Vishakapatnam ---a SMART City

                                  "Let's find some beautiful place to get lost ."


The Vishaka express chugged into the neat and clean station of Vishakhapatnam at 4.20pm. It was on the dot. The station was not over-crowded and we were not pestered by taxi-drivers.  The car took us through well laid out roads lined with perennial plants to the guest-house on Beach Road. Beautifully located, over-looking the Bay of Bengal, we watched the fishing boats sail in with their haul and cargo ships sail out to their destinations. 

The jewel of the East coast, the port of Vizag was set up in 1933 to facilitate the export of manganese ore. It played an important role during the World War II .After independence; the port was further developed to become the second largest port in the country. It is the HQ of the Eastern command of the Indian Navy.  You can reach the city by air, road or train. 

Popularly known as VIZAG

The city has a lot to offer. Sun-drenched beaches which are clean, hill-tops with breath-taking views and artistic temples The best part of the city is the beach road.There are a number of museums and memorials that can be visited. Tour buses, autos and taxis can you around. Take a guide when visi.ting temples.

Places to visit:

The submarine museum:

If you have never been on a submarine this is your chance. INS Kursura is India’s fifth sub-marine commissioned in 1969 and served the country for 31 years. It is one of the few submarine museums in Asia. It’s an eye-opener to the tough life of the sailors inside the submarine. If you are not used to enclosed areas you may suffer from claustrophobia. Entry fee is Rs40. Narration is brief and it will barely take you 30 mins to cover the entire vessel. 

Sub Museum

Kailash Giri

Easily accessible by bus, taxis and autos, there is a cable-car that will take you to the top. The toy train makes a round of the hill. Two massive statues of Shiva and Parvati stand tall and flood-lit at night.

Spare some time for the Telegu Museum at kailash Giri, showcasing the evolution of the Telegu language and history. The rotating pad takes the guests through an excellent 1 hour audio-visual presentation. Rushikonda beach is nearby.

Dolphin’s Nose

It is so called because the hill resembles a dolphin’s nose (or does it look like a whale?) The light house opens at 3pm. The view is amazing and Yarada beach lies at the bottom.

RK Beach Road

There are a lot of monuments along the beach road. The aquarium, the Victory at Sea war memorial and the Helicopter museum are along this road. Wide side-walks enable pedestrians to enjoy the sea and all that the city has to offer. Free Wi-Fi is available along the beach, 1GB per day.

Like most cities in India there are a lot of temples of which we visited the Simhachalam 

Rushikonda Beach

Andhra cuisine is a delightful mix of vegetarian and non-veg items. Proximity to the sea has made sea food a staple diet. Combined with tingling spices it’s a menu not to be missed. Apart from the dosa-idli-sambar breakfast dishes , sweets play an important part on every occasion among which the most popular are Ariselu (rice flour sesame) Junnu (milk pudding)Achappam (rose cookies) Muslim influences has resulted in biryani and halwa finding a place in the list of options.

Andhra cuisine

You will have no regrets visiting the city of Vishakhapatnam. The finest location is along the beach. Shopping areas are close.I bought two saris--- a Mangalgiri and a Gadwal--- from the nearby CMR mall.   Modern, clean, friendly, safe, tech-savvy, helpful....I needed medicines for an upset stomach and couldn’t locate a pharmacy on my GPS. Accurate directions by a gentleman took me to the right place. In fact, the last few meters I was guided by a school-boy. 

The metropolis provides the best without being too expensive. Just dive in and have fun!!!!! 

Orissa--a road trip

Chilka Lake

"Traveling makes you wise and humble."

Our road trip in Orissa began in Bhubaneshwar. We hired a Zoom-car, attached the GPS to the squeezy and took off for Pipli. A small dusty town made famous by its art and craft, a delight for the shopaholics who would like to pick up sun-umbrellas, canopies, totes, shopping bags etc. The streets are lined with stalls selling appliqué work making  the town colourfully delightful.

