Thenmala - - A Constellation hidden in the Surface

The thing about hill stations is that they are hard to not to stumble across, especially when you live in a place like Kerala. But there is this place where the Capital city, Trivandrum will surely blow your mind. Thenmala is a place of historic importance. Thenmala; "Then" stands for Honey and "Mala" stands for Mountain in Malayalam, is the first planned eco-tourism destination in India. Thenmala tourism quickly became a place for filming.

Fortunately enough, Thenmala is close to where I live and I was able to sort a plan out to visit the place on my sem break. Less than 80 km from Trivandrum, I was able to locate the place easily and could find a proper conveyance. After an hour and a half drive, I reached the place around 11 in the morning and after finishing all the formalities, I got in and the first thing I looked was the whereabouts and must-see places. The first thing that I had the pleasure to visit is a short trek towards the Sanctuary, placed near Thenmala. There is an affordable entry fee of Rs 100, but still the time you spend there will be cherished all through your life.

Next stop, The Butterfly park. There is a slight walking to do to get to the place, but, the moment you get there, all you could see is a place which holds the most varieties of Butterfly to be placed in a natural habitat for us to see.

After spending some quality time there, I went forward to explore more places. My favorite was the Nakshathravanam, which is a park holding 27 trees representing 27 birth stars. Moreover, the place is a must-see for those who like to study more about flora.

Thenmala is a huge place spread across a wide area, which is quite hard to cover everything in one go. To wrap up my short run, I visited the Parappar Dam, which is second largest irrigation project in Kerala and has the longest reservoir in the state. This trip to Thenmala was truly a memorable one as I got to see a lot of things which exemplifies the beauty of our mother nature. Thenmala is one such place which could easily make it to the top tourist places in Kerala or India, in general. I plan on visiting the place often so that I could see everything in one go.


Contributed by Sooraj Ram

Pinjore Gardens

The residential township is located near tri-city in Haryana State also known as Yadavindra Gardens has one of the 17^th century beautiful Mughal Gardens. Besides this, the city also has HMT (Hindustan Machine Tools) factory.

The flora underlies at the foothills of the lower Shivalik ranges and stands as a viable sample of the Mughal Garden style. Extend over an arena of 100 acres and also serves as the venue for the annual Mango Festival. As per the Hindu Mythology, the Pandava Brothers rested here during their exile. If I talk about climate, the average temperatures for summers and winters are 35 and 18 degree Celsius respectively, with rainfall concentrated over the summer months of July, August and September.

The Pinjore Garden was abandoned just seven years after it was built, for a very unusual reason. According to folklore, the local king, the Raja of Bhawana, dreaded the coming of the Mughal Court to Panchkula and feared that he would lose more land to the Mughals.

History of Pinjore

The design of the garden is similar to the classical Charbagh pattern and introduced a central waterway in the area. The Architect of the garden was designed by Nawab Fidai Khan a cousin of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb and the Governor of the province at that time. He planned both sides of the waterway to be planted with the patches of green bordered with flowers, along with covering the entire place with a number of trees, like traditional palm, cypress, and magnolia.

Later the zone fell primarily under the rule of king of Sirmaur and finally, in 1775 AD, under Maharaja Amar Singh of Patiala. Then, latter consolidated Pinjore to his lands. He has had a big liking for the attractiveness engulfed in the garden and utilized it to tour the place frequently. Maharaja of Patiala has credited it to improve the garden manifold. In 1966, Haryana was declared as an independent state and Pinjore Garden was handed over to it, till today the garden continues to be one of the prime attractions of Haryana.

Features and other tourist attractions

Pinjore Garden is built in the typical Mughal manner. It has a slanting ground and is jeweled with fountains and impressive pavilions. However, it varies from the other Mughal Gardens in the respect that the seven terraces at Pinjore, instead of ascending, descend into a distance, develop a sorcerer’s sight. The garden is full of different species of graceful, fragrant flowering plants, big trees, mango orchards, litchi orchards and several shrubs. The garden presents cool, shady walks and flagged pathways, which run to the reaches of the creeper-covered walls.

