a u g u s t 2 0 1 3 • ` 1 2 0 • VO L . 2
I SSU E 2
Spain the rugged northwest heggodu The soul of theatre peru quest for the golden yarn sahyadris Hiking in the hills
changing cities
Urban Renewal
INDIA Embracing the future | SHEFFIELD A new life | TORONTO creative boom
August 2013 N a t ion a l
G eog r a p h i c
In focus
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Urban Renewal
From the glass-clad buildings of Surat and Bengaluru to repurposed colonial buildings in Mumbai and Pondicherry, cities are being transformed across India
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Sheffield Steel
Life turns around in a city in south Yorkshire, England
VOL. 2 ISSUE 2
T r a velle r
72
in d i a
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Toronto’s Urban Cool
In the Wings of a Village
Walking the city’s hot zones, from chic Queen West to sassy Leslieville
A trip to Heggodu is a pilgrimage for theatre performers in India
Journeys
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The Golden Yarn
An anthropologist herds vicuñas and visits textile workshops on a quest for Peru’s treasured wool
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Galicia, Untamed
Spain’s rugged northwestern coast, in a photo essay by Jim Richardson
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In Search of the Tragopan
An elusive pheasant in the Great Himalayan National Park
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jim richardson
Galicia, Spain
6 national Geographic Traveller INDIA | august 2013
On The Cover august
OL. 2 120 • V 2013 • `
IssuE 2
Spain the rugged northweSt heggodu the Soul of theatre peru queSt for the golden yarn SahyadriS hiking in the hillS
al Urban renew cities changing
INg thE futurE INDIA EmbrAc
|
A NEw ShEffIELD
E bOOm O crEAtIv LIfE | tOrONt
Vaibhav Mehta is a Bengaluru-based travel and fashion photographer. His travel photography includes features on Rajashtani folk dancers, Nagaland, Ladakh, the Kumbh mela and the ruins of Peru.
www.natgeotraveller.in www.facebook.com/ natgeotraveller.india
12 Editor’s Note | 138 Inspire
Voices 16 Tread Softly The Himalayas need our attention
20 Frontier Tales Slow and steady wins the race 22 Guest Column The Best Worst Trip Ever
navigate 24 Port of Call Beyond the casinos of Macau 26 Family Time Child-friendly history lessons in Rome 28 Taste of Travel Pastel from Kochi’s Jewish quarter
48 30 The Trend Cheers to India’s budding microbreweries 32 The Neighbourhood Every street has a beat in the Barranco area of Lima 36 Hidden Gem The many sides of Udupi’s coin museum 37 Tech Travel Apps to make family travel simpler 38 National Park A monsoon safari in Bandipur 44 Experience Toddy tapping in Karnataka 46 Culture Immerse yourself in Kobe’s largerthan-life culture 48 The Masterpiece Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque 50 Smart Traveller The other side of Singapore
get going 116
116 Active Holiday Urban kayaking in the big cities
118 Adventure Hiking through the Sahyadris
short breaks 124 From Delhi History is woven into the fabric of Gwalior city 128 From Bengaluru Lie in and smell the coffee in Sakleshpur 132 Stay Simple joys in Cherrapunjee 133 Stay Unwind in an old tea-planter’s home in Valparai
interactive 134 Photo Workshop Planning your frame with Dhritiman Mukherjee 137 Photo Contest The best of readers’ photos
last page 144 Dire Straits Crumbling sarais on the grand Mughal Road
june 2013 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA 7
Peter Schickert/Imagebroker/Dinodia (pool), Olivier Renck/Aurora/getty images (kayak), Vaibhav Mehta (cover)
18 Real Travel Even relentless travellers have roots
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Editor’s Note Niloufer Venkatraman
Different, But Still The Same
This is a new city, I thought, regenerated and alive, and it’s not just for tourists; the place was full of Thai families and groups of friends enjoying an evening out
town catering only to those who want a taste of its racy nightlife. Everywhere you go, there are signs that Bangkok has invested in public infrastructure. So it came as no surprise when I read that Bangkok has just been declared the number one city for travel in the 2013 Global Destination Cities Index released by MasterCard. One evening we took a SkyTrain to Saphan Taksin, the closest station to the Chao Phraya River and then got a free ferry to Asiatique The Riverfront. Parts of this riverfront plaza of shops and eateries, which opened in December 2012, have been built in refurbished old warehouses that were used by teak traders in the early 1900s. Dinner done, we sat in a glass cubicle high above the city, in the observation Ferris wheel that’s part of the Asiatique complex. This is a new city, I thought, regenerated and alive, and it’s not just for tourists; the night we were there, the place was full of Thai families and groups of friends enjoying an evening out. As we walked back to our hotel from the Sala Daeng Skytrain station that night, we saw that the
quiet side street we had passed on our way out had turned into a bustling red light area with neonlit girlie bars with names and signs that leave nothing to the imagination. We tried ineffectively to distract our daughter with inane conversation, hoping she would not notice the thumping music, the barely clad ladyboys, the body parts on display. As we turned onto Silom Road, we had to squeeze past vendors selling everything from moo satay to khao neow dam sang kay. I was walking with my daughter while my husband was directly behind us. Hearing a conversation, I turned around to see him accosted by a gent with a photo album full of Thai girls sporting come-hither looks and not much else. Though he politely refused, the hustler persisted. Pointing to us, the husband said “Hey man, can’t you see I’m travelling with family”. “No problem.” The hustler replied, “Drop them hotel and come back”. We laughed as we walked on, remarking that though much in Bangkok has changed, a lot has stayed the same. n
Asiatique, Bangkok
narongsak yaisumlee/shutterstock
O
ne of my favourite films from the 1990s is The Full Monty, not merely for the peppy soundtrack, but for the many levels at which it tells the story of Sheffield, a city in decline. I was at the time living in another city very much in a state of urban decay. Which is why I felt quite happy for Gaz and his mates (unemployed men from the film), when I read about Sheffield’s regeneration over the last decade (see Sheffield Steel in this issue). While I love a holiday in a quiet location, I also love the buzz of cities. Last month I spent a few a days in Bangkok with my family. I’d visited the city as a backpacker 15 years ago, and I remember it as one of my best holidays. Driving from the airport to my hotel in a pink taxi, it started to become apparent that the city we were in was unrecognisable from the Bangkok I had visited 15 years ago. Over the next few days, we effortlessly zoomed from one end of the city to another on the Skytrain or Metro. These new mass transit systems had transformed the experience I had as a tourist in that city. On day two we realised that just visiting the city’s temples and palaces was not going to cut it for our seven-year-old. But the new Bangkok, has invested massively in catering to families as well. And so, we wound up at Siam Ocean World, Southeast Asia’s largest aquarium, where we spent half a day. The same mall also recently opened Kidzania, a kid-sized theme park-like city that might sound kitschy and banal to some, but is heaven for children. All these tourist draws have worked to transform a city that is trying hard to shed its image of being a sleazy
august 2013 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA 13
Fable for the Philippines Tourists play a big role in conserving natural habitats
L
inda Adriano was a shy woman. A single mother, she supported her household by selling trinkets out of her handbag on Palawan—a long island of tropical landscapes teeming with flora and fauna in the southwestern Philippines. One day, she picked up a discarded soda can, thinking that if she could collect more and sell them to a scrap metal dealer, she would earn better money. The idea of gathering and recycling cans led her to Ten Knots-El Nido Resorts—an ecotourism company. Impressed by her motivation, the environmental director offered financing and training. Today, Adriano runs a recycling centre that handles all of El Nido Resorts’ recyclable waste, including glass and plastic. “I call it turning trash to treasure,” Adriano explains to me beneath the shade of coconut palms and surrounded by piles of glass, cardboard, and metal cans bound for buyers in the capital, Manila. “Ecotourism changed my life, and theirs too,” she tells me, nodding to her six fulltime workers. There are more than 7,000 islands floating in a sea of striking blue in this remarkably hospitable country, where locals are apt to invite you to a meal accompanied by San Miguel. So it comes
