Yesterday I went for the funeral of one of my school teachers. She was 88 years of age and had led a full life. She had touched all our lives in many ways and this we realized much later in life. No child of the school could avoid her and the reason for this was the fact that she was our physical instructress, a job she did with full throttle and with great pride. My first interaction with her was when I reached high school, (6th to 11th grade). She made sure that each and every student of the school played any one of the many games that the school offered. There were no excuses for not participating and the girls who could stay out were the ones with grave physical impediment. I really felt sorry for them as they were missing out on what was to all of us an enjoyable pursuit.
The games period was after school hours and the whole school was divided into two groups for this purpose. Grade 6 to grade 8 would have it on Mondays and Wednesdays and grade 9 to grade 11 would have the games hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Since 3 classes were together, we formed teams that had students from other classes and hence this helped us to mingle with our seniors and juniors thus enabling us to be a family unit. All this was masterminded by none other than our physical instructress Mrs. Sosamma Mathew. She was such a disciplinarian and conducted the games hour with clock work precision. I could call her a ring master for like the ring master in the circus she could get us all to do whatever she thought we should be doing. It goes without saying that she was a good athlete and sports woman and excelled in all the games that the school offered. She taught us games that had not seen the light of day in India, like Rounders and Baseball. Then of course there was the usual Throwball, Netball and Tennikoit. I used to play tennikoit. I remember vividly her telling us that the scoring was in the tennis format, because she felt that in doing so, it would be easier for us to follow the game of tennis. She looked ahead and was thoughtful. Now when I look back and try to calculate her age, I realize she would have been in her late 40’s and 50’s when we were in school. However her actions were like that of a youngster and she would move around the games field as if she had wheels on her heels. She did not have to call out for anything as she had several whistle tones for the various actions she expected from the students. Nothing missed her eyes and anyone trying to hoodwink her, was sure to attend a couple of detention classes. Those were the golden days when the teacher reigned supreme in a school and her word was the law.
The highlight of Mrs. Mathew’s year was the annual school sports. School sports meant that the whole school participated. It is no mean feat to organize over 600 students to participate in an event. There were the athletes and then there were the majority who belonged to the other category. I belonged to the latter, but when it came to sports I was a star in my own way. In her ingenuous way she had a bag full of relays organized for heavy weights like me and thus every year saw me and my likes take part and come out winners. I wonder if any other school had sports with so many participants. The march past that we put up was indeed so excellent that we used to get the City Police band to come and play for us. I have heard it being said by the boys of various city schools as to what an event our sports turned out to be. I wonder if the Good Shepherd sports has the same sheen now. I have witnessed other school sports and I know that in a scale of 1-10, if our score was 9, others were a lowly 3-4. I am not biased but that was exactly the way it was. The build up to the sports day really saw Mrs. Mathew get into her elements!!!
Another wonderful quality that she had was the fact that she was so fair and just. She had no favourites and she never failed to reprimand the one who was in the wrong. Even the fact that her daughter Molly was our classmate did not give us an edge. Yesterday I met Molly and the rest of the family and witnessed their sorrow and grief. If I thought it my duty to attend her funeral even after 36 years of leaving school, you can imagine the impact she must have had on me. I am glad I had the opportunity to offer my condolence and pay my homage. This article is a small tribute to a person who had touched my life and brought in me a sense of discipline and the love for sports. She had inculcated in all her students the sense that nothing was impossible. She may not have produced a P.T. Usha, but instead she inculcated in thousands of youngsters good human values apart from the love for sports. I salute this fine lady and may there be teachers like her who can motivate the young generation.
Long live her tribe!!!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Untouchable
Most of you are aware that I had my education in Chennai at Christian institutions. Schooling was at a Catholic institution and college was at a Protestant one. I term these fifteen years of my life as the best I have had so far. I enjoyed school as I did my friends. These growing up years were very formative and the values imbibed then have remained with me all my life. The friends came from different backgrounds and their backgrounds were never an impediment. It never bothered me or my friends to even find out as to which community or caste a person belonged. We took them for what they were as human beings. The school also served as a cultural platform for us as it was there that we got to know from our friends who came from diverse backgrounds about their traditions and festivals and the food habits. Those were the days before Chennai could boast of cuisines from all over India. There were no specialty restaurants and the most we could hope for was a treat at Buharis. The day after a festival, our friends would come to school loaded with the special food that was home made and all of us used to enjoy them and even learn as to how they were made and what they were called. One important period that we would look forward was the month of Ramadan, when the Muslim girls would bring boxes full of goodies that were made the previous evening. We devoured on that food and not a single rice grain of the biriyani would remain. This was my introduction to Ramadan and its importance as one of the tenets of Islam. Later of course I lived in Saudi and got to learn a lot more. Although my education was in Christian Institutions, I like the majority of the students, were never ever made to feel as outsiders. We grew up as Indians and never as a Hindus, Muslims or Christians or for that matter as Tamilians, Malayalis or North Indians.
Since I left India immediately after my college education, I was not touched by the invisible walls that were built around the communities. However I was aware that people were becoming more clannish and friendships unlike in the earlier days were based more on religion and caste. To me such friendships did not exist. It upset and terrified me that we were moving away from the simple unadulterated joys of brotherhood and bonhomie of the earlier times. I had thought that the egalitarian policy which I followed would be reciprocated by those around me. It was only recently I realized as to how wrong my thinking was. The first time I was fazed was when someone refused a Prasad which I offered as a sweet. The reason given was that the person’s religion did not allow it. This came as a slap on my face. Here was someone who ate all the meals in my house without any qualms but refusing a piece of sweet because it was made for a Pooja. It was indeed hard for me to digest. Having learnt my lesson, I made sure that I did not share any pooja offerings to members of other faiths. This was in vain because recently my driver refused to join in the Onam lunch the excuse being that it was a Hindu festival and hence had religious connotations. This really made me think as to how our society was moving and as to what our priorities were. I attributed this attitude to their ignorance and decided that I will never offer food to anyone unless they asked for it. I gave this message to Narayani as she was the one who dealt with them. My shock did not end there. I was dumb stuck when a person who until a couple of years ago had everything from the famous “Aravana payasam” of Sabarimala to the even more famous “Tirupati Laddu”, announced that having a meal with a person of another faith on an auspicious day was against one’s religion. On that day I thought of myself as a “pariah” or an untouchable.
