Look, Hear,Write

On the Malwa plateau

According to encyclopaedia Britannica, the name Malwa is derived from the Sanskrit word malav (part of the abode of Laksmi, goddess of wealth).

And the goddess seems to have actually blessed the region. It has a glorious past --- the plateau was ruled by the Maurya, Gupta, and Paramara dynasties; many Buddhist temples and monuments like stupas at Sanchi, were built during that time. The plateau was conquered by the Muslims in 1390 AD and became part of the Maratha empire. In 1817 it passed to the British.

Of volcanic origin, the plateau comprises Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan. In elevation, it ranges from 500 to 600 metres above sea level. The western part of the region is drained by the Mahi River, the middle section by the Chambal River, and the eastern part by the Betwa River and the headwaters of the Dhasan and Ken rivers. Other rivers include the Parbati, Sipra, Gambhir, and Choti Kali Sindh, their valleys flanked by terraced slopes. Vegetation is of the savanna type with scattered teak and sal forests.

The economy of the region is mostly agricultural; cereal grains, pulses (legumes), oilseeds, and cotton are the main crops. Industries produce cotton textiles, ginned cotton, sugar, vegetable oil, lumber, and paper.

The region, especially Madhya Pradesh, has been described as the heart of Incredible India in the government’s tourism advertisement campaign. For once, I agree with the government.

Indraprastha Calling

Lord Vishwakarma, the presiding deity of all craftsmen and architects, the divine draftsman of the whole universe, on invitation of Lord Krishna built a capital for the Pandavas at Khandavaprastha. It was called Indraprastha.

Legend has it that Indraprastha was an architectural marvel. Floors of the palace were so well done that they had a reflection like that of water, and the pools and ponds inside the palace gave the illusion of a flat surface with no water in them.

Mahabharata talks at length about how Pandavas made this city on the banks of Yamuna.

Khandavaprastha was an un-reclaimed desert. Then the Pandavas, with Krishna at their head, arriving there, beautified the place and made it a second heaven. And those mighty car-warriors, selecting with Krishna Dwaipayana’s assistance a sacred and auspicious region, performed certain propitiatory ceremonies and measured out a piece of land for their city. Then surrounded by a trench wide as the sea and by walls reaching high up to the heavens and white as the fleecy clouds or the rays of the moon, that foremost of cities looked resplendent like Bhogavati (the capital of the Nagas) decked with the Nagas. And it stood adorned with palatial mansions and numerous gates, each furnished with a couple of panels resembling the out-stretched wings of Garuda. And it was protected with gateways looking like the clouds and high as the Mandara mountains. And well-furnished with numerous weapons of attack, the missiles of the foes could not make slightest impression on them. And they were almost covered with darts and other missiles like double-tongued snakes. The turrets along the walls were filled with armed men in course of training; and the walls were lined with numerous warriors along their whole length. And there were thousands of sharp hooks and Sataghnis (machines slaying a century of warriors) and numerous other machines on the battlements. There were also large iron wheels planted on them. And with all these was that foremost of cities adorned. The streets were all wide and laid out excellently; and there was no fear in them of accident. And decked with innumerable mansions, the city became like unto Amaravati and came to be called Indraprastha (like unto Indra’s city). In a delightful and auspicious part of the city rose the palace of the Pandavas filled with every kind of wealth and like unto the mansion of the celestial treasurer (Kubera) himself. And it looked like a mass of clouds charged with lightning.

One might call it a poet’s imagination, but one cannot ignore the fact that a magnificent city was in place. Archaeological finds now support the view that Indraprastha was indeed Delhi's earliest city that existed at around 1450 BC at the site of the Purana Qila

The reasons for its decline are however not known.

Can we regain the lost glory?

Metro Musings

It was in October 2009 that I shifted to Dwarka and my regular travels in Delhi Metro commenced. An hour long journey to ITO (Pragati Maidan station by Metro route) with 28 stations enroute gives me enough time to observe, reflect and contemplate...

28 stations that cater to Delhi's different social and economic classes.... Dwarka, Janakpuri Rajouri Garden, Karol Bagh ---- the affluent ones, Nawada, Uttam Nagar, the lesser mortals,

Not to forget the floating population, the school kids and above all the love-torn couple out for a movie or just window shopping in malls or hanging out in CP...

An interesting mix indeed !

Metro has now gone beyond Delhi borders ---- From Dwarka to Noida and now from Jehangir Puri to Gurgaon---- the Capital is now literally on the fast track. A bigger canvas for obseving Delhi's travelling class

Look, Hear,Write

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

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