Around the Mumbai locality is an abundance of lovely places for short stay. Akin to us back home ‘Having a few days up North’. A road trip for me is a mix of excitement, interest and ‘hold on to your hat’ fear! If you think about the roads, the traffic, the speed, the mighty bosses of the road – the buses, and the motor bikes and scooters which weave in and out of multi stream traffic, the highways under construction – you may just decide to stay safely on your sofa! So, I just accept the roads and the driving as one of the ‘charms of India’. Seatbelts – only if there is a cop around. Helmets – only for the driver – passengers, be they wives, babies, old people – nah! Don’t need one!
That said, as with much of the chaos in India – the traffic works – somehow you get from A to B, and even to C.
Our selected destination was a hill station called Mahableshwar. Situated on the Western Ghats (Ghats – mountain ranges), Mahableshwar is a small town surrounded by wonderful Indian countryside. Back in the day of the British, they developed the area into the hill station it is today, and enjoyed the escape to a slightly cooler climate, respite from the heat of ‘Bombay’ city.
A quiet place, not too much to do, but time to spend with friends, a change of scene, and a chance to explore local villages. However, Mahableshwar can not be overlooked, as the region is the source of The Krishna River that flows across Maharastra, and further. The source of the river according to ledgend is in the temple at Mahadev.
India is full of old Colonial Clubs which I find fascinating. They really help to demonstrate the imprint the British had in India, a bygone age, a visit to one of these clubs takes one back in time. That is what we experienced in our accommodation which was ‘The Club’. Converted from an Army Sanitorium into a Club for Army Officers back in 1881.
The main buildings and the sections of rooms, were tall Red Brick constructions, and did have an ‘army barracks’ feel. The rooms themselves were set out in rows, with a long verandah fronting them, overlooking pleasant gardens. They were large and when I say spacious, it was more a feeling of ‘emptiness’, which I guess was in keeping with what an officer needed back in those days. A small table, a desk and chair in the ‘living area’, followed by the bedroom – a huge king size bed, and a wooden dressing table. The bathroom was as large as the living area, with old wooden fixtures and fittings.
The British in India is a topic of controversy – many sections of Indian society aligned totally with the Brits – ‘British in India were the cornerstone of industrialisation and modernisation of the nation’. However the contra could be true ‘Industrialisation and Modernisation would have occurred in India without the Brits, whose purpose was self benefit’ A friend of mine tells me of her puzzlement at the sign in a prestigious Mumbai Club in the 1940’s – ‘No Indians’. This means British only. Or Americans. Or – well basically ‘pink skinned’.
However, this whole topic is complex and I am here only to give you a story – so let’s leave this for now – aside to say, rightly or wrongly, these Clubs, these old British Colonial Clubs, such as the one we stayed in at Mahableshwar are really interesting.
Day one we took a car journey to the Panchganga Temple, only around 30 minutes, but it did take us much longer due to our stops at the road side stalls and markets. It was strawberry season and attractive displays of strawberries were enticing, as good for sure as our Scottish Strawberries. Local honey, cheese and scented oils and soaps meant we left with shopping bags full.
Panchgana Temple is of particular spiritual significance as it was built at the point where five rivers merge – The Krishna, Savitri, Koyna, Venna and Gayatri.
The temple inside was dim and cool, and the water deep and dark. Thankfully, the visitors and pilgrims abided by the ‘Maintain Silence’ rule – any monument we visit is so much more evocative, stirring, dramatic if there are not crowds of people hollering at each for photographs and such like.
Our drive back to the club took us past another temple – a Fire Temple or Agiary only for Parsis. So the Christian and the Hindu (me and husband) waited outside whilst our 3 Parsi companions went inside. I know some of you reading this will not need my layman explanations but for my Non Indian friends – Parsis are a minority community in India, in fact now officially designated as a tribe. They are Zoarastrians, and are descendants from the Persians who migrated to India in order to preserve their beliefs. Parsis (or Parsees) mainly live in Mumbai, although small numbers can be found in Karachi, Chennai, Pune.
Now, I loved the club, although it did had, let’s say an Old School feel and Old school rules. There was a ‘quiet hour’ in the afternoon, as per the signposts, and the food – well - it was an unusual fusion of India and old School British school dining hall. Breakfast and lunch was eaten in the club dining room, but for dinner we found a very good restaurant where we ordered some delicious dishes which we had delivered and we just ate on our verandah along with cold shandies.
Such nights are really where memories are made. Five of us, conversations, debates, memories. Chilly air, where I seemed to feel the cold more than our resident Indians, I was wrapped up in multiple layers and even made a hot water bottle from my empty water bottle.
Childhood memories, remembering our fathers, grandfathers, mothers, all those who met and connected us together tonight. Politics, and how India is evolving today - is it for the best? Who is benefitting? BJP or Congress? And of course, what we will have for dinner tomorrow!
A fabulous trip to add to the book of memories.
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