A memorable trip to Amritsar & Hills, Travelogue - Part 1

Nestled far up in the northwestern corner of Punjab, Amritsar is easier to reach than what you might imagine; with this thought we began our recent trip to Amritsar, Dharamshala & Dalhousie in December to enjoy a long awaited vacation. I have always been a history buff and particularly about our country so naturally a trip to Amritsar was always on the cards because of many historical places and the nearby border with Pakistan, popularly known as 'Wagah Border' although Wagah is a place in Pakistan, the Indian side of the border is at an area called 'Attari'.

We had planned quite extensively and had the itinerary ready, so here is the story of the trip:

DAY 1

• We had landed up in Amritsar at 11 in the morning via a flight from Ahmedabad. We then proceeded to check into a hotel near the Market area adjacent to Partition Museum. The atmosphere was great and it took some time for us to soak in everything. The city is filled with delicious smells of chole Kulche, bazaars, tea-stalls, kulfis and fresh lassi. You will also find cycle rickshaws plying around in narrow old city streets and some friendly locals.
  
  Coming back to the Partition Museum, it is very well put together with a lot of anecdotes from the people who had gone through the pain, it was the largest migration in human history. The museum documents the catastrophic loss of life and livelihood through testimonials of the partition survivors.

• After Partition Museum, we had made our way to Attari/Wagah border, it is located some 22 to 30 kms from Amritsar market, with scenic views on either side. There is a stadium constructed at the border where people can sit and watch the ceremonies being conducted by the BSF. 
  If you had been a nationalist, this spot will heighten that emotion further. The 110 meter long Indian flagpole happens to be the highest flagpole in the country.
  
  The flag retreat ceremony is a treat to watch and the atmosphere is filled with patriotism. The ceremony involves elaborate drills, synchronized marching and the lowering of both countries' flags and a show of mutual respect. The event is a public spectacle drawing tourists from all over the world. I would recommend everyone a visit at least once here to witness this. The feeling is literally something else.
  There is also a BSF museum detailing the history of BSF along with its achievements.
  
  
  
  
  

  

  The 110 meter Indian flagpole

  
  
  

• We had a night walk around the Golden Temple complex and it was beautiful to see the temple with all the lights. The place is huge and you can see people milling around, volunteering and helping others. It was an unforgettable experience. The market around temple complex is quite unique and you would not be blamed if you go for shopping or having lassi, we had ended our Day 1 with some amazing memories. It's a city of pilgrimages.

DAY 2

• Day 2 began early as we went in for a morning walk to the market near the Partition Museum and walked all the way till Golden Temple. Its a shoppers' delight, you can easily get good quality clothes/footwear with reasonable prices all around in the market. The air is usually quite fresh.
  
  
• We had our breakfast at the hotel where we had stayed and quality of the food was good, in fact that's what we had observed in our trip; you may leave here with few kilos added to your weight. Ghee is a staple in Punjabi cooking and the local butter is found in hot naans, dals, curries and rotis. 'Kesar Da Dhaba' & 'Brothers' Da Dhaba' are two must visit Dhabas in Amritsar according to me.
   
• Our next stop was the Jallianwala Bagh, the place where I was filled with sadness. It's a place which reminds us of the cruelty of General Dyer and his men who had shot down innocent people. It has walls ridden with bullet holes and memorial plaques displaying the happenings of the dreaded massacre. The garden is maintained impeccably with galleries providing the information about the history. The true account of Jallianwala Bagh brutality is too hard for me to describe here hence just focusing on the tourist side of the story. 
  
  Things to see in the Jallianwala Bagh Compound
  
  - A section of the wall that still bears the bullet marks.
  - The Martyr's well, the well into which people had jumped on that day to escape bullet shots.
  - A semi-circular section that presents the place from where British soldiers had fired at the people.
  - Flame of Liberty, the memorial built in memory of martyrs
  - The martyrs galleries with audio visual notes. 
  
  
• With a tinge of sadness, we left Jallianwala Bagh and went back to our hotel and proceeded towards Dharmshala during the day. That will be covered in the Part II of this travelogue. Some pictures of Jallianwala Bagh.

