My Days At Marigold.

The next day we woke up leisurely and after a heavy breakfast, we went trekking. Now, I'm not new to trekking and I think this was more like a hike than a trek. We took regular water-breaks and photo-breaks. We saw several monkeys. Awfully tame. And we also saw apple farms. But we didn't see orchards of red juicy apples since it wasn't the season.

So we trudged along, until we reached a temple. An old man sat at the foot of the temple, contemplating. The temple was small and pretty. After this we walked back in another route. We crossed the estate of a certain Prince of another era.

                                  

The guide was a local. He was a simple, friendly man and an expert in climbing pine trees with ease.  He informed us that the red flowers that grow in plenty in the hillside was known as "Brass" and a juice was made out of it..

Kids from the Highway!

We reached the resort around 12:30PM and after a brunch, we started towards Jakku Temple. Jakku Temple can be decribed by 1 word: Monkeys!! As rightly pointed out by WikiTravels, it is not advisable to spent too much time here, since there's the constant threat of being approached (I wouldn't say attacked) by monkeys. We got sticks just to ward them off. The temple is an old structure and a huge statue is now being constructed (Reportedly funded by Ab. Bacchan). I purchased cute woollen shoes for Divya (after a lot of haggling).

Next Stop: Rashtrapathi Nivas. Steeped in History, this structure now houses the Indian Institute Of Advanced Studies. The scholars pursue research work in the field of Social Sciences and Humanities.

National Instt. Of Advanced Studies

Built using teak wood, decorated with 123-year old Belgian chandeliers and equipped with unique fire fighting system (Wax and water), this colonial building was first the Summer Palace of the Governor General, then, the summer home of the President of India and finally it is now the IIAS (after it was inaugurated by Dr.Radhakrishnan)... The Palace had a certain colonial charm to it.. It was regal.. We saw several pre-Independence era photos in the Gallery... By The way, The Shimla Conference (If you remember your History) was held here..

After this we strolled in the famous Mall Road. Vidha3 and I had bhelpuri. And we also saw Preity Zinta's college. (St.Bede's)... We didn't really shop much. Just a few souvenirs. Also it wasn't really crowded. Because it was the World Cup Final, silly!

                                      

                                                 Mall Road, Shimla

So after ambling aimlessly, we went back to our cottage. And had dinner in bed. and I fell asleep before India won. I vaguely remember Vidha3 waking me up (as I had requested her to do so in case India won) , I remember mumbling something incoherent and dozing off. Yes, very unpatriotic indeed. :( (According to a certain Ms.P)

Chugging Along.... A day on Trains... (Shimla Day 1)

We got up early, packed and left the hotel. Baba Inn is located very close to the Railway Station, so there was no need for the driver to come. But we couldn't walk either. Not with the luggage. So we got into a Cycle Rickshaw. The ride was great! Sadly I've no pictures of this cute gaadi.

The Rickshaw took us only till the RS Entrance, after this we had to manage our own luggage. I especially, had a tough time manoveuring my suitcase which appeared to have a mind of its own. So I kept jogging to keep pace with the other 3. It didn't take us long to find our platform. The platforms were rather shabbily maintained. I felt nauseated by the not-so-clean surroundings. Our train was an AC chair car and we found our seats. Even the train had a slight disgusting smell to it. Papa was outside and did'nt enter the train inspite of my pleading looks, until the train began to slowly move. He gets some thrill by doing that, I tell you!

There was a plug point, so Papa was working on his laptop for a while and Vidha3 and I went ol later..

We passed Kurukshethra, Chandigarh, Ambala and several other towns. We remained on level ground and the landscape was barren. We were supplied cutlet and coffee. Both were just satisfactory. Soon we reached Kalka. The station was surprisingly very clean. It almost seemed like a Model-Railway Station. We found our train. Honestly, It looked more like a toy train. Papa got us food from a vendor in the station. It was sweet of him, but it was poorly packed. The train began and a few more people made a surprise entry. Vidha3 and I opened our food packets, but most of the contents spilled out. It was tasty actually. Aloo Sabzi and Chappati. Rice and Rasam. The lady in front of us helped us to clear the mess. I was highly embarassed. We had to throw the food away to avoid making a mess of it. Somehow Papa and Vidha3 managed to finish their food without spilling not so much as a grain. Bah.