costas christ
as no surprise that after tourism’s heavy trek across Southeast Asia’s once pristine outposts, from Bali to Ha Long Bay, the less explored parts of the Philippines (which still make up most of the country) are poised to be the latest “paradise found.” Indeed, that is already under way, which is why this tale of two islands—Palawan and Boracay—offers lessons as the country lays out the welcome mat to more visitors. Boracay had an early taste of tourism’s promise to deliver prosperity to poor countries. In the 1990s, backpackers flocked to its sleepy villages and hills, chasing rumours of the world’s most beautiful beach. Savvy marketing and mass tourism followed, and the island got pounded by a tsunami of development. Hotels, bars, and mini-malls transformed the once virgin “White Beach” into a free-for-all zone. Untreated wastewater poured into the sea; litter grew faster than introduced exotic flowers; wildlife habitat disappeared; locals were priced out of their family lands. Visitors who saw Boracay when its beach was untrampled would find it unrecognisable today. If Boracay was the hare—taking the full-throttle approach—then Palawan was the more plodding but thoughtful tortoise. (It’s not an entirely fair comparison, as the vastly larger Palawan had built-in buffers against the onslaught; for instance, its wish-you-were-here blue lagoons, coral reefs, and verdant jungle are not all concentrated in one locale.) It eschewed rapid development and the quick profits that accompany it. Along the way, it has embraced sustainable tourism practices such as educating villagers, courting Earth-friendly
20 national Geographic Traveller INDIA | AUGUST 2013
travel businesses, and forging partnerships with organisations such as Conservation International and the World Wildlife Fund. More than a decade later, that approach is paying off: The mayor of Puerto Princesa, the provincial capital, says that tourism has helped protect its cultural and natural heritage. Nearby is the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, with perhaps the world’s longest navigable underground river; the area is a haven for endemic birds, monkeys, and monitor lizards. The park serves as an example of community-based tourism, supporting conservation and directing benefits to local people. In Coron, another Palawan enclave that is home to lakes sacred to the indigenous Tagbanua people, the sustainable Coron Initiative was set up to avoid Boracay’s mistakes. Its action plan includes environmental education for residents and visitors. And this year, El Nido Resorts won an award from the World Travel and Tourism Council for its community empowerment and for spearheading the creation of a new marine reserve. The hare has taken notice. On a recent visit to Boracay, I discovered that new international hotels are bringing sustainable practices to the island. For instance, Shangri-La’s resort uses recycled glass bottles for its own filtered water, and it is protecting the last stand of forest for the endangered flying fox. “We have introduced sustainable seafood, opened an environmental education centre, and created our own recycling program. We use nontoxic cleaning products. Our goal is to show other hotels on Boracay what is possible,” says Amit Oberoi, Shangri-La’s general manager. With annual tourism in the country targeted to double to ten million visitors by 2016, the lessons of Boracay and Palawan are not lost on younger Filipinos. The country rallied thousands of volunteers to an international coastal cleanup (second only to the U.S. in number of volunteers), and the former U.S. military base at Subic Bay has become the first sustainabletourism school in the Asia-Pacific region, educating a new generation of leaders. As in the fable, the tortoises are winning in the Philippines. Our job as travellers is to support tortoises wherever we find them. n Costas Christ is Editor-at-Large of National Geographic Traveler (U.S.) He writes about the changing world of travel.
Tan Yilmaz/Getty images
VOICES Frontier Tales
navigate
Colourful graffiti is an art form in Melbourne, Australia.
24 port of call
soak in Macau's Asian and European sensibilities
46
48
38
xx 50
28 taste of travel Pastel from Kochi’s Jewish quarter
44 experience
DIRT track to the source of toddy
50 smart traveller delve into The Singapore you never knew
Tetsuhiro Kikuchi/Flickr/Getty images (buildings), Nikada/E+/getty images (mosque), sudhir shivaram (owls), ROUSSEL IMAGES/ Alamy/IndiaPicture (mannequin), Food n Drink/IndiaPicture (beer), Oktay Ortakcioglu/E+/Getty images (beer)
h i g h l i g h t s
NAVIGATE The Trend
Fresh off the Tap Brewpubs are urban India’s new addiction By Azeem Banatwalla
A
chilled pint is always welcome, but when it’s freshly brewed it has a charm of its own. While bottled beer is the norm at most Indian bars and pubs, microbreweries that craft their own beers offer a drink with a strong sense of character. Beers with local flavours and spices are fresher and frothier than the average lager. Microbrewery pubs are blossoming across the country and beer aficionados are acquiring a taste for their brews. The trend began in 2008, when Howzzat (Sector 15, Gurgaon) and Doolally Brewing Co. (Corinthians Boutique Hotel, Pune) set up the country’s first brewpubs. Doolally’s light wheat beers and signature apple cider (among others) have enticed more than a few Mumbai residents to pick a designated driver and make a trip to Pune. In Bengaluru the performing arts go hand-in-hand with beer: three of its six brewpubs host stand-up comedy and
theatre performances. Comedians who have gigged at Toit in Indiranagar have fond memories of the makeshift stage in between two giant beer vats. Windmills Craftworks in Whitefield has carved its own niche, attracting a hipster crowd that sips on beer while browsing coffee-table books, or watching jazz performances on Fridays and Saturdays. However, it is Punjabi beats and heavy metal that rocks Gurgaon’s breweries. Striker (Golf Course Road and Vasant Kunj, New Delhi) has a thumping, party atmosphere with live music performances, while Howzzat, doubles up as a sports bar with giant screens on every wall. Located in the glitzy Galaxy Hotel complex, its decor has an urban, almost futuristic feel, with bright neon lights and plush leather seating. Meanwhile 7° Brauhaus (South Point Mall, Gurgaon) looks more industrial with its high ceilings, giant steel tanks, and beer kegs scattered around. With a
strong drinking culture, it’s no surprise that brewpubs have made their way to Punjab as well, with The Brewmaster opening outlets in Jalandhar and Ludhiana. Burgers and finger foods are on almost every brewpub menu, and like wine pairings, some make recommendations for brews and dishes that go well together. Newbies would do well to sample everything on tap before settling on a favourite (samplers are available at every pub). Every brewery has its own version of Bavarian wheat beer, sometimes with hints of banana and clove. Bengaluru’s The Biere Club (UB City) even celebrates mango season with a pale, mango-infused concoction. While wheat beers are usually the most popular, hardened beer veterans (and British expats) believe that there’s nothing more pleasing than a dark, bitter stout. The darker the beer, the stronger it is—and as any beer lover will tell you, it’s an acquired taste. n
WORLD CLASS In June this year UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee made additions to the list of places of “outstanding universal value”. Among the man-made wonders that were put in the spotlight were six hill forts in Rajasthan. Chittorgarh (the largest fort in India), Kumbhalgarh (in Rajsamand), Ranthambore (in Sawai Madhopur), Jaisalmer, Amer (in Jaipur) and Gagron (in Jhalawar) forts are now part of UNESCO’s World Heritage List. In addition to international recognition, the gems of architecture may receive financial assistance from the World Heritage Fund, a body that provides over `24 crores annually for the preservation and maintenance of sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Visit whc.unesco.org/en/newproperties for the list of 19 new sites.