 The people of Oriya are simple, traditional, and fiercely religious. There is a temple at every bend. Bhubaneshwar is, not surprisingly, called the “the temple city.”  Religiosity consumes a lot of time, energy and money of the ordinary Oriya. Spiritually vibrant Jagganath in Puri is the most revered temple and is visited by 4million people every year, despite the  the lack of a peaceful and religious ambience. Pestering for money and brusque behaviour by the priests are familiar stories narrated by visitors leaving many to wonder why they ever visited the place. However things are changing and efforts are being made to bring about an orderliness. Non-Hindus are not allowed into the sanctum sanctorum.

Applique work at Pipli

We drove to Dhauli from Pipli, the place where Emperor Ashoka gave up warfare after the Battle of Kalinga and embraced Buddhism. Three of his edicts are preserved in a glass-case and a new Asoka pillar has been constructed to commemorate the event. The park and the edict are well maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India. The Shanti Stupa on top of the hill is worth a visit. The adjoining Shiva temple is a little disorganized and can be avoided.

We wove our way to the town of Konark, home of the “Black Pagoda”. The epithet was tagged because the temple appeared black to the sailors out at sea. It was believed a 52 tonne magnet in the temple attracted the ships towards it and  maintained a balance of the 5 temples in the precincts. The temple was plundered and the magnet robbed by the Portuguese. Consequently, the smaller temples crumbled leaving just one damaged temple standing precariously supported by scaffoldings. Representing a chariot of the sun-god driven on 24 wheels it was built by 1200 workers and took 12 years. It was never a practising temple, no offering was ever made and no “mantra” recited. Today it is beautifully maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India. There is a foot-path all around the edifice providing a 360 degree view. Restoration work has been going on for the last 15 . It would be wise to take a guide for Rs.150-200.The temple’s architecture and grandeur will unfold when explained by a guide. Stalls line the entrance where you can pick up trinkets and flop- hats for a steal. There are no star  hotels in Konark. It is best to commute from Puri or Bhubaneshwar. We stayed in “Surya Inn” which was not good enough . However it was conveniently located 400 metres from the temple and served our purpose. The Konark museum is worth a visit.  

Sun Temple, Konark

Next morning we drove to Chilka Lake via Puri. Chilka is a lagoon covering 1100sq kms, a huge expanse supposedly the largest brackish water lake in Asia.  Home to over 220 species of local and migratory birds, dolphins and variety of fish providing a life-line to all the fishing villages .We did get to see a lot of birds but few dolphins. A motor boat ride around the lake and islands is serene, interesting and informative. Be wary of guys who try to sell corals and pearls whose value is questionable.

pearls from oysters

The boys will break the oyster-shells and take out a pearl or two but don't be deceived ....they may not be genuine. On the down-side the touts for the boats can make your life miserable. You have to be politely firm with them.

Motor bikers can make you lose your peace of mind therefore drive cautiously. In Puri cows do the work of road dividers. Gushing pilgrims are unmindful of cars cruising around. Traffic policemen are not visible to regulate the flow. Driving is a herculean task. Life goes on without complaint and people appear not to be too unhappy.

We returned to Bhubaneswar on the third day to cover the tribal museum, Udaygiri caves, Lingaraj temple and KIT University which supports 22000 tribal children with free accommodation, food and education. An initiative by Achuyta Samanta it is a noble movement and has gone a long way to uplift the tribal society and curb insurgency. 22% of Orissa’s population belong to different tribes who are poor and down-trodden. The Bonda (the naked tribe) are a dwindling race leaving just about 12000 of them. Tribal art is very attractive. Silver filigree work, patachitra paintings, katki designed fabric and saris can be bought from the innumerable shops in and around the state capital.

Oriya cuisine is subtle in taste and low in calories. Among the sweets Rasabali and steamed chenna poda will take the first prize. Both are delicious. Many dishes are made with mustard be it vegetables or fish. Chakuli pitha is a breakfast dish resembling pancakes made with rice flour. Saaga Moonga (leafy vegetables cooked with lentils are popular. Tangy chutneys are also popular and there are many variations like tomato, oou (elephant apple) raw mango. But an Oriya meal is never complete without dalma, a dish made out of vegetables and lentils. It is offered to the Gods too.

The trip was an eye-opener to the state of Orissa. We just scratched the surface. Much more is yet to be discovered.

