Visit to Kashmir from 07th to 10th Jun 2025

Amitabh arrived in Delhi on 3^rd June 2025. He wished to visit Kashmir for 3-4 days. Accordingly, we planned it from 7th to 10th June. We also accompanied him. Security arrangements for our stay were made. Amitabh arranged Air tickets thorough his Travel agent. He wished to stay at Taj Srinagar. We did not stay in government accommodation this time.

7^th June 

We boarded to Air India and at about 11:00 hrs and landed at Srinagar at about 13.00 hrs. We were received at the Airport. We checked in Taj hotel. The Coffee shop of the hotel was closed as there were few guests. The corner of the then Vivanta, now Taj, where we used to visit earlier and had coffee during last year was not available now. We had lime cordial in Vista restaurant. Booking of the accommodation in hotel was done by travel agent. In about 100 rooms in the hotel, 83 were occupied on any date earlier. Only 20 were occupied on the day. It has lovely surroundings with flowers in numerous beds. We had dinner in the restaurant. There were colourful lights and not many people.

8^th June

Amitabh was of great help to us. There was lovely weather cool and comfortable. We had breakfast, filling and delicious. While we were having breakfast in Vista, an unusually  huge Eagle flew over, probably in search of food. Someone said citing of the Eagle was auspicious. It is also known to be ride of lord Vishnu. 

                                               Peep into Houseboat

                                                        Relaxing in Boat

Amitabh in Boat

Then we went to the Dal-lake and moved about in a boat for about one and half hour. Amitabh wanted to peep a houseboat to see its paraphernalia. The movement in the lake was cool and pleasant despite bright and hot and sun in the sky. We went to Chasme-sahi and Pari Mahal also. Amitabh did not wish to go Nishat Garden and Shalimar Bagh as they were more a less like Chasme-sahi Garden. He wanted to visit Pahalgam but could not as it was closed for public after the attack by terrorists at that time. For lunch we came to hotel Lalit. It had huge green campus. Its occupancy was only 2-3 against capacity of 150 rooms.

                                                     In Chasme Sahi Garden

                                                            In Chasme Sahi

                                                         Lunch in Lalit hotel

After return from Lalit, we cut big size Kashmiri apple provided to us in the our rooms. We were impressed by its fragrance and sweetness. It was about 7 pm then. The sun was bright on the horizon and gradually going down about to set, the beautiful sight. Our accommodation was of duplex type. We were the first floor and Amitabh the ground floor. There was balcony in each floor, comfortable for two to sit. A number of local people apart some guests of the hotel had joined in the outdoor sitting of Vista for EID. We had continental food in the hotel after having ice tea as appetizer.

9^th June

The sun had risen. We could see sun light in human habitation far away. We could not see sun directly from the balcony as it was in our back behind the hills. It was chilly. We put on a sweater.

                                                 In the campus Hazrat Bal

We visited Hazrat Bal mosque. Amitabh was keen to visit Hazrat Bal. We spent about half an hour there. Earlier we used to have a passing view of it. After visit of Dargah we went for darshan of Panchmukhi Hanuman at Lal Chowk. Amitabh was thrilled to walk along the Lal Chowk for quite sometime. We had lunch at a 100 year old Adoo restaurant there.

                                                In Panchmukhi Hanuman temple

                                                           In Lal Chowk

10^th June

We checked out from the Hotel after breakfast in the open sitting of hotel. We also had full view of Dal Lake, cool weather and massive green hills all around. On way to Airport Venita some bought excellent dry fruit at half Delhi rates.

Arrived Delhi at about 3 PM.

Amitabh insisted that we should have full rest that day as well as well next day as we had hectic schedule of movement during the week.

Kumbh 2025

8^th February, 2025

We had planned to visit Kumbh and have dip at Sangam of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati during the auspicious month of Magha.

We left Delhi for Prayagraj on 08^th February, 2025 by Indigo flight No. 6E 6386 at 18:55 hrs and arrived Prayagraj at 20:20 hrs. We checked in at Aurum Heritage (Super Deluxe) Airbnb. The booking of the accommodation had been done by our daughter-in-law Neha. She had also booked a taxi for us. We were received at the Airport by Brijesh Kumar and Anurag Singh. At the time of arrival there was no difficulty in travelling on the road to our Guest House. We reached it at about 10:00 PM. After check-in we went out for dinner. Not many restaurants were open at that time. We had a thali each. It was the only restaurant of Haldiram open in the market at that time. After dinner we returned at abouth 11:00 PM and retired for sleep.

