Bhimbetka Caves

I wanted to show my respect and admiration to the cave men that lived in Bhimbetka by eating the dead fly dish prepared during their era.  Driving through heavy traffic on badly graded road was no fun. Successfully completing a handful of complex overtaking maneuvers, the road widened itself as a reward for all the effort. After taking the diversion to Bhimbetka caves the dusty roads paved way to lush green meadow just the way a World Heritage Site is meant to be.  No sooner I entered the premise, a realization that I was only soul present at the site struck me.  Overwhelmed by the sacredness of the site, I stood there staring for few minutes unable to move. It felt like I was in a Bollywood movie with the camera going around in circles focusing on the protagonist (me in this case). I was woken up from this temporary daze by a guard yelling “No Botthal not allloud inside” (No bottles allowed inside). Cave hoping was never this much fun. There were hardly any boards to explain about the paintings so I had to figure out the location of the paintings on the caves by myself.

Kushan Period (100 C.E - 300 C.E): Horse men on the hunt.

Observing the ancient cave paintings the obvious question was who painted these paintings? While there is no conclusive written evidence, there are hints based on which certain assumptions can be made. The rock paintings in India started showing up in the Upper Paleolithic age around 40,000 to 10,000 years ago. The style of paintings can be often matched to many other paintings found worldwide. This perhaps is due to common ancestry of all human beings out of Africa. The interesting part is the rock paintings of Mesolithic era (8000 B.C to 2500 B.C). The Mesolithic paintings are very unique to India and often depict the lives of people in constant confrontations with wild life (Hunters).

White horse and flower pot: This style is usually associated with Gupta or Shanka script, which suggests the presence of religious recluses from vally cultures

For a long time Archeologists had believed that these were the Dravidian speaking people of South India. New studies have shown with comprehensive evidence that Dravidians were not indigenous tribes of India. They were outsiders just like the Indo-Aryans.  However this does not mean that the Dravidians were not present in the Indian sub continent during the Mesolithic era.  Evidence points to unaltered tribal coexistence during the Mesolithic and Neolithic era with more advanced cultures like the Dravidians and Indo Aryans.

Tribal Battle: Post Gupta period (500 C.E - 800 C.E): The fighters have a metal sword and a shield

This can be proved by existence of many languages spoken by the tribals which are widely regarded as predecessors of both Aryan and Dravidian speaking people. In considering this evidence it is important to note that at least 4000 years from the Neolithic period of settled agriculture and domesticated animals to the present day, two quite separate cultures have existed side by side in many parts of India. Hence the rock paintings belong to the tribals of central India.

A Buffalo represented with great variety of geometric patterns belongs to Mesolithic or earlier era

Why did they paint? We cannot know with any degree of certainty why Stone Age people painted the walls of their shelter. But we can infer from the subject matter and nature of the paintings.

Cavalry & Infantry Battle: It is represented by horses, elephants and soldiers painted in think red line. Picture probably represents a Hillman’s eye view of valley conflict

Religion: Early man in many parts of the world probably experienced attitudes of wonder, reverence and fear towards many wild creatures. In India, early man may have experienced this attitude towards animals such as elephant, tiger, leopard, bison because of its enormous size, power and numbers. It may be that to propitiate them before or after the kill, hunting clans felt the need for an act of worship.

Brown Buffalo from the early Neolithic era

Magic: Although most anthropologists agree that there is a broad overlap between religion and magic, there is an important distinction. Magic is manipulation of objects, images, symbols, and rituals to produce a specific and immediate result. It is less concerned with awe, reverence and worship than with killing an antelope, curing or inflicting an illness, exorcising an evil spirit, or make the rainfall.

Rider of horse with a sword: Kushan period (100 C.E - 300 C.E)

Secular Records: There is a shift from pictures possibly reflecting religious or magical intent to pictures recording the daily life of the shelter dwellers, important events in the valley cultures or conflict between the two societies.  There are now more depictions of raids by hill people on the domesticated cattle of the plainsmen, fights between tribes, battles between hill people and valley people all over the shelters probably reflecting the shift in attitudes of that time. Times had changed and the pictures have changed with them.

Early Mesolithic representation of a Ghor

Decorations: It’s possible that some of the markings may be no more than decoration. There are many endlessly repeated designs probably just a good decoration for the shelter.

Bison shown in faint red outline with filling following the muscles and viscera belonging to the Mesolithic or earlier

These highly specialized paintings reflect work of some of the people of ancient India. It is astonishing to note tribals such as Gonds of Central India, Saora of Orissa have rituals and practices that are represented in these paintings even today.

Triangular Humans Dancing: Neolithic/Chalcolithic era. Thick white lines as though done with a finger is outline only.

Yet they are completely unaware of their ancestry and the origin of their practices. The paintings reflect the utmost human expression and desire to communicate with fellow human beings. There is no conclusive evidence to point that paintings and art for form existed even before language, but it would not be a surprise if it did.

The Mesolithic Image: A tiny human wearing a mouse head mask flees in terror form a gigantic bison, while two other humans abjectly watch

Reference:

• Stone Age Paintings in India – Vishnu S. Wakankar & Robert Brooks

The foundation of the great religious establishment at Sanchi can be attributed to Ashoka (273 – 236 BC). Selection of the hill top to build the stupa might be to give a concrete shape to the newly aroused zeal for Buddhism in the emperor, who is said to have opened up seven out of eight original stupas erected over the body-relics of Buddha and to have distributed the relics among innumerable stupas built by himself all over his empire.

Preservation efforts for this World Heritage Site started in the 19^th century. Most of the monuments had to rebuilt with scattered remains. I found the site to be clean and well maintained.