Very soon, we got acquainted with the family near us.The lady, her husband, their son, their daughter, her husband and child, Mishti, all of them, were a jovial lot. Vidha3 spoke quite well with them. And so did Papa. And as for me, well, I tried, but honestly, my Hindi didn't take me very far. Apparently they had been to Bangalore once, and they had stayed in Koramangala. I won't forget this dialogue, He peered through his glasses and asked us "Are you both Post Graduate students?". Lol, he couldn't believe we had just finished out tenth. This family actually hadn't booked tickets. Somehow, in the last minute, they managed to get seats. After a while, they got down. Next their seats were occupied by Punjabis. They were travelling to Shimla, and would stay in the Gurudwara. It was a family of four. The husband, (a well built man. Papa looked tiny in front of him), his wife, daughter and son. While Papa and the Man chatted away, the rest of the family sat like mice. Not a word. A completely patriarchal family, I surmised. How unlike the previous occcupants! Apparently the man worked in the gardens of the Sultanate in Saudi. After a while, For reasons best known to them, they chose to sit in the other end of the compartment. I have my own theories, but let's not go down that path. :)

There were several other people in the train, a family of three, and a man and his elder sister ( I hope) and of course newly weds. The view was great and there were about 100 tunnels!

Sitting On the Edge Of The Train: Vidhathri and I.

After a while, Vidha3 and I sat near the train door. It was a wonderful experience! Vidha3 was a lil scared, But she enjoyed it anyway. We sung songs and clicked photos. I will always look back, years from now and think of that day.



After this, it became slightly chill, and my clothing was doing nothing to insulate me. We reached Shimla, took our luggage, found our driver and got into the Alto. It took us about 20 minutes to reach Mashobra. Vidha3 and I were hugging for most part of the journey- mostly because we were feeling Really Cold! The driver was a talkative man and we got to know a lot about Shimla/ Mashobra/ Marigold Cottages/ himself that day itself...

We reached the resort which was really splendid! We all played TT for a while after refreshing... And met the Manager, Mr.Thakur to discuss the plans for the nest few days.. Geetesh Thakur, a young man of about 20, was our room attendent. A bright young guy, who did his job well. We loved our cottage. The entire 2nd and 3rd floor was ours! It was like a House! The beds looked soo Inviting! And the balcony, with its views, the bathroom too had views (LOL). All In All, The resort was magnificient! I could only think of and thank Amma for making it all happen...

And so, the day came to and end, all of us were tired and cold after a day spent mostly on trains.. Vidha3 and I were hidden under layers of blankets, but even that seemed insufficient! Oh, and I watched that Rajnikant movie, Robot. :)

Papa And Me. <3

Delhi Day 2

Red Fort

Bahai`i House Of Worship

Akshardham

 

Qutb Minar

After a good night's rest, we entered Old Delhi and our first stop was Red Fort. Contrary to what I had thought, Red Fort is a HUGE complex. Built of Red Sandstone, we first entered a shopping area full of colourful, eye-catching trinkets.The Mughal style of Architecture was evident in all the structures we saw here.The Museum here several photographs and articles related to the freedom movement. We also found the picture which had come in our HCG exam ( Boards). We walked around, looking at the red sandstone or marble wonders.

Next we went to Akshardham.  When v3 and I heard Cameras  , Mobiles, etc were not allowed, we were devastated. Mayur mahal had beautiful interiors as well as exteriors.

There was this beautiful fountain and in the sweltering heat, I found it rather hard not to jump into the pool of cool water. Akshardham has beautiful sculptures and attention is given to all minute details. There was also a Boat Ride, which would take you through the different ages of India's rich heritage. (Owing to time constraint, we didn't go for the ride.)

" Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Delhi epitomises 10,000 years of Indian culture in all its breathtaking grandeur, beauty, wisdom and bliss. It brilliantly showcases the essence of India’s ancient architecture, traditions and timeless spiritual messages. The Akshardham experience is an enlightening journey through India’s glorious art, values and contributions for the progress, happiness and harmony of mankind. The grand, ancient-styled Swaminarayan Akshardham complex was built in only five years through the  colossal devotional efforts of 11,000 artisans and BAPS volunteers. The complex was inaugurated on 6 November, 2005.Akshardham means the eternal, divine abode of the supreme God, the abode of eternal values and virtues of Akshar as defined in the Vedas and Upanishads where divine bhakti, purity and peace forever pervades."

We had lunch at the Premvathi Food Court and suddenly the weather became cool and pleasant. There were all signs of a mild shower, but we were left high and dry....

The Baha`i House Of Worship was our next stop (Btw on our way, we passed IIT-Delhi and AIIMS. I immediately sent messages to the "Concerned People" regarding their future college! :P)

The garden leading to the Lotus temple was vivd with flowers aplenty. (Another Photo Opp). Inside the Temple, we sat in a semi-circular fashion and heard the volunteers recite verses from Quran, Bible, Gita, Guru Grant Sahib, and the Zend Avesta as well. It was a nice place.

After this, it was Qutb Minar. Unlike what I had imagined, there are a lot of structures around the Qutb Minar, apart from the Iron Pillar. Eg: Alai Minar, Iltutmish's Tomb and several minarets and other tombs. Papa got us this Audio guide, and this provided a LOT of information on what monument we were looking at, like it told us why was it built, out of what was it constructed and other details of that period. It was very interesting, however I personally felt a bit guilty becuase I don't think I utilized it to the fullest extent. Of course, the main attraction, Qutb Minar looked stunning!

And then, It was back to Good Ol' Ginger! :)

Summer :)

Shimla is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of the British Raj in India. A popular tourist destination, Shimla is often referred to as the "Queen of Hills," a term coined by the British. Located in the north-west Himalayas at an average altitude of 2,205 metres (7,234 ft), the city of Shimla, draped in forests of pine, rhododendron, and oak, experiences pleasant summers and cold, snowy winters. The city is famous for its buildings styled in tudorbethan and neo-gothic architecture dating from the colonial era. Shimla is connected to the city of Kalka by one of the longest narrow gauge railway routes still operating in India, the Kalka-Shimla Railway. Shimla is approximately 115 km (71.4 miles) from Chandigarh, the nearest major city, and 365 km (226.8 miles) from New Delhi, the national capital. The city is named after the goddess Shyamala Devi, an incarnation of the Hindu Goddess Kali.

The Kalka-Shimla Railway is a 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge railway in North-West IndiaKalka to Shimla. It is known for breathtaking views of the hills and surrounding villages. travelling along a mostly mountainous route.

 

Located on the banks of the River Yamuna, Delhi has been known to be continuously inhabited since at least the 6th century BCE, though human habitation is believed to have existed since the second millennium BCE. Delhi is also widely believed to have been the site of Indraprastha, the legendary capital of the Pandavas during the times of the Mahabharata. Delhi re-emerged as a major political, cultural and commercial city along the trade routes between northwest India and the Gangetic plain after the rise of the Delhi sultanates. It is the site of many ancient and medieval monuments, archaeological sites and remains. In 1639, Mughal emperor Shahjahan built a new walled city in Delhi which served as the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1649 to 1857.

After the British East India Company had gained control of much of India during the 18th and 19th centuries, Calcutta became the capital both under Company rule and under the British Raj, until George V announced in 1911 that it was to move back to Delhi. A new capital city, New Delhi, was built to the south of the old city during the 1920s. When India gained independence from British rule in 1947, New Delhi was declared its capital and seat of government. As such, New Delhi houses important offices of the federal government, including the Parliament of India, as well as numerous national museums, monuments, and art galleries.

Owing to the migration of people from across the country, Delhi has grown to be a multicultural, cosmopolitan metropolis. Its rapid development and urbanisation, coupled with the relatively high average income of its population, has transformed Delhi into a major cultural, political, and commercial centre of India.