National Geographic

april 2013 • `120 VOL. 1 ISSUE 10

AT THE FINISH LINEGLOBAL

BREAKFASTS48 HOURS IN MySORE

PARAGLIDING IN KAMSHET

Vantage Point With Michael Melford

MAHA KUMBH PHOTO ESSAy

VARANASITIMELESS SOUNDS

BRUSSELSON TINTIN’S TRAIL

Featuring: Goa’s musical theatre • India’s music festivals • Brass band central in Meerut • Bangla Rock from Kolkata

• A pilgrimage through Beethoven’s Vienna • Rhythms from the lusophone world

Musical Journeys

2 national GeoGraphic traveller inDia | april 2013

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VOL. 1 ISSUE 10April 2013N a t I O N a L G E O G r a p h I c t r a V E L L E r I N d I a

In focus

54 The Musical sounds of Kashi a timeless world of music through

varanasi’s ghats and gullies

62The PeoPle’s TheaTre

over a century old, the tradition of musical theatre lives on in Goa

66cheeKy rhyThMs

rio funk beats and kuduro from the portuguese-speaking world

71 The World of BanGla rocK

Kolkata’s indigenous rock bands transcend linguistic borders

72hearTland of a Musical God

a Beethoven devotee on a pilgrimage through vienna

78 leader of The Brass Band

traditional indian wedding band instruments from a tiny

alley in Meerut

82a neW World of Melody

the power of music, one festival at a time

Journeys

86 Maha KuMBh

a photographic journey through the world’s largest religious

gathering

94 on TinTin’s Trail

ThrouGh Brussels Walking through the streets that inspired the creator of Belgium’s

iconic comic book character

100BacK in The ussr

Fond memories of budget flights, russian skies, and aeroflot

106 a Good niGhT’s sleeP in

colonial coMforT the mystique of small-town dak

bungalows lives on

71Bangla rockers sing

in Bengali about urban alienation

and local concerns.


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8 Editor’s Note | 138 Inspire

Voices

12 Tread SoftlyThere’s hope for olive ridley turtles

14 Real TravelLost luggage isn’t all that bad

16 Frontier TalesFarm travel is more than a fad

18 Guest Column The Indian railway gourmet guide

naVigate

Tech Travel22 Making the most of GPS

26 10 travel apps for your smartphone

30 Hidden GemAn ethnographic museum in Goa

32 The TrendConscious food choices in Hong Kong

Taste Of Travel34 Breakfasts from around the world

36 Starting the day the right away

38 48 HoursMysore’s many charms

48 National Park Hiking through Singalila

get going

112 Active HolidayCycling through the Western Ghats

115 Record JourneyOn the home stretch

118 AdventureParagliding in Kamshet

short breaks

122 From MumbaiDevbagh’s magical waters

126 From Delhi Colonial charm in Ramgarh

130 From BengaluruStone forts and relaxation in

Chitradurga

interactiVe

134 Photo WorkshopVantage points with Michael Melford

137 Photo ContestThe best of reader’s photos

last page

144 Dire StraitsTripura’s spectacled Phayre’s

leaf monkey

On The Cover Italian photographer Marco Simoni shot this image of a folk musician at rajasthan’s pushkar Lake. the instrument he is holding is called a ravanahatha, believed to be among the first Indian instruments played with a bow.

april 2013 • `120

VOL. 1 ISSUE 10

AT THE FINISH LINE

GLOBAL BREAKFASTS

48 HOURS IN MySORE

PARAGLIDING

IN KAMSHET

Vantage Point

With Michael Melford

MAHA KUMBH PHOTO ESSAy

VARANASITIMELESS SOUNDS

BRUSSELSON TINTIN’S TRAIL

Featuring: Goa’s musical theatre • India’s music festivals

• Brass band central in Meerut • Bangla Rock from Kolkata

• A pilgrimage through Beethoven’s Vienna

• Rhythms from the lusophone world

Musical Journeys

www.facebook.com/NatGeoTraveller.India

www.natgeotraveller.in

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Editor’s NotENiloufer Venkatraman


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Famous musicians like Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi

sometimes perform on the street, despite their fame and

celebrity status.

Don’t stop the musicM y four-year-old iPod is still in mint condi-

tion. they say it’s a great travelling com-

panion, but beyond the obvious use in a

train or airplane, i don’t plug in once i reach my des-

tination. earphones don’t impress me much. they

shut the world out—the last thing i want to do in a

new town. i like music to connect with a place, and it

sounds much better as a shared, public experience. one of the joys of visiting cities in the West in the

summer is that you can hear music in the streets,

as well as attend free outdoor concerts. in eu-

rope, the tradition of busking is very popular. From

streets to public squares and gardens, cities often

have talented buskers entertaining crowds.

Many years ago, i was in new orleans for a con-

ference. on the first day, i decided

to take a walk through the famous

French Quarter. three hours later,

after stopping at several perfor-

mances, i sat on the steps of a bar

eating a Po’ Boy, a sandwich of crusty

French bread stuffed with batter fried

softshell crawfish, sipping a daiquiri and listening to

a trombonist. i got talking to a gent in the audience

who turned out to be an ethnomusicologist study-

ing new orleans’ music. it was fascinating to hear of

the history and musical heritage of the city, its cul-

tural mix and fusion, the evolution of its sound. new

orleans is a city of music. there is melody in every

nook, even outside the tourist-heavy French Quar-

ter. For a few dollars in tips, i had enjoyed an after-

noon of sublime music. i’m not ashamed to say that

i spent very little time at that conference, taken in as

i was by the musical aura the city radiated. even as

an outsider, i could feel its cultural heartbeat. some

cities around the world, have music in their soul, a

rhythm coursing through their veins. only recently i

learnt that Varanasi is one of these great cities, with

a rich musical tradition that goes back millennia,

and that free concerts are the norm.

i’m a great fan of the tradition of free concerts.

they are a vital part of cities like new York, and i had

the good fortune to attend some as a student. My

first, was on a cool, drizzly autumn day in Philadel-

phia’s Fairmount Park. carlos santana was playing

and i remember the concert vividly, not just for the

sound of that incredible electric guitar, or because

it was free, but more so because it was a happy fam-

ily day out. Families were picnicking on the grass

and everyone, including the kids, had a super time.

there is much to be gained from such festivals.

they promote music traditions, artists, neighbour-

hoods, and can even put a city on the traveller's

map. taking kids to these events offers them great

exposure to different genres of music. When i hear

of a great band coming to Mumbai and tickets are

“by invitation only” i get terribly annoyed.

i've attended many free concerts at Philadel-

phia's Penn’s Landing, a waterfront location on the

Delaware River. At festivals like Jambalaya Jam and

Freedom Festival, i saw blues, jazz, and world music

artists i could not have afforded to pay for, including

BB king, John Lee hooker, Aretha Franklin, and Mir-

iam Makeba. each concert was emotional, intense,

an eye-opener. often i had not heard the particular

artist before, but because of the concerts, their mu-

sic became part of my cD collection, and even now,

some are on the playlist of the iPod i rarely use. n

I like music to connect with a place, and it sounds

much better as a shared, public experience

LettersInbox

APRIL 2013 | nAtIonAL GeoGRAPhIc tRAveLLeR InDIA 11

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Write to us, share stories of your travel experiences within India and around the world. We will publish some of them on these pages.Send your emails to [email protected]

HOW TO CONTACT US

Emails: [email protected] Letters: Editor, National Geographic

Traveller India, Krishna House, 3rd floor, Raghuvanshi Mills Compound,

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and edited. Customer Service: To subscribe or manage a subscription, email

us at [email protected] or call 022-40497417/31/35/36.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Visit us at www.facebook.com/NatGeoTraveller.India for ideas that will inspire you to plan your next holiday.

I get so lost in your stories that it makes

me want to grow wings and fly away

to those places immediately”

-Munna Jayakrishnan

THE wHITE CONTINENT

Visit us atwww.natgeotraveller.in

Being a regular reader of National Geographic magazine since 1992, it was highly gratifying to start my membership for Traveller. Going through my copy of the February of the elephant Issue. Rachel Dwyer’s article shows her mastery of the knowledge of elephants. “Rocking Goa” by Arundhati Ray reminded me of a similar, lesser-known pre-historic garda rock painting destination near Bundi in Rajasthan. thank you for these experiences. -Dr. P.S. Ranawat

everyone travels and many write about travelling but

I noticed that things are a bit different with National Geographic Traveller. every time I begin to read, I get so lost in your stories that it makes me want to grow wings and fly away to those places immediately. I realised that your writers travel and write about each experience with their heart. I hope that for a day, I will be able to do the same. -Munna Jayakrishnan

I want to tell the readers of National Geographic Traveller about an unusual travel experience I had this January when I visited the vadapalani

temple in chennai during their thaipusam annual festival. this festival involves a 48-day penance by men and women and on the final day devotees of Lord Murugan offer him yellow or orange coloured fruit and flowers, since that is believed to be his favourite colour. Devotees carry milk and water in pails hung from a yoke on their shoulders to various Murugan temples while some even torture their body with piercings to appease the lord. I also saw many devotees enter a trance due to the incessant drumming and chanting of “vel vel shakti vel”.-Mohan Krishnan

My amazing journey to Antarctica started from Ushuaia, Argentina onboard the Akademik Sergey Vavilov, a Russian

vessel originally designed for research and now operated as a passenger ship by One Ocean Expeditions.We were about 60 passengers from Australia, Canada, UK, China, and the US. About 40-50 Russian crew and a couple of penguin researchers also travelled with us. There were also expedition staff which included an international team of wildlife experts, bird watchers, professional photographers, adventure concierges, a glaciologist and historian. They began the trip with a deatiled briefing, as we crossed the unusually calm Drake Passage. Fortunately, a brilliant Antarctic summer allowed us two daily excursions, where we explored different regions, returning to our vessel to sleep and eat (as a vegetarian, I was very well fed). On one night we even camped out. We sailed alongside albatrosses, saw humpback whales, slept close to penguins, and observed seals. Sunrise and sunset in this icy landscape with its icebergs, glaciers, and glass-like waters was simply unforgettable.