Stupa 1

In the 1st century BC, the Shungas built the structure that we see today, which encases a 3rd century BC Ashokan core. The toranas were added by Satavahana kings in the 1st century AD.

Internal View Of Stupa 1

Vihara 51

The Western slope clarifies the standard ground plan of a courtyard monastery. The monks’ cells are carefully arranged around a paved central courtyard. The main entrance faces east, towards the bottom of the photo, and was originally fronted by a row of columns whose four bases are barely visible in front of the buttressed entryway.

Stone Bowl

Stupa 2

Stupa 2 on the Western slope dates to the 2d century BC. It is plainer than Stupas 1 and 3, lacking toranas and harmika. However, it does have some interesting medallions carved on the balustrade posts. Decorations include flowers and vegetation, various sorts of real and imagined animals, horsemen, yakshas, and kinnaras.

Mythical Horsemen

From top to bottom: Lakshmi stands on an elaborate lotus base and is lustrated by two elephants; a yaksha couple standing on lotus leaves, the male (sic) holding a lotus bud and posed in shalabhanjika; paired lions; gazelles.

An elephant with male and female riders, against a lotus background.

Stupa 3

Stupa 3 was originally constructed in the 2d century BC, and repaired and enlarged in the 1st century BC – 1st century AD, in tandem with but lagging the more important Stupa 1. Stupa 3 is smaller and poorer than its more famous relative, having only one chattra and gateway. However, when opened in 1851, Stupa 3 was found to contain reliquary caskets inscribed with the names of Sariputasa and Mahamogalanasa, two men who were disciples (known as the Elders of the Right and Left Hand) of the Buddha during his lifetime. The caskets contained beads and fragments of bone. They are preserved in a modern temple on site, where they are exhibited to the faithful annually for one day each December. This has become a pilgrimage day for numerous visitors from Southeast Asia and Japan.

Stupas 4 & 5

Toranas (Gateways Of Stupa 1):

North Gateway

The detailed explanation of the north gateway can be found here.

West Gateway Of Stupa 1

The detailed explanation of the west gateway can be found here.

South Gateway Of Stupa 1

The detailed explanation of the south gateway can be found here.

East Gateway Of Stupa 1

The detailed explanation of the east gateway can be found here.

Sati Stones: (Yet another proof that sati was prevalent even before the islamic invasion)

Stage 2: Women Serves Man

Stage 1: Women & Man Married!

The Sati stones are found all over the Malwa regions, perhaps signifying the presence of this practice. The stones are now preserved in the Museum.

Stage 3: Man Fights War And Dies

Stage 4: Women Burns Herself To Become Sati To Reunite With Her Husband, Just Like Sun & Moon Unite During Eclipse

Other Places Of Interest Near Sanchi

Udaigiri Caves: Five kilometers from Sanchi Hill are some 20 Gupta cave shrines dating from reign of Chandragupta II (AD 382-401). The highlight of the caves is the spectacular carvings of Vishnu’s Boar incarnation.

Vishnu's Boar Incarnation

Udaigiri Caves

Heliodorus Pillar: The Heliodorus pillar (Khamba Baba) was erected by Greek ambassador Heliodorus around 140 BC and dedicated to Vasudeva. The pillar is worshiped by local fishermen.

Heliodorus Pillar

References:

• Art & Archeology Of Sanchi
• History Of Sanchi

Sexual Scenes In Kandariya Mahadeva Temple

Highlights of Erotica in Khajuraho:

The erotica of Khajuraho can be broadly classified into four groups.

• Maithuna (Love Scenes)
• Maithuna (Coitus)
• Erotic Group
• Bestiality

Maithuna (Love Scene)

Most of the coitus scenes are marked with explicit depiction of men shown making medicine, probably Bajikarana, an ayurvedic (herbal) medicine for sexual potency. The erotic groups often depict noble men and women in pre-coital position often aided by attendants, perhaps a Tantrik religious ritual. Homosexuality and Bestiality although scarce is found on the outer walls of the temples.

Maithuna (Coitus)

Bestiality - Lakshamana Temple

Walking around the temples of Khajuraho , one would find random placement of erotic sculptures on the outer walls of the temples or at the pillars and doorways. However the placement of sculptures is not random. They are placed as per the prescriptions of Shilpashastras which postulated that the juxtaposition of the erotic sculptures against the haloed and sacred precincts of a temple is a good omen and brings good luck to the builders. Generally it is believed, and, sometimes manifest also in real life, that a prosperous society tends to harbour a more liberated stand towards sex with lesser inhibitions and a healthier viewpoint.

Erotic Group In Kandariya Mahadeva Temple

Once can attribute the rich artistic explosion at Khajuraho to the openness and prosperity in the society at that time. The decline in quality of art towards the end of 12^th century perhaps points to the changing times with various invasions.

Erotic Group Found In Jain Temple

Notes on Origin of Artistic Erotic Expressions in India:

The earliest form of artistic expressions on erotica is in the form of cave paintings. Coitus is often depicted as a religious ritual for progeny. Various sexual acts sometimes performed in front of the village headman can also be seen. Evidence of Homosexuality can be found in many Chalcolithic cave paintings. The first major form of erotic expression can be dated back to the Harappan Civilization (Pre – Vedic) where numerous evidence of Phallus worship is found.

Erotic Group

The earliest forms of Shivalingas are found around the region of Sanchi which is close to Khajuraho.  Many early temples especially those found in Aihole, Patadakal have depictions of erotica. This was not just found in Vedic or Pre-Vedic religions but also in contemporary sects of Jainism and Buddhism. The 9^th century saw the boldest expression of erotica in the form of Khajuraho.