Besides the greenery and nature, one can find separate affinity inside the Garden such as a mini zoo, historic places, Japanese garden, nursery, and a number of picnic spots. The inside gardens are brilliantly lighted at night. There is a Jalmahal within the garden, which is presently utilized as a restaurant. The garden is open from early morning to the late night. The entry ticket for the garden is very low.

Bhima Devi Temple

The outside stone fence of the temple was decorated with the sculptures of the Gods and Goddesses. A vast figure of sculptures portraying Shiva and Parvaati, Agni, Varuna, Surya, Vishnu, Ganesha, Kartikeya was also found on this site. Some other decorative patterns included social performances, floral designs, animal motifs, musicians and erotic scenes etc. A few notable stone inscriptions have also been found at this site linking it with the name of Raja Rama Deva, possibly a local king of repute, who patronized this temple.

 There is an ancient temple adjoining Pinjore gardens. The temple is named Bhima Devi Temple Site Museum. It consists of various erotic statues of ancient deities. The temple contains some statues of Lord Shiva in his Nataraja form. The temple has been made into an open museum accessible to the public. No ticket is required for entering the temple. It was constructed between 8th and 12th century AD. It is also under the protection of Haryana government

Kaushalya Dam

It is an earth-filled barrage dam on Kaushalya River in Pinjore. It is an important wetland that becomes home to many endangered migratory birds.

This is the first plan, which never materialized, for a dam on Ghaggar river was first proposed by the British people in the mid of 19th century to provide drinking water to Ambala Cantonment.

The proposal was revisited only in the 1960s to construct a dam on Ghaggar river at Gumthala near Chandimandir to provide water to Chandigarh and control floods in Punjab, India, this plan was abandoned in 1999 as it would have submerged over 4,000 acres of land resulting in the relocation of a large number of people.

In 2005, the revised plan to build series of smaller dams on the tributaries of Ghaggar river was approved by the Government of Haryana and the construction of the Kaushalya dam commenced in 2008 which was completed in 2012.

 

Sheesh Mahal and Rang Mahal

The Royal residence in the premises of the Mughal Gardens is a bewitching sight to behold. It was where the women would reside during their visit to the garden. The view of the garden from the Sheesh Mahal spans throughout, starting from the gates towards the boundary wall. At the next level is the Rang Mahal— residence of the Maharaja of Patiala. This too has a landscape view of the garden and the orchard surrounding the hill. It only becomes more spectacular under the moonlight.

Fair and Festivals

Special programs are organized in the garden during festivals, like Baisakhi and Mango Festival, which attract visitors from all over the country.

Stay options

Hotels within the multiple price range are available from 2 stars to 5 stars. 

Location

By road-The Pinjore Gardens are 20 km from Chandigarh and 42km. from Shimla. Taxis and buses ply regularly between Pinjore, Kalka, and Chandigarh.

By air- The nearest airport to Pinjore city is Chandigarh international airport and Mohali national airport, which make it easy to reach from all over the world by air conveniently.

Accessibility

Bus Services, Cabs which makes it easily approachable by road.

Contributed by Harneet

Vellayani - Where Beauty meets Serenity

My search for serenity came to a halt when I began exploring the thick forest regions and crowded beaches. However, it was not until last week, I got to enjoy such serenity in a beautiful, hidden place called Vellayani. Known for the Vellayani Temple which has been around for 700 years and is dedicated to Goddess Devi, I was told that, there is a beautiful spot in the back of the temple which has a freshwater source from which the locals grow and sell Lotus.As I have been to Vellayani Temple before, I was never expecting a freshwater source near the temple but changed my mindset when the locals told me. Even though I have seen people talking about the Lake, I never knew the directions and the exact location. 

Vellayani Kayal, or Vellayani Lake is the largest freshwater source in the capital city of Trivandrum.  In a polluted place like Trivandrum, it is surprising to see a freshwater source. After reaching the temple we stopped by to take a sip of the staple "Sambharam"(Buttermilk) which quenched our thirst and we were able to get the directions for the Lake as well. With my expectations skyrocketing, we finally got there and what we saw was utterly beautiful. The ambiance was perfect and we couldn't ask for more.

