An Evening With Friends At Historic Coffee House in Allahabad (Photo Feature)
“The love of family and the admiration of friends is much more important than wealth and privilege.” (Charles Kuralt) That’s one of the reasons why I always look for moments when I can be in company of my old friends. Their company helps me to assess my one’s own growth in better light. It’s interesting that one always looks for substantial cause to enter into celebrations. That’s something which makes me uncomfortable since I love to celebrate even if there is no such weighty reason around! This time I managed to persuade all my old friends to be at historic coffee house, Allahabad, all in the name of celebrating grant of fellowship by Aavartan Research Institute, Gorakhpur. That was enough to tame the curious minds of some of my friends too anxious to know the exact reason! The real reason, however, was to spend some fun-filled moments with them. Life has become so hectic that it does not allow two individuals, however close they may be as friends, to sit together and get lost in old memories. That was the ultimate purport of organizing this get together with some chosen friends!
Why Coffee House? Allahabad has recently developed a lot having so many bright and glamorous food outlets but I selected Coffee House simply because being there means becoming part of its glorious history! This place is always occupied by legal hawks, writers and journalists during noon hours and by evening well-known oldies occupy the seats for long hours. This place in the past since early 50s witnessed development in lives of well-known geniuses belonging to Allahabad. Eminent literary figures like Firaq Gorakhpuri and Harivansh Rai Bachchan were frequent visitors to this place. Apart from them, the place has also witnessed rise of new creative wonders! The vibrations there ensure that there is no dearth of good souls in future!
I must thank to my friends from core of my heart that despite being trapped in busy schedules they managed to be part of this informal event at right time! It’s habit of the guests to worry the organizers with a deliberate delay! Mercifully, that’s not the case with events organized by me. I am spared this harassment for which I am really grateful to my friends. I must mention this fact that most of the friends who were part of this event have been my old friends and it makes me really happy when I state that they have all emerged as achievers! It was a moment of satisfaction for me to find them hale and hearty!
Obviously, the event was not solely attributed to dine together! We had some thought-provoking discussions. My friend Sheel, pursuing research in philosophy, rightly suggested that philosophy should also be taught at school level since that goes well with cultural legacy of this nation. Rajesh Kumar Pandey, legal correspondent associated with The Times Of India, lamented that Philosophy, of late, has become popular only because it helps students get good marks in competitive exams! It’s really hurting that a nation which is mired in philosophies of highest types has no mention about it at school level! My friend Ashish Nigam, on the other hand, asked me as to what was the method involved in my fellowship. I promptly informed him that besides books I was involved in interviewing concerned individuals. He also came to throw light on the glorious past of Coffee House, mentioning that visitors at this place love to sit here for long hours! It would not be out of tune to inform that most of the friends who gathered here were advocates associated with Allahabad High Court, who were also once upon a time had been my batch-mates!
There were some hilarious moments too when my childhood friend Pintu, lawyer at district court, got engaged in circulating images which showed us together as students in nursery days! Sangarsha Srivastava, who in past was a ย ferocious Communist leader and now an advocate, made everybody laugh by exhibiting that Coffee tastes less sweeter if you add more sugar in it! The only thing you should ensure is that stir it not well enough with a spoon and then drink it fast! Advocate Susheel Kumar Tiwary, Advocate Shashikant Kushwaha, Advocate Satyahdhar Dubey, Advocate Vinay Vishwakarma and Advocate Neeraj Shukla, who happens to be my brother-in-law, spent some qualitative time with me rising above constraints of time and without worrying about the fact that they have to return back home traveling long distance in night hours only to face ire of their anxious wives! It was heart-warming to hear Satyadhar ji asking me to make visit to this place till fag end of my life this way just like the oldies engaged in deep and interesting conversations sitting beside our gathering!
In the end I need to make special reference to contribution made on part of Arvind Kushwaha, advocate/computer programmer, and Arun Prakash Srivastava, District librarian. Arvind ensured that moments get captured in his camera while Arun ji ensured that all goes well in terms of management. Happily, the event ended on a high note with so many good feelings. That’s not possible without grace of Lord and, therefore, let’s thank the Almighty too for successful culmination of this event! “Take no pride in your possession, in the people (at your command), in the youthfulness (that you have). Time loots away all these in a moment. Leaving aside all these, after knowing their illusory nature, realise the state of Brahman, and enter into it. (Sri Adi Shankara in Bhaja Govindam; Verse 11)
With Friends At Historic Coffee House In Allahabad!
Happy to find old friends for one more time ๐
It’s a herculean task to ask friends to be present at one place on a working day! And they all appeared at appointed time!
Between interesting talks from philosophy to business we also ate ๐ ๐ ๐
The ambiance inside Coffee House permits deep and meaningful talks! You can see few people engaged in deep talks ๐ ๐ ๐
This time I did not say anything and simply enjoyed the whole affair. My friend Sangharsha did say few words in hilarious style ๐ ๐ ๐
Coffee House is best known for South Indian dishes ๐ Dosa is so delicious ๐ ๐ ๐
Sheel Could Not Resist The Temptation Of Riding Royal Enfield ๐
Some of us decided to sit again and taste Coffee for one more time ๐ It’s called partying after party gets over ๐ ๐ ๐
The Party Virtually Ended ๐
Now Only The Memories Of This Get Together Prevail!!
The Party Ended On A Blissful Note! I Am Really Thankful To Lord For Sucessful Culmination Of This Event! Hope All My Friends Remain Hale And Hearty In Post-Party Lifeย ๐ Let me mention names of people who gathered: (From Extreme Left) Rajesh Kumar Pandey, Sangharsha Srivastava, Pintu Jaiswal, Sheel Kamal, Swajit Gupta, Arun Prakash Srivastava, Pankaj, Shashikant Kushwaha, Neeraj Shukla ๐ย The Author Stands In Theย Middle ๐ ๐ ๐ Those who are not in the frame Arvind Kuswaha, Satyadhar Dubey and Vinay Vishwakarma.
