Monsoon raced me to Lanka. When I boarded the flight at a blazing Trivandrum airport, little did I foresee a turbulent ride through a sky heavy with dark rain clouds. As I joined the rushing passengers, relieved to have landed safely after the rattling experience on board, I wondered what all the haste was for. And the reason dawned on me, only as I got out of the small yet smart airport at Colombo. It was the impending rains. Colombo was pitching dark under great black clouds hovering above, threatening to unleash a storm. Indeed, I had won the race.
My friends warm hug, with a `u got the seasons first rains with you’ greeting made me feel special. It’s a lovely feeling when you are held responsible for the good things in people’s lives. I felt deeply welcome into this tiny country nestled close to mine. The several weeks I took to ponder on my decision to travel to a militant riddled tense country like Sri Lanka had paid off. I had dared only because my visit coincided with one of those intermittent peace spells in the discord between the state and the separatist group demanding an independent Tamil Elam in the North and East of the island.
As we left the airport and sped through the slushy puddles of red lateritic gravel, I grew even closer to the land. The similarity is binding. The landscape, the people, their attire, the weather all reminded me of the very familiar western coast of India. Colombo could have been anywhere in Goa or Kerala!
Many call it the `tear drop’ shaped island. Perhaps true; considering the harrowing years of civil war the country, officially known as the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, has been through since 1983. But for me this small island nation, less than a stones throw from the Indian coastline, separated by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, is like that orange coral pendent that has come loose from the Indian peninsular garland. The trailing chain of 30 km long natural limestone shoal formation so clearly visible under the very shallow sea between the countries can well be remains of that ancient bond. Colonial British reports document it as natural bridge connecting the island to the Indian landmass, which subsequently was destroyed by a storm in the 15th century. Now known to the modern world as Adams Bridge, there are even earlier references to this bridge by 9th century Persian geographer Ibn Khordadebh and mathematician and astronomer Alberuni in 11th century. The northern point of this bridge starts at Danushkodi, in Tamil Nadu’s Rameshwaram Island and ends at the northern end of Mannar Island on the northwestern coast of Srilanka.
For the believer however, it is the remains of the bridge that Lord Rama constructed to cross over to Lanka, to rescue his beloved wife held captive by Ravana, the Asura king of Lanka. It is interesting how myths get woven into natural geological formations. An hours drive to the north of Trivandrum town along the state highway is Jatayupara, a cluster of huge rock boulders. Local tradition has it that Jatayu, the vulture friend of Lord Rama, fell wounded on this rock, while trying to prevent Ravana from kidnapping Sita to Lanka. It is also added that, this is the rock from where Hanuman took his final leap into Lanka.
Whatever the connection, the bonding between the two nations, is very intimate. It is reflected in every aspect of its culture and tradition, including language, script, and cuisine which is akin to states in peninsular India. How much ever a Malayalee or a Tamilian tries to pick on state-wise cultural affinities in Sri Lankan food, to me it seemed a unique blend of gastronomical delights from all over peninsular India. Western flavours in food habits and modernity in traditional costumes however are the remnants of the more recent colonial influences left by the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British since the 16th century. This even includes the name Ceylon, the official name for the island till 1972, given by the Portuguese.
By virtue of its location in the middle of the busy Indian Ocean trade route, the island was frequented by traders from the western and eastern world since ancient times. In fact, the demand for Srilankan cinnamon among the Egyptians is believed to date as far back as 1500 BC. Early Historic Roman trade in Peninsular India extended into Sri Lanka also. The seven UNESCO World heritage Sites are a testimony to the civilizational scale the kingdoms on the island had achieved more than 2000 years ago. These are all located in and around the Cultural Triangle which links ancient Anuradhapura, Medieval Polonnaruwa and the Kandy of recent history. So also are the ancient records in the Pali chronicles especially the Mahavamsa and the Dipavamsa, epigraphical records, and stone inscriptions which give plenty of details of the early historic period in Srilanka.
As effects of coastal trade spread deeper into the island, the indigenous population, known as the Veddas, is said to have moved into the hilly interiors and formed their own kingdom with Kandy as its capital. When the British East India Company colonized the island in 1802, Kandy was a separate Kingdom. Soon the Kingdom fell and Colombo became the administrative centre of colonial rule. Besides the interests in the islands timber, gemstones and other mineral resources, British colonial rule established a series of plantations in rubber, tea, coffee, sugar, cinnamon and indigo on the once densely forested hills and plains. The workforces at these plantations were brought largely from Tamil Nadu. Today Tamils form more than 15% of ethnic minority in Sri Lanka. While Kandy and its surrounding regions form the traditional core of Sinhala population, the regions around Jaffna in the north is the Tamil nerve centre.
I would have loved to travel into the hinterland of these core areas. But back home, I had pledged I wouldn’t wander around unaccompanied in this country. So I left it to my friends to take me to my one and only grand agenda in Sri Lanka – a few days at the Cultural triangle.
Showing posts with label TEJAS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TEJAS. Show all posts
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
The Road to Ayutthaya
It’s not as if I have an aversion to all things contemporary. I’m in fact a keep observer of contemporary life and living wherever. But the worm of archaeology wriggles in me restlessly, and prods me to dig deeper into the roots of just about everything. And that’s what I wanted to do after my sojourns into the palaces and alleyways of 200 year old Bangkok. I was itching to travel and explore areas of Thai ancient history.
With an intriguing name like Ayutthaya, the old capital of Thai Kingdom was top on my list. Actually, unlike the lesser known Sukhothai, the first-ever city-sate of Siam nestled in the central plains of Thailand, Ayutthaya is so much `in-your-face’ in Bangkok. It’s basically because of the proximity to the city. It is in fact an easy day trip to the ancient capital. Sukhothai on the other hand is a good 6 hours road trip. Paintings of the Ayutthaya ruins amidst overgrown roots of ficus trees, on fabric and on paper are common souvenirs in Bangkok. But when compared to the millions that throng the amazingly beautiful beaches and islands of Thailand, these UNESCO World Heritage historical parks don’t attract many visitors. I was happy I visited these sites. But honestly the well maintained ruins at Ayutthaya with its manicured lawns and gardens come no where close to the rustic charm of Angkor Wat. But as they say, historical events and monuments should never be compared; both are unique in its respective time and space.
Both these historical parks are well equipped with museums, information centres, guides, rest rooms, and everything that is needed to update and refresh ones body, mind and soul. For that matter, traveling anywhere in Thailand is a tourists delight. It’s actually difficult to `rough-it-out’ in Thailand. You really have to be in the deep interiors of the northern highlands to experience true wilderness. It would seem that the smooth 6 lane highways with refreshment centres at every few kilometers, complete with restaurants, wash rooms and kids play area, runs into all corners of Thailand. Unlike in India, where a cross country National Highway road trip actually weaves through the cultural fabric and the associated hassles of the nation, in Thailand its just smooth roads and convenience kiosks at regular intervals. It is indeed a little disappointing for people looking out for some serious exploration into ethnic life and living in Thailand, without wandering into the deeper darker zones.
Besides, trips and treks would seem to be tailor made for individual tourists in this prime holiday country. One can choose to tramp it out or live royally at the classiest of hotels. As always, I chose the `middle path’; although adequately adventurous, I rarely take risks. I opted to cruise it to Ayutthaya, and it was well worth it. From the jetty at Bangkok, the cruise snakes up the Chao Phraya to the ruins. The cruise starts early morning, complete with welcome drink, delicious breakfast, Thai traditional music and dance performances and a sumptuous lunch spread ready to be devoured on the return journey in the afternoon.
Although Sukhothai is considered as the first city-sate of Thailand, it was the Kingdom at Ayutthaya in the 14th century that unified the farming and trading communities that existed along the Upper Chao Phraya Valley. Prior to this unification, Sukhothai was an emerging city-state under the control of Khmer Empire, consisting mainly of people from the Mon ethnic group. A little needs to be said about the history prior to the Sukhothai period in Thailand. And this refers to the Dwaravati period, which included a conglomeration of small and big settlements along both banks of the Upper Chao Phraya valley during the 6th – 13th Century. Like all legendary beginnings the first king of Dwaravati, is said to have established the first city, in the 5th century AD. But what is certain is that by the 10th Century most of these settlements came under the dominance of the Khmer Empire and was controlled from the ancient city of Lavo, identified with modern Lopburi town on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya. The landmark temple of this period, Prang Sam Yot in Lopburi, has striking resemblance to the temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. The three Prangs or Gopuras are dedicated to the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishu, and Shiva.
The Khmer dominance of the Chao Phraya valley was however challenged in the 1239 by the Tai governor of Sukhothai, and declared independence. Very soon Sukhothai grew under the able leadership of King Ramkhamhaeng, details of who are noted from the stone stele inscriptions now housed in the National Museum at Bangkok. There is much debate on the historical details of the origins of Sukhothai among historians. But Thai’s like to frame Sukhothai as their first city-sate of their nation and King Ramkhamhaeng as the nation builder of Thailand. It was during the 13th century that a gradual migration of the Tai people into the Upper Chao Phraya flood plains took place. However Sukhothai soon lost to the growing power and influence of Ayutthaya Kingdom in the South.
Ayutthaya flourished as a world renowned trading centre during the succeeding few centuries. But by the 18th Century, the kingdom began to disintegrate and provincial states began asserting their independence. Petty rivalries weakened the kingdom further. And to make matters worse, Ayutthaya got involved in the war between the Mon rulers and the Burmese along the southern border. The Kingdom supported the Mons, but lost the battle. The victorious Burmese army didn’t stop with the Mons. They charged ahead and invaded Ayutthaya and destroyed the city in 1767 AD. The Thai capital moved further south near Bangkok where it sustained and flourished with wise diplomatic ties with neighboring nations and beyond.
Well, I was not stuck with history alone. Like all tourists, I too did my round of islands and beaches. In fact, Thailand has a way of making you feel at home. Inspite of the obvious racial differences, its the common link in the Oriental threads of traditions, languages, food habits, leisure, and the arts , especially among the South-East Asians that comes to the forefront and envelops you. Maybe that’s why I survived my years in this foreign land.
With an intriguing name like Ayutthaya, the old capital of Thai Kingdom was top on my list. Actually, unlike the lesser known Sukhothai, the first-ever city-sate of Siam nestled in the central plains of Thailand, Ayutthaya is so much `in-your-face’ in Bangkok. It’s basically because of the proximity to the city. It is in fact an easy day trip to the ancient capital. Sukhothai on the other hand is a good 6 hours road trip. Paintings of the Ayutthaya ruins amidst overgrown roots of ficus trees, on fabric and on paper are common souvenirs in Bangkok. But when compared to the millions that throng the amazingly beautiful beaches and islands of Thailand, these UNESCO World Heritage historical parks don’t attract many visitors. I was happy I visited these sites. But honestly the well maintained ruins at Ayutthaya with its manicured lawns and gardens come no where close to the rustic charm of Angkor Wat. But as they say, historical events and monuments should never be compared; both are unique in its respective time and space.