I wonder who preaches these ridiculous things. I thought I was in the know how of all the important happenings in the world. With that being the case, I am surprised that I did not hear of a new God or messiah who has come down to earth and made such announcements. According to my knowledge of the Koran and the Bible, (here I can talk with some authority for I have lived in Saudi for 15 years and have studied in a Christian institutions for another 15 years) no where have I ever come across any such statements. No God or messenger would ever condone a believer for eating food made by a non believer of that particular faith. Why do mischief makers play truant with human sentiments? Is this a healthy sign? I won’t be surprised if I stop receiving invites from friends belonging to other faiths. What I dread even more is when friends from other faith turn down my invitation or even if they do acknowledge, refuse to partake of the food I offer. My only satisfaction would be the fact that though I have become an untouchable now, there is no way by which they can expunge whatever has gone into their system during their long association with my family.
P.S. On this happy note, let me lay to rest a topic that has been boiling within me and for which I have been seeking to get an answer but in vain.
Since I left India immediately after my college education, I was not touched by the invisible walls that were built around the communities. However I was aware that people were becoming more clannish and friendships unlike in the earlier days were based more on religion and caste. To me such friendships did not exist. It upset and terrified me that we were moving away from the simple unadulterated joys of brotherhood and bonhomie of the earlier times. I had thought that the egalitarian policy which I followed would be reciprocated by those around me. It was only recently I realized as to how wrong my thinking was. The first time I was fazed was when someone refused a Prasad which I offered as a sweet. The reason given was that the person’s religion did not allow it. This came as a slap on my face. Here was someone who ate all the meals in my house without any qualms but refusing a piece of sweet because it was made for a Pooja. It was indeed hard for me to digest. Having learnt my lesson, I made sure that I did not share any pooja offerings to members of other faiths. This was in vain because recently my driver refused to join in the Onam lunch the excuse being that it was a Hindu festival and hence had religious connotations. This really made me think as to how our society was moving and as to what our priorities were. I attributed this attitude to their ignorance and decided that I will never offer food to anyone unless they asked for it. I gave this message to Narayani as she was the one who dealt with them. My shock did not end there. I was dumb stuck when a person who until a couple of years ago had everything from the famous “Aravana payasam” of Sabarimala to the even more famous “Tirupati Laddu”, announced that having a meal with a person of another faith on an auspicious day was against one’s religion. On that day I thought of myself as a “pariah” or an untouchable.
I wonder who preaches these ridiculous things. I thought I was in the know how of all the important happenings in the world. With that being the case, I am surprised that I did not hear of a new God or messiah who has come down to earth and made such announcements. According to my knowledge of the Koran and the Bible, (here I can talk with some authority for I have lived in Saudi for 15 years and have studied in a Christian institutions for another 15 years) no where have I ever come across any such statements. No God or messenger would ever condone a believer for eating food made by a non believer of that particular faith. Why do mischief makers play truant with human sentiments? Is this a healthy sign? I won’t be surprised if I stop receiving invites from friends belonging to other faiths. What I dread even more is when friends from other faith turn down my invitation or even if they do acknowledge, refuse to partake of the food I offer. My only satisfaction would be the fact that though I have become an untouchable now, there is no way by which they can expunge whatever has gone into their system during their long association with my family.
P.S. On this happy note, let me lay to rest a topic that has been boiling within me and for which I have been seeking to get an answer but in vain.
Monday, May 25, 2009
What Next?
Of all the God’s in the Hindu Pantheon, the most popular would of course be Ganesha. He is the God who removes all obstacles and helps one to attain success. He has 108 names and a few among them are Ganapati, Vinayaka, Vigneshwara, Lambodara and Ekadanta. Every Hindu has his or her own reason for loving this God, the son of Shiva and Parvathi with an elephantine head and a human torso. He is lovable in his appearance as his cherubic form makes him endearing.
Ganesha was always an integral part of our faith and our growing up years saw us celebrating Vinayaka Chathurthi and also performing a Ganapathi Homam annually. This annual Homam it was believed would take care of all the inmates and see that no obstacles come in their way of attaining their goals. Apart from this there was the occasional coconut breaking in front of a Ganesha idol before the start of anything auspicious. Till the 80’s, Vinayaka Chathurthi, or the birthday of Lord Ganesha, was a very low key affair in the South with every household doing their puja to a soft clay idol of the God and then throwing the idol into the well of their house. If there was no well in the house it was then thrown into the community well or a pond. Since these idols were made of clay there was no question of pollution as the clay just went back to the soil from where it was procured. Somewhere in the course of the years, the status of Ganesha seems to have changed. He seems to have become even more popular and his prominence has become very pronounced. Now days Vinayaka Chathurthi has grown totally big what with huge paper mache idols kept in “pandals” adorning every nook and corner of the city. These idols are taken in huge processions for immersion in the sea and these processions have become a cause of concern for the keepers of the law apart from causing traffic snarls. The pollution caused to the sea and its creatures is another fallout of this event. Are these processions and celebrations meters by which we can measure the popularity of the God? If that is so, it goes without any doubt that Ganesha stands head and shoulder above all the other Gods put together. I would like to believe it is thus but somehow another aspect of the people’s faith makes me think otherwise.
