Divine Delight!

I am not a believer in celebrating the various ‘International Day of...’ kind of things. I believe the so called Women’s days, Mother’s days etc are an exercise in futility and go not an inch beyond symbolism or mere lip service. I mean these are people whom we should be celebrating every day and not on days as decided by smart marketing companies out to sell merchandise. I however have decided to make an exception. 30th of March has been added to my calendar as the ‘Must be celebrated day’ list, to be celebrated on a scale that rivals Diwali, New Year, Eid or any such festival which crowd the Indian festival calendar. And why not? After all it is no ordinary a day. It is World Idly Day no less!

Idly! Divine Delight! With Chutney for company.

For the uninitiated Idly is the greatest of creation after the universe. As the food bloggers would lyrically describe “The finest of boiled rice from the farms of Thanjavur, irrigated by the holy Cauvery, mixed with the balanced amount of black lentil, soaked and then ground into batter in the kal ural, fermented overnight and then steam cooked to outshine the brightest and splendorous Pournami Moon!” Simpler folks like me call it Cakes made out of Rice and Lentil batter, steam cooked! But then why should we stop anyone from going orgasmic about this divine delicacy!

My love affair with Idly surprisingly started when I was well into my 2^nd innings. Coming from a Tamil family where the kitchen did not permit chaats as a regular part of the menu, it was Dosai, the crisper, oilier, paper thin and much overrated cousin of Idly which had me bewitched. Suffices to say Dosai was my chaats and junk food rolled into one. It took me a bout of indigestion once I shifted to Bangalore for my dalliance with Idly to begin. “Give him only Idly!” Thus spake the sagely neighbourhood MBBS. Over the next few days, starved as I was to the levels of being suspected of a case of malnutrition, my tryst with Idly, twice a day was the closest a hungry stomach could come to heaven. And it was the start of a romantic journey which will last till my journey to the cremation ground. (Bengalis reading this may replace Idly with Paaruti and Horlicks which is the staple medication prescribed whenever one visited the Doctor with any ailment in Kolkata. Only the prescription and not the delight. Welcome!)

Dosai! Idly's overrated cousin!

Idly as many of you know is served with  sambar and a variety of chutneys. Don’t let anyone fool you. These side dishes are mere substitutes. If at all there was something which was destined to join Idly in a holy and wholesome wedlock, it is Podi. Podi also often referred to as Idly Podi, Molaga Podi and blasphemously as Dosai Molaga Podi, in combo with Idly is what perfection is.  English Medium Types call it Gunpowder. Made for each other. Blending as perfectly as Lord Shiva and Parvati do as in Ardhanarishwaran. The Podi mixed in gingilly oil, applied like a face pack all over the Idly, allowed 30 odd minutes of togetherness so as to enable the spice of the chilly and the strength of the oil to penetrate the very heart of the Idly and then a gentle bite, measured by habit to bisect the Idly right down the middle! Slurrrrrrpppp!

Idly and Podi. Made for each other!

You would have met many a Foodie who would have recommended “The best Idly in the world” restaurants. Foodie doesn’t describe me however I would fail in my devotion to Idly should I not share some of my best stories here. Once on a business trip, horribly late, we drove into Trichy in the wee hours. Famished. With all the restaurants closed, needless to add. As a last resort we drove towards the Trichy Railway station. And what do we see but the ubiquitous kaiyyendhi bhavan that dot the landscape of Tamilnadu. Serving hot steaming Idly. We would not have traded them even for Nectar!

Then there was that instance when while on a road trip, we decided that we will halt for the night at Madurai. A must visit to the Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai supposedly being the reason. We halted. We visited the Temple. Then we attained nirvana. Not at the temple as you would have assumed but at the Murugan Idly Kadai whose popularity rivals Meenakshi Amman’s if I am not exaggerating! The one problem with Murugan Idly was that one had to plan expensive and often time consuming pilgrimage if one wanted their blessed Idlys. Till one day they decided that the well might as well walk to the thirsty and opened their branches in Chennai too. Unfortunately they did it around the time I shifted from Chennai to Coimbatore!

Speaking of Coimbatore, don’t let anyone derail you by describing it as the ‘Manchester of South India’ or ‘Gateway to Ooty’ or the ‘Pumpset Capital of India’ or ‘The Land of the MysurPa’. Coimbatore is of course all that but importantly more than just that. When next in the city don’t you dare leave without laying your hand on and treating your taste buds to a cosmic ride with Onion Podi Idly at Anandhas. Especially at their outlet in Brookefield Mall.

