Signifinace of Makar Sankranti and legend of Ganga Sagar

Sagar Island, at the mouth of the river Hooghly in Bengal, where the Ganga river breaks up into hundreds of streams, and drains into the sea, is honored as a pilgrimage site, signifying the spot where ashes of the ancestors of King Bhagiratha were purified by the waters of Ganga. The temple of Kapil muni (sage) at this site is a center of worship. A dip in the ocean-river confluence on the day of Makar Sankranti when the sun makes a transition to Capricorn from Saggitarius in mid-January is considered to be of great religious significance. The small Sagar island of about 200,000 population becomes home to vast fairs, drawing visitors and recluses (sanyasis) from all over the country.

It is important to narrate the legend that is at the heart of the annual congregation at Sagar. King Sagar of the Ikshvaku dynasty ruling at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh had two queens, Keshani and Sumati, but neither had a child. Sagar performed severe austerities before his wives could produce sons. But whereas Keshani gave birth to a son called Asmajas, Sumati bore 60,000 sons. Sagar performed the Ashwamedha Yagya (sacrifice) to declare his suzerainty over the neighboring kingdoms. According to the prevalent custom, the sacrificial horse was let loose and allowed to wander into the neighboring kingdoms. If the horse was caught, a battle ensued and the outcome decided the winner. The 60,000 sons of Sagar were following the horse when they saw him enter a cavern where sage Kapil Muni was meditating. Kapil Muni was the son of Kardam Rishi and Daksh's daughter Devahooti. He was Avataar of Vishnu. Not seeing the horse in the cavern, they presumed that Kapil Muni had captured it. They did not kill Kapil Muni as he was a sage but they started disturbing his meditations. Annoyed at being disturbed, Kapil Muni with a curse burnt the 60,000 sons of Sagar. Time passed and later Bhagiratha, the great grandson of Sagar, chanced to come across the bones of his dead ancestors. He wanted to perform the shraddha of his ancestors but there was no water available for the ceremony. Agastya having drunk all the waters of the ocean, the country was passing through a severe drought. Bhagiratha prayed to Brahma, the Creator, to end the drought. Brahma asked him to pray to Vishnu, the Preserver, to allow the heavenly Ganga, issuing from His big toe, to come down to earth. Vishnu when prayed to by Bhagiratha agreed, but asked him to request Shiva, the third member of the Hindu trinity of Gods, to allow cascade of Ganga’s water to fall on his head before it came to the earth as the river. Shiva agreed, and Ganga watered the mortal remains of King Sagar’s 60000 sons liberating their souls once and forever. It is this legend that attracts people to this little island in a remote southern corner of West Bengal. The temple of Kapil Muni, as we see it today, is by no means the spot where the sage meditated. It went under the sea millennium ago followed by the many others built in its place, which subsequently was also swallowed, by the advancing sea. The present one was built only a few decades ago, quite a bit away from the sea. In the temple, three images engraved in stone are displayed, the one in the middle is that of Kapil Muni. The sage is seen in a jogasana; his eyes wide open, looking towards the sea. The idols of Ganga and King Sagar flank Kapil Muni and the horse of the sacrificial yagna stands at a distance.

Makar Shankranti is a very auspicious day as per Hindu calendar. While the traditional Indian Calendar is based on lunar positions, Sankranti is a solar event. So while dates of all Hindu festivals keep changing as per the Gregorian calendar, the date of Makar Sankranti remains constant over a long term, 14 January. Makar Sankranti is celebrated in the juncture of the last day of Hindu Calendar month of Poush and first day of Magha (January 14-15. On this day, the Sun moves from the Tropic of Capricorn to the Tropic of Cancer. According to the Hindu astrology, this is defined as movement of the Sun from Dhanu Rashi (Sagittarius) to Makara Rashi (Capricorn). Rashis are equivalent to the zodiac signs. The movement of the Sun from one zodiac sign into another is called Sankranti. [Picture Courtsey: Wikipedia]

