Nahan: A crown nested in the Shivalik Hill

Nahan is a charming and quite hill station at a height of 950 m above sea level in Sirmaur district in Himachal Pradesh. Surrounded by undulated hills and lush greenery, this small village is situated on the Shivalik Hills. Nahan is a well laid-out picturesque town, known for its cleanliness and dust free streets. Situated at the Southern tip of Himachal Pradesh, Nahan can be driven to in about 5 hrs from Delhi.





Picturesque view of Nahan

  According to legends, The city is believed to be founded in 1621 by Raja Karan Praksh in 1621. It is beleived the city takes it name from Nahar (The Lion) who was an companion of a saint who used to live here. Nahan meaning “don’t kill” is believed to have got its name from an incident where the king was about to kill a lion and a saint by the name of Baba Banwari Das stopped him saying “nahan”. There are some other legends as well associated with how this hillside town got its name.


Nahan


Nahan situated amidst nature' lap is surrounded by many beautiful places worth visiting. It is known for its many temples, temple festivals, wild life sanctuary, local markets and beautiful scenery. Nahan  is closer to the plains as compared to the peaks. Nahan is a popular among tourist due to its scenic beauty and picturesque surroundings. The forest routes filled with lush greenery adds to the calm nature of the place. Nahan is a small town in the centre of lush green mountains nearby.




RaniTal Lake in Nahan


 Rani Tal is in the heart of Nahan where a large temple and a tank from the days of ex-rulers of Sirmaur State can be seen. Ducks and cranes are aplenty and Ranital Garden further adds to the charm. Pakka Talab is being developed as another poplar tourist centre in the town itself. There are three lonely but loveley attractions for a quite walk in the hill side town- Hospital Round, Military Road and Villa Round. Suketi fossil park also called as Shivalik Fossil Park where it displays life size fiberglass model of pre-historic animals whose fossils and skeletons were unearthed. The park is first of its kind in Asia to be developed at the actual site where fossils were discovered.




Greenfield Valley in Nahan



The hub of Nahan's activities is Chaugan, Bikram Bagh and Khadar-Ka-Bagh. Gift shops, Rosin & Turpine factory and local temples are among the other major attractions. The Mall Road is one of the favourite places to walk along, especially in evening. The handicraft artisans weave good souvenirs, like woollens items and caps for tourists.


Renuka Lake

 Renuka Lake (38 km) and Paonta Sahib Gurudwara (45 km) are the main tourist attractions here. Renuka also has the protected wild life sanctuary. Renuka offers a lake, wildlife and mountains to boot.




Paonta Sahib Gurudwara

 Abundant green woodlands, eminent mountain ranges, absolutely carved river valleys make Nahan a perfect place to holiday for nature and adventure lovers.

If You Go:

Nahan can be reached in about 5 hrs from Delhi.

Rail: The nearest railway stations are Ambala, Chandigarh and Kalka, these places are also connected by regular bus services with Nahan.

Road:
       1. via Dehradun (Uttrakhand) through Paonta Sahib
       2. via Kalaka-Ambala from Haryana and
       3. via Solan from Shimla ( H.P.)
There are regular bus services linking it to the other towns like Manali, Delhi and Haridwar.

Farrukhabad's Hand Printing: Sleight of Hand

Hand Printing is an ancient craft in India. India enjoys an international repute for its handicrafts and hand crafted items and much of the skill in this sphere is confined to the state of Uttar Pradesh. Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh is a veritable treasure house of traditional designs ranging from the classical butis (dots) to the famous ' Tree of Life.   Farrukhabad hand printing is famous all over the world and it stands testimony to the craftsmanship of the native artisans. It would not be an exaggeration to state that Farrukhabad has become synonymous to the art of hand painting.



Handprint using Block





HandPrint in Process

 

Traditional patterns dominate Farrukhabad Hand Printing. Block makers at Farrukhabad are known for their artistry and intricate designs. The skilled workers carry on experimentations with these traditional patterns that range from the classical butis that are also called polka dots to the more popular “Tree of Life”. The butis are restful even though sparkling when tinted in solid colors. Mango, ‘paisley’ as it is known in the West, is made in a vast variety of shapes, and used in bold, medium and even fine designs . Farrukhabad Hand Printing specialty is its myriad shapes that are used in bold, medium and sometimes fine designs. Block printing is well known for using rich, vibrant colors. Traditionally, natural vegetable dyes were used in this process, but now-a-day synthetic colors are also in use.



