A New Name For Ghumakkad

"Swamiji, this is Commodore Harsh Bhargava", said Mrs Nina Nanda while introducing Ghumakkad to Chinnajeeyar Swamiji. She added, "He writes a blog titled Ghumakkad which has interesting stories for everyone to read".

Swamiji nodded and asked, "What did you say was the name of the blog?"

Mrs Nanda replied, "Ghumakkad."

Swamiji playfully quipped with a broad smile "Awaara आवारा !" 

Hearing this new moniker for Ghumakkad, we were a bit stunned yet laughed since awaara in Hindi roughly means a wanderer who roams freely without a fixed purpose or home. Ghumakkad sure has a home but his travels and writings cover a wide spectrum. Like awaara!  Ghumakkad then said, "Thank you Swamiji. This new name now calls for another story by Ghumakkad." To which a beaming Swamiji replied, " No. no. I just said that in a lighter vein!" The picture below says it all. Ghumakkad can not be seen in the picture as he was behind the lens.

And thus Ghumakkad got a new name. Christened by none other than His Holiness Tridandi Chinna Srimannarayana Ramanuja Jeeyar Swamiji, addressed as Chinnajeeyar Swamiji in short. He is the man who conceived and created the Statue of Equality (SOE) on the outskirts of Hyderabad. He tirelessly promotes global peace, Vedic wisdom, non-violence, and mutual respect for all living beings. More about the SOE later.

80th Birthday of a Volunteer

We, some of the friends of Mrs Nanda had been invited to the SOE campus to celebrate her 80th Birthday. Mrs Nanda former Principal of Army Public School Secunderabad is a renowned teacher, scholar and mentor. After the untimely demise of her husband Col Nanda few years ago, she moved to SOE campus and devotes her time to the cause of education. We admire her spirit of community service and giving back to the society. Ghumakkad has a special connection with her. Both come form the Navy. Her father Commodore Sethi also served the Navy with distinction many decades ago. We all wished her continued good health in the years ,to come. Sharing below few pictures of her 80th Birthday in the SOE Campus.

Sri Ramanuja Acharya

According to the website www.statueofequality.org, 'The Statue of Equality was built to honour the life, teachings, and contributions of Sri Bhagavad Ramanuja Acharya (1017-1137 AD), one of the greatest philosophers, saints, and spiritual leaders of India.' He was an icon of equality and social reform more than 1000 years ago. The SOE stands as a tribute to his vision of equality, devotion, and inclusivity. According to Ramanuja Acharya, equality encompasses equality across gender, religions and castes. Some of his simple yet relevant messages are:

• Shed your ego. 
• Serve all beings as service to God.
• Serve society which is the universal form of God.

Sri Ramanuja devoted his life bringing people from all walks of life together. See an artist's impression below, courtesy SOE website.

108 Divya Desams

Around the base of the SOE 108 Divya Desams (meaning "Divine Abodes" or "Holy Places") have been constructed. These are scaled down versions of the original holy places from across India. For example the Divya Desams at SOE include Ayodhya, Dwaraka, Thirumala, Kanchipuram and so on. We were not permitted to take our cameras inside the Divya Desams. Sharing few pictures taken from the SOE photographer and their publications.

Statue of Equality

The SOE has been constructed in a sprawling 45 acre campus. The visitors can book darshan online. It involves fair amount of walking inside the campus. Those in need, wheelchairs with assistants are available. There are elevators to climb up to the higher floors .Dress code is to be followed by all and the entry is ticketed. See the layout map below.

The entire premises built in sandstone with exquisite carvings, is simply spectacular. There is plenty of parking for vehicles. From the parking lot, e-carts transport the visitors to the entry gates. All the arrangements are very well managed by a team of volunteers. 

Few salient features of the SOE campus are:

• 216 feet tall outdoor statue made of panchloha 'Five metals'
• World's 2nd tallest statue in a seated posture

• 120-kg inner sanctum Golden Ramanuja

• Architectural fusion across Hoyasala, Vijayanagara, Chola, Pallava and Kakatiya architectures
• 108 Divya Desams
• 54 feet high base which has a library and research centre

• JIVA- Jeeyar Integrated Vedic Academy
• JIMS- Jeeyar Institute of Medical Sciences
• JIMS Homeopathy Medical College & Hospital,
• JIVA Ashram and Goshala
• A musical fountain, laser show, and a food court. 

