The English Papers I

In the right spirit

The English Papers I

On 28^th April, an address I had been writing to in England came alive. It was an address, way out in Cornwall, at the Southern tip of England, where a lady I met in 1989 at the Osho Commune, Pune, lived. She and I had become friends instantly, while she was visiting India, both of us having common friends through whom we met. It is hard to bring back all the little things – and the big things we did for each other, during her stay in India. It is also impossible to describe the bonding we have between the two of us.

“I was probably the Maharaja of Kanker, married to an outrageous English lady, from the far west…” I had said once, ‘although you look much better in your own country than you look in mine!’

She had fallen into deep depression, there upon. India is so dear to her!

Jill Cadman and I are family. Over the seas and the air, the lands that part us, essentially we are deeply tied together as if we are sisters. The years between us, have never allowed the spirit that binds us, to come in between.

A little anxiety prone these days, she had waited long at the Heathrow Airport to pick me up, but was thrown in a fuzzy state of mind when she did not see me emerge even after half an hour had passed. I had walk out of the green channel, having nothing to declare, but got lost among the conveyer belts causing a delay in walking out of the airport. By the time we met, our nerves were a wreck but the sight of each other threw us both into each other’s arms and there we were off on the Underground, chatting away, as if there had not been a full ten years between us, when we had not met at all. We changed over to a bus, at some point and then, once again, we chatted and laughed so much, we missed our stop and had to walk back quite a distance, to arrive at Fiona’s where we were to spend two nights before we left for Cornwall. I had touched London in its raw at around 10 pm, that night of April, 25, 2014.

Jill’s life in Cornwall, is a busy one. Between her home, her children and her grandchildren, not to forget her friends, she has a hectic day, running around everywhere in her two-seater SMART Mercedes Benz. And in between she spends huge amount of time in what she calls her lifeline, her beautiful garden. 

Every one living in the countryside has a garden and this surely is the beauty of living where she does. As you enter, the garden smiles at you and the occasional guard at the garden, the lovely orange cat may throw herself over at your feet for a little scratch on the tummy.  

Our day ran like this: I woke at 5 am, did my meditation and had my coffee. Then I stared at nothing out of her window for long hours, till she woke, had a shower and a cuppa. By then, it was time for her daughter Suzie to call. A long conversation ensued, ending in a laugh and then a glutten free breakfast was on its way. I lay the table, while she prepared the protein rich breakfast, after which we set off sight seeing and meeting friends on the way. Sometimes we shopped at Tescos.

And on Wednesdays, we did something very special – we baby sat Elise, her youngest grand child.

I am so grateful for this time with Elise, who cried a little bit on her father’s shoulders, when she first met me, but soon overcame her shyness sharing with me games and stories we read together. Just four, delicate and pretty, she is now preparing to join in at the wedding of her parents, this September! 

“She too is getting married!” Suzie quipped, while I swallowed a laugh, well nigh a burst.

Indeed, three generations of women, one I had already met in India and followed to her country, the other two, the delightful little Elise, and her mother. I am so happy I went, because if I had not, I would not have met Suzie, about whom you will read in the soon to be published, The English Papers II.  

Some pictures from Windermere, Lake District

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/+JuliaDutta/albums/6014055339534497329

Some pictures from Jill’s garden

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos?pid=6009295846412850434&oid=118112130944380341626

Acts of faith

The road to faith may begin at any time of one’s life. It is one single moment or a few moments that collectively come together to create a belief system within us, which is a source of perennial strength. However, while life provides ample instances to revert to this source of inner strength, sometimes it is good to take on an act or feat which will revive our faith, consciously.

Thus, despite umpteen stories told to instill the fear of monkeys, I took on this trek to Jakhoo, the Hanuman temple, rumored to be highly populated by hoards of monkeys and a coterie of ardent priests, who have placed themselves there to pray and serve the most beloved animal God of faith in North India – Hanuman ji. The bachelor God, whose presence came about through the Ramayana, is known to all as one of the best examples of devotion, austerity, celibacy and one who can move mountains to give his believers what is their heart’s desire.

Mine was a simple desire – restoration of my faith in a Higher Power.

Jakhoo is approximately 2.5 km from Upper Mall, Shimla and is the highest hill (2,455 metres) around Shimla. To get there, you take the narrow road between, Christ’s Church and the State Central Library to begin your trek up the hill to Jakhoo.

It is a steep climb right from the beginning without any let up. Your heart thumps against your chest faster than you can repeat the name of God.

For me it was a test of my faith, a test of my quietude to trek up alone, despite the fears instilled by one and all – There are monkeys all around; they will snatch your spectacles from you or anything you are holding and until you have given them the channa they want, they won’t return your spectacles; be careful; don’t do it alone….

Come Sunday, I was doing it alone and the good news is that there were monkeys all along the route, but they were not any fiercer than those you encountered all around Shimla. If you don’t look at them, they don’t trouble you. If you don’t swing your ice cream and your handbag at them, they are not enticed to snatch those from you.