Traditional Pattern of Farrukhabad Handprint




Different designs of Hand Print



The composition is first printed in harmonizing colors and later elaborated with delicate details painted in with a brush. A variety of blossoms merge in this luxuriant tree. It is primarily a decorative piece unrelated to any symbol but has a flavour of growth, prosperity and immorality. The spirited heraldic lions that guard the tree speak of a Hindu tradition.







Persian Style Block Printing



Farrukhabad Hand Printing still enjoys the prominence and importance even during a period when the machine based printing has captured the market. The advent of machines has no doubt made this art form stand face to face with financial loss, but those who attach a lot of importance to the manual labor can understand the value of Farrukhabad Hand Printing.

Lathmaar Holi: Celebration of Divine Love

Everyday there`s a festival somewhere in India. Few are more popular and widely celebrated. One of them is Holi. It`s the festival of colors and madness together. In Barsana, UP, people play Lath Mar Holi in premises of Radha Rani temple. The birth place of Lord Krishna’s beloved Radha, Barsana celebrates Holi with extreme enthusiasm as Krishna was famous for playing pranks on Radha and gopis.  Females beat up men with sticks and men try to protect with shields. Holi in Barsana, is regarded as the celebration of the divine love of Radha and Krishna.



View of LathMar Holi



Myths behind

According to the folklore and mythological tales, Krishna in one of his pranks, applied dark colors on the cheeks of Radha, as she was fairer than him. This initiated the tradition of celebrating Holi not only here but in the whole country. Following the tradition, men from Nandgaon, the place where Krishna spent his childhood and early days, come to play Holi with the women of Barsana. Here, women and girls welcome them not with colors, but with stout sticks.

Living the legend

Lord Krishna used to play pranks on Radha and her female friends (Gopis) and the tradition is still being carried by the men of Nandgaon who come to Barsana on Holi. The womenfolk of Barsana greet them with sticks rather than playing with colors. It seems that these women want to take a sweet revenge of the pranks that Lord Krishna used to play with the Gopis.
The men who are completely aware of the situation waiting for them at Barsana come fully padded. They try their best to escape from the beating of women by sticks but those who can not are forcefully led away and get a good thrush from these women.


Woman beating with stick to take sweet revenge of Radha





 Some lads are made to wear saris and dance in public





LathMar Holi

 Unfortunate ones, are made to wear saris and dance in public. All these are done to stop men from putting a flag on the temple of Radha Rani. People take all these as fun in the spirit of Holi. On the next day the men of Nandgaon take their revenge and drench the womenfolk with colors of kesudo (natural dye) and palash. It is really a colorful site to see all the men and women playing with colors and playing pranks on each other.




People singing folk songs during LathMar Holi






Lathmar Holi in Radha Rani temple Premises

  Lathmaar Holi is definitely a hair-raising experience, wherein men patiently face the charged womenfolk. At the end of the day, the Holi celebrations at Barsana present an unforgettable life time experience, downed with the spirit of devotion and affection for the Lord.

Saputara: Gushing Waterfalls, Drifting Mists & Crisp Fresh Air

Gujarat is one of the diverse state of India where be it tradition, culture, palaces, long barren desert or festivals, everything here is unique. With so many things to explore here, one more place that attracts visitors is the Saputara Hill Station. Saputara, literally the ‘abode of serpents’, is  best known hill resort ,at the height of 875 metres, saputara offers a pleasant climate and panoramic view of lush green Dang forest.  Nesting at around 1,000 meters in the southern part of Gujrat, Saputara a densly wooded hill station is blessed with placid lake, waterfalls, natural trails, ropeway which offers a panoramic view, a fort, temples, a museum and even a bee centre. Saputara becomes even more beautiful in the monsoon & is a perfect place for a quick get-away, picnic or even a short holiday. It is an ideal place to escape from the hustling bustling city life giving peace of mind and serenity. Saputara helps in the restoration of youthful features to fluvial landscapes amidst the green woods.



