Gettingo back to tourism, our first encounter with the islands was through Ms Rao, the firebrand guide cum one woman army of Ross Islands. She was the queen and the animals and birds were her loyal subjects at her beck and call. It was a treat to watch her in action, she would call them by their names which she had given them lovingly, the deers would rush on hearing her call the birds would come trooping and even the ducks would leave everything aside to be by her side. What a picture it was, as though straight from Avatar the movie. She is a living encyclopaedia of the islands, born and brought up there and has her facts on her fingertips. We saw the islands through her commentary of the massive earthquake of 1940s which almost submerged the island resulting in massive damage and loss of land to the voracious sea. The ruins of British era, the living barracks of the troops and officers, we found ourselves amidst them, imagined ourselves witnessing those days in front of our own eyes. The next destination which is a must in every tourist itinery is the Cellular Jail, its very name is enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine, history is replete with the gory accounts of torture in this jail to which the freedom fighters were subjected to. Whether it was Veer Savarkar or the pathan Ali, an unsung hero, each one has a unique folklore about him. Each one had just one dream, that of a free India, which was then just an idea, without any geographical boundaries, just the idea of India. They were all possessed with just one burning desire of getting rid of their colonial masters. It was this spirit which kept them alive here against all odds. They defied the laws of nature and withstood inhuman tortures, lived through it yet not shedding a tear no sign of weakness was betrayed. Our salute to these martyrs! The visit here is a pilgrimage which is a must for each and every Indian. It would remind us of our own responsibilities of ensuring this hard fought freedom is preserved at all costs. We were really humbled having gone through the precincts of the hallowed premises. We were also lucky to have got the opportunity to visit the Havelock Island and the near virgin Radha Beach. Oh for those serene surroundings, the clear waters and naturally we bathed in those supernatural environs, where nature has bestowed its very best. Some of us, of course went scouting about, as there were many firangs there too, but then pot bellied torsos were obviously not HOT enough, and they continued idling away in their two pieces oblivious of our fun n frolic. A friend discovered a kewda flower, which has a heavenly aroma and another one decided to test the waters literally swimming almost to the high seas, the others were content with the shallow waters, playing almost like little children with the waves trying to ride them. The only active volcano of India is at Barren Island , I can bet most of us would not know this, but we were fortunate as we not only know this fact but also got to overfly the same. The volcano was belching out smoke and the molten lava was clearly visible, thanks to digital cameras we all got our slice of this sight, a once in a lifetime opportunity! A visit was also organised to Carnic, the IAF base which suffered maximum damage during the Tsunami. In fact the exploits of the station commander and the pilots of this base have become part of folklore. With his lungi when he received the AOC in C, he became the first person anywhere in the world to have the privilege of receiving a visiting dignitary in that unique attire. But hats off to them at their untiring efforts to bring succour to the islanders at the cost of their own safety and comfort. One of the pilots had no knowledge of his own family members but he continued his sorties in the best traditions of the services. Two days are hardly adequate for and island archipelago and naturally we missed out on quite a few places, the corals for one and may be trip to the native “jarawa” inhabited island. If I say it was a memorable trip, it would be an understatement. This trip has been etched deep in our memories and shall be cherished forever.
Thursday, 28 February 2013
KALA PANI
Gettingo back to tourism, our first encounter with the islands was through Ms Rao, the firebrand guide cum one woman army of Ross Islands. She was the queen and the animals and birds were her loyal subjects at her beck and call. It was a treat to watch her in action, she would call them by their names which she had given them lovingly, the deers would rush on hearing her call the birds would come trooping and even the ducks would leave everything aside to be by her side. What a picture it was, as though straight from Avatar the movie. She is a living encyclopaedia of the islands, born and brought up there and has her facts on her fingertips. We saw the islands through her commentary of the massive earthquake of 1940s which almost submerged the island resulting in massive damage and loss of land to the voracious sea. The ruins of British era, the living barracks of the troops and officers, we found ourselves amidst them, imagined ourselves witnessing those days in front of our own eyes. The next destination which is a must in every tourist itinery is the Cellular Jail, its very name is enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine, history is replete with the gory accounts of torture in this jail to which the freedom fighters were subjected to. Whether it was Veer Savarkar or the pathan Ali, an unsung hero, each one has a unique folklore about him. Each one had just one dream, that of a free India, which was then just an idea, without any geographical boundaries, just the idea of India. They were all possessed with just one burning desire of getting rid of their colonial masters. It was this spirit which kept them alive here against all odds. They defied the laws of nature and withstood inhuman tortures, lived through it yet not shedding a tear no sign of weakness was betrayed. Our salute to these martyrs! The visit here is a pilgrimage which is a must for each and every Indian. It would remind us of our own responsibilities of ensuring this hard fought freedom is preserved at all costs. We were really humbled having gone through the precincts of the hallowed premises. We were also lucky to have got the opportunity to visit the Havelock Island and the near virgin Radha Beach. Oh for those serene surroundings, the clear waters and naturally we bathed in those supernatural environs, where nature has bestowed its very best. Some of us, of course went scouting about, as there were many firangs there too, but then pot bellied torsos were obviously not HOT enough, and they continued idling away in their two pieces oblivious of our fun n frolic. A friend discovered a kewda flower, which has a heavenly aroma and another one decided to test the waters literally swimming almost to the high seas, the others were content with the shallow waters, playing almost like little children with the waves trying to ride them. The only active volcano of India is at Barren Island , I can bet most of us would not know this, but we were fortunate as we not only know this fact but also got to overfly the same. The volcano was belching out smoke and the molten lava was clearly visible, thanks to digital cameras we all got our slice of this sight, a once in a lifetime opportunity! A visit was also organised to Carnic, the IAF base which suffered maximum damage during the Tsunami. In fact the exploits of the station commander and the pilots of this base have become part of folklore. With his lungi when he received the AOC in C, he became the first person anywhere in the world to have the privilege of receiving a visiting dignitary in that unique attire. But hats off to them at their untiring efforts to bring succour to the islanders at the cost of their own safety and comfort. One of the pilots had no knowledge of his own family members but he continued his sorties in the best traditions of the services. Two days are hardly adequate for and island archipelago and naturally we missed out on quite a few places, the corals for one and may be trip to the native “jarawa” inhabited island. If I say it was a memorable trip, it would be an understatement. This trip has been etched deep in our memories and shall be cherished forever.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment