Places to visit in Delhi: Mirza Ghalib ki Haveli

I have been to the Chandni Chowk area in Old Delhi a few times over the years but this is the first opportunity I had to visit Mirza Ghalib ki Haveli in Ballimaran. Unfortunately very few Delhites are aware of Ghalib ki Haveli. Or they don’t care. The indifference to the cultural past is amazing. 

The arched entrance to Mirza Ghalib's Haveli

Mirza Ghalib is arguably the best known poet in Urdu and Persian that Delhi (and arguably again India) has produced. I was part of a photo-walk in the lanes of Chandni Chowk. Mirza Ghalib lived in this Haveli (though Haveli normally is supposed to be a grand structure this place is not big). Before Delhi government took over, the house was in poor condition and it was actually being used as a coal dump. 

The bust of Mirza Ghalib along with his poems

Now the place has been finally converted into a museum. The locals in Ballimaran are proud of their heritage. Ask anyone there the way to ‘Ghalib ki Haveli’ and their eyes light up in pride. “Ghalib Mia ko hamara aadab kahie ga!” (please greet Ghalib on our behalf) said a shopkeeper to us in chaste Urdu when we asked for directions.

The roof is not part of the original Haveli

The museum displays some of the poet’s handwritten poems, portraits and also a bust of Mirza Ghalib. He stayed in the Haveli from 1860 till his death in 1869. The Haveli has been aesthetically renovated even if it is surrounded by commercial enterprises on all sides. Old tiles are clearly visible. It is not the complete haveli but only a part of it. One must remember that India is not Europe. It does not have a tradition of converting houses of great poets and writers into museums. We spend a lot of tax-payers money and precious space in the capital of India on building and maintaining ugly samadhis (memorial) of politicians. This structure is an exception to the rule and we should be grateful that it exists at all. The house has undeniably the aura of the medieval period. You get goose pimples standing in the Haveli where the great poet of the melancholy once walked. 

The walls are adorned with Ghalib's writings & in one room it seems like he is writing his poems

Several of his poems have been further immortalised by the Bollywood as film songs. Couple of his poems that I remember are-
Hazaroon Khawhishen aisi ki har khawhish pe dum nikle
Bahut nikley mere armaan, lekin phir bhi kam nikle...

And another one-
Yeh na thi hamaari kismet ke wisaale yaar hota
Agar aur jeete rahte yahin intezaar hota...

With the portrait of Ghalib

How to reach: Mirza Ghalib ki Haveli is open on all days except Mondays and public holidays from 11 AM to 6 PM and the entry is free. Located in Gali Kasim Jaan in the Ballimaran area of Old Delhi one can reach it by alighting at the Chandni Chowk Metro Station and either walk (10-15 minutes) or take a rickshaw. Taking the metro is advisable at it frees you from the hassle of parking in this congested area but if you do want to go by car then park it near the Red Fort and then take a rickshaw from there.

Also read:
Places to Visit in Delhi: Humayun Tomb
Places to visit in Delhi: The Isa Khan’s Garden Tomb
Places to visit in Delhi: Ugrasen ki Baoli
The Changing Moods of Hauz Khas Lake

Birds in my Backyard

It so often happens that in the city life we hardly observe birds either due to the kind of life-style that we lead or due to their dwindling numbers. But when I went to my farmhouse I had the time and opportunity to observe them at close quarters. And mind you I am no bird expert but I did see several birds for the first time and others that I had seen before but not observed their calls or style that closely.

Pied Myna

Noticeable among them were Pied Myna or Indian Pied Starling. It was seen by me for the first time and it has strikingly black and white plumage. 

I also saw Purple Sunbird. Here it is seen drinking the nectar of the pomegranate flower. I even saw it just hovering around in the air and drinking the flower nectar like a stationary hummingbird or like a chopper! 

Purple Sunbird

I also saw for the first time Neelkanth or the Indian Roller Bird. 

Indian Roller Bird or Neelkanth

Brahminy myna or Brahminy starling is normally seen in pairs and seems as if it is wearing a black cap. 

Pair of Brahminy Starling

Woodpecker – have very strong bills that can drill in wood in search of food or for making their homes. 

A Woodpecker

Jungle Babbler - as they flock in a group they are also called the Seven Sisters and jointly they can create quite a racket by their combined chirping noises. 