The best Idly in the world however is the one which has been christened ‘Khushboo Idly’ by the people who go on to make the family tree of Yours Truly. To stop any wrong notions the name might suggest to your hungry minds, ‘Khushboo Idly’ so named not only due to the fragrance or aroma that the said emanates. But also for combining with its aroma, the right amount of plumpness. Not to forget a softness which makes the Idly melt in your mouth like magic! For those who came in late, this unique nomenclature is a tribute to one of the leading stars of the Tamil Filmdom bearing the same name, Khushboo! As is Khusbhoo, so is Khushboo Idly. Voluptuously plump and as the name suggest aromatic. The family circles however would like to clearly state that none of us have ever had the opportunity to meet Khushboo and hence cannot confirm about her being ‘soft’ like our Idly. However we are convinced enough to believe that someone who is so breathtakingly rotund, fair and lovely and with a name meaning fragrance must be soft too! Add to it we have seen her melt many a heart on the silver screen. As the slogan in the family goes, “It ain’t Idly if it ain’t Khushboo Idly!”    

Khushboo Idly!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

PS: Thanks @sporty_baba for introducing World Idly Day to me!

Glossary:

Chaats : Savouries

Sambar :

Podi/Molaga Podi : Chilly Powder

Ardhanarishwaran : Ardha –Half, Nari – Women, Eshwaran – Male Deity

Kaiyyendi Bhavan : Roadside eatery

Kadai : Shop/Store

MysurPa :

Kal Ural: Grinding Stone

Paaruti :

Purnami : Full Moon

    

Roads, Ruins and Temples!

Temple 1:

It will save you from a lot of boredom and save valuable newsprint should this see the light of the day if I refrain from establishing the ‘atmosphere’ for the story as is the practice. Suffices to say it was only after pressing the ‘book’ button for the tickets up to Mumbai that you realise that the train halts at Pune and you can save about 100 kms of drive and half a day by alighting there instead. Or the friendly Marathi Manoos of Pune have no idea what ‘Very good’ is when they say the road to Shirdi is precisely that. Or the fact that half of India seems to have descended on the temple town the day you are there. Or the fact that after spending the whole night in the queue for attending the Kakada Aarti you are pushed to such a corner in the Samadhi Mandir that watching the rituals on Tata Sky would have been a better option!

Samadhi Mandir, Shirdi

So let me come down to the story right away. After having been a victim of ‘VVIPgiri’ during the Kakada Aarti, self and wife with kids in tow decided to queue up again for darshan in the ‘general’ queue. After spending an hour or so in the line, the queue direction was abruptly changed to the reverse and we found ourselves at the end of the queue. If this was bad what followed was worse. Another hour or so later the same adhoc decision to change the direction of the queue was imposed on us and yet again we ended up in the end of the queue. If you think I spent the next three hours meditating about Saibaba then you have me wrong. After every hour spent on the queue and then jostling among crowd who would have been better off fighting the bulls in a Jallikattu contest and cursing the organizers for their penchant for adhocism, we managed to get near the sanctum sanctorum. As I readied up to catch the glimpse of the deity, out came one more instance of adhocism! Just as I neared the proverbial last mile the security officer turned me and family away, from the general queue to a narrow lane taking me straight to the idol! To a wonderful, peaceful and a long darshan with none between me and Saibaba! Was it destiny that we finally had an unexpectedly great darshan? Or was it divine justice for all the adhocism that we encountered earlier? If it was the latter then I must concede Saibaba would have made a great Twitter troll. Imagine making up with adhocism what was denied to us by adhocism in the first place!

Temple 2:

I once again refrain from wasting your time on creating the ‘atmosphere’ for the story. Suffices to say that if the ‘very good’ roads between Pune and Shirdi were not so ‘very good’, the equally ‘very good’ road between Shirdi and Pandharpur was....well......nonexistant!

Bhu Vaikuntha Pandharpura!

As we alighted from a mini ride in a horse drawn cart at the starting point of the queue for Darshan at the Vitthal/Panduranga Temple, the mind instead of being focused on God was yet again on the adventures of the adhocism that lay ahead. This temple has a unique arrangement called a Pada Darshan wherein every devotee enters the sanctum sanctorum and physically touches the feet of the residing deity. And given the crowd it was quite likely that we would spend the next few years in the queue. As I stood before Vitthala two hours later overwhelmed with devotion, I realised that despite the crowd and the time consuming ritual of touching the feet, the crowd was not only well behaved but the temple authorities had made wonderful arrangements to move the crowd swiftly without appearing to rush either the devotees or themselves! So much so that the multitude in the queue indulged in what Pandharpur is famous for, singing Abhangs and Namasangeertanam! Indeed Bhu Vaikuntha Pandharpura!

Temple (?) 3:

You must indulge me a bit as I lay the ‘atmosphere’ for the story here. Finally I found it. There indeed is a reason for Mumbai to exist. I am sure you will agree with me that you can’t have a city just because Ambanis live in it or Sachin Tendulkar played here or its staple breakfast is Vada Pav! There has to be something more compelling for Mumbai’s existence, and I found it. BY ELEPHANTA! I found it!

A one hour steamer ride on the Arabian Sea takes you to the Elephanta Island also known as the Island of Shiva. The exquisite cave temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, commissioned by the Chalukyan King Pulakesin II around the 7^th Century. Post the mauling the cave temple received in the hands of the Portuguese and subsequently the British, what is left behind still speak volumes of the sheer scale of engineering, the epitome of architecture and art and the unshakable devotion of the Indians of the yore. I will not even try to explain the exquisite carvings based on the various stories of the Shiva Puraan for I know words will fail me. Instead here is a small tour through the Elephanta Cave Temple. Welcome!    

