WANDERLUST @ DELHI-II MADHI MASJID: THE FORTIFIED MOSQUE

Madhi Masjid is a magnificent monument that is prominently located and easy to find, which is why it’s surprising to hear that very few people know about it. Maybe this is because most people do not even realize what it is when they pass by the place as there is no notice board with any name or details given of the monument- a typical malise in many monuments in the country. In fact I did not know what the monument was called when I visited it and had to do quite a bit of reseach on iinternet to figure out the name of the beautiful complex!

The structure is believed to be from the 15th century, which places it in the Lodi Era-early Mughal period. Probably even the authorities are not sure about the exact history of this monument and hence coul dnot find anything about it written onthe site. It’s located just by the side of the Mehrauli Archaeological Park but not exactly within the boundaries of the park.

While it is supposed to be a mosque, it’s a formidable structure built like a fort. It is no longer a functioning mosque and so it mostly remains deserted barring monkeys and pegions. Domes are visible from a distance but as you reach it, you are greeted by an imposing structure in front that is not merely a gate but may as well double up as a watchtower.

As you climb up the stairs and enter through the gateway, you will discover a surprisingly spacious open compound. Even though the details are painfully lacking, it can be assumed that there was a wall mosque and also a normal mosque inside it. It was intricately decorated at one point of time, as suggested by the now-worn but still visible bluish tinged tiles on the walls and the dome. There are stairs that go down to the inner chambers but they are practically closed nowadays. If you look closely, you will find interesting Indo-Saracenic sculptures adorning the walls and pillars in the entire compound.

Considering its vintage- the monument is pretty well preserved.

WANDERLUST @ DELHI-I THE JAMALI KAMALI MOSQUE

Right next to the iconic Qutub Minar is another Archaeological site that very few people know about. People who do know about it just know that it is another one of several Mughal Era monuments standing in ruins all over Delhi. This is the Jamali Kamali mosque which if one is to consider has more glory to it than Qutub Minar itself but the only attention it now gets is because of the haunting stories related to djinns that are believed to reside there (beleive still some sufi faquirs carry out an exorcism on every thrusday to summon the djinns!)

This mosque, built in 1528-29, is located within Mehrauli Archaeological Park, which actually shares boundary with Qutub Minar premises. Entrance to this park is however about 500 meters away from Qutub Minar’s entrance gate. Within the mosque, built in a separate area, are the tombs of Jamali and Kamali.

After his death in 1535, Jamali was buried in his tomb alongside Kamali. Jamali belonged to a merchant family and was a very popular poet known for his famous works such as ‘The Mirror of Meanings’, ‘The Sun and Moon’ and ‘The Spiritual Journey of the Mystics’ etc. According to legend, it’s said that both these men - Jamali and Kamali, were deeply in love with each other. If interested, you can read the book ‘Jamali-Kamali, A Tale of Passion in Mughal India’ by Karen Chase who has described her personal take on their story in a beautiful manner.

Red sandstone and marble design (a popular trend in Mughal architecture) have been used at the mosque. Five arches are carved out in the prayer hall where a dome rises from the top of the central arch. Painted in red and blue, the Jamali Kamali tomb stands as a square structure with a flat roof over it. Quranic inscriptions and coloured paintings add to the beauty of it.

Large courtyards around both these structures give you a number of angles for clicking nice pictures. The garden near the tomb, with its spruce trees and lush greenery, serves as a good relaxing spot. The view from the boundary wall of the tomb offers you a sight of the magnificent Qutub Minar. At the archaeological park, a stroll down the undulating curves of the green landscape is nothing less than refreshing!

A RUINED TEMPLE AND AN ANCIENT MYSTERY

When you travel from Bhuj towards Mata No Madh, the most famous shrine of the patron Goddess of Kutch- Ashapura Mata, you cannot but miss an ancient ruined temple on your left when you reach Manjal a village about 30 km down the highway from Bhuj.