Both these historical parks are well equipped with museums, information centres, guides, rest rooms, and everything that is needed to update and refresh ones body, mind and soul. For that matter, traveling anywhere in Thailand is a tourists delight. It’s actually difficult to `rough-it-out’ in Thailand. You really have to be in the deep interiors of the northern highlands to experience true wilderness. It would seem that the smooth 6 lane highways with refreshment centres at every few kilometers, complete with restaurants, wash rooms and kids play area, runs into all corners of Thailand. Unlike in India, where a cross country National Highway road trip actually weaves through the cultural fabric and the associated hassles of the nation, in Thailand its just smooth roads and convenience kiosks at regular intervals. It is indeed a little disappointing for people looking out for some serious exploration into ethnic life and living in Thailand, without wandering into the deeper darker zones.
Besides, trips and treks would seem to be tailor made for individual tourists in this prime holiday country. One can choose to tramp it out or live royally at the classiest of hotels. As always, I chose the `middle path’; although adequately adventurous, I rarely take risks. I opted to cruise it to Ayutthaya, and it was well worth it. From the jetty at Bangkok, the cruise snakes up the Chao Phraya to the ruins. The cruise starts early morning, complete with welcome drink, delicious breakfast, Thai traditional music and dance performances and a sumptuous lunch spread ready to be devoured on the return journey in the afternoon.
Although Sukhothai is considered as the first city-sate of Thailand, it was the Kingdom at Ayutthaya in the 14th century that unified the farming and trading communities that existed along the Upper Chao Phraya Valley. Prior to this unification, Sukhothai was an emerging city-state under the control of Khmer Empire, consisting mainly of people from the Mon ethnic group. A little needs to be said about the history prior to the Sukhothai period in Thailand. And this refers to the Dwaravati period, which included a conglomeration of small and big settlements along both banks of the Upper Chao Phraya valley during the 6th – 13th Century. Like all legendary beginnings the first king of Dwaravati, is said to have established the first city, in the 5th century AD. But what is certain is that by the 10th Century most of these settlements came under the dominance of the Khmer Empire and was controlled from the ancient city of Lavo, identified with modern Lopburi town on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya. The landmark temple of this period, Prang Sam Yot in Lopburi, has striking resemblance to the temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. The three Prangs or Gopuras are dedicated to the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishu, and Shiva.
The Khmer dominance of the Chao Phraya valley was however challenged in the 1239 by the Tai governor of Sukhothai, and declared independence. Very soon Sukhothai grew under the able leadership of King Ramkhamhaeng, details of who are noted from the stone stele inscriptions now housed in the National Museum at Bangkok. There is much debate on the historical details of the origins of Sukhothai among historians. But Thai’s like to frame Sukhothai as their first city-sate of their nation and King Ramkhamhaeng as the nation builder of Thailand. It was during the 13th century that a gradual migration of the Tai people into the Upper Chao Phraya flood plains took place. However Sukhothai soon lost to the growing power and influence of Ayutthaya Kingdom in the South.
Ayutthaya flourished as a world renowned trading centre during the succeeding few centuries. But by the 18th Century, the kingdom began to disintegrate and provincial states began asserting their independence. Petty rivalries weakened the kingdom further. And to make matters worse, Ayutthaya got involved in the war between the Mon rulers and the Burmese along the southern border. The Kingdom supported the Mons, but lost the battle. The victorious Burmese army didn’t stop with the Mons. They charged ahead and invaded Ayutthaya and destroyed the city in 1767 AD. The Thai capital moved further south near Bangkok where it sustained and flourished with wise diplomatic ties with neighboring nations and beyond.
Well, I was not stuck with history alone. Like all tourists, I too did my round of islands and beaches. In fact, Thailand has a way of making you feel at home. Inspite of the obvious racial differences, its the common link in the Oriental threads of traditions, languages, food habits, leisure, and the arts , especially among the South-East Asians that comes to the forefront and envelops you. Maybe that’s why I survived my years in this foreign land.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
When Gods travel....
So, once again Thailand is going through political unrest. These intermittent periods of turmoil, which also resulted in a series of coups, has been a common feature in the country since the early decades of the Cold War. A period of political stability was attained in the 1980’s. And finally the first Constitution of Thailand was drafted in 1997 and the first ever general elections conducted in 2001. But very soon it was the season for coups once again. So far these periods of political unrest hardly affected the general life in this country of peace loving people. In the 2006 coup, I remember how calm the political `unrest’ was. While everyone outside Thailand worried for their near and near ones in the country as they watched TV screens repeatedly flashing the same brief shots of tanks and the military marching into Bangkok city, the Thai’s in Bangkok were busy taking snapshots standing alongside army tanks and exchanging `peace’ roses with army personnel.
And for an economy thriving on tourism, Thailand is one of the safest places I have experienced. So after my initial few excited starry eyed days at the shopping malls I did the rounds of the heritage monuments located along the two banks of the Chao Phraya River. This included a long list of temples or Wats, as they are known in Thai. But except for Wat Arun, known as Temple of Dawn by the foreign tourist, I found the uniformity among these monuments very boring. Especially, the multitudes of small and big Wats within the vast expanse of the Grand Palace, which is not only the official residence of the King of Thailand, constructed in 1782, but also the venue for all royal ceremonies including coronations and funerals. See one Wat and you have seen them all. They are no doubt very `Grand’, like the very revered Wat dedicated to the Emerald Buddha; each and every structure within the Grand palace is gilded, elaborately decorated and meticulously maintained. But the sameness and relative newness of the monuments failed to enchant the archeologist in me. Instead I enjoyed getting lost in the smells and sights on the busy China town located next to the Palace.
All along my afternoon jaunts to these monuments, what actually tugged my mind was the umbilical cord that connected the cultures of this vast landmass called South East Asia. It may sound a bit pompous but the fact remains that rulers and traders from India had a big role in colonizing these regions. And along with them came our language, culture and traditions. Sanskrit is so neatly woven into the fabric of Thai language. But the pronunciation varies drastically and I found it an interesting exercise deciphering the Sanskrit root of words and names.
Speaking of cultural exchanges, the one most important set of guests that traveled to Suvarnabhoomi were our Hindu gods and goddesses! Thailand is a Buddhist country and follows the Theravada form of Buddhism, which incorporates a lot of Hindu beliefs and traditions, including animism and ancestor worship. Hence, although Wats are predominantly Buddhists, there are also temples dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma all over Thailand. Wat Arun, for instance, is dedicated to Aruna – the Hindu god of dawn. Like our very own temple gopuras, Wat Arun’s central 80 mt tall Prang or the Khmer style pagoda, symbolizes Mt Meru. Decorated with sea shells and bits of Chinese porcelain, it’s like a blazing tower reflecting the sun rays. Certain sculptural details are also common to all temples. Like the depiction of Nagas or serpents, on doorways, steps, candle stands, and railings surrounding the temple. Huge weapon bearing guardian Dwarapalas are also a must at the entrance to the temple. Hindu religious symbols are the same, except that they are dressed up in Thai traditional costumes and postures.
I was amazed to see the large numbers of devotees thronging the small corner temple at Erawan dedicated to Lord Brahma. Located on the main commercial street in Bangkok, this recent temple located at the site of an older temple is considered very holy. Similarly there are small roadside temples dedicated to Shiva and Ganesh. Most residential and commercial buildings have one or two miniature temples dedicated to Hindu Gods, built in wood or cement at the main entrance or in the Garden.
But even more far reaching is the influence that Indian gods, and related myths and epics have on the culture of South East Asia. Ramayana, for instance, is ingrained in most forms of performing arts, then be it dance-drama, or puppetry. In Thailand, while the main story remains identical to Valmiki’s Ramayana, the attire, including ornamental decoration, masks, and weapons, are typically local to the region. However, there are also interesting variations to the Ramleela performances in Indonesia, Malaysia, Lao, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka. Like the version in Sri Lanka, where Ravana the Asura king of Lanka, is depicted as the noble and just ruler and Rama of Ayodhya is the villain!! One could do extensive research on the diversity in narrative traditions of the Ramayana epic across South East Asia. Even more phenomenal is that most of the Ramayana performers in Indonesia and Malaysia are Muslims! I’ll come to that later. But certainly, when Gods travel across borders, they also become more tolerant and accommodating.
Similarly with festivals. Thai New Year is celebrated on Songkran day in the month of April. The word Songkran is derived from the Sanskrit sankrant, and symbolizes the same phenomenon of the Sun’s movement into the Makar or Aries zodiac; an occasion for Makarsankranti in the month of January in our country. It is believed that in ancient times this solar phenomenon was celebrated on the same day all over Southeast Asia. The next most important festival called the Loy Kratong in November coincides with the Tripurari Kartika Poornima in the month of Kartik on the Hindu calendar. Basically a celebration of the most auspicious full moon night of the twelfth lunar month or the winter solstice in the Christian calendar. Traditional festivals all over the world are rooted in seasonal changes, yet it’s amazing to note these close cultural ties between nations.
And for an economy thriving on tourism, Thailand is one of the safest places I have experienced. So after my initial few excited starry eyed days at the shopping malls I did the rounds of the heritage monuments located along the two banks of the Chao Phraya River. This included a long list of temples or Wats, as they are known in Thai. But except for Wat Arun, known as Temple of Dawn by the foreign tourist, I found the uniformity among these monuments very boring. Especially, the multitudes of small and big Wats within the vast expanse of the Grand Palace, which is not only the official residence of the King of Thailand, constructed in 1782, but also the venue for all royal ceremonies including coronations and funerals. See one Wat and you have seen them all. They are no doubt very `Grand’, like the very revered Wat dedicated to the Emerald Buddha; each and every structure within the Grand palace is gilded, elaborately decorated and meticulously maintained. But the sameness and relative newness of the monuments failed to enchant the archeologist in me. Instead I enjoyed getting lost in the smells and sights on the busy China town located next to the Palace.
All along my afternoon jaunts to these monuments, what actually tugged my mind was the umbilical cord that connected the cultures of this vast landmass called South East Asia. It may sound a bit pompous but the fact remains that rulers and traders from India had a big role in colonizing these regions. And along with them came our language, culture and traditions. Sanskrit is so neatly woven into the fabric of Thai language. But the pronunciation varies drastically and I found it an interesting exercise deciphering the Sanskrit root of words and names.
Speaking of cultural exchanges, the one most important set of guests that traveled to Suvarnabhoomi were our Hindu gods and goddesses! Thailand is a Buddhist country and follows the Theravada form of Buddhism, which incorporates a lot of Hindu beliefs and traditions, including animism and ancestor worship. Hence, although Wats are predominantly Buddhists, there are also temples dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma all over Thailand. Wat Arun, for instance, is dedicated to Aruna – the Hindu god of dawn. Like our very own temple gopuras, Wat Arun’s central 80 mt tall Prang or the Khmer style pagoda, symbolizes Mt Meru. Decorated with sea shells and bits of Chinese porcelain, it’s like a blazing tower reflecting the sun rays. Certain sculptural details are also common to all temples. Like the depiction of Nagas or serpents, on doorways, steps, candle stands, and railings surrounding the temple. Huge weapon bearing guardian Dwarapalas are also a must at the entrance to the temple. Hindu religious symbols are the same, except that they are dressed up in Thai traditional costumes and postures.
