Wizards of Life!

Author: Jitendra Singh

  • Visapur Fort: A Short Trek for a Great History

    Visapur Fort: A Short Trek for a Great History

    If someone asks me why Pune is probably the best city in India to live my response will not be Pune’s weather rather it will be the variety of places which are located nearby which one can explore in one day outing. These places not only inherit and contain a lot of history but at the same time they speak a lot about the tradition and culture of the nearby region. Our one such place of interest today is Visapur Fort which is not only a historical place but also an important cultural and religious place.

    On the Way to Visapur Fort

    History of Visapur Fort

    Visapur and Lohagarh forts are called twin forts and are located next to each other. Historically Lohagarh fort is older than Visapur fort and Visapur fort was established to protect the Lohagarh Fort. Visapur Fort was built in 1720 AD by Balaji Vishwanath The first Peshwa of the Maratha empire. The fort was attacked and captured by Britishers in 1818 and subsequently canons were established at the fort and Lohagarh fort was bombarded from Visapur Fort. This forced Marathas to flee from Lohagarh Fort. During this battle Visapur fort was converted into ruins and very less of the earlier structure remains today.

    How to Reach Visapur Fort?

    The place is located at around 1 hr 30 minutes drive from Pune. The nearest railway station is Lonavala where most of the trains have stoppage. Visapur is the base village from where the trek is generally started.

    Major attractions at Visapur Fort

    The fort is mostly into ruins and not much remains to be seen there. However there are a few structures that still remain. It includes a few carvings of Lord Hanuman, a temple and 2 canons. The trek to the top of the fort takes around 45 minutes and it takes around 1 hr 30 minutes to roam around the fort. I am sharing certain pictures of the specific attractions at the fort. The view of the surroundings in magnificent especially during the monsoon and scenic beauty is spectacular. The trek is recommended during the monsoon season however it can be done at any time.

    Carving Of Hanuman Ji.
    Carving of Hanuman ji on a pillar
    Carvings of hanuman ji on the fort
    An old canon at the fort
    A temple at the fort.

    The best thing about this trek is that the trek is of around 45 minutes only and hence it leaves you with enough energy to roam around the fort and enjoy the beautiful view of the surroundings.

  • Peach Tiger Reserve: The land of Mowgli!

    Peach Tiger Reserve: The land of Mowgli!

    Nagpur is also popularly known as the ‘Tiger Capital of India’ because of its proximity to many Tiger reserves, the 2 most famous of them being Pench Tiger Reserve and Tadoba Tiger Reserve located at a distance of around 75 KM and 130 KM from Nagpur respectively. During my tenure as Assistant Personnel Officer in Nagpur Division I visited Pench National park three times in 2020 and 2021 respectively. Each time the visit was a thrilling experience.

    Pench Tiger Reserve is spread over two states viz. Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. There are two different gates to enter into Pench Tiger Reserve viz. Sillari gate which is located in Maharashtra and Turia Gate which is located in Madhya Pradesh. Although both the entries offer their unique safari experience I would personally suggest for Turia Gate as there are three different routes to travel through this gate and the safari facilities are also much more developed in this part of the tiger Reserve. However if someone wants to see the dense forests then he/she should prefer Sillari Gate. The forest in this part of the reserve of much more dense and one can see the bamboo forest also in a considerable area.

    Turia Gate(Madhya Pradesh)
    Sillari gate(Maharashtra)

    How To Reach Pench Tiger Reserve?

    Nagpur is the nearest city from where Sillari Gate is around 70 KM and Turia Gate is around 105 KM. The route falls on National Highway 44 hence it is very easy to travel from Nagpur to Pench. It takes around 2 hrs to negotiate the entire distance. I would personally suggest that one should go in the evening itself and stay in one of the resorts for a better experience. The tickets are available online and should preferably be bought in advance.

    Major Attractions Near Pench Tiger Reserve

    Pench Tiger reserve is called the land of Mowgli because the famous character of Rudyard Kipling’s “The Jungle Book” known as Mowgli used to live in this part of the jungle. If one enters into the tiger reserve from Turia gate side, Forest department has installed statue of Mowgli at one place which is a must see place in the jungle safari. If you are lucky enough you may end up sighting the Tiger which is a moment to rejoice. At one of our visits we spotted a tigress with two cubs which was fascinating although we could not take a picture of it. Apart from the above one can also do a night safari which is a great experience. There is also a potters village located at Panchdhar which one should try to visit.

