DUBAI

DUBAI: A Spectacle of Splendour

The prospect of visiting Dubai during its ‘Shopping Festival’ seemed only a reality for the rich & famous. So, when I heard about an official visit being planned there for a weekend (during the festival), I couldn’t believe my luck. Although I’ve had the pleasure of travelling to the mid-east to visit by brother and his family in Bahrain, Dubai almost always seemed unreachable. Personally, I feel Bahrain is more homely and approachable (although one of the richest nations in the world) and alternatively, Dubai is truly a shopper’s paradise and quite a display of grandeur.

Oh well, never mind the comparison! I was going to Dubai and that’s what was most important. A 2.5 hours flight from New Delhi takes you to this enchanting land. Women travellers please do ensure to get your visa clearance before anything else, because I had quite an ordeal with that. Visa however, is available on arrival. It was a pleasant January mid-day which greeted us in Dubai, UAE and we were duly taken away to our hotel in an AC bus (quite unthinkable in Delhi winters). Everything from vehicles to schools is air conditioned to combat the excessive desert heat.

Our itinerary for the next 3 days included sight-seeing, shopping and attending the conference, of course. After exchanging our dollars for dirhams, our Delhi tour manager advised us to huddle at the hotel lobby at around 4:00 pm local time (1.5 hours behind IST) to join in the city tour. Lunch was a scrumptious spread of all we could think of and we hogged to our heart’s content.

Much to our surprise, our tour guide was an Indian named Mahesh. He had settled here for 5 years now. He came here to fulfil his dreams and began with odd jobs initially. By the end of a couple of years or so, he realized he knew the place well enough to become a guide and enrolled himself accordingly. Apart from the long and odd hours he has to put in, what keeps him going is the money, the myriad variety of people he meets and of course not being too far away from home.

We were informed that Dubai makes for at least 110 nationalities of the world which attributes to its cosmopolitan culture. These amount to at least 29% of Euro-American expats and 60% from the sub-continent (40% of which are Indian) among others (11%). In fact, in a city of around 1.5 million, less than 600 families (11% approx.) are the local Emiratis. The official religion of the UAE is Islam and all the citizens are Sunni Muslims. The remaining population is primarily Muslim, followed by Hindus and Catholics.

We were taken around the city and were quite intrigued at the sight of the variety of residential estates and small houses and hotels. It was strange to note that there are no street numbers or house numbers. Only the neighbourhoods had names. Hence, according to Mahesh, in case you’re invited to someone’s house for a meal for the first time, it’s customary to get picked up. Otherwise you have to totally depend on the taxi driver to take you around. Yes, taxis and public buses are readily available around the city.

We were shown the Royal Palace but were not allowed to photograph it. This residence of Sheikh Mohammed of Al Makhtoum clan is a treat to watch due to exquisite Islamic architecture. We were told that the Sheikh follows his father’s (Sheikh Rashid) foresight and dynamism and is the architect of modern Dubai. We noted with awe that gone are the days of quaint date palm frond huts, pearl fishing classes (which also taught Arabic, Islam and Mathematics), food fetching falcons, donkeys being used as modes of transport and people swimming across the creek for pearl and gold trade. All that seemed to have been bulldozed out in the last 3-4 decades, and proudly replaced by spectacular and dizzying array of development projects such as ‘World Islands’, ‘Business Bay’, ‘Dubai Aerodrome’, ‘Dubai Festival City’, ‘Dubai Land’, ‘Dubai Marina’, ‘Hydropolis underwater hotel’, ‘Ski Dome’ and of course the ‘Palm Islands’ at Jebel Ali. No wonder His Highness is known as the ‘Builder Sheikh’.

Next on the agenda was the Dubai Museum in the Al Fahidi Fort which was built around the 1800s. Amongst the variety of ancient memorabilia, the museum also holds regular light and sound shows of a slice of Dubai’s course of development in the past few centuries. This is a must watch! A sight of the Jumeirah Mosque after that gave us another stunning example of mid-eastern architecture.

