Journey at Sea

Tryst With The Sea

The call came at 10 am. on the 13th of June 2014. I was to fly to Bhuj and then onwards by car to Kandla, to join my husband on the ship.

So began my journey.

It was flawless reaching Kandla Port. Memories of an early time came flooding back. Nothing much seemed to have changed and the Port looked the same as it did, those many years ago. Try as I might, I could not take any pictures of the port as it was not allowed. Although once I reached inside the port there were no such restrictions.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

A few Officers were joining with me so we all got into this Tug, where we were told that it would take us at least five to six hours to reach the ship.

The tug seemed as old as a Dhow. The cabin where we were asked to sit had places to sit but with ten of us and our luggage got extremely cramped. Within ten minutes I asked the captain of the tug if I could sit out on deck. Fortunately he gave me a stool to sit out on deck behind the steering house and finally we set of.

As we boarded in the evening it became quite dark. The sea, given the time of the year, was not calm at all.

As soon as we reached the open waters, the tug bobbed away at every wave that hit it. Managing to sit and hold on to the railing for support was quite a humorous sight.

There were two first time cadets with us, and I could see there discomfort, even though they tried their best to hide it.

As there were a few hours to kill, I looked around the tug. The state from inside was truly appalling, to say the least.The living conditions were terrible. I was later explained that as no one actually lives on the tug, it is not usually cleaned.The journey took  five hours, where I got to know the officers and we could keep a steady conversation going. 

My first sighting of the ship, took my breath away. There it stood with a warm glow around it, as though beckoning us to be there. As it was dark she was lit up and the ships reflection into the water created quite a beautiful picture.

As we drew nearer, we all started wondering, how we were going to get on the ship. The swell of the sea made our little boat bob up and down so much that it was impossible to get on to the ship's gangway. After a lot of tries, it was decided that we would be picked up by the crane that was being used to discharge coal on the ship. It was only once we reached the barge which was being used to store the coal that we were or rather I was in for another surprise. I think it is best explained by the picture I took.

On the far right was our boat. We were to jump from the boat to the first barge then the second and then on to the crane platform. This picture was taken in daylight. It was 8 pm. when we were boarding the ship. Even though the barges were tied up alongside each other, there was a gap of about 2 feet between them. This was the first time that I had to face anything like this. I have climbed up pilot ladders which are basically rope ladder lying vertical from the ship side but never anything like this. With my heart in my mouth leaping from one barge to the next, I was finally onto the crane platform. The crane then was fitted with an iron basket, enough to carry three people. This took me up and onto the ship. It was quite an exhilarating experience.

The days on the ship flew past and soon I was to be leaving the ship. 

Weather conditions, in the mean time had gone from bad to worse. The day I was to leave the winds were blowing at 40 knots and the swell of the sea was between 6 to 7 mtrs. I was dreading venturing out from the comfortable confines of the accommodation. Unfortunately as the ship was going to sail the next day, I had to leave her from the anchorage itself. There I was donning a life jacket and out on the main deck.

The scenario was not a pleasant one at all. Due to rough conditions the platform with the crane had developed a hole on its side and had to be taken to shore. The only way for me to go ashore was on this platform.

Once again the crane was fitted with the basket, with me in it. Only this time there was no exhilaration. 

As the basket rose high, the wind thought of giving us a joy ride. It made it swing from side to side and turn round and round.

I have never been fond of roller coasters or the spinning wheels in parks, but there I was, eyes tightly shut, heart thudding loudly, holding on to the metal rail of the basket for dear life. After a lot of maneuvering, we finally reached the platform. I would like to add that from the ship to the platform it was a drop of about 20 mtrs. There was another officer with me while going back and we were immediately asked to get into the accommodation for safety.

Watching from the outside of the accommodation which was at a height from the platform, I could see that two tugs had been tied to one another and then to the platform. 

Moving the platform away from the ship was quite smooth. The platform was listed at one end due to the hole in its side, but the Captain assured me that it would not be a problem. The waves kept coming on to the platform but otherwise it was quite steady and I could busily take pictures.

