The Story of a Photo Op

Day & Time – Saturday morning well past normal breakfast hours. Location – Janapada Loka – The college of folklore near Ramanagara, 57 km from Bangalore towards Mysore on SH-17 next to the restaurant “Kamat Lokaruchi”.

A bunch of photographers, who have missed their breakfast, are rushing towards the Kamat restaurant. Suddenly they hear the sound of folk music.

The sights and sounds coming from the College of Folklore overpower the sight and sounds coming from Kamat Lokaruchi. They forget the noises coming from their stomachs and their eyes are glued to the folk dances being performed at the College of Folklore. How can they miss such an opportunity to shoot? Within no time their DSLRs get busy clicking the folk dancers.

The photographers get a window of about 10 minutes and there comes another bus load of tourists – all middle-aged families. They also start watching and photographing the folk-dancers on their cell phones and PS cameras. Quite naturally they too cannot miss such an opportunity so easily to get themselves photographed with dancers.

One of the ladies in that group rushes ahead and places herself in the middle of the dancers. She stands right in front of a dancer. The dancer gets completely covered behind the lady. Photo clicked, but the lady is not satisfied. She keeps calling more and more of her friends to the fore to get photographed. They all keep coming and standing right in front of the dancers. Soon the dancers are in the background and all that photographers can photograph is the group of tourists.

Photographers patiently wait for the tourists to finish their photo session and move away. But no! Tourists continue to stand there. Soon the dancers start moving away from tourists and they vanish inside the college. Photographers are frustrated because they have missed some nice shots. And the tourists go away happily without even being aware that they missed the beautifully dressed folk dancers while they were busy getting photographed themselves…….

……I happen to be one of those who missed the dancers.

Towards Bliss – The Hogenakkal Way

Hogenakkal Waterfall

The majestic waterfalls on the river Kaveri at Hogenakkal is a must visit place in South India.

The word Hogenakkal means smoking rocks. The word Hogenakkal is formed of two words hoge (smoke)  and kal (rock). When the water falls on the rocks it appears as if smoke is emanating from the top of the rock because of the force of the water, hence Hogenakkal (smoking rocks).

Kaveri descends to plains at Hogenakkal and its water cuts through the rocky terrain creating numerous waterfalls. The best season to visit this place is immediately after monsoons when river is flowing in its full force.

However, the title of this blog is inspired by two more attractions for which Hogenakkal is famous for in addition to the majestic falls.

The waterfalls sooth one’s eyes and ears and then it is time to relax one’s body.

The Masseurs of Hogenakkal

Hogenakkal is famous for its skillful masseurs. They are called malishkarans or mystic masseurs. They are professionals armed with oils, powder and the right knowledge of the 14 massage points in the human body. The massage time is typically half an hour.

The Natural Therapy

Getting full body massage by the masseurs is only the first step towards body relaxation. The next step is enjoying nature’s massage by placing oneself right under one of the waterfalls. And there is no time limit for this natural therapy.

Towards the bliss

How can mind stay far behind in demanding its own share of relaxation once the body gets treated with such pleasures.  It is then natural for one to move upstream, find a smooth rock and blissfully fall asleep under the gentle sun while listening to the sound of flowing water. The only one thing that is capable of bringing one back to this world from that bliss is the roar of one’s empty stomach.

Fried and fresh

Hogenakkal is also famous for its tasty river water fish. The locals at Hogenakkal take care of keeping the hungry stomachs at peace by serving fresh and fried fish caught from the river. These fish are supposedly very tasty. Being a vegetarian myself I cannot personally vouch for this claim though it appears very authentic to the eyes.

For the Veggies - fresh rice, rassam and dosa

The vegetarian stomachs are not so lucky though they also do not go hungry. They get freshly steamed rice and ever-available ‘dosa’ along with ‘rassam’ made with plenty of garlic.

Hogenakkal does offer that ever elusive bliss, albeit only for a few hours, to the tired minds and bodies of us metro dwellers. Experience it yourself once.

