Brick Temples of Kalayat

It was another lazy and hot Sunday. This time I decided to have a ride in a Haryana Roadways bus on the most "EThnic NOrth INdian" route. The bus took me to Kalayat; a small town (village) in Kaithal District of Haryana.This village has one of the oldest existing bricks structures (Temples) in India dating back to 7/8th Century. These temples are the examples of early architecture of "Gurjara-Pratihara" Kingdom and the use of beautifully carved small bricks is magnificent.
Mortar has not been used in these carvings. The beautiful patterns of the bricks and carvings are still there on the walls of temples. Very first glance on the main temple takes you down the ages and the 19-20th century built temples give a bitter taste. What is important is the fact that none of the two olden temples matches any architectural patterns of the newer temples.

More Pictures of Brick temples

Village Heritage

It was a free day for me, I had the option of idling my day at my place or to go out and see the newly conceptualised brainchild of the Kurukshetra University : DHAROHAR.
It is a theme museum based on the village heritage of a typical Haryanvi village. It is near the auditorium, in the department of fine arts' old building. The effort is really commedable and has really making a wonderful theme museum. The museum basically has a collection of all the things of use for a self reliant village community. All the implements used for centuries and made from simple available resources, by the local artisans are on display here. It is worth mention here that most of these implements that were used by the farmers, weavers, potters, cobblers, iron-smiths, masons and gold-smiths etc. have totally become extinct(can not use obsolete) and can not be seen in use almost anywhere in Haryana and Punjab at least. Dharohar is the only place to see all these things under one roof. Last generation was totally dependent on thes implements, present generation has seen them disappering in the last 15 years only and the next generation will never see some of these. It is impossible these days to find an old regular wooden plough, leave aside a farmer ploughing his fields. Our children will only see these things in the museums.
Apart from this the museum houses a very well laid out typical and nearly identical kitchen(centuries old design no more used after 1990s) of a Haryanvi house hold.
A variety of Haryanavi wears and wares are on display.
The place is definitely worth a visit for anyone passing through Kurukshetra, 160 kms from Delhi on the GT Road towards Ambala.
The mention of this museum will not be complete without a special attention to the photgallery of one Mr. Raj kishore Nain, he has done excellent work in photographing the culture of Haryana. His phtographs are on display on the first floor.

Village Life

After years, I got a chance to spend some time in my ancestral village this year. Schools were closed for 10 days and kids were free. Although the villages in North-Haryana are quite advanced when it comes to the basic civic amenities(this necessarily means consumerism only), But still the charm of olden days is not completely lost.

Boys still spend some "unaudited" time, out of the reach of vigilance of their mothers.
They still come out from the warmth of the Charpoy, to warm themselves with the flames of freedom.
Women still use the age-old methods of using cow-dung as the best source cooking fuel.
Sugarcane and Wheat still grow.

Mighty Markandey

I remember my childhood days in a small village in the Kurukshetra Disstt. Of Haryana. A mighty river namely Markanda (named after Rishi Markandey) used to flow touching the village. I still remember the volumes to which the river would swell in the MONSOON months. Every second year it used to break its banks and flood the whole region with not only the waters but fertile and virgin soils from the lower Himalayan regions. The river used to be worshipped like the supreme gods due to prosperity that it brought year after year. Monsoons were the months to observe the might of this river, rest of the year it flowed like a meditating SAGE.

I am a frequent visitor to my native place and a spectator of how the Mighty Markandey has been tamed by they lesser mortals. A visit this year has shown how the volume of water has decreased over the years.

Just campare the high flood level in the 1978 flood with the level of water at this time of the year. The water rarely touches the feet of the pillars now.

A local Market at the weekly Sunday fair in Shahbad Markanda.