The Hyderabad Ride

IN THE BAZAARS OF HYDERABAD
What do you sell O ye merchants ?
 Richly your wares are displayed.
Turbans of crimson and silver,
 Tunics of purple brocade, Mirror with panels of amber,
 Daggers with handle of jade.
 What do you weigh, O ye vendors?
 Saffron and lentil and rice. What do you grind, O ye maidens?
Sandalwood, henna, and spice. What do you call , O ye pedlars?
 Chessman and ivory dice.
 What do you make,O ye goldsmiths?
 Wristlets and ankles and ring,
Bells for the feet of blue pigeons
 Frail as a dragon- fly's wing,
 Girdles of gold for dancers,
 Scabbards of gold for the king.
 What do you cry,O ye fruitmen?
 Citron, pomegranate, and plum.
What do you play ,O magicians?
 Spells for aeons to come.
 What do you weave, O ye flower-girls
 With tassels of azure and red?
Crowns for the brow of a bridegroom,
 Chaplets to garland his bed,
 Sheets of white blossoms new-garnered To perfume the sleep of the dead.
--Sarojini Naidu

Comments

  1. Chaitanya VedakMarch 2, 2009 at 11:17 AM

    suitable poem for amazing pics. hats off to you "saar".

    chaitanya vedak

    ReplyDelete
  2. RideMarch 2, 2009 at 9:27 PM

    thank you chaitanya

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMarch 13, 2009 at 5:09 PM

    The poem as well as the photos are mind blowing...
    They complement each other well. The poem has a lovely flow

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dodra - Kwar: Where Griffons Dare

Image
  Dodra – Kwar is a very less known cultural region of Himachal. It is a narrow valley drained by River Rupin, and enclosed by loft ranges of middle and greater Himalayas. Last year, a jeep able road was completed, connecting this valley to Rohru. Prior to this, people of this valley travelled by foot or horseback to Rohru. The easier rout was to walk along the river and reach Netwar, a large village in Uttrakhand. Netwar is also the confluence of rivers Rupin and Tons. According to the folklore, this valley was a part of the kingdom of Tehri but was given in dowry to the princess who married King of Rampur Bushahr. Thus it became a part of Himachal. The very idea of biking up to an unexplored region is very rib-tickling; so the plans are made well in advance and on 30 th May two of us load our bikes and scoot off. The rout we are to take is Chail, Kufri, Narkanda, Baggi, Khara Patthar, Rohru, Chanshal, Dodra and Kwar. The return is from Rohru to Hatkoti, Jubbal, Theog and Shimla ba
Read more

To Jalori Pass

Image
Last June we* biked to Jalori Pass. Even though it is one of the lowest passes (10,580 ft) in Himalayas, connecting Shimla district with Kullu, the drive is a biker’s delight. The ride up to Shimla is as usual a drag and a bore because of traffic, diesel fumes and crowds. As soon as we cross Kufri the fun starts. One can breathe the fresh mountain air and the hill sides are covered with trees. The temperature drops perceptibly which is a welcome change after the sweltering heat of Chandigarh. The road descends till a village called Matiyana and then starts climbing up. Patches are being repaired after recent landslides, leaving them bare broken rock. Bikes raise a dust cloud and you can imagine the state of the guy riding drag! But good roads follow and soon we are zipping on freshly laid tarmac. The bikes roar uphill to the ever beautiful Narkanda. Here we stop for much needed rest and lunch at the HPTDC Hatu. They have a beautiful garden where we sprawl after lunch and sip hot tea. (
Read more

The French Connection - Pondicherry

Image
24 - 29 December 2007 We spend a few days in Bangalore doing the Brigade Road and all the malls, pubs and restaurants but the roads leading out of the city tempt us. So one fine morning we drive off towards the east – destination Pondicherry. The road from out side Bangalore to Krishnagiri is a dream come true and we travel at almost the speed of sound. From the Krishnagiri, I take the NH66 and till day I rue the decision. It is an elongated pot hole almost 55 kms long. Our souls and the suspension is saved only when we reach Thiruvanamalai. Mount Arunachalam towers over this sacred town, which is home to the ashram of the greatest saint of the twentieth century – Raman Maharishi. He lived and preached here. His ashram exists here which is as always teeming full of foreigners. The ancient intricately carved temple of Thiruvanamalai stands testimony to the rich heritage of this region. A quick stop to take pictures is all we manage and then speed off. We stop at a way side dhaba for foo
Read more