Travel & Culture - The Voice TV

Naraka Chaturdashi Story – Killing of All Wrongs

Date :22-Oct-2022

Sadhguru: Diwali is also known as Naraka Chaturdashi because Naraka requested that his death anniversary should be celebrated. Many people only realize their limitations at the moment of death. If they realize now, life could be improved. But most people wait till the last moment. Naraka is one of them. At the time of his death, he suddenly realized how he wasted his life and what he had been doing with it. So, he requested Krishna, “Today you are not killing only me, but all the wrongs that I did – this must be celebrated.” So you should not celebrate the killing of Naraka’s wrongs, you must celebrate the killing of all the wrongs within you. That is when a real Diwali happens. Otherwise, it is just a lot of expense, oil, and firecrackers.

"...they must all celebrate the death of all the negativity I gathered because this has brought new light to me and it should bring light to everyone.”

Naraka came from a good background. The legend says he was the son of Vishnu. But this happened when Vishnu had taken the form of a wild boar, so he had certain tendencies. More than that, Naraka became friends with Mura, who later on became his general. Together they fought many battles and killed thousands of people. Krishna first killed Mura, since there was no way to deal with Naraka if both of them were together. The reason Krishna has the name Murari is because he slew Mura. In the legend, Mura was said to have magical powers in battle, which made him in such a way that nobody could stand against him. Once Mura was taken off, Naraka was more of a ceremony.

Why Krishna Killed Narakasura

Naraka was put to death because Krishna saw that if you let him live, he will continue the same way. But if you bring him close to death, he is capable of realizing. Suddenly he realized he unnecessarily gathered too much nasty stuff. So he said, “You are not killing me, you are taking away all my bad stuff. This is a good thing you are doing to me. Everybody should know this. So they must all celebrate the death of all the negativity I gathered because this has brought new light to me and it should bring light to everyone.” So this became the festival of lights. The entire country goes up in light on this day, so you are supposed to burn all your stuff. It is good to do it now. For Naraka, Krishna told him “I am going to kill you.” But for you, no one may tell you – it may just happen.

This happened in Tennessee. A lady went to a gun shop. It is very common in Tennessee for people to go buy new guns periodically. So she went to the gun shop and said, “I want a revolver and a few bullets for my husband.” The shopkeeper asked, “What brand would he like?” She said, “I’ve not told him that I’m going to shoot him.”

Why Narakasura Death Is Celebrated As Diwali

When life gets you, it may not tell you. That is why Diwali is a reminder that you can die a conscious death and take on a conscious birth, rather than waiting for someone to shoot you. We don’t know whether a man, woman, bacteria, virus or your own cells will shoot you down. Someone will get us. Better make use of Naraka’s desire to remind everyone that, “I could have made myself into something but I gathered bad stuff and became like this.”

Either you beat yourself into shape or life will one day beat you into shape – or out of shape, whichever way. Diwali is a reminder of this.

All of us are made of the same stuff but see how differently each one has become. The question is only what the hell are you gathering every day? Are you gathering and manufacturing poison within you or will you manufacture the fragrance of divine within you? This is the choice. This legend about Naraka being of good birth but going bad is significant. At the moment of death Naraka realized, the only difference between Krishna and him is what each had made out of themselves. Krishna made himself godlike, while Naraka made himself into a demon. Each of us has this choice. If we had no choices, then what is the use of those who have made themselves into shining examples? It is not because a person is lucky or they were born that way. It takes a lot of kneading and breaking to make oneself in a certain way.

Either you wait for life to whip you or you whip yourself into shape – this is the choice. Naraka chose that Krishna should come and whip him. Krishna chose to whip himself into shape. That is a big difference. One gets worshipped as a god, another gets put down as a demon – this is all it is. Either you beat yourself into shape or life will one day beat you into shape – or out of shape, whichever way. Diwali is a reminder of this. Let’s light it up.

Article taken from ISHA

Dhanteras: Meaning And Why It Is Celebrated

Date :21-Oct-2022

What Is Dhanteras?

Dhanteras, also known as Dhanvantari Trayodashi, marks the beginning of the Diwali festive season. The word Dhan translates to wealth.

The word Theras translates to 13th and is related to the 13th lunar day of the Krishna Paksha in the Hindu calendar.

Why is Dhanteras celebrated?

Observed two days before Diwali Puja, it commemorates the birth of Lord Dhanvantari, the God of Ayurveda and the avatar of Lord Vishnu.

Believed to have emerged from the churning of the ocean holding a pot filled with nectar in one hand and sacred texts in the other.

Lord Dhanvantari is considered the teacher and father of Ayurveda and is also said to be a physician to the Gods.

Dhanteras Puja

On this festive day, devotees perform Dhanteras puja in the evening. All household members attend the religious ceremony and offer fresh flowers, prasad, wheat and various pulses to the deity during the puja.

On dhantrayodashi little red footprints are made near the entrance of the house to symbolise the coming of Goddess Lakshmi.

A square diya with four wicks is also lit up at the entrance and in the household to dispel negative energy.

The Tradition of Buying Gold on Dhanteras

Dhanteras is also considered a highly auspicious day to buy gold and silver as these precious metals are said to protect one from bad omens.

In fact, there is an interesting legend related to this belief. According to the legend, Astrologers predicted that the son of King Hima would be bitten by a snake and die on the fourth day of his marriage.

When the day came, his wife made sure that he didn't sleep and laid out her ornaments along with a heap of gold coins and silver coins at the entrance of the sleeping chamber.

She also lit lamps at the door, narrated stories and sang songs to keep her husband from falling asleep.

Lord Yama, the God of death, disguised himself as a serpent and made his way to the Prince's chambers, but when he reached the doorstep, he was entranced and blinded by the brilliance of the lamps and jewellery that lay before him.

Since he could not enter the chambers, he climbed to the top of the gold coins and sat there for the entirety of the night listening to the stories and songs that the Prince's wife sang.

When the sun rose the next day, the serpent silently left. Hence, thanks to his wife's wit, the Prince lived to see a new day. That day is celebrated as Dhanteras.

It is believed that gold symbolises good luck and shall come back in a much higher amount if bought on this day. And considering gold and other precious metals tend to have a higher resale value, it makes complete sense.

You will find jewellers all across India setting up exciting deals during this time and many people flocking to buy jewellery, even if it means just buying gold coins as part of the tradition.

On the whole, Dhanteras is the beginning of Diwali and an auspicious day when people invoke the blessings of the divine deities for wealth and prosperity.

The day is considered the most favourable time to purchase gold and other possessions of value as it is believed that the money spent on this day shall come back a thousandfold.

Everything That Defines Rameshwaram’s Culture

Date :21-Oct-2022

Rameshwaram is a city known for its divinity associated with Lord Rama and Lord Shiva. It is a town located on the Pamban Island in the southeast Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Rameshwaram’s culture maintains a fine balance between religious beliefs, mythology and splendid architecture. It is counted amongst one of the sacred Char Dhams and hence, is flocked by thousands of pilgrims and tourists annually. Plan your trip to this significant town and stay in one of the many hotels in Rameshwaram that let you explore the culture without travelling long distances. Experience these 5 things to truly understand what the culture of Rameshwaram is all about:

1. Visit Ram Setu

Ram Setu is a part of popular tales in India owing to its holy significance and role in the epic of Ramayana. This bridge is said to have been built by Lord Rama himself on his way to battle Ravana at his empire in Sri Lanka to get back his beloved, Sita. The bridge connected Rameshwaram to Sri Lanka and it still does. However, it is usually submerged in water and one can only sight the rocks that form the bridge float on water.

