National geographic Traveller India july 2012

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INDIA

july 2012 • `120 VOL. 1 ISSUE 1

Himalayas The

for all ages

INDIA’S MOST HAUNTED SITES SPOOKY SAGAS INSPIRE VISITS

ALEXANDRIA A Quest for Alexander in Egypt

Short Breaks

Kaas plateau Mananthavady Pachmarhi tranquebar

Old Ahmedabad Travel with PETS CHAMPAGNE TRAIL

July 2012 N a t ion a l

G eog r a p h i c

In focus

66

T r a velle r

104

Colonial cousins

7 ages of Himalayan travel

110

82

House on the Mountain

96 Step by step to Bara Banghal Trekking in the Dhauladhar Mountains

120 India’s colonial past lingers in Diu

There’s something for everyone in this great mountain range

A photographic journey through the length of the Himalayas

in d i a

Monkey Business A family searches for the golden langur in Assam’s forests

range of wonders

VOL. 1 ISSUE 1

When a holiday destination becomes home

128 Symbols of prestige Temples are more than places of worship in South India

134

Journeys

pilgrim’s progress

114

The journey is more important than the destination

Looking for alexander

139

A quest to find the conquerer’s final resting place

The spirit of france

xxxxxxxxxx rishabh dara (Description)

A roadtrip through Champagne country, the home of Joan of Arc

8 national Geographic Traveller INDIA | JULY 2012

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THIS WORLD

BETTER

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Hello India!

INDIA • `120 JULY 2012 1 1 ISSUE VOL.

Himalayas The

for all ages

INDIA’S MOST HAUNTED SITESSAGAS SPOOKY INSPIRE VISITS

ALEXAFORNDRIA A QUEST EGYPT ALEXANDER IN

SHORT BREAKS

KAAS PLATEAU MANANTHAVADY PACHMARHI TRANQUEBAR

OLD AHMEDABAD

TRAVEL WITH PETS

CHAMPAGNE TRAIL

This photograph was taken at Rangdum Village in Zanskar, Ladakh, by Athit Perawongmehta, an award-winning photographer based in Bangkok.

His work has appeared in National Geographic Magazine Thailand and many international publications.

www.facebook.com/ natgeotravellerindia

18 Editor’s Note | 20 Inspire

Voices 26 Tread Softly Give wildlife right of way

Singapore

Kaas Plateau

France

Nagarhole

28 Paper Trails The landscape of children’s books 30 Frontier Tales Saving animals one flight at a time 32 The Insider Are online reviews trustworthy

navigate

36 Taste of Travel Bamboo chicken in Andhra Pradesh 40 Travel Butler Travel with pets made easier

64 Geo Tourism Saving the Andamans from plastic

160 From Delhi British charm fills Pachmarhi’s hills

46 Go Now Hasankeyf ’s heritage will soon be lost

get going

164 From Bengaluru Heritage around Mananthavady

48 Fringe Visits Historical sites with haunted pasts

146 Adventure Seeking thrills in Singapore

50 On Foot Stroll through old Ahmedabad

148 Sport Watch a night race at Marina Bay Circuit

54 National Park Nagarhole in the rains

151 Learning Holiday Pottery lessons in Himachal

168 From Chennai Slow down in Tranquebar

interactive 172 Photo Workshop Landscape photography made easy

58 Smart Traveller Do more for less in London

short breaks

174 Photo Contest The best of our reader’s photos

62 Experience Bonding over football in foreign lands

156 From Mumbai Kaas Plateau’s carpet of flowers

176 Adventure Contest Enter for a chance to win thrilling prizes

10 national Geographic Traveller INDIA | JULY 2012

Alawn koh (stunt biking), MANEESH GOAL (flower), manoj sindagi (Leopard), LOUIS-LAURENT GRANDADAM/GETTY IMAGES (man with cart), ATHIT PERAWONGMEHTA/GETTY IMAGES (COVER)

34 Take 5 India’s largest statues

Editor-in-Chief Niloufer Venkatraman Deputy Editor Neha Dara Associate Editor Mihika Pai Senior Features Writer Natasha Sahgal Features Writer Azeem Banatwalla Art Director Diviya Mehra Photo Editor Ashima Narain Senior Graphic Designer & Digital Imaging Devang H. Makwana Senior Graphic Designer Omna Winston Publishing Director Manas Mohan Ad Sales Vice President Eric D’souza M um bai Associate Account Director Chitra Bhagwat Key Account Manager Devyani Bambulkar Key Account Executive Rahul Singhania DELHI Consultant Jaswinder Gill Deputy Account Director Rajmani Patel Key Account Manager Saloni Verma Chen n ai Consultant Shankar Jayaraman

ACK MEDIA Chief Executive Officer Vijay Sampath Chief Operating Officer Manas Mohan Vice President (Operations) Sandeep Padoshi Business Head (Digital) Shubhadeep Bhattacharya Brand Manager Ritika Basu Subscription Manager Swati Gupta Senior Manager Legal Lalit sharma Manager (Print Production) Sagar Sawant

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Editor’s Note Niloufer Venkatraman

There are 200-400 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy.

W

elcome to National Geographic Traveller India, as we launch the Indian edition of the award-winning travel magazine in India. This is where we bring together travel and culture, travel and experience, travel and storytelling. Our intention is simple: to inspire more travel to more places, in our vast country and across the world. And since in India, travel often begins with the family, we want to bring you family-friendly destinations that inspire you to go.

The Himalayas are in focus in this, our first Indian issue. We chose this theme because, across the spectrum, everyone we know has at least dreamt of going there. And because as Indians, we are so lucky we don’t have to travel halfway around the world to get to these great mountains.

My husband and I took our daughter for her first Himalayan trek when she was two-and-a-half, carrying her in a child carrier backpack. Last month, aged six, we took her again, this time she walked on her own steam. She loved it both times, and I learnt not to underestimate what kids can do, and vowed to continue to take her everywhere.

My own personal connection to the Himalayas goes back to my teenage years when I trekked there for the first time. Since then I have gone back many times, and each time I am amazed at how much more there is to see. I remember every one of my treks, I often recall the views with joy, and most of

I understood why ancient texts often talk of the Milky Way as the path the soul takes

18 national Geographic Traveller INDIA | JULY 2012

all, I can still feel the various emotions these mighty mountains evoked on these trips. One particular instance stands out. I was trekking in the Nepal Himalayas, and as often happens in the mountains, we were in bed by 9 pm one night. It was probably 2 am when I felt my husband shaking me and insisting I get out of my snug sleeping bag. “Come on outside,” he urged. I had whined and felt irritated. It was probably zero degrees outside. Then I heard him waking up our friends as well. I got up. Clumsily wrapping a blanket around my shoulders, I stepped outside the lodge and looked up into the sky. The memory of that view still makes my skin tingle ten years later. A brilliant glowing arc of stars stretched across the sky—I was looking at the band of the Milky Way! All of us stared in complete awe, watching billions of stars, stunningly bright, their light glistening off snowcapped peaks. We were shivering, but unable to go back inside. It was all so very grand and overwhelming. As I watched the sky, I gradually felt an indescribable warm, comforting feeling. For a brief moment I thought I understood why ancient texts often talk of the Milky Way as the path the soul takes.

Anywhere one wishes to travel, there are so many kinds of holidays, and each of us feels drawn to some kinds and not to others. National Geographic Traveller India tries to bring variety to your experience of travel, with stories of all kinds of holidays, from sedentary to super-active ones. We hope we can fulfil our goal of inspiring you to plan a trip, today and tomorrow, and as often as you possibly can. n

Anton jankovoy/SHUTTERSTOCK (Milky Way)

Starry, starry night

VOICES Tread Softly

GIVE WILDLIFE RIGHT OF WAY ON ROADS RUNNING THROUGH FORESTS

T

he water-laden mist filters through the thick canopy of the rainforest, enveloping the road and layering my battered 4X4 with a film of moisture.

All of a sudden, the visibility goes down to zero. I’m in the Western Ghats; the monsoon rains have arrived.

The monsoon is my favourite season because it is the land’s most regenerative and vibrant moment. Baked by the relentless summer sun, the dry and barren ground springs to life with the first shower, triggering off the cycle of renewal and growth.

