Random Expressions

Tuesday 6^th February (Contd.)

Mathura is approx. 10 km away from Vrindavan, towards Agra. We reached around one in the noon. The temples would be closed but since we couldn’t go on to Agra and then return, we chose to kill time at Mathura.

Over the years Mathura has extended and grown haphazardly around the NH2. Modernity has brushed it with colorful malls and markets right on the highway.

The main town is seven kms inside from the highway, and there are several entrances to it. I entered from one inroad only to be rudely stopped by another municipality tax ‘booth’ . Since I have often visited Mathura on official tours I knew this wasn’t any official tax. Adamant in not warming the pockets of any hooligans I reversed the car, and careened into the town from another inroad that I knew of.

There are two main attractions here Shree Krishna Janamsthan (SKJS) or Janmbhoomi and Shri Dwarkadheesh Temple. Near the parking of SKJS, guides besieged us and we chose another young boy a class tenth student, yet again.

Gokul

Since we had time, the guide offered to take us to Gokul nearly thirteen kms away from SKJS, past Mathura Cantt and across River Yamuna.

The city left behind us and we were in rural surroundings. For someone who has been shaken enough by several countryside trips, this held no novelty. My parents and my sister enjoyed the laidback serenity.

Mahavan/ Raman Reti

The boy guided us through Mahavan, a small village before Gokul and we paused at Raman Reti Ashram. The Ashram permeated tranquillity. Once upon a time the Yamuna extended till here but today only her traces remain - the riverbed sand. Myth says that child Krishna played on the river banks, and hence people still roll in the sand as a tribute to the Baal Leela of the Lord. We offered our prayers.

Outside the Ashram, a hot cup of tea served in cute kulhads refreshed us.

The guide left us since he had some work to finish, offering a substitute and promising to meet again at Gokul.

The Ghat

Gokul is a quaint village and has carefully preserved its old persona. The village is purely a Hindu domain and strictly off-bounds for people of other faiths.

We parked our car and weaved our way through a maze of miniature lanes. Mud houses nudged brick ones, albeit single story and invoking a unique coolness, and displayed graffitis of just Radhey Radhey or Jai Shri Krishna ; a step over tiny stairs here, a bend through a low arch there; a sadhu praying at one corner and a cow lazing at another; sweet shop on side, and flowers on the other - the entire ambience imbued piety. Urban mess was in a far vague distance.

We paid our respects to the holy River Yamuna at the Ghat and sat awhile as the river lazily flowed past us.

Nand Lal Shrine, Yog Maya Mandir and Other Temples

Bordering the river front are a string of temples, including one dedicated to Yog Maya, the girl who was replaced in the prison cell when Nandji brought Krishna from there.

At one such temple, the curtains were drawn over the idols. The priest began his narration an exact replica of what we had heard in Vrindavan, including the fact that Balram s idol was discovered from the river bed. How many such idols were found? This time, the threshold price was an exhorbitant Rs 2100/- .

The Nandlal Shrine held a series of rooms dedicated to the life and times of Krishna, but in all of them, the demand for donations continued.

We left Gokul after visiting the main Dauji temple.

Mathura

Shree Krishna Janambhoomi

The temple had opened by the time we reached back. Since the parking was a little further off, we chose to place the car at a private property, the owner of which rushed out to demand a whopping Rs 25 as charges. We negotiated, but in vain. In between, our guide (who had returned at Gokul) upped his price and left in a huff when we refused to pay the extra amount.

Shree Krishna Janambhoomi or Janamsthan is under governmental purview and is a hot seat of controversy as the Idgah Masjid is right on its premises, adjacent to the temple. The security checks are stringent no mobile phones, no electronic items and even no remote control car opening devices. All have to be deposited at a nearby locker room .

The compound is sprawling, open and very clean, with stalls and shops for pedas and flowers , tourist stuff and other sundry prayer items. The tour inside is divine and awe-inspiring. There is the jail where the Lord took birth, the entrance to which is an extremely slim corridor lined with metal walls and rivets. The dungeon room is a similar metalled place.

Next to the jail stands a more modern temple and we spent some time here.

