Saturday, February 20, 2010

Ajanta, Ellora and Kailasa Temple


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Ajanta and Ellora are the pride of Maharashtra. The rock-cut caves of both these sites are world famous and illustrate the degree of skill and artistry that Indian craftsmen had achieved several hundred years ago. Ajanta dates from 100 B.C. while Ellora is younger by some 600 years. The village of Ajanta is in the Sahyadri hills, about 99 kms. From Aurangabad; a few miles away in a mammoth horseshoe-formed rock, are 30 caves overlooking a gorge, `each forming a room in the hill and some with inner rooms. Al these have been carved out of solid rock with little more than a hammer and chisel and the faith and inspiration of Buddhism. Here, for the Buddhist monks, the artisans excavated Chaityas (chapels) for prayer and Viharas (monasteries) where they lived and taught. Many of the caves have the most exquisite detailed carvings on the walls, pillars and entrances as well as magnificent wall paintings.


These caves were discovered early in the 19th century quite by chance by a party of British Officers on manoeuvres. Today the paintings and sculptures on Buddha’s life, belonging to the more mellow and ritualistic Mahayana Buddhism period, are world famous. Copies of them were shown in the Crystal Palace exhibition in London in 1866. These were destroyed in a fire there. Further copies were published soon afterwards and four volumes of reproductions were brought out in 1933 by Ghulam Yazdani, the Director of Archaeology of the then Hyderabad State. Ajanta has formed an epicentre of interest for those who appreciate and are eager to know more about Indian history and art.

It is a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India and has been listed in the World Heritage list of monuments.The 30 caves of Ajanta were created over a span of some 600 years.

In their range of time and treatments they provide a panorama of life in ancient India and are a source of all kinds of information... hair styles, ornaments, textiles, musical instruments, details of architecture, customs etc. It was from this collection of classical Indian art that a particular style was formed that traveled with Buddhism to many parts of the world. Similar paintings can be seen in Sigiriya in Sri Lanka, Bamiyan in Afghanistan, temples and shrines in Tibet, Nepal, China and Japan.

Royal patronage made Ajanta possible. Professional artists carried out much of the work and each contributed his own individual skill and devotion to this monumental work.

Visitors often ask how the artist who painted the detailed frescoes and chiseled out the intricate carvings, managed to work in the dark interiors of the caves. It has been noticed that the caves are illuminated by natural light for part of the day and it is presumed that metal mirrors or sheets of white cloth were used to reflect sunlight into the inner recesses.

Here, briefly, are some of the highlights of the caves. In the Cave 26, the sculpture is elaborate and beautiful though the painted frescoes are incomplete. The arched chapel window set in an elegantly simple façade, is repeated in an elaborate frontage in Cave 19 with its complete Chaitya and a slender votive stupa enclosing a standing Buddha at the far end. Of particular note is a sculpture of a seated Nagaraja with his consort and female attendant.

Cave 16 is an elegant Vihara with an inscription that mentions the king and his minister who had the cave built. Here a towering Buddha sits preaching. He is flanked by attendants with fly whisks.

There are undamaged portions of the wall paintings that are clear and vibrant in Caves 1, 2, 16 and 17. Cave I has the well known Bodhisattva Padmapani which is a wonderful portrayal of tender compassion. A gentle figure holding a lotus delicately in one hand.

In the same cave is the golden figure of Avalokiteswara, elaborately adorned. The women, nymphs, princess and attendants are elegant and beautifully attired. Here also is a lively panel of dancing girls and musicians. In Cave 2 there is a detailed panel of Queen Maya’s dream, of the white elephant which was interpreted by royal astrologers to mean the birth of an illustrious son. The row upon row of Buddhas, can be seen in this cave. In Cave 17, there is a flying apsara in a fashionable embroidered turban and splendid jewellery.

It is worth walking away from the caves in order to look back on to the horseshoe gorge. The ingenuous water cistern system can be seen which must have provided water for the monks and their visitors. Ajanta was on the ancient trade route leading to the coast so there must have been considerable activity and many visitors. Nobody really knows what life was like in those times and visitors can interpret the past as they wish, which is perhaps yet another secret charm of Ajanta.

There are plenty of tours operated from Aurangabad to the Ajanta Ellora Caves. These tours cover all the other attractions enroute the caves from Aurangabad.

Nearest airport is Aurangabad 108 kms.