30 national Geographic Traveller INDIA | AUGUST 2013
Photo courtesy: Windmills Craftworks (bar), zoonar/dasha pentrek/dinodia (beer)
Arts are central to Bengaluru’s Windmills Craftworks (left) which, along with a restaurant, microbrewery, and jazz theatre, also has a library of books on design, architecture, and music; Beer in microbreweries is stored in large kegs (right) and has a shorter shelf life than bottled beer.
NAVIGATE Hidden Gem
Penny Wise There are many sides to Udupi’s coin museum Text & Photographs by Supriya Sehgal
A
t Udupi’s coin museum, money doesn’t just talk, it tells tales spanning centuries. Housed in a small, unassuming bungalow with weathered, white walls and a sloping Mangalore-tiled roof, the Corporation Bank Heritage Museum and Financial Research Centre is not just a wonderland for numismatics. Even the average visitor can enjoy the exhibits that are intriguing enough for those who may have only a passing interest in coins and history. Walking barefoot on the cool, tiled floors of the museum I learned about Haji Abdullah Saheb, founder of the Corporation Bank, and one-time resident of the traditional bungalow whose rooms I was exploring. I discovered that India’s oldest form of stamped currency, the Gandharan coin, dates back 2,400 years. And that making change in the 1950s was probably a lot harder than it is now. After Independence, notes of denominations as high as `5,000 and `10,000 were issued. When the economy went through a lean patch in the 60s, the government reduced the denomination of notes, forcing citizens to exchange their big-ticket notes for smaller ones at the
Udupi’s Corporation Bank Heritage Museum (left) has a collection of close to 1,600 coins from India and across the world, as well as a number of interesting exhibits (right) that illustrate the financial evolution and history of India.
bank. These large paper bills occupy a significant section of the display on Indian currency, as they might have in the purses of deep-pocketed merchants 60 years ago. The museum, which opened in 2011, has every form of stamped currency that was ever created in the Indian subcontinent —over 1,600 pieces, from the priceless Gandhara coins to the new, shiny, ten-rupee coins that I have jingling in my pocket. The exhibits are all informatively marked, but history, I feel, is far more interesting when you have someone weaving the story for you. So I stroll down the hall, past the sections dedicated to the Mughal and British eras, until I find M.K. Krishnayya, the President of the Dakshina Kannada Philatelic & Numismatic Association, and a willing guide to inquisitive visitors. From the chatty gentleman whose eyes gleam as he points out exhibits, I see money as I have never seen before—copper, gold, and silver in all kinds of shapes and sizes. There are flat pieces of silver from the Mauryan Empire with motifs of the sun, elephants, and the wheel etched on them. Coins offer keen insights into kingdoms long gone. The motifs on their faces give
us clues about the factors that ruled the lives of people at the time. Some bear the marks of gods and natural elements; others feature the faces of monarchs, and phrases from religious texts. Over the course of the next hour, I examine coins from the courts of Shivaji and Akbar, and others featuring Queen Victoria and King George, currency used by the East India Company during their rule in India. Among the most memorable displays I see, is India’s first one-rupee coin: a solid silver rupaya weighing 178 grains (11.5 grams) made during Sher Shah Suri’s reign in 1540. I wonder what it might have fetched four centuries ago. Thanks to Mr. Krishnayya, I also learn a party trick using today’s coins. Every mint across the world has a unique symbol, which it stamps upon each coin it produces. Mumbai mints for instance, have a small diamond etched below the year; coins from Noida have a dot, and those from Hyderabad bear a small star. If the coin has no motif at all, it’s from Kolkata (09945271614; Corporation Bank Building, next to Abharana Jewellery Shop, near City Bus Stand, Udupi, Karnataka; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon-Sat; entry free) n
AUGUST 2013 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA 37
IN FOCUS Urban Renewal
You can see it everywhere. Across India, cities are being transformed. Most often, this means that familiar neighbourhoods are giving way to glass-clad towers, that vacant plots are being built over with blocks of flats. Fortunately, some areas are attempting to repurpose themselves. In Kochi and Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, we look at localities that are seeking new futures without destroying their pasts
54 national Geographic Traveller INDIA | AUGUST 2013
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Urban renewal
When the British took hold of the country in the 1850s, they allowed the retreating French forces in India to live undisturbed in Pondicherry. The quaint seaside town’s broad promenades, colonial architecture, and penchant for cheese, still attract tourists.
AUGUST 2013 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA 55
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Cover Story
IN FOCUS Urban Renewal
Bandra’s Birdsong café offers a leisurely, window-seat view of a city in a state of rapid change.
mumbai
Urban Village Mumbai’s Waroda Road has traded in its gangs and speakeasies for hipsters and organic cafés By Naresh Fernandes | Photographs By Colston Julian
I
n 1962, the Bombay tabloid Blitz reported that a gang called Luniks was terrorising residents of the quiet suburb of Bandra. The group’s 30-odd teenage members, the paper said, could be identified by the letter L branded on their forearms. The Luniks carried knives and knuckledusters, which they deployed to waylay courting couples and drunks on deserted streets, and in their frequent turf battles with other gangs. Their rivals included a bunch from Pali (who had christened themselves “The Boys of Knobhill”) and dandies from Mahim known as the Forkers (who prided themselves on their threeinch trouser forks). Most of the Luniks lived on the parallel streets of Chapel Road and Waroda Road, Blitz said, and had been “brought up in the company of bootleggers, smugglers, and dope dealers”. When I was a teenager in 1980s Bandra, Waroda Road was viewed with some ambivalence. The working-class area was home to some of India’s best hockey players and to Frankie’s circulating library, crammed with Tintin comics and Enid Blyton books. The hospitality establishments along the street were rather dodgy: Raja Bar, which always reeked of country liquor, and a lodge rumoured to be a brothel. This month, anyone strolling down Waroda Road will pass an organic café called Birdsong, an exhibition space called Art Loft with an attached restaurant serving dishes from the Reunion Islands, and a cosy eatery named Imbiss that specialises in German delicacies. If everything goes as planned, a second art gallery will open in October in a cavernous building that once housed a bakery. Waroda Road has been in a state of metamorphosis for quite a while 56 national Geographic Traveller INDIA | AUGUST 2013
but the process became visible in 2008, when whimsical murals started to appear on neighbourhood walls. These paintings—among them were yellow fish, Elvis, and a fat bird with spectacles—had been executed, improbably, by French graffiti artists with friends in the locality. As bungalows in the rest of Bandra began to give way to residential towers in the mid-1980s, the cluster of streets around Waroda Road retained their hamlet-like quality because the houses were too close together to rebuild and the plots they stood on too small to make redevelopment lucrative. Long-time residents of the old Roman Catholic neighbourhood spent much of the day lounging on verandahs in banians, greeting friends on their way to the bazaar; every evening in May, they gathered at crosses along the street to say the rosary. Charmed by the vernacular architecture and the neighbourliness, several French expats—a programmer at a music club, a journalist, a chef, among them—began to rent homes here. Before long, they were followed by electronica musicians, DJs, and scriptwriters from around India. I didn’t immediately warm to the changes. I was irritated that many of the murals had Bollywood themes, even though few of the area’s Catholic residents care much for Hindi films. Organisers of walking tours began to put the area on their itineraries, but they took to calling it “Bandra Village”, an invented identity that blurred the distinctiveness of individual pockets like Ranwar and Waroda, Colwad and Bombilwadi. Where city-centric websites waxed eloquent about the “quaint by-lanes”, all I noticed was the unruly traffic honking at pedestrians as cars used the narrow Chapel Road as a shortcut to the Bandra-Worli
Cover Story
Murals of monsters and Bollywood stars now enliven the walls of several Bandra backlanes.