Almost overnight a green sheet emerges all around.

The Western Ghats are home to one of the oldest forests on Earth and a diverse variety of species. They are a Ramsar site, one of 1,950 places across the world that are covered by an international treaty for the conservation of wetlands. Over 3oo rivers, small and large, flow out of this primordial ecosystem.

Driving through the undulating terrain of the Nilgiri Hills (southern part of the Western Ghats) during the monsoon is an uplifting experience. The road that cuts through the forests allows a glimpse of the wondrous landscape. There are stunning views at every turn and a great variety of plants and animals here. But I’ve noticed that not everyone respects and values that life. As the road has been widened and improved, both the traffic and the speed at which cars travel has increased. With that I sadly see a large number of snakes, frogs and monitor lizards that lie crushed on the road.

Reptiles frequently cross the road, seeking prey or looking for a dry space to bask in the sun. Some instances of them getting hit are accidental, but not always. Animals often suffer because of a lack of concern and sometimes, especially in the case of snakes, a malicious attitude toward them.

This was even more evident one day as I 2 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER INDIA | JULY 2012

mike pandey

was driving in the Western Ghats when I stopped to watch a small python trying to get across the road. We saw a car approaching and waved for it to slow down, pointing to the python. The driver saw us and the snake but decided to continue driving, swerving his speeding car towards the python with deliberate callousness. Timely intervention saved the animal, but the cruel intention and the disregard for animal life shown by the giggling occupants of the sports car was shocking.

This tale of neglect continues in other parts of the Western Ghats. According to experts, over 3,00,000 snakes and animals die on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway during the monsoon each year. This has seriously depleted the reptile population, particularly that of grass snakes. Dependent species have migrated away, causing a serious fracture in the food chain. Predators like the serpent eagle have become rare and in the absence of both these the numbers of rats and rodents have grown, causing crop damage and rodent infestations in many villages. Quite simply, our lack of concern and the consequent slaughter on the road can dangerously tilt the scale of life and come back to hurt us.

Many new species are still being discovered in the rainforests of the Western Ghats every year. Only a vibrant and intact ecosystem can ensure their sustainability. The disappearance of any one species impacts the entire food chain, weakening the web of life and threatening our own existence.

Like in the West, we need to build speed breakers at regular intervals where animal activity is high, to ensure no one drives too fast. Signboards saying “deer crossing” are common in the U.S., as are “kangaroo crossing” boards in Australia; we can bring about similar awareness for motorists in India. Most drivers do not deliberately intend to harm animals and accidents are inadvertent. We should yield to wildlife

The driver saw us and the snake but decided to continue driving, swerving his speeding car towards the python with deliberate callousness of rhesus monkeys in road accidents on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway are clear evidence of this.

On your next drive, keep in mind that a little more sensitivity on our part as travellers can save thousands of animal lives. n –Mike Pandey is a conservationist and wildlife filmaker. He has won the Green Oscar award three times.

DESIGN PIX/INDIAPICTURE

Snake Crossing

when we’re in forested areas, where we are the interlopers; animals should have right of way. Be on the look out for animals, not just to avoid accidents, but also because stopping to watch a python crawl across the road to safety can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

At the other end of the spectrum there are many people who stop on highways to feed animals by the roadside. They mean well, and think they are taking care of the animals by feeding them, but these actions are more harmful than we realise. Not only is it unhealthy because it makes wild animals dependent on humans, it causes them to come onto the road more, leading to further accidents. The increased deaths

NAVIGATE Taste Xxxxxxx of Travel

Bamboo Chicken A SPICY BITE ON THE HIGHWAY

W

hen signboards on a country road running through Andhra Pradesh’s Maredumilli forest advertise ‘bamboo chicken’, you’ve got to stop. They’ve been put up by the Konda Reddys, indigenous residents of this forest, whose economy is built around bamboo. They build houses with bamboo and make their living selling it in the market. Bamboo is also used in their kitchens as a utensil to make their signature dish—a spicy, barbecued chicken with potential to

become more popular than the destination.

Cubed chicken is marinated with some or all of the following: ginger, garlic, red chilli powder, salt, lime juice (and some local spices), and stuffed into a foot-long section of bamboo. The tube’s ends are sealed with leaves and the bamboo is set over a wood-fired stove. As it cooks, the chicken is infused with juices from the bamboo stem; no oil or water is used.

After around 40 minutes of sparks, crackles and an enticing aroma, the cooked

36 national Geographic Traveller INDIA | JULY 2012

chicken is retrieved from the charred bamboo stem and served with roti or dosa.

This tender chicken with a spicy twist is a real experience of local flavour, before you get back on the road. Order a whole free-range (desi) chicken for `500, or a portion of a broiler chicken that serves two for `200.

Location Maredumilli is 420 km from Hyderabad, via Bhadrachalam, and 250 km from Vijayawada, via Rajahmundry, past the temples of Rampachodavaram. n

M.SURESH XXXXXXXXXXXX (DISCRIPTION)

Bamboo chicken, an oil-free dish is a local specialty of the Konda Reddys of Maredumilli forest.

NAVIGATE Fringe Visit

India’s Most Haunted Troubled pasts make for intriguing visits today

By Mihika Pai

I

Kuldhara, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan

Bhangarh, Alwar, Rajasthan

The Paliwal Brahmins who inhabited Kuldhara and 83 villages around it are said to have vanished overnight in 1825. There are several explanations for the disappearance, the most popular one being that an evil king had been molesting little girls, drawing a curse on the area. The residents fled, leaving behind their belongings. A visit to the village is an insight into life in the early 1800s. There are ruined homes, carts, utensils and beds. Balls reportedly bounce around of their own accord, stones whiz through mid-air and mysterious voices are heard. The IPS has recorded sudden dips in temperature and unexplained fluctuations in the electromagnetic field, evidence of an otherworldly presence, they say. It is said that no new structure can be built here without it bursting into flames.

Location: Kuldhara is on the western outskirts of Jaisalmer. (Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; entry `10.)

Bhangarh was built in 1573 by Raja Bhagwant Das as the residence for his second son Madhoo Singh. The structure is said to have been abandoned in 1783 amidst a severe drought. The area is dotted with banyan trees and ruins of temples, havelis and peasant homes. The Shiva, Gopinath, Mangla Devi and Keshava Rai temples are the best preserved ruins here. Local legends offer two alternative explanations for the town’s ruin. One story involves an arrogant king and an offended sadhu, while the other is a tale of obsession involving a tantrik and a beautiful princess. Whichever version visitors choose to believe, many agree that the ‘no entry after dark’ sign put up by the Archaeological Survey of India is justified by the unsettling presence of an otherworldly force, bizarre sounds and accompanying anxiety.

Location: Bhangarh is 80 km northeast of Jaipur. (Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; entry free.)

Kartik Jasti (kuldhara), PARTH JOSHI (BhangarH)

f their fabled histories aren’t attractive enough to inspire a visit to these places, perhaps their spooky sagas will. Though the Indian Paranormal Society (IPS) does not have enough evidence to prove these spots are actually haunted, they are definitely scary enough to send a shiver down your spine.

48 national Geographic Traveller INDIA | JULY 2012

Golkonda Fort, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh

The Meerut Army Cantonment was the site of the Mangal Pandey uprising in 1857. The British cracked down on Indian revolutionaries and crushed rebellion.

Over 150 soldiers were killed here. This is where history leaves off and legend begins.

It is believed that the spirits of the soldiers who died here still wander the abandoned cantonment, although their activities are less regimented nowadays. Visitors have reported seeing headless apparitions, spooky shadows, hearing mysterious sounds of dripping water and sensing a supernatural presence. Gaurav Tiwari of the IPS spent a night here and says that the presence does things like running around in circles and making animal-like sounds.

Location: Meerut is 70 km northeast of Delhi. (Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; entry free.)

The Savoy, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand

Built in Mussoorie in 1902, The Savoy was amongst the grandest hotels of its time and the guestbook read like a social register. But in 1910, a guest named Lady Garnet Orme was found dead in her room. Strychnine had been slipped into her medicine bottle.