-Vibhor Aggarwal

VOICESTread Softly


Arrival of the Turtle Moms

LocaL communities in odisha bring hope to oLive ridLeys

regular fishing trawlers off the orissa coast, and turtle-friendly nets with “turtle excluders” have been introduced. even so, large numbers are killed by illegal fishing trawlers operating without special nets.

the arribada attracts lots of tourists and the Divisional Forest officer and volunteers from local communities manage the visitors. travellers can of course do their bit by acting responsibly. needless to say, any kind of garbage harms the habitat. it has ramifications for the environment beyond our imagination, including causing the shrinking of beaches. it is perhaps because of the reduced space available on the beach that we saw some turtles inadvertently digging up and destroying recently laid eggs while trying to make a nest for their own. the damaged and exposed eggs were picked off by crows and other predators.

While observing the hatchlings, which will appear in april, it is important to keep all lights off. no phones, torches, or camera flashes should be used. this is because the young hatchlings move toward the water guided by moonlight. any other source of light disorients them.

an incident that took place during the breeding period, oddly enough, eventually left me feeling full of hope. a young man wandered close to the waterline to watch the turtles emerge. Suddenly, he sat down on an emerging turtle, shouting gleefully to his friends to photograph him. i was happy to see his friends rush down to pull him off, and berate him strongly. it was wonderful to see the sense of responsibility in the local youth and communities. they show concern and have becoming shareholders in the protection and conservation of an endangered species, which is the only way forward.

local youths, who are part of the rushikulya Sea turtle protection committee, patrolled the beach and kept a vigilant eye on the area throughout the breeding period. they ensured no plastic or garbage was thrown, and that the tourists observed the wonderful creatures from a safe distance. the support of volunteer groups who work round the clock, has made a visible difference to this breeding ground. it is moments like this that reassure me that when passion and commitment are the driving force, change can happen and there is hope for the future. n

Mike Pandey is a conservationist and wildlife filmmaker. He has won the Green Oscar award three times.

The arribada is one of the most spectacular natural phenomena on earth. it takes place on india’s eastern coast annually. arribada or

arrival refers to the extraordinary breeding behaviour of olive ridley turtles who gather in the sea, just off nesting beaches, and come ashore all at once. these endangered sea turtles arrive in vast numbers to lay their eggs at rushikulya and Bhitarkanika on odisha’s coast.

i travelled to rushikulya in February this year when the arribada was already on. it was the first time in years that it started during daylight and the landing was in full swing. We watched wave after wave of turtles flipper onto the beach. the sand was carpeted with olive ridley turtles as far as the eye could see. orissa’s eastern coast is the world’s largest breeding ground for these turtles, and experts estimate that over 3 lakh females arrived during the five-day peak nesting period this year.

the journey to the nesting beach can

be very tiring for the turtles, who are heavily laden with eggs. they scoop out the sand, tears rolling down their eyes from exhaustion, and each turtle lays 150 to 200 eggs. these are then covered neatly with sand with a sort of rock-and-roll movement. the eggs are at risk from predators like dogs, crows, monitor lizards, and raptors, but fortunately forest guards patrol the area, keeping them and human nest raiders away.

i had worked at rushikulya many years ago when the conservation movement was still nascent. at that time, local tea shop owners would stock turtle eggs to make into omelettes or sandwiches. ravi, a local youth leader, was my constant guide and friend then. it was a joy to spot him now with his group, trying to free a turtle that was caught in a blue nylon net and lay gasping near the waterline. it took nearly 15 minutes to set her free and the moment she was released she instinctively moved to the beach and laid over 200 eggs.

the arribada usually occurs during full moon and carries on for four to five days. this year’s arribada has broken records for the previous 20 years and scientists expect over three crore hatchlings to emerge by early april. Unfortunately, the mortality rate is rather high and only two hatchlings survive of every 100.

it is believed that the crawl down the beach to the sea leaves an imprint on the young hatchlings, which is why they return here to breed. in the months before the arribada, thousands of turtles can be seen just off the coast, leaving them vulnerable to fishing trawlers and fishing nets. Fortunately, the government has banned

mike pandey

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april 2013 | national GeoGraphic traveller inDia 31

NAVIGATEHidden Gem

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In South Goa’s sleepy village of Benaulim is a unique ethnographic museum. Goa chitra is a gem worth exploring, even though it is a stark contrast to the state’s

more popular attractions. located in a villa on an organic farm, it is dedicated to preserving Goa’s rich and rapidly vanishing agrarian heritage. it is the brainchild of artist and curator victor hugo Gomes. While he was involved in the restoration of old Goan homes, he found that implements, artefacts, and crafts representing hundreds of years of accumulated wisdom and history, were being ruthlessly junked. Goa chitra is his attempt to save the tools, technologies, implements, and cultural heritage of Goa.

to begin with, the museum building has been reconstructed from materials salvaged from 300 demolished Goan houses. inside, there are over 4,000 artefacts with detailed notes—many accompanied by fascinating old photographs—explaining an item’s features, how it evolved, and the folklore

associated with it. For the urban visitor, the exhibits offer a glimpse of rural life as it once was. viewing a wall adorned with the numerous implements necessary for coconut farming—ranging from delicate iron picks to exquisitely woven baskets, or the array of tools and vessels involved in butter churning, or the beautifully crafted gear custom-made for individual draft animals—visitors come to realise the eco-friendly nature of an agriculture-based way of life.

every artefact has been lovingly restored to highlight not only its utility but also the craftsmanship in its creation. each is a work of art, a testimony to the symbiosis between functionality and aesthetics. the rich collection of storage items like baskets, stone jars, and beautiful wooden chests is especially noteworthy.

From grain and liquid measures, to weights, scales, and the tools of blacksmiths, masons, and cobblers, the various rooms display a vivid picture of a rural community.

everyday household items include diverse objects, from religious pieces sourced from a domestic chapel, to an intriguingly shaped non-mechanical soda-maker and kitchen appliances from the pre-electricity era.

Goa chitra goes beyond curating the past. it is a way for people to learn about their ancestors. once outside, the learning continues on Gomes’s sustainable farm where an old revived well is used for water, and bio-gas and solar power are the energy sources (open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily; www.goachitra.com; 0832-6570877).

Goa chakra is a new museum, curated by victor, that opens next door to Goa chitra on 18 May. it is dedicated to the “wheel” in all its forms, and showcases 68 carriages from around the country, and other related objects like the ashoka chakra, a charkha, and even children’s toys. on 18 april 2013, the indian postal Service will announce a series of stamps based on the museum’s collection of carriages. n

Curating Goa’s PastAn ethnogrAphic museum on An orgAnic fArm in goA

By ArundHAti rAy

Besides traditional agricultural implements, Goa Chitra museum (bottom right) has musical instruments, games, and religious artefacts (left) that together provide insight into Goan heritage; This wooden palanquin (top right) is part of a collection of ancient modes of transport.


NAVIGATETech Travel

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While most GPS units must be attached to the dashboard, modern cars now come with in-built units integrated into the console.

More than finding your way, i like to believe that a GpS gives you the freedom to get lost. You can explore whatever road you want, take any

turn you desire, and run haphazard circuits on a network of crisscrossing roads, all without worrying about finding your way back. When you’re done exploring, just feed in the address of your destination and the GpS will provide precise instructions on how to get there.

in india especially, where roads are often unmarked, and accurate printed maps are hard to find, up-to-date GpS devices can make a driving holiday stress-free.

What is it?

GpS stands for Global positioning System, which consists of a radio wave-receiving device that finds your destination by receiv-

By Rishad saam mehta

The Freedom to Get LostLife on the road is Less stressfuL with a good gPs Leading the way

ing signals from satellites orbiting about 21,000 kilometres above the earth’s surface. these satellites are geostationary or geo-synchronous, which means they orbit at the same speed as the earth’s rotation; hence they have a fixed location. By sending radio signals from this location, the satellites can electronically “tell” your GpS receiver where the address is.

hoW does it Work?

