KARLI RIVER PART 2:
Mangoes, Bakula and Ancient temples
On the way back from Karli jetty up the hilly slope, we noticed some men harvesting raw mangoes from the wild mango trees. These raw mangoes (TORA) are in great demand all over India for pickles and chutneys. When the raw mango fruits are plucked, the gummy juice secreting from their severed stems, fills the air with a kind of pungent scintillating aroma, which activates that secret center in our brain’s sensory nervous system, which generates an intense overpowering craving for these raw fruits, which is not satiated till all the glands in your mouth, esophagus and stomach in contact with them.
Two men perched dangerously on tall branches of the well spread tree were plucking these fruits with native contraption, made of a long bamboo pole and pouch of a net called as Goke or Shibali in local tongue.
At a junction of roads on way from Karli to Korjai, we made a halt to appreciate a couple of beautiful Bakul trees. The lovely evergreen Bakul (Ovalaa) with its shiny, thick, narrow, pointed leaves is famous for its tiny cream colored flowers, which fill the night air with its delicious heady aroma. And next day when they fall to the ground, they retain their odor for many days, that has inspired the popular saying “True friendship lasts like the scent of Maulsari (Bakul)”.
Next to the Bakul tree was the famous Madhuca Latifolia tree, commonly known as Mahwa or Mahua. The flowers are edible and attract the birds. The heady wine made from the flowers is also well known.
Before going down to the Korjai Jetty, we took a left turn in the hills. The road was very narrow. On the left a steep hill with thick jungle of thorny corinda ( करवंद ) bushes, teak & badam trees, on right a sheer fall in to the coconut and betel nut palm tops leading down to the slow flowing water of Karli river a few yards further down. Path was dotted with tiled village homes whose gardens were adorned with many creepers and vegetable plants. We stopped at a projecting view point, soaking in the swaying palms, sleepy little islands in the river, white cranes deeply lost in their trance of meditation, diving kingfishers plucking off the unsuspecting gullible tiny fish and intoxicating fragrance of Son-chamfa.
We came upon some ancient caves now covered with a roof called as “ पांडवकालीन शिवमंदिर”. Climbing down the steps leading to this temple, branches of big Bakul tree were brushing our heads. We spotted some fruits in ripe yellow color and tasted a few. The temple was simply built, however, without in any way disturbing the historic caves and and its artefacts. There was a newly built jetty in front of the temple and view of the river and that of Tarkarli on the opposite side was magnificent.
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Mangoes, Bakula and Ancient temples
On the way back from Karli jetty up the hilly slope, we noticed some men harvesting raw mangoes from the wild mango trees. These raw mangoes (TORA) are in great demand all over India for pickles and chutneys. When the raw mango fruits are plucked, the gummy juice secreting from their severed stems, fills the air with a kind of pungent scintillating aroma, which activates that secret center in our brain’s sensory nervous system, which generates an intense overpowering craving for these raw fruits, which is not satiated till all the glands in your mouth, esophagus and stomach in contact with them.
Two men perched dangerously on tall branches of the well spread tree were plucking these fruits with native contraption, made of a long bamboo pole and pouch of a net called as Goke or Shibali in local tongue.
At a junction of roads on way from Karli to Korjai, we made a halt to appreciate a couple of beautiful Bakul trees. The lovely evergreen Bakul (Ovalaa) with its shiny, thick, narrow, pointed leaves is famous for its tiny cream colored flowers, which fill the night air with its delicious heady aroma. And next day when they fall to the ground, they retain their odor for many days, that has inspired the popular saying “True friendship lasts like the scent of Maulsari (Bakul)”.
Next to the Bakul tree was the famous Madhuca Latifolia tree, commonly known as Mahwa or Mahua. The flowers are edible and attract the birds. The heady wine made from the flowers is also well known.
Before going down to the Korjai Jetty, we took a left turn in the hills. The road was very narrow. On the left a steep hill with thick jungle of thorny corinda ( करवंद ) bushes, teak & badam trees, on right a sheer fall in to the coconut and betel nut palm tops leading down to the slow flowing water of Karli river a few yards further down. Path was dotted with tiled village homes whose gardens were adorned with many creepers and vegetable plants. We stopped at a projecting view point, soaking in the swaying palms, sleepy little islands in the river, white cranes deeply lost in their trance of meditation, diving kingfishers plucking off the unsuspecting gullible tiny fish and intoxicating fragrance of Son-chamfa.
We came upon some ancient caves now covered with a roof called as “ पांडवकालीन शिवमंदिर”. Climbing down the steps leading to this temple, branches of big Bakul tree were brushing our heads. We spotted some fruits in ripe yellow color and tasted a few. The temple was simply built, however, without in any way disturbing the historic caves and and its artefacts. There was a newly built jetty in front of the temple and view of the river and that of Tarkarli on the opposite side was magnificent.
View Larger Map
This post is literally "Mouth Watering"
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