ON MY VISIT TO HAMPTON COURT ( PART--I )

Front View of the Hampton Court Palace

The Clock Court

      











     During my second visit to England I have got an opportunity to see one of the most beautiful royal palaces  where many important historic events happened and where so many artistic renovations took place during a period of nearly more than four hundred years. To reach Hampton Court by train, we have to get down at Waterloo Station and catch another train to travel fourteen miles and reach Hampton Court station. From here we have to walk just two hundred yards to reach the royal palace.

The Great Hall

The Gallery near the Royal Chapel

    

Surviving Kitchen room

  

The huge Fireplace

  This palace was actually meant for a Bishop's grand mansion with state apartments to entertain the royal guests. Cardinal Wolsey, a close friend and Chief Minister to King Henry VIII, took this site in 1514 and lavishly spent more than two lakh gold crowns over seven years to build this magnificent mansion to display his status and also to please the royal guests.After the completion of the building, King Henry VIII stayed as his guest. This mansion was built by the Italian craftsmen in Renaissance or Classical style blended with simple style of Gothic construction. In 1528 Cardinal Wolsey gave away his palatial residence to Henry VIII as he fell out of favor with the king in the matter of getting a divorce from his queen. In 1530 the Cardinal died. The first courtyard, and the inner gatehouse which leads to the clock court (second inner court) were built during the cardinal's lifetime. The base court had forty four rooms reserved for guests while the clock court contained state apartments for providing lodging to king and his family. At present a part of Wolsey's original palace is seen on the west end of the base court.Ann Boleyn's gate with the clock (Clock Court) is seen on the east end of the base court.

The Royal Chapel

The wooden beam construction

   

The Crown of Henry VIII

King Henry VIII
(1491--1547)

Cardinal Wolsey
(1473--1530)

Ornamental Brick Chimney

   

   

   Within six months after the death of the Cardinal , Henry re-built and expanded the mansion in Gothic style to accommodate and entertain himself and his courtiers numbering more than one thousand members. Though he owned over sixty houses and palaces, he found that they were not spacious enough to meet his requirements. He built very large kitchens comprising more than fifty rooms spreading over an area of 36,000 square feet with big cauldrons, ovens, and grates to cook meals for his royal guests and courtiers. We saw the huge logs of fire, huge  cooking vessels and chunks of meat, displayed as specimens for the tourists. The sounds of sawing and  chopping with hacking knives are echoed by sound equipment to suggest the large scale preparations made by chefs in those times. King Henry VIII added the Great Hall and the Royal Tennis Court between 1532 and 1535. The Great Hall has a carved hammer beam roof. He used to dine here seated at a table on a raised dais. It took five years to complete this spacious hall. The Gate House to the second inner court was adorned with an astronomical clock in 1540. The construction of the apartments for his queen Anne Boleyn above this gate was stopped when she was charged with infidelity and executed in 1536.          . 

     In 1537 King Henry's male heir Edward VI was born to Jane Seymour, (Henry's third wife) who died two weeks after childbirth in 1537. In 1541 Henry's queen Catherine Howard (Henry's fifth wife) , guilty of adultery, escaped from her room and ran through the gallery near the Royal Chapel to beg for mercy. But she was re-captured and sent to Syon House and later to Tower to be executed in 1542. In 1543 King Henry married his sixth wife, Katherine Parr in queen's closet adjoining the Royal Chapel in 1543.  In 1546 the British king arranged a grand feast for his French ambassador and the entourage of two hundred members along with his own court of thirteen hundred members for six days. A replica of the famous crown worn by Henry VIII is seen in the Royal Pew at Hampton Court Palace. The original crown was melted away at the Tower of London in 1649 on the orders of Oliver Cromwell signifying the abolition of monarchy during Republican rule.

    After the death of Henry VIII his son Edward VI and his sisters Mary (born to Katherine of Aragon, Henry's first wife) and Elizabeth (born to Anne Boleyn, Henry's second wife) stayed in this palace after the untimely death of Edward VI in 1553. After her wedding at Winchester, Queen Mary returned with her Spanish husband King Philip to spend her honey moon here. Though she chose Hampton Court as the place for the birth of her child, she left after five months for the palace of Oatlands as she was far away from her royal supporters. Queen Elizabeth I did not make any improvements to this palace except the construction of the eastern kitchen which is at present used as Palace's Tea Room.