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Gorakhpur: A City That Showed Israeli Students Ideal Merger Of Cultural And Literary Values (Photo Feature)
Journeys, whether long or short, always teach you something. For writers like us they are the best means to rise above writer’s block. Last month I happened to visit Gorakhpur, situated in underdeveloped eastern part of Uttar Pradesh, to attend a seminar organized by Aavartan Magazine devoted toย quality research pertaining to social and environmental concerns. This research journal in the past has published excellent papers which have revealed lesser known facets of critical issues. This time Aavratan organized a seminar in coordination withย Deen Dayal Upadhyay University situated in Gorakhpur. The seminar was dedicated to promotion of Hindi- the official language of India. The star attraction of the event was the presidential speech by Dr. Genadi Shlomper, who happened to be Hindi Instructor at East Asia Department, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
It was a pretty interesting experience to hear from Dr.Genadi about his involvement with Hindi during formative years of hisย career. His insights proved to be an eye-opener for huge crowd which had gathered there to listen a foreign visitor throwing light on worth of dealing in Hindi! After all, despite constitutional obligations Hindi has failed to get status of national language. Even in routine life of an average Indian enjoying upper middle class stature Hindi enjoys position of illegitimate wife!ย Indians have beaten Englishmen in exhibiting their love for Victorian ideals and, of course, for English. Besides Dr. Genady,ย listeners also had a wonderful opportunity to hear Israeli students pursuing Hindi language course at Tel Aviv University. Offir Mizrahi, Tal Gorsky, Matan Massika, Yakir Dahari, Alexandra Fer and Adi Fischer who were visiting various parts of India to understand the essence of Hindi in more refined manner had so many interesting tales to narrate regarding their experiences which they gathered during their current visit.
The photo feature specifically deals with places which I came to visit along with Israeli delegation comprising of students. We were mainly interested in seeing places around Gorakhpur rich in cultural terms. That included Gorakhnath Temple, Kushinagar associated with cremation of Gautam Buddha and Maghar which marks the spot of Kabir’s cremation. Gorakhpur has literary significance as well since great literary personalities like Firaq Gorakhpuri and Sachchidananda Hirananda Vatsyayan ‘Agyeya’ were associated with this city. Ageyeya was born in Kushinagar district.
Overall, it was a rewarding trip since it enlightened both head and heart. It’s time to let pictures tell the whole story about the various episodes of this beautiful journey. Interestingly, Dr. Genady was reluctant to tour this city since the place lacked desired cultural value. However, at the end of visit, he appeared to be overwhelmed after witnessing glorious facets of Indian history at such isolated places in this region especially temple and tomb of Kabeer standing adjacent to each other!ย
It’s always a good thing for a human soul to have glimpse of the world outside from a train’s window ๐
An important place! The Non-cooperation movement started by Mahatma Gandhi ended abruptly due to violent clash between the freedom fighters and Britishers at this place! That led to death of many policemen posted at police station when it was set ablaze on fire by the protestors.
Small Indian railway stations always fascinate me ๐ Such a cute name: Gauri Bazaar ๐ ๐
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Gorakhpur Station. Felt Happy On Being Land Of Great Yogi Gorakhnath Ji ๐
Another View Of Gorakhpur Station ๐
A View Ofย Gorakhpur City ๐
Deen Dayal Upadhyay University, Gorakhpur.
That’s U.G.C. Guest House Where We All Stayed During Aavartan’s Program Organised In Tandem With DDU University, Gorakhpur.
That’s how the day began for all of us each day during three day stay in Gorakhpur ๐ All Of Us Enjoying Breakfast ๐
Dr. Genady Making Alexandra Rehearse Her Lesson Before The Start Of Program At University ๐
Ofir whose Hindi was better than others in discussion with Mr. Genady ๐
Seminar Organized By Aavartan And DDU University In Progress At University’s Hindi Department ๐
The Event Also Witnessed Release Of New Edition Of Research Journal Named Aavartan ๐ Along With Professsors From Gorakhpur Univesrity One Could Also Notice Dr. Genady Shlomper, Vaibhav Mani Tripathi And Editor-In-Chief Of This Journal Dr. Shafique Ahmed!
Mainstream Hindi Newspapers Gave Proper Coverage To This Event ๐
In My Eyes This Billboard Explains Why Hindi Never Gets Proper Place In India! This Poster Was Displayed Not Very Far From Gorakhpur University ๐
But I hope these beautiful souls from Israel will keep loving Hindi ๐ From Left: Matan Massika, Adi Fischer, Yakir Dahari, Tal Gorsky and Ofir Mizrahi.
Inside Principal’s Office At Government School At Bhathat, Gorakhpur For Right Reasons ๐ Myself Right Behind Adi, Alexandra and Vaibhav Mani Tripathi Ji. Vaibhav Ji Played An Instrumental Role In Organising Most Of The Programmes During This Tour.
Highly Disciplined Students Of Patel Smarak Inter College Garlanding Israeli Hindi Students ๐
Our Students Were Really Very Excited To Meet Foreign Students ๐
Students Listening Very Consciously Speech Of Dr. Genady ๐
This Inter College Has Lots Of Trees On Its Campus ๐ A Good Job On Part Of College Administration!!
Greenery Prevailed On Road Leading To Bhathat From Gorakhpur!
Places Close To Bhathat Are Famous For Making Images Of Terracotta!
Beautiful Terracotta Images ๐
Great Art ๐
Terracotta’s Lord Krishna ๐
Shiva Carved With Help Of Terracotta ๐
This Cute Ganesha Looked Very Charming ๐
They are the makers of these beautiful images from terracotta! Hope Lord keeps these blessed souls truly happy ๐
Outside Gorakhnath Temple ๐
This Magnificent Temple Belongs To Nath Sampradaya Started By Yogi Matsyendranath ๐
Beautiful Statues Of Various Yogis Inside The Temple ๐
Impressive Statue Of Lord Shiva Placed Inside The Temple ๐ Om Namah Shivay ๐
That’s Bheem Ji In Sleeping Mudra Inside This Temple ๐
That’s Lord Gorakhnath Maharaj ๐ Jai Gorakhnath Baba Ki ๐ Hope His Blessings Always Shows Yogis The Right Way ๐
Beautiful Night Scene Inside Gorakhnath Temple ๐
Gorakhpur Lies In Underdeveloped Part Of Uttar Pradesh But It Can Still Boast Of Good Hotels Offering Delicious Food ๐
It would take a long time to erase memories of this togetherness with Mr. Genady And His Students ๐
River Rapti ๐
At Maghar ๐ That’s Cremation Site Of Saint Kabir ๐
We reached there during evening hours. Deep silence greeted us ๐ -)
That’s Samadhi Site Of Saint Kabir!
