Places to visit in Manali: Jogini Waterfalls

At the Jogini Waterfalls

During my last trip to Manali I stayed at Vashisht which is about 3 km from Manali. It is less crowded and has better views of the mountains. But it was only when I had gone to Old Manali that I noticed from far off there is a big waterfall above Vashisht.

View of Jogini Waterfalls from Old Manali

So I decided to go trekking there. The trek to the lower base of the Jogini waterfall is an easy one from the Vashisht temple. Beyond the temple you pass through the narrow lanes of the village and then once you come out of the village the walk is very pleasant among the pine woods and small rivulets.

The trek to Jogini falls goes through beautiful Pine forest

There are a few eating joints also on the way till the Jogini shrine. The shrine and the area are considered holy by the locals. To reach the lower waterfalls there is a slight climb after the shrine.

The Jogini shrine near the waterfall

Majority of the locals and tourists come only to the lower Jogini waterfalls as it is easily approachable.

The lower Jogini Waterfall

At the lower Jogini waterfall I met a gentleman who runs a hotel in Manali who discouraged me to go the upper Jogini waterfall stating that it will take me at least 45 minutes of hard climb to reach the top as I am a city dweller. Fortunately I did not heed to his advice and went up the path.

The lower Jogini waterfall as seen from above while climbing higher up

The trek from the lower waterfall to the upper comes in the category of a moderate climb. On this stretch there are no kiosks and no water till you reach the waterfall so it is advisable to carry your own water and eatables. While climbing one can see the lower waterfall as well as the scenic view of the valley and the Beas River and the snow clad mountains. There are plenty of wild flowers blooming making your trek more pleasant.

The upper Jogini Waterfall

I reached the upper Jogini waterfall in another twenty minutes and was mesmerized by the view. Unlike the lower Jogini waterfall the upper one falls over an overhanging rock and therefore has a free fall.

Rainbow at the Jogini waterfall

As it was the second half of the day the sun created beautiful rainbows on the falls. The spray from the waterfall also cooled me after the climb. I spent about an hour there soaking in nature at its best and then it was time to head back.

VFS Global -- a Kafkaesk nightmare

Passport to travel

I belong to the elite club of JNU professors. We think the world of ourselves. We are waiting for a revolution, just as the Jews wait for their Messiah. Once in a while we are forced to venture out of the self-sufficient campus established on the Aravalli hills. Why? Silly. To apply for visa of course. We often get invited by this and that Western university as guest and visiting scholars. I decided to go to the Gurgaon VFS, with my visa application thinking it will be less crowded. “Your appointment is at 9 am. Please come 15 minutes early.” said the online mail. I’ll be free by 9.30, I thought and innocently I planned the rest of my day. Here is where my nightmare with VFS office begins. Till 10 am there is no staff in this dystopia except the Safai Karamchari. Finally one young woman troops in, unapologetic. After going through my check-list, she asks me to wait for the Bio-metric staff. The wait is futile. After having wasted the whole day, I demand that I be transferred to VFS Delhi. An email is sent to Delhi VFS to get rid of me. This place is worse than a Government Office, I crib. It should first introduce biometrics for its own staff. My husband nudges me gently: “Keep quiet. They can spoil your application.” Delhi is Delhi, I tell him undeterred but a little anxious. Next day, the airport metro takes me to the gates of VFS Global. It was the first time I was travelling by airport metro and I was indeed impressed. Then start the problems. My water bottle and the humble biscuits I always carry in my bag are not allowed inside. Security is so tight that you can barely breathe. The gate-keeper would not let me in without an appointment letter. It takes me nearly an hour of argumentation, pleading and grovelling to get in. The words of the doorkeeper in Kafka’s famous parable Before the Law resound in my head: “I am powerful. And I am only the least of the doorkeepers. From hall to hall there is one doorkeeper after another, each more powerful than the last.” Why do I feel claustrophobic despite air-conditioning? Waiting for my turn, I soak in the surreal surroundings. It is a truly Kafkaesk world. Badly paid employees, all in early twenties, in ill-fitting, low-waist black trousers and velvet shirts, stuttering around like peacocks, enveloped in an aura of authority. Indians have a deep love for uniform. It starts with schools, the malls, the guards, the auto drivers and what not. Nowhere in the world does one see such an intense culture of uniform.

