Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Getting off the high speed lane

I had to travel to Pune yesterday, and I happened to take an ST bus which went over the older NH4 route through Khopoli. I haven't taken that road ever since the expressway became operational about 7 years back! So the sight of the Khopoli bus stand and the Tata Power complex brought back memories of old days, when that road was the only option available.

The road back then was not even as wide as it is now, and traffic jams were the norm. There were days when you could have spent 12 hours getting from Bombay to Pune (it's never more than 3 hours now!). The ghat section has roads with steep gradients, something the expressway has totally removed from the equation.

So no surprise that there was a small temple in Khopoli, just before the the really steep sections started. I don't know if people prayed, but nearly every vehicle that went past offered a few coins to the goddess ... just flung them out the window into the temple. If you are the believing kind, you might think it saved a lot of accidents back then; especially if you would have seen the number of overturned vehicles littering the roadside.

Sure enough, the bus slowed down and a few coins - although lesser than the earlier days - were tossed out the window. The tradition remains, and even though I'm not much of a believer, I like to see that these small things are still alive! In the age of homogenisation, they provide some relief and some color to life.

It's these small things that are missing when you travel on the expressway. Sure you've shaved a couple of hours off the travel time, but the journey is that little bit poorer for the lack of the temple. Maybe they could have built a temple along the expressway just to keep up the tradition ... but then, who needs God when you have ABS and airbags!!!


Saturday, October 20, 2007

Where the gods did their time!

My trip to Delhi was supposed to be simple. Leave Bombay on the 2nd of Oct, reach Delhi on the 3rd, take the train back on the 4th, and get back home on the 5th. What actually happened was a slight deviation from this plan!

On the 4th, I realized that I was going to have to stay in Delhi one extra day ... and that was the end of "the plan". After canceling the original return ticket, I found that there were no seats available to return on the 5th. That was interesting news, because then it brought about the possibility of a "detour" (According to the Oxford University press dictionary - /deetoor/ • noun a divergence from a direct or intended route. • verb take a detour. — ORIGIN French, ‘change of direction’). Detours are something my friends and I specialized in during our days in Bangalore ... and I'm still doing my bit to perfect the art :) Because Delhi -> Varanasi -> Calcutta -> Bombay would cause both time and budget overruns, I chose Delhi -> Indore -> Bombay. Varun booked my ticket, and on the evening of 5th October, I was on the Indore intercity express leaving Delhi.

Not much of note happened on the journey, apart from some inspired moments when I wrote my first poem, and some awesome Pohay served at the BabanBhai B Savli stall on platform 2 of the Nagda junction Railway Station. By the afternoon of 6th, I was having beer with Benny in Indore, thinking about where we could go for a couple of days. We had already picked up a copy of "The Madhya Pradesh State Road Atlas" (useless waste of paper), and after an entire day and night of deliberation ( accompanied by chicken curry at Neeta Aunty's - Benny's mom - place in Ujjain), we decided to go to Pachmarhi.

Like most other hill stations in the country, Pachmarhi was "discovered" by the British in 1857, who built a cantonment here and used it as a sanatorium for British troops in the Central Provinces of India. It is 52 kms from the nearest railhead (Pipariya, on the Jabalpur - Itarsi line), ~220 kms from the nearest airport (Bhopal, capital of MP). Pachmarhi is so named because of five caves (pach marhi) carved into a small hillock here. Legend has it that the Pandavas in their period of exile, spent some time in these caves. Although the caves have now been established to be of much later Buddhist origin, the legend and name have stuck.

Getting to Pachmarhi was not easy because of the time we left Ujjain. We had to take a local bus to Dewas (35 kms), another from Dewas to Bhopal (150 kms), and finally, a night train from Bhopal to Pipariya. At 02:30 in the morning, we were in the waiting room in Pipariya station; me sleeping blissfully on the floor, and Benny sitting around hoping that a mattress would materialize out of nowhere; I don't think he found his mattress that night! At first light, we were in the front seat of an overcrowded Tata Sumo making the final 52 kms to our destination. Pachmarhi is near 3500 ft above sea level, and the early morning ride up gave us no chance to complain about the cramped seating. The morning chill, slivers of sunlight through the trees, lily covered lakes, winding roads, all contributed to our saturated senses as we pulled into the town. I was feeling so good, I even forgot the twenty rupees the driver owed me!