Soaking in this history lesson, we headed towards the beach. It was nearing sunset time, and, lo behold, I had the most amazing sunset views of my life. Watching the Persian Gulf gulp the flame orange fire ball into its depths was an amazing experience. Coupled with this, the sight of the majestic Hotel Al Burj caught by breath as well. This hotel is situated within the ocean built on a man-made island. It is an architectural marvel of modern Dubai. It is an exotic building standing 321 meters tall with 202 luxury suites with floor-to ceiling windows to ensure breath-taking views of the city and the ocean for the guests. There is a helipad on the terrace which is used occasionally. One can enjoy this extravagance at an astronomical price. So let’s leave it for the super swank population of the world. Some local Emiratis swished past us in their long flowing milky white thobs and ladies in their black abayas and I was tempted to photograph them amidst the beautiful surroundings. However, such is not allowed in the mid-east.

After the Al Burj it was time to visit the souks (markets). These are almost like the whole-sale markets of north Delhi where all is available from electronic items to clothes among others. However, the most striking amongst them all is the gold souk. Evenings are heavy at this gold market, since prices are at all time low in this part of the world and the sights are quite blinding. This being festival time, we faced unbelievable crowds. I purchased a pair of small earrings and an equally small pendant for my mother and sis-in-law since I wasn’t on a big budget.

Dinner and some heavy partying were in store for us on an Arabic dhow (boat) floating on the Dubai creek. These dhows are used as water taxis to cross the creek for trade and communication. Our dhow was double storied. The deck was a vast restaurant with great spread of food and drinks on offer. We were treated to spectacular fire cracker shows since it was ‘Shopping Festival’ time. Below the deck there were Bedouin belly dancers shaking to melodious Arabic tunes and added further glitter to the starry night. Happy and tired with the day’s indulgence, it was time to head back to our hotel. I hit the sack right away so that I can wake up fresh and bright the next day for the conference.

Attending an official conference overseas and that too with a so many participants and colleagues from all over India was a new and learning experience. It was a marathonic four hour session, after which we had a delicious lunch.

Once again we were ready for another trip and packed into 18 Land Cruisers (7 in each). We stopped at a petrol station and strangely noted that apart from filling the tanks, the drivers were de-airing the tires to lighten them. Our driver Imtiaz was from Pakistan and had been earning his livelihood in this manner for the past 7-8 years. Driving in the desert safari was quite a challenge and interesting initially, but he’s quite used to it by now. Although he loves this sport and meeting new people every day, he said the earning is quite frugal and hence, he maintains a low standard of living. He misses his daughter and wife since he cannot go home as often as he wishes. He gave us his business card and asked us to keep in touch.

Before we realized it, we had reached the desert on the outskirts of Dubai. All the SUVs raced and began the safari. It was a race of the mightiest and there was no looking back. We all had strapped our safety belts except for Imtiaz. He didn’t need to any more. It was a mind-boggling and nerve-wrecking experience and literally kept us off our seats all the while. Perhaps those who’ve been on a roller-coaster ride have felt the same. The sudden nose-dives and vertical climbs on soft sand dunes, although triggered off a cyclone of million butterflies in my stomach, I enjoyed it thoroughly till it lasted.

I really can’t quite remember who won, but we ended at another sunset point. I suppose God had decided to treat me to the best sunset views of my life back to back, and I felt fortunate. The sun going down behind the sand dunes in the distance was equally exquisite. This over, we were driven to an ecologically created camp in the desert. ‘Khawa’ (local tea) was served as a welcome drink by a sheik. This atmosphere resembled ancient Arabic temporary nomadic camps which were occasionally set up around an oasis. Many of my excited colleagues were taking camel rides around the camp. Some women sat in a huddle and applied henna on the palms of interested candidates. We noticed there were scores of tents set up in a circle, with a carpeted square in the centre of the camp surrounded by cosy cushions and pillows. We were told this had been set up for performing belly dancers and for us to sit around and enjoy the same. There was a makeshift bar offering all the drinks you could think of. In addition, we were offered yummy grilled kebabs (chicken and fish) at some make shift take away counters. Interestingly though, the SUV drivers had turned into chefs. All this made our exclusive belly-dance show more memorable.

Since this was an ecological camp, we needed to cut the fun and frolic leave by 10pm in order to maintain the environment. Hats off to Dubai’s eco-friendly gesture! Our SUVs dropped us back at our hotel and we most of us slept off right away. Those who had not been able to switch off from the party mode hit the hotel dance floor to shake a bit more.