Agatha Christie found this to be the perfect setting for a mystery story and based her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, on Lady Orme’s death. The perpetrator was never found and the ghost of Lady Orme is said to still roam the halls of the hotel.

Guests have reported hearing flushes going off, seeing the floating silhouette of a lady, and doors opening mysteriously. The IPS has recorded the sound of a woman whispering and singing softly. Perfect for guests who need a lullaby at bedtime.

Location: The Savoy is in Mussoorie.

(0135-2632010.)

Jamali Kamali, Mehrauli, New Delhi

The Jamali Kamali mosque and tomb are a part of the Mehrauli Archaeological Complex. Jamali and Kamali were Sufi saints who preached here and were buried in the tomb when they died, around 1528.

The tomb and mosque are now said to be home to jinns, but not the benevolent, wish-granting sort. Some visitors say they have heard the inexplicable sound of animals growling, others report being chased (and even slapped), and some claim that they have had recurring nightmares after their visits.

Location: Mehrauli is in South Delhi. (Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; entry free.) n JULY 2012 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA 49

Fredrik Renander/Alamy/indiapicture (GOLkoNDA fort), HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES (UPRISING), Dorling Kindersley/getty images (jamali kamali), nick kenrick (THE savoy)

Abandoned Army Cantonment, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh

Textbooks have plenty to say about this imposing 13th century structure and how it shaped the history of South India. A visit to this ancient city is a history lesson in itself.

It has seen the rise and decline of various dynasties and was the original home of the famous Koh-i-noor diamond. But history books don’t talk about the spirits of thieves that are said to live in the trees, the baffling shadows seen gliding around, and the sounds of people crying out in pain.

The spirit of Taramati, a courtesan turned queen, is often spotted here. Visitors aren’t allowed to linger after dark. But since it’s a popular film location, movie crews are often here past the deadline and see much more than they’d like.

Location: About 13 km from Hyderabad city centre. (Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; entry `30.)

NAVIGATE On Foot

Behind the Wall A stroll through the peaceful pols and hidden sights of OLD Ahmedabad

By Natasha Sahgal

were once used to escape attacks.

Begin your journey at the Swaminarayan Mandir in Kalupur, which comes alive at 6 a.m. as devotees walk in with garlands and pooja thalis and exit to buy vegetables and fruit at the stalls lining the temple’s grand entrance. This colourful shrine, built in 1822, is the country’s first Swaminarayan temple. Exit the gate and turn left into a tiny lane that houses a statue of the Gujarati poet Dalpatram. The statue sits on the porch of a replica of Dalpatram’s original home, which was at the same spot. Walk south through Lambeshwarni pol and get

transported into a world where time seems to move much slower. Women do their washing outside their homes. Others sit on swings, chatting as they cut vegetables.

Don’t miss the tall wooden bird feeders or chabutras that stand in each pol. These raised covered platforms are large enough for someone to step in and put bird feed into the bowls that hang around them. The centre usually shelters a handful of nests as well. Around 120 of these bird feeders were built to replace the trees that were cut down to build the city of Ahmedabad. Every morning, residents of the pol climb up and

The clothes of Swaminarayan Mandir deities are changed seven times a day and never repeated.

50 national Geographic Traveller INDIA | JULY 2012

MUKUL MHASKEY (SWAMINARAYAN TEMPLE)

A

midst malls and industrial sprawl, on the banks of the Sabarmati River, sits a maze of roads and communities from another era. Ahmedabad has long spilled far beyond the walled city founded in the 15th century by Sultan Ahmed Shah. But in the older section, you can witness the city’s history and traditions coming alive in its pols, close-knit neighbourhoods consisting of small streets with houses on both sides. Most pols have only one gate, guarded by a watchtower. Neighbouring pols are connected through secret passages known only to its residents; these

NAVIGATE On Foot

Around 120 bird feeders were built to replace trees that were cut down to build the city of Ahmedabad

Families live as a close-knit community in pols, often sharing meals and daily chores.

Pillared sidewalks surround three sides of the Jumma Masjid.

For visitors who cannot climb down the steep steps, a mirror in the backyard offers a reflected image of the deity.

Exit the temple, walk right towards Gandhi Road, and go under Fernandez Bridge to reach an ol, or market area.

Around 11 a.m. each day, a second-hand book market comes up under the bridge with thousands of old college books sold on carts. Just beyond the book stalls are rows of shops that sell temple accessories. After that you’ll find yourself in Manek Chowk, one of the country’s biggest jewellery markets. Hundreds of gold and diamond shops crowd these lanes. At night, after the jewellers pull down their shutters, food carts fill the streets. It is open till 1 a.m. and the variety of the food found here is quite amusing. You will find chocolate pizzas, pineapple sandwiches and whisky-flavoured soda pop.

End the walk in the serene Jumma Masjid, a yellow sandstone shrine with 256 pillars. Built in 1423, this is considered the first mosque in India that allowed women to enter and pray. A separate section with a carved stone curtain lets women see without being seen. It is interesting to note the influence of Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim architecture at the entrance. It’s an appropriate spot to conclude a stroll through the old city: it houses the tomb of the city’s founder, Ahmed Shah. n

52 national Geographic Traveller INDIA | JULY 2012

Swaminarayan Mandir Kalupur

Heritage Walk

Kavi Dalpatram Chowk Lambeshwar Ni Pol

Kuvavala Khancha

Chaumukhiji Ni Pol

Relief Road

Kala Ramji Mandir, Haja Patel Ni Pol

Sambhavnath Ni Khadki

Chabutra

Gandhi Road

Manek Chowk Jumma Masjid

Guided Walks

Cruta Foundation and the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation organise a heritage walk from Swaminarayan Temple at 8 a.m. daily (09824032866; `30 for Indians; `50 for foreigners). House of MG rents out an audio-guided walk to do at your own pace (079 25506946; `200).

Meghana Kulkarni (JUMMA MASJID), Dave Morris (two ladies), OMNA WINSTON (ILLUSTRATION)

fill the bowls with grain.

Continue walking south to cross Relief Road, one of the main roads that cuts across the city. It was built after the first road of the city, Gandhi Road (originally Richie Road) got too crowded. This parallel street was constructed to provide relief from the heavy traffic—and was named accordingly.

Navigate through the narrow streets where the balconies of homes across the road nearly touch each other, past the 400-year-old Kala Ramji Mandir, Haja Patel ni pol, and Kuvavala Khancha, a street corner where the houses have British, Spanish, Mughal and Maratha architecture, and through to Chaumukhjini pol. You will find yourself leaving the Hindu-dominated quarters and entering the Jain section.

Sambhavnath ni khadki is a Jain temple with an unassuming entrance and small idol. It takes an informed worshipper to find the tiny entrance to the steps that lead to the plush temple in the basement. Here, the rooms are spacious and made of marble.

This hidden place of worship is said to have been constructed during the rule of Aurangzeb, when temples were being demolished.

IN FOCUS The Himalayas

Seven

ages

of

travel At every stage of life, people have different needs and different callings.

The Himalayas are so diverse, they answer all these—and more. Since time immemorial, their allure has drawn sages and adventurers to them. They stretch in a 2,500-km arc, from the peak of Nanga Parbat in the west to Namche Barwa in the east. The Himalayas include nine of the world’s 15 highest mountains and more than 100 peaks higher than 7,200 m. They cover about 12 per cent of India’s land mass. The range also runs through Bhutan, Pakistan, Tibet, China and Nepal, encompassing a wide variety of religions and cultures. Although we’ve put together collections of Himalayan trips and activities that fit specific age ranges, it’s entirely possible, that for some at 50, the age of romance is just dawning, while others at 22 will already be soul searching. People could be burned out at 25 or raring to go at 80. Whichever state of mind you may be in, you can find your own magic in the Himalayas.

66 national Geographic Traveller INDIA | JULY 2012

XXXXXXXXXXXX (DISCRIPTION)

Himalayan

Cover Story

XXXXXXXXXXXX Ethan Welty/Aurora/GETTY (DISCRIPTION) IMAGES

Stopping to take in views of snow-capped peaks is one of the highlights of a Himalayan trek.