Jalgaon, 58 kms. on Central Railway is a convenient railhead.

Mumba-Ajanta, 491 kms. via Jalgaon. Mumbai-Ajanta, 487kms. via Manmad. State Transport and luxury buses run from Aurangabad and Jalgaon toAjanta.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Kalka-Shimla Railway


Kalka-Shimla Railway

Route: Kalka - Barog - Dharampore - Taksai - Gamma - Solan - Shimla


Kalka-Shimla RailwayThe idea of a railway line to Shimla dates back to the introduction of railways in India. In the Delhi gazette, a correspondent in November 1847 sketched the route of a railway to Shimla with estimates of the traffic returns etc. in appropriate style. He wrote: “We might then see these cooler regions become the permanent seat of a government daily invigorated by a temperature adapted to refresh an European constitution and keep the mental powers in a state of health alike beneficial both to the rulers and the ruled.”

Survey for a railway line to Shimla featured in the administrative reports of the Indian railways year after year. It is interesting to note that the Shimla line was the most surveyed line. The earliest survey was made in 1884 followed by another survey in 1885. Based on these two surveys, a project report was submitted in 1887 to the government of India for an adhesion line, 68 miles in length and with a ruling gradient of 1 in 33. After the commencement of Delhi-Ambala-Kalka line, fresh surveys were made. Lengthy debates followed and finally an adhesion line was chosen in preference to the rack system.
The Greatest Narrow Gauge Engineering Feat In India

On June 29, 1898, a contract was signed between the secretary of state and the Delhi-Ambala-Kalka railway company for construction and working of a two feet gauge line from Kalka to Shimla. As per the contract, the rail line was to be built without any pecuniary aid or guarantee from the government. The land was, however, provided free of charge.

The military authorities were skeptic about the narrower gauge of two feet chosen for Kalka-Shimla Railway. They recommended a standard two feet by six inches gauge for mountain and light strategic railways. The government of India yielded to the military requirements and on November 15, 1901, the contract with DUK was revised and two feet by six inches gauge was adopted for Kalka-Shimla Railway. This meant change of gauge for a portion of the line built in the year 1901.

In the beginning, the line was laid with 41-1/4 lb flat footed steel rails 21 feet long on steel bearing Paltes and Deodar timber sleepers, nine to a rail. The tack was stone ballasted throughout and fenced only along the Kalka camping ground and through the outskirts of the town of Kalka.

The line measuring 59.44 miles from Kalka to Shimla was opened for traffic on November 9, 1903. Because of peculiar working conditions-high capital cost coupled with high maintenance cost-Kalka Shimla railway was allowed to charge higher rates and fare compared to the then prevailing rates for other lines in the plains. By 1904, a total of Rs. 1,65,25,000 was spent by DUK and it was a serious financial crisis. On representation of the company, the secretary of state decided to purchase the line, the purchase was affected from January 1, 1906.
Combination Of Scientific & Scenic Fiction

The scenery along the whole route is of most magnificent character. Flanked by towering hills, the line, like twin threads of silver, clings perilously to the sides of steep cliffs or ventures boldly over graceful bridges where hundreds of feet below, the little mountain streams gush and sparkle in the sunlight.

On leaving Kalka, 2,100 feet high above mean sea level, the rail line enters the foothills, commencing its picturesque climb immediately on its departure from Kalka station. The first great difficulty met with was the huge landslide on the seventh mile of the cart road, which extends from the hill summit down to Khushallia River 1,500 feet below. It was impossible to find a good alignment passing either below or above the slip, and construction along the face of the landslide was out of question. The only alternative was to burrow under the hill.

A tunnel, nearly half mile long, was constructed in the solid wall behind the disturbed surface strata and is known as “Koti Tunnel”. The main station Dharampur, is at a height of 4,900 feet and is 20 miles from Kalka. The gradient here is very steep and to achieve flatter gradients required by the railway, the line develops into three picturesque loops at Taksal, Gumman and Dharampur respectively. After leaving Dharampur, the railway gains on the road by taking short cuts and tunnels so that up to Taradevi, the distance by rail from Kalka is one-fourth mile less than the distance by road in spite of railway ‘handicaps’. From Taradevi, the rail line goes round prospect hill to Jatogh, winding in a series of graceful curves round the summer hill and burrows under Inverarm hill to emerge below the road on the south side of Inverarm at its 59th mile and so on to the terminus near the old Dovedell chambers. At Dagshai, mile 24, the railway line is 5200 feet about sea level whence it falls to 4900 feet at Solan and to 4,667 feet at Kandaghat where the final ascent towards Shimla begins. Between Dagshai and Solan. The railway pierces the Barogh hill through a tunnel 3,752 feet long and situated 900 feet below the road.