The day commemorates the beginning of the harvest season and cessation of the northeast monsoon in South India. It is known by different names in different regions. While Makar Sankranti is the name in most states, in other states such as Gujarat and Rajasthan it is called Uttarayan (signifying northward movement of the Sun), Maghi in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, Pongal in Tamil Nadu. In Thailand, the day is called Songkran, in Myanmar it is called Thingyan and in Cambodia Moha Sangkran. Apart from a harvest festival is also regarded as the beginning of an auspicious phase in Indian culture. The day marks the end of an inauspicious phase which according to the Hindu calendar begins around mid-December. No auspicious and sacred ritual such as marriage is held during the phase of mid-December to mid-January. Makar Sankranti marks the beginning of the ‘day’ of Gods, while the phase of southward movement of the sun is believed to be the ‘night’ of Gods. From the day of Makar Sankranti, all pending social and religious events are organized with great fervor and fanfare. Most Bengalis like myself look forward to a number of seasonal delicacies and expect a spate of marriage invitations starting mid-January! From a science perspective, this day marks the beginning of warmer and longer days compared to the nights. The significance of the day has been conclusively established through several important episodes of Indian mythology. According to the Puranas, on this day Surya (Sun God) visits the house of his son Shani (Saturn), who is the lord of the Makar Rashi. Though the father and son duo did not get along well, the Surya made it a point to meet his son on this day and stay with him for a month. This day thus symbolizes the importance of the special relationship between father and son. It was also on this day when Lord Vishnu ended the terror of the Asuras (Demons). While taking a dip in Ganga and praying to the Sun is the predominant form of worship on this day, the people of Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharastra also celebrate by flying colorful kites. Preparing food at home with the new harvest crop such as rice and seasonal delicacies such as jaggery (sugar extracted from sap of date palm or sugarcane) is the custom in most places. Coconut and milk is also abundantly used for such preparations. Sankranti is celebrated over four days in states like Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Simhasth Kumbh Mela- 2016- Highlights and Headlines

The 2016 Simhastha Kumbh Mela in Ujjain has come to an end on May 22, 2016.  The month-long event has been momentous on various counts.  But the event means different things to different people.  One possible mirror that is expected to capture and reflect the mood and reaction of this mega event is the media.  So I present a collage of media coverage of the event.   

 

The headlines and excerpts have been taken from the local newspapers of Madhya Pradesh, published between April 20 to 24, 2016.  The opening day and main event of first Shahi Snan (Royal Bath of saints) was April 22.  The translations have been done by me.  I followed Ujjain edition of four Hindi dailies- Patrika (www.mp.patrika.com), Dainik Bhaskar (www.dainikbhaskar.com), Nai Duniya (www.naidunia.com), Dainik Avantika (www.awantika.com) and one local English daily- Free Press (www.freepressjournal.com).  These papers were awash with pictures and news reports of various aspects of the mega event.  The national newspapers have not captured a fraction of the flavor conveyed in these vernacular and local dailies.  For example, Times of India published a total of about 6 reports, mostly cursory and half of them about a hailstorm killing 6 people in the Mela grounds.  But the mood in the local papers was refreshingly celebratory and positive; as compared to the guarded curiosity, cursory reporting, elitist tokenism and superficial criticism of most of the national English dailies.  It just exemplified the gulf of difference between the silent faithful core and the vocal rebellious fringe of this country.  I immensely enjoyed reading the local papers and carried the copies back home for a better introspection.  Here are some of the news which made headlines locally- I wonder how much of this I would have known if I did not go to Ujjain.  Thank God I did.

 

But before the news clips, a summary of highlights of the event and of opening day and first Shahi Snan of Simhasth Kumbh Mela 2016:

 