Inside The Kabir Temple Built By The Hindus!
That’s Placed Inside This Temple ๐
All Of Us In The Company Of Saint Kabir Ji ๐
That’s Description About This Temple’s Origin ๐
That’s The Structure Built By The Muslims Adjacent To This Temple Which Bears The Tomb Of Kabir!
Tomb Of Kabir Ji Placed Inside This Structure! It was relatively more peaceful site than temple where one could trace many visitors!
Before We Move To Kushinagar Let’s Taste This Shuddha Chane Ka Sattu ๐ ๐ ๐
Dr. Genady Dealing With Queries Of Students Of Buddha PG College Situated In Kushinagar! The Students Did Ask Thought- Provoking Questions!!For Instance What’s The Future Of Hindi In This Age? Dr. Genady Citing Increased Role Of Foreign Companies In India Expected Better Growth Of Hindi In Coming Days.
For Queries Posed By Alexandra In Hebrew All I Came To Say : I Don’tย Know What You Say ๐ ๐ ๐
Found No Opportunity To Have Conversation With Fischer! However, I realized After Listening Her Speech At University That She Was Pretty Sensitive! And Yet As We Parted Ways At Railway Station On The Last Day She Made It Known: “Aapse Milkar Bahut Khushi Hui”. Me Too Felt The Same For Her ๐ But With Realization That Modern World Is Not Made For Sensitive Souls!
At “Pathik Niwas” in Kushinagar ๐ Shuddha Hindi is sometimes tongue twister ๐ Anyway, this restaurant did not give the impression that it was run by government ๐ It was clean and service quite good ๐ ๐ ๐
All Of Us At Hotel Pathik Niwas In Kushinagar ๐
Hotel Pathik Niwas Exhibited Good Images Of Lord Buddha ๐
Another Image Of Buddha At This Restaurant ๐
However, I Noticed This Beautiful Krishna Painting At Anand’s House Who Is Teacher In Gorakhpur!
Standing Before Ramabhar Stupa In Kushinagar. It’sย The Place Where Guatam Buddha Was Cremated Kushinagar is associated with Parinirvana of Gautam Buddha!
Inside Ramabhar Stupa ๐
Ruins Of Stupa Inside Ramabhar Temple!
Tol Gorsky And Monk Under The Same Umbrella ๐
A Huge Peepal Tree Inside Japan-Sri Lankan Temple In Kushinagar!
Standing Before Japan- Sri Lankan Temple ๐
Inside View Of Sri Lankan- Japan Temple! This is used as place for meditation. I saw many people meditating at this place.
Inside Mahaparinirvana Temple which hosts Reclining Buddha!
Standing Outside Mahaparinirvana Temple In Kushinagar ๐
That’s Reclining Buddha! At This Place He Breathed His Last With Words “Behold now, brethren, I exhort you, saying , decay is inherent in all component things ! Work out your salvation with diligence”
This Reclining Statue Built Of Chunar Sandstone Was Discovered By Carlleyl in 1876.
This Huge Bell Placed Inside Mahaparinirvana Temple Always Manages To Capture The Attention Of Visitors ๐
The Structures Unearthed During Excavation At This Mahaparinirvana Temple.
Mahaparinirvana Temple ๐
Dr. Genady Capturing The Best Moments ๐
I Came To Witness This Monk Lost In Meditation ๐
Vaibhav Ji Leading From The Front ๐ Hope They All Remain On Right Track ๐ ๐ ๐
This Huge Tree Inside Mahaparinirvana Temple Caught My Attention ๐ ๐
That’s The Temple Built By Myanmar. It’s Called Burmese Pagoda!
Standing Before Burmese Pagoda In Kushinagar ๐
Beautiful Entrance Of This Temple ๐
Must Thank To Lord That I Found Myself In Land Of Buddha ๐ Luckily, I have Also Been To Sarnath!
Glad To Be In Company Of Such Lovely Ancient Structures!
It’s Time To Bid Adieu ๐ Glad That Our Togetherness Ended On A Happy Note ๐
Hope We All Remain Together ๐ India Has Always Been Close Ally Of Nations Like Russia And Israel! They Came And Sang For Us Some Popular Bollywood Songs To Mark Their Respect For Hindi. And So It Would Not Be Out Of Tune To Attribute This Song To All Of Them ” Jaaiyein Aap Kaha Jaayenge Ye Nazar Laut Ke Phir Aaayegi :-)” ๐ ๐ ๐
Departure Makes One Sad! But We Seem To Be Smiling ๐
Noticed These Children Of Lesser Gods Inside My Train’s Compartment! Beautiful Faces Mired In Pain!!
Reached In My Own Land! Journeys Always Make Me Feel We Depart To Meet Again ๐ Hope To Find Beautiful Faces Once Again In Some Different Land In Some Different Time Period ๐ ๐
Must Not Miss This Article In Hindi To Know More About This Indo-Israel Connection ๐
เคนเคฟเคเคฆเฅ เคธเคฟเคฐเฅเคซ เคนเคฎเคพเคฐเฅ เคนเฅ เคจเคนเฅเค เคนเฅ: เคเคเคฐเคพเคเคฒ เคเฅ เคนเคฟเคเคฆเฅ เคชเฅเคฐเฅเคฎเคฟเคฏเฅเค เคเฅ เคธเคเค เคเฅเฅเคพเคฐเฅ เคเฅเค เคฏเคพเคฆเคเคพเคฐ เคฒเคฎเฅเคนเฅ!
Chunar: A Town Wedded To Mysterious Forces Of Nature (Photo Feature)
Chunar a small town sandwiched between Mirzapur and Varanasi district is virtually wedded to supernatural forces.ย If you happen to be in this city you will surely come to feel what one really means when one says time has come to a standstill! This town as per legends is believed to be the place where Lord Vishnu placedย first step during His Vaman incarnation, and thus,ย this placeย got its nameย โCharanadriโ. This in turn got converted to Chunar with advent of time. The place also known as Nainagarh was depicted as place haunted by supernatural events in novel penned by Devaki Nandan Khatri known as Chandrakanta.
