Uniquely Uzbekistan

A perfect combination of exotic Central Asian grandeur and unrivalled beauty, Uzbekistan is being touted as one of the hot new countries for 2019. We take you to Tashkent, Bukhara and Samarkand—three cities where you will find everything you’re looking for in a refreshingly offbeat destination!

By Raul Dias 



(This article first appeared in the January-February-March 2019 issue of HDFC Imperia magazine)

Time for Tashkent!

A unique blend of its Soviet past and Central Asian exotica, Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent is the hottest new destination for the intrepid Indian traveller, says Raul Dias who recently flew to the city on Uzbekistan Airways’ brand new direct flight from Mumbai.   

By Raul Dias

“Uzbeki-where!?” was something I kept getting spat back at me by almost everybody—bewildered expressions pat in place—after I had told them of my impending trip to the Central Asian country of Uzbekistan. Even the immigration officer at Mumbai’s International Airport looked back at me as though I was speaking Greek to him when I told him that my destination was Tashkent.
But, in hindsight, it really wasn’t anyone’s fault for not knowing anything about the doubly landlocked country that was once an important milestone along the ancient Silk Road. Central Asia has never really fit into the mould of the average Indian’s ‘foreign holiday’ destination! And as for that ill-informed immigration offer, who should have known of Uzbekistan, I’ll let that pass, as the Uzbekistan Airways’ direct flight linking Mumbai and Tashkent I was to board that morning had just commenced operations a few days before.

First Impressions
A comfortable four hours spent enjoying the gracious hospitality aboard my Uzbekistan Airways flight and I was deposited into the beautiful, startlingly modern city of Tashkent. One of the first things that caught my attention on the ride to my hotel from the airport was the sheer number of green spaces and parks that dot the spotlessly clean city. Later that day I would visit a few of them, but more on that a little later.
A relic of the Soviet era with its typical brutalist style architecture, my home for the next two nights in Tashkent was the grand Hotel Uzbekistan located in the heart of the city on Musakhanov Street. Once the epitome of Soviet-style luxury with its cavernous ballroom and international cuisine restaurants, today, the hotel remains a looming reminder of the city’s USSR past, brusque service et al.
And speaking of past, the 29 Tashkent Metro stations—one of which, called Emir Temur Metro Station was just in front of my hotel—are each a lesson in grandeur and glamour with their marble and polished granite clad walls and crystal-glass chandeliered ceilings, all built in the 1970s. It’s a real pity that the police are rather strict about enforcing the ‘no photography’ diktat in these stunning underground stations.

Parks and Recreation
One of the first places my guide had me visit was the grand statue of Uzbekistan’s greatest hero the Turco-Mongol conqueror Amir Temur known multifariously as Timur, Tamerlane and yes, Taimur! Located slap bang in front of the Hotel Uzbekistan, the memorial garden that houses his horse-riding statue is a fecund paradise where blushing Uzbek newlywed couples come to have their wedding pictures taken. Just a few yards from the garden, the Amir Timur Museum is a good place to get an insight into the life and times of the warrior who is perceived very differently in places outside of Central Asia.
Equally picturesque are the well laid out parks that flank the city’s ‘Broadway’. Officially, Saligokh Street, this boulevard that starts at the south end of the Amir Temur Garden is home to scores of street artists and painters. The northern end of the boulevard is where the city’s fashion elite come to drop wads of cash at the designer boutiques and trendy restaurants.
Next on my carefully prepared itinerary was a stop at the Polish Catholic Church on Sadiq Asimov street, a good half an hour walk from the hotel. More formally known as the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral, the church was almost fully destroyed during the 1966 earthquake but was reconstructed to its former glory with the help of the Polish Embassy of Tashkent. Though the main cathedral was shut for the day, I sat mesmerised by the choir practicing their hymns in the crypt below the church.
A few meters away, I payed homage at the memorial dedicated to India’s very own former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri who passed away in Tashkent on 11 January 1966 when he visited the city to sign the Tashkent Declaration with Pakistan. Even the street that the memorial is housed on is named Shastri street and attracts quite a few nostalgic, selfie-seeking Indian travellers.   