koc hi
Once a port-side warehouse, Pepper House now hosts art exhibitions. During the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, it featured the work of visual artist Ibrahim Quraishi.
ENERGY surge The once sleepy neighbourhood of Mattancherry is being revitalised By Tanya Abraham Since the Kochi-Muziris Biennale was held in Kochi in December 2012, things have taken an exciting new turn. Kochi’s old trade centre had already become the place for chic boutiques and art depots but the Biennale also changed the way the old warheouses and spaces in this city are viewed. The ancient district of Mattancherry, which has preserved traditions and cultures brought by ships from East Asia and the Middle East centuries ago, has recently begun to show off its beautiful architecture and welcoming ambience. Starting from Mattancherry’s Bazaar Road, several buildings with Arab and European influences have been converted into creative spaces. One of the first to emerge was the studio of artist Abul Kalam Azad, which adjoins a number of small stores selling designer labels. Next came the large Kashi Art Gallery, which brought to Mattancherry art shows from
across India. (It has since shifted to Fort Kochi nearby.) This encouraged smaller art galleries and artists’ studios to mushroom in the neighbourhood, giving old spice godowns new reason to exist. Fashion found its way here too, with Joe Ikareth’s store selling contemporary-styled clothing using local fabrics. The recently opened Spring Studios, is where musicians and artists are encouraged to experiment. Pepper House is an art gallery, cafe and residency for artists from across the world. During the Biennale, works of internationally renowned artists were displayed in abandoned warehouses and offices, turning Mattancherry into a wondrous amalgamation of ideas. But the older world of push carts and spice stores has not been edged out. Mattancherry derives its new energy from being the link between these two worlds. And, a sleepy part of town has become an alluring destination.
AUGUST 2013 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA 57
courtesy pepper house
Sealink. I saw a grand conspiracy to rearrange the streets of my childhood according to a blueprint that wilfully ignored Bandra’s history and that of the people who lived there. Similar transformations are occurring elsewhere in India. Recently, there’s been intense debate about Delhi’s Hauz Khas, another urban village that has become the site of speciality restaurants and stores selling overpriced film posters. Over the last decade, most of Hauz Khas’s working class residents have been displaced as landlords have profited from renting to commercial establishments. “Cities have always been glamorous avenues of escape, hedonism, and yes—consumption, commerce and change,” the journalist Aman Sethi wrote about Hauz Khas Village on the website Kafila. “But what do the changes we celebrate, and the changes we mourn, tell us about ourselves?” I wondered about that as I walked down Waroda Road to chat with old friends and the owners of the new establishments. My belief that the neighbourhood was being transformed by insensitive people from elsewhere crumbled under scrutiny. Both Bruce Rodrigues, who runs Imbiss, and Jennifer Mullick, a partner at Birdsong, turned out to be locals. They were eager to preserve the area’s character and as concerned as I was about cars clogging the street, so they urge customers to walk to their restaurants instead of driving there. They both shut shop before 10.30 p.m. so their neighbours can get to sleep early. Besides, I realised that the people in our once-sheltered neighbourhood had changed. Everyone seemed to have a sibling or cousin living abroad and all my friends from Waroda Road had travelled the world, working for airlines or shipping companies, or taking assignments in the Gulf and East Africa. They now had a taste for art exhibitions, schnitzel, and oatmeal cookies, and were pleased that they didn’t have to go far to get them. Though some were disconcerted that spaces of consumption had replaced community spirit as the defining feature of Waroda Road, they said that having an organic café in the neighbourhood was preferable to the country liquor bars of the old days. Among the people with whom I discussed the exploits of the Luniks and the Forkers was my friend Rajesh Tahil, whose father owned a tiny tailoring shop in the area. Rajesh, for his part, runs his own publishing company and I often turn to him when I’m trying to make sense of India’s transfigurations. We came to the conclusion that gentrification wasn’t an accurate description of the process unfolding along Waroda Road. After all, we agreed, many of us had developed the attitudes of the gentry too.
IN FOCUS Urban Renewal surat
City Rising How Surat turned an epidemic into an opportunity to reinvent itself By Aakar Patel | Photograph by Vinay Panjwani
For decades, Surat has been a hub for textile and diamond merchants. The city’s infrastructure is now catching up with the resident’s fortunes. 58 national Geographic Traveller INDIA | AUGUST 2013
But after the plague, the centre of the city moved away from the zone it had been in for six centuries. Imagine the depopulation of South Bombay, and its residents shifting to Vasai. This is what happened in Surat. Much of the expansion happened along the banks of the Tapi and on the other side of that old port. In 2006, the river flooded and trapped thousands of people in their homes, triggering another episode of movement, this time away from the river. The other thing the expansion brought was a dilution of the tight caste groupings. When I first visited my parents’ new suburban flat in 2007, I was astonished while waiting for the elevator to see the diversity advertised in the names of the residents. There were Gujaratis of every caste, north Indians and, wonder of wonders, a Muslim name on the list. This was unthinkable when I left Surat in 1994. It is not easy to explain what the effect on Surti society and culture all this mingling has been. One happy fallout is that closet non-vegetarians no longer had to make a midnight run to the Bohri Muslim sheris of Jhampa Bazaar for their meat fix. In new suburbs like City Light, Piplod, and Vesu, the menus of the street food stalls are mixed and inclusive. This can only be a good thing. Five years ago, in 2008, Surat was named India’s most prosperous city by the National Council for Applied Economic Research. Its average annual household income was `4.5 lakh. This did not surprise me, nor did a report in the Economist earlier this year which said Surat was clean in a most un-Indian way. The story of Surat has been of a people discovering the world and improving themselves by breaking out of their caste ghettos, sometimes voluntarily and sometimes through external influence. The city has remained welcoming and open, and though the outsider is less exotic than he was in Tolstoy’s imagination, he has stayed for longer.
