The Expression of extreme satisfaction

The Expression of Extreme Satisfaction
Why am I using this headline for the following comment of my guest because this comment was come through with very adverse experience during this tour.
It was a group of Belgium people and I received them from Jhansi railway station and did the sightseeing of Orchha. Then we transfered from Orchha to Khajuraho. Next day, I completed  their sightseeing of Khajuraho and after that we had our flight from Khajruaho to Varanasi. But due to bad weather, that flight was cancelled. All guests were old people so they were not raedy for 10 hours long over night drive from Khajuraho to Varanasi.
But, I prepared them and started our journey, on the way I arranged their dinner and we reached at 2 AM at Varanasi. We had our sunrise at River Ganges, so they did not get enough time to rest. It was rainy morning, so our guide came late and due to rain no one enjoyed the sightseeings. Everyone was very angry and upset due lack of rest. Then I offered them breakfast, lunch and half day rest. 
Then, I took them at The Buddhist Site of Sarnath and Evening Aarti of Ganges. Next day, I took them for Sunrise at River Ganga then departure at Varanasi Airport.
After that Mrs. ANN PETITJEAN wrote these comments to me. The last sentence is the highlight of this letter, which touched my heart.
Here is the comment:

Excellent guide! He shared a lot of his great knowledge with us. Untireable,  he made his utterly efforts to please us and solve the slightest problem  always with great kindness, calmth and friendliness.

The information he gave us, not only during the visits we made (excursions), but also those about practical appointments, was highly accurate.

Really, Mr. Anurag was for us one of the best guides we ever had.

Ann Petitjean

An.petitjean@skynet.be

THOMAS COOK RAJSTHAN GRP X 9

13 OCT. 2012  

FIRST APPRECIATION LETTER

FIRST APPRECIATION LETTER 

When I was living in Khajuraho and getting very limited assignments. So, when I got a chance of sightseeing,  gave my 200% and still it is my nature to give my whole hearted effort to my sightseeings and trying to explain things, which my guests want to know.

Once, I got this group, which was given by local travel agent Travel Point and run by City Linker. 

This group was known as The Dr. Jon East Tour Group. In this tour Mr. Jon East was tour leader, who could identified with his hat with a feather of a bird.

Still, I had memories of that group. we did sightseeing of Khajuraho temples and in evening tour, I took the group in a small village is called Jatkara, where they visited inside the houses and took the photographs of daily life of local villagers like collecting water from water well or making food.

At the end of the tour everyone cheered up and clapped. But after a week, I got this beautiful letter of appreciation. So, when I decided to start this blog for my guests, so I thought, it will be a great homage to my lovely Australian guests, who wrote me the first appreciation letter of my life. 

Here, I am publishing the scan copy of this letter with words are following:

THE PARK

4^th Dec 2000

Dear Anurag,

The Dr. Jon East Tour Group wants to thank you very much for the wonderful guided tour you gave us of Khajuraho last week.

Your really know your subject and we were left with the feeling that we had learnt an enormous amount and we appreciate your  courteous, gentle and mature approach to the subject matter.

                After listening to you, our appreciation of the iconography of Hindu and Jain architecture has increased a hundred fold too.

                Of all our guides in India (All most were very good) you have been so much the best that we decided we simply had to send this personal letter from all of us.

Warmest best wishes,

JANE, BREN, HELEN, JOAN, JENNIFER, GLENDA, BEVERLEY, SHELLEY AND JON EAST

The First Escorted Tour of Anurag

MY FIRST ESCORTED GROUP

It was my first escorted tour. That was the time, when I was suffering in Delhi for my book. I was wondering and meeting with many publishers and scholars. But no one showed interest because it was not talking about Kama Sutra or some fiction of Khajurhao. Just it was a research and detailed study of Lakshamana temple of Khajruaho. I was staying in the house of my friend Mr. Raj Singh Taxak and all the time he was supporting and encouraging me. Just to pass my time, I started English coaching class and rest of the time I was trying to contact with different travel agents. 

Then, I got a positive response from Mr. Joy Mojumdar the  Director of Prudent Holiday Network. He called me and invited for a tea in his office. We talked a lot and at the end he asked for an assignment. It was escorting of 13 people. In this group, there were 12 beautiful turkish women and 1turkish handsome. It was starting from Delhi and covering all important destination of North India and Nepal.

New Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Kathamandu, Varanasi, Khajruaho, Orchha and Delhi.

It was my first tour, so did a lot of home work like I personally visited at Agra, Jaipur, Varanasi and rest is my area. I came back and gave the assurance to Mr. Joy to complete this tour.

I received the group at hotel Grand Continental at Barakhamba Road. I started my tour with them and completed our sightseeing of Delhi.

Next day, we transfered to Jaipur and stayed two night in Jaipur and completed all important sight seeing of Jaipur. Then, we came to Agra and stayed at Mughal Sheraton Agra for next two nights and did the sight seeing of Agra fort and Taj Mahal. Next we transfered from Agra to Delhi and got our first flight from Delhi to Kathamandu. It was an experience for us. Next day we completed Kathamandu and excursion and flew from Kathamandu to Varanasi and here was stay of 3 nights.

We enjoyed evening Ganga Aarti, Sunrise at River Ganga, Banaras University and enjoyed classical dance of north India called Kathak. Also, we enjoyed boat ride from Varanasi to Ramanagar. In that boat, we had Sitar played and tabla player. It was nicely decorated and the whole ambiance very romantic.

Then we flew from Varanasi to Khajuraho and stayed for 2 nights. Luckily, I had a marriage celebration in our relation. So, the whole group attended that occasion and it was the highlight of the tour.  

They met with my family members, relatives and friends.

Then, we drove from Khajuraho to Orchha and took our train from Jhansi to Delhi.

