TRAVELLERS PARADISE

Possession of one kanjivaram silk saree is every women's dream, To get a genuine kanjivaram is a great task for every saree loving person. Its a  challenge for me whenever I visit Chennai. Blindly, I make a trip to Kanchipuram from Chennai for at least one day for getting silk sarees from there. The routine continued for many times. My hub for saree is from BM Silk center, Gandhi Road.

 Gradually, i decided to search more about it. The opportunity came when i went there again on Dec 2017. Without any more knowledge i began my travel from potheri station of Chennai to Kanchipuram . It was just early morning around 6am. Numbers of stations crossed . The scenic view somehow attracted my attention from the small window of the train. Without losing any more time my best option was to click the best scene through my camera. Due to little misty, natures beauty reflected at its best position. The chirping sound of birds made the situation more vibrating . Few more passengers waited inside the compartment of the train where they waited to go to their destination. Train was moving towards Tirumalpuri.Suddenly, one question arose inside my mind to inquire about the place where originally silk sarees are weaving. Though unacquainted with the Tamil language I questioned the weaver's village name which is nearby Kanchipuram.It took more time to coordinate with the local passenger. It was difficult for me to follow their language. At last i got what i wanted. Karkkuppettai and Ayyampet are the two villages where weavers are staying and they weave kanchipuram silk. My anxious mind flicked immediately for moving towards that village. I searched the convenient transport for reaching there. While roaming at the local bus depo i enquired from so many locals. No more information came from others regarding the accurate address.. While on the one side time was passing from my hand and no clue about what to do in that situation. With a lot of confusion i tried my level best to ask the right name of Bus which would help me to reach at that particular village.No matter how difficult it was. at last, I got the right bus to travel up to Karukkuppettai. That village is only 9km distance from Kanchipuram. It would be better to take any private taxi for that village. But, my option was to explore all in details with the help of locals. Without that, it could not be possible to go so the interior portion of the village. My travel again began by local bus towards  my destination.The amazing experience that i observed within a short span of time. Very clean surrounding and people were looking contented from their body attitude. Time came finally to reach at the areas where i wished to visit.Indication came from the sound of bus conductor.Consoled with the fact that at least with much difficult i reached at the place of Karukkuppettai.

Now, next question raised in front of me where to go and in what direction. But to my surprise, the nearby shoppers helped me to find the right way. Still, it was difficult for a stranger traveler like me in search of a village where the kanjivaram sarees are weaving. But no signs of indication was there. So many confusion created immediately. Surprisingly while enquiring from one local shopper about the address of the weaver then an old lady came forward. She indicated with Tamil to follow her. Getting a ray of hope from her conversation I delighted to move towards the lane.So many thatched huts existed in one line.Traditionally, the front rows were decorated with rangoli which were looking very attractive for a visitors like me. Others were looking towards me in a strange way. So many questions they asked me the reason for my visit.I went a house of one room along with the owner of that house, she introduced her family members .closely the pictures of their living standard and their skills of making silk sarees came in front of me.Immediately Sitamma and her daughter in law and son made effort to show me how they had been doing hard for making at least 5 silk sarees in a week for which they all were bound to hand over their production to the broker.No direct linkage was there between the shopper and the weaver class. They all got raw materials through a mediator after the preparation of finished product they handed over their particulars to them. The story did not end here. Soon, they explained their life and their pathetic condition. I silently listened all in a helpless way

.Where one kanjivaram silk is available in thousands of rupees in a branded shop. while on the other side the makers are getting only Rs 500 per one silk saree. All profits are going in the pockets of the burgeoning class. We customers are not getting set back for purchasing more than one kanjeevaram from the renowned shop. Elite class never for a second think about the difficulty and the hardship of that particular community. Still, for a moment I lost my existence of my own and mingled with them simply to give them assurance that they were much more good in their life instead of so many difficulties because they had knowledge of crafts for which we Indians are feeling proud.My traveling to that remote village of Kanchipuram gave me immense knowledge regarding the lifestyle of weavers and the system of marketing about the kanjeevaram sarees .without losing more time I captured the smile of their face and their expectation in my camera.Returned back with a heavy heart for losing my paradise.

Magic of Saree

Draping a saree is an age-old tradition for the women of Indian society. The exclusive beauty of sarees lies in its varieties of quality and design. At the initial stages, Royal patronage gave more scope for the weavers to make a specific design for their personal uses.Now the time has changed and present scenario creates a  dramatic wave for the love of saree to wear in every occasion.  I am no exception out of this boundary. Though, at my childhood, I was just keenly attentive towards my Bou who was draped a lot of sarees in the day to day affair.Gradually her influence impacted on my inner sense and later I habituated towards the collection of hand-woven silk sarees that have been available in different parts of India. Curiosity increased due to the intense love for saree and I traveled nook and corner of each state of India to get the knowledge of the history of each particular saree.Out of this Paithani Silk Saree has its own history to tell every saree lover.