My turn comes fast. The young man at the counter has terrible nails. Must be a hard-core nail biter, I imagine. Well, with a job like this it is inevitable. Cash or card? Card. Access denied. Once, twice, thrice. You have only one card, he asks astonished. What about cash? No, then come again with a fresh appointment. How long will that take? I don’t know. My cup of sorrows is full. They cannot harass me in this manner, I am Prof in JNU my head screams. The echo replies back “darling, you are not at home.” You leave your den and the world pounces on you. All of a sudden the young man looks at his phone and says excitedly “twins”. The neighbour in the next booth congratulates him. Should he not be in the hospital, I ask myself. Probably no leave. He looks at me in the eye, smiles and directs me to an ATM where I could try my luck. Expecting absolutely nothing from machines, humans or the gods, I drag my tired feet to the ATM. Cash tumbles out! I dash back and the rest is history.

I am relieved to be back in the sanctuary called JNU. Recuperating from the ordeal, I try to find something positive in the experience. Maybe the Monaco biscuits will be eaten by some poor, hungry children. I wonder, how will the embassy treat my application? Am I really a Guest Scientist or an intruder? Also I cannot help wondering why we complain about Western arrogance when our own people are so mean to each other?  I sigh, I seek azadi from this absurd world.

Meanwhile I plan my revenge. You are reading it!

Note: This is a Guest Post.

A Painting by Nature

A Beautiful Dendritic Pattern Created by Nature

The first impression you may get from the photo above is that an artist has made a beautiful painting showing a tree with branches sans its leaves. You would be surprised that the above painting has been created (or painted) by nature itself. This is a photo that I clicked somewhere in eastern Europe from a height of 36000 feet on a flight from Dubai in United Arab Emirates to Manchester in United Kingdom. This dendritic pattern has been formed by the play of many contributing streams and rivers on the surface of the earth. The area spreads over several kms.

It is when I see such natural beauty that I want to travel more and more!

Town Walls of Conwy

The town walls of Conwy were built at the same time as the Conwy Castle between 1283 and 1289 AD. Together with the castle, the walls of the town are considered one of the best defenses in Europe.

The Conwy Wall & Tower

One can walk on the wall and can get on and off at various places. The walls and the castle gives us a feeling of how a medieval town used to look like in those days!

View of the Wall from the Conwy Castle

The English conquerors used to live inside the walls and the Welsh people outside these walls. The Walls were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.

View from one of the higher towers of the wall

The wall consist of 21 towers. The towers rise upto 15 meters and each section of the wall has independent detachable stairs so that the section can be isolated in case of attack.

View of the Conwy Town from the Wall

The highest point of the wall gives an amazing view of the whole of the Conwy town along with the castle, surrounding walls of the town, the clock tower, the Conwy river and the hills in the background.

The Wall, Conwy Town and the Conwy Castle

Though miniscule in length, width and size compared to the Great Wall of China it still is one of the important defensive features of the medieval Europe.

Also Read: Conwy Castle

Conwy Castle, Wales

Conwy Castle is considered among the greatest fortresses of medieval Europe. Situated in the north coast of Wales the castle was build by Edward I when he conquered Wales. The English built several such castles to humble the Welsh. The architect was James St. George, the master castle builder of Edward I.

Conwy Castle with Conwy town in the foreground

The castle was built between 1283 and 1289. UNESCO considers it as a one of the finest examples of 13th and 14th century military architecture in Europe and it is also a World Heritage Site. The Conwy castle is located next to the Conwy river. 

Entrance to the Conwy Castle

Murder holes protected the main gates of the castle where from the gaps the guards dropped missiles on attackers. The castle has dungeons where the prisoners were kept and executed. The Castle also has probably the best kept medieval royal rooms.

Chapel and the Stained Glass Windows

There is also a chapel inside the castle which has stained glasses and sometimes the king used to watch the services and who all were praying from a hidden room above and the view he used to get was something like in the photo below!

A king's view of the Chapel

View of the Outer Ward from the King's Tower

The castle has eight identical towers and two barbicans. There is an outer ward and an inner ward. The castle and the walls around the town were built at the same time which costed Edward I 15000 GBP to build which would be around 45 million British Pounds in today's terms.

The view of the three bridges on the Conwy river from the Castle

From the eastern towers and barbicans one can see all the three bridges crossing the river Conwy. (See the above photo). On the left is the 20th century road bridge built in 1958. In between is the Thomas Telford's suspension bridge and on the right is the Robert Stephenson's tubular railway bridge.

Spectacular view from the King's Tower

This breathtaking view is from the King's tower. The towers offer spectacular views of the Conwy river, seaside, nearby hills and countryside as well as the sailing boats. You feel as you are up in the sky talking to the clouds itself! 

The admission ticket is of 5.75 GBP. The railway station is next to the castle itself.

The Changing Moods of Hauz Khas Lake

I have been to Hauz Khas several years back. But during the recent visit as I had the camera with me I was able to click the lake in its various moods.

