Their hearts beat for Shoh Rukh Khon

Their hearts beat for Shoh Rukh Khon

Uzbek Diary V Last

The high-speed train from Bukhara which I had talked about in my post last Saturday, brought us to Samarkand in less than two hours, around 5.00 p.m. 

We went straight to the hotel which promised us a luxurious stay. My understanding is that with increased focus on tourism everywhere, new hotels are coming up, but the staff are not exactly prepared or trained for that. Checking us in took a very long time although we were the only guests in the huge hotel. Then, getting the wi-fi password ended in us being exhausted and the staff frazzled because they simply could not do it.

We had heard about the lighting of the Registan Square at night, so to make the most of whatever was left of the evening, we decided to go there.

Before you complain of Uzbekistan fatigue, let me assure you that this is the last of the series and then I go back to my usual random topics.

Believed to be one of the oldest inhabited cities of Central Asia, Samarkand, which also figures among the UNESCO World heritage Sites, has two faces- old from the medieval times and modern i.e., since 1871 when Russians built public buildings, parks, theatres as well as institutions of higher education. We visited the old ones.

The next morning and our last in the country, we revisited Registan Square, an ensemble of madrasahs, and perhaps the most visited site. The three madrasahs are Ulugbek Madrasah (1420), Sher Dor (meaning decorated with lions) Madrasah (1636) and Tillya-Kori Madrasah (1660). The madrasahs, in earlier times, not only had a mosque and an inner courtyard, but also provided accommodation to scholars. The museum in the Ulugh Beg madrasah gave us interesting insights on Uzbekistan’s history and position in the world about seven to eight centuries ago.

Of course, every madrasah building now has a market selling souvenirs.

We then went to Gur-e- Emir, the mausoleum where Timur, in 1404, initially built a tomb for his grandson. Yet after Timur himself died unexpectedly, his remains were buried there. You can also see graves of many others including Timur's sons - Shahrukh and Miran Shah, grandsons Ulugh Beg and Muhammad Sultan, his teacher Mir Said Baraka, and several other members of the Timurid dynasty.

In the mausoleum you see mosaic and majolica work, geometrical designs and floral patterns, Iranian mosaic techniques and Arabic calligraphy in abundance. The guide told us that the tiles of the Gur-I -Amir are so arranged that they spell out the names Mohammad and Allah.

Gur -e-Emir

In his 35 years, Timur brought in artisans and craftsmen from all over and rebuilt a large part of the city. The same Timur whom we know as a barbarian and cruel invader, is nearly worshipped in Uzbekistan as a patron of the arts, and benefactor and saviour of architects and craftsmen.

His grandson Ulugh Beg (1417–1420), a mathematician and astronomer himself, similarly invited Muslim astronomers and mathematicians and built a madrasah which became a centre of science in those times.  

We did not have the time to visit the huge Bibi Khanum mosque, commissioned by Timur’s favourite (Chinese) wife, yet we did go to Shahi-e-Zinda after lunch. The sight of the flight of steps and more mausoleums was a sure discouragement for most of our group and they chose to sit it out.

Shahi Zinda is an extensive and elaborate burial place, I would say, comprising small room like mausoleums of Timur’s family or distinguished people of his time on both sides of a short street. Once you climb up the stairs there are rooms after rooms like in a maze which takes some time to go through. All along you can feast your eyes on exquisite majolica work.

It was time to sort my thoughts. My mind in a whirl of images - blue and gold, majolica, mosaic and calligraphy, mausoleums, domes and high ceilings, small parks and souvenir shops, we took the Afrosiyab once again to Tashkent to board the flight back home.

• Uzbekistan is a Muslim nation, but never once did we feel that this was a constraint. Everybody wearing appropriate clothes is allowed entry in mosques or monuments.
• Although very few hotels had bars, yet there were liquor stores in some markets.
• The American or western Europe influence on the economy is conspicuously absent. There are no McDonalds, KFCs, any brands of clothing or accessories of the west or hotel chains.
• Most of the tourists we met were from other central Asian countries, and just a couple from Indonesia/Malaysia.
• You can download Yandex and call a taxi. They are mostly run on CNG, and the driver never says no to going even a short distance.
• Uzbekistan has been conquered and ruled by Russia and there is no way one can ignore the Russian impact, but everyone we talked to, had no ill-will against them.
• Uzbeks are not the ferocious warriors we might imagine them to be. They are polite, smile a lot and tolerate you.
• Their pronunciation might not match with how we would say/read names.
• Although not a developed country, the people have a strong civic sense. And yes, there are no stray dogs.
• The mains electricity voltage is 220V.
• A great place for budget travelers, Uzbekistan may not, however, be a good family vacation destination because though the children are super-safe, they do not have much to do.
• My two-penny suggestion to those interested in Islamic culture and religion - you would like visiting Uzbekistan.

Tillya Kori Madrasah Top: Intricate mirror, mosaic work on the roof
Bottom: Gold work 

I have scores more photos of all these buildings, but I would spare you the agony of looking at my poor efforts when you can find professional ones on the net. Yet, there is one important aspect which I just have to share with you!

Most of the Uzbeks are crazy about Bollywood music. There is even a restaurant called Raj Kapoor in Tashkent which, we were informed, members of the Kapoor family have also visited. I cannot vouch for the food because I did not eat there but the members of our group who had, did not say much about it.

So, it all started with our pretty young guide on our first day asking me what chalya chalya and rab ne bana di jodi mean. Then she opened her Youtube app and started playing songs filmed on Shah Rukh Khan (top photo). That, alas, continued till she said goodbye.

In the days I was there, I felt as though I had taken a crash course in Shah Rukh Khan’s films. Everyone seemed to know about him, his films and songs. They did not understand the meanings, but knew the lyrics, sang along and went on and on.

I had, enthusiastically in the beginning, and rather dully later, snapped my fingers with the music, shaken my shoulders, waved my hands in the air while seated in the back seat of the car, sandwiched invariably between a tolerantly smiling Pratibhaji and whoever the guide was. Almost every time, the drivers joined in the chorus and an irritated Mani acting deaf in the front passenger seat, would snort with derision at this madness, till the fourth day he decided enough was enough, and changed to the other car.

In the end my gyan ka bhandar (storehouse of knowledge) was brimming over with a whole list of songs (and lyrics) that mostly Shah Rukh Khan had appeared in with or without any female actor. Although a few older people did mention some old songs or Amitabh Bachchan, the young ones ooh-aahed only/mostly about Shoh Rukh Khon, Vicky Kaushal, Shahid Kapoor, Tiger Shroff, Ranveer Singh (in that order), the modern heroes who dance well and may show off their abs on the screen without much reason.  

Please step aside all netas who mouth cliches in front of cameras. Allow the lights to flash on larger-than-life SRK and that ilk. Let our filmy heroes be our goodwill ambassadors!

                                                                                                - Anupama S Mani