Throughout its length of 60 miles, the line runs in a continuous succession of reverse curves up to 120 feet radius along the valleys and spurs, flanking mountains rising to 6,800 feet above sea level at Shimla railway with its extraordinary feat of engineering skill, more than any other cause, contributed to the speedy development of Shimla.
Some Unique Features

An interesting feature of the Kalka-Shimla Railway is the almost complete absence of Girder bridges. Multi arched galleries like ancient roman aqueducts being the commonest means of carrying the line over the ravines between the hill spurs. There is only on 60 feet plate girder span in a Pinewood near the old engineer bungalow at Dharampur and a steel trestle via duct, which replaced a stone gallery in 1935 in the 869 bridges representing about 3 percent of the line. The entire section has been built with steep gradient through the Shivalik ranges.

Another special feature of the Kalka-Shimla Railway is that as many as 27 cutovers serve as different gradient crossings. There are 20 intermediate stations, and all have crossing facilities. The line also has about 107 tunnels, which, besides representing the engineering feat, also generate a lot of interest in the travellers. During summer months, passenger traffic is heavy whereas in winter months, potato traffic keeps the line busy.
Communicating At The Same Frequency

Another important aspect of this track is its age-old communication system, which is still in vogue. The telephones being used by the stations are block phones and the control phone system; the former establish links between two stations while the latter keeps in touch with other important stations. The lanterns, which were used to stop and give green signals to the trains during the British regime, are to date in operation.
Special Trains For Tourists

In addition to three passenger and one rail motorcar service mentioned in the timetable, two special trains each way run between Summerhigh and Shimla. These special trains cater to military requirements. Deserving special mention are the recently introduced luxurious Shivalik Express and the super-luxurious Shivalik Palace saloon for tourists.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

The Darjeeling Railway

 
 


The Darjeeling Railway


Route: New Jalpaiguri - Tindharia - Sukna - Rangtong - Chunbati - Ghum - Darjeeling


Making Of Hill Railway Project


The Darjeeling Himalayan RailwayIt was a crisp winter night in the year 1878. A glorious fire crackled on one side of the hall. The polished parquet floor of the planters club at Tindharia resonated with choreographed footsteps. The Sahibs (Gentlemen) and Memsahibs (Ladies) were attired in their best tails, frills and feather hats. The gaiety of the dancers was infectious. It was party-time. But Franklin Prestage was not exactly having a ball. He seemed preoccupied although he let his wife lead him through the motions on the dance floor. His feverish mind was trying to figure out how to conquer that impossible gradient where his pet Darjeeling Tramway Project had got stuck. His wife gently led the distracted Prestage to the edge of the dance floor and when they were right at the brink, she swerved deftly and led him back centre – stage. “If you can’t go forward, why don’t you go back darling,” she is believed to have whispered in his ears.


But Franklin Prestage was not exactly having a ball. He seemed preoccupied although he let his wife lead him through the motions on the dance floor. His feverish mind was trying to figure out how to conquer that impossible gradient where his pet Darjeeling Tramway Project had got stuck. His wife gently led the distracted Prestage to the edge of the dance floor and when they were right at the brink, she swerved deftly and led him back centre – stage. “If you can’t go forward, why don’t you go back darling,” she is believed to have whispered in his ears.


And that is precisely what Prestage did when he built the delightfully innovative Darjeeling Himalayan railway (DHR). Franklin Prestage was an official of the Darjeeling Tramway Company. His dream was to build a narrow gauge rail track along the hill cart road alignment. But he could not proceed beyond the 14th mile due to the Steepness of the gradient. Until his wife inspired him with an ingenious solution, perhaps inadvertently. Every time, the gradient got too steep, Franklin brought the tracks back a few yards and let it climb again at a slightly different point, sketching a z-shaped zigzag-not once, but six times in the 51-mile stretch from Siliguri to Darjeeling. The inspiration he drew from his wife’s wisdom is now part of the Darjeeling folklore.

