safari

Thursday, January 31, 2013

The Land of Serpent Gods....

Nagapattinam a name that no Indian can forget because of the devastating 2004 tsunami that hit its coast and washed it away. This small fishing port was one of those places on east coast of India which bore the burnt of the natural disaster. But today it stands on its own recovering from the bruises of that fateful day. Nagapattinam gets its name from the word nagur which means the land of serpent gods.

Nagapattinam has been ruled by many local and foreign powers. It has been controlled by the Dutch, Portuguese and the British. It’s a cultural as well as a religious hub, with ancient temples in its vicinity. One of the most visited places Nagapattinam is the Vellankani church also a pilgrimage for Christians across the world.

Nagapattinam has a long stretch of coast line along the majestic Bay of Bengal. It also has one of the most dynamic and active fishing harbour. So you would be able to see and relish a variety of sea food. If at all you are a sea food freak- you would enjoy eating out at the little shacks created on the beach. Experience the actual sea, get hold of some fisher man and ask him to take you in to the sea but make sure you know how to swim the sea is rough like a Bengal tiger.

Do visit the light house and the museum, and also make sure that you get into the local transport at least once, its real fun to see the how colourful the place and people are. And if you manage to cross a wedding caravan it would be even more fun to watch them pass by.

There are certain places that one shouldn’t miss when in Nagapattinam and that are the 17^th century Dutch fort at Tranquebar, a renowned sufi shrine at Nagore which is also an Islamic religious destination and the only temple dedicated to Shani (planet Saturn) in India is also close to Nagapattinam.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

The year that went by….

21^st December 2012 was supposed to be an apocalypse day according to the Mayans. Many of us, waited to see what was going to happen, people went crazy and there were online news that there are some places that would be saved from the this apocalyptic ceremony.

I feel that Mayans were tired of making the calendar, so their heads gathered made some decisions and declared that 21^st December 2012 would be the end.

Instead of thinking about the end of the world, I took up these last days of the year to think over the year that was about to end and watched the movie 2012 which turned out to be the biggest joke of the century. While contemplating- about the year that was ending- I realized that I had become a freaky traveler. I never had, thought of travelling to so many different destinations in such a short period of time. Frankly speaking, I have been travelling almost half of the year 2012.

2012 took me to all corners of southern India. Places like Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Banglore, Trivandrum, Nagapattinam, Pune, Lonavala, Kandala, Kochin and North Goa. And the list goes on.

These journeys helped made me explore different culture and tradition along with different people. And in all of my travel I got to eat and meet different kinds of food and people. Looking at the culture, tradition, people, places, history and cuisines of Southern India, I can feel the diverseness that our country have.

But what I have witnessed is only one-third of India. I wonder what is in store for me when I start with my journey towards North India, which is equally colorful and vibrant part of India.

2013 is not the end but a new beginning for my travels and explorations.

Monday, December 31, 2012

East India Company should have never left....

Post independence, India has progressed on all aspects of development. No longer is it the land of snake charmers – they can’t be seen any more around us. But today India is at the verge of an economic boom and rapid development. Today India can boast about having the third largest military force of the world, youngest population, different festivities and celebrations and diverse art, culture and tradition.

The Indian sub continent was know as the golden bird (which all of us would have studied when we were in school) which was invaded and looted by the east India company, for two centuries. But this phase of colonization and struggle taught us many things and also gave us returns for our struggle and losses.

East India Company, under the realm of the “British Empire” almost conquered 95% of the world. That’s what I read in a recent survey report in a newspaper. The only place they couldn't reach were the Marshall Islands in the pacific and some of the former soviet states/ regions. I sometimes wonder how good it would have been had they conquered the whole world and controlled it. There would be only one empire and different states- no wars, no need of any passport or visas- every one would be called the citizens of the world. But then it would have had its own bad consequences.

Talking about the East India Company or the British colonial powers ruling us it did give us some good things about which we ca be proud off.

Firstly, Indian railways - one of the largest rail networks of the world operates hundreds of trains which travels length and breath of the country, passing through all kinds of terrains. It is also the largest civil employer of the world. I actually feel that it’s a gift to us from the British. It’s them who laid the first rail tracks between Bombay and Thane. And today we are able to travel to the extreme corners of our country because of them.

Secondly, the postal system that we have was a gift for our country by these colonizers The British introduced this system for their own convenience but left if for us to make it one of the largest systems of the world.

But for all of these we had to pay a hefty sum, we were looted of our natural resources and many gave their life for the freedom movement. The Kohinoor diamond, from our mines was taken away by the British. This diamond now has a place on crown of the Queen of England. Kohinoor was India’s pride and today that pride is on the head of the Queen. In a way I feel happy that they took it away, I don’t feel that it would have been valued by us then, had it been in our country.

But in a way I feel what Churchill said in the House of Commons was very true before giving us independence, he said that ,”the power will go to the hands of rascals, rouges and freebooters...they will fight amongst themselves for the power and India will be lost in political squabbles. A day would come when even air and water would be taxed.”

Some of these thoughts are actually happening in the current times.

I wonder why British let loose the golden bird on its own.