2. Take part in the festivals

Rameshwaram culture is marked by the many festivals that are celebrated with pomp and grandeur. Almost all the festivals here are rooted in religious beliefs and practices and the most popular local celebrations here include Maha Shivratri (celebrated for a period of ten days), Masi Shivratri, Vasntotsavam, Mahalaya Amavasai, Thai Amavasay and Thirukalyanam. The temples witnesses a huge turnout during these festivals which makes it one of the most exciting times to visit Rameshwaram.

3. Go shopping

Of the many things that Rameshwaram is lesser known for, one attraction is the sea shell markets that are loved by tourists as well as the locals. This has to be your go-to place for your souvenir shopping as well as purchasing home decor accents such as show pieces, wall hangings, mirrors, statues and many more. The markets here also has an exciting range of ornaments, beaded jewellery, etc. Apart from these trinkets, the textiles of Rameshwaram such as khadi clothes, Kanjeevaram sarees and Rameshwaram silk are known across Tamil Nadu and beyond as well.

4. Visit the Ramanathaswamy Temple

This temple is popular because it houses the most sacred sand mound in the world created by Lord Ram’s wife, Sita, to pay her respect to Lord Shiva. The temple has been around since the 16th century and has a hall with 1000 pillars and 22 temple tanks. Pilgrims are supposed to take a bath in the holy water of these ranks before they make their way inside the temple. It is one of the most popular temples in Tamil Nadu and is known across the country for housing one of the twelve Jyotilingas.

5. Feast on the delicious food

One cannot end their trip in Rameshwaram without gorging on the delicacies available here such as sambhar, rasam, dry curry, kootu, pongal, idli, Dosai. The local cuisine here generally includes rice served with a range of mouthwatering curries and a strong influence of ingredients such as tamarind and coconut. Many hotels serve food on a banana leaf which is as local as the dining experience you can get here!

Without wasting any more time thinking, book your tickets and accommodation in one of the Rameshwaram hotels to embark on a journey of rich cultural experience!

The Floating Stones In Rameshwaram - Adam’s Bridge

Date :21-Oct-2022

What if we tell you that there exists a real bridge from Hindu mythology that was constructed by a King and his forces to defeat a demon and evil King?

Well, sounds like an intriguing story, don’t you think so? But if you are thinking it to be a cooked-up story then let us tell you, it is not so!

In fact, the bridge we are talking about here was built by none other than Lord Rama.

Known as Rama's Bridge or Ram Setu, this architectural wonder is essentially a chain of limestone shoals situated somewhere between Pamban Island and Tamil Nadu.

It covers a length of about 48km, separating the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Strait. Here, you will be finding that some of the areas are dry, and the sea in this particular stretch rarely exceeds 1 meter in-depth, which is equivalent to around 3 feet.

And it is this fact that makes the ships unsalable on this stretch. Owing to this, the vessels passing through this direction have to take another course.

Everything About The Floating Stones In Rameshwaram

What is interesting to know is the fact that this bridge was passable on foot somewhere around the 15th century but with the passing of time and eventual storms, the passageway was somewhat deepened and this whole channel sank further in the ocean.

Historical Significance Of This Architectural Wonder

This mythological bridge got its first mention in Ramayana which was written by Valmiki. According to the Ramayana, Lord Rama built the bridge to travel to Lanka to save Maa Sita from Rakshasha King Raavana.

As per the western history record, this Setu finds its mention in the 9th-century historian Ibn Khordadbeh's book, Book of Roads and Kingdoms, and refers to it as the Set Bandhai or Bridge of the seas.

The earliest map which states this as Adam’s Bridge was made by a British Cartographer sometime in the year 1804.

This bridge starts from Dhanushkodi’s tip of the Pamban Island and finds its ending at Sri Lanka’s Mannar Island. The nearby areas such as Rameswaram, Dhanushkodi, Devipattanam, and Thirupullani find mention in different stages of Ramayana.

The Legend Behind Creation Of Adam’s Bridge

To this day, there is still an ongoing debate about the origin of this bridge. Some claim it to be having a supernatural origin whereas others call it a man-made architectural wonder. According to Ramayana, the ten-headed Rakshasa, King Raavana had captured Lord Rama’s wife Goddess Sita in the disguise as a golden deer and had taken her to his Kingdom Lanka.

Raavana had done so to take revenge from Rama and his brother Lakshmana for cutting the nose of his sister Shurpanakha.

To save his wife from the demonic King, Lord Rama had to travel to Lanka to fight the demon king and on his way, he met the vanaraas who we can refer to as intelligent monkeys. They helped him create this historical bridge to cross over the immense sea which lay before them.

A Bridge With Many Names

Yes, it is known by many names such as Adam’s bridge, Nala Setu, Setu Banda, and some others. The name Nala Setu comes from the name of the architect who created it. The name Adam’s Bridge surprisingly comes from some of the Islamic texts which have a reference to Adam’s peak where it is believed that Adam had fallen after eating the apple and had then crossed this bridge to come to India.

Whereas some legends completely contradict this saying that he had crossed this bridge to reach Sri Lanka and not India. And somewhere you will find that when he was cast away from heaven and landed on this place, the fall of his landing was so strong that it had made an impression on the rocks.

After that, Adam cried a lot searching for Eve as she was also supposed to fall with him. But it was only after years of wandering around that they finally met somewhere in the Arabian deserts. However, there is no concrete proof to support these theories. All of it is just conjecture.

In the end, all we can say is that whatever might be the story or origin of the Floating Stones In Rameshwaram. It will always be a topic of utmost reverence for Hindus. Do you know? Now, you can book cheap flights and pocket-friendly tour packages with Adotrip.

Writer-Rohan Bhalla

War without end

Date :20-Oct-2022

How will this war end, and what sort of Russia will emerge from it? None of the possible scenarios bodes well for Russia or Ukraine. A military defeat for Russia is the first and least likely possibility, if a “victory” for Ukraine means, as many of its leaders think it should, the expulsion of Russian troops from all its territories. Even in defeat, the Putin regime would probably survive, albeit in a more repressive form and more isolated from the international community. Putin one day will step down (he is rumoured to have cancer), but unless there is a revolution his system will continue under a different leadership. With its domination of the media, its repressive forces and its reserves of foreign currency, the regime is too powerful, even for a mass-based opposition, such as we saw in support of the imprisoned leader Alexei Navalny, who tapped into a growing public mood of anger and frustration with government corruption in the late 2010s as general living standards remained low. As Russia’s story shows, the autocratic state has many times survived long periods of discontent. Society has been too weak, too divided and too disorganised to sustain an opposition movement, let alone a revolution, for long enough to bring about a change in the character of state power. Today the failure of democracy is rooted in the weakness of the public sphere. Thirty years after the collapse of the Communist dictatorship, Russia remains weak in all those institutions — genuine political parties, professional bodies, trade unions, consumer organisations, civic groups and residents’ associations — whose freedom of activity is the underpinning of democracy. The intelligentsia, which once assumed the role of the nation’s conscience, carries little influence today. The war has further weakened it, as tens of thousands of that caste (artists, academics, journalists, scientists and IT specialists) have fled abroad instead of opposing it at home. No doubt they are hoping to return to Russia soon. But that was the hope of the émigrés who left Russia after 1917, and very few of them returned.