JULY 2012 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA 67

IN FOCUS The Himalayas Ages 0-12

Age of Wonder

Child carrier backpacks give children an elevated viewing gallery during a trek.

68 national Geographic Traveller INDIA | JULY 2012

When our daughter turned two-and-a-half, my husband and I decided she was ready to join us on a Himalayan trek. Not a tough one, a five-day trip from Dharamshala to Kareri Lake. Soon we were a small group, including four kids below nine. We organised tents, camping equipment and a few luxuries to make travelling with kids easy. Our entourage had an enterprising local guide, cook and packhorse train with a stockpile of provisions, vegetables, kerosene, and first aid.

The two-year-olds undertook the journey in child carrier backpacks carried by their fathers. The seven- and nine-yearolds were propelled by their own power. For five hours each day the toddlers were in their packs. They were more amazed by the journey and landscape than the adults. They delighted in little things: hundreds of ladybirds everywhere, gurgling streams, rain, herds of goat and sheep, refreshing naps and snacks—all while perched in their packs. The older kids did well too, sometimes lagging behind, at others trying to outdo each other, but mostly finding their own rhythm to finish each day’s walk without a whimper. They were thrilled by suspension bridges, pine cones, and kingfishers hovering over fish in a pond. They made friends with village kids who often knew even more interesting sights.

They became enthusiastic about spotting birds, giggled at the strong stench of goat dung as we passed through a stretch inhabited by migrating shepherds, and bonded with each other and everybody else.

When a sudden thunderstorm hit us on day three, the kids were blissfully ensconced in a tent, listening to one adult’s tall tales. When the storm passed, they hopped out and played catch in the wet grass. Kids inadvertently force all of us to see the world through their eyes, to find simple joys in takenfor-granted sights, reminding us of the age that we have long passed—the age of wonder.

—Niloufer Venkatraman

rishi ahuja (man on bridge), IP-Black/indiapicture (SINGALILA)

The wonder years are every parent’s favourite time to spend with their children. From watching animals in the wild to picking fruit on a farm, kids will be awestruck and engaged.

It’s a long, winding trek up to Chitre, in Darjeeling district’s Singalila National Park.

Wild Ways Visits to National Parks provide great learning experiences for children. They’re filled with surprises and discoveries at every corner, and make a fine option for a family holiday—like the family that travelled to Manas National Park (see the story in this issue). Manas is located in the Himalayan foothills in Assam. Animals like the pygmy hog, Assam roofed turtle, hispid hare, capped langur, hornbill, slow loris and other species call this forest their home. The biodiversity in the area is amazing to witness (176 km from Guwahati; closed for the monsoon; 9 a.m.-5 p.m.). The Singalila National Park in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district in the Eastern Himalayas is over 7,000 feet above sea level and is filled with unusual and endangered wildlife—most notably the red panda.

It’s much smaller than its giant black-and-white cousin but just as cute. Singalila also has some great flora and fauna, including rhododendron and magnolia and some rare orchid species (approximately 40 km from Darjeeling town; closed for the monsoon; 9 a.m.-5 p.m.). Namdapha National Park in situated in the Eastern Himalayan ranges in Arunachal Pradesh. Four big cats, the tiger, leopard, clouded leopard and snow leopard, reside here, along with an amazing variety of botanical wonders. It’s also home to the rufous-necked hornbill, the hoolock gibbon and the spotted linsang. Its isolation adds to its charm (Miao, the headquarters of the Changlang District and the entry point for Namdapha, is 62 km from the nearest town Margherita; 9 a.m.-5 p.m.). The Great Himalayan National Park, created in 1984, is India’s newest. It is situated in the Kullu area of Himachal Pradesh. It offers visitors the opportunity to meet with local villagers and observe their daily chores, which include weaving, basket-making and farming. The park’s vast range of flora and fauna differ across the varying altitudes. Among them are the tahr and the snow leopard. The avian life here includes the endangered western tragopan (50 km from Kullu; open from sunrise to sunset).

Red pandas build nests for their young in tree hollows and rocks.

JULY 2012 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA 69

coolbiere photograph/GETTY IMAGES (RED PANDA), Davies & Starr/Stone/GETTY IMAGES (APPLES)

Homestays in Fruit Orchards Plan a holiday around picking fruit on a farm.

Whether it is getting their faces sticky with plum juice, strolling through an apple orchard in Himachal or camping out in the shade of kinnow trees, the kids will love it. Between July and October, the slopes of Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla district are covered with fruit-laden apple trees. Drive 45 km beyond Shimla on NH 22 to reach Matiana (Apple Orchard Inn; 93161 15261; www.krishrauniresort.in; doubles `2,200). Kotgarh, a small town 80 km ahead of Shimla, is at the centre of Himachal’s apple-growing (Banjara Orchard Retreat; 94180 77180; www.banjaracamps.com/Camps_Thanedar. asp; doubles `3,600). For a homestay experience, head to Chamba and walk 30 minutes through fields to reach a wooden house in the midst of plum, apricot, apple and pear trees (Orchard Hut; 94180 20401; www.himalayanlap.com/Orchard-Hut.html; doubles `2,700). Eat organic meals, bathe in a spring-fed pool, pull radish from the soil and let the kids watch a cow being milked. In Uttaranchal, 55 km north of Nainital, is a village called Sonapani, named after a natural spring with mineral-rich water. Blossoms appear in April, and between July and September, the orchards are full of apples, pears, apricots and plums, all framed by a thick forest of oak, pine and rhododendron (Himalayan Village, 20-minute walk from nearest road; 80063 00100; www.himalayanvillage.com; doubles `4,200). For an experience that combines the benefits of a homestay with the facilities of a hotel amidst apple orchards, visit Ramgarh on the outskirts of Nainital (WelcomHeritageTaradale Cottage; 05942-281189; www.welcomheritagehotels.com/hotel/taradale-cottage-ramgarh; doubles `4,000). Drive four hours from Bagdogra Airport to Rinchenpong village to reach a homestay in the midst of fruit orchards where you can also trek, raft, and tour local monasteries (Yangsum Heritage Farm; 94341 79029; www.yangsumfarm.com; doubles `5,000).

IN FOCUS The Himalayas Ages 55+

Age of Rediscovery When stressful times have passed, realisation dawns, that there’s a wide world waiting to be rediscovered. Journey to luminous landscapes or explore vibrant cultures.

The Three Musketeers (top) never tire of the splendour of the Himalayas and visit at least twice a year; Prayer flags atop Dzongri peak (bottom) frame a view of the Kanchenjunga range.

78 national Geographic Traveller INDIA | JULY 2012

In the summer of 2008, my two closest friends, Tanil Kilachand and Deepak Bhimani, and I decided to take an adventurous holiday together. We trekked to the Annapurna Base Camp (12,000 ft) in Nepal and were hooked. Our first expedition materialised mainly because of Tanil’s encouragement; he has been an avid trekker for most of this life. Ever since, we’ve been called the Three Musketeers and take two trips to the Himalayas annually, in spring and in winter. We’ve climbed the Nag Tibba peak, Har-ki-Dun, various trails in the Kashmir Valley, Swargarohini and Dzongri. Har-ki-Dun is our favourite. Given our ages—I’m 80 and have had two major heart surgeries, Tanil is 75 and Deepak 73—our families were anxious and sceptical about our decision to climb. For us it has not been about reaching higher each time. It’s about pushing the body responsibly and seeing how much it can endure. It’s about discovering the Himalayas, about going out and seeing more. I think that if there are gods, this has to be their abode.

Guides, ponies, porters and cooks accompany our tight-knit group of three. Then, all we have to do is focus on negotiating the trail and not worry about pitching tents. We cover 15-16 km a day easily, but we also take precautions like oxygen tanks and extra medication. All three of us have an area of expertise. Tanil masterminds our travel arrangements and is our mythology expert. Deepak is an amateur photographer and astronomer who tells us about the flora, fauna, and the movements of planets and stars. I ensure the group unwinds with music and chatter after a hard climb, and manage the kitty.