• Estimated expense over two years of creating the infrastructure for hosting Simhasth Kumbh Mela in Ujjain- Rs. 3,650 crore ($545 million).
• Mela zone covers 4,000 hectares.  The area divided in to 6 zones, 22 sectors, 7 satellite towns.  16 bathing ghats spread over 8.5 km- enough space for 5.8 million people to bathe in a day.  Water was pumped from Narmada river to Kshipra river at flow rate of 5 cubic meters per second at an estimated cost of $11,000 per day.  A 19 km pipeline was laid.  Water quality prominently displayed in electronic board in Ram Ghat.  34,000 toilets constructed.   
• 70 million pilgrims estimated to have visited Ujjain over the 30 days of the event.  This includes 30,000 foreigners.  About 1 million pilgrims came on the opening day- much less than anticipated.  The draught and intense heat wave affecting several states is cited as the reason.  Pilgrims from Gujarat, Maharastra, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh were conspicuous by their absence.  Many of the pilgrims were from Punjab, Haryana and West Bengal. 
• 50,000 pilgrims visit the temple of Mahakaal- the reigning deity of Ujjain.  On a regular day, about 2,000 pilgrims visit the temple.   
• 60 temporary police stations set up in Mela zone, with numbers published in newspaper. 25,000 policemen posted to maintain law and order.  Another 24,000 civic police and volunteers on duty as well.  54 watch towers of height 7-35 feet.  106 Lost-and-Found centers.  All kinds of helpline numbers and senior officer’s contact numbers advertised. 
• Bathing ghats monitored through 670 close circuit television cameras in 134 locations with feed being beamed on 16 screens (each covering 32 locations) in police control room.  Face reading camera in 14 locations.  14 cameras placed to read license plates.
• 50 layer GIS map prepared to facilitate monitoring of the Mela from the control room.    
• 80 fire engines placed in 25 locations with 1150 firemen on duty. 
• 1550 public transport arranged.  100 special trains arranged.  Arrangement made for 118,000 vehicles to be parked every day.
• Congregation of about 200,000 saints. 
• Free food cooked in 4000 locations to feed 100,000 people every day.  12,000 gas cylinders arranged daily.
• 35 ft tall and 30 ft wide bronze colored statue of Vikramaditya- the legendary ruler of Ujjain seated in his famous throne unveiled on opening day- the creation and beautification cost Rs. 67 million ($1 million).
• Full prohibition on alcohol in the city for the full month of the mela. 
• Alongside the religious gathering, a month-long Simhasth Kala Utsav was organized to showcase folk and religious dance/play/songs/music in six different venues in the mela zone involving hundreds of artists/musicians from all states of India.  Also, Global Yoga Convention, Yoga Seminar, International Spiritual Film Festival and 3-day Vaicharik Mahakumbh (Kumbh Mela of Philosophy/thoughts) were organized.     
• 350 scientists and engineers from Department of Electronics & IT, Government of India conducted a research project on 30-minute-early warning system for stampede risk- they collected information using GPS trackers and wearable devices.  Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research is a collaborator.      

For those who missed the event this year, the next Simhasth Kumbh Mela will be held in Ujjain from April 9 – May 8, 2028.  And those who are busy during that time frame, they may consider the next one- April 27 – May 25, 2040. J       

 

April 21 & 22 (pre-event reporting)

 

 

• Desh duniya ko lubha rahi hain Avantika Puri- Simhasth Ujjain mein milegi aloukik anand ki anubhuti

[The country and world is being tantalized by the city of Avantika (ancient name of Ujjain)- divine pleasure will be experienced in the Simhasth event in Ujjain]

 

• 427 saal ke baad shubh yog ki tribeni

[Astrologers say that after April 30, 1589, there has never been such confluence of auspicious factors and astronomical alignments for 427 years until April 22, 2016; it will increase attachment towards religious and cultural values]

 

• Ab sikshak sadak par baithkar sraddaluo ka sahyog karenge- 1250 sikshako ko help desk aur takniki chattro ke sath lagaya mukhya margo par

[1250 teachers will assist pilgrims on the road- they will man helpdesks on various main roads- they will be assisted by two technical college students armed with laptops at each location]

 

• Jab Sant’o ne diya ek dusre ko aashirvaad- Seth Muralidhar Mansinghka Yatri Niwas me hua adbhut milan

[When saints blessed each other…]

 

• Dutt Akhara Ghat- sabse pehle Juna Akhara nahayega- Simhasth 2004 ke kram anusaar hoga Shahi Snan, Ram Ghat par sabse pehle Agni Akhara snan karega

[Saints of Juna commune will take the first bath in Dutt Akhara Ghat; the sequence of Simhasth 2004 will be followed for the royal bath of the saint communes; Agni commune will take first bath in Ram Ghat]

 

• Shahi Snan ke liye aney lagey sraddhalu- police ke nakebandi se 7-8 km paidal chalne ko ho rahe majbur

[Pilgrims have started coming for the royal bath- due to police barricade they have had to walk 7-8 kms]

 