The early pictures or idols of Ganesha were that of the God in a seated position looking in front with his pot belly in full view and his little mouse right at his feet. His four hands were for all to see, each carrying what they were meant to hold. His head was straight with both his ears as extended half fans. His trunk was either curved to the left or the right. Both the curves had some significance however both were accepted. As children we were told that a picture or idol of Ganesha should always be in the sitting position. A standing Ganesha was unacceptable as it meant that the God was angry. This is the way it has been for centuries and was the accepted way. Somehow in the 80’s things began to change and Ganesha too was not spared. The market began to get flooded with Ganesha’s in various forms, he began to stand, lie down, dance, play cricket, play all kinds of musical instruments, sit in front of a computer screen with a mouse (his vahanam) in his hand and so on and so forth. To me these various forms never appealed and somehow I felt they were not in good taste. I don’t have a single one of these Ganeshas. I don’t fall into the category of a collector of Ganesha idols a hobby that seems to be in vogue now. I am told there are those with more than 500 Ganeshas in their kitty. I wonder how this modernization came about. Is it the result of globalization that gave the designers and artisans to play around with the Gods? As if to add insult to injury some of the Ganeshas are even made in -you have guessed it right – yes, China!!
With much sadness and frustration, people like me had to take in all the changes to the stately form of a very stately God, only to be perturbed further by the latest style of picturisation. It has in the last 15-20 years become the norm to have a Ganesha picture in all the invitations especially the wedding invitations. Since weddings are a very auspicious occasion, the printers must have decided to add a picture of the remover of all obstacles into the wedding card. It is very rare to see a card without a Ganesha peeping from some corner. I use the word peeping, because unlike when the trend started, the drawings have undergone so much of change that it has at times been brought down to two strokes and a dot. One stroke indicates the trunk the other an ear and the dot one eye. The artists have really belittled the status of a regal God. Do we really need these kinds of images on an invitation? Are the artists trying to show their innovative styles? Is this the right way to portray our Gods?
I do not consider these signs as being healthy. I am a traditionalist when it comes to our Gods and Goddesses. If one is a believer, I think he or she should follow certain norms. It is fine for the non believer to consider all kinds of innovations. When the fanatics among the Hindus can create a hue and cry at drawings of Hindu Gods by renowned artists, I think it is time that they put an end to these lowly representations as well. As for Ganesha himself, I am sure he must be wondering as to what his next avatar would be. How he would be wishing that he wasn’t so popular and his only prayer now to his worshippers would be to leave him alone so that he could be his normal self.
Ganesha was always an integral part of our faith and our growing up years saw us celebrating Vinayaka Chathurthi and also performing a Ganapathi Homam annually. This annual Homam it was believed would take care of all the inmates and see that no obstacles come in their way of attaining their goals. Apart from this there was the occasional coconut breaking in front of a Ganesha idol before the start of anything auspicious. Till the 80’s, Vinayaka Chathurthi, or the birthday of Lord Ganesha, was a very low key affair in the South with every household doing their puja to a soft clay idol of the God and then throwing the idol into the well of their house. If there was no well in the house it was then thrown into the community well or a pond. Since these idols were made of clay there was no question of pollution as the clay just went back to the soil from where it was procured. Somewhere in the course of the years, the status of Ganesha seems to have changed. He seems to have become even more popular and his prominence has become very pronounced. Now days Vinayaka Chathurthi has grown totally big what with huge paper mache idols kept in “pandals” adorning every nook and corner of the city. These idols are taken in huge processions for immersion in the sea and these processions have become a cause of concern for the keepers of the law apart from causing traffic snarls. The pollution caused to the sea and its creatures is another fallout of this event. Are these processions and celebrations meters by which we can measure the popularity of the God? If that is so, it goes without any doubt that Ganesha stands head and shoulder above all the other Gods put together. I would like to believe it is thus but somehow another aspect of the people’s faith makes me think otherwise.
The early pictures or idols of Ganesha were that of the God in a seated position looking in front with his pot belly in full view and his little mouse right at his feet. His four hands were for all to see, each carrying what they were meant to hold. His head was straight with both his ears as extended half fans. His trunk was either curved to the left or the right. Both the curves had some significance however both were accepted. As children we were told that a picture or idol of Ganesha should always be in the sitting position. A standing Ganesha was unacceptable as it meant that the God was angry. This is the way it has been for centuries and was the accepted way. Somehow in the 80’s things began to change and Ganesha too was not spared. The market began to get flooded with Ganesha’s in various forms, he began to stand, lie down, dance, play cricket, play all kinds of musical instruments, sit in front of a computer screen with a mouse (his vahanam) in his hand and so on and so forth. To me these various forms never appealed and somehow I felt they were not in good taste. I don’t have a single one of these Ganeshas. I don’t fall into the category of a collector of Ganesha idols a hobby that seems to be in vogue now. I am told there are those with more than 500 Ganeshas in their kitty. I wonder how this modernization came about. Is it the result of globalization that gave the designers and artisans to play around with the Gods? As if to add insult to injury some of the Ganeshas are even made in -you have guessed it right – yes, China!!
With much sadness and frustration, people like me had to take in all the changes to the stately form of a very stately God, only to be perturbed further by the latest style of picturisation. It has in the last 15-20 years become the norm to have a Ganesha picture in all the invitations especially the wedding invitations. Since weddings are a very auspicious occasion, the printers must have decided to add a picture of the remover of all obstacles into the wedding card. It is very rare to see a card without a Ganesha peeping from some corner. I use the word peeping, because unlike when the trend started, the drawings have undergone so much of change that it has at times been brought down to two strokes and a dot. One stroke indicates the trunk the other an ear and the dot one eye. The artists have really belittled the status of a regal God. Do we really need these kinds of images on an invitation? Are the artists trying to show their innovative styles? Is this the right way to portray our Gods?