                                                                                                                                                          

Visiting the Indo-Pak Border Zero Line at Nadabet in Gujarat

I had always been fascinated about Border areas; the lives of our soldiers and army men though I had never interacted with them in person but thankfully I got a chance to visit the Zero Line, India Pakistan border at Nadabet in Gujarat in February 2021.

The emotion of seeing our security forces guarding us was so overwhelming. We were so taken away by the place, the charm it exuded, the air, the things around us, was just exhilarating.

The border roads with their typical single lanes and side lanes opening every km on either side for vehicles to pass which means if a vehicle is coming from the opposite side, you had to wait in the side lane or else you run risk of taking the car off the road, we did not take the risk since we were driving a Hyundai i20.

However, we came across a diversion and we got to test the off road ability of our i20 😀 

One of the side views!

About the Place! 

India Pakistan border stretches from Gujarat towards Rajasthan and J&K. The total length of the border in Gujarat is around 508 kms out of which 340 kms are feasible for construction of fencing. 

One such fenced Border Outpost (BOP as BSF calls it) is Nadabet which has been developed as a tourist spot with assistance from Govt of Gujarat.

The attractions involve retreat ceremony by BSF, camel show, fusion band performance, bird watching, photo gallery and a film on BSF. However, the retreat ceremony and camel show have not yet commenced after COVID. They will start the same once the pandemic ends.
Another reason for me to visit this place again :)

However, besides the border, there is a Nadeshwari Mata temple with a lot of clean open spaces and a perfect place to rest before going to the Zero Line. We had our home-made lunch at the temple premises itself. There is a guest house too.

How to reach?

It is close to 257 kms from Ahmedabad (small variation of 10-20 kms based on the place you live in Ahmedabad).
We left in the morning at 7 am and covered the distance without hiccups. Highway is reasonably good however we expected better roads.

The last town/village is Suigam. Suigam-Nadabet Zero line is 45 kms.

The Place - Zero Line

We had to avail the permit and got ourselves one with ID Proof and after complying with the registration/checking formalities at BOP Nadabet, we proceeded towards the Zero Line. The last few kms were surreal, it really made us rethink about our privileged life.

The way to the Zero Line is the best part of the journey. There is a vast rann on both the sides, you can see the white surface and history(not confirmed though) has it there was a river few decades back.
 

We did spot a few birds but there were rare anyways, here is a panoramic view of the scenic desert.

The view from the viewing deck! They have constructed these wonderful viewing decks for tourists to view the vast expanse of the desert.

With this, we reached the Zero Line with BSF Jawans welcoming tourists with smile (who knows what all hardships that smile is hiding), there is another viewing deck at the Zero Line. I wondered how difficult it must be for BSF to work tirelessly in extreme heat, wind and unfavourable weather. Respect!

The most iconic image of the journey.

It was just a one day trip and we came back the same day but this was on my bucket list for a long time. I really feel this was my best trip post the pandemic driven 2020. The picturesque environs, the conversations with BSF Jawans, the drive really made it memorable! This is an underrated place!

(P S - Most of the credits for the pictures goes to my brother Parag and also for agreeing immediately for this trip without any second thoughts, he drove while I was watching the desert all over from every side)

Mumbai Musings

I’ve always been amazed by what’s been said and written about ‘Mumbai’- The city which never sleeps. I have time and again wondered why people are walking so fast and are constantly in rush to catch a train or a bus. Why I am always looking outside the window, seeing the crowded roads filled with innumerable cars and autos. Why the roads are always choked with traffic. Why the prominent shopping destinations are never short of buyers. Why there are queues for autos and bright yellow taxis while it is opposite in other parts of the country. The city never relaxes; you’ll always find people moving in with energy and be it the people landing at the airport or the ones who are clinging on to train. It makes me wonder what is it that makes this place so radically different from other places.