   In 1604 King James I (who succeeded to English throne after Elizabeth I ) held Hampton Court conference with Puritans here. Though no agreement was reached, this meeting led to the commissioning of King James Version of the Bible which was completed in 1611. James I held many parties and indulged in pleasures of hunting at this palace grounds. In the Great Hall many dramas and mask shows were performed. In 1603 and 1604 Shakespeare's Company presented shows before the royal audience. Queen Anne, wife of James I, died in this palace in 1619.

            

The Longford River

   Charles I (Son of King James I and Anne of Denmark) made this palace as his residence. He built a new tennis court and dug out the Longford canal which brings water still from a distance of eleven miles to power the fountains of Hampton Court's formal gardens. He also brought a large collection of paintings and sculptures from Europe. Charles I spent honeymoon with his fifteen-year old bride Henrietta Maria here in 1615.  Later during Republican revolution he was imprisoned here before his execution in 1649. The palace became the property of the Commonwealth government presided over by Oliver Cromwell. The Government auctioned many articles of the royal household, but had not caused any damage to the palace. After Restoration (1660) Charles II  (Son of Charles I and Henrietta Maria, sister of the French King, Louis XIII) and James II ( successor to his brother Charles II ) preferred to stay elsewhere as by current French standards the Hampton Court seemed old-fashioned.

Paintings on ceiling of king's chamber

King's stairway

    

                   

















                             

Queen Mary II "s bed Room

Queen's staircase

   In 1689 England had two new monarchs , William , the Dutch Duke of Orange, and his wife Mary II (daughter of James II). They re-built the Hampton Palace demolishing the Tudor palace and replacing it with a huge modern palace built in Baroque style retaining Henry's Great Hall. Their plan of constructing a huge palace around two courtyards at right angles to each other was given up as the resemblance of the new palace to Versailles palace seemed too weak and not strong enough. Henry's state rooms and private apartments were lost. The new wings around the Fountain Court contained new state apartments and private rooms, one set for the king and another for the queen. Each suite of rooms was accessed by a separate staircase. The king's apartments face south over the privy garden while the queen's apartments face east over the fountain garden. These suits were linked by a gallery decorated with frescoes done by Antonio Verrio and the ironwork done by Jean Tijou. The room furnishings were done by Daniel Marot. The chocolate kitchen was built for William and Mary in 1689. His personal chocolate maker was Thomas Tosier who ran his his own chocolate house at Greenwich managed by his wife, Grace Tosier, Her portrait is now seen hung above the fireplace in the chocolate kitchen. The Hampton Court maze was planted by George London and Henry Wise between 1689 and 1695. It covers nearly one third of an acre and contains half a mile of winding ways. After the death of Queen Mary in 1694, William lost interest in renovation and the construction work came to a halt. Later his sister-in-law, Queen Anne, undertook the completion and decoration of the state apartments.

William's state chamber

Queen's Private Dining Room

      
    

 

The Guard's chamber

The Beautiful garden before fountain court

The Garden Maze

The Chocolate Room

                                  +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

      9th July, 2015                                                           Somaseshu Gutala

Our First Day In London

 


   




                                   








As soon as we landed we looked for assistance to carry our heavy luggage. But to my surprise I found six more aged persons whose physical condition demanded more priority for assistance. A pretty Indian lady ushered us into her battery-driven van along with our hand luggage, and drove us through the long corridor up to the help-desk counter. On proceeding to help desk,  the lady at the counter asked us to go to the luggage claim counter which was not far away since there were not many assistants available at that rush hour. She gave us each a placard with words "Assistance" boldly printed on it. So we were given preference to get our immigration check on fast track route.Thank God, otherwise we would have to stand in the long circuitous queue which might have taken not less than two hours to go through the process. Unlike in India, we did not find porters or assistants to help us though we saw some boards with labels "Porters". Some old people were given wheel chairs to push their oldest parents up to the baggage claim counter. As it was not far away, I thought it would be better to go with people instead of waiting there for wheel chairs to arrive. As we were thinking how to lift our heavy luggage from the revolving belt, a hefty Englishman and an Indian Sikh obliged our request to help us in transferring our luggage from the moving belt and placing it on the trolley. They politely declined when we offered some amount. We thanked them profusely for their service, which is in true sense, earnest help done without expecting anything in return. I reflected when this type of attitude would be seen in our country, which would create a very noble impression about Indians on the minds of foreign tourists.


