Voy a Peru

What does Peru bring to my mind? Well, the word Peru brings with it a lot of heritage, history and culture with it. The world knows Machu - Pichu as UNESCO Heritage site (the seven wonders’ of the world), the Inca’s etc. It is quite clear to us that America is an enormous country and it takes a lot of time to cover the east and the western coast. Peru is that wonderful country that exists on the western coast surrounded by Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia and Chile. I have researched, refrerred to wikipedia but my study is not only limited to one website. It incorporates historical, geographical, cultural features and cuisine of Peru. A must visit for a travel enthusiast.

Pronunciation and Etymology

Peru Listeni/pəˈruː/ (Spanish: Perú; Quechua: Perú or Piruw;[5] Aymara: Piruw), officially the Republic of Peru (Spanish: República del Perú, pronounced: [reˈpuβlika ðel peˈɾu].

The word Peru has origins in various Southern French and North Western Spain languages (Occitan) and also found in the Corsican country, however to the Europeans the word Peru was the most suited to replace the original name Birú, the name of a local ruler who lived near the Bay of San Miguel, Panama, in the early 16th century. When his possessions were visited by Spanish explorers in 1522, they were the southernmost part of the New World yet known to Europeans. Thus, when Francisco Pizarro explored the regions farther south, they came to be designated Birú or Peru.

The Spanish Crown gave the name legal status with the 1529 Capitulación de Toledo, which designated the newly encountered Inca Empire as the province of Peru. Under Spanish rule, the country adopted the denomination Viceroyalty of Peru, which became the Republic of Peru after the Peruvian War of Independence.

Introduction

Peru is a country in western South America and its capital is Lima. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the west by the Pacific Ocean.

Present Peru

Peruvian territory was home to ancient cultures spanning from the Norte Chico civilization, one of the oldest in the world, to the Inca Empire, the largest state in Pre-Columbian America. The Spanish Empire conquered the region in the 16th century and established a Viceroyalty with its capital in Lima, which included most of its South American colonies. After achieving independence in 1821, Peru has undergone periods of political unrest and fiscal crisis as well as periods of stability and economic upswing. Economic cycles have mostly been based on the extraction of raw materials like guano (1840s-1860s) and rubber (ca. 1900).

Peru is a representative democratic republic divided into 25 regions. Its geography varies from the arid plains of the Pacific coast to the peaks of the Andes Mountains and the tropical forests of the Amazon Basin. It is a developing country with a high Human Development Index score and a poverty level around 25.8 percent.[6] Its main economic activities include mining, manufacturing, agriculture and fishing.

The Peruvian population, estimated at 30.4 million, is multiethnic, including Amerindians, Europeans, Africans, and Asians. The main spoken language is Spanish, although a significant number of Peruvians speak Quechua or other native languages. This mixture of cultural traditions has resulted in a wide diversity of expressions in fields such as art, cuisine, literature, and music.

Regions

Peru is divided into 25 regions and the province of Lima. Each region has an elected government composed of a president and council that serve four-year terms. These governments plan regional development, execute public investment projects, promote economic activities, and manage public property. The province of Lima is administered by a city council. The goal of devolving power to regional and municipal governments was among others to improve popular participation. NGOs played an important role in the decentralisation process and still influence local politics.

Names of Regions

Amazonas Ancash Apurímac Arequipa Ayacucho Cajamarca Callao Cuzco Huancavelica Huánuco Ica Junín La Libertad

Lambayeque Lima Loreto Madre de Dios Moquegua Pasco Piura Puno San Martín Tacna Tumbes Ucayali

Art , Culture, Architecture, Music and Festivals in Peru

The culture of Peru was shaped by the relationship between Hispanic and Amerindian cultures. The ethnic diversity and rugged geography of Peru allowed diverse traditions and customs to co-exist. The coastal European influenced Peru has passed through various intellectual stages - from colonial Hispanic culture to European Romanticism after independence. The early 20th century brought "indigenismo", expressed in a new awareness of Indian culture. Since World War II, Peruvian writers, artists, and intellectuals such as César Vallejo and José María Arguedas have participated in worldwide intellectual and artistic movements.

Peruvian architecture is a conjunction of European styles exposed to the influence of indigenous imagery. Two of the most well-known examples of the Early Colonial period are the Cathedral of Cusco and the Church of Santa Clara of Cuzco. After this period, the mestization reached its richer expression in the Baroque. Some examples of this Baroque period are the Convento de San Francisco, the Iglesia de la Compañía, and the facade of the University of Cuzco and, overall, the churches of San Agustín and Santa Rosa of Arequipa.

                       

The Independence War left a creative emptiness that was filled by the Neoclassicism of the French. The 20th century was characterized by the eclectic architecture, which has been in stark opposition to constructive functionalism. Its considerable example is San Martin Plaza in Lima.

Peruvian music is an amalgamation of sounds and styles drawing on the Peru's Andean music roots and influenced by Quechua, Aymara and Spanish music.Popular celebrations are the product of every town's traditions and legends. These celebrations include music, meals and typical drinks. In addition to the religious celebrations like Christmas and Corpus Christi, there are others that express the syncretism of the indigenous beliefs with the Christians. An example is the Marinera which is one of the main dances found in Peru. Many families find it fascinating to watch a performance. They also have a guinea pig festival each year.

Cuisine of Peru

Peruvian cuisine reflects local practices and ingredients—including influences from the indigenous Inca and cuisines brought in with immigrants such as Spanish cuisine, Chinese cuisine, Italian cuisine, German cuisine, Japanese cuisine and African influences. Without the familiar ingredients from their home countries, immigrants modified their traditional cuisines by using ingredients available in Peru. The three traditional staples of Peruvian cuisine are corn, potatoes, and chili peppers. Staples brought by the Spanish include rice, wheat and meats (beef, pork and chicken). Many traditional foods—such as quinoa, kaniwa, some varieties of chili peppers, and several roots and tubers have increased in popularity in recent decades, reflecting a revival of interest in native Peruvian foods and culinary techniques. Chef Gaston Acurio has become well known for raising awareness of local ingredients. There are wide variety of sweets and drinks which one can taste and enjoy in Peru.

The details of the same can be found on your tab, just click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peruvian_cuisine

Peru has a varied cuisine with ingredients like maize, tomato, potatoes, uchu or Ají (Capsicum pubescens), oca, ulluco, avocado, fruits like chirimoya, lúcuma and pineapple, and animals like taruca (Hippocamelus antisensis), llama and guinea pig (called cuy). The combination of Inca and Spanish culinary traditions, resulted in new meals and ways of preparing them. The arrival of African and Chinese immigrants in the 19th century also resulted in the development of Creole cuisine in the city of Lima, where the vast majority of these immigrants settled.