I do not consider these signs as being healthy. I am a traditionalist when it comes to our Gods and Goddesses. If one is a believer, I think he or she should follow certain norms. It is fine for the non believer to consider all kinds of innovations. When the fanatics among the Hindus can create a hue and cry at drawings of Hindu Gods by renowned artists, I think it is time that they put an end to these lowly representations as well. As for Ganesha himself, I am sure he must be wondering as to what his next avatar would be. How he would be wishing that he wasn’t so popular and his only prayer now to his worshippers would be to leave him alone so that he could be his normal self.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Disappointment
May 16th 2009 was a day of reckoning for all the political parties in India. It was the day decided upon by the Election Commission of India to count the votes of the 15th General Elections. The Election was spread over a 5 week period and was conducted in five phases with the first phase being on the 16th of April and the last on the 13th of May. I have to congratulate the commission for a job very well done. With almost a billion voters, it is indeed an exercise worth commenting and this they achieved without any fanfare and big talk. This time the lead up to the elections was not the riot that it usually turned out to be. All parties followed the election conduct code set by the commission and there was peace and quiet all around. Thanks to the commission, the compound walls were not defaced with the posters of the candidates and so also the skyline was devoid of the huge cut outs for which my city of Chennai is famous.
The trend of the results were clear within 2 hours of counting and by noon it was sure that the UPA lead by the Indian National Congress would continue to hold the reins of power. This result truly made me happy. Let me get this clear, I am no supporter of the Congress and have never been. The reason for my happiness is not the fact that the INC won, but the fact that the voters in India had given a clear mandate to one of the coalitions. This meant that the UPA could really get down to ruling the country in the way they think is best. It goes without saying that their responsibility has increased as they have no one to blame for not doing what they should. In the last 5 years, any snag on their part was blamed on the allies who stood as a stumbling block. Now I wish them well and hope they govern in the best manner possible and let us ordinary citizens enjoy the fruits of democracy and also feel the sense of security which we badly need.
This result which for certain has been accepted with relief and happiness by the majority has I ‘m sure left certain groups disappointed. One such group is of course the parties which lost. That is but natural as everyone out there wants a win, because only a win will enable them to be in power and thus fill in their coffers. A win would have also made them be in a position to bargain with the ruling coalition. This clear mandate has left most of these power seekers high and dry what with having to wait another five years for lady luck to favour them. More than thanking the voters for giving a clear mandate, I would like to thank them for not giving a fractured mandate.
The other group that would be more than disappointed on this victory is the anchors of the various English news channels in the country. Yes, I am glad that we have a choice of channels to watch unlike in the seventies and eighties when only Doordarshan enlightened the public in their most monotonous manner. The English news channels are indeed savvy and the presenters are the face of modern India with their western attire and ingenuous minds. The build up to the fifteenth general election started for them even before the dates were announced in February and once the dates were known it was the only topic on air 24x7. Once the elections began and there was a sense of a hung parliament, these anchors went on an overdrive and began working out the various combinations and permutations. Oh my God how they enjoyed this show and how they set the minds of the viewers thinking in various ways. They had guests from all the political parties in their studios and these poor men and women were made to answer questions to situations that they would have never dreamt off. Since most of them came for the interview without any clue as to what would be asked, they would sometimes talk of the cuff and get themselves into a sticky situation from which it was difficult to come free. Many a misunderstanding has come about and many a head has rolled. These presenters consider themselves above board and without realizing what is good for the country or its people do a job which according to them is well done. They have made elements in the fray “King Makers” by exaggerating their importance and these poor souls have now become totally disappointed. They have managed fully well to give a sense of elation to groups that are not worthy of it and on the other hand have put down people who need a pat on the back. Some of the smarter politicians have seen through their game and have been able to keep them at arms length. In this manner they have filled their air time for the last 3 months. Had we a fractured mandate, they would have been the happiest and would have tried working the most improbable situations. Even with a strong mandate, I was surprised when an anchor was working out the various combinations that the UPA could resort to, to achieve the 300 mark.
I wonder when these anchors will change their attitudes. Yes we all admit that they are smart and can think out of the box, but that in no way gives them the authority to speak the way they do. For the first time in my memory, the leaders of the losing coalitions have had the courtesy to congratulate the UPA leaders and have extended all support to the government. When the situation is thus, I wonder why these anchors want to maintain a divisive attitude. To them it is only the question of filling the air time and improving on their TRPs. Just as they are disappointed with the results, I am disappointed with the entire breed. The only channels I view are the news channels, but after this prolonged agony, have decided to stay off the remote for the time being.
The trend of the results were clear within 2 hours of counting and by noon it was sure that the UPA lead by the Indian National Congress would continue to hold the reins of power. This result truly made me happy. Let me get this clear, I am no supporter of the Congress and have never been. The reason for my happiness is not the fact that the INC won, but the fact that the voters in India had given a clear mandate to one of the coalitions. This meant that the UPA could really get down to ruling the country in the way they think is best. It goes without saying that their responsibility has increased as they have no one to blame for not doing what they should. In the last 5 years, any snag on their part was blamed on the allies who stood as a stumbling block. Now I wish them well and hope they govern in the best manner possible and let us ordinary citizens enjoy the fruits of democracy and also feel the sense of security which we badly need.
This result which for certain has been accepted with relief and happiness by the majority has I ‘m sure left certain groups disappointed. One such group is of course the parties which lost. That is but natural as everyone out there wants a win, because only a win will enable them to be in power and thus fill in their coffers. A win would have also made them be in a position to bargain with the ruling coalition. This clear mandate has left most of these power seekers high and dry what with having to wait another five years for lady luck to favour them. More than thanking the voters for giving a clear mandate, I would like to thank them for not giving a fractured mandate.