The second possible scenario is a stalemate, a permanently frozen conflict in Ukraine, with Russian troops in the Donbass and the east but neither side prepared to stop the fighting, and no real basis for constructive peace talks as long as the Russians occupy these territories. Eight years of war have hardened the Ukrainians’ resolve not to compromise with the Russians. For even if they gave up lands for peace, what assurance could they have that Russia would not use these as a forward base to prepare a new attack? Nothing Putin says can be trusted. The Ukrainians are equally unlikely to give up on their aim of Nato membership, a key demand of the Russians. From 2019 that aim was enshrined in the Ukrainian constitution, so any decision to remove it would need to be approved by a national plebiscite or a vote in Parliament, a process that would take “at least a year” in Zelensky’s estimate. Yet with every passing week the likelihood of passing such a resolution will decline, as it becomes ever clearer that Nato membership is the only guarantee of Ukraine’s survival as an independent state (before the Russian invasion, 55 per cent of the population favoured joining Nato, but by the end of March that figure had risen to 72 per cent).

In the end Ukraine will be forced to reach a compromise with the Kremlin. There is no other way to stop this war. The issue is to do so on terms best for Ukraine with international guarantees of its security. This means that the West must go on arming the Ukrainians until they gain the upper hand, if not complete victory. But how long can the West be counted on? For all its talk of “standing with Ukraine”, would it really risk a direct conflict with Russia, or suffer crippling shortages of oil and gas, should the Russians cut sales to the West? Putin will be counting on the weakening of the West’s resolve. He reckons that its people will grow tired of the war and become more concerned by their own problems. He has begun a war whose predictable effects (spiralling inflation, food shortages in the Middle East and North Africa, both reliant on Ukrainian grain, and mass immigration from these regions into Europe) are likely in the long term to destabilise democracies. Failing that, Putin is prepared to escalate the war, using nuclear weapons if needed, because he thinks that Nato will back down to avoid a direct confrontation with Russia. Such are the lengths to which he is prepared to go to force Ukraine back into the “Russian world”.

A Russian victory of some kind is the most likely outcome of this war, given the resources at the Kremlin’s disposal. But what sort of victory can be achieved? Even if the Russians settle for the whole of the Donbass as their “victory”, they will still be left with the problem of Ukrainian insurgency and civil disobedience, not to mention the huge cost of rebuilding cities which their armies have destroyed. The Russian economy will be further weakened by sanctions. It will be set back fifty years, returning in effect to Soviet-like conditions. Isolated from the West, Russia will be forced to pivot east, a turn accelerated by the war and welcomed by a number of the Kremlin’s ideologists, who believe that Russia’s future lies in a Eurasian bloc, opposed to Western liberal values and US global power, withChina as its main ally. With only fossil fuels, precious metals and raw materials to offer the Chinese, Russia would become the junior partner in this new relationship. But with China it would represent a dangerous threat to the West’s interests in those regions of the world, from India to the Middle East, where nationalist movements and dictatorships are able to exploit their country’s grievances against the West. In the Kremlin’s understanding this is a war not just about Ukraine but about the ending of the US-dominated global order and economy by the growing power of Eurasia.

Writer-Orlando Figes

Jim Corbett National Park: Panje ki nishaan in tiger terrain

Date :20-Oct-2022

" Panje ki nishaan dikhta hai (We can see pug marks),” whispered our guide-cum-driver Mohitji, keeping one eye on the road in front, actually a dried up monsoon river bed, strewn with smooth and rounded boulders, the second eye scanning the trees above for avian life, two hands strongly grasping the steering wheel, and the proverbial third eye focused on the soft sandy ground opposite his driving seat, while the rest of us barely managed to keep our cameras and wits together bouncing up and down on passenger seats as the hoodless Gypsy went off-road.

When the Gypsy stopped, we could see clearly the pug marks of a tiger beside our vehicle. I had managed to pick up some jargon and timidly ventured, “Kata hua hai (Has it been crossed)?” meaning whether the pug mark had been cut by tyre marks indicating that the former may not be recent.

Sujit Chakrabarty, a wildlife expert and coordinator of our Jim Corbett National Park safari, explained to us patiently the reason for Mohit’s excitement: “Look Subirda, when we went in this direction just now, the footprints were absent and also there are pug marks on top of our tyre markings so the tiger definitely passed a few minutes after us, but between her passing (by the way, the pug marks were identified to be of a tigress) and our doubling back another car has also crossed the same area.” We had missed the lady by a whisker, no pun intended. This is only a part of the process of tracking Panthera tigris tigris, that is, the royal Bengal tiger!

The most common question on the lips of every forest guide and Corbett veteran was, “Call sunaai diya?” One has to filter out the alarm calls of the preys of the tiger from the continuous chirping of birds and the monotonous sound of the Gypsy. If the call was that of a deer, the next task was to identify whether it came from spotted deer (chitral or chital harin), barking deer (sonar or golden harin), or sambar (large deer like nilgai).

For the chital, unless the calls were repeated a number of times, it might not be a true alarm call because the chitals are a nervous lot and can easily become animated. On the other hand, the alarm call of a sambar meant serious business. But the most reliable were the calls of langur monkeys who could keep an eye from above.

Then there are calls coming from peafowls as well. Remember that timing is of the essence and after the mental arithmetic one needs to drive like mad in the correct direction because many a time the tiger is visible only for a fleeting moment as he or she comes out in the clearing.

Besides Sujit, there are three of us: Abhijit, a birding specialist and expert in astrophotography; Nibedita and myself, both of us being wildlife enthusiasts. Sujit had planned a four-night-five-day Corbett tour in which we managed to cram 10 safaris, each of four-hour duration, 7am-11am in the morning and 2pm-6pm in the afternoon.

Corbett is one of the very few remaining national parks where night stay deep inside the forest is still allowed. All the forest rest houses (FRH) were surrounded by electrified fences, mostly to stave off elephants. Apart from experiencing the night inside the dark jungle full of mysterious sounds and sometimes seeing only a pair of eyes illuminated by the faint light of the FRH, being inside the core forest saves the long drive from the main forest entrance gates.

We had planned to stay two nights at the Dhikala zone FRH, the hottest of the tiger hotspots, and one night each at Gairal FRH, also in the Dhikala zone, and the last night at Malani FRH in Bijrani zone. The Uttarakhand government has adopted the policy that three consecutive night bookings in any particular FRH will not be allowed and rebooking the same FRH can be done only after a 15-day gap. Also, at any zone, during safari time, at most 25 vehicles with tourists are allowed to stay inside.

Established around 1936, Hailey National Park is the precursor of the present day Jim Corbett National Park. Covering about 520sq km in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand, Corbett holds the proud distinction of being the place where the Project Tiger was launched in 1973. Undoubtedly, it happens to be one of the oldest and best-known reserved forests in India.

Corbett offers everything a nature lover can ask for: crystal clear Ramganga river flowing throughout, vast grassland areas, pristine dense forests with the backdrop of the Shivalik range of the Lesser Himalayan Chain. The forest tours are very much tiger centric and the guides and visitors are always exchanging notes about tiger sightings. The guides are connected to each other by mobile phones now and get updates in the few places inside the forest where mobile signals are available.

