A friend of mine says a photograph is a “memory-aider”. I
find it as an apt statement. Even after years, if you revisit the pics taken
during a trip, the highlights of that tour play on the mind-screen. For
the last few days, Google photos app is reminding me of an Agra-Fatehpur
Sikri-Varanasi-Allahabad trip I had undertaken last summer with a friend, who
is a travel writer. And the photos are making me eager to re-live those
moments.
It was memorable in many ways. The extreme heat which was
making us question our decision to choose the month of May for travel in North
India, the early morning view of the Taj from our Agra hotel roof, remembering the scenes of the films shot in
Kashi by Satyajit Ray as we roamed through the alleys of the temple town, the
14-hour sleeper coach bus journey from Agra to Kashi, the rooftop restaurant
along the Ganga where we devoured dinner and a glorious night view of the river,
the walk through the ghats of Kashi, the overcrowded bus from Kashi to
Allahabad which had a couple that lost the count of their children and almost
left one behind if not for the alertness of the conductor – it was a jumble of
too many sights and sounds to pack in one post. So, I chose three moments which
I still savour.
Moment 1: A touch of nostalgia; We
were roaming in the Fatehpur Sikri complex, its architectural splendour making
us oblivious to the 42 degree Celsius heat, when I suddenly felt an odd sense
of deja vu. Was I here before? But I was visiting the site for the first time.
Then? I realized after a few seconds that I have seen a photograph of my father
at the exact same spot, taken nearly 50 years back, with Panch Mahal in the
backdrop. I tried to recreate family history by posing at the same place, but
alas! The photo later got deleted by me mistakenly. Still, it was a moment
worth cherishing.
Moment 2: Taj, unveiled; We reached
Agra late in the afternoon, came out of our hotel (Atulyaa Taj) and took a
rickshaw to Taj Mahal, only to realize that it was closing time already. The
rickshaw-puller told us, “I am dropping you in front of the gate. Walk straight
and you will reach the Yamuna Ghat. From there, you can get a nice view.
Come back and I will be here.”
We walked past the East Gate. The
road was not crowded except for a few children and a large number of monkeys here
and there. The red sandstone side walls of the Taj complex were on our left. We
kept on walking, and as if by magic, from behind the vibrant red stone,
peeped the glorious white marbled monument. Its silent grandeur was unveiled slowly before our eyes, as we reached the ghat and stood awe-struck beside the sliver of a river Yamuna. At
that moment I could understand why it has inspired so many poets and travellers
for so many years.
After we returned, we paid the
rickshaw-puller double his due.
Moment 3: Moonrise at Kashi; We were
in a small boat, stationed in the water just opposite the Dashashwamedh Ghat,
to watch the Ganga aarti live. Young boys selling Bisleri water bottles were
jumping from boat to boat, which were stuck together, sometimes swinging from
side to side. All the boatmen were trying to push their vessels towards the
ghat at the same time, looking for the best position and causing considerable
chaos. It was peak summer and there was a reduced flow of water into the river,
making the bank on the other side appear quite near. The chanting of
shlokas started on the ghat, which had then come alive with thousands of people
and lights and huge ceremonial lamps with multi-level flames, swung
rhythmically by priests. But I looked towards the other side for no reason
and there it was! A brilliant full moon, its shadow on the gentle ripples of
the water, the sand-stretch on the bank gleaming like a mystery. A boat painted
in bright red and flying a red flag was just passing through, creating a frame
which will be a painter’s delight. The photo clicked by me doesn’t do justice
to the moment.
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