Tomichan Matheikal's blog

Chandigarh has a series of museums all adjacent to one another. They are an excellent place to spend a day especially if you are in Chandigarh during summer.  You can engage yourself learning much about history, music, art, architecture, and so on.   The Goddess welcomes you to the Museum The Buddha - 2nd century AD sculpture Maitreya Maitreya, according to Buddhist literature, is the future Buddha. He will come when people will have forgotten dharma and will be living in sheer evil. Similar beliefs are found in many religions. Didn't Lord Krishna promise Arjuna, "... Sambhavami yuge yuge"? The Bible promises a Second Coming of Jesus.  People were always aware of their own innate wickedness.  But instead of working on it in order to alleviate it if not eradicate, people chose to believe in some deity who would come and eradicate it.  Just one of the many futile absurdities of human existence! Gods are the most potent tools for man's escapi...

The Rock Garden in Chandigarh is the work of a rare genius.  Only a Nek Chand could have created such beauty from sheer waste.  All kinds of waste from pieces of broken bangles and porcelain articles to boulders and electric sockets are made efficient use of producing an aesthetic wonder.   Nek Chand was not a trained artist.  Art was his hobby.  He spent his spare time creating works of art in a wasteland he cleared in Chandigarh.  As his work progressed and drew the attention of people, the government was in a conundrum.  How to destroy such exceptional artwork merely because it was built up on land belonging to the government?  Good sense prevailed (strangely!) and Nek Chand was given not only the permission but also regular employment with helpers to assist so that he could create the paradise in the semi-desert that Chandigarh is. Below are some pictures from my recent visit to the Rock Garden. Rocks welcome you Nek Chand was n...

One of the best places to spend the evening in Shimla is the Mall road.  Vehicles are not allowed on the road.  You can approach it by any vehicle (shared taxis or private vehicles) or walk up the narrow alleys flanked by shops of all kinds.  We chose to do bit of trekking and walked up.  If you are healthy person, it will take only about 15 minutes to reach the Mall from the old bus stand. The views from the Mall are delightful and grand.  Below are some pictures.  Way to the Mall Another view on the way The ascent lands you right in front of the Town Hall The antique and the contemporary coexist symbiotically In fact, the Tommy Hilfiger showroom is on the ground floor which did not attract me since it looked like any of today's showrooms anywhere.   Inside the Christ Church Stained glass windows of the Church Earlier the Christ church had on its walls elegant frescoes designed by J Lockwood Kipling, father of Rudyard...

One of the many tourist attractions in Shimla is supposed to be the Scandal Point where the Maharajah of Patiala is supposed to have misbehaved with the daughter of Lord Kitchener, British Commander-in-Chief. The British government in India banished the Maharajah, of course.  He went and built a palace in Chail.   The historical fact seems to be that Bhupinder Singh who built the palace in Chail was just one year old when the scandal broke out.  Well, were the Singhs so potent that their one year-old royal offspring could proffer an amorous kiss on the lips of a young woman?  Better still, elope with her (as one of the gossips - I mean, tourist guides, explains!) History is not any better than this, most of the time.  And I'm speaking about the history of just a century ago.   I went to the Scandal Point in Shimla and got the picture below. Perhaps, history haunts the place even today!  This can happen only in India :) Scandal Point It loo...

Kufri lies at about 20 km from Shimla on the way to Chail.  In winter tourists enjoy skiing and other snow-related activities.  The place won’t disappoint you in summer too.  There’s the Fun World which can offer you much entertainment.  There are various adventure activities and yak riding on offer.  You can view the distant snow-capped mountain ranges with the help of the telescopes placed in a row.  You reach the Fun World of Kufri riding a pony from the main road where your vehicle will have to park itself.  It’s a 15 minute-ride on a terribly rugged path that slopes ominously in some places.  Your guide will tell you when to bend your body forward or backward so that the pony won’t think you too idiotic.  Below are some pictures from Kufri.  Ponies carry you to the hub of activities Fun World Nag Mandir - Tourism and Religion go hand in hand in Himachal Pradesh A view from Nag Mandir Most yaks in ...