Some typical Peruvian dishes are ceviche (fish and shellfish marinated in citrus juice), chupe de camarones (a soup made of shrimp known as cryphiops caementarius), anticuchos (cow's heart roasted en brochette), olluco con charqui (a casserole dish made of ulluco and charqui), pachamanca (meat, tubers and beans cooked in a stone oven), lomo saltado (meat fried lightly with tomato and onion, served with french fries and rice) that has a Chinese influence, and the picante de cuy (a casserole dish made of fried guinea pig with some spices). Peruvian food can be accompanied by typical drinks like the chicha de jora (a chicha made of tender corn dried by the sun). There are also chichas made of purple corn or peanuts.

Some snapshots of Peruvian Cuisine

Alpaca with aguaymanto sauce 

Ocopa - a dish of Peru

Inca Cola – a popular drink       

Pisco Sour – a popular drink.

Alfajores

Ceviche de poulpo

Literature of Peru –

The Peruvian literature has its roots in the oral traditions of pre-Columbian Los Comentarios Reales de los Incas, published in 1609. After independence, the monarchy wrote a book that spoke to all of the people. Costumbrism and Romanticism became the most common literary genres, as exemplified in the works of Priests. In the early 20th century, the Indigenismo movement produced such writers as Ciro Alegría, José María Arguedas, and César Vallejo. José Carlos Mariátegui's essays in the 1920s were a turning-point in the political and economic analysis of Peruvian history. During the second half of the century, Peruvian literature became more widely known because of authors such as Mario Vargas Llosa, a leading member of the Latin American Boom.

Geography and Tourism in Peru

Peru covers 1,285,216 km2 (496,225 sq mi) of western South America. It borders Ecuador and Colombia to the north, Brazil to the east, Bolivia to the southeast, Chile to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The Andes Mountains run parallel to the Pacific Ocean; they define the three regions traditionally used to describe the country geographically. The costa (coast), to the west, is a narrow plain, largely arid except for valleys created by seasonal rivers. The sierra (highlands) is the region of the Andes; it includes the Altiplano plateau as well as the highest peak of the country, the 6,768 m (22,205 ft) Huascarán. The third region is the selva (jungle), a wide expanse of flat terrain covered by the Amazon rainforest that extends east. Almost 60 percent of the country's area is located within this region.

The history of Peru spans several millennia, extending back through several stages of cultural development in the mountain region and the coastal desert. About 15,200 years ago, groups of people are believed to have crossed the Bering Strait from Asia and survived as nomads, hunting, gathering fruits and vegetables and fishing in the sea, rivers and lakes. Peruvian territory was home to the Norte Chico civilization, one of the six oldest in the world, and to the Inca Empire, the largest state in Pre-Columbian America. It was conquered by the Spanish Empire in the 16th century, which established a Viceroyalty with jurisdiction over most of its South American domains. The nation declared independence from Spain in 1821 but consolidated only after the Battle of Ayacucho, three years later.

Most Peruvian rivers originate in the peaks of the Andes and drain into one of three basins. Those that drain toward the Pacific Ocean are steep and short, flowing only intermittently. Tributaries of the Amazon River are longer, have a much larger flow, and are less steep once they exit the sierra. Rivers that drain into Lake Titicaca are generally short and have a large flow. Peru's longest rivers are the Ucayali, the Marañón, the Putumayo, the Yavarí, the Huallaga, the Urubamba, the Mantaro, and the Amazon.

Peru does not have an exclusively tropical climate; the influence of the Andes and the Humboldt Current cause great climatic diversity within the country. The costa has moderate temperatures, low precipitations, and high humidity, except for its warmer, wetter northern reaches. In the sierra, rain is frequent during summer, and temperature and humidity diminish with altitude up to the frozen peaks of the Andes. The selva is characterized by heavy rainfall and high temperatures, except for its southernmost part, which has cold winters and seasonal rainfall. Because of its varied geography and climate, Peru has a high biodiversity with 21,462 species of plants and animals reported as of 2003; 5,855 of them endemic. The Manu National Park in the biosphere reserve of the Peruvian amazon and Alpamayo. A mountain peak in the Huascarán National Park are to be noted.

History of Peru

Juan Mauricio Rugendas - Study for Lima’s Main Square

The earliest evidences of human presence in Peruvian territory have been dated to approximately 9,000 years BCE. The oldest known complex society in Peru, the Norte Chico civilization, flourished along the coast of the Pacific Ocean between 3,000 and 1,800 BCE. These early developments were followed by archaeological cultures such as Cupisnique, Chavin, Paracas, Mochica, Nazca, Wari, and Chimú. In the 15th century, the Incas emerged as a powerful state which, in the span of a century, formed the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. Andean societies were based on agriculture, using techniques such as irrigation and terracing; camelid husbandry and fishing were also important. Organization relied on reciprocity and redistribution because these societies had no notion of market or money.

In December 1532, a party of conquistadors led by Francisco Pizarro defeated and captured Inca Emperor Atahualpa. Ten years later, the Spanish Crown established the Viceroyalty of Peru, which included most of its South American colonies. Viceroy Francisco de Toledo reorganized the country in the 1570s, with silver mining as its main economic activity and Amerindian forced labor as its primary workforce.

Peruvian bullion provided revenue for the Spanish Crown and fueled a complex trade network that extended as far as Europe and the Philippines. However, by the 18th century, declining silver production and economic diversification greatly diminished royal income. In response, the Crown enacted the Bourbon Reforms, a series of edicts that increased taxes and partitioned the Viceroyalty. The new laws provoked Túpac Amaru II's rebellion and other revolts, all of which were quashed.

Since its independence in 1821, Peru's bustling center of commerce and political power has remained at Lima. In the early 19th century, while most of South America was swept by wars of independence, Peru remained a royalist stronghold. As the elite vacillated between emancipation and loyalty to the Spanish Monarchy, independence was achieved only after the occupation by military campaigns of José de San Martín and Simón Bolívar.During the early years of the Republic, endemic struggles for power between military leaders caused political instability.

Peruvian national identity was forged during this period, as Bolivarian projects for a Latin American Confederation floundered and a union with Bolivia proved ephemeral. Between the 1840s and 1860s, Peru enjoyed a period of stability under the presidency of Ramón Castilla through increased state revenues from guano exports. However, by the 1870s, these resources had been depleted, the country was heavily indebted, and political in-fighting was again on the rise.

Peru was defeated by Chile in the 1879–1883 War of the Pacific, ceding the provinces of Arica and Tarapacá in the treaties of Ancón and Lima. Internal struggles after the war were followed by a period of stability under the Civilista Party, which lasted until the onset of the authoritarian regime of Augusto B. Leguía. The Great Depression caused the downfall of Leguía, renewed political turmoil, and the emergence of the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA).The rivalry between this organization and a coalition of the elite and the military defined Peruvian politics for the following three decades.

In 1968, the Armed Forces, led by General Juan Velasco Alvarado, staged a coup against president Fernando Belaunde. The new regime undertook radical reforms aimed at fostering development, but failed to gain widespread support. In 1975, General Francisco Morales Bermúdez forcefully replaced Velasco, paralyzed reforms, and oversaw the reestablishment of democracy. During the 1980s, Peru faced a considerable external debt, ever-growing inflation, a surge in drug trafficking, and massive political violence. Under the presidency of Alberto Fujimori (1990–2000), the country started to recover; however, accusations of authoritarianism, corruption, and human rights violations forced his resignation after the controversial 2000 elections. Since the end of the Fujimori regime, Peru has tried to fight corruption while sustaining economic growth.

Inca Empire (1438–1532)

The Incas built the largest empire and dynasty of pre-Columbian America.[6] The Tahuantinsuyo—which is derived from Quechua for "The Four United Regions"—reached its greatest extension at the beginning of the 16th century. It dominated a territory that included (from north to south): Ecuador, part of Colombia, the northern half of Chile, and the north-west part of Argentina; and from east to west, from Bolivia to the Amazonian forests and Peru.

The empire originated from a tribe based in Cuzco, which became the capital. Pachacuti was the first ruler to considerably expand the boundaries of the Cuzco state. His offspring later ruled an empire by both violent and peaceful conquest.

In Cuzco, the royal city was created to resemble a Cougar; the head, the main royal structure, formed what is now known as Sacsayhuaman. The Empire's administrative, political, and military center was located in Cuzco. The empire was divided into four quarters: Chinchasuyo, Antisuyo, Contisuyo, and Collasuyo.

The official language is Quechua - imposed on the citizens. It was the language of a neighbouring tribe of the original tribe of the empire. Conquered populations—tribes, kingdoms, states, and cities—were allowed to practice their own religions and lifestyles, but had to recognize Inca cultural practices as superior to their own. Inti, the sun god, was to be worshipped as one of the most important gods of the empire. His representation on earth was the Inca ("Emperor").

The Tahuantinsuyo was organized in dominions with a stratified society, in which the ruler was the Inca. It was also supported by an economy based on the collective property of the land. In fact, the Inca Empire was conceived like an ambitious and audacious civilizing project, based on a mythical thought, in which the harmony of the relationships between the human being, nature, and gods was truly essential.

Many interesting customs were observed, for example the extravagant feast of Inti Raymi which gave thanks to the God Sun, and the young women who were the Virgins of the Sun, sacrificial virgins devoted to the Inti. The empire, being quite large, also had an impressive transportation system of roads to all points of the empire called the Inca Trail, and chasquis, message carriers who relayed information from anywhere in the empire to Cuzco.

View of Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu (Quechua: Old Peak; sometimes called the "Lost City of the Incas") is a well-preserved pre-Columbian Inca ruin located on a high mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley, about 70 km (44 mi) northwest of Cuzco. Elevation measurements vary depending on whether the data refers to the ruin or the extremity of the mountain; Machu Picchu tourist information reports the elevation as 2,350 m (7,711 ft). Forgotten for centuries by the outside world, although not by locals, it was brought back to international attention by Yale archaeologist Hiram Bingham III, who rediscovered it in 1911 and wrote a best-selling work about it. Peru is pursuing legal efforts to retrieve thousands of artifacts that Bingham removed from the site.

Although Machu Picchu is by far the most well-known internationally, Peru boasts many other sites where the modern visitor can see extensive and well-preserved ruins, remnants of the Inca-period and even older constructions. Much of the Inca architecture and stonework found at these sites continues to confound archaeologists. For example, at Sacsayhuaman, in Cuzco, the zig-zag-shaped walls are composed of massive boulders fitted very precisely to one another's irregular, angular shapes. No mortar holds them together, but nonetheless they have remained absolutely solid through the centuries, surviving earthquakes that flattened many of Cuzco's colonial constructions. Damage to the walls visible today was mainly inflicted during battles between the Spanish and the Inca, as well as later, in the colonial era. As Cuzco grew, Sacsayhuaman's walls were partially dismantled, the site becoming a convenient source of construction materials for the city's newer inhabitants. It is still not known how these stones were shaped and smoothed, lifted on top of one another (they really are very massive), or fitted together by the Incas; we also do not know how they transported the stones to the site in the first place. The stone used is not native to the area and most likely came from mountains many kilometers away.

Travel and Tourism in Peru –

Peru had a vast civilization and history. A seven day trip is not enough to visit the key places. I suggest go to the following on your tab, click and on first page itself see the details regarding your visit. The tickets for machu pichu and all other places including your family vacations can be aligned by this touch of a click. Go ahead and viola…enjoy Peru. Keep in mind that Peru is divided into North, South and Central Peru.

Machu Picchu Inca citadel nestled into the top of the Inca hill is considered one of the seven New Wonders of the World.

Chavín de Huántar An impressive archaeological complex from the Chavín culture, with 3000 year old temples and sculptures made from stone.

Chan Chan The biggest mud-brick settlement in pre-Hispanic America, with its pyramid-shaped temples, plazas and palaces, it was the Chimú cultural center.

Caral The oldest sacred city in America and, at over 5000 years old, is the cradle of one of the world's first civilizations.

Nasca lines Mysterious figures drawn between 550 and 650 AD by the Nazca settlers in a desert area of around 350 km2 (135 sq. miles).	Kúelap An archaeological complex of the Chachapoyas people, exhibiting walls reaching up to 66 meters tall, built where the jungle meets the hills.

People…visit trip advisor for your hotel bookings. Till then happy reading!!!!

Source: wikipedia.and travel stories.

The bengali bioscope - " From the view of the bengali audience"

A question that always bothers my mind is the scope and public reach of Bengali films. They are shown at the various film festivals like – New York Film Festival, Dubai Film Festival, Berlin Film Festival, Goa Film Festival, Kolkata International Film Festival, Moscow International Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival etc. These films are gracefully recognized across the globe. The foreign audience understands the effort and the stories depicted in these films despite the language hurdle. But what about the teeming millions of India. They are prevented from watching these films due to language barrier. This does not happen only to Bengal cinema. There are very few regional languages films that are translated into Hindi or English.It happens to the wonderful Marathi, Kannada etc. meaningful theatre and cinema. They do produce significant art and creativity. But very few Indians are not linguistically challenged. We often say that cinema has no boundaries. This is just a huge irony, India produces amazing creativity through cinema but public reach is a major blockade of this creative art form.