• Bara Udasin ne bikhera jalwa, Agni Akhara bhi nikla shan se

[Bara Udasin commune of saints take out 2-km long procession in morning to show off the grandeur; Agni commune too takes out grand procession in the evening with 20 tractors, palki, band, horse, camels]

 

• Amrit snan ke liye raat 12 baje khali karaye ghat

[6 hours before first royal bath of saints, police administration clears out general pilgrims from the bathing ghats at midnight]

 

• Kinnar Akhare ko jan manyata- Kinnar Akhare ki Simhasth ki pehli peshwai dekhne umri bhir, deshprem aur paryabaran sangrakshan ka diya sandesha- dil khol ke di duyae, bante note

[The commune of Bisexuals-Transexuals take out their first ever procession in Simhasth; crowd swells to watch; message of patriotism and ecological protection conveyed; generously bless the crowd and distribute money]

 

• Shahar mein ek mah tak sharab bikri par pratibandh

[Ban on liquor sale for one month in the city]

 

• Har tin minit mein Indore ke liye bus’e- 40 rupiya hoga kiraya

[Bus service to and from Indore every three minutes (Indore is 55 km from Ujjain- nearest airport and major rail head)- Rs. 40 will be the fare]

 

• 10 hazar shraddhaluo ne ki Bhasmaarti ke darshan- aam din mein 2 hazar hotein hein shamil

[10,000 faithful watch the ceremony of ablution of Lord Shiva (Mahakaal- reigning deity of Ujjain) with crematorium ash- two thousand come to watch on regular days]

 

• Hanuman Jayanti aaj- Palki mein nagar bhraman karenge Bal Hanuman

[Today is Hanuman Jayanti- the deity of baby Hanuman will be taken around town in palanquin]

 

• Nau ratno ke sath biraje Samrat

[35 feet tall and 30 ft wide statue of Ujjain’s brave and famous emperor Vikramaditya dedicated to citizens; his statue is accompanied by statues of nine “gems” of his court including poet Kalidasa; the beautification cost Rs. 67.3 million]

 

• Shahi Snan ke sath prarambh hogi khuni naga’o ki diksha

[The process of indoctrinating new ascetics in to Naga commune will begin with 108 dips in Kshipra River…those who are indoctrinated in Ujjain are termed Khuni Nagas…before this they have to serve their Guru for three years and abide by all discipline of the commune…after indoctrination they have to perform their family’s and their own last rites according to Hindu custom]

 

 

April 23 & 24 (post-event reporting)

 

 

• Amrit Avgahan: 10 lakh se jyada logo ne kamaya punya- Kshipra ke zero bacteria jal mein Simhasth ka pehla shahi snan

[Over 1 million people take holy dip in Kshipra river’s zero bacteria water in the first royal bath of Simhasth Kumbh]

 

• Anupam, Adwitiya, Abishwaraniya- saadi ke dusre Simhasth Mahakumbh ke pehle shahi snan mein chalka bhakti ka amrit

[Beautiful, unprecedented, unforgettable- in the second Simhasth Kumbh mela of the century, nectar of devotion brimmed over in the first shahi snan]

 

• Akhado ne dikhaya shahi tej

[The saint communes showed royal power]

 

• Simhasth mein koi VIP nahin, CM se hua shuruat

[There are no VIPs in Simhasth, starts with Chief Minister- he went around without read beacon and follow car]

 

• 50 gm chandi sikke se 13 akharo ka dhwaj pujan

[The head of all 13 saint communes were presented with a 50 gm silver coin on behalf of the Mela organizer.  As per tradition, the flag of the commune is worshipped by the  administration.  The coin has the Simhasth logo on one side and photo of reigning deity Mahakaleshwar on the other side]  

 

• Sant’o ne dharm ko banaya karobaar- Ma Adi Shakti/Bakwas na karein mahila Mahamandaleshwar- Computer Baba

[Controversy: Leading woman saint of Niranjani Akhara says many of the male saints have made a business out of religion- women saints should stay away from it.  She felt that actions of Asaram Bapu and Nityanand were not saintly.]

