Travels

Venice, Italy

Travelling through dream city Venice in June, 2018. "This was venice, the flattering and suspect beauty - this city, half fairy tale and half tourist trap, in whose insalubrious air the arts once rankly and voluptuously blossomed, where composers have been inspired to lulling tones of somniferous eroticism." - Thomas Mann. "In the glare of the day there is little poetry about Venice, but under the charitable moon her stained palaces are white again..." - Mark Twain.

4 Most Amazing Places of Italy || Milan || Porto Venere || Pisa || Verona

In Milan, everything is regulated by money. They say “cappuccio” in bars instead of “cappuccino” to save a syllable. – Enzo Biagi After his visit in Porto Venere , Lord Byron wrote a poem that begins, "There is a pleasure in the pathless woods, / There is a rapture on the lonely shore, / There is society, where none intrudes, / By the deep sea, and music in its roar." "The whole imposing edifice of modern medicine is like the celebrated tower of Pisa - slightly off balance." - Prince Charles “They do not love, that do not show their love.” ? William Shakespeare, The Two Gentlemen of Verona

Naples, Italy - Street Life & Food

Street Life in Naples is An Amazing Experience for Every Traveller, be it Pizza or Graffiti or Art . “Here we are at last. The Italian proverb says “See Naples and die” but I say, see Naples and live; for there seems a great deal worth living for.” ? Arthur John Strutt "Naples is the flower of paradise. The last adventure of my life." ? Alexandre Dumas "The turmoil and the daily come and go made Naples a populated and fibrillating city like Paris." ? Marquis de Sade

Amalfi Coast, Italy | Dream Coast |

Deemed an outstanding example of a Mediterranean landscape by Unesco, the Amalfi Coast is one of Italy's most memorable destinations. Here, mountains plunge into the sea in a nail-biting vertical scene of precipitous crags, cliff-clinging abodes and verdant woodland. POSITANO BY JOHN STEINBECK I first heard of Positano from Alberto Moravia. It was very hot in Rome. He said, “Why don’t you go down to Positano on the Amalfi Coast? It is one of the fine places of Italy”. Later John McKnight of United States Information Service told me the same thing. He had spent a year there working on a book. Half a dozen people echoed this. Positano kind of moved in on us and we found ourselves driving down to Naples on our way. To an American, Italian traffic is at first just down-right nonsense. It seems hysterical, it follows no rule. You cannot figure what the driver ahead or behind or beside you is going to do next and he usually does it. But there are other hazards besides the driving technique. There are the motor scooters, thousands of them, which buzz at you like mosquitoes. There is a tiny little automobile called “Topolino” or “mouse” which hides in front of larger cars; there are gigantic trucks and tanks in which most of Italy’s goods are moved; and finally there are assorted livestock, hay wagons, bicycles, lone horses and mules out for a stroll, and to top it all there are the pedestrians who walk blissfully on the highways never looking about. To give this madness more color, everyone blows the horn all the time. This deafening, screaming, milling, tire-screeching mess is ordinary Italian highway traffic. My drive from Venice to Rome had given me a horror of it amounting to cowardice. I hired a driver to take me to Positano. He was a registered driver in good standing. His card reads: “Signor Bassani Bassano, Experienced Guide – all Italy – and Throt Europe”. It was the “Throt Europe” that won me. Well, we had accomplished one thing. We had imported a little piece of Italian traffic right into our own front seat. Signor Bassani was a remarkable man. He was capable of driving at a hundred kilometers an hour, blowing the horn, screeching the brakes, driving mules up trees, and at the same time turning around in the seat and using both hands to gesture, describing in loud tones the beauties and antiquities of Italy and Throt Europe. It was amazing. It damn near killed us. And in spite of that he never hit anybody or anything. The only casualties were our quivering, bleeding nerves. I want to recommend Signor Bassani to travelers. You may not hear much of what he tells you but you will not be bored. We squirmed and twisted through Naples, past Pompei, whirled and flashed into the mountains behind Sorrento. We hummed “Come back to Sorrento” dismally. We did not believe we could get back to Sorrento. Flaming like a meteor we hit the coast, a road, high, high above the blue sea, that hooked and corkscrewed on the edge of nothing, a road carefully designed to be a little narrower than two cars side by side. And on this road, the buses, the trucks, the motor scooters and the assorted livestock. (From Harper’s Bazaar, May 1953)

The Lost City of Pompeii |

On 24th August AD 79, the magnificent Roman city Pompeii came to a devastating end. In just 18 hours, the entire city of Pompeii and all its inhabitants were buried in volcanic ash. Vesuvius had not erupted for almost 1,800 years and the inhabitants of Pompeii would have been ignorant of the danger of living in its shadow.With no word in Latin for volcano, they might have thought the eruption was a message from the Gods.