The 21st century Bengal cinema is all about experimentation and an unconventional blend of stories. Undoubtedly, there is commercial cinema  like Bollywood etc. where shooting is done at various foreign locations with songs, dances, action packed thriller and are higher budget films. The common Indian sentiment that surrounds yet not surpass is that a movie for the masses is proletariat and that the experimental art cinema is bourgeoisie. In the past few years, the audience of Bengal wished to explore new subjects apart from watching those regular commercial movies with the actor and actresses prancing around trees and shrubs in a garden. A trend which grew and revived the creativity of Bengal cinema. The new age directors like Srijit Mukherjee, Kaushik Ganguly, ChurniGanguly, Parambrata Chatterjee, Sandip Ray (son of legendary director Satyajit Ray), MainakBhaumik,  Sudeshna Roy and Abhijit Guha are doing extensive research to produce a single piece of film. Each of their films is regarding a subject that has been less ventured upon.

It was the 90’s when there was a downfall in terms of significant films. The films had become extremely low budget, commercial with paucity of adequent content and depth. Then there emerged directors like Late Rituparno Ghosh, Goutam Ghosh and Aparna Sen who brought some extremely well made films that potrayed great creativity, thought provocation and mass followers of their next venture. It was a refreshing change again for the audience of  Bengal who were starved from watching good cinema.

If we go down the memory lane directors like Satyajit Ray, RitwickGhatak, Mrinal Sen, Hrishkesh Mukherjee, Tapan Sinha etc. were notable artists whose films have been shown across the globe and appreciated. They showed the world that Indians too are not novice but intellectually awakened and enlightened citizens of this continent. Satyajit Rays film institute in  Kolkata is major platform for students of film and television. His films are studied also in University of California.These stalwarts were polymath of their genre like , specifically Ray who scripted, cinematographed, directed, sung, directed music, painted, designed sets and costumes of films, wrote stories etc. Ray was highly influenced by  Vittorio De Sica's Italian neorealist 1948 film Bicycle Thieves during a visit to London.” and after watching it he thought to become a film director. I wonder what a significant cinema it was as it gave birth to Satyajit Ray and Anurag Kashyap (new age bollywood director) as a director. These two individuals born in different eras are influenced by the same film.The period of Ray can be described as the era of Film Rennaissance of Bengal. Ghatak’sMeghe Dhaka Tara inspired another art filmmaker Mira Nair and beckon her towards good cinema. Their films showed the world that India was much more than just a snake charmer’s land. The death of this kind of intelligentsia and cinematic geniuses lead to the downfall of the Bengal’s creativity in terms of film making. And this intellectual death can be seen clearly in the late 80’s and 90’s of Bengal cinema. It seemed to the audience as the dusk era of what Bengal could artistically produce for the nation and the world. The art that broke the human confines of language, race etc. breathed its last at the rise of the 90’s era.

Now in this century, the abovementioned new age directors are bringing out of the box stories. The director’s like Kaushik Ganguly explores the subject of sexuality in his films. Srijit Mukherjee whose films are experimental, great presentation, thrill. To the audience he is the Indian adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock and Edgar Allen Poe. He is a former economist and has been assistant director, lyricist, actor on stage and films. His subject of films are well read and researched. He rose to prominence with the film Autograph that gathered critical acclaim and appreciation. Who could have thought that “BaisheySrabon” (thriller film) could have a subject so meaningful behind it.His film potrayed the Hungrealist movement of Bengal. His film subject was a daring move as it dealt with anti Rabindranathtagore analogy, causes and significance and was able to draw sympathy from the audience. Rabindranath Tagore, the literary genius of Bengal who is worshipped by every Bengali in Bengal. Then comes MainakBhaumick who has been an assistant director to late Rituparno Ghosh, his films are cosmopolitan in outlook and studies contemporary culture, problems and issues of today’s society. Sudeshna Ghosh and Abhijit Guha are duo who too produce experimental subject cinema. The aforesaid directors deal with subjects and issues that have never been dealt out by anyone in India.

Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Hrishkesh Mukherjee, Tapan Sinha, Late Rituparno Ghosh etc. have directed  hindi films in Bollywood casting Bollywood actors and actresses. The late Rituporna Ghosh has directed mainstream Bollywood actresses in Bengal cinema and achieved huge apreciation for those films. Amidst all this artistic creativity, we as an audience have virtually acknowledged that the bioscope of Bengal is reviving and is moving with the pace of contemporary lifestyle, education, progress and thinking. This is arrived at due to the commercial development happening in Bengal and many new producers are coming forward to produce new projects. It is also acknowledged that the actors, actresses, directors etc. are extremely talented as often seen that they are playing multiple roles in the aspect of film making. Some of them can sing and dance at the same time, while others can write lyrics, direct, write and act. Each of the individual of the industry has many god gifted talents and has something interesting to give to the audience.It is also seen that directors like Satyajit Ray and Rituparno Ghosh had a stint in the advertising world before they came to mainstream cinema. The directors as mentioned in this article have received Bharat Ratna, National Film Award and other higher recognitions for their contribution to Bengal bioscope. Each of the directors mentioned in this article are studious, talented and well read.

All this is about the Bengal cinema which will continue to produce many more beautiful films that will touch the class audience. The directors will read, study many more books, theatre and films across the globe and potray those rare subjects that we often overlook. The thing that bothers my mind is this classic art form of Bengal still has a language barrier and the teeming millions living in various parts of the country will fail to notice the depth of the subjects just as we as Bengalis miss the piece of art depicted by other regional cinema and theatre. How ironical this is, the world is watching through various film festivals what India has to offer yet the Indians themselves are just confined to language barricades. My thoughts such as these arise when I watched the masterpieces Amelie, Bicycle Thieves, Jean Paul Satre's - A political murder, Girish Karnad'sNagamandala etc.

