The first time I visited Pandharpur was back in 2007 . The names Vitthal and Pandharpur, were just names to me. I had heard of them, but that was about it. Seeing the lord standing on the brick, hands on his hips, was memorable, but more memorable was the sight that greeted us as we walked out of the main sanctum of the temple. In the mandap just outside were a group of devotees singing abhangs , and dancing. This was the first time I had heard abhangs , and even almost 15 years later, I can remember the welling of feeling within me, listening to the songs, and how fascinated I was by the sight of the devotees dancing, lost in their love of the Lord. Over the years, as I have read more about Vitthal, and participated in Ashadi Ekadashi programmes at Puttaparthi, that first experience has stayed clear in my mind and heart. Every time I tell my Balvikas students of the saints who sang of Vitthala, it is that experience that I re-live. I visited Pandharpur again, in 2010, but that experie
The association between Jim
Corbett and Corbett National Park is much deeper than just the name. For anyone
familiar with Corbett’s books, it is impossible to think of the area without remembering
his encounters with man eaters. Even as we wander around the forest, hoping we
come across the tiger, we cannot but imagine how it would have been, a hundred
years ago, when tigers roamed free, and they were hunted by one and all! The
efforts of Jim Corbett and those of his ilk are all the more important and
relevant when we realize that in spite of the official count of 164 tigers in
the reserve, it is so difficult to see a single one! On my recent visit to
Corbett as part of the Club Mahindra Bloggers Trip, we set out in search of Jim
Corbett, and what better place to begin that at his erstwhile home, now turned
into a museum?
The museum is situated at
Kaladhungi, a place which Corbett’s readers would surely be familiar with! Entering
the compound, situated right off the highway, we found ourselves in a sprawling
garden, in the middle of which we could see the old house….. This is where
Corbett spent his winters… sort of a home for the holidays, while he spent the
summers at his house in Nainital.. Imagine living in a place like this every
winter!
Walking in, we were welcomed by
one of Corbett’s well known quotes…
And a bust of the man himself…..
The house has been preserved
almost exactly as it must have been when Corbett lived here…
The house is filled with
paintings depicting Corbett’s life… and his parents. We learn about his mother,
Mary Jane – her first marriage to a Mr. Doyle, who passed away during the
revolt of 1857, her escape to Mussoorie from Agra fort with her three children,
her subsequent marriage to Christopher Corbett, the new life they started at
Nainital, and finally, her resourcefulness in managing a household consisting
of 13 children, as well as setting up and running a house rental agency! We
also learn about his father, Christopher Corbett, who was himself born in
India, at Meerut, began his career as an apothecary in the army, and later
joined the Postal service.
There is lots of information about
Corbett too, but nothing out of the ordinary. Most readers of his books would
be familiar with his life story. There are maps showing the locations of the man-eaters
he exterminated, and statistics about how many men each animal had managed to
kill…
And there is also a piece of
paper with Corbett’s notes about one of his books, with his signature.
I liked the fact that the museum
had information not just about Corbett, but also the men who went hunting with
him, and I also liked seeing some of the things left behind by Corbett when he
moved to Kenya – such as furniture he had made and the things he used during
his life in the army as well as in the railways.
However, most interesting was the
village of Choti Haldwani….. Read more about this village on this board from
the museum…
Today, the village is home to an
eco-tourism initiative by the Corbett Gram Vikas Samiti. So now, you can stay
at a homestay in the village, eat authentic rural cuisine of the Kumaon, go on
a Corbett Heritage trail, visiting his haunts in the area, and go birdwatching,
or even simply trekking inside the jungle! We wanted to go on the Heritage trail,
but unfortunately, time did not permit! If any of you have been here, please
let me know how it was. If you want to go on such a trip, check out their website
– http://www.corbettvillage.in
Our final stop at the museum was
the souvenir shop. My eyes of course went straight to the book rack from which I
returned with books for both, Samhith and myself. But there was more… such as T
shirts and jackets….
Caps…
Pen stands with tigers on them,
Or shaped like the foot of an
elephant!
And sundry wooden articles…..
I loved these…. Stuffed toys, made not just of
fur, but also jute, and hats made from leaves!
The museum is simple, though the
house is well preserved, giving us a peep into the life and times of Jim
Corbett. For the duration of our visit, I was transported into one of his
books, remembering references to his parents, his friends, his tenants, but
above all, the ‘large- hearted gentleman’ who features so predominantly in
his books – the tiger!
This was a real treat. Corbett is a textbook legend for me and this post was like a virtual tour of the place.
ReplyDeleteThanks! it was like the books coming alive!
ReplyDeleteWell guided tour in blog! I am fan of Corbett and Anderson and read all of their books and more on tigers. Nice collection in souvenir shop.
ReplyDeleteTHanks a lot, Gowtham! me too... am a big fan of Anderson too!
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the finest blog I ever read. Lots of pictures providing huge information. I am from Ramnagar (headquarter of corbett national park) and I also created a blog for information about corbett. Please check it at www.corbettsafari.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteTHanks a lot, Koustubh!
ReplyDeleteReally a nice work... very informative and pictures are really beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThanks for share good images,continue..
ReplyDeleteInformative.
ReplyDelete