A Taste of the Exotic!
All that walking about simply had to be rewarded in the best way that I know. Eating. Hopping onto a super-fast metro train, I found myself deposited into the bowels of a beast! Confused? Well, so was I when I saw the sight that is Chorsu Bazaar above the ground as I climbed my way back to surface level. There is a saying in Tashkent that you can get everything from a pin to an elephant in the humungous market and I guess they aren’t kidding!
The main domed market is an enclosed space that is divided into various sections selling meat (including the very popular horsemeat sausage called kazi), pickles, fruits and vegetables, dairy along with the salty and decidedly exotic hard fermented sheep’s milk cheese called kurt that’s very much an acquired taste that I’ve yet to acquire…
What I did relish with gusto, however, was a plate of fragrant plov or osh which is very similar to a spice-bereft biryani, where cumin-dusted pieces of lamb are stewed with sweetened carrots and rice and served with boiled chickpeas and slices of kazi. Simply called non, the circular disks of freshly baked bread were the perfect accompaniment to the meal that was washed down with a salty lassi-like yogurt drink called ayran.
I simply couldn’t think of a more perfect way to end my first of many days in exotic Uzbekistan!


Getting There and Around
Uzbekistan Airways (www.uzairways.com) has recently started its thrice a week, direct flight from Mumbai to Tashkent with a flying time of just four hours. Uzbekistan Airways also links New Delhi and Amritsar to Tashkent with direct flights. Travel within the city is very easy with cheap and plentiful transport options available, including taxis, buses, mini vans and the super-fast Tashkent Metro. The easy-to-procure visa to visit Uzbekistan can be obtained online and takes just two working days to process for a fee of US $20.

(An edited version of this article first appeared in the 9th December 2018 issue of The Free Press Journal newspaper's Weekend section on page 3 https://www.freepressjournal.in/travel/tashkent-the-hottest-new-destination-for-intrepid-indian-travellers/1411680)

Bukhara: Beyond History

Once an integral pitstop on the legendary Silk Road, the ochre-coloured city of Bukhara is today the cultural jewel in Uzbekistan’s crown with its ancient monuments and old-world charm, says Raul Dias who traipses through this ancient wonderland!

By Raul Dias

As much as I pride myself on being a seasoned world traveller, with a respectable 60 countries under my belt, I knew very little about the Central Asian, former USSR country of Uzbekistan. And even less about Bukhara, its cultural and historical stronghold. My reference point to anything ‘Bukhara’ was the scrumptious stewed lentil preparation called Dal Bukhara that is served at the ITC Maurya New Delhi’s iconic restaurant of the same name—Bukhara.
But all that changed a few weeks ago, when I took advantage of the newly launched Uzbekistan Airways’ direct flight linking my home city of Mumbai to Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent. I followed that up with a super-fast, three-and-a-quarter hours long ride on the Afrosiyob bullet train from Tashkent and there I was in the beautiful and ancient city of Bukhara.

First Things First
An important pitstop on the iconic Silk Road that once linked the Orient with the Occident, along which trade of all sorts—but primarily of silk—flourished, Buhkara provided that much-need half way respite from the arduous journey. Additionally, during the golden age of the Samanids, Bukhara became a major intellectual center of the Islamic world, second only to Baghdad.
Today, with its 140 architectural monuments, the UNESCO World Heritage Site is a virtual ‘city-museum’, with wondrous sights at almost every turn you take. Sights that I simply couldn’t wait to treat my eyes to the minute I had finished checking into my hotel. One of the first places my rather enthusiastic hotel receptionist suggested…nay, insisted I pay obeisance at was what he called the “greatest of all of Bukhara’s gems!” i.e. The Ark. 
Built as a fortress in the 5th century AD, the walled Ark, in addition to being a military structure, was almost a town in itself and was inhabited by the various royal courts that ruled the region surrounding Bukhara. Its ‘Ground Zero’ of Bukhara role continued right until the early 20th century, when it fell to Russia in 1920. Today as a museum, it houses several informative exhibits of weaponry, armoury and coins and is a great place to get an orientation of ancient Bukhara. 