Maithuna (Coitus)

The 20^th century writers advocated the association of temples with the Kaula-Kapalika cults, then prevailing at Khajuraho. The erotica of Khajuraho was the result of hedonistic activities of the Tantrika sects. However it is common knowledge that erotic sculptures are found all over the country in varying degree dateable from 900 A.D to 1400 A.D.

Social & Religious Orders at Khajuraho during the 8^th Century:

What is remarkable from the standpoint of religious order is the presence of some kind of fusion and synthesis of Brahmanical and Tantrika pantheons, at Khajuraho.  Around the 8^th century A.D, Brahamana dharma had started bringing, in its fold, the tenets of Tantra, namely, mantra, yantra, mandala, nayasa etc. The period following the 9^th century A.D is marked with bold expression of erotica. The temples were constructed by royal Kings and Chiefs, under the guidance of Vedic Brahmins. The artist was given free rein to his imagination, which in turn reflected the then prevailing social norms, economic conditions and, thereby, seen as mirroring the contemporary society in its entirety. The erotic sculptures not only represent the entire life process- philosophy in which the sex energy (kama) changes into cosmic energy (God) but comprised an essential part of the ornamentation of the temples.

Erotic Group

Philosophy behind the Erotica:

Hinduism envisages four aspects of life (Purusarthas), i.e Dharma (Religion), Artha (Wealth), Kama (Sex) and Moksha (Salvation). Kama is the point of focus to understand the philosophy behind erotica in temples. Kama is described as kind of Yogic phenomenon (Swadhyaya) where one experiences utter freedom and liberation. Sex is a form of liberation of pent up feelings. The feeling is believed to originate from the sex-centres (Muladhara) (Folks, I am not talking about brothels ) and tends to expand outwards, but as one goes deeper and deeper into meditation the same energy moves upwards to merge with its own base (Paramsiva).

Erotic Group

The Unnatural erotic behaviour as depicted in various sculptures is exactly proportionate to the intensity of the suppressed feelings of any given people. Suppressed feelings are expressed in other forms such as anger and violence. Thus, sex enables man to become lighter and wiser and be able to focus one’s energy to reach the Gods. This explains the reason why the number of erotic sculptures become lesser and lesser as one proceeds from the outside to the inside of the temple and is completely absent in the Sanctum.  However, there have been corner cases where erotic sculptures were found inside the Sanctum. The possible explanation could point to the fact that as man tries to achieve Moksha by mere suppression of feelings rather than true realization would not fail at the doorway to God. This probably explains the rare erotic sculptures inside the sanctum to point out the remaining shreds of Kama which prevents a man from attaining Moksha.  Liberation from Kama can only be achieved by Yoga and Meditation.

Erotic Group

Two paths to achieving Moksha were practiced by various sects during the medieval times in India. Moksha can be achieved only by defeating Kama which can be accomplished through meditation. Various sages including Mahavira, Buddha promoted this path to Moksha however was not followed by majority of the masses. The second path to defeat Kama was derived from Tantric philosophy. In this regard, Tantra recognises three important components. Bhogi, or one who indulges in sexual pleasure, without understanding the same. Yogi, or the one who suppresses one’s feeling, as a matter of deliberate negation. Tantrika, or one who encompasses characteristics of bhogi and yogi. A Tantrika does not deliberately restrain his passionate feelings and desires, but knows them and lives through them, as a way of going beyond them. A Tantrika lives like a bhogi, albeit with a difference. He does not indulge in unrestrained, mindless pleasure activities, nor does he suppress his desire, as a yogi. Hence a confluence of the situation of a bhogi and the mind of a yogi is imperative for achieving the ultimate bliss. This is the very ideology, in its entirety that the Khajuraho temple depicts.

Maithuna (Coitus)

Conclusions:  

Khajuraho attracted pilgrims from far and wide, a site that surprised and shocked the uninitiated visitor. Yet the message was always loud and clear. If you are lost in the labyrinth of the world, how will you enter the garbagriha of truth?

Khajuraho - Western Group Of Temples

The pleasant aroma of pakodas from a restaurant nearby lured me out of bed. After a generous helping of pakodas, I ventured out only to come back almost immediately as the skies opened up for the second time. I spent my time socializing with the only other guest in that hotel. The two gentlemen from Germany were very friendly and I was soon able to strike a friendly conversation with them. Little did I know that these men would become my travel buddies till Gwalior.

Multi-Colored Stones

Taking the gigantic umbrella given to us by the hotel staff, we made our way to temples for the sound and light show.  I dozed off several times during the show only to be woken up by my German friends. The historic facts presented were very bland and the light sequences were unsynchronized. Strolling around the neighborhood after a sumptuous dinner ended the rather uneventful day on a high note.

Viswanath Temple

The next day the Sun made its presence known on the ‘Sun Temple’ amongst the famed Western Group of Temples. In this post I shall try to find answers to questions that had eluded me in the past…

Who built the temples at Khajuraho?

The Chandella Dynasty (AD 900 – 1150) is credited for these magnificent temples. The Chandella genealogy traces its roots back to mythic beginnings.  Legend has it that Chandra, the moon god, fell in love with a beautiful young Brahmin maiden, Hemavati, and out of wedlock a child was born marking the beginning of the Chandella Dynasty. Hemavati, worried of having a child out of wedlock asked the Moon god to forgive her sins. Chandra prophesied that their son, after becoming the king should perform Bhandya Yajna , a sacrificial ritual that included among its rites the depiction of erotic figures.  This would free his mother from the blemish of extramarital love. However there is no mention of the love story in the inscriptions found at the site. Archaeologists have traced the ancestry of Chandellas’ to tribal Gonds and Bhars as they worshipped a tribal deity called Maniya Devi. This could possibly be an attempt by the Chandellas to hide their tribal past with glorified stories to improve their status from chieftains to kings.