Making Of Hill Railway Project

It was a crisp winter night in the year 1878. A glorious fire crackled on one side of the hall. The polished parquet floor of the planters club at Tindharia resonated with choreographed footsteps. The Sahibs (Gentlemen) and Memsahibs (Ladies) were attired in their best tails, frills and feather hats. The gaiety of the dancers was infectious. It was party-time.


But Franklin Prestage was not exactly having a ball. He seemed preoccupied although he let his wife lead him through the motions on the dance floor. His feverish mind was trying to figure out how to conquer that impossible gradient where his pet Darjeeling Tramway Project had got stuck. His wife gently led the distracted Prestage to the edge of the dance floor and when they were right at the brink, she swerved deftly and led him back centre – stage. “If you can’t go forward, why don’t you go back darling,” she is believed to have whispered in his ears.


And that is precisely what Prestage did when he built the delightfully innovative Darjeeling Himalayan railway (DHR). Franklin Prestage was an official of the Darjeeling Tramway Company. His dream was to build a narrow gauge rail track along the hill cart road alignment. But he could not proceed beyond the 14th mile due to the Steepness of the gradient. Until his wife inspired him with an ingenious solution, perhaps inadvertently. Every time, the gradient got too steep, Franklin brought the tracks back a few yards and let it climb again at a slightly different point, sketching a z-shaped zigzag-not once, but six times in the 51-mile stretch from Siliguri to Darjeeling. The inspiration he drew from his wife’s wisdom is now part of the Darjeeling folklore.

A Wonder Of The Rail Tracks

The Darjeeling Himalayan railway is a marvel of sorts in what one would call non-engineering. It uses neither rack mechanism nor cable as other mountain railways do, but moves only on adhesion. It was the genius and vision of Franklin Prestage, which conceived of such a mechanism and executed it to perfection. During its 87.48-kms journey from Siliguri to Darjeeling, the toy train as it is aptly and affectionately referred to, loops gracefully around those recalcitrant humps, much like a spiral and chugs its way up to Ghum, its highest point at 7,407 feet. It seems to be gentle persuasion all the way. The only other mountain railway in the world that reaches a higher altitude is in the Andes where Cusco station is located at 14,000 feet, but the mechanism used there is different.

Connecting People

Innovative engineering is only one facet of the inimitable DHR. Perhaps, no other railway system in the world is as ineluctably interwoven with the lives of the peoples it serves. DHR has been part of the Darjeeling landscape for over a hundred years and is central to the hill economy of the region. The railway was instrumental in attracting people from neighbouring Sikkim, Nepal, West Bengal and even as far away as Tibet, making Kurseong, a wayside town, a true entrepot of eclectic cultures.

Earlier & Present Routes

Before the DHR was built, travellers used ponies, which used to take several days through the meandering hill cart road. Now quaint little stations with even quainter names dot the route- Tindharia, Sukna, Rangtong, Chunbati and Ghum. The journey is as leisurely, but not at all strenuous unlike a pony ride. Each stretch offers a unique panorama.


The Sukna Tindharia stretch of the foothills traverses through the Singalela range where the train takes its first loop. The Terai forest unfolds near Rangtong. Here a visitor can experience his first reversing zigzag. Then it takes its next loop at Chunbati gaining height and voila! One can have a magnificent view of the Mahanandi valley on the right. At Tindharia, the train halts long enough get your legs streached, stroll and tuck into a snack with a steaming cup of tea before resuming the journey towards agony point- the aptly named loop just after Tindharia, which churns the contents of your stomach.


Soon the train heads for another reverse, the last one at 3,400 feet just after Gayabari station where monkeys seem to be absorbed in their conference. All it takes is a cone of peanuts to distract their concentration and abruptly terminate the solemn congregation. As the train winds its way, a massive scar on the hillside comes into view. Tourists will learn that it is Pagla Jhora or mad torrent, which in its fury washes away road and track, houses and shops every few years cutting off Darjeeling for days during the monsoons. The Mahanandi station gives one a glimpse of the source of the river. After Eagles Crag, tourists are treated to a spectacular vista of the West Bengal plains – if one is lucky that is.

The Tea Garden Landscapes

After Kurseong, it’s tea garden all the way. Margaret’s Hope, stretches for miles in front of the onlooker and one can marvel at the deftness with which the hill women pick the tealeaves and drop it into the massive baskets on their backs. Their movements seem choreographed to perfection. But they have time to pause and flash a smile at the visitors passing by.