9th

We left Guest House at about 05:00 AM for Kumbh. On way we came across big crowds of people heading towards Sangam for a dip like us. But we could steer our way to the Boat Club where we were supposed to hire a boat for Sangam. But we noticed there were about 50 boats and 10,000 people struggling to hire them. We decided not to wait there anymore and proceeded to the VIP Ghat on the river Yamuna to board a boat to Sangam. It was then about 07:30 AM. We reached Sangam before 08:00 AM and had dip at the auspicious day. The Sangam was quite crowded. All three of us me, wife Venita and her younger sister Sunita had a dip. I had two dips so also Venita. Sunita had dip on the right side of the podium and we had dip on the left side. The bathing was over by 08:00 AM. The ladies changed their clothes in the enclosures provided for them. Some photographs of the Kumbh taken by us are given below.

“Pracheen Nagavasuki Mandir”

At Chaudhary Guest House with the owner

With Brijesh Kumar and Anurag Singh

After the ritual of dip at Sangam we left for the Tent City. We had our tent there arranged by our relations. It was a big tent for comfortable stay. We were given some breakfast of curd and jalebis after we arrived there at about 12:00 noon. The drive from Sangam to the Tent City took about an hour and a half. The location of our tent was at “Pontoon Bridge No. 26, Chakra Madho Marg, Sector-24 in front of NTPC camp and Foreign Flag Point”.

 

As I had not taken enough water as I am used to everyday in the morning I felt dehydrated and tired, I lied down about 2 hrs and sipped a couple of bottles of water (about 2 ltrs) to enliven me. Venita also took rest while Sunita continued talking to the Balaji and his family, owner of the tent. We had lunch about 02:30 PM followed by tea and left for “Chaudhary Garden, Gate No. 3, Near Kalyani Devi Temple Attasruiya” at about 04:30 PM for night stay. On way to Chaudhary Garden we visited “Pracheen Nagavasuki Mandir”. Chaudhary Garden accommodation was quite comfortable and after dinner we retired to sleep.

10th

We left Chaudhary Garden on way to Airport at about 11:00 AM through a safe route so that we can avoid traffic jams due to restrictions on movement of traffic on arrival of President of India to Prayagraj for a dip in Sangam. On way to Airport we had lunch in a restaurant. As our flight was at 07:45 PM, we had enough time. We boarded the flight No. 6E 233 for Delhi and left about 07:45 hrs. We arrived Delhi 21:20 hrs.

 

04.01.2025

 04.01.2025

Some more details of the Ram temple at Ayodhya are quoted as given in a recent issue of India Today:

"A towering  edifice in the old northern Nagara style of temple architecture, with eclectic 'pan-India' touches. 

Intricately carved pink Rajasthani sandstone leads up to a black granite Ram idol, done southern style.

The temple's foundation stone contains soil and water contains soil and water collected from numerous pilgrimage sites strewn across India." 

I could not get details of the Ayodhya Kashi Corridor. The construction of Lord Ram Temple is nearing completion. The Central and state governments are making efforts to develop Ayodhya on the pattern of Varanasi’s Kashi Vishwanath Dham.

The renovation work and widening of the roads leading to the Ram Mandir are going on at a brisk pace.

The completion of the Ram temple and its premises with network of roads is likely to take few years. 

Met the daughter of Late Hazarika who was civil surgeon at Goalpara, when I was SP there. It was pleasure to meet her. We spent about a couple an hours with her and her husband.

Visited the location of SP's house at Guwahati. It is now a world class park. We could recognize its location thorough some old trees. The DC's house is also not there. It has been converted into park / museum. As we had limited time we could not visit it. A couple of photographs taken at the old site of SP's Bunglow are given bellows: 

Met Mrs. Chakraborty wife of the DFO, Dhubri who was posted there during our period. We shared with her memories of her late husband. 

A photograph taken with her and the family is given below.

We met Mrs. Buzerbariarh also at her house, a photograph taken with her is given below. We shared memories with her of her late husband.   

Our batchmate NK Singh invited us for lunch at his new house in Vasant Kunj. A photograph taken on the occasion is given below.