Some Impressions Like This... and Some Expression Like That....

I was in Udaipur this weekend, and Boy oh Boy! that place is filled with forts at places which defy convention( and my imagination)!. The city is like this comfortable nest nestled comfortably between mountains.... And at the center are two huge lakes! I couldn't help but wonder who the place must have looked to its initial settlers : STUNNING!

The Sajjangarh Fort

Ever time I squinted my eye to look at the top of a mountain I saw a faint structure!!!So I have come to a conclusion that every mountain tip has a crown of its own... a fort, temple, a guard post which look more air dropped to me then build by humans!

So just decided to go on one of these forts called Sajjangarh! so called for an auto ( which I swear must have been at least a 100 years old and was propelled by the sound!!!) went to a fort perched right on top of the hill like an ancient eagle... There was something alive about the fort it did not feel like a building, it seemed a part of the mountain range, a part of the spirit of the land!

We went to the fort at a noon so the crowd was almost negligible, on the 3 storey where we saw a stunning window cum veranda so excited we raced for a panoramic view of the entire range it was breath taking to tell the least ! But just as we were stepping in we ran into a group of giggling girls who shyly ran out of the place ( I knew we had interupted , i thought it was ome cllege gossip) it took me a minute to realize they were actually inscribing a love note on the huge walls . My smile vanished as I saw the ghastly messages on the wall ( not one many one too many!! And one look at the walls ( which though beautiful were not the hallmark of maintainance ) was enough to move me to tears! ( it took saintly meditation t stop my selh from pushiing those girls 500 meters down the cliff bordering the fort)

If you look away from the view and scrutinize the walls u'll see it for your self !

The walls were literal collage of messages - no they had neither the creativity, content or style, they were just ghastly cuts and scratches engraved on the wall left behind but a pathetic demented mind in a hope of immortality!

It still fails me why someone would leave a ' I love u more then u tell me why" message on a wall for public display ( Even if I spared this guy for disfiguring wall I would have strangled him with my bare hands for the copy!!!)

That's when I though back why would someone be consumed by desire of this public display of emotion ? where in the grab any sharp object (like cave men) they can lay their hands on: stones, twigs, hairpins, screws( yep considering the holder is nuts :P ) what not to make one last ditch attempt to leave behind a mark! the messages I have seen are generally xyz loves abc ! The more remote the place , the more agreviated this instinct I concluded else a stinking stair filled with names simply dosn't make sense!

Ok then pondering on the question of why ??? ( and for me it was WHY???) would someone leave such a cheesy message ? Its been drummed into most of our heads since childhood not to write on walls !!! (Ya even I as a child had taken fancy for wall writing and display of intellect at the age of 3 ! but it was my wall at my home for the private viewing and horror of my parents and but mind you even then I had a much more sensible scribblings and definately more variety the dumbwit I loves you . This is for all those wall writers who think they are the torch bearers for the ajanta ellora clan!!!!) I concluded that most of the times it is done for the clandestine pleasure of blase human emotions ! A sense of making your love immortal ( people rewrite ! even add on to previous messages making funny love triangles ) . A lot more times its just the urge to be heard by the masses, at times its just a faceless voiceless human making a last ditch effort to express something!

I saw that happiness, a sense of achievement in the girls who ran out of that verandah...Its not just one fort ar the tale of one city its a tell tale act of avndalism affecting every nook and corner of the coutry which is worth its salt in fame.... Its like the habbit of spitting pan plain disgusting and considering most people are able to write ( however patheticaly) hail our education!

Udaipur Here I Come !

Ok! this weekend I'm off to Udaipur, so as a matter of habit googled it ( after all a senior once drummed it into our heads that google mein dodnd ne se bagwaan bhi miltha hai, since then its been my Geeta and Bible :) )

But I recall some legends about that place ( ya Rajasthan has more legends that the people in the state I guess, horses have legend there heavens!) 

I can recall :

• Udiapur was built from scratch by Maharana Udai Singh, this was after the Mughals attacked and captured Chitoor ( This was when the third dreadful Jauhar was held. Jauhar is a custom where the women of the fort kill themselves by jumping to a fire - something like mass sati rather then be captured by the enemy. And the men fight to the end something like Hira kiri it is called saka . These people took pride in laying down their lives !!!!Man!)

• The History of Udaipur is more colorful for the resistance to Mughal who were then the foreign invaders then the British ( that is in my mind.... cant recall such legends with Brits... lucky them!)

• Then I remember the stories of Maharanpratap who made Udaipur his base till he recaptured the famed fort of Chitor ( Yes the famed fort where 3 jauhars were held - in different eras of course! on was before Udaipur was built, one was of rani Padmini - remember how the kamena Allaudin Khili wanted to see this beautiful queen, so it was arranged for her to be seen through a mirror, the kameena villain falls for her and wages a war for her possession but the beautiful queen kills herself before the fort is captured. Well not sure if I have to feel proud or sad...)

• Ya back to Maharana Pratap : He vowed to stay in the jungle and sleep on the hard floor till the fort of Chittor was re captured from Akbar! ( He complied with both! Grit and guts the guy had!)