    The story of Mowgli
    The view of Morning sky inside Pench Tiger Reserve

    Pench Tiger Reserve is one of the few Tiger Reserves in the country where the pristine forest can still be seen. The forest is dense and the landscape is mostly plain. The visit to Pench is also a reminder to all of us for conserving our forest and wildlife resources which is dwindling day by day.

  • पगडंडीं मे पहाड़

    पगडंडीं मे पहाड़

    My review of book “पगडंडीं मे पहाड़” published in Hindi weekly magazine ‘विविधा’.

  • Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary(Assam): The Best Place to Watch Rhinoceros in Wild

    Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary(Assam): The Best Place to Watch Rhinoceros in Wild

    Pobitora wildlife sanctuary is located in Morigaon district of Assam, India, on the southern bank of Brahmaputra. The sanctuary is small in area and is established mostly for the conservation of Indian Rhinoceros.

    Starting point of the Pavithra Wildlife Sanctuary

    How to Reach?

    One can reach the wildlife Sanctuary from Guwahati. It’s around 1 hr drive from Guwahati. The safari at the sanctuary is available in 2 forms. First is via gypsy and the second is elephant safari. The benefit with the gypsy safari is that one can cover more area. However I would recommend elephant safari because the land is marshy and it takes you very close to the rhinoceros. This is altogether a new experience.

    What to explore?

    Although Pobitora wildlife sanctuary is famous mainly for Rhinoceros there are wide variety of indigenous and migratory birds in the sanctuary. As per the government records there are around 2000 varieties of migratory birds and reptiles in the sanctuary. Being the part of north east states one can experience great natural beauty in this sanctuary as well. However the population pressure and the environmental degradation due to the human activities is very much visible in the sanctuary as well.

    The Rhinoceros

    We visited this place as part of out Civil services training to North-Eastern states. I would strongly advise that one should visit this place whenever he is in Assam.

  • पुस्तक़ समीक्षा: पगडण्डी में पहाड़

    पुस्तक़ समीक्षा: पगडण्डी में पहाड़

    ‘पगडंडी में पहाड़’ जे पी पांडेय द्वारा रचित् एक travelogue है जिसमे मसूरी के आसपास की हिमालय की सुन्दरता का प्रचुर वर्णन किया गया है। पुस्तक में मुख्यता उत्तराखण्ड और हिमांचल प्रदेश के भूभाग के हिमालय में स्थित प्रसिद्द स्थलों के बारे में विस्तार से वर्णन किया गया है। पुस्तक का अधिकांश भाग लेखक के Oak Groove School में प्रिंसिपल के कार्यकाल के दौरान की गयी यात्राओं का विवरण है।

    कहा जाता है कि यदि लोग अपने जीवन कि सभी घटनाओं का सही सही चित्रण एक किताब मैं कर दें तो दुनिया में अच्छी किताबों की कमी ना रहे। जे पी पांडेय द्वारा लिखी हुई यह किताब इस दिशा में किया गया एक सफल प्रयास है। पुस्तक की शुरूआत “पहाड़ो की रानी मसूरी” नामक अध्याय से होती है और “झड़ीपानी फ़ॉल” से “चारधाम यात्रा” होते हुए “नाग टिब्बा” नामक अध्याय पे ख़त्म होती है। १८ अध्याय की इस किताब मैं विभिन्न स्थानों के ऐतिहासिक, धार्मिक, प्राकृतिक एवं सांस्कृतिक महत्व का समुचित एवं अनूठा विवरण मिलता है।

    इस पुस्तक को पढ़ते हुए पाठक हिमालय की उचाइयों से लेकर भविष्य की कठिनाइयों जैसे Global Warming, एवं land slide, अतीत की कहानियों से लेकर पर्वतीय क्षेत्र में आज हो रहे परिवर्तनों के बारे में परिचित होता है। किताब के प्रथम अध्याय में मसूरी के बसने के आरम्भिक दिनो एवं पुराने bunglow की कहानियाँ पढ़कर एक nostalgic फ़ीलिंग आती है किंतु आज हो रहे परिवर्तनो के वजह से Himalayan ecosystem पर पड़ रहे विपरीत प्रभाओ को पढ़कर चिंता भी होती है। किताब में वर्णित बिभिन्न स्थानो की ट्रेकिंग जैसे ‘झरिपानी फ़ॉल’, ‘परी टिब्बा’ एवं ‘हेमकुंड साहेब और फूलो की घाटी’ का लेखक का अनुभव पढ़कर इन स्थानो को देखने की इच्छा जागृत हो जाती है।