Most GpS receivers are preloaded with maps of the country where they are purchased. they also have a slot for an SD card, on which additional maps can be loaded. a device meant for a car usually has a mount that attaches to the windscreen or dashboard with a suction cup. the inputs to the device are via a touch screen or in advanced models, through voice

commands. the GpS already knows the current location. the simplest way to use it, is to feed in the destination address, and follow the route shown through 3D maps and voice-guided directions. there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Make sure you input the correct base address, for example, the state. otherwise when you search for M.G. road in Ben-galuru it might point you to M.G. road in Delhi, 2,000 km to the north.

• Sometimes a road may be marked on the map by an official name that you don’t know. the most reliable way of entering an address is by using the geographical coordinates. You can easily find these on Google Maps.

• there are options for route guidance like “Shortest road”, “Fastest time”, “avoid tolls” and “avoid Motorways”. the shortest

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NAVIGATETech Travel

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road option usually goes through narrow streets and bumpy bylanes. i’ve found that using “Fastest time” works better.

• in addition to the route, the GpS also shows the total distance to the destination, expected duration of the journey, and the average speed at which you’re travelling.

• Some advanced maps can tell when there is a speed camera coming up and warn the driver if the car is speeding. others sense the lane you’re using and advise changing lanes if the map indicates a turn ahead.

there’s more…

Besides giving the route, GpS receivers can serve a few other interesting functions. they can point out “places of interest” along the way, like a museum or amusement park. the “Utilities” menu can find the closest atM or fuel pump along the route, while the “eating places” menu is useful when you need a bite. the “emergency Service” option provides details of the nearest fire station, hospital, and police station. You can even personalise the maps, adding your favourite spots and any idyllic picnic points you find along the way, so you can make your way back later or share the coordinates with a friend.

Most new GpS devices are Bluetooth enabled, which allows pairing with smart-phones. So when they throw up the address of a restaurant or an emergency service, all you have to do is tap the phone number on the screen to call through the phone.

Which one should you get?

there are two expenses involved in purchas-ing a GpS that buyers must keep in mind. one is the device itself and the other is the

map. While you might get your first map free, it will require regular updates that may come at a charge.

currently, the biggest player for GpS de-vices in the indian market is Mapmyindia. their maps are very comprehensive. they have a series of GpS devices ranging from the lx340 (`8,990) to the very smart car-pad 5 (`19,990) that runs on an android platform, and has 3G, Wi-Fi, and a 5-inch touchscreen. this serves as a tablet when not being used as a GpS.

Garmin, one of the two most popular GpS systems in the world, sells their devices in india. they currently offer free lifetime maps with their devices, and route guidance in up to 10 indian languages. their nuvi range of devices (from `8,400) is compact and easy to use.

the other popular GpS maker is tomtom. they also offer free lifetime maps for india right now and their bestselling series is the tomtom via (from `10,000), which matches the nuvi in ease of use and display.

caution

• Mount the GpS device so that it doesn’t obstruct your view.

• never try to input addresses on the move. Some GpS devices have a safety feature that doesn’t let you in-put data when the car is moving. Keep this feature enabled.

• never save your home address as “home” in your GpS. Should your car get stolen while you are travelling, the device will direct the thief straight to your house.

• Don’t park the car with the device prominently displayed, it’ll only tempt

thieves.

•Since GpS receivers need a clear line of sight to the satellites, they might sometimes prove to be inaccurate when driving in a city crowded with skyscrapers or through mountainous country. always carry a conventional map as standby. if you have internet enabled on your phone Google Maps is also a good backup option. n

On the Map

a gps device is only as useful as the map you put on it. most devices by garmin, mapmyindia, and tomtom come preloaded with maps of the country you purchased the device in, which receive frequent downloadable updates that are free. installing or updating the maps is fairly simple, and can be done either by using your device’s pc software suite, or copying the files to an sd card. if you’re going on a road trip abroad, you need to purchase maps for the country in question, which are usually priced between `2,000-6,000. keep in mind that any map package can only be used for one device, so if you have two car navigation units, you’ll need to purchase two packages. there is a degree of cross-compatibility with devices and maps, which allows you to use third-party maps, i.e. it is possible to buy maps from mapmyindia and use them on a garmin gps device. purchased maps have a lifetime validity, and most are eligible for free updates for as long as you use them.GPS isn’t just limited to cars. Devices are also available for motorbikes and even boats, which

come with their own set of nautical charts.

IN FOCUSMusical Journeys


At dawn, before the crowds arrive, the otherwise crowded Kedar ghat takes on a serene, ponderous tone.

Varanasi


Text by Simar PreeT Kaur | Photographs by aShima narain

Few cities can match the intensity and timelessness one finds in Varanasi’s ghats and gullies

The musical sounds of

IN FOCUSMusical Journeys


Dasaswamedh ghat is the most sacred of Varanasi’s many ghats. Priests perform the Ganga aarti here every evening.


Varanasi

on a February morning Varanasi is still dark. At

six, the smell of camphor wafts out of every house following the morning aarti. On Ram ghat, Laxman Baba lays out his makeshift kitchen and sets about preparing hot chai. Soon after, the mist begins to clear and the sun rises, lighting up India’s oldest city. I know of no better setting to contemplate eternity.

When i first visited varanasi, however, i found not a moment to listen to my own thoughts. as i made my way from the railway sta-tion to Dasaswamedh ghat, i saw lord Shiva, clad in tiger skin and holding a trident. he smiled at me and said, “Konnichi wa!”—“Good day” in Japanese. no one besides me seemed surprised by his presence. apparently the Japanese man was a regular on the ghat. as i walked further into the gullies, there seemed to be an endless stream of madness. here a group of Koreans ordering paneer-banana dosas, there a sadhu preaching in Spanish. Monkeys above, cows below; don’t mess with either, they say. on that trip, i was accompa-nied by eric newby’s Slowly Down The Ganges. Fortunately, Kashi, as the city is also known, turned out to be more exciting than the book would have you believe. after a particularly exasper-ating chapter, i considered flinging it into the Ganga, but stopped myself; there are things even gods don’t need to be subjected to. like other visitors, i jostled my way through queues at the Kashi vishwanath Mandir and took a sunset boat ride, but eventually i chose walking over being a floating spectator.

i realised the city has its own rhythm, and if you look closely, you too can feel its song. it’s possible to know its local heroes and daily routines, to tell who’s a new arrival and who knows how to navigate the labyrinth. at 4.30 a.m., my neighbour in the guesthouse would begin chanting the Durga Sapta Shloki mantra, making for the most melodious beginning to any day. Step-ping out for breakfast i’d pass by the Bihari labourer who is known to Kashivasis for singing old Bollywood tracks loudly through the day as he ferries vegetables and eggs from vendors to shops. though out of tune, his relentless vocalising makes everyone smile. the evenings would often be lit up by impromptu jamming of anything from the hang (hang drum) or violin to tabla on the ghats, and nights would end with the last aarti of the day at Kashi

vishwanath Mandir. From dawn to dusk, there are sitars being tuned, sarods rehearsed,

tablas mastered, the nuances of various ragas are being discussed. here in a music school a woman learns to sing classic ragas, there on a narrow roof overlooking the vast river two dancers fuse kathak and flamenco. i never went for Ganga aarti on the main ghat again, not

when there is an offering of art being made to god at every second step.

classical music echoes everywhere. it reminds me of the city’s heritage that goes far back in time, a living impres-sion of its ancientness. it is in the tem-ples, the weekly music concerts held in restaurants, in the music played on the ghats and rooftops, in the large-scale annual festivals, in the music shops, and in guesthouses. Sarangi, tabla, shehnai, tanpura, sitar, sarod, santoor, and flute form a part of Kashi’s legacy, left behind by virtuosos like pandit ravi Shankar, pandit Gopal Mishra, Ustad Bismillah Khan, and Girija Devi—all previous residents. here it is possible to listen to the complexi-ties of the Banaras gharana in a divine setting where the guru-shishya par-ampara (teacher-student tradition) is still alive, and where laypeople have the chance to experience music closely.

away from the ghats of Kashi lies a neighbourhood few tourists frequent, at the centre of which, 500 years ago, sat a Muslim weaver who wrote poetry that would challenge and alter the city’s religious fabric. he was Kabir, and the neighbourhood where he preached came to be known as Ka-

bir chaura. Kabir chaura, along with the nearby ramapura area, is home to an overwhelmingly large number of illustrious musicians.

this unassuming network of gullies is the very heart of the Banaras gharana; where it was founded, where its greatest musician-families thrived, and where they created their greatest compositions. Kathak storytellers and Kabir panthis still live in this musicians’ mohalla and

Pilgrims light thousands of diyas on the Ganga’s waters every day. It is believed that the ritual can make wishes come true.

