Global Vipassana Pagoda

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Ever since I had set eyes on this pagoda while on the Manori trip with Hithakshi, I had been entranced and had made up my mind to pay a visit to it.

 So I invited readers to join me on a visit to the pagoda. Sherwin and Grace agreed. We decided to meet at Bhayander railway station at 3 pm. From there we were supposed to take bus no 4 to the Pagoda.

 I reached Andheri station at 2 pm. The platform was crowded, as were the trains. I let two trains go by and finally the 2.26 pm Bhayander Fast train arrived. I had to get in this train, or else I would be late. Luckily I managed to board it.

The Global Vipassana Pagoda

Grace was already there. Sherwin and I boarded different coaches in the same train. We planned to meet at the ticket booking counter from where we were to proceed to the bus depot.

Grace, who I met on the platform, had already reached the ticket counter but there was no sign of Sherwin. So I called him up to locate his whereabouts, and it seemed as if in an instant, there he was right under my nose. I hadn’t been able to spot him a few seconds earlier.

For a change we were all on time and proceeded to board the bus that would take us to the Pagoda. We were quite disappointed on learning that the next bus would leave in an hour. We boarded the 3.40 pm bus and reached the Pagoda after an hour. The bus conductor told us that there were hourly return buses. The last bus from the Pagoda to the station was at 8.30 pm and the cost of the ticket was Rs. 13 one way.

Entrance to the Global Vipassana Pagoda

Rickshaws too ply to the Pagoda. I don’t know how much a rickshaw ride would cost.

The Pagoda is the last stop on this route, two stops prior to the Essel World bus stop.

 There is no charge to visit the Pagoda and even the tour guides are free of cost. The Pagoda, open from 9 am to 7 pm, has been built completely on the strength of donations. There are donation boxes kept all around.

The Bell

The Pagoda looks amazing from here. Some parts of the structure are still incomplete, and construction is on. We entered the premises via an entrance neatly carved and painted golden and red. There were carvings of two animals there. The carvings looked very impressive, but I could not identify the animals.

We later climbed the steps and saw two identical structures just ahead of the Pagoda. There was a sculpture of four huge men carrying a bell. The bell was poised on only one structure. We rang the bell. The sound was very loud, but strangely soothing.

We entered the Pagoda. The security check was very strict here unlike the kind done in our malls and railway stations. I was happy to see that.

Statue in the premises

The Pagoda was huge and painted golden. When the sun’s rays shone on it, it looked even better. There were steps leading right up to the topmost point on the Pagoda. Right on top there are wind chimes placed which ring with even the slightest movement of the wind. The sound of the wind chimes is very pleasing to the ears.

The design on the outside walls was repetitive. Again it was a combination of gold and red colours. The walls have been covered with stone tablets featuring proverbs.

The Pagoda has many entrances, but only entrances 7 and 8 are open to the public. The same design was visible on the doors and the walls.

One of the Doors of the Pagoda

The seating area was huge and could accommodate around 8,000 to 10,000 people. The guide who showed us around told us that that no cement had been used to seal the stones and that they were interlocked with each other via the central locking stone of the dome. The bone relics of Buddha are enshrined in the central locking stone. The Dome does not have any supporting pillars to carry its weight.

 There was complete silence in the dome so we refrained from making any noise ourselves but silently continued with our photo sessions.

Later we saw the other smaller domes which are still under construction.

Inside the Pagoda

By the time we finished our photo sessions, it was around 6 pm. We decided to wait until 7 pm hours as the entire place was beautifully lit up.

 We then visited the Photo Gallery below the Pagoda; it features 123 photos, mostly related to Buddha’s lifetimes. There is an audio clip available on a payment of Rs. 20, along with a deposit of Rs. 100.

 Later we headed to the store which sells Pagoda merchandise. By the time we were done it was already dark and the lights were up near the Pagoda.

Group Pic, from left Grace, Me and Sherwin

The pagoda shone beautifully in the dark. We got some really amazing shots.

 As always hunger struck so we headed to the food court nearby to have some refreshments there. The refreshments were priced quite high but as we were hungry we didn’t mind, not that we had a choice. We concentrated more on eating and drinking and finally decided to bid farewell to the Pagoda.

 Just before leaving, we visited a huge statue of Buddha near the food court. There were lights all around the statue. It looked amazing, especially set against the backdrop of the Pagoda looming large behind it. It was truly a beautiful sight.

A statue of Buddha near the Pagoda

 We were luckily in time to board the 7.30 pm bus and managed to bag some seats in the bus. Within a few minutes we were at Essel World and a mad mob of people rushed in to board the bus. The crowd was worse than the one I had seen in the train that I boarded to reach Bhayander. As we had seats we were lucky not to be pushed around. In an overloaded bus, the risk of a fight erupting is quite high. Finally after all the commotion, we reached Bhayander railway station in an hour.

I don’t understand why the BEST does not put in more buses for the convenience of passengers, especially the Essel World returnees.