Was there any religion at all in Khajuraho?

The name Khajuraho is synonymous with erotic sculptures. It’s generally believed that ‘free love’ was born there. Some also believe that the sex manual Kamasutra was written after studying Khajuraho. Nothing could be further from the truth.  Erotic figures consist of not even one-tenth of the total number of sculptures that adorn the walls of the temples. The temples were the centers of both religious and artistic expression in medieval India. There is abundant evidence to support that religions like Hindus, Jain Digambara, and traces of Buddhist faith were present during the glorious days of Khajuraho. Irrespective of family deity being of tribal origin, the Chandellas built temples in sophisticated Nagara style and affiliated to Brahmanical religion (Vedic).   There are five temples dedicated to the Jain faith which are located at the Eastern Group Of Temples. A detailed explanation of erotic sculptures of Khajuraho can be found in here.

Was the Tantric sect of Kapalikas associated with Khajuraho?

Popular belief associates Khajuraho with the extreme sect of the Kapalikas, who were Brahmin –haters who, it is believed, indulged in sexual rites. In the literature of the period, the Kapalikas were believed to have abducted beautiful girls for sacrificing to the Devi, the Goddess. D.N Lorenzen, a leading authority on the history of the Kapalika sect, disassociates this sect from Khajuraho temples. He points out that it represented a stage in Indian history when orthodox Brahmin forces reasserted themselves against extreme Tantric sects such as Kapalikas. By the 10^th century AD, the Puranas (Brahmanic Religion) which had earlier opposed the Tantras, now accepted several Tarntric elements such mantras, yantras, and mandalas. Thus the religion at Khajuraho was Tantric-Puranic.  Unlike the Kapalika sect, they were not extreme Tantric, but were influenced by Vedic revival and had incorporated Puranic elements.

Upper View Of Jaganath Temple

Strolling around the temple complex, I noticed the similarities between all the temples. Almost all the temples have the northern style Shikhara (Tower), Garbhagriha (Sanctum), Antarala (Vestibule), Mahamandapa (A Large Hall), Mandapa (A Hall), Mukhamandapa (A Porch). The sculptures are made of finely grained stone ranging from pale buff to pink, yellow, and brown.

Vamana (Incarnation Of Lord Vishnu) In The Sanctum

The main sanctum where the god resides is often very dark, perhaps to give an atmosphere where the devotees are reborn to higher life. I found it rather strange that all the temples follow the same pattern of construction. It’s only later that I learnt that they were constructed based on rules laid down in texts called Vastushastra.

Javari Temple

Having visited many ancient temples in the South India, I was quite aware of the architectural differences notably the absence of enclosure walls. It has its own separate platform that demarcates its sacred space from the material world. The arched gateways (Toranas) of the temple are richly decorated providing a cosmic welcome to the eternal world. My thoughts were interrupted by my German friends who reminded me of little time we have to explore all the temples in the area.

Duladeo Temple

Devangana Desai, a renowned expert in Khajuraho sculptures, has broadly classified them into eight categories.  Unlike many Hindu temples found around the country, these groups of temples follow a certain pattern in design.

The Cult Icons:  The Khajuraho temples were dedicated to Vishnu, Shiva, Surya and The Yoginis.  The artists have created some of the most extraordinary images of these divinities which represent gods as divine celestial beings.  Perhaps the most interesting sculpture is of Kartikeya, the war god and the son of Lord Shiva, depicted as a teacher of grammar, shows the vast cultural diversity in understanding of the god between the various regions in India.

Cult Icons: Shiva-Parvati - The idol represents unity of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati By Combining Half Body Of Each Other

Cult Icon: Varaha Avatar Of Lord Vishnu

Cult Icon: Narashima Avathar Of Lord Vishnu

The Attendants & Surrounding Divinities:  The images are found all around the temples are generally vital figures, believed to radiate the power of the central divinity of the sanctum.

The Attendants

Divinities

The Demi Gods: These are dynamic figures generally carved on the top row of the wall, symbolizing the celestial world. As load-bearing, four armed dwarfs, they are seen on pillar brackets of all the temples, some of them with funny expressions on their faces.

Demi Gods - Poor picture, unfortunately this is the only picture of demi gods i have

Celestial Women: The medieval temples of India, including those at Khajuraho, have a preponderance of female figures in their sculptural scheme. The women indulge in various everyday activities such as applying make-up, tying or untying the waist girdle, rinsing water from wet hair etc. The medieval Vastu texts specifically ordain the carving of female figures on the temple walls. One of the common depictions is of a women undressing to remove a scorpion from her body. This was a poetic device used to express fertility. Female nudity was regarded as a potent fertility charm. It is often pointed out that one of the Sanskrit words for scorpion is Khajura, and this could be related to the ancient name of Khajuraho, i.e. Khajura-vahaka, which means either date-palm bearing or scorpion bearing. Perhaps the scorpion bearing female could be the emblem of the town Khajura-vahaka.

Celestial Women: Women On The Left Putting On Her Bindi (Red Dot)

Amorous Couples: The erotic groups, related to the auspicious symbolism of early Indian art, acquire added importance at Khajuraho. The understanding of these erotic figures and their depictions are often so complex that a separate post is dedicated to their understanding.

Amorous Couple

Secular Scenes: The depiction of royal hunt, the king at the court, marching armies, domestic scenes are all classified as secular scenes.

Secular Scenes: Warriors & Musicians Depicted.

Secular Scenes: War Scene With Elephant Trampling A Man

Animal Figures: The common form of Mythical figures found in Khajuraho temples are the Vyala, which is originally derived from Persian art. This creature, with body of a lion and the face of an elephant, goat, parrot, was known in India from at least the second century BC.  Makara, the mythical creature is often found on the arched frames of divinities.