Climbing gives us a sense of achievement, as well as subtler joys: It allows us to enjoy the Himalayas and experience the kindness of strangers—all therapeutic for the soul. My friend Deepak says, “If you have been given a long, healthy life it must be for a purpose and you must make the most of it.

That’s what we are all trying to do.” I couldn’t agree more.

— Jaisinh Mariwala

Hutch Axilrod/GETTY IMAGES (VALLEY OF FLOWERS), Kay Maeritz/LOOK Die Bildagentur der Fotografen GmbH/Alamy/INDIAPICTURE (PRAYER FLAGS), COURTESY OF Jaisinh Mariwala (group of men)

Frank Symthe, an English mountaineer, wrote a book on the Valley of Flowers in 1931 that led to it eventually becoming a national park and World Heritage site.

Cover Story

Cultural Quest

Flowers are in full bloom in Yumthang Valley between late February and mid-June.

Scenic Explorations Scaling mountains isn’t the only way to take in grand views. For a reasonably light and very rewarding fitness test, embark on the 14-km trek to the Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand to see the Himalayan countryside in all its glory (start the trek from Govindghat— around 300 km from Rishikesh; Jul-Aug; accommodation at Joshimath). If a trek still seems like too much work, drive through Sikkim’s Yumthang Valley, and watch the terrain of trees give way to a valley dotted with rhododendron, against the backdrop of snow-capped peaks (two-hour drive from Lachung, around 150 km from Gangtok; Apr-May are the best months to visit; accommodation in Lachung). Journey to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh and spend a few days amidst monasteries and colourful houses.

Grab a hot cup of coffee early in the morning and watch the first rays of the sun wash over snowy mountains (around 300 km from Tezpur, 400 km from Guwahati; Sept-Mar; accommodation available in Tawang).

Tribes from Nagaland and neighbouring states come together to showcase their culture and food at the Hornbill Festival.

JULY 2012 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA 79

KELLY CHENG/GETTY IMAGES (YUMTHANG VALLEY), rob haich (HORNBILL FESTIVAL)

From Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, the Himalayas have a rainbow of cultures and practices. Immersive travel allows the visitor to experience local flavours, through music, festivals and homestays. From teenagers to cab drivers, the people of Shillong love their classic rock. The annual Bob Dylan Festival (24th May) and Bob Marley Festival (6th Feb), are two of the city’s biggest musical celebrations, and two decades since their inception, they continue to draw enthusiastic crowds from across the country. Nagaland’s tribes come together and show off their local arts, craft, music and food at the Hornbill Festival in Kohima ( first week of Dec).

Visitors can eat, drink and make merry with the Ao Nagas during the Moatsu Festival, while consuming large amounts of meat and freshly-brewed rice beer ( first week of May, Chuchiyimlang village). Ladakh’s monasteries transform into colourful cultural hubs during between June and September each year. Besides the famous Hemis festival, every monastery holds a festival in honour of Guru Padmasambhava, with traditional dance and music performances (10th day of the Tibetan lunar calendar, usually between June and July). Also in Ladakh, at the Sindhu Darshan festival, visitors flock to the banks of the Indus at Shey Manla with pots of water from their homeland. The water from these pots is mixed and poured into the Indus, serving as the perfect metaphor for communal harmony, accompanied by music, dance and revelry (June 1-3, 8 km from Leh). Naukuchiatal in Uttarakhand plays host to the Escape Festival of Arts and Music (first week of May), with live performances from a host of Indian and international rock bands, in addition to exhibitions by writers, photographers, painters, graffiti artists, potters and more (Lake Resort, Naukuchiatal; www.escapefestival.in).

Journeys Heritage

Colonial Cousins

By Naresh Fernandes Photographs by Ashima Narain 120 national Geographic Traveller INDIA | JULY 2012

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In the former Portuguese colony of Diu, cultures collide and coalesce

In 1917, three young children in Fatima, Portugal had visions of the Virgin Mary on the 13th day of each month from May to October.

In honour of these visions and revelations, the 48 Catholic families of Diu partake in a candlelit procession called the Our Lady of Fatima procession, which takes place on the 13th of May and October every year.

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Diu

Journeys Heritage

B

ig-city amenities take their time getting to Diu. The airport, which receives only a single flight each day, doesn’t even have a carousel, so passengers have to mill around in the tiny arrival hall until the porters haul the suitcases off a hand-pulled trolley and line them up for collection. The English-language newspapers don’t arrive until past ten and they come in such small numbers that if you’re late, you’re unlikely to snag one. If you feel like an ice cream from the town’s most famous vendor at the hottest part of the afternoon, you’re just going to have to sweat it out: Ramvijay shuts down from 1.30 p.m. for a two-hour siesta.

home to people who still speak Indo-Portuguese creoles; I’ve wanThat, of course, is precisely the reason to visit the former Portuguese dered amidst the cobwebbed ruins of the Vasai fort, north of Bombay; colony, which wallows under the coast of Kathiawar like a lugubrious inspected the scanty sights of Silvassa; and tested the echoes of the whale. Though many visitors imagine they’ll find a microcosmic verchurches of Daman. sion of Goa—the headquarters of Portugal’s Indian empire—refracted Also following this route, but in a matter of days rather than years, through a vibrant Gujarati lens, Diu is even more laidback than Inwas a group of Portuguese travellers I met on the plane in from Mumdia’s favourite holiday destination. There are no rave parties here or bai. Just over 50 years chic beachside bars, no after the Iberian power exotic night-markets or was kicked out of InRussian mafia dons. dia in Operation Vijay, This seeming stasis Portuguese citizens are has immunised Diu finally overcoming the against the real-estate embarrassment of their fever that has infected colonial misadventures the rest of the country. to be able to look at As a result, it’s an amatheir former territories teur historian’s delight. with fresh—rather more It offers the opportuhumble—eyes. nity to explore the bestOne member of the preserved Portuguese party caught my attown layout in India. tention. Francisco de Strolling through the Braganza is an eightisland’s winding lanes generation descendant and quiet squares at of Catherine, the printwilight teleports you Nagoa Beach is popular for water sports like cess who in 1661 was straight into the pages like parasailing, jet skiing and surfing. married to England’s of the seventeenth-cenCharles II, taking with tury travelogue of Scother a dowry that included the islands of Bombay. (Bandra, on the tish sea captain Alexander Hamilton, mainland, remained a subject of dispute between the European powwho claimed that the settlement was ers and stayed Portuguese for another 110 years.) As they meandered “one of the best-built Cities and best through India observing Portugal’s architectural and cultural legacy fortified by Nature and Art that I ever in the subcontinent, Braganza and his friends were mindful that the saw in India and its stately Buildings traffic hadn’t only flowed one way: their Indian colonies had provided of free Stone and Marble are sufficient untold wealth to their homeland.

Witnesses of its ancient Grandeur and Few people know that better than Joao Folque, whom I ran into at Opulency”. breakfast in the cosy guest house in which we were both staying. Even Diu was the last bead in a rosary I’ve though he’d never visited the country before, Folque had lived all his been counting for more than two dec52 years with India all around him. The homes he’d grown up in had ades. I’ve spent most of my life in Banbeen decorated with Indian objets d’art. Christmas Day at the Folque dra, the Mumbai suburb that the Porfamily seat, outside Lisbon, is marked by a hearty meal of lobster curtuguese acquired in 1534 and held on ry. These are the mementoes of the 46 years his grandfather spent in to for about 240 years. The most visIndia—20 of them as Diu’s governor. ible impression the Portuguese left on After dreaming of the subcontinent for so long, Joao Folque— my neighbourhood was religious: our who had been named after his grandfather—had finally taken the streets are studded with large churches plunge. He was puttering through the lanes of Diu on a scooter, using and brick crosses. You can also taste the his grandfather’s diaries and photograph albums as his guide. He Iberian peninsula in the food we eat and hear it in the tunes we sing. was chatting with students in the Gujarati schools Folque Sr had A childhood soaked in this Indo-Iberian culture left me curious established, tracking down marble plaques that bore the old man’s about the Lusitanian traces that have lingered in Portugal’s other name and marvelling at how so many of the streetscapes seemed minor Indian territories. Since 1990, I’ve erratically worked my way almost unchanged. through Vypeen island off Cochin, and Chaul, south of Mumbai, both

Residents greet each other in Portuguese and set out plastic chairs in the street in the evening so that they can converse with passersby.