Spot the Differences

Nathmalji ki Haveli, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan

Nathmalji-ki-Haveli is one of the notable Jaisalmer attractions. It was the residence of Diwan Mohata Nathmal who was the Prime Minister of the place during that period.

I have heard two different stories about Nathmalji ki Haveli.

The first one comes from a TV documentary. It says that two architects approached Nathmalji to allow them to build his haveli (Mansion). There was healthy competition between two of them. To satisfy both of them, Nathmalji allotted construction of left side of his Haveli to one and the right side to the other with the caveat that the entire haveli should have a uniform look as if constructed by a single architect. The architects were so skillful that for a casual observer both the sides look very similar yet they maintained subtle differences between the two sides.

The internet story is somewhat different and goes as follows. Two brothers named Hathi and Lulu were sanctioned with the responsibility of the construction of this magnificent haveli. They started building the haveli simultaneously with each brother concentrating on one side of the haveli. The result of building it simultaneously showed up with different left and right sides when work was completed. However, it didn’t look too obvious and one notices it only when one observes it a bit closely.

Well, see it for yourself. Try to spot the differences!!

Let’s start from the gallery over the main entrance. Observe very closely.

Have you already spotted some differences?

No?

Then here are some clues for you. Lets start with two sides of the main window……

Left side

Right side

Notice the difference in the pattern of grill, the pillars, and the design and shape of the tiny windows.

Now the next clue, subtle differences in design and pattern of smaller windows on the two sides……

Left side window

Right side window

Now the last clue, notice the beam pattern below the gallery on both sides….

Left side

Right side

Now let’s enter the haveli……and no clues here.

Inner court of Nathmalji ki Haveli

Inner court of Nathmalji ki Haveli

Lost?

Then it’s time you visit the haveli and see it for yourself !!

Start planning your trip right away……

Pay Our Fees Please!!

Jaipur was the first destination of our family trip to Rajasthan. The early morning flight took us to Jaipur by 7:00 am. The very first halt, even before checking-in our hotel, was the famous Hawa Mahal (simple translation – Wind Palace).

Hawa Mahal is right on one of the busiest streets of Jaipur downtown. This road is always crowded with tourists. Hawa Mahal is viewed best from the opposite side of the road.  It was glowing golden in the morning sun. We three, me and my two daughters (who are better photographers than myself), immediately got busy clicking the marvelous structure.  Sound of a snake charmer’s been playing in the background was adding to the joy of our first shooting session of the trip. We felt like we were part of some Nat Geo documentary film. Soon we realized that been music was for the real and not just background score of a documentary film. Two real snake charmers were very close-by playing their been and snakes were dancing to the tune of their been.

It was an excellent scene to be photographed and we rushed towards them. We took our positions and started our shoot. Click, click, and click. After a few clicks one of the snake charmers started giving us a dirty look. Soon the other joined him and they started making gestures towards us. They were asking us to pay them some money. Though paying was not mandatory, they had given a fantastic start to our tour. So my daughters pleaded and we gave  them some money. That would give us some more shots and, at the minimum, they would stop making faces at us. After receiving money they promptly turned their attention towards other folks.

The interesting part came only later. They did not bother us for about 10 minutes after we paid them. But then they turned towards us and gestured us to stop photographing and to go away.  Seems like validity of the fee we paid to them 10 minutes ago had exceeded its time limit!!

The Question of the Staircase

All photographers like to capture a spiral staircase when they see one. I am not an exception. I captured this frame in Mehrangad fort of Jodhpur. This staircase takes visitors to various period rooms in the fort that display an amazing splendour of the Rathore rulers of Jodhpur. I found the shape of this staircase very interesting which looks like a big question mark in this photo.

It seems to be posing the question to the visitors, have you seen before a fort which is mighty, magnificent and a work of art like Mehrangad.