Animal Figures: The Vyala

Animal Figures: Makara: This mythical creature combines the jaw of a crocodile, trunk of elephant, ears of lion, horns of ram, and tail of fish. It is the vehicle of goddess Ganga

Geometric & Floral Designs: These are carved on the ceilings, on pillars and elsewhere.

Geometric & Floral Designs: Decorated Ceilings. Demi Gods are seen in the frame

Geometric & Floral Designs: Multi Layer Decorated Ceilings

Having visited all the temples at Khajuraho, I was thinking about the other aspect proposed by a well renowned scholar Shobita Punja about the actual depictions of the figures around the temple.  According to her understanding the depictions around the temple often point to a mythical divine marriage between Shiva and Parvati. She points out that a story that starts on Maha Shivaratri and ends with the night of wedding of Shiva and Parvati.

Kandariya Mahadeva Temple

Place To Stay:

• Hotel Siddharth – Ph: 274627  Rent: Rs 800
• Osaka Lodge – Ph: 272839 Rent: Rs 400

References:

• Khajuraho The First Thousand Years – Shobita Punja
• Khajuraho with latest discoveries – P.K Mishra
• Khajuraho – Devangana Desai
• Khajuraho – A study of the cultural conditions of Chandella society. – Vidya Prakash

Jal Mahal

Battling through the damaged highway, I entered the impregnable city of Mandu. This tiny city is a collection of ruins. I started off my ruins tour with a “govt trained tour guide” to get the essence of the place. Selecting the right guide is very important so I carefully selected my tour guide by conducting two rounds of interview to test his knowledge of this region.  I promised to double his pay if he made the day interesting.

History of Mandu:

The Region of Mandu was ruled for over thousand years by Paramara (one that strikes the enemy) clan of Agni Kula warriors. They hold the reputation of eliminating Buddhism in India and establishing Vedic (Hindu) empire. Raja Bhoja from the same clan made Mandu his holiday retreat. The rule of Paramara dynasty ended with the defeat of Mahandev, the general of Raja Jaisal army, during the war with Alauddin Khilji. Ain-ul-Mulk Multani, the head of Khilji army was named the governor of Malwa in 1294 A.D. When in 1401, the Mughals captured Delhi, the Afghan Dilawar Khan, new governor of Malwa, set up his own little kingdom and the Ghauri dynasty was established. Hoshang Shah shifted the capital from Dhar to Mandu thus marking beginning of the glorious period of Mandu. During this period arts, music, literature, architecture flourished. It soon became the intellectual capital of central India.

The Passage Through Time

Mahmud Khilji and his son Ghiyas ud din Khilji after overthrowing the Ghauri dynasty ruled for next 60 years. Ghiyas ud din Khilji was a womanizer and built Jahaz Mahal for housing thousand women who were often referred to as his wives. The reign of Khilji dynasty came to an end with conquest of Mandu by Bahadur Shah of Gujarat. Mughal emperor Humayun defeated Bahadur Shah to take Mandu in 1534 A.D. The next ten years saw the city pass hands between various dynasties with Baz Bahadur emerging in top spot.  In 1561, Mughal Emperor Akbar’s army led by Adham Khan who was in love with Rani Roopmati wife of Baz Bahadur, attacked Mandu and defeated. Rani Roopmati hearing the news of the fall of Mandu  killed herself by drank poison while her husband fled. Baz Bahadur regained his kingdom by defeating ruler of Mandu, Pir Muhammad (Akbar’s minister). Bez Bahadur was finally defeated by Akbar’s army in 1562 to regain Mandu. The city remained under Mughal control until taken by the Marathas in 1732. The capital of Malwa was shifted back to Dhar thus bringing an end to the glorious Mandu city.

Monuments:

Dilwawar Khan's Masjid: this mosque is one of the earliest examples among mosques remaining in Mandu

The first monument we visited was Dilawar Khan’s Masjid. It made logical sense to visit that monument as it was him who first established the Ghauri dynasty which marked the beginning of glorious Mandu heritage. The mosque was built in 1405 A.D by Dilawar Khan. Because of its central entrance in the direction of the east, it is thought to have been built for the Muslim royal family in Mandu. However, the pillars show traces of Hindu style notwithstanding the arch-shaped central mirhab suggests that this mosque was built by Hindu workmen.

Inside Of Dilawar Khan's Masjid: like other early mosques in Dhar and Mandu, the pillars and the ceiling of the room show clear traces of Hindu style, notwithstanding the arch-shaped central mihrab and the three mihrabs on either side of the west prayer room.

Champa Baodi

My guide mentioned about various water storage system found in Mandu and suggested we check out Champa Baodi. Named after an aromatic flower, this well features pumping equipment set in the underground, which suggest perhaps the earliest use of submerged pumps in India.

Well At Champa Baodi

Hindla Mahal: It hardly uses decoration and seems to be a palace building meant to show its dignity by simplicity. "Hindla" is a Hindu word meaning "shake". It is said that it came from its prominent inclination on the outside wall

A very unique building caught my attention as we moved away from Champa Baodi. The building called the Hindla Mahal has a very unique shape which suggests that it might have been used as audience chamber. The unique features are the large arches which look very Gothic. It’s not very clear if it was intended to emulate western architecture or mere experiment.

Gothic style arcs inside Hindla Mahal

Kapur Talao

A pond named Kapur Talao meaning camphor was built facing the front side of Jahaz Mahal. The forth emperor of the Mughal, Jahangir, loved this lakeside palace and he wrote that he enjoyed its lit-up scenery at night. His empress, Nur Jahan favored spending a night in this palace, when she visited Malwa.