Luckily we got a fast train at Bhayander railway station to take us to Andheri.

The Pagoda at night

The Pagoda looks beautiful from the outside and that too from a distance. When you get close to it, the flaws in it become more visible. I am not saying that the design is bad, but had the monks built it, it would have been a marvelous piece of art.

We then headed home. I had to plan and pack for the Matheran overnight trip. I had had good fun with Sherwin and Grace.

 Hope you had fun reading. Join me soon on my next travel post.

St. Blaise Church Feast Fete

Monday, February 13, 2012

St Blaise Church is located on the St Blaise Road, formerly known as Ceaser Road, which is off the SV Road in Amboli. The church is equidistant from both Andheri and Jogeshwari railway stations on the Western Railway Line.

St Blaise Church was established somewhere between 1585 and 1589. According to the parish website, a certain Fr Paulo da Trinidale is reported to have documented that in 1630, the parish of St Blaise comprised Irlem (Irla), Parlem (Parle), Vessana (Versova), Megrem (Mogra), Andherem (Andheri), and Juvem (Juhu). The number of Catholics then was 1637 adults and 400 children. Today the parish strength is 14000 and rising.

Blaise was born in a rich Christian family and studied to be a physician. Because of his virtuous conduct, he was nominated to be a bishop by the clergy and people of Sebaste, in Armenia. But when the persecution of Christians began, Bishop Blaise had to flee for his life and take shelter in the hills.

St. Blaise Church

The persecutors discovered a cave in the hill, where Bishop Blaise was catering to the wounds of the wild animals there. Bishop Blaise was tortured and imprisoned because he refused to renounce his Christian faith.

Many ill and ailing people were bought to him to be healed. A woman had bought her son to him, as he had swallowed a fish bone and was choking. Bishop Blaise prayed over him and he was healed.

The church venerated St. Blaise as the patron saint of wild animals and those suffering from throat ailments. A nine day Novena is practiced before celebrating the feast on February 3 each year. The following Sunday is celebrated with pomp and gaiety. The priest holds two blessed candles and blesses the throats of the devotees that day. This is done in all parishes.

St Blaise was martyred in 316 AD during the rule of Emperor Licinius. You can refer to the church website for more information on St Blaise Church.

Aaron and Ryan in their masks

Meanwhile, let me take you to the fete that was organised as part of the feast celebrations. Having attended the 9 am mass, I planned to take my nephews, Aaron and Ryan, for the feast in the evening. The most important thing to do was to seek the permission of their mother. Once permission was granted, I told the two boys.

They were very excited even though neither had the faintest idea about what a fete is. The gates to the fete opened at 7 pm. We landed there at 7:15 pm. The Church premises were beautifully decorated. A stage was set up in one corner. The trees were lit up. All of it added to the ambience and increased our expectations of having a good time.

A few stalls were set up to cater to the stomach. These were food stalls serving Goan, Manglorean and East Indian delicacies.

In the Fete

As we entered, Aaron and Ryan were given eye masks to be used for a fun game to held later in the evening. Both wore their masks and were all set for the game. Bring it on.

As the crowd gathered, the comperes kickstarted the evening’s festivities by introducing themselves. They asked the children to head over to the balloon counter to collect their balloons. Ryan got all excited and immediately got his balloon. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to hold on to it and it wriggled out of his fingers and went off flying up in the air. The poor boy was all in tears when he saw balloon take off like that. I felt really bad for him.

But soon after the comperes made an announcement about a tattoo artist. That bought a smile on the faces of the boys. Ryan forgot about his balloon and got excited about getting a tattoo done. This is the best thing about kids. They forget so easily. I wish we grownups had the same ability to forget. Life would be so much better.  

The Last Supper above the Church

But the tattoo artist hadn’t come in yet, and the boys, eagerly waiting for him, began to get fidgety. I hoped that he would show up soon.

Meanwhile, the masks were put to use. The masks were coloured gold, silver, pink, red and purple. People with similar masks were asked to gather together. The kids had a great time mingling among themselves. After the groups were formed, they were asked to chant, “Wish you a Happy Feast.” Guess what? My nephews’ groups were the loudest. Eeeeehhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaa.

All the balloons were collected and were tied together and released in the air to kickstart the event.

A few telematches were held. These included threading the most number of needles in two minutes time, building a cup castle and throwing table tennis balls in a bucket while being blindfolded.

Performance by Senior Citizens

A group of four danced to some hip hop numbers. These kids were very good and I liked their performances.

There was a group of senior citizens who sang and danced to some local folk songs. It was nice to see them. They put up quite a show and quickly became the favourite of the crowd.

The tattoo artist arrived and Ryan badly wanted a tattoo done. I counted the number of children standing in line. There were 25 in all. I somehow managed to convince him to enjoy the performances first, and get the tattoo later. But you know how children are? I want means I want. For that matter, that is the case with adults too.

Later there were dance performances by groups dressed as Gujaratis, South Indians, lavni dancers and Punjabis. There was a nice sight to see too.