Suddenly there was a jolt and a huge wave came crashing on to the platform. It was so big that it sprayed onto the accommodation too. I could see a lot of commotion and the crew running hither, thither. The rope tied to the tug which was pulling us had broken. The crew was trying to tie the platform to the other tug but unfortunately it got stuck in its propeller and had to be cut.

Here we were in the middle of the sea, 20 miles from shore, at 730 in the evening, completely adrift, with no help in sight and darkness falling.

Being adrift also meant that we were at the mercy of the wind and the waves. The waves were coming on now with gusto, huge waves which hit the platform taking away anything that was loose on it. Barrels of Diesel, ropes and such loose items just got washed out to sea. The crew was desperately trying to secure things but the force of the waves was such that two of the crew got thrown from one end of the platform to another. Luckily they could hold on to an immovable structure on the platform and were saved. Of course they were badly bruised and the next day had to be taken to the hospital for treatment.

I overheard the Captain speaking in a hushed voice about how anxious he was because I was on board. He was frantically calling other tugs in the vicinity.

The situation was getting out of control. The platform which held the crane was already listed to the left. The huge mammoth crane was also on the left side. Due to the continuous pounding of the waves and water entering through the hole in its side, there was every chance of the platform capsizing.

It was a dark an eerie night. Dark clouds in the sky, obliterating the moon and stars. Stormy winds,waves so huge as if they would and did swallow anything and everything that came into their way.

After about two hours of being thoroughly beaten by the angry forces of nature, a tug did come to our rescue and slowly we made progress towards the shore.

The journey which was supposed to take us three hours, took almost seven hours.

I must say the captain, never lost his cool even once. I remember his remark " It is the first time that I have faced such a huge problem, there have been problems before but nothing like this on." The way he guided his crew was exemplary. What was even more amazing was that, through all the chaos, there was a hot meal ready for everyone. It was such a relief to actually sit down steady in one place without being thrown round. 

Reaching shore and standing on my feet on land was an emotion I cannot really put, in a word or sentence.

Till today however, I cannot understand the feeling that had come over me that night. Was it acceptance? Was it a realisation that panic would get me nowhere? Or was it just a belief that we would make it safely to shore. Strangely enough, as I sat there observing the mayhem, a deathly calm had befallen over me. I who is so scared of the deep waters, was sitting perfectly still, with thoughts of family and friends flashing through my mind.

I remembered reading a poem and how perfectly it fitted in, with the situation.

Wild Stormy Sea
by Elpis

Billowing winds, skimming the surface of the dark gray sea.

Churning the water, forceful and wild.

A distant howling, the promise of an untethered force.

Swirling mute skies, the storm approaches.

Gathering pace, gathering noise.

Waves rising higher, crashing from their peak,

to the foamy wash below.

She will take no prisoner's, have no mercy.

Arc's of silver flash in the distance,

into the depth's of the angry sea.

A building crescendo of deep, growling,

closer, closer.

Mother nature, she reigns supreme,

ethereal, powerful, a universal queen.

                 

When Stones Speak

Pataleshwar Caves...Pune

I remember visiting the Pataleshwar Caves as a child. I don't think the Archaeological Society of India had taken it under its roof at that time. It was a dark place always with water on its floors, with snakes and bats as its residents. I had vowed to myself never to go there again, but so many years later I found myself there once again. What I saw pleasantly surprised me. The whole premise was clean and very well preserved. There was no sign of water and the claustrophobia that I had felt as a child, just vanished.

Living in the city of Pune, it has become something bordering on an obsession to know more about her numerous heritage sites, structures, buildings, and Vadas. Secrets to be unearthed, tales to be told, sculptures to be studied. A picture then unfolds taking us to the long lost, but rich Era.

Dr. Indurkar an Indologist, was with us one Sunday morning, sharing his in depth knowledge of the Pataleshwar Caves.

Before he took us around the caves, he explained why it was important to find answers to Four questions:

1) Where ( The location of the structure )

2) What ( The kind of structure it is )

3) How ( The material that was used to build it )

4) Period (Approximate Era that it was built in. Most Archaeologists use Relative Dating ) 

So we moved on from the open space into the mandap with Dr. Indurkar.

As he explained, I could picturise this huge rock of Basalt and the artisans chipping away, to its present condition.A perfect circular base and roof with pillars for support.