Jungle Babbler

Peacock is quite common to this area and they generally become quite friendly and can even come and pick food grains from the palm of your hands. 

A Peacock

This Indian Magpie Robin was sitting on a pipe. 

Indian Magpie Robin

Red-vented Bulbul has a dark brown colour and even darker head and as the name suggest it has a red vent. 

Red-vented Bulbul

Of course there were several Rose-ringed parakeet or Indian Ring-neck parakeet or parrots in the area. 

Rose-ringed Parakeets

I was not able to recognise a couple of them. Maybe the readers of this blog may help me in identifying them?

What is the name of this bird?

And this one?

Also Read:
Guda Bishnoi
Birds at Morni
This is also Gurgaon: The Sultanpur National Park
Birds at Katnalu Creek, Himachal
Sambhar Lake

A Natural Reservoir in Nalhar, Nuh

When I was visiting the Cenotaph of Chui Mal I was suggested by Mr Chander Bhan who manages the cenotaph and the pond to also visit Nalhar (also pronounced as Nallad) a nearby village where there is a natural reservoir.

Ceremonial Gate to Shiva Temple, Nalhar

Nalhar is located in the foothills of the Aravallis and also has at its base a Shiva temple which forms the starting point of the trek to the reservoir. There is a big ceremonial gate at the temple. 

The Climb to the Nalhar reservoir

There are more than 250 steep stair-steps to be climbed to the place and the last bit is a bit slippery and one has to hold on to the tree roots and branches to climb. It is a good climb if you are looking for some good exercise and once you reach the top it provides a view of the whole area. 

The view of the Mewat area from Nalhar reservoir

I was expecting a big reservoir but when I reached there I found that the water was trickling directly into a hollow created (natural) in the tree from the rock. This reservoir is about 2 feet long and maybe a foot wide only. 

Last part of the climb

The water keeps flowing round the year into this hollow and this is the reservoir that people locally talk with veneration as it is believed by locals that it is some ‘chamatkar’ (miracle) of the gods that water is flowing out of the rocks in this arid region. Of course we as geographers know better! 

The Nalhar reservoir in a hollow of a tree

It is also believed that the Panadavas stayed there and drank this water during their 14-year exile. Lot of locals travel till the Shiva temple but only the more determined and fit people climb up to the reservoir. 

One has to hold the tree branches above these stairs to climb

How to reach: From Rajiv Chowk in Gurgaon take the Sohna-Nuh-Alwar highway till Nuh for about 47 km. From Nuh it is about 3 km to the Nalhar Shiva temple and the road ends there.

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

Places to visit in Delhi: The Isa Khan’s Garden Tomb

Most people have heard of the famous Humayun Tomb in Delhi but few know that within the Nizamuddin area there lies the Isa Khan’s Garden Tomb.

The Isa Khan Garden Tomb, Delhi

Though much smaller in size as compared to the Humayun Tomb it is a beautiful structure which actually predates Humayun Tomb by 20 years. It was built in 1547 AD during the lifetime of Isa Khan himself. Isa Khan was a noble in the court of Sher Shah Suri. It is probably the only surviving octagonal tomb complex. The canopied structure has beautiful glazed tiles and lattice screens (also known as Jaali) . Within this complex there is a red sandstone mosque that adds to its beauty. Like the Humayun Tomb this structure is also being maintained by the Aga Khan Trust and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Isa Khan Tomb in the foreground and the Mosque in the background

The Isa Khan Tomb complex is surrounded by beautiful gardens and high walls. In fact one can walk on these high walls which provide a much better view of the tomb and the mosque. Inside the structure I saw that like Humayun tomb this also contained not only the grave of Isa Khan but also several other graves as well. The lattice screens provide light as well as allow cool breeze inside.

The graves inside the Isa Khan complex - also observe the lattice screens

The inside of the dome has been painted by beautiful art work and also writings in Persian. Likewise the arches of the gates are also beautifully decorated.

The fresco on the inside of the dome of Isa Khan Tomb

The Isa Khan Tomb complex is a quieter and more beautiful place than its world renowned neighbour and is a worth seeing place if you are interested in gardens and Mughal and Lodhi architecture. It is part of the World Heritage Site Complex of Humayun Tomb.