Pachmarhi abounds in cheap hotels, and when the first place offered a room for Rs.200 a day, I did not think twice before taking it. In retrospect, that was a rip off - The hotel was an absolute dump! Anyway, an hour later, we were off to get breakfast and start our day of exploration. Maruti Gypsys seem to be the norm here, but I was very much in the green mood, so I forced Benny into doing the day on bicycles. Unfortunately for us, it was too early for the bicycle shops to open, so we decided to take the Pandava caves on foot (This based on a local's estimate of 1.5 kms. This is a phenomenon I've never really understood ... any distance to a local is always 5 mins or under 2 kms, never more!).

The distance turned out be at least twice the initial estimate, but we weren't really complaining when we got to the site. The caves themselves are not much to see, some of them even locked in with metal grates in the typical Indian preservation method. Sadly, people in our country have still not learnt to appreciate history without leaving their traces in it! We spent some time there looking out over the panorama and enjoying the feeling of clean morning air. It's always a heady feeling when you can see out that far out into the distance!

Back in the town, we went out and found ourselves bicycles. Benny found a mountain bike, while I picked up a "doodh-wala's cycle" from one of the cycle shops. These roadsters - though out of style in urban settings - are really comfortable for the springiness in the seat and the very comfortable gear ratio, and still rule the rural markets in India.

A full stomach later, we were cycling to Bee falls. I am told it's so called because if you stand under the waterfall and look up at the water cascading onto you, it looks like a swarm of bees. I could not even keep my bloody eyes open, so I presume the madman who named the falls in that manner would now be blind! It was a good ride, metaled road for the first 2 kms, then downhill jeep track for the next 4. Half way down the jeep track, at the entrance check post, we abandoned the cycles. Good decision that, because we'd only have to drag the cycles back up the rest of that slope! Being a Monday, the holiday crowds were absent and we had a great time at the falls. We even got a couple of photos clicked by the local lensman, and by 04:30 p.m. we were back in the hotel room.

After watching India beat Pakistan in the day's match, we stepped out to see whether we could arrange tickets to get back home. Fortunately for us, there was a bus later in the evening straight to Ujjain. So after a bhurji pav dinner near the bus stop, we boarded the bus. While Benny carried on home to Ujjain, I got off at Pipariya to take the 1094 Mahanagari Express to Bombay.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Thank you aunty

Just a small incident in the train to Delhi. Wouldn't count for much in the larger scheme of things, but I think it deserves a mention. There was a lady in the seat next to me, just my mom's age I guess. Her son who came to drop her off at the station was just a few years younger to me. She spoke very little, all throughout the journey. Just spent her time looking out the window, or sleeping. We smiled at each other a couple of times, but that was the only real communication between us.

When night came, the compartment started to get a little cold. I was a little uncomfortable, although not enough to complain. The unknown lady, without a word, draped half of her shawl over me! Maternal instinct? Neighborly love? Trying to explain it will probably dilute the beauty of the incident, so I'll leave it at that.

In the morning, we had a small conversation introducing ourselves and talking about our lives. When it was time for her to get off at Mathura, I helped her with her suitcase and she left. No goodbyes, nothing.

Though it might never get to her, this post is my "thank you". The one I left unsaid ...


Manjakkili

That's the Malayalam name for the Eurasian Golden Oriole. Spotted it on the acacia tree outside my balcony. That's the most brightly colored bird I have seen yet :)

Apparently has a beautiful call, but this one was not in the most talkative mood when I saw it. Here's a good close up shot.


Monday, October 15, 2007

Let's do our bit

Today is October 15th ... and it wouldn't be a particularly memorable day if it wasn't Blog Action Day. Although this could serve as an awesome PR tool for the guy who came up with the idea of this day, I'll let him have it because of the potential this has to make a change. What's happening here is that thousands of people are blogging today about one issue ... the environment. It's a way of letting people know that we care; a way of spreading the message out to more people; and a way to make a change.

