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The Vaishnodevi Experience 2023

My first trip to Vaishnodevi was unimpressive. Climbing was hard, and it only served to highlight how badly out of shape I was, while my in-laws managed to cope so much better. Further, I hadn’t quite realized that the cave experience wouldn’t be the same as I had imagined, since the original cave was only opened at certain times a year, and that we only entered a newly created tunnel, one far easier to access, and hence more manageable with the crowds that thronged the mountain shrine. The resulting experience at the shrine, for barely a fraction of a second, hardly compared to what I had expected / imagined / heard about. So, for me, Vaishnodevi was like any other temple, nothing to write home about, something that was reflected (though not explicitly mentioned) in the blog post I wrote then.
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An offering to David Sassoon

A week has gone by since I last wrote something, and, in an effort to break this dry spell, here is a random photo from the recently concluded KGAF 2014...





The David Sassoon Library or DSL is a landmark in Fort, and those who enter, are greeted by this larger-than-life size statue of David Sassoon, who was probably the most well known among the Baghdadi Jews of Mumbai. We began our Jewish History walk at the fest here, and, while waiting for the walk to start, noticed this interesting offering, thanks to Sudha Ganapathy...



What you see at Sassoon's feet is the humble Vada Pav - probably the cheapest and the most popular among street food in the city. The ones here were being offered to guests at the launch of an exhibition of David Sassoon's contribution to the city, and someone had left one plate at his feet... A symbolic offering, should we say?

So, do you think David Sassoon would have relished that plate of Vada Pav? 

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Location: Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Comments

  1. UnknownFebruary 17, 2014 at 9:25 PM

    Never heard of this personality. I will definitely look at him in Google. The offering picture is really funny. I thought Vada pav has achieved a great promotion by replacing the traditional Prasad in temples.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarFebruary 18, 2014 at 12:24 PM

      Rachit, it sad that many people havent heard of him, though he has built so many of the beautiful buildings around Fort in Mumbai. and it is interesting to see how people from different backgrounds and religions lived in harmony in mumbai and made the city what it is today.

      Delete
  2. Veena BhatMarch 3, 2014 at 1:12 PM

    Sasoon Docks where we can buy fish is named after him too.

    ReplyDelete

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