122 national Geographic Traveller INDIA | JULY 2012

Diu

The Gangeshwar Temple, home to five Shivalingas is built into the rocks on the shore in Diu’s Fudam village.

St Paul’s Church which was built in 1601, is among the best examples of Portuguese religious architecture in India.

Journeys Heritage “When I came here, it was like coming home,” Joao Folque Jr said. “I was filled with emotion. I can see so much that’s Portuguese here—the balconies and windows of the houses, the way the streets are laid out.”

There was also the matter of siestas, though Folque Jr noted that in this regard, Diu did even better than Portugal. “In Portugal, we take one-hour naps in the afternoon. Here, they shut their shops at noon and don’t open again until four.”

Folque generously loaded up his grandfather’s photo albums on my pen drive and, after hiring a sporty bicycle from a beat-up shop near the main market, I set out to explore the town myself. My first destination was the gargantuan fort on the waterfront, the toehold the Portuguese wrested from Gujarat’s sultan, Bahadur Shah, in 1535. Unlike the other Portuguese forts in the subcontinent, which follow Jhapa is at the centre of Diu town. standard geometric patterns, the Diu citadel is irregularly shaped.

Because they’re designed to hug the jagged coastline, the walls bulge in some places and contract in others.

However, the Mir’at-iSikanderi, the best-known history of medieval Gujarat, offers another explanation for why the layout of the fort is so unconventional. It says that when the Portuguese asked Bahadur Shah for a piece of land on which to build an outpost, they requested a plot no bigger than a cowhide. After the sultan acquiesced, the Europeans are said to have cut the cowhide into thin strips, laying them out end-to-end to claim an enormous swathe of land.

Over the next few decades, the Portuguese cannily took advantage of the precarious political balance between Gujarat and the Mughals in Delhi to spread their influence. By the time the Mughal emperor Akbar captured Gujarat in 1572, the Portuguese were sitting pretty on all of the island’s 40 sq km. From the battlements of the fort, it’s easy to see why Diu was so desirable. It stands on the mouth of the Gulf of Cambay, and a few smartly placed cannons could easily control Gujarat’s trade with the entire Indian Ocean rim. As I clambered atop one

Though many visitors imagine they’ll find a microcosmic version of Goa—the headquarters of Portugal’s Indian empire—refracted through a vibrant Gujarati lens, Diu is even more laidback than India’s favourite holiday destination.

124 national Geographic Traveller INDIA | JULY 2012

of the bastions and stared at the horizon, beyond the red sails of the bobbing dhows, Aden didn’t really seem so far away.

When a Dutch merchant named Jan Huyghen van Linschoten visited the town in the summer of 1583, he understood its advantages immediately. Traders from around the world who “traffic in Cambia [and from thence] to Mecca or the Red Sea, do commonly discharge their wares and take in their lading in Diu”, he noted. In his account, Diu resembled Davos during a meeting of the World Economic Forum, “full of strange nations, as Turks, Persians, Arabians and other country people”.

Today, most of the people of strange nations who visit Diu are tourists rather than traders, but the territory hasn’t lost its internationalism.

Many courier companies in the bazaar bear signboards advertising their efficiency at shipping packages to “London, Lisbon and Mozambique,” dots on the map linked by the accident of Diu’s colonial history. The Portuguese attitude to the residents of its colonies was rather different from the exclusionary position maintained by the British: people who live in Goa or Macau were simply thought to be Portuguese citizens who lived overseas. As a result, thousands of residents of Diu born before 1961 and their families have obtained dark red passports that allow them to build new lives not only in Portugal, but also, since the implementation of the European Union’s Schengen agreements in 1995, in the UK and other parts of the Continent. Many others have fanned out through the Lusitanian world, to Angola, Brazil and beyond.

Among those who have profited from this diasporic frenzy, even though he’s rarely strayed away the counter of his store in the bazaar, is Jagish Arya, proprietor of Shri Ramvijay Refreshing, Diu’s bestknown ice cream store. Since his grandfather opened the establishment in 1933, four generations of Aryas have attempted to give Diu a taste of the changing world outside. They started by making fizzy drinks under the punny brand name Dew, importing bottles from Germany for their venture. In the mid-1970s, they began to serve up delicious ice cream. Pizzas appeared in their menu a few years ago and then, weeks before my visit, Arya and his sons spent `55,000 to bring Diu its first espresso machine. This winter, as homesick Diu natives returned from Europe and Africa to relive their childhoods and sort out knotty property matters, Arya found himself selling approximately 50 shots of Lavazza every day. “We may be a small place, but we aren’t lacking for anything here,” he said.

Another effect of Diu’s population dispersal was on display in the clutch of churches in Firganiwada, the island’s old Christian quarter.

The territory’s Christian population has never been especially large, and it has now shrunk to less than 200. This has left Diu with more shrines than worshippers to fill them. Demonstrating an admirable

Diu generosity of spirit, the congregation has agreed to let the buildings be put to other uses. In 1992, the Church of St Thomas, built in 1598, was converted into an archaeological museum that houses a variety of carved stones and religious artefacts from around the island. The cloisters of the shrine are used as a hotel, with a makeshift rooftop bar that offers refreshing pints of beer, tangy seafood barbeques and spectacular sunsets. It also affords excellent views of the roof of the church of St Francis of Assissi, built in 1593, sections of which have long served as a government hospital.

One morning, after a refreshing swim off the secluded Chakratirth beach, I pedalled off to meet Father Joseph Rodrigues, the 63-year-old priest with an Elvis quiff, who is in charge of the four-century-old Immaculate Conception Church. The building is decorated with neoclassical and Baroque elements, some of which have been reimagined with a Gujarati sensibility. In keeping with Diu’s coastal location, and in celebration of Portugal’s maritime prowess, seashells are the dominant motif. They’re everywhere: on the façade outside and above the doorways and altars inside. The main altar and pulpit are intricately carved in dark wood, believed to have been transported from East Africa.

Father Rodrigues had his hands full as a stream of parents of all religions dropped by to pay the fees of their children studying in the parish school. Nearby, a group of nuns were running a nursery school in a structure that used to house a Zoroastrian fire temple, another old building for which Diu has found a new function. “There’s a great sense of tolerance here,” said Father Rodrigues, who speaks Hindi, Gujarati, Konkani, English and says a weekly mass in Portuguese. “It’s

clean and quiet. It’s a peaceful place to live.”

The diminutive size of his flock should have made his duties less onerous, but that wasn’t the case. The Christians of Diu, it turned out, are like the Parsis of Mumbai. Almost all of them are related to each other, which makes finding marriage partners nearly impossible. As a result, alliances have to be effected with families from Daman, more than 16 hours away by bus, Mumbai or even Goa. The upside, of course, is an enviably tight-knit community whose well-worn familiarity is apparent to anyone strolling down Firganiwada’s lanes. Residents greet each other in Portuguese and set out plastic chairs in the street in the evening so that they can converse with passersby.

On my last night in Diu, I joined one of these huddles, as Alina da Cruz, who ran the guest house in which I was staying, described the tense period of Liberation in December, 1961. She recalled the roar of the Indian Air Force planes flying low over Firangiwada, the excitement of people clambering to their roofs to greet the aircraft with shouts of “Jai Hind”, the chunks of masonry that flew across the neighbourhood when the Portuguese governor blew up sections of his palace, to prevent it from falling into Indian hands. Keyboard chords drifted across the wall from the house next door, where her son-in-law Gilbert was giving music lessons.

Like her parish priest, Alina da Cruz speaks several languages effortlessly and is at ease chatting with guests from around the world.

She couldn’t see why this should be considered an especially admirable talent. “Diu has always welcomed people from around the world,” she said. “Globalisation is in our roots.” n

The lighthouse is built atop Diu fort, which is one of the most recognisable structures on the island.

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Journeys Heritage

126 national Geographic Traveller INDIA | JULY 2012

Diu

The GUIDE Orientation Diu is a 40 sq. km island that is part of the Union Territory of Daman & Diu. It is located just off the coast of south Gujarat’s Kathiawar peninsula, and connected to the mainland by ferries and bridges. The closest big city is Bhavnagar (166 km to the north-east).