Ghum – The Land Of Misty Sceneries

After pausing at Tung station for water, the train climbs to Sonada station built in the 1880s. From here, one heads for the clouds – Ghum, enveloped eternally in a mist. As one nears Ghum, its colourful monastery comes into view. After ghum, the train runs up along a small ridge to reach the most spectacular engineering feat on the line-the Batasia Loop – with a breath-taking view of the Kanchenjunga as a backdrop. At Batasia, there is a memorial to the Gorkhas. After its laborious climb, the train takes its last drink of water before teetering precariously on the hillside to reach its final destination, the Darjeeling station.

The Description

According to Mark Twain, a trip on the DHR “is the most enjoyable day I have spent on the earth”. Few will disagree with him. Darjeeling becomes the toy train and the toy train, Darjeeling. In fact, the verdant slopes appear more as a backdrop to the ubiquitous toy train. Without it, the Darjeeling landscape would appear bereft. The steamy hiss of the engine, the strident whistle and the clatter of the carriages as the toy train winds its way up the hill blend seamlessly with the cacophony of hill traffic especially because the railway and the hill road chase each other all the way from Siliguri to Darjeeling. At times the narrow gauge railway track and the road seem to move in tandem, a picture of perfect harmony. Many times – in fact 150 times in the entire stretch – they cross each other. Every now and then they play hide and seek like two feuding lovers. But they are never too faraway from each other at any point.

Rail Meeting Reel

Those people who are on the wrong side of 40, might perhaps remember the film Aradhana in which, Rajesh Khanna travelling in a jeep, woos Sharmila Tagore travelling in the Toy Tain to the accompaniment of a haunting melody. Avant Garde as ever, Hindi filmdom recognised the romantic potential of the Darjeeling railway long before even the railways themselves woke up to it.

A World Heritage Site

The wake up call came and recently UNESCO declared DHR as a World Heritage Site. The world heritage site status puts DHR in the same exalted league as the hermitage in St. Petersburg, our very own Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi, Hampi in South India and other such man-made marvels. A heritage site is one that is worthy of preservation and a legacy that is worth bequeathing to posterity. After simmering in the Austrian Alps, DHR is the second railway system in the world to be accorded the World Heritage status.

Bringing Darjeeling On Tourist Map

Earlier, the very same DHR had put Darjeeling on the world tea map. If the exquisitely flavoured premium Darjeling tea is sipped in the fashionable salons of Paris today, then it is DHR that has played a small role in making this happen. In its earlier avatars of open carriages, it had ferried tea from the misty slopes to the railheads on the plains to be transshipped to faraway destinations. There is an enchanting sepia tinted photograph of the DHR ferrying wooden tea chests down the hill in the Chum museum, which has just opened. It houses other exquisite DHR memorabilia such as the signaling lanterns in use since the 19th century, whistles, plaques and badges and some priceless old photographs.

Journey On The DHR

A ride on the DHR is not for the hurried and hassled traveller who is impatient to reach his destination. It’s for those who believe the journey is the destination. Much like a toy train strung together from match-boxes, the DHR balances on two-feet tracks moving at a maximum speed of 15-km an hour. It takes all of nine hours to reach Darjeeling from Siliguri and at quite a reasonable sum.


Imaginatively named coaches such as Shivalik, Kanchenjunga, etc with wide windows offer picture postcard views of Rhododendron slopes. Kanchenjunga in all her snowy glory, beckons you tantalisingly from every turn the train takes. In fact, there are so many turns and twists in the track that it seems as though the train is turning its head to check up on its rear from time to time. The train passes through bazaars so close that tourists can virtually lean out and help themselves to the merchandise in the shops.


It hugs the hillsides, giving one a glimpse into the day-to-day lives of the hill people. It seems to be a constant wonder for the locals who stop in their tracks to watch it go by just as their parents and grandparents must have done it in their time. Even as traffic on the narrow hill roads get snarled from time to time, the DHR gets right of way as it passes regally through the townships.


The officials hope that the World Heritage status will attract fun seekers and adventure lovers to Darjeeling. DHR might soon replace tea as the mascot of this lovely hill station. In fact, a trip to Darjeeling would be worth the effort just for the train ride. The DHR is a celebration, no less.