I asked the boys if they were interested in eating but they were so busy with the activities on stage that they just drank Frooti and ran off to see the performances. I couldn’t get a chance to taste the food as most of the snacks were over. Only whole meals were left. I didn’t want to take any chances as I was managing my nephews so I let go of the idea of dining. But we had a great time nonetheless.

Siddhivinayak Ganapati Mandir

Monday, January 30, 2012

The Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Mandir is dedicated to Ganesh and is located at Prabhadevi in Mumbai. Can be accessed by road.

It was built in 1801 by Mr. Laxman Vithu and Mrs. Deubai Patil.

Siddhivinayak Ganapati Mandir

The temple has images of Ashtavinayak (the eight manifestations of Ganesh in Maharashtra) carved in it. It has a gold plated roof, which is visible from the inside, not outside, and has a statue of Ganesh in it.

People come here from all corners of Mumbai. People come walking barefoot for the early morning aarti just to show their belief in Ganesh.

The temple is visited by people day in and day out. It is the richest temple in Mumbai. 

Map to Siddhivinayak Ganapati Mandir

View Larger Map

Ban Ganga

Monday, January 23, 2012

Ban Ganga is located in Walkeshwar and can be easily accessed by road. Taxis and buses frequently ply there. I was told about this place by Parag, an ex-colleague of mine. So I headed off to see this place.

View of Ban Ganga

Ban Ganga is a part of the Walkeshwar Temple complex in Malabar Hill.

Having checked with the locals, I was able to locate this place. It is surrounded by many temples.

Temples near Ban Ganga

This place is really beautiful and reminded me of the ghats at the banks of the river Ganga.

There is a rectangular water tank in the middle with steps on four sides leading to it. There are two pillars at the entrance where oil lamps were lit in ancient times.

Swans

History states that this tank was originally built in 1127 AD by Lakshman Prabhu and was later rebuilt in 1715 AD by Rama Kamath.

Mythology states that Rama, the Hindu god, had stopped there on his way to Lanka to rescue his wife, Sita. As Ram was tired and thirsty, he asked his brother, Laxman, to bring him some water. Laxman shot an arrow in the ground and at once water gushed out from that spot. This place is called Ban Ganga, meaning Ganga created by means of an arrow (ban in Sanskrit).

Another view of Ban Ganga

Ban ganga houses the samadhis of the heads of the Groud Saraswat Brahmins. It also doubles up as the Hindu cremation ground.

This area smelled really bad. The stink was horrible. I felt nauseous. Also to my surprise many eagles flew above the area. I wondered why. To my surprise there are many people who stay nearby. Wonder how they have managed to adjust to the stink.

Contrast Picture of a Rustic Ban Ganga and a skyscraper near it

To add to this I saw two young boys bathing in the water. The water was green in colour. I was wondering if the water was clean and good enough for them to bathe in.

I shot a few photos here and then left in a hurry as the stink was driving me nuts.

Haji Ali Dargah

Friday, January 20, 2012

Haji Ali Dargah can be reached either on foot or by a vehicle as it is very close to Mahalaxmi Railway Station.

Boarding a BEST bus, I alighted at the Haji Ali junction. This place is always the site of a traffic jam. The landmark to look out for here is the Haji Ali juice centre. Next to this juice centre, there is a path which takes you to the dargah. For that matter, the dargah itself is a landmark.

Haji Ali Dargah from a Distance

 On the way to the dargah you will see a number of stalls selling offerings to be offered at the dargah. The stretch can be covered in 15 minutes.

Entrance to the Dargah

 The Haji Ali Dargah was constructed in 1431 in memory of Sayyed Peer Haji Ali Shah Bukhari, who gave up his possessions before going on a pilgramage to Mecca. He later settled in Mumbai. Peer Haji Ali Shah Bukhari had a recurring and disturbing dream that he had committed an offence against the earth. Disturbed by the dream, he fell ill and directed his followers to cast his coffin into the Arabian Sea, on his death. When his followers did as he directed, they noticed that tThe coffin carrying his body floated on the shores and got stuck on the rocks. It was at this place that the dargah was constructed.

Dargah

 The dargah features Islamic architecture. It occupies an area of 4,500 sq ft. The tomb in the mosque is covered by a red and green chaddar. There are separate praying rooms for gents and ladies here.

Beautifully Carved Minaret

 People of all faiths visit this shrine in large numbers. I found some musicians playing devotional songs in the dargah premises. The dargah is reconstructed part by part so that it does not hamper the people visiting the dargah.

Devotional Singers in the premises

 The reconstruction is being done in two phases. The first phase involves the reconstruction of the mosque and minarets; the second phase involves the sanitarium building.

Old and New Minaret

On a rainy day when there is a high tide, the entire stretch of land leading to the dargah is submerged under water, making it an island. People are restricted from entering the premises at such times.

As the dargah is located in the middle of the sea, it provides a panoramic view of the city.