A huge Nandi, (also carved out of a single stone) faced Lord Shiva. 

The only tools used by the workmen was a pickaxe and a chisel. The Architects gave the orders and the workmen chipped away. One cannot begin to comprehend the precision in which the work needed to be carried out. Less force and there would not even be a dent in the stone, a little more force and the stone would have been cracked, to be abandoned. The intense care in which the work force carried out this piece of Architecture, today, stands tall at Pataleshwar.

This structure is known as the Nandi Mandap. Behind Nandi is a flat area, in which musicians played and sang in honour of Lord Shiva.

As we move ahead, on the left side of the main entrance are three tiny enclosures, (also dug out from the main cave) which housed Lord Ganesh and Parvati, but today lie empty of the idols.

The main cave is the temple of Lord Shiva.

As we enter the cave, it is divided into the Mukha, or the entrance, the Mala, the Antaral, and the Garbha Gruha. The Mala is where a smaller Nandi resides. The Antaral is the space between the Mala and the Garbha Gruha or the sanctum of Lord Shiva.

A beautifully carved door or the Dwar Shakha, opens into the sanctum sanctorum of the Lord. This is decorated with the flora and fauna of the earth.

On both sides of the temple in the cave are long passages, supported by pillars in stone.

On the left one finds a sculpture carved into the wall of the cave, depicting the story of Gajasurvadha, on the right is another sculpture either incomplete or broken due to the ravages of time.

Behind the temple, but also a part of the cave, another passage way has been dug out. This is for the devotees to do their Parikrama or circumambulation around the lord.

The cave temple was built around the 8th Century, and was an experiment before the temple at Verul , or Ellora, as it is known today. Unlike most temples, this one was originally a Hindu temple. Most of the cave temples in Maharashtra however were Buddhist in origin. Only after the wave of Buddhism receded did they become Hindu temples.

The question of why such structures were carved out of caves, needs an explanation. The answer could not have been more simple. Structures carved out of caves need almost no maintenance and can withstand the uncertainties of the weather for long periods of time. This is evident even today as we saw, in just one such structure at Pataleshwar.

Taking Pataleshwar as an example, it is seen that once ASI, took it under its wing, certain parts which had not stood the passage of time,were repaired in a most ingenious way.Looking up at the ceiling of the Mandap he pointed out the restoration work that was carried out. Glass was placed in the cracks, filling them with cement blocks. If the glass cracked, it meant that the cracks in the ceiling had widened.

While taking us around Pataleshwar, Dr. Indurkar, also gave us an insight of other rock temples in Maharashtra.

Verul being the largest one, cut out from an entire rock. There are 1200 such Leni's or caves in Maharashtra alone. Also Maharashtra has the distinction of being on the top of Rock cut literature.

Unfortunately none of the caves bear any inscription, depicting the names of the artists and architects who designed these caves.

Places like Ambe Jogai have 6 massive elephants,carved  from stone.

Another interesting anecdote was of Inmagaon a village. The huts in the village had these concentric holes dug into the ground. The villagers explained that these holes were filled with Acacia  (Babhli) thorns. grain storing Urns were then placed on these holes. This was a way to keep out the rodents and insects from getting into the grains and destroying the yearly stock. This centuries old method is still being followed even today. Nothing written but stories and anecdotes repeated generation to generation and still followed.

A tour which began and ended at Pataleshwar, actually took us all around Maharashtra, giving us a glimpse of the life and times in, as far back as the 8th Century.

DYNAMIC WOMAN.....ANUBAISAHEB GHORPADE

Life And Times Of Anubaisaheb Ghorpade

The Peshwa Dynasty is renowned for its men. Brave Heroes, Just Administrators, Compassionate and yet stern men.

It is a little known fact that the women in the Peshwa Dynasty were no less than Dynamic too. In my earlier posts under the heading of "Dynamic Women" I have written about Radhabaisaheb, Gopikabaisaheb, and Anandibaisaheb.

I now present to you Anubaishaeb Ghorpade. 

Anubai, the youngest sister of Baji Rao 1, was endowed with the same traits as her father Balaji Vishwanath and brothers Baji Rao 1 and Chimaji Appa. In fact it wouldn't be wrong to say that she was born with the finest aspects of each one of them.