Shop till you drop was the motto of our last day in Dubai. We had decided to empty our pockets, rather our credit and debit cards and the make the most of the ‘Dubai Shopping Festival’. We were on our own that day and, hence, decided to have lunch/ brunch outside. Hiring a cab we took rounds at the several malls to investigate what’s available and affordable and would be a logical buy to carry back to India. There were promised souvenirs to be hunted of which would mostly include chocolates and knick-knacks. Among others, electronic items, cosmetics and toiletries were the most common. After spending almost half the day, our energy and money at ‘The City Centre Mall’, ‘The Lulu Hypermarket’ etc., we headed back to our hotels with our merchandise. It was truly an eventful day.

Packing, dinner and sleep followed thereafter. We woke in the wee hours of the morning the next day to catch our return flight to New Delhi and to our normal lives. One last link to the Dubai marvel was the glittering duty free shops at the international airport. There was gold shop with a tree made of gold behind it. It was a wonder that the tree was untouched and safe. God knows what its fate would have been in India.

It was fabulous end to a memorable weekend and we cherished it since it was something which would not be repeated in the near future. Mingling ourselves with the spectacular splendour of Dubai was a fulfilled dream and shall remain with us fondly until we visit again.

GANGA-A DEITY & A SPORTING ARENA

If it wasn’t for my German friend’s (Lena) over enthusiasm my passion for river rafting would have always remained an un-fulfilled dream. I was going through an emotional grey patch and a mention of Haridwar and Rishikesh sounded like music to my ears. I’ve always wanted to offer my prayers to River Ganga at Haridwar and attend the riverside “aarti”. Coupled with this river rafting at Rishikesh seemed like a great weekend break. This impromptu plan compelled us to hunt for a suitable and affordable means to reach Haridwar. We had trains and buses to choose form. Although a train journey sounded more comfortable, obtaining tickets was impossible at the drop of a hat. Hence, with the help of a couple of friends we shortlisted some Haridwar bound buses which commence from ISBT Kashmere gate in Old Delhi at 7:00 am. Having achieved all this by Wednesday, we were quite excited about the forthcoming vacation. Both of us arrived at ISBT at 6:30 am on Friday, and located a travel agency out of the multiple which have mushroomed there. Bus tickets range from INR 250/- to 350/- per head depending upon the quality of service. We dozed off once the bus set off on the 6 – 7 hour’s journey. The bus stopped with a jolt after several hours and woke us from our slumber. We had halted for brunch at a roadside “dhaba” (eatery). Since my friend loves parathas, we gorged on some scrumptious ones with hot and sweet tea for company. This was a welcome break since our back and legs were aching being in an immovable stationary position for so long. Nevertheless, we set off for the remaining part of the journey shortly. Arriving at Haridwar at 2:00 pm the prime need of the hour was a shelter and food. Due to our impromptu plan, we had not booked a hotel, but had a few shortlisted from “Lonely Planet’s” India guide (this is an amazing travel companion). Our rickshaw took us to one of these and we checked into a neat double-bed room with a balcony. Hotel fare in this area (near Har-ki-pauri) is INR 200-300 per day (without food) which is both affordable and economical. Only vegetarian food is always available at the numerous eateries in the vicinity. A quick bath refreshed us to venture out in search of food, and a stomach full of delicious South Indian food energized us take a walk till Har-ki-pauri. I could not believe that I would finally be a part of the “sandhya aarti” of Goddess Ganga at Har-ki-pauri in Haridwar.

Great mythological importance

This town holds great mythological importance. Har-ki-pauri (Lord Vishnu’s footstep) or Brahm Kund is the main ghat at Haridwar. The river at this point begins its journey towards the plains. This was constructed by King Vikramaditya. “Har” means Lord Vishnu and “pauri” means steps. Since this place has a large footprint of the Lord on a stone wall, hence, the name. The temple of the river Goddess is situated at Har-ki-pauri at the banks of the river Ganga. One can also admire the humungous terracotta idle of Lord Shiva built across the bank signifying the importance of the legend that Ganga was released from Shiva’s matted locks in heaven and came down to earth to wash the sins of the humans. This sacred bank is regarded as auspicious for the devout Hindus who believe in taking a dip here whenever possible, although the strong currents are difficult to dodge. Hence, some strong chains have been provided for the regular bathers to hold on to. Millions of such pilgrims take a holy dip and bathe during the Ardh Kumbh and the Purna Kumbh festivals which are held here after every 6 and 12 years respectively.