I was amazed to see the large numbers of devotees thronging the small corner temple at Erawan dedicated to Lord Brahma. Located on the main commercial street in Bangkok, this recent temple located at the site of an older temple is considered very holy. Similarly there are small roadside temples dedicated to Shiva and Ganesh. Most residential and commercial buildings have one or two miniature temples dedicated to Hindu Gods, built in wood or cement at the main entrance or in the Garden.
But even more far reaching is the influence that Indian gods, and related myths and epics have on the culture of South East Asia. Ramayana, for instance, is ingrained in most forms of performing arts, then be it dance-drama, or puppetry. In Thailand, while the main story remains identical to Valmiki’s Ramayana, the attire, including ornamental decoration, masks, and weapons, are typically local to the region. However, there are also interesting variations to the Ramleela performances in Indonesia, Malaysia, Lao, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka. Like the version in Sri Lanka, where Ravana the Asura king of Lanka, is depicted as the noble and just ruler and Rama of Ayodhya is the villain!! One could do extensive research on the diversity in narrative traditions of the Ramayana epic across South East Asia. Even more phenomenal is that most of the Ramayana performers in Indonesia and Malaysia are Muslims! I’ll come to that later. But certainly, when Gods travel across borders, they also become more tolerant and accommodating.
Similarly with festivals. Thai New Year is celebrated on Songkran day in the month of April. The word Songkran is derived from the Sanskrit sankrant, and symbolizes the same phenomenon of the Sun’s movement into the Makar or Aries zodiac; an occasion for Makarsankranti in the month of January in our country. It is believed that in ancient times this solar phenomenon was celebrated on the same day all over Southeast Asia. The next most important festival called the Loy Kratong in November coincides with the Tripurari Kartika Poornima in the month of Kartik on the Hindu calendar. Basically a celebration of the most auspicious full moon night of the twelfth lunar month or the winter solstice in the Christian calendar. Traditional festivals all over the world are rooted in seasonal changes, yet it’s amazing to note these close cultural ties between nations.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Siam Sojourns
Siam Sojourns
For a late riser like me, seeing any place in the early morning hours is always a novel experience. So, as a lecturer at a college in Bangkok, when I had no choice but to get up in the wee hours of morning for work, the experience was truly refreshing. Not only were my taxi rides to college a breeze on the otherwise chock-a-block arterial nerve for tourists in Bangkok called Sukhumvit road. But so also were the sights and smells, till then unfamiliar to me of a world popular `shopping and fun’ holiday destination, totally enlightening. The early morning peace and calm mixed with the sweet fragrance of joss sticks is in complete contradiction to the glitter and clamour in the evenings along the same roads. And the presence of Buddhist monks in rust and maroon coloured robes, collecting alms and offering blessings to devotees at street corners lends a special grace to the morning cityscape which is diametrically opposite to the sleazy glamour at the thronging beer parlours and go-go bars along the same by lanes which double up as `cowboy streets’ in the evenings packed with enticing bar girls and preening party `arm-candies`.
Had it not been for my early morning sojourns, I would have completely missed these remnants of Thai cultural essence on the streets of Bangkok. But well, Bangkok is not Thailand. And that can be said for most of the big cities of the world. Modern cities are not representatives of the cultural core of a country or a region. They are rather a by-product of the various processes that took place in recent history. Bangkok, for instance, is not more than 200 years old. An independent Thai capital came to be formed at Sukhothai in northern Thailand in the 13th Century, because of the disintegration of the Khmer empire in Cambodia. But within a century the kingdom at Sukhothai was overthrown by an emerging new Kingdom of Ayutthaya along the banks of the Chao Phraya River, a little further north of Bangkok. Ayutthaya grew as a trading centre, with growing contacts with traders from India, China, Arabia and the European world. But unfortunately the thriving city of Ayutthaya was burnt and ransacked by the invading Burmese army in the latter half of the 18th Century. Subsequently, the capital was moved to Thonburi, now better known as a suburb of Bangkok. The present Era of Thai history began when Bangkok was established as the official capital of Thailand by King Rama I in 1782. This also marked the beginning of the line of Kings belonging to the present reigning Chakri dynasty. It is not only the world’s oldest surviving Monarchy, but the present king is also the longest reigning Monarch.
As a teacher in Thailand, I was in for more surprises. I noticed that my students never stood straight in front of me, but bend gently from one knee. Reverence and respect to ones teacher, then be it an academic or a spiritual preacher, is indeed deeply woven into Thai life. And it is strictly adhered to in schools and junior colleges. These experiences were learning for me. For a tourist in Bangkok, it is a little difficult to imagine that such values exist. Because, what we see, moving on from the polite smiles and graceful `swadhika` greetings of the Thai airhostesses, is an ultra modern airport and city. All it takes is a walk down main Sukhumvit road, with its odd and even numbered streets, or Soi as it’s called in Thai, on either side. And that is if you enjoy jostling and paving a path through crowded sidewalks!! Forget the umpteen numbers of shops lining the streets, but even the pavements are teeming with vendors, selling anything from souvenirs to t-shirts to designer duplicates of everything under the sun.
The enormity of some of the glitzy malls is sometimes staggering even for visitors from downtown Manhattan! But the glamorous Bangkok that we see of today is a very recent transformation. It includes the sky train, the metro, and the fancy malls where one could either spend time buying a Ferrari or visit the huge `ocean world’ created in the basement of one of Asia’s largest shopping complex! And of course the ever mushrooming small and big massage parlours and exotic spas which form the chief attraction at all holiday destinations within Thailand.
I have personally witnessed these rapid developments in the past 7 years. Bangkok is on a demolition spree of all things old and quaint. Every old bungalow, pretty wooden Thai style constructions are being knocked down and replaced with skyscrapers. A few of these get converted into boutique hotels and spas; others are simply broken down for the soaring real estate value of land, especially on prime locations of Bangkok. The constant buzz of construction work is a well know soundscape of the city. It’s strange to note that even during the busiest of traffic hours the roads are quiet with no honking or brakes screeching, thanks to the polite and patient ways of the Buddhist; but the din of construction work in every street cannot be missed.
But the roots of these recent developments go back a little further. Despite the strong western trade relations and cultural influences, which in fact, led to many reforms in the 19th Century, Thailand as a country was never colonised by any western power. Historians attribute it to strong and able leadership by Thai Kings and ministers. Besides, Thailand hasn’t seen a war in the past 200 years. It wasn’t part of WWII even. In fact, Bangkok did well as a peaceful buffer zone between warring nations. Many Indians and Chinese saw this as an opportunity to set up shops selling essentials like food grains, cloth, and shoes to the armies in the neighbouring army camps. These products are the chief exports of Thailand even today. Bangkok rose not just as the business and industrial centre of an agrarian Thailand, but also the `rest and relaxation’ hub of the world; of-late complete with `holiday companions` in all shapes and gender, offering all kinds of services.
I say gender, because honestly, it’s one city which has put me at complete ease with transsexuals. Being the most happening place for all sorts of cosmetic and sex-change surgeries, Bangkok has a large community of transsexuals. Fondly called as `lady boys’, they are an accepted lot with no apparent stigma attached. Employed mostly at restaurants and shopping malls, they are a big hit as night club performers. More on them and the rest of `Amazing Thailand’ later......
For a late riser like me, seeing any place in the early morning hours is always a novel experience. So, as a lecturer at a college in Bangkok, when I had no choice but to get up in the wee hours of morning for work, the experience was truly refreshing. Not only were my taxi rides to college a breeze on the otherwise chock-a-block arterial nerve for tourists in Bangkok called Sukhumvit road. But so also were the sights and smells, till then unfamiliar to me of a world popular `shopping and fun’ holiday destination, totally enlightening. The early morning peace and calm mixed with the sweet fragrance of joss sticks is in complete contradiction to the glitter and clamour in the evenings along the same roads. And the presence of Buddhist monks in rust and maroon coloured robes, collecting alms and offering blessings to devotees at street corners lends a special grace to the morning cityscape which is diametrically opposite to the sleazy glamour at the thronging beer parlours and go-go bars along the same by lanes which double up as `cowboy streets’ in the evenings packed with enticing bar girls and preening party `arm-candies`.
Had it not been for my early morning sojourns, I would have completely missed these remnants of Thai cultural essence on the streets of Bangkok. But well, Bangkok is not Thailand. And that can be said for most of the big cities of the world. Modern cities are not representatives of the cultural core of a country or a region. They are rather a by-product of the various processes that took place in recent history. Bangkok, for instance, is not more than 200 years old. An independent Thai capital came to be formed at Sukhothai in northern Thailand in the 13th Century, because of the disintegration of the Khmer empire in Cambodia. But within a century the kingdom at Sukhothai was overthrown by an emerging new Kingdom of Ayutthaya along the banks of the Chao Phraya River, a little further north of Bangkok. Ayutthaya grew as a trading centre, with growing contacts with traders from India, China, Arabia and the European world. But unfortunately the thriving city of Ayutthaya was burnt and ransacked by the invading Burmese army in the latter half of the 18th Century. Subsequently, the capital was moved to Thonburi, now better known as a suburb of Bangkok. The present Era of Thai history began when Bangkok was established as the official capital of Thailand by King Rama I in 1782. This also marked the beginning of the line of Kings belonging to the present reigning Chakri dynasty. It is not only the world’s oldest surviving Monarchy, but the present king is also the longest reigning Monarch.
As a teacher in Thailand, I was in for more surprises. I noticed that my students never stood straight in front of me, but bend gently from one knee. Reverence and respect to ones teacher, then be it an academic or a spiritual preacher, is indeed deeply woven into Thai life. And it is strictly adhered to in schools and junior colleges. These experiences were learning for me. For a tourist in Bangkok, it is a little difficult to imagine that such values exist. Because, what we see, moving on from the polite smiles and graceful `swadhika` greetings of the Thai airhostesses, is an ultra modern airport and city. All it takes is a walk down main Sukhumvit road, with its odd and even numbered streets, or Soi as it’s called in Thai, on either side. And that is if you enjoy jostling and paving a path through crowded sidewalks!! Forget the umpteen numbers of shops lining the streets, but even the pavements are teeming with vendors, selling anything from souvenirs to t-shirts to designer duplicates of everything under the sun.
The enormity of some of the glitzy malls is sometimes staggering even for visitors from downtown Manhattan! But the glamorous Bangkok that we see of today is a very recent transformation. It includes the sky train, the metro, and the fancy malls where one could either spend time buying a Ferrari or visit the huge `ocean world’ created in the basement of one of Asia’s largest shopping complex! And of course the ever mushrooming small and big massage parlours and exotic spas which form the chief attraction at all holiday destinations within Thailand.