We share below few more pictures of visitor-stops taken from SOE publications as cameras and cell phones are not permitted inside. The SOE also has a paid audio tour for self-guided tour of the campus.

At last our cellphones were released. Here is a picture showing the happiness on getting back the 'khazana' खज़ाना (like a treasure)!

The SOE has emerged as a must see stop on the Hyderabad tourist circuit. Did our pictures tickle you for a visit?

SOE In KBG Contest

Ghumakkad had featured the SOE in one of the episodes of the online contest called 'Kaun Banega Ghumakkad' (KBG). A total of 80 episodes of KBG have been designed and conducted so far. You may browse KBG-21, the picture story on SOE by clicking the link below:

Name the location of the Statue and share a picture taken by you - KBG-21 had more than 400 online participants. Winners included one from Rajasthan. The SOE campus was still being developed at that time in 2019 as can be seen in the picture reproduced below.

We close with a picture of Ghumakkad with the Vaishnavite tilak, known as Urdhva Pundra, is a vertical U-shaped mark applied to the forehead to represent the feet of Lord Vishnu, symbolizing surrender and protection. Traditionally made with Gopi Chandan (clay) or sandalwood, it features two vertical lines connected at the bridge of the nose, often with a central Tulsi leaf shape, signifying the devotee as a walking temple. It was applied to my forehead by a volunteer before entering the Ramanuja Temple using a u-shaped ladle like spoon dipped in sandalwood paste. 

Thanks for browsing, Stay connected .How do you like Ghumakkad's new name 'Awaara'?

Do leave a comment. Few words are enough to encourage us.

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ Secunderabad/ 23rd March 2026

@SOEHyderabad #statueofequality #SriRamanujaAcharya #1017AD #panchaloha #panchdhatu #fivemetals #divyadesams #JIVA #JeeyarSwami #ghumakkadharsh #ghumakkadhb #awaaraghumakkad #audiotour #musicalfountain #lasershow #urdhvapundra #108divyadesams

Tunnel Tourism

Eco-tourism, wildlife-tourism, adventure-tourism, medical-tourism- now what is tunnel-tourism? As the name signifies, it is a kind of tourism centered around a tunnel which attracts tourists from far and wide! Do we have tunnel tourism in India? Where else in the world?

Ghumakkad takes you on a tunnel tour not in a hill range or under a fort or a palace, but in a tunnel which is part of the Presidential retreat in India. In Secunderabad to be precise. Yes, we take you to राष्ट्रपति निलायम (Rashtrapapti Nilayam) which means the President's House or retreat. Located in Secunderabad, it is the winter retreat of the President of India. An imposing building dating back to 1860 when it was called The Residency, it is surrounded by acres of greenery. It has a 163-feet long tunnel which connects the kitchen with the Presidential dining hall. This kitchen tunnel which was in disuse, was restored in 2023 and thrown open to the public. It soon became a tourist attraction in Secunderabad.

Ghumakkad brings you a picture story based on a recent visit to the tunnel and Rashtrapapti Nilayam.

Hope you enjoyed visiting the kitchen tunnel in the President's Retreat in Secunderabad.

There are many other tunnels in India which give you a thrill while transiting. Whether by road or train, crossing a tunnel evokes mixed reactions. While the elderly may sit quietly, the younger generation likes to shriek and whistle (you can sample their loud excitement in a short video embedded in the story below). On the other hand, those afraid of darkness start praying fervently on entering a tunnel. 

Readers may browse the stories listed below to get a feel of railway tunnels through the Eastern Ghats as well as the Vindhyachal ranges.

Going through a railway tunnel in the Eastern Ghats - Don't miss the loud shrieks and yelling by the teenagers in the train

Tunnels through the Vindhyachal Ranges in India  

We also have the Atal Tunnel under the Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh India which is considered an engineering marvel. The longest tunnel in the world is in Norway. Another notable tunnel is the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel in Virginia USA which goes under the sea. Similarly The Chunnel goes under the English Channel connecting England and France.

Tunnels and Caves

Tunnels have two open ends whereas caves have a single entry/exit. Ghumakkad has been to many caves which offer excitement to the visitors. You may browse the stories on caves listed below:

Undavalli Caves- An architectural marvel in Andhra Pradesh. Monolith rock cut caves with four-stories having a reclining Vishnu idol.