 

Swagatam!

Mahesha - The Trimurthy

Ravana Humbled!

Gangadhara!

The Cosmic Dancer -Nataraja!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PS: My 10 year old I believe has done a better job of describing the Island of Shiva. Please check out the same here -->  http://bratscorner.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-first-time-i-visited-bombay-i-did.html …

Glossary:

Marathi Manoos : Marathi speaking populace

Kakada Aarti : Early morning Prayers at Shiridi

Samadhi Mandir: Temple where the mortal remains of Saibaba are buried.

Darshan : Sight of the God/Idol

Saibaba:

Jallikattu : Bull fighting sport. Part of Pongal Festival of Tamilnadu

Pada Darshan : Sight of the feet of the Idol

Vitthal/Panduranga:

Abhang/Naamasangeertanam : Devotional Songs dedicated to Lord Vitthala

Bhu Vaikuntha Pandharpur : Heaven on earth, a sobriquet given to Pandharpur

Shiva Puraan : Tales of Lord Shiva

What Delhi should but what Delhi will!

They say in India things don't move till the nth hour is upon us. That too only when pushed to the brink. Take the hastily passed bill on Juvenile Justice. But for the overwhelming public outrage before the release of the Juvenile rapist/murderer in the Jyoti Singh case, the Parliament would have been happily stalled and plodded through the winter session. 

Do it now. NOW!

The other case pushed along because of judicial activism was the rising pollution levels in Delhi. When the push came to shove due to the court's stricture, out came a hastily thought about solution popularly known as the #OddEvenFormula. It meant that the car owners in Delhi would be able to take out their vehicles only on select days depending on the odd or even numbers of their registration. Despite the many exceptions allowed and some stopgap decisions taken to support the formula like keeping all Schools shut during the trial run, the jury is out to evaluate the effect of this attempt. At the time of going to the press, claims and counter claims galore later, the following seems to be emerging as a consensus:

Pollution in Delhi doesn't seems to have reduced by any noticeable levels. There is a fear the prima donna citizens of Delhi might end up buying another car with even/odd number registration to beat the system.There is a more dangerous possibility emerging of people indulging in "jugaad" of a fake number plate.The public transport arrangements in Delhi have been stretched and are threatening to burst at its seams.The positives to emerge out of the trial run have been lesser cars on the roads and thereby far lesser traffic jams on Delhi roads. Violators have contributed handsomely to the Govt kitty vide fines.Despite the doomsday prophecies, Delhiites have been fairly supportive of this idea.

Jugaad!?

What next Delhi? I would suggest to build on the positives that dry run has delivered. While cars on the road alone aren't the reason for Delhi's poisonous air, there is no debate that they too are large contributors to it.
 For a start, I would want Delhi to continue with this arrangement.I would want the Delhi govt. to fast track buying of more buses vide a transparent e-tendering process to augment its fleet and services.I would suggest a subsidy to commercial establishments and educational institutions while procuring buses to transport its employees and students.Continue to encourage public participation by car pooling beyond photo ops.Crack down on violators not only by way of fines but also suspending/revoking driving licenses.Crack down on cabs/taxi/rickshaw services who are indulging in fleecing customers by either refusing rides, overcharging or both. It is going to be a long haul and the Delhi govt will face many a hurdle while trying to doing this. Fortunately the citizens have shown that they would back the initiative implemented with sincerity. Fortunately again for Delhi govt. they wouldn't be facing the ballot box anytime soon.

However I have this strong feeling that the situation might not pan out as I hope it should. Instead I fear this is likely to end in the same kneejerk fashion it started with. Once the data will out that as feared the pollution levels did not listen to the Delhi Govt's dictum and reduce itself to tolerable levels, the plan will be ditched unceremoniously.Committees will be set up to study what else needs to be done to reduce the fuming air quality of Delhi, with no deadlines.While in search of a comprehensive policy to fight pollution, the benefits of the baby steps will be sacrificed at the altar of popular pressure.

OR

Assuming the OddEvenFormula continues beyond the trial period, I expect Delhi Govt to bestow licenses left right and centre for putting more cabs/rickshaws on the roads. How is one passenger in a cab less polluting than the same man in his own car better? Beats me!
Reinforcing the public transport is likely to be reduced to a very public tu-tu-main-main over lack of funds and how the “hostile” federal  govt  is sabotaging the local Delhi Govt. by not footing the bill for buying more buses.
The overstretched Metro Rail network would be accused of deliberately reducing its services to show the Delhi Govt in poor light. 
A well timed strike by the Cabs companies and Rickshawallahs against "police highhandedness" will throw life out of gear.
And all will be back to square one. And the Delhi Govt will move over to the slew of elections that are due this year. Or the next case of intolerance. Or the next case of allegations on the "corruption" in Delhi Hockey or Kabaddi or KhoKho or Stapu or Pitthu Federation or........