Anyway, the popularity of this place rests on Chunar fort built by KIng Vikramaditya of Ujjain to facilitate the meditation of his brother Bharthari, who happened to be a great Yogi. This fort later fell in hands of Mughal rulers via Shershah Suri. Finally it came under British rule and remained in its possession until India gained freedom in 1947.ย This place is surrounded by Vindhya Hills. In rainy season, this place is no less than a paradise since greenery prevails everywhere.ย The presence of river Ganges provide its a divine touch and so many beautiful waterfallsย located close to this town are like icing on the cake for distant visitors!
Let’s have a glimpse of the beauty which prevails in this area via the photographs.
Chunar Station lies on Howrah-New Delhi route. Many important trains from Allahabad have their stoppage at this Junction station.Beautiful Landscape before arrival of this station.
Vast Open Fields…
Rainfall makes train journey visual delight….
Two old ladies engaged in heartfelt conversation….
Mirzapur Station….
India belongs to farmers….
View outside the train’s window…
Visual Delight…
Treat for the eyes….
Very Close To Arrival Of Dagmagpur Station after which arrives Chunar Junction ๐
Express train was running like a passenger train owing to track related problems ๐
Dagmagpur Station Has Arrived ๐ ๐ ๐
Unknown Dusty Road. Now that’s the rustic charm ๐
Notice That Hills Gain Prominence Before Arrival of Chunar Junction!
Hills are clearly visible if you happen to take road route…
That’s the road which connects my village falling in Mirzapur district with Chunar ๐
Glimpse Of Road Journey To Chunar!
Even Road Journey In Rainy Season Is Awesome..
Chunar Station….
Chumar is famous for pottery work. It’s known for its Plaster of Paris crafts …
An overview of Chumar Station…
Chnuar is a Junction station. One track leads to Howrah while the other track leads to Shaktinagar ,Tatanagar and etc. In the picture one can see CCM arriving from Chopan route. Other well known trains in this route are Moori Express, Swarna Jayanti Express and Triveni Express.
Not many are aware that a dusty road from Varanasi leads to Chunar via Chunar Ghat. The interesting part of this route is that you get an opportunity to have a boat ride across Ganges. That’s the road which originatesย in Varanasi in good shape but as we move towards Chunar it gets converted into dusty road..
That’s the landscape which appears if you happen to take road route to Chunar from Varanasi…
A well known Shakti Peeth On Varanasi-Chunar road route. It’s called Sheetala Maa Temple ๐
Scene Around Chunar Ghat….
Passengers On Way To Catch Boat To Chunar ๐
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Skyline At Chunar Ghat…
Chuar Fort’s Rear View From Chunar Ghat Side…
This Pontoon Bridge Remains Operational All Through The Year But In Rainy Season This Becomes Dysfunctional …
This permanent bridge is under construction!
Cool Backdrop ….
Nature’s Paradise…
View Of The Fort From The Boat ๐
View Of The Fort On A Day When Dark Clouds Ruled The Roost…
Rain waters came to change the face of Ganges…
Hard to find suitable phrase to honour the prevailing beauty…
In The Company Of Nature’s Beauty…
Dance of The Nature…
Who will love to wipe out such scenes from mind’s landscape?
Magic Of Ganges…
Beware don’t use my cousin Kaanha’s this toy steamer to cross the river ๐ ๐ ๐
That’s The Ghat (River Bank) at Chumar’s Side…
Beautiful Shiva Temple ….
Ganges Inside The Chunar Town…
Passengers from Chunar going to Varanasi…
It’s time to wander on the streets of Chunar to understand that some placesย are cut off from the usual pace of time..
Chunar being close to Varanasi has developed love for congested lanes..
Rustic charm prevails everywhere in Chunar…
Streets Of Chunar…
Life goes on…
Life in a small town is very close to real shades of life….
Inside the Chunar Town..
A Popular Corner At Chunar…
Streets In Sync With Peace…
Market Of Chunar…
Streets In League With Ancient Charm…
Look At The Way Homes Have Been Constructed…Not much different than ones noticed in remote corners of Peru…
The Sky Too Is Witnessing Ancient Appeal…
View Of Chunar From The Top …
View Of Sanskrit Paathshala…The building in dilapidated state bears testimony to poor state of Sanskrit teaching…
I came to notice that this city has lots of small and big Shiva temple…
Shiva Temple In Company Of Flowers..
Beautiful Flowers…
Showcasing Greenery…
Rainy Or Winter season are the perfect period to witness the beauty of flowers..
Ancient Shiva Temple Known As Boodhenath Baba Situated Inside Fort of Chunar…
Beautiful Kid…
Innocent Sparrows.. A specie in danger ๐ฆ
Cows pretty excited about being clicked ๐ ๐ ๐
View Of Chunar Fort…
View Of The Fort From Distance…
Chunar Fort Looks More Ancient In Monsoon Period!
This fort has witnessed so many centuries….
Fort That Survived The Onslaughts Of Time…
Saintly Figure Ma Anandmayi Rested At This Place During His Chunar Visit in 50s.
Time Changes…
View Of The Fort From A Corner Famous For Dussehara Festival…
Got An Opportunity To Visit Nearby Jungle Close To Chunar…
Wet Greenery ๐
A Poetic Path Leading To House In Jungle ๐
Greenery’s Dominance..
Delicious Makuni Ki Litti Being Prepared….
Litti ( An edible prepared from flour) being prepared ๐ ๐ ๐
Inside The Isolation Of Jungle..
Connected With The Stillness…
Always Very Close To Ganges…
Close To The Fort..
Shiva Temple And Ganges: Hope They Always Find Me…
That’s The Shiva Temple Always By My Side Since Childhood..
The Same Shiva Temple From A Different Angle….
With A Senior Journalist Of Varanasi/Chunar,Shri Rajendra Mishraji. He is also a well knowm social activist.