    किताब के बड़े हिस्से में मसूरी के आस पास के प्रसिद्ध स्थानो की ट्रेकिंग का वर्णन है। किंतु ट्रेकिंग के साथ साथ लेखक का focus इन स्थानो की जैव विविधता, सांस्कृतिक विरासत और वानस्पतिक विविधता पे भी है। बुरांश( Rhododendrons) के फूलों के महत्व का काफ़ी वर्णन किताब में मिलता है। इसके साथ ही साथ पहाड़ी क्षेत्रों की समस्यों जैसे resources का अत्यंत दोहन, शहरों की तरफ़ पलायन तथा पहाड़ी जीवन की कठिनाइयों का भी बिस्तार से विवरण मिलता है। पुस्तक़ को पढ़कर पाठक ना सिर्फ़ हिमालय की सुंदरता अपितु Himalayan ecosystem के संरक्षण के बारे में भी अवगत होता है।

    किताब में लेखक द्वारा किसी भी स्थान की ऐतिहासिकता एवं प्राकृतिक सौंदर्य की चर्चा करते हुए जीवन की कोई philosophy बयाँ कर देना एक अत्यंत ही सुखद एवं अनूठा अनुभव है।उदाहरण स्वरूप अध्याय ११ का एक पैरग्रैफ़ में लेखक लिखता है: ” ट्रेकिंग करते समय प्रारम्भ में सब भले ही साथ चलें लेकिन कुछ ही समय में पूरा ग्रूप कई छोटे छोटे समूहों में बट जाता है। लोगों की अलग अलग गति से चलने के कारण ऐसा होता है। जीवन पथ भी कुछ ऐसा ही है जिसमें कई लोगों और रिश्तों का सफ़र साथ शुरू होता है, लेकिन समय के साथ कुछ पीछे छूट जाते हैं और कुछ नए मिलते जाते हैं। पथ की निरंतरता में ही ख़ूबसूरती है।”

    किताब की भाषा अत्यंत ही सहज और सरल है। अधिकांश chapter छोटे हैं जिनको पढ़ने में ज़्यादा समय नहीं लगता। जे पी पांडेय जी की यह किताब हिमालय की खूबसूरत यात्राओं को एक बड़े जनमानस तक पहुचाने में काफ़ी हद तक सफल होगी।

  • Sunrise Trek to Sinhagad Fort: Stunningly Beautiful!

    Sunrise Trek to Sinhagad Fort: Stunningly Beautiful!

    Sinhagad is probably the most famous of Forts near Pune. Located at a distance of around 45 Km from Pune city it is also one of the most visited forts near Pune city. The proximity from the city, its rich history, varied things to see inside the fort and a short trek of around 2 hrs to the top from the base village makes it an ideal location for weekend visits. The fort has become more famous recently after the release of movie ‘Tanaji’ which portrays the rich history and tales of bravery of warriors who used to defend this fort.

       Top of the Sinhagad fort

    History of Sinhagad Fort

    The fort was originally known as ‘Kondhana fort’ and as per certain record available at the fort, it is believed that the fort is around 2000 years old. However the fort is most well known for ‘Battle of Sinhagad’ which was fought in 1670 between Shivaji Maharaj and Mughals. In this battle the famous warrior Tanaji lost his life defending the fort. Shivaji Maharaj was so upset due to the loss of Tanaji that he famously remarked: “The Fort is conquered, but the Lion is lost”.

    Trek to Sinhagad Fort

    There are two gates to enter the fort, the Kalyan Darwaza and Pune Darwaza, positioned at the south-east and northeast ends. Trekking can be done from both the sides. However the Pune Darwaza trek is easier and the Kalyan Darwaza trek is slightly difficult. We did out trekking from the side of Pune Darwaza. The trek to reach the top takes around 2 hrs and the trail is of easy to moderate difficulty level. The best time to start the trek is early in the morning around 4 o’clock so that one can reach the top before the sunrise. The view of sunrise from the top is stunning. After reaching the fort one can roam around the fort for around 30 to 45 minutes. The breakfast served by the local people is delicious. I would especially recommend to try the dahi offered by the locals at the top of the fort.

           View from the top of Sinhagad Fort
              View of Sunrise from the fort
         Traditional Breakfast at the fort

    The fort can be visited in any weather however the rainy and the winter season is the best to visit the fort. The views of the city as well as the surrounding hills from the fort are stunning. However while visiting the fort do remember that during the day time it becomes very crowded hence it is advisable to visit the fort in the early morning time.

