Ghumakkad in Hindi means 'the wanderer'. That is what I am. On the move any time anywhere!
This blog chronicles Ghumakkad's travels/teachings/learnings around the globe as picture stories. In addition, there are Picturesque Quotes (PQs) created using my pictures. Enjoy it.
If you have also been to the places/topics described here, please feel free to add to the content.
Your comments/ suggestions are welcome.
Imagine cutting solid rocks 1600 years ago with rudimentary tools? And then creating a four-storied structure on the monolithic rock face which has withstood the vagaries of Nature? You can only marvel at the architects and sculptors of that era!
Where is this place? Located close to Vijayawada city in Andhra Pradesh, it is easily accessible by road. See the map below.
The architecture of Undavalli caves is similar to Udaygiri caves in Madhya Pradesh, both dating back to 4th to 5th Century CE. Built during the Gupta period, the caves bring out the trinity- Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh. According to Wikipedia, "Most Gupta emperors were Vaishnavas; Many sculptures of the deity Narasimha, as well as other legends of Vishnu and from the text Ramayana are featured in the caves. These caves are dedicated to Ananta Padmanabha, a form of Vishnu laying upon Shesha. Later Jain and Buddhist monks used these caves as rest houses." Sheshnag is seven-headed celestial snake under whose hood Lord Vishnu had his royal seat.
Ghumakkad visited the caves on 9th May 2024, the 'shadowless day'! One of the hottest days this summer with Vijayawada recording 42 degrees Celsius. Not a pleasant time to travel. But we had to be in Chennai for a family event. Those transiting Vijayawada can take an hour's break to see the historic caves. Vijayawada is at the junction of NH-65 coming from the west (Hyderabad) and NH-16 for those travelling the east (Kolkata) to south (Chennai) or vice versa. Other state highways also emanate or terminate here. See the map below.
Though high noon Sun is not suited for photography, but we had no option. Sharing below few pictures and videos of the caves and the temple.
Here is a short video showing the unfinished monastic cells on the ground floor.
The stairs to the first floor of the caves are not very steep. But senior citizens need to exercise caution. See the video below.
The second floor pillars have the 'dashavatars' the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu. Mostly defaced by the Moghul invaders, some of the sculptures are still intact. See the video courtesy the security guard who hesitatingly shared his knowledge about the history of the caves.
For those readers not familiar with the ten avatars, here is an image from Wikipedia.
The Reclining Vishnu
Midway through when we braved the noon Sun to see the caves, came the surprise rain. It poured and we got drenched. Another thrill of a summer outing!
In a one-minute video clip below, see how it poured without any signs.
There is some debate among historians about Lord Vishnu's reclining position in Undavalli caves. Points of dissonance are:
At most places Vishnu is seen reclining on one side as against lying almost flat in Undavalli
Closed versus open eyes
Five headed serpent versus seven headed in Undavalli
Four hands of Vishnu versus two in Undavalli
Therefore, some researchers have concluded that the "statue may be 23rd or 17th Tirthankara of Jainism Shri Parshvanatha". Debate continues. Readers' insights or comments on this aspect are welcome.
Talking of caves, we have Borra Caves in the Eastern Ghats in India, 90-kms north of Vishakhapatnam. But these are natural caves formed because of rich limestone rocks. Spectacular to see, specially when lighted up. Stalactite and Stalagmite create surreal shapes. You may read the following picture story.
Beauty of Darkness - Magic created 150-million years ago by Stalactites and Stalagmites
Another cave which offers a bit of thrill and adventure is the Narsing Temple near Bidar in Karnataka. You have to wade through chest high water for half a km or so, to reach the deity in the cave. Pretty scary to say the least. Browse the last part of the story linked below to feel the thrill:
Rivers are known to demarcate the boundaries between the states in a country as also the borders between nations. Examples are Manas river (India-Bhutan boundary), Krishna river (Telangana-Andhra Pradesh boundary) etc. While at Pench Tiger Reserve, we visited another river which demarcates the boundary between Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Pench tiger reserve is spread across both the states. Named Bawanthadi, the river meanders through a forest which inspired Rudyard Kipling. The river originates from Kurai plateau of Seoni district in Madhya Pradesh. The river is also frequented by tigers.
Were we lucky to sight the king of the jungle on the river bank? Read on to enjoy the pictures and a short video.
Here is a short video to give you a feel of the serenity of the spot.