During one of our trips, we finally decided to stop and explore the place. To our surprise, the temple- known as Punvareshwar Mahadev Temple was one of the oldest structures in Kutch and carried along with it an ancient legend. The general area of the temple is known as Paddhargadh or Punvaranogadh and has a few other ruins of fort and temples and is associated with the ancient legend of Jakh Bothera.

The ‘Jakhs’ were said to have been shipwrecked on the Kutch coast and came ashore at place, now known as Jakhau. Variously described as tall and fair-complexioned with an advanced culture, their traditional number is seventy-two with at least one woman. Their origins are obscure.

Later they were revered by people of Kutch as folk dieties and temples are erected in their dedication at a number of places in Kutch. A fair dedicated to them is organised on the second Monday of Bhadrapad (September-October) every year on the foothills. This fair lasting two to three days is attended by thousands of pilgrims.

Front View of the Temple

The temple itself was built around 878 AD by Punvara, son of the chief of Kera, Kutch. Quarreling with his family, Punvara, whose chief characteristic seems to have been cruelty, resolved to found a city and call it after his own name.

When the city was finished, the architect was rewarded by having both his hands chopped off that he might not do work like it for anyone else. It is said that Punvara married a daughter of the king of Sindh. She was devotee of Shiva and carried the deity to Punvaranogadh where she installed it.

Main Deity of the Temple

Soon after, seven devotees of Jakhs renowned for their virtues and miracles settled on a hill near Punvaranogadh. Hearing of their fame, Punvar's childless queen had an underground she after six months prayed them to ask the god to give her a son. But, for her husband's sins, until a sacrifice was offered in the palace, the prayer could not be granted. By the underground passage the holy men entered the palace and were performing their rites when Punvara,hearing that there were strange men in the women’s’ rooms, forced his way in, seized the devotees, and set them with bare feet to tread out corn in a threshing floor bristling with harrow-spikes.

Pitying their sufferings a friendly barber named Babra offered to take the place of one of them. The freed devotee went to the top of Lakhadiya hill nearby and call Jakhs to their aid. Jakhs heard the prayer, and, with an earthquake that shook the hills, appeared with seventy-one brothers and a sister, Sayari or Sairi.

Called on to give up the holy men, Punvara refused and with the help of a magic amulet suffered nothing from the arrows of Jakhs. Then Sayari, taking the form of a mosquito, bit Punvara on the arm so that he drew off his amulet, leaving him vulnerable. A stone falling from the roof broke his head. Jakhs cursed the town and it has since lain desolate.

Punvareshwar temple is a synthesis of two styles. This Shiva temple, which combines elements of the Dravida and Nagara styles, is probably the oldest of its kind in Kutch. Built on a high plinth and sparsely ornamented, the temple itself is relatively small in size. But it has all the essential elements including an enclosed ambulatory around the sanctum. Parts of it appear to have been rebuilt using the original material.

Ruins of Ancient Carvings

In the centre of a platform, 7 feet 9 inches high 160 feet long and 41 wide, stands a temple of Shiva, 50 feet 9 inches long and 22 feet 3 inches wide. In each corner of the platform is a small ruined shrine. Between the ruined entrance and the porch is a hollow for sacrificial fire, agnikund. The temple, facing the west, of blocks of grey and black iron sandstone put together without cement, must have stood about fifty feet high. The porch, 261⁄2 feet long and 18 wide, has 16 pilasters and 8 square, 12 feet high, pillars forming two aisles. In the brackets are figures of men and lions. The dome has fallen, hut an upper floor, with rosettes in the middle of the ceiling and a cornice of creeping plants cut in the stone, is entire. Above the lintel are large figures of musicians. The upper part of the shrine has fallen and been rebuilt. Near the temple are some tombstones apparently of later date, but without any writing.

This temple, though ravaged and badly damaged by frequent earthquakes surely begets a visit when you travel to Kutch next- if not for anything else but for its antiquity and the quaint legend surrounding it. 