“Ganga Aarti”

Lena, like all foreigners, was quite aware of the Ganga’s holiness. Hence, she filled a bottle with the semi unclean river water. Some male Indian tourists were much interested in posing with her for photos. But I noticed something more interesting had caught her eye. She had bought two small floral baskets to offer to the river at the end of the “aarti”. These baskets are available at a variety of prices and sizes with a piece of alum in each. The alum pieces were being lit and the baskets were being floated in thousands in the water making them look like brilliantly lit boats. The entire ghat looked like a diwali night and the experience was nothing quite as beautiful I had seen in a long time.

Having finally witnessed and participated in the “Ganga Aarti”, I felt a sense of peace and prayed for the well being of friends, family, my country and this world. We headed for the hotel after grabbing a quick bite since we didn’t want to spoil the spiritual mood with any other activity. Moreover, we were tired and were surely looking forward to the next day’s adventures. Our plan for Saturday was white water rafting from Shivpuri to Laxmanjhula in Rishikesh. But we had made a mistake…as usual we hadn’t booked in advance. So our brilliant plan was not so brilliant after all…but we were not giving up so easily. Rafting was one adventure sport I wanted to be a part of once before I die and I believe Lena too seconded that. So, we definitely didn’t want it to be “so near yet so far”. It takes a little over an hour (40 km) and INR 20-40 to reach Rishikesh either by bus or shared auto.

This town can also be reached directly by flight, train, car or bus from Delhi. Checking with all the rafting agencies we realized that we should’ve arrived at Rishikesh by 9:00 am, since these rafts return by 12:30- 1:00 pm (that’s the time we had arrived). But we were not to be deterred so easily and kept our fingers crossed and hope up. Perhaps, it was our enthusiastic attitude and the Blessings of Goddess Ganga; we managed to convince one of the agents to fix a trip for us which would be of 16 km instead of the regular 27 km.

Rishikesh









Rishikesh was put on the world map when the leading British musical band of Beatles visited Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s Ashram (now closed) here. Moreover, the place is also famous as the World Capital of Yoga. The north-eastern part of the town has two bridges of mythological importance.

Lakshman Jhula and Ram Jhula

Lakshman Jhula is a 3 km pedestrian suspension bridge used by pilgrims and tourists to cross the Ganga and take the old route to the holy shrines of Badrinath and Kedaranth. Legend has it that Lord Ram’s brother Lakshman crossed the river on a rope and this bridge was constructed thereafter. Ram Jhula has been added recently to the original attraction.

Shivpuri

Shivpuri (which is 16km uphill from Rishikesh), is the Mecca of river–rafting in India since 1984. Although the ideal time is between April and October, we were here in February, and were rightly feeling the chill. Since this was an impromptu trip; we needed to make our own arrangements to reach Shivpuri. Hitching a ride in an open truck which carried a raft, we said, “Adventure here we come”!!!!! So you got to be damn lucky if you are a back packer, on a shoe string budget, jump on an unplanned tour and want to have a blast. Shivpuri welcomed us with clear deep blue sky, pristine water and quaint beach camps (for night stay). This seemed to be a different world altogether. At a distance we could see a raft with several enthusiastic rafters braving the rapids. Since we didn’t plan to spend the night we were travelling light. In fact, our bags were locked away in the travel agency near Laxmanjhula. For those of you who plan ahead can book for a night in one of these 25 beach camps which provide all basic facilities. It’s interesting to note that 70% of these tour operators are locals who make a giant contribution towards the economy. All strapped up in life jackets and helmets we were ready to hit to road……..oops the water. Remember to wear light clothes (t- shirts & shorts) and strappy open footwear. It’s ok if you are not a swimmer because there are trained and capable guides in the raft guiding you all the way. Mobile phones and cameras are allowed and are kept safely in a waterproof bag.