Ganges At Evening Hours At Chunar…
Samadhi Site Of One Of The Greatest Saints Of India lying Inside District Court, Mirzapur.
That’s The Place Where He Became One With Supreme Consciousness. Hope His Blessings Continue To Prevail In Our Lives. He Was A Great Divine Figure…
His Ashrama At This Secluded Place Situated On Bank Of Ganges..
Noticed This Cute Shiva Temple On Bank Of Ganges In Mirzapur…
Ganges In Mirzapur….
Ganges In Mirzapur Exhibiting Her Hugeness…
Boat And The Passengers …
Evening Hours At Chunar…
Majestic Sky…
Many Moods Of Sky…
Hope To Find Chunar Again- Native Place Of My Mother…
P.S.:ย All Images Clicked By The Author Of This Post. Unauthorized Use Of Images Without Permission Of The Author Is Strictly Prohibited
Glimpse Of Village Life: An Ode To Serenity And Simplicity (Photo Feature Part One)
Rural landscape despite being marred by new sociological aberrations allow one to be in company of serenity and simplicity.ย That’s one of the reasons which make meย embrace rural world in all its totality. Have a look at these beautiful images which bear testimony to the fact that nature’s beauty alone has the capacity to provide you real bliss.ย This photo feature is in two parts. The first one deals with summer life whereas the part two unfolds life during winters.ย Interestingly, the winter scenes belong to my previous trip to my village few months back.
River Yamunaji in Allahabad
Hilly Terrain In Lalganj, Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh.
My spirit wanders at such places!
Life at its best….
Scenes outside the train’s window as train makes me reach my station Pahara ๐
India belongs to farmers!
Pahara Station That Leads To My Village Kanaura ๐
Overview Of Pahara Station From Atop A Railway Bridge ๐
That’s Busy Delhi- Howrah Route….
Outside Pahara Station…
Glimpse Of Vindhyanchal Hills !!
The Only Railway Bridge Which Connects All The Four Platforms At Pahara Station!
On The Way To My Village…
Morning Hours In My Village….
Neemkaudis of my Neem tree ๐ ๐ ๐
My Neem Tree Planted By The Ancestors…
Small Shiva Temple At My Old Village Home!!
Under The Shade Of My Neem Tree….
Why The Calf Is Not Coming With Me ๐ ๐ ๐
The Home Which Witnessed My Ancestors……
The Calf In My Arms Which Refused To Go Away With Kids ha..ha .ha
The Same Calf In Sleeping Mode…
With The Sweet Cows….
Rice Cultivation Is In Process On My Fields….
Rice Cultivation….
Monitoring Rice Cultivation…
Rural Landscape…
Vast Agricultural Fields…
Village Children Aiming At Green Mangoes ๐
Another Child Playing With His Indigenous Toy ๐ ๐
Serenity ……
Traces of Greenery In Scorching Summer Heat…
Proof That Metal Road Exists In My Village ๐
Imagine A Cricket Pitch Right In The Middle Of This Vast Land ๐ In fact, we played cricket on one such pitch even as the sun came to breathe fire!!
Imagine the silence which hits such places….
These are the places which constitute the essence of my childhood….
Fields near the banks of Ganges….
Canals are important means of irrigation. However, in Uttar Prdesh Canals have become defunct…
My best village friend reading consciously my latest write-up…Glad that she showed a deep interest in it ๐ ๐ ๐
My Best Village Friend Possess Artistic Temperament…This self-made hand fan is standard evidence of her artistic bent of mind….
A Village Kukkur …I mean A DOGGIE ๐ ๐ ๐
The Real Village Of Yesteryear …..
A Chameleon That I Noticed Many Times ….It appears to be great Shiva Devotee ๐ ๐ ๐
Former Gram Pradhan Of My Village…
And That’s The Scene Which Makes Meย Madly In Love With My Village….Ganges, The Mother Of Universe, Flows In My Village With All Its Beauty And Grandeur…..
Ganges: The Lifeline Of Bharata….
Banks Of Ganges Are Confluence Of Peace, Bliss And Divinity ๐ ๐ ๐
That’s why I Miss My Village So Much…
Jai Ganga Maiyya Ki…..
I do not need heaven after seeing such scenes…
A Right Place To Enter In Meditation…
Evening Prevails Upon The Banks…
Ganges In Evening Hours….
Hope Mother Ganges Always Takes Care Of Me Amid Maya Of The Lord….
Captured two naughtiest boys ๐ They are also part of our Village cricket team ๐ ๐ ๐
Myself At My Ancestral Home….A Place That Keeps Me Connected To My Childhood…Hope This Place Never Loses Its Majestic Aura!!!
Evening Prevails….Mornings and Evenings Hold A Special Meaning In Rural World…Their Beauty Is Unmatched…
Time To Catch Train To Allahabad!
P.S. :- The copyright of these images rests with the author of this post. Anybody making use of them without prior permission of the author, or without giving due credit to the author, could be penalized as per legal norms.
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Varanasi: The City Of Moksha (Salvation)-Photo Feature
My Train To Varanasi Just Left Allahabad Junction’s Platform ๐
Beautiful and serene Ganges ๐
And Arrives Varanasi-The City Of Lord Shiva ๐
The City Close To My Heart ๐
Varanasi : One of the oldest living cities in the world ๐
The Square (read crossing) always enjoys a heavy traffic in Varanasi ๐
You will not find streets empty in Varanasi ๐
Mall Culture Also Prevails In Varanasi ๐
Photogenic Kids Playing In One Of The Lanes In Varanasi ๐
Varanasi Breathes In Lanes ๐
Every time I Visit Varanasi I Always Notice Streets In Making ๐
Benaras Hindu University Hospital
Roads Spread On The Campus Of Benaras Hindu University Were Not Only Clean But Also Empty!
