A VISIT TO BRINDAVAN GARDENS -PART TWO
( 1 )We now end the technical discussion about the dam and the garden . We now go to examine the dazzling beauty of the vast and world famous Brindavan garden. At nights the garden bathed in the glow of coloured electric lights, water fountains and bushes illuminated in coloured light looks like part of heaven . People in thousands visit in evening hours coming from the far off city even in cars to forget the day’s troubles. The rush of visitors at weekends is heavy. We were told by some passengers that there were no rains during the previous three years. We could see on our way to the dam large sand dunes in the river .
It was still early in the morning and the time was about 8-30 . There was still heavy fog . We were near the entrance gate of the giant sized KR Sagar dam and purchased tickets to enter the garden. The top of the dam which is two kilometers long ( looking like a wide public road ) is entirely prohibited to public and is used only by the maintenance engineers. It is protected by armed gaurds.
There is a viewing bridge on the garden side of the dam. We started walking on the viewing bridge and could see the dam’s gigantic dimensions. We could see the long line of the gigantic sluice gates etc from a near range and see the vast sized lawns and flower beds in the garden. The lawns and flower beds spread on both sides of an endless cement concrete water channel constructed through the centre of the garden like a long straight line dividing the garden into two equal halves. We also saw on our side (garden side) of the gigantic main dam big stone steps from top of the dam down to garden level . But they were only for use of the maintenance staff and prohibited to visitors by barriers. The sluice gates were like a line of big caves and were operated(opened and closed) automatically depending on the water level in the main water reservoir on the other side of the dam. The sluice gates possess herculean strength and through them huge quantities of water flows from the main reservoir to the garden and to other irrigation canals that take water to hundreds of thousands of acres of agricultural fields. The mountain sized high dam with its long line of sluice gates was awe inspiring and was an engineering wonder.
We walked a long distance on the viewing bridge and got an idea of the hugeness of dam and also had a long view of the vast Brindavan garden which got all the water from the dam reservoir and through the central cement concrete channel. The gardens were still far away and down below. We walked on the bridge for about 30 minutes to enjoy the grand view and returned again to the area near the garden entrance. There were two big hotels nearby as seen from the name boards .But they were not yet opened. We were among the first visitors to the gardens. At the second hotel they offered to prepare tea for us. One worker went inside and got us biscuits packets , packets of potato chips and water bottles.
The garden stretched as far as eye could see and was somewhat like a giant stair case of flower beds.Through the middle of the stair case, right from the dam wall and into the farway distance, there was the wide water channel constructed in cement concrete. The kilometer long concrete canal was built in a sloping way with three or four giant steps so that water required for the garden flowed down it by gravity. Again inside these huge stairs in the cement channel ,there were smaller stair case sections . All over this section of stairs in water and a feet below the flowing water ,a large endless line of coloured electric bulbs were fixed ! When the coloured electric bulbs glow in night the staircase in the water channel looks so very attractive .
There was a black stone statue of “ Kaveri Maatha”( mother goddess Kaveri) at the very start of the cement concrete channel . In the nights the underwater colored electric lights turn the area into a fairyland. Here is a vast stair case of rectangular gardens. Each garden is as big as a foot ball field containing many trees and flower bushes. The gardens stretch on both sides of the central waterway. The garden staff no doubt take special care about every garden bed. At some places the water columns of the fountains rising vertically and falling down into the ponds looked like solid parabolic glass rods! In night times the colored electric bulbs kept submerged in water (an engineering feat) transform the garden into a fairy land. We should note that since all this staircase of gardens lies far below the water level of the main water reservoir , the gardens get water automatically by gravity flow (automatic flow to the lower levels ) . At the far end of the garden the excess water perhaps flowed out into to the agricultural fields .
On both sides of the central water channel there were nice walking paths and beside them there were little rectangular lawns and flower beds. I n the distance there was a very large pond inside the garden. In it was constructed a system of water fountains in a circle . A water dome gets created by the water falling down from the powerful fountains . Coloured lights were fixed under water . In addition there was a powerful fountain at center of lake throwing water vertically 50 feet upwards! People come in thousands particularly in the evenings to spend a few hours roaming in the fairy land to forget their gardens for a few hours.It was all an engineering wonder. At the far end of this central water channel there is an artificial waterfall taking water to still lower level after flowing between dozens of boulders. A marsh like area with long water grasses developed there attracting a number of water birds in the day time.
My heart felt guilty because I could not bring my wife and daughters for a night view of the garden. We could not visit the garden in night hours . Years back earlier during my training sessions in the Postal Training College in Mysuru I visited Brindavan gardens twice. Both times we went in evening hours. This time I had to bring my family only in morning hours because the trip( a free travel plan offered by government to retiring employees) had to be finished between the government approved dates. When I expressed my extreme pain and unhappiness , my wife and daughters simply laughed it off . They were really magnanimous.I could not feel easy. We would visit again at a later time.
( 2 )
The garden looked wonderful even during the day hours because of its vast ness and because of its vast greenery of trees and grassy squares and colorful flowering bushes . We could not but wonder at its vastness . So it was not entirely a disappointment. However ,at the time of our visit the water level in the high reservoir of the dam was low but the dozens of water fountains in the garden functioned well and were a great sight giving us joy. The green grass lawns maintained as a giant stair case on the two sides of the wide central water channel were a sight to see and wonder. Each was of the size of a foot ball field . The flower beds of many colors in those lawns were enchanting.So,still we had a most enchanting view of the garden and It gave great joy to my wife and two daughters.