  

                 

   








   As we came out relieved after this tiresome waiting, we were cordially welcomed and were taken to the new residence of my daughter. On the way I found not much that has altered. London appeared in  her usual customary setting  with small houses surrounded by neat front yards filled with roses, violets, orchids  and other flowering plants. The cold weather typical of her climate touched my cheeks again. On both sides of the roads I saw dense greenery with large trees and thick bushes loaded with flowers untouched by any person.  All the doors of the houses remained closed. Only the long chimneys and gabled roofs welcomed us in their own silent style. Old ladies were slowly moving on pavements carrying bags to buy some provisions in the departmental stores.  Some were using battery-driven conveyances  as they were too old or physically disabled to walk by themselves. We saw a few young mothers gently pushing prams with babies sitting quietly like dolls strapped to their seats. Probably it may be to expose those little ones to warm sunlight or may be to expose them to the weather outside so that their delicate bodies may get acclimatized to the cold London weather. We also found many women taking their pet dogs for a walk either on the roads or in the parks. We saw many young children playing in the play ground. But nobody cared to noticed our brown faces.  In brief, a distanced attitude of self-occupied  demeanor-- the prominent feature of the present modern civilization. Thus ended our first day in London. 

                                     ************************************

              5th July, 2015                                                                Somaseshu Gutala
                                           

ON MY SECOND COMING

 

view of Afghanistan  mountains

Cloudscape

   

The Caspian Sea

     Aerial view of   Kiev

 





      Exactly after three years since my first visit, England called me again, of course to see
 my daughter and son-in-law who had shifted to their own residence. As we entered the international air port in Delhi, the long chain of shops displaying various exotic wine bottles and liquors on shelves made me feel very strange and wonder whether I came to the wine-making country like France or Tuscany in Italy. The traditional Indian touch is conspicuous by its absence. Every where the impact of western culture showed its predominant influence. Even in restaurants western food items and beverages occupied a major part of the menu with staggering price tags.

       As our plane took off, I composed myself cramped in between two fellow-passengers
with very narrow space to stretch my limbs. Many elderly people were seen struggling in their seats in a hapless condition.  Like pretty dolls the crew flitted to and fro offering exotic 
food and mouthing platitudes of providing a luxurious travel. I found young people clicking selfies in quick succession jostling and pushing on each other's shoulders, laughing loudly without heeding other people's notice.

     Our plane flew over Lahore and entered the mountainous region of Kabul. The 
formidable view of dry rocky terrain stretching miles and miles with scarcely a touch of green patch or a flowing stream  gave me a shuddering view of the barren earth, if men exhaust the precious resources of Nature by their unrestrained and reckless ways. Later our plane flew over a wide stretch of plains dotted with dark patches of trees and fields. We crossed the vast stretches of sandy region before we flew over the Caspian sea which appeared just like a thin shallow stream from our aerial view. The sky with huge masses of fluffy clouds seemed like the mythical milky ocean with mounds of white cream and butter floating on its surface. When we flew over the cities the houses seemed as tiny as squares on a grid or small dice on a chess board. Thousands of houses in broad clusters dotted the whole area with long lines in between which  were actually roads on which vehicles were moving like a long line of tiny ants. The curved course of rivers crisscrossing the green earth presented a graceful picture of the earth. During most part of our journey  we saw vast stretches of grey plains with little squares of vegetation and clusters of buildings scattered here and there. Scarcely any living creature came within the  range of our view as our plane was flying at an altitude of more than thirty-six thousand feet above  the ground.