With a considerable depth and a good flow of water, we decided to stay back and enjoy the day watching the lake from a distance. We decided not to bother the locals who were in the process of plucking the lotus flowers. After sitting and trading stories, it was time for us to have real fun. Now that the people have finished their job we decided to soak ourselves in the water. I was skeptical whether or not to get into the water since I was unsure about the depth and flow. Later on, we decided to not to get our dress dirty and instead enjoyed the view. 

However, the water was not as "Fresh" as I expected since the water is slowly getting polluted. Illegal sand mining, pollution, and land reclamation are taking its toll on the lake. I do hope the quality of water would get restored soon. Also, there is an Agricultural College near Vellayani, which is one among the top agricultural institutions in Kerala. Another attraction is the festival held in the Vellayani Temple. The temple celebrates the longest-50 day- the non-pilgrimage festival of South India. This festival is held once in three years and is known as the ‘Kaliyoottu Mahotsavam’ – which means ‘the festival of feeding the Devi’.



Vellayani is easily one of the best places that I have been to and it is the best for reunions and get-togethers. Perfect picnic spot in the city, I really hope that Vellayani Lake stays as fresh as it was before. After all, it is the only accessible freshwater source left in our city.




Quick facts 

1. How to reach – Frequent buses to the Vellayani are available from Trivandrum Central Stand and East Fort.

2. Nearest town – Trivandrum Municipality, 10 kilometers

3. Nearest railway station – Trivandrum, 10 kilometers  

4. Nearest Airport – Trivandrum, 14 kilometers

5. Places to stay – Ideal for one day trip, but if you plan to visit for the long run, the rooms can be easily found in Trivandrum and Kovalam.

6. Best time to visit – There is no specific time for visiting, you can visit anytime.

7. Things to do – Taking a walk around the Lake and find a perfect place to set up a camp, ideal for Picnic. While you are at the Vellayani, make sure to take a visit to the temple so that you could see the architecture. Moreover, you could watch the sunset if you could stay until

the evening

8. Is it Child-friendly - Yes

Contributed by : Sooraj

Uccha Pind (Sanghol)

At Ludhiana to Chandigarh highway, there is a village which is predating to the Harappan civilization. The village Sanghol is in the territory of Fatehgarh Sahib District and also this place holds a special position on the archaeological atlas of India. Excavations at the site have yielded coins and seals related to Toramana and Mihirakula belonging to central Asia. A Buddhist Stupa was excavated in 1968, and in February 1985 a rich treasure of 117 beautiful carved stone slabs, which includes 69 pillars, 35 crossbars, figures, and figurines, was excavated by the experts of the Directorate of Archaeology, Punjab.

Tourist attractions in the village

Sanghol is famed for the Sanghol Museum. A large of the number of relics dating from the late Harappan civilization (1720 – 1300 BC) to 6th century AD, was found here.  More than 15000 artifacts were collected from this site and the majority of them are displayed in this museum. Sanghol also was known as Uchha Pind, There are some mythical stories about the destruction of this village. The main village sits very high clearly visible from the surrounding towns. It is also linked to the Kissa "Roop Basant" stories as well. Some people from surrounding villages say that its ancient name was Sangla-deep. There are a Buddhist Stupa and Monastery Complex dating back to 1st and 2nd century AD situated on the main road. A few kilometers towards Ludhiana there is a religious place where huge numbers of people come to pay homage and some miles towards Chandigarh city there is the village of Legendary singer Babbu Maan whose Film studio is also in his village Khantmaan Pur.