Indeed it is a cliche, especially in a tiger reserve, to say that the forest has to be experienced in its entirety and the tiger is only a cog in the ecosystem wheel and so on. But after having your fill of tiger sighting (if that is possible!), you can relax and take in the beauty of Corbett.

The varied fauna is bewildering. During our short stay, apart from large groups of chital, hog deer, barking deer and sambar, we saw wild boars, a Himalayan jackal family, both gharials and muggers, and short-clawed Himalayan otters, among others.

The majestic elephants are a common feature, sometimes a single one munching away peacefully or in a small family group with the calf towing along. Close to the Malani FRH a jackal was desperately trying to get the better of a large sambar leg it had probably stolen from a satiated tiger.

A quick way to get a feel of Dhikala is to avail of the day safari on a Canter, a large bus with open windows that can only travel in prescribed zones inside the forest. Generally the Gypsy guides and us forest dwelling tourists treat the Canter-wallahs, driver and day visitors alike, in a patronising tone and feel that the big buses full of amateurs will scare away the animals.

As we kept vigil inside the jungle a Canter came with the people eagerly asking us about sightings. We curtly replied in the negative and moved away thinking that chances of a tiger near the Canter is very bleak. After about an hour or so to our utter disbelief we came to know that the Canter people in that same spot had seen not one but four tigers, a mother with three sub-adult cubs! Mohit was furious about the betrayal of the big herd of chitals grazing nearby at that time for not providing us with the alarm calls.

Birdwatcher’s paradise

The sheer variety of birds is another strong point of Corbett. Suddenly a group of scarlet minivets fly away in a bright splash of red against the azure sky. The vociferous plum-headed and Alexandrine parakeets are everywhere. An elegant black-necked stork entertained us with a ballet show on the Ramganga riverbed. We could spot the nesting hole of a giant crested kingfisher that was diving in the nearby river. The colourful common kingfisher was busy softening out the small fish by repeatedly hitting it on the hard rock.

In the Dhikala FRH jumbo lenses were targeting a pair of brown-headed pygmy woodpeckers, high up in a tree. A pair of highly territorial red-headed lapwings started to warn me menacingly as I inadvertently moved close to its nest.

There were all kind of raptors; the serpent eagle waiting patiently atop a tree overlooking Ramganga river, a Pallas’s eagle drying off the night dew in the morning sun, grey-headed fish eagles guarding their nests, changeable hawk eagle watching over the vast grassland from high above, a ruby-eyed beautiful dark-shouldered kite taking off and the ghostly outline of an owl at night in Malani FRH.

A large group of Himalayan griffon vultures had congregated in a sheer cliff in the Jhirna zone and were squabbling for the best spot. And then there were hornbills. We could spot a group of grey hornbills and great hornbills flying above us with their clownish features. I wistfully thought how nice it would have been if we could get a clear shot of the great hornbill perched atop a tree.

Tyger, tyger...

In Bijrani zone, after about two hours of a morning safari we had just finished our takeaway bread-omelette breakfast and were leisurely pouring the morning cuppa when suddenly Mohit vaulted on the driver’s seat and reversed the Gypsy in full swing with us splashing the garam cha on our co-passengers.

We roared in just in time to watch, together with a handful of vehicles, a tigress cross the open road nonchalantly in the fading evening light. Sujit was pretty satisfied because sightings in Bijrani have become rare. “Mohit bhai, ye kya Paharwali lagta hai?” “I will have to check the headshot for markings.”

A quick way to identify tigers is through their distinctive stripes, especially in the facial region. Nowadays software can do the job accurately. Tigers all over India are formally identified by a number tag but the forest people lovingly refer to them with names that reflect their territorial zone, their behaviour and so on.

Paharwali rules the hilly region, Sharmili is the shy one and Pandit is the wise and mature male. It is my impression that males are more shy compared to females although a tigress with cubs becomes highly secretive since she has to keep the cubs away from other mammals including rival male tigers, each eager to spread its own lineage and not tolerating competition. The female tiger will mate with another male only when her children have grown and moved away or are killed during infancy.

As a rule tiger sighting is easier in Dhikala since here they have grown used to tourists and there are long open riverbeds and grasslands that give ample time to watch the beautiful animals in their full glory. We came across a lazy tiger early in the morning that was resting after a large meal of a deer that it had caught at night.

We could also witness the rare scene of a prey and predator together, peeping out from the dense greenery. Two sambars were also close by, alert but not unduly alarmed. Suddenly the tiger yawned, stretched and crept noiselessly close to the two deer. We were separated from the whole scene by a shallow dry ditch, not more than 15m-20m away. Suddenly there was a commotion with a muted roar and a shriek from the deer; one of them ran away along the ditch but the other in a desperate bid to cross over the ditch nearly climbed on to our Gypsy!

In the Jhirna zone, the forest was awash with the golden afternoon sun. A large langur family was resting on a tree, the older ones grooming each other and eating the tidbits discovered in the process, while keeping an eye on the playful juveniles and infants. A newborn baby was suckling. I was startled to see the exact similarity between newborn human and langur babies!

Suddenly a great hullabaloo on a tall tree caught our attention. A group of about four-five grey hornbills and three great hornbills had just arrived. They were partially hidden by the tree canopy but we could see one great hornbill delicately putting a berry in the beak of a young one, their gigantic beaks gently touching each other. All of a sudden the birds started to fly off but as if hearing our silent prayer, one great hornbill came clearly into view and unhurriedly started to preen himself while performing impossible-looking acrobatics.

Like other Corbett regulars, after quite a few sightings of tigers indulging in various activities such as crossing the blue waters of panoramic Ramganga river, resting near the swimming pool (local name for a small lake) in close proximity of a spotted deer or taking it easy after a meal, we were having a feeling of deja vu and wanted something new.

Instead of jockeying with other tourists for a better view, what we desired was the ultimate happiness of an exclusive tiger sighting with only us being present. Our tour was coming to an end and Sujit had already warned us that in the secluded Jhirna zone tiger sightings are very rare. We had planned to conclude the trip with a quick morning safari on the way out when suddenly there were a number of nearby loud alarm calls. All at once we forgot about return flights and switched to tiger mode! After a quick mental calculation Mohit zeroed in on the best possible spot within a dense forest of tall sal trees on all sides of us and cut off the motor.

In the mysterious light and shade Chukha Paani materialised, noiselessly walking over the crumbling dead leaves and just like a dream sequence, melted away among the trees, our very own tigress. Finally we were leaving Corbett , happy with our parting gift and with the haunting words of Sujit: “You can get out of Corbett but you will never take Corbett out of you!”

Writer- Subir Ghosh

Assam: Freedom Moto Ride reaches Tezpur to a warm welcome

Date :19-Oct-2022

Guwahati: Seventy-five bikers from all over India reached Tezpur on Wednesday as part of their campaign to raise fitness awareness and revive the feeling of patriotism among citizens of the country.

The ride was flagged off by Home Minister Amit Shah on September 9 as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, to commemorate 75 years of India’s independence.

The riders, including 6 women, were warmly welcomed by Sonitpur MLA Prithiraj Rabha and ADC Raj Baruah. The riders were treated to a rich cultural programme.

Freedom Moto Ride 2022 (FMR 2022) will cover six borders of the country, including Siachin. Riders will ride across 34 states and union territories in a span of 75 days by road.

Riders from all over the country are participating in this one-of-a-kind ride to promote and spread awareness about fitness through a focused campaign.

FMR 2022 aims to bring the nation together by awakening patriotism in every Indian.