 

• Ek dubki ke liye chalaya 10-12 km

[Due to police barricades, pilgrims had to walk 10-12 km]

 

• Ek mah ki sharab shahi snan par hi pi gaye Kaal Bhairav

[The Kaal Bhairav deity, to whom wine is offered as prayer offering, drank one month’s quota of wine in a day, due to visit of 30,000 pilgrims as compared to an average of 1,000 pilgrims each day]  

 

• Pehle Shahi snan mein 100 log lapata, 20 hi milein

[On the first day, 100 people lost, only 20 found]

 

• Kadi suraksha ke bawjud sahar mein kar gayi jeb

[Despite tight security, instances of pickpocket in city]

 

• Murde ki bhasm arpit nahin kar sakte toh naam gobar bhasm aarti kar dein

[Kapalik Bhairavananda Saraswati, receipient of President’s Award/Holland’s Global Peace Award, protested against the recent practice of offering ash made from cow dung (as opposed to ash from crematorium) to Mahakaal, saying it is anti-Tantrik and unreligious]

 

• Hitech control room se ghat o par nazar

[Over two dozen officers kept watch on the bathing ghats through 16 screens (each covering 32 locations) using feed from 670 cctv cameras]

 

• Shahi snan se shuru huya yagna, chalega 108 saal

[In Maun Tirtha Ashram on Ganga Ghat, a mega fire prayer ritual started on the shahi snan day, which will run for 108 years]

 

• Kadoro ka business chor kar lagein hain sewa mein

[Karan Mittal- owner of Mital Corp, industrialist Mangilal Ishwar, hospital owner Krishnakant Dhoot- are few among several who have devoted themselves to serving the pilgrims- with quotes such as “got the opportunity after 12 years”, “nothing is bigger than serving the Guru”, and “serving pilgrims give peace”]

 

• Pashupatinath se Mahakaal pahuche Shakti ka jatha

[delegation of woman saints from Nepal traveled from Pashupatinath Temple to Juna Akhara for Simhasth]

 

• Sant o ne uthayi Pradesh mein sharab bandi ki awaz

[In context of Ujjain being declared dry from the full month of Simhasth Mela, the saints have raised the demand of permanent prohibition of alcohol in the state]

 

• Height of penance- Avdhoot Radhikanand performs “Surya Sadhna” for 9 hrs under scorching heat [the saint worships sun under sizzling heat from January-June and performs Varun Sadhna from October-December sitting in ice cold water]

 

• Recitation of Vedic hymns marks beginning of Simhastha Kala Utsav

Buxa’e Bagh Nei. But Boddo Beautiful

As the car turns left from Rajabhatkhawa in to Buxa Tiger Reserve, dense forest rushes in to engulf the glistening metal road meandering through it. It’s the perfect build-up of tanticipation (tiger-related anticipation). The 30-minute/16 km drive from the Buxa Reserve gate to Jayanti is entirely through lush green forest of matured trees and dense foliage. Sashastra Seema Bal (Armed Border Force) jawans in olive battle fatigue and toting INSAS rifle at the three-point Buxa Crossing adds to the eerie ambience.

Eyes are strained looking out for the elusive streak of yellow stripes, or the majestic movement of a giant pachyderm. But of course nothing happens- not even the stirring of a monkey or a peacock- and we arrive unmauled/untrampled/unruffled at the forest check post in Jayanti. A quick review of the forest entry pass issued at Rajabhakkhawa and we are waved in. Stay is arranged at Public Health Engineering Inspection Bungalow. This and all of the few other decent accommodations are located in the bank of the dry bed of Jayanti river. Rovers Inn (http://www.roversinnjayanti.com/) is quite popular among travelers, but I liked the look and feel of Banante Resort (http://banantedooars.com/) better. The latter has cottages; but it also has a separate building with two rooms at a higher level and a terrace which I liked best. I also spotted a Jayanti River view homestay by the side of the river. I heard there is a CESC guest house in the area too. The PHE Bungalow’s VIP rooms with balcony overlooking the riverbed and the mountains are unbeatable, only comparable or a shade less than the Forest Rest House. There is a Bhutiya Basti in the area- they run small grocery stores and eateries. Some of our travel group members loved the spicy Wai Wai noodles and vegetable momos served at such eateries.
 