I have personally witnessed these rapid developments in the past 7 years. Bangkok is on a demolition spree of all things old and quaint. Every old bungalow, pretty wooden Thai style constructions are being knocked down and replaced with skyscrapers. A few of these get converted into boutique hotels and spas; others are simply broken down for the soaring real estate value of land, especially on prime locations of Bangkok. The constant buzz of construction work is a well know soundscape of the city. It’s strange to note that even during the busiest of traffic hours the roads are quiet with no honking or brakes screeching, thanks to the polite and patient ways of the Buddhist; but the din of construction work in every street cannot be missed.
But the roots of these recent developments go back a little further. Despite the strong western trade relations and cultural influences, which in fact, led to many reforms in the 19th Century, Thailand as a country was never colonised by any western power. Historians attribute it to strong and able leadership by Thai Kings and ministers. Besides, Thailand hasn’t seen a war in the past 200 years. It wasn’t part of WWII even. In fact, Bangkok did well as a peaceful buffer zone between warring nations. Many Indians and Chinese saw this as an opportunity to set up shops selling essentials like food grains, cloth, and shoes to the armies in the neighbouring army camps. These products are the chief exports of Thailand even today. Bangkok rose not just as the business and industrial centre of an agrarian Thailand, but also the `rest and relaxation’ hub of the world; of-late complete with `holiday companions` in all shapes and gender, offering all kinds of services.
I say gender, because honestly, it’s one city which has put me at complete ease with transsexuals. Being the most happening place for all sorts of cosmetic and sex-change surgeries, Bangkok has a large community of transsexuals. Fondly called as `lady boys’, they are an accepted lot with no apparent stigma attached. Employed mostly at restaurants and shopping malls, they are a big hit as night club performers. More on them and the rest of `Amazing Thailand’ later......
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
The Pepper Empire
The Pepper Empire
There is a huge boulder called Velliamkallu, 10 km into the sea from Payyoli beach near Kozikode. Local lore has it that during the Portuguese rule, murderers and serious law offenders were executed here and thrown off the rock into the sea. A morbid history to an otherwise peaceful beach surrounds. But that’s what the entire stretch of the western coast of India is – a strip of land that attracted traders, travelers and rulers, resulting in not just a tumultuous and fascinating history of activities from ancient times, but also a series of colonization in the 500 years of recent history. The Portuguese led the way and spread their Pepper Empire all around the Indian coast; particularly along the Western coast.
We have, indeed, come a long way from understanding a nation’s growth purely on the basis of its geology and geography but their significance in forming the culture, politics, economics and even language of a region, is still a determining factor. The importance of the Western Coast during the ancient times cannot be ignored. And all it takes is a drive along NH 17, and a few minor detours here and there, to understand and enjoy this.
The Indus valley settlements along the Gujarat coast, and in the Great Rann of Kutch, dating as far back as the 3rd millennium BC have unearthed monumental evidence for long standing maritime contact with Mesopotamia and Egypt. This was followed by a flourish of Greeco Roman trade and settlements, around the turn of the millennium all along the Peninsular coast line . The recent excavations at Patanam, near Kodungallur in Central Kerala have shed further light on this connection. Besides excavations, there are interesting references to the culture and economy of these regions, in the works of Greco Roman geographers, explorers, and political envoys. Dioscorides, the Greek Physician who was a contemporary of Pliny, describes the medicinal virtues of spices like pepper and turmeric from the Western coast in his treatise. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea has frequent references to Barygaza (Bharuch in Gujarat) and Muziris (identified as the regions around Kodungallur in Central Kerala). All these fascinating references to a far away land must have poked the curiosity of later travelers.
The sea trade route began at the Mediterranean coast, crossing over the Nile delta, into the Red sea, and out into the Arabian Sea at the Gulf of Aden onto the Indian shores. But in 45AD the discovery of the existing monsoon winds enabled a straight sail from Aden to Muziris; thus avoiding skirting along the Arab coast. Port towns of Bharuch, Nala sopara, and Kalyan north of Bombay, and many smaller centres further south remained active well into the historic period.
But the arrival of one man changed the cultural landscape of the entire western coast of India. Its effects linger on. Not just in nooks and crannies, but entire cities and states of Peninsular India. The man - Vasco de Gama from Portugal. Improved navigational skills and techniques facilitated direct sailing across the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. It eliminated the perils of close encounters with pirates and hard to pass middle men along the narrow Red sea. So saddled with an excellent knowledge of the African coastline, Vasco set sail to India from Lisbon in 1497, decidedly to explore a new sea route which would break the monopoly of the Venetian merchants over sea trade. He sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and into the Arabian Sea and reached the port town of Calicut in Kerala in May 1498. Vasco literally fulfilled the dream of Portuguese explorer Bartholomew Dias, who had explored the route upto South Africa. Although not welcomed initially in Calicut, his subsequent voyage to Kerala coast with a fleet of warships saw a warm welcome at Cochin and later again at Calicut in 1502. Thus the Portuguese became the first to colonize along the Indian shores. They established the first European trading centre at Quilon in 1502. Although items of trade included cottons, silks, indigo, incense, precious stones and various other indigenous product, Indian spices were the most coveted items of trade.
Within a few years a headquarters was set up in Goa, although trade continued to be managed from Kozhikode, Kochi, and Kollam ports in Kerala. Slowly and steadily the Pepper Empire grew. Provinces north of Goa were managed from Bassein (modern Vasai, near Bombay). From the western most outpost at the island of Diu in Gujarat, the Empire followed a steady trail along the Western coast at Daman, Vasai, Bombay, Chaul, Goa, Honavar, Basrur, Mangalore, Calicut, Cannanore, Cochin and Quilon. This trail continues along the Coromandle coast from Tuticorin, all the way upto Hoogly in modern Bengal.
Following this coastal trail by road, beginning at the amazing fort and cathedral at the island of Diu in Gujarat, upto Fort Kochi in Kerala, is like surfing through the high and low waves of Portuguese heritage in India. What is obviously visible to the eye is the well preserved monuments; particularly the Bom Jesus World Heritage monument complex in Goa or the St. Angelo’s fort at Kannur, Kerala. But for the ardent history buffs, the dilapidated remains of once glorious monuments at smaller centre like Chaul, in Maharashtra can also tell a tale.
What we often forget is the distinct cultural ethos that these trade contacts and colonization’s give to the entire region. The 400 years of Portuguese rule is still alive at these towns, in its architecture, language, food and the inimitable `indigenous’ catholic flavor to the very being of states like Goa. The road side Cupolas along the streets is a unique cultural symbol all along these settlements. The urgency with which the colonizers enforced the supremacy of the Roman Catholic Church on the locals in a series of bloody inquisition all across the coast can be sensed in the prisons and gallows at the spooky fortified abandoned `ghost’ towns at all the Portuguese strongholds.
The introduction of food preserves like vinegar, techniques of baking, or the acceptance of pork as a meat consumed by the civilized may be minor aspects of the assimilation process. But direct trade with the vast western market had far reaching impact on the coastal economy. It led to commercial cultivation of home garden spices like pepper and ginger, improved techniques for coconut plantations and it’s by product, and many such experiments. But the introduction of `outward looking’ houses with balconies to `see and be seen’ and large windows, is my favorite. Certainly in stark contrast to the prevalent closed structures of the times, with rooms opening to a central courtyard.
There is a huge boulder called Velliamkallu, 10 km into the sea from Payyoli beach near Kozikode. Local lore has it that during the Portuguese rule, murderers and serious law offenders were executed here and thrown off the rock into the sea. A morbid history to an otherwise peaceful beach surrounds. But that’s what the entire stretch of the western coast of India is – a strip of land that attracted traders, travelers and rulers, resulting in not just a tumultuous and fascinating history of activities from ancient times, but also a series of colonization in the 500 years of recent history. The Portuguese led the way and spread their Pepper Empire all around the Indian coast; particularly along the Western coast.
We have, indeed, come a long way from understanding a nation’s growth purely on the basis of its geology and geography but their significance in forming the culture, politics, economics and even language of a region, is still a determining factor. The importance of the Western Coast during the ancient times cannot be ignored. And all it takes is a drive along NH 17, and a few minor detours here and there, to understand and enjoy this.
The Indus valley settlements along the Gujarat coast, and in the Great Rann of Kutch, dating as far back as the 3rd millennium BC have unearthed monumental evidence for long standing maritime contact with Mesopotamia and Egypt. This was followed by a flourish of Greeco Roman trade and settlements, around the turn of the millennium all along the Peninsular coast line . The recent excavations at Patanam, near Kodungallur in Central Kerala have shed further light on this connection. Besides excavations, there are interesting references to the culture and economy of these regions, in the works of Greco Roman geographers, explorers, and political envoys. Dioscorides, the Greek Physician who was a contemporary of Pliny, describes the medicinal virtues of spices like pepper and turmeric from the Western coast in his treatise. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea has frequent references to Barygaza (Bharuch in Gujarat) and Muziris (identified as the regions around Kodungallur in Central Kerala). All these fascinating references to a far away land must have poked the curiosity of later travelers.
The sea trade route began at the Mediterranean coast, crossing over the Nile delta, into the Red sea, and out into the Arabian Sea at the Gulf of Aden onto the Indian shores. But in 45AD the discovery of the existing monsoon winds enabled a straight sail from Aden to Muziris; thus avoiding skirting along the Arab coast. Port towns of Bharuch, Nala sopara, and Kalyan north of Bombay, and many smaller centres further south remained active well into the historic period.
But the arrival of one man changed the cultural landscape of the entire western coast of India. Its effects linger on. Not just in nooks and crannies, but entire cities and states of Peninsular India. The man - Vasco de Gama from Portugal. Improved navigational skills and techniques facilitated direct sailing across the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. It eliminated the perils of close encounters with pirates and hard to pass middle men along the narrow Red sea. So saddled with an excellent knowledge of the African coastline, Vasco set sail to India from Lisbon in 1497, decidedly to explore a new sea route which would break the monopoly of the Venetian merchants over sea trade. He sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and into the Arabian Sea and reached the port town of Calicut in Kerala in May 1498. Vasco literally fulfilled the dream of Portuguese explorer Bartholomew Dias, who had explored the route upto South Africa. Although not welcomed initially in Calicut, his subsequent voyage to Kerala coast with a fleet of warships saw a warm welcome at Cochin and later again at Calicut in 1502. Thus the Portuguese became the first to colonize along the Indian shores. They established the first European trading centre at Quilon in 1502. Although items of trade included cottons, silks, indigo, incense, precious stones and various other indigenous product, Indian spices were the most coveted items of trade.