You may trek with anyone, or even a group, but only someone who loves to trek alone, knows the sheer joy of trekking alone. There is only you and nature around. You and your thoughts, you and your movement; you have left the whole world behind you just for these hours or days, you really do not know what challenges are before you nor do you know right now, how you will handle them should they come about, but something deep inside tells you that come what may, you will find your answers within or a help will surface from apparently nowhere.

“How far am I from the Jakhoo temple?” I asked a man who was coming down the hill.

“Only 5 minutes”, he said jubilantly, “Ram naam lo aur pahuch jaoge”- Only 5 minutes more…repeat the name of Ram and you will be there.

Was that Hanuman himself, giving me hope and encouragement, I wondered. Indeed, the temple was only 15 minutes away. On the last leg, the uphill climb gets very tough. Your lungs pump hard and the heart beat is all you hear. The monkey population increases and they jump hither and thither in front of you, engaged in activities with each other. Don’t lose your balance or begin to jump around like a monkey physically. Strangely, at the top the often referred to monkey mind of man having undergone the single-minded pursuance of the trekker, to reach the summit, submits and surrenders. The mind becomes silent, clear of all thoughts, just quiet!

You have reached the feet of Hanuman, all the wish and demand list you had made is forgotten and you just heave a sigh of great relief, a soft feeling of joy playing inside your heart – you have indeed accomplished an act of faith.

A few things to remember on this journey:

- Keep yourself light - hand baggage and food,
- Photography is not allowed; do not carry your camera with you
- Start the trek early in the morning by 7am. Maybe earlier
- Walk slowly up, there is no hurry
- Keep your mind on the road ahead
- If you have a mantra, repeat it mentally
- Do not make noise; walk silently to avoid stressing your lungs
- Do not carry channa, nuts, peanuts for the monkeys
- When you encounter a monkey or see it close by, don’t scream. Just place your hands across your chest, as if hugging yourself and look down and keep walking
- Since they are mammals, if they still jump on you, stand still, without fretting. They will go away
- On the way, you can hire a stick for Rs 10 – 30, but please don’t use it on the monkeys. Sticks are helpful support for climbing up and more so for climbing down perhaps
- While climbing up, think of the stress-less joy of climbing down!
- While climbing down, be attentive to the sliding road on which you are walking. A fall here might be more damaging than falling on the marble floor of your bath
- There are steps on one side of the road; for those who like to use the steps for going up or down, you may do so
- Wear a shirt with an inner pocket to hold your spectacles /money away from the penetrating eyes of the monkeys
- A good pair of shoes always helps, one that you are used to wearing and which is not a new pair


Last but not the least, if you are one of those no-stress hikers: You can take a car right up to the last leg of the hill; you will have to walk up only for a few minutes.

If you are really one of those lazy bums, wait! In a year you will have the ropeway to take you from the Mall to the temple in less than 10 minutes.

Either way, its all about acts of faith, whether one prefers to trudge up or go up in air!


Picture credit from the web:

Jakhoo Temple

http://himachalimages.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/726463534_72807663a9.jpg

Shimla Municipal Slab

http://himachalimages.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/726463534_72807663a9.jpg

Chail: Is the Maharaja monkeying around still?

Monkeying around Chail at The Palace Hotel is more of an entertainment than walking around the hotel and its lawns lost in the reverie of a passionate maharaja – the then Maharaja of Patiala, Bhupinder Singh (1900 – 1938), whose taste for English women, lead him to some trouble with the then Commander-in-Chief, Lord Kitchener.

The Maharaja’s appetite for beautiful women caused him to fall in love with the with Lord Kitchener’s daughter, an act that was not easily digested by the Commander-in-Chief. He barred the Maharajah from entering Shimla, where his daughter lived with him, only to see that the Maharajah was far more ardent a lover than he a protective father. The Maharaja was not used to accepting no.

Chail and the Palace there were created in his pursuance of this love, which he then of course won!

I had been fascinated with this story for a long time: what romance must it had been!

The Palace which has now been taken over by Himachal Pradesh Tourism Corporation, is maintained well and lends the visitor with the sight and feel of old time grandeur, but the plush lawns are what takes the breath away in more ways than one – could the Maharaja of Patiala, still be monkeying around?

The Chail Palace Hotel
Website: http://www.himachaltourism.org/hotels/chail-palace.html

For more pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.co.in/juliadutta/ChailKufri#

More on the Maharaja of Patiala
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhupinder_Singh_of_Patiala

Sanchi - The end of suffering

Suffering, sadness, struggle and heartburn may arise from any quarter. They don’t tell us in advance that they are coming. There is no preparedness we can ever have for them.