Pollution? Modi is responsible!

Or till the next stricture from the courts!

PS: I sincerely pray what happens is what should but I am willing to wager what will happen will happen. Will eat my words if what should happen happens and not what will happen!

  

Glossary:

Jugaad : An Indian slang for innovative ways to beat the system.

tu-tu-main-main : Verbal cockfights over an issue

Boycott! Boycott!

At the time of going to the press, the ongoing debate on Intolerance that has seized India has morphed into a never ending debate on intolerance! What started as a mark of protest by returning awards by eminent men of arts and literature dubbed #AwardWapsi, moved on to celebrities reinforcing the views of rise in intolerance during what I call the seminar season fever which grips the lawns and studios of Lutyen’s Delhi. The last on this has not been heard yet and one wonders what will be the next manner of ‘protest’ against rising intolerance will be, and when, and by whom. This has thus far been the narrative from the blue corner of people christened the #AdarshLiberals. A euphemism for Left Liberal thoughts and ideology which has held centre stage in India ever since.......well forever!

The counter narrative coming from the red corner is the rightwing ideology which has supposedly found a robust voice especially since the swearing in of the Narendra Modi led govt. This set of voices collectively answers to the nomenclature bestowed by the people in the Blue Corner on them, #Bhakts. There are synonyms like #HindutvaBrigade, #Sanghis but by consensus among the keyboard warriors, especially the 140 characters based ones, the first mentioned is the overwhelming winner! The popular mode of counter protest from this corner has been to accuse the Blue Corner or in some cases proving the accusations thrown at them wrong!

Where is the money?

I refrain from taking you through the flashback which started a few months ago which featured among others the rival warriors sparring over Church attacks, Beef Consumption, Bihar Elections, Go to Pakistan, Gau Mata etc which is well known to all of us. Where I would like to take you instead is to the latest salvo fired by the #Bhakts brigade. Loosely called the #Boycott Movement wherein the supporters of the RW has targeted the celebrities who they have a difference of opinion with by.........not buying! Or propagating boycott of products/services endorsed by the people who have supported the #AdarshLiberals point of view. Three such instances which grabbed headlines were the Aamir Khan/Snapdeal, Shah Rukh Khan/Dilwale and Barkha Dutt’s book. People were encouraged to uninstall the App of the online retailer Snapdeal who featured Aamir as their brand ambassador. Online and offline forums campaigns asked people not to see the latest Shah Rukh release Dilwale. Last but not the least, protesters logged on to Amazon where Barkha Dutt’s book was on sale and gave it negative reviews. In short the attempt was made by the protesters to hit where it hurt. The wallet, the bank balance!

Not so "quiet" at the Amazon Forum!

While the jury is still out on the outcome of the boycott but what did raise eyebrows was the cry of bloody murder from the blue corner. The protest was branded not only unfair but also suppression of freedom of expression. The rejoinder took me by surprise to say the least. As long as it was peaceful it was absolutely legitimate on the part of the protesters to give voice to their freedom of expression which the campaign to boycott the above celebrities was. If you think I am being unreasonable in my assessment or I am not being fair in judging the protests, then let take you to our middle school history text book. Does Swadeshi Movement or Dandi March ring any bells? In case you joined in late, the Swadeshi Movement was all about boycotting products made by the British companies at the cost of Indian weavers, artisans and ilk. The Dandi March was against the British monopoly of manufacturing and selling Salt in India. While many a protest/demonstrations led by Mahatma Gandhi targeted the political edifice of the Raj, these two were an example of hitting where it hurt. The Wallet, the bank balance!

Boycott!

Those who quote Mahatma Gandhi at the drop of a hat must learn to ‘tolerate’ when a little bit of ‘Gandhigiri’ is directed back at them!

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PS: While at it protesters, don’t ever ever forget the first lesson in ‘Gandhigiri’, non violence. You lose and you lose my support if you exceed this brief however right you may be!

Glossary: 

Gandhigiri : Popular term for Gandhism triggered by a Bollywood film.

      

Is Media a Sucker?

Or are these lazy moghuls playing the game?

I believe when the majority of the electorates voted in the General Elections in 2014, they voted with a one worried eye on their wallets. I am not referring to cadres or members of political parties but to the general unaffiliated voters. Truth is one can never win elections only on the back of cadres and members, at least not in a fair election, not in India, not yet.

Just to refresh our collective memories, if we remember the primary discourse during the elections was development colourfully described as Achhe Din or Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas mentioned in more details here.

I am is a Salesman trying to earn an honest bread. I equate Achhe Din with receipt of fairly decent and steady orders, growth in my business, faster collection of receivables and customers visiting if not thronging the stores to buy without me having to resort to offering never before discounts. As a result of the above, hopefully an increment and the confidence to invest in long term asset building products. If the above are the benchmarks, then I am sorry the Achhe Din hasn’t arrived for me yet. I expect many to proclaim that it takes much longer time to correct "60 years of misgovernance". However my expectations are not some lofty scenario of customers queuing up at stores but a nominal movement upwards to clear my inventory and a sense of assurance to produce further. Sorry I don't see that happening. Ennui persists.

