Category: Travel

FINDING MY WAY

Cee’s Which Way Photo Challenge – November 30,2016

Life is all about choices and finding your way to your destination. I particularly enjoy playing up for this photo challenge run by Cee because it gives me freedom to click anything which depicts a ‘way’…. it can be a walkway, road, footpath, trail, stairs or even I can capture while climbing, driving or driving. Isn’t it fun?

I was away from these fun challenges for a while, hopefully should be able to tag along and contribute by bit. These are my choices for this week.img_2797img_2889img_2902IMG_0729

MEMORIES DON’T FADE

I constantly move to deserts and valleys

Climbing mountains, passing from cities 

Exploring the woods, meeting the locals 

Learning tribal culture, enjoy their fests

Having a bag full of memories to cherish 

That don’t get faded with time, stay fresh 

Love going back to the memory lane 

Calling old friends, close they remain 

The nostalgia lingers on forever 

Nothing can replace the sheer joy 

Looking at the pictures, smiles and tears 

Sweet memories can never fade away.

Enjoy Folk Song of Rajasthan

Rajasthan, a colorful state of India has a diverse collection of musician castes, including langas, sapera, bhopa and jogi. The region’s music shares similarities both with nearby areas of India and the other side of the border, in the Pakistani province of Sindh.

The people of Rajasthan live life to the hilt. After working day and night  in the harsh desert sun and the rocky terrain whenever they finally come home to relax they let themselves go in gay abandon. There is dancing, singing, drama, devotional music and puppet shows and other community festivities which transform the laborious Rajasthani into a fun-loving and carefree individual.DSC_4077.JPG

Each region has its own folk entertainment, the dance styles differ as do the songs. Interestingly enough, even the musical instruments which are simple but quite unusual and handcrafted by the musicians themselves. Some of them are the Morchang, Naad, Sarangi, Kamayacha, Rawanhattha etc. There are dozens of other instruments which are unique and exclusive to Rajasthan only.

The music includes typical folk songs which are being sung by every household. The musicians, dancers and singers are invited to heritage hotels for performances organised for tourists staying there. Indian as well as overseas tourists can be seen dancing and singing along with them at Umaid Bhawan, Taj Palace and other tourist spots.DSC_4428.JPG

I met this family during my recent trip to one of the forts in Jodhpur. The entire family was singing a famous folk on tourist’s demand. I quickly took out my phone to record this melodious song. sharing with you all. Enjoy and sing along if you happen to belong to this amazing land of music and dance.

Sorry my video is not being uploaded. I am not able to compress it. I made 22 seconds video on iPhone 6 and it is of 50 MB and is taking ages to upload. Tried compressing but it was still 48 MB. Andy and other bloggers keep on uploading their personal videos, may be they can help me in this case. I will be sharing it soon.

 

 

 

 

SOUTH MUMBAI CST(VT)

Believe me Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), formerly Victoria Terminus (VT), is the most attractive and historical buildings in Mumbai.

 A UNESCO World Heritage Site and an historic railway station in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India which serves as the headquarters of the Central Railways. 

It was designed by Frederick William Stevens who was inspired and influenced from Victorian Italianate Gothic Revival architecture and traditional Mughal buildings. 

The huge station was built in 1887 in the Bori Bunder area of Mumbai to facilitate the Golden Jubilee function of Queen Victoria. 

The new railway station was built on the location of the Bori Bunder Station  and is one of the busiest railway stations in India. It serves as dual terminal for both long-distance trains and commuter trains of the Mumbai Suburban Railway.  

In March 1996 the previous name was changed to its present one and it is now known simply as CST (or CSTM).

As I always say that South Mumbai is actual Mumbai where you get the feel of old culture and victorian era. Rest of the city and Navi Mumbai is just like any other crowded cosmopolitan city, a concrete jungle. So my vote goes to south Mumbai. 

Mundane Monday #59

Mumbai Surburban railway  is the cheapest mode of public transportation in Mumbai. It would not be exaggeration if I call one of the busiest commuter rail system in the world, blood veins of Mumbai without which Mumbai, the financial capital of India eould come to standstill.  

Though it generally runs overcrowded but one of the days when there were hardly any passangers in the bogie I got a chance to click photos of the hangers below. They are used to seek support while standing in a moving train.  

They are mundane and almost invisible because of the crowd but I had fun shooting them. 

Thursday Doors Challenge 

Can’t resist myself to share these intricately carved doors of Mehrangarh fort, Jodhpur also known as the’Sun City’. I was wondering how and from where the artisans learnt to create such masterpieces in ancient times. 


Thursday Doors Challenge

 

GENERATIONS SURVIVING IN STYLE

For the past week I have been talking about Rajput Kings and Maharajas, sharing their palaces photos in my posts, therefore it would be unfair on my part not to share their family generation portraits with you all. They have survived ….the princely state status, Colonial era dependency and now the independent royal family buisness. 

Meet the real Maharaja Umaid Rao from royal family of Jodhpur, Rajasthan. The above picture shows the entire family. Maharani(wife) in centre towards her left are her husband Maharaja Umaid Singh and daughter, towards her right stand her son and daughter in law. Son, Gaj Singh II is the current king of Rao dynasty and staying in Umaid Bhawan. 


Umaid Singh was born on 8July 1903 and wasMaharaja of Jodhpur from 1918 to his death in 9 June 1947. 
This is what I got to know about him from wilkipedia. “The second son of Maharaja Sir Sardar Singh, he succeeded his elder brother Maharaja Sir Sumair Singh upon his death in 1918; in 1922 he served as the aide-de-camp to the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII). Ruling under the regency of his granduncle until 1923, he was then formally invested as Maharaja by Lord Reading. During his reign, Sir Umaid Singh reformed and reorganised the Jodhpur State Forces and the judicial department, introduced a scheme for extending primary education, revised the land revenue settlement and established state pensions and a Provident Fund for state employees. Enjoying a distinguished military career, he died at his estate on Mount Abu on 9 June 1947 after a reign of 29 years, aged but 43.”
The portraits are displayed in the museum formed out of six rooms, earlier part of this extraordinary private residences in the world. Umaid Bhawan Palace is one of the finest palace hotels in this planet. No wonder the royal family  still exhibits the old charm, wealth and aristocracy. To experience their hospitality and world class taste one must stay in Umaid Palace  once in lifetime. Generation Survival

The 3D model of the palace