Other stories on Pench already published, are listed below. Simply click to browse.
Rural India- Real Happiness A picture story of villages near Pench and how a village panchayat has helped in tourism development.
Jungle Walk At Night - How does it feel to walk at night in a jungle in pitch darkness? What do you sight during a night safari?
Pottery Magic at Pachdhar Village - The story takes you to Pachdhar a village near Pench National park on NH-44 where the residents have been creating amazing designs in pottery.
We end with a PQ- picturesque quote on Rivers. This is a picture of river Punakha in Bhutan shot by Ghumakkad several years ago. John Muir famously said that "The rivers flow not past but through us"! Am sure if you have spent a while on a river bank, you will agree with John Muir.
Thanks for browsing. Stay connected.
Ghumakkad will bring you more picture stories.
- Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with inputs from Animesh Bhowmick/ Pench Tiger Reserve Jan-24/Posted on 14th May 2024
My school started as a 'pathsahala' पाठशाला in 1901 in the dusty village of Pilani. It was the ancestral home of the Birlas- the mighty business empire of India. What started as a small primary school, has grown into a globally renowned university BITS Pilani having campuses in Pilani, Hyderabad, Goa, Mumbai and Dubai. Pilani continues to be an education hub with number of schools and colleges.
When Ghumakkad went to school in Pilani in 1960s, it was called BMPHSS- Birla Multi Purpose Higher Secondary School. The school is now called Birla School Pilani (BSP). We celebrated the Golden JubileeReunion of school graduation few years ago (1968-2018). This story brings to you my school which is immaculately maintained even though the building is more than 100 years old! The school will be celebrating its 125th Anniversary in 2026.
The clock tower reads 'Birla College' because it housed a college since 1920. In late 1940s, the college shifted to Vidya Vihar campus which houses BITS Pilani and Birla Balika Vidyapeeth. Our school has since been in this building. Feel the Rajasthani/Shekhawati architecture in the pictures below.
To optimise the resources, our Golden Jubilee Reunion was conjoined with the Silver Jubilee Reunion of the batch 25 years junior to us. They had more energy and josh for the Reunion Dinner as visible in the picture below. They had even hired a belly dancer from Kazakhstan for the dinner organised on city outskirts. For obvious reasons, that picture is not included in this story.
Harsh as an NCC Cadet
Also sharing below pictures of our school Naval Wing NCC taken in 1965. Our school troop was adjudged the best in Rajasthan. Who knew that Cadet Harsh Bhargava would join the Navy several years later and rise to be a Commodore!
School Graduation
Ghumakkad graduated from BSP in 1968. I would have graduated in 1967 had it not been for the draconian 'minimum age' rule to appear in the Board exams. Mercifully, this rule has been done away with. Sharing below a picture of the School Honours Board with my name on it. Felt humbled seeing it after 50 years!
Old Teachers
Most of the teachers who taught us are no more. However, I do have an ink sketch made by my drawing teacher Shri Bhoor Singh Shekhawat. He used to paint one sketch a day during the tiffin recess of 20 minutes. We used to run and grab the wooden stool to get the sketch made in next 15 minutes or so. He gifted the sketch to the student instantly. Such was his genius and humility. Later, he went on to do many murals and large paintings for the corporate offices of the Birlas and others. Sharing below the sketch made by my art teacher 62 years ago!
It was a privilege to meet our Hindi teacher Shri Nagraj ji who was in his late 80s. Sharing a picture taken with him. Please excuse the camera shake due to low lighting.
Present Day Students
We did interact with the present day students at BSP.
The readers may browse our earlier story 118 and Counting which showcased the 118th Annual Day celebrations of my school. Re-sharing below few pictures from that story.
While travelling from BITS campus to Birla School, you can't miss the towering statue of Lord Shiva.
Reaching Pilani
Travelling to Pilani by road is comfortable. NH-11 connects Jaipur to Sikar. Thereon, a state highway connects Pilani to Sikar via Jhunjhunu. The drivers of trucks in that sector have made a Hanuman temple on the highway. We also bought some rocks of the rock salt on the way. Sharing few pictures of the road journey.
A visit to Pilani is incomplete without the yummy Pilani Pedas. A picture for you.
Going back to school is such fun. Isn't it? Do share the memories of going back to your school.
We end with a quote on education by Nelson Mandela who said that "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world".
