Describe a Place in a Village that You Visited Cue Card

When did you visit this place?

I visited this place a few weeks back as soon as the COVID restrictions were lifted because I desperately wanted to go out and explore and I happened to stumble upon this place.

What did you do there?

In Tezpur Deur which is Champaran I thought of finding something related to Gandhi’s Satyagraha as he had visited this place. Instead of finding Gandhi I found Buddha because this place has a beautiful Stupa called Kesaria Stupa believed to be made by Guptas. Anyway, I enjoyed watching the stupa and learning about its history along with the village hospitality that the place offered. I went to a local eatery and tried the food that Champaran is most famous for, its meat curry also known as Balochi or Ahuna. I also discovered Gandhi was relevant for this place even after so many years of independence but not many could relate to Buddha and his ideology despite having a whole Stupa in their locality.

Explain why you think it was enjoyable?

The trip to Kesaria stupa was enjoyable because of all the history attached to it. It was interesting to know that this Stupa was made to honour Buddha’s sermon “Kalama Sutta” which he gave at this very place and it was the only non-religious sermon by Buddha. The Stupa itself was discovered only 3 decades ago and I am glad that Britishers weren’t the ones to discover it otherwise they would have taken it to their museums. I would like to say that people should travel and so that they can stumble upon such rare finds which make us proud about our rare cultural heritage which needs our appreciation and attention.

When did you visit this place?

I visited this place about a year ago because it was close to my place so when the lockdown was partially lifted, I could go there.

What did you do there?

In Mbaitoli I searched for Chausath Yogini Temple because it was the piece that had attracted me the most in that blog about it. The temple is a majestic structure with 65 chambers and has a spectacular Mundaka Grid. It's a piece of living history as this temple was built in the 11th century and stands in a better condition than other yogini temples. The temple is atop a 100 feet high hill, and it was really fun climbing all those stairs to see its majesty. Even the environment around the temple looks pristine and I was fortunate enough to watch the sunset.

Explain why you think it was enjoyable?

I believe it was enjoyed because of the stories attached to it. It's a popular belief that Edward Lutyens visited this temple before settling on a design for Parliament of India and the temple really has the circular shape and those pillars and the whole silhouette of the Indian Parliament. This temple is dedicated to both 64 Devis and the circular courtyard is dedicated to Shiva and not just that the whole structure of that temple was used to provide the education in Mathematics and Astrology based on transit of Sun. The Archaeological Survey of India has declared this site as an ancient and historical monument. It was enjoyable to see an architectural marvel acclaimed by the Archaeological Survey of India itself. Everyone should visit the temple at least once if not for religious purposes, then to see how mathematics and astrology was taught and how the transit of the Sun was recorded and how fascinating science would have been to the learners in this temple.

When did you visit this place?

I visited this place in the summer of 2018 when there was no COVID-19 pandemic and travelling was easier.

What did you do there?

I knew that World War II was fought on North-eastern Frontiers of India as well, so I was looking for something related to it. In my search I reached Moirang and found that the town had a beautiful Museum of Indian National Army which preserved the remains of Bose's Indian National Army which was allied with Japan in an effort to evict the British from India. It's important to note that Photography isn’t allowed inside the Museum. Because Manipur is not only rich in history and culture but also in nature, so I did go and explore some forests as well. It was a peaceful experience to be here and breathe in the pollution free air. The whole state of Manipur is beautiful, and its food is equally delicious.

Explain why you think it was enjoyable?

I enjoyed visiting the Indian National Army Museum a lot because it contained many interesting things about World War II which aren't easily available in popular reading materials like strategic maps of the Indian National Army, currency notes that were minted by Bose, a photograph of Bose in Andaman indicating that Japanese had reached there too. I would like to say that although this museum aims to preserve a rather unknown piece of history and celebrates a War hero who didn’t speak their language, it stands in a poor condition today due to its bureaucratic shackles.