Pyaas for Ether...

The holy coverage
Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Post summers, almost a month off, already notified that one is outta the PPO race, what does one do if one is in Mumbai and never been away from North India? Well i delayed my flight and set out to cover Mumbhai, the Mom and bro city (don’t beat me in case u can’t get the joke or rather the PJ)

What happened post that delay is a hot script for Mr. Beans episode, but then Atkinson doesn’t make any more, so am forced to spill the 'beans' on the virtual space.

Oks tell me, how many of u consider that u are forgetful? Let’s compete! I forgot my food bills with a xerox guy, couple of SIM cards in couple of states and UTs (i believe in burka ideology, when u HAVE to cover it, cover it all ;) ), my luggage in my office, my friend's GF in a mall, my library card in a freezer and my Sony digi-camera worth 27K in a taxi at 1am in city like Mumbai !! For the last one, i was lucky; a day post i lost it, started a saga hunt for the Taxi. Now what are the chances of finding a taxi back in this city, esp after all the kisse and kahanis one has heard since i lost my milk tooth in an arm of a kid i was biting then? Saying remote is 100% optimism. But after a 2 day hunt, i was a proud dumbo with my camera back, all ready to capture Haji Ali in it.

Just a day before, ie a day after i lost it, we went to Siddhi Vinayak Temple, 3rd largest moolah grosser in India. Only thing i could ask for was my digicam, well the next day i was smiling the right curve. Built in 1801, the temple has a small mandapam (hall) with the shrine for Siddhi Vinayak (Spiritual Ganesha). The wooden doors to the sanctum are carved with images of the Ashtavinayak (the eight manifestations of Ganesha in Maharashtra). The inner roof of the sanctum is plated with gold, and the central statute is of Ganesha portrayed with four arms, bearing respectively, a lotus, an axe, modakas (sweet deep-fried dumplings) and a garland of beads. Ganesha is flanked by two of his three consorts (wives), Siddhi and Riddhi. (Info Courtesy Wikipedia)

Next day it was Haji Ali. Shimmering in the dusk, it was an experience to visit the mosque just before the tide got ready to swallow the pathway. Yes, during high tide the connecting pathway of 500 yards is submerged in water giving the impression that the mosque and tomb are floating out at sea in splendid isolation. Behind the sculpted entrance, a marble courtyard contains the central shrine. Hundreds of worshippers stoop to press their forehead against the richly brocaded red and green chaddar covering the tomb, lying in an exquisite silver frame supported by marble pillars and is decorated with artful mirror work: blue, green, yellow chips of glass arranged in kaleidoscopic patterns interspersed with Arabic patterns which spell the ninety-nine names of Allah. Legend is that Haji Ali, a local Mohammedan businessman, died while on his pilgrimage to Mecca and his casket surprisingly floated back to these shores of Mumbai (then Bombay). (Info courtesy www.pilgrimage-india.com)

About a week later it was the holy city of Amritsar and another worshipping place submerged in water, another pathway; another gold plated roof! Getting me? Two very distinct features from each of place told above, interesting, isn’t it?

As the darkness ate into the vastness of space, Golden Temple just grew brighter and brighter, the ‘parikarma’ faster. The gurudwara has four entrances, to make it open for all four sides. The water of sarovar adds to the ambience of the peaceful calmness of a shrine. The picture shows the best shot my digicam could have in the black pitch.