GUJARAT To Delwada/Bhavnagar

Getting there

Portuguese Fort

Nagwa Vanakbara Jetty

Fudam

Diu Airport Nagoa Beach

Diu Town

Sunset Point

ARABIAN SEA INDIA DIU

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

JAN

FEB

MAR

32 / 22°C

32 / 25°C

32 / 27°C

30 / 25°C

30 / 25°C

31 / 25°C

33 / 25°C

33 / 23°C

31 / 21°C

30 / 19°C

30 / 20°C

31 / 23°C

The maximum temperature in Diu hovers around 30°C through the year.

Summer (Apr-June) is hot but not sweltering. There’s light-to-medium rainfall from June-Aug.

Things to do • The Sea Shell Museum, at Fudam, a village west of Diu Town, has a collection of shells painstakingly collected by Captain Fulbaria over more than half a century. (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.).

• Watch boats being built from wooden planks at the workshop on Vanakbara beach, around 5 km west of Nagoa beach.

• Drive east of Diu town, to the 16th century Portuguese Fort and the adjoining lighthouse, which is the highest point in Diu. (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)

• Diu is a perfect place for cycling. Traffic is scant and the terrain mostly flat, especially on the seaside road to Fudam village, which is a joy to pedal down. Cycles can be hired at Neel Auto Garage (02875-255128/98243 63795), behind the Government Godown, near Kava Masjid.

Facing page, clockwise from top left: Some of the fisherfolk in Diu still speak fluent Portuguese; Diu is connected together by two bridges, one in Ghoghla village which is also where one can spot fishermen drying Bombay Duck; The Parsi Towers of Silence and the remnants of a prayer hall though now defunct remain open to everyone; Diu has a rich and syncretic cultural history which is apparent even today.

Most tourists tend to visit from Nov-Mar when there is a slight drop in minimum temperature and humidity.

STAY Backpacker

Family

Comfort

Heranca Goesa Diu is a family-run guesthouse with clean rooms, Goan food and welcoming hosts (02875-253137; doubles `400).

Radhika Beach Resort is set on Nagoa beach, has comfortable rooms, a fitness centre, play area for kids, and a massive swimming pool (02875252553; www.radhikaresort.com; doubles `2,550).

Azzaro Resort and Spa at Fofrara-Fudam is the only semi-luxury hotel in Diu, with a spa , three restaurants, and a poolside bar (02875 255421; www. azzarodiu.com; doubles `4,450).

São Tomé Retiro is set on the top floor of Diu’s St. Thomas Church.

Rooms of different sizes are available, along with Portuguese food (George D’Souza 02875-253851; doubles `450).

Hoka Resort is a compact hotel overlooking the beach, with clean rooms and an open-air lounge area with a pool.

(02875-253036; www. resorthoka.com; doubles from `2,550)

Insider Tip Diu is perhaps the only place in India where visitors of any religion can inspect Zoroastrian Towers of Silence at close quarters—and even enter them. In other parts of India, only Zoroastrians are allowed near the Towers and most often only designated pallbearers go

Hotel Kohinoor at at Fofrara-Fudam is a collection of Portugueselooking buildings with comfortable rooms, amid gardens and little fountains. (02875-252209; www.hotelkohinoordiu. com; doubles `2,6504,650).

inside. Located in the island’s Fudam area are two abandoned dakhmas, one of which dates back from the 13th century. Locals refer to the structures as the Parsi mandir. Until the last Parsis left the island in the 1950s, bodies of community members were consigned to the vultures here.

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Omna Winston (MAP)

Air Flights are available from Mumbai and Porbandar. Return flights are only to Mumbai.

Road Diu is around 380 km from Ahmedabad by road. Overnight buses are available from Ahmedabad for under `400.

Rail Trains from Mumbai and Ahmedabad connect to Veraval (90 km from Diu). Passenger trains are available from Veraval to Delwada, the closest railhead (8 km away).

Taxis and auto rickshaws are available from both Veraval and Delwada.

Short break From Bengaluru

Culture Quest

+ AYS D

2

Find ruins and old-world charm in a corner of Wayanad | By Aliyeh Rizvi

T

Devotees can perform birth, death, afterlife and soul-cleansing rituals at the Thirunelli Temple.

he forest is omnipresent, whichever way you choose to approach Mananthavady, in Kerala’s Wayanad district. Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary with its teak trees, giant bamboo, swamps, and tall grass lies to the east, and merges into the Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary. To the north lies Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuary with Nagarhole (Rajiv

Gandhi National Park) just beyond. The south and west of the district are covered in forested hills too. Mananthavady is a small town with a bustling market, though there are tea plantations around and slick resorts in the forests or near its sky-blue lakes.

Travellers can hope to catch a glimpse of peaceful ‘Vayal Nadu’ (the land of paddy fields, the old name for Wayanad), as they head into the soft Mananthavady sunset, filtering through slim areca, coconut and squat banana plantations. The town’s people are friendly, generous with information, and likely to invite visitors into their homes if they stop to ask for directions.

Though it is surrounded by wilderness, Mananthavady’s draw is cultural. The town lies between the ancient Thirunelli Temple to the north, its architecture beautifully set off by the misty blue Brahmagiri Hills, and the Edakkal Caves to the south, bearing inscriptions dating back to 8000 B.C. But that’s not the only cultural experience to relish in these parts; the local food is immensely satisfying too. Even before arriving in Mananthavady, visitors from Bengaluru can stop en route at Gonikoppal for a meal of batterfried pazham pori (banana fritters) and sukiyam (dumplings stuffed with a sweet golden gram paste), served with milky Coorg coffee. Or while in town, make a recommended break at the India Coffee House for a feast of chicken, fish curry, rice, kalan (buttermilk gravy), kadle (chickpea) curry and banana flower poriyal (stir fry).

eXPLORE Wash away sins According to legend, the Thirunelli Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu was built in the Brahmagiri Hills by Lord Brahma himself. The temple is located 31 km from Mananthavady, on a detour leading north from Kattikulam. Stone relics that were discovered here in 1947 have been dated to about 1500-100 B.C. A walk past an ancient stone aqueduct near the temple, which was installed by a Nayanar queen, leads to purple lotus blossoms that grow in the Panchatheertha tank (named because it is believed that five rivers met at this point).

Vishnu’s five symbols—the Shankha-ChakraGada-Padma-Pada (conch, discus, mace, lotus, bow)—are carved into a rock here. A quick dip 164 national Geographic Traveller INDIA | JULY 2012

Aliyeh rizvi

Divine pursuits

Wayanad’s cool climate is ideal for growing tea, coffee, pepper, cardamom and other spices.

Unique Experience

Hospitality of Strangers Eighty-seven-year-old P.P. Krishnan Iyer skips nimbly through a tour of his neat Tamil home with its open courtyard, red oxide floor, low-ceilinged rooms, steep stairways and dark wooden beams. He lives in Paingatteri Agraharam, a settlement of about 35 houses built in the traditional Tamilian row house style, about 7 km from Mananthavady. While curious neighbours gawked at us strangers, mama (uncle) invited us in for a look around and chat.

Mami (aunt) then made us piping hot black coffee while mama related stories of his ancestors, the Tamil Brahmin

in the Papanasini, a pretty forest pool fed by a rivulet, is said to absolve one of all sins. The immersion of ashes and ancestral rites (pitrakarman) that most devotees come to the temple for, are also performed here.

Visitors may get a chance to savour a special payasam that is made with jaggery and rare bamboo rice, which is harvested once in six years. It is sold by a vendor near the temple for `50 a bowl. (Temple open 5.30 a.m.-12.30 p.m. and 5.30.-8.30 p.m.)

Visit the mother goddess The long evening shadows are soon chased away by the nilavilakku (traditional metal lamps) at the Valliyoorkavu Temple, 5 km outside Mananthavady.

The temple gets its name from the word ‘valli’, meaning a creeper. Its ‘kavu’, or sacred grove, has an Ashoka tree that is special to the locals, who believe Sita once sat under it. The region is rich in Ramayana lore.