Paithani silk saree first originated under the patronage of Satavahan Ruler at the time of 9th century.  Though not spread to other regions, the popularity of this saree began at the time of Mughal period.. Aurangzeb took much pain for developing this skill and placed numbers of skilled weavers at Maharastra.
Paithani is made from natural silk with precious gold and silver metal threads that gives Paithani the Midas touch.The weavers point to the special significance of living in harmony with nature and its elements
The bungee peacock motif in every sarees reprints a story of Saubhagya and that represent completeness of being women.Aswali, a motif of flowering vine in each saree credited to the Peshwa period.
Depending on design, details, and size, its take one or two years to weave a paithani saree.It holds its place as the most precious piece of heirloom that every woman possess.
Before traveling towards Western part of India, I searched a lot from different sources to get the knowledge of getting about the place where its possible to make in touch with weavers of Paithani saree. The opportunity came when I visited Shirdi. Attention moved towards a small village named Yeola just 32km distance from Shirdi. That city is situated at Nagar-Manmad road. Though not too difficult to reach there but the small village with narrow lanes of traditional houses attracts the attention of each tourist. More than one skilled weavers are ready to sell their products. Among all Soni Paithani of Yeola is much reputed for the quality and reasonable price tag of each selected saree. The proof of their popularity guaranteed by clicking so many photographs with famous Bollywood stars like Lata Mangeshkar to Dimple Kapadia.  All these were hanging in the entrance room of their shop.Losing no more time I purchased my most enthusiastic color and design of Paithani saree. Felt like a royal princess to have a piece of the royal emblem with me. Thanked skilled weavers who still maintained our tradition of cottage industry even though they are undergoing a lot of painful problems to save this age old tradition to make wonderful magic for Saree lover like me.

AN UNIQUE EXPERIENCE.......

It was the time of afternoon of hot summer and too difficult to stand at the railway station of Baleswar for moving towards Baripada by local train.Hesitation immediately came to mind not to travel by local train for almost two hours of journey. The sweetening condition made us very horrible to wait for long. Anxious mind always waits to see the good result.The same thing happened to us. The consciousness of crowds around us made a signal for the arrival of the local train that came from Bhubaneswar.Everybody hurriedly went inside the coach to occupy a comfortable seat.It was a different scene to experience with a lot of rich cultural variation in the midst of local passengers.from vegetable vendors to tribal laborers along with middle-class family groups traveled with gaiety. At the outset, the train was running very smoothly as if it was moving towards a hill station. The looks of the train seem it was perhaps a toy -train navigating towards the thrilling scenic view.The mesmerizing beauty of fauna & flora made us speechless to believe ourselves that we were at local train which was moving towards a place like Baripada. Throughout the way, one could experience the beauty of dense greenery along with typical village life. While crossing towards the Baripada a lot of changes very clearly shown. Even though a lot of trees were there but termite nest was visible in every respectable place. It was a very exceptional scene in comparison to other places. In a recent survey, endangered animals of Baripada who ate termites were extinct very quickly.So, its a matter of problem for the coming time.While thinking about all the final destination came. yes, we reached the railway station of Baripada.It was one of the earliest railway stations in Odisha.The erstwhile ruler of Baripada, Shri Purna Chandra Bhanja Deo constructed Howrah-Chennai corridor at Baripada
One of the most beautiful cities of Mayurbhanja district is known as Baripada.It was established by Bhanja Dynasty at the 15th century.The ruins of the palatial palace at Haripur about 16 km distance from the south-east from Baripada proved that how the famous dynasty ruled at Baripada.More we entered into the city eagerness increased to know more about it. The royal palace of Bhanja dynasty has converted into an educational institution. Now named as the Maharaja Purnachandra college.The architecture style of Bhanja rulers was different.The present collectorate Building, MPC  college, Krishna Chandra High School and the Library Building all are a bright example of Bhanja Architecture.

MAHARAJA PURNACHANDRA COLLEGE

     LIBRARY BUILDING

Surprise to see the cleanness of the areas and the river which flows in the city is named as Budhabalang.While moving towards the market areas I saw a lot of big polythene bags were kept at the outset of the shop. To know more about it I enquired from the driver about that.Ohh, that's all puffed rice which is famous at Baripada.Yes, Mudhi-Mansha(combination of puffed rice and meat)is a local delicacy which can pamper the taste buds during the stay at Baripada.

Maa Ambika Mandir is one of the chief temple and highly revered deity in this region.Though it is in Bada-Bazar area I stubborn to visit there as soon as possible at the next early morning.
Jagganath temple of Baripada is considered very famous next to Puri temple. So, the justification was to go there as soon as possible, We went there but not so lucky to get darshan of the deity as it was afternoon time. But I observed from every corner to realize its beauty and the importance of the temple. The unique tradition of only women pulling the Ratha of Maa Shubhadra started at Baripada.