Jahaz Mahal: Palace for 1000 queens. Legend has it that Ghiyas ud din Khilji would send his wives who had grey hair or had become fat to second class Mahal for exercise.

The Royal Palace situated north lakeside is mostly two-tired. There are many rooms that have an arch-shaped entrance and fine staircases. These remind us of the prosperity of the rulers in Malwa in the past.

Royal Palace

Jami Masjid: The whole mosque is built upon a basement. The wall dividing the basement into two levels gives a grand appearance to the mosque. The eastern side of the basement contains small arch-shaped rooms and niches. The grand darwazas in the four corners, which were built in the east on a square plan with high stairs, further enhance the dignity of the appearance of the east front of this mosque.

Feeling a bit tired, we decided to take rest in a park close by. A quick nap under the tree did the trick. We walked toward the famed Jami Masjid. The credits for this massive temple is given to Hoshang Shah, however it was completed sometime later probably by Mahmud Khilji.

Interiors Of Jami Masjid

The unique feature of the mosque is the numerous enormous praying rooms. Traces of Hindu craftsmanship are seen all over the mosque, however it cannot be concluded that a Hindu building was converted to mosque in later times.

Hoshang Shah's Tomb

Hoshang Shah’s tomb is perhaps the feature of the day. Hoshang Shah’s tomb is situated in the middle of the courtyard of the majestic mausoleum, surrounded by square-shaped walls. One can enter the mausoleum from the entrance gate, (which is built on a square plan with a marble dome) in the middle of the northern wall. The tomb of Hoshang shah is a grand construction, having a square plan and a dome. It is built on a basement of remarkable width and height. The entire building including the dome is covered in marble, providing majestic atmosphere. It is interesting to note that the main entrance and stairs are situated in the south side, the other side of the entrance to the courtyard. This beautiful structure served as a template for the construction of Taj Mahal.

Roopmati’s Pavilion

Walking back to the car, my guide informed me that there were two very important building associated with the romantic story of Roopmati and Baz Bahadur. Rain began to lash out as we entered the Roopmati’s Pavilion. My guide began with a poetic note the love story of a Hindu poetess and the King, while waiting for the rain to stop. The pavilion was crowded with young couples, perhaps making their mark in the pavilion that once stood for true love.

Couples At Roopmati’s Pavilion

Baz Bahadur’s Palace

A quick tour of the pavilion was followed by even quicker exit by car led us to Baz Bahadur’s Palace. Located on a hill east of a reservoir called Riwa Kunde, this building was built because of the picturesque scenery of the surrounding nature. It was built by Sultan Nasir ad-Din in 1508 A.D. Sultan Baz Bahadur let his beloved empress Roopmati occupy and visited this palace so often that this building came to be called by his name.

Inside Baz Bahadur’s Palace

The day came to an end after multiple exchange of goodbyes. As I drove back to Indore, my thoughts lingered around a few unanswered questions. How did Ghiyas ud din Khilji manage to have thousand wives? Would he remember their name? What if some girl just swaps place with one of his wives? Would he know? He had only one son?

Filthy thoughts for the filthy road ahead?

References:

• Paramara Dynasty
• History Of Mandu
• Architecture Of Mandu
• Khalji Dynasty
• Story Of Roopmati
• Mughal Empire

Gwalior Fort

Leaving behind my friends, I took an evening stroll around my hotel to have an idea of places I plan to visit the next day. Gwalior is a great city and nothing more. I talked my friends out of the original two day plan in Gwalior.The glasses clinked as we raised a toast for great days ahead.

This 8th century Dravidian style temple was used as a drinks factory by the British after the First war of Independence. This 30m high temple is the oldest monument in the compound.

Gurudwara At Gwalior Fort

Like a stubborn drill sergeant, I drove my friends to the famed Gwalior fort through the western side, early in the morning. The weather was pleasant, but I was dismayed at the sight of healthy citizens of Gwalior. The reason to reach the fort early was to avoid the crowd. We drove around the magnificent fort for a while before exiting, only to stop at the remarkable Jaina rock cuts along the road.

Tirthankaras

Tirtankara - Adinath

Mostly cut into the cliff face in the mid 15th century, they represent nude figures of tirthankars (the 24 great Jain teachers) and were defaced and castrated by Babur’s muslim army in 1527.  These figures made the western entrance worthy a visit.

Four pillared Hindu temple dedicated to hermit Gwalipa after whome the fort and town are named

Man Singh Palace

Finding food became a priority, but we were told that it was too early for breakfast. Grumpily, we decided to check out the eastern entrance of the fort and Man Singh Palace. The eastern entrance was dramatically different from the west. Set in a dirty neighborhood, walking through the crowd became a nightmare. We could relax only after we reached the entrance of Man Singh Palace. Built by Tomar ruler Man Singh in 1508 A.D, is a fine example of early Hindu architecture consists of two open courts surrounded by apartments on two levels. Below ground lie another two levels constructed for hot weather connected by speaking tubes built into the wall. This was pitch dark and we needed torch. The hawks (tourist guides) noticing the situation offered to lend their torch light for 200 bucks each. Irritated by these pesky hawks, we declined their offer and decided to skip the underground levels.

Inside Of Man Singh Palace

My German friends  and me parted ways, with them heading to Agra and me to Ujjain. Ujjain, a religious place for Hindus was not on my plan. I was urged by my very close friend to pay a visit, to witness Bhasma Aarthi. Although not religious, this very unique ritual intrigued me. To gain entrance to this ritual, I had to get a pass the previous day. Braving the delays and confusions, I got my pass. With abundant time in hand, I decided to take the “Ujjain Tour Bus” for sight seeing.

