The Fountain Pen: India

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Goa (Part II: The Undiscovered)

Undoubtedly one of my favourite pictures

Of course riding through narrow streets and pleasing my gustatory senses were not the only things I did in Goa. I also did some traditional tourist activity of sightseeing but at non traditional tourist places. During my trip I visited several famous and infamous churches, temples and saw lots of wonderful buildings. Within the small state of Goa you’ll see an array of structures with varied influences and the best part is that they preserve these influences. Not that I’m an expert on architecture, but Portuguese influences are very evident through the bright colours, windows with characteristic grills and arched doors. Even some of the new buildings I saw, displayed strong Portuguese influences. While on our way I couldn't help but notice the magnificent new South Goa Collectorate building . Painted in loud yellow the building stood like a big chunk of well guarded gold and the lights just embellished the sight. The beautiful painted glasses and the perfectly mowed lawn just added to its beauty and made the building nothing short of a monument.

Chunk of Gold!
The new South Goa Collectorate building.

Buildings are red, skies are blue
cities like you are very very few!

Classic Portuguese color combination with arches and painted windows.
Could it get any more Portuguese!

Loved the symmetry and the color.

To talk about the old churches in Goa, well there are many. The popular ones like the ‘Basilica of Bom Jesus’ and ‘Church of St.Francis of Assisi’ located in Old Goa are always on tourists’ checklists and of course they are worth the visit, but there are several more amazing churches which tourists don’t really know of. In fact the non popular churches are more of an experience than just sightseeing. I call them experience because they are not just a treat to the eye but also for the soul. Some of these churches like ‘Monte Carlo Church, Old Goa’ and the supposedly haunted ‘3 Kings Church, Velsao’ are usually closed round the year and are so deserted that the peace and serenity of the place haunts you even during the day. There was this incident at the Monte Carlo church when I felt the urge to peep through a hole in the closed door of the church. As I approached to do so I felt someone was peeping back from inside! A shiver ran down my spine and I ran off. Of course there wasn't any one. It was just my imagination and the memories of Hollywood horror flicks at play. Most of the big churches were built during the Portuguese era which is vividly evident through the architecture.

"Feel like taking a peep?"
Monte Carlo Church, Old goa

'The Scream'
Locals say this '3 Kings Church, Velsao' is really haunted and inflicts bad luck upon visitors.

Random church and definitely has a haunted tale associated with it.

'Basilica of Bom Jesus'
The extremely beautiful and one of my favorite churches

'Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church', Panaji
or simple the church from Josh Movie.

The inner cities of Goa are very rarely visited because they do not have beaches. But what they do have are beautiful green fields, coconut and areca nut trees and beautiful temples. Huge temples are a major part of Goa and the premise is spread over a small to large area. The ones with large area are called ‘sausthan’ like Mangueshi, Mahalaxmi, Shantadurga or Kavale, Ramnathi etc. Most temples throughout Goa show Nagari, Islamic and Portuguese influences in architecture and are usually built of red sedimentary stones. Beautiful design, big halls and deepmala (tower of lights) are some other characteristics of these temples. Most houses and buildings here are still made out of red sedimentary stone.

This one's a newly made temple in Ponda

Mahalaxmi Mandir, Sri Mahalaxmi Sausthan, Bandora, Goa

Shantadurga Temple, Kavale Sausthan, Ponda, Goa
My first handheld panorama and i just loved it.

Another beautiful place I just have to mention is the Safa Masjid, Ponda. Built in 1560 by Bijapuri ruler Ibrahim Adil Shah, this masjid has stood the test of time and the Portuguese. It is amongst the very few masjid that the Portuguese were not able to destroy. One the day I reached Goa, I spotted this masjid from a distance on my way from the bus stand to my aunt’s house. That’s when I decided that I just had to visit this place before I left Goa. I couldn't find time during the first 5 days of my stay but on the last day I just took out the bike and went looking for the place. I had a fair idea of its location. Yet it took me a while to find it because trust me, the streets in Goa can be very confusing.

Safa Masjid, Ponda.
One of my favourite shots of this trip. Loved the simplicity and symmetry of the picture.