The Royal Tea

We had this royal chance of enjoying a cup of hot tea with ginger, served in a silver kettle with cookies, while we were basking in the sun in the winter cold weather of Rajasthan in the open air cafeteria located next to the lake and Gajner palace. The cost of this royal experience – Rs. 150 (only) per head.

Rajasthan is replete with many palaces and havelis (mansions/fortresses) which are still owned by families of erstwhile rulers, merchants and rich people. The colourful and intricately carved havelis are beautiful architectural marvels and excellent heritage. Of late, many of the haveli owners have converted their properties into five-star hotels and they charge tourists a hefty sum for experiencing the stay in the palace with courteous services of the palace staff. We were enjoying our royal tea in one such property – Gajner Palace near Bikaner.

Since many web-sites describe this as a must visit place, we stopped at it on our way from Bikaner to Jaisalmer. Having been converted into a hotel, we were not sure if we will be allowed an entry just to see the place. Most of the Palace Hotels do not allow such visits. We felt elated when the staff at reception confirmed that entry can be obtained for a ticket. Having paid a maximum of Rs 50/- for an entry ticket so far at any place in Rajasthan, I pulled out Rs.200 notes for entry for four of us. The staff politely informed that the ticket is Rs 150/- per head and total cost would be Rs. 600/-. I must have probably spent same or lesser amount than that to see all the places in Jaipur!

Four of us looked at each other. We were almost ready to walk out without visiting the palace. I was about to keep my money back in my wallet, and the receptionist said, “Sir, the ticket also includes tea/coffee with cookies at our lakeside cafeteria.” The weather was cold and we were in need of tea for quite some time. The idea of drinking warm tea sitting near a palace lake under the bright sun was very tempting.  In that moment of weakness, I decided to bite the bait.

Below are the photos of the palace. Beware, what you can see inside the palace is pretty limited.

Gajner Palace is built on the embankment of a lake in the Thar Desert by Maharaja Ganga Singhji of Bikaner. This Grand Heritage property is spread over 6000 acres.

Gajner Palace was used as a hunting resort by the former Maharajas and visiting British dignitaries during the days of the Raj. The hall above is the place where they used to rest and chat after returning from their hunt.

After showing the hall, we were shown a hotel room and then taken to a temple inside the hotel complex. Our palace tour ended at the temple. We were then escorted to the cafeteria for our tea.

As mentioned at the beginning, we thoroughly enjoyed our royal tea. Was the experience worth the price we paid for the entry ticket? Who knows?  Now that the pleasant memories have become more prominent over the pinch to the pocket, it probably does not matter anymore.

Dreams in his eyes

It was around 3:30 pm and we were on the roads of Madhya Pradesh for almost 5 hours now. We were desperate for a cup of tea but had not been able to locate any tea stall for almost an hour. We stopped at first place that looked like a roadside tea stall, albeit meant for truckers. Tea was not ready. The preparations began from putting fire to the wood. The tea was not going to be ready for another 15 minutes at least.

The kids of the stall owner were roaming around, and they were perfect for some candid shots. More kids from around started gathering around me as soon as they saw my camera. This chap was herding his cattle at some distance. He came running towards me and said, “uncle…uncle….will you take my photograph?” As soon as I nodded affirmatively, he pulled out a small comb from the back-pocket of his torn half pant, combed his well oiled hair, and posed for this shot looking straight into my lens with a charming smile on his face.

I could see a lot of dreams in his eyes. Can you?

Were they the dreams of owning a bigger herd of cattle? Or, owning a tea stall? Or becoming a film star? Whatever they may be, but surely those dreams were taking away the drudgery of his daily chores and making his life merrier.

Hospitality

Last weekend was a long weekend. I wanted a break from work and therefore I had booked myself into this hotel far away from home over the long weekend. All the rooms of this hotel were pool facing. Each room had a small sit out overlooking the large swimming pool in the midst of nicely maintained garden. This hotel is particularly well-known for the hospitality of its staff. It was truly world-class. They made every guest feel like he/she belongs to the royalty.