Freedom Moto Ride 2022 is working with the Central Government of India in association with the Sports Authority of India, Cultural Ministry of India, and the Fit India Movement.

The expedition takes the riders through the international borders covering Siachen in the Himalayas to temples down south in the country. The expedition takes riders through mesmerising country sides.

The expedition is created to challenge individuals’ resolve in terms of different terrain, weather conditions, temperatures, and cultures.

जंगल के बीच एक परफेक्ट हॉलिडे

Date :18-Oct-2022

पन्ना नेशनल पार्क तेन्दु लीफ जंगल रिसोर्ट सस्टेनेबल टूरिज्म और रेस्पोंसिबल टूरिज्म जागता उदहारण प्रस्तुत करता है. इसकी लोकेशन बड़ी शानदार है. छतरपुर की चाँद नगर तहसील के तोरिया गांव में केन नदी के किनारे जंगल में बना ये रिसोर्ट सीमेंट और प्लास्टिक से दूर है. इसे बनाने में प्रयागराज से लाई गई हज़ारों क्यूबिक टन लकड़ी का प्रयोग किया गया है. इस लकड़ी को रीसायकल करके उपयोग में लाया गया है. यहाँ जंगल के बीचों बीच हज़ारों की तादाद में पेड़ लगा कर इसे वन की शक्ल दी गई है. इस रिसोर्ट की बिजली की अधिकतम ज़रूरतें सोलर से पूरी की जाती हैं. यहाँ दो तरह की कॉटेज हैं एक पूरी तरह से लकड़ी की बनी हैं और दूसरी को चूने मिट्टी और पत्थर से बनाया गया है. रिसोर्ट के भीतर आवाजाही के लिए ई रिक्शा का प्रबंध किया गया है.

रिसोर्ट दिव्यांगों के ज़रूरतों के हिसाब से भी बनाया गया है. आप कॉटेज तक बड़े आराम से व्हीलचेयर ले जा सकते हैं.
इस रिसोर्ट में रहते हुए आप वर्ड क्लास एमेनिटीज तो उठा ही सकते हैं साथ फिशिंग और साइकिलिंग मज़ा ले सकते हैं. इस सबसे सुन्दर स्थान है केन नदी साथ बना ऊँचा डेक. विशाल शिप के डेक का अनुभव करवाता है. रात स्थान जुगनुओं से भरा होता है.

यहाँ रह कर देसी विदेशी खानों का आनंद ले सकता है. यहाँ पर आर्डर करने पर सफारी करवाई जाती है. रिसोर्ट के पास अपनी विंटेज जीपों का एक बड़ा संग्रह मौजूद है. फॅमिली हॉलिडे के लिए ये स्थान एकदम परफेक्ट है।

ये जगह जंगल के इतना नज़दीक है कि लगता है जैसे आप जंगल के बीच ही रह रहे हैं. यहाँ टीवी नहीं है कमरों में. इनका इरादा है कि जब आप यहाँ आएं तो प्रकृति का लुत्फ़ उठाएं। बारिशों में भीगती हुई पत्तियों को गर्म चाय के साथ निहारें। रात के नील उजाले में जुगनुओं को पकड़ने दौड़ें और अनुभव करे हर उस क़ीमती सौग़ात का जो प्रकृति ने हमें बे मोल ही दे दी है.

सस्टेनेबल टूरिज्म को प्रोमोट करने वाला ये रिसोर्ट अपने आसपास की कम्युनिटी के लोगों को ही रोज़गार उपलब्ध करवाता है. यहाँ काम करने वाले 80% लोग आसपास के गांवों से ही आते हैं. मध्य प्रदेश केरल के बाद सस्टेनेबल टूरिज्म को धरातल पर प्रोमोट करने वाला दूसरा अग्रणी राज्य है. हाल ही में इस राज्य को 3 पुरस्कार भी मिले हैं.

लेखिका - कायनात काज़ी

कुचिपुड़ी गाँव – आंध्र प्रदेश का प्राचीन नृत्य ग्राम

Date :17-Oct-2022

कुचिपुड़ी गाँव – आँध्रप्रदेश का एक ऐसा गाँव जिसने भारत के ७ प्रसिद्ध शास्त्रीय नृत्य शैलियों में से एक प्रसिद्ध नृत्य शैली को अपना नाम प्रदान किया। कुछ वर्ष पूर्व एक पत्रिका पढ़ने के दौरान मुझे यह ज्ञात हुआ कि यह आँध्रप्रदेश के कृष्णा जिले में स्थित एक गाँव का नाम है। हालांकि, मेरी हैदराबाद यात्रा के दौरान मुझे कई कुचिपुड़ी नृत्य प्रदर्शन देखने का अवसर मिला था। खासकर हलीम खान द्वारा प्रदर्शित नृत्य प्रदर्शन ने मेरा मन मोह लिया था। कुचिपुड़ी गाँव के बारे में पढ़ते समय मुझे इन यादगार प्रदर्शनों का ध्यान हो आया और तभी से मुझे कुचिपुड़ी गाँव की यात्रा करने की तीव्र इच्छा जागृत हुई।

मुझे इस गाँव के दर्शन करने का अवसर जल्द ही प्राप्त हुआ। हुआ ऐसा कि मुझे आँध्रप्रदेश पर्यटन द्वारा अमरावती विश्व संगीत व नृत्य महोत्सव में भाग लेने का आमंत्रण प्राप्त हुआ। ज्ञात हुआ कि कुचिपुड़ी गाँव विजयवाडा से मात्र ६० की.मी. पर है। समारोह के उपरांत ही हम अपनी अनोखी नृत्य ग्राम यात्रा के लिए निकल पड़े।

श्री सिद्धेन्द्र योगी कुचिपुड़ी कला पीठम, कुचिपुड़ी

कुचिपुड़ी गाँव में हम श्री सिद्धेन्द्र योगी कुचिपुड़ी कला पीठम के द्वार पर उतरे। यह नृत्य संस्थान हैदराबाद के तेलुगु विश्वविद्यालय के अंतर्गत है। जैसे ही हम गाडी से उतरे, हमारे समक्ष, बगीचे के बीचोंबीच, काले पत्थर से बनी एक सुरुचिपूर्ण महिला की सुन्दर प्रतिमा पर हमारी दृष्टि पड़ी। इस प्रतिमा ने एक हाथ में कमल व दूसरे हाथ में चावडी, अर्थात् चामर धारण किया हुआ है। मुझे इस प्रतिमा व इन चिन्हों के पीछे के शास्त्र का ज्ञान नहीं था और उस पर मैंने यह निष्कर्ष निकालने की चेष्टा की, कि यह प्रतिमा भारत माता का स्वरुप है। तुरंत मेरे निष्कर्ष को सुधार कर मुझे यह बताया गया कि यह तेलुगु तल्ली अर्थात् तेलुगु माता की मूर्ति है। मैंने मन ही मन सोचा, कि भारत विस्मयकारी तथ्यों का खजाना है।