Saputara Hill Station



According to the legends, Lord Shri Ram had spent 11yrs from his exile in this place. The name of Saputara is extracted from the image of snake on the banks of the river Sarpagana which is worshipped by the adivasis on the holi festivals.



Snak Image on the bank of the river



Lying in a densely forested plateau in the Sahyadri Range, Saputara holds the distinction of being the only hill station in Gujarat. This picturesque hill station will provide the beautiful scene of Sahyadari Mountain. Visitors can enjoy the cool air breezing from the Sahyadari peak even during the hot summer season. The surrounding of the hill station is covered with thick forest where tribal people reside. The sunset and sunrise from Saputara give the most panoramic and varied views of sun.



Sunset view from Saputara




Saputara Hill Station



The main attraction of the Saputara hill station is the Saputara Lake where the tourists can hire the sailboats, paddleboats and rowing boats to enjoy the lake and lakeside recreational activities through boating. There are several gardens at Saputara such as the lake garden, step garden and rose garden as on the banks of the river are always loaded with various flowers  and are the perfect place to laze around in the vacations. Various attraction places has made Saputara a destination of Indian tourists along with the foreigner as the tourists. The ropeway which is run by the Hotel Vaity is a tremendous experience almost floating and overlooking the scenic vista of the bordered greenery with mountains peeping high.



Saputara Lake



Places to Visit: Saputara Lake, Purna Sanctuary, Waghai,  Gira Falls, Unnai Mata Temple etc

Best time to visit: April to July.

How to Reach:

By Air: Mumbai airport is the nearest airport

By Train: Waghai n Billimora is the nearest station from both Mumbai and Ahmedabad

By Road: The state transport runs from Mumbai and Gujarat.  This hill station is located 409kms from Ahmedabad and 51 kms from Waghai.

Yakshagana: Songs of the Celestials

India is a synonym of unity in diversity. Every state has its own unique culture, art and its own tradition. Karnataka is also one of such state. One of the most prevailing arts in Karnataka is Yakshagana which was once popularly known as “Gandu Mettida Kale” which originated 400 years back. Yakshagana has been embedded in the history and culture of Karnataka for the past thousand years. This is a classical folk art, which has its roots in the mythologies and holy texts.  Yakshagana is a traditional theatre form combining dance, music, spoken word, costume-makeup, and stage technique with a distinct style and form.

Literally Yakshagana means “Songs of the Yakshas”.  Yakshas means a tribe one whose mention we can find in Mahabharata or in the ancient Indian literature. According to Hindu mythology Yakshas are demi gods and the attendants of Kubera. Yakshagana art form is a product of Vaishava Bhakti Movement. The origins of Yakshagana can be traced as early as eleventh century A.D.  Yakshagana dance-drama during its early days was known as Bahunatakas but was later on rechristened to its present name after getting inspired from the Yakshas or Jakkulas who used to be great singers and dancers. In the ancient days, Mangalore Yakshagana dance-drama was a ballad singing art form which was later on given the shape of a dance drama. In the beginning, Yakshagana was performed by only a single dancer. It was during the 17th and 18th century, that it regained its current form of a dance drama where various characters were introduced.

Yakshagana is popular in the districts of Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Shimoga and Kasaragod district of Kerala. A Yakshagana performance begins at the twilight hours with the beating of drums for up to a couple of hours before the 'actors' get on the stage. The actors wear resplendent costumes, head-dresses, and painted faces which they paint themselves. The stories of Yakshagana were drawn from the Ramayana , Mahabharatha , Bhagavatha and from other mythological episodes. It consists of a narrator who narrates the story in a song-like fashion, backed by musicians playing on traditional musical instruments as the actors dance to the tune, with actions that portray the story as it is being narrated. Traditionally, Yakshaganas would go on all night.

One of the most remarkable features of Yakshagana dance-drama is that every time when the dance is performed, it is performed with a different subject. Till date it has covered almost every theme from historical, secular to mythological. Presently there are about 30 full fledged professional troupes, and about 200 amateur troupes in Yakshagana. Professional troupes go on tour between November to May, giving about 180-200 shows i.e. a full night show everyday.

Yakshagana is a unique harmony of musical tradition, eye-catching costumes, and authentic styles of dance, improvised gestures and acting with its extemporaneous dialogue appealing to a wide range of the community. In truth it is a vibrant, vigorous living form of theatre art.