Within a few years a headquarters was set up in Goa, although trade continued to be managed from Kozhikode, Kochi, and Kollam ports in Kerala. Slowly and steadily the Pepper Empire grew. Provinces north of Goa were managed from Bassein (modern Vasai, near Bombay). From the western most outpost at the island of Diu in Gujarat, the Empire followed a steady trail along the Western coast at Daman, Vasai, Bombay, Chaul, Goa, Honavar, Basrur, Mangalore, Calicut, Cannanore, Cochin and Quilon. This trail continues along the Coromandle coast from Tuticorin, all the way upto Hoogly in modern Bengal.
Following this coastal trail by road, beginning at the amazing fort and cathedral at the island of Diu in Gujarat, upto Fort Kochi in Kerala, is like surfing through the high and low waves of Portuguese heritage in India. What is obviously visible to the eye is the well preserved monuments; particularly the Bom Jesus World Heritage monument complex in Goa or the St. Angelo’s fort at Kannur, Kerala. But for the ardent history buffs, the dilapidated remains of once glorious monuments at smaller centre like Chaul, in Maharashtra can also tell a tale.
What we often forget is the distinct cultural ethos that these trade contacts and colonization’s give to the entire region. The 400 years of Portuguese rule is still alive at these towns, in its architecture, language, food and the inimitable `indigenous’ catholic flavor to the very being of states like Goa. The road side Cupolas along the streets is a unique cultural symbol all along these settlements. The urgency with which the colonizers enforced the supremacy of the Roman Catholic Church on the locals in a series of bloody inquisition all across the coast can be sensed in the prisons and gallows at the spooky fortified abandoned `ghost’ towns at all the Portuguese strongholds.
The introduction of food preserves like vinegar, techniques of baking, or the acceptance of pork as a meat consumed by the civilized may be minor aspects of the assimilation process. But direct trade with the vast western market had far reaching impact on the coastal economy. It led to commercial cultivation of home garden spices like pepper and ginger, improved techniques for coconut plantations and it’s by product, and many such experiments. But the introduction of `outward looking’ houses with balconies to `see and be seen’ and large windows, is my favorite. Certainly in stark contrast to the prevalent closed structures of the times, with rooms opening to a central courtyard.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Myanmar III – In a time warp
Long live the chaaya kadas of the world. Then be it a European sidewalk café, a Bombay tapri, a Kerala thattu kada or the Burmese tea shop. This is the best place to take a deep breath, sit back with a cup of steaming tea and enjoy the world go by. It’s here that I put my rule number one of my very own `travel survival lessons’ into practice. Always keep your eyes, nose and ears open to the sights, smells and sounds around you.
So, while Ameena and I rounded off my Mandalay visit over a cup of tea, my eyes trained on the psychedelic coloured cream cakes, which looked more sugar paste than cream, in the glass cabinets of one of the popular `Burma Tea Shop’, I tuned my ears to the cacophony of chatter around me. Ameena informed me that, the tea shops in Myanmar were the venue for striking business deals of all kinds. Men, mostly in colourful checkered lungis and women, in bordered or floral lungis, raised banter. While it was impossible to see young women or for that matter young men, hanging out at the tea shops in Mandalay, the older women folk looked very comfortable sharing table with men and discussing business over a cup of tea.
South and South East Asian society is pretty much conservative. But perhaps even more so in Myanmar. Having kept the rest of the world out of the country since independence, Myanmar is far behind in all things fashionable and glamorous. In fact, it was difficult to see people in a costume other than the lungi, except in Yangon. Most Burmese men I saw on the streets and tea shops were `rice beer' pot bellied. Donning their lungi like a skirt, with a protruding bunched knot on the belly, with huge cheroot like local cigar in one hand, and guzzling strong tea with the other, they do make an interesting sight.
I did wonder about the checkered lungis when I visited a cottage weaving unit at Mandalay. Especially the pattern, tiny and large intertwining or simple squares, in earthy shades of all colors, is so popular all over Southern and Eastern India. What came to my mind were the Early Historic records of the weavers of Paithan in Maharastra, and their community’s subsequent spread to the regions of Deccan, Central and Western India during Medieval periods. In more recent times, the colonization of Myanmar by Indians, and particularly by people from the Deccan, could have influenced the fabric patterns at the weaving units set up by the Britishers.
Besides colonization’s, the country was also a hotspot for rebel exile. The veteran freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak was exiled at the Mandalay Prison between 1908-1914. There are also stories about large number of Mappila rebels who were deported to Burma and the Andaman after the 1921 rebellion in Malabar region of Kerala. In fact, there are a large number of people from the Malabar region in Kerala who went to Burma those days. One eminent Malayalam writer, U A Khader, was born there to a Burmese mother and a Malabari father from Koyilandy. The stories of U A Khader are strewn with memories of his early days in Myanmar, making the writer seem more Burmese, than a Malayalee. Another famous Malayalam writer, Punathil Kunhabdulla, also has similar Burmese connection. His father, from Vatakara in Kerala, lived in British Burma for a long time before returning to Malabar. While in Burma, he married a Burmese woman and raised a family. Recently, Kunhabdulla toured Burma in search of his Burmese cousins. Like some of his stories, his recent travelogue on this trip, has several references to his Burmese past. The presence of the multitudes of Indians in Burma also brings to mind the poem `Assam Panikkaar’ meaning `workers from Assam’ by the famous poet Krishna Warrier.
In that sense Myanmar was a perfect melting pot. It is now difficult to disentangle the various threads from India, Nepal, China, and Thailand from this tapestry called Myanmar. The cultural ethos is predominantly Buddhist, and perhaps that’s why it wasn’t too difficult to accommodate the various strains from the above four nations. Except for a few savory items, the modern eating habits in Burma are more akin to Chinese and Thai cuisines. The flashes of modernity in Yangon are all a reflection of the ever growing contingent of Burmese in Thailand.
This melting pot was always boiling over with social and political strife. Right from historical times, the country has been at political cross-roads. In recent history, all minor and major clashes by displaced locals and rebel ethnic groups were controlled and contained by the British forces. Myanmar’s involvement in the WWII further deteriorated the nation. It resulted in large scale migration of human population across the borders. Thousands died on `The Trek’ across the Indian border. Many rich merchants and traders moved their business to the islands of Malaysia and Singapore. A massive contingent of Indians, Chinese and Burmese labour force moved to the islands mostly as Rubber plantation workers.
Today Myanmar is the poorest nation in South East Asia. Constant political turbulence, corruption and mismanagement of nation’s resources has stagnated and isolated the nation. It has become famous for its transnational drug trade. Myanmar is the world’s 2nd largest producer of opium and a major player in the `Golden Triangle’ of drug trade across its northern border with China and Thailand. Most of the coveted Burmese red rubies and yellow sapphires, from the Mogak mines, near Mymyo, get sold in the black market. The working conditions of the miners at these quarries are just one of the many human rights violations in Myanmar.
Myanmar is awaiting a revival. Seeing the wealth of heritage and culture in the regions around its heart called Mandalay, one cannot but wish for it. The world needs to see and know more of this forgotten landmass. Experience the life around the fertile plains of the Irrawady and at the Yangon delta. And while at it, take time off to appreciate the fine silversmiths and their splendid filigree work at Saigon, the exquisitely embroidered carpets, with stuffed appliqué work and sequins at Inwa, the leather string puppets with dazzling embroidery and wooden heads at Amrapura, and to take a stroll along the line of stalls by the Irrawady, selling water-colour paintings by contemporary artists, most of them repeats of a popular scene or portrait. This fascination with water-colour art, I learned, was also a left-over British tradition, when the white sahibs and memsahibs took time off to paint the `quaint’ life along the Irrawady. Yes, its time to start afresh.
So, while Ameena and I rounded off my Mandalay visit over a cup of tea, my eyes trained on the psychedelic coloured cream cakes, which looked more sugar paste than cream, in the glass cabinets of one of the popular `Burma Tea Shop’, I tuned my ears to the cacophony of chatter around me. Ameena informed me that, the tea shops in Myanmar were the venue for striking business deals of all kinds. Men, mostly in colourful checkered lungis and women, in bordered or floral lungis, raised banter. While it was impossible to see young women or for that matter young men, hanging out at the tea shops in Mandalay, the older women folk looked very comfortable sharing table with men and discussing business over a cup of tea.
South and South East Asian society is pretty much conservative. But perhaps even more so in Myanmar. Having kept the rest of the world out of the country since independence, Myanmar is far behind in all things fashionable and glamorous. In fact, it was difficult to see people in a costume other than the lungi, except in Yangon. Most Burmese men I saw on the streets and tea shops were `rice beer' pot bellied. Donning their lungi like a skirt, with a protruding bunched knot on the belly, with huge cheroot like local cigar in one hand, and guzzling strong tea with the other, they do make an interesting sight.
I did wonder about the checkered lungis when I visited a cottage weaving unit at Mandalay. Especially the pattern, tiny and large intertwining or simple squares, in earthy shades of all colors, is so popular all over Southern and Eastern India. What came to my mind were the Early Historic records of the weavers of Paithan in Maharastra, and their community’s subsequent spread to the regions of Deccan, Central and Western India during Medieval periods. In more recent times, the colonization of Myanmar by Indians, and particularly by people from the Deccan, could have influenced the fabric patterns at the weaving units set up by the Britishers.
Besides colonization’s, the country was also a hotspot for rebel exile. The veteran freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak was exiled at the Mandalay Prison between 1908-1914. There are also stories about large number of Mappila rebels who were deported to Burma and the Andaman after the 1921 rebellion in Malabar region of Kerala. In fact, there are a large number of people from the Malabar region in Kerala who went to Burma those days. One eminent Malayalam writer, U A Khader, was born there to a Burmese mother and a Malabari father from Koyilandy. The stories of U A Khader are strewn with memories of his early days in Myanmar, making the writer seem more Burmese, than a Malayalee. Another famous Malayalam writer, Punathil Kunhabdulla, also has similar Burmese connection. His father, from Vatakara in Kerala, lived in British Burma for a long time before returning to Malabar. While in Burma, he married a Burmese woman and raised a family. Recently, Kunhabdulla toured Burma in search of his Burmese cousins. Like some of his stories, his recent travelogue on this trip, has several references to his Burmese past. The presence of the multitudes of Indians in Burma also brings to mind the poem `Assam Panikkaar’ meaning `workers from Assam’ by the famous poet Krishna Warrier.
In that sense Myanmar was a perfect melting pot. It is now difficult to disentangle the various threads from India, Nepal, China, and Thailand from this tapestry called Myanmar. The cultural ethos is predominantly Buddhist, and perhaps that’s why it wasn’t too difficult to accommodate the various strains from the above four nations. Except for a few savory items, the modern eating habits in Burma are more akin to Chinese and Thai cuisines. The flashes of modernity in Yangon are all a reflection of the ever growing contingent of Burmese in Thailand.
This melting pot was always boiling over with social and political strife. Right from historical times, the country has been at political cross-roads. In recent history, all minor and major clashes by displaced locals and rebel ethnic groups were controlled and contained by the British forces. Myanmar’s involvement in the WWII further deteriorated the nation. It resulted in large scale migration of human population across the borders. Thousands died on `The Trek’ across the Indian border. Many rich merchants and traders moved their business to the islands of Malaysia and Singapore. A massive contingent of Indians, Chinese and Burmese labour force moved to the islands mostly as Rubber plantation workers.