IN FOCUS


Musical Journeys

keep the centuries-old traditions alive. pandit ram Sahai founded the Banaras gharana style of playing tabla in Kabir chaura over 200 years ago, and his legacy has been carried forward by other tabla virtuosos, such as pandit Sharda Sahai (his great-great-grandson), pandit Samta prasad, and pandit Kishan Maharaj, who also lived here.

one of pandit Sharda Sahai’s senior disciples is tim richards, who tells me of his first visit to Kabir chaura back in 1976, when he followed his guruji here from rhode island in the US. he recalls a neighbourhood of dark alleys where bullock carts plied and musical notes resounded from nearly every house. For a whole year he lived in this closely-knit community, through foggy winter and sweltering summer, experiencing the delicate guru-shishya tradition first-hand. today, while he tours the world, he still considers Kashi to be the finest place to play a concert. “it is a pleasure because of the educated audi-ence—everyone understands music. one bad note and people visibly squirm; you are pushed to be your very best for the best audience. it is the acid test!” richards says.

With richards, i met anish Mishra, a young sarangi player from Kabir chaura, born into a family of musicians. he studies under pandit Kanhaiyalal Mishra, a disciple of sarangi player pandit hanu-man prasad Mishra. the latter’s sons pandits rajan and Sajan Mishra are world-famous for their improvisations, and for their spiritual sing-ing, ranging from the khayal style of the Banaras gharana to bhajans.

anish took it upon himself to acquaint me with Banarasi mizaaz (temperament), which he insists is unique. Besides recommending the best paanwala in the city (Keshav tambul paan Bhandaar), he also spoke for hours about the multiple Banarasi styles of music. When i asked where and when i could find a good concert, his response was

poetic, “is there a particular time to eat really? You feel hungry you eat, we feel like listening to music, we play.”

Some of varanasi’s musical traditions have faded over the years. local organisations such as Kashi Sangeet Samaj (which is over 100 years old) and Sangeet parishad Kashi are attempting to revive the baithak, for instance. Gulab bari is another such dying tradition. it is a musical event that usually takes place in a rose garden during the week following holi. it’s a beautiful setting—men dressed in white, women in pink, thumri singers enchanting the audience as rose petals are showered on them, and paan and thandai served to celebrate the arrival of spring. anish spoke fondly of the tradition of bajras. Bajras are large boats, on which concerts are held at night during the Dev Deepavali or Budhwa Mangal celebrations. the performances could last all night, often with smaller boats floating alongside.

to the south of Kabir chaura is the sprawling Banaras hindu Uni-versity. it has nurtured a long line of scholars including famously harivansh rai Bachchan, and the musician Bhupen hazarika. it also houses the Bharat Kala Bhavan, a museum set up in 1920 with tagore as its honorary chairman. Besides objects showcasing india’s archaeo-logical and artistic heritage, it has a gallery dedicated to the russian artist nicholas roerich, who spent many years in this country.

Kashi’s annual Dhrupad Mela, which takes place on tulsi ghat, is an experience no connoisseur of hindustani classical music should miss. the complex vocal genre of dhrupad is considered the oldest and pur-est hindustani musical style. the unique festival preserves a music tradition and showcases the finest dhrupad musicians. ritwick San-yal, who trained under the famous Dagar brothers, is a leading dhru-pad singer who has performed at the Dhrupad Mela every year since

Banaras Hindu University’s department of performing arts has been training students in traditional dance forms since 1949.

its inception in 1975. he is the former dean and the current head of the university’s department of vocal music.

i spoke to Sanyal just after he had spent three nights awake, per-forming and listening at the 2013 festival. he explained Dhrupad’s historical context with the reverence that i recognised as a trademark Kashi trait. “it isn’t just a festival,” he said, “…it is a dialogue between musicians and audience. Kashi is the cultural capital of india and, considering that Dhrupad’s themes mostly revolve around deities, it is only natural that the festival would begin here as an ode to Maha Shiv-aratri. Dhrupad is vipassana (meditation), performed out of love...the musicians who sing here do so out of generosity and not for money.”

every musician i met took me deeper into the musical web of Kashi, which defies simple classification. “Good or bad, there is always mu-sic in Banaras,” said tomas Jacquot, a French musician learning sitar. Back home he had played the piano and guitar, but after attending a sitar recital, he decided to make his way to Kashi. that was in 2001. after six years of trial and error to find the right guru, he found one in Ustad imrat Khan, whose great grandfather Ustad Sahebdad Khan invented the surbahar, an instrument closely related to the sitar. to-mas calls Kashi the “city of music” because, he feels it offers the perfect ambience to practice music.

the presence of the holy Ganga adds to the charm, says Jordi prats, a 28-year-old Spaniard whom i met on a rooftop overlooking the timeless river. his daily rehearsals gave me a taste of what was to me, the unknown and complex universe of hindustani classical music. in 2006, Jordi traded his jazz guitar for a lifelong quest for knowledge of the sarod. his guru, pandit Shib Das chakraborty, studied under the tutelage of pandit Jotin Bhattacharya, a leading disciple of the legend-

ary sarod maestro Ustad alauddin Khan of the Maihar gharana. Jordi spoke passionately about the intimate relationship between

guru and student, built over years, transcending all monetary and cultural differences. he is somewhat sceptical of some of the music schools in the city that tend to dilute quality with “shortcuts” that he believes cannot exist in learning classical music. he returns to varanasi every year, knowing his pursuit is endless, knowing that his guruji who has been playing for over 40 years still does not take on the title of pandit before his name. “this music isn’t for everyone; one can’t just start jamming in the living room with classical instruments... this isn’t the Beatles,” he said.

there are stories of profound relationships with vanarasi’s music at every step. veli peltonen, a musician from Finland, told me of Gianni ricchizzi, an italian who has been studying the vi-chitra veena and coming to Kashi for 35 years. he is one of few people who still play the ancient instrument. veli himself is a blues guitarist who has been coming to india for decades to learn the sitar. another musician i met in varanasi was colin leBlanc, who came from turkey in search of an instrument that creates the Middle eastern spir-itual sounds he so likes. he takes santoor classes in an ashram in the winter, and retreats to a Buddhist monastery in Sikkim in summer. Kono Maremoto, on the other hand, is a flautist from el Salvador who lives in rishikesh but visits Kashi every year to buy what he swears are the world’s finest flutes.

on one hand, it is a pleasure to hear a distinctly classical sound defining a city, on the other there is the fusion of the classical with foreign influences that many musicians bring. “Fusion is unavoidable to a certain extent, every famous classical maestro has done it at some

Raju Mishra, a flute seller at Ghoda ghat, says he spends his afternoons teaching foreigners how to play the flute.

Varanasi


IN FOCUS


Musical Journeys

Tabla player Tim Richards (left) performs with sarangi player Anish Mishra. The duo have toured the country together, and speak fondly of Varanasi’s Kabir Chaura as their favourite place for a performance.

point,” says ravi tripathi, a tabla player and Kashi resident who runs the Baba School of Music. at a concert by the violinist pandit Sukhdev prasad Mishra, i met didgeridoo player eliah Jasper from holland, who has travelled to india especially to record with local musicians. all the different musical sounds of Kashi that i had experienced drew me back to the city much after i left it physically.

i returned to Kashi at the end of last year, this time with prem-chand’s Sevasadan, and a different city emerged—one of courtesans with lilting melodies, a city with a tangibly humane, contradictory side to it. the story’s social context remains true of Kashi even today.

it was new Year’s eve and there were at least six hindustani classi-cal concerts in progress, open to anyone with even the slightest incli-nation for deeply meditative music at midnight. Satyajit ray’s Apara-jito was being screened at several guesthouses; it is something of a rite of passage here and rightly so. Black-and-white images projected on the rooftop tank evoke an emotional connection with the most sea-soned of travellers. the film makes a deep impression simply for its beautifully poignant portrayal of Kashi’s gullies and ghats which, 57 years on, remain largely unchanged.

there are nearly 100 ghats in Kashi and i love to walk from end to end, with many chai breaks in between. the city is thought to be more than 2,500 years old, and many travellers feel overwhelmed upon ar-rival. Kashi is older than Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata. it looks its age despite its changing cityscape; the architectural and cultural texture of the narrow gullies inspires time travel. in one of those gullies in Bengali tola i stop at the new Millennium World class Bidi Shop. on their extra-large bidi packs are printed words of wisdom that varanasi as a city articulates: “Smoking and any bad habit is injurious to health

but when you reach the heart of life you shall find beauty in all things.”on these ghats, the great poet Mirza Ghalib, who arrived by boat

from allahabad, wrote Chirag-e-Dair, a lyrical ode to Banaras. al-len Ginsberg wrote many poems about Dasaswamedh ghat; Jorge luis Borges wrote about Kashi without ever visiting the city. in an-other century, Mark twain commented on its incredibly antiquity, and Kashi’s own sons like premchand, Kabir, and tulsi Das narrated tales of the city’s cultural, religious, and social milieu.