Amazing French Street Dancer || Fire Performance || Penang || Malaysia

Fire performance is a group of performance arts or skills that involve the manipulation of fire. Fire performance typically involves equipment or other objects made with one or more wicks which are designed to sustain a large enough flame to create a visual effect.

Food Paradise of Asia || Famous Street food of Penang || Malaysia

On a plate, skewered on sticks or in a bowl, street food is ultra popular in Penang. When it comes to Penang food, there is no more famous dish than 'char koay teow'. Sometimes called fried 'kway teow', it is a dish of flat rice noodles, stir fried in a charcoal-fired wok with fat supple prawns, cockles, scrambled egg, crunchy bean sprouts, strips of fish cake and chilli paste. The more famous versions of this dish will include pork lard and even sweet barbecued pork slices which results in a combination of flavours that are pretty unique. On a plate, skewered on sticks or in a bowl, street food is ultra popular in Penang. When it comes to Penang food, there is no more famous dish than 'char koay teow'. Sometimes called fried 'kway teow', it is a dish of flat rice noodles, stir fried in a charcoal-fired wok with fat supple prawns, cockles, scrambled egg, crunchy bean sprouts, strips of fish cake and chilli paste. The more famous versions of this dish will include pork lard and even sweet barbecued pork slices which results in a combination of flavours that are pretty unique.

BRANDENBURG GATE || BERLIN

The Brandenburg Gate is an 18th-century neoclassical monument in Berlin, built on the orders of Prussian king Frederick William II after the (temporarily) successful restoration of order during the early Batavian Revolution .

Khajuraho || Ancient Indian Art (Part-1)

The Khajuraho Group of Monuments is a group of Hindu temples in Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh, India, about 175 kilometres (109 mi) southeast of Jhansi. They are one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India. The temples are famous for their nagara-style architectural symbolism and their erotic sculptures. Most Khajuraho temples were built between 950 and 1050 by the Chandela dynasty. Historical records note that the Khajuraho temple site had 85 temples by the 12th century, spread over 20 square kilometers Of these, only about 25 temples have survived, spread over 6 square kilometers. Of the various surviving temples, the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple is decorated with a profusion of sculptures with intricate details, symbolism and expressiveness of ancient Indian art. The Khajuraho group of temples were built together but were dedicated to two religions, Hinduism and Jainism, suggesting a tradition of acceptance and respect for diverse religious views among Hindus and Jains in the region. Camera : Debesh Chattopadhyay

Khajuraho || Ancient Indian Art (Part-2)

Purulia || Ajodhya Pahar | Baghmundi and Chhau Mask

Ajodhya Hills, is a small plateau with hilly surroundings located in the Purulia district of the state West Bengal, India. It is the easternmost part of the Chhotanagpur Plateau and extended part of Eastern Ghats range. Highest peak of Ajodhya Hills is Chamtaburu. The nearby populated town area is Bagmundi. According to Hindu mythology, Rama and Sita had come to Ajodhya Hills and stayed during their exile. Sita was thirsty and Ram pierced an arrow through the Earth's soil crust and through that water gushed out. Sita quenched her thirst. The place is known as Sita-kunda. During the full moon day in Baisakh every year tribals of nearby areas come and join in the game of hunting wild animals.