That brings me to the topic of this note. The primary discourse that I notice if we are to glance at the Media headlines or twitter trends gives me an impression that the media has been given a sucker punch. Beef Ban, communal polarization, reservation have been the focus of its attention. This is just what the Govt would have wanted! I am not discounting any of these issues and should be rightly highlighted and discussed but don't we know every election season from time immemorial in India communal polarization has been attempted and often achieved, political party no bar? Wasn't ban on beef in the rulebooks of most govts for decades? Aren't we aware that no Government worth its salt can do away with Reservation? And yet every statement, every event, every occasion is being projected as a threat to the very Idea of India. Sorry! The Idea of India is not so fragile that a few hotheads can usurp and destroy it.

Instead of debating and asking questions on hard issues like the economy, the media has swallowed the bait thrown by the proponents of disruption. I would like the media to ask the Govt where is the black money that was to have been recovered. Where is the growth that will put more money in my wallet? Where are the jobs? Where are the investments on the ground? What happened to GST? Why isn't the govt able to manage a miniscule opposition and ensure functioning of the parliament? Instead of asking tough and relevant questions, the media is being taken on a ride by disruptive discourse and they are following it like the mice did to Pied piper! And in many cases the media themselves have been digging at molehills in the hope of unearthing a mountain. The focus, instead of being on the Govt's performance or the lack of it, is on social media trolls!

I concede many of the relevant questions mentioned above have been asked and continue to be. But even a lay observer will agree the consistency with which media has chased these issues when compared to the shrill decibels and airtime/newsprint allocated to 'constructive' issue of the escapades of a certain Indrani Mukherjea has been zilch!

The Nation wants to know?

Lastly, if we agree on the above premise, then the question asking to be begged is why is the media so doing? My view is the media is not investing sufficient time, money and mind to research questions which can make the govt uncomfortable while answering in a promise vs delivery debate. And more likely, TRP and Circulation not to forget clicks are easier achieved by airing emotional and divisive issues than hard hitting constructive ones. The media is following the Pied Piper because it wants to. Media is being taken for a sucker because it has allowed itself to be so! 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PS: After overcoming the tyranny of distance for a case of ‘national’ importance, Indrani Mukherjea, and conveniently forgetting the devastating floods in the vicinity possibly due to it being only of ‘local’ importance, thus spake every media rockstar  “Does Indrani Mukherjea case deserve so much of attention?”

Glossary:

Achhe Din : Happy Days

Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas : Development for all, with all.

Heaven at a Bargain

It was anticipated. I mean for a person who was a virtual vegetable for the past one year or so it was quite expected that the curtains will be drawn anytime now. And as a mark of respect or the pressure to act as per societal norms ensured that a trip was taken to meet him for the last time before the moment overtook us. As expected and dare I say the much awaited moment arrived and the Father-in-law took his leave from the world of the mortals. Surprisingly despite the advance notice of the inevitable, tears were shed by the progenies of the man.

The basic formalities post his demise went with clockwork precision. The death certificates, the ambulance, the electric crematorium were a breeze except for the arrangement of the man who stood between us and the departed soul in search of moksham! The Shastrigal of course! With the ‘family’ Panditji being away from town, a mini hunt was launched to find a substitute who would fill in and one was duly identified. However there was so much ground to be covered before the stand-in-Pundit would take up the responsibility. Firstly came out his ‘menu’. Basic Package @ Rs.X, Special Package @ Rs.X+ and finally the Premium Package @ Rs X++! The various packages were presented with such skills that the salesman in me was impressed. The sales pitch further had punch dialogues (“One must not be miserly when it comes to the last rites of one’s father. Don’t you want him to attain Vaikuntham?” Welcome!) No prizes for guessing that the suckers fell for the sales pitch. It was then left to a senior citizen in the family to negotiate the special ‘End of Season’ discount. Post a back and forth which made sabziwala/behenji scene seem like a child’s play the deal was struck and the swarga yatra began in right earnest post the exchange of crisp currency!

Basic or Premium?

If we thought with that we had reserved a berth for the old man in heaven, we were wrong. As in a discount sale so in life, never ignore the *Conditions Apply written deliberately in so small a font that you need a magnifying glass to comprehend. To cut the story short, the Package amount was only the fees while all the samagri needed to perform the rites were not part of the standard product. They needed to be paid for separately. The Shastrigal gallantly offering to procure them from his ‘regular’ store at an attractive discount! The proceedings moved ahead post the exchange of currency yet again.

