Heritage walk on the Streets of Pondicherry

Crowded streets, blaring horns, busy people, petty shops on every nook and corner! Compare this with lush gardens, colonial mansions, quiet lanes with lined up trees.

This is the scenario in the city of Pondicherry.

Pondicherry boasts of buildings with both French architecture and Franco-Tamil architecture. The town that is inhabited on the south of the Canal is popularly known as White Town (French Quarters) and predominantly consists of buildings with French architecture.

The portion that lies on the north of the Canal Street is the Tamil Quarter and has Franco- Tamil architecture.

Here is a quick peek into both the quarters...


The buildings in White Town are mainly colored with 'earth' colors- Sun burnt yellow, orange, peach, ash, white and brown.

They are beautifully styled villas/ mansions with high compound walls and ornate doors.

The windows stand out with their elaborate cast iron grills. There are quarters with large windows slit into two (which sometimes is open) that lets an onlooker peek into them stealthily.

The buildings at the Tamil Quarters have verandahs with wooden pillars in front of their main doors and they are much more inviting than the mansions of the White town.

A grand mansion in the Tamil quarters...

 Lot of structures in the Tamil quarters are dilapidated and are in ruins, yet the intricate wood work on doors and jaali work are a witness to their grandeur they enjoyed long ago.

Warangal

It's been roughly five years since I visited Waranagal.
I was one of those 'on the spur of a moment' decision that my hubby and I took to go on a road trip to Warangal; without any bookings whatsoever.
Thus, our journey began at the dawn of very next day.

View of Bhongir fort on the way to Warangal

Warangal is about 140 kms from Hyderabad by road. But it took us almost 4 hrs reach the city because of the tantrum that we had to manage of our three year daughter. Once there, our little one co-operated splendidly but we soon realized  that our timing was wrong.
It was the time of a local festival- Samakka Saralamma Jataka that attracts many worshipers across the petty villages of the area. And we had reached the city on the same day and without any hotel reservations!

Most of the well-known hotels of the city were occupied. After an hour of running- about we found a tiny road side 'lodge' that was clean and served the purpose.

There are quite a few places to visit when in Warangal- the Fort, the Thousand pillared temple, Bhadrakaali temple. And if one drives further down for about 60 kms, they can also take a look at the scenic Laknavaram lake and Ramappa temple.

Our plan started with Warangal Fort.

Welcoming pillars of the fort...

The Warangal Fort was built on Ekashila hillock in 13th century by the rulers of Kakatiya dynasty. Earlier, it was ruled by the Yadava dynasty. Once the Kakatiya rulers took over, the construction of the fort began under the leadership of Ganapathideva. It was his daughter RudramaDevi who has been credited with the completion of the Fort. Her grandson Prathaparudra II too added to the fortification of the fort. The fortification consisted of a three- layered moat structure made of stone and hardened mud.

In 1309, the fort was attacked by Malik Kafur (general of Allauddin Khilji). Nonetheless, the army of Warangal withstood the attack for six months and defended the attack within the walls of the fort. But Kafur had attacked with an army of whopping 10,00,000 men which shook the men of Prathaparudra. He finally formed a truce with Kafur by giving away wealth from his treasury.

The fort was repeatedly attacked thereafter and finally fell in the hands of Delhi Sultanate. Eventually, it was part of the Qutub Shahi Dynasty and later of Hyderabad Nizams.

Although every single piece within the fort is in ruins, it still stands as a testimony to the finest artistry and craftsmanship of the bygone era. The main attraction of the fort is undoubtedly the four Kirti Thoranas- ornamental gates. Standing strong, these pillars are 30ft tall and are built using single rock.

Kirti Thorana...which also happens to be the state emblem

After satiating ourselves  with the beauty of the ruined fort, we headed for 1000 pillar temple. We were totally disappointed with the crowd as well as the state of the road that led to the temple. Nonetheless, the carvings inside the temple are worth noticing.

Day two of the road trip began with the 'darshan' of BhadraKali temple. Though an atheist, the view of the temple against the backdrop of the lake is soothing. The Kali idol inside the temple is equally stunning. With a quick darshan, we headed for another 70 kms drive to get a glimpse of Laknavaram lake.

We reached the lake rather hesitantly as the road that led us to the lake from the main road bore a look of seclusion and unsafe. As we approached the lake, I was sure I didn't want Mr. Hubby to drive on the muddy- bumpy road, considering he was a novice at driving at that point of time! But as usual, he said we had to take the risk after all the travelling. Thus, we reached the destination but gladly realized that it was worth taking the risk.