Ram Ghat , Ujjain

Temple Entrance

At 3:00 A.M, my eyes barely open, I made my way to the temple to witness the ritual. I was well in advance and stood in the queue to be seated in the sacred auditorium. Striking up a conversation with an old lady was the only way  to keep myself awake. I barely noticed the time when I heard crescendo of mixture of vedic chants, drums and bells.  A rumor started spreading among the crowd that a VIP had come for the ritual hence we would be denied entry for security reasons. For me, that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I was so furious that I jumped out of the queue and made my way to the parking lot. It was an unproductive and unpleasant experience which marked Ujjain as a place I would never visit in this lifetime.

Sweet Tooth!

Best way to travel in town

Standing at the traffic signal on my way out of Ujjain, a young boy came running to my car to sell flowers. Noticing my complete disinterest he whispered “God will bring back those he could not meet the first time”. I had no idea what he meant, but atleast it put a smile back on my face as I drove off.

Camels On Road

PS: Btw, that fatso my was my friend.

Gwalior: Place To Stay:

Hotel DM (Ph No: 2342083)

Near Railway Station

Datia Palace

Pathway At The Palace

Sonagiri at only 15 km from Datia is one of the most important jain pilgimage sites in India. 84 temples were built on a hill. Like all jain sites the place was very well kept and the ambiance was relaxed.

Sonagiri Hill

Pathway To Top Of Hill

Jain Temple

Inside The Temple

I drove off to Gwalior with the image of the 84 temples on my mind.

En-route Jabalpur

My lunch companion, a mute humanoid in a beggar outfit, helped himself to some food that I offered. His manners never failed to raise eyebrows, as he offered me a place to rest. I unfolded myself to take a kip under an enormous tree surrounded by lush green meadows. I slept for nearly two hours and was rudely awaken by the sound of thunder storm reminding me of the long journey ahead. The old man had cleaned up my car while I was asleep as a token of gratitude. I bid my farewell and continued the journey.

Highway To Hell ~ Honest!! That was song playing at time the picture was taken

Jabalpur greeted me with a ‘thundering’ welcome. I reached the city bus stand where I was supposed to meet my host. He put me up in a room which was reserved for guests of a wedding happening in the town. I had free time in my hands, and went about exploring the town in a rickshaw. The main bazaar was welcoming with its bright lights and people crowding the shops.

Bheda Ghat

I decided that if I ever decide to moonlight, it would be in Jabalpur, amongst the busy market streets, maybe even as a peddler! Striking up a conversation with some friendly folks, got me invited to dinner! And by God, was it sumptuous! With the taste of lip-smacking traditional dishes and sweetened lassi still lingering in my tongue, I bid farewell to these Samaritans. I ventured out late at night for second round of jelabies and after a tired day, I dozed off almost immediately on reaching my destination. After what seemed liked minutes after I dozed off, I dragged my feet to answer the bell that yelled with its full might repeatedly. Not long after I stumbled back to bed, I was woken up again with a request for a room change. I recommenced my sleep soon after the chaotic room shift.

Dhuandhar Waterfalls

It was 5 A.M when I heard the alarm go off. I rushed out to the parking lot after a quick morning routine. I was half asleep as I drove to Bheda Ghat. Bheda Ghat, known for its marble formation, is a major tourist attraction on the banks of river Narmada. The mystic morning dew added to the beauty of these marble rocks. Setting up the tripod for a video shoot was a mistake. No sooner than I mounted the camera, hordes of children came running to pose for the video. I had to convince them that it was to capture the splendid Dhuandhar waterfalls. Living up to the name “Dhaundhar”, which translates to fog,  the sprinkles from the water smashing on to the rocks created a foggy atmosphere. Walking a little further from the marble formation was a beautiful temple called Chausath Yogini (sixty four female yogis).  This majestic ancient temple had a northern shikara with sixty four sculptures of female yogis. The slight drizzle added a mystic feel to the temple.

Chausath Yogini Temple (sixty four female yogis)

Yogini

By the time I found my way back to the car, my stomach was yearning for food, and taking advice from Lonely Planet, I drove to Tilwara Ghat in search of a well known dhaba (small eatery) for breakfast. The little dhaba experiment turned out to be an oily nightmare. I was sure that the oil used to cook the dripping parathas would end the Middle East crisis. The only reprieve of this foodie misadventure was a chance to witness one of the funniest sights- a truck driving on the highway with the driver’s right hand sticking out of the window moving in perfect perpetual semicircular motion over the windscreen as a replacement to the non functional wiper. I almost choked at that sight. Well, that choking should definitely have digested the oils that I consumed!

Road Not Taken!

A relocation to another room followed and after a few minutes rest, I went to visit a small natural bio reserve park very close to Jabalpur airport with my camera in hand. The reserve, few kilometers ahead of the airport, looked newly constructed. Expecting nothing but a good stroll, I started walking. My expectant eyes spotted a small mud path deviating from path well traveled. I took the road not taken and it made all the difference (it really did, in spite of the ‘Frostian’ angle to it)! Perhaps this was pinnacle of the whole trip.

Wooden Jetty

The park by far exceeded my expectations. To my surprise I ran into a herd of spotted deer. Watching them graze hid behind a tree was a wonderful experience. Dark clouds threw out enough warning to fasten my pace. I realized that I was lost and had been circling the same area for about an hour. The rain made its move and within minutes I was totally drenched and lost.

Spotted Deer

Amidst the rain I sensed something move at a distance. I slowed my pace to get a better look and saw a peacock prancing in the rain. Realizing with a jolt, that watching a peacock’s rain dance at such proximity was new to me, I savored the sight. As I inched my way to the dancing bird, he panicked and ran in random directions. I just followed the bird which led me back to the cement road. I reached my room soon and contemplated the events of my surreal evening.