But let me call all the above writing only as an introduction. So far we did not take a walk though the vast garden complex . First, we quickly walked to the farthest end because we decided to see the garden leisurely walking back through the various sections. On the way we sat twice or thrice to have the biscuits and sweets which we brought. The beautiful flower beds of different varieties and the many fountains in small cement ponds all attracted us and made us stop at every step. It was bright sunlight all around unlike the earlier fog. The time was only 9-30 morning! My daughters were very happy seeing the vast garden. We sat and roamed in the garden for nearly two hours. Time flew by as we talked of the art museums etc and the famous silk emporium we were to visit in mysore city and about our previous day’s unforgettable trip to Ooty. We spent time in the garden for nearly two hours . The weather was cool and pleasant .
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Iwas thinking of another matter. I could not show the most beautiful Lalith Mahal royal palace situated near Chamundi Hills to our people because now it is a five star hotel . Five decades back before the palace became a star hotel, i.e. long long back , I along with other “ trainees” visited the palace more than once when it was still a royal palace. I have to mention that it is one of the most beautiful and most majestic structures in entire india. Since 2005 or so it was converted to a five star hotel . I may mention that our training center itself --(for training new entrants to the then posts and telegraphs department) -- was also another royal palace constructed by the Maharajas of Mysore purchased by the postal department for a few crores of rupees. It was also in an area near to Chamundi Hills. It had vast grounds for cricket and foot ball and big rose gardens. Our hostels too were situated in the campus and our classes were held in the spacious palace halls . but Lalith mahal is far more luxurious and imposing.
The Lalitha Mahal palace looked dazzling white in the green sorroundings and is a grand structure with imposing domes topping it The palace was built originally for the stay of the Governor-General of India . Later it was used also for European guests of the Maharaja. After Independence it was used for visiting dignitaries and VIPs and then was converted into a five star luxurious hotel and is now said to be open both for VIP as well as other Indian citizens. It is stated to be modelled on design of St Paul's Cathedral of London and was constructed in in 1930s. It is said to resemble the palatial mult-istoreyed private residences of of English and French noble families and rich landlords of the middle ages . It is a two storied sturdy looking bulky structure . I still remember the wide and spiralling staircase of Italian marble and the full length portraits of the maharajas in the halls. During the present trip we had to get satisfied with the photo postcards. I “apologised” to our people and they okayed! Even seeing the picture postcard photos my daughters were impressed by the beauty and grandeur of the royal palace.
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We took lots of photos. We slowly moved from one lawn to another and from one flower bed to another .The water columns of some fountains looked like curved glass rods. We spent time upto 11-30 in the garden. We exhausted all the biscuits and chips and came out .It was getting hot in the day. We had soft drinks to quench our thirst. After about half an hour a bus arrived and we travelled about 20 kilometres to reach our hotel . After food and a little rest we proceeded in an auto to our next planned destination—the Kaveri emporium.
It was a big government emporium selling gift items--- costly art pieces, ornaments, sandalwood products etc. Many items costed 5000/- to 20,000/-rupees a piece. Big items like costly dining tables,carved chairs etc made of costly black wood costed 70,000/- and above. Framed images of gods sculpted in sandalwood and framed in glass costed 15000/- and above . Even small unframed statues of gods in sandalwood costed 5000/- to 10,000/- each!
One Pooja Mandir made of blackwood and exquisitely carved and about 6 feet high costed rupees 1.2 lakhs. A small bottle of sandal wood oil costed rs 390/-. We purchased some small items---three tiny statues of gods in sandal wood, sandal wood oil and agarbathi packets . We wanted to make some more purchases in the big bazar but we were hungry. We went to a famed vegetarian restaurant nearby. Then we started for another round of shopping . We went to a big readymade garments shop spread in two floors and spent half an hour there and after some purchases returned to our hotel .
It was already 4pm in the evening.It was time for our return to bengalur to our daugher’s hose after a three day trip to the beautiful city of Mysuru. We had to hurry again! We decided that we would sleep during the four hour long bus journey to Bangalore . We quickly packed our belongings and thanked the hotel manager for our long comfortable stay in his hotel. We took an auto to the main bus stand and after waiting for 10 minutes we got into a luxury bus to Bangalore which started at 4-30 pm. The bus was quite good. We were extremely tired after our long trips to multiple destinations in our three day trip to Mysore and its sorroundings. So no sooner the bus started my wife and daughters fell asleep. With great difficulty I too kept myself awake. We passed through villages and endless coconut plantations. On the way we had tea and biscuits in a hotel in a big town at about 7-3o. We passed through Channa Patna, the famous pilgrim centre Nanjangud and Mandya.
We were fully awake when we entered outskirts of Bangalore. But it took half an hour or more to finally reach the city bus station.It was very big and busy. There were internal underground passages to cross to the different areas of the bus station complex. We got into a local bus to Marathahalli. It was about 8-30 pm. It was a one hour long journey to Marathahalli . We reached our daughter’s house at about 9-30pm .Our son in law had not yet returned frm office . We ordered food by home delivery from a big hotel nearby as my wife and my elder daughter were too tired after the long journeys. There was terrible noise of airplanes overhead as the big airport was nearby. The lights of low flying airplanes, while landing or taking off, were visible like lorry head lights. We sat in outer verandah after meals. Soon our son-in-law came home from his office . We were too tired for any long chatting as it was 10-30pm. We bid good bye and were soon fast asleep.
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