• The Maharana managed to wage several wars the most famous one ( or at least the one I remember from my textbooks ) was the one in which in a failing battle his leader convince him to flee ( so that the battle can be carried on later...) His Loyal commander donned his dress ( and was killed duh!) the king escaped on his horse Chetak ( Chetak was grievously injured in the battle by the elephant - it was said Chetak placed his front legs on the elephants tusk so that his master could harpoon the enemy commander on the elephant! ). But, Chetak takes his master to safety till his last breath!( there is a memorial for the horse at the spot)

• At this very spot there is another folklore, when the Maharan a was fleeing two Arab mercenaries saw him and decided to follow, on seeing this Maharana's brother (who till the was with the enemy due to some family dispute had a change of heart) followed them (that's filmi) and single handedly killed the two mercenaries ( the brothers made up after that)

• About Rana Sanga I have not heard as much . But He was Maharan Pratap's grand dad and fought Babur ( Akbar's father). He was as brave as brave could get and was suppose to be the epitome in chivalry, valor and the true follower of Hindu fighting laws ( like don't attack unarmed enemy...) 

Legends, wars, heros on horses, nobel steads, sarcifice, secrets, pride, valour, heros , beautiful damsels, wicked enemies the place has seen it all 

Well that seems to be one famous town, with some illustrious people. Reading about theses stories gives me goosebumps...To be there will be well.....

World Through My Brother's Eyes : The Birds Eye View

It was not so Long ago that I gaped  with my eyes and mouth wide open the spectacle of a man jumping of a plane in a skiing kind of costume on Discovery ! And I thought Freak what on earth are they???!!!

It was something like the spectacles you seen on AXN or Discovery where they show people sitting around with Lions and Crocs ( In short absolutely out of my definition of things normal people do!)

Then I met this girl in a youth hostel in Delhi who had pretty much taken it as a sport. That's when I realised that such people do exist. But, in my defence she was an Arjuna Awardee.... SO the aero sport segment was placed well literally quite high and out of reach from my mere mortal point of view...

Then one fine morning my mother told me my brother ( the ever adventurous one ) was going sky diving... I very comfortably assumed that he was going to watch one such spectacle till I watched the pictures below!!! 

My brother actually took a sky dive jump!!!! He came out pretty much unscathed but sooo many of my myths were shattered by this one jump...

• Aero sport can be taken up by anybody ( without any major ailment that is..)
• The sport is considerable safe even for untrained ones, so it is a ' my first time' for most people!
• And nothing can stop you from dreaming and fulfilling your dream ( My brother as a kid was prone to asthma attack, and If I were in his place would have conveniently bailed out using it as an alibi. But, my brother is try something new type of species very different from earth bound Taureans like me)

The pictures gave me a dream to fly, but will it help me get over my Taurean fear of parting with this ground only time can tell... Till Then Dream Hope .... Swoosh I go.......................

Breathtaking Perhaps !!

Man Nope SuperMan

The Rope is from the Parachute( I thought It was a Rajnikant Movie Rope Stunt)

Swwooosh.... 

 My New Year Resolution 

Jack Fell Down, Came Rolling Down! Jill Came Rolling After!

The Flying Machine and The Group 

Then Here they Land...

After the skies my next stop could well be under water...... 

World through My Brother's Eyes - Croatia

My brother was bitten by a travel bug a couple of years ago and ever since he has been an irredeemable traveler.


It’s not just about visiting a place on the tourist map, its not about threading the unexplored territories its the simple joy of being in a new place and observing a new culture. Its travel for travel sake!!!!


He has another habit … He religiously mails me a holiday report (which he mails to all friends in the name of weekend paparazzi) to his friends and on some coaxing to me …. These are excessively funny personalized mail… (Which I am forbidden from publishing :( )


In any case these pictures he clicks there are my window to the world ….


So let me begin with.... Well.... Croatia! (Dont ask me why!)


Croatia


If i were to describe its geographical location it would be: Where on earth is this place??? OK! If you would ever be able to locate a country bordering Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia , Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro and yes Adriatic Sea!!!!! If anyone had gussed that one please let me know you just won... well my Respect (that’s big ok)




Well I remembered Croatia for some strange reason for some tennis player I cannot recall! ( Wow ! how precise!)


On its political scene the Wiki described it in short as … Since the adoption of the 1990 Constitution; Croatia has been a democratic republic. Between 1990 and 2000 it had a semi-presidential system, and since 2000 it has a parliamentary system.
(Heavens they don’t symbolise stability do they?)


Slobodan Milošević Yes now it rings a bell... they were a part of the worst ethnic strife with the Serbs. With thousands of Croats dead in the strife the country is slowly limping to stability....


But the best thing I liked was my brothers ingenious observation! ( from weekend Paparazzi of course) .... he said … Amazing fact was…at more than few locations…the Croatians were surprised to see Indians… :O …. It was quoted that these were the first Indian visitors around… wow.. that’s some news..


Whatever be the rest of the facts....The place is stunning if nothing else :)...


That's edible .... yummy? Not sure..




Well had heard of a candle lit dinner....table lit dinner....interesting!




Beach Beautiful!( Adriatic Sea is beautiful in spite of the name ....)




Splash!!!




Serenity....Nice evening to settle down and gaze at the sun...




Hey even they are over crowded... heeheeheee




Now I wouldn't mind that crowd! Its beautiful




That's a Bright Idea? What say?




The sunset is beautiful sans borders ...




Well The stairs look antique ( reminder: Ask him where it leads???)




A European Architectural Piece




That's where it leads....But where is it???




I have no clue....




Going to another country... Byeeeeee

P.S.: No clue how some picture titles got the link.....so ignore it( it will lead u to the pictures : for curious cats)