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urat was a city with a superb port, and a single road lined with markets that led to its residential quarter. The port was famous enough in the 19th century for Tolstoy to have written a short story called The Coffee-House of Surat. In the tale, a Persian theologian, an African slave, a Jewish broker, an Italian missionary, a Brahmin, a Protestant minister, a Turkish officer and a Chinese student meet to debate the nature of god before going their different ways. Surat’s residential quarter, where my mother and father grew up and where I spent much of my childhood, did not have this cosmopolitan spirit. It was divided into caste-based ghettos called sheris. The sheri was a street with rows of narrow houses facing each other. They shared walls and terraces (and smells and noises) with the homes on either side. The sheri was closed at one end, and it was defensive in design. My maternal home was in Siddhmata ni sheri in Vadifalia, which our Kunbi Patidar caste dominated then, as it does now. Over the years, the sheris were vacated because they were designed for ritual purity (toilets outside the house, cow-dung floors) rather than modern life. Of course, given the proximity of the millions and the centuries-old infrastructure and customs, the ghettos were filthy. So filthy that in 1994, Surat had an outbreak of bubonic plague, a disease not seen in Europe since the Middle Ages. This accelerated the shifting, and suburbs that were thought of as being distant now became the areas where first the middle class and then the wealthy moved. The expansion of the city and the new residential developments it brought gave the opportunity for more immigrants to come. Inward movement had always been aided by the erection of textile markets (Surat now has 100 of them), from where merchants of every Indian community despatch fabric back home. By the time I was in school, in the 1980s, I had classmates who were Sikh, Sindhi, Marwari, and even a few South Indians, children of first generation migrants.
Cover Story
Murals on the doors of Studio Safdar are done by an artist from Kerala.
NEW DELHI
city drama A theatre group sinks roots among the people from whom it has drawn inspiration for 40 years
the professor of history who doubles up as the barista can’t cope with the demand, Raviji’s tea stall pitches in with its services. The stencilled murals on the exteriors of Studio Safdar were created by Pravin Kannanur, an artist from Kerala. His assistants included Saleem Mistri, an amiable rickshaw puller and great supporter of Janam, the theatre organisation that finally got a space for itself, 22 years after it had decided to build a venue where creative people could gather to exchange ideas and work together. A couple of months ago, Studio Safdar was the venue for an exhibition based on oral histories of Shadi Khampur. The displays recounted how agricultural lands were acquired to provide housing for the influx of refugees from the newly created state of Pakistan. They also recalled how the small bits of land that weren’t acquired, were transformed into a shanty town populated by plumbers, carpenters, vegetable vendors, electricians, and other service providers. These dwellings gradually swamped the two separate villages of Shadipur and Khampur, fusing them into one and hiding them from view. The story of Janam and how it came to Shadi Khampur is as unique as Studio Safdar’s location. In 1973, a theatre group called the Jan Natya Manch, or Janam, began to write and perform plays for workers and students. But the declaration of the Emergency in 1975 forced it to call a halt to performances for nearly two years. When Janam returned in 1977, the situation had changed. Trade unions could no longer afford to meet the costs of formal theatre. Besides, the constantly changing political situation demanded quick responses. The artists decided to adopt the form of street theatre. Janam gave thousands of performances all over the country. But on January 1, 1989, political goons attacked a performance in support of workers fighting for a living wage, killing Safdar Hashmi, writer, director, and the leading light of the Jan Natya Manch. A few days later, the actors, now led by Safdar’s wife Mala Hashmi, went back to the site of the attack to finish the performance. Janam vowed to fulfil Safdar’s dream to create a space where theatre workers, artists, writers, and poets could gather to swap ideas and to train the next generation of theatre workers. It seemed only natural that when they were able to afford to create their space, they would do so among the working class people who were their inspiration. Even though the people who run them are from other places, Studio Safdar, the Café, and the Bookshop are rooted within the ethos of Shadi Khampur’s residents and this adds to their uniqueness.
Text and Photographs By Sohail Hashmi
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tudio Safdar, located at New Ranjit Nagar in Delhi’s Shadi Khampur, is a unique performance and rehearsal space. To begin with, it is in a locality housing lower middle class and working class people, far from Delhi’s regular cultural hubs. Until recently, the neighbourhood was filled with shanties built in the mid-1970s by people who could not even afford to pay the minimal rents prevalent in this area. In addition to the theatre organisation, the complex also has a bookshop, and a café. The café has no rate card. You eat or drink what is on the table and you pay what you can. The café and the studio double up as venues for poetry reading, jam sessions, and talks on topics as diverse as Sufism, environmental pollution, and mangoes. The fare at the café includes the piping hot samosas that Aunty Rupa, in the lane next door is famous for; she specially prepares a lowchilli, low-spice version for Café Mayday. Biscuits and patties come from the nearby Star Bakery. When meetings are heavily attended and
The theatre group Janam, crowdsourced money from all over the country and bought space to create Studio Safdar. AUGUST 2013 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA 59
Journeys Quest
gautam pandey
The western tragopan is the rarest of all living pheasants with the world population at less than 5,000. Because of its bright plumage it is locally known as the King of Birds. The close-up photograph on this page was shot at a breeding centre in Saharan, Himachal Pradesh.
Himachal Pradesh
The birds are endemic to the coniferous and deciduous forests of the Western Himalayas, living at an elevation of about 2,000 metres.
Tragopan A quest to film the King of Birds for the first time in India By Doel Trivedy Photographs By Dhritiman Mukherjee & Gautam Pandey AUGUST 2013 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA 111
Dhritiman Mukherjee
In Search of the
Journeys Quest
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very morning at four, the call of the male tragopan echoed over the valleys of the Great Himalayan National Park, breaking the stillness of the night and revealing the bird’s general location to us. That was our cue to leave the warmth of our tents and look for the speckled bird’s whereabouts. Hidden in the foliage and in hides constructed out of jute bags and bamboo, we sat with our cameras waiting for hours, hoping that the rare bird would show up.
Our team of wildlife filmmakers from Riverbank Studios in New Delhi had spent two years searching for the elusive western tragopan—a rare pheasant that had never been filmed in the wild in India. Scientists estimate that only 5,000 of these birds exist in the wild. It has been spotted in parts of Pakistan, while in India it is mainly found in small pockets of undisturbed forests in Himachal Pradesh. The Great Himalayan National Park is the bird’s most protected habitat and we had visited it several times, without any luck. This time, we hoped our search would finally end. So, fingers crossed, we began a three-day walk to a camping ground at an elevation of 10,000 feet, on a three-week trip. Locally known as jujurana—the king of birds—the people of the region believe that God created the tragopan with feathers from all the other birds. According to them, that’s what makes the tragopan one of the most unique and beautiful birds in the world. Summer is the best time to spot the bird. This is the season when it travels up from the lower forest, hoping to find a mate at a
higher altitude. Its loud mating calls at this time make its location easier to figure out. Gushaini village, which is a ten-hour drive from Delhi, is the point of access to the park. Here we leave luxuries of technology and transport behind, and follow the Tirthan River, as it gushes out of the forest, spraying us with its cool glacial waters. The rhododendrons are in bloom during summer and, as we walked on the narrow mountain paths lined by old oaks and deodar trees, we would spot the exuberant burst of colour. It took us four hours to cover the eight kilometres and reach the entrance to the park. These lower elevations are the perfect place to see the Himalayan goral, an antelope that lives in small herds and is often sighted at dusk or dawn near the ridges. From the gate, the path became steep and challenging, rising up at a 70-degree angle. The snow-covered Greater Himalayan mountains stretched endlessly above and around us. In the distance, the river flowed between two mountains like a silver thread. The wind played with our hair and the trees
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formed a canopy protecting us from the afternoon sun. After six hours of difficult hiking, we reached our camping ground in the darkness of evening. When your eyes can’t see much, the other senses get heightened. The sounds of the forests filled our ears. The porters began building a fire to cook our dinner and to dissuade predators from wandering into our campsite. Earlier, we had encountered signs of a Himalayan black bear in the vicinity. A passing porter had informed us that a mother bear was in the area with her cubs. A bear can be dangerous alone but a mother bear protecting her young can be lethal. We sat around the blazing fire plotting our strategy, knowing that no amount of planning could help us find the tragopan. It would have to be a waiting game; we were hoping that chance would be on our side. Waking up to the break of dawn in a forest is one of the most special experiences for the human soul. Tearing away from the warmth and comfort of the sleeping bag might seem like the most difficult thing to do, but once you are standing on the edge of the campsite,
Dhritiman Mukherjee
Himalayan brown bears (left) can grow to about 7.5 feet in height, and are supposedly, the source of the Yeti myth, partly because of their ability to walk upright; The only way to explore the Great Himalayan National Park is to trek through it, crossing streams and glaciers (right) to reach undulating meadows and forested valleys.