I guess this post has turned out to be more like a boring afternoon theoretical lecture but I wrote what I saw. Next time any of you are in Goa do reserve a day for visiting such places and do your homework on Goa rather than just relying on your guide.

Camera: Sony Cybershot DSC H50 prosumer camera.

Goa (Part I: The Unseen)

“The landmark created by nature!” A very apt tagline chosen by Goa Tourism Corporation. When in Goa you feel like being in Nature’s arms with rivers surrounded by beautiful red soiled mountains covered by the sheath of green trees and soft golden sand complimenting the breathe taking coastlines. It is a pleasure for the eye and the soul. Hence I take pride in saying that I have my roots in this beautiful state. During my recent visit to Goa, thanks to my cousin and tour guide Siddhesh, I was lucky to experience some of Goa’s wonders which tourists are sure to miss. Contrary to popular choice, I preferred going beyond beaches, booze and sea food and yet had a blast. From rarely-visited-almost-haunting Churches to local ‘Cafreal’ Chicken specialty joints, I had the time of my life clicking these places and tasting local cuisine.

'You might be new, you might be old
But when i'll paint you, you'll glitter like gold!'

A beautiful Sunset can be witnessed from more places than just the beach!

I'd call Ponda a city of mountains! The red dot on left hand side is the rising moon.

In a span of 6 days I and my cousin traveled more than 400 km within Goa. On the very first day we went on a little road trip on a narrow road running through a mountain amidst the morning fog. Breaking the morning silence was the struggling sound of the active engine which was trying to carry a 150kg load against a pretty steep gradient. After an initial climb it gave up and then one of us had to get down so that the other could take the bike to the top. Apart from this entire hustle bustle there wasn't a single sound, just green trees and thick fog which made me think whether this is what heaven felt like. Also probably the fog played a key role for me to come to that conclusion. On another occasion we were to go to Madgoan and took a shortcut. The road was lonely and it was almost sunset. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a bit scared at that time. But the thrill to be riding on such a road suppressed my fear and the cool breeze calmed my nerves. Anyways point to be noted here is that Goa provides you with many such great roads. So are you ready to give up a day on the beach, hire a bike and explore? Petrol in Goa is cheaper too!

Imagine a bike ride through this!

Up above the world so high
Hiding behind the curtain, tell me why?

Some additional info about Goa’s streets – they are very narrow and at times have an open drainage running alongside. Avoid running your bikes into those. In the interiors of the state, cattle are in abundance and cows and buffalos often find home in middle of the street. They enjoy dropping cakes as a souvenir for passersby. A good point about driving in Goa is the absence of traffic signals. Absolutely none! (Except there was one installed in Panaji but isn’t functional most of the times).

I just loved this picture. It shows nice flow, dynamics
and supports my statement of cattle intruding human space!

Frames, barriers and distances! Aren't all man made?

Another useful and fun mode of transport is the Ferry boat.
Best part is that it is free for people and 2 wheelers.

I being a Goan non vegetarian, sea food isn’t a new thing for me; in fact it a part of my staple diet. But apart from this Goa offers an array of foods to tickle your taste buds. The first egg that it hatched for me was the authentic Italian Pizza at a local restaurant ‘Da Tita’ near Verna founded by an Italian who recently passed away. They offered handmade thin crust Italian pizzas made in a coal-wood oven which is a rare privilege these days unless you shell big bucks and the price was half of what we pay here in Pune. How I wish I lived near that restaurant! Another day I went to this remote place in Madgoan and had something called ‘Cafreal’ Chicken Pav, something I never would’ve known of if it weren’t for my cousin. It was kind of a chicken burger but with thick gravy instead of a patty. And on yet another occasion I had Cafreal chicken which originated from the Portuguese colonies in the African continent and introduced into the Goan cuisine by the Portuguese. I also had fried squids for the very first time thanks to my cousin and Anton, a friend of his. Apart of all these main dishes, Goans feast on a lot of bread. They have several types of bread – regular bread, pav, poli, uunde, kakan etc. And I just loved each of them. They differ in size, shape, taste and texture, and taste and smell best when they are just out of the oven! In this process, the foodie in me didn't not allow the photographer in me to click pictures.