Whenever you reach Mumbai, the first thing you would notice is the bustling traffic right from the dawn of the day till late into the night. It’s difficult not to like this city. There’s just something in its air, the rains which attracts people instantly. Anyone who lives in Mumbai for a substantial period of time would agree that they sooner or later fall in love with the city because of its different hues. The rains are unpredictable and many times it results into huge traffic jams. But, people react normally and within a blink of an eye umbrellas are opened, wipers are turned on and life moves on the same way as it were before. Even, the rain gods do not dampen the spirit of a ‘MumbaiKar’.

Mumbai is a land of opportunities with the presence of MNCs. Places like Nariman Point, Bandra-Kurla Complex with eye catching infrastructure, amongst many other places, can be easily called as the corporate hubs of the city. The city has some fantastic restaurants, the food which you won’t find in other parts of the country. The dabba or the tiffin system of the city is been praised all over. Their efficiency is something to imbibe in our lives. The view of the sea is majestic with nice breeze blowing around and it is perfect for a nice ‘me’ time. What’s most striking about Mumbai is that it carries the sky-scrapers and slums with equal ease. There are ‘sea facing life style apartments’, sprawling bungalows though it does not hide the dark face of the city. The city can be cruel and unforgiving at the same time if you do not find a proper place to stay on. Yet, there is something about Mumbai which is mesmerizing. People live different lives, but they all have that urgency which is almost synonymous with the city.

The streets of the city reveal a lot about life; how people work hard to earn their livelihood, how hard work is directly related to success. The traffic policemen are working as efficient as any other place to manage the flow of vehicles. There are people who are walking behind, beside and ahead of you. You will struggle to keep up. Though, the motive of everyone is almost the same; to make a mark, earn a living, live a comfortable life or simply do right things at the right time. These are the faces with dreams, hopes, and aspirations from the different parts of the country.

A Walk That You Should Not Miss

Last month, I went to the ‘Heritage Walk’ organized by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and once again I was enchanted by the beauty of the architecture of old Ahmedabad. Heritage walk is a guided tour where we get to visit our old city and an opportunity to revisit the glorious heritage of this city. The architecture is very old but the way it’s been built is simply magnificent.

The walk starts with a beautiful slide show at 8.00 am at Swaminarayan temple in Kalupur and ends at Jama Masjid. The tour has several attractions like Kavi Dalpatram Chowk, Jain temples among others. Walking through the narrow lanes with many temples around was a sight to behold. If you happen to have just a passing interest in the old architecture and sights then you are sure to enjoy this walk. And if you don’t have any interest then you should have for these architectures are very rare. There are neither loud noises nor any stinking drains. Everything is managed efficiently. I was particularly mesmerized by the underground Jain Temple which has some excellent facilities for storing rain water. 

 

This is the map of the Walk.

The 'Chabutra' or 'Bird feeder'.

We need to take steps like these (promoting heritage walks and other such initiatives) to preserve our majestic past. All and all the journey had some impressive array of house styles, wood carvings, water wells. The guide cum volunteer also spoke with great élan and it was a fascinating experience.

A visit to the Historic Gandhi Ashram and much more.!!

October 2 is widely celebrated as Gandhi Jayanti to mark the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. I had visited the very famous Gandhi/Sabarmati Ashram on the anniversary and came back with lots of good things to talk about. However, I am too small a person to say even a word about the great man. You can have a look at the Ashram here.
The atmosphere was extremely electric and turbo charged with school students taking out a rally supporting the views of the great Mahatma. The place was brimming with energy which was very infectious for all the people present over there. There were many things such as pens, key rings, books imbibed with Mahatma's messages for sale as usual. Many visitors thronged the place which made the morning and the day even better with nice breeze blowing across the place which is on the banks of Sabarmati river. Here are few snaps which I managed to capture:

This one is probably the best place to just sit there and ponder about the various puzzles of life.

A view to right side of the Ashram.

This one's to the left and the bridge is visible very clearly which makes for an enchanting experience.

    Overall the Ashram contains every detail of Mahatma and there is a section of it which is used for teaching underprivileged children. The place is very delightful and you can be yourself; free from all the burdens, problems, rigid and complex ideas. You can stay there for hours, read a book, write some poetry or probably fret over some things.