Historic Jewels Aplenty!
Slap bang opposite the Ark, I sauntered towards the multi-columned Bolo Hauz. Built in 1712, the beautiful mosque, fronted by an ornamental pond served as a Friday mosque during the time when the emir of Bukhara was being subjugated under the Bolshevik Russian rule in 1920s. A few meters behind Bolo Hauz was a monument I had heard of and was dying to visit.
Chashma-Ayub, or Job’s spring is said to reflect a legend that states the prophet Job (or Ayub in the Quran) visited this place and brought forth a spring of water by the blow of his staff on the ground. The water of the well inside is said to be exceptionally pure and is regarded for its supposed healing qualities. Taking an obligatory sip of the allegedly miraculous water (the magical properties of which have yet to be revealed to me!), I headed out to my next stop, the Po-i Kalan or Kalon/Kalyan Mosque complex.
One of the first things you see in this vast complex is the vertiginous Kalon minaret looming large. Also known as the Tower of Death, legend has it that it is the site where criminals were executed by being thrown off the top. The mosque itself is built in the typical Central Asian architectural style with its rectangular arch covered in brilliantly blue coloured tiles. Completed in 1514, the mosque can accommodate twelve thousand people. Making for brilliant photographs, the maze of two hundred and eighty-eight monumental pylons serves as a support for the multi-domed roofing of the galleries encircling the courtyard of the mosque.

Getting a Feel of Bukhara
If there is one ritual that I follow religiously whenever I find myself in a new place, then that would have to be a visit to the local market. And in the case of Bukhara the covered bazaar! So, sustaining myself with a juicy lamb and onion somsa—which is similar to an Indian samosa, but with a flaky, puff pastry shell—that I bought from a small hole-in-the-wall shop near Po-i Kalan, I headed towards the bazaar. Actually, make that bazaars. The four remaining covered bazaars give a fascinating glimpse into commerce in the city from old times.
The intersections of the main streets of medieval Bukhara served a purpose of trade that resulted in the construction of these domed structures called taq (dome) and tim (covered market). Till today, these bazaars remain important shopping places in Bukhara, where you can find many souvenir shops selling everything from beautiful ikat printed winter jackets to Russian fur hats called ushankas. Your choice is unlimited. Each bazaar is covered with numerous domes and holds its unique name. Taqi-Zargaron (dome of jewellers), Taqi-Sarrafon (dome of moneychangers) and Taqi-Telpakfurushon (dome of headwear sellers) are the three covered bazaars that survived till today.
All that walking around had gotten me exhausted. And so, as a treat to myself, I ended my day about Bukhara in the way the ancient merchants perhaps did—by going to the hammam. The 16th century Bozori Kord hammam in the bazaar was where I was steamed, soaped, soaked and stretched like a pretzel. All that, leaving me refreshed and ready to face a new day along my very own 2018 version of the Silk Road journey…     


FACT FILE

Getting There 
Uzbekistan Airways (www.uzairways.com) has recently started its thrice a week, direct flight from Mumbai to Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent with a flight time of just four hours. There are several daily flights on Uzbekistan Airways from Tashkent to Bukhara and also the swanky Afrosiyob bullet train service once a day, with a travel time of under four hours. Travel within Buhkara is very easy with cheap and plentiful taxis and buses. The easy-to-procure visa to visit Uzbekistan can be obtained online and takes just two working days to process for a fee of US $20.

When to Visit
Though Bukhara is a great year-round travel destination with cold winters and cheery summers, the spring months from April to June and the autumn months from September to November are the best times of the year to visit.

Accommodation
Bukhara has an excellent selection of hotels to choose from to suit all budgets and tastes. Two such recommended accommodation options are:
* Lyabi House Hotel (www.lyabihouse.com)
* Asia Bukhara Hotel (www.asiahotels.uz)


(An edited version of this article appeared in the 7th December 2018 issue of the Afternoon Despatch & Courier newspaper, India on pages 14. http://www.afternoondc.in/48-hrs/bukhara-beyond-history/article_237100)

A Dhaka Day!

All it takes is a day in Bangladesh’s bustling capital Dhaka to fall in love with it—never mind its gritty countenance and unbridled urban chaos. Here are five ways to discover the charms of this city by the Buriganga River

1. For Old Times’ Sake
I’d really suggest starting your day in the city by taking in the faded—if not lost—splendour of Old Dhaka on foot. This, I learned was the best way to explore this compact precinct of the city. A visit to the pink-hued Ahsan Manzil housed at the top end of a busy alley, is an ideal way to begin. As the former official residential palace and seat of the Dhaka Nawab Family, this 144-year-old edifice is today converted into a museum with all the regalia on full display.
Dodge your way through Dhaka’s insane traffic and pay obeisance at the serene Armenian Church in the Armanitola area. Here, you can still see old gravestones inscribed in the traditional Armenian script. Just a mere 300 meters north of the church, you will find the Sitara Mosque that is distinct, in that, its four domes are entirely decorated with mosaic tiled stars. So iconic is this mosque, that it even finds a place of glory for itself on the face of a Tk10 (ten Bangladeshi taka) note.
Finish off your blast from the past with yet another walk. This time, to the magnificent 17th Century Lalbagh Fort that is famous for being unfinished after it was allegedly cursed. It houses the very beautiful Tomb of Pari Bibi, the daughter of Shaista Khan that is in the middle of the complex. Flanking it on either side is the Diwani-i-Aam hammam and the Lalbagh Fort Mosque on the eastern side, making it a veritable ‘Taj Mahal of Bangladesh’.