For an Emperor fighting his battle of Kalinga, Ashoka would have never imagined that he would undergo such a change of heart, when he saw the battle field strewn with the renascence of bloody bodies. It was a moment of awakening that gave rise to his conversion to Buddhism and the building of Sanchi, which today is a world heritage site.

Sanchi, known as Kakanaya, Kakanava, Kakanadabota and Bota Sri Parvata in ancient times, has Buddhist art and architecture right from the early Mauryan period (circa 3^rd century BC) to 12^th century AD.

Emperor Ashoka (circa 273 -236 BC) created a few of the monuments here, like Mahastupa, the monolithic pillar with the characteristic polish and a monastery atop the hill at the insistence of his queen who was from Vidisha. During the Sunga times, many edifices were raised in the surrounding hills as well. In the 1^st century B.C, the Andhra-Satavahanas, who had extended their sway over the eastern Malwa, built elaborately the gateways to the stupas. From 2^nd to 4^th century AD, Sanchi and Vidisha were under the Kushanas and Kshatrapas and subsequently passed on to the Guptas. From 14^th century onwards Sanchi remained forgotten till in 1818, General Taylor rediscovered the site.

It is a few great Englishmen, Captain Johnson (1822), General A. Cunningham and Captain F C Maisay (1851), Major Cole (1881) and Sir John Marshall (1912 – 1919) who explored and excavated and conserved the monuments. Thanks to these few brave and dedicated men, we as Indians see and rejoice in what might be called - a symbol of the end of suffering for Emperor Ashoka and his turning to Buddhism.

This post will never be complete without reference to what Buddha said with regard to suffering:

The Four Noble Truths

1. Life means suffering.

2. The origin of suffering is attachment.

3. The cessation of suffering is attainable.

4. The path to the cessation of suffering.

View more pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.co.in/juliadutta/SanchiWorldHeritageSite#

Note: All pictures from my web album may be used without my permission but I request you to please credit me for them, as well as quote my blog: juliadutta.blogspot.com

Getting there:

Sanchi is in Raisen district 45kms northeast of Bhopal. Vidisha which was the capital of ancient Akara region is about 10km northeast of Sanchi

Single auto: Rs 100 from Vidisha but you can get off at Sanchi station and walk right out and take an Autorickshaw at Rs 30 to the Stupa.
You can reach Vidisha from Bhopal by train ( Rs 33 for general compartment which I strongly dissuade travelers. Book your ticket in advance with reservation to avoid being crushed by fellow homo-sapiens.

Return the same way or even by bus Rs 25

Entry: Indians: Rs 10; non-Indians: Rs 100

Where to stay:

MP Tourism Gateway Cafeteria Tel: 07482-266743, 266906 Tariff: Rs 200 per bed per person. Rs 400 for full room. The beds are bunks, one below and one on top. The rooms have an attached bath. Meals, veg and non-veg are available on request and can range from Rs 50 – 300

Maha Bodhi Society of Srilanka Tel 07482-266699, 266739 Website: www.sanchi.co.in Tariff: Rs 100 – 1500.

Falling in love with Bhopal

You know that feeling.....

Suddenly your eyes have fallen on someone. There is an instant click in the air and you are under his/her spell for the next so many days/months/years.

Or you have seen someone and you realise quite to your surprise, that this person is quietly growing in you, silently but surely. There is a fragrance inside, a smell you can associate only with love. You know you are falling in love, maybe the first time or the nth, the feeling is the same.

The Director of the NGO had not reached the station to pick me up as he promised. In fact, instead of Bhopal station, he was looking for me at Habibgunj station which is a ten minutes journey from Bhopal station. I was to reach there on my own. I did not know that existence had deliberately done so. It had plans for me which revealed itself in the next few moments - I was falling in love again, this time with a new lady – Begum Bhopal!(See history below)

The autorickshaw swerved out of Bhopal station and within minutes I knew I was losing my heart again, just like I did in Pune, so many years ago. Pune had given me love and had been the beginning of my first step towards Buddhism and Vipassana.

Bhopal is again one which has proved a love I won’t ever forget – ravishingly beautiful, passionately intoxicating and yet, classy, like a nawabi begum.

What you just saw was some exhibits from Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sanghralaya(IGRMV) fascinating as they are. The origin of man, the earliest humans in India and their lives are depicted here. On the day I visited IGRMS, the paintings of Jamini Roy were also exhibited. Don’t miss the pictures of both: IGRMS as well as paintings of Jamini Roy.

History of Bhopal:
http://www.indianholiday.com/madhya-pradesh/tour-to-bhopal/history-of-bhopal.html

Must see:
More Pictures at IGRMS
http://picasaweb.google.co.in/juliadutta/IndiraGandhiRashtriyaManavSangrahalay#

Paintings by Jamini Roy
http://picasaweb.google.co.in/juliadutta/JaminiRoy#

Patua Painting exhibits at IGRMS
http://picasaweb.google.co.in/juliadutta/PatuaPaintings#