*Conditions Apply

Over the next 13 days, the rites were performed as per the direction of this expert. On the last day of the event, the Shastriji proceeded to give us a sermon. The ‘meaning’ of the rites indulged in were explained. Most of us weary folks by then were ready to get on with life. The Shastriji however was in no mood to let go. “What we have just completed are the initial rites which will ensure swargam for the departed soul. However there remains a ‘monthly’ karyam for the first year and then an ‘annual’ do which will ensure a happy stay for the departed soul in heaven!” Thus spake the sagely Panditji. And post this monologue we awaited the inevitable. The Pandit didn’t disappoint us. “Basic Package @ Rs.X, Special Package @ Rs.X+ and finally the Premium Package @ Rs X++!” He said!

 

AMC Available!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PS: To satisfy your curiosity, the family decided to part with more crisp currency!

Glossary:

Moksham/Vaikuntham/Swargam : Heaven

Sabziwala/Behenji : Vegetable vendor and a homemaker

Yatra : Journey

Karyam : Vedic rites

Samagri : Articles for conducting the rites

Panditji/Shastrigal : The Hindu Priest

Happy Streets!

Queue for that bargain sale?

Any guesses what the above picture is all about? No, it is not the crowd of Diwali shoppers at Ranganathan St. or Gariahat Junction. No, this is not Ahmedabad either where people have queued up demanding reservation. It is also not those routine ‘Run for…..’ marathons which are dime a dozen these days. What you see is one of the busiest traffic junctions in one of the fastest growing cities in India. It is the Diwan Bahadur Road/Thiruvengada Swamy Road junction in R.S.Puram, Coimbatore. It is a picture of Happy Streets!

An initiative of Times Of India Group and Coimbatore Police, Happy Streets is a programme wherein no vehicular traffic is allowed on the stretch covering the two streets between 7 AM to 10 AM on Sunday! It is an initiative to get citizens to walk that extra mile. An initiative to let people realize what they were missing. A Traffic, noise, stress and parking woes free roads!

A 'normal' Coimbatore street! 

You know the initiative is a hit when your children wake up on their own on a Sunday morning  at 6 AM! As it has been the case with many a household in Coimbatore ever since Happy Streets happened. You know the citizen support the initiative when polite notices and barricades asking people to cooperate by leaving their vehicles behind or take a diversion are adhered to with a smile. You know the programme is a success when the otherwise choc-a-bloc streets are free of honking cars, indisciplined bikers criss crossing or the arguments over parking are missing.

Look Mamma! I am climbing ladders!

You know you are onto a good thing when the above are replaced by a buzz! Buzz of human voices, chirp of children and an occasional ‘thwak’ of bat hitting the ball or a crescendo of a Laughter Club!

Cricket, Football Same Same!

Or showcase struggling art forms!

Silambattam!

Can we ever be away from music and dance? Never!!

Dandia minus the danda!

Or simply give the Taekwando School a miss for a day. Only the school not Takewando!

Hooo Haaa!

Happy Street for us and Happy Street for them too. They would approve of Happy Hours too if it meant this!

Thank You Sir!

I am told this is not so unique an initiative, other cities also have or had such a programme. If such is the case, bravo Coimbatore for having joined the club. And if not, I hope other cities emulate the same. The sheer thrill of letting your hair down on the main roads far removed from the chaos that the streets witness is indeed a unique, relaxing and a refreshing experience.

One sore point though. While the citizen enjoyed the Happy Streets, what they left behind didn't leave a happy feeling. At least not for the folks in the picture below. Don't we owe them a Happy Street too Coimbatore?

Not So Happy Streets for them!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 PS: How I wish there were some thought provoking street plays too? C'mon Coimbatore! Streets are here, get in the play portion. Make the Happy Streets, Happier Streets!

When I grow up, I will.....

“What I want to be when I grow up?” I am sure none of us have escaped from this question. At least those of us who have had the good fortune of going to school and receiving some sort of a formal education.  This is possibly the most popular and oft repeated essay topic in primary schools of India. I was terrorized by it too. And like most of you reading this “I want to become a Doctor!” is possibly the most frightful chestnut, with the Engineers making it to a distant second in the list! (I am yet to see any child wanting to be a Cricketer or a singer or a social worker but then I digress!) However much I tried dodging the above question, I couldn’t. Not when the question carried 10 marks! The tryst with this question ended rather quickly for those lucky souls who didn’t have the ignominy of being selected to represent your school in elocution competition like yours truly was. On these occasions one had to have a loftier ambition as ‘suggested’ by the Class Teacher and I ended up as the Prime Minister on one occasion and a Nelson Mandela on the other! I also was a Soldier wanting to “save Mother India” on a few instances. By the time I was about to pass out from school the teachers after having a good look at me, my essay and my mark sheets, repeat, repeat once more,  ended up doing what the children now-a-days describe  as “lol” and “RoFL”! To cut the comedy short, I had no clue what I wanted to be and what I would eventually become. After meandering aimlessly through the college canteens and ‘cutting-class-to-watch-QSQT’ I suddenly grew up. A mandatory degree and a perfunctory PG later ended up running around like a lost ant ‘bechu da’!  

