Pondicherry by Walk

 I was in Pondicherry for a couple of days on work and walked to White Town and the Promenade beach from my hotel. I passed by old residential areas, 100 year old buildings, past the Port area which has a huge ground where many youngsters were playing cricket, see the lighthouse from far, into the quaint  White Town area with its old heritage buildings, brightly painted gates and doors, the walk on the beach road which was only for pedestrians in that time of the day, structures, statues, symbols, parks, museums - I could keep walking all day. You could stop by for a bite here, a chai there and enjoy a beautiful day out.

Villa Pondicherry

Statue of Marquis Dupleix, Governor

Abner.C

Avenue

'

Sunday Fish Market

On the last day while heading out to Chennai I dropped in at this beautiful place - Adishakti Laboratory for Theatre Art Research which is a contemporary theatre research and repertory company. 

PWD Office

Ambedkar Manimandapam

Aurobindo Ashram Press

Martyr's Memorial (I think)

Statue of Gandhiji

Conceived and grown by Veenapani Chawla, a pioneer in experimental theatre in India, it started in Bombay in 1981 and moved to Pondicherry in 2000-07 period. It conducts research, workshops and seminars. 

Customs House

Memorial 

Puducherry Museum

My friend Nimmi Raphael lives there with her husband Vinay who is the creative head and the main man behind the force. I dropped in for 1 short bit to say Hi to Nimmi who was kind enough to take a break from her rehearsal to meet me and also said hi to Vinay who told me he was in the Ranji Trophy probables for Kerala when he chose theatre over cricket. We decided to continue our conversation on cricket the next time we meet.

Museum

Interesting structure in the park

Police Museum

Statue

Notre Dame Des Anges

Adishakti entrance

I would have loved to see the museums but they were closed at that hour. Later hopefully. Back to Chennai and then to Hyderabad.       

Hyderabad by Walk - Bonalu Walk at Hari Bowli

This was a walk organised by Tanya on the same day as the British Residency walk - a walk at Hari Bowli to watch the Bonalu celebrations. The Bonalu celebrations are celebrated across the twin cities starting with Golconda and traversing across to Secunderabad and the old city. Hari Bowli is where the Akkanna Madanna temple is, where the two ministers who served the last Qutb Shahi Sultan Abul Hasan Tana Shah would pray before commencing their day.

Akkanna Madanna temple

In light of the traffic restrictions it made sense to take the Metro to Imlibun Bus stand and then take an auto rickshaw to Hari Bowli. Once I got there I realised that there were large crowds and police barricades which were being removed once in a while to let out politicians who came to visit the temple.

A view of the crowd

One thing that was different with the Hari Bowli Bonalu was the fun the kids were having with the Potharajus. Every time a procession would come with a Potharaju, the kids, dresse din white kurta and pyjama would surround him or go near him, fearfully. Apparently to get hit by the Potharajus rope whip or to get him to spa his hand on your back is considered good luck. So they go close to him not knowing what he will do. Many wear those clothes with those marks with great pride.

Potharaju and his badges of luck

Another Potharaju

With all this happening, a huge bunch of young kids running around, the crowd surges and swells every now and then. The drum beats, the Potharaju's dance, the beautifully decked up ladies and their bonams, the decorated temples were a sight to see. Of course it could all just go out of control so we stepped to the side as the crowd swelled.

Thottelu

We crossed over past the Akkanna Madanna temple and waited near the Jagadamba temple. Tanya gave us a brief about the history of bonalu and how it is celebrated during the Ashada month as a feast (bonam derived from bhojanam which means feast) to thank the Goddess Mahakali (in the form of Yellamma) for fulfillment of their vows etc.

Maharaja Kishen Prasad deori

From the surging crowd we stepped into a side lane where the erstwhile deodi of Maharaja Kishen Pershad, who was twice the Prime Minister to the 6th and the 7th Nizams. The well read and much admired Prime Minister has his roots tracing back to Todar Mal, the finance Minister of Akbar. Kishen Prasad's grandfather was another Prime Minister, the feisty Chandu Lal. The once beautiful deodi is now converted into a hospital and most of its grand palaces and buildings are no more.

