About History and Forts.......

History has always fascinated me. A visit to the local museum has always been a source of delight and an enlightening experience . I am never tired of visiting museums and for this I am ridiculed many a times by my friends."What is it in these old things that you want to see?" ask my friends. I tell them that there is a whole new unexplored world in the old relics.........a world that fascinates me no end.

Keeping my love for History in mind I chose History Entire for my subject for my M.A .It made me realise that learning about history in the university notes is a whole new ball game.I was better off visiting museums as the notes made me come close to losing my mind with all the dates and battles that made my mind swirl. With much difficulty I passed that period and got the much-coveted certificate. Never again, I thought to myself.

I decided then to explore History through the visit to forts and that I did. I have visited many forts till date like the Bassein fort at Vasai, Panhalgad, Murud-Janjira fort, Pratapgad and the most recently visited Raigad  fort. Each and every visit made me gaze in awe at the wonder of forts. Each fort had a history of it's own and it was thrilling to learn about each one. It brought before my eyes the battles fought and the valour of the brave kings and their soldiers .

My love for forts also took me to visit many photo exhibitions on forts.Be it forts or museums; they have a way of linking us to our past glory. As we move ahead into the future,in my opinion ,it would be great to know something about our past. As a teacher I have always believed that a knowledge about our past takes us towards a better future as we can learn from our past mistakes and take inspiration from the heroes of the past. The freedom struggle  for example can teach inspire a young child to have someone like Lokmanya Tilak or Swami Vivekananda as an inspiration rather than have Shahrukh Khan or Katrina Kaif as their role model.

The ancient coins, tools, weapons, arts, relics and ruins have something to tell us.

Are you planning to listen?

Jannat-E-Kashmir

After many years of waiting I had the good fortune to visit the heaven on earth-Kashmir. I went there with my brother-in-law and his group in the first week of November 2011.  The trek up to the Vaishnodevi shrine was a long one and it was a once in a lifetime experience for me. Though it was such a strenous climb up,there were so many old people who made the climb.After our visit to the Vaishnodevi shrine, it was with much anticipation that we journeyed towards Jammu. We reached Srinagar a little after dawn and I was bowled over by the thrilling experience to stay in a houseboat. What a feeling to be living in a house surrounded by the calm and cool Nigeen  lake! The weather was nothing that I have experienced earlier as I had never ever been to any of the the cold northern regions. Sadly, my experience of the cold regions so far had been restricted to Ooty and Mahableshwar so you can imagine the awe I felt to be in the chilly 4 degree temperatures! After being in Amchi Mumbai's heat for so long it was a welcome change.


The view of the lake early in the morning was something else! Holding a cup of piping hot tea and sitting on the deck of the houseboat was an experience to cherish ! A ride in the shikara and a look at the floating market was amazing. Our trip took us around the famed Pahalgam and Gulmarg regions where I had my first look and feel of snow! What a magical moment it was to hold the cotton soft snow in my palm!I had the time of my life playing in the snow and acting like a little kid.


I got an eyeful of the beauty of Kashmir's beautiful snow-clad mountains ,winding ghats and deep valleys. The Mughal gardens displayed the colours of the flora at its best. The apple orchards and the saffron fields was something I had never seen before.


What has to be mentioned is the thrilling ride to the top to visit Pahalgam. It was as if we were taking a ride in the clouds!As our vehicle snaked its way upwards towards the top, all we could see was a part of the winding and narrow road ahead with only the white fluffy clouds with us for company. Even Gulmarg was a sight to behold! The Betaab valley and the other locations were breath-taking and it was no wonder that many a Bollywood film had been shot  there. There was another pleasure in store for us when there was  a drizzle as soon as we reached Gulmarg. What an experience it was to light a bonfire and huddle around it surrounded by snow and have raindrops trickle around!


A visit to Kashmir would be incomplete without the mandatory photo in the traditional Kashmiri dress so that is exactly what we did. An experience of Kashmir would not be the same without a taste of kashmiri delicacies. I could not get a lot of it unfortunately and I hope to have a true taste of kashmiri cuisine the next time I am there. This time I could only relish some chicken and mutton delicacies that were offered at the houseboat. It is also nice to eat our very own Maggi noodles in the chilled temperatures of Kashmir, it actually tastes better! And who can resist the taste of the ever so mild and flavoursome kashmiri tea or kahwa?I brought back a tin of the beverage and I still enjoy the drink each day at school thanks to my loyal thermos flask.


Another aspect worth a mention was the presence of the military force there. It was an eye-opener to see them standing alert patrolling the areas in the roughest of conditions and at the highest altitude. My salutations to the brave soldiers who guard our country and remain awake so that we may sleep in peace. A friendly chat with a few of them made me realize how difficult their life there is. Imagine staying away from your family and loved ones for months and years and facing the most unexpected situations with rough weather at your disposal!


It was an experience like never before. What was a blot on the great trip was the journey in the train and the lack of true kashmiri pakwaan. But all said and done, the beauty of Kashmir more than made up for it. I am glad I could plan a trip to this wonderland called Kashmir and I hope to go there again.