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The lake is spread across an area of 10,000 acres and irrigates around 3,500 acres of agricultural land. The suspension bridge is one of the main attractions. But the real beauty lies in the fact that it was secluded.

The suspension bridge...

Another beautiful structure that attracts visitors is the Ramappa temple in Palampet. Ramappa temple is known by that name because of the sculptor who built it- Ramappa. It is a Shiva temple where Lord Ramalingeshwara is worshiped. Situated on a star- shaped platform, it is believed taken 40 years to complete the temple. It is a marvelous example of the Kakatiyan architecture with its' roof made of brick so light that it can even float in water!

The first glimpse of Ramappa temple

Carvings on dual-toned stone..

Filling our hearts and souls with some history and nature we returned Hyderabad after two days. Driving back home was quite easy but as we entered Hyderabad all the excitement vanished in thin air as we got stuck with a 2 hour traffic jam!

Tilmathi- A hidden black sand beach

Serenity, solitude, black sand and heaps of white shells...Yes! This is what you get to experience and witness as you get a glimpse of this hidden beach.
A drive of just 10 kms away from Karwar town will take you to a quaint little village called Majali.
This village, too, has a beach with very few people around and the beach with usual brown sand.
But, as you move forward and hike through a hillock for about 30-45 mins you will reach the secluded Tilmathi beach with black sand strewn across all over.

Trek through this hillock to reach Tilmathi...

View of Majali beach from the hillock...

The pristine water...

'Tilmathi' gets its name from Konkani- 'Til' meaning sesame and 'mathi' meaning sand. The sand found in this area resembles black sesame, hence the name Tilamthi. The sand gets its black colour due to the constant friction of waves to the basaltic rocks found abundantly in the vicinity.

The black sand and contrasting pebbles...

Shells all over...

Black sand pedicure...

It is also believed that the Arabian sea dumps the fine black sand brought by river Kali to this place.

Another uniqueness of the place lies in the fact that it is totally untouched by visitors; not a soul to be seen as far as your eyes can gaze. You almost feel that you are at a private beach hidden by the hillock.

Treasures...at Majali beach

And, the picture perfect sunset...

My daughter, then just 4 years old, enjoyed the refreshing waters to her hearts content. Both of us collected some unique coloured pebbles and the black sand as our take away gifts. 

Paigah Tombs

After much cajoling and coaxing, Mr. Husband had finally agreed to take me to Paigah tombs. The distance to reach the place from Hi-tech city to Santosh Nagar being long, I decided to keep some snacks handy for my little girl. Excited, she lay everything in her picnic basket which I thought was a bad idea as it was no place for her enjoyment. Nevertheless, she said "Even if I eat something from the basket then it's like a picnic". Half the basket was empty by the time we reached the place.

Pic credit: Mr. Husband

Though Paigah tombs can be reached easily from P.V. Narasimha Rao Expressway, it is not easy to locate the lane within which it exists. Thanks to Google Maps! I had decided to visit the place for my love of photography and after witnessing some beautiful 'jaali' work of the place on Instagram.

Arches...

The tombs complex looked deserted as we entered; we were the only people around. There was no entrance fee and the first sights were of number of trees cut down  till their stumps!

The tombs complex looks simple from outside, but on close examination one can see the intricate stucco and jaali work all around the place. The architecture that is seen here a mix of Asif Jahi as well as Rajputhana style and is an excellent demonstration of craftsmanship.

 Stucco work on the walls...

Intricate jaali work...

The Paigah nobility was founded in 18th century by Abdul Fateh Khan Tegh Jung Bahadur. He was appointed to protect Nizam Ali Khan, the second ruler of Nizams of Hyderabad. He commanded an army for this purpose which was called 'Paigah' which also meant 'right hand man'. His son married the Nizam's daughter which marked the onset of Paigahs marrying the Nizams. Thus, they were held in highest regards in the Nizam's aristocracy.

Paigahs were primarily responsible for defence and security. At the same time, they were also great patrons of art and known for erecting palaces around Hyderabad. The very famous Falaknuma Palace was built by Paigah Nawab Vikhar-ul-Umra Iqbal-ud-doula and later gifted to sixth Nizam.

The tombs are famous for its' intricate stucco work, geometric and floral designs and beautiful marble fences and canopies.

It surely is a place to visit for the one who loves architecture and photography; of course much of the work is in ruins at present.

P.S. Tons of thanks to my dearest husband and daughter for putting up with me!