The old building entrance

The actual building inside

We walked into some other gullies, into small temples around and on the way out saw a cute old deodi and went in. It was a pretty old structure, quaint, character oozing out of every part of the house. Some one said that sixteen families lived in that little compound.

Entrance near the Jagadamba temple

The walking group

 Quite a heady experience. My wish of watching the bonalu festival and experience it to some extent was fulfilled too. And for granting that, I must thank Goddess Yellamma as well. Tanya as always carried cards, water, gave nice presentations and was generally the consummate professional that she is. 

Thought for the Day - People Sans Feelings

Sometimes I wonder if I feel too much. Like a sentimental guy (Is there something wrong with being sentimental). Writing had definitely opened up so many parts of me which were bottled up earlier, not knowing how to express, how to feel...parts that are now alive and open and can't keep quiet. Feelings, if they're let loose, have a way of dragging me away from the present into the past. The future.

Sometimes I wonder if i can just dial back and not feel. Just be. Without the feeling, without that extra thought. Just me. Just me being. 

Stripping myself of feeling keeps things simple. Keeps me present. Keeps me aware. 

Focused on what's good for me.

Acts of Love - Shared Moments

 In the midst of all the din and madness of Bonalu in Hari Bowli last Saturday, I saw these two friends sitting by the sidewalk perhaps tired after running around the Potharajus or whatever. It was the perfect share moment between two people - quiet, comfortable, just there for one another after a tiring outing. 

And in these shared moments are addressed our fears, our apprehensions, our dreams, the best and worst parts of us and we know that the other will get you no matter what. That you will be understood and not be judged. That you could just get up and the other will also get up, or he might just say, let's stay a bit more and you both do. For one another.

A life of fun, frolic, food, family, love, friendship, cricket, football, festivals - they might dream of being Test cricketers, business people, going abroad, studying - all too fragile in their hearts. But they can hold them safely there with the friend next to them, without saying a word, knowing it is a safe space.

Silence in such shared moments. Acts of love.

Hyderabad by Walk - The British Residency

I have been meaning to get one of those Heritage Walks to the British residency, the first European style building in Hyderabad, so I could get a peep in (the last time was a rather cursory visit in May). Luckily Tanya, an Architect by profession who also does Heritage walks as a passion, was organising one to the Residency on July 20th so I signed up. For years it was known popularly as Koti Women's College ever since the state government took over in 1950 after Independence. Apparently the Residency building was a bone of contention between the Government of India and the Nizam (who had paid for its construction) so finally they decided to use it for the Women's College. Recently in 2022, the college was upgraded into a University and it is now called Veeranari Chakali Ilamma Women's University. 

The British Residency, Hyderabad
(later converted into Women's College, Koti in 1950 and further into Veeranari Chakali Illama Women's University in 2022)
  

A closer view

The British Residency in its present state was built around 1798-1805 after the 2nd Nizam of the Asaf Jahi dynasty Nizam Ali Khan sanctioned the building of the mansion across the Musi which separated the Old City where the seat of power was and the British Resident. Originally, earlier Residents lived in a large house on this 63 acre estate which was converted into a double storeyed house by William Kirkpatrick, the 5th British Resident, and then converted into this magnificent mansion by his brother, the 6th Resident, James Achilles Kirkpatrick. James led an interesting life and books like 'The White Mughal' by William Dalrymple have been written on him. Apart from building the majestic building, Kirkpatrick also fell in love with the customs of the Mughal court and soon adopted many of their practices, clothes and so on. So local had he become that word was sent to the powers that be in Kolkata that he was getting too Indianised for their comfort.

