Punting on the River Cherwell, Oxford

I had a unique experience of punting once when a friend of mine in Oxford invited me to do punting on the Cherwell River in Oxford. I had never done this before.

Trying my hand at punting on the Cherwell River, Oxford

A punt is a flat bottomed boat with a square bow and punting is boating in a punt by use of a long pole to push against the river bed to push the boat. 

Now Cherwell is an ideal river for punting, rowing and canoeing as the water current is slow and there are no power boats. River Cherwell is a tributary of Thames and meets Thames at Oxford.

Getting stuck due to inexperience!

It may seem easy to punt but in reality it is very difficult to steer and keep it in the right direction if you are not experienced and may very well take your punt into very shallow area or the bushes. Also though going downstream is easy but taking the punt upstream needs lot of strength.

Victoria Arms, a pub on the Cherwell is popular halting point

About 30 minutes upstream of the Cherwell boat House is the Victoria Arms, a pub where punters stop by to relax and have a beer or other refreshments. Oxford being a student-centric town punting is a fun activity for the students and I saw several punts in which people were having fun and taking alcoholic beverages.

Punting and having a good time!

The Cherwell Boathouse has over 70 handcrafted punts that were made here itself. Rowing boats and canoes are also an option. One can hire a punt for about 12 to 14 pounds per hour. Each punt can accommodate a maximum of six persons.

The Punts at the Cherwell Boarthouse, Oxford

It was a real good experience of punting in the picturesque locale of Oxford as on both sides of the river you see green stretches and there are ducks floating on the river!

Hathnikund Barrage in Haryana

Hathnikund Barrage is at the foothills of the Himalayas in the Yamunanagar district of Haryana. It is about 40 km from the Yamunanagar town on the road to Paonta Saheb, a famous Sikh shrine 23 km ahead and Dehradun.

Scenic Hathnikund Barrage with the Hiamalaya foothills in the background 

The road is very good except the last part where you have to leave the National Highway and take the Major District Road (MDR). In fact it is hardly a road and it is not even a levelled kutcha (non-metalled) road.

Poor road conditions leading to & fro from Hathnikund

The Barrage works as a boundary between Haryana and Uttar Pradesh (UP). The MDR on the Haryana side is just 500 meters or so but if someone wants to come from the Uttar Pradesh after leaving the Yamunotri Highway then one has to cover about 12 kms of rough roads.

The Hathnikund Barrage

Neither Haryana nor Uttar Pradesh have made any efforts to develop the site as a tourist attraction despite its tremendous potential. There are no shops catering to the tourists. I could see only couple of sugarcane juice vendors. While talking to a local I was told that the hills have provided everything to the powers that be as well as the general population sitting in Delhi like water, electricity, wood (a major wood industry thrives in Yamunanagar) etc but the area providing everything remains poor and neglected.

Yamuna is just a trickle after the Hanthikund Barrage as water is channeled into the two canals

The Hathnikund Barrage has been built on the river Yamuna and from here the water is diverted into the Eastern and Western Yamuna canals. After the barrage the free flowing water of the Yamuna is just a trickle. The barrage forms a wetland which attracts migratory birds in the winters and some rafting activities from Paonta Saheb till here.

One of the canals after the Hathnikund Narrage

On the Uttar Pradesh side the road that I covered I saw several mango orchards but the economic condition of the villagers is still not good.

At a mango orchard producing the famous Dassahri

The Hathnikund Barrage was completed in 1999 and got operational in 2002 replacing the Tajewala Barrage three km downstream which was built in 1873.

This is a clarion call to the state governments’ of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to encourage tourism here by providing basic infrastructure.

Beauty has an address...Oman

When I got an invite to attend a road show of Oman Tourism at Hyatt Regency in Delhi frankly speaking the destination image that I had of Oman was desert, desert and more desert.

Oman has something to offer to everyone

But all this perception changed dramatically when Lubaina Sheerazi, the India Representative of Oman Tourism took us on a journey to Oman via her presentation. It was then that I realised that Oman is so much different from other Middle-East countries.

It is a mix of culture, nature and adventure. Oman of course has deserts but also has a more than three thousand km long coast line with beautiful beaches and crystal clear water with ample opportunities for scuba diving, snorkeling and other activities. It also has mountain ranges where the temperatures are milder and in fact one can even get snow on the higher reaches. Due to this Oman also has plenty of hiking and rock climbing opportunities. Culturally it has the World’s biggest mosque, the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, and also has opera houses. And all this is just three hours away from India by short-haul flights.