    On viewing the route map I found that we were flying across the outskirts of the Ukrainian region maintaining a safe distance from Ukrainian cities like Astrachen, Kharkov and Kiev which were endangered by war-torn conflicts between the Russian-backed rebels and Ukrainian soldiers. While I was absorbed in my idle observation, the air hostess came offering soft drinks and beverages. Though I had no mind to drink anything; her soft, persuasive voice tempted me to accept a cup of black coffee with very little milk and sugar in it. Though I tried to make it palatable by adding milk powder and lumps of sugar, it gave me a hell of taste which I will never forget in my life.

View of  London 

          

view of the Thames

     













   As we neared London a vast conglomeration of little squares with dark patches and squares greeted our eyes. Through this haphazard expanse of squares a long meandering silver stream came into our view with many bridged spanning across its banks. The prominent mark of London is this life-sustaining water source, the ever-flowing Thames and of course, the London Bridge with her two projecting twin towers. The water in the Thames appeared brown as our plane made a gradual descent. It may be due to erosion of the soil by the swift flowing waters. The London streets flanked by dense green trees and thickets on the wayside seemed same as they had been when I made my first trip. The gabled roofs with jutting chimneys and brick-colored walls in symmetrical shapes indicated the conservative and sombre British spirit of giving importance to the traditional outlook in spite of adapting to the latest technology in everyday life. As I was absorbed in my thoughts, the pilot made a very smooth landing and the flight crew in their most humble customary manner wished us a very happy stay in London.
   
                             ***************************************************

        4th July, 2015                                                                                Somaseshu Gutala

A STRANGER AT MY WINDOW

     




         




























                        1)        A funny resemblance betwixt us I find
                                   Her naughty face and antics made me laugh
                                   Her mates followed her as if to stop
                                   Her from me, sensing my human mind ;
                                   "You, selfish man", they seemed to say
                                   With brutal frankness, soon they leapt  away.

                       2)        A brutal manly figure doth appear
                                  Unkempt, hairy with savage gaze
                                  Beating his chest with hearty craze
                                  No lofty desires polluted his conscience clear
                                  Moving freely in Nature wild, content
                                  With whatever he got without complaint.

                       3)       Though sucking blood from wounded beast
                                 Though felling trees for his shelter small
                                 With simple needs he lived with all ;
                                 No cruel greed did mar his feast
                                 A savage beast -- we cultured call
                                 To inhuman levels did he never fall.

                      4)       His language not yet formed so sweet
                                His routine seems too crude, not so refined;
                                His thoughts too simple with a taintless mind
                                His garments coarse, not so civilized and neat
                                His actions too childish and not so mature
                                His ambitions too low, but not impure.

                     5)       Destructive fury did not compel his needs
                               He communed with Nature with friendly sense
                               He touched each herb with respect immense
                               Deified all creatures without any greed.
                               His rough tongue exulted in simple strains
                               Adoring Nature, inflicting no pain.

                    6)       The stranger found me lost in musings wild
                               My ancestral roots did I search in vain;
                               My softened looks welcomed her without disdain ;
                               She came near me unafraid like a child
                               Like a fallen angel I felt within
                               Before her far away from any sin.

                   7)        A cunning intellect corrupted man
                              A devouring demon-like strength did he aspire
                              Self-declared Lord of the universe entire
                              Plundering and robbing Nature far worse than
                              A devil ; so much violence that one can't tell ;
                              He drilled his grave into bottomless hell.

                   8)       Her innocent looks cut through my heart
                             Questioning human's insatiable might
                             That ruined precious life-- a sordid sight !
                             Misusing God-given powers for naught
                             Filling this whole world with pollution
                             Defiling land, air, space and ocean.

                  9)       I glanced at her hiding in a nook
                            I beckoned her standing steady and calm
                            A dehumanized beast in human form --
                            She watched me with a suspicious look ;
                            A suffering soul in beastly form in her I find
                            She found in me a human beast with selfish mind.