  • Movie Review: There will Be Blood(2007)

    Movie Review: There will Be Blood(2007)

    A classic western directed by Paul Thomas Anderson ‘There Will be Blood’ is loosely based on 1927 novel ‘Oil’ written by Upton Silchar. The movie can be put in Western genre however there are no gunfight scenes involved in the movie like in most of the Western movies. Due to its cinematography, direction and lead role played and performed by Daniel Day-Lewis the movie is regarded as one of the finest movies of 2007.

    Summary: Daniel Plainview(Daniel Day-Lewis) is a ruthless businessman who is looking for oil prospects in USA. He accompanies with him a young boy who is not his own son but he portrays him as his own son. Using his son he proclaims to everyone that the oilfield which he will set up will be a family enterprise to gain the sympathy of the people. During the California oil boom Daniel is approached by a man named Paul Sunday who tells him about the oil prospects in his family’s property in Little Boston, California. Daniel visits the place as a quail hunter and sets up a drilling company after acquiring the land. During this whole land acquisition process Daniel is confronted by Eli(The Preacher) the twin brother of Paul Sunday. In the turn of events a number of misfortunes take place in the oilfield including the deafening of boy H. W. during the gas leak, death of a worker and a fire incident etc. However in the end the business prosper and Daniel becomes a rich man.

    Right from the very beginning there are two underlying themes in the movie:

    First one being the requirement of a family as an emotional convincing point in the US society for establishing a successful business. H. W. was not Daniel’s son however he used to take him everywhere to convince people that he is a family man and will uphold the values of family like building schools, roads and Church. However he seldom kept his promise.

    The second one being the impact of excessive capitalism on US society. It makes Daniel so much self-centered greedy and ruthless that he doesn’t hesitate to manipulate and use his own ‘Son’ for his own business benefits. He uses People around him and has a great hatred towards everyone. His own conversation with his brother is worth noting here:

    Even in the last scene of the movie when he ‘Kills’ Eli the radio preacher and his butler asks him Daniel replies: “am finished”.

    The movie goes into the origins of present form of excessive capitalism in US society and also portrays the aftereffects of it. Daniel becomes a drinker and there is no one to look after him. The present issue of global warming and environmental pollution can also be said to be originated from this time itself.

    The movie is a must watch for all those who enjoy watching classic movies.

    Rating: 8.5/10

  • ‘Kali Pahadi’ Jamalpur: A Thrilling Experience.

    ‘Kali Pahadi’ Jamalpur: A Thrilling Experience.

    Jamalpur is a very old Railway town located at a distance of about 120 KM from the capital city of Patna. The place is well known for a railway workshop and Indian Railway Institute of Mechanical Engineering which is located here. Apart from these two big government establishments the place is just a small town like many others.

    Our purpose of visiting this town was our training attachment at IRIMEE Jamalpur for 2 weeks as part of our railway training. While visiting Jamalpur its easy for one to be lost in the History as the place has a lot of history ‘preserved’ in it. The present day town was settled in 1862 with the establishment of a locomotive workshop and since 1862 it has remained like the same till today.

    An old Church in Jamalpur
    A park nearby officers hostel
    An Insignia cast in Jamalpur Workshop

    It was a hot sunny day in the month of October 2020 when I along with few other batchmates decide to go to Kali Pahadi. The place is located at around 20 minutes walk form Yantrik hostel IRIMEET. The trail upto half way is easy and can be covered in 25 minutes or so. However once you reach the halfway mark the real thrill starts. There are a few temples located at the halfway mark where one can offer his prayers and take rest for sometime.

    A temple at the hill

    Shortly after the temples there is a waterfall located at around the halfway marks and after this waterfall there is no proper trail. You have to make your own way and climb. Although this climbing trail is only of 20 minutes it is the real thrill of the trek. Once you reach at the top you get the clear view of the surroundings. When we visited the place Bihar state was undergoing through the flood of worst kind. It was clearly visible to us from top of this hill. By climbing this hill we could better appreciate the miseries of the people affected by the flood.

    The waterfall at the midway point
    Top of the Kali Pahadi
    This kid accompanied us to the top
    View from the top

    It was also told to us by few locals that the area beyond the Kali Pahadi is affected by Naxals. However we did not see or experience any such thing. Overall our experience was good and I would advise everyone who visits Jamalpur should go to this place once.

  • Writing a ‘Good’ UPSC optional answer.

