Forts, caves, ancient temples and monuments play the role of time machine for us today. Taking us back with them to their glorious age. If they were alive they surely would have a lot to tell us, of all the battles they saw, of the great kings and warriors and their valor, of the peaceful monks and their ways of worship. However now all this is but a riddle. From all that remains we try to guess and construct a story that might have happened and build that age in our imaginations again.
So on 1/9/2013 we aimed to see the caves of Kondana come to life again. A trek to Kondana caves was planned by nayka nature lovers. We all were suppose to meet on Dadar middle bridge and then board the train bound to Karjat at 6.30am. Most of us had reached except two and all of us were busy making guesses if they would or would not be able to take the 6.30 train. Luckily they did make it just on time.
Train journey was as usual a round of general chit-chat where jokes and stories did their best to kill time. I seemed to be getting paroxysm of goosebumps all through this journey. May be because conversations just flowed with new friends who gelled instantly or was it just the cold??
My head had started screaming for tea already, I had no tea in the morning and now the only hope to cure this headache was a tea tonic. So the Wada pav and the tea were a welcome start at Karjat railway station. However I longed for my mug full of tea. This tea tonic didn't do me any good. I had no option but to walk in the company of my screaming head and act oblivious to it. We walked till Shriram bridge to the tum tum stand. I never knew it was a bridge nor did I realise it was over river Ulhas and I wonder where I was lost to not even notice the Shiva temple over there. All this I read later on a friend's blog and made a mental note to see it next time. We all got into the tumtum. 2O of us divided in two tumtums. Tumtum dropped us to Kondivade village and from here we moved on crossing a farm which was suppose to have Emus. I had never seen one and wished to see, however none could be seen. We crossed a few Village houses with kids staring at us as we look at animals in a zoo. Soon we reached a shack selling water and other eatables. This was at the base of the caves. From here the journey started up towards the caves.
The clouds seemed bored of pouring rain that day and had parted away.The sun took full advantage of this and shone brightly, dehydrating us as we trekked up. I couldn't but help remember that Advertisement where the sun draws up water from a kid with a straw. We thanked our luck that this was a small trek and continued the climb.
On the way we kept peeping here and there hoping to see some interesting forest's inmates. Luckily for us we found a pair of Calotis. The male wearing a mask of orange, was luring a female (looked more like scaring to me) and many of us got down to take personal nat geo pictures of the pair. Another interesting encounter was with a slug moth caterpillar on our way back. Its bright green colours saved it from coming under the feet of one of our friends. It was a real beauty. Dressed in green, decorated with shiny brownish spots on its back and covered with green hair. It was the spotting of the day. one brave friend(completely unaware of his bravery) picked it up with a leaf and kept it aside oblivious to the fact that its sting could leave him with pain and blemish to never forget the caterpillar for a lifetime. Luckily nothing happened. Thank the caterpillar for that.
With our stomach, mind and soul now full we started our return journey. Admiring the flora fauna on the way. I realised one thing that things look more beautiful when you pay attention to it. The beauty of the surroundings is always present and it reveals it self to the one who chooses to stand and stare.
Seeking directions to reach the time machine of kondana??How to reach?? Don't ask me, unless you don't mind getting lost and making a cave of your own. have a look at http://acewings.tumblr.com/post/60103007712/blast-from-the-past-visit-to-kondana-caves for proper directions.
So on 1/9/2013 we aimed to see the caves of Kondana come to life again. A trek to Kondana caves was planned by nayka nature lovers. We all were suppose to meet on Dadar middle bridge and then board the train bound to Karjat at 6.30am. Most of us had reached except two and all of us were busy making guesses if they would or would not be able to take the 6.30 train. Luckily they did make it just on time.
Train journey was as usual a round of general chit-chat where jokes and stories did their best to kill time. I seemed to be getting paroxysm of goosebumps all through this journey. May be because conversations just flowed with new friends who gelled instantly or was it just the cold??
My head had started screaming for tea already, I had no tea in the morning and now the only hope to cure this headache was a tea tonic. So the Wada pav and the tea were a welcome start at Karjat railway station. However I longed for my mug full of tea. This tea tonic didn't do me any good. I had no option but to walk in the company of my screaming head and act oblivious to it. We walked till Shriram bridge to the tum tum stand. I never knew it was a bridge nor did I realise it was over river Ulhas and I wonder where I was lost to not even notice the Shiva temple over there. All this I read later on a friend's blog and made a mental note to see it next time. We all got into the tumtum. 2O of us divided in two tumtums. Tumtum dropped us to Kondivade village and from here we moved on crossing a farm which was suppose to have Emus. I had never seen one and wished to see, however none could be seen. We crossed a few Village houses with kids staring at us as we look at animals in a zoo. Soon we reached a shack selling water and other eatables. This was at the base of the caves. From here the journey started up towards the caves.
The clouds seemed bored of pouring rain that day and had parted away.The sun took full advantage of this and shone brightly, dehydrating us as we trekked up. I couldn't but help remember that Advertisement where the sun draws up water from a kid with a straw. We thanked our luck that this was a small trek and continued the climb.