Here's my list of simple ideas for people who'd like to join in the struggle ...
  1. Realize that we have a problem - Those who don't can probably log off right now, because no amount of my ranting is enough to convince anyone that there is a problem. I'm convinced because I see the problems right in my face. There's the increasing temperatures each year, the erratic weather patterns, the missing stars at night, the heaviness in the air when I'm breathing, the missing birds. Those who aren't convinced by this should stop to notice these simple things, and then check out the massive amounts of literature doing the rounds (the counterarguments included).
  2. Tell people about it - There's tons of people out there who just refuse to believe that there is a problem, or believe the problem is not as grave, or that there is no alternative. The fact is that there are things each of us can do to help ... simple things which could snowball into huge changes. Talking about it is one way. Once you are convinced yourself, make the effort to tell a few others about it. Every new person convinced adds to the network.
  3. Take the bus - Every once in a while, leave your car at home. Take the bus to work, or better still, cycle. I know it's difficult in a hot country like India, but I believe the problem is grave enough for each of us to take action even in the face of a little personal discomfort. And do get your cars serviced to make sure they are not polluting any more than they should.
  4. Change to energy saving CFLs - Though slightly more expensive, they repay through saved energy costs. And energy is only going to cost more in future! Check out a cost benefit analysis.
  5. Switch off the power - When not required, switch off your appliances. Just leaving your phone charger plugged after usage can increase your power consumption by 5%.
  6. Avoid flying - When you have the time, choose rail instead of air. I've always found that trains are a lot more comfortable and enjoyable than aircrafts (I was even inspired to poetry the last time I was traveling by train :) Check it out!).
  7. Plant a tree - This page gives an indication of how much a single tree can do. The data is US centric, but it's enough to get the idea across.
This is a very minimal list. Think up your own easy ways to save energy, post it in the comments, put it in your own blog, tell others about it. Let's all do our bit ...

The following links should make good starting points for further reading.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Children of the earth

Children of the Earth

She runs through the fields, with careless abandon
A dog in tow, her friend and companion
Skipping stones in the pond, watching them jump in joy
A dip in the river, or is it soaking in life?

There's something she knows, something I ought to know too
I hid it from myself, for oh so long too!
Her eyes spoke to me, as she smiled from afar
Children of the earth, that's what we are.


I was traveling Delhi to Indore, and wrote this in a moment of inspiration as I saw a girl in a field.

I've made an earlier attempt at poetry (I wrote one for a girl once :-)), but the only fathomable reason she could have liked it is because she was overcome with emotion!!! I really forced myself to write it after deciding to ... and it showed in the result. Thankfully, I do not remember any of it, so cannot go through the agony of repeating it!

This, on the other hand, came from the heart. I just had to put the words together. I love it myself ... it's honest.

Forgot to carry my bird book!

On my Bombay Delhi train journey, about 4 hours was daytime travel as I approached Delhi passing through Rajasthan, Haryana, and UP. And the amount of bird life on display was mind blowing. My only regret is that I forgot to carry my bird book!

Even without the book, I managed to recognize some birds. The most beautiful sight was a couple of Sarus cranes. These are the tallest flying birds in the world, and I could see that these ones were taller than humans in the nearby fields! Hoping for a good winter birding season ...

P.S.: My wishlist ...
  1. A good set of binoculars
  2. Canon EOS 400D / Nikon D70

Why I'd like to travel the Garib Rath again.

The Garib Rath (poor man's chariot) is Laloo Prasad Yadav's gift to the poor of India. It's a chance for them to travel in air conditioned luxury (and travel fast). The fares on this train are almost half as compared to the fares on other trains, and they take the same time as a Rajdhani traveling on the same route. A very well intentioned gift, considering the utility to the public, and the votes that he stands to gain.

I recently traveled Bombay to Delhi in the chair car on the Garib Rath. And although current circumstances make me technically garib, I am by no means so. Not surprisingly, none of my co-passengers fell in the garib bracket either. In a country where per capita income is Rs.23222 (2006 figures) and over 25% of the people live below the poverty line (the poverty line is an income of approximately Rs.500 a month, which is the cost of the ticket i bought!), this train cannot qualify to be called the Garib Rath.

Not faulting the fact that this is an excellent service that could be used by people in the relatively lower income bracket, there is no way anyone really garib can use it!!!

The train itself is basic. The chair car I took is horribly cramped for shoulder space, leg space, and space of any kind. The seats do not recline, and the only way you can get any real sleep is to get a dose of valium. The upshot is a lively trip with everyone awake, and joking about the train and the facilities.

The low fares made sure that I got entertaining and eclectic travel companions. My companions included a retired wrestler, a middle aged civil engineer, couple of doctors, couple of small-town-small-business owners, and more. And the conversation included discussions on the medicine man's profession, Mayawati's political strategy, the Ram Setu controversy, and the Kashmir problem. A complete revelation for me was the fact that most people are knowledgeable about a lot of stuff, and there are radicals and liberals alike in the general populace! In short, an uncomfortable but entertaining journey to get me to Delhi in double quick time. Isiliye ...


Jab tak rahega samose mein alu, Tak tak rahega railways mein Lalu!