Below are some other pictures clicked during this journey:

Hide and Clap!
Some places in Goa can be really scary.
(The image is highly pixelated because of cameras limitations.)

The women of the Christian community are usually seen adorning such a dress.
Again i liked this image for its dynamics! Just loved the effect.

Not much of a bird watcher but did spot a few!
Jungle Babbler (Left top), Cattle Egret (Right)
Black headed Night Heron (Left Bottom)

Beautiful isn't it? Trees, paddy fields, buffalos and birds living in perfect harmony!

Funny story! You can't be a part of the above said harmony.
Turns out buffalos get really agitated by unknown intruders.
Trust me, I could see death in those agitated eyes! I literally ran off with in a few seconds.

Camera: Sony Cybershot DSC H50 prosumer camera.

Diwali

A single 'fountain' pic looks meaningless to me.
Hence i merged the stages and mirrored it. Loved the result!

The festival of lights or popularly known as Diwali or Deepavali is one of the most widely celebrated festival in India. Contrary to the more publically celebrated Ganesh Utsav, Diwali is more of a private event celebrated by almost every family. Shopping of clothes, lanterns, diyas and sweets precedes the festival. Many families enjoy making their sweets at home. Leaving the religious significance apart, this festival does the very essential role of bringing the families and friends together to celebrate each other’s company. Hanging lightings outside the house along with the lantern, making a killa, making colourful rangolis, eating faraal (sweets), waking up really early in the morning for the abhyanga snan (holy bath), wearing new clothes are some of the things that I enjoy very much; just fills my heart with mirth and cheers up my spirits. The ‘enjoy faraal’ statement is totally visible by the round tummy that’s been popping out of my t-shirt these days.

The lights on earth shall stare at us as we take on the sky

There are a few events organized in Pune during diwali to which I had never been before. But this year thanks to some very enthusiastic friends of mine I got a chance of waking up at 03:45am and going to Sarasbaug where tons of Punekars gather to light diyas, blow crackers and listen to melodious Bhakti Geets (devotional songs). Feels serene and auspicious just by being there. A new attraction this year were the Chinese lanterns which people loved leaving in the air and watching them rise with the dark blue early morning sky in the background. I couldn't find a dslr camera to borrow this diwali because everyone of course needed their own cameras, hence couldn't capture an image that could perfectly depict the feeling of watching those lanterns fill up the sky just like hundreds of little yellow suns would. If you really want to feel like you celebrated diwali, you have to be at Sarasbaug for Padwa Pahat and preferably before sunrise to experience its complete grandiose.

Shine on you crazy diamond! Fly High!
All those yellow dots in the sky are the lanterns i mentioned above.

"Rise above them all son. Let everyone look up to you. Make papa proud"

On the very same day, I visited Chaturshringi temple in the evening for Deepotsav and again for the very first time. Once I arrived, I thought why hadn’t I been there ever before even though the temple is just 4km away from my home. The premise was beautifully embellished with many beautiful colourful rangolis, lights and positive celebrational energy. Thousands of diyas later enhanced the Diwali experience. This is the second thing you can’t miss in Pune during diwali.

Many such beautiful Rangolis made by 'Rastriya Kala Academy' beautified the premise.

As against the boisterous Ganesh Festival celebrations, diwali celebrations maintain their simplicity and yet prove to be equally ethnic or may be even more. You have to attend such events in Pune to feel the intensity of diwali. Finally before we part company I would like to thank literacy and public awareness. Because of these two friends of mine I observed a reduced amount of fire crackers this diwali (at least in my area). And now let me end the article before I start criticizing people who still burst crackers and contribute to global pollution, and come across as melancholic.

Some of these Rangolis were just awe inspiring.
Such a beautiful gradient blended with sweet uniformity.

The newly beautified Chaturshringi Temple.

Similar to the picture on the very top. I really started liking this picture more after my friend pointed out that it looked an eagle flying with all its might.

