Our University of Hyderabad Campus in its full bloom and glory. It is indeed a pity that a year has only twelve months and a calender can select only twelve pictures one each for a month. I would want Ashish our PRO to think of a Calender with a picture for each day and I am sure there would be many more that would be submitted. It's high time we made a Coffee table book on our campus.
As we say goodbye to Uttrakhand and travel via road to Delhi we are enveloped by a thick fog. The visibility even around eleven o clock is hardly 300 meters. There is a warning in Uttrakhand of a severe cold wave by the metrology department which is predicting a snowfall in Mukteswar, Nainital, Mussoorie from 23 rd December onwards. Good bye, Uttrakhand . A lovely trip and as I head home, to Hyderabad ,there is another kind of excitement to be back to the familiar sights and sounds.
Sharing the song of the Film Masoom shot by Shekhar Kapoor at Gagar, Ramgarh, Do Naina.... After the portion of Shabana is over and the camera zooms to the temple with Supriya Pathak and Jugal Hansraj. Thanks to you tube and the film one can enjoy the natural beauty of Gagar for ever.When the film was shot the roof top of the temple was painted white but today it stands with a bright orange in a stark contrast to the green surroundings. A visual treat to the eyes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1NtFQHEZhQ
Gagar in Ramgarh is another picturesque spot in the Kumaon hills, about seven thousand feet above sea levels. It is a very quiet secluded village but with a fantastic view of the Himalayas especially Nanda devi. One finds a lot of solitude here and if one is quiet and pays attention to the sights and sounds surrounding us, one can hear the roaring of the wind and the whisper of the leaves. The area is surrounded by dense forests of deodar trees and one can peep down into a large number of valleys beneath. There is a small beautiful hill top Shiva temple whose bright orange top stands out amidst the green cover. This spot was made famous by Shekhar Kapoor when he shot his film Masoom and the song, Do nena aur ek kahani is shot here. After the portion of the song with Shaban Azami putting her two daughters to bed is over, the camera them moves to a shot of Jugal Hansraj and Supriya Pathak and both walk down the steps of the Gagar Shiva temple. Then the camera gives a shot of the thick forests, the Himalayas and the Nanda devi peak. The area is also surrounded by a large number or orchards.We stopped on the way and purchased some local wares made by a local artisans who had made beautiful bird houses and artifact's with the pine fruits available in the Jungles. A memorable spot and a place where one can admire nature and thank God for bestowing such beauty to our earth.
Finally a History Conference on Food. In history we have been talking and discussing so many issues but hardly any thing is heard about food. The H. K. Sherwani Centre for Deccan Studies at Maluana Aza National Urdu University in association with the United States India Education Foundation is organising a two day conference on Socio- Cultural assimilation and creation of native identity through food practices on 16 th and 17 th December. I am giving the key note address where I will look at the development of food practices, culture and ethos over the different periods in history. The organizer Salma Farooqui has brought in academicians, scholars and practitioners of food to deliberate on this issue. Looking forward to listening to some interesting papers on Food.
Mukteswar is another beautiful location in the Kumaon hills at about 7500 ft above sea level and nearly 72 to 75 Km from Haldwani. As we near the destination we are greeted with thick corneferous forests, jungles of silver oaks and Deodars, huge meadows and different hues of trees and leaves. The Mahadev temple located at the top of the hill is an added attraction.One has to climb steep steps and we are greeted with a Durga, Hanuman and finally the Mahadev shrine on the hill top. Looking down one can just see the vast expanse of the forests and the big valleys of green. Jim Corbett has mentioned this place often in his Man eating Tigers of Kumaon and the Temple Tiger and I was always curious to visit this place but never found the time to do so. I could do this, now thanks to Dr. Surabhi Rai who came all the way from Rudrapur and insisted we travel to Mukteswar with her. It was an enjoyable journey sharing many stories and memories en route. There is a doll museum and a local chocolate shop here, but we could not visit it for want of time. Instead, we spent a lot of time in the shop, Kilmora selling the local woollen wares. The different coloured shawls, woollen sarees, dress material, caps, scarfs and cardigans were a treat to the eye. I had to resist myself from purchasing many of these for they can never be used in the Hyderabad climate. However, on the way down a stop at the restaurant, Chandi Mati is a must for it is known for its tasty food. Since it was past lunch time we enjoyed some very tasty snacks that are served and enjoyed the ambience of the place. The cold was bone chilling and as we moved away from the hill station the sparkling lights down in the valleys added to the beauty and aura of the stillness of the night.