                 10)     She neared the casement with a cautious look
                           As I responded with a gentle smile ;
                           A friendly creature untouched by human guile ;
                           Her hairy hands she vigorously shook
                           And from the casement took a rapid leap agile
                           Through swinging branches vanished shaking her tail.

                                      ===============================

                  30th June, 2015                                    Somaseshu Gutala


     Note:  In spite of his rough and simple ways, the primitive man who had not
                much intellectual development and comforts lags far behind when 
                compared with modern man who uses all his abilities just for his
                selfish benefits destroying many valuable plant and animal life ,posing 
                a potential threat to all creatures on this earth, including himself.
                So the creature in this poem mistrusts man though he feels guilty of
                his cruel acts, and tries to show compassion towards her. He reflects
                on his ancestral roots which takes him back to savage level and brutal
                stage too. He realizes his degradation from human to animal level in
                spite of his development in so many fields. 
                
        " We will never have true civilization until we have learned to recognize 
           the rights of others."
                                                                                                     (Will Rogers)
                ************************************************************************             



       
                                 
   
                                    


       

TRAVEL POEMS (PART--III) "A PILGRIM'S SEARCH"

                       
                                              A PILGRIM'S SEARCH



           

               

                                                         

                     

                          1)      Starry-eyed I look forth to break

                                   Through routine-grid and slake

                                   My soul with fresh ethereal trip;

                                   No guessing of unforeseen slip.

                                   My earthly burden bowed me down

                                   No jousting knight-a whining weather-beaten clown.

                         2)       I climbed aloft to gaze at the peak

                                   Strained every nerve to see the divine streak

                                   Assuming virtuous strength to touch

                                   The sublime summit, but not much;

                                   I sensed -- a sinking fatigue down

                                   Not a blooming lotus--a withering brown.

                         3)       Dipped in cool laving stream

                                   I couldn't shake off my leaden dream;

                                   In tinkling bells of sacred sound

                                   No heavenly thrill I found;

                                   I guzzled my senses with pleasures full

                                   Not yet freed from the mundane pull.

                         4)       Before the shrine I bowed and stood

                                   My filthy passions rugged and crude

                                   With fiery tongues full-hooded broke

                                   No change from sacred chant and smoke

                                   Stuck to the ground I could not feel

                                   Unresponsive as a bar of steel.

                        5)        Is this a journey, just moving on and on

                                   A lifeless load without inner dawn ?

                                   The distant denizens of the sky 

                                   Beckoned me, yet I can only sigh ;

                                   No passionate God-centered eye;

                                   I moved on and on with a soul-stifled cry.

                        6)        Immersed in deep soul-soothing sleep

                                   I clomb within the summits steep

                                   A ring of rain-bow tinted rays

                                   Gleamed at once from star-studded ways

                                   A bursting tide of bliss with flooding love

                                   I felt the touch of Ganges gushing from above.

                                            
                                         *********************************

                                         

                     28th June, 2015                                       Somaseshu Gutala

                               

                     Ref: 

                               Ethereal trip  = thinking about divine topics.

                              Jousting Knight = Engaged in fighting like a warrior 

                              Weather-beaten clown = tired fool or rustic.

                              Leaden dreams = Lazy and sluggish mental state

                              Blooming lotus  =  mental joy and unfoldment

                              Withering brown = faded and dull state like a fallen leaf

                              fiery and full-hooded = Impure thoughts rise like serpents.

                              Clomb = An old word for "Climbed"

                Note:    In this last "Travel Poems" series the pilgirm's search for 

                            getting spiritual peace is revealed. Though the pilgrim 

                            undertakes an arduous journey to see the temple, he

                            does not get mental peace. He mechanically goes through

                            all formalities but his mind filled with wordly attachments

                            and impure thoughts did not make him worthy of getting

                            true spiritual bliss. After returning home he fell asleep tired

                            and frustrated. Suddenly he felt his mind freed from worries 

                            and he felt a wave of bliss as if he was bathed in the holy

                            waters of Ganges.Unless we are mentally pure, just change

                            of place will not affect us much. If not, 

                           "Travelling is a fool's paradise" (Ralph Waldo Emerson)