farhad, Howrah Bridge, Phagun,Kala Pani, Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi,Barsat Ki Raat and of course Mughal-e-Azam.

Though there are lots of things written and discussed about her love life, one thing is sure that despite being born on the V day, she never received the love that she deserved in her life. After the tragic break-up with Dilip Kumar (5 year- long affair) she got married to Kishore Kumar at the age of 27. When Kishore Kumar got to know, that she won’t be living for long, he bought a new house in Mumbai, kept a nurse to look after Madhubala and dumped her there. In a month or so he came to see her, he didn’t take her phone calls. So she died there alone and depressed.

The beauty of Madhubala is often compared with many new actresses, but none of them can match up to her beauty and elegance. While reading about her today here are some of the important facts that I thought are worth sharing-

1. Madhubala’s real name is Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlani. It was Devika Rani, founder of Bombay Talkies who gave her the title Madhubala.

2. She is the only Indian actress to have starred in a film whose title is her name. It was her first flop.

3. Those who worked with Madhubala said her skin was so fair and translucent that when she chewed paan, “you could almost see the red colour going down her throat”.

4. Her discipline for work was unparalleled - she was always the first one to turn up at the studio and would leave sharp at 6pm. Punctuality, commitment to work and professionalism were her hallmarks.

5. Her self-control was amazing. Her world began and ended in a film studio. She never attended any parties, film premieres of functions, film festivals, picnics or races for fund-raising initiatives.

6. She had no fascination for jewellery - either on-screen or off-screen. She hardly wore any because she considered it a waste of money.

7. She was extremely generous though. When she had established herself as an actress, she would always carry about Rs 2,000-3,000 rupees with her, never hesitating to loan / donate it someone who asked for help.

8. Despite acting in 66 films, she never received an award. It is widely believed that her distracting good looks did her a disservice - names like Meena Kumari, Nargis, Waheeda Rahman was considered more of actress material.

9. Madhubala stopped acting when she was 27.

10. She had a fear of crowds and of being mobbed. No guests or journalists were allowed on her sets. The author found that she was ‘the grand dame of privacy’, unwelcoming, unapproachable, reclusive, obsessed about her performance to the point of rudeness.

11. Frank Capra was willing to give her a break in Hollywood. She refused.

12. One of her films, Hanste Ansu (1950) was given an adult certificate, leaving the 17-year old actress unable to see her own movie.

13. A rather bad film she acted in, titled Jwala, is the only film where you get to see Madhubala in colour. And what a treat it is - her rich, golden brown hair, accompanied with her milk-n-roses complexion.

14. She had a heart disease right from birth. She died at 36, the same age at which her Hollywood counterpart, Marilyn Monroe passed away.

15. She was quite a poetess herself. In her last few years, when she was ailing, she remarked sorrowfully:

Jab zara kaam ki samajh aayee

Toh uparvaale ne kaha

Ab bas

Adhoore Khwab

Khwab dundhle-dhundle nazar aate hai

Hum musalsal nakaam koshish kerte rehte hai

Is ghubaar se nikalne ka zariya mohayya to ho

Muskurane ki ek wajah to ho

Hum phir poori rawangi ke sath koshish karenge

Un adhoore se khabo ko poora karenge

Ek nae jasbe ke sath

Ek nae hausle ke sath

Zaroorat hai bus ek roshni ki

ek ishara ki, ek sath ki

Jisse khabo ko ek nai raah mile
Ek nai roshni, naya aetbaar mile

Hyderabad

Hyderabad

Hyderabad was not on my priority list of places to visit, but since my parents were going so I grabbed the opportunity and visited the city recently.

Hyderabad, located on the Deccan Plateau is popularly known as the ‘city of pearls’.  Located at the crossroads of North & South India, Hyderabad has developed a unique culture that is reflected in its language and architecture. It won’t be wrong to say that this city is a perfect mixture of modern developments and cultural mix. There are number of places to visit in Hyderabad, either be its well-maintained parks, historical places or the famous markets, the city has something to offer to all age groups.

Day-1- Our train reached in afternoon and we had only half day so we visited Shilparamam, 30-acre village, which houses arts and crafts of the country. To encourage crafts persons and to give the necessary boost to their art, the crafts village hosts annual bazaars, where artists and artisans from all over the country exhibit their talents. It is a mixture of Dilli Heart and Chokidhani of Jaipur. But one thing is sure I really loved this amazing craft mela.