Camera: Sony W170 Cybershot

Ganeshotsav, Pune (Part II: The Minions)

Have you ever been to a Ganesh Visarjan in Pune or Mumbai or for a movie at the Movie Theatre? And why would I mention such drastically different situations here? In both of the situations there is always a centre of attention which attracts almost everybody’s attention and throughout the illusion we see nothing but that particular object, in this case the Ganpati Idol or the Movie! But have you ever tried to look around you? You’ll notice hundreds and thousands of faces just like you and doing almost exactly what you are doing, looking with grave attention at the cynosure. And epiphanically it occurs that you are a mere unimportant minion in this Universe! That is what made me title this article as ‘The Minions’. Be not demoralized! It’s a beautiful thing to be a minion too. It involves being in close company with various words like struggle, strive, hard work, success, excellence etc., but where is the fun without them! And may be in some micro universe of yours, you might be the Lord, the center piece of the table, the superstar of the movie!

'Sometimes the shadow is more depictive than the actual object'. I like following this idea. Whenever you are outdoors try to notice the things that we usually involuntarily neglect. You’ll start noticing a very new and different but collateral world coexisting. As I walked around through the crowd trying to get pictures, my attention was snatched by, of course as mentioned above, the Epicenter or the Ganesh Idols. After a while though, I thought I wasn't getting what I wanted. But first, what was it that I wanted? I did not know that either. So I paused. Looked around and suddenly a thousand different types of people and faces started appearing. Everyone distinct. Everyone important! (Because I considered each to be an independent micro universe). From infants to veterans, from rich to poor and from healthy to malnourished, an array of minions walked the face of earth right in front of me, some to get blessed by lord Ganesh, some for the experience. But there were these people who couldn't care less about the Lord. They were there to make a sale because probably their life or even that night’s dinner depended on it. One thing that made me happy was the reduced (almost nil) number of beggars present during this Festival. Each one of them tried to sell something or the other, be it the Ben10 soap bubble gun or the suddenly popular ghost masks which took the market by a swoop! The ghost masks were sure an indispensable part of this year’s Visarjan. They also proved to be interesting subjects for photography.

Hue is on Sale!

Surprising to find such haunting pictures at such crowded places.
Undoubtedly my favorite picture!

The visitors and the vendors crowd the street during Ganesh Utsav!

"A Street Fight!"
The girl threatens to hit the man with her stick for occupying her slot.

During the Ganesh Utsav days, as the people queued, which is probably the price one has to pay for seeking Lords blessing, my lens stumbled upon a group of young girls who gathered around the Mouse Idol to share their desires with the Lord through the ears of the mouse. (It is believed that the mouse is the Lord’s messenger who, when spoken in his ear, delivers our messages to the Lord). What disheartened me was why such young people choose to believe in such dogmas over working hard and achieving their desires? But it’s their personal belief, matter and life and hence I wouldn't say more.

During the Visarjan rally or ‘Miravnuk’, as variety and pep fill the streets, the Dhol Tasha players become a constant source of energy and inspiration and the audience, a source of sweat! The atmosphere, though sweaty and suffocating, is as electric as it could be. Even young teens play tirelessly for hours as the unwavering sound of the Dhol Tasha fills the air. There is not a place on the entire Laxmi Road where you can just stand for even a minute. Balconies, windows, terraces, fences and any type of platforms available are jam-packed with spectators from all walks of life.

Finally as sleep started to penetrate our (i was accompanied by two of my friends for the rally) staunch will to experience the complete rally, we decided to wind up right after the Dadgusheth Ganpati crossed the Alka Chowk, the usual epicenter of the Visarjan rally. On our way back, I saw the visarjan aarti of Dadgusheth Ganpati in progess and thought of getting a few clicks, when suddenly my sight landed on the tired eyes of two of the eight bullocks who were forced to stay up all night just for dragging the ‘Rath’ or the chariot of Dagdusheth Ganpati, which according to me, though traditional, is extremely cruel and irrational exploitation of the helpless beings! The feeling was saddening and even though I tried to click a picture, I just couldn't deliver!

To sum it up, the Ganesh Utsav is just Pune on a plate! You get to see almost every kind of human living in Pune, that is if you observe around you and not just stare in front of you! As against the Woodland advertisement which inspires you to ‘explore more’ by making the actor travel miles, I suggest you first explore more by observing and exploring the people, events and things around you. It just makes your monotonous life far more interesting and perhaps might provide you newer alternatives for enjoying your social life.