Kumarakom and Alleppey- The backwaters of Kerala

Our journey to the God’s own country began soon after the monsoon season. My husband and I as mentioned earlier are great travel enthusiasts. Our urge to travel to the most unusual places in this world often arises when we get exhausted with our mundane lives. Our enthusiasm goes to the extent of doing immense amount of research about such places. We both finally share the research with each other and zero down a place that we haven’t seen or heard before. The idea of Kumarakom happened in a spur of the moment. We wanted to see water this time, a choice that we preferred over the hills or the mountains. Kerala, we never ever visited before, people often discussed places like Alleppey, Bekal, Verkala, Munnar, Wayanad and  Kovalam etc. but Kumarakom is lesser known to people across India. I was overwhelmed by the thought that my husband wanted to take me to a beautiful place to celebrate my first birthday post marriage. Kerala is famous for its backwaters and hence we finalized Kumarakom as the destination for our haunt.

The day came soon by when we boarded the flight from Bangalore to Cochin and reached Kumarakom by a two to two and half drive from Cochin Airport. The drive was beautiful as the landscape started to change the further we moved towards Kumarakom. The landscape included hills and canals and gradually we entered the city of Kumarakom. Before I forget I must include that we stopped by a little at Cochin to buy few food munching items and drinks as we were informed that Kumarakom is a village and we would not find much assistance there except for the hotel in which we booked to stay.

We finally reached Kumarakom where we could see the canals, bridges, the lake, the beauty of God’s own country before our eyes. On our way we saw many house boat (Kettuvallam) booking agencies, Taj Vivanta Hotel, Lake Kumarakom Resort and many others etc. We had booked Zuri Kumarakom, this time and were beautifully greeted by the staff. Fresh coconuts drinks were served in jute baskets with straws, it was a welcome relief to us as we traveled a long way since very early in the morning and reached there in the afternoon. The staff took us to our rooms and on the way we crossed a wooden bridge that separated the great Vembanad Lake from the private lagoon that surrounded the hotel property. Post the afternoon lunch we slept and woke up at 5:00 pm to witness the evening drizzle all over the lake and the property. Our cottage was cozy and had a lovely view of the lagoon from the little balcony that had a chic tea table and chairs. The cottage was beautifully ornate with Kerala handicrafts and the washroom with bath, shower cubicle and little rustic outside shower faucet that we utilized early in the morning and post swimming.

The fantastic aspect about Zuri was its food, they served various cuisines including Kerala cuisine that we savored on lunch and dinner time. It was slow cooked in typical earthen pots. With our stomach filled with buffet lunch, we merrily walked in the light showers, with our own umbrellas (a saving grace rather) and moved all around the property. The infinity pool was filled with the laughter of young children who enjoyed the swim along with the heavenly evening showers. We had carried our costumes and it did not take us a lot of time to enter the pool to enjoy the rainfall. The best thing about the pool was that the water was warm and exactly the temperature that we desired.

After a great swim, we decided to go back to our room and enjoy a warm bubble bath in the bath tub of our washroom. The warm bath was followed by the amazing dinner buffet at the dining hall that had prepared some exquisite Kerala delicacies. There were a bunch of musicians who sang some good old English numbers. I could see people from across the globe sitting and enjoying the music, the only language that united all sitting there.The strumming of the guitar and candlelit dinner tables built up a quite romantic atmosphere. Thereafter we retired to bed early to wake up fresh in the morning.

Our hotel room balcony was adjacent the lagoon. The sun rays penetrated from the curtains and made me wake up at 6:30 a.m. I was greeted by my husband on my birthday.A little chit chat by sitting in the balcony was followed by some instant English breakfast tea. We immediately decided to take our tab, camera and tea mugs outside. The idea came quickly to us, basically to capture the early sun rays on the Vembanadu lake. With a lot of fun and frolic we walked over a wooden bridge inside the hotel and reached sitting place to overlook the lake and have the hot tea. With my crazy enthusiasm to capture shots through tab and camera…I cannot describe how mesmerized I was by the view. There were fishermen putting the net into the lake. The Kettuvallams (houseboats) sailing in the water, the quite lake, the sun rays on water, coconut trees…the typical Kerala landscape stood before my eyes. While taking the shots I often paused a while to catch the glimpse of various activities going on the lake. These were the moments that seemed to me  like “a host of golden Daffodils”(Daffodils by William Wordsworth), that would give me happiness in a pensive mood. That is the least to describe how beautiful Kerala was to me.

We decided to spend the birthday more fruitfully by quickly taking the open showers provided in our room. The breakfast was good and we were filled to the brim of a glass. Couples lay down and sun bathed near the pool that tempted us to take a swim at 11:00 a.m. in the morning. The water was wonderfully warm and we felt relaxed. We swam, sun bathed, drank some chilled beer and soaked up the sun for a while. Post the swim, we changed and decided to see and move around the village of Kumarakom. We walked down outside the resort a few miles and reached the main road. From the main road we found an auto and asked him to take us around and finally drop us for lunch at Lake Kumarakom Resort. We reached the resort in a few minutes. It was this resort that we had intended to book for our visit. Due to peak season it was fully booked and we had no option but to book the second best Zuri Kumarakom in which we stayed. After three meals at Zuri, we had decided to explore a bit and eat some authentic Kerala cuisine in a typical Kerala restauraunt. To our disappointment, we could not find any restauraunt but resorts one by one.  After much of thoughts we zeroed down on Lake Kumarakom diner. We ordered fish and lobster with rice and that was cooked perfect. The swimming pool of the hotel was booked by a group and pool party with blasting music was going on. The resort was constructed according to typical Kerala architecture. The ceilings, pillars were carved out of wood. The walls were ornate with various paintings of Kerala women dancing etc. wearing Kerala saris and dresses. The dinning hall was open from three sides and one could see the greenery all around the property. The canals were running through the property and various objects and handicrafts were decorated all around the hotel property. The staff including men and women was dressed in typical Kerala sari and lungi (long cloth wrapped around the waist to toe of men). After a sumptuous lunch we called our auto driver and roamed around the village to book a houseboat for the next day. After much of research and adventure we were finally able to book a single bedroom houseboat. We picked up a few munchies and drinks for the next days trip.

We reached Zuri amidst the usual evening showers and asked the auto driver to pick us up tomorrow for the houseboat trip. We went inside and reached the dining space to have some hot coffee, a perfect combination with the rains. After the rain stopped, we reached the room to immediately reach for the Asia’s largest spa -the Maya Spa of Zuri Resort to try the Kerala massage technique followed by some steam and sauna bath. After the relaxation, we reached the hotel room to change into our evening clothes for a formal dinner hosted by my husband. When we finished dinner a cute birthday cake arrived followed by a happy birthday song arranged by the hotel. The day was made with the lovely cake and dinner. We retired to bed to wake up early for the next day activity.