कला पीठम संसथान में प्रवेश करते ही हमारी दृष्टि, इस स्थल के लिए सर्वोपयुक्त, चोल पीतल में बनी नटराज की विशाल प्रतिमा पर पड़ी। साथ ही वर्तमान कुचिपुड़ी के जनक श्री सिद्धेन्द्र योगीजी की भी प्रतिमा थी। इस कला पीठम की स्थापना हेतु भूमि, कुली क़ुतुब शाह ने इस संस्थान को दान स्वरुप प्रदान की थी। कहा जाता है कि वह इस कुचिपुड़ी नृत्य शैली पर मोहित थे। इस संस्थान की वर्तमान इमारत अपेक्षाकृत नवीन है जिसमें विद्धार्थियों के लिए छात्रावास की भी सुविधा उपलब्ध है। १०० से भी ज्यादा वर्ष प्राचीन इमारत के स्थान पर इस नवीन इमारत की संरचना की है।

श्री सिद्धेन्द्र योगीजी व उनकी कुचिपुड़ी शैली

इस संस्थान के कार्यकर्ता व विद्यार्थियों से भेंट के पश्चात्, प्रदर्शन कला में स्नातकोत्तर छात्रा सुश्री अनुपमा ने हमें कुचिपुड़ी गाँव व इस नृत्यशैली के इतिहास की जानकारी दी।

भामा कलापम

अनुपमा ने हमें श्री सिद्धेन्द्र योगी द्वारा रचित नृत्य नाटिका भामा कलापम के बारे में बताया। भामा अर्थात् सत्यभामा, जो भगवान् कृष्ण की ८ पत्नियों में से एक है। यह नृत्य नाटिका सत्यभामा के कृष्ण में विलीन होने की कामना पर आधारित है। सत्यभामा के हृदय में आसक्ति, मोह, इच्छाओं आदि वासनाओं का वास था। इस कारण भगवान् कृष्ण में विलीन होना उनके लिए असंभव था। इन अवगुणों का परित्याग करने के पश्चात् ही वह कृष्ण में समाहित हो सकती थी। यह कथा लाक्षणिक रूप से आत्मा व परमात्मा पर आधारित है। यह, मानव की भगवान् में विलीन होने की अभिलाषा व इसके लिए आनेवाली बाधाओं पर विजय प्राप्त करने की कथा है।

भामा कलापम, कुचिपुड़ी नृत्य नाटिका की सबसे ज्यादा प्रदर्शित नृत्य नाटिका है। हमें बताया गया कि भामा कलापम कथा अत्यंत विस्तार से रची गयी है। इसका अंदाजा इस उदाहरण से लगाया जा सकता है कि एक पूर्ण रात्रि मात्र सत्यभामा की केशसज्जा बखान करती है। दरअसल पूर्ण कुचिपुड़ी नृत्य शैली, वैष्णव संस्कृति से सराबोर है। विष्णु के अवतारों में से कृष्ण भगवान्, भक्ति मार्ग के अनुगामियों में सर्वाधिक प्रसिद्ध हैं। यहाँ तक की इस जिले को ‘कृष्णा’ नाम दिया है। कृष्णा नदी भी यहीं से बहती हुई समुद्र में विलीन होती है।

श्री योगीजी का यहाँ १७ वीं शताब्दी में वास था जब भक्ति आन्दोलन व कृष्ण भक्ति भाव अपनी चरम सीमा पर था।

कुचिपुड़ी गाँव का इतिहास

कुचिपुड़ी गाँव, कुचेलापुरम या कुचिलापुरी के नाम से भी जाना जाता है। इसका प्राचीन संस्कृत नाम कुशिलावापुरम अर्थात् बंजारे संगीतज्ञ व नर्तकों का गाँव है। कुचिपुड़ी की शब्द व्युत्पत्ती भी इस प्राचीन नृत्य शैली की कथा कहती है।

कुचिपुड़ी के वर्तमान इतिहास के सर्व साहित्य मध्य कालीन युग से उपलब्ध हैं। परन्तु हमें बताया गया कि पुरातत्ववेत्ताओं ने कई प्राचीन बुद्ध प्रतिमाएं खोज निकालीं जिन पर नृत्य मुद्राएं प्रत्यक्ष दिखाई देतीं हैं। हालांकि, नृत्य मुद्राएं दर्शाती बुद्ध की प्रतिमाएं सामान्यतः दिखती नहीं है, पर शायद इस भूमि की महिमा इतनी अपरंपार है कि बौद्ध भिक्षु भी यहां नृत्य करने में सक्षम थे।

ऐसा कहा जाता है कि इस गाँव के हर एक परिवार में कुचिपुड़ी नृत्य कलाकार हैं। हर एक गांववासी इस नृत्य शैली में निपुण है। ज्यादातर नर्तकों ने अपने पिता से इस नृत्य की शिक्षा हासिल की। जी हाँ! कुचिपुड़ी नृत्य का प्रसार पितृप्रधान वंशानुगत रीति द्वारा हुआ था। परन्तु वर्तमान काल में इस रीत में बदलाव देखा गया है। अनुपमा ने हमें बताया कि कुचिपुड़ी गाँव कुल १३ ब्राम्हण परिवारों से बना है जिसका प्रत्येक सदस्य इस नृत्य शैली की दीक्षा हासिल करता है।

पारंपरिक रीति अनुसार केवल पुरुष नर्तक ही इस नृत्य शैली का अभ्यास करते थे। वे अकसर स्त्री वेष धर कर स्फूर्ति और उत्साह से नृत्य करते थे। ऐसे ही अनेक वरिष्ठ कुचिपुड़ी पुरुष नर्तकों के चित्र यहाँ श्री सिद्धेन्द्र योगी कुचिपुड़ी कला पीठम में देखे जा सकते हैं, जिन्होंने स्त्री वेष धर कर नृत्य का प्रदर्शन किया था।

श्री वेदांत लक्ष्मी नारायण शास्त्रीजी २० वीं सदी में पारंपरिक कुचिपुड़ी नृत्य शैली में हुए कई बदलाव के उत्तरदायी हैं।उन्होंने ही स्त्रियों में इस नृत्य शैली को प्रवर्तित किया। साथ ही उन्होंने इस नृत्य शैली को ब्राम्हणों के दायरे से बाहर निकला और इसे हर उस व्यक्ति को उपलब्ध कराया जो इसमें प्रशिक्षित होना चाहता था।

कुचिपुड़ी नृत्य

कुचिपुड़ी नृत्य के ४ प्रमुख अंग इस प्रकार हैं –
• वाचिका अर्थात् मौखिक
• आहार्या अर्थात् वेशभूषा
• अंगिका अर्थात् मुद्राएँ व भंगिमाएं
• सात्विका अर्थात् अभिनय व अभिव्यक्ति

कुचिपुड़ी नृत्य शैली के अंतर्गत, नर्तक गाते हैं व दर्शकों से संवाद करते हैं। यह पूर्ण नृत्य शैली कथाकथन पर आधारित है जिसमें कुछ भाग संवाद रूप में, कुछ भाग नाटक रूप में व कुछ मुख मुद्राओं से अभिव्यक्त किया जाता है। इसमें सूत्रधार का भी समावेश रहता है जो नृत्य नाटिका के दौरान समय समय पर कथाकथन प्रस्तुत करता है। अन्य नृत्य शैलियों की तुलना में, इस कुचिपुड़ी नृत्य में अभिनय व मुख मुद्राओं को अधिक महत्त्व दिया जाता है।

नर्तकों का साथ देते संगीतवादक मृदंग, वायोलिन, हारमोनियम इत्यादि बजाते हैं व एक गायक और एक गायिका उनके लिए गायन प्रस्तुत करते हैं। मौलिक रूप से कुचिपुड़ी एक सामूहिक नृत्य प्रदर्शन है जिसमें भिन्न भिन्न कलाकार विभिन्न भाग प्रस्तुत करते हैं।

