After all its Daadi’s (Grandmaa) wishes! Have you ever dared and courage to reject your seniors, parents, and teachers order? No! I guess! Yes, depends on the work. Our body language indicates hundreds of reasons that we are not really interested to follow the order, initially. We find little hesitated than somehow we deal with our heart and mind and finally say, yes, order is order, so need to obey. Its years back my Grandmaa used to tell stories, as every Daadi did for their grandchildren, hope you realizes the stories are, so boring, so scaring, the tragedy, the drama, the love and affection and war and peace. Daadi goes on telling the story and finally discover that you are napped on her lap. And you can’t remember what the end plot of her story, and she repeats one more time in the next day evening. As usual, normal routine, tradition, customary as if it is her prime duties. So the story goes like this. Beta (both male and female), yours ago your great great ancestral used to live in this place, Giants Ring. So when you will be young, don’t forget to visit this place, Tere purbaj ke marhuye atama ko santi milegi, ek bar jo wo tumhe dekh lenge (your ancestral soul will be rest in peace, once they see you). Ek bar jarur ghum ke aana. (once for lifetime, must visit). So it was Saturday, 8 March 2014, and also coincidently a great day Women’s International Day. (many mixed sorts bad and good news seen with the help of Facebook that my leader Dr. Yogender Yadav been ink smeared in his face by unknown man, my supervisor professor Anand Kumar began his campaigning in North-East Delhi for MP position, that many of my friends were joined the meeting. I read the updated of odisha with the help of my friend Sagar’s ‘breakingnewsonline’ that mr. singh left congress and joined bjp. The missing of airlines. I also connected some friends, discuss the matter. Liked many facebook posting and also sidestepped many. As its grandee’s order. So I began my journey from Naval Hall West, Starnmillis College, Belfast, time around 11.30 morning. Just to see the ancestral place, I follow the rout. The rout was bank of river Lagan. It was very beautiful day, no cloud, no rain, bit breezy, but still why take risk, I took Umbrella, who knows when the weather will change its mood. My impression was, the Giant’s Ring may be very close, may be 4 miles (about 7 km). As google map does not show the direction. So I head toward South. Walks on the bank of river Lagan. (some pictures added). As it is beautiful day, so many old, young kids, and varieties breeds of pet (dogs) were found on the way. The age of civilization that every dog owner has a plastic bag that, if the dog shits, so they can collect it and throw in the respective dustbin. This is what the sense of responsibilities of every citizen to keep the environment clean and safe. Some young men, women are running, some are cycling. Some are walking with their children. Cows are grazing on the bank of river Lagan, ducks are swimming and looking for their food. Varieties of birds are flying and sitting on the branches of the plain trees. The trees are bald because this is winter, and they will have leaves soon. Autumn was very beautiful and trees leave looks very beautiful and time and again they change their color, as told by an old lady. After walking three and half miles, I found a signal, I mean an indicator. Followed the direction and started walking the hills. Thankfully I found a young lady and confirmed my direction. But she all so does not know. After climbing the hill, I found a big plain ground. I have some doubt in my mind. I reverse down to the bank of river Lagan and then headed to south of Belfast. I have seen a young man sitting on the bank of the river and catching fish with his fishing-stick. I asked him, whether he knows my destination. He, said, “He does not know”. “Well, no problem, I said” again I followed the river footpath. Its well-maintained path for both cyclist and pedestrian. After walking five and half miles, I saw an eating place. I bought a choco and cococola. A beautiful young lady serves me. I can see a hockey field opposite to the restaurant. I missed India. Its our national game but unfortunately gentleman game that’s cricket dominated every Indian mind and soul. I thought it might be practice game. So I asked man. Whats going on there? He said its tournament. You can see. I thanked him. I said, I will watch while coming back. As I have already missed my lunch. And I have to back to home by evening. So, walking and eating will save my time. River Lagan has many tributaries and every tributaries looks like a canal. Near the restaurant, there is a canal. The canal has huge gate. It has a lock. Those days, people were using this canal as main route to get their everyday needs. Now its modern age it closed. I found a cyclist. Asked about the Giant’s Ring. He told me the right direction. But again I forget and took different direction. Somehow, meet man and woman with their dogs are on walk. Asked about the direction. Well, now I thought, I am very close to the place. But evidently not. As I was told, I need to walk another 4 miles approximately. The weather was cool. So, I am not feeling hungry and also not thirsty. Yes, I have with me the cococola. I can walk. I cross the Show’s Bridge. Its huge bridge and restless road as many four wheelers are passing through. I thought, I might have landed of other town. But again took different direction. Its hill stations. I thought, I am in place. No no. its not the place. Its huge Church. A wedding ceremony was going on, the groom and bride, taking help of cameraman, for photos, that, I have seen quite far away from the boundary. As its iron vent so. Met a wedding party man and woman with their 2 kids. Asked about. He said, “really he does not know the place”. Then, I thank them and again reverse to the bank of river. I meet a lady with huge dog. Its white color dog. Quite bigger than any other dog. I asked what breed is this. She said, its Irish, and name is Bik. Wow! Then, I asked about the Giant’s ring. She knows the place. She directed me to follow the other side of river bank. I asked where I am now. She said, you are in