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

Peepal along the Ghats   The Ghats of Banaras boast not just of temples, akharas, steps ( and more steps ), hotels ( and so on ) but also trees. Here too, like at many other places, the Peepal stands out.  Right from the north at the Krishnamurti Foundation India's campus to the temple at Tulsi Ghat ( abutting Assi ) - the Peepal registers its presence along the Ghats.   Gaay Ghat  The early morning light makes the Ghats more special!  A light which is difficult for mortals like me to capture in clicks or words! Swimming camps used to be organized here ( during summers ) before masks came to our lives! Hanuman Garhi Ghat Two Peepal's stand next to each other at the Akhara!  Do they also join the Akhara proceedings I once wondered! This Ghat is the point we can walk up to ( from Rajghat ) when the water level is high! Bundi Parkota Ghat  This is where we crane our necks to admire the Peepal! Where does the tree gets its food and water from - a colleague...

A Governor General's Tomb in Ghazipur One of my first memories of the monument is a conversation between two colleagues. Wahan kya hai asked one. Ek angrez tha - woh sala wahan ghoom raha tha tab mar gaya - uska makbara hai : came the response. A fan of direct talk I ended up finding more about the moment and ultimately visiting.  Amidst the haze and chill of the winter morning the grandeur of the tomb reminded me of the parliament building. Much smaller in scale but a structure that visually stuns, appeals. Nico Slate writes thus in Lord Cornwallis is Dead: The Struggle for democracy in United States and India ; Outside the city of Ghazipur, an hour east of Varanasi, the tomb of Lord Charles Cornwallis overlooks the Ganges. A marble dome, seventy-five feet high and sixty feet in diameter, the Cornwallis mausoleum embodies the ambitions of the British Raj. While the Ganges swells and shrinks, the stone crypt holds firm. Cornwallis would be proud. As governor-general of British In...

Sher Shah Suri's Tomb How did they visualise this then? A structure in the middle of a pond! Locally known as Paani Rouza Sher Shah Suri's tomb is beyond stunning. The tomb is Located in Rohtas ( Bihar ) - about 125 kms from Banaras. On our way back from the tomb it struck us that we were driving on the Grand Trunk Road - one that Sher Shah Suri had built.  Would the makers have known then that centuries later it would be Sasaram's claim to fame, provide refuge to local young folks ( there are walk-paths around the structure and pond! ) and have people come to pay respects, to pray.  A structure large yet not intimidating (is it the water! ) and grand yet accessible. ASI's curbs on boating and carrying plastic inside seem to have helped keep the water clean.  When we have maintained the monument so well can we also pay more attention to signage? To what introduces us to the monument, to the first object we sight as we enter the monument.  Moving beyond the Tomb...

A temple with a view Some places I am glad that I have been to. These places I revisit to sit in silence. This is one such place. A door with bells! A temple which stands out including for its craft and aesthetics in Banaras, a town of temples, has got to be special.  Here, artists have created magic with wood. The Cambridge dictionary describes wooden (adjective) as awkward or disapproving. People who coined this have possibly not been here! Lights, Camera, Window! This replica of the Pashupatinath Temple at Kathmandu was spruced up recently for the visit of the prime minister of Nepal.  The gherua walls and 'wood' appeared to be happily welcoming the sun. Playing with the morning light! One morning a colleague and I were affectionately offered curd, banana and sweets as prasad. As I thanked and figured out a place to sit a monkey (efficient fellow!) ran away with the sweets. He was silent, quick and happy. Bird on a tree! A board on the stairs asks people to not smoke at th...