Of Sambal and Polonnaruwa

 

Polonnaruwa, the last leg of our cultural tour in Ceylon. During its heydays it must have been a beehive of activity but now lies in utter ruin and desolation. Its art, heritage and exquisite idols and antiquities remind you of its past glory. A must see for a casual tourist visiting these parts of the country, and a paradsie for a shutterbug. 

The heritage UNESCO site may well take at least half a day for a complete tour. The 70km ride from Dambulla takes close to 2 hours and you need to ensure you reach early morning. At mid noon with the intense heat beating down upon you, it can be highly uncomfortable. Sightseeing here for select few places has to be necessarily done barefoot considering the sanctity of the place, and if you are not wearing thick socks, it can really add to your misery.

You start off at the Museum first which has a good collection of curios and statues from Buddhist era. The Museum ticket as is the trend is discounted for SAARC nations. There was a small flock of vendors outside who followed us trying to sell their wares. You may find some good curios with them to take back home, though bargaining is intense…one of the friendlier vendors in his broken English mentioned that the local guides accompanying the tourists had a commission in every shop where he takes you so it is more sensible to buy from the streets directly.

 

Enroute we sighted a baby Monitor Lizard in the Museum Gardens and spent some time photographing it. There is also a lake close-by and if time is at hand you could spend some time in bird photography.

Post the visit to the museum you could spend a few hours inspecting the ruins. Considering the harsh environmental conditions the ruins and relics have been maintained very well by the authorities and you can move around inspecting them at your leisure. It may take at least 2 – 3 hours to complete the tour and we managed to finish off by 3pm

 

The nearest Restaurant, which was more like a makeshift shack was some distance away, there are no good eateries in Polonnaruwa. The Menu was very limited and the local Sinhalese meals were not much to our liking, luckily for us a South Indian Dosa (or the local Thosai) was on the card and we ordered the same.  There is a vague difference between the local Indian fare and what you are served here, though look and feel wise they may be same and may probably have the same ingredients. The Thosai however has no accompaniments unlike in India where the “Sambar” and “Sauce” come by default and in fact you can ask for more helpings at the same price. Looking at the Dry Weather Beaten Thosai on our Plates we requested for some traditional Indian Sambar as a dipping from the Waiter. He appeared confused for some time at this request, the word Sambar did not register. A local villager sitting at a table close-by interpreted this as “Sambal” to him in his native dialect and with a smile of understanding and a Nod, our Waiter proceeded towards the kitchen. A few moments later we had a bowlful of Sambal staring at us.  

Sambal can well be described as a “Dry Sauce made from a variety of chili peppers and ingredients such as shrimp paste, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, sugar, lime juice, and vinegar”. And it can be quite spicy. For a traditional Indian like me who has tasted a multitude of Chutneys and Sauces all his life, this Sauce was no novelty. And again this can in no way be an accompaniment to a Thosai so even if you make an attempt, the dry mixture could well choke on your insides… meanwhile our guide Ranga, resourceful as he is, arranged for some Avocados and Bananas, so leaving aside this adventure we finished our fruit meal and proceeded towards the Hotel for a better fare

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Chardham 4 - Kedarnath

 

The remotest locale in the Yatra would be a test of your endurance and physique by the time you are done with it. The uphill climb added to a mild drizzle and biting cold can make it highly uncomfortable for a pilgrim but then you also have some who dare to make it on foot just to prove a point.

 

 

The journey starts from Gaurikund which is 17kms away. Unlike some other sites such as Uttarkashi or Badrinath where you have the option of good accommodations or a buzzing marketplace, this region is relatively barren at both ends of the journey. At the base you have the option of hiring a Horse for the trek or a Senior citizen can choose a palanquin. Rates for both have been fixed by the local villagers and you cannot haggle over it.

 

As you start your journey on the paved path, you encounter various small shrines which have been setup by the villagers. You can take a short break here or on one of the relatively sparse food joints. The path is narrow enough to manage 2 horses, and with a rock face on one side and a valley on the other, you need to be alert throughout the ride.  

 

The horse ride takes close to 2 - 3 hours to reach the top, and by the time we reached at mid noon, there was hardly any strength left for any activity and we spent the rest of the day in our beds. The accommodations here were woeful, a room as wide as the size of your bed and the bathroom which is best avoidable. Food joints are equally pitiable and if you are carrying some of your own food you are better off.

 

 An interesting anecdote was recounted by our guide on the trail. Post the war of Kurukshetra the Pandavs as came here on a pilgrimage to atone for their sins and desirous to see Lord Shiva. At Gaurikund, Lord Shiva disguised himself as a buffalo when he saw them approaching. The he buffalo was noticeable as he appeared different than the others in the crowd and the Pandavas saw through this immediately. Bhim tried to grab the buffaloes tail, which hid its face in a crevice in the earth. The ensuing result was that the face of the buffalo appeared at Pashupatinath in Nepal and the rear in Kedarnath, reason why you may see a peculiar triangular shaped Shivling being worshipped in the temple

 

Chardham 3 – Badrinath

After the tough uphill ascent of Kedarnath in cold and rain, the trip to Badrinath seemed almost like a picnic for us. The vehicle takes you right up to the bustling marketplace which is abuzz with tourists, both local and foreign. You have the option to pick and choose amongst the many accommodations from Budget lodges to Temple stays which is a much welcome break.  
And this could well be regarded as the most commercialized locale in the entire Yatra. There are several small and big shops close by to the temple selling religious trinkets and clothing to match the climate and you could spend some time haggling over a choice curio.