South Belfast. Ok! I scratch my hair. I said good bye to her and the dog (you can see the dog in the picture) And started walking. Its full of forest. Often, many questions coming in mind. Its huge forest, hope there is no animals. In this no man’s path, if something gone wrong, whom I will call. So, just for a safe side, I turn off my mobile music as I need to save battery. If something gone wrong than, I can call, police, or a friend in India, or fiends in Belfast. Well, far distance, I can heard cars are running. Though, it is not good road but a foot path, an interval one, or two young lady, or gentleman can seen and sometime a lady with 4 or 5 dogs of many breeds. After crossing road, I show a car parking. I thought, I am in right place. I show an indicator with arrow marks, it reads, Rose garden, Giant’s Ring. I am overwhelmed that, I think am very close to the place. I show a wooden craft, its pig. Thanks to the sculptor. For such an innovative idea. I walk on the hill. Far distance, I can see a lady and gentleman. I thought, I will ask them. But it was quite far. In my left side, it is big cultivable land. I followed the arrow mark. But what I see. And I show the rose garden. Now I am sure that, I’m very close to the Giant’s ring. By name only its rose garden. May be there was the days, lots of roses used to blossoms and people used to visit this rose garden. Now it is just a tourist spot for people. There is nothing but a boundary. Some decorated wall. Some wooden sitting place. Some small plants and nothing. Some wooden craft. These are very nice. (added in Picture) But I cannot take snap. I know this is not my last destination. As the camera battery also exhausted. So I am using carefully. If battery supports, I will take photo of these lively craft while my return. I don’t see anything here. I just disappoint. Again I looked for the direction. Well, found the direction. Than started walking. It’s leading me to the main road. And I had question. Where is the Giant’s Ring than? After crossing the agriculture field, I was about to the service road. I show two ladies with their dogs. I asked about the place. But they said, they don’t know the place. Now what to do? I decided, its better to go back to home, and I reverse. So, I supposed not to take other rout, I may landup somewhere than to my resident. So I follow the same direction. In the rose garden, I show an old lady with her young son. I asked about the place. Mother and son are so generous to me, they walk with me half mile to saw me the route to the Giant’s Ring. During our conversation they, asked about me, where I am from, what I am doing here, how many days, I live here, whether, I am married, kids, India, Delhi, many things? I go on replying them. Than the young man said, he was once in Queen’s University as Molecular Sciences student. Now he is working somewhere in South Belfast. They said, after walking 30 minutes, you will find the place. Well, saying goodbye to them, I started towards my destination. Before half a miles to the Giant’s Ring, there is Iron Gate; it has prescribed all rules and regulation. When, it opens, when it close many things. So, its weekend, many cyclists and family with their cars moving towards the Giant’s Ring. Its narrow road, yes two cars can cross. Somehow, I reach to the place. As the story begun, with Grandee’s ancestral place. What I see? Nothing! Some huge stone are kept in the middle of the field, one stone against other (picture added). What is it? The big earthwork circles, roughly 200m acores is a beautiful example of the henge monuments built about 2700 BC during the Neolithic period. It’s the symbol of the ancient stone age of the Irish. It contains many clues to its past such as stone age monuments, Norman Mottes, relic of the linen industry, and the Lagan canal built during the 1700s. I followed the same path, took many pictures, just for a record. Thanks to my camera battery. While coming back, I went to see the hockey tournament. I enter into the field and a gentleman asked me, “you need a ticket”. That’s five pounds. I started thinking. The hockey is my game, means, national game of India now; I have to pay five pounds to see the match. Here pound was not the main problem, problem was, I need to walk another 5 miles. and, gradually I am feeling hungry, stomach is empty. I don’t know how many packets of chew-gum, I chewed. I said the man, give me the fixtures, if it’s interesting, I will come next weekend. I took the fixtures and begun my reverse journey. I don’t see the young man who was fishing whom I have seen, during my onward. Yes, I can see many man and woman are walking and running cycling, same rhythm, same movement of people, what have seen during my onward journey to the Giant’s Ring. I don’t know, how many miles I walked. It’s about 38 km. both ways. Its new shoes. My leg and fingers are puffy. Experienced little fever. I thought, I should call my doctor. But, my doctor also very smart, he is quite advance, so prescribed me bunch of regular medicine, when he heard about my tour to Belfast. These medicines are very useful. Thanks doctor. Generally, I don’t take medicine. I try to control it my way, I mean natural way. So I did not take medicine. It’s unethical if you hide things. That to journey. The dinner goes like this. On the way I bought, potato, a can of eggs. And bottle of red-wine. As rest of the eatable are at home. I cooked potato curry with messing up eggs. I don’t what name I should give it. As I was snarled, so no other food to cook. I just sliced bread, and some fruits. A peg of wine. As I was taught at home that before drinking of wine or cheering with friends, you have to have cheers with your ancestors. Its symbolic that you have drop few drop of wine on the ground. Its goes like this (hey my dear ancestor, I am thank full to you for giving me this beautiful life, cheers!). The Giant’s ring journey ended with beautiful memory. The story is like “the Lord of the Rings”. Its raw and unripe work. Please bear with me for avoiding many plots. The diary will complete later.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 15:31:31 +0000
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