Kashi’s spirituality blends with art and knowledge, its learned at-mosphere attracts storytellers and students. Sanskrit scholars, en-chanted poets, sitar maestros, silk weavers, social workers, documen-tary filmmakers, musicians, painters, and graffiti artists merge with crowds of pilgrims. every few ghats, i see a painter attempting to cap-ture Kashi’s sweeping panorama.

how can there be such a flood of intensity in one place? that’s what i like about Kashi—it inspires. every traveller wants to be surprised, and Kashi doesn’t disappoint. i don’t think it is possible to be mildly accepting of Kashi: it’s either love or loathing all the way. if i had a sin-gle musical bone in my body, i too would be a student of music here, but for now i satisfy myself with riverside ramblings. on the ghats of Kashi i can sense all the creative gods it has nurtured.

During my month-long stay i learnt the art of kite-flying and got to know the postmaster fairly well. i became a silent companion to lax-man Baba’s sunrise chai ritual.

i’m wary of revisiting places i’ve loved in the past, scared that the mayhem of progress will have spread its tentacles deeper. But it looks like varanasi will outlast this era too. it seems impervious to the multi-tudes that pass by en route to earthly or heavenly destinations. n

Varanasi


Follow the musicThere is live music throughout the year in Varanasi, but October to April is the peak season, when concerts are held nearly every week.

How to find a concert

• The frequency of concerts in Kashi is very high, but not all of them are planned in advance and advertised. Inquire with locals or plan your trip during the bigger festivals.

• Barring a few exceptions, all concerts are free, especially the best ones.

• Check the local newspapers for announcements of bigger concerts. In narrow gullies, keep an eye out for posters advertising smaller ones at music schools.

Main festivals Dhrupad Mela: Celebrating

the nuances of one of the most ancient forms of Hindustani classical music, the famous festival is held annually over three nights around Maha Shivaratri at Tulsi Ghat. It is attended by music aficionados from around the world (next 26-28 February, 2014).

• Sankat Mochan Music Festival: Concerts held across five days and nights at the Sankat Mochan Temple feature many accomplished musicians. This one is the oldest music festivals of Kashi (next 29 April-3 May 2013).

• Ganga Mahotsav: Organised by Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department, Ganga Mahotsav is held during Diwali over five days

and features many local classical music maestros (next 13-16 November 2013).

Smaller venues

• Kashi Sangeet Samaj, Sangeet Parishad Kashi, Kala Prakash, Jnana Pravaha, Nagari Natak Mandali, and Pandit Ram Sahai Foundation are all organisations of repute that put in effort into organising concerts on a regular basis and also keep traditions such as gulab bari alive.

• Banaras Hindu University organises concerts every Thursday from August to February, providing a platform to its students as well as inviting visiting musicians to play.

• Memorial concerts are common in Kashi, such as the Annual Ashu Babu Memorial

Tabla School Concert held in March as a tribute to Pt. Ashutosh Bhattacharya, a tabla maestro from Kashi.

• Ganges View Hotel in Assi Ghat is a heritage hotel that organises quality weekly concerts and music lectures between October and March (entry up to `300). Most music schools and local restaurants also organise small-scale concerts through winter.

• International Music Ashram near Dasaswamedh Ghat is one such popular institution that has concerts every Wednesday and Saturday (entry `100).

• Many long-term music students stay in and around Assi Ghat, so concerts and spontaneous jams are common in the guesthouses here.

THE GUIDE

Shivala ghat was built by Raja Balwant Singh in honour of Lord Shiva. Along

with bathing in the waters, the chief attraction is a wonderfully-maintained

19th century palace constructed by Nepalese king Sanjay Vikram Shah.

JourneysQuest


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On TinTin’s Trail ThrOugh Brussels

the building with cream and grey exteriors served as the model for the King of Syldavia’s palace when hergé, the creator of tintin, set his legendary boy-detective off on another adven-ture. i’d loved to have explored the grand struc-ture but visitors are allowed inside only during the summer, and autumn was just beginning. i tightened my woolly red scarf and crossed the wide cobbled street to enter the Brussels Garden.office-goers with packed lunches were trickling in. there seemed to be no doubt that this was the park in which tintin found the suitcase that led him to the mystery that unfolded in the comic book King Ottokar’s Sceptre.

i was walking around Brussels on a mission: i wanted to see the places that inspired hergé, the author and illustrator of the tintin series, when he was conjuring up tintin’s exciting plots. as fans know, hergé was actually Georges remi, who created his pen name by reversing his ini-tials, which in French are pronounced er-jay. i am a new fan, but i’ve been hooked on the adventures of the “world’s no. 1 reporter” from the day i began reading them, a year before i visited Brussels. tintin is the perfect mix of traveller and detective. he goes around the world to report crime, works around numerous unexpected setbacks, and walks out only after solving them. his adventures stir the travel bug in me. incredibly though, i learnt that hergé, who passed away in 1983, had never actually travelled to most of the places he wrote about.

i’d arrived at the garden in the company of Stuart tett, who is part of an elite group of tinti-nologists, as people who spend a lot of time stud-ying hergé and his work are called. “But even

big fans of tintin and collectors are included in this group,” said Stuart, who writes the bonus features for a new lot of tintin comics that will soon be published. he works at Moulinsart, the company that owns rights to all of hergé’s work, and is based in the same office as he once was.

Stuart had handed me a tintin trail map, on which he had scribbled some additional infor-mation. We followed part of the map together and passed Boutique tintin, a mural of tintin, Snowy, and captain haddock from The Calculus Affair on rue de Étuve, the Belgian comic Strip centre, the comic Strip house, the royal palace, and finally reached the Brussels Garden. on the way, i had noticed that most tourist shops had tintin memorabilia and that there was a new comic book café with a life-size statue of tintin standing outside. Many tourists were walking around with bright red tintin shop-ping bags sold at Boutique tintin, while most bookshops advertised tintin books in various lan-guages in their windows.

“it’s more than just com-mercial activity,” Stuart said. “Most people in Belgium have grown up reading tintin. Le Petit Vingtième, the daily newspaper that first published the strip, would quadruple its cir-culation on the days that The Adventures of Tintin appeared. after the first few adventures were printed in 1930-35, an actor dressed as tintin would

Brussels

as i stood in front of the royal Palace in Brussels, i could almost see tintin strolling in to look for clues that would lead him to king ottokar’s missing stave.

Le Petit Vingtième, the daily newspaper that

first published the strip, would quadruple its

circulation on the days that The Adventures of

Tintin appeared

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2 The Mannekin Pis, a Brussels landmarl, has a large wardrobe

and changes costumes every week. 3 Place du Jeu-de-Balle Square’s

flea market sells interesting secondhand books, paintings, and

antiques. 4 Royal Greenhouses of Laeken are part of the park on

the grounds of the royal residence which includes lakes, a golf

course, and pavilions. 5 Royal Belgian Mint issued a 10 Euro commemorative coin of Tintin

and Snowy on the former’s 75th birthday in 2004.

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where Hergé was born. 3 Elaborate window displays of handmade Belgian chocolates

entice customers to the numerous gourmet shops that dot the city. 4 Fresh waffles sprinkled with powdered sugar with a side of whipped cream are a popular

teatime snack in Belgium. 5 Stockel metro station has a long, colourful mural of Tintin and an

ensemble of characters from many of his adventures. 6 The Hergé

Museum in the town of Louvain-la-Neuve is built on stilts and must be

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What’s iN a Name?

Tintin and his faithful dog are

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out the world. The original comic,

in French, starred Tintin and Milou.

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Bobbie. As the comic reached more

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Tintin and Terry in Norway, and

Tintin and Kuttus in Bengal. The

Hindi version features the esca-

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arrive at Brussels’s main train station and the way the

crowds welcomed him was overwhelming. he was their hero.”

i said goodbye to Stuart at the Gare du Bruxelles-Midi. it is the biggest station in Belgium, with connections to Ger-many, the nether-lands, and many other countries. visitors entering

Belgium by train are welcomed by a gigantic

painting of tintin hanging from a train engine in the main

concourse.a 30-minute train ride took me to

the university town of lovain-la-neuve. after a two-minute walk past shops filled

with chattering students i arrived at the hergé Museum, which opened two years ago. around 100 schoolchildren were walking around taking notes and the ticket counter had a long queue. an audio guide can be hired at the gate but i didn’t take one since i was meeting Dominique Maricq, the author of nine books on hergé. he was one of the principal researchers who has worked on the museum’s exhibits.

if one is looking for tintin’s origins, it’s all here. there’s a model of the rocket ship from Explorers on the Moon and Destination Moon, a room with walls of tintin comics in differ-ent languages, and loads of interactive exhibits featuring quizzes, sounds effects, and short vide-os. the writer seemed to have taken a lot of inspi-ration from French journalist albert londres who often went undercover during his research. tintin’s appearance though, seems to be similar to hergé’s brother, paul remi.

Since hergé had not travelled to most of the places he sent tintin on his adventures, he spent months collecting newspaper articles about various countries. Several clippings, along with photos that inspired his drawings, are framed next to comic book panels at the museum. “We found literally thousands of newspaper cuttings in his studio, which is why the archiving process is taking years,” Dominique said. For the next two hours, i listened carefully to Dominique talking about hergé, the times he lived in, and the other characters he created.