Around Jabalpur

Sipping hot tea with jelabies, my mind began to wander of what tomorrow will bring as I leave behind this lovely town of Jabalpur. Have I seen the best that Madhya Pradesh had to offer or is there more? With a sense of excitement I closed my eyes waiting to ‘capture that flighty temptress adventure’!

Place To Stay:

Hotel Shriradha – 0761-4004018, 2404332 Email: hotelshriradha@yahoo.com

On arriving a bit early at the railway station, I had the pleasure of roaming around in search of familiar faces. It was not difficult to spot my ‘gang’ as they were loaded with huge backpacks and looked ready for an adventure. After the initial niceties, we boarded the local train to Canning from where a tempo will take us to the port. The travel in the tempo was the fun part, with a few of us sitting on top as there was no space inside. All through the way, I heard interesting stories from my fellow traveler who proved to be an intelligent source of information throughout the trip.

The Boat - Travelling Through Mangroves - Photo By Sanghita Mukherjee

Sunderbans, known for its tigers, is largely a mangrove forest. As this was my first visit of a mangrove forest, I did not know that traveling across this forest is not like any other. This 4,143 square kilometre-forest is dense and can be traveled only by boats. My mind was working overtime as I was just imagining sitting near a water hole and waiting for a tiger to come by. My youthful imagination of spotting a tiger in Sunderbans as often I come across a traffic jam in Bangalore was crashed when I realized that we would be traveling in a motor boat for three days and spiritually hoping for a tiger to cross our paths.

Sunderbans - A Different Mood Photo By Subroto Mukherjee

For a guy who had explored tropical forests down south, the very idea of expecting animals to come out in the open sounded absurd. Not long after we reached the place where the boat would pick us up, a man from a curious group of bystanders walked towards us. It did not take long for him to attract the group’s attention as he had the ‘magic words’. No sooner than we heard the words monocle cobras, we decided to drop by his village and visit his snakes. The walk to the village was tiresome with the sun beating down on us. But it was a worthy effort as we got to handle two cobras. Our snake expert advised the villagers on handling of the snakes. Finally, we got into the waiting boat and started off on our Sunderban safari (if I can call it that!).

The owner of the camp where we would be staying was on the boat with us. In what seemed like a moment of stamping one’s authority he started off on his do’s and don’ts of the stay. He sounded like a pan-chewing guide with poor English pronunciation, trying to exert the importance of leaving back your shoes in the vehicle before going into the temple. Hence nicknamed “Captain Obvious”.

Flower Pecker - Photo By Subroto Mukherjee

An uneventful day followed with our afternoon filled with photographing water lizards in a nature reserve. After we reached our camps, we dumped off our luggage, had dinner and went out for an uneventful night walk. The purpose of the night walk was to find nocturnal snakes.

Kid From The Village - Photo By Sanghita Mukherjee

We split up into two groups with “Captain Obvious” joining our group. “Captain Obvious” turned into “Captain Contradict all” and touched a few nerves among my group members. In the end we returned empty-handed. Though it was impossible to sleep due to the poor ventilation that room suffered from, all of us managed to doze off soon enough.

Sunset At Camp - Photo By Subroto Mukherjee

I woke up to the screams of people yelling ‘Snake’! I rushed out to find that a rat snake that had sneaked into the camp site was caught. The snake was bagged so that it can be shown to others. The rest of us went for a ‘birding’ session before breakfast during which I was taught some fundamentals of the activity. After a brief session of rat snake handling, we headed off to the boat. The morning session was quite uneventful and most of us dozed off. The post-lunch lethargy was warded off with sudden rainfall and the weather change made the boat ride fun. Fuelling our excitement was the sight of a huge crocodile that was lazing around in the mud.

Saltwater Crocodile - Photo By Subroto Mukherjee

We reached camp for our evening snack and were greeted by two more people who joined the group, who after a tiresome journey preferred to rest. By this time “Captain Contradict all” had annoyed enough people and was asked to lay low for a while. Our evening stroll along the farms adjacent to the camp did not yield good results as far as spotting snakes is concerned.

Sunderbans Bowing Out - Photo By Subroto Mukherjee

The next morning we took a stroll along the road for another session of birding. The walk was pepped up by the little ghost shrimps that cleaned our legs that were dipped into the water. 

Little Minivet - Photo By Subroto Mukherjee

Lesser Adjutent Stroke - Photo By Subroto Mukherjee

While some of us were contemplating our misfortune over not spotting a tiger after a trip to the Sunderbans, reprieve came in the form of tiger footprints that we spotted. The prints that looked fresh, we decided, should have been left by a tiger that had swam across the islands and disappeared into the jungle. Disappointed, we retuned to the camp.

Green Frog - Photo By Subroto Mukherjee

The evening was spent listening to a wonderful presentation by a fellow traveller about the Sunderbans. The next day we packed off our bags, loaded the boat and sped off into civilization leaving behind the mystic sense that Sunderbans invokes in every soul that dared to navigate its way through the dense jungle. As I heard sounds of ‘goodbyes’ and ‘yas’, I realised that it was time to go. The short vacation has come to an end.

The Team - Photo By Subroto Mukherjee

To me, and few others it was not over yet. A perfect tigerless vacation does not of course come to an end, without a heady dose of famed Kolkatta sweets and some maniacal driving by taxi drivers to reach the airport. The tiger still remained a distant dream. Hopefully, I will get to see them soon, before they become extinct that is!

Additional Photos Shot By Subroto Mukherjee:

Iora

Paradise Flycatcher

Weaver

A special thanks to Subroto and Sanghita for their contribution to this post.