There are multiple local tour options. A drive on the dry Jayanti river bed can be quite exciting. One also crosses the river bed to get in the forest for a tour. There are jeep safaris available, but other option is to go in with your own vehicle. Obtaining permission from the check post and hiring a local trained guide is mandatory (costs Rs. 200 for most destinations). There is a “watchtower trap” to watch out for. There are three watchtowers- Tashigaon, Chunia and BB. Tour guides and local tourist vehicles strongly encourage tourists to go to all if possible. But the chances of animal sighting during regular hours in all of them are equally dim. Of course animals come near those watchtowers, but not when rows of jeeps are roaring in, kicking up dust, and tourists are chattering excitedly about every leaf that is moving anywhere in the periphery. A better option is a drive through of the forest just to enjoy the beautiful forest ambience and the serene streams and interrupt the dirt tracks occasionally. The only wildlife we saw- a python- was during our drive along regular alphalt road. There are other tour options including Pukuri Hills and a stalactite cave known as “Mahakal Cave”. The latter has two variants- Choto and Boro, with different rates. A longer distance option is to visit Buxa Fort, which requires a trek for the last 2 kms. The squash momos at Santrabari, prepared by Bhutanese families at the foothill of Buxa Fort climb, are delightful. I chatted with the Forest Beat Officer whose office is located at Santrabari. He talked about the regular sighting of elephants in the area, but his view was that it is their area whereas humans are guests. He talked about the recent tiger census in the huge forest area, which is quite a project. Buxa Tiger Reserve was one of the first tiger reserve in India to adapt tiger census through DNA technique. Forest staff, aided by NGOs, travel through the forest and collect excreta in polythene pouch filled with silica gel and record the GPS location of the place of collection. The samples are later put through genetic analysis to confirm the presence of tigers and other predators. The Beat Officer felt that there are still 3-5 tigers, though they mostly stay in the higher areas of Bhutan mountains. However, wildlife conservationists are extremely upset at Bengal Forest Department’s dismal performance in toger conservation. Wildlife Institute of India scientists have reported that they did not find any sign of tiger in Buxa. According to them, the Bhutan vacation of tigers is a convenient excuse of the foresters to cover their inadequacy. Read more about the debate in in: http://www.sanctuariesindia.com/buxa-tiger-reserve-has-no-tigers/. A good official website, though not most current, is http://www.buxatigerreserve.com/

We also went for a trip to Coochbehar- about 32 km from Jayanti. The only disadvantage is when we exit the Buxa Forest, the entry charge of around Rs. 600-700 for a car with 6-8 passengers have to be paid again at the Rajabhatkhayoa check post. It is therefore more economical to visit Coochbehar on the way in or out. The drive is through congested roads. Coochbehar is however a neat town with well maintained roads, heritage structures and nice people. We visited the two most important attractions- Madan Mohan Temple and the majestic Coochbehar Palace. On way back, we stopped a a local haat to buy Tulaipanji and Kalo Nuniya rice- both quintessentially North Bengal products.

Our three nights at Jayanti was most relaxing and refreshing. It is best not to do much. A daily drive around the forest is exhilarating enough. Rest of the time, it is rejuvenating to put your feet up in the balcony and stare at the vast expanse of the dry river bed with the endless flow of activities that go on it. An eerie ambience descends with nightfall, with the mountains, forest and riverbed presenting a silhouette with different shades of darkness in the open canvas. The moon showers a magical glow on the vast expanse which makes the place most surreal. Buxa’e Bagh nei, but boddo beautiful. 

Chandu ki Chacha ne Chandu ki Chachi ko CHANDNI CHOWK mein Chandi ki Chammach se Chatni chatayi :-)

I have been remiss in not writing a blog on a memorable evening spent in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk during Ramzan in an earlier year.  So when I visited again this month, I combined the experience of the two trips in this blog. 

The place is a microcosm of India in action- combining everything ranging from urban chaos, period architecture, history, coexistence of contradiction, food, brotherhood and the spirit of entrepreneurship- all in a few square kilometer of densely packed space. 

I explored two routes to reach- once I traveled by electric rickshaw from Kashmiri Gate near the railway station and another time I took the metro rail up to Chandni Chowk station.  While traveling in the e-rickshaw through congested alleys is an experience by itself, the metro is clearly a more efficient option.  The metro exit leads to a wide alley that ends at an impressive Navagraha Shiva Temple.  The architecture, the graceful sculpture of seven horses in a pose of drawing a chariot and the large brass bells made it worthy of admiration. 