Vishraam Ghaat

We hired a rickshaw to reach Dwarkadheesh Temple. The circuitous route within the old town was through another maze of small lanes. (If you have seen Vivaah, it is easy to imagine their look; director Sooraj Barjatya’s fictitious Madhopur is based on Mathura, and he has recreated the appearance in fine detail).

The temple had closed down yet again. The temple’s opening and closing time-table is intricate, and changes with seasons.

We expended time by checking out the colorful tiny shops that line the entire street. At the end of the lane, it turned downward towards Vishram Ghaat. The Ghat is not exactly clean but the ambience there with the Yamuna river reflecting the molten orb of the setting sun imparted an incredibly peaceful feeling.

Shree Dwarkadheesh Temple

We managed to carve a space right at the front to catch a splendid view of the shining black idol.

The temple is old-fashioned, resembling an ancient haweli. Devotees throng here in immense droves, and admittedly an electrifying energy reverberates through its air and space.

By the time we stepped out it was pretty dark.

Agra

Since we were famished we stopped at the McDonalds on the highway (opposite Mathura Refinery) before making the final lap of our journey.

It’s the first time my parents visited my house here. I had cleaned it up thoroughly before going on the holiday for their welcome especially removing the damning beer bottles.

They loved the house and the area, and I was mighty proud.

Wednesday 7^th February

Taj Mahal

It rained the entire night. The morning opened fresh and moist and shrouded in a thin misty veil. All my grandiose claims about the Taj being visible from my balcony were smothered by the thin white curtain. Eventually, the sun tore open visibility and the grandest building on Agra’s skyline came into view.

I took an hour or so off since I had some work at office.

It was around eleven when we entered the premises of Taj Mahal, after some more rigorous security checks. Mercifully, mobiles are now allowed inside.

Despite all cynicism and skepticism it s just a tomb, it doesn t hold anything valuable from our culture, hell it mightn t even hold the popular romantic notions there is something about the Taj that forces your jaw to drop in admiration, awe and amazement. The magnificent white marble design enthralls with its sheer grace and grandeur.

We did the touristy thing of getting photographs clicked including one by my sister where it gives the illusion that she is holding the Taj with her fingers!

Sadar Bazar

It was lunch time when we left Taj Mahal. My sister insisted that she wished to have a proper lunch no kachauris, samosas or burgers and pizzas. Frankly, I held the same view as well.

I zeroed in to The Park Restaurant at Sadar Bazaar the food is good, the service pretty fast and the ambience crisp and neat. Thankfully, they all loved it too.

We roamed awhile at Sadar Bazar, Agra’s best shopping centre.

Fatehpur Sikri

From Sadar we proceeded to Fatehpur-Sikri. The route leads through Shahganj, a crowded marketplace. It took some time to cross it. Everyone was fidgety. This is normal here, I laughed at their discomfort, having got stuck in innumerable unnecessary traffic snarls in the past six months.

I will skip the details of Fatehpur Sikri since I have covered it here already. We had hired a guide, but because the stories were fresh in my mind I was prompting the guide even before he could begin his narration so much so that my sister remarked that I could be a better guide there!

On the last visit I hadn t spent too much time at Sikri. On this day, we leisurely discovered it. Since Sikri is under ASI (Fatehpur is not, it belongs to Saint Salimuddin Chisti’s descendants) it is much cleaner and better kept and restored.

I knew a short cut existed from Kirawali (ten kilometers from Fatehpur Sikri) that connected NH2, and hence we could avoid Agra. But I hadn t bargained for the dreadful road. The car jumped and jerked over the potholes and broken road. This is so normal, I laughed again, informing that they should once visit the Hathras road.

In less than twenty four hours, I was back on NH2. We arrived at Delhi by nine, and stopped for dinner at Haldiram’s on Mathura Road, near Badarpur border.

Thursday 8^th February

Two back-to-back official meetings ate up the entire day one, a performance review for the past month and the second, on HR counseling (which was nothing but a bland presentation on HR values and appraisals and norms) followed by an awfully tasteless dinner.

Friday 9^th February

I departed from Delhi early morning and yet again I was on NH2 and that ended a wonderful holiday trip, one that I will cherish and the recount here will help me keep the memories fresh.

Concluded

Technorati : Agra, Fatehpur, Gokul, Krishna, Mathura, Sikri

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This entry was posted on Sunday, February 11th, 2007 at 10:09 pm and is filed under Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.