वेशभूषा इस नृत्य का एक अहम् अंग है। कुचिपुड़ी कलाकार लकड़ी से बने हल्के वजन के आभूषण धारण करते हैं। ज्यादातर कलाकार व उनका परिवार अपने गहने स्वयं गढ़तें हैं। इसी से अंदाजा लगाया जा सकता है कि कुचिपुड़ी का उनकी जीवन में कितना महत्वपूर्ण स्थान है। वर्तमान में कई कुचिपुड़ी नर्तक, पारंपरिक जौहरियों द्वारा निर्मित धातु के आभूषण धारण करने लगे हैं।

विद्यार्थियों द्वारा प्रदर्शित कुचिपुड़ी नृत्य दर्शन

श्री सिद्धेन्द्र योगी कुचिपुड़ी कला पीठम के प्रधानाचार्य श्री वेदांतम रामलिंग शास्त्रीजी ने हमारे लिए विद्यार्थियों द्वारा २ नृत्य प्रदर्शनों का आयोजन कराया। पहले प्रदर्शन में २ छात्रों ने प्रधानाचार्य व उनकी धर्मपत्नी द्वारा गाये गए गीत पर नृत्य किया।दूसरे प्रदर्शन में नर्तक ने शिव अष्टकम पर नृत्य प्रस्तुत किया। हम नर्तकों के स्फूर्तिपूर्ण व फुर्तीले नृत्य में खो से गए। चूंकि यह विद्यार्थी अल्प अवधि सूचना के तहत नृत्य प्रदर्शन कर रहे थे, वे दैनंदिक वस्त्रों में थे। इसलिए इनकी भव्य वेशभूषा के दर्शन का अवसर हमें नहीं मिला। मैं सिर्फ इन नर्तकों को, उनकी वेशभूषा धारण किये, उचित प्रकाश में नृत्य करते, अपनी कल्पना में ही देख सकती थी।

यह अत्यंत दुःख की बात है कि हमारे देश में बहुत कम लोग इस कला समृद्ध, कुचिपुड़ी गाँव के बारे में जानते हैं। जबकि हमें गर्व के साथ हमारी इस धरोहर को विश्व सम्मुख प्रस्तुत करना चाहिए। ऐसी कितनी जगहें होंगी जिन्हें इतने लम्बे अरसे से पूर्ण नृत्य ग्राम होने का गर्व होगा? आशा करती हूँ कि इस नृत्य ग्राम से पूर्ण प्रशिक्षित छात्र अपने इस गाँव की जानकारी अपनी कला द्वारा सम्पूर्ण विश्व को प्रदान करेंगे|

श्री सिद्धेन्द्र योगी कुचिपुड़ी कला पीठम के सभी शिक्षकगण व विद्यार्थी अत्यंत विनम्र और सरल स्वभाव के थे। उन्होंने हमें केले के पत्तों पर सादा दक्षिण भारतीय भोजन कराया। आप विश्वास नहीं करेंगे पर कई दिनों बाद मैंने इतना स्वादिष्ट भोजन का आस्वाद लिया था।

कुचिपुड़ी गाँव

श्री सिद्धेन्द्र योगी कला पीठम के दर्शन उपरांत हम कुचिपुड़ी की ग्राम देवी, बाला त्रिपुरा सुंदरी मंदिर के दर्शन हेतु निकल पड़े। रास्ते में श्री सिद्धेन्द्र योगीजी को समर्पित एक छोटे से मंदिर के भी दर्शन किये। इस मंदिर के मुख्य द्वार के ऊपर एक वीणा की प्रतिकृति रखी हुई है।

बाल त्रिपुरा सुंदरी मंदिर भी एक छोटा पीले रंग का मंदिर है जिसमें गोपुरम व शिखर का आकार समान है। यह शिव व पार्वती के बाल सुंदरी रूप को अर्पित है। शिखर के एक तरफ नटराज की सुन्दर प्रतिमा विभूषित है। मंदिर के पिस्ता हरे रंग के स्तंभों पर विभिन्न नृत्य मुद्राएँ धारण की हुईं छोटी छोटी प्रतिमाएं गड़ी हुई हैं। कुचिपुड़ी गाँव के सभी कलाकार नृत्य से पूर्व यहाँ आकर भगवान् के चरणों में प्रार्थना अर्पित करते हैं।

मंदिर के एक ओर नाट्य पुष्करणी नामक नवीन चेरुवु अर्थात् झील निर्माणाधीन है। इस झील के मध्य श्री सिद्धेन्द्र योगीजी की प्रतिमा स्थापित करने की भी योजना है।

मुझे ज्ञात हुआ कि कुचिपुड़ी गाँव के आसपास कई दूसरे मंदिर भी हैं। आशा है इनके दर्शन हेतु पुनः आने का अवसर मुझे जल्द ही मिलेगा।

कुचिपुड़ी दर्शन हेतु कुछ सुझाव

• कुचिपुड़ी गाँव में रहने के लिए धर्मशाला इत्यादि की कोई व्यवस्था नहीं है। निकटतम स्थान विजयवाड़ा है जहाँ यात्रियों के लिए हर स्तर की आवास सुविधाएँ उपलब्ध हैं।
• निकटतम विमानतल व रेल सुविधाएँ भी विजयवाड़ा में उपलब्ध हैं।
• हमने संस्थान में सादा शाकाहारी भोजन ग्रहण किया था। पूर्व सूचना देने पर वे आपके भोजन की भी व्यवस्था कर सकते हैं।
• इस गाँव व इसकी संस्कृति का अहसास करने हेतु, इस गाँव का दर्शन पैदल चल कर ही किया जा सकता है।

आँध्रप्रदेश के अन्य पर्यटन स्थलों के दर्शन पूर्व आपके लिए मेरी कुछ यात्रा संस्मरण प्रस्तुत है-
1. विशाखा पट्टनम का प्रसिद्ध रामकृष्ण समुद्रतट
2. अरकू आदिवासी संग्रहालय
3. अरकू घाटी की छिद्रयुक्त अरकू गुफाएं
4. रामकृष्ण समुद्रतट पर स्थित आईएनएस कुर्सुरा पनडुब्बी संग्रहालय
5. अरकू घाटी तक रेल यात्रा

आईएनएस कुर्सुरा पनडुब्बी – विशाखपट्नम् के रामकृष्ण समुद्रतट पर

Date :17-Oct-2022

आईएनएस कुर्सुरा, भारतीय नौसेना की एक सेवामुक्त पनडुब्बी है, जिसने सन् १९७१ में भारत-पाकिस्तान युद्ध में भाग लिया था। यह आज एक विशाल व्हेल मछली के समान विशाखपट्नम् के रामकृष्ण समुद्रतट पर गर्व से खड़ी है। आर. के. समुद्रतट अथवा रामकृष्ण समुद्रतट पर खड़ी काले रंग की यह पनडुब्बी अब एक जीवंत संग्रहालय है। सेवामुक्ति के बाद इसे सार्वजनिक अवलोकन के लिए एक संग्रहालय के रूप में संरक्षित किया है। ऊपर से देखने पर यह पनडुब्बी ऐसी प्रतीत होती है मानो समुद्र से एक विशाल मछली को बाहर निकाल कर तट पर रख दिया हो।