Chenapoda....steamed milk cake

                                         

                 

Kolkata--City of Joy

Howrah Station

                              " Kolkata is always dying but it never dies"

 Kolkata is a city where human values are not measured by material wealth but by the warmth, hospitality, cultural and intellectual abilities extended by ”bhadraloks” (gentlemen} It is chaotic, crowded, colourful,crazy and yet there is an orderliness in this madness. If you come once you will promise you’ll never come back again but once you are back home you will yearn to return to the city which stands by the river Hooghly, where the average nominal per capita income is $2000 per year, where you can have lunch for $1 and splash $200 dollars for dinner at a flashy 5 star hotel 

Most things don’t change in Kolkata. Therefore, the obsolete, loss-making trams still run on tracks   built by the British. Its ride through history but you can’t depend on them to reach an appointment, slow and sluggish that they are. The man-drawn rickshaws have stood the test of time no matter how cruel it looks.  Thousands would be thrown into the den of unemployment if they were to be withdrawn. The omnipresent yellow Ambassador-taxis are indispensable .Hindustan Motors factory but the Ambassador lives on in the metropolis. They are always at your beck and call through hail or storm, though some drivers may refuse to turn the metre on or may ask you for Rs10 extra.  “Nahoums” bakery in New Market is still selling its delicious fruit cakes from the same wooded cases that the Jewish owners had set up decades ago. Nobody wants anything to change. That’s the attraction of the place.

                                                     

Kolkata Tram

The British when they reached Kolkata brought not only the Queen’s language but also their baroque and neo-classical architecture, grand and over-powering. The National Library, Writer’s building ,the Grand Hotel, the Museum   remain very British in appearance  It is worth doing a architecture tour of the city which perhaps will take you more than a day.

 The iconic Victoria Memorial which stands imposingly in the centre of the city serves as a tourist attraction, a jogger’s park and picnic spot. However don’t go to any of the touristy places on holidays. It’s a melee.

                                             

Victoria Memorial

Each attraction in Kolkata is wrapped in a story. The old Howrah bridge and the new Vidyasagar Setu represents two eras, two Indias both different yet compatible.  I like the Howrah railway station with its 23 platforms and the big clock( it's not working now) which was built in 1926 by Gent’s of London serving as a prominent meeting point for many.

The Bengali cuisine excites the palate like no other. River or sea fish is an integral part of the menu. The “Rasgolla “and sweet curd is the finale to a hearty meal. Some note-worthy restaurants are Oh Kolkata (10/3Elgin Road) Kasturi (Ballygunge) and Bhojohori Manna (Gariahat)

 Upmarket Park Street hosts a number of good restaurants and a few offer music in the evenings. Go to “Flury’s “for an English breakfast or afternoon tea, “Cha Bar “at Oxford Book Store for a mid-morning cuppa to taste the original Darjeeling or Assam tea while browsing through a book. Dinner could be at “Mocambo “Bar-B-Q” or “Peter Cat”.  Originally the street was through a deer park, hence its name. Officially, it is known as Mother Theresa Sarani.

Plate of Rasgullas

 Kolkata clubs are little islands of British culture. Every member holds very dearly to the customs, mores and etiquette and is more British than the British themselves. The Tollygunge club is the only country club in India more than 220 years old. The Bengal club is famous for its Christmas lunch. Should you get an invite to any of them, don’t miss out. 

Kolkata has provided a home for one and all. Parses, Greeks, Armenians, Jews, Chinese and the English have made it their home over the years, each community contributing to its growth. Around 2000 Chinese have their own China Town where Chinese festivals are celebrated. Mother Theresa made it her own and brought joy to many. A visit to her home will complete your trip.  We decided to make it by foot. With GPS data connection poor and human GPS most unreliable (we asked two policemen, three gentlemen, and two shop-keepers for directions) we walked a maze of streets covering 4.9 kms to reach the home ....serene and peaceful.....an island of bliss in this noisy city....it was worth it !!!!But what surprised me was that 7 people didn’t know where it was located....People’s memories are very short unfortunately. Besides the walk was not easy .The sidewalks have been converted to showrooms for tyers and garments leaving us to the mercy of cars that zoomed by.

My love-hate relationship with the city has brought me back an umpteenth number of times and every time I have something new to write home about. 

At Mother's Home