The presiding deity is Bhagavathy, the mother goddess, who is worshipped in three different forms through the day. At dawn she is the Jala Durga, at noon she is Bhadrakali, and in the evening she is Vana Durga, who shimmers with an intense energy in the light of the oil lamps.

The temple’s namboodri, or chief priest, believes the goddess has existed in her form here as a smooth stone since the Dwapar Yuga (the third of four yugas described in Hindu scriptures). A 15-day festival is celebrated at the temple in February-March every year, during the month of Meenum (according to the Malayalam calendar). The temple is also frequented by several of Kerala’s indigenous tribes—the Paniyars, Kurumas, Adiyars, Kurichyars, Ooralis and Kattunaikars. (Open 5.30 a.m.-12.30 p.m. and 5.30-8.30 p.m.)

See the mosque without minarets About 23 km from Mananthavady, via Kakody, is the Korome Mosque, built 250 years ago by Athillan Pappan, a Mapilla Muslim who built it and other structures in the area in the traditional Kerala architectural style of a Nair tharavad (family home). Instead of minarets, it has a wooden roof and interiors that are intricately carved and painted. (Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Women are not allowed inside.)

Peep into the past

Iyers from Thanjavur who migrated to Wayanad over 250 years ago to serve as cooks for the royal family of Kottayam.

First impressions Hidden in the forest, the Edakkal Caves located high up on Ambukuthimala hill (about 100 m), exude a quiet energy, evoking a powerful connection with the past.

The caves are near Ambavayal village, 17 km south of Mananthavady. According to local legend, the caves were created by arrows shot

by Luv and Kush, the two sons of Rama. Another story claims that Rama killed the demoness Surpanakha here.

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MITCHELL KANASHKEVICH/GETTY IMAGES (TEA PICKER), Aliyeh rizvi (Door)

Mananthavady

Short break From Bengaluru

Sweet, rich payasam (above) is known by different names across India, and is a vital part of traditional feasts and celebrations; The petals, seeds, roots and stem of the lotus (right) are an important ingredient in various Asian cuisines.

Mananthavady that marks the place where he died of a bullet wound. The museum showcases artefacts, coins, information about Wayanad’s history, and letters from British officers complaining about Pazhassi Raja. (Open 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-5 p.m.)

STAY Budget Four Seasons Homestay Owners Mary and Johnson offer a choice of rooms. The first-floor room is expansive and built in a traditional style, with an open balcony that offers a sweeping view. Three people can comfortably stay in the family room downstairs. (04936-203654; www. thefourseasonswayanad.com; thefourseasonswayanad@gmail.com; doubles `1,500-2,000.)

The Bamboo Village Guests get to tap rubber, plant paddy and participate in village life as

TRIP PLANNER 6 In and around

Heritage: Pazhassi Raja Memorial (in town) Culture: Paingatteri Agraharam (5 km via Thonichal); Korome Mosque (23 km via Kakody) Spiritual: Valliyoorkavu Bhagvathy Temple (7 km)

North/West

Spiritual: Thirunelli Temple (31 km) Nature: Kuruva Island for birdwatching (17 km) Trekking: Pakshipathalam (36 km)

East/South (each is a half day trip)

Nature: Pookote Lake (50 km); Karappuzha Dam (17 km) Trekking: Chembra Peak (42 km via Meppady); Kanthanpara Falls (57km) Culture: Edakkal Caves (45 km via Ambalavayal)

166 national Geographic Traveller INDIA | JULY 2012

part of the homestay programme run by Uravu and Kabini, two local organisations. The Uravu store sells fine bamboo products, vanilla bean, herbs, and spices. A portion of the income goes towards the village development fund. (04936206842; www.kabani.org; doubles `2,000 onwards including food.)

Comfort Agraharam Cottages Conveniently located close to the Thirunelli Temple, it has a forestfacing restaurant serving local cuisine made with produce from their garden. (96050 05020; www.agraharamcottages.com; info@agraharamcottages.com; doubles `3,500-7000.)

Pepper Green Resorts Centrally located in Kattikulam village in Mananthavady, this is a convenient place to explore Wayanad from.

(96450 76760; www.peppergreenresorts.com; wayanad@peppergreenresorts.com; doubles from `3,000 to `5,000, includes breakfast).

Olives Homestay This homestay is located 1.5 km outside Kalpetta town. (94473 58118; www.oliveshomestay.com; info@oliveshomestay. com; doubles from `3,000 with breakfast for two and dinner on weekdays.)

Luxury Vythri Resorts Tree houses and distinctly set apart cottages characterise this luxurious getaway, which is 15 km from Kalpetta (a town that is 32 km south of Mananthavady).

(04936-256800; www.vythiriresort.com; vythiri@lezeldor.com; doubles from `8,500 with all meals, yoga and one-hour guided group trek.) n

Harini Prakash/getty images (payasam), Image Broker/indaipicture (lotus)

Clearly visible pictorial inscriptions in the caves are said to date from 8000 to 6000 B.C. However, in 2009, historians found a ‘man with a jar cup’ symbol indicating links with the Indus Valley Civilisation, which dates to around 3000 B.C. (Entry `30; Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m.)

Homage to a hero Mananthavady houses an interesting memorial and museum dedicated to the heroic Pazhassi Raja, also called Kerala Simham or the Lion of Kerala, a king from North Malabar who belonged to the Kottayam dynasty.

He spent his life fighting the Mysore army led

by Tipu Sultan from 1773 to 1790 and then the British, until his death in 1805.

The shadowy forests of Wayanad offered the perfect cover for his guerrilla warfare techniques. He would dissolve into the mist only to reappear and launch a stealth attack. This warrior king, who once freely roamed the forests with his tribal Kurichiyar followers, now rests under the Pazhassi Kutheeram, a memorial in

Mananthavady

The mundu (left) is pulled up during work and loosened to cover the legs during formal events; Bananas flowers (above) are known to have blood purifying properties.

THE GUIDE Mananthavady is a town in Kerala’s Wayanad district, around 100 km northeast of Kozhikode (Calicut). It is a forested region, with Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuary to the north and Muthunga Wildlife Sanctuary to the east.

Mananthavady is 280 km/6 hours from Bengaluru. It is 120 km from Mysore and is also accessible from Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai.

Getting there Road There are three driving routes from Bengaluru to Mananthavady. The recommended route is Bengaluru-Bidadi-RamanagaramChannapatna-Maddur-Mandya-Srirangapatna-Mysore-Nanjangud-Gundlupet-Sulthan Bathery-Kalpetta. Start early from Bengaluru/ Mysore as all three routes go through national parks that are closed from 6 p.m.-6 a.m.

There are no direct buses from Bengaluru to Mananthavady, but you can take an overnight bus to Kalpetta (`350-500). From Kalpetta, there are frequent local buses to Mananthavady.

Rail Take a train to Thalassery, 80 km/90

Seasons

minutes from Mananthavady. There are frequent government and private buses, tickets start at `100. Taxis charge upwards of `1,500 to travel the distance.

Air Closest airports are Kannur International Airport at Mattanur (70 km) or Kozhikode Airport (136 km). Take a local bus (`200) or rent a taxi (approximately `7 per kilometre).

Mananthavady has good weather throughout the year, ranging from a minimum of 10°C in winter to a maximum of 35°C in summer. It is most pleasant between October and March.

During the monsoon, July to September, it is humid but beautifully green. Summers are hot, between 28-35°C, but with a cool breeze in the mornings and evenings. Most of the local temple and folk dance festivals occur between January and March.

Getting around The best way TO MANGALORE to enjoy the area is to drive there so you have a Pazhassi Raja Memorial car handy for your explorations. Local bus services are available, and you can hire a vehicle to explore specific places (about `1,500 for 8 hours/200 km). Having a Malayalam-speaking guide will help you make the most of your trip.

Thirunelli Temple TO BENGALURU Mananthavady

Muthunga Wildlife Sanctury

WAYANAD Eddakal Caves

Pookotle Lake

Kanthanpara Falls

TO CALICUT

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Aliyeh rizvi, urmimala nag (MAP)

Location