Hauz Khas Lake

Hauz means water tank (or a pond or lake) and Khas means special. So it is a special or royal tank meant for the rulers. Originally the tank was much larger than it is today and according to the rock plaque at the site the ruined pavilion or the Munda Gumbad on a mound in the north west corner of the tank was in the middle of the water. Originally called Hauz-e-Alai the tank was excavated under the orders of Alauddin Khalji (1296-1316 AD) for the use of the inhabitants of Siri. Siri was the second city of Delhi founded by Alauddin Khalji. Later on, however, the channels leading to the tank got silted and the tank dried up. Then in the mid-14th Century Feroz Shah restored the water supply to the tank and built a madrasa next to the tank.

Ducks & their Ducklings at Hauz Khas lake 

The water tank also is a host to several ducks and their ducklings. Though majority of the ducks are white there are some spot-billed ducks as well. The ducklings are yellow and they will shed their lovely colours with age.

Hauz Khas lake with the buildings in the background

When I was there I saw the lake change colours as per the mood of the sky. At the beginning the lake was looking a dark green due to the reflection of the trees that are in the middle of the lake as well as those that surround it.

Evening glow after rains on the Hauz Khas Lake

Then all of a sudden from a sunny day clouds emerged and it started drizzling and it became dark. After the rain there was a glowing red tinge in the sky and the mood of the lake changed accordingly.

Serene Hauz Khas lake at sunset

I had thought that since it has become so dark and then the evening tinge in the sky that the sun must have already set but as I was sitting on the fifth floor of a restaurant building I saw the sunset as the clouds vanished and the lake and its surroundings preparing for a night of rest. It was beautiful to watch the lake change its moods and colours in just a few hours so dramatically.

Sheesh Mahal, Farrukhnagar

Farrukhnagar, a Mughal era town in the Gurgaon district of Haryana is a treasure trove for heritage buildings.  Most tourists go to the Sultanpur National Park famous for the migratory wintering birds but somehow ignore this town. Though now the city of Gurgaon is called the 'Millenium City' (a misnomer according to me) it was Farrukhnagar which was a bigger and important town during the Mughal and British rules.

The Sheesh Mahal, Farrukhnagar

The Sheesh Mahal palace was built by Fauzdar Khan around 1711 AD. To reach the palace one has to cross the main market as well as the Delhi Darwaza (gate) and takes one amidst very old houses and havelis.

The entrance gate of the Sheesh Mahal Palace

From the entrance gate one cannot make out that there is a whole palace inside. Though the palace is surrounded by fort walls but at most places there is now no trace of the walls.

The Sheesh Mahal from inside

Though the name (Sheesh Mahal means Mirror Palace) is suggestive of mirror inlay work but with time now there are no more mirror inlay works that I could see. There is a courtyard in front with water channel.  

The backside of the Sheesh Mahal in ruins

Despite being the most important monument in Farrukhnagar what I saw of the state of the monument disappointed me. Only a part of the monument is now under restoration including the basement. The back side is in utter disrepair and the walls are crumbling down.

Red Sandstone was used extensively in the Sheesh Mahal

The Sheesh Mahal is now being restored by the Archaeological Survey of India. When I went there was no restoration work going on and I believe the pace is slow and the work tardy. There is also a memorial for the martyrs of the 1857 rebellion in the courtyard.

An Air duct

The Sheesh Mahal is three storeys including the basement which people often miss to locate. The stairs leading to the basement are steep, dark and dingy. The basement must have been very good place to sit in summers as there are air ducts (you can't see where this air duct opening is going) from which air passes and there is a cool breeze in the basement.

The basement in the Sheesh Mahal

I also saw that the basement was a refuge of liquor bottles and other waste material. How is it possible when  they keep the doors closed as for example I had to wait for quite some time before the caretaker arrived as he had gone somewhere for lunch (and probably a siesta!). He even took my identification card before allowing me to enter and returned it only when I came out of the premises (this is presumably being done to stop the vagabonds from entering and spoiling the place).

In Farrukhnagar one can also see Ali Gosh Khan Baoli, a stepwell and Sethani Ki Chattri which is a memorial cenotaph.

The Clock Tower of Hoshiarpur

Hoshiarpur is a sleepy little town in the north-east part of Punjab bordering Himachal. From the tourism point of view it has few Gurudwara's. I also noticed it has a colonial building used as a library and the Hoshiarpur Ghantaghar.

Hoshiarpur Ghantaghar

A ghantaghar means clock tower and one can see clock towers in several colonial towns of India and Pakistan made by the Britishers. Some of the clocks still function in some of these clock towers which I have seen! The shape of all clock towers vary from one place to another. In Hoshiarpur it has been made like a gate under which vehicles can pass whereas in some places these are like towers functioning as roundabouts.

