Kutna Hora: Feel It In Your Bones

Yonder, the Prague castle

It is easy to be mesmerised by the beautiful setting of Prague… the historical Old Town with its astronomical clock, churches, castles, cobbled pathways, Charles Bridge and the quite flowing Vltava River. Just around the corner, is the Jewish Quarter and here sits the holocaust memorial alongside the Old Jewish Cemetery. The Cemetery has 12,000 tombstones, with bodies piled 15 people high. The varying size and the positioning of the tombstones reflect the urgency of the situation and the chaos that must have prevailed. The Jewish memorial is close by, and the walls record the name of every single person who died during the Nazi era. There in the eyes of a silent visitor, I saw reflected the pain of the past. The Spanish Synagogue is a less forlorn structure. With its Moorish design it looks more like a mosque, and is by far the most ornate and beautiful synagogue I've walked into.

Tombstones, Moorish interiors and the wall memorial 

My partner and I wandered through the alleys and the lanes of Prague for a whole day, and as night fell reluctantly made our way back to the hotel. Our accommodation was further away from the city center and we had to take both the subway and the tram to get there. The whole exercise took nearly half an hour, and because we weren't sure about the frequency of trams along that line, we decided to settle in early.

Bohemia - of vineyards, churches and cottages

Kostnice Sedlec Ossuary

Travel brochures at the hotel advertised day trips to Kutna Hora for € 35 per person, and though a group tour was an easier thing to do, we decided to figure it out on our own. At 10 am the next day, from the main station Hlavní nádraží, we took a train to Kutná Hora hl.n. The ride was a little over an hour and getting there early would ensure that we have more time at Kutna Hora before taking the 6 pm back. At Kutná Hora hl.n we stopped to grab a cup of coffee at the only shop in the station, but this delay cost us our connecting ride into town. The next one would take 45 minutes. Of course we blamed each other for the mistake and started on a silent long walk along the now empty road. But nature has its way, and when we saw a tree laden with apples we forgot our differences and ran towards it like children in a park.

Boney grail 

Kutna Hora, the small town just outside Prague is known for two things. Kostnice Sedlec Ossuary, a chapel which was to become the highlight of my trip and Saint Barbara's Church, a Gothic structure which is on the UNESCO world heritage list. There is nothing pleasant about the Czech sun, but after a long walk we found ourselves in the shady grove of the Ossuary. In ancient times when burial grounds were scarce, especially after a catastrophe like plague (Black Death) or war, dead bodies were buried in temporary graves and the skeletal remains later moved to an Ossuary. There are bone chapels in other parts of Europe (Paris, Austria or Portugal) but none can beat the might of the Kostnice Sedlec Ossuary.

At the gate we were given a printed document, with statistics, history and other details associated with this chapel. In the 19th century the aristocratic family of Schwarzenberg entrusted the upkeep of the Ossuary to František Rint, a woodcarver. I suspect this talented man was fascinated by death, because it was he who used the excavated bones to create décor pieces. At the entrance sits a giant bone-made chalice – a rather imaginative replica of the Holy Grail. The Schwarzenberg family’s coat of arms is on the right and behind is a heap of skulls and bones, arranged to form a large pyramid. According to the pamphlet, the artist hasn't used any wires or strings to hold these in place. They are simply piled in a certain angle. An intimidating bone chandelier, which is said to include every bone in the human body, forms the centerpiece of the Ossuary. 

Centerpiece Chandelier

Crucifix, Coat of Arms and bone pyramid

The crucifix is in the far corner, but I couldn't imagine someone sitting down for a prayer. Surprisingly, I didn't find the place spooky either; it felt more like the insides of a museum. Little boys ran amongst the skull structures making lots of noise and sometimes tugging impatiently at their mother’s skirts. The loud clicks of the cameras and the hushed whispers of the visitors broke the silence of the room. I was fascinated by the macabre, and I think, it is by far the most crazy, surreal thing I've laid eyes on - the fleeting nature of life, expressed through bone art.  

