Seeds of Happiness

Imprints of Togetherness...

2011-08-10T10:17:00.000-07:00

The Ruler : Maharaja Vinay Singh
The Year : 1845 AD
The Place : 13kms from the Alwar City in Rajasthan
The Problem : Water Scarcity in the Alwar City
The Solution : 10.5 sq km man made lake cum reservoir
The Laison : A fascinating lake chateau for Queen Shila
The Story : The lake was once a reservoir built by constructing a dam between the two hills to store the water of a small river called Ruparel by Maharaja Vinay Singh for the purpose of channeling the water into the Alwar City. A ruler so sensitive was quite a romantic as well. As a gesture of love for his lovely Queen Shila he gets build one of the most picturesque Lake Palaces of Rajasthan - Lake Palace, Siliserh which also served as the Royal Hunting Lodge. The cenotaphs or the chattris rightly complements its regal grandeur transforming you in time with it’s old world charm. It seems like a perfect illicit getaway in the Aravallis which is just 165 kms away from Delhi because of its magical and mysterious aura. More so because it’s rightly located hidden from view on three sides by the lush green hills and on the fourth side is the beautiful placid lake Siliserh.

Just rightly placed in the hills and overlooking the lake, this tastefully done up old chateau gives a breathtaking view of the water spread at the sunrise and sunset. As the sun rises, the lake looks absolutely a beautiful green because of the lush green Aravallis and turns into varied hues of peacock blue as the sun begins to descend. Winter is the best time recommended to experience a boat ride on this dreamy piece of azure lake let. The occasional visits of migratory birds add a lot of music and colour which is a welcome break before you slip into the blue green hypnosis again.

An ideal stopover in the way to Sariska National Tiger Reserve, this old palace is now maintained and managed by the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation. Nothing much can be said about the hospitality of RTDC, it’s just about OK and there is no choice. Delhi-Gurgaon-Dharuhera-Alwar-Siliserh is the route which you need to follow. The roads are good with few bad patches in the last couple of kilometers. You are practically in the hills in just four hours drive (unlike the 6-7-8-10 hrs drive to Uttarakhand or Himachal), which is just amazing if you have to kill a sudden hill craving over the weekend. Mobile networks is a problem - BSNL/ MTNL works but all others have a problem.

The serenity of the lake and the greenery of the hills around is all that you would need to forget the dust, grime and mad rush of the cities!

VALLEY OF COLOURS - Mukteshwar

2011-07-15T19:57:00.000-07:00

What happens when a saint decides to take samadhi at an altitude of 2286 mtrs which is precisely 7500 feet, amidst 16 mile x 14 mile wide deodar forests in the lap of Nanda Devi which gives a breath taking view of virginal 22 snow peaks?

A habitat takes birth after his name.

Its the same place which the famous Jim Corbett made known with his extensive stays during his hunt for the man eater tigers and gave its due acknowledgment in his book “ The Man Eaters of Kumaon “

Mukteshwar Dham which is a 350 year old shrine to Mahesvara Shiva and Saint Shri Mukteshwar Maharaj jee together gave this wildly sleepy town its signature - “ MUKTESHWAR "

The samadhi of Saint Shri Mukteshwar Maharaj jee is now a Tapovan where you can connect with yourself with the wind’s sweet nothings blowing through the Deodar forests as your companion in solitude.

Here you would feel as if you are on top of the world in literal sense with the lavish spread of the flora, fauna, birds and the bees. As if all brewing together a magic to make you feel one with life. Such is the spell of this place that one’s blood wouldn’t curl observing some bloodshed not far from here. “ Chauli ki Jaali” is the place where huge ill shaped rock juts out at a freakish angle from the hill’s front side where, eagles and the other scavengers dive down for their kills.

Mukteshwar is also the hill campus for Indian Veterinary Research Institute which was originally Imperial Bacteriological Laboratory which got shifted from Pune in 1893. IVRI maintains a museum which has a microscope used by noted nobel winner scientist Robert Koch along with other relevant things.

Mukteshwar’s rich hilly topography ensures good potato crops and amazing peach and apple orchards on terraces cut into the hillsides with the snow peaks as the backdrop. It would be unfair not to mention one of our afternoon delectable session here at one of the hill side terraces on the top. We were so badly looking forward to it that some even avoided their breakfast that day. The family staying up there offered to serve us chicken curry and rice. It was no doubt one of the best lunches that I've had. The chicken curry never tasted so good, maybe it had something to do with the mesmerizing Nanda Devi peaks that seemed were just a stone's throw away. After a couple of hours it was a steaming cup of herbal tea along with some scrumptious aloo (organic potatoes fresh from the fields) and saag pakoras in these orchards. We even got the chance to pick a few fresh peaches from the tree. What better way to view the sunset!!!

Small easy treks, long walks along the winding roads, rainfall in pockets and the Flowers!!! It was like a cherry on the cake, wherever the eyes travelled there were flowers, a structure of any kind, be it home, hotel or shops there were just flowers of various kinds every were. And they were grown in anything to everything, I never saw them in proper pots. Big, bright and in clusters.

It is the VALLEY OF COLOURS!!!

Mukteshwar as seen through my eyes....

Vintage Hues

2010-08-02T05:30:00.001-07:00

of pillars, memories and a tomb

2009-05-11T03:40:00.000-07:00

I wISh...

2009-05-06T06:40:00.000-07:00

Paths of Glory

2009-05-03T23:32:00.001-07:00

Reverse Introspection

2009-04-09T04:07:00.001-07:00

THE STATEMENT

Iam a self taught artist. Art is an amazing process which is difficult to understand or describe as it happens on its own, but yes it is a valuable healing experience for both the creator and the observer. I get fascinated by human conditions. The complexity of relationships and our search to understand "how" and "why" as they are linked in a way which cannot be put in words but experienced. My work speaks more about what I feel "inside" which happens with what i've experienced "outside" not just seen. My art helps me to negotiate the difficult mix of the personal, the traditional and the contemporary that makes me who iam.
Iam still in process of attaining a deeper understanding and control of myself with the help of my art and hence Iam in constant search of myself.

Mute Wilderness

2009-04-07T01:49:00.001-07:00

The Quaint

2009-03-24T23:13:00.000-07:00

The Flower Duet

2009-03-23T23:40:00.000-07:00

Yantra Tantra

2009-03-23T23:17:00.000-07:00

Wings of Pink

2009-02-03T01:32:00.001-08:00

Grounded Fantasies

2009-01-28T21:59:00.000-08:00

Nirvana

2009-01-27T23:29:00.000-08:00

Depths of Tranquility

2009-01-27T05:09:00.000-08:00

The Pilgrimage

2009-01-27T04:09:00.000-08:00