yet again ... getting lost ... then enjoying self-discovery ...

Aligarh sits in western Uttar Pradesh - about 50 kms away from Firozabad ( associated with bangles ) and roughly same distance from Hathras ( famous for its hing ). Agra is roughly 100 kms further and Delhi 150.  The first quick impression of the town is that it retains a distinct character. As one moves one comes across the bustling, cramped and noisy lanes of the market area and a very different 'Civil Lines' part of the town. Like Banaras this is a town which takes its food seriously. Aligarh, of course, seems to have more options on offer. And, like Banaras, Aligarh is also on way to becoming a 'smart' city.  The windows here have a special feel! Walking the market area was fun. We came across ' Gajak ' being made - with help of large wooden hammers, a sweet by the name of ' Makhan Santra ', ground-nut being sold as ' Gujarati Singh ' and a lot more - including (very reasonably priced ) pottery from Khurja -  that fascinated. People too were ...

Our large university campuses have a beauty, a feel of their own. Having savoured the environs of the Maharaja Sayajirao University, the Banaras Hindu University, the Allahabad University and the Forest Research Institute I was keen to put in time - doing nothing in particular - at the Aligarh Muslim University. Finally was able to visit Aligarh and walk the campus. The campus is open, treed and neat. The buildings it houses are inviting. Many of these buildings are old, some have the exposed brick exteriors and most seem to have windows which had us pause our walk and re-look. Jarokhas made for stories! Next to the very graceful jaali , the air-conditioner looks very much out of place! The art gallery is clean and spacious. Some of the paintings displayed were - to put simply - exceptional. Next to the art gallery sits a canteen - the late morning winter sun lent it a special feel. Just outside the art gallery sits an art installation made with used glass bottles. Inside a spiral sta...

  Banaras Talkies Author: Satya Vyas Translated By: Himadri Agarwal Publisher: Ebury Press, An imprint of Penguin Random House ISBN: 9780143454595 Number of pages: 207 Price: 199/- Thanks to the team at Purple Pencil Project  for publishing the review.  The Hindi version of Banaras Talkies came out during 2015. This campus life story is based in the Banaras Hindu University (BHU)– the author’s alma mater. The book, he says, is ‘ as fictional as you think and as factual as you can understand ’.   Given that it is his first book chances are high that his experiences find place in the story. This translation has come up 7 years hence courtesy the Ashoka Centre for Translation . The translator has invested time on a campus observing ‘ action ’. She found ‘students from Banaras Hindu University even in a swanky private college nearly a thousand miles away from where the novel was set ’. Banaras Talkies is about three young men Jaivardhan, Anurag aka Dada and S...

  Between Heaven and Earth – Writings on the Indian Hills Editors: Ruskin Bond and Bulbul Sharma Speaking Tiger Books First Published: 2022 Pages: 420 Number of pieces (non-fiction): 37 Price: 699/- Thanks to team at The Hindu for publishing this  here .  An anthology provides a glimpse of life in hill stations in the north, south, east and west of India. If you are tuned to the news, the hills today are about traffic, water shortage, landslides, cloudbursts, work-from-home, tourist-hostels, drugs, over-populated towns, empty villages and so forth. Long before the pretty mountains were ‘colonised’ with the British perching ‘English townships’ on hilltops to escape from the ‘heat of the plains’, they were home to the ‘devis or goddesses’, tribal communities and Mother Nature. Between Heaven & Earth: Writings on the Indian Hills, edited by Ruskin Bond and Bulbul Sharma, is an anthology which provides a glimpse of life in hill stations, warts and all. Quaint resorts Bond...

Is baar aap religious ~ spiritual trip pe aaye ho! - I was told at the German Bakery at Naggar.  Well, let us begin with the temples at Jagatsukh ! Shiva Mandir This is what a report by ASI - Chandigarh Circle states on this : This Siva Temple, located on the left bank of the river Beas, is an architectural gem dateable to the 8th century. It consists of tiratha sanctum with a sikhara which is devoid of corner amalakas and a porch resting on 2 tall octagonal pillars.  Gayatri Mata Mandir Known for its 'unique folk style architecture', the temple today stands cheek by jowl with a school ( and its play area! ) The pujari aunty insisted that I enter the temple - 2 welcome surprises here! On to those within Naggar now ( Both of these are within a stone's throw from the Naggar Castle ) Gauri Shankar Mandir Tripura Sundari Devi Mandir Some temples strike you with the visual splendour on offer. This is one such. Another temple dedicated to the very Goddess - in Banaras - too is ...

Naggar has been a place I have enjoyed revisiting - since a few years now.  The walks up and down its steep slopes, winding conversations at the German Bakery and a lot more.  This time the camera too came along.  Some sights as we walked -  Devika Rani and Svetoslav Roerich looked on as we walked towards the Roerich Estate and Museum .  The campus has special feel to it.  Walls of the Naggar Castle .  We were told ( during this trip ) that the Naggar Castle was previously located - further up - near the Krishna Temple! The Naggar Post Office.  The only other time I have associated 'dainty' with a Post Office was with the one located within the Osmania University Campus.   How does one shut the place? Are they all connected? I had wondered on coming across this train of doors.  Jarokhas for some reason always seem to have that something about them! Wonder why this fetish to burden the younger ones ?  To drive pleasure out o...

Walking, loitering in Kalimpong School Walls  Lively and atop a hill Old and graceful at the Dr Graham's Homes campus, like a lot else on the campus  At homes  Clear communication  Polite communication  Gauripur House  The house where Tagore stayed, a place which today has no signs on the route and none at the location either, a place which has a strange looking and much younger neighbour

Walking, loitering in Kalimpong Cheese Larks - an unassuming shop in the market area - is where we got cheese, locally made as also that from Nepal, both are delicious If you see fungus, after some days, just dip your knife in hot water and salt and scrape the fungus with it - we heard some other customers being told  Cheese is associated with Kalimpong since years like is the lollipop  Street food festival  Multiple evenings,  in the main market area, on the streets, publicity appeared to be word of mouth, lip smacking food and fun in the air   The fervour reminded me of the Dushera Mela at Kullu - of the people, by the people, for the people ( people here stands for locals ~ ) People jostled for space but ( for outsiders! ) shouting and pushing were conspicuous  by their absence   The event was a meat-eater's delight, the lone jalebi maker did not appear to have too many customers There were some yummy bakery products of course an...

Walking, loitering in Kalimpong  Mac Farlen Church - the caretaker shared how the church looked more beautiful after the post-earthquake restoration taken up about a decade ago As he closed the Church for lunch he suggested we could wait outside and once he was back we could re-enter the Church The Church compound had benches, benches that offered a view of the town Catherine Graham Memorial Chapel - located in the premises of the Dr Graham's Homes , clouds gave the place a dreamy look The building (under massive renovation works ) is of the lineage where even the walls and windows espoused grace It reminded me of G K Chesterton's description of church buildings  Durpin Monastery - was shut when we reached but as we waited one of the caretakers came with a bunch of keys  Once inside we felt the place to be special and were glad that we waited and that those outside were busy clicking images, one of the few times I am happy about tourists moving with mobile phones ( aka...