One evening I was enjoying my tea watching the garden and pool from the sit out of  my room. I noticed a fully dressed-up hotel executive strolling around the pool. I thought he must have gone there to fetch something from the garden. But he kept marching around the pool. Then I noticed a lone swimmer inside the pool. And I realized that this executive was providing company to that lone swimmer. Soon the swimmer came out of the pool, covered himself in the towel and rested in the poolside chair with a cigarette for himself. The hotel executive provided company to this guest throughout his stay in and around the pool.

I said to myself  “wow, that’s called the hospitality”.

In the meanwhile my teenager kid, who had quietly entered the sit out and was standing next to me, said “Dad, isn’t this hotel staff funny? Shouldn’t that executive wear ‘Baywatch like’ uniform when at poolside? Isn’t it a torture for the swimmer to chat with a fully dressed-up person at poolside? And isn’t it a bigger torture for the executive to give company to the swimmers while wearing a formal dress?”.

Hmmmm !!!

Kerala Travelogue: The Staircase

I discovered this curvaceous beauty in the Bolghatty Palace located on the Bolghatty Islands in Cochin.

This palace was built by the Dutch traders in 1744 as a villa. The palace was leased to the British in 1909, who turned it into a residence for the British governors. In 1947, after India gained her independence, it became the property of the state. It now stands transformed into a heritage hotel resort – Hotel Bolghatty Palace. It is now under the administration of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC).

The palace is very tastefully decorated in wood and every corner of it has a royal feel to it. One morning while exploring the two storey building of this palace I came across this beautiful wooden staircase at one end of the hotel. It was shining in the morning sun like long, smooth, and  silky hair of a young woman.

Here are some more photos of that curvaceous beauty for you.

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Borne to……

 

We visited a place called Diksal for photographing flamingos. Flamingos are migratory birds. They arrive in Ujani reservoir in large numbers during the three months of January to March. Diksal, a small fishing village, is situated on the rim of Ujani reservoir. The local fishermen ferry around the bird watchers like us in the waters of reservoir and show flamingos for a small fee. It becomes a side business for them during these three months.

We, two families with our kids, armed with our cameras arrived to Diksal one weekend morning. Many fishermen were waiting there with their boats for enthusiasts like us. The rate and duration of boat ride needs to be negotiated with the fishermen. We negotiated with one fisherman and then asked him to show his boat before closing the deal to ensure that it can ferry all of us together.

Many children of fishermen were playing around us. Our guy signaled to them to bring his boat to the place where we were standing. Two fairly young looking kids, one boy and one girl, raced towards fishermen’s huts some distance away, shouting “We have our first customer, get the boat … get the boat”. I thought they are calling their uncle or some elder person to row the boat towards us. To my surprise, the two kids themselves jumped into one boat and started rowing it towards us. The boat was fairly large for the wiry frames of those two kids. But I was simply amazed to see the rowing skills and power of those two young kids, the ease with which they were rowing and the speed they gave to their boat in no time.

I said to myself, “Well, they are borne to row…” and got busy shooting the moment.

Looking at me, our kids got the cue. They, too, pulled their digital cameras out and started taking photographs. Some of them owned even dslrs and they got busy changing lenses to match the requirement of the scene. Now it was the turn of fishermen and their kids to get amazed to see the ease with which our kids were handling fairly expensive cameras and lenses and the speed at which they were shooting.

Looking at them, I am sure, the fishermen must have said to their kids, “Well, they are borne to shoot…”

At that moment I was seeing two groups of children, of similar age but belonging to two communities. Each group was endowed with skills needed to survive and succeed in its own world. Their worlds were located just a few kilometers away from each other, but were part of the same society.

Will their worlds ever meet?

Yes, Surely. When they grow up. In the marketplace. When money earned by one’s skills will get exchanged for the goods created by another’s skills.

Is that a good enough overlap between the worlds of two communities to make a healthy society?