    It is rightly said that scoring good marks in the optional paper of UPSC is the gateway to the final selection. This can be verified from the fact that almost all the candidates selected in the final list have a usual score of 285 to 330 or sometimes even higher out of 500 in the optional paper of UPSC. What is more peculiar about the optional marks is that marks vary from 200 to at times even 350 which is a difference of 150 marks. This can make or break the possibility of selection of a candidate in the final list. This discussion makes it aptly clear that scoring good marks in ‘Optional subject’ is the key to the final selection. In this article I will be sharing some of the tips that helped me score 300+ marks in optional subject( My optional Subject was Public Administration and I could score 300+ in 2017 and 2018 mains exam when it was not easy to score 300+ in Public Administration). What is more peculiar is that using these tips I could increase my marks from 250 to 300. So here is my step by step guide to maximise your score in optional subject.

    Selection of Questions: The first and foremost important aspect is the selection of the right questions for answering. As there are 8 questions in total, selecting 5 out of 8 is very important. In this context following are some of the pointers to be kept in mind.

    1. Out of 8 questions first 4 are generally from first half of the syllabus and remaining 4 are from the second half of the syllabus. So while preparing one must keep this in mind whether he wants to attempt 3(1+2) questions from from Section I or Section II. If one wants to attempt 3 questions from section I then one should prepare first half of the syllabus accordingly. Also the questions are generally asked in combination like unit I may be usually asked in combination with unit II. For example in Public administration Comparative Public Administration question is generally asked with Development Administration. This thing may also be explored for better strategising.
    2. There is always a dilemma about selection of general question vs specific question. In this case if you know the answers of at least 2 specific questions very properly in a question then you should always select specific question. However if you don’t know the answers of specific questions very properly then always go for general question. This is because if you can’t answer a specific question very properly then your comparative score will be less as compared to the others.

    Answering questions: While answering questions following few things should be kept in mind.

    1. First attempt the first question of 10 marker then go for attempting the long questions. The 5th question of 10 marker may be attempted at the last. This is to give more time to attempt the long questions which can help maximise one’s score.
    2. Attempt those questions first whose answers you know very properly. As UPSC is all about doing better than others, always remember one thumb rule: Answer the easy questions perfectly. Answer the moderate questions properly. In the difficult questions write something related to the question, but only when time permits for that.
    3. Always see the last keyword in the question like discuss/analyse/explain etc. and answer as per the keyword. Don’t just write what you know, rather try to write what is asked. For the meaning of the keywords refer to- ‎www.visionias.in/beta/sites/all/themes/momentum/files/Keywords.pdf.
    4. While writing the answers keep in mind that introduction is the first thing that the examiner reads in the answer and conclusion is the last thing that the examiner reads before giving the marks. So these two portions should be attempted with full sincerity.

    All the best!

  • Movie Review: Downfall(2004)

    A war drama film directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel ‘Downfall’ is a movie about the last days of Hitler and Second World War. The movie specifically focuses on Berlin war and the last days of Hitler and his closed associates inside a bunker. Hitler commits suicide when he is convinced that he is certain to lose the war.

    The movie portrays two different sides of Hitler. One is ‘Hitler as fuhrer’-a strong, irrational, brutal and Cynic personality who is willing to sacrifice as many lives as he can to ‘win’ the war. When he gets to know that he has been betrayed by Himmler and Himmler is negotiating peace with the west he becomes extremely mad at Himmler and orders to kill him. Hitler is also seen as justifying the killing of Jews in the movie a few times. He thinks that he has purifies Germany by killing the Jews.

    The other side of Hitler shown in the movie is his Human side where he is helping his close associates.He is shown emotional and helpless a few times in the movie. He is especially soft towards his secretaries. Though Hitler is soft towards his close associates he is still unpredictable and irrational.

    Another interesting aspect shown in the movie is that Nazis were not a united force. Many of them had their own agenda and vision. There was a huge mistrust among them. Most of the Nazis were working more in fear and self interest than Being committed to ‘National Socialism’.

    The movie also goes into administrative aspect of Nazism. All powers were concentrated in Hitler as he used to take all the decisions most of them were not in the best interest of Nazism.Hitler is seen to be giving orders to Generals who were dead. He was mobilising armies who were non existent. He is shown to be committed to National Socialism, however his commitment doesn’t do any good to the German people. Also the National Socialism has a very different meaning for him.

    The entire movie takes place inside the Bunker where Hitler lived in his last days. It should be watched to understand the mind and working style of Hitler and some of his close associates. Bruno Ganz has played the role of Hitler in a very convincing way.

    Rating: 7.9/10