River rafting: Super hyper adventure sport

If you thought river rafting is child’s play, well, think, again. Although the whole experience brings out the child in you, the trainer’s instructions are a handful and it’s quite a task following those against the rough and adamant rapids. Each rafter has a task cut out, which helps in navigating the rubber raft across the rocks and rapids. The nervous journey begins with a chorus of “Jai Ganga Maa” to show respect to the river. We were informed by our guide that the rapids vary from grade 2 to 4.5 and are named accordingly, such as roller coaster, golf course etc. As we rowed our way downhill braving and overcoming each big and small rapid, we experienced unexplained adrenaline rush. Our clothes were wet enough to send a chill down our spines, but the regular warmth of the sun kept us going. It’s mandatory to be on your guard all the way. The boat is very light and can capsize anytime due to the sheer force of the water. Accidents strike unannounced, and believe me; one was waiting for us too. One of the girls in our raft accidentally fell into the water and was engulfed into a spiraling rapid. We panicked and she was paddling hard despite our guide’s repeated advice about staying calm in case anyone fell into water. It took us quite a while to settle in after she was pulled out by our trainer and breathed easy. Midway along the stretch is a calm section where you are allowed to swim in the ice cold river. The lilting sunlight on the sedate water was breathtaking and was such a contrast to what we have just navigated through. Since most rafts stop here, people take a swim and even dive into the water from a 10 feet cliff; one can spot a couple of snack vendors trying to make a fast buck. This spot also makes for a great photo option. With clothes soaked to our skin this super hyper adventure sport left us on a high note as we reached Laxmanjhula. Collecting our stuff, we hopped on a bus and moved on towards Haridwar to return to our cozy hotel. Arriving at Haridwar we headed straight for a hot bath. The day had left us with exhaustion as well as complete satisfaction. We had experienced more than we came in search of and now the only thing we were hungry for was food. It is important to note that non-vegetarian food and alcohol is taboo in these parts. So for those with a strong appetite for both would be a tad bit difficult. But, one can always relish the north and south Indian veg. food available widely, as well as the meals offered at multi cuisine café’s and dhabas for the quintessential backpacker like us. Ayurvedic and organic food might interest the health freaks.

Other Attractions

Being on a tight budget and an even tighter schedule, we missed various places of interest which deserve worthy mention and should be covered by you:

• The Trayambakeshwar temple at Laxman jhula which is 13 stories high and houses a variety of Hindu deities.
• If you want your kids as well as yourself to get Vedic education, then a visit to Parmarth Niketan is necessary. Evening aarti held at 5 pm and 6 pm in winter and summer respectively is a must visit.
• You can also take a dip at the Triveni Ghat and cleanse your sins with the mystical power of Ganga.
• For the brave and active, whose thirst for adventure had not been quenched as yet can try rappelling, rock climbing. Cliff jumping, kayaking and trekking.
• Of course, yoga is last but definitely not the least. Hence, the yogic at heart, the health conscious and those who are looking for formulae to end their stressful lives, must visit the various yoga schools and ashrams which are peppered across the region. The Ananda Spa can also be added to the agenda of the rich and famous looking for luxury and international spa therapies.

After buying bus tickets for our return journey the next day, we were left with time to kill, or perhaps to shop and empty our pockets in this holy land. The local market offered us with loads of local waves such as a plethora of religious paraphernalia, inexpensive clothing, incense, bronze, Shiva statues, sealed pots of gangajal etc. These can be available at cheap rates and you can make quite a bargain. The walk back to our hotel was interrupted by a photo op at a bag shop with my namesake, which was quite exciting. It didn’t take us long to fall asleep after reminiscing the day’s activities with mixed emotions.

Mansa Devi Temple

Since our bus would leave post-lunch, we decided to make the most our free time in the morning. We decided to trek to the Mansa Devi temple located above Haridwar on top of a hill. We realized we were not the only ones. We had joined a whole army of devotees towards the same destination. It was surely a difficult uphill task as I realized how unfit I was. Lena was way up ahead of me. Anyway, I huffed and puffed by way to the temple, with her waiting at the gates for me. We offered our prayers with complete devotion. Returning by the rope way carriage we had a bird’s eye view of the city.

Endings are always sad and this was too. But we had enjoyed to our heart’s content in these 2 days. It felt as if we had offered our prayers and respect to Goddess Ganga in more ways than one. True we couldn’t travel the entire 2500 km course of the Ganga from Gomukh to Bay of Bengal, but participating in the evening aarti, floating diyas in the waters and paying tribute at the serenity of this beautiful land of Gods, we found all the peace and joy that we had hoped for. Surely, we shall return for some more of this therapy in the near future.