ASHAPURA MATA TEKRI : A BIRDS’S EYE VIEW

Kutch is an ancient island separated from mainland India and rest of Gujarat by the Rann of Kutch, a salty waste which is inundated by sea water for more than half the year. Owing to this Kutch has developed a unique culture and distinct traditions. Even the Kutchi dialect has shades of Sindhi and other languages over and above the mother language Gujarati.

The region was ruled for a long time by the Chandravanshi Rajput Jadeja clan. The revered mother Goddess of Kutch is Ashapura Mata, a form of Shakti and her prime seat is at Mata Na Madh located about 90 km West of Bhuj. Well, here we are not talking about Mata Na Madh, about which we’ll talk some other time but a lesser known temple for the same Goddess located atop a mountain, keeping in spirit of this blog of being off beat and less touristy.

Ashapura Mata has numerous temples located all over Kutch, but the temple we talk about here is unique in the sense that it is located on an imposing hillock over 1026 feet in height, jutting out from the plains and located just off NH 341 between Anjar and Bhuj near the Village of Kukma.

Signpost on NH 341 marking the turning

As I travel frequently from Anjar and Bhuj, the hill dominating the horizon towards the West between the villages of Ratnal and Kukma always mystified me. Finally, one day I decided to make an impromptu visit and explore the hill.

Cabbage Fields Enroute

To my surprise, there was a prominent sign on the highway showing the way to the Ashapura hill shrine. It is only then I realized that the structure seen from a distance was actually a temple.

The hillock is accessible through a dirt track which though narrow is well marked and cuts across quaint cauliflower and mustard fields. The track winds for about 3 km from the highway and you reach a clearing at the base of the hill. The base too has a temple and a small house where the priest and his family live.

Steep Steps leading to the Top

 The hill itself is very imposing and forms the massif of a small range which stretches from the South the North. The hill top is accessible through a steep yet well maintained flight of steps (519 badly designed steps in all), a trekker’s trail or a newly cut gypsum covered kuccha road leading to the top.

As I had a very capable Tata Xenon 4-wheel drive SUV, I decided to try the gypsum road leading to the top. The 1 ½ km or so of the climb is treacherous to say the least. The SUV in 4 wheel drive –low mode to had its hands full  pulling through the fine gypsum covering the track as the track was very slippery and had impossible gradients and rock falls at places. My co-passengers surly had some jitters but we made it very safely to the top.

Breathtaking View from the Summit

Goddess Ashapura

The Temple on Top

The top of the hill is actually quite small and houses a small well maintained temple. There is nothing historical about the architecture of the temple and it has been done up in concrete and tiles. However, the idol of the Goddess definitely  looked pretty ancient. The priest informed us that the idol was about 500 years old, but any specific history was unknown. The hillock itself is composed of ancient volcanic basalt and the spurs are composed of layers rock covered with cacti and other wild foliage. The priest also told us that a lot of wildlife existed in the scrub forest surrounding the range especially, nilgai, foxes, wild boar and an occasional leopard.

View of the Range from the Top

The view of the surroundings from the hill top was absolutely breathtaking to say the least. I believe on a clear day one could see as far as Bhuj and also the sea. But even on the day we visited (there was a bit of a haze) the view really was awesome, the hillock being the highest feature for many miles around. It was also very windy at the top.

We decided to take the steps while coming down. The steps are very well maintained with railings on both sides. But on the flip side, are badly designed with some steps  being almost ½ a metre tall. Therefore one has to be a little careful while walking down.

A visit to Ashapura Mata Tekri, Kukma is definitely worth it for its unspoilt and uncrowded ambiance, nice trek uphill, a breathtaking view and of course the blessings of Maa Ashapura- the guardian of Kutch!  