I concluded my tour with them at Delhi with gala dinner and they offered so many gifts to me. Still, these are our memories and I am keeping them in my heart.

The appreciation amount of the group was US$ 1000, which was kept in a very decorative Persian purse, which is kept in my precious box and every year in Diwali (festival of light), I worship that purse as lucky sign for my business.

Still, these beautiful people are my friends and we chat in facebook and share our views.

I am very thankful Mrs. Gulen Cetin, Filiz Kardelen, Mulkiye Baysan, who are still in touch.

The Guests of Anurag( ANU)

Respected Guests,

I am happy to launch this blog, which is dedicated to all my loving guests, who once came in my country India and I was a part of your sightseeing. I am very thankful to all, who appreciated me and acknowledged my knowledge and services.

I am Anurag Shukla, who is known as ANU in my guest’s family.  When, I completed my graduation in Mathematics and Diploma in Mechanical Engineering. I was sure for one thing; I couldn’t work a routine and monotonous job like teacher or technician. That’s why, I got two different jobs.  First was restaurant cashier and second was a refrigeration technician.

But my destiny was different, that’s why I left all those jobs and applied for guide course.

I am very thankful to my teacher Mr. Brijendra Singh (legendary guide of Khajuraho is known as  Mamaji), who realized my talent and suggested to fill the form and helped me to become a guide.

In 1996, I got the license from Ministry of tourism and Department of tourism and started my career as guide of Khajuraho. But, that was the time when everyone was talking about erotica and tantrism on temples of Khajuraho.

During my study of temples of Khajuraho, I got a book in my hand, it is called “The Religious

Imagery of Khajuraho” written by Dr. Devangana Desai, a prominent Historian and scholar on Khajuraho. I am lucky one who got a chance to meet her and during my discussion I asked so many questions related with architecture and philosophy of Khajuraho temples and relation between temples and symbolism.

After that she was so glad to me and told I am the first person of Khajuraho, who read her book and since she was working on Khajruaho, no one came to ask about her subject and researches.

After that she sent her books and research papers. Since that time, I am her disciple and she is my solo guru, teacher and inspiration on this field.

For further improvement in my study, she suggested me to visit at American Institute of India Study Gurgaon. I was lucky enough; there I met with another prominent historian and scholar on Indian Temple art and architecture Mr. M. K. Dhakey. Under his supervision and guidance, I saw all important scriptures and books of architecture and philosophical texts, which were used in the construction of temples of India. I met Mr. Yadad, who invited in his library to see all those text. I am very thankful to Mr. Yadav, Mr. Rizvi and my friend Mr. Dharmendra Sengar.

In that institute only scholar are allowed to work, that’s why when I went there for my study they asked a topic of research and my guide. With my ignorance, I wrote my topic as “A Comparative study of Three Hindu Sandhar temple of Khajuraho”.

When, I came back in Khajuraho, I started working on this chapter and dedicated my time for temples. I was not doing anything, just sitting next to the temples and watching them and copying or making sketches of different parts of the temples. It was the time, when I got support from local ASI staff, like Mr. V. N. Gupta, who helped me with books and I did photo copy many of them.  He helped me to understand the nomenclature of Archaeological and temple architectures terms.

After sometimes, I realized that it is a very tuff job to compare all three temples of Khajuraho. Then I turned my focus on Lakshaman temple of Khajuraho. More than 3 years, a mad man was sitting next to the Lakshaman temple and copying the fonts of inscription or making sketches and writing details of those pieces of stones.  What, I was earning or getting from my family members that I spent in computer or Digital camera to take the photographs of those pieces of stones, which are far from my eyes or I can’t see their details.

 After that I bought a computer and started writing everything in my computer with a dream of writer.

To fulfill my dream, I came to Delhi and wondered here or there to find out a publisher. But no one showed any interest on my text because it did not have any story, erotica, fiction or a stuff that was sellable in the market. So, I did not get anyone to publish my book and then I decided to earn some penny for my survival. That was the time when I lost everything my lovely father and town. So, I approached to some travel agents, who gave some assignments in Khajuraho.

Here, I want to thanks Mr. Joy Mojumdar the owner of Prudent Holiday Networks, who gave me the first assignment for escorting and suggested to meet Late Mr. Manoj Dube, who was working in SITA/ KUONI Travels.

The first escorting was a great experience of my life because in this group, I had 12 Turkish women and 1 man. It was a tour from Delhi to Jaipur, Agra, Kathmandu, Varanasi, Khajuraho, Orchha and back to Delhi. It was my first tour of 16 days and 15 nights with international and domestic flights. It was my first tour but I learnt a lot from them and still we are very good friend. Still we share our love on facebook.

More than 5 years, I worked for Mr. Joy and Mr. Manoj. But after the death of Mr. Manoj and my marriage with my beautiful life partner Nisha, I came back to Khajruaho and started serving my service to my local agents.

Here, again I faced my struggle and suffering. I worked for many travel agencies like Travel Point, Travel assistance, Colleague tour, Buddha Holidays and Travel Bureau etc.. In these agencies, I got the assignments. But at the end they refused to use me because I never please these people from money and wine.

I am very thankful to Mr. Amrendra Singh, who realize and identified my talent and introduced me in Le passage to India (LPTI).

Now, I am working in LPTI as Tour Manager to SAGA.

I hope that you have enjoyed this short life story of making of Anu.

About this blog

As I wrote in my introduction this blog is dedicated to my guests. So, here I will share the comments of previous guests, who are still very valuable to me and the comments of my latest guests. Here, I will try to share some letters of my guests, who showered their love on me.

I will be very thankful for all those guests, who were part of my sightseeing, and they can share their views, experiences, photos with me on this blog.

Thank you very much,

With regards,

Anu