Monday, February 12, 2007

Meerut - Weekend Trip In The Countryside

Weekend Trip in Meerut

Life is like a rainbow. You need both the sun and the rain to make its colors appear.

meerut sardhana uttar pradesh india sugarcane mustard fields lady graces church samru tourism backpackingThis weekend I went on a trip to the lush green fields in the Meerut area of Uttar Pradesh. I had planned this trip for weeks and dreamt of lying in the dappled shade of a mango tree doing my knitting. However, providence had something else planned. From morning to evening there were rains and icy cold winds. Determined to make the most of my short vacation, I ventured out in the fields to explore.

The yellow mustard flowers waved to me from every field. The soft grass and clover patches were wet with drops of rain. Little birds were dancing in pools of water while the hawks were sitting huddled together in tall leafless trees. The sound of a continuous drizzle and fragrance of the soil made me feel completely at peace. I stretched a plastic bag on the grass and sat down to take in this view. The nearby canal was filled with ripples caused by the splashes of a million raindrops. Not a soul was in sight as village folk cuddled up in their warm brick homes to escape the biting cold winds.

meerut sardhana uttar pradesh india sugarcane mustard fields lady graces church samru tourism backpackingThis scene reminded me of a book I recently read - 'A Painted House' by John Grisham. 'A Painted House' is a welcome change from the lawyer kind of books that John Grisham usually writes. It is a peaceful Tom Sawyer kind of story about farm life in the early 50's. 'A Painted House' tells about the complexities of life as seen through the eyes of Luke Chandler, seven year old boy who lives on a cotton farm in rural Arkansas, USA. The Chandlers have never had enough money to paint their house but in the end paint it even though they loose their entire cotton crop due to rains. The book is basically about the dreams of a farm kid who is tired of picking cotton and wishes to be rich and live in a painted house.

meerut sardhana uttar pradesh india sugarcane mustard fields lady graces church samru tourism backpackingWalking through the squashy mud in Meerut district in the midst of the tall stalks of sugarcane, vegetable fields, mango and orange trees I thought of the simple joys of farming. How it must feel - to wake up every morning and head to the fields for work? Far away from the hustle and bustle of Delhi, the idea of growing and eating your own vegetables seemed real cool !


meerut sardhana uttar pradesh india sugarcane mustard fields lady graces church samru tourism backpacking Later in the day, I went to visit the Church of Lady of Grace in the nearby town of Sardhana. I heard that lots of miracles happen here and people get what they want, so I lit some candles outside. Inside the church, there were many people including backpacking tourists taking shelter from the rains. This church in Sardhana was built in 1822 by a Muslim queen - Begum Samru who later converted to Christianity. It is a government protected monument. I wanted to go see some other places too but they were too far away in Meerut Cantonment and it was too cold.

An hour later, I went to the market to look for a fake version of Salman Khan's bracelet but could'nt spot one with the right color. Small towns are the only place where this sort of stuff is available. I had bought one the last time I was here and tied it around my cat's neck which he lost a few days later.

Just before going back to Delhi, I collected some fertile mud from the fields of Meerut for my potted plants back home. It ended up being real heavy. Three hours and a punctured tyre later, I was back in Delhi with great memories of a tranquil countryside break.

Do you like visiting the countryside ?

8 comments:

  1. Beautiful pics and info! We loved English countryside and always went for a long car rides in UK!

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  2. OMG! did u take these beautiful photos??
    i enjoyed reading this post sooo much. thanks a lotttt!!
    yeah i love trip to the countryside :)
    if only there is a good company like salman khan. lol
    i cant believe u put that bracelet on ur kitty!
    thanking u and have a nice evening!

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  3. oh i think that painted house looks sooo interesting!!
    gotta check it out. thank uuuu!!

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  4. Any place less polluted than Delhi is a bliss. Plus what ever little pollution there may be must have been settled down due to the rain.

    Just remembered a poem from Kindergarten school.

    Rain rain go away,
    Come again some other day,
    Cyberkitty wants to play. (or something like that..hehe)

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  5. Loved this post and the pictures.I love going to the countryside too and love to knit.what are you knitting?.This book by John Grishem sounds interesting.

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  6. salman khan's brace tied around your cat! poor salman - he will be heart broken. i have stayed in meerut - the outskirts are beautiful especially the delhi road.

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  7. I do.

    My ancestral village is in the Bathinda district of Punjab.

    :)

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  8. Asha - I'd simply love to visit England!

    Niki - Bringing Salman would turn out to be pretty interesting !

    Sifar - It was a great relief from Delhi.

    Starry Nights - Am knitting a scarf. It's the easiest to make.

    Whiskeypriest - I don't think Salman Khan would mind, really ! He has pets too.

    Sidhusaaheb - Bathinda has some amazing food available at the local dhabas !

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