Today Myanmar is the poorest nation in South East Asia. Constant political turbulence, corruption and mismanagement of nation’s resources has stagnated and isolated the nation. It has become famous for its transnational drug trade. Myanmar is the world’s 2nd largest producer of opium and a major player in the `Golden Triangle’ of drug trade across its northern border with China and Thailand. Most of the coveted Burmese red rubies and yellow sapphires, from the Mogak mines, near Mymyo, get sold in the black market. The working conditions of the miners at these quarries are just one of the many human rights violations in Myanmar.
Myanmar is awaiting a revival. Seeing the wealth of heritage and culture in the regions around its heart called Mandalay, one cannot but wish for it. The world needs to see and know more of this forgotten landmass. Experience the life around the fertile plains of the Irrawady and at the Yangon delta. And while at it, take time off to appreciate the fine silversmiths and their splendid filigree work at Saigon, the exquisitely embroidered carpets, with stuffed appliqué work and sequins at Inwa, the leather string puppets with dazzling embroidery and wooden heads at Amrapura, and to take a stroll along the line of stalls by the Irrawady, selling water-colour paintings by contemporary artists, most of them repeats of a popular scene or portrait. This fascination with water-colour art, I learned, was also a left-over British tradition, when the white sahibs and memsahibs took time off to paint the `quaint’ life along the Irrawady. Yes, its time to start afresh.
Myanmar II – My Irrawady sojourn
After an overnight bus ride from Yangon, I took a days rest at Mymyo, the `only’ hill station in Myanmar, located close to Mandalay. I stayed at this very colonial British club house turned resort; a charming red mansion with a lovely driveway, garden, patio, and balcony on the outside and a warm and cozy interior, complete with a piano, fire place and banister stairways from the past. A fumbling entourage of humble employees ensured a comfortable stay. Other than a vast, beautiful botanical garden, in excellent maintenance, Mymyo is a quaint town with a smattering of lovely colonial bungalows which are mostly abandoned. As usual, the markets are still alive. The neat rows of shops, with old and new signboards of bakers, and merchants, reminded me of its cantonment past. I could imagine a lively market, bustling with young, smart railway and army officers, taking a few days break from work and the humid weather at Yangon, Mandalay or the teak jungles to enjoy English breakfast at the sunny roadside cafes of Mymyo. But today, this pretty little market, struggles to bake a decent loaf of bread.
My guide, Ameena, a third generation, half Tamil, half Burmese Muslim lady, received me the next day morning and we were on our 2 hour ride to Mandalay. She was more a companion than a guide, and talking to her made interesting learning about migrant populations in Myanmar. She said she lived in Mandalay, in a locality full of `Madrasis’. Undoubtedly, the legacy of migrants from the Madras Presidency lives on in Myanmar. There is also a huge population of people of Nepali origins settled in Myanmar; particularly in Mymyo. Known as Gorkhalese, most of them have an ancestry in Myanmar dating back to the Raj.
We drove past teak wood plantations, which looked more like forests interspersed with quaint vegetable farms, and flower beds. I watched the trucks, laden with amazingly huge cylinders of teak go by. But even more fascinating were the vans loaded with tons of neatly stacked flowers!! All on their way to the Thai border. Mymyo is well known for its horticulture efforts since the British time. But the tradition of decorating homes with fancy flowers is long since gone with the British.
Finally, I was in Mandalay, facing the prominent Mandalay hills, sprouting many old and new pagodas all uniformly painted white with golden domes. Ameena and I, headed straight for the Fort Palace, in the northern end of the city, surrounded by a wide moat, connected with a bridge on all four sides. The present wood palace is actually an exercise in reconstruction after the original 1857 palace it was thoroughly razed to the ground in the WW II bombings. The king’s private apartment, `The Glass Palace’ dazzled in the hot afternoon sun. It’s not just the most extensively gilded among the many official and residential structures within the fort complex, but it’s also the most elaborately decorated with tiny bits of colored glass. It literally `reflects’ its short-lived grandeur.
Although Mandalay city was founded as recently as 1857 by King Mindon, it is surrounded by medieval history on either side of a lifeline called River Irrawady. After the fall of the `Golden Era’ at Pagan in the 12th Century the towns of Saigon, Inwa, Amrapura, and Mingun saw successive back and forth as political nerve centres. And there is something special about each of these settlements.
At Amrapura, for instance, a visit to the 100 year old Mahagandhayon Monastry, one of the largest in the world, is a must. The monastery is home to several thousands of young and old monks. The Bagaya Monastry of Inwa, built completely of teakwood in 1834, is a phenomenal piece of architecture with some of the supporting teak pillars as large as 3m in circumference. It is definitely one of its kind heritage monument. Although, blackened with age, its intricate carvings, the lacquered pillars and gilded cool interiors are still resplendent in beauty. Saigon too has many monasteries and pagodas. Rebuilt and renovated over the centuries, some of the pagodas on the Saigon hills, date back to the 14th century. Amrapura also boasts of the longest surviving teak wood bridge in the world. Although rickety, this 150 year old and 1.2 km long bridge connects villages along the lagoons and islands on the Irrawady and is still used by pedestrians and cyclists.
Mingun is 11kms upstream of Mandalay, on the opposite bank of the Irrawady. Had it not been for the 200 year old Mingun Pagoda, this sleepy village wouldn’t stand a chance in history’s memory. The Pagoda is most certainly one of the most amazing architectural remains in Myanmar. It’s huge. Reportedly, the massive earthquake in 1838 reduced its height to half. Or else the pagoda would have been the largest in the world. The remaining half itself looks formidable, with gaping cracks cutting across its `all brick’ edifice. I thoroughly enjoyed my bullock cart rides to the pagodas, along the vast alluvial plains of this village.
But, it was sailing across the Irrawady to reach Mingun, which will remain my most memorable experience about Myanmar. I have this penchant for crossing arterial rivers like Irrawady, which cuts across one or several countries. The quiet solitary ride on the upper deck of the motorized boat, watching the Mingun Pagoda, rise like an isolated hill on the flat banks in the horizon, will always remain afresh in my memory. Every river is a lifeline. And rivers like the Irrawady, are indeed so. Starting at its two main tributaries, Rivers Mihika and the Mallika in the northern states, the Irrawady cuts across the entire length of Burma. The agrarian economy and the teakwood trade of British Burma, was completely dependent on this. The river was the most convenient mode of transportation for massive loads of teakwood from the forested upper reaches of Myanmar, to the docks at Yangon. There are references to how river Irrawady had more wood in the water than water itself!!
Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to the 4000 and more monuments at Pagan, further north of Mandalay. That’s because I didn’t want to rush Pagan. I wanted a week long stay just in Pagan to explore the `Golden Era’ architectural remains. “Maybe sometime soon”, said Ameena, as we rounded off our trip at one of the many popular tea shop restaurants. And yes, there was still so much more to see and learn of contemporary Myanmar in Mandalay.
My guide, Ameena, a third generation, half Tamil, half Burmese Muslim lady, received me the next day morning and we were on our 2 hour ride to Mandalay. She was more a companion than a guide, and talking to her made interesting learning about migrant populations in Myanmar. She said she lived in Mandalay, in a locality full of `Madrasis’. Undoubtedly, the legacy of migrants from the Madras Presidency lives on in Myanmar. There is also a huge population of people of Nepali origins settled in Myanmar; particularly in Mymyo. Known as Gorkhalese, most of them have an ancestry in Myanmar dating back to the Raj.
We drove past teak wood plantations, which looked more like forests interspersed with quaint vegetable farms, and flower beds. I watched the trucks, laden with amazingly huge cylinders of teak go by. But even more fascinating were the vans loaded with tons of neatly stacked flowers!! All on their way to the Thai border. Mymyo is well known for its horticulture efforts since the British time. But the tradition of decorating homes with fancy flowers is long since gone with the British.
Finally, I was in Mandalay, facing the prominent Mandalay hills, sprouting many old and new pagodas all uniformly painted white with golden domes. Ameena and I, headed straight for the Fort Palace, in the northern end of the city, surrounded by a wide moat, connected with a bridge on all four sides. The present wood palace is actually an exercise in reconstruction after the original 1857 palace it was thoroughly razed to the ground in the WW II bombings. The king’s private apartment, `The Glass Palace’ dazzled in the hot afternoon sun. It’s not just the most extensively gilded among the many official and residential structures within the fort complex, but it’s also the most elaborately decorated with tiny bits of colored glass. It literally `reflects’ its short-lived grandeur.
Although Mandalay city was founded as recently as 1857 by King Mindon, it is surrounded by medieval history on either side of a lifeline called River Irrawady. After the fall of the `Golden Era’ at Pagan in the 12th Century the towns of Saigon, Inwa, Amrapura, and Mingun saw successive back and forth as political nerve centres. And there is something special about each of these settlements.
At Amrapura, for instance, a visit to the 100 year old Mahagandhayon Monastry, one of the largest in the world, is a must. The monastery is home to several thousands of young and old monks. The Bagaya Monastry of Inwa, built completely of teakwood in 1834, is a phenomenal piece of architecture with some of the supporting teak pillars as large as 3m in circumference. It is definitely one of its kind heritage monument. Although, blackened with age, its intricate carvings, the lacquered pillars and gilded cool interiors are still resplendent in beauty. Saigon too has many monasteries and pagodas. Rebuilt and renovated over the centuries, some of the pagodas on the Saigon hills, date back to the 14th century. Amrapura also boasts of the longest surviving teak wood bridge in the world. Although rickety, this 150 year old and 1.2 km long bridge connects villages along the lagoons and islands on the Irrawady and is still used by pedestrians and cyclists.
Mingun is 11kms upstream of Mandalay, on the opposite bank of the Irrawady. Had it not been for the 200 year old Mingun Pagoda, this sleepy village wouldn’t stand a chance in history’s memory. The Pagoda is most certainly one of the most amazing architectural remains in Myanmar. It’s huge. Reportedly, the massive earthquake in 1838 reduced its height to half. Or else the pagoda would have been the largest in the world. The remaining half itself looks formidable, with gaping cracks cutting across its `all brick’ edifice. I thoroughly enjoyed my bullock cart rides to the pagodas, along the vast alluvial plains of this village.
But, it was sailing across the Irrawady to reach Mingun, which will remain my most memorable experience about Myanmar. I have this penchant for crossing arterial rivers like Irrawady, which cuts across one or several countries. The quiet solitary ride on the upper deck of the motorized boat, watching the Mingun Pagoda, rise like an isolated hill on the flat banks in the horizon, will always remain afresh in my memory. Every river is a lifeline. And rivers like the Irrawady, are indeed so. Starting at its two main tributaries, Rivers Mihika and the Mallika in the northern states, the Irrawady cuts across the entire length of Burma. The agrarian economy and the teakwood trade of British Burma, was completely dependent on this. The river was the most convenient mode of transportation for massive loads of teakwood from the forested upper reaches of Myanmar, to the docks at Yangon. There are references to how river Irrawady had more wood in the water than water itself!!
Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to the 4000 and more monuments at Pagan, further north of Mandalay. That’s because I didn’t want to rush Pagan. I wanted a week long stay just in Pagan to explore the `Golden Era’ architectural remains. “Maybe sometime soon”, said Ameena, as we rounded off our trip at one of the many popular tea shop restaurants. And yes, there was still so much more to see and learn of contemporary Myanmar in Mandalay.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Myanmar - a forgotten neighbourhood
Myanmar - A Forgotten Neighbourhood
binatho@gmail.com
Why Myanmar? I was asked by several friends. Why not a holiday to some other exciting place with a lot more to see and do? And so I searched for reasons for my interest in Myanmar. Was it just the physical proximity of a neighbouring country I didn’t know at all, or the fascination Amitav Ghosh’s book `The Glass Palace’ had generated in me. Well, it was actually a curious mix of the above two.
Honestly, I find the name Myanmar emotionally distancing. Its `Burma’ we are used to. The picture of the yellow shell logo of `Burmah-Shell’ oil companies, instantly comes to my mind. Growing up in a family involved in the business of servicing of trucks and tankers, I could identify that logo on oil tankers even before I could read. Unfortunately, the many decades of political turbulence has kept investors and visitors out of Myanmar. There is nothing rich or glamorous about this country. It’s more like stepping into the house of an old and poor relative, whose courtyard is filled with a confused array of things forgotten and lost. In fact, the only thing about Myanmar that blinks in peoples mind today is the face of Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel laureate for Peace, undergoing house arrest since 1989 in her own country.
Besides fascinating references to the regions in the 14th century accounts of Marco Polo and other travelers, British Raj prodigies like George Orwell and Rudyard Kipling has also left interesting accounts and references of their life and times in Myanmar. Yes, I was excited about exploring this country. I could picture myself sailing across the Irrawaddy, the life line of Myanmar even before I set off.
Although I was headed to the countries centre and cultural heart, which is Mandalay, I had two important visits in Yangon. First, a visit to the golden landmark of Myanmar - the Swedagon Pagoda also known as the Golden Pagoda. The initial glimpse of its golden spire brings images of the 19th century litho prints. However, now it’s minus the wild vegetation around its vast expanse. Except the awesome glitter of the Pagoda, the entire place is a maze of old and new, small and big freshly whitewashed shrines on a newly marbled floor. Originally founded and built in the 6th or 7th century AD by the Mon rulers, this monument and its surrounds has seen a series of additions and renovations, besides withstanding numerous earthquakes. The monument is like a zedi or stupa park, bustling with devotees, offering prayers, eating lunch or taking a siesta. I actually wanted to escape the heat, the heady smells of incense and Burmese lunch. And stop hopping from one marble tile to the other to save my feet from getting roasted. Unfortunately the original entrance to the Pagoda is crowded with offertory and souvenir shops, making it impossible to appreciate anything.
Although most of Myanmar’s past history is no more than sketches of regional feuds by different ethnic groups, its Myanmar’s recent 200 years of history that has shaped the nations glory and doom. It was the Pyu’s and Mon’s of Tibeto-Burman and Eastern-Indian origin respectively who were responsible for the first states in Myanmar since the 6th century AD onwards. The Bamar or the Burmans are said to have come down the Eastern Himalayas in 8th cent AD and occupied Central Myanmar and sustained it as the cultural capital if not the political capital. The vast temple complexes of Pagan dating from the 9th -12th century are remnants of a Golden Period or the `Pagan Era’ in Burmese history. But once again conflict among native groups weakened the political system and the invasion of Kublai Khan’s army in 1287 AD ended the `Golden Era’ completely. Chaos continued among rulers of different ethnic groups. Finally in 1752 the Mon took complete charge of regions around Mandalay and even defeated the neighbouring Thai kingdom. This victory motivated them to take on the British forces in the west. Well, their confidence just proved too wrong.
The British began occupying Myanmar from the 1820’s till it officially became a part of the British Raj in 1886. The same year the last of the royals, King Thibaw and Queen Supalaya and their children were taken prisoners to Ratnagiri in Maharashtra. Meanwhile, Indians and Chinese were encouraged by the British to populate urban centres like Yangon and Mandalay so as to facilitate trade and political administration. And most importantly, as workforce for the much needed rail and road infrastructure. Phenomenally large patches of teak wood forests were razed to ground for building rail carriages and laying tracks. Large tracts of swampy delta region were leased out or sold to Indian merchants who managed rice farming and its trade. Indians also had high stakes in the gem trade. It is estimated that in the 1930’s the number of Indians in Myanmar amounted to half of the nation’s total population.
Myanmar was always a resource rich nation and during the Raj it came to be considered the rice bowl of the world, also rich in teak wood resources, and precious stone deposits. The discovery and mechanized drilling of oil in the second half of the 19th century near Mandalay deepened the British interest in the nation’s wealth. Even today, in Yangon it’s the grand colonial structures of these prosperous times that grace the city streets laid out in a well planned grid system. Most streets and markets still retain their British names.
Myanmar hasn’t changed much since the British left them in total chaos to fend for themselves, after squeezing out most of the natural resources it had. The nation is in a time warp. There is an uneasy feeling of neglect and isolation about Yangon.
My Bangladeshi friend in Yangon took me through various streets seeking out the best of Burmese food and tea. And I was thrilled when she herself suggested a visit to the second most important purpose of my Yangon stay. A visit to the tomb of our last Mughal Bahadur Shah Zafar, who died in exile in Yangon in 1862. But the visit proved depressing. Not that I was expecting a grand monument. But neither did I expect to see a durgah so common, like the tens of them you find in the streets of Delhi. Definitely not for the Last Emperor of a dynasty that ruled most of India for 300 years. Except for the visits by Muslims and Sufis the durgah goes unnoticed even by the occational visitor to Yangon. But isn’t that what happened to the Burmese Royals in exile in Ratnagiri too? This was getting too depressing. I wished to get out of Yangon. I remembered the lines from Emperor Zafar’s poem that he wrote in last years “lagta nahi hai ji mera is ujade dayaar mein”. I felt the same way. I was glad to board the overnight bus to Mandalay.
binatho@gmail.com
Why Myanmar? I was asked by several friends. Why not a holiday to some other exciting place with a lot more to see and do? And so I searched for reasons for my interest in Myanmar. Was it just the physical proximity of a neighbouring country I didn’t know at all, or the fascination Amitav Ghosh’s book `The Glass Palace’ had generated in me. Well, it was actually a curious mix of the above two.
Honestly, I find the name Myanmar emotionally distancing. Its `Burma’ we are used to. The picture of the yellow shell logo of `Burmah-Shell’ oil companies, instantly comes to my mind. Growing up in a family involved in the business of servicing of trucks and tankers, I could identify that logo on oil tankers even before I could read. Unfortunately, the many decades of political turbulence has kept investors and visitors out of Myanmar. There is nothing rich or glamorous about this country. It’s more like stepping into the house of an old and poor relative, whose courtyard is filled with a confused array of things forgotten and lost. In fact, the only thing about Myanmar that blinks in peoples mind today is the face of Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel laureate for Peace, undergoing house arrest since 1989 in her own country.
Besides fascinating references to the regions in the 14th century accounts of Marco Polo and other travelers, British Raj prodigies like George Orwell and Rudyard Kipling has also left interesting accounts and references of their life and times in Myanmar. Yes, I was excited about exploring this country. I could picture myself sailing across the Irrawaddy, the life line of Myanmar even before I set off.
Although I was headed to the countries centre and cultural heart, which is Mandalay, I had two important visits in Yangon. First, a visit to the golden landmark of Myanmar - the Swedagon Pagoda also known as the Golden Pagoda. The initial glimpse of its golden spire brings images of the 19th century litho prints. However, now it’s minus the wild vegetation around its vast expanse. Except the awesome glitter of the Pagoda, the entire place is a maze of old and new, small and big freshly whitewashed shrines on a newly marbled floor. Originally founded and built in the 6th or 7th century AD by the Mon rulers, this monument and its surrounds has seen a series of additions and renovations, besides withstanding numerous earthquakes. The monument is like a zedi or stupa park, bustling with devotees, offering prayers, eating lunch or taking a siesta. I actually wanted to escape the heat, the heady smells of incense and Burmese lunch. And stop hopping from one marble tile to the other to save my feet from getting roasted. Unfortunately the original entrance to the Pagoda is crowded with offertory and souvenir shops, making it impossible to appreciate anything.
Although most of Myanmar’s past history is no more than sketches of regional feuds by different ethnic groups, its Myanmar’s recent 200 years of history that has shaped the nations glory and doom. It was the Pyu’s and Mon’s of Tibeto-Burman and Eastern-Indian origin respectively who were responsible for the first states in Myanmar since the 6th century AD onwards. The Bamar or the Burmans are said to have come down the Eastern Himalayas in 8th cent AD and occupied Central Myanmar and sustained it as the cultural capital if not the political capital. The vast temple complexes of Pagan dating from the 9th -12th century are remnants of a Golden Period or the `Pagan Era’ in Burmese history. But once again conflict among native groups weakened the political system and the invasion of Kublai Khan’s army in 1287 AD ended the `Golden Era’ completely. Chaos continued among rulers of different ethnic groups. Finally in 1752 the Mon took complete charge of regions around Mandalay and even defeated the neighbouring Thai kingdom. This victory motivated them to take on the British forces in the west. Well, their confidence just proved too wrong.
The British began occupying Myanmar from the 1820’s till it officially became a part of the British Raj in 1886. The same year the last of the royals, King Thibaw and Queen Supalaya and their children were taken prisoners to Ratnagiri in Maharashtra. Meanwhile, Indians and Chinese were encouraged by the British to populate urban centres like Yangon and Mandalay so as to facilitate trade and political administration. And most importantly, as workforce for the much needed rail and road infrastructure. Phenomenally large patches of teak wood forests were razed to ground for building rail carriages and laying tracks. Large tracts of swampy delta region were leased out or sold to Indian merchants who managed rice farming and its trade. Indians also had high stakes in the gem trade. It is estimated that in the 1930’s the number of Indians in Myanmar amounted to half of the nation’s total population.
Myanmar was always a resource rich nation and during the Raj it came to be considered the rice bowl of the world, also rich in teak wood resources, and precious stone deposits. The discovery and mechanized drilling of oil in the second half of the 19th century near Mandalay deepened the British interest in the nation’s wealth. Even today, in Yangon it’s the grand colonial structures of these prosperous times that grace the city streets laid out in a well planned grid system. Most streets and markets still retain their British names.
Myanmar hasn’t changed much since the British left them in total chaos to fend for themselves, after squeezing out most of the natural resources it had. The nation is in a time warp. There is an uneasy feeling of neglect and isolation about Yangon.