When i walked out of the museum i knew all i had wanted to about the gen-esis of the detective journalist. i could see a deep love and respect for the writer and his creations in this city, and i felt an intense de-sire to go back home and reread my entire collection, with a new perspective. the people of hergé’s city really know how to keep their hero alive. n

Grand Place is the central square of Brussels and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was originally built to serve as a market area and is now a big tourist attraction because of its old architecture and the cafés and bars that fill its sidewalks. ©

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• the observatory in The Shooting Star is inspired by the Royal Observatory of Belgium.

• Stockel Metro Station has two colourful murals with several characters from tintin’s adventures.

• the famous arumbaya mascot from The Broken Ear can be seen at Cinquanteraire Museum. the exhibits also include an egyptian mummy similar to the one in The Seven Crystal Balls.

• Walloon Brabant is a pretty province on the outskirts of Brussels where hergé lived for many years. the landscape inspired the scenery in his books.

• hergé’s tomb can be found at the Diewig Cemetery.

• a plaque commemorating hergé’s birthplace can be found on 33 Rue Philippe Baucq in the town of etterbeek.

• Comic Village Café is a cosy restaurant with comic book panels on its walls, and a bookshop full of graphic novels on the lower level. outside, in Sablon Square, a life-size bronze statue of tintin and snowy was recently unveiled.

• On Rue Haute, there is a large mural of Quick and flupke, characters from hergé’s comic series for children.

•The first scene of the movie, The Adventures of Tintin, was filmed at the Place du Jeu de Balle flea market (open daily, shuts at 3 p.m.).

• One of the most popular railway stations in Brussels, the Gare du Midi features a tintin mural at the entrance.

• The first publishers of the Tintin books, Editions du Lombard, have a giant tintin and snowy sign on top of their office building.

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1. in 1993, the Brussels city council comissioned a series of Belgian comic book murals. among the works is a painting of tintin and captain haddock on Rue de L’Etuve.

2. Shop for books, bags, tees, and figurines at Boutique Tintin on Rue de la Colline, which stocks only official tintin memorabilia.

3. the Comic Strip House on Boulevard de l'Impératrice is dedicated to the evolution and popularity of Belgian comics.

4. meet iconic tintin characters at the Museum of Original Figurines, where several statues of hergé’s heroes can be seen.

5. La Monnaie is the theatre that inspired hergé’s drawings of the opera in The Seven Crystal Balls.

6. the Belgian Comic Strip Centre on Rue des Sables introduces visitors to the history of comics in Belgium. the museum has a permanent exhibition that traces a comic book’s creation from an idea to the finished product.

7. in King Ottokar’s Sceptre, Tintin finds an abandoned suitcase while strolling around the Park of Brussels.

8. across the park, is the Royal Palace, which inspired the home of the king of syldavia in King Ottokar’s Sceptre.

9. end the walk with a mug of chilled sour geuze (a kind of local beer) at Het Goudblommeke in Papier, a warm, old-style bar that hergé frequented.

off the walking trail

the tintin trail

A life-size statue of Tintin welcomes visitors to Comic Village Café.

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Pushing the limitsGetting on a bike puts you in close touch with your surroundings—

and yourself | Text & Photographs By Neelima VallaNgi

GET GOINGactive Holiday


We glided swiftly towards a herd of sambar which had moved gracefully from the thick woods to the road. the

animals looked just as curious as us. We watched them and they watched us. they didn’t budge until a friend swooshed past me. one giant leap and they were back in the jungle, blending effortlessly with the surroundings.

animal sightings are common enough during drives through national parks, but today’s encounter seemed more special. i wasn’t hiding behind tinted glass, nor whizzing past on a motorbike. We were pedalling through Mudumalai national park on bicycles, attempting to climb all the way to ooty, which sat pretty high at 2,200 metres above sea level.

though a cycle might not be as fast as a motorised vehicle, it is quick enough to be a practical way to get around—and it’s eco-friendly. i like cycling to places because i get enough time to observe things around me. in fact, just the act of climbing on my bike seems to make me more aware of my surroundings. i have time to take in the views, notice the breeze, the heat, maybe

even catch a glimpse of a Malabar giant squirrel jumping high up in the canopy.

the first time i tried cycling for pleasure was when i rode through the forests of Goa for five days. i was intrigued by thick tyres, gears, off-roading, and mountain biking in general. it seemed magical, the speed at which i was able to dash over the rocky forest trail in Bhagwan Mahavir national park in southern Goa. i remember the exhilaration i felt riding up a short 20-minute incline in the lowest gear. it was an achievement that has inspired me to take on more ambitious climbs.

that’s how i found myself in Mudumalai 18 months after Goa, with an enormous mountain ahead of me, pedalling uphill in the afternoon heat. i was with nine other cyclists on a trip organised by Bangalore ascenders. the initial ride through gently sloping forest roads had been vastly enjoyable. But by mid-afternoon, i found myself at the base of an ascent that would involve an astounding 36 hairpin bends. this route is more famously known by cyclists as the Kalhatty climb. characterised by its unforgiving gradient, it is frequented by cyclists training for

endurance races. however, i was a weekend rider who

had done only ten trips before this. in no time i was riding on the lowest possible gear on the cycle, which made pedalling easier though progress was slow. at times, walking would have been faster than the speed i was cycling at. But i drew unexpected strength from passersby. Motor cyclists gave us thumbs-up signs, and kids peering through car windows cheered us on. “all the best,” they shouted. Some people got out of their cars to encourage us, and to refill our water bottles.

Unlikely motivation came from the signboards counting down the decreasing number of hairpin bends as we struggled uphill. the harsh afternoon sun had given way to a cool evening mist. the last mile was the toughest. i simply didn’t have it in me to pedal any more. as the sun set, the blue sky turned crimson and we were still 12 km away from ooty. i walked my cycle along the last few twisting turns. a few gruelling hours of pushing our limits and 70 km later, ten of us reached ooty after dark.

the next morning brought redemption. We would enjoy the fruits of our laborious

The gentle hairpin bends of the Western Ghats are a delight for downhill riding. The joy of

coasting downhill tempts most riders to take on the challenge of cycling in the Ghats.

Cycling


Chinnar-Munnar-Thekkady Starting from Chinnar National Park, this route gradually climbs through forest and tea plantations to reach Munnar, travelling 50 km on the first day. The second day brings rolling terrain that traverses along several hillocks through the rainforests of Periyar Reserve to finally reach Thekkady, at a distance of 110 km. The never-ending ups and downs of Kerala will keep those who like challenges occupied the entire weekend. Lucky riders may spot the endangered grizzled giant squirrel or the Niligiri tahr (150 km; challenging; road bike-friendly).

Madikeri-Mandalpatti-Kushalnagar Known for its coffee plantations, the mountains of Madikeri offer beautiful routes for those who do

not want to sweat it out. If leisurely rides along rivers, fields, and grasslands are your thing, Madikeri is the place to be. For the adventurous, the climb to Mandalpatti offers a chance to try off-roading skills on the broken road. Those who want to ride up to Mandalpetti Peak will need a mountain bike or hybrid. The next day take a lazy ride to reach Kushalnagar via Harangi backwaters (80 km; moderate).

Bandipur-Kalhatty/Gudalur-Ooty-Bandipur Passing through three wildlife reserves (Bandipur, Mudumalai, and Masinagudi), the route to Ooty is a delightful alternative for anyone who wants to escape the crowds at the popular hill station and yet witness its natural beauty. While passing through these parks, you

are likely to encounter wildlife. Of the two routes to Ooty, Kalhatty is shorter but tougher, while the climb through Gudalur is more gradual and enjoyable (170 km; moderate to challenging depending on route chosen; road bike-friendly).

Belur-Mullayangiri-Baba Budangiri-Kemmangundi Mullayangiri is the highest peak in Karnataka at 1,900 m above sea level. The switchbacks on it climb gradually and one can enjoy the vast open views of the forests below. The route to Kemmangundi skirts the grassy slopes of the mountains. Little traffic makes this a delightful ride through nature. If you ride via Attigundi, the wild yet shorter trail through Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary is entertaining (120 km; moderate; requires mountain or hybrid bike).

climb by cycling downhill. i let my eyes wander to catch the rays of light streaming through the eucalyptus trees lining the road. We were riding towards Bandipur through Gudalur, past dried lake beds, dams, tea gardens, and lots of trees. We tried our off-roading skills (not very successfully) by a lake. Sitting by the blue waters, we watched the ripples and made plans for our next ride. then we got back on to our bikes because we had 100 km to travel before we could call it a day.

the brilliantly winding switchbacks ensured i didn’t have to pedal. Gravity was taking me downhill effortlessly. all i had to do was keep a firm hand on the brake and avoid oncoming vehicles. With the wind in my hair, it didn’t take long before i threw caution to the wind. at one sharp turn, i could sense i was losing control of the bike. i felt the rush of blood to my head when i let go of the bike and landed on my shoulder. the helmet saved me. it could’ve been a dangerous fall, but apparently the universe was teaching me a lesson.

there was only minor damage. the chain had slipped off the crank. i smiled as i put it back on. i adjusted my helmet with greasy hands and took off again. composed, and in better control now, i learnt my lesson on when to apply the brakes and how to control speed.

as we cycled 170 km in two days, the scenery unravelled as if in slow motion. i felt the cool mist rolling in, i noticed young people playing volleyball in the grasslands, i felt every pothole and the wind in my hair.

wEEkENd cyclING ROuTEs IN ThE sOuTh

Frequent breaks give riders ample opportunity to enjoy and photograph the landscape (left); Cycling trails in Bhagwan Mahavir National Park in Goa (right) require riders to cross several streams. After a night spent camping in the forest, the early morning offers dramatic views.

i heard the silence of the mountain and the song of the forest. i relished the sweat dripping off my forehead.

