Day 10 Sirpur to Chitrakote

The journey from Sirpur to Chitrakote and thee first impression of the sound of the Chitrakote falls reminds me of the line from Forrest Gump - " Life is like a box of chocolates... you never know what you will get inside." The 400 km journey from Sirpur to Chitrakote was covered in around 11 hours. This time, it was not due to the quality of roads, but the number of distractions along the way. First, the road itself. Changing from narrow, single lane highways, where each vehicle had to give way to the oncoming one by taking two wheels off the road, to miles of canopied, two lane tarmac that were a dream to drive on.

The real India lives in its towns and villages and were experiencing it firsthand. A breakfast of steaming samosas, straight from the pan, sitting at the crossroads of a small town. The entire family bustling around, switching roles at the drop of a hat. The father would fry the samosas, his daughter would serve them, while husband and wife went back to preparing the ingredients for other delicacies

From then on, it was a broad, treelined highway, all the way to Kondagaon, where Eagle Eye Nalini spotted a handicrafts centre. This by someone who can't spot a sign to save her life and keeps asking where we are and how many kilometres to the next turn off.

The next hour or so was spent exploring all sorts of local handicrafts, terracotta, bell metal, et al. Each town or village has a specialisation. This one excels in 'Dhokra' or the lost wax method of casting metal, to create sculptures of animals, deities and utility items. We picked up a few souvenirs and headed towards Chitrakote, until she spotted another one - a woodwork shop this time. The artisans were busy crafting exquisite woodwork items, from figurines to lintels and even an entire bed! It was a treat, to see them at work as they fashioned a piece of teak wood into a work of art.

The 27 km drive from Jagdalpur to Chitrakote was a nerve wracking experience. Dusk had set in an it was pitch dark, by the time we hit the hilly road that snaked its way to our destination. Cyclists and pedestrians trudged up the hill, unmindful of oncoming traffic. Every one in a while, I would spot a group of cyclists, pedalling uphill, without any lights or reflectors.

The first thing that hit me as soon as I drove into the resort was the sheer size of the place. It was sprawling. The next, was the sound of the waterfall, thundering in the background. I had no clue that we were so close to the waterfall, once could almost reach out and touch it.
We had a sumptuous dinner of freshly caught, fried fish, dal and rice before retreating to our private haven - a balcony overlooking the falls. The milky froth shimmered by the light of a candle, as a cup of soothing green tea served as the perfect nightcap. If life is like a box of chocolates, I think I got an almond praline this time!

Day 9 - Sirpur - An underground city comes to life

6.30 am, reveille. 7.00 am, tea and typing in the garden. That's the way the day began. Nalini decided to order breakfast via the intercom, and gave very precise instructions to the only person manning the reception - the security guard. No prizes for guessing the outcome. The Burji became an omelette, plain paratha transformed into aloo paratha and the poha for one seemed like a gargantuan portion. And so, the morning began with post-Divali fireworks, aimed at the hapless chef. Although he promised to set things right immediately, madam was on a roll. That was my exit cue, and I decided to complete my spell of writing and make reparations with the staff later.

After breakfast, we hit the Sirpur tourist trail. This tiny town has over 20 odd excavation sites, and there are more popping up like mushrooms. Buddhist viharas and temples dedicated to deities like Shiva, Lakshman, Ram, and many others in the Hindu Pantheon. The three most prominent ones are dedicated to Buddha, Shiva and Lakshman. Without going into details, suffice to say that each one of them is unique, be it from an architectural perspective, intricacy of carvings or sheer scale of construction.

TheBuddhist vihara had carvings of scenes from the Jataka tales on the door lintel. The Shiva temple had a 4.5 foot high stone statue of Shiva and the Lakshman temple, was the only completely restored temple in the town. This sightseeing can get to be quite exhausting, and hence the body craves for constant refuelling. One round of samosas, onion pattys and hot tea was all it took to get us back on the road again. Considering the snack was devoured by the roadside, I don't know if we even left the road at all.