The other group that would be more than disappointed on this victory is the anchors of the various English news channels in the country. Yes, I am glad that we have a choice of channels to watch unlike in the seventies and eighties when only Doordarshan enlightened the public in their most monotonous manner. The English news channels are indeed savvy and the presenters are the face of modern India with their western attire and ingenuous minds. The build up to the fifteenth general election started for them even before the dates were announced in February and once the dates were known it was the only topic on air 24x7. Once the elections began and there was a sense of a hung parliament, these anchors went on an overdrive and began working out the various combinations and permutations. Oh my God how they enjoyed this show and how they set the minds of the viewers thinking in various ways. They had guests from all the political parties in their studios and these poor men and women were made to answer questions to situations that they would have never dreamt off. Since most of them came for the interview without any clue as to what would be asked, they would sometimes talk of the cuff and get themselves into a sticky situation from which it was difficult to come free. Many a misunderstanding has come about and many a head has rolled. These presenters consider themselves above board and without realizing what is good for the country or its people do a job which according to them is well done. They have made elements in the fray “King Makers” by exaggerating their importance and these poor souls have now become totally disappointed. They have managed fully well to give a sense of elation to groups that are not worthy of it and on the other hand have put down people who need a pat on the back. Some of the smarter politicians have seen through their game and have been able to keep them at arms length. In this manner they have filled their air time for the last 3 months. Had we a fractured mandate, they would have been the happiest and would have tried working the most improbable situations. Even with a strong mandate, I was surprised when an anchor was working out the various combinations that the UPA could resort to, to achieve the 300 mark.
I wonder when these anchors will change their attitudes. Yes we all admit that they are smart and can think out of the box, but that in no way gives them the authority to speak the way they do. For the first time in my memory, the leaders of the losing coalitions have had the courtesy to congratulate the UPA leaders and have extended all support to the government. When the situation is thus, I wonder why these anchors want to maintain a divisive attitude. To them it is only the question of filling the air time and improving on their TRPs. Just as they are disappointed with the results, I am disappointed with the entire breed. The only channels I view are the news channels, but after this prolonged agony, have decided to stay off the remote for the time being.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Gateway
If I make a list of the places I most frequent, I am sure the Chennai Central Railway Station will find a place somewhere in the top 20 if not the top 10. Yes, it is true I go there so often either to receive people or to see them off or whenever I travel. For Indians the most common mode of travel is by train. This morning I had been to receive some relatives and standing in the platform waiting for the train to arrive set me thinking of my travel in the earlier days and all the good memories that came along with it. If you ask me what my most preferred mode of travel is, I would surely say it is the train. I enjoy thoroughly my train trips and whenever I lack company I make up with my reading. Of the hundreds of journeys I have made by train I have enjoyed most of them and I don’t think I have one negative experience to talk about. I know this may not be true for so many others. Yes, there have been inconveniences like a noisy marriage group or non availability of coffee without sugar or some beggars or vagrants in the compartment. Like most Indians my motto is one of live and let live and hence I tend to ignore most things. As a result of this attitude, I have little to complain in a public place.
Almost all my train travel has either begun or ended at the Chennai Central Railway Station and thus this station becomes the focal point of my love for the train. In the 136 years history of the Chennai Central Railway Station, I have been around for more than 50 years; hence I can proudly say that I have witnessed its growth for more than one third of its life. I have seen it grow from a six platform station to a twelve platform one. I have seen various amenities find their place inside the station. When I was a kid the only stalls available were that of the Southern Railway Catering Division and they served packed food in mobile carts. The excitement then would be visiting Higginbothams and buying a book or a magazine from there. Higginbothams was right at the entrance and it was somehow difficult to miss. Even now Higginbothams is the only book shop at the station, but somehow it seems to have lost its prominence. The food stalls are a plenty now and the passenger is at a loss when it comes to choices. Most of the leading restaurateurs have a pick up point in the station. Then there are the retiring rooms, left luggage counters, pharmacies, wheel chairs and battery operated cars for the sick and the elderly, bank ATM’s, an internet browsing centre and so on and so forth. The platforms and the building itself have had a thorough make over. From the lowly cement and Cuddapah slab platforms we now have the polished granite ones. In keeping with the increased length of the trains the length of the platforms too has doubled. Receiving or seeing off someone sometimes turns into a good walk and thus serves the dual purpose of an exercise too.
The station is a 24x7 zone and I am yet to see it dull and silent. I have been there at various times during the day and each time finding a parking is a mission impossible. The parking lot area keeps increasing but is still not enough to meet the demands. The railway authorities have introduced a Premium Parking and like all things premium cost 150% more. I must say it is truly an ingenuous ways of adding to the coffer. The station is most crowded during the months of April and May. This is the summer vacation months and most of the families plan their travel then. This is the time when Chennai is the hottest and a good time to get away. The best way to beat the Chennai heat is to stay away from the city. Prior to the holidays, the booking offices are the most crowded and those who are able to get the tickets and berths of their choice consider themselves really lucky. Even though the Railways have become tech savvy and there are those who book their tickets via the internet, the masses still opt to stand in queue. Much as the government tries to beat the rush by adding new specials during this season, they are nowhere near meeting the demand. So my trip this morning to the station saw me jostling with the crowd and the luggage and at the end of it I felt happy that I could find my guests and bring them out without any hassle. This ability to find the guests in a crowd has attributed to me being assigned the station duty. Mishaps have happened when others have gone and hence it is an unwritten rule that it would be my job. Considering the earlier poor track record for keeping time, the railways seems to have worked their way around and now they maintain time very well. At times things can go wrong and this is expected considering the fact that the Indian Railway is the world’s largest railway and also the world’s largest employer. On an average 18 million people travel daily by train and the network covers 6909 stations. One sore point at this station is that of dealing with the coolies, these guys in red shirt are a handful and for a newcomer to the city it will not be the best welcome. With the invention of the pull along bags in all sizes and shapes their livelihood has been hard hit as people rarely engage them.