Himachal Pradesh
staring out at the valley below, waiting for the first sight of the sun and you can smell the tea that the porters are brewing on the campfire, it all feels right. A forest has the capacity to quieten you. In the silence of the hide, I could hear an orchestra—the flutter of the monal’s wings as it passed by in a flash of blue, the crickets, the griffons flying above, the falling leaves, and the wind playing in the higher reaches of the trees. One day, a Himalayan pit viper, a highly poisonous snake, slithered past one of us. It had come out of hibernation. We set up four camera traps that were programmed to start shooting when they detected movement, hoping to capture the bird when we were not around. Every evening we would check what the cameras had caught. Some days, they would have photographed a passing black bear, goral, and even leopards. The images revealed the diversity of wildlife that was around us, but there were no tragopans in our photos. One day, we decided to trek for five hours to reach the highest point of the route through the park. As we climbed, the trees started to disappear and the topography changed from rhododendron forest to tiny shrubs and alpine meadows. This grassland was home to the Himalayan brown bear. At
this altitude where the grass meets the snow, hikers can spot blue sheep, Himalayan tahr, and if lucky, even the endangered musk deer (hunted for its musk). We got some fabulous footage of the forest. Nearly two weeks went by, tracking and waiting. There were days when we could hear the tragopan close by, foraging in the tall bamboo grass, but before we could turn our camera on, it would fly away and all we would see were snatches of its crimson coloured wings. On other days we would not hear the tragopan at all, so we would sit in the camp killing time, watching the light change. In the quiet moments we had the chance to smell the sweetness of the trees, feel the soft grass under our feet and the cold wind on our faces. The porters would tell us stories and supply us with endless cups of tea. Then one day, just like that, we found it. A tragopan had come down to feed on the bamboo grass that it loves. Chance or perseverance, we will never know, but it was framed perfectly in our camera. It was almost as though it walked into the frame and stopped to pose before flying away. This was a moment of celebration. The porters, who had also become obsessed with our quest, rejoiced with us. n
A bite from the venomous Himalayan pit viper (top left) can lead to localised swelling and pain that subsides in 2-3 days. Fortunately, this commonly-spotted high-altitude snake is quite docile; One of the fun aspects of camping in the park is gathering around the campfire (top right) and listening to the sounds of the jungle as dinner cooks; A number of orchids and lichen that are very sensitive to climactic changes grow within the national park area.
Doel Trivedy is a director and writer at Riverbank Studios in Delhi, which makes films on wildlife and environmental conservation.
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Dhritiman Mukherjee (snake & plant), gautam pandey (camp)
“A forest has the capacity to quieten you. In the silence of the hide, I could hear an orchestra—the flutter of the monal’s wings as it passed by in a flash of blue, the crickets, the griffons flying above, the falling leaves and the wind playing in the higher reaches of the trees”
GET GOING Active Holiday than recreation. Based on their levels of proficiency, enthusiasts can choose from three certified courses. It’s a fantastic setting to learn, especially at dawn when the sun rises over the strtech of art deco buildings on Marine Drive (Rae Sports; 99200 88873; www.raesport.in; beginner course `4,400 for 6 lessons over a month; October-May). Hong Kong
The dumb-bell-shaped Cheung Chau Island is just an hour-long ferry ride from Hong Kong’s Central pier. The island was once plagued by a pirate menace, but today, the only plunderers in the clear waters surrounding Cheung Chau are on surfboards and kayaks. The Cheung Chau Windsurfing Centre (CCWC) at Tung Wan beach allows visitors to rent kayaks. Life jackets are included, and although no prior experience is required, newbies should note that paddling around the island can be taxing on the shoulders. Sharing the paddling load in 2-or 3-seater kayaks can often be more practical. With good weather, Cheung Chau allows visitors a quick getaway from busy Hong Kong, to drink in the ultramodern skyline and spot other, smaller islands in the distance (+852-29818316; www.ccwindc. com.hk; kayak rental fee `630 per hour for single-seat kayak, from `950 for tandem kayak; April-October).
Urban Kayaks’ Ultimate Fireworks Outing tour takes visitors on a heritage run of downtown Chicago, finishing up in time for the spectacular fireworks displays at Navy Pier.
Urban Waters Kayaking in the world’s biggest cities By Azeem Banatwalla & Mikita Jhaveri
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here’s more to big cities than shopping, sightseeing, and nightlife. Escape the metropolitan bustle and watch the skyline loom ahead of you in a kayak. Professional urban kayaking outfits across the world give visitors a safe, fun way to see a new side of some of the world’s biggest cities, and fall a little more in love with them.