Why do i take difficult cycle rides? For the same reason people run marathons

and climb mountains. the satisfaction that comes from pushing one’s limits can’t be explained. But most of all, you’re most alive when you can feel pain in every muscle you didn’t even know you had. n

ThE GuIdE

KnOw yOur BiKe

Mountain Terrain Bikes or MTBs are built to handle rough terrain. They come with good suspension and thick tyres that provide extra traction while riding on mud trails. Road bikes are built sleek to boost performance and race against the wind, but only on tarmac. Hybrid bikes are a cross between the two. They can handle trails and are fast on tarmac (to an extent).

whaT TO Carry

Riding these trails and tackling climbs requires a geared bike. A helmet is essential protection against falls. So are cycling gloves, as one tends to stop a fall with one’s palms. Cycling shorts will be helpful for a comfortable ride if riding long distances. Since cycling is a rigorous workout, it is important for riders to keep themselves sufficiently hydrated to avoid muscle cramps.

whaT TO expeCT

hurting behinds Cyclists have to deal with the rather unavoidable pain of a sore bottom after their first long ride. The pain can be minimised with

padded cycling shorts, gel seats, and bicycle adjustments. Riders get used to it and get over the soreness soon enough.

Challenging climbs The Western Ghats are home to some of the most beautiful and highest peaks in the south, so sharp climbs are to be expected on most of the routes. The climbs will be challenging and will require a certain amount of physical fitness and preparation.

Joyous downhills What goes up must come down. The first day’s toil will pay off the next day. You will reap rewards in the form of wonderful downhill rides that go on and on.

Beautiful vistas Leave behind the honking, traffic, and polluted city air. Expect scenic views and lungs full of fresh air. Lush forests, shimmering lakes, verdant tea gardens, sprawling grasslands, and misty mountain tops are a common sight during rides through these mountains.

SeaSOn

Apart from the summer months (March to May), any other time is good for cycling

in the Western Ghats. The post-monsoon period is ideal: the mountains and forests are green and the weather pleasant. Winters can get really cold as you gain altitude. If you can handle the rain and the constant dampness, the monsoons (June-September) are a wonderful time to witness the magical transformation of the mountains.

OperaTOrS

Bangalore ascenders is a non-profit group run by adventure enthusiasts. They organise cycling tours, in addition to treks, and volunteering camps all across India. Besides having a good time, trips promote eco-awareness. Since tours aren’t commercial and participation is voluntary, the cost of each trip is split equally amongst all participants. My trip cost 1,500 (www.bangaloreascenders.org; schedules and registrations online).

Bengaluru-based Cycling and More organises regular weekend rides in the Western Ghats. Participants must have their own bicycles and riding gear. CAM takes care of transporting the bikes

and providing food and accommodation during the trip, as well as a support vehicle for emergencies or if a rider gets too tired en route (www.cyclingandmore.com; weekend tours start at `4,000).

Cycloadventure is a Goa-based outfit that creates biking tours that help discover the natural beauty of the state in an eco-friendly way. They plan the trail, take care of all arrangements as well as provide mountain bikes (www.facebook.com/cycloadventure; call Roshan on 89751-45277/ Puja on 83086-00699; weekend tours start at `2,000).

Muddy Boots offers one-day and multi-day cycling tours to suit individual preferences. Trips are to unexplored destinations in Wayanad, Malabar, Nilgiris, and Coorg. They provide an imported bike and riding gear, support vehicle, snacks, accommodation, and a knowledgeable guide who can handle emergencies (www.muddyboots.in; weekend tours start at `5,000).

In Bengaluru, bikes can also be rented at www.ecowagon.in and www.veloinvillage.in starting at `500 per day.

GET GOINGactive Holiday


There’s nothing quite like the rush of success after a tough uphill climb, such as this one en

route to Munnar. Hard work is rewarded with a ride through beautiful tea gardens.


dire straitsPhayre’s Leaf Monkey

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Wide EyedSpectacled monkeyS occupy the canopy in tripura | By Natasha sahgaL

Walking through tripura’s forests one may encounter a tall, thin monkey that appears to stare at visitors through spectacles. White circles frame the eyes

of the phayre’s leaf monkey, giving it the local name, chashma bandar. if the glasses are not unusual enough, one with a baby in its arms looks even more curious. this grey monkey’s babies have bright orange hair, and can easily be mistaken for

orangutan infants. although the orange colour makes it easy for parents to keep an eye on the playful youngsters, it is rare to spot a baby by itself. Friends and relatives love babysitting and pampering young ones, who will almost always be with an adult. their hair darkens at about three months, which is when they start to become independent. as it is with other primate habitats in northeast india, the destruction of forests for tea plantations is a big reason

for the disappearance of the phayre’s leaf monkey. it is unclear how many of these endearing creatures roam in the wild but they are currently seen only in two indian states. While Silchar in Assam has forested pockets where they live, the best places to see them are the Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary and Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary in Tripura. take an early morning walk in the jungles to see the monkeys strolling on the ground looking for soft leaves for breakfast. n

Short breakFrom Mumbai


Offshore Adventures

Discover the Malvani coastline by diving headfirst into Devbagh’s magical waters | By Neha SumitraN

In 1765, the British captured Sindhudurg fort by shooting a cannon into the fort’s gunpowder room, triggering an explosion strong enough to create an opening. T

arkarli beach, with its soaring

casuarina groves and beach

cottages, gets plenty of good press:

It’s splashed on posters of Incredible

India!, advertised on radio channels in Mumbai,

and is mentioned in numerous guidebooks for

its talcum powder sands. Only a few minutes

to the south, is the small fishing village of

Devbagh which is often ignored. A shame

really, since it is far prettier. A narrow strip of

land, about the width of a four-lane highway, it

is flanked by the gentle River Karli on one side

and the azure waters of the Arabian Sea on the

other. At Devbagh’s tip, the water bodies meet

in a choppy confluence to the cacophony of a

hundred gossiping seagulls.

Devbagh beach is blissfully free of activity,

save for the occasional fishing boat hauling in

the day’s catch. At dawn, the ocean takes on a

silvery lavender hue, like a cloak of gossamer

silk. During the day it gleams blue, and at night,

the stars twinkle so fiercely bright, there is no

need for artificial light on the beach—not that

there is any. The village’s homes and hotels

turn in for the night well before the clock

strikes twelve.

But Devbagh’s sleepiness need not decree

the pace of a trip here. There’s plenty to do

both on and off shore. Sindhudurg’s island

fort and emerald-green snorkelling waters

are only ten minutes away. There are fishing

expeditions to take, sandy islands filled with

mangroves to discover, and frenzied fish

markets offering the best of Konkani bounty.

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The otherwise calm waters of the Karli River turn choppy at the confluence (left), when it meets the Arabian Sea; Cashew (right) is one of Malvan’s largest exports. The tender cashewnut is often curried with prawns.

EXPLORE

On fOOt With winding walls that snake

around the island on which it stands, the

imposing Sindhudurg (sindhu-sea, durg-fort)

fort can be seen for miles along either side of

the Malvani coastline. It was built in 1664 by

Shivaji, to keep the portuguese in goa at bay,

but also because the Maratha leader wanted

a sea fort of his own, to rival the impenetrable

fortress at Murud Janjira. Sindhudurg’s walls

are 35 feet high and eight feet thick. Its main

door is built at an angle, inside a narrow

corridor, making it impossible to batter down,

even with war elephants. Inside, there are

more legends to be heard: how the fort has

three freshwater wells despite its proximity

to the sea; the two-pronged coconut tree that

was struck down by lightning a few years ago

(pictures remain); and a small temple which,

to this day, has Shivaji’s untarnished hand and

footprints.

The shrine, built by Shivaji’s second son to

commemorate his father, is worth a visit, if

only to chat with Digambareshwant Sawant.

his family is the eighth generation of temple

caretakers. Sawant is a spritely, talkative old

gent and a fountain of knowledge on the old

Maratha king (how tall he was, how heavy his

sword was, what colour turban he preferred—

green, he claims). (Fort entry `50 per head;

open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. closed on public holidays;

guides available at fort entrance charge `200

for a 2-hour tour.)