I for one am not deterred by these small obstacles. The magnificent red building with its imposing towers never fail to produce a sense of happiness in me. If I am traveling alone, I go with anticipation as to who my co travelers would be or if I am in a group I thoroughly enjoy the experience. My next travel is on the 19th of this month and like always I am sure that this too would be a good journey. I have the confidence that the Chennai Central Railway Station will never let me down!!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
A Personal List
If you go by the seven wonders of the medieval world, I had seen four of them and was preparing myself to see the fifth. The four that I had earlier seen were the Stonehenge, Colosseum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Hagia Sophia. Stonehenge was difficult to decipher as it had more to do with the formation and the Druids. I had read about Stonehenge and knew there was something mystic about it; however I would not have taken the trouble of going to England just to see it. As for the Colosseum, well who has not heard about it; although after reading about the gladiators and all the gory happenings in the past, it was not the most favoured destination for me. The Leaning Tower of Pisa was to me nice and added to that was the fact that it survived for so many years defying the centre of gravity. However the square in which it stood seemed a big disappointment what with a cathedral just a few inches away. Again this tower was only built in the 12th century and that was not so long ago. The fourth wonder which I had the privilege to visit was the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. It is of course magnificent and old and was the biggest church in existence for over a thousand years. It is regal in appearance and stands like a mute witness to all the goings on in a bustling metropolis. Then again my purpose of visiting Turkey was not at all the Hagia Sophia. I know there are people who keep track of lists and try to tick of the ones they have seen and eventually complete the list. I have no such wish lists and it is only due to the grace of the almighty that I have had the opportunity to see whatever I have seen. In the first twenty years of my life the Stonehenge and Hagia Sophia were non existent and the other two did exist but I had never ever dreamt that I would get to see them. They were just picture postcards for me.
However this is not true of the fifth wonder and that is of course the Great Wall of China. I have heard about this marvel from my primary school days and it has always left me wondering as to how something so big could have been executed so long ago. Initially the mention of China was synonymous with the Great Wall. A trip to China meant Beijing and the Great Wall. With my knowledge of the world improving, I came to know that there were very many sights to see in China and thus the second name was registered in my psyche and that was of course the Terracotta Warriors of Xi’an. So when the China trip was planned, Beijing and Xi’an featured. Shanghai had to be there as it was the most happening place and Shenzhen was included because our good friends had relocated there.
Our trip to China was for 11 days and Xi’an was the second stop. It was a fine day and our guide told us that the warriors were an hour’s drive from the city. Now Xi’an is an ancient city and has that flavour about it. There is a character to the city what with its ancient bell and drum towers and a magnificent completed city wall which is surrounded by a moat and a well kept garden. The guide chose to take us first to the famous Hua Qing Hot Springs and after that for a typical local cuisine lunch. The lunch gave us some anxious moments as we had absolutely no clue as to what to expect. True to our anxiety, the food was nothing to write home about. My husband anticipating this problem had carried with him some spicy powder which we decided to call “the gun powder” and that really worked as the magic potion to gulp down the food. Feeling a little low on the food front we set out to meet the warriors. The visit was surely an anti dote to the food experience. The first pit we visited was the Pit 1 and there before us lay the splendour of the warriors. As all those who have been to Xi’an know that Pit 1 has 6000 of the 8000 warriors. These 6000 men stood erect and poignant ready for battle as if just waiting for their commander to give them the order. I have never been amazed by anything as I was on that day. It seems each of these 8000 warriors have a different expression and no two are alike. The warriors consist of the generals, officers, soldiers and archers. Then there are the horses and chariots and all the paraphernalia that went with an army of yore. By yore I mean 2200 years ago. It baffled me that something so precise could be executed to perfection in that era. There was no mechanism for mass production and that meant that each of these warriors were meticulously hand made. It is said that it took the emperor 11 years to get his mausoleum ready. But I wonder how many artisans were involved. Pit 2 was a tough nut to crack for the excavators as the ceiling gave way and thus it remains mostly untouched. Pit 3 is a smaller one and according to reports was a command point for the other 2 pits. We spent a couple of hours with these wonderful warriors and never grew tired of gazing at them. I wondered why this fascinating sight never made it to the list of World wonders. Could it be because it was only discovered in 1974 when a farmer decided to dig a well in the vicinity of the mausoleum and fell upon a warrior’s head. Had the farmer moved away a little the warriors would have remained underground and the fast paced world of modern China would have moved above them. The emperor I am sure would have wanted his mausoleum to be the talking point at some time in history and that it has truly become. I really wish I could start a campaign to get this world heritage site into the wonders of the world.
The day to visit the well acclaimed wonder was nearing and so was my anticipation. The day prior to the visit, I felt a bit under the weather. To make sure that I was fighting fit, I called up Narayani back home and had her break a coconut for the Vinayaka on our compound wall. This is something we do regularly as we truly believe that he takes care of us wherever we are. I had also heard that climbing the Wall was arduous and I did not want anything to come in the way. Again the Wall is an hour’s drive from Beijing and we set out on another beautiful day and after a stop at a Cloisonné factory proceeded. My eyes were on the look out for the Wall; however it was the local guide who pointed it out. On reaching the foothills, I realized that it was not at all going to be easy. It seemed as high as the Thirumalai Hills in Tirupathi and for a second I wondered if I should venture out. I have climbed the Thirumalai hills a decade ago and had written off such adventures from my scheme of things. But having reached so close and not making an attempt would have made me feel as if the whole purpose was lost. So with a very positive attitude I began the climb. The ramp like slope was steep and then came the steps. Each step was over a foot high and the body weight just did not make matters easy. With more than a couple of stops, I along with Sridevi made it to the top. The feeling after the climb was truly awesome and exhilarating. Whichever direction you looked the wall seemed to stretch in a never ending fashion. Well it is 6000 kms long and so it would surely go on and on. I was told the wall did not serve its purpose as many invaders came through. This wall too like the warriors was built 2200 years ago. The original wall was made of mud and after its destruction, the one present one was made of stone over 600 years ago. It is truly an amazing feat.