A Beautiful Road Leading To New Vishwanath Shiva Temple Situated On The Campus Of Benaras Hindu University ๐
Benaras Hindu University Has A Huge Campus ๐
New Vishwanath Shiva Temple ๐
Myself Outside The Temple ๐
My Brother-in-Law Who Works At BHU Hospital Happily Played The Role Of Lensman For Images Which Feature Myself ๐ The Statue Behind Him Belongs To Sri Madan Mohan Malviya Ji Who Was The Founder Of This Great Benaras Hindu University (BHU)
Beautiful View Of New Vishwanath Temple ๐
Inside The Temple ๐
Extremely Beautiful Ceiling ๐
Beautifully Built Temple ๐
The Temple’s Walls Are Full Of Inscriptions Carved On It Over Marble Slabs ๐
Sri Nandi The Bull : Vehicle Of Lord Shiva ๐
Greenery Is In Abundance ๐
Sri Nandi The Bull Also Acts As Transmitter ๐ Devotees Of Shiva Believe That Whatever One Speaks Into The Ears Of This Bull Reaches Straight To Lord Shiva ๐ My Brother-in-Law Did Not Miss The Opportunity ๐
For Me It Was Enough That I Came To Have The Company Of Nandi Maharaj ๐
On The Stairs Leading To Lord Shiva ๐
Happy Divine Moments ๐
Enveloped in divinity ๐
The Simple Structure Behind Brother-in-Law Is Used By The Devotees To Engage In Chanting Mantras ๐
Rose Garden ๐
Extremely Beautiful View Of Temple ๐
Evening Arrives ๐
It’s A Two Storey Temple ๐
Glad To Notice Sri Adi Sankara’s Bhaja Govindam Strotam ๐
Lord Shiva’s Statue On First Floor ๐ Jai Shiva ๐
That’s The Statue Of Lord Shiva Situated On The First Floor ๐ Om Namah Shivay ๐
Beautiful Ceiling That I Noticed On First Floor ๐
Also Noticed Sri Laxmi- Narayana Ji’s Statues ๐ Salutations To Both Of Them ๐
Complete Srimad Bhagavad Gita Inscribed On One Single Marble Slab ๐ Jai Sri Krishna ๐
Also Noticed Sri Gautam Buddha In A Shiva Temple ๐
One Feels Great Peace Of Mind At This Place ๐
Goddess Durgaji’s Statue Inside The Temple ๐ My Pranama To The Mother Of Cosmos ๐
Brother-in-Law Sittingย In Meditative Mudra Under Ashoka Tree ๐ That’s The Same Tree Under Which Sri Sitaji Sat When She Was Held Captive At Lanka. It’s Believed That This Tree Has The Power To Make You Rise Above All Worries ๐
Kanha My Cute Cousin Really Taken Aback On Seeing Me Leaving Varanasi. He Came To Bid Me Goodbye ๐ Relax! I will Come Again And Again ๐ ๐ ๐
Hope Lord Shiva’s Blessings Always Keep Me In State Of Bliss ๐
Mother Ganges At Mirzapur Which I Noticed While Going To My Village From Varanasi ๐
P.S. :- The copyright of these images rests with the author of this post. Anybody making use of them without prior permission of the author, or without giving due credit to the author, could be penalized as per legal norms.
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Allahabad: A City Wherein Global Salutes The Local (Photo Feature Part 3)
I have no hesitation in admitting that Allahabad (ancient name Prayag) redefined my beingness.It made me down-to earth, allowing me to view life in its true shades. Although I tried my best to capture all the shades of Allahabad, I am sure I would have missed some beautiful locations. I hope ย future writers would explore these untouched places in a colourful way. However, in the last part of the photo feature, I have shifted my attention from modern landscape of Allahabad to areas which still remind of the ancient times. Infrastructural bottlenecks prevented me from using state-of-the-art technology in capturing ย the images and that made me bit depressed. However, now in the aftermath of the publication of photo features, I feel pretty satisfied that I still came to do some good work. These photo features are a tribute to great city Allahabad- my birthplace. A city that taught me how to emerge successful in rising above contradictions to have glimpse of the Absolute!
Such roads making their way through dusty colonies of Allahabad remind me of Varanasi! This road connects Anand Bhawan area with Katra. Katra is very poular among middle class section of Allahabad. It’s also most favourite destination of students; after all, it lies close to Allahabad University ๐
Katra resembles Varanasi city in its style and mannerism!
It was cold and foggy when I came to visit Katra but observe the rush at this place. On ordinary days, this popular crossing at Katra is so full of people that traffic policemen are reduced to caricature of sorts while managing them!
This road needs no introduction for Allahabadis ๐ It’s University Road ๐
One of the eminent hostels associated with Allahabad University. It’s named after Sir Sunder Lal, who in 1906 became the the first Indian Vice Chancellor of Allahabad University! He was by profession an advocate, who later also served as High Court Judge.
Right in front of one of the gates of Allahabad University-Oxford of the East !
One of the things which separates Allahabad University from Benaras Hindu University, Varanasi,ย is the quality of roads spread in University area ๐ ๐ .. The streets adjacent to Benaras Hindu University are so much in love with potholes that while walkingย you have to look downwardsย all the time with fear ha..ha ..ha ..That’s not the case in Allahabad ๐ ๐ ๐
On The Campus Of Allahabad University ๐
Once upon a time I always ventured on these beautifulย roads situated on the Allahabad University’s Campus ๐
A beautiful park on the campus of University..Notice no love birds are present ๐ ๐ ๐
In my days it was not a Central University. Today, it has attained the status of being a Central University!
Road adjacent to Allahabad University…When you move ahead on this road arrives Prayag Railway Station!
Loitering on these University Roads was one of the main activities during College days!
Don’t be confused ๐ We are still inside University’s Campus ๐ ๐ ๐
Notice the activities on main University Road. Streets remain the same but faces of students get changed!
Main Katra Market!
A prominent Goddess Kaliji temple at Katra, Allahabad!
This time Lord Hanuman Ji is resting inside the Temple : -)
One of the street crossings at Katra ๐
A glimpse of life at Katra!
Lonely Road in Allahabad ๐
The most prominent Sports Complex in Allahabad! It’s named after movie superstar Amitabh Bachchan, who hails from this city ๐
Maharana Pratap Crossing ๐
It’s getting dark ๐
CMP Degree College in Allahabad- a constituent college of Allahabad University. It has produced great students in past. And so it really saddens me when I hear about stories of violence, disruption of studies on its campus.ย I had been student of this college and we remember that in our batch most of the students came to score more than students of Allahabad University in prominent subjects like Philosophy, English Literature, Physics and etc. !
