Nerve Endings Firing Away

Although the wedding was over, the trip to Bhubhaneshwar wasn’t and everyone was looking forward to Orissa darshan. Like other Indian states, Orissa has a rich history dating back to the BC era and famously to the Ashoka-Kalinga war that is still remembered as one of history’s dramatic conscience-pricking events. You definitely cannot take what Orissa offers in just one day so we decided to stick to the top two tourist spots – Konark and Puri – while stopping on the way at the Dhaulagiri (Dhauli) Stupa and Pipili. Going through the whole day might make for one long blog post so I’ll split it up with the Konark and Puri experiences in later posts.

Ash’s dad had arranged for a mini bus along with two SUVs for the trip and we were also accompanied by her aunts and cousins. It was a boisterous group of more than 60 people especially in the mini-bus. As with any desi troupe out on a day picnic, we instantly started on the all-time favorite antakshari. Later in the day where we grew tired of Bollywood songs, we switched to Marathi songs. Of course, not the bhav-geeta types but those typical bilanchi nagan nighali nagoba dolayla lagla types i.e. ones that involves much foot tapping, clapping, and raucous chorus. One of Ash’s aunts who was with us in the bus regaled us with an Oriya song while taking pains to even translate it for us.

Our first stop was at Dhauli Stupa built atop a small hillock on the banks of the river Daya. The area around this hillock is considered to be the battlefield for the Kalinga war. It is rumored that the river Daya flowed red after the war with the blood of those killed. When you climb the hillock, you get a 360-degree view of the region around and I can only imagine the state of Ashoka’s mind as he cast his eyes on the consequences of his dastardly actions – the river flowing red, tattered and bloody bodies scattered all around, and the question of a old woman who came looking for her son if he indeed was worthy of being called a king. Man can be a brutal animal and the only species on this planet who kills for reasons other than food and self-defense but thankfully we also have individuals like Ashoka who realize their folly and hasten to make amends.

Although the structure, a white towering stupa, that stands on the hillock today was built only recently with the help of Japanese authorities, the region around Dhauli is replete with edicts, chaityas, and pillars that spread the message of Buddhism and peace. The white stupa stands towering over the region and offers a reminder of the horrors of war. The stupa is also known as the Peace Pagoda (not Peas Pakora …sorry, couldn’t resist). The area around the stupa is relatively clean although it is a popular picnic spot for folks in Bhubhaneshwar. We were joined by a huge group of local school children who were dressed in bright red sweaters. The contrast of the bright red against the spotless white stupa would have made for a great picture if only I could have convinced them to stay still for a moment. Anyway, I was never a good ‘people’ photographer.

We continued on our way and were supposed to pass through Pipili, a town known for its unique embroidered (Applique) work. Known for their shopping jaunts, our Bombay group was given exactly half hour to shop and were advised to bargain hard. Being the typical Mumbaikars, we don’t have to be told that and if possible, desis from Mumbai would bargain for Always Still Lower Prices in Wal-Mart as well. Ash and I picked up a few wall-hangings as well although the bright colors made us wonder where we could hang it in our tiny apartment without appearing psychedelic. The various lamp shades, wall hangings, and assortment of other items definitely made for a colorful spectacle.

Although the Pipili applique craft is quite specific to the region, we could see the influences of commercialization as most items for sale had clearly borrowed from their counterparts in Gujarat and Rajasthan with their liberal use of tiny mirrors, making it seem like any other handloom exhibition (without the oversized gorilla at the entrance …honestly, what’s with that?) Ash’s dad was surprised to see everyone back in the given time frame (with a 10-minute leeway, of course) and later on we learned that mostly everyone didn’t feel the need to bargain hence the quick shopping. Well, when things are offered for Rs.30-40 which would sell for more than Rs.100 in Bombay, you don’t feel the need to bargain. Still people managed to knock off Rs.5-10 just to exercise their bargain muscles and soon the bus was full of colorful cloth umbrellas, lamp shades, wall hangings, and hand fans.

More on Konark and Puri later.