In the medieval town 

We then walked towards Saint Barbara's Church. Kutna Hora is a medieval town in the Central Bohemian Region, and in most parts time stands perfectly still. Winding paved roads, red tile roofs, neatly planted vineyards and in the centre of it all the tall steeple of the church. It is only natural that this town of silver mines would pay their tributes to Saint Barbara - the patron saint of miners. The Gothic exteriors of the church seemed far more appealing than the stain-glass interiors, or maybe the lure of fine Bohemian wine (sold just outside) got the better of me.

Still buzzing from its impact, we waited patiently for the bus to take us back to the station. At the end of the day, arguments, long walks and tired legs can be justified if the adventure you've had is worth it. At Kutna Hora, for half the money advertised on the hotel pamphlet, we managed to have the time of our lives. 

You will too. I can feel it in my bones! 

 

Saint Barbara's Church  

The Scarlet Pimpernels of the Mountains

A bunch for Rs 10

I was in Mussoorie two weeks ago, and the timing couldn't have been more perfect. As luck would have it, I managed to witness the last of the rhododendron in bloom. A week too late, and I would have missed this wonderful phenomenon, though at that time I knew nothing about either of them. But I am getting ahead of the story here; so let me put things in perspective.

Thoughtful @Happy Valley, temple in the background

We drove from Delhi to Mussoorie, my friends and I. After long hours on the road without any incidents, if you don’t count occasional arguments, over eating and back seat driving, we were at Mussoorie. The trip was unplanned and we didn't have a reservation, which meant we drove for a while trying to figure out a place to stay. We eventually checked into a  decent hotel and our chaperone and acting chauffeur Anurag, decided to take a nap. So the two of us, Gowri Sundararajan and I, partners in crime, decided to explore Mussoorie on our own.

Last of spring at Rusty's Mussoorie 

I grew up with Ruskin Bond’s books, and to travel to Rusty’s town was almost like a dream come true. On rainy days in Kerala, book in hand, I used to wonder what spring would look like on the mountains of Mussoorie and Doon. In my mind’s eye, I imagined wild violet flowers growing from the cracks between the walls and small white flowers blooming all along the forest trail, just like the writer said they would. Walking away from the town towards Happy Valley, which has India’s first Tibetan temple (Shedup Choephelling), I noticed that spring was everywhere - in the air, in the mountain cracks, on rotting tree trunks and on tall trees. Photographing these flowers almost became an obsession. 

But it was en route to Dhanaulti, that I noticed wild red flowers growing on tall trees along the steep mountain side. Tucked between dark green coniferous trees, the flaming reds of these flowers looked like mountain fire. As the roads coiled and curved, I strained my neck for a better view.

A 25-km drive can take close to two hours on the mountain roads. Worried that we might be on the wrong track we stopped and asked for directions at an intersection. There, in a small shop facing a scenic mountain drop, I noticed rows of scarlet bottles with pictures of the now familiar flower. That’s how I found out about rhododendrons, locally known as Burans. Interestingly, these red rhododendrons are Nepal’s national flower and closer home in Uttarakhand they are recognised as the state tree and the locals consider it a gift from the Gods, with divine powers. It is said to be good for the heart and the liver and is also used in treating diseases like asthma and high blood pressure. Traditionally, house guests are greeted with a glass of homemade burans juice. Chutneys and pickles made from this flower are local delicacies.

Scarlet blooms

According to the annual report (2009-10) published by the Uttarakhand Forestry Research Institute (Haldwani) burans is a tough crop to grow; because the seedling survival of this variety is only 10-12 per cent. Put this alongside the ratio of deforestation for fire wood, and things don’t look good for these scarlets. But an increasing awareness about its uses and the international market gravitating towards organically prepared burans juice, this tree named in the Guinness World Records as the largest rhododendron, might still stand a chance.

Back in Delhi, I ration my burans juice intake; because I have just two bottles and I need them to last through the summer. It is a refreshing drink with a strong scent of rose water, which is used in the preparation of the concentrate. The one I bought has sugar mixed in, so between the sweetness and the scent of roses, I’m not sure what the burans really taste like. The shop keeper told me that the petals are sour but the sac has sweet nectar. I also know that for the people of Uttarakhand it is nature’s greatest gift - one that plays a central role in their everyday lives while also sustaining their forest's ecosystem.

A summer drink

Partners in crime at one of the many winding roads

Wild white roses

With my 'chaperone'