Mumbai
The sparkling necklace of Marine Drive is one of the grandest views of Mumbai, but paddling along the bay in a kayak allows you a rare opportunity to see the island city’s skyline from a new vantage point. From October to May, Rae Sports conducts daily kayaking lessons at the H2O Water Sports Complex at Chowpatty Beach, although the setup is more focused on training
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There’s hundreds of years’ worth of history to explore around the Thames and London’s many canals. Although the rain can often play spoilsport, kayaking along the Thames is a thoroughly enjoyable way to work out while exploring London. Kayaking London’s tours take enthusiasts past the Houses of Parliament, under Westminster Bridge and onwards to Big Ben (+44-20-73499591; www.kayakinglondon.com; tours from `3,500; May-October). London Kayak Tours combines instruction and champagne with leisurely tours around Windsor Castle, Hampton Court, and Regents Canal (+4484-54532002; www.londonkayaktours. co.uk; hour-long tours from `1,800 onwards; May-October). Chicago
With Lake Michigan feeding the Chicago River system that flows through the heart of the Windy City, the canals are a great way to explore downtown Chicago without bumping into people every few seconds. The ACA-certified instructors of Urban Kayaks take paddlers on a number of routes that
adams jones/the image bank/getty images
London
include heritage trails, sunset paddles in the downtown area, and lakefront fireworks shows at the Navy Pier after dusk (+1-3129650035; www.urbankayaks.com; tours from `1,510 per hour; includes instruction, rental, and safety equipment). Kayak Chicago takes visitors away from the city bustle to the solitude of Lake Michigan, paddling out from North Avenue Beach (+1-312-8529258; www.kayakchicago.com; from `1,200 per hour for single-seat kayak, `1,800 per hour for tandem). Operators provide instruction and safety equipment, but basic kayaking knowledge, and reasonable stamina are required. Kayaking season in Chicago is May to October. New York
When it comes to iconic skylines, few urban environments can hold a candle to Manhattan. Intermediate kayakers can take in the Big Apple and paddle all the way out to the Statue of Liberty with the Manhattan Kayak Company at the Pier 66 Boathouse near the Chelsea Waterside Park. The more popular “Fun in the Sun” is better suited to beginners who want to learn the ropes in the Hudson River (+1-212-9241788; www. manhattankayak.com; tours from `2,400 per hour; includes instruction, rental and safety equipment). Instructional tours are also conducted by operators like Atlantic Kayak Tours who conduct skill sessions at Annesville Creek on Thursday nights (+1914-7392588; www.atlantickayaktours. com; tours and skill sessions from `1,800; includes instruction and equipment). A group of volunteers under the umbrella
Kayaking may look effortless, but mastering the technique (top left) requires practice and a reasonable amount of upper body strength; Day tours on the Thames allow kayakers splendid views of London’s Tower Bridge (top right); Tandem kayaks (bottom) can make paddling faster and easier, but only if both participants are well coordinated.
of Downtown Boathouse organise free kayaking tours in the Hudson, the cleanest inland river in the US, to spread awareness about keeping it that way (www. downtownboathouse.org). Like Chicago, rafting in the Hudson is conducted only in the summer and fall months of May to October. Tokyo
Kayaking the Sumida River and Tokyo Bay waterfront allows visitors to see the natural beauty hiding behind Tokyo’s urban countenance. In March, kayakers
can witness “hanami” – the two-weeklong cherry blossom festival. The city, decked in pink, green, and brown leaves, can be seen from the waterfront during autumn (October-November). Tokyo Great Kayaking Tours organises trips spanning the Sumida, Onagi, and Oyoko Rivers (+81 34 590 2995; www.tokyokayaking.jp; from `4305; basic paddling experience required; October-June), while the Tokyo Snow Club conducts a tour in the Tama, which ends with trip to a sake brewery by the river (www.tokyosnowclub.com; `4,000 all inclusive; check for dates of next trip). n
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Manhattan Kayak Company (training), maurici mayol/age fotostock/dinodia (tower bridge), tao images/getty images (tandem kayak)
Kayaking
Short breaks From Bengaluru
Hillside Haven
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Sakleshpur offers a year-round escape for the city-weary By Neha Sumitran | Photographs by Siddharth Sumitran
The hills in the southern part of the Western Ghats are peppered with hiking trails that offer sweeping valley views.
I
wake up to a shower of birdcalls. From the window on my left, I catch a long, warbling melody followed by a series of high-pitched whoops. The birds scuttle around with purpose, feeding little ones, pecking affectionately at their mates, pausing every now and then to listen to the whispers of the forest, their tails swinging like pendulums and their heads cocked at a gentle degree of politeness. I can’t identify the red-breasted singer, the owl-looking wise one perched on a tree-top, or the little sparrow-like bird with the yellow-flecked wings, but I bask in their songs. From my balcony overlooking the rain-washed forest, everything sparkles anew. I waddle back to bed, snuggle under my blanket, and
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fall asleep, secure in the knowledge that my picture-perfect forest view will still be here an hour later—with a cup of steaming filter coffee. Located between Coorg and Chikmagalur— Karnataka’s more famous weekend getaways— Saklesphur is permanently swathed in robes of emerald and jade. Its slopes are filled with Arabica coffee plantations, gorgeous waterfalls, and trekking routes to suit all abilities. For those who like to spend vacations reading, dozing off, and living the life of a bean bag, there are intimate homestays. Others who prefer more invigorating weekends can spend their time trekking the Western Ghats, snooping for orchids, colourful frogs, and the numerous species of birds that live here.
Sakleshpur
Manjarabad Club (left), one of Sakleshpur’s oldest structures, was built by the British almost a century ago. The club is open only to members but the staff doesn’t mind if visitors stroll around the building; Shettyhalli’s Holy Rosary Church (top right) takes on a haunting, romantic air in the monsoons when part of the structure is submerged under water; Most of the homestays (bottom right) in Sakleshpur, are located outside town, on sprawling coffee plantations that also harvest cardamom and cinnamon. Sakleshpur’s rolling hills and gentle bird symphonies are the perfect antidote to the city’s thumping, traffic-filled bass line.
Explore ANCIENT RUINS The ruins of the Holy Rosary Church in the Gorur Dam at Shettyhalli (62 km/1 hour from Sakleshpur) have a haunting beauty about them, especially after the monsoon. In the summer, the ruins stand on a scraggly hillock by the River Hemavathi. After the rains, however, the waters of the Gorur Dam swell, submerging half the structure. Built by French missionaries in the 1860s, the church was abandoned when the reservoir for the Hemavathi was built in 1972. Much of the gothic structure, like the ceilings and stained-glass windows, is gone, but the pointed arches, spires, and the sanctuary remain. In the monsoon, fishermen offer coracle rides to the church, rowing their boats under the arches, and past the sculpted columns that now have a roster of names
scratched upon them. If you’re driving, visit the church en route to Sakleshpur. Manjarabad Fort (6 km/10 minutes) looks far more impressive in the aerial pictures taped to chai shops near the structure—its outer walls form a perfectly symmetrical eight-pointed star. It is worth a visit despite its dilapidated condition. Constructed by Tipu Sultan in 1792, the fort has scalloped archways, an unusual, cross-shaped well in the centre, and an underground tunnel that supposedly leads to Srirangapatnam, 114 kilometres away. Around the central courtyard are chambers, now covered in moss, that were once used as stables and warehouses for grain and arsenal. In the 17th century, Tipu Sultan’s soldiers used the watchtowers to keep an eye out for British soldiers approaching from Mangalore. Today, they give visitors a clear view of the Western Ghats that stretch as far as the eye can see.
PLANTATION WALKS Sakleshpur is perfect for hours of pondering or aimless wandering. Most resorts are located on sprawling coffee plantations. Owners of homestays like Mugilu
are happy to accompany guests on long walks, pointing out Arabica and Robusta coffee varieties, cinnamon trees, orange thickets, and rolling meadows that are a favourite with Kannadiga movie producers. Every trip, however small or large, is rewarded with fresh, frothy filter coffee and snacks that range from piping hot bhajiyas and vegetable upma, to biscuits and Mangalore buns (baturas made with banana batter), which are a local favourite.
ADRENALINE BOOSTS The Western Ghats are filled with hiking trails. Some weave their way through the thick of the forest, filled with gurgling streams and intimate waterfalls that attract a bevy of colourful bugs and frogs (watch out for leeches though). Others ascend quickly past the forest of trees to the smooth grass-topped peaks. These hikes are relatively tough, but the feeling of the wind whipping through your hair and the clouds at your feet is well worth the effort. Ask your hosts to give you a thermos full of filter coffee to take with you—it’s a cuppa you’ll never forget.