 

 

 

  

 

 

The half-kilometer walk from there to Red Fort took me past a large Gurdwara, a quiet Church and a Jain Temple as well. 

 

 

The street is lined with all kinds of shops.  One shop which sells “Shudh Desi Ghee ka Jalebi” deserves mention.  It stands out because of the signage and tempting display of the delicious product.  I tried it both times- this time I realized it somehow adds extra weight- two jalebis cannot weigh 250 gms and cost Rs. 35 each in a street side stall, no matter how much “shuddh desi ghee” goes in to making it.  Nice rip off.  Traffic in Chandni Chowk consists of everything except train and moves in Brownian Motion- anything can swerve in any direction unpredictably.  One way of experiencing India for foreigners could be an attempt to cross over from the Chandni Chowk street side to the Red Fort side.  There are traffic lights, but things just keep coming from all directions.  At some point, you feel philosophical enough to just walk out without looking, and then magically the traffic takes care of you till you reach the other side of the road.

 

 

The red sandstone Red Fort built by Shan Jahan in 1648 is magnificent.  This time I managed to see the light and sound show which I missed on an earlier occasion as it was Monday.  The walk through the towering arcades and past the durbar area which housed the Peacock Throne (which was stolen by Nadir Shah along with Koh-i-Noor diamond in 1939) was interesting but the show was a major disappointment.  The lighting was unimaginative and repetitive, sound quality poor, city light posts shone in the background, and scaffolding on the structures destroyed the ambience as the story was narrated and lights projected on them.  The show was tired, jaded and needs urgent overhauling, much like its cousin at the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata.  The examples to follow are the ones at Amber Fort in Jaipur and Golconda Fort in Hyderabad.

 

It was Ramzan time when I visited last time.  I decided to walk up to Jama Masjid.  It was a longish walk but I always enjoy strolling through such vibrant localities.  On my way, I met with a person who was distributing free savories to anyone who asked for it (he told me he is following his father’s tradition), saw refreshing cold drink being sold and chatted with the Muslim fruit vendors who were getting ready for the day’s fast to end. 

 

I reached the gate No. 3 of Jama Masjid just when the evening namaz was to be offered.  This grand structure was built by Shan Jahan in 1656.  I walked up the stairs and found myself in the middle of an ocean of faithful who had assembled in the spacious courtyard of the mosque waiting for the namaz.  Many came in large groups and had food ready which they would eat once the day-long fast is broken.  I sat beside the pool where people were washing their hands and faces as part of their preparations for the prayer.  Most of the men had their prayer caps on.  I was clearly the odd one out among the teeming millions, but I was neither prevented from being there nor attracted any kind of unsavory attention. In fact, as soon as the prayer ended three boys sitting beside me offered fruits and sweets to me.  The gesture was extremely touching.  I am a journalistic seeker of the power of faith, and I was fortunate to be part of this gathering of the faithful.  It moved me to the same extent as the auspicious day gatherings of Hindus at Haridwar, Varanasi and Allahabad. 

A big highlight of both my trips to Chandni Chowk was food.  The Urdu Bazar and Matia Mahal Bazar areas near Jama Masjid Gate No 1 are dens of deliciousness.  Rows of shops are selling bakery products, sehmai, dates, kebabs, biriyani, qorma, kulfi, firni, shahi tukra and such other delicacies.  Evidently the legacy of the Mughal period lingered beyond the architecture and continues to charm the Indian palate.  The epicenter of the gastronomic explosion in this area is Karims Restaurant.  Established in 1913, the restaurant has carried the authentic Mughlai cuisine legacy faithfully.  I heard much about the place and ate here on both occasions.  The bara kebab, qorma and nihari are just few among many dishes to die for.  The workers are busy as bee, and the ambience has no frills- just good food.  I missed the mutton nihari on the first occasion- it is made early in the morning and is sold out by early evening.  This time too, the last plate got exhausted just when I placed my order.  However they were nice enough to bring a bowl of gravy of the dish, which was delicious.  The blend of ingredients and the magic of slow boil cooking brought out a rich smoothness which is rarely found. 

 

There is one word to sum up Chandni Chowk- charming.