Zuri had a small island that provided complimentary yoga at 6:00 a.m. in the morning. The instructor told us to practice some stretches, bending exercises, followed by meditation. The background music was Om Shanti and the birds chirping from the trees in the early morning sun rays that fell into the lagoon and the bordering coconut trees brought a lot of mental peace and calmness to the mind and body.

We took our bath and breakfast to prepare ourselves for a houseboat trip at 12:00 noon and carried the munchies, drinks and camera. The auto driver came on time and took us to the jetty. As we stood before the booked houseboat, our excitement mounted and we quickly boarded to see it from inside. The boat consisted of a dining and lounge area on the front and the bedroom, kitchen and staff room at the back. As the boat started it moved from the canal towards the lake. The houseboat trip was to Alleppey and Virchur. We boarded the houseboat with our goodies and camera. They gave nice welcome drink obviously coconut water in coconut shells, the one thing which is available in plenty. The lake looked so beautiful, calm and serene and we could see all the exotic resorts around the water body. What is most striking about the water was various migratory birds could be seen sitting on water lilies and the vegetation floating on the water. The lunch was served with the famous started “Karimeen” (the pearl spot fish) abundant in the Kerala backwaters. What is to be noted that the fish does not have that fishy smell and if cooked with proper condiments and masalas it becomes quite tasteful. It was followed by Kerala chicken curry, dal, rice, two kinds of sabji, salad and rotis. We had a sumptuous meal and as soon as we finished lunch the heavy afternoon showers created mist in the lake. The beauty was unimaginable. The fanstastic cook on board served us hot pakoras and filter coffee in the evening. We preferred the day trip and after visiting Alleppey en route to Virchur reached Kumarakom by 5:00 P.M.

With great thanks to the auto rickshaw driver we reached the hotel premises. We didn’t have any whatsoever interest to dive into a buffet dinner as the taste of the lunch served at the houseboat lingered in our mouth as well memory for the whole evening. However, under a persistant compulsion of the mind to have dinner we indulged in pasta and salad meal late in the night at the dining hall. On the last night at the hotel property, there was a strange attachment to the beauty that was bestowed by nature in Kumarakom. The memory that will be cherished forever in our hearts and that “one” birthday celebration most worthwhile in a lifetime.

Coffee with me @ Madikeri (Coorg)

The virtual journey began over a deep discussion with my husband on a call. We shared views about Wayanad, Allepey, Munnar and all that was beautiful and breathtaking. My husband and I are travel enthusiasts and it doesn’t matter to us whether we romance with mountains, high seas or just the plains. This time it was our honeymoon so all our energy was exhausted by resolving the marriage rituals existing in the two states i.e. we both were travelling to and fro between these two Trans cultural boundaries. Our surreal charm for Greece, Prague, French Riviera and Peru collided with the paucity of time. We therefore decided to choose a destination that was close to Bangalore and where we could relax for a while before we started the ‘dal and bhaat’ life.

We chose the town of Madikeri that is popular for the destination called “Coorg” known as Mercara in their language. The misty Coorg reminded me of the hindi adaptation of Sussana’s Seven Husbands by Ruskin Bond and the captivating cinematic shots taken in the valley. Now, Mercara was almost five to five and half hours journey from Bangalore (it could be six if the traffic is high). The stoppage was at Mysore Adigas for breakfast. One must take travel necessities like tablet or ipad, medicines, cushions, wraps, ice-box, fans, sunglasses, sun-block, hand towels and munching goodies to have a comfortable journey. The road from Bangalore to Coorg has many wine shops though drunken driving is prohibited in the city of Bangalore yet alcohol is sold like mineral water.

We began our journey early in the morning to avoid traffic inside the city of Bangalore and its outskirts. Coorg is known more for its monsoon as it’s a rainforest hills of the Western Ghats bordering most of the town of Madikeri. The highway consists of beautiful palm trees and the scarce vegetation as grown in the rough red soil, geographically known to be a dry soil. March is not the weather for Coorg and the hill station is less visited by tourists. Orange County, Taj Madikeri , Tamara and Mahindra are the chief hotels that provide a very luxurious stay.

Coorg is famous for its coffee plantations and home stays exist in abundance inside these plantations. Sweet spring is the coffee blossom weather and the hills are filled with the smell of a lovely lingering  scent of the flowers. My suggestion to you is to stay for two days in the homestay and visit the famous places in the town of Coorg. The places are Buddhist Monastery (must watch), Abbey Falls ( it is haunted by tourists and has been witnessing littering by the them), Talacauvery (the origin of the Kaveri river), Omkareshwara Temple, Rajas Seat (where the King sat and saw the whole of Coorg at the highest point), Mercara Fortress where the British ruled Coorg for many years in the past, also consists of the mementos of the renowned Field Marshal - Kodandera "Kipper" Madappa Cariappa . Dubbare – the elephant training camp. Cauvery Nishadharma is a manmade island that didn’t seem interesting to us by its not so enticing photographs available at the reception of the hotel as well the internet. However Irupu Falls was beautiful and a must visit. Rajas Seat and Nishani Hills are considered to be the most beautiful sunrise and sunset point. We indulged in a wacky endeavor of taking a picture together in the famous Coorg attire and the picture seemed quite memorable to us as it shall remind us always of a distant memory.

Coorg is chilly in the night in March and it is not very easy to take a dip in the swimming pool of Mahindra or Orange County unless it’s a temperature control pool of Taj where we stayed. The Taj property is famous for its 180 acre of land and is overseeing the valley. There is the famous Nishani  Hyke where you can get to see Coorg  from the highest hill and the trek takes place early in the morning by the Taj trainers at the hotel.

The historical conservatory at Taj is worth remembering as it explains you the culture, art and history of Coorg.  The people of Coorg are knowingly or unknowingly famous for their greek origin from Alexander’s invasion of India and his huge army of Greek men. The people of Coorg eat vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian and the kings were famous for indulging in the game of hunting boars. It can be seemingly understood that the the people of Coorg are from the Kshatriya (warrior) clan and are quite united as a community.The quintessential Pandi Curry (pork curry) and Kodimbattu (steamed rice balls), oil lamp, brass dagger, brass urlis (bowls to fill water, oil lamps and flower to welcome guests and also for festival or religious purposes in South of India), brass steamer container are found in every nook and corner of the town hall.