Local Mana women are very friendly and willing to pose for a shutterbug

 Badrinath is revered by the Vaishnavites as herein lies “Vishnu” in his reincarnation as Nara and Narayana, undergoing penance since time immemorial. The colorful temple has a small cupola on top and intricate carvings inside. The Image of the Lord was discovered by the great Shankara in the nearby Alaknanda river. It was initially installed some distance away close to a Hot Spring but then a local king moved it towards it present day temple. Seen from a distance, the gold gilted roof immediately draws your attention.



Large serpentine queues can be a major irritant while seeing the shrine

The number of tourists lining up to see this is huge and you may probably find yourself at the end of a long serpentine queue and a couple of hours wait before you finally get in. The temple guards inside allow you only a cursory glance of the idol before you are jostled and pushed out – as in all other such famed temples in India crowd management will always remain a challenge.

A friendly localite mentioned that in December when it becomes freezing cold, the temple gates are closed and the locals move downhill towards more hospitable terrain. But to maintain the sanctity of the temple, the villagers light a large oil lamp in front of the deity. This lamp is refilled with its oil supply from a huge reservoir which ensures that post winter when the locals arrive back at the temple and the gates of the temple are reopened, the light still continues to be burning brightly  

The entrance to the Temple



Some interesting sights to see in and around the temple are the Swargarohini Peak, the Vyas Cave and Bhims Rock. As mentioned in the great epic Mahabharath, when the 5 Pandavas left their abode post the battle of Kurukshetra to seek heaven, the route they took towards their destination passed by Badrinath. The Swargarohini Peak as per the epic was the gateway to heaven and it was during this climb that they all perished except the eldest brother Yudhishthir and a stray dog who followed them. You can get a glimpse of this snowclad mountain just behind the temple.

Religious ceremonies on the banks of the Alaknanda

Another curiosity here which your guide will definitely like to point out is a gigantic boulder used to ford a River on this route. The locals believe that the mighty Bhim had lifted this Boulder on his massive shoulders to create this pathway.

Bhims Boulder above the river Saraswati

Just close-by lies the Source of the River Saraswati which flows below the boulder. It is visible only here post which it flows underground and then makes it appearance at Allahabad to meet the Ganga and Yamuna a few 1000 kilometers away to form the revered Triveni Sangam.

The river Saraswati

 Just ahead lies the cave of Rishi Ved Vyas, it is mentioned in history that this was the place where he had recited the Mahabharath to Lord Ganesh.

The Vyas Cave

 
There are scores of Hermits in the vicinity, belonging to different sects and photographing them could well become a favorite pastime. An added attraction is the peak of Neelkanth Mahadev. The beauty of this peak is only seen in the wee hours of morning when the first rays of the sun land on it…..and then all of a sudden the snow clad peak achieves a golden hue. The spectacle lasts only a few seconds and then you consider yourself highly privileged to be able to see this in your lifetime. 

The Neelkanth Mahadev at Dawn

For the more adventurous there are numerous treks originating from here, the Dev Tal and Rakshas Tal being a hefty 45 km journey uphill amongst cold white biting snow.

The route to numerous treks and an SBI Branch at every nook and corner

And finally don’t forget to have a cup of tea in a shop nearby which has the unique distinction of being the “Last Tea Shop In India” only other than the one in Ladakh……..so as you leave these hallowed surrounding, cries of “Jai Badri Vishal” remain a memory for a long time  

The Last Tea Shop In India

 



 

 

Chardham 2 – Gangotri

The Temple

You encounter Gangotri on the 2^nd lap of Chardham Yatra. Again a very picturesque locale, it has enroute the Harsil village where many a Bollywood films were shot (including the infamous Ram Teri Ganga Mail) and you may definitely get a chance to take a shower is some of the waterfalls in the neighbourhood

Colourful and Avoidable 

The journey is comfortable and the roads very smooth, the vehicle drops you closeby to the temple and you may only have to walk a few 100 meters to reach the temple precincts. As in case of the other 3 shrines, facilities are limited and so is the hygiene here. We met an Old Drummer who has been here since decades and he shared some interesting anecdotes on the history of the temple as well as its significance.

A closeup view of the Temple

The original Gangotri Temple was built by General Amar Singh Thapa. The river is known as Bhagirathi at its source and acquires the name Ganga  from Devprayag onwards where it meets the Alaknanda. The origin of the holy river is at Gaumukh, set in the Gangotri Glacier, which is a 19 km trek from here. A short distance away you can hire horses and gallop towards the Gaumukh, though it is considered to be a very bumpy ride and typically for the adventurous.

The Old Drummer who shared some interesting anecdotes

While on the way back you can think of spending the night at Harsil. It has some good Tent accommodations bang on the banks of the river and Angling is allowed ……the locale is very pretty and with luck you can have a sumptuous Trout for Dinner with the local wine 

Narrow roads can cause traffic chaos on the journey 

Tents at Harsil