Coordinates:- https://goo.gl/maps/jXgk2TFDgco

THE LIMESTONE CAVES OF TAPKESHWARI

A 500 year old temple with not one but three perennial springs, surrounded on 3 sides by low hills and the hills dotted by some fantastically patterned limestone caves and all this not even properly sign posted, let alone figuring in some tourist glossy. This is Tapkeshwari located very close to the City of Bhuj in Kutch.

Panoramic View of the area around

Quietly tucked away in the wilderness just behind the Bhuj Cantonment is the Tapkeshwari Temple. The temple is situated at the end of Tapkeshwari Road, which originates at the south side of Bhuj Town. To the West of the road is the small village of Haripar, and to the East is a compound of a BSF Unit. 

The Temple Complex

Unfortunately like a lot places in India, apart from the old idol, nothing much remains of the original shrine which has been replaced by an abomination of concrete and glazed tile structure. Luckily old structures with a lot of character still hug the hill sides.

The temple complex is located in the centre of a horse shoe shaped hill. An old lady who is also the pujarin of the temple told me that the shrine is over 500 years old. The name of the temple comes from the Gujarati word "tapakvu," which means "to drip". 

The main Aquifer below the Temple

Legend states that this used to be the site of a year-round spring which used to cause water to "drip" down the cliff walls (though we could not find any water as such dripping down from the hill side). As per the old lady, the Goddess dug her mighty trident into the ground which resulted in the three perennial springs located in the complex. The largest aquifer is located right below the temple, the smallest at the entrance and the third closer to the hill side to the North.    

Old Structures along the Hill side

Apart from the temple, the fantastic limestone caves overlooking the complex are worth a visit. They are accessible by stairs on the north side of the temple and then a scramble up a rough trail to the top of the overlying ridge. The caves are breathtaking and seem to have been eroded millions of years ago by water (probably when the whole region was sea bed). Unfortunately, they have been vandalized at a number of places by louts scribbling their names and other gibberish at a number of places. Still they are fantastically patterned and offer a beautiful view of Bhuj City from the top.

 A day’s visit is definitely worth it considering that the place is located very close to town, has some historical value and above all one can visit some beautiful limestone caves and have a great view. Just a word of caution is to look out for honeycombs when visiting the caves- there are quite a few of them in the higher reaches. 

Fantastic Patterns

Caves to the South

Treacherous Steps 

Dramatic View

Coordinates:- https://goo.gl/maps/s2iB7kfwF4L2

A SLICE OF NORWAY IN KUTCH: THE OSLO THEATRE

The most prominent road junction in the town of Gandhidham is the rather piquantly named 'Oslo' Circle. As the name seemed totally out of place, I inquired from a few old timers regarding its origin. It apparently owes its name to the now defunct Oslo Talkies located about half a km North of it.

This once grand theatre in the midst of Gandhidham town is strangely named after Norway's capital. The theatre belonged to the erstwhile Maharaja of Kutch Madan Sinhji Jadeja and was built by him in the late 1950s.

Oslo Theatre Today

Madan Singhji had spent considerable number of years as India's ambassador in Norway.His office was at Colbjrnsens Gate in Oslo.The theatre was a dedication by the king to this unique assignment.He had donated a huge chink of land for the Sindhi resettlement site on the insistence of Mahatma Gandhi and Acharya Kriplani.

The Maharao of Kutch had a lady guest from Norway who inaugurated the theatre. A statue of a fisherman was also inaugurated which is now in the Kutch museum. Many here in Gandhidham remember the first film at the Oslo theatre in 1960 to be Dilip Kumar and Meena Kumari starrer Kohinoor.This theatre has a nostalgic value for a number of Sindhi refugee families of Adipur and Gandhidham.

Sadly this theatre is likely to be demolished to either give way to a multiplex or a residential scheme.

Truely- India never fails to surprise!