Frankincense Candle

And it is a land of Frankincense! This world famous incense is made from the resin of the frankincense trees. It also has biblical context as one of the three gifts the wise men gave to baby Jesus. We were presented with frankincense candles.

Oman is now definitely on my bucket-list of places to visit.

Shaking Minarets in Nuh

Just an hour away from Delhi is a mosque that has shaking minarets!

Gateway of the Tomb of Sheikh Musa, Nuh

This place has a tomb of Sheikh Musa, a mosque as well as a Madrasa. To reach there one has to take the Gurgaon-Nuh road via Sohna and at Nuh take the Toaru road. It is not very far from Nuh town and is part of the Mewat rural belt.

Mughal Style arches

The structure has a mix of Mughal and Rajput architecture and was built sometime in the 14th century. The walls of the gateway to the tomb are very thick and the stairs steep. It is said that if you shake one minar the vibrations are felt in the other minar. 

Rajputana style of architecture

I was not able to test this as the Waqf Board had closed the Minars for repairs stating that it is dangerous and can fall any time. I think such an old building should be repaired not by basic methods and should be dealt with by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as it is an important heritage site of this region. The whole repair work being carried out is not being done by professionals.

The Tomb of Sheikh Musa

The tomb is made of white marble and the outer walls are also white. The locals believe that the water receptacle at the tomb have healing powers. 

The mosque

Within the same compound I also saw that there is a madrasa where religious teachings are imparted to the students. 

A student of Madrasa showed me the place

I did interact with a couple of students from the Madrasa who in fact showed me around the place. But right in front of this complex there is also a modern building of Mewat Engineering College which is also run by the Waqf Board.

Ruins of a Haveli visible from Sheikh Musa Tomb

From this complex one can also see high on the hill ruins of a haveli (said to be of a local merchant).

Also read:
Chui Mal Ka Talaab in Nuh
The Cenotaph of Chui Mal in Nuh

Places to visit in Delhi: Ugrasen ki Baoli

Baoli (a stepwell) were a very common feature as a means of water harvesting and conservation system in north India in the earlier times as the rains are seasonal and therefore storage of water for leaner periods were essential.

Ugrasen ki Baoli with modern buildings of central Delhi in the background

Even in Delhi there used to be several stepwells and but most of them have either vanished are or in utter state of disrepair. However, the Ugrasen ki Baoli (also pronounced sometimes as Agrasen ki Baoli) has survived and is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) right in the central Delhi very close to the Connaught Place.

The arches of Agrasen ki Baoli

I have been to the Max Mueller Bhavan several times but was not aware that from there this stepwell is less than five minute walk away! It is kind of hidden as it is on a side road on the Hailey Road with tall multi-storied buildings of Central Delhi forming a backdrop. The entrance is very ordinary but the moment you step in the place really amazes you with its beauty.

The reflection of author, Baoli & the modern buildings

This 60 meter long and 15 meter wide stepwell is said to have been built by King Ugrasen who was an Agarwal leader. The architecture is late Tughlak and Lodhi period. It has very thick side walls and has arched corridors. There is an ancient mosque on the same premises but I could not go in as it was undergoing maintenance at the time I had visited it. Even the stepwell was under maintenance due to which I could not go down and had to content myself with seeing it from top.

The mosque at the Agrasen Stepwell complex

Now stepwells are not made as with technology people have other means of storage and supply of water. But I have had the opportunity to visit a modern stepwell in Jodhpur made recently. It is very beautiful and is able to supply all the water required the year round to the beautifully maintained gardens.

The baoli has very thick side walls

Also Read:

Ali Gosh Khan Baoli in Farrukhnagar
Umaid Heritage:Water Conservation with Beauty

Places to visit in Mumbai: The Haji Ali Dargah

Some of you who are not from Mumbai (or Bombay) may have read about the Haji Ali Dargah (tomb) being cited as a meeting point in the famous novel Shantaram written by Gregory David Roberts.