And under this great tree Philosophy and English Literature students often had great discussions. Long Live This Cute Tree ๐ ๐ ๐
At this place it was so hard to control the tears..At this place I found some great teachers like Anand Srivastava Sir (Philosophy), K K Ghatak Sir (English Literature), K C Srivastava (Ancient History)ย and many others who imparted so manyย values to young and fresh minds like us! In fact, they were generous enough to give additional lectures in staff room during lunch hours!
Road that led to English Lectures in those days ๐
The park in which my science department friends played cricket during Chemistry hours ๐
I hope new students who become part of this great college would keep its standards high. I am happy to notice that most of my friends from this college of that batch, from both Arts and Science Wings, have done exceptionally well in their post college lives! And I should not hesitate to state that I also fell in love with someone at this place ๐
This cute Krishna Temple in Meerapur area makes me smile. That’s because this area has prominent Shakti Peeths of Allahabad: Lalita Devi Temple And Kalyani Devi Temple!
Entrance gate of Krishna Pranami Temple ๐ ..Name itself is so cute ๐
Goddess Lalita Devi Temple In Meerapur Area! It’s one of the Shakti Pithas in Allahabad!
Goddess Lalita Deviji ๐
Actvities like Ved Paatha always takes place inside Lalita Devi Temple ๐ Sadly, I could not get a better image ๐ฆ
Outside Kalyani Deviji Temple ๐ Beautiful structure ๐
Inside View Of The Kalyani Deviji Temple ๐
Another view of Kalyani Deviji’s temple ๐
And life goes on at its usual pace outside Kalyani Deviji’s temple!
Road Adjacent To Ewing Christian College!
On the way towards Muthiganj ๐
Life in another part of Allahabad away from the glamour of elite areas like Civil lines ๐
Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama, Allahabad. It was established by by Swami Vijnanananda in year 1908! He was a monastic disciple of Sri Ramakrishna!
Front View Of This Important Spiritual Center in Allahabad ๐
It has got its own wonderful library! No wonder this Mission is so popular among students!
Meditation room inside this Mission having images of Sri Ramakrishna, Ma Sarada Deviji, Swami Vijnanananda ji and Swami Vivekananda ji!
Books For Sale Inside The Temple ๐
Close Look At The Books ๐
Havana Taking Place On Occasion Of Vivekananda’s Birth Ceremony At The Mission ๐
Swami Nikhilatamanandaji, current head of this center in Allahabad, giving lecture on relevance of Swami Vivekananda’s views in modern times!|
Very Conscious Listeners ๐
Swamijis at Ramakrishna Mission are very well-informed, highly educated and down-to-earth people!
This tea stall has photo of Sri Anna Hazare ๐ ๐ ๐
Sri Krishna Selling Jewellery ๐ ๐ ๐
Khusro Bagh in Allahabad…A place that gives glimpse ofย Mughal architecture. It has “tombs of Khusrau Mirza (died 1622), eldest son of emperor Jahangir, Shah Begum, Khusrau’s mother (died 1604), a Rajput princess and Jahangir’s first wife, and that of Princess Sultan Nithar Begam.” (Text borrowed from Wiki)
This place cultivates best varieties of Guava. This park is about to get the status of National Eco-Knowledge Park!
It has been renovated to attract tourist ๐ I am happy that it is close to my house ๐
Peace prevails here ๐
Besides Guava trees a large number of mango trees are found here!
As informed earlier such parks in Allahabad are often occupied by students preparing for competitive exams…See how they are engaged in studies ๐
Eco-friendly Hanumanji inside Khusro Bagh ๐
One of the tombs situated inside the Khusro Bagh!
Green house plantation inside the Khusro Bagh!
Very old Banayan Trees inside Khusro Bagh…If you sit under them you are bound to engage in deep meditation ๐
Very Beautiful Scene Inside Khusro Bagh…Leaves Everywhere…A Very Striking Image Both Philosophically And Aesthetically ๐
It was a delightful sight for me to see cricket match going on at such a romantic place ๐
Cricketers giving a pose ๐ ๐ ๐
I had a hard time bringing this squirrel under the lens ๐ ๐ ๐
Such Scenes Make You Fall In Great Romance With Nature ๐ ๐ ๐
Another Tomb Inside Khusro Bagh!
A flower fallen on ground yet it has such a bright smile ๐ ..We should be like this flower: Broken and dejected yet always smiling ๐ ๐ ๐ Anyway, it’s called flower of Semal Tree (Bombax cieba)
Khusro Bagh Has Awesome Sight ๐
PINKISH BLISS ๐ ๐ :P…
That’s commonly called Cotton Tree (Bombax ceiba). In India it’s called Semal and we often notice this tree along the road in Allahabad!
Noticed this depressed motor bike inside Khusro Bagh ๐ ๐ ๐ “Girls don’t trust me” ๐ ๐ ๐
May Lord always give such unfortunate souls enough to eat! I wonder why state-governments do nothing for these abandoned souls? It’s really a sad scene!
And these are fortunate souls, who came to take a dip at Sangam during Kumbh Mela..Now they are happily returning back to their respective places! They come from distant lands, facing all sorts of hardships!
Unlike women from cities, these rural woman are quite tough both physically and mentally! The city women are usually bit lazy types ๐ ๐ ๐
Varanasi sees foreign visitors throughout the year but in Allahabad foreign visitors come only duringย special occasions like Kumbh Mela, International Conferences and etc. Here they are seen waiting for train at Allahabad Junction!
Hope they had nice experiences in Allahabad ๐ ๐ ๐
A Bird’s Eye View Of My Locality From Rooftop Of My House ๐ ๐
This pic is especially for the likes of Sucheta ji and Carmenji living in foreign lands ๐ I hope Suchetaji, living in USA,ย comes to notice at least one cute activity taking place on Indian roof ๐ ๐ Kids from my family having a great time on the rooftop ๐
Allahabadis love flying kites ๐ View of the beautiful sky over my roof ๐
And these are students of the year ๐ ๐ ๐
Kids engaged in serious discussion right in the middle of the street! Kids have become so serious nowadays ๐ ๐
This corner at my locality remains quite busy during festivals ๐ ๐
A Railway Over-bridge close to my locality!! And notice one guy walking in the middle of the railway tracks! That’s why tragedies take place!