Also read:
Places to Visit in Delhi: Humayun Tomb
Places to visit in Delhi: Ugrasen ki Baoli
The Changing Moods of Hauz Khas Lake

Sultanpur has more than just birds

The Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary (also known as the Sultanpur National Park) is just 15 km away from the millennium city of Gurgaon near Delhi. 

The Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary

The Bird Sanctuary is a habitat for local birds as well as migratory birds that come all the way from far off places like Siberia. 

A Purple Heron in flight

But the place should not be associated with birds only. I was surprised to see that several turtles were nesting there (difference between a turtle and tortoise is that turtle live in water and tortoise on land. Also the shell of turtle is shiny black whereas the tortoise may be dull in colour). 

A turtle at the Sultanpur National Park

Initially I could see only something shining so I thought either it is a reflection of the sun against the water or some bird nesting. It was only when I used my camera zoom that I realised that on the hay mounds in the water the shiny objects are turtles. It goes without saying that there were fish also in the water body as I did see one Pond Heron picking up a fish. 

Nesting turtles at the Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary

Also there are several Nilgai (An Asian Antelope or Blue Bull) in the sanctuary. There was one bunch of more than ten female Nilgai (a female Nigai is brown in colour) who were very playful.

Seems I was an attraction for these Nilgais at Sultanpur!

I was able to see the Nilgai racing past me at very close quarters. 

Two racing Nilgai

The two males (males are bluish in colour and hence the name Nilgai) remained aloof and did not mix with the herd or with each other! What was surprising was that these antelopes were very comfortable in crossing the water body. Till now I had never seen them in water.

A male Nilgai. Also see a peacock in the left corner & a Heron behind the Nilgai

The best time to visit the park is in winters as that is when the migratory birds come in big numbers. Also the park is closed in summers for some time to allow the birds a safe nesting period.

Also read:
This is also Gurgaon: The Sultanpur National Park

Book Review: High Exposure by David Breashears

Those of you less initiated in rock-climbing or mountaineering may have heard of David Breashers for his cinematography as he is the recipient of four Emmy awards including the IMAX movie Everest (An IMAX movie is a 65 mm movie compared to a 35 mm movie that you usually see in a theatre – in other words it is 80 feet in length and 6 storeys high!).

High Exposure by David Breashears

He has also been part of the team making the famous movie Cliffhanger (starring Sylvester Stallone) which has substantial climbing scenes. His cinematography experience was enhanced in the company of the famous mountaineer and cinematographer Kurt Diemberger (of the award winning book The Endless Knot: a gripping narrative of the the 1986 K2 saga) on the Kangshung Face of Everest in 1981.

Like most western climbers, Breashears started rock-climbing first in his country America and then graduated to mountaineering in the Himalayas. He has been an advocate of free climbing (not using artificial tools like pitons and using rope only to save a fall) in rock-climbing though in mountaineering he has mainly used siege-style climbing compared to the alpine-style. He has been to the summit of Everest four times. The book High Exposure takes us through his journey from his troubled childhood (with an abusive father) to maiden first climbs on the rocks in Colorado. Like most famous mountaineers his married life was also not very successful as he spent more time on the rock and mountains then at home.

From the famous mountaineer George Mallory onward the question remains: Why Climb? For Breashears it is not about the high risk of dangers but about pursuit of excellence and self-knowledge. Danger comes when reason is blinded with ambition.

David Breashears IMAX team was there on the fateful May 10, 1996 when several mountaineers perished on the mountain above camp IV due to various factors like overcrowding, inexperience and client-based commercial climbing. Last three chapters of the book take us through that time and space. Now this is the third book after Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air and Anatoli Boukareev’s The Climb that I have read where the May 10 disaster has been discussed in detail. Jon Krakauer and David Breashears have, I think, wrongly blamed Anatoli Boukareev being too ambitious for climbing Everest without supplemental oxygen. In fact Boukareev was the hero in rescuing several climbers when he himself was extremely tired and so high on the mountain you are not supposed to be hand-holding others for the summit bid. In today’s commercial world even novices are being taken and guaranteed the summit by companies without considering the perils of the mountain.

A must read book for all rock-climbers, mountaineers, adventure lovers and film buffs.

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!