 

The simplicity attitude of the people and the beauty of the place was indeed a matter of attraction to enjoy it very honestly. I forgot to know more about Chau Dance of Baripada which is famous since long back.The simple village life along with the natural beauty create a strong bondage with the tourist which compel them to visit again and again.

 

          

The short staying time at Baripada provided us ample scope to enjoy all in a true sense.

SAFDARJUNG TOMB

Since long I heard a lot about a Heritage Site at the interaction of Aurobindo Marg and Safdarjung Road. The absolute picture came to my mind that it might be an isolated place for Lovebirds. But, my perception changed when I decided to visit that heritage place on Sunday with my hubby. Though the time was just approaching for sunset so I hurriedly entered to that historical monument.I stood silent for a moment to had a sight of the place. Perhaps it was a place for aspirants photographer who was roaming along with their camera. They all experimented to catch the view through their lens. I was also no exception from that.
Yes, the grand mausoleum of Abdul Mansur Mirza Muhammad Muqim Ali Khan better known as Safdarjung stood at the center of the garden.Due to his great statesmanship quality which brought him into a very top position during the rule of Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah who gave him the title of Safdarjung.He appointed as the chief minister of Hindustan and later took the main position in Delhi court.His sudden rise in central administrative field pushed him to create a rivalry group around him.Court politics overtook him and he returned to Oudh and died in 1755 in Sultanpur near Faizabad.His able son Nawab Shujaud Daula took permission from Mughal ruler to build a tomb for his father.
A Grand Mausoleum was designed by Abyssinian. It was built in 1754 by his son  Shujaud Daula.Red and yellow colored sandstone were used.It was told that slabs from the tomb of Abdul Rahim khankhana were used in the construction of this tomb of Safdarjung.It was the last monumental tomb garden of the Mughals.
Now, it is maintained by ASI of the Indian government. No doubt a beautiful place to see the architectural style of Mughals. Lush green lawns are manicuring very neatly around the areas which attract the visitors to spare few moments with their loved ones.

Raghurajpur, the heritage village of India

It was the time of spring when season awaited for blooming of flowers around us. Too suitable climate to visit a place of our choice.  I decided to move towards Raghurajpur just 14 km distance from puri. After crossing the Chandanpur our vehicle turned towards a narrow muddy road. I enchanted with the sight scenery of village life. Barely half an hour later we stopped at the entrance of the so-called heritage village. Hoarding of village name distinctly displayed so that no tourist could get any confusion. The moment I came into contact with local people to inquire about the address of Guru Maguni Das residence, immediately few shopkeepers invited us to have a look at their crafts.I moved to the village which has only two streets with 120 houses.Each house is decorated with beautiful hand painted by traditional paintings of Odisha. The craftsmen were continuously focussed on their paintings on Pattachitra. I just went along with a local young chap who took charge to give us a guide for roaming in the village.our visit to so many houses made us quite thrilling to see their talents of paintings. They usually used organic colors for their paintings.What I saw was full of surprise and stunning.All of them are mastercrafts on Tussar paintings, Palm Leaf engravings, Paper mache, Toys, and masks. .Interactions with them provided very effectively to know about the principles of their artwork.we moved at a house where three to four boys aged between 7 to 13 years were sleeping on the benches. We chatted with the owner of that house. Its the center of Gotipua Odissi Nrutya Parishad.It was founded by Padmashree Award winner Guru Maguni Dash.As per the plea from our side they arranged to perform Gotipua Dance along with a rythemic flow of Mridala and Harmonium.For a moment we spellbound after seeing the body movement and presentation of the young kids.Its the same village where famous Odisha dancers Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra made his name very distinctive in the field of Gotipua dance as well as Odishi dance internationally.  The style and design of Pattachitra attracted me in such a depth that I forgot myself for a moment and I involved myself to capture the best in my camera. The free flow of simple village life along with their exceptional artistic talent creates a place of distinct from others. So, ASI has declared  Raghurajpur as a Heritage  Crafts Village. My long awaited wish fulfilled after going through that beautiful village of Odisha. A place of great interest for every tourist.

Athara Nala (Eighteen passages)

On my last visit to Odisha on the month of February 2017, I planned to go to Puri for the darshan of Lord Jagganath. Though I always make a point to visit there for the sensible attachment with the culture of odisha. Just before the entrance of Puri, we have to cross a bridge that always a matter of attraction for me. I requested my driver to wait just at the side of the road near the bridge so that I could take a snap .I counted the arches type of passages that was 18 in total number. I astonished to see the architectural style of Odisha. Indeed, It was a medieval odishan architecture made by  Bhanudeb of the Ganga Dynasty in the 13th century on the river Muthiya. Almost all tourist who visit Puri they all enjoy the beauty of this Bridge known as Atharnala or  Bridge of 18th passages. Its a wonderful adjoining linkage with Puri. Besides a tourist attraction, Atharanala is a bridge of religious sentiment for the people of Odisha.