Where there is piety, there will be commerce. The town has a 250 sq m excavated market place, complete with an underground granary, wells, Buddhist Vihara, underground sewage system and broad roads. The market also had interlocking stores, the precursor of the department store, way back in the 7th century. All this, set around a giant Banyan tree.

What astounded me was the sheer size of the market and its planning. Our town planners and administrators could learn a thing or two from their 7th Century cousins.

Lunch was at a 'way out' resort called 'Muba's Machan'. Located 15 km from town, on the very fringe of the Banawara Tiger Reserve, the resort has accommodation on stilt houses or 'machans'. Well equipped and furnished with mod -cons, these 'machans' are the perfect getaway for families and lovers alike. While the resort does not encourage 'drop in' customers, they made a special exception in our case. Lunch consisted simple vegetarian fare, cooked to perfection, with a view of the forest in the distance. After a relaxing lunch, we cruised back into town.

Our first halt was the Lakshman temple and the museum behind it. The museum
has some wonderful stone artefacts which cannot be identified, as the stainless steel labels are smudged beyond recognition. Then, there are sections with bulb holders, but no bulbs. The star attraction is undoubtedly a beautiful shivling with a four headed shiva, set in a perfectly shaped 'yonipith' set in the centre of the exhibition shed.

The museum manager had the misfortune of being on the premises,sipping tea along with some cronies, outside the museum shed. He received a polite tongue lashing for the labels and a sharp barb for the missing bulbs. Hopefully one will go 'ding' in his head and I shall see a vastly improved museum on my next visit, whenever that may be.

The last stop on the tourist trail was a temple 'Surang Tilla' , a fortified temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. The strangest thing about the temple are the steps. The first few rows are angled towards the temple in the centre, but are at an angle to the ground on the sides. It's as though someone has pushed the two side walls of the steps, forcing them to be angled upwards at the extremes, for lack of space. This makes it difficult to climb up, but almost impossible to come down from, unless you are a mountain goat. The residing deity is Lord Shiva, accompanied by Ganesh and a few buxom enchantresses.

Tired of hotel food, we decided to eat at the Bhojanalay at the cross roads. The owner had made simple home-cooked meal for us, which we devoured in a matter of minutes. ...

Day 8- Achanakmar - Sirpur

We have been on the road for 8 days now, one day merging into the next. On the ninth day of our trip, I am sitting in the quiet courtyard garden in our resort at Sirpur, catching up on my writing. It is nearly 8 am and I have spent the better part of the last hour with my trusty Ipad, ensconced on a wrought iron bench with a finch and a thermos for company.

Yesterday, day 8 of our journey, we traveled 300 kilometres, beginning with a quick morning blast through the Achanakmar sanctuary, followed by a set of single lane highways graced with mustard fields, a high-speed section on a newly constructed dual carriage way, and finally, a muddy track leading to our resort. We covered the distance in a good seven hours, which is fair for this part of the country, give or take a diversion or three.

Sirpur is a one-horse town. There's a tiny market, no ATM, probably a bank and basic postal facilities. Thee town is best known for its excavations of ancient temples and a township that existed here aeons ago. Most sites are open from sunrise to sunset and hence an early start is a must. By around 4.30 pm, it's dusk and by 5.30, completely dark.

We had barely an hour of sunlight in hand. The lady at the tourist office casually mentioned that we could see the entire town in 2 hours. If you are a point-and-shoot, been there, Facebooked that kind of tourist, probably so. But for someone like me who can infuriate the most patient guide with his curiosity and desire to explore every nook and cranny, a few days is more like it.

There are temples by the now almost dry section of the Mahanadi river that may not necessarily have the same level of sophistication of the temples further inland, but the location makes up for it all. Set on the river bank, these temples are the embodiment of tranquility, and that is where our 'touristy' day ended.

The rest of the evening ranged from the sublime to the mundane. The much overdue activity of washing underwear and socks in a town that has no laundry facilities, followed by a set of calisthenics to find various perches on which they could be hung to dry. We spent an hour in the very same courtyard, with a picnic mat spread on the damp grass, a glass of Mahua and Nusrat for company. What more can one ask for?