Day-2- We embarked our day with Salarjung Museum, third largest museum in India housing the biggest one-man collections of antiques in the world Established in 1951,the major portion of the collection of the museum was acquired by Mir Yousuf Ali Khan, popularly known as Salar Jung III and hence the name. There are 38 galleries in the Museum spread over in three buildings- Central Block, Eastern Block (Mir Laiq Ali Khan Bhavan) and Western Block (Mir Turab Ali Khan Bhavan) on two floors. The Central Block with 27 galleries (ground floor 15 galleries, first floor 12 galleries). And if you do not have the vigour, you are bound to miss one or the other gallery. But I must say there are worth visiting as each of them has some rare collections.

After visiting this enormous museum, we enjoyed our lunch in one of the most renowned restaurants of the old city, Shadab restaurant. Hyderabad Biryani was obviously our first choice and I must say it was super delicious. After the exotic lunch we went to The Char Minar. It is located in the old city and as you walk pass the road, your eyes will be engulfed in glitter and gluttony. The stalls and showrooms on both sides of the road looks like a wedding market. It reminded me of Old Delhi. Sultan Muhammad QuliQutub Shah, the 5th ruler of the Qutub Shahi dynasty has built Charminar in 1591. The stairs of the monument is a bit too high so have a look before you decide to climb up.

Just beside the Char Minar there is world famous Laad Market. A lively street which begins at famous Charminar’s foot, Laad Bazaar is not just a part of Hyderabad history perhaps also a locality where culture thrives. As per locales, the bazaar was set up the former ruler Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah as a shopping destination for guests attending his daughter’s wedding. The proud father named the Bazaar after his beloved daughter Laad. And till date Laad Bazaar is for all those who love to travel and experience places like a local and for those who desires to see the single largest lac and stone bangles market of the country. An unrelenting shopper can find anything from pearls, accessories, jewels, kohl (surma), perfume (attar), cloth material, bed sheets, bangles, mehndi, footwear, utensils to even groceries. And after visiting this colourful market we became quite exhaustive and decided to go back home.

Day-3- We started our third day with a visit to Golconda Fort. Since I have special inclination towards historical place, this fort is my favourite place among all the places we visited in Hyderabad. The bulk of the ruins of this fort, date from the time of the Qutub Shahi kings, who had ruled this area in the 16th and 17th century.

The fortress is built on a granite hill 120 metres high, surrounded by massive crenelated ramparts. The main structure of the fort is laid out in a sequence of enclosures that holds the public and administrative structures to the royal residences and halls. The mortuary baths lie to the right of the portico. Though most of people consider this fort ruin, I would say is a glimpse of the royal era gone by.

Prominent corner minarets distinguish the small mosque (1518) built by Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah. The other buildings found inside the fort are Habshi Kamans (Abyssian arches), Ashlah Khana, Taramati mosque,camel stable, private chambers (kilwat), Mortuary bath, Nagina bagh, Ramasasa's kotha, Durbar hall, Ambar khana etc.

The courtyard is extended up to the ramparts providing spectacular views of the landscape below. Climb up the fort to see the whole view of the fort, definitely a must visit place of Hyderabad.

Just 1 kilometre from the Golconda fort lies The 7 Tombs. You can feel the spirit of the place and that is ‘peace’. These are the Qutub Shahi tombs, the crypt of the 'Sultans of Golconda', surrounded by the lovely landscaped gardens of Ibrahim Bagh. The tombs here consist mainly of the seven Qutub Shahi kings who ruled Golconda for nearly 170 years (all the kings except the last, who was a prisoner in the fortress of Daulatabad, near Aurangabad, when he died).These graceful structures are surrounded by landscaped gardens, some of which having beautifully carved stonework. After visiting both these places, it is needless to say that we were quite exhausted. So, after having a quick lunch we decided to visit a place which does not need much of walking and therefore headed to Hussain Sagar Lake.

Hussain Sagar Lake is one of the largest man-made lake situated at the confluence of Hyderabad, Secunderabad and Begumpet. It is a sprawling artificial lake that holds water perennially. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it connects the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The Hussain Sagar was constructed on a tributary of the Musi river by Hussain Shah Wahi during the reign of Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah in 1562.And the two major attractions of this lake are- Lumbini Park and Buddha Statue that you can reach in a boat, I must say both are simply refreshing.

Named after the birthplace of Buddha, Lumbini Park along the Hussain Sagar lake looks up at a giant standing Buddha in the middle of the lake. With its Japanese rock garden, dancing fountains and a huge floral clock, it attracts large crowds. Every evening, a laser-light show (Tickets: Rs 30 per person) uses a water screen to project and narrate the history of Hyderabad. After the show, take a stroll down Necklace Road to complete a perfect evening.

Day-4- Next day we went to The Chowmala Palace. Once regarded as the center of Hyderabad, the magnificent Chowmahalla Palace was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty where the Nizams entertained their official guests and royal visitors. Built over 200 years ago, Chowmahalla Palace is renowned for its unique style and elegance. The best part is its architecture that is a synthesis of many architectural styles and influences.  And the Palace Complex has been meticulously restored, simply beautiful. .The palaces are named Afzal Mahal, Mahtab Mahal, Tahniyat Mahal and Aftab Mahal. Of these, Afzal Mahal, a two storeyed building, is the most imposing.

