Champaner - Jami Masjid and Shaher ki Masjid : Some places are worth visiting again and again...

Champaner - Jami Masjid and Shaher ki Masjid : Some places are worth visiting again and again...    

 

Hi,

          So I always thought that our blog is about places near Vadodara and why have I not posted about Champaner yet? It is one of the most iconic historical places near Vadodara and still we have not shared about it? The thing is whenever I started writing about these extraordinary archeological sites I thought about Konkona's article in Wake up Sid. What shall I write? So many posts, blogs, vlogs about these sites... What am I going to say which is new,  which is unique... But then I realized when the place is like Champaner, you don't need to be unique or different...Because the place itself is exquisite...

     As situated so close to Vadodara in the lap of Pawagadh, Champaner is not an unknown place for Barodians and yet both Champaner and Pawagadh are the most common tourist attractions for us. There are so many monuments in Champaner village including seven mosques. Among these, the Jami Masjid is the biggest,  most elaborate, and most famous one. We still have not visited all of them but we are definitely going to visit all and surely update here.  

                             

                     

         Jami Masjid and Shaher ki Masjid are nearby only and just opposite the entry point of mighty Pawagadh hill.  And oh!  How they stood tall and proud in front of it. Jami masjid has a central courtyard with corridors all around with amazing pillars which have bewitching stone carvings. There are a total of 172 pillars with two altitudinous minarets touching the sky just like the colossal Pawagadh behind them. 

                       

        

          

            Once we went there in spring and what a wonderful sight was it!!! The flowers of bougainvillea were fallen on the ground just like Nani's pink quilt, tempting us to lie down and

forget all our worries. 

           All these monuments are just like wrinkles. The more we look at them, the more we fell in love with them. Because we can understand stories, struggles, and hard work behind them.  Dedication of each and everyone is peeping out from each cranny and nook and not to forget the dream which had made all possible... Now you all must be thinking who in the state of the sane mind will fall in love with wrinkles and see them in a positive way... You bat, I did!!! Just read it yourself. 

Wrinkles 

This morning 

while looking in the mirror

I realized

Wrinkles on my forehead 

Crow's feet around the eyes 

I got a little worried 

What am I? 40? 

Then mirror smirked 

And answered 

To me and to everyone like me : 

 

Wear them with proud 

These are the hallmark of 

Unlimited worries about kids 

Are they getting a balanced diet? 

Are they adjusting to a new city?

Their moods, their studies 

Their happiness, their sorrows 

From diaper rash to job lay-offs 

Wear them with proud 

Because they showcase 

Your care about parents 

About their health 

About their loneliness 

Those hospital visits to 

Frequent  goodbyes 

Those endless phone calls 

'Have you had your lunch' talks? 

Wear them with proud 

They exhibit your concerns

For your partner 

His career apex to 

Her continuous progress

Fulfilling his little needs

Without asking to 

Showering with affection 

In all her attainments 

They say u worry too much 

Rather unnecessarily 

I say these are the reasons 

I get up in the morning 

These are reasons 

For our existence 

We thrive on these worries 

Wrinkles of grandparents’ hands 

When they gently pat on your cheeks

Wrinkles on the clothes 

After all days of hard work 

Wrinkles of the paper planes 

And origami paper boats 

Wrinkles of the old tree bark

Wrinkles of the dried flower petals 

Wrinkles on pat cats and dogs 

Rusty wrinkles on giant rocks

Of the dry land, of sand dunes

Wrinkles in the mud after the rain

Of the lava in pahoehoe (*)

So I thanked the mirror 

For showing me 

Forehead, frown, bunny lines 

Mental crease and tear troughs 

Whatever they are called 

And that's how  

My foundation and primer 

Went back into the drawer 

And 

I wear my wrinkles daily with proud 

Who needs all makeup 

When we are gifted with

Signs of 

Our affection 

Our care

Our love 

Our heart 

                             - Kaajal.

      (*) - pahoehoe - basaltic lava with smooth, undulating, ropy surface  

           We still have not visited Kevada mosque, Nagina masjid, Lila Gumbaz ki Masjid and Kamani Masjid. We are going to visit them soon and will definitely post about them here.  

That's all.

See you all next week. 

SaSha

Kaash.