Those who know me personally and have been sending those “Happy Birthday Mate!” messages on Facebook would be quite surprised to be reading this note. I am sure they would be wondering why should somebody who is already well into his 2^nd innings of his life be thinking what I want to be when I grow up? I agree. For those who came in late, I am indeed in that phase of my life where I have graduated from being  a Shahid Afridi (See the ball and Maaro!), moved past being Virendra Sehwag (Method behind the madness) to presently being in the Rahul Dravid Zone (Outside off, don’t take risk, Leave it!) A stage where the time I have already lived is likely to be more than the time I have at my disposal to live. A time when most kids address me as ‘uncle’ rather than the ‘anna’ that I had always been. A time when a dash of philosophy is permitted; nay expected of me.

It is not so much about money alone any more. I mean, of course I need money. Truckloads of it! I still have a long way to secure the future of two Indian citizens I have been blessed with. However I now have a craving for something more than these alone. The above are a chore, a responsibility, must be carried out and will be carried out. What I am now looking forward to is stop being an automaton and for a change live the life too! Today is as good a day to possibly share with you as to what I would like to do with this one life of mine. Believe me it didn’t take me any effort to jot down this list. If I have to think as to what to do and it is not top of my mind then I am most likely to be cheating myself and you. So here goes……..

I promise to myself this day that I will sing. As much as I can. Whenever I can. Whatever #SongPlayingOnMyMind. Whether anyone likes it or not! I will sing. For life. For me!

I promise I will not die till I master reading and writing my mother tongue Tamizh/Tamil. And I refuse to die till I have read every nugget written by Mahakavi Subramania Bharathi and devour Kalki’s epic Ponniyin Selvan.

 I promise to keep myself fit and healthy. As a regular blood donor I owe this to myself and to some needy soul somewhere that I am always in a position to do so till I live. And once the umpire up there raises his dreaded finger on me to signal I am out, I want to my mortal remains to be put to use for the benefit of my fellow travelers I leave behind. Hope my heart will beat in somebody’s bosom and my eyes will continue to see this beautiful world. 

They will continue to see the beautiful world...... 

May be it was planned. Maybe it was just a coincidence. May be it is my destiny. Whatever it may be. For whatever time I have left with me on this earth, I promise to live up to the name given to me by  parents! Anand! I promise to be happy. I promise to spread happiness!

Anand!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

I don’t think I can write the Post Script to this note. One of you would possibly have to do it. Only I am sure you will call it an Obituary whenever it is written, if at all!  

Glossary

Bechu Da : Kolkata slang for Salesmen

Maaro : Hit!

Anna : Brother

Anand : Happy/Happiness

The Bad, The Good, The Best

The Bad:

I had written about this earlier in these pages. Despite my intention not to repeat the same I am compelled to. Pilgrimages to holy shrines/sites in India often call for an arduous trek across difficult terrain.  The period of penance before the actual trek is supposedly designed to train you to meet the ordeal. And any discomfort beyond the said training is mitigated by the holy chants that you call out during the trek. For example “Jai Mata Di” at Vaishnao Devi or a series of chants viz, “Swamiye Sharanam Ayyappa” as in this case at Sabarimalai. Since I had undergone the prescribed penance for 41 days I thought I was fairly ready to take in my stride anything the trek threw at me. What transpired however was so difficult that thanks to the handiwork of the Travancore Devaswom Board I just could not get my mind together to chant the Lord’s name beyond a measly few times. Instead the entire trek was made doubly difficult as I could not take my mind away from cursing the Travancore Devaswom Board for reasons best described here!

The Good:

For someone who has spent a substantial period of my life on the banks of the majestic Ganga river in Kolkata and the subsequent experience of seeing mere rivulets masquerading as rivers aka Noyyal in Coimbatore or Thamaraparani in Tirunelveli, to witness with horror what were once rivers being reduced to the status of the world’s largest open sewage lines today viz., Coouam in Chennai, it came as a very very pleasant; nay pleasing experience to take a dip in the Pampa at the foothills of Sabari Hills as is the prescribed practise. The Holy Pampa fed with sumptuous rains rushing and gushing frothily to wash away my sins as is the belief. Whatever the belief, the swelling river with crystal clear water was a sight for sore eyes!

Washing away my sins.....Pampa!

The Best:

Recently I came across a discussion on the microblogging site Twitter about the performance of Indians at the just concluded Wimbledon. A certain Tweep had commented that the three Indian winners at the various events at SW19 Amit Nagal (Boys Doubles), Sania Mirza (Ladies Doubles) and Leander Paes (Mixed Doubles) represented the reiteration of a secular India wherein the three winners represented Hindu, Muslim and Christian faiths. The comment lead to criticism from many, including yours truly, that why should one drag religion into an event where it has absolutely no role to play. Since India’s is a secular society why should one keep harping on the religion of the people/personalities went the argument. The counter posed by many to this was that while the primary DNA pattern of an Indian is Secular, it was however necessary to keep celebrating this element in us as a guard lest complacency set in and this unique but critical feature of the Idea of India be compromised. I remembered the discussion as I stood before Saint Vavar’s Shrine at the Sannidhanam of the Sabarimalai Temple. Vavar was a Muslim warrior from Arabia who went on to become, post his loss in a battle with Lord Ayyappa, a leader in the Lord’s Army and his loyal devotee says the legend. So deep was the love between the Lord and his Muslim devotee that the legend further says that the Lord asked the King of Panthalam, his earthly abode to build a temple for Vavar which duly came up at Erumely, the starting point of the trek to Sabarimalai. A Muslim Shrine in one of the holiest Hindu Temples! If this amazes you, you haven’t heard it all yet! Read on............

