Bhor Rajwada

It was a mid April afternoon when we reached Bhor Rajwada. The day was hot , the sun blistering. As we got down from vehicle the view offered was pretty ordinary and simple. In a circular arrangement stood two storyed structures with verandah running in front of them. In the middle of circle was a park with dried grass and a thirsty fountain structure. Along it was a small temple. Most of the rooms of buildings housed some government offices, offices of certain political parties etc. It was a day after Holi so most of the offices were closed . We surveyed the scene with a little bit of disappointment creeping in. However on our right side we noticed a gate through which we had a glimpse of flowing river.With the blazing sun pouring above that calm stretch of water was such an inviting view that we felt drawn towards it and started walking in the direction. this is river Neera.

Beyond the gate and wall the steps lead to water. Two or three women in bright sarees were washing clothes at the last step . Their voices floated to us like humming of bees.now and then voices from other banks echoed. Leaves of ages old Peepal tree standing on the bank rustled soothingly. The quiet afternoon filled heart with calm and peace. On the left side a door opened to Radha Krishna temple. The interior of temple was semi dark and cool. San any ostentatious pretension it touched the purest of emotions. All the worries and tensions of daily life  as if dissolved and feelings of completely surrendering myself to some unknown, unseen power made my being weightless. I can neither decipher nor explain such experiences but they always make me feel that there is more to life that we can define, see and feel. Something surreal eludes the grasp but makes it's existence feel with thumping certainty.

After that we visited Bhor Rajwada. We sat on the steps of the outer courtyard  for some time, then the care taker arrived and opened the gate from inside to let us in. Rajwada is quite grand. I shall let the pictures talk about that. Care taker informed us that now a days the Rajwada is used mainly for the shooting of various bollywood and marathi movies, the latest one being Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Baji Rao Mastani.There are many layers of corridors, rooms opening one behind another on both sides of courtyard. There is a Ram mandir inside Rajwada. The care taker informed us that on Ram Navami many people visit here as grand ceremonies, pooja  are organized on the occasion.The inner rooms were dark, empty but every wall, every corner has it's own story to tell. Way back in the past it must have experienced different kind of life and now it gets decorated with different kind of sets every now and then. Many stories are enacted, emotions displayed . It experiences whirlwind of activities for some time and after every pack up it once again stands in solitude and life moves on.

On the threshhold of Radha Krishna temple on the bank of neera river

River Neerra

all the pictures by Sunder Iyer

Location--- Bhor is about forty kilometer from Pune in Maharashtra.
Other places of attraction in Bhor --- Bhatghar Dam in bhor
Best time to visit-- From scenic beauty point of view as is the case with entire Maharashtra monsoon is the best season when green hills and surging waters make the surroundings enchanting.