Beautiful, Intelligent, Sprightly and Practical were just some of the facets of her personality. Married to Venkatrao Ghorpade ( Please refer to my earlier post on Venkatrao ),at the tender age of 6, she was the most indulged  in the Peshwa household. This though was never taken for granted by Anubai.
What never ceases to amaze me, time and time again, is how all these women handled responsibilities with such aplomb and practicality. 
It is impossible to write about Anubaisaheb without also writing about the events that unfolded between 1719 to 1783.. This period is the Life and Times of Anubaisaheb Ghorpade. Her History is intertwined with the Peshwa and Maratha History.

The Prinicipal Personalities that shaped her life:
1) Baji Rao 1      (her brother)
2) Chimaji Appa (her brother)
3) Nanasaheb Peshwa  (her nephew)
4) Madhavrao Peshwa (her grand nephew)
5) Venkatrao Ghorpade (her husband)
6) Narayan Venkat or Narayan Tatya (her son)
7) Tarabai  (Queen of Satara)
8) Jijabai    (Queen of Kolhapur) 
9) Parshuram Bhau Patwardhan (Trusted General of the Peshwa Government)

 As Venkatraao would be away on expeditions most of the time, Anubai would come to stay in Pune. Bajirao1 had built a wada for her, just behind Shaniwarwada. It is said that there used to be a tunnel from Shaniwarwada to the Ghorpade wada through which Bajirao would visit his sister.
The picture below shows a view from Shaniwarwada. In the background,you can see the roof tops of Nana wada to the extreme left, Ghorpade wada in the center and Biniwale wada to the right. A school has been built in the place of Ghorpade wada today and a picture of the wada is not available.

Anubaisaheb's husband Venkatrao Ghorpade being a Sardar in the Maratha army, was granted villages and Talukas, for his exemplary service by both Shahu Maharaj and Baji Rao1. As these were in close proximity to the Kolhapur State, Venkatrao found it prudent to maintain friendly relations with them. However this peace did not last long and in 1728 he broke his alliance with Kolhapur and swore his allegiance to Shahu Maharaj and Satara.

The Ichalkaranji crest

 VenkatRao Ghorpade's Hand Writing

After his demise, his son Narayan Venkatrao or Narayan Tatya  as he was known took over the reins of Ichalkaranji State. Being a minor, his mother Anubai helped him run the administration of the State. However Narayanrao, equally brave like his father but stubborn and willful soon lost interest in the administration. It is said that one of the reasons for this was Anubaisaheb taking an active interest in the running of the state. Hear I find the need to explain the situation following Venkatrao's demise.

Lacking the ability or capacity to govern the newly formed Ichalkaranji state, Narayan Rao was a disappointment. Fortunately Anubai, had inherited the heritage of wisdom, tact and courage, and together with the help of Nana Saheb and Bhau Saheb Peshwa and the civil and military officers of the State she managed to govern with the same ideologies as her husband.

!749-1750 was the year in which Shahu Maharj lay on his deathbed. Ramraja was raised to the throne of Satara. However his grand mother Tara Bai raised an objection and it was a difficult time for the Peshwa. Cornered by Ramraja in Satara and Sambhaji II in Kolhapur, who were against him, with tact and diplomacy he put an end to the plotting and planning to overthrow him as the Peshwa.

Nanasaheb then led an expedition to Hyderabad. Narayan Venkat was with him but just when victory was in sight, Nana Saheb had to rush back and face yet another challenge. Tarabai had dethroned Ramraja with the help of Damaji Gaikwad of Baroda and ceased the throne.

Anubai and Narayan Venkat assisted Nanasaheb in bringing about the defeat of Damaji Gaikwad and Queen Tarabai had to suffer the defeat.. In this period Anubai was a constant figure with Nanasaheb providing him with her army and supplies so necessary in battle.

Anubai's son did seem to mend his ways for a brief spell. He carried out an expedition in Carnatic ( Modern Karnataka ) in 1754 and was instrumental in winning both the battles.

In 1756 Anubai was with Nana Saheb in another expedition, this time against the Nawab of Sawanoor. Narayan Venkat joined her there but had to return to Ichalkaranji due to ill health. Once again with the help of the military personnel provided by Anubai, the battle was won.