यह सम्पूर्ण एशिया का एक विशेष प्रकार का मौलिक पनडुब्बी संग्रहालय है। सम्पूर्ण विश्व में यह दूसरा ऐसा संग्रहालय है जिसमें आप एक जीवित पनडुब्बी के भीतर जाकर उसके विभिन्न भागों को देख सकते हैं, उसकी तकनीकी एवं क्रियाकलापों को समझ सकते हैं तथा गहरे समुद्र में बहती इस पनडुब्बी में हमारे नौसैनिकों के जीवन को समझ सकते हैं तथा स्वयं अनुभव कर सकते हैं। हो सकता है कि उनकी मनःस्थिति आप अपने भीतर शब्दशः अनुभव न कर सकें क्योंकि जब वे इस पनडुब्बी में जाते थे तब वे शत्रुओं से अपने देश का रक्षण करते हुए अपने प्राण भी न्योछावर कर देने की मनस्थिति से जाते थे, वहीं आप एक दर्शक के रूप में उनके जीवन की कुछ झलकियाँ एवं इस पनडुब्बी का अवलोकन कर रहे हैं।

सोवियत संघ में निर्मित कुर्सुरा का निर्माण कार्य सन् १९६९ में पूर्ण हुआ तथा उसे विशाखपट्नम् लाकर भारतीय नौसेना में जोड़ा गया। सन् १९७० में भारतीय नौसेना की सेवा में उसने अपनी प्रथम यात्रा की। ३१ वर्ष भारतीय नौसेना में सेवा प्रदान करने के पश्चात २७ फरवरी २००१ में उसे नौसेना से सेवामुक्त किया गया। आज यह पर्यटन उद्योग को अपनी सेवायें प्रदान कर रही है। एक पनडुब्बी की संरचना, उसकी तकनीकी तथा उसके भीतर एक संकुचित स्थान में अनेक दिवसों, सप्ताहों व महीनों तक हमारे नौसेनिक कैसे रहते हैं, इस विषय में सामान्य जनमानस को जानकारी प्रदान कर रही है।

पनडुब्बी संग्रहालय – विशाखापत्तनम का एक महत्वपूर्ण दर्शनीय स्थल

यह पनडुब्बी संग्रहालय भारत के उन विरले संग्रहालयों में से एक है जिसमें प्रचुर मात्रा में प्रलेखीकरण उपलब्ध हैं। उत्तम रीति से संरक्षित प्रदर्शनी है। इस पनडुब्बी का संचालित पर्यटन कराया जाता है। बाहर लगे एक विशाल फलक पर पनडुब्बी की कार्यप्रणाली विस्तृत रूप में दर्शाई गयी है। एक तैरती पनडुब्बी को कैसे समुद्र तल तक ले जाया जाता है, कैसे एक पनडुब्बी समुद्र के गहरे जल के भीतर, यहाँ तक कि समुद्र के तल पर ६० दिवसों जैसे लम्बे काल तक रह पाती है तथा आवश्यकतानुसार उसे वापिस जल सतह पर कैसे लाया जाता है, इनकी जानकारी दी गयी है।

इस फलक पर भारतीय में पनडुब्बियों के इतिहास की जानकारी दी गयी है। साथ ही इस विशेष प्रकार की ‘Foxtrot’ पनडुब्बी के इतिहास एवं महत्वपूर्ण आयामों के विषय में भी बताया गया है। इस पनडुब्बी रूपी संग्रहालय की भीतरी संरचना को दर्शाते रेखाचित्र हैं। पनडुब्बी को जल से बाहर लाकर एक संग्रहालय के रूप में प्रदर्शित करने के लिए किये गए प्रयासों को भी दर्शाया गया है। संग्रहालय के चारों ओर पनडुब्बी के विभिन्न महत्वपूर्ण भागों को प्रदर्शित किया गया है, समुद्री तोपगोला – टारपीडो(Torpedo), संकेतक प्लव (Indicator buoy), एक विशाल बैटरी, तैलशीतक(oil cooler), जल निकास टोटी(valve), वायुशीतक(air coolers) आदि। इन सभी के साथ इनकी कार्यप्रणालियाँ विस्तृत रूप में दर्शाई गयी हैं।

आईएनएस कुर्सुरा पनडुब्बी का भीतरी दृश्य

एक परिदर्शक आपको छोटे छोटे समूहों में पनडुब्बी के भीतर ले जाता है तथा पनडुब्बी की कार्यप्रणाली समझाता है। आप असली टारपीडो देख सकते हैं तथा उसे कैसे दागते हैं, यह भी समझ सकते हैं। आपको ऐसा आभास होगा मानो आप स्वयं एक विशाल यंत्र के भीतर पहुँच गए हैं। अत्यंत लघु शयन कक्ष, प्रसाधन कक्ष, रसोईघर व भोजन कक्ष दृष्टिगोचर होते हैं जिन्हें नौसैनिक बारी बारी से प्रयोग करते हैं।

पनडुब्बी के भीतर इतनी बड़ी संख्या में नियंत्रक खटके या स्विच हैं कि हम यह चिंतन करने पर बाध्य हो जाते हैं कि हमारे नौसैनिक उनका स्मरण कैसे रखते हैं! किस नियंत्रण का कैसे व कब प्रयोग करना है, यह निश्चित ही एक जटिल कार्य है। एक फलक पर उन सभी अधिकारियों के नाम लिखे हैं जो इस पनडुब्बी में कार्यरत थे। साथ ही उनके द्वारा अर्जित पुरस्कार, उपाधियाँ एवं उनके गोताखोरी के उपकरणों का भी गौरवपूर्ण प्रदर्शन किया गया है।

रसोईघर में भाप निकलती इडलियाँ भी प्रदर्शित की गयी है जो अत्यंत रोचक हैं। इस संकुचित स्थान पर एक छोटा व अत्यंत औपचारिक भोजन कक्ष भी है। पनडुब्बी के अंतिम छोर पर एक सीढ़ी के द्वारा एक बचाव द्वार तक पहुंचा जा सकता है जिसका प्रयोग आपातकालीन स्थिति में किया जाता होगा।

आईएनएस कुर्सुरा पनडुब्बी का अवलोकन आपको अत्यंत भावविभोर कर देगा। आप शत्रुओं से हमारी समुद्री सीमाओं का रक्षण करते इन नौसैनिकों का जीवन, परिश्रम एवं समर्पण देख कर उनके प्रति कृतज्ञ हुए बिना नहीं रह पायेंगे।

समुद्र के तट पर उत्तम रूप से संरक्षित पनडुब्बी को उतने की मनमोहक परिवेश में इतनी कुशलता से प्रदर्शित किया है कि आप उसकी प्रशंसा करते नहीं थकेंगे। समुद्र में उठती लहरों को देख कर भी ऐसा प्रतीत होता है मानो वे इस पनडुब्बी को पुनः अपनी गोद में समेटने को व्याकुल हैं।

यदि आप विशाखपट्नम् की यात्रा कर रहे हैं तो इस संग्रहालय के अवलोकन के लिए समय अवश्य निकालें। हमारे नौसैनिकों के जीवन तथा देश के प्रति उनके समर्पण को समीप से जानने का यह एक स्वर्णिम अवसर है। साथ ही एक पनडुब्बी को भीतर-बाहर से देखने व समझने का भी उत्तम अवसर है। ऐसा अवसर हमें सहज ही प्राप्त नहीं होता है। इस अवसर का लाभ अवश्य उठायें।

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