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Short breaks From Bengaluru
Sakleshpur market is a heady blend of aromas. The stores along the main road sell cardamom, black pepper, coffee, and flowers (top left); Jeeps sometimes go off-road along tracks that are not part of a formal road network (top right); Resorts like Tusk and Dawn Jungle Retreat (bottom right) take customers on short jeep trips around the mountains; Frogs (bottom left), birds, and colourful insects make walks around coffee plantations more interesting.
MARKET WATCH Sakleshpur has one crowded street, filled with stores. B.M. Road is about a kilometre long, clustered with ATMs, petrol pumps, and stores selling spices, coffee, and flashy clothing. At Karnataka Coffee House, you can examine pale, just-picked coffee beans, see how dark they become after roasting, and take home robust chicory-coffee blends. Spice marts along the stretch sell bottles of thick, fresh honey, and packets of black, green and white cardamom, cinnamon, mace, and vanilla at throwaway prices.
STAY Saklesphur has a number of charming homestays and resorts, most of which are a
few kilometres outside the town. These roads aren’t in the best condition, especially after the monsoon, and are not to be attempted without an SUV. Most places, however, offer to pick up guests from the main road closest to the resort. Ensure you get proper directions to the pick-up spot before you leave town as cell phone networks are fleeting. Tusk and Dawn’s founder, H.M Vikram, is an eco-conservationist and local hero, who is known to disappear into the forests for weeks on end. He takes only emergency medical supplies with him, depending on the forest to provide food and shelter. At Tusk and Dawn, which is surrounded by the Shola forests, he accompanies guests on morning and evening hikes that last a few hours. The property houses 12 cottages, a gazebo where meals are
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served, and a bonfire clearing where guests spend the evening huddled around a roaring fire. There are pheasants, geese, ducks, guinea pigs, turkeys, and one brazen peahen that flitter about the grounds pecking for worms and sizing up the guests, who spend the day sipping on chai, napping in hammocks, or jumping on the trampoline in the courtyard. Tusk and Dawn also organises open air barbecues on prior notice (98455 03354; www.tuskanddawn.co.in; `2,100 per person, including all meals). Mugilu is run by Sapna and Chandan Gurukar, and their three dogs, Shunti, Kichu, and Chervo. The cosy homestay is located on a coffee plantation and has four tastefully furnished cottages, each with a large balcony that overlooks the lush, forest valley. Delicious
Sakleshpur Malnad meals and frequent rounds of filter coffee are served in the common dining area, in the company of the chatty, knowledgeable owners. The couple moved to Sakleshpur from Bengaluru a few years ago. Over long walks to jalapeno and green pepper farms in the area, they swap travel stories, and share recipes for homemade fruit wine with their guests. Chandan is an avid birder and a fountain of knowledge about the numerous species that inhabit Mugilu’s grounds. The resort is home to over 80 species of birds, making it a hotspot for amateur photographers (98454 51055; www.mugilu.com; `2,100 per person, including all meals). Swarga, a 25-km drive from Sakleshpur, is perfect for families and large groups. The grounds of this coffee plantation resort has backwaters, which are especially beautiful in the months following the monsoon when the Hemavathi River swells. Swarga is filled with animals, both domestic and wild. The grounds are inhabited by eight dogs, pheasants, fowl, a pet deer, and other strays that find their way to the animal-loving resort. The backwaters are full of kingfishers, river eagles, and terns. The couple that run Swarga organise cardamompicking walks, hikes through the coffee plantation, and fishing trips (94480 54505; www.swarga.in; `2,250 per person, including all meals). Partner’s Bungalow is a British-era bungalow that presides over the Kadamane Tea Estate,
Eat
Perched at an elevation of 3,240 feet, the Manjarabad Fort gives visitors a bird’s eyeview of the Western Ghats. The structure’s tall, pointed doorways, scalloped arches, and sense of symmetry, are typical of Islamic military architecture. which sprawls over 7,500 acres. Rooms are plush, and comfortable. The estate office has an interesting book that dates back to 1959, with handwritten notes on waterfalls on the property, concerns with wild animals, tea cultivation, and migration (94819 25930; www. facebook.com/csknandy; `2,500 per person, including all meals).
Most homestays and resorts in Sakleshpur serve guests all meals and little snacks through the day. However, there are a few traditional eateries that are worth trekking to town for. Shree Durga Mess, near the main bus depot, is a local icon, famed for its donne biryani, mutton ball, and chilli chicken. The mess is no larger than a train compartment and thanks to a chintz floral curtain at the entrance, looks like a cheap saloon from the outside. Inside, it’s brisk takeaway business. Shree Durga also cooks up Chinese, tandoori, and north-Indian fare that the cook behind the counter is especially proud of mastering. Steer clear of these culinary conquests, and ask instead for his time-tested favourites. The donne biryani is a mild version of the spicier south-Indian counterpart, the mutton ball consists of heartbreak-tender meatballs made of mildly spiced kheema in a delicate gingergarlic-yoghurt gravy, and the chicken chilli is a flavourful, spicy preparation made with generous quantities of ginger, green chillies, and ghee. The matka chicken and akki roti (made of rice) at Gandharva restaurant on the main road, are also worth sampling. Sadly, most restaurants and eateries in Sakleshpur do not serve traditional Malnad cuisine, which is famed for its use of pork and occasionally, boar. n
THE GUIDE Sakleshpur is in the Hassan district of Karnataka, 223 km/4 hours east of Bengaluru and 131 km/3 hours west of Mangalore. The town lies between Coorg and Chikmagalur at an elevation of 3,100 feet.
Getting there Air The closest airport is Mangalore 131 km/2.5 hours away. Taxis charge `4,000 for a one-way trip in a non-airconditioned cab. Rail From Bengaluru, the Mangalore-Bangalore Express and the Yesvantpur-Kannur Express, both make stops at Sakleshpur station. The train journey takes about six hours, and offers travellers stunning vistas of the Western Ghats.
Road Having a car means you can explore the region’s scenic driving routes. From Bengaluru, take NH48, go past Hassan until you reach Sakleshpur, which is on the national highway. The roads are wide and in good condition, making for a smooth drive until Sakleshpur town. After that, however, an SUV or jeep will be required to reach the plantations that are anywhere between 20 minutes to an hour outside town.
Getting around Local buses ply between towns and are useful to make trips to neighbouring Coorg or Chikmagalur. Taxis and auto rickshaws can be hired near the bus stop, to take visitors to plantations.
Season Sakleshpur remains pleasant throughout the year, save for a few weeks in July, when the monsoons (June-August) unleash their full vengeance. Summer days are warm (about 30˚C), but thanks to brief afternoon showers, the temperature drops to 20˚C in the evenings, even in May. Winter (Oct-end to Jan-end) is cold enough to demand light extra layers. Day temperatures hover around the mid-20s and drop at least ten degrees when the sun sets. Sakleshpur is at its greenest in
To Bengaluru
Hassan district Sakleshpur Manjarabad Fort Gorur Dam
To Mysore
the months between August and September, when the days are misty and evenings cool.
august 2013 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA 131
diviya mehra (map)
Orientation