On the way we kept peeping here and there hoping to see some interesting forest's inmates. Luckily for us we found a pair of Calotis. The male wearing a mask of orange, was luring a female (looked more like scaring to me) and many of us got down to take personal nat geo pictures of the pair. Another interesting encounter was with a slug moth caterpillar on our way back. Its bright green colours saved it from coming under the feet of one of our friends. It was a real beauty. Dressed in green, decorated with shiny brownish spots on its back and covered with green hair. It was the spotting of the day. one brave friend(completely unaware of his bravery) picked it up with a leaf and kept it aside oblivious to the fact that its sting could leave him with pain and blemish to never forget the caterpillar for a lifetime. Luckily nothing happened. Thank the caterpillar for that.
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| Searching for treasure |
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| Slug Moth Caterpillar |
Small streams of waterfall were a blessing on the way as they cooled us. We had a humpty dumpty among us who had her small falls. Luckily she wasn't hurt. Soon we reached the 20 odd steps leading us to the caves. The fist glimpse of the caves was seen from here through a window of trees leading into the past. I stood and stared imagining what it would be in those days when the buddhist monks actually lived here. The surrounding forest would be thicker than it is now. In the monsoons the caves would be wrapped in a veil of waterfalls. The monks clad either in white or maroon robes would live and pray here. Silence of the jungles matching the silence within them and thus they would feel the oneness with their surrounding. For the only way to be a part of something is to be silent with it. Once you are silent somehow you don't feel separated from nature. You blend in. You hear more and see more. Silence is comfortable. Silence is soothing.
The steps took us up to the caves. One of our friends had moved on to explore the Rajmachi fort on his own. We marvelled at his guts to conquer the fort in that heat.
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| thought at first sight |
The steps took us up to the caves. One of our friends had moved on to explore the Rajmachi fort on his own. We marvelled at his guts to conquer the fort in that heat.
We were now going to have a history class about the caves and with the words of the teacher we would sail the oceans of the past. Our teacher first brought us to the Chaitya, the prayer hall, I would call. Pointing to its roof he made us realise it was like the back of an elephant. Right at the end was the Stupa known to hold the remains of Buddhist saints and hence considered very holy. It was however badly broken down and so were the rows of pillars flanked on both the sides of the hall which were actually not the original pillars but concrete pillars made in the name of preserving what is left. They stood out like artificial prosthesis supporting a lame man. The caves probably became this lame after the earthquakes in 1900s and unfortunately for them they are not in one of the best hands(we, the people ) who can mend and maintain them.
The replica of the stupa is present on one of the pillars, helping our imaginations on what it would be like. One more 3d model is present in the other caves, the Viharas. We explored this Chaitya and walked around the stupa trying hard to get the feel of holiness once there, but I failed miserably at it. At the cave's facade are few carved idols of the donors and the kings. The entrance is in the shape of the leaf of peepal tree (sacred Fig). One of the sculpture was a lady with a beautiful hair-do but the wrath of time had knocked her face off. Next to it was probably her name written in pali languague. Sadly there are many things scribbled on these ancient walls by our generation standing out like a blemish on a beautiful face.
The viharas next to it were the dining hall, resting hall and an entertainment hall of the buddhist monks. the ceiling was an Architectural wonder with square design made in such a way that the cave doesn't cave in. This has stood the test of time and even the earthquake couldn't challenge it. The pillars have broken down, the floor is no longer flat and there is a lot of water seeping in. However the olden drainage system still functions trying hard to cope with the time. Viharas have a number of small rooms with so called rock beds. The view from here is of the beautiful bhor ghats.
After the journey into the past it was the time for some present fun in the waterfalls. I chose to be the spectator for these falls as my friends enjoyed the feel of the falls.
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| Chaitya |
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| Stupa |
The viharas next to it were the dining hall, resting hall and an entertainment hall of the buddhist monks. the ceiling was an Architectural wonder with square design made in such a way that the cave doesn't cave in. This has stood the test of time and even the earthquake couldn't challenge it. The pillars have broken down, the floor is no longer flat and there is a lot of water seeping in. However the olden drainage system still functions trying hard to cope with the time. Viharas have a number of small rooms with so called rock beds. The view from here is of the beautiful bhor ghats.
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| Viharas in view |
All this fun had made us hungry. So out came the dabbas and in went the cameras. We had a wonderful round of theplas and chuttney followed by a lovely sweet laddoo thanks to one of our friend's sweet efforts to wake up so early and get food nearly for all. Her box of peppermint was our delight.
Hiring the tum tum we reached shriram bridge. The heat had taken a toll on us and I longed for a icecream candy however had to satisfy myself with fruity. We got into the trains to get back home. I feel this every time on a return journey that these trains actually take us from one world into another. From a world of chaos into the world of serenity and then back to chaos again. What a striking difference.
Seeking directions to reach the time machine of kondana??How to reach?? Don't ask me, unless you don't mind getting lost and making a cave of your own. have a look at http://acewings.tumblr.com/post/60103007712/blast-from-the-past-visit-to-kondana-caves for proper directions.
wow! thanks for the reference.
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