Hoshirapur Clock Tower with Hooter

This Ghantahgar like others is also in the centre of a market but what spoils the view is the electric wires hanging haphazardly. On top of the clock tower is an ancient hooter siren (which I am sure does not work and has somehow also lost its relevance over time) which used to alert the workers about the start and finish time of their daily work in the factories/offices.

Garud Chatti Temple, Rishikesh

Garud Chatti temple is on the Neelkanth road near Rishikesh in Uttarakhand. Next to the temple is the path leading to the beautiful Garud Chatti Waterfalls in the Rajaji National Park.

Garud Chatti Temple, Brahampuri

Though the temple is very small but what I liked about the temple were the reflections created in the water body that encircles the temple from three sides. The water has been brought by making channel higher up from one of the Garud Chatti waterfalls itself.

Garud Chatti temple  & its reflection in water

While I was looking at the temple and clicking pictures there was hardly anyone there and the temple was a picture of serenity. But then all of a sudden I noticed a group of locals approaching by foot and there was a big crowd that gathered at the temple.

Devotees approach the temple to the accompaniment of music

The devotees marched to the accompaniment of local music that was pleasing to the ears. The instruments included dhols and even bagpipes.

Devotees throng the Garud Chatti temple

The temple as the name suggests is made for the devotees of Garuda, an eagle like mythical bird that was the mode of transport of Lord Vishnu, a Hindu God.

The reflection of Garud Chatti temple and the hill

Once the devotees left, the temple was again a picture of serenity.

Also read:
Garud Chatti Waterfalls
Neergarh Falls: Rishikesh

Water Tank Themes in Punjab

If you go to Punjab, be it the urban or the rural areas, you are bound to notice the interesting themes and shapes used in either making the overhead water tanks or just for decoration purposes.

A Water Jug

Though I have noticed these water tanks in urban Punjab for the past several years but I was surprised when recently I was visiting some villages I found them in the rural households as well. The water jug shows the importance of water in the rural lifestyles of Punjab.

Two oxes

So also are the oxen ubiquitous in the agriculture dominant Punjab even if most people nowadays use tractors and thrashers for cultivation purposes.

A Whiskey Bottle

And how can one not find a whiskey bottle as a theme in Punjab! After all it is widely known that Punjabis have a huge capacity to drink large amounts of hard drinks. The Patiala Peg is a term coined for an unusually large peg of whiskey. There is also a joke (it is a joke only - no means to verify the statement!) that in India maximum number of English speakers before 8 PM are in the state of Kerala but after 8 PM maximum number of English speakers are in Punjab!

Football Water Tank

Punjab is also known for its sports culture and there are several factories which produce sports goods in Ludhiana and Jalandhar. The National Institute of Sports (NIS) is also there in Patiala. So football as a theme for an overhead water tank also is very commonly seen.

Interesting themes for water tanks & housetops

I saw these interesting themes being made in one of the villages. All these are made from cement. The themes included, among others, birds, woman carrying a pitcher of water, lions, umbrella, snakes, oxen and even Statue of Liberty!

Gates of Ranthambore Fort

The Ranthambore fort is situated amidst the tiger sanctuary and is well protected by seven gates – Navlakha Pol, Hathi Pol, Ganesh Pol, Andheri Pol, Suraj Pol, Delhi Pol and Sat Pol.

Navlakha Pol

The gates or Pols as they are called in Rajasthan are in sucession to one another. The first one is the Navlakha Pol.

Ganesh Pol

In case one of the gates was conquered by the enemy the inhabitants use to fall back and defense strategy was concentrated on the next gate.

Hathi Pol with the Head of the Traitor

Most of the gates have strong huge nails embedded in the gates so that in case the enemy was using the elephants to tear down the gates then the elephant would not be able to attack due to these huge nails. The Hathi Pol is specifically named in reference to this.

Andheri Pol

Next to the Hathi Pol there is a statue of the traitor and the story goes that the king got it installed there to remind the people of the consequences to be meted out to the traitors. There was a tradition that people use to throw stones on this statue while passing along the Hathi Pol.

Leading from Andheri Pol

The fort along with its gates are being maintained by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI). This fort has been built in the 5th Century and despite utter neglect still stands tall surrounded by beautiful water bodies and jungle.

Unnamed Pol?

This last gate is next to the Dargah Kazi Peer Janab Sadrud-Din on one side and a pond on the other side.

Also read - 
Ranthambore Fort
Ranthambore Fort - Places of Worship
Ranthambore National Park