One must make a visit to the chic eatery called Raintree (and choose any coffee drink from the world map) that serves you fresh coffee from the  brewery station of the restraint in the town hall. Another interesting joint is Taste of Coorg where the authentic Coorg cuisine is served. The Coorg cottages are beautiful as each house has thatched roofs due to the heavy amount of rains in the town and the doorway has an interesting pool that collects water drained out fresh from the roof in the rainy season. Bamboo trees exist in plenty and objects like masks are carved out from the same in abundance by the local craftsmen. The art of choosing coffee and knowing its flavor can be tested by visiting many recognized coffee estate shops like Golden Coffee Estate in the town hall. Always choose coffee beans and get it grounded in front of you at the shop. There are two kinds of famous coffees. One is Plantation Arabica and the other is Plantation Robusta. Plantation Arabica is the gentle coffee and is suitable mostly for a relaxed evening and after spa therapy just like sipping of green, chamomile or jasmine tea. Plantation Robusta is a strong aromatic coffee and is savored by people who have a taste for cappuchino. Coorg grows its extremely good masalas like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, staranise, bay leaves, pepper, honey, coconut oil, toffees, chocolates and all are available at the recognized shops. One must choose the aforesaid from the recognized shops of the State Government. Please be careful in buying the same. The local fruit wines are strong and have a similar pungent taste like Feny from Goa. The famous fruit vinegar and chillies used in pandi curry are also available in shops.

A medium distance from Coorg is the amazing and one of the best forests of India boasting of flaura and fauna alongside the peaceful Kabini river, a tributary of Kaveri is “Nagarhole National Park” also known as the Rajiv Gandhi National Park. Orange County is a must visit and oversees the tributary. Bio-diveristy includes large number of flaura and fauna like tigers and wild elephants and many other species. We decided to make a separate visit to the forest in one of the weekend getaways. It is also worthwhile visiting Bandipur National Park. The details of these two parks shall be covered soon by me for you all.

The people of Coorg are extremely united and it is commendable that they care for conservation of the plants and trees on the hills. Plastic is banned in Coorg and the citizens follow the strict laws. They worship the river Kaveri and she is their goddess for all kinds of festivities. In short, the town is peaceful and a must visit during the Monsoon season. Taj Madikeri , Orange County  and Tamara are the best in the lot. Tamara is rated as the best romantic resort in the world map.

Taj grows its coffee and has a lovely farmland. All food is cooked out of the farm fresh vegetation and plenty of herbs like rosemary, sage, oregano and fruits like strawberry are available. A tour of the magnificient property is undertaken in a buggy ride by the staff. The Jiva spa, temperature controlled pool (one of its kind in India after Oberoi- Shimla), conservatory, hykes and vivid occupying activities enthrall the tourists. The Buddha Garden is amidst the giant statue of the bust of Buddha, a little stream, wooden bridged, trees, shrubs and the forest passage is lit with oil lamps to place romantic dinner for couples in the night. Before we get endorsed anymore for praising the property my suggestions to you is to visit the lovely Coorg when the Indian rain god Indra drenches it.  A five day relaxed stay is enough to finish all the destinations in Coorg. Keep reading !  J

The Feudal Flavors

The word Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) brings forth two things in my mind. One is subjugation by the feudal lords and the other is the blue blooded families. People have distinctly carved Uttar Pradesh as the realm of feudalism devouring its subtle taste from British and the then Zamindars (land owners) who had a dichotomous peonage. U.P. has its many hidden treasures and this treasure shall unleash with my visit to certain key places of, rather the CAVAL towns of U.P. The CAVAL towns were named by the British as follows:

C was for Cawnpore, now Kanpur. 

A was for Allahabad, now Allahabad.

V was for Varanasi, then Benares.

A was for Aligarh, now Aligarh.

L was for Lucknow, then Avadh.

We shall discuss the CAVAL towns as well as other prominent towns in Uttar Pradesh.I will bring to you Lucknow and Aligarh soon enough, the intriguing cities with muslim population in majority.

Kanpur

Kanpur, fondly called the Manchester of the East with its numerous factories and colonies of its workers. The town was filled with smoke and had large brick red houses. It had prominent textile mills of the tatas and many others. The leather factories had shrouded a permanent residence and are still growing in leaps and bounds. It takes a huge part in the amount of in bound and out bound trade. Like it is observed, UP has its upper class and lower class. Kanpur too is divided between the same. It has prominent families, brick red houses, wooden floors and sky high ceilings. They sit near the fireplace in winters with their kashmiri carpets spread out and their mastiffs in deep slumber. The colonial houses are in brick red colour which were the official bungalows of the officers who were incharge of the factories. There is strange fun in and around the city like observing the vintage cars parked outside many of the houses. The memsahebs (the ladies) of the factories are driven down by a chauffeur, a black ambassador more likely and the foreigners visiting the factory are given quick snacks made of crackle topped mayonnaise. The foreigners are keen visitors to Kanpur and they are delighted to see ambassadors, cows in the polluted areas and the stark difference between the world inside the factory premises and outside it. The large business houses buy paintings and treats them as a purpose for investment. The house of the district magistrate, other officers are worth to look at. The house of the municipal commissioner is a giant mansion keeping fourty four servants at 24 hour service and is located near a small lake called Moti Jheel. 

However, some parts of the city dirty due to the pollution caused by the factories and its workers. Poverty line is high and high are the cleanliness activities. The cleanliness driver undertaken by the Municipal Corporation is challenging. The city has its markets like gumti number panch (hindi name of a market), wave mall that houses a famous bakery called the Upper Crust. A famous restraunt called Derby prepares wonderful continental dishes.

The markets are flooded with local materials especially leather shoes and things made out of leather. The city’s upper class has been educated in convent schools and has a massive university that has a wonderful helipad for helicopter landing for inspection and numerous facilities for students staying in the campus. The students passed out mostly move out to the metropolitan cities or enter into entrepreneurship by managing the factories. The most prominent, beautiful is the railway station of Kanpur. The mode of transport is buses, auto rickshaw and human rickshaws.

Allahabad

The name Allahabad comes from the name of a king called Raja Ila and was named after him as Illahabad. The hindi version is still spelled like the aforesaid. The British gave the name Allahabad and built the Oxford of the East known as the "Allahabad University" which has a huge clock tower that rings its bell that can be heard in the night. The city was known for its plush bungalows and beautiful gardens. The Allahabad High Court is a highly acclaimed court that disposes various prominent cases and thus the city commands the elite brainstorming lawyers with their well established practices. The city of the late Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. Their palatial mansions are built into museum, also observes a toddler orphanage and planetarium. The city is more or less quite and often called pensioners paradise with many parallel roads and huge buildings like the Office of the Auditor General of India (AG Office) and the Board of Revenue to name a few.  The Airforce Station and Army Station has beautifully established the Cantonment area. The city has a huge population consisting of Anglo-indians, Bengalis, Christians, Muslims and Hindus. Allahabad is treated as the education capital of Uttar Pradesh and has numerous colleges including MONIRBA, Agricultural University etc. The catholic convent schools are St. Marys Convent and St. Josephs School and College. The protestant institutions are Girls High School, Boys High School, Bishop Johnson and Mary Lucas. The city celebrates the major festivals and Durga Puja or the Navaratra is celebrated with great enthusiasm in every nook and corner of the city.