2. Architectural Marvels
An easy mid-day, pre-lunch walk into the city’s downtown University area is sure to reward you with serendipitous findings like the red-brick Curzon Hall. Built in the colonial-meets-Saracenic style of architecture, this 110-year-old building, that was intended to serve as the Dhaka town hall, is today part the University’s school of science.
A little further down the road you will encounter the stunning ivory Supreme Court building and its well-manicured lawns. Next, take a detour to Central Dhaka to get a glimpse of the city’s true piece de resistance—the startlingly modern and abstract looking National Assembly Building or Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. A true architectural marvel, built from 1961 to 1982, the building is based on the designs of American Modernist architect Louis Kahn. With a moat-like water body surrounding it, thus referencing the country’s ‘water world’ moniker, the main building is made up of huge walls deeply recessed by porticoes and large openings of regular geometric shapes that let the light stream in.


4. Have an ‘Art Attack’
If the super-popular, annual Dhaka Art Summit is any indication of this city’s prowess as a repository of art, then you better believe that the art scene here is not just alive, but thriving, even! Pay a visit to the city’s various art galleries like the eclectic Dhaka Art Centre in Dhanmondi that houses pieces by both local artists like Mishuk Munier and Ruhul Karim Rumee as well as international ones.
But if kitsch art is more your scene, then take a colourful cycle rickshaw ride to the famous Bicycle Street also called Bangsal Road. This luridly decorated part of the city, along with the adjoining Kazi Alauddin Road, is lined with shops selling bicycles of all kind, as well as with stalls that do the special pop rickshaw art that you will encounter in all its gaudy glory adorning the millions of cycle rickshaws plying all over Dhaka.
In the same area, a few yards away, at the 300-year-old Hindu Street called Shankharia Bazaar tune into the sounds of workmen fashioning intricate pieces of jewellery from gold and other precious metals. Interestingly, this area is also regarded as the ‘Ground Zero’ of Dhaka’s Hindu community and come Durga Puja season, it is transformed into an open-air arts museum where pandals are set up with idols and other assorted religious iconography for you to get your fill of.

5. A Sunset Cruise Along the Buriganga River 
Finish off your Dhaka day of discovery with a languid cruise down the Buriganga River sailing on a tiny wooden boat. A grey, marshy, unappealing eyesore by day, this waterbody undergoes a remarkable metamorphosis come evening as the pink rays of the evening sun slowly light it up. You can hire a wooden boat for around TK150 (Rs 116 approx.) per hour at the chaotic Sadarghat Boat Terminal in South Dhaka and ride the placid waters of this river that gets its name from the Bangla word for old lady—bhuri.
Don’t forget to take in the spectacular sight of the large, rusty multi-storied steamer ships with funny names like ‘NASA’ and ‘Hydro King’ that take passengers on journeys to other places in in the country like Chittagong and Sundarbans. Trust me, there simply couldn’t be a more perfect way to end your tryst with Dhaka—a city that will hold you in her vice-like grip, only to release you when you give in to her unconventional charms!


What to Buy and Where?
* Colourful art work paying homage to Dhaka’s famous cycle rickshaws. Try Jatra at Kemal Ataturk Avenue for all things art and kitsch.
* Superb indigenously produced fabrics like Dhakai (jamdani) muslin and tangail that take the form of sarees, curtain material etc at the Wholesale Cloth Market at Islampur.
* Readymade apparel—as Dhaka is the center of garment production for some of the world’s top high street brands. As the12th largest mall in the world, Bashundhara City in Bashundhara is your place.
* All things jute like jute bags, shoes, slippers and home décor objects. Kumudini Handicrafts in the posh Gulshan neighbourhood of the city is a great store we’d recommend.

(An edited version of this article first appeared in the March 2018 issue of Jetwings Domestic in-flight magazine of Jet Airwayshttp://www.jetairways.com/EN/IN/jetexperience/magazines.aspx)