Those who prefer beach-hopping can spend

the day at chiwla or nevati beaches. Chiwla,

near the town of Malvan, is known for its

sedate, almost non-existent waves, making it

perfect for a leisurely swim. The tetrapods that

line the shore might seem unsettlingly urban

to Mumbai residents, but they don’t take away

from chiwla’s charm.

There are two ways to get to nivati Beach:

by boat from Devbagh Jetty, which is the

quicker, more scenic route, or by car, which

takes longer but allows time for exploration

(boats charge `1,800 for the roundtrip and

don’t like to wait too long). nivati is among

the most beautiful beaches in Maharashtra.

Flanked by charcoal and red-coloured rocky

cliffs, the intimate cove has deep blue-green

waters and pebbled sand. On the shore, there

is a crystal-clear freshwater creek lined with

coconut trees and a small fishing village. There

aren’t any stores or restaurants, so pack a

travel-friendly meal when you visit. The nivati

kila (fort), a short trek away, is overgrown with

weeds but worth the uphill walk nonetheless,

for the exquisite views of the shoreline it

affords.

By BOat The best way to spend dawn in

Devbagh is to glide down the Karli, watching

the river’s many residents slowly waking up.

On one side, women wash clothes, fishermen

mend nets, and solemn-looking children in

navy school uniforms make their way to beach

shack schools. On the other shore, seagulls

peck at each other, terns peek out of their

mangrove homes, and shoals of flying fish

jump out of the water to greet the day. Boat

rides cover the length of the Karli till the

confluence of the river and the sea, where

there is a possibility of spotting dolphins. en

route guides point out MTDc houseboats,

Bhogave beach (another secluded stretch of

sand), Vengurla beach in the distance, and

tsunami Island, which is a sand bar that was

formed when the tsunami hit in 2004. Today

the little island is used for water sports such

as jet skiing, banana boating, and kayaking.

(Two-hour boat rides are available from

Devbagh and Tarkarli jetty, and cost `1,200 for

six people; `1,800 to extend till Nevati beach.

Water sports are from `300 per activity.)

The fishermen in Devbagh also offer fishing

trips (`600 per hour). note that this does not

mean visitors will get to fish, just that they

can watch the professionals at work. It’s still a

fulfilling experience, especially when you get

to take the just-caught barracuda back to the

hotel for dinner.

In the water The area’s star attraction is

the snorkelling at Malvan, which is carried

out by privately-owned boats in the waters

around Sindhudurg fort. Agents generally

trawl the Malvan pier, loudly advertising their

offers for “fort and snorkelling package deals”

(`1,200 for four people for an hour, includes

well-maintained equipment and entry charges

to the fort). There are numerous instructors

at the snorkelling point who helpfully explain

breathing techniques and accompany

inexperienced snorkellers.

The waters of the Malvan region (roughly

30 sq km) were declared a protected marine

Short breakFrom Mumbai


During the monsoon, the hillstation of Amboli, about an hour from Devbagh, attracts amphibian species such as this tree frog (top left); Devbagh’s little islands resonate with the cackle of seagulls (bottom left); Malvan’s fish market (right) has a daily auction between 7 and 9 a.m.

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area in 1987, and are rich in coral and other

sea life. The visibility is reasonably good, and

snorkellers can see shoals of zebra fish, green-

and pink-flecked parrot fish, spotted fish, angel

fish, and neon yellow butterfly fish. To see the

coral however, visitors will have to surface dive,

using an air pipe attached to a cylinder on the

boat. All boats have make-do changing rooms

on board. Surface dive charges additional

(`1,250 per head for 20 minutes).

The waters around the fort are most popular

with tourists; snorkelling is also available

deeper in the sea, near Tarkarli beach. These

trips however, are heavily dependent on

weather conditions and cannot be planned in

advance. Trip costs can be negotiated at the

Devbagh jetty.

STAY

A host of accommodation options have

mushroomed along the length of Devbagh

village. They range from humble homestays

to plush hotels. Tariffs during peak season

(november-February) are slightly higher.

Fantasea Beach Resort is a four-bedroom

guesthouse with sea-facing rooms

that open on to a beachside porch with

hammocks, wicker chairs, and a play area.

The air-conditioned rooms are clean and

comfortable, and the staff helpful. Simple,

home-style meals are cooked by Maria, the

caretaker, upon request (94043-44272; www.

fantaseabeachresort.com; doubles `2,000).

Rosary Paradise has sea-facing and road-

facing rooms, most of which have kitchenettes.

Rooms are clean, functional, and air-

conditioned (02365-248442; doubles `1,800).

Blue Water Resort is far fancier. The hotel

complex has a lobby, sculpted lawns, a

breakfast buffet, and rooms with swish

interiors, bouncy beds, and flat-screen

televisions. construction of a swimming pool is

underway (02365-248444; bluewaterresort.in;

doubles `3,000).

Sea Pearl Resort has rooms as well as cottages

suited for families of four. The slightly posh

hotel has room service, a multi-cuisine

restaurant, valet parking, and smartly

decorated rooms with a decidedly urban feel

(02365-248520; www.seapearlresort.com;

doubles `2,500).

Shri Saigajanan offers a view of the backwaters

of the Karli River. Rooms are very basic, and

Malvani meals are served on request (02365-

248512; saigajanan.com; doubles `1,500).

EAT

Take your cue from the chubby Malvani cats,

dozing around every corner—stick to seafood.

All hotels in Devbagh serve jevan (meals)

comprising fish (or chicken), koshimbir

(salad), chapatis or wades (thick, multigrain

puris), bhaath (rice), and sol kadi (coconut

milk and kokum drink). While these meals

are simple and delicious, the real catch is in

the bustling town of Malvan, credited with

bringing Maharashtrian seafood to Mumbai’s

shores in the late 1890s. At the time, most

workers employed in Mumbai’s textile mills

came from villages along the Konkan, and

from the towns of Malvan and Ratnagiri in

Sindhudurg. These labourers had no family,

very little money, and an acute craving for

fish curry, which led to the mushrooming of

cheap lunch homes in neighbourhoods like

parel and Dadar.

Many of these humble eateries continue


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Devbagh

Chiwla beach (left) is known for its equanimity, making it perfect for a long walk or swim; Malvan is known for its fresh, inexpensive seafood. White pomfret (right) is very popular with the locals.

Orientation Devbagh is a fishing village in the Sindhudurg district of southern Maharashtra. It is 540 km/9 hours south of Mumbai, and 8 km south of Malvan. Devbagh is just 5 km away from its better known neighbour Tarkarli.

Getting there

air The closest airport is Dabolim, goa (190 km/3 hours ) rail The closest railway station is Kudal (45 km/about an hour). numerous trains from Mumbai halt at Kudal (duration 7-10 hours). From Kudal, autorickshaws and taxis to Devbagh are available for `700-1,500. ST buses to Tarkarli leave every 30 mins. Rickshaws to Devbagh are easily available from Tarkarli bus depot. road There are two routes to Devbagh. The first option (10 hours) is to take the nh17 until Kasal, and then the Sh118 to

Malvan. The well-maintained two-lane highway winds through several villages. Or take the longer, but quicker (9 hours) nh4 till Kolhapur and then follow local roads for the next 160 km to Devbagh. Regular buses ply between Mumbai and Malvan (10-12 hours).

Getting aroundSince local attractions are about 6-10 km away from each other, it is best to have personal transportation. however, most hotels can organise rickshaws to make short trips to Malvan.

SeasonsThe weather is moderate throughout the year. Winters are pleasant (nov-Feb, 19-26°c) and in summer, the rise in temperature (up to 35°c) is accompanied by a drop in hotel tariffs. The rains turn Devbagh into a green wonderland.

THE GUIDE

to thrive, and Malvan is where their owners

eventually move back to when they retire.

As the proprietor of Malvan Kinara in Dadar

says, “The taste of the fish in Sindhudurg

is something else.” you’ll be inclined to

agree, especially after a meal at atithi

Bamboo. The local institution is a simple

establishment with bright yellow walls, two

dozen Formica tables and chairs, and a large

poster featuring pictures of various fish

along with their english and Marathi names.

Offerings range from rava-fried sardine,

mackerel, king fish, and pomfret to lobster,

shrimp, crab, clam, and rock oyster in a

rich coconut-flecked masala. A generous

portion of tisriya masala (clams) costs as

little as `60. So does a slab of surmai the

size of a quarter plate. A kekda (crab) thali

will set you back by the princely sum of `110.

Other popular hotels include ruchira and

hotel abhishek, which are known for their

vegetarian as well as seafood fare.

Malvan market, on a stretch of road about a

kilometre long, is filled with street-side stalls

selling items that are great food souvenirs.

Shelves are stocked with bottles of prawn and

squid pickle, Malvani masala, raw mango

squash, jamun powder (good for diabetes),

jackfruit chips, and soap-like bars of kokum

oil, which are used as natural moisturisers. n

Sindhudurg Fort

Malvan Town

Tarkarli Beach Karli River

Devbagh

To MuMBai

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