My Bangladeshi friend in Yangon took me through various streets seeking out the best of Burmese food and tea. And I was thrilled when she herself suggested a visit to the second most important purpose of my Yangon stay. A visit to the tomb of our last Mughal Bahadur Shah Zafar, who died in exile in Yangon in 1862. But the visit proved depressing. Not that I was expecting a grand monument. But neither did I expect to see a durgah so common, like the tens of them you find in the streets of Delhi. Definitely not for the Last Emperor of a dynasty that ruled most of India for 300 years. Except for the visits by Muslims and Sufis the durgah goes unnoticed even by the occational visitor to Yangon. But isn’t that what happened to the Burmese Royals in exile in Ratnagiri too? This was getting too depressing. I wished to get out of Yangon. I remembered the lines from Emperor Zafar’s poem that he wrote in last years “lagta nahi hai ji mera is ujade dayaar mein”. I felt the same way. I was glad to board the overnight bus to Mandalay.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
In Kambojadesa
In Kambojadesa
Bina Thomas ( binatho@gmail.com )
I was scheduled to visit only Bangkok. But I also harbored a secret wish - my wish to hop across to Cambodia from Bangkok, to see the Angkor Wat. From the time I read and saw pictures of Angkor Wat, and Bayon, the mega temple complexes in the Siam Reap province of Cambodia, I was truly enchanted. That was a very long time ago, while I was still a student. So I was overjoyed when my wish was granted. I was allowed, not just a leap into Cambodia, but also five days stay!!
Siam Reap is actually a half hour `hop’ by flight from Bangkok. The monument alone attracts more than 4 million visitors in a year. In this small, lush green country, subsisting largely on an agrarian economy along the alluvial plains of the Mekong river and its delta, Angkor Wat is all there is to see, in terms of tourists interest. I would have also loved to explore the fascinating tropical regions along the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers. But there was no time for that exciting adventure!
Declared as a World Heritage monument, Angkor Wat is considered as the world’s largest surviving temple complex. And indeed, there is so much to see at Angkor Wat. Even three full days seemed inadequate to explore the innumerable monuments strewn all over the Angkor complex. Not to mention the many more scattered all over the Siam Reap province and its surrounds. Exploring those would probably take weeks! The monuments and its settings are just so intriguing, that any one would want to dwell deeper into its maze of history, and spend more time exploring further. It is a must see for all interested in ancient art and architecture.
Historians suggest the word `Angkor’ could mean a `city’, a `centre’ or even an `encircled town’ considering that the whole temple complex at Angkor Wat is surrounded by an inner and outer moat. The outer moat is both wide and deep enough to allow ancient trading ships to enter and anchor close to the temple precincts. `Wat’ however is a common word for temple even in Thailand. The monuments and its settings at this `city of temples’ suggest a sudden surge of stone based architectural activity in the 9th Century AD, which included not just temples, but also structures for residential and official purposes. The region was the capital of the Khmer Kingdom for nearly three centuries, till it shifted to another location near Siam Reap and finally to Phnom Penh, the modern day capital of Cambodia.
This brief history of a few hundreds of years at Angkor Wat is marked with an intriguing interplay of Buddhist and well as Hindu architectural features. And I must add, for an Indian, witnessing the ancient cultural links between India and Cambodia, in not just the architecture at Angkor Wat and Bayon, but also in the iconography of gods and goddesses, their names, the depiction of associated mythology, and the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata on the temple walls, and much more, is truly a happy feeling!!
Like most countries sandwiched between the two ancient civilizations of India and China, Cambodia too absorbed cultural influences from these two nations. Known as Kambojadesa in ancient Sanskrit texts, Cambodia finds mention in the records of journeys conducted by royals and traders to peninsular regions and islands, know as Survana Bhoomi and Suvarna Dweep respectively, in South East Asia. Although we cannot pinpoint when these escapades may have started, they certainly became a planned business and political expansion strategy for the ruling dynasties in Southern India from the 7th century AD onwards.
In fact, temples dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva is very common in South East Asian countries. Except for the difference in their racial features and costume, the iconographies of gods remain the same as found in India. It’s amazing how gods travel!! In Cambodia, Hinduism flourished along with the Theravada, one of the oldest forms of Buddhism, during the Khmer Civilization since the 6th Century AD. Many Indian scholars, artists, traders, and religious teachers are said to have traveled to these regions. Most of them were royal guests. Sanskrit literature also flourished with royal patronage. And along with it came our myths, legends, and epics.
I had one more day and so decided to visit Phnom Penh. The four hour drive from Angkor Wat to Phnom Penh along the alluvial plains of the Tonle Sap River, green with paddy fields, was very enjoyable. Phnom Penh, located at the confluence of three rivers, is like a small town in comparison to Bangkok or our own Mumbai. No skyscrapers or glitzy malls or traffic hauls!
I searched the city streets for remnants of French colonial occupation of Cambodia. But found little. But while exploring the city by foot, I was struck by the large numbers of disabled humans, mostly with amputated legs, begging on the streets of Phnom Penh. Cambodia is one of the most land-mined countries in the world. The innumerable unexploded land mines left behind since the 1970’s, particularly in the rural regions, has caused more than tens of thousands of deaths and even more injured children and adults. In that sense, the city and its people, in many ways reflect the after effects of the Vietnam War and the Khmer Rouge regime. A visit to the Tueol Sleng prison, now a Genocide museum is a must, not just to get a glimpse of Cambodia’s brutal war-time history, but to just stand in those empty `torture’ rooms, with walls lined with photographs of the hundreds tortured and killed there, and make a solemn promise to oneself to always strive for world peace!!
But for a country emerging out of the violent political turmoil in the recent past Cambodia is doing very well. Besides agriculture and tourism, Cambodia also has a thriving garment industry. I remembered how in Bangkok, road side garment stalls would deliberately cross out the `Made in Cambodia’ labels on cheap but good quality export surpluses imported from Cambodia. The country may not be hip and happening like Bangkok, but it is certainly working hard towards a promising future.
***************
Bina Thomas ( binatho@gmail.com )
I was scheduled to visit only Bangkok. But I also harbored a secret wish - my wish to hop across to Cambodia from Bangkok, to see the Angkor Wat. From the time I read and saw pictures of Angkor Wat, and Bayon, the mega temple complexes in the Siam Reap province of Cambodia, I was truly enchanted. That was a very long time ago, while I was still a student. So I was overjoyed when my wish was granted. I was allowed, not just a leap into Cambodia, but also five days stay!!
Siam Reap is actually a half hour `hop’ by flight from Bangkok. The monument alone attracts more than 4 million visitors in a year. In this small, lush green country, subsisting largely on an agrarian economy along the alluvial plains of the Mekong river and its delta, Angkor Wat is all there is to see, in terms of tourists interest. I would have also loved to explore the fascinating tropical regions along the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers. But there was no time for that exciting adventure!
Declared as a World Heritage monument, Angkor Wat is considered as the world’s largest surviving temple complex. And indeed, there is so much to see at Angkor Wat. Even three full days seemed inadequate to explore the innumerable monuments strewn all over the Angkor complex. Not to mention the many more scattered all over the Siam Reap province and its surrounds. Exploring those would probably take weeks! The monuments and its settings are just so intriguing, that any one would want to dwell deeper into its maze of history, and spend more time exploring further. It is a must see for all interested in ancient art and architecture.
Historians suggest the word `Angkor’ could mean a `city’, a `centre’ or even an `encircled town’ considering that the whole temple complex at Angkor Wat is surrounded by an inner and outer moat. The outer moat is both wide and deep enough to allow ancient trading ships to enter and anchor close to the temple precincts. `Wat’ however is a common word for temple even in Thailand. The monuments and its settings at this `city of temples’ suggest a sudden surge of stone based architectural activity in the 9th Century AD, which included not just temples, but also structures for residential and official purposes. The region was the capital of the Khmer Kingdom for nearly three centuries, till it shifted to another location near Siam Reap and finally to Phnom Penh, the modern day capital of Cambodia.
This brief history of a few hundreds of years at Angkor Wat is marked with an intriguing interplay of Buddhist and well as Hindu architectural features. And I must add, for an Indian, witnessing the ancient cultural links between India and Cambodia, in not just the architecture at Angkor Wat and Bayon, but also in the iconography of gods and goddesses, their names, the depiction of associated mythology, and the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata on the temple walls, and much more, is truly a happy feeling!!
Like most countries sandwiched between the two ancient civilizations of India and China, Cambodia too absorbed cultural influences from these two nations. Known as Kambojadesa in ancient Sanskrit texts, Cambodia finds mention in the records of journeys conducted by royals and traders to peninsular regions and islands, know as Survana Bhoomi and Suvarna Dweep respectively, in South East Asia. Although we cannot pinpoint when these escapades may have started, they certainly became a planned business and political expansion strategy for the ruling dynasties in Southern India from the 7th century AD onwards.
In fact, temples dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva is very common in South East Asian countries. Except for the difference in their racial features and costume, the iconographies of gods remain the same as found in India. It’s amazing how gods travel!! In Cambodia, Hinduism flourished along with the Theravada, one of the oldest forms of Buddhism, during the Khmer Civilization since the 6th Century AD. Many Indian scholars, artists, traders, and religious teachers are said to have traveled to these regions. Most of them were royal guests. Sanskrit literature also flourished with royal patronage. And along with it came our myths, legends, and epics.
I had one more day and so decided to visit Phnom Penh. The four hour drive from Angkor Wat to Phnom Penh along the alluvial plains of the Tonle Sap River, green with paddy fields, was very enjoyable. Phnom Penh, located at the confluence of three rivers, is like a small town in comparison to Bangkok or our own Mumbai. No skyscrapers or glitzy malls or traffic hauls!
I searched the city streets for remnants of French colonial occupation of Cambodia. But found little. But while exploring the city by foot, I was struck by the large numbers of disabled humans, mostly with amputated legs, begging on the streets of Phnom Penh. Cambodia is one of the most land-mined countries in the world. The innumerable unexploded land mines left behind since the 1970’s, particularly in the rural regions, has caused more than tens of thousands of deaths and even more injured children and adults. In that sense, the city and its people, in many ways reflect the after effects of the Vietnam War and the Khmer Rouge regime. A visit to the Tueol Sleng prison, now a Genocide museum is a must, not just to get a glimpse of Cambodia’s brutal war-time history, but to just stand in those empty `torture’ rooms, with walls lined with photographs of the hundreds tortured and killed there, and make a solemn promise to oneself to always strive for world peace!!
But for a country emerging out of the violent political turmoil in the recent past Cambodia is doing very well. Besides agriculture and tourism, Cambodia also has a thriving garment industry. I remembered how in Bangkok, road side garment stalls would deliberately cross out the `Made in Cambodia’ labels on cheap but good quality export surpluses imported from Cambodia. The country may not be hip and happening like Bangkok, but it is certainly working hard towards a promising future.
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