A Shrine of a Muslim at one the Holiest Hindu Temples!

Lullaby to the Lord, Only  K J Yesudas!

Among the various rituals that are practised in Hindu temples are the waking up of the God/Goddess as the case may be (Suprabhatam), bathing (Abhishekam), feeding (Neivedhyam) and post the darshan putting the god to sleep (Mangalam). This practise of ritually putting the Lord to sleep at Sabarimalai is done by singing the lullaby called the Harivarasanam. As I stood with thousands of other devotees all around the Ponnambalam to watch the rituals, the air was filled with the melodious and divine singing of the Harivarasanam on the public address system by one of India’s greatest singers, K J Yesudas. As his name suggests, Yesudas, Servant of Jesus, born as and till date a practising Christian! True to this spirit, Sabarimalai is a temple which is run on the principle of religion no bar!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PS: Here is the divine Harivarasanam by the Maestro K J Yesudas himself!   

Glossary:

Sannidhanam : Sanctum Sanctorum

Ponnambalam : Golden Temple

I Looove Road Trips!

Vajpayee Highways!

My enthusiasm for road trips started only after what I consider is one of the best infrastructure projects in India, the Golden Quadrilateral popularly known as ‘The Vajpayee Highways’ came into being. Driving on these are a pleasure and a peace and a primary reason for the title of this note! I agree the toll rates are steep but then I am a firm believer in the dictum that there are no free meals. I would happily pay if I get world class service. It would have been apt had Tobay Maguire mouthed “With great roads come greater toll tax!”

No free meals!

The primary advantage of Road Trips is the sheer convenience it offers by way of the start time- halt time- end time. Well known is the fact that it saves you the bother of depending on flight and train schedules. You can start the trip from Coimbatore to time your breakfast at Adayar Anandha Bhavan just off Salem and your lunch at home in Bangalore with a tea/smoke break thrown in at Krishnagiri. I am sure you can plan a similar Start-Pit stop-Chequered Flag routine from whichever city you start and propose to end.

Pit Stop at A2B Krishnagiri

Road trips often save you from absurdities too. As someone who often finishes his day in Electronic City, Bangalore and have to go to back to Chennai I find it faster to reach Meenambakkam Airport in Chennai by road than reaching Bangalore International Airport, Devanahalli to catch a flight to Chennai!

Road Trips are cheaper too. For example ticket prices for a family of 4 by 2^nd AC from Coimbatore to Bangalore or by flight are likely to be in the vicinity of Rs.2500.00 to Rs.15000.00 respectively. Add to it the taxi fares for Airport/Station pick-up and drops! The same by car including the toll on the way is likely to cost around Rs.3000.00 in a self driven car. Cheaper if your vehicle is fuelled by CNG or Diesel!

Move over Buddh International and F1!

Here is another. Going to Mysore from Coimbatore? Would you prefer to drive down via Satyamangalam directly to Mysore? Or would you prefer a drive to Coimbatore Airport- Flight to Bangalore-Drive to Mysore? The former would take you about 6 hours and the latter almost the same depending of the flight schedules and at possibly 5 times the cost! Now Tell!!!

Then again you can save money by not checking in to a hotel or check in late depending on when your work is completed. I mean start early from Bangalore, hit to work in Chennai straight, if finished on time, return back the same evening/night. If not check in into a hotel late and save on tariffs. And most importantly save yourselves from being under the mercy of the Chennai Autowallahs! Clincher!

Road trips are supposedly not very women friendly especially with reference to ‘PissStop’ is the oft quoted criticism. My own experience while on road trips with family is quite to the contrary. Most highway hotels and eateries nowadays have toilet facilities. In fact for some of these places the presence of toilets is the primary USP and the food subsequent! On most trips we have never been more than 15-20 minutes away from a convenient place for the womenfolk to relieve themselves. And if the womenfolk reading this are blessed with bladders which cannot hold on for even 15-20 minutes then sorry to say they shouldn’t go on any trip let alone road trips. Except maybe the trip from their drawing room to the washroom!

--------------------------------------------------------------------- 

PS: While most of what is have written above is universally applicable, the part referring to loo breaks for women is based entirely on our experience during road trips in South India, especially Tamilnadu and Karnataka! "Jahan Soch wahan Shauchalay" is still some distance away in many other states I am told!

Only Soch, Where Shauchalay?

Hope @Suman_Kher likes my rejoinder. Thanks @LifstyleProBlog  @seemagoswami @bkapilan