CHADVA RAKHAL- OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

No mobile coverage, no proper signposting, a big lake infested with large crocodiles, dense jungle littered with ruins of ancient dwellings and a 3 km trek leading to an ancient Shiva Temple where the deity is in a subterranean cave and most importantly very little mention on the net and not listed in Wikipedia- does seem unreal and straight out of a horror movie set. But Chadva Rakhal- the hidden gem of Kutch is anything but that.

Turning for Pragsar

Off the beaten track, this hunting ground of the erstwhile ruler of Kutch State still remains a private property of the Jadeja Royal Family of Kutch.   Just about 18 km from Bhuj, the headquarters and biggest town in the Kutch District of Gujarat, Chadva Rakhal which literally means ‘Chadva’s Estate’ can be reached by following the Bhuj –Mata Na Madh highway and turning left at Samatra Village (about 8 km from Bhuj) and thereafter travelling on the single metalled road for about 5 km before taking a diversion to the left after about 5 km where an old marking on a stone mentions ‘Pragsar’ in Gujarati.

Tablet with Ancient Kutchi Script

The Estate's Entrance

Pragsar Lake

A short drive through a rutted track and through mustard fields in full bloom brought us to the entrance to the estate which is through an ancient gate with pillars which looked like made of slate slabs. Another ½ km inside the estate takes us to the Pragsar Lake which reportedly is habitat of numerous fishes and hold your breath…..about 300 crocodiles. The Lake Side bund is an old structure made of stone on one end of which is a slab with inscriptions in an ancient Kutchi script. There is nothing else there barring a dense forest and a 100% unspoilt natural habitat.

The jungle surrounding it is dense with ancient teak, banyan, babool and numerous other trees and herbs. The forest is pretty spooky even during day with a number of ruins of structures of an undated past.

The 'Blessing' Tree

A colourful companion

Along the trail

A short but reasonably difficult trek (as a cute old sign post warned us) out of the forest towards the low hills leads us to an ancient Maheshwar Shiva temple which is tucked in beyond a ridge. We encountered an interesting shaped dried tree en route- the gnarled old behemoth was in the shape of a hand raised in a mudra or a blessing stance. Mandatory photo ops there and we were off towards the temple. The temple is interesting with a lot of modern day restoration, but its raison-d-etre was the subterranean cave where the swyambu pindis of the deity reachable after a tight squeeze through the rocks give a primordial feel to the place. The lone priest (who stays there through the night on some of the days, and leaves for Samatra after dusk aarthi on others) shared that the temple was over 700 years old and Deshalji I who was the Maharaja of Kutch from 1718-1752 used to regularly visit the place and worship the deity in the cave.

The walk back along the gentle down slope is a breeze. But walking there after sunset is not advised as the area is home to leopards (a quaint sign post on the track marked a ‘leopard crossing’ and the priest too had told us of 3-4 leopards frequenting the area at night). As it was getting quite dark, we hastened our steps to reach the location of the forest and back to the parking lot. By the time we reached back it was quite dark and the brooding forest with its melancholic ruins looked straight out of a scary movie!

The Cave Entrance

Leopards Beware!

We did not get to see any leopards but were lucky to spot 3-4 huge crocs earlier in the day, lazily floating around the placid Pragsar Lake with their snouts out of the water. Local told us that they stalk Nilgais and other game which came to the lake for the drink and also thrive on the abundant fish in the lake.

Signpost for the Temple

Inside the Cave

Entrance to the Temple Complex

The place is still pristine with a rough edge and time seems to have stood still. An unlisted place with no modern trappings seems a luxury in today’s plastic times, but at only about 18 km from Bhuj and about 70 km from Gandhidham, it definitely begets a day’s outing- if not for anything else but for the free oxygen and the joy of seeing such a dense jungle in the heart of the arid Kutch, images of which are generally associated with the great salt desert and sparse greenery.

Permission is required from Vijay Vilas Palace, Mandvi if you plan to visit as a big group. A few visitors coming for a casual trip need not bother even for that.

Coordinates:- https://goo.gl/maps/AEhgPo5L9z32