Its been a while since my trip to Nagpur and I came across these pictures in my PC in a moment of introspection and idle browsing, listening to some mind numbing Trance :)
Its actually the oldest school in Nagpur and still retains the wooden pillars in the central courtyard
The design of this assembly hall as it is in use now, clearly suggests that this room was once used by the early Bhosles of Nagpur (mid to late 18th century)as a durbar hall, with galleries providing for the attendance of ladies of the royal house
These classrooms on the terrace looked terribly cute, the building palpably ancient with slightly uneven floors and wooden stairs!
From the terrace, I noticed a dilapidated temple at the back of the school, beyond the playgrounds, its peak or the shikhar, proudly standing tall among a tangled mass of jungles and hovels clinging to it like parasites
I found it truly amazing that the temple was built entirely of wood including the still shining pillars and a wonderful ceiling which was too dark to be shot with an ordinary cellphone
And this is the seven storeyed well or baoli, so common with medieval indian royal establishments, with the bottom stories all flooded and sealed off now, and redolent of stories of secret passages and buried treasure :)
Clearly, the entire property including the present school, was the first royal establishment. Unfortunately, there is not the slightest murmur of conservation efforts and the ASI was nowhere in sight. Sigh ( and that's definitely not the first sigh of the day!
Oh what beautiful and magnificent architecture. And amazing to think they built it by hand without cranes and scaffolding. I wonder how they did it. I especially love the two middle photos, with the ornate embellishments and the little fellow holding up the balcony. This is truly wonderful. I so enjoyed your photos and narrative. More armchair traveling which you know I so love to do! Sorry to be late getting to it, have been too busy to take my time on-line until today.
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