Weekend Escape: A History Class

You see only what you want to see.

Someone must have said that for me only. Until last Saturday, all I knew was that there was some college in my vicinity. Had not there been that ad in the newspaper, I would have never got that it’s a college of national repute for the study of History and Languages. I’m taking of Deccan College, Pune. I was literally shocked to know that it was the third oldest college in India and dates back to as old to 1821. By the afternoon, I was almost flat after knowing its Alma Matar of the college. Sir R.G. Bhandarkar, the celebrated Indologist, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, the great nationalist leader, Gurudev R.D. Ranade, the eminent philosopher, G.G. Agarkar, the great social reformer, V.K. Rajawade, the famous historian and Dr. Dwarkanath Kotnis, the famous Indian medical practitioner.

I was laughing on me and there was only one line apt for me “Bandar (Me) kya jane adrakh ka swad” J

It all started by yet another weekend I had nothing to do. Turtling over the newspaper, I found that there is some lecture on “Forts across Sahyadri” in Deccan College. Things sound promising and more so I didn’t have to go anywhere. Things itself is coming to me. What better a lazy person like me expect. Plan Set.

The college campus as much the same as you can expect an old institution to be. Old building, lots a lots of trees with love birds here and there, never ending landscape and big hoarding guiding you to different determents at every nook and corner. I followed the arrows to auditorium.        

The crowd in there couldn’t be counted more than 30 and most of them were students of history. I was probably the only “mulla” in this “begani shadi”. It started at time. The presenter started to talk about various forts in Sahyadri Ranges. He them jumped into who build it, who won it who lost it. I was getting bored. But as soon as I was about to concluded it as a bad choice and move out, came a voice from the dais which said “Now we will be looking into some of the technologies that went into making these forts and some of them are unique to this region only”.

Now that interesting. I have been to some of them but never have looked it with this eye. All attention gathered and thrown to dais.

Some of the information was already known to me. Rest all was a new addition to my knowledge. Here are some which I can remember now.

·         The main gate of the fort generally used to be a false gate which opened into a dead end which is open from above. If the enemies break this gate they will only end up finding themselves trapped and soldiers attacking them from above. The real gate used to be one small beside the actual gate.

·         The steps used to be of uneven shape and uneven count. Some of them used to be long and some really short. The height of the steps also varied a lot. Anyone who is not accustomed to them will have move on them carefully. (Yes, this I too have experienced. Half the time of my trek I have to see if I’m gripping the right step )

·          The turns within fort used to be short and sharp. In case the enemy enters the compound with huge animals like elephant, it would be hard to manage them in such short twist and turns.

·         The way to main palace in the fort generally included five to six underway and all this had some three inlet with only one being correct (This sounded me exactly the same way we have in some of the video games)  

Next time whenever I will trek any of these fort, I will surely remember to appreciate these facts of our ancient technical advancements.

And one more thing, never leave any lecture in between. You never know what must be in store as soon as you leave J

Weekend Escape: Palasdhari

Probably a 3300 KM of travel in last week was not enough for so I’m hitting the roads again.

Actually small correction, it’s not road but railroad. This will be my first outing of this wet season. IndraDev have already been late in his deliverables by if not at least a month. Anyhow it’s always better to be late than never. It’s 8:00 in the morning and I’m standing on Pune Railway Station, Platform No.1, Alone. Even after a numerous attempt with all of fancy and hype I could create, I was not able to convince even a single of my knowns to accompany me over the trek. So, pulling me up with the only Ravindra Sangeet I know “Jodi Tor Dak Shune Keu Na Ase Tobe Ekla Cholo Re”, I boarded the Lonavala local.  

One hour later, I’m standing on Lonavala Railways Station, Platform No. 2. I can easily see clouds drenching uphill. But that not my destination (maybe some other day). Meri manzil kahi aur hai. Some few minutes later I boarded an Express train to Karjat and yes, the very best of Shaydri was in front of me, Unadulterated, Untouched. And if to see this spectacular scenic beauty, a Sheikh Couple flies in here from UAE annually, no one should be surprised.

Anyhow, this too is not my destination. 40 Min later I was at Karjat Railway Platform and exactly 10 min later I was standing on Palasdhari Railway Station, soaking in typical anti-Asheesh rainfall (I mean the one which starts only when ‘m out and stops as soon as I find a shade).

My pre hand research offered me two options, either to scale up Palasdhari Fort which was visible from here and second one was to move to Palasdhari waterfall. I wanted to do the former but chose the later. But I have reasons to it. All that I could read about this place had one thing in common. They all have warned to beware of wild boars, and some even have heard leapord. Aur abhi toh meri shadi bhi nahi hui hai. So I opted to be amongs human rather than encountering someone I cannot handle.

As a rule of thumb or a nature's law, or an engineer’s law, whatever you call it says, "Waterfalls are always located on hills, and railway tracks are not”. So anywhere you go, the waterfall is always located away from railway station, so is this. You have to walk for 20 minutes from station to reach there. The walk passes through lush green surrounding, and that's enough to turn you on, even if you've been there tens of times. The first sight of waterfall was disheartening especially when you are obsessed to relative "big". Nevertheless, the crowd was minimal. And it was actually a private waterfall.

I moved up the waterfall and sat a rock stable enough to seat me. The gushing water from both side and water tripping off my sleeves, well this was my destination. I was able to simulate the same feeling what Indradev shall feel seeing from above. I might over exaggerate it, but then it was sort of the feeling of being the Lord of Waterfall.  

Moving a little up the water fall I could find a place lonely enough to do the thing which I like the most, SOUL SEARCHING (and was much required as the Review Process in office just ended). The whole of Shaydri was there to listen to me. Express Trains kept making their presence occasionally. The winds were in a hurry to be somewhere and have dried me by now. After having a good talk with “Better Me” on what, why, how, where and politely asked him what next. He said “Ghar chalte hain”.

It’s 9:00 in the night and I’m standing on Pune Railway Station, Platform No.1, Alone Again. J