The Ball Room

The papier mache ceiling

Kirkpatrick also fell in love with a local lady, fourteen year old Khair un-Nisa, and they married and had two children. He built a zenana (Rang Mahal) where she stayed and also built a model of the Residency so the women in purdah could admire the building and its grand architecture. Shortly afterwards he was called to Calcutta to explain himself and he spent some time there before he died rather young in his twenties. The two children were sent to England while Khair un-Nisa also died rather young a few years later.

The stairway

Ceiling

The Residency however was where the British ruled from and in total there were 34 Residents who ruled from Hyderabad. Considering the architecture and style of the Residency, it was clearly a forceful political statement, to which the 5th Nizam Afzal-ud Daula responded by making an grander Chowmahalla Palace between 1957-69, which then led to European architecture becoming localised in Hyderabad. A slew of European style palaces were built thereafter - Falak Numa, Bashirbagh, Jaha Numa, Khurshid Jah, Mahbub Mansion and so on.

During the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny the Residency attacked by a group of rebels led by Maulvi Allauddin and Turrebaz Khan but the British, with help from the Nizam's government, quelled the rebel uprising (which was under the banner of the Mughal Emperor!). Interestingly the roads that flank the Residency are named after these two rebel warriors who led the Hyderabad mutiny - the one on the Koti side is named after Turrebaz Khan and the one abutting the Musi River is named after Maulvi Allauddin.

Mirror

Restored rooms with exhibits

As an architect Tanya gave us the low down of the facade and pointed out many beautiful details which we normally miss otherwise. The building is similar to the White House they say which was built around the same time -built in Palladian style with six Corinthian pillars supporting the roof. Once inside we step into a magnificent Ball Room with chandeliers and more importantly a papier mache ceiling which Tanya said (and later showed in the display) was made of several small parts which were integrated into the design - intricate and rare work which has now been restored again. We went up the stairs through a grand staircase and viewed several artifacts, letters from people like Bertrand Russel and Somerset Maugham who wrote to the Principal, pictures, details of how the restoration work was carried on and watched an AV presented by the Architects who did the restoration work. We walked out to the balcony behind which looked over the gardens and the zenana and Rang Mahal (not there anymore) where I think Khair un-Nisa lived.

Lion 

Model of the Residency 

Another view

On the way down we went down to the basement which served as Residency courts, treasury vaults, a wine cellar and even as a jail during the Sepoy Mutiny time. We went around the building and saw the Lansdowne Gate which is one of the three gates - the other two being the massive Empress Gate and Roberts Gate. To the right were large sports fields which are used to play cricket and other sports. We skirted the Lansdowne gate and came upon a well laid out garden with three fountains and at the bottom of it was a beautiful model of the Residency. 

Pigeon House - Check out the High Flood Level Mark on the lower part of the rectangle

To the right was the Cemetery and a Kabutar Khana (which had markings of the High Flood Level from the Musi Flood of 1908). Somewhere here perhaps was the Rang Mahal because there is a lovely gate leading to nowhere.

A cute gate (Roberts gate?)

The Empress Gate (made for Queen Victoria - but she never came)

Another view of the Empress Gate

From the gate we turned left and walked through the thick vegetation where a peacock made a startled appearance and came to the Empress Gate which apparently was made for a grand entrance for Queen Victoria - who never came. On both sides of the Gate are statues of two sphinx like creatures. Behind the gate was the Ladies hostel and the stables. We walked back towards the Residency and found buildings to the left and right, currently the left side buildings were being used as Science departments. Much of it needs a lot of work. 

View of the Residency from behind

We turned left and left from the Lansdowne gate. Right in front of that gate lies a beautiful cannon. One could picture all the pomp and grandeur of the Residency, the Balls, the parties, the meetings and the conspiracies. Glad to have done the walk.

Cannon

Tanya is a very diligent, well informed guide and one who really wants to impart as much information as she can to the participants while making it a fun outing. She carried water bottles for all of us and gave post cards pertaining to the tour which was very thoughtful of her. She has a pleasant, polite and unhurried demeanour and is always smiling which makes the walk that much more easier and nicer.

The British Residency building has been restored and is now open as a museum for people to visit. Check out timings and go visit.