Purulia || Deulghata, Beltanr, Kashipur, Jaychandi Pahar, Kangsabati River

Deulghata : A place near Boram in Arsha PS. It has ruins of some 15 temples and small shrines near the Kansai River about 6 kms from Joypur. Among them are 3 tall brick deuls with stucco decoration. They depict chaityas and miniature rekha motifs. The stucco application includes scrollwork with geese and foliation, dwarfs familiar from Pala-Sena art. The stucco is fine and would appear to date from the same period as that on the Bahulara and Satdeulia temples. The hunched supporting figures on the middle temple recall those on the 15th century temples of Barakar. But there is nothing else significant in common between these temples. Deulghat figure are much livelier and more rhythmical. All these temples have lost the tops of their towers, together with the amalakas and kalasas, m but the western and southern ones still stand to a height of 50 feet or more, the Western one specially, on a base about 16 feet square, seems to have been slender and graceful, the southern one, 24 feet square, is about the same size as the Bahulara temple. As on of of the rekha temples in Purulia district, the panks are basically tri-ratha (single central projection). Complicated by many decorative recesses or subsidiary rathas. At least the central and Western temples seem to have originally had stone door-frames on a slightly projecting porch or antarala (entrance passage) to judge by the curved stumps still in situ. Each temple has a carved stone maker water outlet on the northern side. The other temples at Deulghat which are mostly of stone have all fallen down. The largest stands at the head of a flight of steps leading up from the river – a low mount in Begler’s Day on which he found a slab inscribed in characters which may belong to the 9th or the 10th century. The establishment seems to have been Savite, for besides the lingas in situ, all then images relate to this cult. An image of Uma- Maheshvar has been removed to the State Archeological Galley. The oldest temples may be the bricked-temples, to judge by superiority of the workmanship, they had the large tile-like bricks typical of the Pala period.

McCluskieganj || Dream Destination || Travel Vlog-Jharkhand

McCluskieganj is a small hilly town in Jharkhand State, India, about 40 miles northwest of the capital, Ranchi. The town used to have a significant Anglo-Indian community at one time but this has declined considerably. Camera & Narration : Debesh Chattopadhyay

Khajuraho || Ancient Indian Art (Part-3)

Incredibly Talented Street Singer || Penang, Love Lane, Malaysia

"Streets of London" is a song by Ralph McTell, who first recorded it for his 1969 album Spiral Staircase. Roger Whittaker also recorded a well received version in 1971. McTell's song contrasts the common problems of everyday people with those of the homeless, lonely, elderly, ignored and forgotten members of society. Here another version sang by Jim (Love Lane, Penang, Malaysia) for me. Camera : Debesh Chattopadhyay

Gar Panchkot || Purulia | Conversation with Paresh Saha

Garh Panchkot is a ruined fort located in the eastern part of India at the foothills of Panchet Hill in the district of Purulia, West Bengal. The ruins of the Panchkot Palace are a silent testimony to the Bargi attack during the 18th century. Alivardi Khan had become the Nawab of Bengal in April 1740, having defeated and killed Sarfiraz Khan. Rustam Jung, Sarfiraz's brother-in-law, challenged Alivardi Khan but failed in his endeavours which prompted him to seek the help of the Maratha Rulers of Nagpur, Raghoji Bhonsle. A Maratha cavalry was sent by Bhosle who entered Bengal through Panchet and started looting the countryside. These Maratha men came to be known as "Bargi's". For about 10 years they looted and plundered Bengal. It ended in the year 1751 after a settlement was reached between the Nawab of Bengal and Maratha King. During one see of these encounters, Garh Panckot was attacked by the "Bargi" and, having defeated the King's guards, they destroyed it after looting and plundering the palace. It is believed that all the 17 wives of the king committed suicide in a nearby well during the attack. Garh Panchkot has lain in ruin ever since.

Sufi Whirling Dervish || Istanbul, Turkey

Sufi whirling (or Sufi turning) (Turkish: Semazen borrowed from Persian Sama-zan, Sama, meaning singer, from Arabic, and zan, meaning doer, from Persian) is a form of physically active meditation which originated among Sufis, and which is still practiced by the Sufi Dervishes of the Mevlevi order and other orders such as the Rifa'i-Marufi. It is a customary meditation practice performed within the Sema, or worship ceremony, through which dervishes aim to reach the source of all perfection, or kamal. This is sought through abandoning one's nafs, ego or personal desires, by listening to the music, focusing on God, and spinning one's body in repetitive circles, which has been seen as a symbolic imitation of planets in the Solar System orbiting the sun. This performance I have experienced in Sirkeci Train Dervish Show Station Hall , Istanbul, 11th October, 2019.