Dodda Aalada Mara, Ramohalli, Bangalore, 2012

Ramohalli, Bangalore - 2012

Dodda Aalada Mara - Big Banyan tree

info: This single plant covers 3 acres (12,000 m²) and is one of the largest of its kind. It is said to be at least 400 years old
Address: Tavarekere Hobli, Bangalore, Karnataka 

When i was a kid, my parents had taken us to Calcutta and we visited THE banyan tree - I remember the walk was too long and i refused to walk and my mom dragged me.

Now as a grown up i took my nephew and niece to Dodda Alada Mara which is in outskirts of Bangalore. Thou it is not as Big as Calcutta but still it is BIG enough for anyone of us it covers 3 acres.

Filled with monkeys - clever and intelegent ones. -a story for you

Mummy Daddy elder sister and the little one. family on a tree branch. Daddy helping mummy cleaning her fur by removing the hair lice and also yum yum having it as a snack.

elder sister being an audience watching Ma and Pa romance and also the crowd who is walking around the branches- the huge span of spread of the tree.

The little one jumping hanging like a Tarzan and trying all the new tricks he has learnt.

Me with my family - amma appa my bro - bhabhi and two little ones - 9 yrs and 12 months
 i am carrying the 12 months and the 9yrs holding my finger and walking by my side.

the little one(monkey) got excited looking at another little one i was carrying- we stood there watching him, he slowly came closer and closer and closer - he extended his little hand towards my nephew and
BANG
---he gets one slap from his daddy - who looked at him slapped him one more time - and said: will you go and mix with strangers if they take you away what are we gong to do? 100% times we have told you not to talk to strangers - then the daddy monkey looked at me and said I know you have a plan to kidnap my baby - but dont forget i am there to protect my family.

looking at his anger we quickly moved and started walking - the Daddy started following us - jumping from one tree to another and making faces on us - sometimes swinging towards us with the roots of the tree. he started becoming aggressive more and more - so i was thinking -- he is so threatened by us that he wants to make sure we leave that premises.

i told my family let us go as the daddy might hurt our little one -

but our little 12 years old was enjoying the monkey following us and suddenly he offered his baby milk bottle and daddy happily snatched it and ran up the tree - through the nipple and drank the milk - my nephew was so happy he started clapping. but after 5 min my nephew wanted the bottle back and started crying the daddy monkey threw the empty bottle and went back and joined his family and my nephew was happy to get back his empty bottle.

so we realized the karmic connection between the two ancestors.

Bangalore 2009

Bangalore: 2009

Ustad Kayangadi Papanna's Massage Institute, Chickpet Bangalore.

Info: 

Since 1860. 

This is in Akkipet Main Road, Near Cottenpet Hospital, in Chickpet.  

a little after Tawakkal Mastan Dargah

If i want to translate the above address it will be: it is in the main road of Rice market, which is near the Cotten market hospital and this is part of the Small market zone.  

This was not just a Massage center but also a Akhada or Kusti (wrestling) Center. which is evident in the shops display. The Akkipet is the original place where Kayangadi Papanna started his Wrestling school and then a massage center.

This shop competes with the high tech multinational fitness institutes mushrooming all over the city, that's why the shop now calls itself as Kayangadi Papanna Massage Institute. earlier it was simple "Kayangadi Papanna's"

This shop talks about the history of Bangalore city - the past 150 years- the best preserving living archive of the city.

The late Kayangadi Papanna (a coconut seller by profession) was one such. He had trounced several stalwart pehlwans. Pleased by his feats, the then Mysore Maharaja bestowed upon him the title Ustad, in 1876.... ( quote from hindu)

They say as the late Kayangadi Papanna used to also train pehlwans - under him there was more than hundred students - as the profession leads to have injuries and muscle  pulls - Papanna decided to learn the art of massage.

The main one is in Akkipet from where this phelwani cum massage center started - but now because of batwara'ss - property divides amoung his children grandchildren or great grand children....  which has lead to many small small centers in town. 

one i found in Rajajinagar which says Ustad Kayangadi Papanna Policlinic they have a website:   http://kayangadipapanna.com/ 

The main center (the historical place where it started) dosnt have any website yet, but you can find little bit of history in an article which came in Hindu: 

http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/02/23/stories/2004022302320300.htm

Suresh Jayaram introduced me to this fantastic place. i was too tempted to get a massage - but unfortunately they do not do any massage for pleasure.
Now-a-days The problem with oral history is it either remains exactly the same measured in a measuring cup or it changes 100%. but most of them are quite romantic nostalgia.

 

 

 

Berlin 2010

Berlin Wall:

In 2010 i went to Berlin as a tourist - i saw the wall is been celebrated as a touristy item. Tourists die to see the wall. i think they feel in their life the loss of not seeing the actually functional wall -- at-least one glimpse will satisfy their thirst.
and the another thing they miss is no Road is called after Hitler

I really wonder is being a tourist is being a saddest? Human being love the idea of witnessing the history of suffering.

these photos are the details of the wall which is exhibited in the center of the town - if i am right it is in its original place - a V V small part of the remains of the wall - which has become a celebrated monument. - actually it is like Gate way in Bombay.

Baroda April 2013

Baroda: April 2013
Dhundiraj Ganpati Temple, Baroda

Info: 

160 years old 

This temple is located in the heart of Wadi area

Difficult to find - it is in a interior gali

Open to publc from morn 8am to noon and 8pm to 10pm. 

The temple was built by Gopalrao Mairal, a diwan during the regime of Sayaji Rao Gaekwad II.   

Today, the 5^th generation of Mairals are maintaining the temple.

Everyday in the evening there is a Shehnai played by one family from generations they too are the 5th generation maintaining. They play in the 3rd floor of the main facade. 

The monument has been built using Gujarati and Marathi architecture. Hindu, Jain and Persian motives found.

A unique combination of wood and marble has been used to build it. we can also see marble inlay work on the floor which comes from Central Asia. 

According to our mythology few figures are found which are quite unique and rare seen. 

I met one of the family members who are maintaining the temple - he was the caretaker - and also teaches technical for Textile in the M.S.University.  He is worried of maintainance of the temple - more than the financial help he is looking for experts who can do justice.

The Manager or the care taker narrates this story to everybody who visits for its beauty -  and he also remembers who all have visited the temple - important people. when i read an article on net about this temple - it was like word to word the manager is saying.
But i am happy to see - both the Shehnai family or the temple family members - all generation are proud of their ancestral property. why not it is one of an unique kind.

the Back area of the temple used to be Dharmshala for the Pilgrimages. which is in ruins but the trustees and the family caretakers are desperate to restore it.