Ganesh Visarjan in Betwa
September 2022
Few minutes into the drive
from Jhansi to Orchha and you are fearing the worst. As you enter a decade of
purposeful travel and now that you revisit places, some after a gap of many
years, Paul Theroux words are coming true across India.
The decision to return to any early scene in your life is dangerous but irresistible, not as a search for the lost time but for the grotesquerie of what happened since. In most cases it is like meeting an old lover years later and hardly recognizing the object of desire in this pinched and bruised old fruit. We all live with fantasies of transformation. Live long enough and you see them enacted – the young made old, the road improved, houses where there were once fields - Paul Theroux in his travelogue ‘The Great Railway Bazaar’
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| That Sunset in Orchha long time ago - Circa 2012 |
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| 2014 |
But Orchha? You always had this naïve belief that Orchha will stay a small outpost untouched by modern commercial exploitation and the word that you now abhor – ‘Development.’
As you drive along the half
hour route south-east of Jhansi, you run into a new highway. You fear the worst
– is the highway going through Orchha? Thankfully, the highway goes over and we
come back to the old route after navigating the underpass. Ahead, an ugly
underpass has been built below the railway line. It is slushy after the rains
and cows use it for their evening group chats. Yes, there are just too many
cows on the roads these days. And yes, the vibe of a tree lined country road is
lost. Ahead, resorts and hotels line up both sides of the road. Everyone here
is hell-bent on destroying this place. As you enter the town through the medieval
gates, it seems you are entering any undistinguishable town that is overrun with
ugliness – ugliness of town, the planning and the greed.
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| The new bridge spoiling the skyline |
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| That laid back Orchha of 2014 is gone - the causeway replaced with that long limbed bridge |
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| 2012 |
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| Jehangir Mahal in Orchha |
You almost want to turn
back. You want to keep those memories intact - memories of that perfect sunset
over the Betwa. You don’t want those memories marred by this present all-encompassing
ugliness. You almost miss the causeway that connects the town to Jehangir
Mahal. The whole area is a nest of ugly buildings and vehicles. Few yards
ahead, you finally get a glimpse of the past. The Mahal is doused with the
golden light of the setting sun. Next time you are here, this view too would be
lost.
Let’s see if the sunset can
cheer you up. There is a glimmer of hope. These are Ganesh Visarjan days and people
are bringing their adorable Bappas to be immersed in the Betwa. The way to
the ghat is all dug up. Some development is happening to the pavements – that eternal
bane of installing and digging. The causeway stone bridge that goes over the
Betwa is closed or probably unusable now and decommissioned. A new pillared bridge is being constructed. Yes,
they have killed this town and its vibe.
The clear waters of Betwa
flow below the ghat. The town might have turned ugly, Betwa still remains beautiful
and bountiful. The great square Cenotaphs of the Bundela rising over the banks stand
guard here holding the memories of their occupants since time immemorial.
Today the ghat is full and colourful. Extended families dressed in their festive best are arriving to say goodbye to their favourite God, Lord Ganesh. Your gloomy mood soon lifts. You will spend the next hour going around the ghat clicking and interacting with the beautiful people and the Adorable God.
Ganesh Visarjan Photos
Intimate, low-key, bittersweet, melancholia mixed with joy, amidst an incredible backdrop of an ancient river, medieval cenotaphs and present uncertainty.
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| The Kanchana Ghat in Orchha |
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| Orchha - An Early Scene from 2014 |
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| The Iconic Chhatris of the Bundela Kings - Orchha |
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| Bidding Adieu to Lord Ganesh in Orchha |
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| Clouds doing their thing over the Orchha Cenotaphs |
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| Now time for one happy family portrait - Orchha |
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| The Sky Changes Colours Every Passing Moment |
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| Finally Something Nice Happening in Orchha |
An hour later you are in a much better mood. Later, looking at the past photos, the ghat has been paved and steps added. The Cenotaphs are now lit up as dusk descends. On the ghat, immersions continue and life goes on. Maybe you will give Orchha another chance. Orchha deserves another chance. But the people who brought this grotesquerie, they need the medieval treatment. In the meanwhile, Betwa, the beautiful, flows quietly in the dark.
References
Link of Aurangabad blogpost
– when the revisit was beautiful
http://justrippingg.blogspot.com/2015/03/tripping-into-memory-lane-aurangabad.html
Betwa Sunset of Long Ago
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Betwa_at_Sunset_-_Orchha.JPG
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