About Museum Gallery

The present building of the Sanghol Museum was inaugurated on April 10, 1990, as a unit of the Department of Cultural Affairs, Archaeology and Museums of the Government of Punjab. Excavations at Sanghol yielded archaeological treasures of great significance indicating a long history of the cultural heritage of Punjab. These treasures needed to be preserved and displayed at a place for public view and appreciation. With this thought in view, the Sanghol Museum was set up by the Government, not only to preserve Punjab' s Cultural treasures, but also to involve the public in the appreciation of the continuous cultural linkage that the land has maintained from the early ancient times and has witnessed large-scale movements and amalgamation of people and their culture.

A vast treasury of about 15000 antiquities has been collected by the department through various archaeological excavations and explorations at Sanghol. It comprises of antiquities of diverse nature like sculptures, terracottas, pottery, seals, sealings, coins, ivory, carvings, precious stones and other art objects.

The ground floor gallery exhibits the most important items of antiquities other than the stone sculptures. The pride of the Sanghol Museum, the stone sculptures, is displayed in the upper gallery.

The antiquities in the ground floor gallery have been arranged chronologically to highlight the development of socio-cultural and religious facts of the regional manifestations of the heritage of Punjab. Apart from the actual objects, a large number of charts, graphs, photographs, maps, and drawings have been displayed to supplement the viewing of the actual objects. Each of the items is given a label disclosing its identification and chronological placement. The methodology has been as per the latest display techniques followed in museums of the type. At the entry point has been displayed a Master Chart containing a brief history and important details of Sanghol as an archaeological site and of the objects obtained from the place.

The art of Punjab is not usually referred to by scholars as a distinctive regional expression in view of the paucity of sufficient materials, to go by the discovery of Sanghol sculptures together with the huge Buddhistic establishment which has opened up a new dimension. Punjab now can verily claim a distinctive contributory role in the cultural creativity in the visual arts even during the early centuries of the Christian era. The glory of the artistic participation of Punjab in the main-stream of Indian cultural efflorescence is evidenced by the archaeological discoveries of Sanghol.

The Chinese pilgrim Hieun Tsang of the 7th Century AD noticed flourishing Buddhistic establishments at Sanghol. It seems likely that he did see the lingering glory of the artistic achievements of Sanghol, the glimpses of which could still be had by the visitor to the Museum today through the well-preserved specimens of the sculptural art.

The collections on display are only of the selected objects. Scholars and keen lovers of art can have an access to the other art objects preserved in the reserve collection. For this, they will need taking permission of the appropriate authority.

 Some other facts about the village

There are many educational institutes near Sanghol village. The village is almost 40 kilometers away from Chandigarh University and also has big convent schools along with government schools which are equipped with latest educational facilities.

If any visitor is fond of eating roadside food, there is the availability of numerous ferries which provides delicious street food in vegetarian and non-vegetarian eatable items.

Moreover, on the state highway of Sanghol, a huge number of hotels are available. Some are too old and famous all over the Punjab state such as; Mittran da Dhaba, Zimidara Dhaba, Captain Dhaba and Raja Dhaba which gives the chance to taste pure Punjabi delicious food.

Apart from this, currently the village is developing; the lifestyle of locals has also changed. A flyover is also under construction which makes it easy to reach the village quickly from faraway places. A super hit Punjabi movie was also filmed in the village name “Jatt James Bond” starring Gippy Grewal and Zarine Khan.  

The ideal time to visit

The ideal time for visiting the place is from Octobers to March. Summers are extremely hot and temperature rises to 45˚C. There is a heavy rainfall observed in Monsoon season. Therefore, winters should be preferred for visiting here.

How to Reach

Fatehgarh Sahib is well connected through rails, roads and by air as well.

By Air

Fatehgarh Sahib city has no airport. The closest airport is 41 km away in Chandigarh. Chandigarh has a well-connected network of airways from 5 prominent cities of India and most of the domestic airlines reach Chandigarh.

By Train

This city has a well-connected railway network with a railway station running trains from all most of the cities of the country such as Delhi, Una of Himachal Pradesh etc.

By Road

The road network of the city is quite good and connects Fatehgarh Sahib to different cities with great transport facility. The daily bus service can be availed from Delhi, Chandigarh besides the neighboring cities. Taxis may also be hired.

Contributed by - Harneet