The city has the famous Alfred Park that reminds us of the assassination of Chandrashekhar Azad, the Fort of Akbar that houses the famous Akshayavat tree from the times of the Mahabharata. The Fort is now taken care by the Indian Army. The Minto Park where the famous Queens Proclamation was read during the pre-independance times. The city houses the bungalows of the famous hindi writers and poetess like Prem Chand, Harivansha Rai Bachan, Mahadevi Verma etc. 

The city comes in full light during the period of the Mahakumbh Mela that comes once in twelve years. The mighty ganges flows through the city and creates the sangam with the blue waters of the river yamuna and the saraswati. The Kumbh Mela takes place every year during the December-January and attracts large amount of pilgrimage from the world map.

The city hosts many functions of the Theosophical Society of India of the late freedom fighter Ms. Annie Beasant. I will update you more on this city. This city is like an old pure burmese teak wood furniture found in your antique. You cannot throw it away from your attic but you can always keep it, polish and place it distantly in your memory forever. The city is so British in its outlook and english is definitely the second language of the elite here.

Mirzapur  

The small town is located near the ganges bordering the vindhyachal range. It has a huge population consisting of hindus, muslims, christians, bengalis and foreigners across the globe. Basically called the carpet industry area where huge factories have been established and carpets are exported around Indian and abroad. The vindhyachal devi (goddess) temple is enshrined in the vindhayachal range and a must visit for every hindu.

This quaint town consisting of a major carpet industrial area has given a new culture to the city. On one hand there are people who are rural and on the other hand there are people who are extremely urban and educated. The urban crowd consists of carpet industrialists, government officers, professors, foreigners  doing business in carpets and other raw materials. The city is filled bungalows of colonial architecture and plaush gardens with servants dressed in white attire. Grand parties are hosted in such bungalows and soulful western music is played to entertain the guests. Food is brought from abroad and Delhi, Mumbai to serve the invitees.

Mirzapur has a market place called Wasligunj, locally adapted from the name Lord Wellsley [*] of the pre-independence period. Diwali, Holi, Durga Puja and all other Hindu, Muslim and Christian festivals are celeberated with great fervor. The children of the urban population generally study in schools of metropolitan cities in India or abroad. The local rural population however send their children to the local schools in the town. The famous Chunar Fort of Sher Shah Suri, the Mughal Dynasty is located near Mirzapur and is fun to explore. It is also interesting to note that the colorful Indian pottery is made in Chunar and is known to be an important destination for tourists coming to the State of Uttar Pradesh.The notorious Bandit Queen of India the late Phoolan devi’s constituency was Mirzapur and her funeral pyre was burnt with full homage by guards and wreaths near the ganges.Mirzapur is a city of the ganges and the hindu godess vindhyachal devi and attracts a lot of hindu pilgrimage across india.

 Varanasi (Benares)

Varuna and Asi rivers makes it Varanasi.  Varanasi is acknowledged as the city of ghats. The city is older than the city of Babylon and is filled with lanes and older structures. It has a running population of foreigners close to six lakhs. It has an international airport and attracts tourists from India as well as the world.

The city is famous for the Vishvanath Temple (shiva temple) and the mosque named Gyan Vapi that was built by Aurangzeb, the king from the Mughal Dynasty. History narrates that Aurangzeb had demolished the original Vishvanath Temple and constructed the Mosque with the stones from the temple. However, the temple was again rebuilt by the Hindus. Shringar Gauri is the place near the temple and bordering the mosque where every year hindus gather and present their offerings to the god. It is a tense situation for the local administration often getting succumbed to a law and order situation as the wall of the Mosque is near Shringar Gauri . This is a unique example of Hindu and Muslim architecture and culture.

Vishwanath Gali is the lane approaching the temple. This lane consists of shops selling offerings for god like garlands, sweets, fruits etc., also seen are betel nut sellers, local drinks like bhang and thandai (drink), wooden toys, kachauris sabji (flour breads and curries). The whole building of the temple and the Mosque is a high security area and has armed officers in positions, control rooms, cctv cameras and local spys. It is a treat for the foreigners to visit the temple.

Varanasi commands most of the five star hotels and the hotel industry is at its booming best in this city. Investors around India look for lucrative opportunities in this sector. Music, dance and theatre are seen in big fashion in the Benares circuit. The famous Nagri Natak Mandali (Auditorium) hosts music and dance of renowned artists. Also the Ghats hosts functions near the ganges for artists like Sitara Devi, Girja Devi, the late Bismillah Khan, Birju Maharaj etc to name a few. This city is the home to “Benares Gharana” (house of Varanasi music).  All the music stalwarts across india were mostly born here and excelled thereof.

The age old architecture of Varanasi is beautiful. Houses are mostly overlooking the ganges and have in dependant bathing ghats for the royals. The rich live in enormous mansions inside the lanes and their house entrance still has beautifully ornate “palkis” [*] of their ancestors. It’s a historically rich city and home to many famous people of India. The drawing rooms have white bread spreads and cushions and the ceilings have chandeliers of ancient era. I can bet that each house of old Benares takes you on a journey of history of the then period.

Benares is a city of temples, it has the famous Kaal Bhairav, Sankat Mochan, Durga Kund temples that enshrines the hanuman (god) and durga (goddess) idols. There are numerous temples in every nook and corner of the city.

For you people who are reading this note I would like to highlight the festival called “Dev Dipawali” this is a diwali of hindu gods celebrated quite beautifully in Benares. The ghats are adorned with earthen lamps (diyas), fireworks take place in the sky and the houses in and around the ghats are decorated with diyas. Live classical music is conducted on “bojra” (boat) and food like benares chaat is served on the boats. Tourists sail in the ganges to watch the fireworks, music and eat the freshly cooked food served on the boats.

Benares is close to a place called Sarnath, the place where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon. The place has Buddhist buildings and beautiful gardens. There is a museum also that has the Ashok Sthambh, the national emblem of India.

The city has prominent hindus including bengalis, jains, gujratis, marwaris, muslims, christians and others.  Benares has its ancient Benares Club that is frequently visited by the urban population. The city is mysterious and has a strong influence to the taste of foreigners.