Next, 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:

Wading through Chest-high water in a Cave - Narsing cave temple near Bidar in Karnataka India

The next story takes you to Belum Caves in Andhra Pradesh India. These caves have been crafted by Nature over millions of years. Being limestone caves, flowing underground river has chiselled its way through the rocks. Like the tentacles of an octopus, underground caves also spread in multiple directions. Click here to browse the full picture story.

Parting Thought

Our mind is also like a tunnel, or multiple tunnels. Some thoughts enter our mind and exit easily. Some other concerns can't find an easy exit. In this context, we are reminded of a quote by Michael Josephson who said "The light at the end of the tunnel is your life; it's the tunnel that's temporary"

Thanks for browsing. Do visit the Kitchen Tunnel in The President's Retreat in Secunderabad, India to appreciate the restoration work and promotion of centuries-old Cheriyal art.

Stay connected

  - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Akanksha Bhargava/ Secunderabad/ 1st Nov 2024

#tunnels #tourism #rashtrapatinilayam #secunderabad #restoration #kitchentunnel #cheriyalart #scrollpainting #mural #vaulktedtunnel #skylight #submarine #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #caves

Trust Me

 "Trust me!"

"It takes both sides to build a bridge"

"Suspend(ed) over calm waters"

These are some of the creative captions given by the readers of KBG-53 Contest. The contest featured a picture of a Cable stay Bridge in Laknavaram Lake in Telangana India. The picture fired the imagination of the participants with almost 50 different captions coming in! The renewed format of Kaun Banega Ghumakkad online contest as a caption competition has been accepted very well by the readers.

Cable Stay Bridge

Laknavaram Lake in north eastern part of Telangana was built in the 13th century by Kakatiya rulers for irrigation of surrounding areas. This 40 sq-km lake apart from acting as an irrigation source, is now a popular tourist resort. We had visited the lake in 2019. The readers may browse our detailed story titled 'The Lake that Charms You'. KBG-53 had featured just one picture of the bridge in the lake that connects one of the thirteen islands. Other islands are accessible by boat. Here are few more pictures of the lake and the bridge for our readers.

For those not familiar with the geography of the region, see the route map from Hyderabad to Laknavaram. 220 kms, 5 hrs by road on NH-163.

Caption Contest

We received close to 50 captions for the KBG-53 Contest. We appreciate the creativity of Ghumakkad's readers. The complete list is given below for wider readership.

KBG-53 Winners

The Jury found the captions very interesting. We thank all the contestants. We are delighted to share the winning captions along with a brief intro of each Winner. Thanks are also due to both the Jury Members- Manik Srivastava and Neeta Bhargava.

Amandeep Kaur holds an MBA(Fin) and works with a US company in India. She loves to interact with people. She has won the KBG contest several times. Her caption is simple and appealing.

Mukul Bhargava runs his packaging industry in Bangalore. Fond of gardening and travelling, he is a second time winner of KBG contest. His Hindi caption means "Life is as tall and as deep, and melodious like a harp".

Greh Bhushan Sethi is a former Colonel of Indian Army and holds a PhD. He has headed several educational institutions in Hyderabad and been advisor to many educational trusts and societies. I keen golfer he livens up any gathering with his wit and humour. His two worded caption "Trust Me" was much appreciated by the Jury. The bridge is telling us 'trust me' for safe passage across!

Ranajit Sen, Pharmacy graduate from BITS Pilani has been on the Board of several pharmaceutical compnies besides being member of Advisory Councils set up by the Govt of India. He has a great sense of humour.

We share two other PQs- picturesque quotes- on the same bridge but not part of this captions contest.

We end with a quote by Edgar Allen Poe about spending time around a lake.

Hope we have helped you in overcoming the Covid boredom to some extent. We will continue sharing our virtual travels and test your creativity in the upcoming KBG Contests.

Stay connected, stay safe.

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 16th March 2021

#nature #laknavaramlake #telanganatourism #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #KBG #kaunbanegaghumakkad #onlinecontest #powerofobservation #lockdownfunathome #beatthecorona #lockdown #stayhomestaysafe  #captions #travelfun #naturelovers #craetivecaptions #pqs #picturesquequotations #laknavaram #cablestaybridge #virtualtravel