Sports Stadium Belonging To Railways!
And evening prevails ๐
On the road near Baluva Ghat! This area is in old Allahabad!
Activities Near Baluva Ghat. Well, ghat in India signifies that we are close to the bank of a river!
Lord Hanumanji in the making ๐ ๐ ๐
Ma Yamuna ji ..She is very dear to Lord Krishna ๐ย And I am really disappointed to see so much garbage on its banks..Let’s not forget that it’s a very busy place owing to religious ceremonies taking place throughout the year.
Who has allowed black beauties (read buffaloes) to take dip in Sri Yamunaji ๐ฆ ๐ฆ ๐ฆ
Scenes around Baluva Ghat made me feel I have traveled back in time!
Black Beauties Have Now Attained Regular Moksha (liberation)ย ๐ ๐ ๐
Myself at Khusro Bagh ๐
India is land of great rivers and great mountains. It’s our duty to keep them clean. Why are we so casual in keeping them in good shape? Hope Sri Yamunaji remains evergreen in this nation. Just see what we have done to her in Delhi area!ย Let’s not the same happens to her in Allahabad. Jai Sri Yamunaji..Pranama to Everybody: Sri Radha Krishna, Gopas, Gopikas And Cows ๐ ๐ ๐
P.S. :- The copyright of these images rests with the author of this post. Anybody making use of them without prior permission of the author, or without giving due credit to the author, could be penalized as per legal norms.
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Reference:
Allahabad: A City Wedded To Realism (Photo Feature Partย One)
Allahabad: City Of True Beauty, Real Romance And Mysticism (Photo Feature Part 2)
ย
Allahabad: City Of True Beauty, Real Romance And Mysticism (Photo Feature Part 2)
Many find Allahabad a very tough place to live an honourable life. That’s becauseย even though it came to enjoy a wonderful divine legacy, it neverย ensuredย a desired vibrancy for average souls. It never created any scope for living a truly fun-filled life, being all the time involved in dry intellectual activities.ย Lack ofย proper encouragement on the part of city towards its vast pool of talented brains have now given way to brain drain sort of affair. Many great souls remained an unsung hero in this city. However, what’s amazing is that it keeps on producing great souls at a regular interval! In nutshell, it’s a city of true beauty, real romance and mysticism. The city teaches you how to remain true to life in a real way, making it very clear to any conscious soul that life is not a bed of roses and it is meant to discover new mysteries of nature. Naturally, average souls running after money, fame, beautiful girl, big house, big car and many other cosmetic affairs would always feel disappointed to be part of this city. Having said that, I hope this city learns to truly honour its exceptional souls and also learns to be bit more blissful! ย
That’s one of the major Lord Hanuman Ji’s temples situated in the heart of the city.. Anyway, it’s so ironic to see love birds engaged in romantic talks at this place ๐
The Streets Of Civil Lines Make People Of Other Areas Jealous ๐
Hard to forget this guy…During university days, I came to buy so many great classics, costly magazines at very reasonable rates..And this person made way for all sorts of desired adjustment. He proudly told me that someone from Times of India also came to click image of his magazine corner…This shop is hot favourite among students! Although Internet has affected the sales, it was good to anticipate the great spirit of his father, also seen in the pic, who digested the change in philosophical way. Now that’s called wisdom!
Quite a romantic place to have tea! It’s adjacent Company Garden!
When I say it’s a romantic place I really mean it too..Just close to this tea shop in Civil Lines area we have many beautiful plant nurseries.. So the air is full of fragrance ๐
Allahabad’s museum inside Chandra Shekhar Azad Park (Alfred Park or Company Garden). This museum displays the vehicle which carried the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi for immersion at Sangam and many other articles of great historical significance!
This park established in the memory of great revolutionary Chandra Shekhar Azad is now favourite place for morning walkers living in the heart of city.. In the noon time, one notices new- age romance ๐ Anyway, it’s a great place for an outsider wishing some isolated hours!
At such places, like this old man, one gets lost in deepest memories hidden in subconsciousness!
Company Garden has the honour of having this wonderful Government Public Library. This majestic building built in Gothic style was designed by R. Roskell Bayne. This building is of immense significance since here only Legislative Council for the North Western Province and Oudh held its first meeting on January 8, 1887. Let’s not forget that Allahabad was capital cityย of United Provinces from 1902 to 1920! Anyway, I am happy that in my college days I was the most frequent visitor! Even now also I can be seen here ๐
It’s not that one notices only romance in parks..In Allahabad most of such parks are occupied by serious students preparing for competitive examinations!
And those students who are not studying inside Company Park are seen ferociously involved in Cricket match ๐ ..This is the biggest park of Allahabad.
Just see the vastness of the park that many teams are playing at the same time ๐ ๐ ๐
Saint Joseph’s collegeย which lies adjacent to Company Garden ๐
That’s the road which connects Company Garden withย Civil Lines-the heart of city dominated by glamour and modernity!
The Mall Culture In Civil Lines!
Well, this new age glamour does attract me but not for long!
Statue of Subhas Chandra Bose Amidst Mall Culture ๐
Laxmi Book House is first choice of any journalist! By the way, how many times do you notice cinema hall and prominent magazine/newspaper corner close to each other ๐ ๐ ๐
Palace Theater enjoys a great place in the memories of all good cinema lovers. It’s one of the oldest theaters in the city. However, its old charm has given way to this new modern appearance ! My choice also witnessed drastic changes from “Thodi Se Bewafai” (1980) to ” Ship of Thesus” (2012) at this Palace Theater ๐ ๐ ๐
However, this historic cinema hall in old Allahbad, Niranjan, failed to start again. This hall needs to be renovated at the earliest. Two prominent movies which I came to see here when they got released were Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi(1982) and Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park (1993).
Indian Coffee House enjoys a special place in hearts of all literary class. It has witnessed many great literary and political figures carving a niche for themselves at global level since late 50s!
Resting place of capitalist forces ๐
Worried about your future ๐ Consult this astrologerย at Civil Lines under this tree ๐