The view of Bombay including the Haji Ali Dargah from my hotel during dusk

I was staying at the Palladium Hotel and from here the Haji Ali Dargah was clearly visible so I decided to visit it despite my tight schedule. I took a taxi which took the fare by the meter. Now as a Delhiite this always surprises me about Bombay because first of all you can’t hail a taxi in Delhi from the street as they are available only from stands; secondly they may refuse to go to a particular place; thirdly they may not go by the meter and fourthly the meters mostly seem tempered.

Haji Ali Dargah & the causeway at low tide

The Haji Ali Dargah was constructed in 1431 in Indo-Islamic style of architecture in memory of Syyed Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari. It is located on a small island off the coast in Worli.

Shops selling Chadar, flowers etc near the Haji Ali Dargah

The believers and the tourists access the Haji Ali Dargah by a km long causeway which gets submerged during high tide and one can go only during low tide. In case you are there during the high tide, you will have to wait till low tide to return to the mainland. The walk to Haji Ali is a bit dirty though the premises are neat and clean.

At the Haji Ali Dargah

Men are allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum with the tomb though the ladies can only see it through a mesh. Women are generally allowed inside a Dargah but their entry to this particular Dargah was stopped in 2012. It is odd that a Sufi Dargah should ban women’s entry.

The sanctum Sanctorum of Haji Ali Dargah

Photography inside is not allowed though you can take the pictures from the outside. Behind the mosque people sit on the rocks and enjoy a picnic with the cool sea breeze.

People come to Haji Ali Dargah not only to visit but also as a picnic as well

I had gone in the morning so there was not too much rush though I have heard that on Fridays there is a huge rush. The shops along the causeway sell things like flowers, chadar etc and the causeway is also full of beggars but they do not harass the visitors as in Ajmer Sharif.

The Haji Ali Dargah shot from another angle

This post is part of Skywatch Friday.

Also Read:
Discover Thainess - The Charms of Thailand

This is also Gurgaon: The Sultanpur National Park

Gurgaon, the ‘Millennium City’, is known for its ugly multi-storied glass buildings, multinational companies, lack of basic infrastructure, potholed roads (in some places only potholes and no road!), fancy sounding British and American names of housing societies etc, basically a concrete jungle.

The vibrant colours of a Peacock in flight 

But few know that tucked away in a corner of the Gurgaon district is a paradise for local and migratory birds called the Sultanpur National Park (earlier it was known as Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary). It is just 15 km away from the Gurgaon city on the Gurgaon-Farrukhnagar road.

Spot Billed Ducks

I was a little late in visiting the sanctuary (March end) but this year the weather has been pleasant even in March, so I was still able to see lot of birds. There were few visitors and I was able to enjoy the place in its serenity.

White Breasted Kingfisher

I had reached there at 9 AM as per the timings on the website, but on reaching there I was told that it now opens at 7 AM. The government website requires some updating.

Black Winged Stilt

Visitors should not confuse this Sultanpur with another Sultanpur located in South Delhi. Two American ladies visiting the place were taken by their taxi to Sultanpur in Delhi wasting half of their day.

Cormorant

The birds I could recognise with my limited knowledge of birding were Black Drongo, Cormorant, Egret, Green Bee Eater, Indian Magpie Robin, Indian Pond Heron, Peacock, Purple Heron, Red Wattled Lapwing, Purple Swamphen, Spot Billed Duck, and White Breasted Kingfisher among others.

Egret

In fact I could count more than 30 Kingfishers during my visit. The best was when I got this Peacock in flight captured in its vibrant colours.

Green Bee Eater

There are several watchtowers inside the sanctuary. All but one is closed. I was able to climb up this one and get a bird's eye-view of the whole Bird Sanctuary.

Indian Magpie Robin

Also half the sanctuary is not accessible to the public. When I asked an official he gave me a strange logic that boys and girls come and do ‘mischief’ here.

Look what I got for breakfast: Indian Pond Heron with fish

Now this is not a way to manage things. They should in fact think of ways to improve the facility so that more birds make this their winter destination.

Purple Heron & Red Wattled Lapwing

I was also able to see several turtles (probably nesting) and a group of Nilgai (Asian Antelope) at the site.

Purple Heron

The best time to visit the Sanctuary is in the winters as migratory birds from Siberia and Europe come here.

Purple Swamphen

Do keep up to three hours for the walk in the sanctuary. Of course for the birdies even full day also won’t suffice!