My readers may wonder as to why I included these two great wonders in one article, the reason for this is the fact that they were both built during the period of the first Emperor of China Qin Shi Huang. He ascended the throne at the tender age of 13 and ruled for over 35 years. What a wonderful contribution to one’s country. The Great Wall standing imposingly on a hill range and being the only man made structure to be seen by the naked eye from outer space and the warriors way below the earth standing guard to the Emperor’s Tomb. Two totally contrasting projects each worthy of all the adulations.
I came back with the feel that I have for the first time seen two great wonders. I have decided to put together my very own list and I wonder as to what the next entry would be!!!
However this is not true of the fifth wonder and that is of course the Great Wall of China. I have heard about this marvel from my primary school days and it has always left me wondering as to how something so big could have been executed so long ago. Initially the mention of China was synonymous with the Great Wall. A trip to China meant Beijing and the Great Wall. With my knowledge of the world improving, I came to know that there were very many sights to see in China and thus the second name was registered in my psyche and that was of course the Terracotta Warriors of Xi’an. So when the China trip was planned, Beijing and Xi’an featured. Shanghai had to be there as it was the most happening place and Shenzhen was included because our good friends had relocated there.
Our trip to China was for 11 days and Xi’an was the second stop. It was a fine day and our guide told us that the warriors were an hour’s drive from the city. Now Xi’an is an ancient city and has that flavour about it. There is a character to the city what with its ancient bell and drum towers and a magnificent completed city wall which is surrounded by a moat and a well kept garden. The guide chose to take us first to the famous Hua Qing Hot Springs and after that for a typical local cuisine lunch. The lunch gave us some anxious moments as we had absolutely no clue as to what to expect. True to our anxiety, the food was nothing to write home about. My husband anticipating this problem had carried with him some spicy powder which we decided to call “the gun powder” and that really worked as the magic potion to gulp down the food. Feeling a little low on the food front we set out to meet the warriors. The visit was surely an anti dote to the food experience. The first pit we visited was the Pit 1 and there before us lay the splendour of the warriors. As all those who have been to Xi’an know that Pit 1 has 6000 of the 8000 warriors. These 6000 men stood erect and poignant ready for battle as if just waiting for their commander to give them the order. I have never been amazed by anything as I was on that day. It seems each of these 8000 warriors have a different expression and no two are alike. The warriors consist of the generals, officers, soldiers and archers. Then there are the horses and chariots and all the paraphernalia that went with an army of yore. By yore I mean 2200 years ago. It baffled me that something so precise could be executed to perfection in that era. There was no mechanism for mass production and that meant that each of these warriors were meticulously hand made. It is said that it took the emperor 11 years to get his mausoleum ready. But I wonder how many artisans were involved. Pit 2 was a tough nut to crack for the excavators as the ceiling gave way and thus it remains mostly untouched. Pit 3 is a smaller one and according to reports was a command point for the other 2 pits. We spent a couple of hours with these wonderful warriors and never grew tired of gazing at them. I wondered why this fascinating sight never made it to the list of World wonders. Could it be because it was only discovered in 1974 when a farmer decided to dig a well in the vicinity of the mausoleum and fell upon a warrior’s head. Had the farmer moved away a little the warriors would have remained underground and the fast paced world of modern China would have moved above them. The emperor I am sure would have wanted his mausoleum to be the talking point at some time in history and that it has truly become. I really wish I could start a campaign to get this world heritage site into the wonders of the world.
The day to visit the well acclaimed wonder was nearing and so was my anticipation. The day prior to the visit, I felt a bit under the weather. To make sure that I was fighting fit, I called up Narayani back home and had her break a coconut for the Vinayaka on our compound wall. This is something we do regularly as we truly believe that he takes care of us wherever we are. I had also heard that climbing the Wall was arduous and I did not want anything to come in the way. Again the Wall is an hour’s drive from Beijing and we set out on another beautiful day and after a stop at a Cloisonné factory proceeded. My eyes were on the look out for the Wall; however it was the local guide who pointed it out. On reaching the foothills, I realized that it was not at all going to be easy. It seemed as high as the Thirumalai Hills in Tirupathi and for a second I wondered if I should venture out. I have climbed the Thirumalai hills a decade ago and had written off such adventures from my scheme of things. But having reached so close and not making an attempt would have made me feel as if the whole purpose was lost. So with a very positive attitude I began the climb. The ramp like slope was steep and then came the steps. Each step was over a foot high and the body weight just did not make matters easy. With more than a couple of stops, I along with Sridevi made it to the top. The feeling after the climb was truly awesome and exhilarating. Whichever direction you looked the wall seemed to stretch in a never ending fashion. Well it is 6000 kms long and so it would surely go on and on. I was told the wall did not serve its purpose as many invaders came through. This wall too like the warriors was built 2200 years ago. The original wall was made of mud and after its destruction, the one present one was made of stone over 600 years ago. It is truly an amazing feat.
My readers may wonder as to why I included these two great wonders in one article, the reason for this is the fact that they were both built during the period of the first Emperor of China Qin Shi Huang. He ascended the throne at the tender age of 13 and ruled for over 35 years. What a wonderful contribution to one’s country. The Great Wall standing imposingly on a hill range and being the only man made structure to be seen by the naked eye from outer space and the warriors way below the earth standing guard to the Emperor’s Tomb. Two totally contrasting projects each worthy of all the adulations.
I came back with the feel that I have for the first time seen two great wonders. I have decided to put together my very own list and I wonder as to what the next entry would be!!!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
The Right Start
I’m back after a break of a fortnight totally rejuvenated and ready to take on the world. Well if not the world atleast the harsh heat of Chennai. But then if you can take the heat of Chennai, then taking on the world is child's play. The holiday as I have mentioned in my Facebook was a dream. I have had the privilege of visiting a lot of places around the world and nowhere have I felt the way I did during this break. The reasons for that may be more than one and of that I would like to expand at a later time. Before my vacation, I had thought that I would write a travelogue and let my readers know of what I saw and did in China. Now on hindsight, I feel that may not be a good idea as it could turn out to be a drab and thus bore the reader. I do want to write about China as I have been awed by whatever met my eye. Now my worry is to think of interesting ways in which I can incorporate China into my blog.