1756 is known as the Golden period for the State of Ichalkaranji. Fortune had favoured the State. Jagir's, Inams' Deshmukhi's and Haks, revenues from forts and other villages made the state rich. Anubai always promoted the welfare of and gave precedence to her state, over coming all adversity. She also made sure that her state would be ready to help the Peshwa Government at any given time. Yes she was fortunate to be the daughter and sister of the Peshwas, but her resolve to the well being of her state spoke so well of her that not only the Peshwas but also the commonest of soldiers held Anubai in high esteem.

It could be said that the cause of Narayan Tatya's indifference to the administration of the state and his defiance to against the state and Anubai was Anubai herself. She was a formidable lady and a domineering one, circumstances had made her so. The precarious situation which she found Ichalkaranji in forced  her to take a hard stand. The continuous threat from Kolhapur. Pillaging and routing in her constituency by the Kolhapur rulers made her equally competitive. It is solely to her credit that she fought hard to keep her State from being annexed to the Kolhapur State.

The defeat of the Maratha Army in Panipat though was a severe blow to Nanasaheb Peshwa. He did not survive long. His son Madhavrao became the next Peshwa. He quickly followed in his fathers footsteps to regain the lost glory.

Different wheels were turning in the Kolhapur regency. Sambhaji the prince of Kolhapur had died during Nanasaheb's tenure. His mother Jijabai seized the throne. She was completely antagonistic towards the Peshwa. Nanasaheb then had every intention of annexing the state. Towards this end he asked Anubai to keep a watchful eye on all movements of Jijabai. It so came to happen that two rival queens were at loggerheads watching the others movements and thwarting each others plans.

Jijabai took her revenge on the Ichalkaranji state. Madhavrao reinstated her as the Queen of Kolhapur and permitted her to adopt a son. This he thought would ensure peace but it was the opposite. Jijabai, in 1764 saw her opportunity, when Narayan Tatya took a large contingent to the Carnatic. Her army attacked, plundered and looted the neighbouring villages which belonged to the Ichalkaranji State. Anubai seeked help from her wayward son Narayan Venkat but to no avail. 

In 1766 Anubai requested Madhavrao to recognise her grand son Venkatrao as Sardar. Madhavrao also commanded the Kolhapur State to restore all properties to Ichalkaranji which were usurped by Jijabai. Anubai and her grandson swiftly then raised an army with the help of Madhavrao Peshwa. A young Venkat went off for a battle with Madhavrao against Raghoba dada.

The one and only blunder that Anubai made was after the Battle of Panipat.

An imposter, calling himself "Bhau Saheb"came to Pune. Madhavrao  saw through him immediately, but for some reason Anubai believed him and even extended her help. It was proved later that his name was 'Sukhvidhan" and Madhavrao and his Government severely punished all those who had sided with the imposter.

The Ichalkaranji State too suffered the consequences. Madhavrao was so incensed with Anubai that he ordered Ichalkaranji to be annexed to Pune and the penalty of death was issued to Venkat. It was only after the trusted General of the Peshwa Government, Parshuram Bhau Patwardhan interceded that the death sentence was lifted. ( More about Parshuram Bhau Patwardhan in my next post.)

All the property of Ichalkaranji was confiscated until a fine of 1,25,000 rupees were paid to the Peshwa Government. This was a big blow to Anubai. All her life she prided herself to be astute and perceptive, but this one mistake completely broke her spirit. She stopped taking an active role in the administration of her beloved State after 1777. She devoted the rest of her life by going on pilgrimages and penances. A complete opposite role to that of an active and commanding one.

She breathed her last in the little village of Tulapur in 1783.

The Maratha Empire had lost another dynamic personality. The part that she played in nurturing and strengthening her Ichalkaranji State from 1745 to 1776 was no mean feat.

Anubai Saheb Ghorpade must go down in History as one of Maharashtra's famous and courageous Queens.

References: 1)The Story of Ichalkaranji 

                   Author:H. George Franks.                  

Photographs: 1)The Story of Ichalkaranji'

                    2)Pune Krishna Dhawal  

                     (A book of pictures of the bygone era.)

                       Compiled by Shri Mandar Lavate