 The grand pillared Durbar Hall has a pure marble platform on which the Taqt-e-Nishan or royal seat was laid. The 19 spectacular chandeliers of Belgian crystal have been recently re-installed to create the lost splendour of this regal hall. The palace is definitely a must visit!

From here we walked to The Mecca Masjid, so named because the bricks were brought from Mecca to build the central arch. The Qutb Shahis never finished the building of the mosque, which was completed by Aurangzeb in 1694. Mecca Masjid is poetry in stone, with a hall measuring 67 metres and soaring to a height of 54 metres. Fifteen graceful arches five to each of the three sides support the roof. Towards the southern end of the mosque lie the graves in marble of Nizam Ali Khan and the families of the Asaf Jahi dynasty.

After visiting this beautiful masjid, we headed to Nehru Zoological Park. Although I was not very keen in visiting zoo as I have always believed that keeping animals in small cage is wrong. But since my sister was keen on vising it so I thought of giving it a try only because it has Safari. And I was wrong as this zoo is quite different from the once I visited in childhood. The Zoo's undulating landscape provides a natural setting to the animals and birds displayed in large enclosures simulating natural habitat. 

One of the largest and the best zoos in Asia, the Nehru Zoological Park has nearly 1,500 species of animals, birds and reptiles. Though I did not get to see much in safari (2 lions, 2-3 deers and some birds), but this place definitely proved that some zoos are good. But one thing is sure you need to have walking capacity to see the whole of zoo or you can take the local battery car or hire bicycle on rent.

Day-5- How can a visit to Hyderabad be complete without visiting Ramoji Film City, so we decided to go there. Though I thought I can write a whole new post on Ramoji Film City, but decided I will write it here only. The 1666-acre Ramoji Film City, established by the Ramoji Group amid the alluring grandeur of Nature, is the world’s largest integrated film studio complex and one of Asia’s most popular tourism and recreation centres. The most amusing part of the Ramoji Film City was various sets that create various scenes like a village scene, a market scene, a city skyscraper and streets. There was a huge building, which is designed as an airport on one side, a hospital on other side, a church on third side and a bank on the fourth side. Similarly, there are bungalows, which have 4 different facades on four sides, and a single building can serves as multiple houses for various characters of a film.

One fascinating set is that of a palace scene probably used for all the mythological and period dramas. The grandeur of this set does give you a feeling of being in a different era. Similarly a set called Movie Magic, personally my favourite takes you for a few minutes into the fantasy world of movies where everything is bright and shining and in a minute you go around the world.

There are a few shows, which give you a breather and you can relax as you enjoy them. There is a spirit of Ramoji show that is about film dancing and some very interesting and entertaining pieces that showcase some really talented artists. All these shows were amazing and you would get up from your seats and applause. In a show called Action, they pick up a person from the audience and make a small movie with them, showcasing the camerawork, sound and music mixing and editing. This is quite an informative show and I especially liked the demonstration of the re-production of natural sounds like air, rain, thunderstorm and even running horses.

The memories that you will gather over here will cherish you for a long period of time.

Day-6- On the last day of our stay in Hyderabad, we visited the Ocean Park spread across 20 acres of landscaped gardens, an amusement park. It is one of the first theme parks started in twin-cities and continues to be a great hit especially with children. But it is not the young ones alone who enjoy, even adults can have lots of fun here. It is a family amusement park offering a good mix of fun and thrills for people of all ages with water rideskiddies pool, wave pool, water slides, dry rides- super loop, the 60 feet high ride, bumping cars, slam bomb etc.

The park has a water sports section and another one for amusement games. Here you can relive your childhood or romp around with your children amid the various water bodies. If you enjoy the thrills of the games where the ships and trains make half and full circles, where tea cups juggle in the air and you are literally taken on a ride, then Ocean park is the place for you.

The other park we visited was NTR Garden. It boasts a vast collection of flora, a unique fountain, Gopuram, an imposing entrance plaza with Nandi Bulls besides other attractions. A huge restaurant resembling a bowl of fruits is to be found here, fringed by three petal shaped pools and greenery.

To ensure the ease and entertainment visitors, there are several cafes, souvenir shops, Shiromani Garden, a picturesque waterfall, bowling alley and electronic games. The NTR Garden of Hyderabad provides leisure activities, eateries and tastefully landscaped topography.

And with this, our six day trip to Hyderabad came to end. This was a great break from my monotonous office-home-home-office routine.

*All the photographs of this post are clicked by me.