There is a popular saying which goes thus “All is well that ends well”. I would like to change it a little and phrase it thus “All is well that starts well.” When the trip to China was in its nascent stages, we debated on which airline to choose as there were many choices from Chennai. Since most of the far eastern airlines fly to mainland China, we could have chosen any one of them. However due to connections, the choice was narrowed to two, one being Thai and the other Cathay Pacific. Now I have a special corner for Cathay as that was the carrier my husband worked for while in the Middle East and prior to that in India and thus was instrumental in me getting to see so many places all around the world. Also Cathay meant Hong Kong and I wanted to see the place. Now Hong Kong is not new to me as from the year 1980-1994 I have gone there almost every year and used to know the city very well. Once we were back in India, I had never dreamt that I would get to go there again. When this opportunity came by I did not want to let go of it. I was keen to know how much the place had changed after the take over in 1997 and also to see if I could find my way around. Luckily the friend who was traveling with us had not been to Hong Kong and so it was Cathay for sure. Once the trip was confirmed, Kumar being the man he is, made sure that the flights were booked well on time and even spoke to the local Cathay office and made sure that we got the best deals possible.
I don’t think I have ever mentioned about my neighbor Mr. D’Costa in any of my earlier articles, he lives just opposite my house and my father calls him his younger brother. His nick name is Bobby and to all of us he is Uncle Bobby. He is a fine gentleman so loving and caring, ready to face the world with an endearing smile. Uncle Bobby is blessed with three sons and a daughter. His daughter is married to one David Saunders a captain with Cathay Pacific. Dave is an Indophile first and a New Zealander who grew up in India by virtue of having missionary parents. He visits his in laws every few months and spends considerable time with us. In the 13 years since his marriage, he has become a good friend of ours. Thus when the tickets were purchased, I had hoped against hope that Dave would captain us. I had always felt it would be wonderful to travel in a plane when the Captain is known. On conveying our travel plans to Dave, he said it was very doubtful that he would be assigned the route on that particular day.
We were scheduled to travel on the 25th of April and on the 24th evening Kumar conveyed to me that Dave had been assigned to Captain our flight and that he would be reaching Chennai on the 25th morning. It seemed as if the person above had a role to play. It seemed as if it was ordained. So that morning Dave came across and shared his delight with us. He said that he was looking forward to having us on board. We had an easy check in at the airport and later the senior ground staff told us that by the Captain’s orders we were assigned to Business Class.
Once on board, Dave came around to see if we were comfortable and for the first time we got to go to the flight deck. I for one am not a great sleeper on board, but somehow on that flight, I felt that there was nothing to worry and slept like a hog. For the first time I wished that the flight was a longer one. We owe what we are to Cathay Pacific and the airline in turn made sure that they gave us the most regal welcome after a gap of 14 years. With such a great start, I knew that our holiday would turn out to be a dream and that is exactly what it was.
There is a popular saying which goes thus “All is well that ends well”. I would like to change it a little and phrase it thus “All is well that starts well.” When the trip to China was in its nascent stages, we debated on which airline to choose as there were many choices from Chennai. Since most of the far eastern airlines fly to mainland China, we could have chosen any one of them. However due to connections, the choice was narrowed to two, one being Thai and the other Cathay Pacific. Now I have a special corner for Cathay as that was the carrier my husband worked for while in the Middle East and prior to that in India and thus was instrumental in me getting to see so many places all around the world. Also Cathay meant Hong Kong and I wanted to see the place. Now Hong Kong is not new to me as from the year 1980-1994 I have gone there almost every year and used to know the city very well. Once we were back in India, I had never dreamt that I would get to go there again. When this opportunity came by I did not want to let go of it. I was keen to know how much the place had changed after the take over in 1997 and also to see if I could find my way around. Luckily the friend who was traveling with us had not been to Hong Kong and so it was Cathay for sure. Once the trip was confirmed, Kumar being the man he is, made sure that the flights were booked well on time and even spoke to the local Cathay office and made sure that we got the best deals possible.
I don’t think I have ever mentioned about my neighbor Mr. D’Costa in any of my earlier articles, he lives just opposite my house and my father calls him his younger brother. His nick name is Bobby and to all of us he is Uncle Bobby. He is a fine gentleman so loving and caring, ready to face the world with an endearing smile. Uncle Bobby is blessed with three sons and a daughter. His daughter is married to one David Saunders a captain with Cathay Pacific. Dave is an Indophile first and a New Zealander who grew up in India by virtue of having missionary parents. He visits his in laws every few months and spends considerable time with us. In the 13 years since his marriage, he has become a good friend of ours. Thus when the tickets were purchased, I had hoped against hope that Dave would captain us. I had always felt it would be wonderful to travel in a plane when the Captain is known. On conveying our travel plans to Dave, he said it was very doubtful that he would be assigned the route on that particular day.
We were scheduled to travel on the 25th of April and on the 24th evening Kumar conveyed to me that Dave had been assigned to Captain our flight and that he would be reaching Chennai on the 25th morning. It seemed as if the person above had a role to play. It seemed as if it was ordained. So that morning Dave came across and shared his delight with us. He said that he was looking forward to having us on board. We had an easy check in at the airport and later the senior ground staff told us that by the Captain’s orders we were assigned to Business Class.
Once on board, Dave came around to see if we were comfortable and for the first time we got to go to the flight deck. I for one am not a great sleeper on board, but somehow on that flight, I felt that there was nothing to worry and slept like a hog. For the first time I wished that the flight was a longer one. We owe what we are to Cathay Pacific and the airline in turn made sure that they gave us the most regal welcome after a gap of 14 years. With such a great start, I knew that our holiday would turn out to be a dream and that is exactly what it was.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
